1001 Albums
Fred
Die,” (Robert Dimery, ed, Universe, 2005) representing the mutual
effort of about 75 writers and critics. It’s a beautifully printed,
if understandibly somewhat heavy, tome with great reproductions of
covers and track lists and it makes an honest effort to justify the
inclusion of each album. Because it doesn’t attempt to limit itself
to a single genre, it probably won’t create the same level of heated
arguments as Dave Marsh’s “Heart Of Rock And Soul” routinely does, but
there is plenty of thought provoking stuff in there. The contributors
are largely English and Australian, so there’s a broader scope than we
get from the Marsh book, too.
They’ve eliminated any “Best Of” compilations, and all “Various
Artists” efforts, too. Unless a soundtrack is clearly a unified work
by a single artist (Superfly, Shaft) it doesn’t make the cut either.
The book avoids trying to rank the albums in order of merit. Instead,
it goes chronologically by year, beginning with a single entry for
1955. Once you get past 1963, the number of entries for each year
expands enormously, which I guess is an accurate reflection of the
growing importance of the LP over the single.
Because of the relatively few entries before 1964, and the relative
lack of rock/pop/r&b among even that small sample, I am listing
everything here up through the cusp years in a single post.
Additions, deletions, commendations, protests and general noisemaking
are invited.
1955
Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours
1956
Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley
Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs Of Life
Louis Prima - The Wildest
Fats Domino - This Is Fats
Duke Ellington - Ellington At Newport
Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swingin' Lovers
1957
Crickets - The "Chirping" Crickets
Count Basie - The Atomic Mr. Basie
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners
Sabu - Palo Congo
Miles Davis - Birth Of The Cool
Machito - Kenya
Little Richard - Here's Little Richard
1958
Tito Puente & His Orchestra - Dance Mania Vol 1
Billie Holliday - Lady In Satin
Jack Elliott - Jack Takes The Floor
Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan At Mr. Kelly's
1959
Ella Fitzgerald - Sings The Gershwin Song Book
Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
1960
Joan Baez - Joan Baez
Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back
Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba
Everly Brothers - A Date With The Everly Brothers
Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack
Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters At Newport
1961
Bill Evans - Sunday At The Village Vanguard
1962
Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music
Booker T & The M.G.s - Green Onions
Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba
Ray Price - Night Life
1963
Beatles - With The Beatles
Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift For You
Sam Cooke - Live At The Harlem Square Club
Charles Mingus - Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
James Brown - Live At The Apollo
Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
Scarlotti
> I just received a copy of “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You
> Die,” (Robert Dimery, ed, Universe, 2005) representing the mutual
> effort of about 75 writers and critics. It’s a beautifully printed,
> if understandibly somewhat heavy, tome with great reproductions of
> covers and track lists and it makes an honest effort to justify the
> inclusion of each album.
I've perused this volume in the bookstores. The limited number of
pre-1964 titles sent up an immediate red flag.
Suffice to say that I'll probably go to my grave without fulfulling
the book's requirements.
> Because it doesn’t attempt to limit itself
> to a single genre, it probably won’t create the same level of heated
> arguments as Dave Marsh’s “Heart Of Rock And Soul” routinely does, but
> there is plenty of thought provoking stuff in there. The contributors
> are largely English and Australian, so there’s a broader scope than we
> get from the Marsh book, too.
I'm guessing that the contributors are also all from Marsh's
generation.
> They’ve eliminated any “Best Of” compilations, and all “Various
> Artists” efforts, too. Unless a soundtrack is clearly a unified work
> by a single artist (Superfly, Shaft) it doesn’t make the cut either.
>
> The book avoids trying to rank the albums in order of merit. Instead,
> it goes chronologically by year, beginning with a single entry for
> 1955. Once you get past 1963, the number of entries for each year
> expands enormously, which I guess is an accurate reflection of the
> growing importance of the LP over the single.
You're certainly in a better position to know such things, Fred, but I
was under the impression that singles were what sold the albums -- I
certainly had that impression back in the 70s and 80s. I haven't paid
much attention to the industry since then, but with all the media
attention on singles-artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake,
Mariah Carey, et al (none of whom I've ever listened to), I suspect
that a hit single is still a large factor in determining an album's
sales.
> Because of the relatively few entries before 1964, and the relative
> lack of rock/pop/r&b among even that small sample, I am listing
> everything here up through the cusp years in a single post.
>
> Additions, deletions, commendations, protests and general noisemaking
> are invited.
I'm away from my collection right now and don't want to post any
incorrect dates, but many of my all-time favorite albums are from the
1955-63 years.
Fred
Singles still sold albums, but, as time went on, that impact was
greatly limited to Top 40-type pop and soul.
The rise of AOR and extended album cuts killed the concept that a song
had to be 3:00 or less to be a radio hit. The advent of the self-
contained musical group that wrote and performed their own material
meant that they were no longer reliant on other people to fill out an
LP. This meant that the artists often started conceptualizing in
terms of the longer format rather than the single. Even if the result
wasn't necessarily a "concept album," there was greater coherence and
more even quality from track one to the end.
You can see it happen with the Beatles with "Hard Day's Night," the
first album entirely of their own material. The Stones reached the
same level with "Aftermath."
To a great degree, the need to write, perform and often produce your
own material is what led to the end of the two-album-a-year release
schedule, too.
I haven't paid
> much attention to the industry since then, but with all the media
> attention on singles-artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake,
> Mariah Carey, et al (none of whom I've ever listened to), I suspect
> that a hit single is still a large factor in determining an album's
> sales.
>
But their albums are also cited as the reason for the commercial death
of the pop CD because they returned to the formula of a hit or two
padded out with 35 minutes of filler.
Scarlotti
In keeping with the spirit of the book, I've left out greatest hits
albums, collections, and albums put together from singles. I've also
included a fair amount of modern albums on my list. I'm also limiting
it to albums I actually own copies of.
I cut the list off at 101, but there are still quite a few albums I
can immediately think of that I'd like to include.
1950: OH! SUSANNA - Al Jolson. Jolson sings the songs of Stephen
Foster -- a perfect match. It's hard to believe that Jolson didn't
record a Foster collection until the final year of his life. Bing
Crosby had recorded a Foster album the previous year, but I haven't
heard that one yet.
1950: HARMONY TIME - The Chordettes. My all-time favorite girl group
-- especially on their albums when they sing barbershop. This, their
debut album, includes beautiful versions of Tin Pan Alley classics
from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Uniformly great, tracks
include: When You Were Sweet Sixteen, When Day is Done, and Shine on
Harvest Moon. All four of their barbershop albums were recorded
strictly a cappella.
1951: HARMONY TIME, VOLUME II - The Chordettes. The title says it
all -- more great barbershop from the wonderful Chordettes. Tracks
include: Love Me and the World is Ours, The World is Waiting for the
Sunrise, and Alice Blue Gown.
1951: ON MOONLIGHT BAY - Doris Day. Studio recordings of Day's songs
from the film musical of the same name. Nearly all of the eight songs
are pure gold. Among these are: I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, Every
Little Movement (Has a Meaning All it's Own), and Tell Me (Why Night's
are So Lonely).
1952: HARMONY ENCORES - The Chordettes. The third of their
barbershop albums. This one continues the format of its predecessors
with gorgeous versions of Tin Pan Alley standards like Carolina Moon,
Basin Street Blues and I'm Drifting Back to Dreamland.
1953: MR. RHYTHM - Frankie Laine. Laine's first album (that wasn't
put together from his singles). It features jazzy renditions of eight
great standards including: Willow Weep for Me, My Ohio Home and
Lullaby in Rhythm. Of special interest is a rare vocal duet with his
long-time accompanist-musical director-songwriting partner, Carl
Fischer, on After You've Gone.
1954: THE CHORDETTES SING YOUR REQUESTS - The Chordettes. Their
final barbershop album mixes turn of the century Tin Pan Alley
classics with songs of a more recent vintage (done in a cappella,
barbershop fashion). Titles include: Wait 'Till the Sun Shines,
Nellie, Sentimental Journey, and I Wonder Who's Kissing Him Now.
1954/55: FRANKIE LAINE & THE FOUR LADS - Frankie Laine & The Four
Lads. A gospel album with many tracks partaking heavily of r&b and
rock 'n' roll stylings. This album is way up there among my
favorites, and includes their hit recording of Rain, Rain, Rain. My
favorite tracks include: Remember Me, I Feel like My Time Ain't Long,
and Didn't He Moan.
1955: AT THE BLUE ANGEL - Felicia Sanders. An attempt to recreate
Sanders' popular nightclub show at NY's Blue Angel. Recorded in a
studio with introductions from Sanders and applause suggesting a small
audience and intimate atmosphere (it had me fooled). Highlights
include: When the World was Young, Old Devil Moon, and I Wanna Be
Loved.
1955: JAZZ SPECTACULAR - Frankie Laine, Buck Clayton, J.J. Johnson,
Kai Winding, Al Lerner, et al. The title says it all on this, Laine's
favorite of his albums. Laine's vocals blend seamlessly with the
long, instrumental passages on this wonderful album. First-rate
throughout, some of my favorite tracks are: Stars Fell on Alabama, You
Can Depend On Me, and That Old Feeling.
1955: THE ONE -- THE ONLY KAY STARR - Kay Starr. Starr's first of
four albums for RCA. All four are flat-out astounding and had to be
included on this list. This album's highlights include breathtaking
versions of The Prisoner's Song, My Buddy and Glad Rag Doll.
1956: THE BIG BEAT - Johnnie Ray. Ray goes back to his r&b roots on
this high-voltage album on which he's backed by the Ray Conniff
Orchestra. Top cuts include: Trouble in Mind, Shake a Hand, I Want to
Be Loved, and Lotus Blossom.
1956: COME TO BROADWAY - Somethin' Smith and the Redheads. My
favorite male vocal group, Smith's trio consisted of a banjo, bass
fiddle, and piano with Smith taking the lead on the group vocals.
This album tells a story through the arrangement of the tracks: the
group starts out in the country, travels to NYC, and eventually return
home in a drunken stupor. Songs include: Heartaches, In a Shanty in
Old Shanty Town, and Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby.
1956: DAY BY DAY - Doris Day. Day sings some of the best romantic
standards. The result -- it's magic. Favorites include: The Gypsy in
My Soul, Autumn Leaves, and I Remember You.
1956: SWINGIN' WITH HER NIBS - Georgia Gibbs. Gibbs has said that
each of these incredible tracks was recorded in a single take -- which
explains her laughing ("on the beat") midway through Let's Do It. A
true delight throughout. Highlights include: Lonesome Road, Happiness
is Just a Thing Called Joe, and I Got it Bad (And that Ain't Good).
1957: BLUE STARR - Kay Starr. Some of my favorite tracks on this one
include The House is Haunted, I Really Don't Want To Know, and Blue
Starr.
1957: CONNIE HAINES SINGS A TRIBUTE TO HELEN MORGAN - Connie Haines.
This album presents a strong argument for Connie Haines' having the
greatest voice of all-time. The "Snootie Little Cutie" thrills from
beginning to end. Tracks include: Can't Help Lovin' that Man, Don't
Ever Leave Me, and More Than You Know.
1957: DAY BY NIGHT - Doris Day. Just as night is more romantic than
day, DAY BY NIGHT is even more romantic than she is in the daytime.
It's got to be one of the sexiest albums ever set to vinyl. Top
tracks include: Close Your Eyes, Dream a Little Dream of Me, and Soft
as Starlight.
1957: PUT THE BLAME ON MAME - Somethin' Smith and the Redheads. The
banjo-oriented trio tackles the ups and downs of romance in this great
album. Tracks include: My Melancholy Baby, Bill Bailey, Won't You
Please Come Home (Bobby Darin must have been listening!), and Mandy.
1957: ROCKIN' - Frankie Laine. Brassy, big band remakes of some of
Mr. Rhythm's big hits -- and always equal to or better than the
originals. Highlights include Rockin' Chair, Blue Turnin' Grey Over
You, and West End Blues. It also includes what is my all-time
favorite recording -- That Lucky Old Sun.
1958: REUNION IN RHYTHM - Frankie Laine & Michel Legrand. After
their multilanguage collaboration, A FOREIGN AFFAIR, failed to catch
on, they decided to limit themselves to English. The resulting album
is thrill from start to finish. Highlights include: I Would Do
Anything for You (better than his original version for Mercury), Lover
Come Back To Me, and Dream a Little Dream of Me. It's also got a
brilliant version of Blue Moon (including the introduction). I
recently returned from a 12-night stay in the Doo-Wop capitol of the
world (Wildwood, NJ) where FL's Blue Moon was mentioned in the local
paper -- I love that town!
1958: ROCKIN’ WITH KAY - Kay Starr. Kay cuts loose on pop, folk and
blues standards with stellar results. Top tracks include Till We Meet
Again, True Blue Lou, and Lover Man.
1958: TORCHIN' - Frankie Laine. Laine teams up with Frank Comstock's
Orchestra for this top-notch album of torch standards (and a few non-
standards that should be). Laine includes introductions and complete
version on all of these classics, and pours his heart and soul into
every track. Highlights include: Midnight on a Rainy Monday, These
Foolish Things, and Body and Soul.
1958: YOU ARE MY LOVE - Frankie Laine. Laine and Comstock join
forces a second time for this love letter to Mrs. Laine (film actress
Nan Grey). Laine's poignant version of Because has got to be one of
the most beautiful recordings ever. Other highlights include: The
Touch of Your Lips, Forever More (co-written by Laine), and I'll Get
By.
1959: BALLAD OF THE BLUES - Jo Stafford. Less an album than an album-
length medley arranged so as to present an overview of the blues.
Captivating from start to finish. Featured songs include He's Gone
Away, Every Night When the Sun Goes In, and Blues in the Night.
1959: BALLADEER - Frankie Laine. My all-time favorite album. Truly
timeless renditions of folk ballads (both old and new) like Rocks and
Gravel, On a Monday, Careless Love and Jelly Coal Man.
1959: I HEAR THE WORD - Kay Starr. Gospel standards as only Starr
could sing them. It's both final album for RCA and her all-time
greatest. It was one of Starr's personal favorites as well, but RCA
released it without much fanfare and it never had the chance to make
much of a mark. Favorites include: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless
Child, Go Down Moses, Rock-A-My-Soul, and I Shall Not Be Moved.
1959: LOSERS, WEEPERS ... - Kay Starr. Kay Starr is deep in the
blues on this magnificent album, which features classic renditions of:
A Faded Summer Love, Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall, Don't Take
Your Love from Me, and much more.
1959: ON THE TRAIL - Johnnie Ray. 1959 was one of my favorite years
for albums. Johnnie Ray lends his emotional punch to the cowboy
standards (Tin Pan Alley var.) he grew up with in Oregon, and throws
in a couple of original compositions. It's a masterpiece from start
to finish. Tracks include: Home on the Range, Empty Saddles and
Ridin' Home.
1959: TORCH TIME - Gogi Grant. Grant at her finest, torchin' such
standards as: Summertime, Yesterdays, and The Thrill is Gone.
1959: WHAT EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW - Doris Day. Day sings Mood Indigo
on this one -- to breathtaking effect. Other top tracks include: A
Hundred Years from Today, The Everlasting Arms, and Something
Wonderful.
1960: HELL BENT FOR LEATHER - Frankie Laine. The western album that
(along with the Hollywood and television westerns he sang the title
songs for) established Chicago-born Laine as a cowboy singer. Along
with stereo remakes of many of his western numbers from the past, are
a pair of new numbers that really make this album a must: Wanted Man
and Bowie Knife.
1960: IF I GIVE MY HEART TO YOU - Kitty Kallen. Kitty's comeback
album (after having lost her voice) contains such gems as Blue Doll,
Driftwood on the River, and Because You're Mine.
1960: SUNSHINE GUITAR - Guy Mitchell. An infectiously upbeat album
from the great Guy Mitchell. Every track is a knockout. My favorites
include: Silver Moon Upon the Golden Sands, Did You Ever Get that
Feeling in the Moonlight, Emaline, I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams, and
Meet the Sun Halfway.
1961: AMERICAN FOLK SONGS - Jo Stafford. Expanded stereo remake of a
1950 album that had been put together from several late '40s singles.
Her primal and haunting version of Shenandoah is unforgettable. Other
favorites include: Red Rosey Bush, and Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier.
1961: DEUCES WILD - Frankie Laine. A gambling-themed album inspired
by the popularity of Laine's last big hit, Moonlight Gambler (a new
rendition of which is included). Top notch Laine throughout,
including the most exciting version of Camptown Races ever set to
vinyl. Other highlights include the title song (which Laine co-
wrote), The Hard Way, and the politically incorrect comparison of
Horses and Women.
1961: I HAVE DREAMED - Doris Day. Dream-themed album by the fabulous
Doris Day. Beautiful throughout. Some of the best numbers include:
Periwinkle Blue, Oh What a Beautiful Dream, and Someday I'll Find You.
1962: CALL OF THE WILD - Frankie Laine. Laine's penultimate album
for Columbia. This one focuses on rugged, outdoor themes well-suited
to Laine's equally rugged voice. Laine's has often been said to have
been at the peak of his considerable vocal prowess on his final
Columbia albums, and the semi-operatic delivery of several of the
numbers here certainly backup that claim. Top tracks include: Beyond
the Blue Horizon, Song of the Open Road, and the greatest version of
Tumbling Tumbleweeds imaginable.
1962: I CRY BY NIGHT - Kay Starr. A first-rate mix of jazz, blues
and pop dynamics infuse this collection of classics that include:
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home, More Than You Know, Lover Man, and
P.S. I Love You.
1962: LESLIE ON TV - Leslie Uggams with Mitch Miller and the Gang. A
glorious album with all the Miller trappings, including a liberal use
of echo. Sheer delight from start to finish. Highlights include:
Birth of the Blues, Blues in the Night, Over the Rainbow, Lonesome
Road, and Get Happy.
1962: WANDERLUST - Frankie Laine. Laine's final Columbia offering is
only loosely themed around its title. It includes one of his greatest
tour-de-force performances on De Glory Road, as well as a thundering
version of On the Road to Mandalay (a big improvement on his earlier
single) which had been a part of his nightclub repertoire for some
time, the definitive version (IMHO) of Ghost Riders in the Sky, and
one of my all-time favorite recordings -- a swing version of Romberg's
Serenade.
1963: MORE LESLIE UGGAMS ON TV - Leslie Uggams with Mitch Miller and
the Gang. It's even better than their first outing with songs
including: Deep River/Down by the Riverside, Am I Blue, and
Summertime.
1963: THESE ARE THE BLUES - Ella Fitzgerald. Ten terrific tracks of
Ella singin' blues standards. Top tunes include: Jailhouse, Trouble
in Mind, and Cherry Red.
1964: WHO CAN I TURN TO - Tony Bennett. Classic Bennett cuts
including: There's a Lull in My Life, Autumn Leaves, and Wrap Your
Troubles in Dreams.
1965: SEPTEMBER OF MY YEARS - Frank Sinatra. My favorite Sinatra
album. The theme of looking back nostalgically on youth has always
appealed to me (I'm an old soul). Sinatra was at his expressive best
in the 1960's, but the quality of his albums was rarely consistent
throughout. This one's an exception and then some -- it strikes the
perfect note throughout. Among the great selections are: September
Song, Hello Young Lovers, and, of course, It Was a Very Good Year.
1966: JUST PLAIN COUNTRY - Kay Starr. Country classics from the one
and only Kay Starr, including brilliant renditions of: I Really Don't
Want to Know, Crazy, Blues Stay Away from My Door, and Four Walls.
1966: TEARS AND HEARTACHES/OLD RECORDS - Kay Starr. Starr's last
record for Capitol featured a country crossover sound and classics
like: I Waited a Little Too Long, Standing in the Ruins, and I'm So
Lonesome I Could Cry.
1968: SINGIN' UP A STORM - Guy Mitchell. Updated versions of two of
Mitchell's biggest hits, along with eight brand new songs. Highlights
include: Frisco Line, Just Wish You'd Maybe Change Your Mind, and
Smokey Blue Eyes.
1970: LIE: THE LOVE AND TERROR CULT - Charles Manson. The album
deserves a more appropriate title, as none of the themes give any hint
sensationalistic murders. This album is sometimes campy (as when
Manson jokingly serenades a Garbage Dump in a humorous piece of social
commentary), but it remains mesmerizing throughout. I've played it
for many unsuspecting friends (without revealing the identity of the
artist until after they'd heard it). All were quick to fall under its
hypnotic spell. My favorite tracks include: Big Iron Door, The Eyes
of a Dreamer, and Cease to Exist. Truly a must-hear.
1970: TAPESTRY - Don McLean. McLean's debut album includes some of
his finest work. Along with the title track, some of my favorites
include: Orphans of Wealth, And I Love You So, and General Store.
1971: AMERICAN PIE - Don McLean. Don McLean first hit it big with
this album featuring the legendary title track, and the haunting,
poetic masterpiece, Vincent (a strong contender for the greatest song
ever written). Other great tracks include: Winterwood, Empty Chairs,
and The Grave.
1971: BRAND NEW DAY - Frankie Laine. Laine cut this album of
contemporary songs for the small, and failing, Amos label which didn't
have the finances to promote it properly. Laine shines on this one,
continually outdoing the younger artists on the hit versions. Tracks
include: Put Your Hand in the Hand, Proud Mary, Talk About the Good
Times, and My God and I.
1972: DON MCLEAN - Don McLean. Includes the wonderful old Tin Pan
Alley novelty On the Amazon, along with prime examples of McLean's
haunting musical poetry. Highlights include Dreidel, Falling Through
Time, and Oh, My What a Shame.
1974: HOMELESS BROTHER - Don McLean. Highlights include the title
track, Tangled (Like a Spider in Her Hair), Crying in the Chapel and
Winter has Me in its Grip.
1975: CRYSTAL GAYLE - Crystal Gayle. Gayle's debut album includes
such classics as: Wrong Road Again, A Woman's Heart, Hands, This is My
Year for Mexico, and a song penned by Gayle and her husband, Beyond
You.
1975: SOMEBODY LOVES YOU - Crystal Gayle. More early Crystal
classics including: Sweet Baby on My Mind, I Want to Lose Me in You,
I'll Get Over You, and another song she co-wrote, Coming Closer.
1976: CRYSTAL - Crystal Gayle. Still more early Crystal classics
including one of my all-time favorite songs -- One More Time
(Karneval). Also included are I'm Not So Far Away, I'll Do it All
Over Again, Come Home Daddy, and You Never Miss a Real Good Thing.
1977: DOUBLE TIME - Leon Redbone. The Mysterious Mr. Redbone brings
his unique, old-fashioned approach to songs both old and new,
including: The Sheik of Araby, Mississippi Delta Blues, and Nobody's
Sweetheart.
1977: WE MUST BELIEVE IN MAGIC - Crystal Gayle. Includes her
signature song, Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue. Other gems on this
incredible album include: Green Door, River Road, It's All Right with
Me, and Make a Dream Come True.
1978: WHEN I DREAM - Crystal Gayle. Along with the poignant title
track (one of her greatest interpretations from this phase of her
career), this album boasts: Cry Me a River, The Wayward Wind, Someday
Soon, Talking in Your Sleep, and Why Have You Left the One You Left Me
For.
1979: MISS THE MISSISSIPPI - Crystal Gayle. Her first album for
Columbia, this one produced three top ten singles: Half the Way, It's
Like We Never Said Goodbye, and The Blue Side. The title track is one
of her all-time best. Other highlights include: The Other Side of
Me, and It's Like We Never Said Goodbye.
1979: WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER - Crystal Gayle. This album (her final
one for United Artists) produced the hit country singles: Your Kisses
Will, and Your Old Cold Shoulder, along with such great cuts as: Too
Deep for Tears, You'll be Loved Someday, and another song co-written
with her husband, Through Believing in Love Songs.
1980: THESE DAYS - Crystal Gayle. One of CG's finest (pre-standards)
albums. The title track is a real rocker, and a number one hit on the
country charts. Other knockout recordings include: If You Ever Change
Your Mind (another number one), Take It Easy, Help Yourselves to Each
Other, Lover Man, and What a Little Moonlight Can Do.
1981: HOLLYWOOD, TENNESSEE - Crystal Gayle. This one contains hits
like The Woman in Me, Livin' in These Troubled Times, and You Never
Gave Up on Me; along with the lovely Tennessee (one of her finest),
and classic versions of Love, Crazy Love, and Crying in the Rain.
1982: ONE FROM THE HEART - Crystal Gayle & Tom Waits. The soundtrack
album from the Francis Ford Coppola film. Waits wrote the songs and
sings in his uniquely rough style (an acquired taste I'm slowly
gaining an appreciation for), but it's Crystal Gayle who makes this
album a true must. Top tracks include: Is there Any Way Out of this
Dream, Take Me Home, and Old Boyfriends.
1986: A COUNTRY LAINE - Frankie Laine. Recorded in Nashville with
country arrangements, this album presents ten terrific country numbers
including: She Never Could Dance, The Green, Green Grass of Home, and
Old Dogs and Children and Watermelon Wind.
1987: BENNETT/BERLIN - Tony Bennett. Bennett takes on the Irving
Berlin songbook on this classic album. Many great cuts including:
Cheek to Cheek, The Song is Ended, They Say It's Wonderful, and
Shaking the Blues Away.
1988: NO REGRETS - Leon Redbone. Redbone highlights his country side
in this wonderful album that features such goodies as Long Gone
Lonesome Blues, Wild and Wicked Ways, and Lazy Bones. You haven't
heard Crazy Arms until you've heard Redbone's version!
1990: AIN'T GONNA WORRY - Crystal Gayle. This is one of Gayle's best
(non-standards) album, although it came out after her reign on the
charts was over. My favorites on this one include: Faithless Love,
Once in a Very Blue Moon, and Just an Old Love.
1990: BRANCH TO BRANCH - Leon Redbone. Redbone sings his hit,
Seduced, on this one (worth the price of the album alone). Other
great tracks include: My Blue Heaven, Your Cheatin' Heart, and Prairie
Lullaby.
1991: SUGAR - Leon Redbone. More great songs, both old and new, in
the patented Redbone style. Tracks include: Pretty Baby, Messin'
Around, and Laughin' Blues.
1992: PERFECTLY FRANK - Tony Bennett. Actually Bennett goes Sinatra
one better on this collection of standards from The Voice. Highlights
include: I'll Be Seeing You, Angel Eyes, Don't Worry 'Bout Me, and
Time After Time. Top-notch throughout.
1992: UP A LAZY RIVER - Leon Redbone. Redbone seems born to sing
this Hoagy Carmichael standard. Also included are Gotta Shake that
Thing, A Dreamer's Holiday, and Bittersweet Waltz.
1994: THE BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA - Brian Setzer. Debut album for
Setzer's legendary jump band. Top tunes include: Good Rockin' Daddy,
Route 66, and Drink that Bottle Down.
1994: HELLO, BETTY! - BETTY. Debut album by cult favorite trio,
BETTY (all caps) mixes killer harmony songs with brief spoken pieces.
Highlights include: Betticoat Junction, Echo, and Broken.
1994: TONY BENNETT - MTV UNPLUGGED - Tony Bennett. Live album fully
demonstrating why Bennett remains a superstar among younger audiences
today. One killer track after another including: Old Devil Moon, Fly
Me to the Moon, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, A Foggy Day, and
many more.
1994: WHISTLING IN THE WIND - Leon Redbone. Redbone continues to
delight on every track. Prime cuts on this one include: My Little
Grass Shack (with Ringo Starr), Love Letters in the Sand, and I Ain't
Got Nobody.
1996: BLUE - LeAnn Rimes. 13-year old Rimes had her first megahit
with the title song of this album, on which she sounds startlingly
like Patsy Cline. Other great cuts on it include: Hurt Me, The Light
in Your Eyes, and Cattle Call (featuring country legend Eddy Arnold).
1996: GUITAR SLINGER - Brian Setzer. The BSO is back and rockin'
with hot trax like: Hoodoo Voodoo Doll, Town Without Pity, and Hey,
Louis Prima.
1996: LIMBOLAND - BETTY. Follow-up album by BETTY. This one drops
the spoken interludes and focuses on their great, one-of-a-kind
sound. Favorites include: Impossibly Blue, Two Cherries, and Baby
Ooo.
1998: THE DIRTY BOOGIE - Brian Setzer. Possibly Setzer's greatest
album. Includes the haunting ballad Hollywood Nocturne, along with
hot rockin' tunes like: Nosey Joe, This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof, and
This Old House.
1998: WHEELS OF A DREAM - Frankie Laine. Described by Laine as songs
he'd always wished he'd recorded, but hadn't. Highlights include:
They Call the Wind Maria (which seems like it was written for him), a
big-band arrangement of How Sweet it Is, and my personal favorite,
Song of India.
1999: CRYSTAL GAYLE SINGS THE HEART & SOUL OF HOAGY CARMICHAEL -
Crystal Gayle. The title says it all! A sheer joy all the way
through. Crystal Gayle often included one or two standards on her
albums, and I'd often wished that she would concentrate more on them.
I got my wish! Some of the great tracks on this album include: Lazy
Bones, Skylark, and Stardust.
1999: LEANN RIMES - LeAnn Rimes. This album mixes Patsy Cline
standards with non-Cline classics like Me and Bobby McGee, and Your
Cheatin' Heart. Other highlights include: Crazy, Faded Love, I Fall
to Pieces, and Leavin' on Your Mind.
2000: NEVER NEVER LAND - Jane Monheit. Debut album of jazz singer
Jane Monheit. This one features standards like Detour Ahead, More
Than You Know, and Dindi.
2000: VAVOOM! - Brian Setzer. Another of Setzer's greatest (and
that's saying a lot) albums. Killer trax include: Jumpin' East of
Java, Caravan, and '49 Mercury Blues.
2001: IGNITION!: BRIAN SETZER '68 COMEBACK SPECIAL - Brian Setzer.
More great Setzer tracks including: Hell Bent, Rooster Rock, and Blue
Cafe.
2002: AMANDA BAKER - Amanda Baker. Debut album of Ms. Baker who I
was fortunate to hear singing live with the USO troup she was then
part of in New York City. Still largely unknown, she's got an album
of self-penned numbers due to come out soon. This album features
standards (both past and present) selected to focus on her various
personal and professional life experiences thus far. Highlights
include: Over the Rainbow, I'll Be Seeing You/New York, New York
(medley), and Did You Think.
2002: IN THE SUN - Jane Monheit. More great standards by Ms.
Monheit. Included in this one are such standards as: Just Squeeze Me,
Haunted Heart, and It Never Entered My Mind.
2002: OLD MAN JAZZ - Frankie Laine. Released in 2002, but recorded
sometime earlier (most likely somewhere around 1995), Laine presents
fifteen songs by Jack Segal, who worked on the arrangements. Segal
wrote the title song as a tribute to Laine after the originally
selected numbers had already been recorded. Laine's voice is no
longer robust, and the songs are quieter and more introspective than
the "typical" Frankie Laine number. Among the many must-hear tracks
are: Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, I Don't Remember, and Dandelion
Wine.
2003: ALL MY TOMORROWS - Crystal Gayle. It doesn't get any better
than this. Crystal Gayle sings the standards. First-rate all the
way. Some favorites include: Cry Me a River, Smile, and For All We
Know.
2003: JANE MONHEIT LIVE AT THE RAINBOW ROOM - Jane Monheit. Live
album that includes live versions of songs from her previous albums as
well as new material. If it weren't for the introductions and
applause, I'd never suspect these tracks were done live. They're
absolutely flawless. Songs include: Hit the Road to Dreamland, Waters
of March, and Turn Out the Stars.
2003: NITRO BURNIN' FUNNY DADDY - Brian Setzer. Setzer recasts Terry
Gilkyson's wild goose as the "Wild Wind" in this albums rockin'
tribute to the Frankie Laine classic. Other top tracks include: Rat
Pack (an instrumental trib to the Chairman & his Board), When the
Bells Don't Chime, and Drink Whiskey & Shut Up.
2004: BOOGIE WOOGIE CHRISTMAS - Brian Setzer. Setzer rocks out a
baker's dozen of Xmas standards, including: Winter Wonderland, Sleigh
Ride, and The Nutcracker Suite.
2004: THE NASHVILLE CONNECTION - Frankie Laine. Like Old Man Jazz,
this album, released in 2004, had been recorded sometime in the
mid-90's. Laine's aging voice is perfectly suited to the world
weariness of the overall tone of the material by singer-songwriter
Johnny Moffat. Father Time, Black and White Lives, and Every Time She
Cries are among the tracks that represent some of Laine's finest work
ever. Both this album and THE NASHVILLE CONNECTION received limited
release through Laine's own label, and went largely unnoticed by all
but the die-hard Laine fans. They deserve a far better fate, and rank
high among my all-time favorites.
2004: RENEE OLSTEAD - Renee Olstead. 14-year old singer with a voice
that would be amazing for someone twice her age. Highlights include:
What a Diff'rence a Day Makes, Summertime, and On a Slow Boat to
China.
2004: TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE - Jane Monheit. More classics from the
fabulous Jane Monheit. Included on this one are gems like: Dancing in
the Dark, In the Still of the Night, and Embraceable You.
2005: BRONX IN BLUE - Dion. Dion, whose voice still sounds as it did
in the early 60's, sings and strums an acoustic guitar on this
collection of hardcore blues numbers. Mesmerizing from start to
finish. Some of the uniformly great tracks are: I Let My Baby Do
That, Crossroads, and Statesboro Blues.
2005: DIG THAT CRAZY CHRISTMAS - Brian Setzer. Thirteen more Xmas
rockers from the King of retro rock. Top trax include: You're a Mean
One, Mr. Grinch, Cool Yule, and Jingle Bell Rock.
2005: ROCKABILLY RIOT, VOL. I - Brian Setzer. Setzer puts his cat
clothes on for this tribute to the rockabilly music of the 50s. The
twenty-three kickin' tracks include: Real Wild Child, Boppin' the
Blues, and Mona Lisa.
2007: SON OF SKIP JAMES - Dion. A follow-up album to his classic
BRONX IN BLUE, and equally as great. This one includes killer
versions of: Hoodoo Man Blues, The Thunderer, and Devil Got My Woman.
Scarlotti
> > You're certainly in a better position to know such things, Fred, but I
> > was under the impression that singles were what sold the albums -- I
> > certainly had that impression back in the 70s and 80s.
>
> Singles still sold albums, but, as time went on, that impact was
> greatly limited to Top 40-type pop and soul.
>
> The rise of AOR and extended album cuts killed the concept that a song
> had to be 3:00 or less to be a radio hit. The advent of the self-
> contained musical group that wrote and performed their own material
> meant that they were no longer reliant on other people to fill out an
> LP. This meant that the artists often started conceptualizing in
> terms of the longer format rather than the single. Even if the result
> wasn't necessarily a "concept album," there was greater coherence and
> more even quality from track one to the end.
It certainly allowed for longer cuts. I don't think it effected
coherence and/or quality. Jo Stafford's American Folk Songs is
definitely both -- and she didn't write any of them. Same goes for
Jolie's Oh! Susanna, and many of the theme albums on my 101 list.
And, IMO, the alleged freedom it allowed artists to create resulted in
a plethora of mediocre songs. Would you want to hear Irving Berlin
sing the Frank Sinatra songbook? As much as I love Sinead O'Connor's
voice, with a few notable exceptions, her best numbers were written by
others.
> You can see it happen with the Beatles with "Hard Day's Night," the
> first album entirely of their own material. The Stones reached the
> same level with "Aftermath."
>
> To a great degree, the need to write, perform and often produce your
> own material is what led to the end of the two-album-a-year release
> schedule, too.
>
> I haven't paid
>
> > much attention to the industry since then, but with all the media
> > attention on singles-artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake,
> > Mariah Carey, et al (none of whom I've ever listened to), I suspect
> > that a hit single is still a large factor in determining an album's
> > sales.
>
> But their albums are also cited as the reason for the commercial death
> of the pop CD because they returned to the formula of a hit or two
> padded out with 35 minutes of filler.
Is the pop cd dead? I thought that Carey, et al., were still at the
top of the industry in terms of commercial success. My 10-yr old
daughter is just starting to get into music (Hannah Montana, of
course).
I've heard arguments that file sharing is hurting cd sales. If cds
are failing commercially, that's probably also a factor.
I do feel that music today hasn't got anywhere near the level of
cultural impact it had in the 50s and 60s. Of course, I'm so tuned
out of the present-day culture that my feelings could be more of a
reflection of music's impact on me than on culture at large. Then
again, they were playing oldies (real oldies) on all the various loud
speakers, boardwalk, coffee shops, supermarkets, etc. in Wildwood this
summer. :-D
I also wonder if we're reaching a saturation point where recorded
music is concerned. The moment anyone looks beyond the current top
40, there's a seemingly endless world out there -- and readily
available. I've got over 9,000 tracks on my media player -- and
counting. Someone with an interest in jazz, r&b, hip hop, metal,
classical, etc., can go a similar route with an entirely different
genre.
Most of the people I went to college (late 80s/early 90s) with were
into one or more of the above genres. My various roommates played my
tapes by Woody Guthrie, Charles Manson (that's how I first heard LIE),
the Doors, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Yes, Robert
Johnson, Roy Orbison, BETTY, Dead Can Dance, Meatloaf, Kate Bush,
various Spanish and Italian singers, Billie Holliday, etc. And a
group of us (male & female) used to get drunk and sing Broadway show
tunes together. Somehow we all knew all the big show tunes from the
50s, 60s, and 70s.