I've been thinking about doing this for awhile but I'm going through the AM artists list and using Rhapsody to listen to artists that I haven't really liked in the past enough to listen to all of their full albums. But, I know that I like at least 10-15 songs and I'm sure I'm missing out on 10-15 more I'd like.
My first artist is Bruce Springsteen an artist that I really have never got into too much. But, after today I was able to make my 27 song "best of" compilation!
Next up: Prince. There are so many albums of his that I haven't fully listened to.
One problem with Prince is that Rhapsody doesn't have a lot of newer stuff and some tracks aren't available on the subscription plan. I think I could have found 50 too.
I definitely have a different opinion of Jimi Hendrix now which I'll comment on in Survivor.
Never mind, I guess he was booted off. I've always only had Axis and Experience. I've never realized how weak Electric Ladyland is. It's pretty much a rehash of the other two albums with some studio techniques tacked on. Minus one great Dylan cover that album is pretty bad. Axis is hit or miss, and Experience is really good. So, you have to judge him kind of like the Dead or James Brown who were hit and miss in the studio but amazing live. If I would have done this before Survivor Jimi would have been on my list a few weeks ago.
A lot of people seem to like Ladyland. I've never been big into albums where the producer is the star of the album. To me, almost every song on Ladyland sounds like one of the weaker tracks on the other two albums with a ton of production to make it sound "trippy".
I don't agree at all. Ladyland is my favorite Hendrix album by far.. there is an intensity, a freedom of means that is not in the 2 previous albums which sound like pop music. jimi wanted to go much farther than pop music, exploring new formats, new musical universes.
But considering your opinions on Stevie W (your preferring Little Stevie to songs In The Key), it makes sense.
I think I can understand why you don't like it, but personnally I don't agree.
I'm so trained in pop music in the simplest sense that it's difficult to really love any other form. But, I've been expanding my boundaries slowly but surely. I come around to things sometimes! Still not there on 70's Stevie for the most part though .
But, my argument about Electric Ladyland doesn't lie with not getting it or understanding it. I just don't think it's any different than the other two albums other than studio techniques. I'd rather listen to The Jimi Hendrix Experience making a great rock record than Jimi Hendrix experimenting with production.
Although I'm a big 64-67 Dylan fan I always wanted to make a comp that spanned his whole career (and add as new stuff came out). I finally did it over the past week with a 75 song "anthology". A few thoughts:
- I don't like Blonde and Blonde as much as I thought I did. I think I've held that album in high regard because of Visions of Johanna. But other than that I don't think any other song on the album ranks in my top 10 (for Dylan)
- I confirmed that I don't like Time Out of Mind or Love and Theft. I don't have one song from either of those albums on my comp. But, I do love Things Have Changed which was released on the Wonder Boys soundtrack in that time period. In fact, I'd say that is the best Dylan track released after 1990. I think Modern Times kind of built off that song which made me pretty happy.
- Planet Waves and Oh Mercy are vastly underrated in Dylan terms. Any Dylan album that was any good was always acclaimed but those albums should probably be talked about when discussing his best work.
- I wish he would have wrote more songs with lyrics for Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid because those songs were his shining moment during his country phase. He released better songs during that period but they weren't really country.
- His Christian albums aren't as bad as I've always read. I'd never really listened to them before. They aren't great but they all have good songs on them. That can't be said about most of the albums he released following that period.
- The Bootleg Series 1-3 is for hardcore fans only minus a few songs (Of course Blind Willie McTell is great). I'm very surprised he didn't have better unreleased material than that, but I guess considering how much music he has released it really shouldn't be.