ALBUMS

• THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: 1969: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: From the noise of White Light/ White Head their previous album- to this album which is mostly ballads and rock songs- The Velvet Underground were never predictable in their short history. Lou Reed felt that it would be a mistake to make another White Light/ White Heat- and I agree. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, What Goes On and Jesus my favorite tracks. Of the four VU studio albums I’d rank this third behind the debut and their final album Loaded.

• STEVIE WONDER: INNERVISIONS: 1973: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Stevie was firmly into his classic period at this point. Higher Ground, Don’t You Worry ’bout A Thing and Living For The City were pop hits. I thought that Too High, He’s Missta Know It All and Golden Lady could have been hit singles also- not an average song on the album. Stevie Wonder could do no wrong in the 70’s- except for that Secret Life Of Plants album in 1979.

• LOS LOBOS: WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE: 1984: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5: After hearing the title track on a college radio station I had to track down the album and it wasn’t a disappointment. I was a fan on first listen. They had previously released an EP- this was their first album of mainly original material. Don’t Worry Baby, A Matter Of Time, Evangeline, I Got Loaded and the title track favorite tracks.

• PRINCE: DIRTY MIND: 1980: 4 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: I knew of Prince but didn’t have any of his albums or was interested in him until Little Red Corvette and the 1999 album. Then I back tracked and bought up his earlier albums- this is the best of his first three. Side one with Dirty Mind and When You Were Mine [later covered by Cyndi Lauper} Do It All Night and Uptown are the best songs on the album. Prince pretty much did everything on the album. A blending of many types of music including New Wave.

• THE BEATLES: THE BEATLES: {THE WHITE ALBUM] DISC 1:
• THE BEATLES: THE BEATLES: [THE WHITE ALBUM} DISC 2: The opener on The White Album- Back In The USSR- ranks #8 out of 12 Beatles studio album openers.