Fleetwood Mac’s most famous incarnation by far is the form it took in the mid seventies led by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. But the group put out NINE albums before those two joined. Bare Trees is one of them, and is notable for having a better album cover than the performances contained within.
blues rock
Record #220: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Deja Vu (1970)
Neil Young is not exactly the most neutral person in the world. His discography is filled with jagged guitar solos, caustic finger pointing, lawsuit-causing genre jumps, and a fierce artistic integrity. Even among his listeners, there is no middle ground. Those who love him love him fiercely and without apology. Everyone else can’t stand him.
So anyone who thought tossing him into Crosby, Stills & Nash would keep the boat from tipping doesn’t know who they’re dealing with.
Record #192: George Harrison – Living in the Material World (1973)
In the three years after their break up, it became obvious that none of the Beatles were going anywhere. John got over his weirdness and got back to rock music. Paul responded to the backlash of the homespun McCartney with the incredible Ram, then form Wings. Ringo released a country record (?!?). And after the releasing the sprawling deluge of All Things Must Pass and organizing and recording the massive humanitarian Concert for Bangladesh at the Behest of his mentor Ravi Shankar, George Harrison no longer had anything to prove.
Record #191: George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (1970)
The Beatles were over. McCartney had made a press release announcing it, followed a week later by his first solo record, which was derided as a disappointing, half-baked affair. The magic was over. The good days were all behind us. And while the Fab Four may all still be releasing music, nothing they made could have topped what they did together.
But for George Harrison, the dam had burst.
Record #158: Eric Clapton – Slowhand (1977)
As a guitarist, I think it’s a little funny that the cover of this album depicts Eric Clapton, one of the most lauded guitarists of all time, playing a G chord, the first chord everyone learns.
But whatever.
Record #154: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Night Moves (1976)
If you can’t stand Pink, Katy Perry, Colbie Collette, modern rock, or CCM and want some decent music in my town, there are only two radio stations to turn to in my town: unsurprisingly, they are both classic rock/oldies stations. And as such, one thing is for sure: they play a LOT of Bob Seger. Just how much Bob Seger wasn’t revealed to me until a few months ago when I got Shazam and realized how many of the songs on their rotation were his.
Record #140: The Doors – L.A. Woman (1971)
The Doors never returned to the jammy, poetic, psychedelic jazz rock of their first two albums, which is a true shame (this is said with complete ignorance to their post-Morrison catalogue).
Record #139: The Doors – Morrison Hotel (1970)
While it was touted as a comeback for the Doors after a couple less-than-impressive albums, Morrison Hotel never strays too far from heavy blues rock, lingering in their trademark low-key, jazzy drone jams only briefly for Blue Sunday and the debut-outtake Indian Summer. The end result is an record that is nowhere near as interesting as their far superior first two. I’m not sure how much longer this has on my shelf.
Record #42: Foghat – Tight Shoes (1980)
This is the only thing I have ever heard about Foghat in my life: in high school, a friend of mine was talking about a bit by a comedian talking about how hypocritical it was that you have to dress up nice to go to church while in all the pictures of Jesus, He looks like the drummer from Foghat.
Record #2: Aerosmith – Dream On (1973)
I got this record from my dad’s collection, which is fitting, since my dad was living in Boston in the 70s, when and where Aerosmith was making a name for themselves as a great local rock band.
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