ALBUMS

• GUNS N’ ROSES: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION: 1987: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: A great great debut album- even at the time you just knew this was a band who had a big appetite for self-destruction. Sweet Child O Mine one of my favorite songs from the late 80’s. The album went to #1- and there were 3 Top 10 hits-  Welcome To The Jungle #7, Sweet Child O’ Mine #1 and Paradise City #5. I can’t imagine a rock album today having an impact like this. On the 1001 albums to hear list.

• PHAROAH SANDERS: KARMA: 1969: 4 1/2 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: I am not familiar at all with Pharoah Sanders but in my 1969 album quest-this was on the list. Sanders has been described by Ornette Coleman as ‘probably the best tenor player in the world.” He came out of John Coltrane’s group. I enjoyed this album a lot. Sanders who is still living- is considered a key figure in the development of free jazz.

• THE BEATLES: HELP! 1965: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: On Help! The closing number is Dizzy Miss Lizzy- they liked closing those early albums with cover songs- anyway out of the 12 studio album closers I’d put Dizzy Miss Lizzy at #9.

• THE BEACH BOYS: PET SOUNDS: 1966: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Sometimes it takes a while for a work of genius to be recognized by the masses- sometimes it never is- with The Beach Boys- this is their- Brian Wilson’s masterpiece but at the time of release even his fellow Beach Boys- especially Mike Love -didn’t get it. Neither did at the time the record buying public- Pet Sounds peaked at #10. Even some critics didn’t like it- of course now it is universally praised. Of course some got it immediately- The Beatles heard it and felt challenged- Brian had upped the game and they had to respond and they did with Revolver. One of my favorite comments on the album- years ago in a book someone wrote- Pet Sounds- happy songs about being sad. This is one of the saddest albums you will ever hear. I’d nominate Caroline, No as one of the saddest songs ever. On the 1001 albums to hear list.

• JONI MITCHELL: HEJIRA: 1976: 4 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: Mitchell wrote this album while on a trip across the country from Maine to California- the themes and songs are filled with what she saw. The album cover was taken during an ice storm in Wisconsin. The album didn’t sell as well as some of her earlier albums- there is no hint of a hit single here. Mitchell has said of the album- “really inspired… there is this restless feeling throughout it… The sweet loneliness of solitary travel”,^[9] and has said that “I suppose a lot of people could have written a lot of my other songs, but I feel the songs on Hejira could only have come from me. On the 1001 albums to hear list.

• THE ROLLING STONES: BEGGAR’S BANQUET: 1968: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 STARS: I have made it to Beggar’s Banquet in my Rolling Stones Song of the Day series- as I wrote yesterday in writing on Sympathy For The Devil- The Rolling Stones were wise to drop the 1967 psychedelic phase and go back to what they do best- rock and roll. There were no big hits from this album- but that was due to it being 1968- Street Fighting Man and Sympathy For The Devil are both Stone classics- they are both played so much on the radio for 50 years it’s hard to believe they weren’t big hit singles. The entire album is strong from beginning to end. On the 1001 albums to hear list.