ALBUMS
- JOE JACKSON: LOOK SHARP! 1979: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: VINYL: Joe Jackson’s debut album. The cover [above] of white shoes. I always wondered if Joe Jackson knew of the baseball player from the early part of the 20th century- Shoeless Joe Jackson? When this album came out I went out and bought it due to the comparison of Jackson to Elvis Costello. I didn’t see where they sounded all that much alike. “Is She Really Going Out With Him” was a hit in America reaching #21 and the album as a whole was very strong. Other highlights “Sunday Papers”, “One More Time”, “Got The Time”[later covered by Anthrax}
- THE RUTLES: THE RUTLES: 1978: 4 1//2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: VINYL: The prefab four- Ron, Dirk, Nasty and Stig. This is the soundtrack to “All You Need Is Cash” a ‘documentary” on The Rutles- which is a parody of The Beatles. Both the film and album are great fun. George Harrison appears in the film. The songs are quite strong. There was a second film. They should have just ‘let it be.”
- THE BEATLES” WITH THE BEATLES” 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: IPOD: The Beatles second album. The sound was a lot like the first album which isn’t surprising. A mixture of mostly originals with some great covers- but no cover as great as “Twist and Shout” from Please Please Me.
- THE BEATLES: A HARD DAY’S NIGHT: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: IPOD: This album gets my vote as the most underrated Beatles album. The soundtrack to their first and best movie. All the songs were Beatles originals and Lennon-McCartney were growing quickly as great songwriters. The song “When I Get Home” does contain one of the worst lines written by The Beatles “I’m gonna love her till the cows come home”- so yes I can be a little critical of The Beatles!
- HALL AND OATES: X-STATIC: 1979: 2 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: VINYL: “Wait For Me” is one of my favorites from Hall and Oates, the rest of the albums is kind of so-so. On listening to it for the first time in decades it seems to me they were unsure of what direction they were heading. They were now making slicker sounding albums since changing producers the album before and on their next album they would hit the right formula and then beat it to death. Even some disco sounding stuff on this. Not their forte.
- HALL AND OATES: ALONG THE RED LEDGE: 1978: 3 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: “It’s A Laugh” was a Top 40 hit and “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” just failed to hit the Top 40 peaking at #42. They changed producers with this album. Not a big fan of this album or X-Static- but there are a few songs I like on them and George Harrison appears on a song on this album.
- BUDDY HOLLY: BOX SET- RECORD 1- LUBBOCK, TEXAS, WESTERN AND BOP: 4 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: VINYL: Back in the day when I was getting into the Beatles after I bought up the Beatle albums and their solo stuff I started to get into the acts that influenced them. I can still remember walking into the record store and seeing a box set of The Complete Buddy Holly. Six records in the box for $25. I had to have it. The first album in the set is the weakest. It was the beginning, only a couple Holly originals but still pretty good stuff. I see its going for $175 on ebay.
- THE MONKEES GREATEST HITS: 1976: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: When I was a little kid I’d watch the Monkees television show. I thought they were funny and the songs were good. I thought [i was like 6-7} that The Beatles and The Monkees were probably on par with each other- The Monkees being the American Beatles. Well, maybe not but The Monkees had some good tunes even though they didn’t play on most of them and had other people writing for them.
slicethelife 
Yes, there were some good songwriters providing songs for the Monkees!
I noticed you started following my blog recently (thanks, BTW), so I was curious to get an idea what you’re blogging about. After having browsed your most recent posts, my initial take-aways are:
– Like you I’m a big Beatles fan, and I also like a good deal of the other artists you’ve written about
– You seem to have a quite impressive music collection! Mine is probably significantly smaller
– I think I envy for your ability to listen to so much music within such a short amount of time. How do you manage that? 🙂
Hello! Yes I do post a lot about music. {I do post about other things but it’s been about music of late} As far as being able to listen to a lot of music, I am semi-retired. I usually work around 20 hours/ 3 days a week so that leaves a lot of free time and I have been avoiding television for the most part of late. I do have a lot of music that I’ve collected over the past 40 plus years….. Keep up the good work I enjoy reading your blog.
Thanks, congratulations, that’s a cool semi-retirement! I’m not a big TV watcher either and always get amazed when I hear my colleagues talking about this program and than program, and I’m like, ‘what the hell are they talking about!’
If I ever get to retire, listening to music and going to concerts would definitely be at the top of my list. The problem is I already go to shows fairly often, which definitely doesn’t help me save money for retirement! 🙂
I don’t make it to as many concerts as I used to- what is your favorite concert that you’ve attended?
Wow, that’s a tough one to answer!
If I’d had to name one, as a huge Beatles fan, I would have to say Paul McCartney in Dortmund, Germany in the late 80s/early 90s – it was in the wake of his then-new studio album “Flowers In The Dirt.” I saw him a second time in July 2016 at Hersheypark Stadium, and he was still bringing it – just love the man!
Other shows that were highlights include The Rolling Stones (2006), the Eagles (Atlantic City, 2015 – one of the last shows with Glenn Frey!), Springsteen (MetLife Stadium, 2016), U2 (MetLife Stadium, 2017 – Joshua Tree Tour), The Who (Madison Square Garden, 2002 – a few months prior to John Entwistle’s death!), The Allman Brothers (PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ, 2014) and Pink Floyd (MetLife Stadium, NJ, 1993 or 1994).
I don’t mean to brag, but there are others I probably don’t remember – I suppose too much loud music kills too many brain cells! 🙂
We do have similar tastes in music. I have seen all the acts you have listed as your favorites except for Pink Floyd. Somehow I missed them. I bet that was a memorable one. On a couple of those we saw the same tour- Paul in 1990 and U2 last summer. I saw them twice last summer- Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Springsteen in 2016 also. Being in the NYC area I am sure every tour stops there. How about the worst show you ever saw? I have went to a couple shows that I really didn’t want to go to because I didn’t like the artist- but was talked in by friends to go. Two that come to mind- Kenny G which was torture and Whitesnake.
This may be a bit of a shocker, but I would have to say Bob Dylan in Dortmund, Germany in the late 80s!
To be honest, I wouldn’t call myself a huge Dylan fan to begin with. Plus, I just had started listening to him and thought to get excited about the show, it would be a great idea to listen to “Before The Flood.” I liked this album immediately and still do.
The problem with the above concert was that Dylan opened with “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door: and then only played stuff I didn’t know. Apparently, most of the audience was in the same boat. Afterwards, I learned that Dylan of course is infamous for pulling stunts like this.
Luckily, the concert was a double-header with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, so that helped save the day. There was also Roger McGuinn solo on acoustic guitar who opened up. While I’ve since totally become mesmerized with his Rickenbacker 12-string guitar sound, his solo set was definitely nice as well!
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Bob over the years. I am a big fan [he’d be second to The Beatles to me} but his concerts can be hit and miss in my opinion.
A dear friend in Germany, who is a big Dylan fan, pretty much told me the same. So I guess “my concert” must have been a miss!
Plus, perhaps another caveat here is that at the time I pretty much only knew Dylan’s most popular songs and “Before the Flood,” which I suppose you could call his “greatest hits live,” though I realize perhaps a Dylan fan, who is familiar with the man’s deep cuts, would beg to differ
Petty and McGuinn really ensured the concert wasn’t a disaster. I still find it hard to believe that Petty is gone. I’m so glad I saw him a second time in 2014 – terrific guy and what a top-notch band!
Yes the Petty death came as a shocker. .. At least you can say you saw Dylan!
My wife has a drumstick from Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees.
I consider then teeny bopper music at best from my music era.
Good pop music nothing essential though.