The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

I have not checked the veracity of the story yet, but the source is usually pretty knowledgeable when I fact check him on these type of things.

My coworker says that part of the reason that Richard sang in such a high pitched and raved up the songs so much was due to the fact that when he would submit songs to various labels in a more traditional register and tempo, the label would then come back with a version of what ever song as recorded by Pat Boone. He grew tired of this and started to perform them in a way that Boone could not and was soon being asked to release the songs for himself.

I also don't remember where I read it but Jimi Hendrix was a member of Richard's touring band. He fired Hendrix in 1964 for upstaging him during the shows with guitar antics. There are stories of him cussing Hendrix out backstage after shows. I find the bit in the 70's Hendrix documentary where Richard is all like yeah we knew he was something and basically, I discovered him quite ironic given that information.
 
2/3/23
View attachment 165912
Little Richard - Here's Little Richard



Allmusic Review:

In December I went on a bit of a classic binge while I had a Tidal sub and streamed a couple Little Richard albums, including this one. I used to teach a course where I used music to highlight social change and the videos of Little Richard performing songs on this album were always fun to share with my students. It was rare that any of them knew who he was, so it was nice to get to spread some of that to a new generation. I also enjoyed listening to the whole album again so soon after my last listen. Lots of quality stuff on this and it still packs a punch for me.

5/5
 
2/2/23
View attachment 165812Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick R



Allmusic Review:


4/5 for me. There are a lot of songs I REALLY really like, a few that are just kind of okay by me and besides "Candle in the Wind" being tainted by royalty it's a song I can appreciate but don't really want to listen to.

I definitely need to listen to more 70s Elton.
 
So, I'm a couple of albums behind but I listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road today and I didn't love it. Other than the title track, I've never been a fan of the other singles ("Candle In The Wind", "Bennie & The Jets" and "Saturday"). And none of the songs I hadn't heard really stood out in any way.

But speaking of Bennie, I can't hear it now without thinking of Tribe's track "Solid Wall Of Sound" which not only samples the song but also includes new vocals by Elton John as well.



And then also the great cover of the song by Biz Markie with the Beastie Boys

 
#11 - Little Richard - Here’s Little Richard

Going into the wayback machine here. One of my struggles in my amateur music criticism is how to treat pre-Beatles/Dylan/Beach Boys rock music as i respect it more than like it (with the exception proving the rule being Jerry Lee Lewis’ Live at the Star Club album). With the 50s, I do better with jazz, country (Hank Williams) and pop (Frank Sinatra) than I do with rock. To some extent, I recognize that rock fans in the 50s just didn’t listen to music the way I do. The context of listening to an album such as this as an A-side/B-side exercise is more palatable than 30 minutes in a row, where just about anything from this era is skeletal and samey when compared to the revolution in sound about to come. For what it’s worth, this is the problem with early hip hop for me as well, where it really isn’t until Paul’s Boutique/3 Feet High/It Takes A Nation of Millions that I’m locked in and loaded.

That’s a long-winded lead in to simply state I recognize the importance and influence, but this isn’t really for me. Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, and Rip It Up absolutely rock. And the other tunes I’d bop my head to at the local diner. But as a digestible album, this is short yet still tiring. A case where the parts are greater than the sum. Some of those parts are damn good though, which is why this gets a 3.

Rating - 3.0/5
 
2/6/2023
ab67616d0000b2730d3c010fcecbeb9669801e42

Songhoy Blues = Music in Exhile



The Guardian Review:
 
Don't know this one at all! Very excited to check it out.
I know I've listened to it in my many sound journeys over the years, but I don't think I've ever given it any kind of dedicated listening. The album has a bit of a fun history... the guitarist of Yeah Yeah Yeahs was a big fan, produced this album, and in the US it was put out on Julian Casablanca's label. It just started after another listen of Little Richard and I can dig this (so far - I said the same about Red Snapper during the first song too and ultimately disliked that album)...
 
I resisted putting Talking Timbuktu in the RIYL, but that is a natural thing to listen to next if you enjoy this and are unfamiliar. It would not surprise me if that is in this list. It's Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder.
 
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