Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick hit the scene like nothing before them or since, unless you count Weezer (which I do). They were half pretty boys rockstars and half schlubs. They were all at at once hard rocking and hilarious (check out "He's a Whore" if you need to know what I'm talking about). They were both glorious and weird and gloriously weird as well.

I posted before about how Cheap Trick is perfectly formulated to appeal to every human being on earth on some level. I absolutely believe that to be true. You just can't say anything bad about a band that does everything so well. They're like Scottie Pippen: doing everything you could ever want them to do while constantly being underrated.

Cheap Trick's self-titled debut is a perfect album. I found myself both banging my head and laughing out loud as the album unfolded. I actually played through this album twice in a row (a rarity because mp3's have given me a sort of musical ADD) because I didn't feel like I squeezed all the enjoyment it deserves out of my first listen.

Peter Cetera - Solitude/Solitaire

When Chicago evolved from the jazzy rock band that gave us "25 or 6 to 4" into the power ballad dynamo that gave us "You're the Inspiration," Peter Cetera found himself in the spotlight. He did what anyone does in that situation: he struck out on his own.

Solitude/Solitaire is his second, and probably best solo album. If you know this album, chances are it's because of the hit ballad "Glory of Love" which was prominently featured in Karate Kid II (a movie which looks better and better with each successive failure to produce a decent follow-up to the original Karate Kid. Yeah, Will Smith's kid, I'm talking to you. Oh, and don't think you're getting off easy, Hillary Swank). Aside from the obvious hit tune, this album is an amiable collection of AOR. Nothing particularly offends on this album, but I wasn't really swept away by anything either.

Johnny Cash - Time-Life Country & Western Classics

I picked this 3 LP set up at a yard sale, which is usually not my style. I find that yard sale vinyl (and thrift store vinyl for that matter) tends to be all scratched up. There's nothing worse than picking through a crate of records, finding one you really want, and pulling out the record to find deep scratches and cat hair all over the surface. I'll pay the extra couple bucks to go to a record store where I know that someone else has okayed the record before I find it in the bin. Anyway, I was at a yard sale, and was surprised to find that this set was actually in fantastic shape, as was the Marty Robbins set I also purchased. Despite the sparse album artwork, this is actually a pretty great compilation.

Yes, there are better compilations of Johnny Cash's work (I really like Love, God, Murder both for its excellent packaging and its thematic presentation of Cash's music) but this is three LP's worth of solid Johnny Cash. You really can't hate on it. The sound quality is generally good, the song selection is about what you want/expect. This is a solid compilation which you can probably acquire without spending too much. Nothing wrong with that.

Johnny Cash - At San Quentin

This is the second of Johnny Cash's two live prison recordings. While pretty much everyone agrees that At Folsom Prison is the better of the two, At San Quentin is nothing to snuff at.

The major comparison point between the two albums are their tracks which were written specifically for the inmates in each respective prison. "Folsom Prison Blues" is an indisputable classic and one of the best songs in the Johnny Cash catalog. "San Quentin" is significantly less poignant and actually comes off a bit trite when compared with its counterpart.

While "San Quentin" pales in comparison with "Folsom Prison Blues" the albums from which these tunes originate are actually neck and neck. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the difference between those two songs, the albums would be dead even. Don't forget that At San Quentin gave us "A Boy Named Sue," which is as great a song as has ever been written (Shel Silverstein of Where the Sidewalk Ends fame wrote "A Boy Named Sue." Sometimes a Jewish cartoonist can't help but write one of the greatest country songs in the history of the genre).

Anyway, the point is that the difference between the two albums is slight. If At Folsom Prison is worthy of 5 stars (and it is), At San Quentin deserves at least 4.9999999 etc.

Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison

At Folsom Prison is the quintessential Johnny Cash album because it both encapsulates everything the man was about and captures him in one of his best live performances. If an alien were to land on this planet and ask what Johnny Cash was all about, this is the album you would hand them. It just is.

Johnny Cash was a longtime proponent of prison reform. The man had done some time behind the bars himself, so he knew what he was talking about. When he rolled his show into Folsom Prison, he presented a perfect show for the inmates who were lucky enough to see it. Cash wrote "Folsom Prison Blues" for the occasion, and it became one of his best-known songs. For some reason, the inmates all cheered uproariously when they heard the line "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die." I've never understood their reaction to that line, and I don't know if I ever will. Anyway, if you've ever want to hear people enjoying a concert in a way nobody has since a few corseted dainties passed out at a Franz Liszt show, this is your album. It's perfect in every way.

The Cars - Greatest Hits

This is the first Cars compilation ever to be brought into the world, and as such it does everything you could ever want it to do. It compiles all The Cars most instantly recognizable hits and does so in a mostly chronological fashion. What more could you want?

Well, I suppose if you're enough of a Cars fan to want more than 13 of their greatest hits, there's their fantastically packaged double disc compilation Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology, which gives you 40 awesome Cars tunes. Beyond that, you just need to buy all the albums.

Anyway, for a fairly brief overview of The Cars career, you really can't beat this first compilation. Even a fan like myself can't really pass on the opportunity to have most of the band's best tunes on a single platter.

The Cars - Heartbeat City

This is another great Cars album which is almost unfairly laden with hits and/or great songs. "Hello Again," "Magic," "Drive," "You Might Think," and "Why Can't I Have You" are all classic cars tracks. Most of the tracks on this album feature The Cars' perfect blend of synths and guitars. These are the musical fathers of The Rentals, and don't you forget it.

The only song on this album which doesn't really fit the rest is "Drive." 1984 was well into the years of the obligatory power ballad, and even though The Cars weren't a hair metal band, they still churned out a song for high school freshmen to awkwardly shuffle to under the light of a half-dimmed gymnasium. At times I find I really hate "Drive" and its formulaic lyrics, and other times I think it's brilliant. I can understand those who hate the song just as much as I understand those who love it.

Aside from the one polarizing tune in "Drive," the rest of the album is the pulsing synth rock you know and love. "Hello Again" is my favorite track on the album as it conveys the 1980's trademark "is this a happy song or a sad song, I can't figure it out?" vibe. If you're into The Cars, you really should own this album.

The Cars - s/t

I already reviewed my CD copy of this album over here, but I also own the album on vinyl. Rather than re-reviewing it, I'll just hit what I missed on the first review, which is that it's simply ridiculous for "Good Times Roll," "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed," "Don't Cha Stop," "You're All I've Got Tonight," and "Moving in Stereo" to all be on the same album. Most bands don't have greatest hits lineups that strong. This is an insanely good cars album and you should own it.

The Carpenters - The Singles 1969-1973

Along with Boston's self-titled debut, which you should own because there are a zillion copies and it's really really good, and Frampton Comes Alive, which you should own because there are a kazillion copies and it's better than you think, every vinyl collector should also own this Carpenters compilation. Why? Because it's everywhere and because you like the Carpenters more than you think you do.

Remember this scene from Tommy Boy? Well that's actually how the Carpenters work. I bought this album because my parents used to own a lot of Carpenters stuff and it's the only concert my Mom has ever been to. Anyway, the first time I dropped the needle on this record and heard "We've Only Just Begun," it really worked on me. Let's just say that I was attacked by a sudden cloud of dust and pet dander which made it look for all the world like I was openly weeping to the first song on a Carpenters compilation. I double dog dare you to listen to this album and see if your room doesn't get dusty all of a sudden. If the music itself doesn't do it, just think about what a ball of talent Karen Carpenter was and how her untimely death could have been prevented. There will be waterworks. This is a top-to-bottom solid introduction to the music of The Carpenters. Buy it, cry to it, don't let your friends see.

Eric Carmen - s/t

As a fan of power pop, I have nothing but respect for The Raspberries, which is why I bought this album. Eric Carmen is the former frontman of the classic power pop combo The Raspberries. While most people pick up this album for its mega-hit "All By Myself" (yes, the very one you just started singing in your head when you read the name of the song) I picked it up to see if there were any other Raspberry-esque nuggets hidden anywhere else on the album.

The most Raspberry-ish tunes on the album are probably "My Girl" and "Last Night," but they're not quite as good as the "Go All the Way" heights of Carmen's work with his former band. There are a few very pleasant tunes on this album, one instantly recognizable hit, and, I'm sad to say, some substandard filler. Put this album on a set of scales, and there's more going for it than against it, but I honestly hoped it would have been better.

J.J. Cale - 5

Somehow I managed to listen to this record without reviewing it. I listened to it right after Naturally, but  somehow skipped the review. Time to right that wrong.

5 is another strong set of laid back blues from J.J. Cale. Each tune is laced with folk, country, and Cale's special ingredient, which is made from masterful instrumentation, thoughtful lyrics, and vocals which perfectly compliment the whole laid-back vibe. As a longtime fan of The Band, it refreshing to find another artist which such a boundaryless view of genre.

On the whole, 5 isn't quite as strong as Naturally, because it doesn't have as many memorable songs. Even so, 5 is still a very enjoyable album, and Cale's performances are great as they've ever been.

Walter Carlos - The Well-Tempered Synthesizer

The Well-Tempered Synthesizer is Walter Carlos' sophomore album, and a slight departure from the Switched On Bach formula. Carlos only switches on a single Bach piece on this album. The rest is Monteverdi, Handel, and Scarlatti. Carlos proves once again that the Moog is perfectly suited to the performance of Baroque pieces.

If you think you know "Water Music," wait until you've heard it performed by Walter Carlos. As with everything he/she does, the performances are impeccable and the voicing is imaginative; breathing new life into some very old music. If you've heard SOB and SOBII, it's time to move on to The Well-Tempered Synthesizer and find out just what Walter Carlos and his/her trusty Moog can do.

Walter Carlos - By Request

This little oddity came out right before Walter Carlos underwent gender realignment surgery, becoming Wendy Carlos. I'm going with Walter here because that's how my copy of the album is titled.

I call this album an oddity because that's exactly what it is. There are performances of both Bach and non-Bach classical selections, as well as original experimental numbers, and popular songs. The covers of "What's New, Pussycat?" and "Eleanor Rigby" are more than likely what gave rise to the excellent Moog Cookbook, and the sheer novelty of those two numbers are worth the purchase price all by themselves.

While it is interesting to hear Carlos perform selections from "Nutcracker Suite" and variations on "Pomp and Circumstances" ("Pompous Circumstances" is an interesting one because, in the grand tradition of Peter Schickele, Carlos meshes in themes from a number of familiar tunes such as "Camptown Races" and other chestnuts) the original pieces make the album a little tedious. Walter Carlos' original compositions place him/her somewhere in the realm of classical music's Brian Eno. He famously created the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange, so that's where she's coming from.

"Eleanor Rigby" is a fantastically interesting performance, but "What's New Pussycat?" leaves something to be desired. It just downright weird. This being the case, By Request is a mixed affair, alternately delighting and frustrating.

Walter Carlos - Switched on Bach II

This record is one of the most enduring parts of my childhood. We used to spin this one on the family turntable all the time. As I've become an adult with kids of my own, I have actively tried to make this record a part of their lives as well. So far neither of my children seem partial to it (my daughter has developed a fondness for The Beach Boys, which is nice) but that doesn't mean I won't stop pushing it on them.

While the some presented on Switched on Bach is good, the more on Switched on Bach II is even better. The voicing is impeccable and I have come to view many of the performances on this album to be definitive versions (particularly the two part inventions and "Sheep May Safely Graze").

If you need more evidence of this album's greatness, read the back cover in which Robert Moog praises Carlos and his ability to make the Moog do things even its inventor didn't know were possible. Carlos is a master of his/her instrument, which actually overshadows his/her mastery of Bach.

Walter Carlos - Switched on Bach

In 1968 Switched on Bach turned the world of classical music on its ear as Wendy (Then Walter. He would later become Wendy, and one of the more famous transgendered people in the world) Carlos proved beyond any doubt that analog Moog synthesizers are not only capable of performing Bach impeccably, they're the ideal instrument for it.

Before I launch into a full review of this album, I just want to expose the doubt I experienced when deciding whether or not to go with Wendy or Walter for the name of the artist on this album. I finally decided on Walter because that's what the artist was known as when this album was originally pressed. So yeah, no disrespect to Wendy.

Anyway, this album is transformative for a number of reasons. First of all, Walter Carlos actually contacted Robert Moog and asked him to create new subsystems just to give the Moog the ability to perform Bach correctly. Carlos clearly put a lot of work into the voicing of every single piece. The best selections from the album come on the A-side with "Air on a G String" and the two-part inventions. Even so, Carlos is known for his/her masterful interpretation of the Brandenburg Concerti, and the 3rd which closes out this album is no exception. You have to look far and wide to find Bach performed more ably and originally.

Belinda Carlisle - Heaven on Earth

I already reviewed this album in its CD form, but it's no less impressive in its vinyl form. The only reason I'm doing a double entry is because this blog is as much a visual catalogue of my record collection as it is a set of reviews for others to read. So yeah.

Belinda Carlisle - Belinda

As it happens with oh so many female bands, the prettiest girl with the best voice breaks away and goes solo. That's exactly what happened with Belinda Carlisle and The Go-Go's.

While Belinda Carlisle would eventually put out some of the greatest female pop tunes of the 1980's, this album does not necessarily reflect that. It's not a bad album, or an embarrassing departure. It's just an odd little thing in which Belinda Carlisle sounds like she's struggling to find her independent voice after being defined as merely "the pretty one" from The Go-Go's during the first half of the 80's. There are no true standout tracks on the album, but that doesn't mean it isn't a pleasant listen.

Canned Heat - Live at Topanga Corral

One of the most interesting things about Live at Topanga Corral is that the cover features a shirtless Bob "The Bear" Hite, who, while a freakishly fat man in the 60's, would basically be an average dude today.

Aside from the cover, this album features 46:37 of fantastic blues. What always makes Canned Heat great for me is the overdriven guitar by Henry "Sunflower" Vestine, who is in rare form on this album. The only real problem with Live at Topanga Corral is the fact that the sound quality isn't that great. It's about on par with my Rubber Dubber bootleg of The Band in terms of fidelity. While that's a common problem with live albums from this era, it does distract from an otherwise fine performance by a great band.

Canned Heat - Future Blues

Future Blues is my favorite Canned Heat album which is due, in large part, to the band's fantastic cover of the classic "Let's Work Together." As I've noted in every single review of a Canned Heat album, the band's best feature is their tube-driven tonally perfect distortion, which is slathered thick on this album.

If you enjoy super solid blues workouts, you really can't do much better than this album. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys music...of any sort...ever.

Canned Heat - Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Canned Heat's third studio album, isn't quite as strong as the two which preceded it. Sure, there are some very good songs on the album, but, on the whole, the band sounds a little less tight and a little less focused than on previous efforts.

"Same All Over," the album's opener is the gem of the album. It, more than anything, recalls the finely-honed, perfectly-distorted blues rock of Canned Heat's previous albums. The rest of the album, while not a mess, is less impressive than previous outings. This is a good album from a band that can, and has, made great albums.