Joni Mitchell

1,001 Albums

201–250

About

Listening to all albums (at least once) in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. For the record, 1000 *pretty much anything* is an absurd undertaking.

Each album has a little background and any tracks I particularly enjoyed.

TL;DR

Great means the whole album was fantastic. Good albums have at least 6 songs I like. Honorable albums have at least 4 songs I like. Ranked as entire albums, not by artist or isolated tracks.

Great: The Yes Album (Yes), Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones), Led Zeppelin IV, Blue (Joni Mitchell), Made In Japan (Deep Purple), Talking Book (Stevie Wonder)

Good: There’s A Riot Goin’ On (Sly & The Family Stone), Tapestry (Carole King), Imagine (John Lennon), Surf’s Up (The Beach Boys), Nilsson Schmilsson (Harry Nilsson), Electric Warrior* (T. Rex), Hunky Dory (David Bowie), Harvest (Neil Young), Close To The Edge (Yes), Home Is Where The Music Is (Hugh Masekela)

Honorable: Who’s Next (The Who), At Fillmore East (The Allman Brothers Band), Fragile (Yes), L.A. Woman (The Doors), Teenage Head (The Flamin’ Groovies), Machine Head (Deep Purple), #1 Record (Big Star), Vol. 4 (Black Sabbath), Slayed? (Slade), Transformer (Lou Reed), Something/Anything? (Todd Rundgren), Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)

Bad: Histoire De Melody Nelson (Serge Gainsbourg)

* One bad track.

#201 | David Crosby — If I Could Only Remember My Name

One of four high-profile albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young following the Déjà Vu album. Graham Nash, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Santana, Jerry Garcia — plus members of Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead appear on the album. The ensemble was given the informal moniker “The Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra.”

In 2010, number #2 on the “Top 10 Pop Albums of All Time” by the Vatican City newspaper L’Osservatore Romano! In 2013, featured in an episode ofBBC program Mastertapes. Featured in the documentary David Crosby: Remember My Name.

• Cowboy Movie
• Laughing
• What Are Their Names

#202 | Sly & The Family Stone — There’s A Riot Goin’ On

Darker recording dominated by band frontman Sly Stone during a period of drug use, associations (hired gangsters as bodyguards) and group tension (mostly worked alone in the studio, missed nearly a third of the band’s concerts!) following his association with the Black Panther Party — which demanded a more militant music and replacement of certain band members with black instrumentalists. Released after a year and half stretch of no new material, except one single, it was met with ambivalence.

The planned title was Africa Talks to You, but it was retitled in response to Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Going On. For the cover art three of the custom flags were created: one for Sly, one for Epic Records, and one for the album’s director. Stone explained “Betsy Ross [creator of the American flag] did the best she could with what she had. I thought I could do better!”

Family Affair was one of the earliest hit recordings to use a drum machine; and included Billy Preston, Ike Turner, and Bobby Womack instead of his bandmates. Various songs have been covered by artists such as Iggy Pop, John Legend, Lalah Hathaway, Ultramagnetic MC’s, De La Soul, Beastie Boys and Gwen Guthrie.

• Just Like a Baby
• Family Affair
• Africa Talks to You
• (You Caught Me) Smilin’
• Spaced Cowboy
• Runnin’ Away
• Thank You For Talkin’ To Me, Africa

#203 | Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On

The first Gaye album to credit him (as a producer) and Motown’s in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers. Concept album with narratives of the Vietnam War, drug abuse, poverty and ecological issues.

The title song was written by Renaldo Benson after witnessing police brutality against anti-war protestors during “Bloody Thursday” and introduced to Gaye during a golf game; Gaye reworked the song with partial writing credit. The opening saxophone riff was Fontaine “goofing around” and not originally indented! Gaye’s trademark multi-layering vocal approach was also the result of a happy accident by the engineers, with Gaye liking the sound so much it influenced the rest of the album.

100,000 copies of the title song were released to stores without the record producer’s knowledge. It became the fastest-selling single at the time, peaking at number #1 on the Hot Soul Chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stunned, the producer let Gaye have complete control of making an album on the condition he finish the record within 30 days; it ended up taking only ten business days!

In 2011, remastered deluxe edition with 28 additional tracks was released. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it as the greatest album of all time.

• What’s Going On
• Mercy Mercy Me
• Inner City Blues

#204 | Yes — The Yes Album

First Yes album without cover songs. During recording the band was involved in a head-on car crash; with the photo shoot for the cover the following day (keyboardist Tony Kaye has a cast over a fractured foot)! With only thirty minutes in the studio and unable to get a satisfactory result, the photographer took the band to his flat to improvise the shot.

The solo guitar for Clap was recorded live at the Lyceum Theatre, London.

• (entire album)

#205 | Bee Gees — Trafalgar

Geoff Bridgford’s only full-length appearance on a Bee Gees album as an official member — and credited in the original sleeve notes as “Jeoff!”

An alternative 53-minute version of the album was sent to Atlantic Records in the US with a different track order and two extra songs (Country Woman and We Lost the Road), but was never released.

• Somebody Stop The Music
• Dan’t Wanna Live Inside Myself
• Walking Back to Waterloo

#206 | The Who — Who’s Next

Created with salvaged songs (all but My Wife) from the cancelled (complexity and conflict with the band’s manager) follow-up to Tommy, Lifehouse, which use of synthesizers, computers, and accurately described the internet (“The Grid”) and VR (“Grid sleep”). The first session was recorded at Mick Jagger’s estate, Stargroves, that he purchased while on acid!

An early concept for Lifehouse featured the feeding of personal data from audience members into the controller of an early analogue synthesizer to create a “universal chord” that would have ended the proposed film. Townshend revisited the project with a 6-CD set The Lifehouse Chronicles in 1999. In 2007, launched a website called The Lifehouse Method to convert personal input into musical portraits.

Cover photo references the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey and implies the band urinated against it (only Townshend actually did). An alternative cover with Moon dressed in black lingerie holding a whip was later used for the inside art for 1995 and 2003 CD releases.

• Baba O’Riley
• Love Ain’t For Keeping
• The Song Is Over
• Behind Blue Eyes
• Won’t Get Fooled Again

#207 | Carole King — Tapestry

One of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. Received four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. Holds the record for most consecutive weeks at number one by a female solo artist; first female Diamond album; held the most non-consecutive weeks for over 20 years (surpassed by The Bodyguard soundtrack); and longest (318 weeks) Billboard 200 until Adele’s 21.

King wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, several of which had been hits for other artists (Aretha Franklin’s A Natural Woman, The Shirelles’ Will You Love Me Tomorrow). Recorded with support from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, who later had a #1 hit with You’ve Got a Friend. Barbra Streisand also later recording Where You Lead.

The cover was taken at King’s home with a tapestry that she stitched herself — along with her cat Telemachus. Tribute albums include Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King (1995), A New Tapestry — Carole King Tribute (2003) and Marcia Sings Tapestry (2010). In 2016, King performed the album live in entirety for the first time at Hyde Park (released as Tapestry: Live at Hyde Park).

• I Feel The Earth Move
• So Far Away
• It’s Too Late
• You’ve Got a Friend
• Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
• A Natural Woman

#208 — Isaac Hayes — Shaft

First double album of original studio material released by an R&B artist and consisting (all but three) mostly of instrumental tracks composed for the film.

Hayes initially became involved in hopes of being cast as the title role in the film, but Richard Roundtree had already been cast — Hayes did appear as a cameo.

• Theme From “Shaft”
• No Name Bar
• Bumpy’s Blues

#209 | The Allman Brothers Band — At Fillmore East

The band’s first live album was recorded over the course of three nights in New York. During recording “unofficial” band saxophonist Rudolph “Juicy” Carter was unexpectedly brought on stage, rendering songs unusable. The final show was delayed because of a bomb scare and did not end until 6 am!

The band played the final, invitation-only, concert at Fillmore East along with the Beach Boys (who originally refused unless they headlined); used in the 2003 re-release. Re-released in 1992 (three new tracks, alternate takes), 2003 (one new track) and 2014 (all four complete concerts).

Original cover was meant to be in front of the Fillmore East, but changed to an image of he band in an alley waiting to go onstage. The image was taken after Duane spotted a dealer, raced over, grabbed a bag, and returned discretely holding it making the band laugh. The back cover shows their road crew (“unsung heroes” according to Duane Allman) in the same spot drinking beer as a reward for stacking the equipment for the shot; behind them is a superimposed photo of tour manager Twiggs Lyndon — who was in jail (claiming temporary insanity) for stabbing and killing a promoter who didn’t pay the band!

• Stormy Monday
• You Don’t Love Me [19 minutes!]
• In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
• Whipping Post

#210 | The Rolling Stones — Sticky Fingers

First release on the band’s new label Rolling Stones Records (after being screwed by their manager by inadvertently signing over their 1960s copyright!), and first not to feature guitarist and founder Brian Jones. Mostly recorded at Stargroves manor with the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio.

The original cover artwork, conceived by Andy Warhol and photographed by members of The Factory, was sexually suggestive (penis outline) and highly innovative (a fully working zipper that opened to reveal underwear!); later prints removed the zipper as it caused damage. The model for the cover is disputed, but is not Jagger. First usage of the iconic tongue-and-lips logo designed by John Pasche and Craig Braun. The Spanish cover was censored and replaced with a “can of fingers” while Sister Morphine was replaced with a live version of Chuck Berry’s Let It Rock. The Russian release (1992) used a female model and Soviet Army belt buckle.

• (entire album)

#211 | John Lennon — Imagine

Co-produced by Lennon, Yoko Ono and Phil Spector. Recorded at Ascot Sound Studios, Abbey Road Studios and the Record Plant along with George Harrison (appears on half the tracks) along with other supporting musicians.

How Do You Sleep was a retaliation against McCartney’s alleged personal attacks on Lennon and Ono following the High Court case to have their legal partnership dissolved. For Imagine he later stated he regretted not crediting Ono as a co-writer. Jealous Guy was composed during The Beatles songwriting in India. Gimme Some Truth was originally played during the Let It Be sessions. Oh My Love and How? were influenced by his experience with primal therapy. Lennon pushed back on Oh Yoko! as a single because he thought it was too “pop.” Also recorded were demos Aisumasen (I’m Sorry), I’m the Greatest, and San Francisco Bay Blues

The front and back covers are Polaroids taken by Ono, with the back featuring a quote from her book Grapefruit. Early editions included a postcard of Lennon holding a pig — mocking McCartney’s Ram album cover. Released in the new 4-channel quadraphonic format.

In 1972, released a 70-minute accompanying film featuring many of the tracks from the album, songs from Ono’s album Fly, and appearances by Andy Warhol, Fred Astaire, Jack Palance, Dick Cavett and George Harrison. Called “the most expensive home movie of all time.” Footage of the sessions (for a scrapped Working Class Hero documentary) was used in The Old Grey Whistle Test (1972), Imagine: John Lennon (1988), John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018). In 2018, The Ultimate Collection released containing unreleased demos, outtakes, and documentaries for each track.

Lennon expressed his displeasure with the commercial sound of the album saying that the title track was “an anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic song, but because it’s sugar-coated, it’s accepted.” Lennon’s Imagine became a posthumous hit after his death in 1980. In 2000, the Steinway piano used to record Imagine was sold for £1.45 million.

• Imagine
• Jealous Guy
• It’s So Hard
• I Don’t Wanna be a Soldier Mama
• How So You Sleep?
• Oh Yoko!

#212 | The Beach Boys — Surf’s Up

Originally titled Landlocked, the cover artwork is a painting of the 19th century sculpture End of the Trail (spotted at an antique store)— a nod to the band’s early surfing image and new counterculture direction. Brian Wilson was not very involved in the production. First Beach Boys album with lyrics printed on the sleeve. Promoted with “It’s now safe to listen to the Beach Boys.”

Til I Die was written by Brian during an existential crisis (ordered his gardener to dig a grave in his backyard and threatened to drive his car off the Santa Monica pier!); Long Promised Road and Feel Flows were Carl Wilson’s first significant solo compositions and were recorded almost entirely by himself; A Day in the Life of a Tree is about a tree succumbing to the effects of environmental pollution; Disney Girls (1957) is about the simpler time before drugs; Surf’s Up was originally intended for the unfinished album, Smile, and initially Brian refused to participate.

In 1971, guest appearance at a Grateful Dead concert at Fillmore East — with Bob Dylan in the crowd — but met unfavorably by the audience. They also performed at the anti-war The Peace Treaty Celebration Rock Show, with approximately 500,000 attendees; footage of Student Demonstration Time appeared in the 1985 documentary An American Band.

• Long Promised Road
• Disney Girls (1957)
• Student Demonstration Time
• Feel Flows
• Lookin’ At Tomorrow
• ‘Till I Die

#213 | Yes — Fragile

First album with replacement keyboardist (after founder member Tony Kaye who was reluctant to play electronic keyboards), who turned down a spot in David Bowie’s touring band to join. Due to budget and time constraints, four tracks on the album are group compositions; with the remaining five solo pieces.

First album cover designed by Roger Dean, who would go on to design their “bubble” logo and many of their future covers. Originally conceived as an image of fractured porcelain, the album also featured a book inside. Named after the band’s “breakable” psychological state.

• Roundabout
• We Have Heaven
• South Side of the Sky
• Moon for a Day
• Heart of the Sunrise

#214 | The Doors — L.A. Woman

Final recording with Jim Morrison, who died three month’s later. Constructed a makeshift recording studio at the Doors’ Workshop, with additional backing provided by Elvis’ bassist. To compensate for the lack of an isolated vocal booth, Morrison recorded in the bathroom doorway! Recorded in six days, the band began recording without much material and needed to compose songs on the spot.

L.A. Woman lyrics mention “Mr. Mojo Risin” — an anagram of “Morrison.” The ghostly backdrop in Riders of the Storm was Morrison’s last recording. The first cover pressing had a cardboard cutout sleeve framing a clear embossed cellophane insert, glued in from behind.

While making the record the Doors played their final show at the Warehouse in New Orleans, where a drunk Morrison slurred words, interrupted with speeches and jokes, sang while sitting down, and smashed the mic stand into the stage. In 2011, it was revealed the stage manager of the venue has the only recording of that gig (yet to be released).

• Love Her Madly
• L.A. Woman
• L’America
• Riders on the Storm

#215 | Can — Tago Mago

Divided into two LPs, the first of which is more conventional and structured and the second more experimental and free-form. Recorded in a rented castle near Cologne where the band had been invited to stay rent-free by a wealthy art collector, it took three months to complete with sessions often lasting sixteen hours. Long, disorganized jams and secret recordings (pre-production sessions, shouts of a child in the room, dog howling) were then edited into songs. Named after Isla de Tagomago off the east coast of Ibiza.

Aumgn featured sine-wave generators and oscillators in place of typical synthesizers. The side-long track Halleluhwah was shortened from 18½ to 3½ minutes for the B-side of the single Turtles Have Short Legs — a novelty song recorded during the sessions. The Flaming Lips attempted to cover Mushroom after hearing it only once on a song called Take Meta Mars.

• Mushroom
• Halleluhwah

#216 | Elton John — Madman Across The Water

The album’s title song was initially set to be released on John’s previous album Tumbleweed Connection, but was set aside and re-recorded for this album. Rumors at the time suggested the lyrics referred to President Richard Nixon.

• Tiny Dancer
• Madman Across The Water

#217 | Don McLean — American Pie

Influenced by the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper and dedicated to Buddy Holly. American Pie was rehearsed for two weeks before recording with as many as 24 takes for the vocals (as McLean rarely sang the same way twice). The phrase “The Day the Music Died” became synonymous with the crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson. The choir for the final chorus is claimed to have featured Pete Seeger, James Taylor, Livingston Taylor and Carly Simon.

The original inner sleeve contained a poem by McLean about William Boyd; it was removed but reinstated for the remastered 2003 CD. The original also misspelled “Sister Fa[t]ima.” In 2003, George Michael recorded a cover of The Grave to protest the Iraq War. Babylon was featured in Mad Men.

• American Pie
• Vincent

#218 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer — Tarkus

Side one has the seven-part Tarkus suite, with a collection of shorter tracks on side two. One of the earliest progressive rock concept suites (alternating vocal and instrumental tracks, incorporating artwork and titles), it caused tensions and nearly led to Lake leaving the band.

The cover has become an iconic image in progressive rock and the gatefold includes eleven panels illustrating the story events. In 2013, remix released as a 3-disc set.

• Tarkus
• Bitches Crystal

#219 | Led Zeppelin — Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV)

Officially untitled after the lukewarm reception of their previous album — instead represented by a symbol from each band member. Most commonly called Led Zeppelin IV other names include Four Symbols, The Fourth Album, ZoSo, Untitled, and Runes. The original LP also has no text on the front or back cover, and lacks a catalogue number on the spine! One of the best-selling (37 million copies, top five at the time) albums of all time.

Considered Mick Jagger’s Stargroves home (too expensive) and instead recorded at Headley Grange country house using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Release was delayed after the band disliked the mixing results and Page remixed the whole album. Delayed further over the format and cover.

Features one cover song, When the Levee Breaks. Stairway to Heaven was frequently played on radio but the group resisted releasing it as a single. Other songs from the sessions include Down by the Seaside, Night Flight, Boogie with Stu and an early version of No Quarter.

Page’s symbol is sometimes referred to as “ZoSo” although it was not intended to be a word. Plant’s symbol was based on the Mu civilization. The other two are taken from the Book of Signs. A fifth, smaller symbol chosen by guest vocalist Sandy Denny (The Battle of Evermore) composed of three equilateral triangles appears on the inner sleeve of the LP, serving as an asterisk. During the band’s UK tour symbols were used on the stage equipment.

The cover is a 19th century painting purchased from an antique shop by Plant, which was affixed on a partly-demolished house with Salisbury Tower flats in the background. In 2010, the cover was included in the “Classic Album Cover” postage stamps. The inside illustration titled The Hermit is based on a tarot card and portrayed by Page in the film The Song Remains the Same. The inner painting is referred to as View in Half or Varying Light. The typeface for the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven were commissioned by Page after seeing it in an old arts and crafts magazine.

• (entire album)

#220 | Serge Gainsbourg — Histoire De Melody Nelson

Concept album with a pseudo-autobiographical plot involving the middle-aged Gainsbourg unintentionally colliding his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost into teenage girl Melody Nelson’s bicycle, and the subsequent seduction and romance that ensues. At under twenty-eight minutes is more of an EP.

Instrumental in the development of French rock music and trip hop genre, it songs have been covered by Placebo, Portishead, De La Soul (sampled), Michael Stripe (R.E.M.), PJ Harvey — and Mick Harvey of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who has released four tribute albums! After the release a music video was made for each song and released as the short musical, Melody.

Performed live in 2006 (with guest vocalists Jarvis Cocker, Badly Drawn Boy, Brigitte Fontaine and Mick Harvey) and 2008. In 2011, tribute concert with Gainsbourg songs performed by Beck, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Mike Patton, Zola Jesus and Serge’s son Lulu Gainsbourg.

Bad album unless you understand French.

#221 | Rod Stewart — Every Picture Tells A Story

Features covers of That’s All Right (Mama) (Elvis’ first single), Tomorrow Is a Long Time (Bob Dylan) and I Know I’m Losing You (The Temptations). All five members of Faces, who Stewart was lead vocalist of, appeared on the album but due to contractual restrictions the personnel listings were vague.

• Maggie May

#222 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer — Pictures At An Exhibition

A live recording of four (of ten) pieces from Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, linked with “Promenades” and performed live at Newcastle City Hall in 1971. Recorded before Tarkus, but released after due to management’s low confidence in a classical album.

The opening track of the album was played on the City Hall pipe organ, which is located above the stage level requiring a drum roll in the opening track to cover for Emerson’s dash down to the stage. In 1972, a limited theatrical release of a (different) live performance. In 2001, remastered edition with a studio version.

Cover paintings are revealed on the inner gatefold (except for Promenade). William Neal painted each oil painting, with many details not perceptible on the album, that were later hung at the Hammersmith Town Hall in London.

• Nut Rocker

#223 | Leonard Cohen — Songs Of Love And Hate

Sing Another Song, Boys was recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival; Joan of Arc was written at the Chelsea in New York; Avalanche and Dress Rehearsal Rag (already recorded by Judy Collins) dated from earlier years; and Love Calls You by Your Name was a minor rewrite of an unpublished 1967 song.

The back cover has no track listing, and quotes Cohen’s short poem They Locked Up A Man. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds recorded a version of Avalanche for their album From Her to Eternity. Famous Blue Raincoat has been covered by Jennifer Warnes (back-up singer for Cohen, tribute album along with Joan of Arc) and Tori Amos.

• Dress Rehearsal Rag
• Famous Blue Raincoat

#224 | Joni Mitchell — Blue

Written and produced entirely by Mitchell, who ended up replacing two songs at the last minute. The use alternate guitar tunings allowed easier access to augmented chords and notes in unexpected combinations. Due to the stark and bare revelations in the album, when it was first played for Kris Kristofferson he is reported to have commented “Joni! Keep something to yourself!”

In 1999, Grammy Hall of Fame award. In 2006, Time Magazine’s “All-Time 100 Albums.” In 2020, rated the third-greatest album of all time in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

• (entire album)

#225 | Funkadelic — Maggot Brain

The final album recorded by the original Funkadelic lineup after drummer Tiki Fulwood was fired due to drug use; guitarist Tawl Ross reportedly got into an “acid eating contest, then snorting some raw speed, before completely flipping out” and has not performed since; and bassist Billy Nelson quit over a money dispute with bandleader George Clinton.

According to legend Maggot Brain was recorded in one take when Clinton, under the influence of LSD, told guitarist Eddie Hazel (“Maggot Brain” was reportedly his nickname) to play as if he had been told his mother was dead. Hazel used fuzz and wah effects inspired by his idol Jimi Hendrix. Clinton then added delay, other effects and largely faded out other musicians who performed on the track. A 2005 reissue includes a mix featuring the full-band performance.

Can You Get to That features Isaac Hayes’s backing vocal group Hot Buttered Soul. The album cover features model Barbara Cheeseborough. The liner notes are provided by the Process Church of the Final Judgement, an obscure Satanist religious cult linked with Charles Manson.

• Maggot Brian
• Can You Get to That

#226 | Janis Joplin — Pearl

Second and final solo studio album released posthumously three months after her death. The album cover was photographed by Barry Feinstein.

Me and Bobby McGee was written by Kris Kristofferson. Buried Alive in the Blues remained an instrumental because as Joplin died before recording vocals (the song’s writer turned down an opportunity to sing vocals as a tribute). Mercedes Benz was the last song she recorded.

• Cry Baby
• Me and Bobby McGee
• Mercedes Benz

#227 | Fela Kuti — Live!

Recorded by Fela Kuti’s band Africa ’70, with the addition of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker on two songs. Baker travelled with Kuti into Africa to learn about the continent’s rhythms, as documented in the film Ginger Baker in Africa. A CD reissue features a 16 minute drum duet between Baker and Africa ‘70’s drummer Tony Allen recorded at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival.

#228 | Faces — A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…To A Blind Horse

Features a cover of Chuck Berry’s Memphis Tennessee. The title is a reference to a similar line in Monty Python’s Flying Circus’s “Nudge Nudge” sketch. The original issue of the album came with a large collage poster that featured pharmaceutical pills and capsules and polaroid photos of the band (apparently) with naked groupies in hotel rooms.

• Stay With Me
• Memphis
• That’s All You Need

#229 | The Flamin’ Groovies — Teenage Head

• High Flyin’ Baby
• City Lights
• Yesterday’s Numbers
• Teenage Head
• Whiskey Woman

#230 | Gene Clark — White Light

The backing band included the Flying Burrito Brothers bassist Chris Ethridge — plus Steve Miller Band pianist Ben Sidran and drummer Gary Mallaber.

• Because of You
• Ship of the Lord
• Winter In

#231 | John Prine

Debut album after being offered a recording contract by Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records after a performance at a Kris Kristofferson show at the Bitter End. For the cover Prine admitted that he had never sat on a bale of straw in his life and joked that the photographer probably “saw the hick in me trying to get out.”

• Pretty Good
• Angel from Montgomery

#232 | Harry Nilsson — Nilsson Schmilsson

• Gotta Get Up
• Early in the Morning
• Without You
• Coconut
• Jump Into The Fire
• I’ll Never Leave You

#233 | T. Rex — Electric Warrior

The first glam rock album. The cover is based on a photo taken by Kieron “Spud” Murphy at a concert, who also took a photo used for the poster included in first issue UK and Germany releases.

Songs have been covered by Morrissey (with David Bowie); Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke; and Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Jeepster was featured in the film Death Proof; Cosmic Dancer in the film Velvet Goldmine and documentary Dancing with the Birds.

• Cosmic Dancer
• Jeepster
• Monolith
• Lean Woman Blues
• Bang a Gong (Get It On)
• Planet Queen
• The Motivator
• Life’s a Gas
• Rip Off

#234 | David Bowie — Hunky Dory

A stylistic shift towards piano-composed-and-led art pop and melodic pop rock. The piano used was the same used by Hey Jude (Paul McCarney) and Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen). After recording the backing trio (sans keyboardist Rick Wakeman who left to join Yes) would become the Spiders from Mars.

Inspired by a US tour to dedicate songs to Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. Kooks was dedicated to his newborn son. Album named after British slang for “doing great.” Received very little promotion due to the unusual cover and a warning that Bowie would be changing his image for his next album.

The cover features a re-colored (similar to hand-tinted silent cinema cards and Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych prints) monochrome photo of Bowie in a Golden Age Hollywood actress pose. The original concept was for him to dress as a pharaoh; with one photo released along with the 1990 Space Oddity re-issue. Initial UK pressing were laminated and are now collector’s items.

• Changes
• Oh! You Pretty Things
• Life on Mars?
• Kooks
• Quicksand
• Andy Warhol
• The Bewlay Brothers

1972

#235 | Randy Newman — Sail Away

While all of its songs were written and composed by Newman, several had already been recorded by other artists. Newman himself had also previously recorded Last Night I Had a Dream as a single and Lonely at the Top as a live performance.

The version heard on Sail Away is a re-recording with a notably different arrangement. You Can Leave Your Hat On was later recorded by Joe Cocker and featured on the soundtrack of 9½ Weeks. A version by Tom Jones appeared on the soundtrack for The Full Monty. He Gives Us All His Love was initially written and recorded for the film Cold Turkey, but no soundtrack was released. Lonely at the Top was written specifically with Frank Sinatra in mind, although he never recorded it.

Brian Wilson noted that he listened to Sail Away “over and over” while physically writing down the lyrics which became the Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale) suite from Beach Boys album Holland. Burn On is featured in the film Major League (chosen as the only song about Cleveland the director knew!); Old Man in The Meyerowitz Stories.

• Lonely at the Top
• Political Science
• You Can Leave Your Hat On

#236 | Deep Purple — Machine Head

The band rented the Montreux Casino and Rolling Stones Mobile Studio to produce the album, but just before the casino burned to the ground during a Frank Zappa concert when a member of the audience fired a flare into the roof! Thick black smoke drifted over Lake Geneva, which was the inspiration for Smoke on the Water. A photo of the burning Montreux Casino is included in the album’s gatefold cover.

Moving to the empty Grand Hotel where an assortment of equipment and sound insulation made the journey to the recording van so arduous the band stopped listening to playbacks and just performed until satisfied! The cover is a stamped and polished metal sheet held up as a mirror — including the photographer Shepard Sherbell just below the “Head” text.

In 2012, a five-disc 40th anniversary edition was released with booklet and DVD audio. In 2012, the tribute album Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple’s Machine Head was released,

• Highway Star
• Pictures of Home
• Smoke on the Water
• Lazy
• Space Truckin’

#237 | Big Star — #1 Record

The only album with group founder Chris Bell officially credited as a member. Suffered from poor distribution and sold fewer than 10,000 copies upon its initial release.

• Feel
• In The Street
• Don’t Lie To Me
• When My Baby’s Beside Me

#238 | Black Sabbath — Vol. 4

“Eventually we started to wonder where the fuck all the coke was coming from … that coke was the whitest, purest, strongest stuff you could ever imagine. One sniff, and you were king of the universe.” — Ozzy Osbourne

First album produced by the band in a Bel Air mansion belonging to John du Pont, but plagued with substance abuse issues. The working title was Snowblind, but the record label didn’t want such an obvious drug reference.

The band regularly flew in speaker boxes full of cocaine and according to bassist Geezer Butler the album cost $60,000 to make…$15,000 less than their cocaine bill! The band also spiked Butler’s drink with acid and had to hold him down on the bed to stop him jumping out the hotel window! “I started going off drugs after that.” The band also found several gold DuPont spray cans and covered unconscious (from drinking) drummer Bill Ward from head to toe — almost killing him!

For Laguna Sunrise the orchestra refused to perform until their parts were properly written out. Tony Iommi taught himself how to play a piano he found in the mansion and composed Changes. FX was “a total joke” after Iommi accidentally struck the guitar with a crucifix; the band proceeded to use various objects to generate odd effects.

The album cover features a monochrome photograph of Ozzy taken during a concert and has been imitated and parodied several times since. The liner notes thank “the great COKE-cola.”

• Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener
• Changes
• Supernaut
• Snowblind
• Laguna Sunrise

#239 | Steely Dan — Can’t Buy A Thrill

The only album to include David Palmer as a lead vocalist, with a reluctant Fagen convinced to assume the role going forward. The album is named after the opening line of the Bob Dylan song It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.

The cover features a photomontage that includes prostitutes in a red-light area of France and was replaced in Spain with a photograph of the band.

• Do It Again
• Dirty Work
• Reelin’ In The Years

#240 | Neil Young — Harvest

Featuring the London Symphony Orchestra on two tracks and vocals by noted guests David Crosby, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Stills, and James Taylor. The best-selling US album of 1972.

Producer Elliot Mazer convinced Young to record at his studio while in Nashville for an appearance on the Johnny Cash Show. Young wanted to start that evening so Mazer scrambled to get together a band (the bassist was just walking down the street!) — that night they laid down the basic tracks for Old Man, Bad Fog of Loneliness, Dance Dance Dance and a version of Bad Fog.

The electric-based songs were recorded in a barn at Young’s ranch in California using a remote recording system resulting in a lot of “leakage,” but Young liked the sound. The Needle and the Damage Done was taken from a live solo performance at UCLA. Words (Between the Lines of Age) is notable for alternating between a standard 4/4 time signature for verses and choruses and an unusual 11/8 (6/8+5/8) for interludes.

The album sleeve was meant to biodegrade after the shrink-wrap was broken, but overruled by the record company.

• A Man Needs a Maid
• Heart of Gold
• Old Man
• Alabama
• The Needle and the Damage Done
• Words (Between the Lines of Age)

#241 | Curtis Mayfield — Super Fly

Soundtrack to the Blaxploitation film of the same name and one of the few soundtracks to out-gross the film it accompanied! Pioneering soul concept album with socially-ware lyrics about drug abuse and poverty.

Note: Listed as “Superfly” on Spotify.

• Pusherman
• Freddie’s Dead
• Superfly

#242 | Slade — Slayed?

For I Won’t Let It ‘Appen Agen drummer Don Powell was so excited he shouted “Yeah!” at the start (kept in). Gudbuy T’Jane was inspired by a woman who demonstrated a sex machine on a TV show the band appeared on.

• Gudbuy T’Jane
• Gudbuy Gudbuy
• Mama Weer All Crazee Now
• I Don’t Mind
• Let The Good Times Roll

#243 | Deep Purple — Made In Japan

Double live album taken from three concerts during the band’s first Japan tour, where they were very popular. Unenthusiastic about recording a live album, but it was good publicity and would combat bootlegs (filed a court case against Virgin Records for selling H Bomb).

The band was not particularly interested in the album’s release, no overdubs were used, and the budget was only $3,000 (£40,000 today). It was an immediate commercial success. Delayed in the US as they wanted to release Who Do We Think We Are first, but relented after the number of UK imports purchased.

The Japanese release featured a unique sleeve design, overhead stage shot of the band, photographs from a gig at the Rainbow Theatre in London, insert with lyrics and a hand-written message from each band member, and 35mm film negatives that could be developed. The sleeve notes claim the recording only contains Tokyo concert songs, which is untrue. The Uruguay release was a single with rising sun on the cover.

In 1993, for the 21st anniversary tapes from all shows were remixed at Abbey Road Studios and released as a 3-CD box set that featured all shows plus unreleased encores. In 1006, Dream Theatre played the album in entirety at shows in Tokyo and Osaka.

• (entire album)
• Black Night [encore, re-release]
• Lucille [encore, re-release]

#244 | Yes — Close To The Edge

Last album to feature original drummer Bill Bruford, who left after finding the album particularly laborious (arrangements so complex they were forgotten so they recorded rehearsals for reference). Yes supported the album with a world tour of 95 shows and marked the debut of drummer Alan White — who only had one full rehearsal before the tour!

To recreate a concert atmosphere a large stage was built in the recording studio. One take was accidentally thrown out but was retrieved from the bins and inserted into the master. Like other Yes albums, the title reflects the state of the band at the time. First appearance of the iconic logotype, designed by Roger Dean on a train ride.

Close to the Edge was inspired by The Lord of the Rings and Symphony Nos. 6 and 7 by Jean Sibelius; the tape loop introduction took two days to record.

• Close to the Edge [18 minutes]
• And You and I
• Siberian Khatru
• America
• Total Mass Retain

#245 | Lou Reed — Transformer

Produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie (Hunky Dory references the Velvet Underground) — who used his fame to promote Reed. Four of ten sounds were composed while Reed was part of the Velvet Underground. The cover is an accidentally (darkroom) overexposed photo by Mick Rock. The man back cover has a banana stuffed down his jeans.

• Perfect Day
• Walk on the Wild Side
• Satellite of Love
• Goodnight Ladies

#246 | Hugh Masekela — Home Is Where The Music Is

• Part of a Whole
• Minawa
• The Big Apple
• Inner Crisis
• Blues for Huey
• Nomali

#247 | Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges — Clube Da Esquina

“My mother is going to be so happy. We don’t have any photos of me as a little boy.” — Antonio Rimes (left)

Double album by the Brazilian music artists collective, Clube da Esquina. Despite popular belief the cover photo is not Borges and Nascimento as children — instead taken by a collective member on the side of the road. Due to increased public interest in the album’s 40th anniversary a search was successful in tracking the two boys down. Only Antônio Carlos Rosa de Oliveira (right) was aware.

#248 | Todd Rundgren — Something/Anything?

Due to a dissatisfaction with studio musicians Rundgren attempted to record an entire album single-handedly; he recorded three quarters of the double album by playing all instruments, singing all vocals, and producing. The final quarter contained a number of tracks recorded live in the studio without any overdubs, save for a short snippet of archive recordings from the 1960s. The artwork was shot in his rental apartment.

He attributed his productivity to Ritalin and cannabis stating that the drugs “caused me to crank out songs at an incredible pace.” While drumming he would hum the song to remember where he was, but if he screwed up would change the song — as it was easier than going back and fixing it!

• Intro
• Breathless
• The Night the Carousel Burned Down
• Saving Grace
• Hello It’s Me

#249 | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Collaboration from many famous bluegrass and country-western players, with the notable exception of “The Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe, who refused to participate. The album title comes from an Ada R. Habershon song and signifies the bringing together of two generation of musicians.

Recorded over a week, every track on the album was recorded on the first or second take — with many including dialog between the musicians. The record includes the first meeting of Doc Watson and Merle Travis, after whom Watson’s son, Merle, was named.

• Nashville Blues
• Tennessee Stud
• I Saw The Light
• Honkey Tonkin’
• Both Sides Now

#250 | Stevie Wonder — Talking Book

Use of Hohner clavinet model C on Superstition is widely regarded as one of the definitive tracks featuring the instrument.

The cover depicts Wonder with cornrows, wearing Indian jewelry and a velvet kaftan. Original pressings contain Braille lettering of Wonder’s name and the album title, along with the special message “Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong.”

• (entire album)