#1000dayalbumchallenge — Public Fediverse posts

playing a little catch-up. Mary Mac and I have had a long day of traveling on Wednesday into Thursday. we have been chilling out at a little ecolodge at Playa Manzanillo in Costa Rica for a few days before returning to San Juan del Sur. I will be making four posts today or five over today and tomorrow to get back on pace.

1000 Day Album Challenge (#95) Graham Parker & The Rumour: Squeezing Out Sparks (1979) [04.04.24]

ain't got no idols for the screen today
although they make a lot of noises they got nothing to say
I try to look amazed but it's an act
the movie might be new but it's the same soundtrack…

Squeezing Out Sparks came out during the spring of my sophomore year of high school. I doubt there were more than a handful of albums that I listened to during high school and college as much or more than it. London Calling is the only one that comes to mind.

I remember being excited at the time that it finished #1 in The Village Voice’s Annual Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll. there were more than a few great records that could have easily won the poll that year – the U.S. version of The Clash, Elvis Costello’s Armed Forces, Nick Lowe’s Labour of Lust, The Buzzcock’s Singles Going Steady. in hindsight, my personal choice would be Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

I don’t return to Squeezing Out Sparks nearly as often as London Calling. I’m not sure why. do I think it won’t live up to my memories? yet each time I listen I love it start to finish. somehow I’m actually more likely to listen to Howlin’ Wind (1976) or Heat Treatment (1976). maybe I burned myself out on it. I know I didn’t listen to either Howlin’ Wind or Heat Treatment nearly as much when I was a kid.

all I know for sure is that Squeezing Out Sparks is a far better record than most of the big albums of 1979. I checked out a list of the albums that hit #1 that year and this is vastly superior to all of them except Bad Girls by Donna Summer. the total duds (from my perspective) that I’m sure plenty of people in my age range still enjoy and/or look back upon fondly – 52nd Street (Billy Joel), Blondes Have More Fun (Rod Stewart), Minute By Minute (Doobie Brothers), Breakfast In America (Supertramp), and The Long Run (The Eagles).

it is not my intention to judge anyone else’s musical tastes. I feel like I’ve been done with that for more than two decades now. prior to that the meme about judging people based on their record collections was a dead center bullseye for me. I’m just laying out some of the boundaries of my musical interests. I never quite rejected the mainstream, but especially from about 1978 into the 1990s let’s just I actively chose not to engage.

in my little word, Squeezing Out Sparks was a multi-week or maybe even multi-month #1 record. the 16 year-old version of me couldn’t understand why this wasn’t a big hit. I guess the 60 year-old version can’t understand that one either.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #GrahamParker #GrahamParkerAndTheRumour #SqueezingOut Sparks

playing a little catch-up. Mary Mac and I have had a long day of traveling on Wednesday into Thursday. we have been chilling out at a little ecolodge at Playa Manzanillo in Costa Rica for a few days before returning to San Juan del Sur. I will be making four posts today or five over today and tomorrow to get back on pace.

1000 Day Album Challenge (#95) Graham Parker & The Rumour: Squeezing Out Sparks (1979) [04.04.24]

ain't got no idols for the screen today
although they make a lot of noises they got nothing to say
I try to look amazed but it's an act
the movie might be new but it's the same soundtrack…

Squeezing Out Sparks came out during the spring of my sophomore year of high school. I doubt there were more than a handful of albums that I listened to during high school and college as much or more than it. London Calling is the only one that comes to mind.

I remember being excited at the time that it finished #1 in The Village Voice’s Annual Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll. there were more than a few great records that could have easily won the poll that year – the U.S. version of The Clash, Elvis Costello’s Armed Forces, Nick Lowe’s Labour of Lust, The Buzzcock’s Singles Going Steady. in hindsight, my personal choice would be Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

I don’t return to Squeezing Out Sparks nearly as often as London Calling. I’m not sure why. do I think it won’t live up to my memories? yet each time I listen I love it start to finish. somehow I’m actually more likely to listen to Howlin’ Wind (1976) or Heat Treatment (1976). maybe I burned myself out on it. I know I didn’t listen to either Howlin’ Wind or Heat Treatment nearly as much when I was a kid.

all I know for sure is that Squeezing Out Sparks is a far better record than most of the big albums of 1979. I checked out a list of the albums that hit #1 that year and this is vastly superior to all of them except Bad Girls by Donna Summer. the total duds (from my perspective) that I’m sure plenty of people in my age range still enjoy and/or look back upon fondly – 52nd Street (Billy Joel), Blondes Have More Fun (Rod Stewart), Minute By Minute (Doobie Brothers), Breakfast In America (Supertramp), and The Long Run (The Eagles).

it is not my intention to judge anyone else’s musical tastes. I feel like I’ve been done with that for more than two decades now. prior to that the meme about judging people based on their record collections was a dead center bullseye for me. I’m just laying out some of the boundaries of my musical interests. I never quite rejected the mainstream, but especially from about 1978 into the 1990s let’s just I actively chose not to engage.

in my little word, Squeezing Out Sparks was a multi-week or maybe even multi-month #1 record. the 16 year-old version of me couldn’t understand why this wasn’t a big hit. I guess the 60 year-old version can’t understand that one either.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #GrahamParker #GrahamParkerAndTheRumour #SqueezingOut Sparks

1000 Day Album Challenge (#81) New York Dolls: New York Dolls: (1973) [21.03.24]

when I say I'm in love / you best believe I'm in love / L-U-V!

if you are or have ever considered yourself a punk rock fan and don’t know the Dolls then you have a lot of catching up to do. the Dolls were a bit too early for the scene at CBGBs that was ground zero for the birth of the punk rock movement, but they are still very much an essential band on that musical continuum.

in a sense they were the Rolling Stones of punk rock before it even existed. David Johansen and Johnny Thunders were the crossdressing versions of Mick and Keith. whereas the Stones began with a near slavish devotion to the blues and Chuck Berry the Dolls touchstone was the Girls Group sound of the sixties filtered though their outer boroughs trash aesthetic.

in addition to their own songs, they transform Bo Diddley’s little known Pills (1961) into their very own. I don’t think I knew Pills was a cover until much later. I doubt I heard the Diddley original until his Chess Box compilation was released in 1990. I fell in love with Bo Diddley during my college years, but I think one would have to be a Bo Diddley obsessive to prefer the original.

debut albums has become a bit of a theme here. It was not my intent when I started this project to focus on debut records but it’s where we’re at. New York Dolls is one of the very best and not to be missed.

I have three absolute faves – Personality Crisis, Looking for a Kiss, and Trash. as the times have changed they have each graced MixTapes, Mix CDs, and playlists I’ve made.

for fans, I would recommend Personality Crisis: One Night Only, the David Johansen documentary, directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi. Mary and watched it about six months ago and both enjoyed it.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #NewYorkDolls #PersonalityCrisis #LookingForAKiss #Trash #Pills #BoDiddley #MartinScorsese

1000 Day Album Challenge (#75) No Rights Given Or Implied: The Original Samplers (1993) [15.03.24]

and say children what does it all mean?…

I don’t know when I first heard Double Dee & Steinski’s The Payoff Mix (Mastermix Of G.L.O.B.E. And Whiz Kid's Play That Beat Mr. D.J.). I must have heard it half a dozen times or so on the radio when I was home from school. I was blown away and knew I had to have it.

in 1983 Tommy Boy had sponsored a contest to remix G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid’s electro jam of the past summer, Play That Beat Mr. D.J. Douglas DiFranco and Steve Stein submitted their cut & paste masterpiece. if you have heard it then you knew the contest was over when ever the judges first listened to it. for a brilliant discussion of this check out Robert Christgau’s Down by Law: Great Dance Records You Can't Buy (https://robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/steinski-86.php)

Tommy Boy released The Payoff Mix and Lessons Two: James Brown Mix and Three: History of Hip Hop Mix as a promo-only record in 1985. each mix is constructed from dozens of samples and clearly stand alone as new pieces of music worthy of repeated listening and great attention. I don’t believe I have ever scene a copy in the field. it is the one record for which I ALWAYS kept an eye open.

finally in 1993 or 1994, I came across this bootleg CD released in 1993, No Rights Given Or Implied: The Original Samplers. it featured the Lessons as well as other brilliant examples of cut n’ paste productions – two other Steve Stein works credited to Steinski & Mass Media, Afrika Bambaataa’s Fusion Beats, The Latin Rascals’ Big Apple Production Vol. II - Genius At Work, Danny Krivit’s Feelin’ James and Say Kids (What Time Is It?) and Beats & Pieces by Coldcut (British DJs and producers, Jonathan More and Matt Black).

I couldn’t believe it. even though I was always on the lookout for The Lessons I had given up on ever owning them. I never really made the transition to CDs. at the time I might have owned no more than a dozen or two. I was strictly a vinyl guy. so even though I would have preferred to own Double Dee & Steinski’s The Lessons on vinyl I was fine with settling for a bootleg CD compilation that gave me ready access to these brilliant songs.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #NoRightsGivenOrImpliedTheOriginalSamplers #DoubleDeeAndSteinski #TheLessons #CutNPaste

1000 Day Album Challenge (#75) No Rights Given Or Implied: The Original Samplers (1993) [15.03.24]

and say children what does it all mean?…

I don’t know when I first heard Double Dee & Steinski’s The Payoff Mix (Mastermix Of G.L.O.B.E. And Whiz Kid's Play That Beat Mr. D.J.). I must have heard it half a dozen times or so on the radio when I was home from school. I was blown away and knew I had to have it.

in 1983 Tommy Boy had sponsored a contest to remix G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid’s electro jam of the past summer, Play That Beat Mr. D.J. Douglas DiFranco and Steve Stein submitted their cut & paste masterpiece. if you have heard it then you knew the contest was over when ever the judges first listened to it. for a brilliant discussion of this check out Robert Christgau’s Down by Law: Great Dance Records You Can't Buy (https://robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/steinski-86.php)

Tommy Boy released The Payoff Mix and Lessons Two: James Brown Mix and Three: History of Hip Hop Mix as a promo-only record in 1985. each mix is constructed from dozens of samples and clearly stand alone as new pieces of music worthy of repeated listening and great attention. I don’t believe I have ever scene a copy in the field. it is the one record for which I ALWAYS kept an eye open.

finally in 1993 or 1994, I came across this bootleg CD released in 1993, No Rights Given Or Implied: The Original Samplers. it featured the Lessons as well as other brilliant examples of cut n’ paste productions – two other Steve Stein works credited to Steinski & Mass Media, Afrika Bambaataa’s Fusion Beats, The Latin Rascals’ Big Apple Production Vol. II - Genius At Work, Danny Krivit’s Feelin’ James and Say Kids (What Time Is It?) and Beats & Pieces by Coldcut (British DJs and producers, Jonathan More and Matt Black).

I couldn’t believe it. even though I was always on the lookout for The Lessons I had given up on ever owning them. I never really made the transition to CDs. at the time I might have owned no more than a dozen or two. I was strictly a vinyl guy. so even though I would have preferred to own Double Dee & Steinski’s The Lessons on vinyl I was fine with settling for a bootleg CD compilation that gave me ready access to these brilliant songs.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #NoRightsGivenOrImpliedTheOriginalSamplers #DoubleDeeAndSteinski #TheLessons #CutNPaste

1000 Day Album Challenge (#73) Jumpin' 2: Classics From The Original Disco Underground (1998) [13.03.24]

it ain't a fault it's a fact / I was born this way
now I won't judge you / don't you judge me
we're all the way nature meant us to be…

the late nineties was when I really began digging into disco. like anyone who grew up in the seventies and eighties I was well aware of the hits that made in on the radio. many of the songs are familiar to people far younger than myself. I was unfamiliar with how broad and deep the disco palette was. Jumpin’ 2 was my introduction to most, if not all the songs, on this compilation.

despite there being a dud or two, I absolutely love this record. I adore about half the songs on Jumpin’ 2 and have added them to many a playlist. two of the songs included are in the running for my favorite disco song ever.

let’s start with the lead track You Can’t Hide From Yourself by Teddy Pendergrass, former lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes. prior to hearing this I had been a big fan of DJ Sneak’s house classic, You Can’t Hide From Your Bud. it was clearly built around a sample, but had no idea what until I heard the Teddy Pendergrass song.

at first, I preferred DJ Sneak’s rework, but after repeatedly listening to TP’s original it wasn’t too long before I fell even more in love with it. often times a producer rescues a great element or two from a mediocre or even shitty song. when they construct a new great song from element(s) of an excellent original I feel like I tend to end up preferring the original. no matter how much I like the new tune I’m always grateful when it turned me on to a song I hadn’t known before.

the other song that is an all-time disco fave for me is Over and Over by Sylvester. I was already well aware of his biggest hits, Dance (Disco Heat), You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), and Do You Wanna Funk (credited to Patrick Cowley featuring Sylvester). Ashford & Simpson wrote and recorded the far weaker original version of Over and Over. according to the wonderful database Who Sampled (https://www.whosampled.com/Sylvester/Over-and-Over/sampled/) Over and Over has been sampled dozens of times, but I am unfamiliar with any of the songs that have sampled it.

I should also touch on Carl Bean’s gay anthem, I Was Born This Way, which was somehow released on Motown in 1977. it was never a huge hit, but was big in the clubs and was remixed to perfection in 1986 by Bruce Forest and Shep Pettibone. Lady Gaga cited it as an inspiration for her worldwide Number One, Born This Way. in 1990, Pal Joey built Dance around a sample from I was Born This Way for his Earth People project.

trust me, if you dig House Music and you don’t know your disco you’re missing out on some phenomenal music.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #Jumpin2 #DiscoUnderground #TeddyPendergrass #YouCantHideFromYourself #DJSneak #YouCantHideFromYourBud #Sylvester #OverAndOver #CarlBean #IWasBornThisWay #LadyGaga #PalJoey #EarthPeople #Dance

1000 Day Album Challenge (#73) Jumpin' 2: Classics From The Original Disco Underground (1998) [13.03.24]

it ain't a fault it's a fact / I was born this way
now I won't judge you / don't you judge me
we're all the way nature meant us to be…

the late nineties was when I really began digging into disco. like anyone who grew up in the seventies and eighties I was well aware of the hits that made in on the radio. many of the songs are familiar to people far younger than myself. I was unfamiliar with how broad and deep the disco palette was. Jumpin’ 2 was my introduction to most, if not all the songs, on this compilation.

despite there being a dud or two, I absolutely love this record. I adore about half the songs on Jumpin’ 2 and have added them to many a playlist. two of the songs included are in the running for my favorite disco song ever.

let’s start with the lead track You Can’t Hide From Yourself by Teddy Pendergrass, former lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes. prior to hearing this I had been a big fan of DJ Sneak’s house classic, You Can’t Hide From Your Bud. it was clearly built around a sample, but had no idea what until I heard the Teddy Pendergrass song.

at first, I preferred DJ Sneak’s rework, but after repeatedly listening to TP’s original it wasn’t too long before I fell even more in love with it. often times a producer rescues a great element or two from a mediocre or even shitty song. when they construct a new great song from element(s) of an excellent original I feel like I tend to end up preferring the original. no matter how much I like the new tune I’m always grateful when it turned me on to a song I hadn’t known before.

the other song that is an all-time disco fave for me is Over and Over by Sylvester. I was already well aware of his biggest hits, Dance (Disco Heat), You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), and Do You Wanna Funk (credited to Patrick Cowley featuring Sylvester). Ashford & Simpson wrote and recorded the far weaker original version of Over and Over. according to the wonderful database Who Sampled (https://www.whosampled.com/Sylvester/Over-and-Over/sampled/) Over and Over has been sampled dozens of times, but I am unfamiliar with any of the songs that have sampled it.

I should also touch on Carl Bean’s gay anthem, I Was Born This Way, which was somehow released on Motown in 1977. it was never a huge hit, but was big in the clubs and was remixed to perfection in 1986 by Bruce Forest and Shep Pettibone. Lady Gaga cited it as an inspiration for her worldwide Number One, Born This Way. in 1990, Pal Joey built Dance around a sample from I was Born This Way for his Earth People project.

trust me, if you dig House Music and you don’t know your disco you’re missing out on some phenomenal music.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #Jumpin2 #DiscoUnderground #TeddyPendergrass #YouCantHideFromYourself #DJSneak #YouCantHideFromYourBud #Sylvester #OverAndOver #CarlBean #IWasBornThisWay #LadyGaga #PalJoey #EarthPeople #Dance

1000 Day Album Challenge (#61) Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey (1975) [01.03.24]

slavery days / do you remember the days of slav'ry?...

I was lucky that as early as high school I was listening to reggae beyond Bob Marley & The Wailers. as I got older I became aware that often when someone claimed to like reggae they actually only meant, “I like Bob Marley.” it is my experience that many people aren’t familiar with much more than the Legend album by BMW. I think Marcus Garvey by @officialburningspear entered my life during my freshman or sophomore year of college.

as I listen to Marcus Garvey I realize it has been way too long since I last sat down and listened to it start to finish. as Live Good, the fourth song, plays and draws my attention to it, some time passes before I recognize it. the same thing with Give Me, which follows it. still love it though. I am going to have to listen more often.

I had no such problem with the first three tunes – Marcus Garvey, Slavery Days, and The Invasion all came roaring back. Winston Rodney (lead singer) and Burning Spear were on that Afrocentric vibe long before Native Tongues would take up the mantle a decade and a half later. it is likely Burning Spear’s strong political bent that kept them making a bigger dent in the U.S. market. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

not long before bed last night, but after I had already decided to post about Marcus Garvey today, I learned through a post by a friend (Steve Dolley) on FB, that today is Winston Rodney’s 79th birthday. a nice touch of serendipity involved with this post. I guess it was just the universe validating my choice.

here’s to keeping on!

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #BurningSpear #MarcusGarvey #SlaveryDays #TheInvasion #WinstonRodney

1000 Day Album Challenge (#61) Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey (1975) [01.03.24]

slavery days / do you remember the days of slav'ry?...

I was lucky that as early as high school I was listening to reggae beyond Bob Marley & The Wailers. as I got older I became aware that often when someone claimed to like reggae they actually only meant, “I like Bob Marley.” it is my experience that many people aren’t familiar with much more than the Legend album by BMW. I think Marcus Garvey by @officialburningspear entered my life during my freshman or sophomore year of college.

as I listen to Marcus Garvey I realize it has been way too long since I last sat down and listened to it start to finish. as Live Good, the fourth song, plays and draws my attention to it, some time passes before I recognize it. the same thing with Give Me, which follows it. still love it though. I am going to have to listen more often.

I had no such problem with the first three tunes – Marcus Garvey, Slavery Days, and The Invasion all came roaring back. Winston Rodney (lead singer) and Burning Spear were on that Afrocentric vibe long before Native Tongues would take up the mantle a decade and a half later. it is likely Burning Spear’s strong political bent that kept them making a bigger dent in the U.S. market. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

not long before bed last night, but after I had already decided to post about Marcus Garvey today, I learned through a post by a friend (Steve Dolley) on FB, that today is Winston Rodney’s 79th birthday. a nice touch of serendipity involved with this post. I guess it was just the universe validating my choice.

here’s to keeping on!

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #BurningSpear #MarcusGarvey #SlaveryDays #TheInvasion #WinstonRodney

1000 Day Album Challenge (#50) Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988) [19.02.24]

everybody's coming from the winter vacation
taking in the sun in a exaltation to you
you come running in on platform shoes
with Marshall stacks…

my friend Lance and I saw Sonic Youth at the Knitting Factory in June of 1988. they would hit the studio to record Daydream Nation the following month. it turns out we caught them as they were writing and rehearsing the album. they performed with music stands in front of them presumably with sheet music or some other type of visual guide or prompt.

all of the music they performed that night would appear four months later on Daydream Nation which would be a major breakthrough for Sonic Youth. it was easily their biggest selling record to date. it sold more than their previous two, EVOL and Sister, combined. it probably got them their deal on David Geffen’s DGC Records.

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore would serve as mother and father figures to the burgeoning underground scene. my recollection was they played a significant role in Nirvana being signed to Geffen after releasing their debut, Bleach (1989), on Sub Pop. I highly recommend the documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992) which was filmed during Sonic Youth and Nirvana’s 1991 European tour.

that night at the Knitting Factory was electric. I feel like I witnessed a bit of history. I don’t remember that we actually did, but Lance I talked about buying tickets for the next night after we made it outside following the show. maybe they were sold out. the Knitting Factory was a super small space.

the night was best summed up by Lance as we sat on the curb outside after the show: “they kinda clean out your spinal cord, don’t they?”

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #SonicYouth #DaydreamNation #KnittingFactory #1991TheYearPunkBroke

1000 Day Album Challenge (#50) Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation (1988) [19.02.24]

everybody's coming from the winter vacation
taking in the sun in a exaltation to you
you come running in on platform shoes
with Marshall stacks…

my friend Lance and I saw Sonic Youth at the Knitting Factory in June of 1988. they would hit the studio to record Daydream Nation the following month. it turns out we caught them as they were writing and rehearsing the album. they performed with music stands in front of them presumably with sheet music or some other type of visual guide or prompt.

all of the music they performed that night would appear four months later on Daydream Nation which would be a major breakthrough for Sonic Youth. it was easily their biggest selling record to date. it sold more than their previous two, EVOL and Sister, combined. it probably got them their deal on David Geffen’s DGC Records.

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore would serve as mother and father figures to the burgeoning underground scene. my recollection was they played a significant role in Nirvana being signed to Geffen after releasing their debut, Bleach (1989), on Sub Pop. I highly recommend the documentary, 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992) which was filmed during Sonic Youth and Nirvana’s 1991 European tour.

that night at the Knitting Factory was electric. I feel like I witnessed a bit of history. I don’t remember that we actually did, but Lance I talked about buying tickets for the next night after we made it outside following the show. maybe they were sold out. the Knitting Factory was a super small space.

the night was best summed up by Lance as we sat on the curb outside after the show: “they kinda clean out your spinal cord, don’t they?”

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #SonicYouth #DaydreamNation #KnittingFactory #1991TheYearPunkBroke

1000 Day Album Challenge (#44) Sister Sledge: We Are Family (1979) [13.02.24]

I'm thinking of you and the things you do to me / that makes me love you, now I'm living in ecstasy…

I bought We Are Family sometime during the 90s. in sat in my collection primarily as a reference album for the three big disco hits - He’s the Greatest Dancer, Lost in Music, and of course, We Are Family which was the theme song for Willie Stargell and the 1979 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. I must still have football on the brain because I almost typed Steelers.

I believe I was at least semi-oblivious to the fact that We Are Family was very much a Chic production. Bernard Edwards (bass) and Nile Rodgers (guitar) wrote all of the songs, played on and produced the album. Tony Thompson (drums) and Norma Jean Wright (backing vocals), both original members of Chic were also featured on We Are Family.

sure I played those songs from time to time, but I hadn’t really checked the album out. sitting right there, all that time, as the last song on the first side was Thinking of You which would become a disco favorite of mine. it seem like all of a sudden, around the late 90s or early 00s I was encountering reference after reference to Thinking of You. it was showing up on lists and I was reading about DJs I liked playing it out.

it occurred to me, “hey I own We Are Family I should check this song out.” I don’t remember it being instantaneous, but soon enough I fell in love with Thinking of You. I started playing it all the time. that opening guitar lick, the light conga playing, the strings, the hint of the sweet bassline, and then those beautiful vocals. the pattern was the same every time. I just couldn’t prevent myself from being drawn in. why would I want to?

I know some of you out there are not disco fans. I probably can’t break you of that right away, but maybe if you check out Paul Weller’s acoustic cover from 20ish years ago you can realize Thinking of You is an excellent song without the anti-disco bias sneaking in.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #SisterSledge #WeAreFamily #ThinkingOfYou #Chic #BernardEdwards #NileRodgers #PaulWeller #WillieStargell #PittsburghPirates

1000 Day Album Challenge (#18) War: Why Can’t We Be Friends? (1975) [18.01.24 – posted 19.01.24]

everybody clap your hands and sing out loud / get right down to what's happenin' today…

I don’t believe I really dug into War’s music until the mid- to late-nineties. they had seven Top Ten hits during the 1970s so I was reasonably familiar with their music. other than Love Is All Around (1976) I owned all of their albums from Eric Burdon Declares “War” (1970), which featured Spill the Wine, through Youngblood (1978).

I don’t recall what my entry point at the time was, but my guess is that Why Can’t We Be Friends? was one of my last purchases. it was commonly available and I think I assumed Low Rider and the title song was all there was to it. apparently, I was wrong.

the song Heartbeat was the revelation for me. it’s all bass, drums and chanting. it’s a brilliant party record and among War’s funkiest tunes. War has an affinity for uplifting music and Heartbeat fits that bill perfectly. had I known I would have bought this album for Heartbeat alone.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #War #WhyCantWeBeFriends #LowRider #Heartbeat

1000 Day Album Challenge (#18) War: Why Can’t We Be Friends? (1975) [18.01.24 – posted 19.01.24]

everybody clap your hands and sing out loud / get right down to what's happenin' today…

I don’t believe I really dug into War’s music until the mid- to late-nineties. they had seven Top Ten hits during the 1970s so I was reasonably familiar with their music. other than Love Is All Around (1976) I owned all of their albums from Eric Burdon Declares “War” (1970), which featured Spill the Wine, through Youngblood (1978).

I don’t recall what my entry point at the time was, but my guess is that Why Can’t We Be Friends? was one of my last purchases. it was commonly available and I think I assumed Low Rider and the title song was all there was to it. apparently, I was wrong.

the song Heartbeat was the revelation for me. it’s all bass, drums and chanting. it’s a brilliant party record and among War’s funkiest tunes. War has an affinity for uplifting music and Heartbeat fits that bill perfectly. had I known I would have bought this album for Heartbeat alone.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #War #WhyCantWeBeFriends #LowRider #Heartbeat

1000 Day Album Challenge (#10) Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (1975) [10.01.24]

almost heaven, West Jamaica true ridge mountains, shining down the river…

if I had to guess, I would say the soundtrack to The Harder They Come is the only reggae album I’ve listened to more than Funky Kingston. I think because of my love for The Clash I began listening to reggae artists beyon Bob Marley & The Wailers just about from the start. they covered a number of reggae tunes including Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, The Rulers' Wrong Emboyo, Danny Ray & The Revolutionaries’ Revolution Rock, and Willi WIlliams’ Armagideon Time.

I first heard Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals on The Harder They Come soundtrack. still it was likely The Clash’s cover of Pressure Drop on their 10” compilation, Black Market Clash (1980), that really piqued my curiosity.

Toots Hibbert arguably had the greatest voice in all of reggae. it was both rugged and soulful. Robert Christgau aptly compared him to Otis Redding describing him as, “the nearest thing to Otis Redding left on the planet: he transforms "do re mi fa sol la ti do" into joyful noise” (https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4020)

Funky Kingston is a great listen. Sailin’ On, the final tune, is playing in my AirPods as I type this. there is not a dud in the bunch. my personal faves that have made it into multiple playlists for me are: Time Tough, Funky Kingston, Country Road, Pressure Drop and Sailin’ On.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #TootsTheMaytals #TootsHibbert #reggae #TheHarderTheyCome #TheClash #RobertChristgau

1000 Day Album Challenge (#10) Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (1975) [10.01.24]

almost heaven, West Jamaica true ridge mountains, shining down the river…

if I had to guess, I would say the soundtrack to The Harder They Come is the only reggae album I’ve listened to more than Funky Kingston. I think because of my love for The Clash I began listening to reggae artists beyon Bob Marley & The Wailers just about from the start. they covered a number of reggae tunes including Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, The Rulers' Wrong Emboyo, Danny Ray & The Revolutionaries’ Revolution Rock, and Willi WIlliams’ Armagideon Time.

I first heard Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals on The Harder They Come soundtrack. still it was likely The Clash’s cover of Pressure Drop on their 10” compilation, Black Market Clash (1980), that really piqued my curiosity.

Toots Hibbert arguably had the greatest voice in all of reggae. it was both rugged and soulful. Robert Christgau aptly compared him to Otis Redding describing him as, “the nearest thing to Otis Redding left on the planet: he transforms "do re mi fa sol la ti do" into joyful noise” (https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4020)

Funky Kingston is a great listen. Sailin’ On, the final tune, is playing in my AirPods as I type this. there is not a dud in the bunch. my personal faves that have made it into multiple playlists for me are: Time Tough, Funky Kingston, Country Road, Pressure Drop and Sailin’ On.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #TootsTheMaytals #TootsHibbert #reggae #TheHarderTheyCome #TheClash #RobertChristgau

1000 Day Album Challenge (#10) Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (1975) [10.01.24]

almost heaven, West Jamaica true ridge mountains, shining down the river…

if I had to guess, I would say the soundtrack to The Harder They Come is the only reggae album I’ve listened to more than Funky Kingston. I think because of my love for The Clash I began listening to reggae artists beyon Bob Marley & The Wailers just about from the start. they covered a number of reggae tunes including Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, The Rulers' Wrong Emboyo, Danny Ray & The Revolutionaries’ Revolution Rock, and Willi WIlliams’ Armagideon Time.

I first heard Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals on The Harder They Come soundtrack. still it was likely The Clash’s cover of Pressure Drop on their 10” compilation, Black Market Clash (1980), that really piqued my curiosity.

Toots Hibbert arguably had the greatest voice in all of reggae. it was both rugged and soulful. Robert Christgau aptly compared him to Otis Redding describing him as, “the nearest thing to Otis Redding left on the planet: he transforms "do re mi fa sol la ti do" into joyful noise” (https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4020)

Funky Kingston is a great listen. Sailin’ On, the final tune, is playing in my AirPods as I type this. there is not a dud in the bunch. my personal faves that have made it into multiple playlists for me are: Time Tough, Funky Kingston, Country Road, Pressure Drop and Sailin’ On.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #TootsTheMaytals #TootsHibbert #reggae #TheHarderTheyCome #TheClash #RobertChristgau

1000 Day Album Challenge (#10) Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (1975) [10.01.24]

almost heaven, West Jamaica true ridge mountains, shining down the river…

if I had to guess, I would say the soundtrack to The Harder They Come is the only reggae album I’ve listened to more than Funky Kingston. I think because of my love for The Clash I began listening to reggae artists beyon Bob Marley & The Wailers just about from the start. they covered a number of reggae tunes including Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, The Rulers' Wrong Emboyo, Danny Ray & The Revolutionaries’ Revolution Rock, and Willi WIlliams’ Armagideon Time.

I first heard Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals on The Harder They Come soundtrack. still it was likely The Clash’s cover of Pressure Drop on their 10” compilation, Black Market Clash (1980), that really piqued my curiosity.

Toots Hibbert arguably had the greatest voice in all of reggae. it was both rugged and soulful. Robert Christgau aptly compared him to Otis Redding describing him as, “the nearest thing to Otis Redding left on the planet: he transforms "do re mi fa sol la ti do" into joyful noise” (https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4020)

Funky Kingston is a great listen. Sailin’ On, the final tune, is playing in my AirPods as I type this. there is not a dud in the bunch. my personal faves that have made it into multiple playlists for me are: Time Tough, Funky Kingston, Country Road, Pressure Drop and Sailin’ On.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #TootsTheMaytals #TootsHibbert #reggae #TheHarderTheyCome #TheClash #RobertChristgau

1000 Day Album Challenge (#10) Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (1975) [10.01.24]

almost heaven, West Jamaica true ridge mountains, shining down the river…

if I had to guess, I would say the soundtrack to The Harder They Come is the only reggae album I’ve listened to more than Funky Kingston. I think because of my love for The Clash I began listening to reggae artists beyon Bob Marley & The Wailers just about from the start. they covered a number of reggae tunes including Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, The Rulers' Wrong Emboyo, Danny Ray & The Revolutionaries’ Revolution Rock, and Willi WIlliams’ Armagideon Time.

I first heard Sweet and Dandy and Pressure Drop by Toots & The Maytals on The Harder They Come soundtrack. still it was likely The Clash’s cover of Pressure Drop on their 10” compilation, Black Market Clash (1980), that really piqued my curiosity.

Toots Hibbert arguably had the greatest voice in all of reggae. it was both rugged and soulful. Robert Christgau aptly compared him to Otis Redding describing him as, “the nearest thing to Otis Redding left on the planet: he transforms "do re mi fa sol la ti do" into joyful noise” (https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4020)

Funky Kingston is a great listen. Sailin’ On, the final tune, is playing in my AirPods as I type this. there is not a dud in the bunch. my personal faves that have made it into multiple playlists for me are: Time Tough, Funky Kingston, Country Road, Pressure Drop and Sailin’ On.

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #TootsTheMaytals #TootsHibbert #reggae #TheHarderTheyCome #TheClash #RobertChristgau

1000 Day Album Challenge (#1) Brian Eno: Another Green World (01.01.24)

all the words float in sequence…

I think I’ve listened to Another Green World more than any other album. My first listen might date back to high school, but it was probably not until college that I really dug in. throughout the 80’s and 90’s I often listened to this on repeat too many times to count. it is just that kinda album for me.

Another Green World is a genre unto itself. It deftly straddles a sound that somehow embodies both pop and ambient sensibilities. this was Eno’s third solo studio album and marked a move away from the quirky pop/rock sound of Here Comes the Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy).

while writing this piece I’m listening to AGW and realizing that one of the reasons that I have listened to it over and over so many times is that it seems to pass too quickly.

[In case you were wondering I just cued it up to start all over…]

#1000DayAlbumChallenge #BrianEno #Eno #AnotherGreenWorld