The Album Review Club - Week #147 - (page 1942) - Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan

My nomination is for an old timer who along with Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others created the genre we'd know today as rock'n'roll.

Not only did they help to create the genre, they were one of the first to create the idea that a rock front men is wild, dangerous and out of control. And quite honestly, they don't come more dangerous than this man. Multiple marriages, wives dying in controversial circumstances, marrying his 13-year old cousin, drink problems, drug problems, prison and shootings. Not many could match this wildman of rock and back in the 50s it must have been absolutely shocking! However, on stage he was utterly electric with a powerful, outrageous performance style that influenced anyone who played a piano.

It's "Live at the Star Club" by Jerry Lee Lewis.

I'm not a huge fan of live albums as a rule as you never quite seem to get the same experience from listening to it as to when you are there yourself. However, I'm making an exception for this album. It's a musical masterpiece by one of the greatest performers who's ever lived. I find it quite odd really as when you listen to his records, they sound quite tame nowadays and whilst the songs are good, they just don't have much "umph" about them. It captures the atmosphere and sheer, raw, physical power of his performance and makes you feel like you're sat on the front row. I get the distinct feeling that he was a very different person when playing live to the studio recordings!

It's said that he played the piano and got his band to play with the same phrenetic energy of what we'd see in a thrash metal band today and you get a real feel for that with the opening track "High School Confidential". It's absolute pure, undiluted rock n roll. If you don't like your rock'n'roll raw and primitive then the good news is that the Spotify doesn't have all the tracks on and he rattles through 8 songs in just 22 minutes!

The pace drops with his version of Money before it picks up with Great Balls Of Fire. It just gets you tapping along and you can't help but think what this must've been like watching it live.

"Good Golly Miss Molly" needs no introduction, it's a masterpiece and a great cover. No one will ever touch Little Richard's version, but this must've been absolutely sensational watching it live.

"Your cheating heart" hints at the country direction he would take later in his career. And he did that phenomenally well. He wasn't just a piano-hammering maniac, he was a seriously good musician.

"Long Tall Sally" ramps it back up to thrash-metal levels again. The recording just jumps out and you just feel like you're sat there. I can imagine people just being blown away by this. Finally it ends with his masterpiece "Whole lotta shaking goin on".

"The Killer" passed away last year and I rediscovered this album again. When I first listened to the songs on this album as a mid-teenager at the height of Acid House and The Stone Roses etc and just thinking 'wow', I couldn't help but be amazed at just how good these songs were. As much as I love The Roses and Acid House, there's just something you can't put your finger on when it comes to a band kicking the living shit out of their instruments!

I know every man and his dog who wants to be in a rock/indie/whatever band starts with a guitar but this album shows reminds you that rock has it's roots in piano too.

Every time I hear it I think I'd rather be better on the piano than guitar! I've not picked up my Fender for a few months now and try as I might, I'll never come anywhere close to being able to play like he does. He was a controversial character and I'm sure he's not up in heaven despite his religious leanings! But the way he hammers, kicks, punches and slams that piano makes you whether he's reuninted with Satan!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
 
Another live album!

This has the potential to be a bit different though because there’s every chance that the recording will be as good as, if not better than, the original songs/albums.

I was going to say is this the first true rock and roll icon we’ve had, but we have had Roy Orbison as well.
 
I think it's very different to his recordings to be honest. The sound on the originals is never great due to when it was recorded, but with this album there's a visceral energy about it that you simply don't get on any of his recordings.

I never saw him live, but I get the impression that he was someone you'd need to see to appreciate!
 
journolud said:
You’ve reminded me that when I was first getting my thoughts together about reviewing the album that I was going to comment on that. I do like small p political, kitchen sink dramas or whatever you might want to call it. Squeeze and Elvis Costello come to mind as having been very good at it and Bragg is up there with them lyrically on that line.
Click to expand...

Squeeze were masters of it. On the 'best first lines' thread there's a number of Squeeze tracks where they are straight into the story in the very first line.
 
journolud said:
I was going to say something flip and probably incorrect about how women know nothing about music but thought better of it. Interesting though that my partner, who was as indie as me when we met and as eclectic in her tastes has become quite narrow and conservative in her listening habits. It may be that she no longer feels the need to discover new music apart from very radio friendly stuff but to be fair she is open to some of the new stuff I play.

I’m often pleasantly surprised to hear the stuff my older son plays having evolved from a Kanye West heavy diet. Younger son a lost cause with his unaccountable fascination with country music. He has no interest in football either. Good job he’s a good lad otherwise.

The point I planned to make is that unless I’m very much mistaken we have no female contributors to this thread.
Click to expand...

That's not an entirely dissimilar situation to me, Mr Spires was very much indie and interested in new music in our early to years but that has definitely waned. These days she's happy to listen to soul lite stuff on the radio. In fairness she's never really been that much into traditional rock. I'm particularly looking forward to her response to the vocals from the lad from Greta Van Fleet :-)

Elder son is like a musical sponge and showing good eclectic taste but his ear and music theory are now sufficiently good that it's like being in the car with bloody Rick Beato which can be slightly annoying at times. However he has no interest whatsoever in football. The little 'un has slightly dodgy taste in music but there's time for that to change and he gets a free pass by being City mad.

Nowt wrong with a bit of country, Alisson Moorer on my shortlist for this thread.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
My nomination is for an old timer who along with Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others created the genre we'd know today as rock'n'roll.

Not only did they help to create the genre, they were one of the first to create the idea that a rock front men is wild, dangerous and out of control. And quite honestly, they don't come more dangerous than this man. Multiple marriages, wives dying in controversial circumstances, marrying his 13-year old cousin, drink problems, drug problems, prison and shootings. Not many could match this wildman of rock and back in the 50s it must have been absolutely shocking! However, on stage he was utterly electric with a powerful, outrageous performance style that influenced anyone who played a piano.

It's "Live at the Star Club" by Jerry Lee Lewis.

I'm not a huge fan of live albums as a rule as you never quite seem to get the same experience from listening to it as to when you are there yourself. However, I'm making an exception for this album. It's a musical masterpiece by one of the greatest performers who's ever lived. I find it quite odd really as when you listen to his records, they sound quite tame nowadays and whilst the songs are good, they just don't have much "umph" about them. It captures the atmosphere and sheer, raw, physical power of his performance and makes you feel like you're sat on the front row. I get the distinct feeling that he was a very different person when playing live to the studio recordings!

It's said that he played the piano and got his band to play with the same phrenetic energy of what we'd see in a thrash metal band today and you get a real feel for that with the opening track "High School Confidential". It's absolute pure, undiluted rock n roll. If you don't like your rock'n'roll raw and primitive then the good news is that the Spotify doesn't have all the tracks on and he rattles through 8 songs in just 22 minutes!

The pace drops with his version of Money before it picks up with Great Balls Of Fire. It just gets you tapping along and you can't help but think what this must've been like watching it live.

"Good Golly Miss Molly" needs no introduction, it's a masterpiece and a great cover. No one will ever touch Little Richard's version, but this must've been absolutely sensational watching it live.

"Your cheating heart" hints at the country direction he would take later in his career. And he did that phenomenally well. He wasn't just a piano-hammering maniac, he was a seriously good musician.

"Long Tall Sally" ramps it back up to thrash-metal levels again. The recording just jumps out and you just feel like you're sat there. I can imagine people just being blown away by this. Finally it ends with his masterpiece "Whole lotta shaking goin on".

"The Killer" passed away last year and I rediscovered this album again. When I first listened to the songs on this album as a mid-teenager at the height of Acid House and The Stone Roses etc and just thinking 'wow', I couldn't help but be amazed at just how good these songs were. As much as I love The Roses and Acid House, there's just something you can't put your finger on when it comes to a band kicking the living shit out of their instruments!

I know every man and his dog who wants to be in a rock/indie/whatever band starts with a guitar but this album shows reminds you that rock has it's roots in piano too.

Every time I hear it I think I'd rather be better on the piano than guitar! I've not picked up my Fender for a few months now and try as I might, I'll never come anywhere close to being able to play like he does. He was a controversial character and I'm sure he's not up in heaven despite his religious leanings! But the way he hammers, kicks, punches and slams that piano makes you whether he's reuninted with Satan!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Click to expand...
Brilliant selection , played this many times , not sure I enjoy it as much as you but I enjoy it immensely.
The Killer continues to kill as he thrills with chills. 8/10.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
✖
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.