The 500 - #432 - Here Come The Warm Jets - Brian Eno

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 432

Album Title: Here Come The Warm Jets
Artist: Brian Eno
Genre: Glam Rock, Art Rock, Avant Pop
Recorded: September, 1973
Released: January, 1974
My age at release: 8
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Baby's On Fire
Selected by my friend Bill Gudgeon who managed the band Second Thoughts in the 80s. The band used to include this song in their repertoire.

I have been familiar with the name Brian Eno for many years. He is well known in music circles as the producer of dozens of critically acclaimed and commercially successful records, including many on The 500 list. Among them, Devo, David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2.

David Bowie, Bono of U2 and Brian Eno in 2002

Additionally, as a fan of the band King Crimson, I heard some of his collaborations with guitarist Robert Fripp. In fact, during the late 80s, I went through an "ambient music" phase and purchased records by artists such as Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream. I also owned a copy of Evening Star by Eno and Fripp. 

Ambient music is best described as an art form that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over the conventions of melody and beat. It is composed of "sound layers" that promote an atmsopheric quality. The listener can escape within the sounds, drawn into a world of calm contemplation.

I'll admit, my motivations were juvenile. I thought that understanding ambient music, or at least being able to drop names like Fripp and Jarre at social gatherings, would make me seem more cultured and eruidite. It didn't. People unfamiliar with the music were nonplussed and, when I encountered a true fan, I found myself out of my depth.

When I played Here Come The Jets for the first time, I was surprised. Brian Eno's debut record is far from the ambient music he would develop later in his career. Released using only his last name, this record is a hybrid of Bowie-esque glam-rock sounds fused with quirky art-pop sensibilities. It can be a bit cacophanous at times but there is a silliness about it that makes it endearing -- particularly after multiple listens. Songs that I dismissed as ludicrous, eventually burrowed their way into my conscience and I found myself humming them while completing mundane tasks.

We'll revisit Brian Eno in three records, when his 1975 offering Another Green World appears at #429 on The 500 list. Consequently, I'll save my additional thoughts for that post.

The 500 - #433 - George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 433

Album Title: All Things Must Pass
Artist: George Harrison
Genre: Rock, Folk Rock
Recorded: May to October, 1970
Released: October, 1970
My age at release: 5
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly Well
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: What is Life?
Selected by my wife Angela, who tells me that the lyrics always make her think of me. (How lucky am I?)

"What I feel, I can't say
But my love is there for you, any time of day
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed
Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side?"

George Harrison has always been my favourite Beatle. I'm not sure if it started when I learned he was the youngest or that the fans called him The Quiet One. It might have been because he garnered the least attention. Paul and John were the principal songwriters and the frontmen. Ringo...well, he was called Ringo...and was The Funny One.  

I know that my affinity for George was galvanized in the late 70s when I learned that he was helping to finance the Monty Python film The Life of Brian. I was a massive Monty Python fan in my youth. I still am, but between the ages of 12 and 16 I found the comedy troupe intoxicatingly funny.

Left to Right: Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam & Michael Palin

In 1978, when Life of Brian was set to go into production, a sizeable chunk of the budget disappeared. It seems that Lord Delfont, chairman of the film's distribution firm EMI, had finally read the script and was appalled by the content. He immediately pulled the plug and the Pythons were short two million pounds. Cast member Eric Idle reached out to his wealthiest friend, George Harrison, with whom he had worked on the parody mockumentary The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash the previous year. 

Harrison agreed to help but went a step further by establishing his own production and distribution company: HandMade Films. Life of Brian was saved and, as Idle put it, became "the most anyone's paid for a cinema ticket in history." Twenty-six more films followed over the next decade, including cult classics Time Bandits, Withnail and I, and How to Get Ahead in Advertising. All of this is chronicled in the 2019 documentary An Accidental Studio.

The most memorable connection I have with All Things Must Pass is melancholy. George died from lung cancer on November 29, 2001. The next evening, I was in the studio at CHRW - Radio Western where I hosted a bi-weekly radio program. I opened the show with this album. I wasn't sure which track to play so, I put the needle down on side one and let it run to the end. As I sat in the broadcasting booth, headphones on, eyes fixed on the album cover, each song seemed to take on a deeper and more meaningful significance. I reflected on George - - again, my favourite Beatle - - who, after rescuing the Pythons, may actually have been The Funny One. 

The 500 - #434 - Big Star - Number 1 Record

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 434

Album Title: Number 1 Record
Artist: Big Star
Genre: Power Pop
Recorded: 1972
Released: August, 1972
My age at release: 7
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: 
The Ballad of El Goodo 
(Suggested by my friend, musician Steve Crew, who ranks Big Star drummer Jody Stephens in his Top Three Influences.)

For the first time on my journey through The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a band I've already discussed has another record on the list. When I wrote about Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers, I made the following three observations:

1. Big Star is "the band that your favourite band listens to." Many musicians with albums on The 500 list have cited Big Star as an important influence.
2. Although it was called a Big Star record, many consider Third/Sister Lovers, a side project by Alex Chilton (singer/guitarist of Big Star). It is nothing like the other Big Star records. In many ways, it documents the band's disintegration and Chilton's declining mental health due to addiction.
3. Over time, Third/Sister Lovers grew on me but I remain a bigger fan of their first album. This one. 

Number 1 Record is the debut release from the Memphis-based, power-pop band Big Star. Singer and guitarist Alex Chilton had already experienced success as the 16-year-old frontman for the band The Box Tops, best remembered for their 1967 hit The Letter. 

After leaving the band, Chilton was offered the role of lead vocalist for jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, but he turned it down because he felt it was "too commercial". Instead, he reconnected with childhood friend Chris Bell. Bell declined Chilton's offer to form a Simon & Garfunkle-style duo and invited him to join his three-piece band, Icewater. The foursome clicked and began sharing and collaborating their material. The name Big Star was co-opted from Memphis grocery store chain "Big Star Markets". A band member suggested the name after returning from a shopping trip for snacks during a lengthy recording session.

Number 1 Record was recorded in early 1972, all four members contributing to the songwriting and vocals. However, Chilton and Bell worked most collaboratively as a duo, modelling their approach after their childhood influences McCartney and Lennon of The Beatles. The title, Number 1 Record, was inspired by the "playful hope" that any record by a big star would go to Number 1.

It was released in August, 1972, to critical acclaim. However, it was poorly promoted by The Stax Record Company which also failed to distribute it effectively. Consequently, it received little radio airplay despite Billboard magazine's claim that "every cut could be a single". Things went from bad to worse when Stax Records made a deal with Columbia which had no interest in smaller, independent releases. They even removed existing copies of the records from stores.

My relationship with Big Star began in the mid-eighties when I heard them at a house party of a high school acquaintance. However, I encountered them again in 2012 when their documentary, Nothing Can Hurt Me, aired on Netflix. 

It was late on a Saturday night and I was looking to relax after a long night bartending. Netflix was fairly new to Canada and the streaming company's catalogue was far more limited than it is now. Small, independent documentaries, like this one, made up a significant portion of their viewing inventory. I settled down with a bottle of wine and, over the next hour, solidified my appreciation for the band. I also learned many of the facts I shared in the first half of this post.

For the next few weeks, this debut record and their 1974 release, Radio City (which we'll get to at #405), dominated my headphones.  Cashbox Magazine described the recording of Number 1 Record as "one of those red-letter moments when everything falls together as a total sound". However, as if a premonition of the album's eventual commercial fate, it continued: "it is an important record that should go to the top with proper handling". Unfortunately, that "proper handling" never materialized and it was years before the public recognized how marvelous the album is, fully justifying its place on The 500 list.

The 500 - #435 - Nirvana - In Utero

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 435

Album Title: In Utero
Artist: Nirvana
Genre: Grunge, Alternative Rock
Recorded: February, 1993
Released: September, 1993
My age at release: 28
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: All Apologies 
(Suggested by my friend Michelle Ryan, honourable mention to Brent Kelders who pitched some awesome "deep track" choices.)

The grunge movement of the early 90s wasn't intended to be a movement. Before 1990, the burgeoning Seattle music scene was an underground collection of bands who began fusing elements of punk rock and heavy metal into their own sound. It was a reaction to the heavily commercialized "over-the-top" glam-rock of the MTV 80s. However, these musicians did not call themselves "grunge" nor did they seek to revolutionize the sound of the day. They just wanted to make authentic music without worrying about style. If this was a restaurant, they sold the steak, not the sizzle.

Four Seattle Bands - Pearl Jam (Top Left) , Nirvana (Top Right),
 Soundgarden (Bottom Left), Alice in Chains (Bottom Right)

The so-called "grunge" sound varied from band to band. Some played fast, angry and loud -- replicating the raw energy of punk and garage rock bands of the previous two decades (Black Flag, The Misfits, The MC5 or The Stooges). Other Seattle rockers were influenced by 70s heavy metal acts (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and UFO). They used distortion to create brooding anthems that were low and slow. Both of these styles provided a canvas for lyrics that were dark, angst-filled and deeply introspective, seeking to capture the isolation and alienation of upstate Washington's dismal climate.

By the time In Utero was released in September 1993, the Seattle scene had exploded. An art form which began with earnest intention was now a commercial juggernaut. The 1992 film Singles had thrust the movement into mainstream culture. 

Teens and twenty-somethings across the world were decked out in the same loose-fitting, androgynous, disheveled clothing that were trademarks of bands who had now become household names (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains). However, these clothes were no longer inexpensive, thrift-store discoveries. "Granddad's old lumber jacket" was on sale at mainstream outlets and designers (including Marc Jacobs and Perry Ellis) capitalized on the trend, incorporating elements into their 1993 spring collections.

There are three Nirvana records on The 500 List, including Nevermind which cracks the top 20. In Utero appears first at #435.

Beyond the fashion, I really liked the music and, in the fall of 1993, I was excited about the release of this record. However, after my first listen, I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped. I had the feeling that might best be captured by the well known expression "You can never go home again." It seemed as if the band was trying to recapture something that had been swept away by this commercial whirlwind.

The "lightning in a bottle" sound captured in those early days was now a "genie out of the bottle" -- and she was wearing Doc Martens' combat boots and baggy flannel from The Gap. 

Some of these thoughts were confirmed this week as I listened to The 500 Podcast episode dedicated to the In Utero record. In it, host Josh and guest, Jeff Dye. a comedian, actor and Nirvana fan, discussed the band's intention to create a more unpolished, raw and authentic record. To help capture the abrasive sound, the band hired outspoken and controversial engineer Steve Albini, who abhorred any effort to homogenize a band's sound. Nirvana also committed themselves to a rigid two-week recording session at the remote Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. According to a Rolling Stone article at the time:

"The music was quickly recorded within that time with few studio embellishments. The song lyrics and album packaging largely incorporated medical imagery that conveyed front-man Kurt Cobain's outlook on his publicized personal life and his band's newfound fame."

Cobain had actually wanted the record to be titled, I Hate Myself And I Want To Die, which was the response he gave to anyone who asked how he was doing. The title was rejected but the words would become a terrible harbinger. 

Overwhelmed by his mental illness and heroin addiction, Cobain would take his life seven months after the record's release on April 8, 1994. The suicide note he left echoed the sentiments he'd made clear in multiple interviews. He simply could not find joy in the music he was creating or from the energy of fans he entertained. 

After his passing I, like many, revisited the Nirvana catalog.  Over time, I gained a deeper appreciation for the cathartic, almost corrosive energy of In Utero. Certainly, it is coloured by Cobain's suicide, but I also understand the record a little better now. Perhaps, I was right. "You can't go home again"...and that can be devastatingly painful.

The 500 - #436 - Beck - Sea Change

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 436

Album Title: Sea Change
Artist: Beck
Genre: Folk Rock / Experimental Rock
Recorded: March-May, 2002
Released: September, 2002
My age at release: 37
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Paper Tiger 

(Selected by friends and colleague Jay Dubois, who also contributes as a guest blogger.) 

In the spring of 2000, things were going swimmingly for Los Angeles-born musician Beck Hanson (born: Bek David Campbell). His successful tour, supporting his seventh record, Midnite Vultures, was coming to an end and he planned a well-deserved hiatus. However, three weeks before his 30th birthday he discovered that his fiancee and girlfriend of nine years, Leigh Limon, had been having an affair. The relationship ended and Beck lapsed into a period of sadness and introspection which ultimately fuelled his creativity. In the span of a week, he had composed most of this record's twelve songs.

His previous albums featured a blend of styles ranging from the psychedelic to hip-hop to country and funk. This record was different. It was simpler, favouring acoustic instrumentation, and he abandoned his typical cryptic or ironic lyricism. Instead, he wrote words that dealt directly with the anguish and betrayal he was experiencing.

I was a fan of Beck's music in the 90s. I owned both his first record Mellow Gold (1993) and his most commercially successful release Odelay (1996) which appears on The 500 list at #306. However, he was one of those artists whose career fell off my radar. Consequently, Sea Change (2002) is a record with which I had no familiarity.

Earlier this week, my wife and I were washing the groceries I'd gathered on a massive shopping trip. The notion of laundering packages is part of a new reality in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic. I decided to put on Sea Change as the background to this unusual domestic necessity. My first listen had me rapt. That evening, while reviewing the school work of my Grade 7 students through the class' online platform, I listened to it three more times. Eventually, I celebrated my delight with this record on Twitter.

Friend and colleague, Jay Dubois, immediately responded, saying it was a "personal fave". I invited him to select a song for "The 500 Playlist" or even guest blog. To my delight, he agreed to both requests.

Here is what he shared:

Beck is a chameleon.  His multi-decade, prolific discography plays out like a randomized, genre-hopping playlist.  For every album that is created with his well-known cut and paste, chop-suey-style sampling techniques (see: Odelay) he takes a left turn and leans heavily on his singer-songwriter skill-set (see: Mutations).  Sea Change follows the funky odyssey of Midnight Vultures and caught fans off guard with this personal reflection on a relationship break-up.

While often composed in minor scales with a touch of sadness, this album is a musical feast.  Guitar, drums and bass do the heavy lifting here. However, you’ll sometimes find quiet percussive flavouring from xylophone, piano, hand drums and Middle Eastern instrumentation. The powerful use of strings on this album is truly a sonic celebration. Put on a pair of headphones and play Paper Tiger. You’ll be greeted by a slinky bass line with a laid back, yet propelling, groove. Unexpected string orchestration swirls in through the track like a serpent, laying in wait to add some world music flare and striking at times, taking over the melody with beautiful flourishes. 

The whole album is an emotional tour-de-force and earned the Best Alternative Music Grammy in 2003. A song like Sunday Sun, while maintaining a traditional song structure, holds on by a thread at the end, truly using sound like a feeling. Only an artist like Beck can dabble cross-genre like this with such believability and listenability.  It’s unfortunate that art like this requires heartbreak as the muse.

The 500 - #437 - Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 437

Album Title: Tha Carter III
Artist: Lil' Wayne
Genre: Hip Hop, Pop Rap
Recorded: 2006-08
Released: June, 2008
My age at release: 42
How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Let the Beat Build

The original version of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time was published by Rolling Stone magazine in 2005. It was updated seven years later and 38 albums replaced some of the earlier entries. Tha Carter III by Lil' Wayne is the first contemporary record to appear. 

Tha Carter III was the sixth record by New Orleans native, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., professionally known by his stage name Lil' Wayne. Born to an impoverished family, his mother is only 19 years his senior. His father abandoned the family when he was two years old. Bright and artistic, Carter was enrolled in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary school and later thrived in the drama department of Eleanor McMain Secondary School as a teen. At 13, he began rapping with the Hot Boys.

It was my grade seven & eight who brought Lil' Wayne to my attention. Many were fans of rap, and a cluster, mainly boys, embraced the gangsta hip-hop culture of the mid-2000s. Their fashion included:

• Oversized pants or jorts (baggy, calf-length jeans) that hung low to show their boxer shorts.
• Flat brimmed baseball hats or visors, turned sideways on their heads.
• Their upper-torso typically featured basketball jerseys or Hoodies or Sweatshirts distributed by Rocawear, Sean John, ECKO or G-Unit. 
• Timberland boots or Air Force Ones by Nike were the preferred footwear.
• Puffy jackets were all the rage and were worn regardless of the weather.

Most troubling were the blue bandanas. Obsessed with gang culture, many claimed affiliation to the Crips, one of the largest and most violent gangs in the United States. A few, very few thankfully, were actually involved in criminal activity and were part of local gang culture. Fortunately, this fad was slowly being overtaken by the likes of Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. Sure, it was a tad sugary, but at least we could play the music in class.

The social media platforms, My Space and Facebook, were gaining popularity at this time and rumours circulated that some students were posting pictures of themselves smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol or posing with authentic-looking replica guns.

It was a turbulent time. My obligation was to help them navigate this phase. However, I didn't want to over-react. Who wants to be the old guy complaining about "kids these days". Over-reacting seemed a poor option, after all society had survived the fascination of youth in... 

• Elvis' gyrating hips 
• The Beatles' "long" hair 
• The vulgarity of The Sex Pistols 
• The bloody theatrics of KISS
• Dungeons & Dragons and Heavy Metal music's connection to the occult.

In the end, I engaged them in conversations about the importance of positive life choices and the potential impact of their activities on social media. I'd also remind them that their favourite movie, Scarface, is intended to be a tragedy.

When I encounter students from those years, I find that most have turned out just fine. It was, as I hoped, just a phase. 

I approached this Lil' Wayne album with no expectations. It has a few catchy hooks and some of the rhymes are clever. It is also funny and that is what I didn't understand at the time.  Much like Elvis, The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Kiss and Heavy Metal, it's theatrical. Lil' Wayne was not always taking himself seriously. He's having fun, like kids do.