I have been listening to a lot of albums I haven't yet heard before this Summer. This research is inspired by my upcoming radio show for Moravian, which will be called "Graeme's Awesome Albums". So, here are 7 of the best I have heard so far this summer. These are definitely albums that have a fair shot of being played on my upcoming show, so you just might hear them if you tune in one night!
1.) Back to Black by Amy Winehouse (2006)
The first album I listened to this Summer, I was excited to kick off with one of the most critically acclaimed artists of this century. And I must say, her music deserves all the acclaim! The one song I knew before was "Rehab", the opener of the album. It's a catchy song, but knowing that Amy would die five years later from alcohol abuse, it now sounds like a desperate cry for help. The next song is just as solid, as "You Know I'm No Good" talks about her relationship drama in a candid way. Another highlight of the album was "Tears Dry On Their Own", which heavily samples from "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". But as you might be able to tell, this song wasn't as happy as the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell classic. And "Wake Up Alone" is influenced by the 1950s with its chord progression. The whole album has a retro feel, as did Amy's looks at the time. With that eye makeup, she was heavily influenced by Ronnie Spector of the Ronnettes. When Amy passed, one of the last good artists from this era went away, too.
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| I got this album on vinyl. On the album sleeve, Amy also credits the Shangri-Las as an influence. |
2.) Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982)
Matching his singing talent with equally awesome (if not better) dancing, Jackson was an 80s icon. And this album was a big reason why. "Thriller" is a Halloween-time classic, so yeah... this album could definitely be one I play around Halloween on the show! "Billie Jean" is another Jacko classic, with over 1 billion streams on Spotify. "The Girl Is Mine" is a cheesy duet with Paul McCartney. Yes it's ridiculous, but it's also two musical geniuses collaborating, and they both put in a great vocal performance (pay special attention to Paul's deep low note in the middle of the song!). "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" is a great, danceable song. But my favorite song on the album is "Beat It". That's a song I compulsively dance to, and I absolutely dig the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo. Plus, the chorus is incredibly catchy. "Beat It" is an MTV-era masterpiece.
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| This guy could freaking dance. |
3.) Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel (1970)
While Paul Simon was the genius who wrote the songs, Art Garfunkel did have the better voice in my opinion. And it's Garfunkel's beautiful high tenor that's heard on the opening title track, a true highlight of the album. The "sail on silver girl" section where he harmonizes with Simon has a perfect transition, eventually leading to an epic and climactic ending. I'm a sucker for songs that start off soft and gradually build up in energy, and that's exactly what this is. But as great as "Bridge" is, it still might not be the best song on this album. "The Boxer" tells of the hard-knock life of someone who is "just a poor boy", though his story's seldom told. "Cecilia" and "Baby Driver" rid me of the notion that this album would just be slow and depressing songs. The latter is especially exciting in my opinion. The duo also covers the great Everly Brothers' song "Bye Bye Love", and with their fantastic harmonies, they do the song justice.
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| Yes, I've been told I have Art Garfunkel hair. |
4.) Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! (1957)
If you're a fan of Johnny Cash's early material at Sun Records, this is the album for you. As his first album, it's a compilation of many of the songs he had recorded up to this point, as the concept of the LP was still very new at the time. Classics I have already discussed, like "I Walk The Line" and "Folsom Prison Blues" are on the album. But this isn't simply a greatest hits compilation, as there's plenty of underrated gems on here, too. "I Heard That Lonesome Whistle" is a fantastic cover of the already great Hank Williams song. "Cry! Cry! Cry!", which was Cash's first ever release, is on this album. But one of the surprising highlights for me was the fantastic opener, "Rock Island Line". The first half of the song is simple Cash narration, until the song "picks up a little bit of steam" and goes into a minute of absolute frenzied overdrive. In this frenzy, Cash sings some rare high notes. What an exciting song that one is.
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| The first of 97 albums released! |
5.) From Elvis in Memphis by Elvis Presley (1969)
In this album, Elvis marries country and gospel music into one cohesive masterwork. He covers old country classics, like "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin" and "I'm Movin' On". They are better than the originals, because... it's Elvis singing! "Power of My Love" is a particularly strong track, as even fat Elvis was known for his sex appeal. In the song, Elvis sings "Break it, burn it, drag it all down. Twist it, turn it, you can't tear it down". That reminds me of those annoying "Bop It" toys I had as a kid! Anyway, the true masterpieces the album are known for include "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" (the latter of which is technically a bonus track). But I'm counting it, as "Suspicious Minds" happens to be my all time favorite Elvis song. Another bonus track that struck me was the gut-wrenching "Don't Cry Daddy", as that one is a true tear jerker.
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| The King was at the peak of his career when he recorded this classic album. |
6.) Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins (1959)
Well, you can't talk about this album without talking about its two well-known masterpieces. "Big Iron" is the opener, and is particularly popular nowadays due to online meme culture appropriating the song. But at its heart, "Big Iron" is a fantastic and exciting storytelling song. It tells of an outlaw named Texas Red, the sharpest shooter in town! That is, until he meets the ranger with a big iron on his hip. But "Big Iron" doesn't quite match the genius of "El Paso", which I wrote about last week in my death discs article. Other underrated songs on the album include "They're Hanging Me Tonight", which tells of the narrator being put on death row after he shot his cheating woman. Also notable are the upbeat singalong "A Hundred and Sixty Acres", and the pretty song "In The Valley".
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| Well, since I showed the actual album cover last week, here's one of the many meme covers from online. |
7.) Talking Book by Stevie Wonder (1972)
While researching albums to look up, this one popped up on many all time "greatest albums" lists. Well, I had to see what the hype was about. I found there was already a couple songs I knew, including "You Are The Sunshine of My Life". What a fitting opener that is, as it feels like it is the beginning. It's a beautifully upbeat song. "You and I" is a pretty love ballad, reminiscent of "Oh My Love" by John Lennon. The funky sensation that is "Superstition" is of course arguably Stevie's most well-known song. "Big Brother" is a politically focused song that was inspired by the novel "1984". But the song that blew me away off the first listen was "Blame It On The Sun", a haunting song that talks of lost love. In it, the narrator blames losing his love on the Sun, but knows he's really to blame. If there's any song from this list I encourage you to look up, it's that one. What an underrated gem that is.
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| Seriously, check out "Blame It On The Sun". |
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