60. American Beauty - The Grateful Dead
57. John Lennon/The Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon
(Warner Bros. 1970, Stephan Barncard)
It has become easy to forget that in amongst the great artistic statements and sonic experimentation of the 1970s they're lied some of the greatest populist successes of all time. It has become almost fashionable to ignore such releases. After all, I myself often denied Wings, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and of course The Greatful Dead their well earned kudos for many years. Yet when composing a list of this sort it is foolhardy to ignore such popular and comprehensive works. American Beauty is one such work, it's charming from start to finish, it's supremely well executed with each track managing to be somehow more endearing than the last. American Beauty focused almost exclusively on love which always bodes well for commercial success. The album is stacked full of irresistible pop music "Ripple", "Candyman", "Super Magnolia" and of course the albums inescapable opener "Box Of Rain" are among the bands best work. In between the stand outs are laid back and melodious slices of day dream pops perfect for wasting days away. While it can get a little to saccharine at times American Beauty has the good taste to be short, albeit very sweet. "Truckin'" appears at the albums climax, serving as a final stamp of approval on The Grateful Dead's total commercial dominance.
59. Red - King Crimson
(Island 1974, King Crimson)
Depending on whether you consider In The Court Of King Crimson to be an master work or an atrocity, Red is either King Crimson's greatest moment or a stunning return to form and a final moment in the sun for the fractious King Crimson in it's original form (well sort of). The biggest surprise on Red is not Fripp's mind blowing prog excellence or one of their trade marked freak outs, but just how accessible and admirable this LP is. It seems like a strange concept but in 1974 King Crimson created an album that was actually far reaching and relatable. It sounds like a back handed compliment, but it's really not, making prog for the masses is not easy (just ask Dream Theatre). Yet at this one moment in time King Crimson brought it all together; emotive landscapes, impressive guitar work, weird instrumental quirks and engaging melodies and lyricism. "Fallen Angel" with it's New York City narrative is positively engaging and "Starless" formed their greatest master work since "21st Century Schziod Man". The latter's lyrical woolliness was more than compensated for by a thrilling and brooding arrangement. It seems bizarre to say it, but out of King Crimson's most fractious moment came their most cohesive and complete work.
58. Exodus - Bob Marley & The Wailers
(Tuff Gong 1977, Bob Marley & The Wailers)
Legend was the title given to Bob Marley's world concurring greatest hits collection, and it's a perfectly fitting summation of Bob Marley the man and Bob Marley the musician. He is in a sense a myth, an Icon, shrouded in a cloak of love and adulation it's easy to forget that he was always most comfortable as a globe straddling pop star rather than albums artist. After all, while everyone and their mother owns a greatest hits collection, how many have actually delved into Marley's back catalogue? Those who do find a largely hit a miss collection from an artist as prone to vague meaningless jamming as irresistible pop singles. Exodus is the one notable exception, the one Marley album that works from start to finish with a real sense of effortless brilliance. While the vitriol and energy that made Marley a live legend are missing, the thick laid grooves are captivating and instrumentation on Exodus is his most engaging. "Natural Mystic" sets the tone and demeaner for the entire record. In many ways Exodus is the Marley concept executed to perfection. What would normally be filler is transformed into soothing grooves that eventually swell to a run of irresistible and increasingly intense singles. The perfect marriage of spacious jams and focused hits. "Exodus", "Jamming", "Waiting In Vain", "Three Little Birds", "One Love/People Get Ready" and particularly the beautiful "Turn Your Lights Down Low" complete a run of unstoppable singles that not even MJ's Thriller could hope to match. This is the stuff Legends are made of, so put down Legend and pick up Exodus.
(Apple 1970, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector)
The Plastic Ono Band remains one of histories most harrowing records. After under going Primal Therapy and forcibly confronting his most traumatic child hood memories John Lennon entered the studio and recorded his greatest solo album. Full of deep introspection and brutal honesty The Plastic Ono Band stands apart from other singer songwriter's efforts due to it's sheer ferocity. While Antony Hegarty may be brutally honest, he can't match those blood curdling screams that conclude "Mother". It's still remarkable that a scream so guttural, so mournful, and so hate filled could sound so damn tuneful. As an album The Plastic Ono Band is spare, basic chords, minimal instrumentation, simplistic vocal arrangements, there are no bells and whistles it's just one man alone screaming his lungs out. It's amazing to think that the now overly covered to the point of artistic bankruptcy, "Working Class Hero" was once too radical and daring to ever consider releasing. While the track's scorn is eventually turned on it's author (like so much of Plastic Ono Band) you can't help but relate and feel moved by it's most simplistic and iconic lines; "As Soon As You're Born They Make You Small, By Giving You No Time, Instead Of It All" and "There's Room At The Top They Are Telling You Still, But First You Must Learn To Smile As You Kill". It's simple, it's direct, it's scornful and most importantly it's a frank admission of grief, guilt, and self loathing. Pure simplicity, simply perfection.
56. Songs Of Love & Hate - Leonard Cohen
(Columbia 1971, Bob Johnston)
While the arrangements may have become richer and more involving, at it's heart Songs Of Love & Hate is all about Leonard Cohen lyricsim and his choppy guitar work. Songs Of Love & Hate is split into two halves, not just by the natural format of vinyl but as a work as a whole. The first half is made of engaging songs where you get wrapped up in Leonard's deep bassy vocal, you find yourself hypnotically lulled into world. You feel the resentment on "Avalanche" and the sexuality on "Last Year's Man" and of course you'll smile a wry smile at Leonard's near country stomp along "Diamonds In The Mine". It's hard not to laugh as Leonard uncharacteristically tells the band to "take it away". If the first half was marked by it's engaging nature, then the latter half is characterized by it's sheer brilliance. "The Love That Calls You By Name" starts on shaky footing before growing into one of Leonard's greatest works, while "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song writing marvel as Cohen leads us through a strange love triangle over one of the most stirring and affecting arrangements of his entire career. "Joan Of Arc" rounds off the trio of classics and features some of Cohen's most memorable one liners ("Then Fire, Make Your Body Cold, I'm Gonna Give You Mine To Hold") while "Sing Another One, Boys" almost feels like showing off. A masterful live performance at the legendary Isle Of Wight festival to cap off a remarkable album. As you'd expect from Cohen this album is emotionally brutal but it's also one of his most pleasurable, and surprisingly, accessible albums. Cohen's second finest hour.
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