The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 47 of 100 - "Just Really Good"

It's been six years since I worked on this list, but now since I closed down my movie blog, maybe I'll have time to complete it, but maybe not, this is only 47 out of a 100, and I've already thrown out a lot of my zingers, but what the Hell, might as well try!This 1977 album by Bob Meighan is just as solid as any Jackson Browne or Eagles record.

 

The first album by The Dave Clark Five had both the drum poundin' hit singles "Glad All Over," and "Bits And Pieces" on it, what else do you need to know?

If this 1966 album by Lou Rawls isn't the best 'live' album of all time, then one thing for sure, and that's without a doubt, it's one of the coolest!

 

1972, The Flying Burrito Bros, this is what country music is all about!

"Last Of The Red Hot Burritos"

 

When Hot Tuna added Papa John Creach to the band for their second album, "First Pull Up, Then Pull Down," it just added a whole new dimension to their already dynamic sound.

Okay, that took a ridiculous amount of time. Since I hadn't posted on this blog in years, the formatting was all screwed up. If it continues like that, this will be the last try because what should have taken about 15 minutes took three hours, so we'll see.

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 46 of 100 - "Weirdsville"

Red Crayola with The Familiar Ugly - "Parable Of Arable Land" released in 1967 was about the weirdest record I had heard up to that moment!

 Also in 1967 this album appeared and it was like WTF?! is going on! 

It was called Hapshash And The Coloured Coat Featuring The Human Host And The Heavy Metal Kids!" The first song was called "H-O-P-P-Why," and when we first got guitars, it was the groove we played the most because it was such a simple riff!

 The Fugs second record released in 1966 was titled simply "The Fugs" and while not quite as deranged as their first album, it's still a dandy!

 The first time I head Dr. John, The Night Tripper was in an Army Library. I put on the headphones, and my life has never been the same ever since! This first record of his  called "Gris -Gris" came out in 1968!

I don't know why "The Masked Marauders" isn't on Rolling Stones list, it was made by their people! A total joke, put on, and a fraud, this record came out in 1969, and was supposed to be recorded by a super group composed of Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. It's a trip and pretty awful all at the same time!

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 45 of 100 - "The Spawn of Buffalo Springfield - "Pickin' Up The Pieces!"

Jeez! I can't believe this is taking so long, and now I'm not even half way done, and I'm drawing blanks! Anyway, one thing that you can't deny is how many successful offshoots there were from the band Buffalo Springfield! It's really quite uncanny!! 

"Buffalo Springfield Again" was such a fantastic record, I actually almost forgot about their next release after that from 1968 called "Last Time Around!" And while it's a little mellower than it's predecessor, "Last Time Around" has some great cuts on it, and deserves to be on this list for sure!

The first Crosby, Stills, and Nash album was excellent, but when Neil Young joined the band, it just made them that much better!  Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's "Deja Vu" from 1970 is an utterly fantastic record from start to finish!

Poco was another awesome Buffalo Springfield spinoff band! Richie Furay wanted to make country music, and with this album, you can certainly see why! Jim Messina went along for the ride! Original Eagle Randy Meisner was in the band too for a while! "Pickin' Up The Pieces" came out in 1969!

Before I'm through, I'll probably list every album ever made by Neil Young!

Neil Young and Crazy Horse's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" from 1969 is a fine example of why!

I just recently saw Neil live, and it just made this assertion even that much firmer!

How can some artists make records and every single song is memorable? I don't know, but Neil Young is one of the few who does it over and over again!

From 1972, Neil's "Harvest" record is about as good as it gets!

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 44 of 100 - Look Sharp and Boogie to the Absolutely Free Whirling Apocalypse!

Here are five records I always enjoy from a number of different decades that are woefully missing from Rolling Stone's list!!!!!

From 1971, The Reverend Eugene McDaniels with some scathing, soulful, and witty commentary on the social problems of the day!

"headless heroes of the apocalypse"

More social commentary from Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention on this, their second album titled "Absolutely Free," released in 1967!

Another killer album from 1967 was "Boogie With Canned Heat" and their special blend of blues and rock that gave us hits like "Going Up The Country," and "On The Road Again!" How this LP is not on Rolling Stone's list is anybody's guess!

Joe Jackson's first release  "Look Sharp!" in 1979 is damn near pop perfect!

I like Bill Nelson, and I never tire of listening to this 1982 release titled "The Love That Whirls (Diary Of A Thinking Heart)" because one title is just not good enough!

Two words: "Flaming Desire!"

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 43 of 100 - Substitutions!

I don't have a problem with a lot of the artists on Rolling Stone's Top 500 list, but sometimes I think they chose the wrong albums by certain people. Here are five albums that fall into that category!

I always thought "Smiley Smile" from 1967 was one of The Beach Boys more inspired efforts, so I chose it instead of the 1970 "Sunflower!"

For me, Blood, Sweat And Tears second album was far superior to their first one "Child Is Father To The Man!" Both records came out in 1968!

Inspiration and uniqueness are one thing, but for sheer listen-ability time after time, I much prefer Funkadelic's 1976 sloppy cosmic release called "Hardcore Jollies," as compared to "Maggot Brain" that came out in 1971!

The same thing is true for Miles Davis! There's no denying that "Bitches Brew" that was released in 1970 is one of the most unique records of all time, but for something to listen to over and over, I'll take the funky ass "Jack Johnson" soundtrack from 1971 any day!

Arguably all the records by The Meters should be on this list, but just to make space for other artists, I'm picking the super hot "Fire On The Bayou" from 1975 over their 1969 effort titled "Look-Ka Py Py!"

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 42 of 100 - 5 More Classics On Rolling Stone's List I Can Actually Agree With!

These five records are all undeniable classics in my book! Five records that you can listen to over and over again and not ever get tired of! 

From 1960, the beautiful Miles Davis album, "Sketches Of Spain!"

From 1965, The Byrds first album, "Mr. Tambourine Man!"

I always thought this was one of the strangest album covers! One of my favourite Bob Dylan records, from 1967, "John Wesley Harding!"

Almost all of Bob Marley's records are brilliant, but there are a couple that are extra exceptional like this 1973 release, "Catch A Fire!"

One of the funkiest records ever made, and what an album cover, from 1974, one of the best bands ever and all time, The Meters and "Rejuvenation!"

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 41 of 100 - Brit Ska Etc

Well, I finally got Rolling Stone's list put in alphabetical order and I can actually see what I'm doing now, so let's get this show rolling again! 

I love SKA music, and the first wave of UK SKA was quite memorable in my opinion,

So that's why I chose The Specials first album from 1979!

The first album by The Beat in 1980 before they became The English Beat rocks from start to finish!

The Selecter's album titled "Too Much Pressure" from 1980 finishes off this trio of great SKA LPs!

From 1977, The Jam's first album titled in "In The City" rocks! I'm pretty sure I'll be including more than one album by The Jam on this list before I get done!

This is also a great album by The Members that was made in 1979 called "At The Chelsea Nightclub!" How can you go wrong with a song called "Rat Up A Drainpipe?" You can't!

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 40 of 100 - "Creedence Clearwater Revival"

I've decided I've been making this way to difficult on myself by trying to keep it overly varied! If I plan to ever finish this list, I'm going to have to admit that a band like Creedence Clearwater Revival has at least five albums that deserve to be on this list, because from 1968 through 1970, CCR was killing it! So here they are! 

The self-titled "Creedence Clearwater Revival" came out in 1968, and contained "I Put A Spell On You," "Suzie Q,"(#9) and "Porterville!" Creedence had arrived!

The 1969 "Bayou Country" contained both the killer songs, "Born On The Bayou," and "Proud Mary"(#2) and this really obscure psychedelic swamp cover!

In 1969, they also released "Willy And The Poor Boys," that had "Down On The Corner"(#3), and "Fortunate Son"(6) on it!

Not content with that many hits, they also released "Green River" in 1969 with "Green River"(#2), "Bad Moon Rising"(2), and "Lodi" on it!

In 1970, CCR released "Cosmo's Factory" that had four chartoppers on it, "Travelin' Band"(#2), "Who'll Stop The Rain"(#2), "Up Around The Bend"(#2), and "Lookin' Out My Back Door"(#1)!! In the course of only four years "Creedence Clearwater Revival" racked up 17 top 40 hits, and they were all good! Nice run!!!

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 39 of 100 - "Five Great Genres - Five Great Records"

 Clifford Coulter - "Do It Now, Think About It Later!" (1972) One of the greatest Jazz Funk LP's ever etched in wax!

 Dollar Brand - "Cape Town Fringe" (1977)  I could listen to this endless groove forever!

 Jim Kweskin And The Jug Band (1967) Jug band music hasn't resurfaced lately, but one day it will be a major force in music again!

 Joe Cocker - "With A Little Help From My Friends" (1969) When Joe covers a song, there's a damn good chance it might be better than the original!

Stevie Wonder - "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (1974) I could listen to this stuff all day long! I never get tired of "Boogie On Reggae Woman!"

The REAL 500 Best Albums Of All Time - Part 38 of 100 - "More Late Psych Psixties Greats"

THORINSHIELD - "Thorinshield" (1968)

I love this record just because I never could figure out what in the Hell they were up to! Mystery in music is a good thing! Pop Schmock, but interesting with titles like Life Is A Dream," and "Daydreaming," with awkward horn arrangements! Better than the whole Windham Hill catalogue!

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - "After Bathing At Baxter's" (1967)

Although I've already put two other Jefferson Airplane records on this list, "After Bathing At Baxter's" is my favourite Airplane album! It is perfectly crazy from start to finish!

MIKE BLOOMFIELD, AL KOOPER, STEPHEN STILLS - "Super Session" (1968)

The most beautiful, and one of the best songs on the record is the shortest, and the only one written by unheralded bass player Harvey Brooks called "Harvey's Tune!" This is a great LP!

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - "The United States Of America" (1967)

This is another one of those records that doesn't get enough creds for being weird ahead of it's time! It's not always comforting, but then, "Reality Is Only Temporary!"

VANILLA FUDGE - "Vanilla Fudge" (1967)

The greatest and most original cover band ever!