JOESEDDIT’S CRATES FULL OF VINYL – ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, CCR, JEFF BECK

I’ve got a couple of crates full of old vinyl albums that I haven’t listened to in years due to lack of equipment to play them. Over a period of about a year and a half I revisited each album on the internet or bought the CD and ranked the songs. I also recorded some brief thoughts, rated the album, and posted the results on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists comment section. I’m recycling and categorizing/grouping  the posts on this website.

Eat a Peach

This is the only Allman Brothers Band album in the crates. It’s not that I don’t like ‘em, it’s just that I was never exposed to them much. Which seems kinda odd ‘cuz their approach is very similar to that of my favorite band; The Grateful Dead. This is a soulful album full of high energy jam, southern rock style. It’s certainly worthy of a high grade, but for me it lacks something which prevents me from giving it the highest of grades. I can’t exactly put my finger it. Songwriting and lead guitar work, maybe. Both very good, but I dunno, just not “top-shelf” great.

Scale of 1 to 10:  A –

1- One Way Out

2- Blue Sky

3- Mellissa

4- Les Brers in A Minor

5- Ain’t Waistin’ Time No More

6- Mountain Jam/Mountain Jam (continued)

7- Stand Back

8- Trouble No More

9- Little Martha

Pendulum

Creedence Clearwater Revival is a good enough band, but I never got completely on board so I ‘spect most of their fans would rate this album higher than I do. I never listened to it much; in fact I didn’t even remember owning it until I found it in the crate. I’m guessing I bought it for “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, which is a good song. It’s a good enough album if you like CCR – I will say that Fogerty is a better singer than I’ve been giving him credit for – but until this revisit it’s been years since I listened to it and it will probably be years before I listen to it again.

Scale of 1 to 10:  C+

1- Have You Ever Seen the Rain

2- (Wish I Could) Hideaway

3- Born to Move

4- Molina

5- Pagan Baby

6- Chameleon

7- Hey Tonight

8- It’s Just a Thought

9- Sailor’s Lament

10- Rude Awakening #2

Wired

Jeff Beck is highly regarded as a guitarist. And I believe this album is considered to be among his best. I absolutely love guitar solos so you’d think that an album that’s completely instrumental from a guitarist who consistently lands in the top ten of most “greatest guitarist” lists would be the perfect album for me. Nope. Just don’t like his style, I guess. I enjoyed the first song on my list but after that I could rank ‘em in just about any order ‘cuz they all sounded the same to me. Choppy, not very melodic, and too much of a “gadgety synth” type sound for my taste. Apparently many would disagree, and it’s true that he’s a good guitarist, but I find this album to be boring.

Scale of 1 to 10:  D

1- Goodbye Porkpie Hat

2- Come Dancing

3- Sophie

4- Play With Me

5- Love is Green

6- Head for Backstage Pass

7- Led Boots

UR- Blue Wind (not available on U-tube)