(1979) Atlantic label.  Original release with lyrics on inner sleeve.  Actually purchased this used probably at Record Surplus, sometime in the early 2000s.  I went through this brief phase when I wanted to collect records that were hits when I was in high school and I just never got around to buying them.  This purchase was one of them.  Although Illinois’ philosophy is to always own the first release, I really wanted to own this one.

I clearly remember the Rolling Stone article about the nameless and faceless bands of the late 70s early 80s.  The point of the article was to try and name the band members as well as match their face to their names.  Loverboy, REO Speedwagon, Journey, Foreigner, RUSH, STYX, Boston, The  Babys, Kansas all of these cats just kind of ran together.  Once MTV became popular it really helped to put a name with a face.

For the record: Foreigner is: Mick Jones, Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott, and Rick Wills.

SIDE 1

1. Dirty White Boy  (3:37)
2. Love On The Telephone  (3:18)
3. Women  (3:25)
4. I’ll Get Even With You  (3:40)
5. Seventeen  (4:43)

SIDE 2

1. Head Games  (3:37)
2. The Modern Day  (3:26)
3. Blinded By Science  (4:54)
4. Do What You Like  (3:58)
5. Rev On The Red Line  (3:35)

Why this record?  I love Dirty White Boy, Women, and Seventeen.  Riding the school bus in the mornings and yelling to the bus driver to turn it UP when Dirty White Boy would play. Nostalgia…

(1977) Warner Bros. label. Purchased through Columbia House Record Club in 1978.  Insert with photos and lyrics.  Yeah, yeah I know… TYPICAL.  But you know what?  Ya gotta be who you are and for me, in 1978 EVERYBODY OWNED THIS RECORD.  So to the music… this album contains the soundtrack to so many momentous occasions for millions of baby boomers:  Prom, in the dorms, marriage ceremonies and wedding receptions, music played in the first home you bought, during presidential elections, when you were on the beach that day… when your kids asked you if you ever heard of Fleetwood Mac cos they were streaming it…

Let’s talk 70s hippie chic hair, long dresses, hair out to here, platform shoes, weed, wine, guitar, have I mentioned hair?  Fleetwood Mac with all of their guy/girl drama captured a place and time we fondly remember.  Screw bringing back 1957, how about 1977?

For the youngsters out there, Fleetwood Mac are: John McVie on bass, Lindsey Buckingham on guitars and vocals, Stevie Nicks vocals, Mick Fleetwood on drums and percussion, and Christine McVie on keyboards, synthesizer and vocals.

SIDE ONE

1. Second Hand News  (2:43)
2. Dreams  (4:14)
3. Never Going Back Again  (2:02)
4. Don’t Stop  (3:11)
5. Go Your Own Way  (3:38)
6. Songbird  (3:20)

SIDE TWO

1. The Chain  (4:28)
2. You Make Loving Fun  (3:31)
3. I Don’t Want To Know  (3:11)
4. Oh Daddy  (3:54)
5. Gold Dust Woman  (4:51)

I have just one story… it’s actually a Stevie Nicks story… I was tripping around West LA one day and I spotted Stevie Nicks shopping.  I was cool and followed her (carefully) into a few stores.  I wanted so badly to approach her and tell her what a fan I was, but I was chicken… c’mon it was Stevie effin Nicks.  She looked up at me twice from down the aisle and then I split.  I just couldn’t pester her.

I have never seen the band perform live.

(1969) UNI label. Original issue gatefold jacket printed lyrics and original inner sleeve. Purchased used at American Pie Records in Santa Barbara around 1990.  What a find!  Young Phil Collins on drums, percussion and vocals. Gordon Smith on guitar, bass and vocals.  Ronnie Caryl on bass, guitar and vocals.  Brian Chatton on organ, piano and vocals.  This was the only album released by Flaming Youth.  It is a spastic mishmash of 60’s pop sounds with a burgeoning technosound and REVERB. The album theme is space and the space journeying Technological Man on the ARK read: 2001 A Space Odyssey meets Sgt. Pepper’s.

From the album…“(Technological Man) is still capable of creating beauty as well as despair, still capable of nostalgia and lust, anger and love.  And, above all, those qualities which mat save him for another ten thousand years: humour, irreverence and wit.”

SIDE 1

1. Guide Me, Orion  (3:15)
2. Earthglow  (2:52)
3. Weightless  (2:35)
4. The Planets: Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune  (13:50)

SIDE 2

1. Changes  (5:47)
2. Pulsar  (3:08)
3. Space Child  (5:47)
4. In The Light Of Love  (3:32)
5. From Now On  (4:56)

The almost 14 minute The Planets is an astrological forecasting of the role the planets play for Technological Man.  This album is so weird, but you can hear early Genesis in it and the roots of prog rock.

(1989)  EMI label.  Original release gatefold jacket.  I purchased this album at Tower Records in Westwood in 1989.  Fish is the former lead singer of the band Marillion.  After a very abusive split with the band, this is his debut solo effort. I will save much of my thoughts on Fish for the Marillion albums I own (which are several).  I will say this record sounds very dated to my 2016 ears; lots of horns, and anthemic big songs (Big Wedge) which is perfect for the rolling credits of some 1980’s cop/buddy picture starring Eddie Murphy and some white guy… or Mel Gibson and some black guy…

SIDE ONE

1. Vigil  (8:43)
2. Big Wedge  (5:19)
3. State Of Mind  (4:42)
4. The Company  (4:04)

SIDE TWO

1. A Gentleman’s Excuse  (4:15)
2. Family Business  (5:14)
3. View From The Hill  (6:38)
4. Cliche  (7:01)

You may ask if I own any other Fish solo albums.  Other than two EP’s from Vigil the answer is NO.  You may ask if I own any Marillion albums after Fish left the band. Other than the first one after he left entitled Season’s End, the answer is NO.  Together Fish and Marillion was a special cocktail.  Apart, they are so so.

(1981) Camden label.  UK pressing  purchased used– I don’t remember how I acquired this album. I do know it is the first Elvis greatest hits I purchased.  It has most of the standard Elvis songs and several lesser known ones.  Time stamps taken from other source: album does not list them.

Side 1

1. Heartbreak Hotel  (2:08)
2. (Marie’s The Name Of) His Latest Flame  
3. I Got Stung
4. I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell
5. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
6. Guitar Man

Side 2

1. Jailhouse Rock  (2:30)
2. All Shook Up  (1:58)
3. Blue Suede Shoes  
4. My Baby Left Me
5. King Creole
6. Hound Dog  (2:15)

(1958)  RCA Victor label.  Reissue purchased used at Amoeba Records in Los Angeles probably in 2012?  This is one of those purchases inspired by flipping through the bins on an Amoeba run with Illinois.  No denying the contributions Elvis made to rock and roll and any self respecting collection should have at least one Elvis Presley album.  I have two not including my Elvis xmas albums.  This album has all the hits you would ever really want to hear from the early 1950’s releases. According to All Music Guide it was the first rock and roll greatest hits album.  It also has my favorite Elvis song Love Me; a Leiber/Stoller composition.  It is an Elvis song I never get tired of hearing.

SIDE A

1. Hound Dog  (2:15)
2. Loving You  (2:15)
3. All Shook Up  (1:58)
4. Heartbreak Hotel  (2:08)
5. Jailhouse Rock  (2:30)
6. Love Me  (2:43)
7. Too Much  (2:32)

SIDE B

1. Don’t Be Cruel  (2:03)
2. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin  (3:25)
3. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear  (1:53)
4. Love Me Tender  (2:45)
5. Treat Me Nice  (2:12)
6. Anyway You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be)  (2:15)
7. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You  (2:39)

I am a collector, but I am not the collector Illinois is… he can take several H O U R S looking at records in a record store.  I can see everything I want to see in about an hour– if I really stretch it.  After about an hour my feet begin to yell at me and the store begins to swirl around– this has always been the case with me– this is not a reflection of my ever lengthening timeline on the planet.

All this to say, when Illinois is not yet ready to leave, it forces me to take up more time in the stacks and makes me think of other artists to go look at– such is the case with this purchase.

(1977) Original release, double LP, gatefold jacket with original inner sleeves including lyrics.  Obtained this album from the collection Illinois purchased.  This is the band’s eighth release and the line up remains unchanged from the previous two albums.  This double record set was a huge commercial success.  It’s a little heavy footed at times (Jungle) but it ranks right up there with the best music of 1977.

Side I

1. Turn To Stone  (3:47)
2. It’s Over  (4:08)
3. Sweet Talkin’ Woman  (3:48)
4. Across The Border  (3:53)

Side II

1. Night In The City  (4:01)
2. Starlight  (4:26)
3. Jungle  (3:51)
4. Steppin’ Out  (4:39)

Side III

1. Standing’ In The Rain  (4:21)
2. Big Wheels  (5:05)
3. Summer And Lightening  (4:14)
4. Mr. Blue Sky  (5:05)

Side IV

1. Sweet Is The Night  (3:26)
2. The Whale  (5:02)
3. Birmingham Blues  (4:23)
4. Wild West Hero  (4:42)

My favorite tracks on the album are Starlight and Steppin’ Out. This is the last ELO album in my collection.  Jeff Lynne is still touring with the band which is now called Jeff Lynne’s ELO.  I have days when I “put on an ELO  record” because it just feels like the right thing to do.  My children know this music and not because it has been overplayed on FM radio or because it was used in some commercial advertisement.  Rather, they know it because they heard it growing up in our house.

 

(1976)  Jet label.  Original issue with original inner sleeve with lyrics.  Obtained this album in a collection Illinois purchased. The band members are the same as their previous album Face The Music.  This is their seventh release. This is a classic in the best sense of the word.

SIDE ONE

1. Tightrope  (5:03)
2. Telephone Line  (4:38)
3. Rockaria!  (3:12)
4. Mission ( A World Record)  (4:25)

SIDE TWO

1. So Fine  (3:54)
2. Livin’ Thing  (3:31)
3. Above The Clouds  (2:16)
4. Do Ya  (3:43)
5. Shangri-la  (5:34)

Telephone Line was a big hit– in 1976 one suffered so much heartbreak waiting on the end of a telephone line that never got answered.  Rockaria! used the basic structure of a Chuck Berry song and blew it up to the heavens.  So Fine is the perfect song to play while driving PCH on a summer day– the crazy percussion and electronic jam towards the end is amazing!!!  So many signature pieces/intros– the stringed intro to Livin’ Thing and the guitar intro to Do Ya are rock perfection.

When you consider how much rock and roll developed/transformed/explored from 1956 to 1976 it blows your mind.  The nice thing about it all is I can enjoy all of this exploration and art in the same format — the LP AND I still have the means to enjoy it.

(1975) Jet Records.  Original release with original inner sleeve including lyrics.  I purchased this used at Rhino Records Claremont sometime in the early 1990’s.  The line up on this album is: Jeff Lynne on guitar, vocals and backing vocals; Bev Bevan on drums, percussion and backing vocals; Richard Tandy on piano, moog, guitar and clavinet; Kelly Groucutt on bass, vocals and backing vocals; Mik Kaminski on violin; Hugh McDowall on cello; Melvyn Gale on cello.

SIDE 1

1. Fire On High (5:29)
2. Waterfall  (4:11)
3. Evil Woman  (4:34)
4. Nightrider  (4:22)

SIDE 2

1. Poker  (3:30)
2. Strange Magic  (4:29)
3. Down Home Town  (3:53)
4. One Summer Dream  (5:45)

Plenty of popular tunes on this album.  CBS Sports Spectacular perfectly selected  Fire On High as its theme.  If you were going to take a day and just play sides of 70’s albums you wouldn’t go wrong selecting either side. Again I believe you must play this music loud to fully appreciate all that it is–

And I can’t go further until I address the word “moog”.  The Moog synthesizer was created in the 1960’s by Robert Moog.  He pioneered its production and use in music.  Robert Moog has been honored by the Grammy Trustees for his technical contributions.  He lost the rights to equipment bearing his own name– which sucks– and passed from this earth in 2005.  The correct pronunciation  of his name rhymes with “vogue” not “moo”.

 

(1973) United Artists label.  Original issue with original inner sleeve with lyrics.  Illinois gave this to me.  Electric effin Light Orchestra!  Play their albums loud.  I call this album the bellybutton record– all the band is displaying their bellybuttons on the cover.  Just behind and below the bellybutton is the hara– a natural balancing point and the center of your being.  Some believe the hara is the place where the man and the universe meet.  Does this thematically have anything to do with the space travel iconography and references to the universe in future albums?  Only Jeff Lynne knows.

This is their third release. For this release ELO was Jeff Lynne on guitar and vocals, Bev Bevan on drums, Richard Tardy on moog and piano, Michael D’Albuquerque on bass, Mike Edwards on cello, and Mik Kaminski on violin.

Side 1

1. Ocean Breakup/King Of The Universe  (4:05)
2. Bluebird Is Dead  (4:25)
3. Oh No Not Susan  (2:52)
4. New World Rising/Ocean Breakup Reprise  (4:40)
5. Showdown  (4:15)

Side 2

1. Daybreaker  (3:50)
2. Ma-Ma-Ma Belle  (3:52)
3. Dreaming Of 4000  (5:00)
4. In The Hall Of The Mountain King  (6:35)

Showdown was not on the original UK release, but added to the US release; it was intended to be a single.  It was the only track that got airplay on radio. No surprise that I like this band; orchestral arrangements married to pop/rock melodies and Jeff Lynne’s Lennonesque vocals.