199. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor

I have always had a soft-spot for James Taylor. When I was a teenager, there was a local acoustic open mic night that myself and a few friends would go to most weeks. A right assortment of individuals would play, from young guns to old timers, and one particular individual would normally close the night with Fire and Rain followed by You do something to Me - a beautiful combination. I don't know much more about Taylor other than that song, but it's always been enough for me to consider him in a positive light.

James Taylor had a chequered start to his musical career, with a period of heroin addiction in the late 60s whilst based in New York. It was Fire and Rain that proved to be his breakthrough hit, charting at number 3 in the US. That song tells the story of Taylor's attempt to kick heroin, and his close friend's recent suicide. The album earned him several Grammy nominations, and thrust him into the limelight, which probably helped him in the long-run. He's been a huge star in the US ever since, and has a decent following this side of the pond too.

The title track is pure Country and Western, with simplicity at its core, and a pleasant melody. Lo and Behold steps things up with an impassioned drive that forces its message home with some insistent singing and strumming. Sunny Skies is an upbeat, laid back number with a swing in its step. However, I don't think this particular style suits Taylor - it is too lightweight for his voice. Steamroller is a proper old fashioned blues song, with a straightforward guitar riff that could come from any of hundreds of tracks, and so just works. It is lyrically slightly strange - describing oneself as a napalm bomb is not the norm, but it does follow a great horn, keys and guitar bridge so I can be forgiving. Country Road is a great song, full of punctuated lyrics and intricate guitar playing. Taylor's voice works perfectly against the delicate acoustic strumming that slowly builds to something more. Oh, Susannah is another beautiful song, although I feel it a bit too paper thin at times. Fire and Rain is a great, great song, both lyrically and musically. It builds steadily, and you feel every single syllable that Taylor seems to force out like it’s a compulsion. The drumming towards the end of the song manages to not steal the show, yet gets better every time I hear it. Blossom goes under the category of pretty ditties that sound a bit too lullaby-esque. Anywhere Like Heaven is a quiet piece that paints a nice, prairie picture, without being particularly moving. Oh Baby, Don't You Loose Your Lip On Me, is a decent Blues warm-up that never really gets going. Suite for 20G starts in a none too convincing manner, especially the double-tracked vocals, but then really kicks on in the second half, with a proper blow out. The bass trombone call-out in particular cannot be heard without an impromptu bout of nodding.

This was an album which I enjoyed, despite its flaws. The best songs are those where Taylor's really going for it, and branching out beyond simple, stripped back country/folk fare. He has a fabulous backing band, and when they let rip, and the Blues and Soul influences come seeping out it really captures some pretty raw, and powerful, emotions. As such, I probably won't revisit it as an album much, as parts of it are too insipid, but there are some real gems on here that I can imagine revisiting in years to come.

Chloe's rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 4. Country Road

Olly's rating: 7

Olly's favourite track: 7. Fire and Rain

Next week we have an absolutely seminal album that I barely know - 174. Abraxas by Santana. Abraxas is apparently a loose translation for "this will sell more copies than the Bible."

965. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Whilst obviously being familiar with some of Winehouse's work in that I have existed for the last few years, I am not hugely familiar with her back catalogue. Indeed, I only found the extent of her trials and tribulations having watched the insightful documentary last year. Why watch a documentary about someone I know, and seemingly care, little about? Well, a combination of wanting to find out more, and the novelty of watching it in Camden Market in the summer in a deck chair; an uneven combination, I concede. It is hard to listen to the album without reflecting on the tragedy that was Amy's life, and the film captures the ferocity of the paparazzi in a manner that is genuinely startling. It is a film that should lead to the demise of celebrity magazines and pages, but alas it won't.

The album was a huge success, with Amy's profile having grown due to the combination of the slow-burn success of Frank, her debut, and her cover of the Zutons' Valerie whilst working with Mark Ronson. Ronson co-produced this, her second album, along with Salaam Remi. Amy won five Grammy awards for the album, catapulting her into the limelight, which was probably the last thing she needed at that time. Her troubled relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and his time in prison, was played out on the front pages of the press, and drove her greater into an alcohol-filled and fueled abyss, culminating in her untimely death at the age of 27. This album was her last as a result, and is painfully close to the bone of her actual experience.

Rehab is an almost universally loved song that I just don't enjoy that much. I think aspects of it are spot on, such as the horn section, and the clapping sections, but I find the chorus just doesn't move me. It's possibly also the crass nature of the chorus, particularly in light of how the story ended. You Know I'm no Good has more of Ronson's heavy use of horns, but a more interesting subject matter. Me & Mr Jones could be a slow album track from the Ronettes, although with slightly more explicit language. It's very swaggery, if that's even approaching a reasonable adverb, but a bit on the repetitive front. Just Friends meanders a bit around some pleasant enough sounding backing piece, but it's a little bit coffee-shop-at-Christmas for me. Back to Black is the one song on this album where everything just clicks. The simple piano progression, the great backing harmonies, and the stunning vocal performance; it feels so genuinely impassioned yet numb at the same time. Love is a Losing Game would be powerful when performed live, but sounds a bit stifled on the recording, like Amy's heart isn't in it - unless that's the point and it's a bit subtle for me. Tears Dry on their Own boldly uses the tune from Ain't no Mountain High Enough, and is good enough to almost do it justice. The lyrics are the best on the album, and are delivered with real attack. The production is a bit sparser, which gives Amy's voice the chance to shine.  Wake Up Alone is also brilliant lyrically, painting a very evocative set of images, that sound painfully autobiographical (wake up/ clean the house/ at least I'm not drinking) - Chloe loved the words of this song due to its poetic yet cutting tone. Some Unholy War is either trying to be political, and not quite working, or I've completely missed the point. He Can Only Hold Her starts promisingly, all strutting vocals and punchy horns, but slightly peters out. Addicted is a cleverly worded song with a great bassline and lovely drum rattle, but three minutes of moaning about someone smoking your cannabis is a bit much for me.

I should love this album, as it has all the qualities I look for in a Motown album, but I just don't feel particularly drawn to it. Perhaps it is a bit too derivative, or samey, or I just wasn't in the mood for it for an entire week. It is clearly a good album from an objective viewpoint, but I feel that the tragic story surrounding the artist adds a depth to it that I don't think exists in the reality of simply listening to it. Whilst being convinced I'm wrong, I just don't think it's a great album.

Chloe's rating: 8

Chloe's favourite song: 8. Wake up alone

Olly's rating: 6

Olly's favourite song: 5. Back to Black

Our next week will be played out to the delicate melodies of 199. Sweet Baby James by James Taylor. Sweet indeed.

440. Off the Wall - Michael Jackson

I knew elements of this album fairly well, having been given a copy on LP ten years ago by Cliff Bellamy - an individual who had a fairly formative influence on my musical taste (introducing me to Pink Floyd being the most impactful). However, it definitely hasn't had as much airtime for me as Thriller, so I was looking forward to spending a week getting under its skin.

Quincy Jones' name should really be emblazoned on the front of this record, as well as on the back. The producer's touch is audible throughout the songs, from the extra instrumentation that would never have been originally written in through to the clarity and detail evident in the recording. Michael Jackson had not made a breakthrough post his childhood stardom, and so it was through a chance meeting with Quincy Jones whilst on the set of the The Wiz, a cinematic musical flop, that the foundations were laid for his eventual solo success. The assured manner in which Jones advised the still youthful Jackson, and by taking the time to listen to hundreds of demoes before deciding on the final album tracks, meant that this album sounds far more mature than it has any right to. 

Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough is a jaw-droppingly good opener, but I'm sure you knew that already. The bassline is sublime, the falsetto vocals work exceptionally well, and the arrangement is so crisp it is like ice. The guitar solo is almost Van Halen-esque, and the strings add a depth to the song that is missing from most disco. I Wanna Rock With You was nearly mine and Chloe's first dance at our wedding, so it's fair to say we're fans. It would be easy for it to be too saccharine, but it definitely gets away with it, with the lush backing vocals, cloud-like strings and tight horns enveloping the listener in an infectious ode to joy. Jackson's enthusiasm is palpable on his vocal performance here - he just sounds like he's having a great time. Workin' Day and Night was a song I didn't know that well, but it stood out to me from the outset. The lightning quick guitar licks and the staccatto delivery make this one of the catchiest songs I've every heard; it was stuck in my head for about 3 days straight, and I didn't mind one jot. Get on the Floor is one of the funkier songs on the record, and is the sort of tune that would guarantee a loaded dancefloor if it came on in a club. The bass goes for several wanders each verse and chorus, and each time it's a great journey to be a part of. Off the Wall starts in manner that foreshadows Thriller. It loses its way a little bit as the chorus isn't as strong as the verses deserve. Girlfriend is an ok song, but not at the same level as many songs here. Penned by Paul McCartney for his then friend, it was also included on a Wings album that no-one has probably ever heard. It is better than the lightweight She's Out of my Life, that is just too sickeningly-sweet. Whilst touching that Jackson couldn't sing it without weeping, it is also ridiculous. I Can't Help It is a bit meh, all soft-focus synths and repetitive chorus. It's the Falling in Love sounds much more like an MJ love song should, complete with funky breaks and soulful vocals. Whilst far from the best song off the album, it does at least demonstrate that he can pull off the slower songs too. Burn this Disco Out could be Earth Wind and Fire at their finest - it is the epitome of disco. Whilst I wouldn't say that is a genre that I am naturally drawn to, I defy you to listen to this song and not dance. And the horn section is just utterly, utterly on point. 

This is a great album. It has some weak points, such as when Jackson goes overboard on the ballads, but those aside, the consistently outstanding quality of the song-writing and production is stunning. The number of moments off this album that have been sampled is staggering, and demonstrate just how good the Jackson-Jones duo were when everything clicked into place. This is definitely an album I will return to, and it's just a shame that the weaker middle tracks on the B-side just stop this album short of being the absolute triumph it threatens to be.

Chloe's rating: 9
Chloe's favourite track: 1. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
Olly's rating: 9
Olly's favourite track: 3. Workin' Day and Night

Next week we have another seminal album from a troubled star - 965. Back to Black by Amy Winehouse. 

519. Hearts and Bones - Paul Simon

I bloody love a bit of Simon and Garfunkel. Their greatest hits was a common theme heard in my house growing up, and so it has a natural nostalgia that is pretty heart-warming. I don't know the ins and outs of why they split up, but I guess it was an ego thing. Given the consistency of their combined output, we can but imagine the stellar collection they would have achieved with decades working together.

This album apparently started as a potential Simon and Garfunkel reunion album, following their huge success at the concert in Central Park. Paul Simon had released five albums before this point, with several major successes. This one, however, was a commercial flop, reaching only 34 in the UK, and 35 in the US. It has been retrospectively heralded as some of his best work, which is why it appears in this book. Following this failure, Simon felt completely lacking inspiration, and it was through a chance musical encounter that he decided to travel to South Africa to record the remarkably successful Graceland.

Allergies starts things in a fashion that is rather mixed. Musically it is classic 80s, with a huge array of instruments, and some very bizarre studio effects overlaid on most of them. Lyrically, it is one of the strangest things I have ever listened to - I can't work out what the point of it is. Is he allergic to his music, or his love, or both, and frankly, why is this the subject of a song? I've kept trying to work out what the metaphor is for this, but I'm none the wiser after a week of pontificating. Hearts and Bones is slightly more mainstream, but that can also be read as Middle of the Road. Because it is in that saccharine, over-produced, under-baked manner that waning pop stars sometimes fall back on. Numbers get Serious is weird, but a bit more interesting at least - possibly written with Art Garfunkel in mind, who has a Maths Masters Degree from Columbia. Think Too Much (b) is the best song on the album, with a catchy xylophone riff (if that is even a thing), a theme that makes sense, and Simon's voice at its best. It's still a bit fruity, complete with what sounds like a bleating lamb at the beginning, but I can forgive it that. Song about the Moon is ok, but unless I'm listening to it at the time, I can't remember a thing about it; it's the musical equivalent of plain yoghurt. Think Too Much (a) should be renamed Overthinking and playing a musical concept too much. Covering your own song with a slightly more upbeat backing is just album filler, plain and simple. Train in the Distance is catchy and has a bit of swagger about it, and Simon's voice is like a soothing hot chocolate. Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the War is an attempt at painting an image of the surrealist artists. The key word there is attempt, though apparently Rolling Stone rate it as one of Paul Simon's best songs ever, so there you go. Cars are Cars is possibly the most bizarre 3 minutes mainstream pop song I have heard, including this album's opener. Cars are indeed cars Paul, yes, all over the world. A car doesn't stop becoming a car when it is in India, for example. As a tautologically defunct statement, it is up there with the best, and indeed worst. The Late Great Johnny Ace is a tribute to Johnny Ace and John Lennon, and as such, I'm afraid that it makes me care about them less. In that respect, it sums the album up nicely.

This album is not that bad, but it's not very good either; it's the first one I'm really clueless as to why it is in this book. I mean, John Zorn at least gave me a benchmark above which all other music will be placed, which is useful in itself. No single song on this album really does enough to justify its inclusion, as even the best song has a crappy version of itself two tracks later. This was definitely an auditory week I could happily have done without. Indeed, I've spent much of it listening to the new Nick Cave album, which is unsurprisingly excellent. Listen to that instead of this. Please.

Chloe's rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 2. Hearts and Bones

Olly's rating: 4

Olly's favourite track: 4. Think Too Much (b)

So after a few meh weeks, the next one is a belter - 440. Off the Wall by Michael Jackson. Yes, yes, oh yay.