Led Zeppelin -- III

  Forget the hits, this acoustic, written in a 18th century cottage, is Zeppelin's greatest effort, plus you've got the volvelle packaging, which makes this album a must have in every record collection ... no matter what's your taste!

Howlin' Wolf -- Chester Burnett Aka

  A trailblazer deluxe, a man who has been cited by Sam Phillips as his greatest discovery, Elvis being the second ... The Howlin' Wolf!  His persona was as big as his stature, and his sound was enormous, 60's music would have been a real boring if the Wolf didn't exist to influence all the kiddies, and show em' how it's really done!  I could waste my time and write about his countless accolades, performances and great songs, but that tells you nothing unless you've heard the music.  All this meaning, get some Howlin' Wolf ... he is one of the greatest artists of all-time!!

Pearl Jam -- Backspacer

  Jock Rock wanna-be's latest release is less sludgy than usual with a couple acoustic numbers, but as always very forgettable ... the kids like it (and I don't mean the youth of Today!!) ... so i say it's good!

A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records

  This is the best Christmas album of all-time, and unlike most, it isn't a joke!  I am sad to announce that I do not have this record!  I was going to buy it on e-bay, but I felt that the price tag was way too high, I thought there'd be millions of copies floating around, but being released the same day as JFK's assassination probably brought the album sales way way down, I might pay the hefty price after all ... I almost cheaped out and bought the dinky CD ... but why would I insult the artists and producer by doing that!?  As well as being the ultimate X-mas record, it is Brian Wilson's favorite LP ... which makes a must have into a ............. ME WANTEE!


update: MEEEE GOT-EEE!

Tommy James And the Shondells -- The Best of ...

  Total Bubblegum Rock 'n' Roll bananahead Tommy James and his Shondells.  As much as this music is like a cheese factory, these tunes are all recognizable, and you can't help but love 'em -- well most of 'em!

Patti Smith -- Easter

  Punk poet extraordinaire Patti Smith!  Her usual brilliance is, in my opinion, not present on this record.  Other than hugely offensive, Rock N Roll Ni**er, the album just sounds like sloppy Classic Rock ... it's not that I'm too offended by their use of the dreaded N word, I get the poetic shock Warholian outrageousness, but do they have to scream it over and over and over, it kinda looses it's power and becomes shock for shocks sake, and why does it sound so separate from the rest of the album ... the tune is a wickedly sharp punk number, reminiscent of the MC5, while the rest of the record is a Springsteened biblical diatribe, who co-wrote Because The Night, and rejected it for his own record ... yikes ... is that the caliber of songs we have here ... rejects?  I wish I had found Horses instead, this review would have been totally different, the hit song is good but the album is a miss ...

Miles Davis -- Kind Of Blue

  Mega cool, super smooth Miles Davis masterpiece Kind Of Blue.  I really don't know what to say that hasn't been said already, the accolades are endless ... point being, get this record and let the music speak for itself!

Chubby Checker -- For Teen Twisters Only

  The King of the Twist craze, and it's still my all-time favorite dance!  Man this record makes me laugh, it's like life according to the twist, Lose Your Inhibitions Twist, Love Is Like A Twist, and ultra ridiculous our skeletons where made to do one thing, Twistin' Bones, are just mere examples of how far Checker takes it.  Otherwise this album is great, like a nice watered down James Brown ... and remember, "Adults Twist At Your Own Risk!"

Kiss -- Dressed To Kill

  Yearrck!  Total over the top Rock 'n' Roll debauchery, Dressed To Kill.  Now I do have a guilty pleasure for Kiss style Rock music ... but is it actually good ... NO.  It seems to me this is exactly what Punk Rock was setting out to destroy, although some of the Punk sound and aesthetic is taken somewhat from these guys, but they stripped it down like a Dadaist and re-invented it.  Everyone likes the idea to Rock 'n' Roll All Nite, "and party everyday," but realistically if you did you'd be a brain dead moron wondering why someone won't C'mon And Love Me ...

The Animals -- Animal Tracks

  US release of Animal Tracks works more like a compilation than an actual album.  These Animals are hard edge Garage Blues royalties who certainly know their licks, my only real problem with the record is Burdon's sporadic opera tones he explores with his voice, which he turns up to eleven later in his career.  These guys definitely had a leg up on the Doors by a couple years, thanks to Alan Price's brilliant keyboard playing.  So just "Bury My Body, I don't care where they ...."

Screamin' J Hawkins -- Because Is in Your Mind (Armpitrubber)

  Totally bizarro boppin' Soul LP by Screamin' (I put A Spell On You) J Hawkins.  This guy has been drenched in weirdness since the start of his career.  I was very surprised to hear he might have been a tortured POW who killed his chief captor by taping a grenade in his mouth! YIKES!!  Hawkins on the back cover looks more like Malcolm X rather than his usual Blacula self.  The front cover is a great piece of Modern African style art, all this makes me think ... Black Panther Party??  Some say they don't like this  Hawkins record, but I think it's great, in a time of political Soul, Hawkins keeps up, stays current ... and sits on his throne ... as the King of Shock!

The Ink Spots -- S/T

  Jazzy pre-Doo Wop combo the Ink Spots.  These guys were ten years ahead of their time.  Unfortunately by the late 40's one gets drafted, one dies, they get replaced, and the rest end up feuding ... meaning they never got to be part of the era that they helped invent!

Mott The Hoople -- Rock and Roll Queen

  A collection of pre-success Mott tunes, released after their hit album All The Young Dudes, probably to generate interest in their previous albums.  The music is a not so bad mix of early Heavy Metal.  You can hear where Bowie saw some potential, but on it's own ... no thanks!

Diana Ross -- S/T

  Kinda bizarre Supremes-less debut album by Diana Ross.  The cover reminds me of a World Vision type photograph, is the message supposed to be the plight of the African people, while she is using her skinny American body to portray that image, which is used in Western culture to look chic, I'm not sure if I feel this is tasteless or an interesting juxtaposition.  Musically I'm torn as well, at first glance I find the album too busy, the songs shallow and an ungenuine Motown sound-a-like.  At the same time it might grow on me?  All in all let's just say I'm not sure!

Lou Rawls -- Live!

  Smooth as silk Jazzy Bluesman Lou Rawls's Live performance is filled with classy classic numbers.  Not only is the music great, but Rawls's hipster ramblings between tracks make the album even better; my personal favorite rant is part of the closing song, it's about a small time crook, who's hustler rags are thrift store specials, and he's about to enter a World Of Trouble.

Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs -- The Best Of....

  Southern Souled Garage Rock outfit Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs are primarily known for the goofball mega hit Wolly Bully, but their other numbers are just as good if not better than their chart topper.  Sam himself was a Navy man, then studied Classical music in college, he eventually ran out of money, dropped out and decided to give his Rock 'n' Roll combo a real go ... a black hearse touring van, a couple of turbans and a couple of number one hits later, I'm sure Sam realized he made the right choice. One Two Unos Dos Tres Quatro ... behm bahm behm behm behm ..........

The Mindbenders -- A Groovy Kind Of Love

  A surprisingly not bad album by The Mindbenders ... don't be fooled by the cheese ball mega hit, A Groovy Kind Of Love, these Machester British Invaders actually have some pretty good chops; especially shown is the Bluesy Seventh Son and trippy Little Nightingale.  They may not be on my top list of British Beat groups, but their lush Zombies-esque sound keeps this album around.

The Sex Pistols -- Never Mind The Bollocks Here's ...

  Not exactly the first Punk Rock record ever made, although some may say it is, clearly they're wrong ... but the Sex Pistols are one, if not the most, publicly notorious band of all time.  Their main mission statement, other than rattling the cage of politics, was to destroy, kill, maim, abolish Rock 'n' Roll music ... why ... because the music had become a pretentious bloated old fart who needed to die, and they were just the ones to do it.  Bodies is probably the most offensive song ever written, with the exception of GG Allin's entire catalog.  All that aside the album is good old Rock 'n' Roll, a healthy mix of the Who and Alice Cooper; a bit over produced, way too polished for Punk Rock but all in all a good record that hardly lives up the hype of the anti-everything band.

The Faces -- A Nod Is As Good As A Wink ... To A Blind Horse

  Not to be too rude but my impression of The Faces is like a poor man's Rolling Stones, there is hardly a difference, not that The Faces aren't good, but you can see why Ron Wood eventually went to the Stones, he finally got to be in his favorite band.  That aside A Nod is a great piece of Rock 'n' Roll, even if it is a copy cat, it's a good one.  My favorite tune, and their best, Love Lives Here, has their typical Stonesy sound, but it's got some Skynard-ish Americana tossed in there too.

Santana -- S/T

  I wouldn't call myself a real Santana fan, for the most part I find their music kinda cheesy, but their debut Latino-Psychedelic-Soul'd-Jam album is great, and check out that cover ... do I really need to say any more ... I don't think so ...

The Creeps -- Enjoy The Creeps

   These Creeps have got the look, the sound, the attitude of 1965 Garage Rock.  What I found surprising about the band is everything they did after this album, they changed their tune, got fun boy outfits, and started to play 80's-Eurotrashed-Funkytime.  I thought they were an entirely different band, but with the same name.  It's just hard to picture what used to be a group of 60's purest, throwing in the towel to become a bunch of party boys.  Although I did read that they won a Swedish Grammy in the 90's for the crap they were playing, which might make them feel like they made the right choice.  What erks me the most, even though I still like this record, is that you really can't believe this music to be honest, it may have been smoke and mirrors, but they do end up living up to their name, a bunch of Euro-Trash fun boy Creeps!

The Mummies -- Never Been Caught

  The Kings of "Budget Rock", underground untouchables, The Mummies.  These guys make me think of a mix of Mudhoney and The Sonics, with a little Surf -- I doubt there'd be a better way to put it.  These Garage Grunge luminaries, as you can see on the cover, wore mummy outfits as their uniform, and drove an old ambulance, as tour bus ... how great is that ... The Mummies proved that the early 60's are still very relevant and that 90's Punk Rock was taking a turn for the worst ... so it was up to them to fix it .. 'cause ... Your A** (Is Next In Line)!

The Fuzztones -- Lysergic Emanations

  Psychedelic Punk gurus The Fuzztones, are in my opinion the best Garage Revival band of all time ... question is, is this really a revival album ... no I don't think so ... they took the genre to a new heights, just like the Blues being re-invented over and over again ... I read some critics say they are just a bar band playing cover tunes, but f*ck that sh*t, these guys (and gal) are the real deal, it's proven in their rad originals, from straight up 60's punk numbers to a flamenco driven Doors-ish opus and even a Beefhearty noise experiment ... it's all done beautifully because they practice what they preach ... Ya Dig!

The Inmates -- First Offence

  Total write-off Garage Revival band, The Inmates.  Their music doesn't bring anything new to the table.  The only listenable tracks on the album covers songs, Dirty Water and Midnight To Six Man ... otherwise their First Offence, should have been their last offence ...

The Satelliters -- Wylde Knights Of Action!

  90's Garage Punk outfit, The Satelliters ... for the most part I love these Garage revival bands, but I don't like this one, not that the songs are all that bad, it's the sound that sucks, loud tinny drums, cheesy sounding fuzz, and the singer's awful Reg Presley (The Troggs) impression ... no thanks ...

Them -- Backtrackin'

  Backtrackin' is a compilation LP, due to label disputes, who ownes what, and who could release it, only certain numbers could make it on this album, for example you've got Baby, Please Don't Go, but no Gloria, they were on the same 45, ya dig.  In a nut shell, Them are a Garage Rock outfit, who got lumped in the British Invasion even though they're Irish.  They sound similar to The Animals, but with a raw-er hard Blues sound, poignantly louder charismatic vocals and grittier lyrics.  Although this comp does feature a lot of covers, a personal favorite of mine is Them's version of Simon & Garfunkel's Richard Cory, they took the tune and gave the lyrics the sound that was a far better match for it than a Folk Rock duo could.  Them and Morrison have quite the acclaim, but I feel they deserve more, Morrison is a brilliant song writer and poet, somehow the other Morrison got all the attention ... but he wasn't a short weird lookin' Irishman!

The Allman Brothers Band -- At Fillmore East

  Live virtuoso Southern Blues double LP masterpiece.  Unlike other Southern bands they ditch the Hard Rock style and focus on traditional Blues with Jazz improvisations ... apparently the band was so into the concert it lasted well into the early hours of the morning, only noticeable to them when someone opened a door and the sunlight crept it's way into the Fillmore.   The album stands as a last testament of guitar legend Duane Allman (their next release Eat A Peach had some live tracks taken from the Fillmore concerts, not featured on this set) ... and what is that he's hiding in his hand on the cover with the sh*t eating grin?  Hmmmmm, maybe a little dose of inspiration?

Love -- Da Capo

  Love seems uncertain if they're Punks or if they're Hippies, better yet, it's the same goddamn thing -- well sorta.  Seven and Seven Is is pure 60's Punk Rock and the rest of the album is erratic lush Jazz infused break beaten music. Closing track, the whole B-side, Revelation, is an eighteen minute out Doorsing the Doors Blues/ Jazz Psychedelic freak out, yips and yelps included.

Del Shannon -- Greatest Hits

  The original sarcastic bitter bear of Rock 'n' Roll, Del Shannon!  His lyrics speak to just about any dork whose been dumped or let down by women, but that's just the start, what Del really loved was subtle revenge, guiltless third party voyeuristic pleasure giving his Hat(s) Off To Larry.  The Musitron keyboard's strange sound helps set the bizarre mood for most of Shannon's numbers.  Unfortunately for Del, he faded into obscurity, dwindling away in alcoholism and eventually took his own life.  At least we'll always have Shannon's unique version of Rock 'n' Roll to help us feel not so alone when we're in the throws of a bitter break up.

Janis Joplin -- I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!

  As much as I am (wuz?) a Big Brother, Janis snob purest, I think, I'm not too too sure yet, I might like this album better.  What made it so great, wasn't just Joplin's mega voice, but the Kozmic Blues Band, especially the Otis Redding style horn section, which stole the show in my mind.  We all associate Joplin as the San Fransisco psychedelic Queen but on this record she transformed herself into the White Lady of Soul!!!

Lou Reed -- Walk On The Wild Side: The Best Of ...

  Yeah Yeah I know, "best of " ... really, but why the hell not ... it's Lou.  Side one is by far the better half of this set.  It's got the Zimmy sounding Wild Child, I Love You, Bowie-esque, Satellite Of Love (who's that singing in the background, listen closely), Rock composed masterpiece How Do You Think Feels, fun oddity New York Conversation, and last but not the least, Lou's biggest chart topper, I love watching the jock yuppies who have no idea what the song is about but sing it to girls in bars trying to get laid, Walk On The Wild Side.  The B-side is a punishing mix.  It starts with heavy metal guitared covers of old Velvet tunes from Rock And Roll Animal which I always hated.  The latter end of the album does get better, but not great with, Sally Can't Dance, Punky B-side Nowhere At All and poetic Coney Island Baby.  All in all the record is a great comprehensive of Reed's early solo career, his first three efforts were better than the rest, but anything is pretty good from our favorite Beat Poet musician.

Holly Golightly -- Laugh It Up

  Laugh It Up is a stellar collection of cover tunes stylized by Holly Golightly, like the Detroit Cobras Golightly takes old numbers and updates em' in true fashion, the songs are much smoother than the Cobra's style, but in the same idea.  Golightly has worked with some high profile underground luminaries, especially multi-talented impresario art guru Billy Childish, and Laugh It Up's cover is drawn by Mudhoney's resident artist Ed Fotheringham.  My only problem with this modern-day Classic record is the Vinyl itself, it pisses me off just to think about it.  Almost every song skips like its going out of style.  It used to play fine, but lately, forget about it, and no, it isn't scratched to sh*t.  What I notice about new Vinyl from the 2000's is that the grooves aren't cut very deep, they resemble surface scratches more than they resemble grooves ... I've got a Meters and Brian Jonestown with the same problem.  My paranoia kicks in, all I see is some dork listening to MP3's cutting my very record, doing a bad job of course while thinking why the hell do people buy these things when you could just download em' for free ... the only reason he got the job, he's the owners best buddy who took pity on his junkie friend whose hit some hard times, which us, the buying public get the tail end of -- shotty Vinyl or as this record label called themselves, Damaged Goods!  I'd love to stand up to these infidels, take back my record, and get the Vinyl I deserve, so Laugh It Up, Fuzzball, cause I'm coming for YOU!

Elevator Through -- Vague Premonition

  Lo-Fi Stoner Folk Punk mastermind Rick White makes another Indie Rock masterpiece.  Why his albums aren't completely revered, the answer eludes me; meaning everyone should listen to Rick White music, whether it's Eric's Trip, Elevator, his solo stuff or better yet all of the above -- maybe that's just my Vague Premonition ....

Joe Jackson -- Look Sharp!

  Look Sharp! is a mediocre unauthentic version of Elvis Costello mixed with some Jam, sorry but I don't find this guy to be believable at all!  The music itself isn't half bad, but as the record went on I kept thinking, this sounds like a Costello shticked cash grab, I'll give him points for the valiant effort, and to answer his question, yeah, she's really going out with him ... so get over it!

The Surfaris -- Wipe Out

  Not exactly the best Surf Rock band, but nonetheless a essential group for the genre.  As an album, an entire record of mediocre instrumental Surf tracks with some god awful covers can be a hard pill to swallow.  Being vocaless and restrained to one style, there isn't much diversity to explore, although The Surfaris aren't the best example, maybe I'd be singing a different tune (he ..he) if this were one of the Del-Fi acts -- but I'm not so suck it up!  Funny footnote story, and I'm sure you have one very similar.  There was this kid in grade school, his claim to fame was he could play the drum bit from Wipe Out.  I remember the first time the whole class saw him in action, executing the drum solo just like the song, he became the school yard God .... well for about a week, until something else came up ....

Dave Clark Five -- Across Canada with the ...

  British Invaders the DC5 take on Canada for this release.  The 5 are crucial early 60's hit makers.  Their tunes are great, but are basically a Beatles ripoff with a little fuzz and sax.  My only real beef with this record is that the album sounds cheaply produced, there's an annoying airy tinniness to it that didn't make me Glad All Over.

Gen X -- Kiss Me Deadly

  The last of what was known as Billy Idol's Generation X, Kiss Me Deadly.  The record might not be a punk rock masterpiece, but as far as good ol' catchy rock 'n' roll numbers go this album is great, and it features a slew of classic punk guest guitarists.  I can't help but have some serious nostalgia listening to this record, visions of dancing my little brains out in punk clubs years ago in Montreal, it felt like, "Heaven Was Inside Us All!"

Gary Numan -- Telekon

  Numan's follow up to the Synth-Pop Classic The Pleasure Principle, Telekon is Tele-crap.  Beating the dead horse release, you get the feeling that Numan was far too into his bizarro futurist shtick, which gives him points for going full force, otherwise it's just creepy, like the baby faced cover.  Funny that it kinda sounds the same as his earlier releases, but there is something missing that made the others good and this one bad, maybe he just exhausted the idea to the point it didn't have life ... I don't know ... what I do know is that Telekon is Tele-gone!!

Buffalo Springfield -- S/T

  This album is a great rock 'n' roll artifact of Neil Young's humble beginnings, I personally don't care too much for Stephen Stills.  The record sounds like folky countrified garage rock, For What It's Worth this album is better in theory than in actuality .... but they do pick it up next time ... I guess I just Burned em'!

Bruce Springsteen -- Darkness On The Edge Of Town

  Darkness On The Edge Of Town is a very stylish classic rock record, Springsteen isn't breaking down any barriers here, but that's not really his shtick, just music for music's sake.  You can really hear where the Arcade Fire get their influence from Springsteen especially in the vocal style and song flow.  Take it from the boss, there's a Darkness On The Edge Of Town.

Leonard Cohen -- Songs Of Love And Hate

  Montreal's answer to Bobby D, Songs Of Love And Hate, recorded in Nashville by famous producer Bob Johnson.  Cohen's usual folk sounds has the addition of string arrangements on the record making the mood moodier.  His words seem to speak straight to the heart, poignant lyrics emulating feeling, spearheading itself to everyman.  Even the tunes that I'd consider bad, Diamonds in the Mine and Sing Another Song, Boys, have a pre-John Cooper Clarke quality to it.  I just wonder why they didn't put any effort for the cover, they didn't have an artist friend hanging around to pick up the slack, oh well f*uck it, let's sing a song for Last Year's Man ....  "Sincerely, L." Jerm-man!

Ike and Tina Turner -- Greatest Hits

  This record is a collection of early Ike and Tina hit numbers.  We all know Ike for being one of the corner stones of Rock 'n' Roll music, and a strong contender for possibly inventing it!  Each and every song is beyond great, Ike Turner's soul blues.  Now the funny part about the album, all the songs on this record are tunes sung by Tina about her love and longing for her man, but Ike wrote 'em all, like love letters to himself, even going as far as having a track called Letter From Tina but written by Ike, ha ha, we've all heard the stories of what kinda lover man Ike was.  I guess Tina was just A Fool In Love.

Shadows Of Knight -- Gloria

  Chicago's re-answer to the Blues, doing what the Stones, Yardbirds and the Who did and Amaricafied it back, the result being early Punk Rock.  Covering mostly classic Chicago Blues tunes and using Them's Gloria as the title track.  The real money is on the original tracks, Light Bulb Blues, It Always Happens That Way and Darkside, the first two are fuzzed out Punk numbers with switchblade riffs, the other a bleak moody ballad.  The Uk may have re-invented the blues, but the Americans regurgitated it an invented Punk!  Funny footnote, they're on the Dunwich label, product number 666, ouuuuu, spooky!

The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- Axis: Bold As Love

  Man ... I've been crazy about this album since I was a kid, it's by far the best record in the whole Hendrix catalogue.  There's just something smoother, more soulful and less showboaty about this album!  In my opinion Castles Made Of Sand is Hendrix's greatest contribution to rock music, the riff  and insightful lyrics can span the ages, even released today it'd be retrolessly fresh "...and so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually..."

The Turtles -- Happy Together

  Part of me wants to like their sound but honestly I don't like this music at all, it's just too hippie dippie and seems like it wasn't 100% thought out.  Feels like it could have been good but turned out bad, there were moments of greatness, but they were just too far and few between.  Nice try, sh*tty record.

Queen -- A Night at the Opera

  I'm not a big fan of the whole 70's Classic Rock genre or Queen in general, they've got some good tunes, but I don't love em' all.  A Night at the Opera is a sporadic pastiche of genres from Heavy Metal to Sgt. Pepper to Dixieland to Folk to Bohemian Rhapsody, which is the melting pot of cross genre-ing ... but nonetheless Rock 'n' Roll wouldn't be the same without em' or this album.

Gladys Knight and the Pips -- Pow!

  Bargain basement label Pickwick assembles another off the cuff compilation.  Pow! is an early collection of Gladys Knight and the Pips pre-Motown recordings.  Unlike the straight up Soul sound of Hitsville USA, this album drifts from the early Girl Group style to R & B to Doo Wop, it even includes Knight-less numbers.  Opening track It Hurts Me So Bad, takes the cake and eats it too!

Bobby Bland -- Two Steps From The Blues

  Here we go the scintillating Bobby Bland, as it says right on the record label, and what a album it is!  "Blue" Bland took what Sam Cooke was doing and gave is a shotgun blast with a horn section flavorizing the blues giving it a whole lotta soul.  The highlight, which there are many, so the megalight is the haunting cover version of St. James Infirmary.  These songs would have otherwise been hard to find, picking up 45's here and there, but you've got it all here from 58 to 62 ...

King Curtis -- Live at the Filmore West

  King Curtis is definitely the saxiest man in the world, and Live at the Filmore is a great showcase of his undeniable talent.  The album opens up with the best tune on the record, Memphis Soul Stew, where he introduces his killer band, including Billy Preston.  As the album moves forward there are moments of unagreeable muzak styled covers, Whiter Shade Of Pale, Ode To Billie Joe and Mr. Bojangles, were the worst of the bunch, but Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love was oddly good.  Sadly enough with his biggest hit solo album climbing the charts, Curtis gets killed in front of his brownstone by two junkies.  The Yakety Saxman lives on through countless recordings from his own to accompaniying greats like Buddy Holly, The Coasters, Aretha Franklin,  John Lennon etc ...