Weirdest album from a mainstream artist?

Berry Gordy’s sister

The_who_sell_out_album_frontMy bud Greg Burgas asked his readers: What’s the weirdest album released by a mainstream artist? Off the top, I couldn’t think of any except from one pair of musicians.

Then I found this list of 35 albums. And I own several! The first, though, I heard of only weeks ago.

Frank Sinatra – Watertown (1970). A concept album that one of my news feeds just mentioned. It Was re-released in June 2022. He “was approached by “Big Girls Don’t Cry” writer Bob Gaudio to do a song cycle about a man whose wife left him with his kids.” It’s named for an upstate New York city; I probably should get it.

The Fireman – Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest (1994). “Without a drop of publicity, 1994 saw Paul McCartney quietly releasing his ambient techno album.” To me, it sounds “at worst needlessly repetitive.”

Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (1979). This has some good songs, actually, such as Send One Your Love, but also a lot of tedious “synthesizer experimentation.” It was “a detour so far from the commercial norm that it risked alienating scores of unadventurous listeners.”

Yoko Ono/John Lennon – Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968). I wasn’t even going to consider it because I don’t think of Yoko as a “mainstream artist,” even though I own a few of her solo albums. I haven’t listened to Two Virgins in decades. Side one of their Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969) is unlistenable, but side two is conversational, a bit melancholy, and documents Yoko’s miscarriage. Wedding Album (1970) has Yoko yelling JOHN, and John yelling YOKO for twenty minutes; side two is a dialogue about bed-ins and the like.

Bob Dylan – Slow Train Coming (1979). Musically interesting but lyrically theologically lazy.

Starkey

Ringo Starr – Beaucoups of Blues (1970). I LIKE this album quite a bit. “Ringo hunkered down in Nashville, rounded up the city’s top session players, and recorded this love letter to Music City that’s as authentic as the most classic George Jones platter… Beaucoups of Blues remains Starr’s most thoroughly enjoyable, though misunderstood, solo outing.” Agreed. Title song.

Paul McCartney – McCartney II (1980). Why is this album even on the list?

The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967). “Arguably the Who’s greatest album… The oddness [comes] from the fact that these are book-ended by radio jingles and commercials.” SpongeBob SquarePants used this model for an album. Tattoo.

Bob Dylan – Self Portrait (1970). As mentioned, I bought this for my high school girlfriend. I specifically recall a strange version of Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer. I always wondered if it was in response to the duo’s A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission). “At the end of the 1966 recording Simon says, ‘Folk-rock,’ and, after an audible noise, ‘I’ve lost my harmonica, Albert.’ This presumably refers to Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman.”

What now?

Neil Young – Trans (1983). “He ticked off “his new label by releasing a vocoder-heavy synth-rock album. He followed it up with a rockabilly disc, and was sued shortly thereafter.” I like Trans, and especially Mr. Soul.

The Clash – Sandinista! (1980). “The Only Band That Mattered follow-up London Calling with a three-LP set filled with reggae, hip-hop, and pop experiments sprawled all over the place.” I bought this album right away and listened to it a lot. Police On My Back.

Joni Mitchell – Mingus (1979). I didn’t appreciate the dialogue as much as the music.

Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear (1978). “Quite possibly the only album that nearly launched an invasion of privacy lawsuit.” A divorce album re: him and Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy’s older sister. Indulgent but oddly interesting.  When Did You Stop Loving Me, When I Stop Loving You?

Devo – E-Z Listening Disc (1987) [Compilation]. Someone from Rykodisc sent this to me when I was working at FantaCo. I think it’s a hoot. Jocko Homo.

The one I think is most “out there” is probably the Fireman or maybe Joni.

Moody Blues, Dylan, the Boss, solo Fab

Smile Away

Bob_Dylan_-_Love_and_TheftIn response to my most recent Ask Roger Anything request – you can STILL ask! – TWO music questions.

My old buddy Kevin, who grew up in my area, but who I didn’t know until college, asked:
What are your favorite albums by 1) the Moody Blues, 2) Bob Dylan and 3) Bruce Springsteen?

The Moody Blues is easy. While I have a few albums on vinyl that I haven’t listened to in forever, I never got any on CD or as downloads, except for a greatest hits CD. So the only album I can remember without looking it up is Days Of Future Passed. And I liked it not just based on its themes of dayparts, but the fact that a 1967 album could generate a hit half a decade later. Nights In White Satin went to #103 pop in 1968, but to #2 pop for two weeks in 1972.

My first favorite Springsteen album was Born To Run, the album that got him on the cover of Time and Newsweek simultaneously. And Darkness On The Edge Of Town was a very strong follow-up. Born In The USA is, naturally a great album, but I heard it a bit too often in the 1980s.

I should note that c. 2000, my late brother-in-law John asked me what I wanted for Christmas or my birthday. I said any Springsteen CD prior to 1992, most of which I had on vinyl. He bought me Asbury Park, both Born albums, Darkness, and The River, the two-record set which I had never owned.

Around 2006, my sister Leslie bought me We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Some great songs, done well. But many of them appear in the two-CD Live in Dublin that came out in 2007, and they’re even better.

Zimmerman

Considering the vast number of Dylan CDs I now own, it’s peculiar that I never bought a Bob album in the 1960s. It’s due in part to the fact that I had belonged to the Capitol Record Club in 1966/67, where I got the bulk of my Beatles LPs, not to mention albums by the Beach Boys, Lovin’ Spoonful, and others. Bob was on Columbia. The ONLY Dylan song I owned was from a cheap compilation album, The Best of ’66, which had I Want You.

In fact, the first Dylan album I purchased was for my high school girlfriend, the double album Self-Portrait, which came out in 1970. I wasn’t impressed, and I’m not even sure whether SHE liked it.

Eventually, I bought a few LPs – John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline. But it wasn’t until CDs came out that I started to backfill my Dylan collection: Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, and my favorite, Blood on the Tracks.

I had pre-ordered Love and Theft, which was to be released on September 11, 2001. After I left work early that day – we all did – I was riding my bike home and I went past the record store. I stopped, got the album, and stood around the store awhile as the television was recapitulating the awful news of the day.

I didn’t listen to the album for well over a week. But when I did, I LOVED it, especially the run that began with the third track, Summer Days. I played this album a lot, and it made me happy in a very sad time.

Solo Fabs

Julie, who I’ve known for a few years – I have a pic of her holding my daughter when L was a baby – wants to know:
 What is the best solo Beatles album?

Oh, my, I have been musing on this forever. Conventional Wisdom would put All Things Must Pass by George and Plastic Ono Band by John at the top of the list. These would be totally legitimate choices, especially ATMP, which proved that John and Paul underestimated their younger bandmate. I just watched Concert For George from 2002, and it reminded me just how much I loved Wah Wah.

Yet, and maybe it’s because I’ve listened to it recently, that I’m picking Paul’s (and Linda’s) Ram. Your folks would know that when it came out in 1971, it was savaged by much of the music press. Part of this was a function of the less-than-kind things John said about the album.

Really? Yes

As this 2021 review noted, “The record… saw the singer lay down a blueprint that would eventually help build some of the most notable genres around. You can trace everything from Britpop to pure jangle indie back to this record.” Too Many People, for instance, was a jab at John, much more subtle than John’s How Do You Sleep on his Imagine album.

From All Music: “In retrospect, it looks like nothing so much as the first indie-pop album, a record that celebrates small pleasures with big melodies, a record that’s guileless and unembarrassed to be cutesy. But McCartney never was quite the sap of his reputation… There’s some ripping rock and roll in the mock-apocalyptic goof Monkberry Moon Delight, the joyfully noisy Smile Away, where his feet can be smelled a mile away, and  Eat At Home, a rollicking, winking sex song.”

When I played it recently for the first time this century, I said, pretty much to myself, “Damn, I really LIKE this album!” And I remembered it amazingly well.

Oh, and I have a great affection for the Ringo album, which featured all four of them, not all at the same time. Do the Travelling Wilburys count as “solo”? Because I’d stick that first album in the mix.

Artificial title songs #4: Electric Six

Dylan, Devo, Depeche Mode

Electric six.fireHere is the fourth attempt to identify artificial title songs. The album name appears as a lyric, but it’s not the title song. There is no actual title song, but these can be artificial title songs.

Right Next Door (Because of Me) – Robert Cray. Album: Strong Persuader. Lyrics: ” Oh, she was right next door and I’m such a strong persuader”

Down On The Corner – Creedence Clearwater Revival. Album: Willy and the Poor Boys. Lyrics: Down on the corner Out in the street.” I have this LP.

The Last Waltz – Rodney Crowell. Album: Diamonds and Dirt. Lyrics: “Sometimes it’s diamonds and sometimes it’s dirt”
Don’t Let Your Feet Slow You Down – Rodney Crowell. Album: Keys To The Highway. Lyrics: “‘the keys to the highway hang right on the wall.”

Close To Me – The Cure. Album: The Head on the Door. Lyrics: “Oh, if only I was sure That my head on the door was a dream.”

Dee

Rock Of Ages – Def Leppard. Album: Pyromania. Lyrics: “Drive me crazier, no serenade. No fire brigade, just pyromania.”

Pipeline – Depeche Mode. Album: Construction Time Again. Lyrics: “Get out the crane Construction time again.”
Lie To Me – Depeche Mode. Album: Some Great Reward. Lyrics: “Some great reward Will be coming my way.”
The Darkest Star – Depeche Mode. Album: Playing The Angel. Lyrics: “Playing the Angel Isn’t so easy where you’re from.”

Jocko Homo – Devo. Album: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Lyrics: “Are we not men? We are Devo.” I own this on vinyl.
Devo Has Feelings Too – Devo. Album: Smooth Noodle Maps. Lyrics: “Snake through the chaos with a smooth noodle map.”
Sumthin’ – Devo. Album: Something For Everybody. Lyrics: “I got sumthin’ for everybody.”

Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Album: Too-Rye-Ay. Lyrics: “Too-ra-loo-ra Too-ra-loo-rye-ay.” I have this in some vinyl form.

Black Wall – Dennis DeYoung. Album: Back To The World. Lyrics: “Let Johnny come back to the world.”

Knocked Around – Dinosaur Jr. “Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not”. Lyrics: “And it hurt me to love. Give a glimpse of what yer not.”

Skateaway – Dire Straits. Album: Making Movies. Lyrics: “She’s making movies on location.”

Too Many Broken Hearts  – Jason Donovan. Album: Ten Good Reasons. Lyrics: “I’ll give you ten good reasons to stay.”

The End  – the Doors. Album: Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine (compilation). Lyrics: “Weird scenes inside the gold mine. Ride the highway west, baby.”

Forest Fire – The Dream Academy. Album: A Different Kind of Weather. Lyrics: ” It’s bringing down a different kind of weather.”

Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk – Dr. Hook. Album: Players In The Dark. Lyrics: “The queen of all the night birds, a player in the dark.” Oy. I’d never heard this song before.

Robert Zimmerman

Idiot Wind – Bob Dylan. Album: Blood on the Tracks. Lyrics: “Blood on your saddle”…” down the tracks.” Possibly my favorite Dylan album.
You’re Gonna Quit Me – Bob Dylan. Album: Good As I Been to You. Lyrics: Baby, good as I been to you, Lord, Lord.” I couldn’t find that iteration on YouTube; this is a live version.
Under Your Spell – Bob Dylan. Album: Knocked Out Loaded. Lyrics: I was knocked out and loaded in the naked night.” Can’t find this either, so you have a live version with the Grateful Dead.

Magnet and Steel – Walter Egan. Album: Not Shy. Lyrics: With you, I’m not shy To show the way I feel.” I actually own this album on vinyl.

Electric Six: Album: Fire, named for the fact the word appears in half the songs.
Electric Demons In Love. Lyrics: “We’re starting a fire, electric demons in love.”
Danger! High Voltage. Lyrics: “Fire in the disco, Fire in the taco bell, Fire in the disco, Fire in the gates of hell, Don’t you want to know how we keep starting fires? It’s my desire.”
She’s White. Lyrics: “She returned my fire and shot me in the heart.”
I Invented The Night. Lyrics: “And should your invention be destroyed in a fire.”
Improper Dancing. Lyrics: “And I want to reach into the fire of your heart.”
Vengeance and Fashion. Lyrics: “I saw fire when I looked in my lover’s eyes.”

Mirror In The Bathroom – The English Beat. Album: I Just Can’t Stop It. Lyrics: “Mirror in the bathroom, I just can’t stop it.” I have this on a compilation CD.

My Size – John Entwistle. Album: Smash Your Head Against The Wall. Lyrics: “I’m gonna bring you down to my size, Smash your head against the wall.”

Your Time Will Come – Eurythmics. Album: In The Garden. Lyrics: “In the garden, In the stillness of morning.”

June: Trauma of Systemic Injustices

no conception of a public good, common wealth, shared interest.

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