Day 0029 - Muddy Waters at Newport 1960

Muddy Waters "Muddy Waters at Newport 1960" (1960... obviously)

Apparently the album that introduced Page and Clapton to America's "urban sound"... or so says the book.

I'm not usually a huge blues fan... I like the genre well enough, but a whole album of it is usually too much; this one isn't bad though.  The extra groove from Waters' band and the energy of their performance definitely help.

Day 0028 - Back at the Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith "Back at the Chicken Shack" (1960)

According to the book, the Hammond organ was seen as a bit of a 'square' instrument that you might hear at church or in an elevator; until Jimmy Smith picked it up and showed you how it is!

A Bluenote jazz album, but Smith's laidback organ grooves add a touch of funk and soul to proceedings. This album definitely has a foot in the straight jazz camp, but you can also hear how someone like Ray Charles would have looked at it and thought "hmm this piano is all well and good, but it's time to get myself a Hammond!"

Day 0027 - Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba "Miriam Makeba" (1960)

I was first introduced to this album through the electrifying and lively "The Click Song", and much of the album follows suit in providing African musical harmonies and rhythms in a form that is pretty recognisable to a western audience while retaining its spirit and vitality.

There are one or two, slightly twee 'pop' songs here that maybe don't sit as well with the much more exciting traditional African music.  In that way, Miriam kind of reminds me of Harry Belafonte, because he always interspersed his native Caribbean music with easy listening crooner tracks for the pop market.

Day 0026 - A date with the Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers "A date with the Everly Brothers" (1960) - got it

Tight little album with great harmonies and strong songwriting.  It's especially impressive, considering they chucked this together just a few months after their "it's Everly time" album which they had in turn put together to combat Elvis who'd returned to the music world (see yesterday's post).

 Listening to it, it seems like this album MUST have been an influence on Orbison and the Beatles.
After listening to this, I picked up a set of 5 of their albums.

Day 0025 - Elvis is Back!

Elvis Presley "Elvis is Back" (1960)  - got it

Oh yeah, still the king.

Elvis was back after 2 years in the army, and RCA were itching to get him in the recording studio as soon as possible.  Colonel Tom tried to hold off to negotiate a really good deal, but for once, he didn't get his way.

Elvis was reunited with a bunch of musicians he'd worked with on his early albums and they very quickly churned out this 'comeback' album.  It's almost like the essence of Elvis distilled: you get his raunchy 'sexual' (for the time) sound, his 'soda-pop at the diner' style of pop, his sense of fun, his sensitive ballad crooning and the smooth warm vocal on "Fever" gives me funny feelings in my tummy.

I know that the Beatles often get credited as the artist that really opened things up as far as mixing sounds/genres, but Elvis got in a little ahead of them here.

Day 0024 - Joan Baez

Joan Baez "Joan Baez" (1960)

I'll have to admit that I know little about Joan, though she's always been on my radar to check out.

This album is pretty powerful stuff, particularly as it's mostly just guitar and voice.  I can hear her influence stretching down the way to artists from Cat Stevens to Laura Marling.

I love this interview quote from her about making the album:

It took four nights. We were in some big, smelly ballroom at a hotel on Broadway, way up by the river. We couldn't record on Wednesday nights because they played bingo there. I would be down there on this dirty old rug with two microphones, one for the voice and one for the guitar. I just did my set; it was probably all I knew. Just put 'em down. I did "Mary Hamilton" once, that was it. That's the way we made 'em in the old days. As long as a dog didn't run through the room or something, you had it.

Day 0023 - Time Out

Dave Brubeck "Time Out" (1959) - got it

 Last entry from the 1950s; Brubeck had been studying music abroad, and having heard some interesting time signatures on his travels wanted to experiment a bit on an album using different time signatures himself.   The head of the record company agreed to take a risk on it if Dave and his band first recorded an album of standards.

The Time Out album ended up being panned by critics but loved (and bought) by the public... which led to it being panned further by other critics later on!

For an album of 'odd' time signatures it's pretty smooth sailing, one track is seemingly entirely in the standard 4/4 timing and one in the almost equally common 3/4 (or waltz) time. Even tracks in 6/4 timing make pretty nice, laidback jazz, perfect for those suburban dinner parties. Take 5 is obviously the big success story on the album, the track that saxophonist Paul Desmond wrote, originally intending it to be a drum solo/showcase for Joe Morello, rather than a single. My favourite though is the exciting opener "Blue Rondo a la Turk" with it's somewhat unconventional 9/8 timing (occasionally breaking into 4/4 for the solo sections) making for some really exciting, tight, exotic jazz that feels like it's in constant motion.

I also love how a lot of the jazz albums from this period have interesting paintings as their album covers.

Day 0022 - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

Marty Robbins "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" (1959) - got it

This album, I had picked up a copy of the first time I'd looked through the 1001 albums book.  I love the backing vocal harmonies in some songs, and the simple but effective arrangements behind Marty's smooth crooning telling these stories.  His voice actually reminds me a bit of Roy Orbison (high praise) on some tracks.

Tasty tidbit, the song "El Paso", aside from being featured in final episode of Breaking Bad, was the first country song to be awarded a grammy.

I always laugh when I listen to 'the strawberry roan' where he's singing about bucking horses and there is a line (2.34) that I could swear sounds like "he's about the worst fucker that I've ever met".

Day 0021 - Kind of Blue

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" (1959) - got it

Generally recognised as the highest selling jazz album of all time; it is featured on lists of "Jazz albums that even non-jazz fans will like"; it has been said "if you don't like this album, you don't like jazz"... all of this and various other plaudits have been dumped on it over the years.

Miles was bored with bebop and had experimented with modal jazz on the 'milestones' album, he went full modal here.

I've said it before, this is not my favourite Miles album... I like it, but then I prefer my jazz to be slightly wilder and 'in your face' whereas "Kind of Blue" is just a nice, laid-back, easy jazz album.  I would say though, it's never boring, and with its personnel consisting of Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderly, Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Cobb... it was always likely to be good.

"All Blues" is (to my tastes) the most melodically interesting track on the album.

Day 0020 - The Genius of Ray Charles

Ray Charles "The Genius of Ray Charles" (1959) - got it

The 1001 albums book entry starts with "during the 1950s Ray Charles had trouble sitting down at his piano without pioneering a new style of American music"

Though that is clearly an exaggeration, it really is crazy that Ray was still only in his 20s when he sat down to work on 'the Genius of Ray Charles'.  He seemed to already have had a pretty full career, forging his soul, gospel, rhythm & blues sound.  On 'Genius' he branches out further with an album that really utilises the 'side A/side B' format that LP albums were originally based around, with side A containing big band jazz songs, arranged by Quincey Jones and Ray, and featuring members of the Count Basie orchestra.  The tracks are bright, brassy and upbeat, with my personal favourite being Ray's reading of 'Alexander's ragtime band' which builds to an almost orgasmic euphoria.

Then, side B switches the mood totally; stripping out the brass section, with Ray singing a series of ballads backed with strings and a choir.  Side B offers up a series more subdued and melancholy tracks to offset the Side A.  My favourite for this side being 'come rain or come shine'
Some reviews at the time criticised the album for being too abrasive in its hard mix of styles, but in some ways you could almost see it as an early 'concept album'.  Definitely, it serves to highlight Ray's different strengths; or to be a precursor for the future of music, where styles would be mixed and matched a little more freely.

Day 0019 - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald "Ella Fitzgerald sings the Gershwin Songbook" (1959)

Yikes, a three disc 'album' (really a compilation) of Ella singing Gershwin... to be fair though, across the 3 discs (53 or so songs) it never really seems to lag. Great songs, perky jazzy arrangements and Ella's voice alternating between cooing and swinging with consummate ease. I listened through the whole lot twice without feeling the need to skip anything

Day 0018 - Sarah Vaughan at Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan "Sarah Vaughan at Mister Kelly's" (1958) - got it

I LOVE Sarah Vaughan, she just has the most amazing vocal control and range of any jazz/popular singer I can think of.

I'm not usually a fan of live albums but Vaughan sounds note perfect, the recording quality is great, and you get the added charm of Vaughan's extra vocal gymnastics, her sassy banter with the crowd, and her quick-thinking ad-libs any time she happens to forget a lyric.

It's hard to tell, given that it's a sound recording, but at one point it sounds like she knocked over her lyric sheets.  Certainly at one point she ad-libs and scats the lyrics for an entire song ("how high the moon")

Day 0017 - Jack Elliott Takes the Floor

Jack Elliott "Jack Takes the Floor" (1958) (later released as "Muleskinner")

The complete opposite to yesterday's entry.  Where that was a lush, glossy, professional studio production; this is a rough-and-ready recording, mostly it's just guitar and Jack giving low-key, cowboyish spoken-word intros to each of the songs.

I'd never heard of Jack, but this was brilliant! apparently this album was a MAJOR early influence on Bob Dylan, as well as being enjoyed by the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.
The music is wonderful, just from the stark simplicity of it.  Elliott's powerful voice holds your attention beautifully backed by his hard folk strumming and plucking style guitar playing which went on to influence plenty of other players (again including Dylan).

Day 0016 "Lady in Satin"

Billie Holiday "Lady in Satin" (1958)

Exquisite! This was designed to be a comeback album of sorts for Lady Day; it was her first and only (during her lifetime) release on Columbia Records.  After a career steeped in hard swinging jazz, and having heard Ray Ellis' lush arrangements on his "Ellis in Wonderland" album she decided that she wanted to sing over more of an easy-listening sound (she'd also considered recording with Nelson Riddle after hearing his work with Sinatra).

Ellis wanted to put some seriously dense string arrangements behind the singer to compensate for her weathered voice.  She'd been struggling with alcohol and heroin addiction, so sounded more like she was in her 80s than in her 40s.

Holiday had never had a huge vocal range; she's always been more known for her tone and her sense of rhythm.  Even in its worn down state, her voice sounds so pure, so strong and dripping with feeling it manages to work with and against the syrupy sweet arrangements to keep things from getting too maudlin.

The very first cut "I'm a fool to want you" really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Day 0015 - Dance Mania: vol 1

TIto Puente "Dance Mania: vol 1" (1958)

Tito Puente - not just a reference in a Simpsons episode 

As with the Machito album, I like this music.  It's fun, feisty, and there's so much going on with the percussion and all the rest of the arrangement... but also as with the Machito album, after a while it all starts to blur together. Good background music for a fun lively party that you can tune into and enjoy, then tune out of for a bit.

Day 0014 - Here's Little Richard

Little Richard "Here's Little Richard" (1957)

So apparently Art Rupe at Specialty Records sent his talent scout out looking for a Ray Charles sound-alike... it's a bit of a mystery then ended up with the frenetic, flamboyant, openly gay, Little Richard.

I suppose that there are hints of the Ray Charles sound in some of the music but, good lord there's so much more energy!  It's like if Ray Charles and 'Screaming' Jay Hawkins had a musical child together.  I mean how many albums start with such a 'straight out of the gate' smack in the face line like 'tutti frutti's' "Wop-bop-a-loom-a-boom-bam-boom!"

There are some musical similarities to someone like Fats Domino too, but the sheer force of Little Richard's energy and charisma carries the music so much further!

Day 0013 - Kenya

Machito "Kenya" (1957)

I listened to this one a few years ago with the list I originally drew up from the "1001 albums" book.

This is an early combination of big band jazz with afro-Cuban flavours.  At the time, I did not realise that Cannonball Adderley plays sax on the album.

I don't really have much to say about this one.  I enjoyed it well enough, and musically it deserves descriptors like "exciting" and "electric".  I love the percussion throughout the album; but at the same time it is one of those albums that sets up its sound and then mostly sticks to it.  Inevitably it turns into something that you're more likely to treat as 'aural wallpaper' and half listen to it while you do something else.

Day 0012 - Birth of the Cool

Miles Davis "Birth of the Cool" (1957) got it

Right out of the gate this is a vital and exciting album! I know that 'Kind of Blue' is seen as Miles' masterpiece, but my favourite of his oeuvre has always been "Birth of the Cool" (with an honourable mention going to "ESP").

Although this was released as an album in 1957, the 3 sessions that gave 'birth' to this material had actually taken place in 1949 and 1950. Miles had been playing in Charlie Parker's band, taking the place of Dizzy who'd gotten tired of Bird's unprofessionalism, alcoholism and drug use. Miles could never really match Diz for sheer technical proficiency and speed; his strengths lie more in melody and musical exploration... both of which feature here.
Miles got together with the arranger Gil Evans who was hosting musical meetings and sessions at his apartment.  With his growing reputation as a jazz arranger he was a great asset in Miles' search for a new sound.

What you get here is a nice mix with the speed and virtuosity displayed in bebop, but generally with a richer texture and a greater focus on melody.  Where bebop was frequently stripped down to allow room for the soloists to 'spread their wings' "Birth of the Cool has almost more of an almost orchestral feel in places, like the beautiful, slightly eerie harmonies of "moon dreams" which nicely offset the perky bebop of the opener "Jeru". The interplay between soloists and the rest of the band is brilliant, much more complimentary melodic interplay than in a standard bebop sound (it should be noted by the way that I love bebop, so I'm not looking to slag it off, only to highlight the differences between this music and what had come before).

As an initial solo artistic statement, this is pretty damned strong... too bad that it went generally unnoticed until Miles had earned greater fame, and the West Coast jazz movement had gained popularity.

Day 0011 - Palo Congo

Sabu "Palo Congo" (1957)

This one was new to me.  Sabu had previously played on afro-Cuban jazz albums with Dizzy Gillespie.  This is much less of a jazz vibe but it's music bursting with life, celebrating Sabu's Spanish/African/West Indian heritage.  He was himself a native NYer who started gigging (as did many in the jazz world back then) before he was even out of high school.

The melodies here are infectious and I found myself singing along with them even though I don't understand a word they're saying... luckily I've never found the lyrics themselves to be hugely important, when compared to the rhythms and sounds of the words.

Day 0010 - Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk "Brilliant Corners" (1957) got it

Monk is an important jazz artist for me personally, because the first jazz album I ever owned was a compilation of his work ("This is Jazz: Thelonious Monk").  After hearing Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers rave about how great Monk was, I went and listened... and had to agree.

The Ken Burns Jazz documentary series outlined what a maverick and weirdo Monk was: getting up and dancing to his own band in the middle of sets, intentionally throwing in crazy discordant notes that sounded like mistakes here and there, and coming in with some odd little wardrobe choices.

Monk helped develop the bebop sound alongside greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, but after getting done on a bogus drugs bust and having his cabaret card revoked, he wasn't able to do much professionally in the music world, until he got in signed by Orin Keepnews.  Keepnews released a couple of his albums (covers of Ellington compositions and then an album of standards) before letting Monk pursue his own compositional id.

One thing that I always love about so many of the jazz records from this era is how many great players are all over each others' records, John Coltrane playing on Miles Davis albums early in his career, Davis himself getting his start with Bird and Diz etc.  Similarly on brilliant corners you get Sonny Rollins (the 'saxophone colossus' himself), Max Roach on drums, and Oscar Pettiford on bass.

There's a nice mix of sounds on this album, with the long and laidback "Ba-lue bolivar ba-lues-are" ,the skittish, quirky "Bemsha Swing" (one of my favourites) and the gargantuan title track that gives everyone a chance to shine.  Roach's drum solo is understated but brilliant. 

Day 0009 - The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie "The Atomic Mr Basie" (1957) got it

Basie, like Ellington was a jazz big band leader who had suffered a drop off in popularity in the face bebop, rhythm & blues, and then rock n roll.

Basie had to let his band go for a time, then he was signed to Roulette Records and hired a young arranger Neal Hefti (who went on to compose the theme tunes for "the Odd Couple" and the Adam West Batman series) to help revitalise his band.

I will say this: for me, it's not a jazz album that stands out as some amazing thing, or 'better than the rest' or anything but I always enjoy it when I listen to it. There are definitely some hot tracks here, such as "Double O" which starts with such an awesome, nimble little bassline and then the horns crowding in - wow!

Day 0008 - The Chirping Crickets

The Crickets "The Chirping Crickets"

The most interesting thing that struck me on reading the entry in the book (other than the fact that the album is well under half an hour) is that this is the only LP to feature Buddy Holly that was released during his lifetime.  I wasn't that familiar with his death aside from the fact that he died in a plane crash, but I'd always assumed that it was at the end of a very long run in the music industry.

As is often the case with albums in the 50s and early 60s, there's not a lot of diversity across the album, but the Crickets really keep it fresh between doowoppy ballads and upbeat rockabilly so that it never really feels stale.

Love the backing vocals from the Crickets

Day 0007 - Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra "Songs For Swingin' Lovers!" (1956) got it

Something of a companion piece to "In the wee small hours".  Where that was the breakup album you play at night and cry bitter tears into your scotch; this is the bright sunny flipside, as you revel in joys and wonders of love!

Frank has never been in better voice, and Nelson Riddle's arrangements are once again top-notch with brilliant little jabs of horns or pa-pows of drum fills that catch you unawares and put a smile on your face. Apparently after the band had run through Riddle's arrangement of "I've got you under my skin" they gave him a round of applause.

The book points out that the album's 45 minute runtime over 15 tracks shows that the 3 minute pop song was already well established here.

See this is where I'm glad for this listening 'quest' because I love this album but it seems there are always so many things I want to listen to , that it's easy enough for great albums like this to slip my net for a while.

Day 0006 - Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington "Ellington at Newport"

The Duke had suffered the fate of most big jazz bandleaders in the second half of the 20th century a major drop in popularity despite the fact that he continued to tour solidly.

Despite swing's fall from grace, Duke's band's set at Newport ending up being a raging success.  The record company (as record companies are wont to do) rushed to capitalise on it and release this album... only to find that recordings of the show were pretty damaged.  Columbia dealt with this by getting Ellington into the studio to re-record the set.  The album was then patched together using the studio recordings, surviving pieces of the live recordings, and assorted canned applause.

Apparently there has since been a recording pieced together of the original show and it is something special... to be fair though, this version is great too; just a tight band playing some hot music!

Day 0005 - This is Fats

Fats Domino "This is Fats!" (1957)

...not to be mistaken with his 1956 album "This is Fats Domino"

I listened to this one a few years back when I first had a look at the '1001' albums book and remember thinking it was maybe a bit samey.  Certainly, when you compare it to the albums released in the mid-late 60s sure it can seem a bit limited with similar blues basslines being the core of pretty much every song; but then you get a mix of ballads and more upbeat numbers and something like "the fat man's hop" which has an almost middle-eastern vibe to the horn arrangements!  I've come to appreciate the subtleties a bit more.

"Blueberry Hill" will always have a special place in my heart because when we'd go on family holidays my parents had these compilation albums 'Cruisin' Classics' and that song was a favourite from it. According to the book, Blueberry Hill was never successfully recorded in the studio and was plagued with issues.  They couldn't find the sheet music, then once things were underway Fats kept forgetting the lyrics so they ended up cutting and pasting several aborted takes together after the fact.

Day 0004 - The Wildest

Louis Prima "The Wildest" (1956)

This is an album that I checked out the first time I had a read through the '1001 albums' book (2010 or so) and ended up buying up a greatest hits album that I found in a shop here.  This album is as good as his greatest hits and, at 10 tracks, much more concise a musical statement.

Dismissed as an Italian Louis Armstrong (not helped by covering 3 of Armstrong's tunes here) he is another artist whose career (like Sinatra's, as mentioned on day 0001) was floundering, but he married a young 22 year old singer and added her and a hot young sax player to revitalise his band.  That seemed to do the trick, with that new burst of energy being cut essentially live in the studio.  A great mix of tracks with some great vocal harmonies on the driving "Just a gigolo/I aint got nobody" and Prima and his wife Keely Smith trading lines on (the lyrically dated) "Just for You".

I just think it's an incredibly fun album, even the sweeter tracks like 'buonasera senorita' are performed with a twinkle in the eye.  The band is tight, the playing is hot and, as the book says: "this is irrepressible music that more than matches its glorious cover shot"

Fun fact, Louis also performed the voice of King Louie in the original 'Jungle Book' film.

Day 0003 - Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers "Tragic Songs of Life" (1956)

In case I haven't mentioned before; I love a good vocal harmony, and this album is full of them.  It's a selection of gospel, country ballads with the brothers' two voices intertwining seamlessly.

"In the pines" I recognised the melody as having been performed by Lead Belly and then covered by Nirvana as "where did you sleep last night?"

 Apparently the record was later re-released with the above cover, in an attempt to make it seem that the brothers' songs were somewhat tongue in cheek, but it's hard to buy that, given that Ira Louvin was a womanising alcoholic who was shot by his 3rd wife and eventually killed in a drink-driving accident by one of his later wives... the guy was basically a walking country and western song himself!

Day 0002 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley "Elvis Presley" (1956) got it

With some of these early albums by famous artists, I almost expect them to be a bit 'meh'.  It seems like they'll sound dated (especially with this album being recorded in different studios, years apart with many of the songs coming from Elvis' early sessions at Sun) or maybe a bit embryonic with the artist still finding their feet... but this album still sounds fresh, and vital right from the off.  From the jocular swagger of "one sided love affair" to the sweet and gentle rendition of "Blue Moon".

Whenever I listen to this album I feel like "yeah, I can see why he's referred to as 'the king'."
The music is accompanied by an appropriately lively album cover that would later by referenced by the Clash for 'London Calling'

Apparently this was the first rock n roll recording to enter the billboard charts... and so that whole thing began.

Day 0001 - in the Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatara "In the Wee Small Hours" (1955) Got it

I once listened to this album on headphones while walking home on a moonlit night and it was freaking magical!

I'd read a biography of Nat King Cole that said Nat had helped the (at that stage) failed Sinatara, who had been dropped by his record company and had tried to commit suicide, to get his record deal with Capitol and helped put him together with composer/arranger Nelson Riddle.  Both of these moves essentially rejuvenated Frank's career and lead to the golden age of his career... (thanks Nat!)

This is (according to the book) is one of first, (if not the first ) longplaying 12" 'albums', and it is just a thing of beauty.  Riddle's sombre, delicate and imaginative arrangements and Sinatra's voice combine to make something that is #overusedphrase 'timeless'.

In the beginning....

A while ago I purchased the "1001 albums to listen to before you die" book, and it is taking me on a journey.


I'm looking forward to this; I feel like it's going to be an education, and a joy.  Revisiting some old favourites, checking out artists that I've been interested in, or know solely by name but have never got around to checking out (Steely Dan, CSNY and a lot of 80s artists spring to mind).  Also looking forward to listening to albums from artists who I think of as "greatest hits bands"; because really, most bands have at least one album that is as good as/better than their greatest hits.

The book explicitly states that it excludes compilations and soundtracks (other than where the bulk of the soundtrack is by a single artist), and from memory I don't think there are any greatest hits albums in here either.  I'm happy with the lack of greatest hits as I am a fan of the album format; of a band putting forward their collection of songs in the way that they wanted them to be heard and with their chosen artwork attached to it.


Some of these albums will be accompanied by essays by me, some of them will just get a one line "that's all I have to say about that" review - here we go: and album a day.