Number 11: The Sun Sessions

Album: The Sun Sessions

Artist: Elvis Presley

Recorded: 1954 - 1955

 Released: 1976

Information: Elvis and his band were playing in the studio when someone came over the intercom and asked "What are you guys doing?" Elvis replied that they were just messing around. This "messing around" continued and was recorded. Some of the material was released on his debut and scattered across other releases, but this marks the first time that the sessions were compiled and it gives an interesting view into the "birth" of a genre.

High Points: The best song is the first one, once again. It starts off with "That's All Right" which is considered one of the first rock and roll records. Elvis is young and full of life and it really comes across in this recording. It's him having fun, but the consequences of this record are much bigger than he could imagine.
Low Points: I don't particularly think "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" and "I Love You Because" are that great.

Is it Great? Historically, yes.

Elvis entered Sun Studios and played with his backing band, making mostly private recordings. However, this would come to pass. Elvis would eventually release commercial recordings and would take over the world with his music.

At this point, the world needed someone like Elvis. They needed someone to come in and take over. Music, it seems, had run a bit dry, and needed a rejuvenation.When Elvis released his first single, fans began to obsess over him and his new sound and he would score hit after hit in the '50's. He blazed the trail for future artists, the likes of Little Richard and Chuck Berry.

With all that said, I don't find this album very impressive. Rock and roll was about energy, having a certain kick. Elvis could really nail that on certain songs, but he doesn't do it often. There one or two great songs, a lot of okay songs, and a few that aren't so great. 

So, number 11? In terms of quality, for me, probably not. However, in terms of significance, I would say it deserves a spot that is high on this list.

Number 10: The Beatles

Album: The Beatles

Artist: The Beatles

Year: 1968

Information: The Beatles went on a retreat to India to learn how to meditate. They began to have issues with each other that ultimately never healed and led to the end of their band. This album shows the different Beatles as singer/songwriters instead of a collaborative unit.

High Points: "Blackbird" is arguably the best song on the album and features a stark arrangement of Paul on acoustic guitar with him singing, like Dylan's early days, about social inequalities. The other excellent song is "Happiness is a Warm Gun" which combines many different songs John was working on at the time into one suite.

Low Points: Revolution 9.

Is it Great? It's my favorite Beatles record.

"Why Don't We Do it In the Road," which is about monkey's having sex in the road, so why don't we, showcases Paul's superb singing. 

"The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" is a great sing-along-y song about a person who killed a tiger in India. 

"Back In the USSR" is another great track that uses airplane sounds to great effects and has a fine melody. 

"Julia" is a fine example of  John's work: an introspective, psychedelic song. 

"Yer Blues" is a great blues song with excellent riffs by John, who was afraid of people's feeling toward it, so he labeled it "Yer Blues" as a joke. 

"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey" is another good song that's reminiscent of early rock songs and uses a bell that's furiously shaken. 

"Helter Skelter" is a road less traveled by Paul, who helps to create what will be known as metal and has Ringo screaming the iconic line "I've got blisters on my fingers!" 

I much prefer the Past Masters-version of "Revolution 1," but the song is still very good, nonetheless.

Number 9: Blonde on Blonde, Pt. 2

Album: Blonde On Blonde

Artist: Bob Dylan

Year: 1966

Information: The last album released in Dylan's trilogy of acclaimed works, it is commonly regarded as his finest. Leaving behind his garage rock tendencies (Maggie's Farm, From a Buick 6) for a deeper, more complex record. The first album fully produced by Bob Johnston had many unfruitful sessions. For these early, unfruitful sessions, he used Ronnie Hawks backing-band, The Hawks (now known as The Band), Dylan was getting frustrated with the current situation of his recording sessions so far, which added up to about ten, none of which had satisfactory takes. He decided, after advice from Bob Johnston, to move down to Nashville to record further, leaving behind most of The Hawks. He then finally started to get things going with his new band. They frequently got satisfactory takes, opposed to the zero that were achieved in New York. Dylan was ultimately satisfied with the album stating “The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde On Blonde album. It’s that thin, that wild mercury sound."

High Points: The best song on disc 2 is "4th Time Around." The song itself is can be interpreted as playful or as a warning. The Beatles were coming under heavy Dylan-influence and had begun to take cues from him. Perhaps they're most influenced point was Rubber Soul, a mostly acoustic album released in 1965. On said album, there is a song called "Norwegian Wood," which was written by John. The song is widely regarded to be John mimicking Dylan and Dylan must have thought this as well. "4th Time Around" has a very similar melody and story (however, Dylan seems more like a parody of John's) to "Norwegian Wood" and the song ends with "I never asked for your crutch, so don't ask for mine." Whether the song the song was light-hearted or an attack is open to interpretation.

With that aside, the song has nice guitar accompaniment to Dylan's voice and odd story.  

Low Points: I think "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" goes on too long.

Is it Great? This is another record that I think is one of the greatest ever made, along with most of the albums I've reviewed so far.

"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is probably the most criticized song on the album, but I enjoy it. However, as I did mention, I do think it goes on a bit too long, but the length is almost hypnotic. The beat and rhythm suck you into a different place while Dylan describes her mercury mouth for eleven minutes.

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With all that praise being sung about this album, it would be worthy to note that this is one of the Dylan albums I listen to least. Perhaps because it is such a long album, or perhaps it's because it's so dense.

Number 9: Blonde on Blonde, Pt. 1

Album: Blonde on Blonde

Artist: Bob Dylan

Year: 1966

Information: The last album released in Dylan's trilogy of acclaimed works, it is commonly regarded as his finest. Leaving behind his garage rock tendencies (Maggie's Farm, From a Buick 6) for a deeper, more complex record. The first album fully produced by Bob Johnston had many unfruitful sessions. For these early, unfruitful sessions, he used Ronnie Hawks backing-band, The Hawks (now known as The Band), Dylan was getting frustrated with the current situation of his recording sessions so far, which added up to about ten, none of which had satisfactory takes. He decided, after advice from Bob Johnston, to move down to Nashville to record further, leaving behind most of The Hawks. He then finally started to get things going with his new band. They frequently got satisfactory takes, opposed to the zero that were achieved in New York. Dylan was ultimately satisfied with the album stating “The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde On Blonde album. It’s that thin, that wild mercury sound."

High Points: The best song, perhaps on this entire record, is Visions of Johanna. It tells the story of a man who has constant visions of a woman he lusts after, but is stuck with what is presumed to be his wife. Perhaps representing the struggle within most people of wanting something that is out of reach while finding yourself stuck with something that only makes you lust for the unreachable more. 

The opening verses also paint a picture as to his surroundings and it uses very subtle language throughout with great success.

Low Points: I have trouble finding fault with any of the songs on disc one. Each one is so unique and all the words are so excellently written. Even the music that accompanies Dylan's voice is consistently superb, which is surprising because Dylan wasn't necessarily as good as music as he was lyrics.

Is it Great? This is another record that I think is one of the greatest ever made, along with most of the albums I've reviewed so far.

I remember reading an article called something like "The Worst Songs by Great Artists" and in that article, many were obvious choices. However, one of the entries was "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35." I find much fault with that. It's one of my favorite Dylan songs and is one the more unique in his catalog. Outfitted with what sounds to be a Salvation Army band, Dylan sings about being stoned. The song itself has two different angles you can look at it from. One is from people throwing stones at you and the other is about being stoned.

If you look at from the angle of being hit by stones, you can get another insight to the criticism Dylan was facing at this time. The songs describe a person doing everyday things while people throw stones at him for no apparent reason (They'll stone you when you're walking on the floor, They'll stone you when you're walking through the door,) which probably sums up Dylan's feelings pretty well.

You could also pay attention to the chorus "Everybody must get stoned," which of course means exactly what you think it means, everyone has to get high. This was a pretty shocking song, considering the time it was released. Even Dylan's label didn't want it released, but Bob Johnston (his producer) and Bob Dylan rushed it through to make it a surprisingly well-charting single.

Also, it's a fun song. According to Dylan myth, he refused to perform this song "straight" (sober) and would pass around joints before recording this song. They gave Kenny Buttrey a large drum to hang around his neck and had him bang on it while marching around the studio. There's also prominent laughing and shouting in the background, which wasn't overdubbed later, but was actually happening at the same time of the recording. Great song.

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"I Want You" is another of my favorite Dylan songs and was even considered to be the title of the album. It is in general a very happy song with an upbeat tempo. Although, it's not without odd imagery "Now your dancing child with his Chinese suit, he spoke to me, I took his flute, no I wasn't very cute to him was I?" and, even though this song is upbeat, this being Dylan, there are always down points "I did it because you lied, and because he took you for a ride" which is a very intense point due to its contrast in relation to the rest of the song.

Reportedly, Dylan recorded this song last, due to how much Al Kooper loved it. Al told Dylan that he really liked this song and was looking forward to recording it, so Bob being Bob, decided to record it last.

Also, that part about the "dancing child in his Chinese suit" is thought to be about Brian Jones.

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"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" is just too large of a song for me to write about. It covers so much ground about topics such as Shakespeare, girls covering him in tape, the post office, building fires, punching cigarettes, a senator showing off a gun, stapling twenty pounds of headlights to your chest.. There's a lot.

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"Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" is an unusual song.The song is a satire on materialism and fashionable clothing, which is exemplified by such lines "You make think he loves you for your money, but I know what he really loves you for, it's your brand new Leopard-Skin Pill-Box hat." The song starts off with an interesting guitar lick and goes into a very blues-y song. It's also quite funny, something that I never really find songs to be. "Honey, can I jump on it sometime? Yes, I just wanna see, if it's really the expensive kind. You know it balances on your head, just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine." Also, "We'll both just sit there and stare. Me with my belt, wrapped around my head, and you just sittin' there, in your brand new Leopard-Skin Pill-Box hat."

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It then ends with "Just Like a Woman," which is similar to "I Want You." It could be interpreted as a sexist song due to the fact that Dylan regales us with the information that "She makes love just like a woman" and that "she breaks just like a little girl." 


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With all that praise being sung about this album, it would be worthy to note that this is one of the Dylan albums I listen to least. Perhaps because it is such a long album, or perhaps it's because it's so dense.

Blonde on Blonde Info

Blonde on Blonde is a colossal album. It's quite large in terms of sound, content, and, of course, length. I haven't found a good angle to review this album, which has made me hold off on reviewing it. I thought about how to do this and I figured I would review the album, one disc at a time.

Part one will be "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35" to "Just Like a Woman."

Part two will be "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" to "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands."

This will probably still be a bit difficult for me to do, but it will certainly make it easier.

Number 8: London Calling

Album: London Calling

Artist: The Clash

Year: 1979

Information: This album is what The Clash were growing into. They started as punk band, but they were never restrained to that moniker. They were always experimenting with new sounds and new ideas. They kept moving and growing as a band and were just about at their peak. Then they created this. A double album that spans plenty of genres was finesse, this album shows The Clash in top form and what they were able to do.

High Points: I find this album to be one high point after another. From reggae, to rockabilly, to punk rock, to ska, The Clash manages to create standards in each genre available to them.
Low Points: The only song I dislike on this entire album is "Lost in the supermarket." It might be a good tune on another album, but it's sound and sensibilities don't really seem to fit the rest of the album. That's the nadir in an album full of highs.

Is it Great? Definitely.

My favorite songs on this album, and there are plenty of them, are "London Calling," "Brand New Cadillac," "Jimmy Jazz," "Wrong 'Em Boyo," and "Clampdown" to name a few. All the songs on this album have great subject matter, ranging from adult responsibilities, drug use, and the Spanish War. 

So, yeah. It's good.

Number 7: Exile On Main St. (Revised)

Album: Exile On Main St.

Artist: The Rolling Stones

Year: 1972

Information: The last album in a string of what is considered to be the band's best work, it covers a lot of ground in a little over an hour. Keith Richards once called it the "first grunge record." A claim easy to back up, once you listen to it. With muddy sounds and lines like "the sunshine bores the daylights outta me," it very well may be the first, or one of the first grunge records. This album is a lot like a brief history of the band. It has blues covers ("Shake Your Hips" and "Stop Breaking Down,") there's a psychedelic part in "Rocks Off" and the album makes use of choruses, like on Let it Bleed.

High Points: I find the best song on this album to be the first one (like so many of the previous albums,) "Rocks Off." I usually like odd intros to songs, like Taxman, where they count "One, two, three, four." You can also hear them coughing and tuning their guitar. This song has another odd intro, which probably makes me like it more. It starts off a bit slow, but soon kicks it up a notch. Adorned with a brass section and an injected, psychedelic breakdown, it is one of the more unique songs on the album. The other great song is "Tumbling Dice," which has a great back beat and eventually dissolves to a call and response of "you got to roll me," and "keep on rollin'."

Low Points: The low points are few and far between and are so minor that none are worth mentioning. However, I do find the lyrics of "Loving Cup" a bit stupid. Revision: Upon thinking about this album, a lot of the songs aren't really spectacular. Naturally, this is a double album, so there is likely going to be filler. However, this album has a lot of sub-par songs.

Is it Great? I do think it's a pretty good album, but I think number seven is too high. Revision: This album is overrated on this list. The album is alright, but it's certainly not number seven. 

My favorite song on this album is "Sweet Virginia." Although, I don't particularly enjoy the lines "you got to scrape that shit right off your shoes." Just not a good image in an otherwise good song.

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I do think that The Rolling Stones released better albums than this, and I'm not sure I would place either in the top 10, however, they are quite good. Those albums being Beggar's Banquet and Let it Bleed. Revision: Sticky Fingers is also a very good album and deserves to be mentioned with the other two.

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I find this album to be a tad weird when I look back on it. I enjoy the songs, but I don't find the album as great. It's almost as if the parts are greater than the sum. Maybe it's the combination of all the songs, maybe it's how long it is, I am unsure. 

Something else that I find odd about this record, is that when I think about listening to this record, I really dread doing so. However, when I do, I usually end up enjoying it.

This album has the weird effect of degrading with each listen.