#354: Billy Joel - 52nd Street

Billy Joel - 52nd Street

October 13, 1978, Columbia

1. "Big Shot" – 4:03

2. "Honesty" – 3:56

3. "My Life" – 4:44

4. "Zanzibar" – 5:13

5. "Stiletto" – 4:42

6. "Rosalinda's Eyes" – 4:41

7. "Half a Mile Away" – 4:08

8. "Until the Night" – 6:35

9. "52nd Street" – 2:27

RESULTS

Rate: 5/10

Best Song: Big Shot

Worst Song: Until the Night

Comments

Look at Billy Joel leaning against that wall with a fucking trumpet and that stupid perm. Now imagine that in music form, and you've got this Album.

It's alot of Billy Joel's classics, so, not very good. I've heard a bunch of these, but can't say I really like it. The Album itself is a snoozefest, producing what can best be described as mediocre at best. Tapped my feet, bopped my head, nothing more.

#355: The Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds

March 1964, Epic

1. "You're a Better Man Than I" - 3:17

2. "Evil Hearted You" - 2:24

3. "I'm a Man" - 2:37

4. "Still I'm Sad" - 2:57

5. "Heart Full of Soul" - 2:28

6. "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" - 3:26

7. "Smokestack Lightning" - 5:35

8. "Respectable" - 5:28

9. "I'm a Man" - 4:24

10. "Here 'Tis" - 5:04

RESULTS

Rate: 6.5/10

Best Song: Evil Hearted You

Worst Song: Still I'm Sad

Comments

So, the whole "1960's British Invasion" -esque kind of music, with the whole traditional Boy Band shit, like The Beatles and whatnot, has also hit a sweet spot for me.

At the beginning of the Album, it was really doing it for me. I was baffled how I had never even HEARD of these guys before, they were incredible, with a sound so original, and beat so catchy, it was astonishing that Eric Clapton had ever left them.

And then Track 3 killed my hopes and dreams.

The songs became twangy, and Bluesy, which really didn't fit the Rock very well, and you can tell that after Clapton left, they didn't really know how to add the right ingredients properly. The few ending songs have some Live Clapton again and it saves the Album from drowning, but goddamn, they are just miserable. Still, the first two tracks are worth a listen, admittingly catchy.

#356: Randy Newman - 12 Songs

Randy Newman - 12 Songs

April 1970, Reprise

1. "Have You Seen My Baby?" – 2:32

2. "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" – 3:03

3. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" – 2:12

4. "Suzanne" – 3:15

5. "Lover's Prayer" – 1:55

6. "Lucinda" – 2:40

7. "Underneath the Harlem Moon" (Originally by Mack Gordon, Harry Revel) – 1:52

8. "Yellow Man" – 2:19

9. "Old Kentucky Home" – 2:40

10. "Rosemary" – 2:08

11. "If You Need Oil" – 3:00

12. "Uncle Bob's Midnight Blues" – 2:15

RESULTS

Rate: 4/10

Best Song: Have You Seen My Baby?

Worst Song: If You Need Oil

Comments

Holy shiiiiiit another Randy Newman Album? Who made this list, Toy Story?

The Album is just Randy Newman, and I don't really like Randy Newman. His weird groaning and rambling is so insincere to what he's trying to get a message about. When I first listened to this Album, I was like "Oh, this isn't too bad." But then I let it sink in, and it just didn't stick well with me. I feel like this is another one of those silly filler Albums. 

On top of that, I cannot get over how good the reception was to this. What genre even is this?!