Music

49: This Way (Jewel)

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Album: This Way
Artist: Jewel
Year: 2001

1. Standing Still
2. Jesus Loves You
3. Everybody Needs Someone Sometime
4. Break Me
5. Do You Want to Play?
6. Till We Run Out of Road
7. Serve the Ego
8. This Way
9. Cleveland
10. I Won’t Walk Away
11. Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone
12. The New Wild West

I either dislike or am not impressed with every single on this album. I can’t even remember why I bought it. Did I like the harsh sounding Standing Still and the awkward singing in This Way when they first came out? Or did someone play me the good songs from the rest of the album? Either way, I’m glad I got it. This Way is a little more poppy than her first two albums, but nowhere near the trashy dance music she put out on 0304.

Jesus Loves You is a pretty strong critique of societal platitudes, and Cleveland might be her best love song. Do You Want to Play? is fun to listen to, if only so often. She also does a pretty good Janis Joplin imitation on Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone.  My version of the album included some decent bonus tracks, but I didn’t include them above, mainly because they’re nothing to write home about.

Music

50: Thinkin’ About You (Trisha Yearwood)

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Album: Thinkin’ About You
Artist: Trisha Yearwood
Year: 1995

1. Thinkin’ About You
2. XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl)
3. You Can Sleep While I Drive
4. The Restless Kind
5. On a Bus to St. Cloud
6. Fairytale
7. Those Words We Said
8. O Mexico
9. I Wanna Go Too Far
10. Til I Get It Right

Thinkin’ About You is a pretty uneven album, but deserves its spot in the top fifty thanks to featuring two of my favorite songs.

Before she married Garth, Trisha had a pretty successful solo career, though not because of me. Of the five songs that were released on this album, my two favorites are the two that charted the worst. I Wanna Go Too Far was a top ten hit and I still don’t understand it.

The title track is pretty unmemorable but Trish sings it really well. You Can Sleep While I Drive is a gorgeous cover of a Melissa Etheridge song, and one I often rock my baby to sleep singing. On a Bus to St. Cloud got more play in my area than most of the country because of the local connection. It’s about a lover committing suicide and is one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard. As for the rest of the album, the standouts are the melodically relaxing Fairytale and O Mexico.

 

Music

51: Glass Houses (Billy Joel)

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Album: Glass Houses
Artist: Billy Joel
Year: 1980

1. You May Be Right
2. Sometimes a Fantasy
3. Don’t Ask Me Why
4. It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me
5. All for Leyna
6. I Don’t Want to Be Alone
7. Sleeping With the Television On
8. C’etait Toi (You Were the One)
9. Close to the Borderline
10. Through the Long Night

The album cover has Billy Joel ready to throw a rock through a glass house, and appropriately, the first song starts with the sound of glass breaking. Makes sense after all these years!

Don’t Ask Me Why is my favorite BJ song. The rhyme scheme is delicious and I love singing along to it. I’m also fan of the stylings of You May Be Right (I mayyy be craaaaazy!) and Sleeping With the Television On. All for Leyna is a good rocker. C’etait Toi is pretty. There are no out and out duds on the album, though they’re not all strong.

I don’t mind it per se, but I’m pretty over It’s Still Rock & Roll to Me. Not only are the lyrics dated, but I just don’t care for the melody. I Don’t Want to Be Alone and Close to the Borderline don’t do much for me either, but they’re fine filler.

The final song, Through the Long Night sounds just like something Paul McCartney would have released around the white album years. It’s a departure from most of Joel’s ballads and it’s a great way to end my favorite BJ album.

Music

52: Who I Am (Alan Jackson)

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Album: Who I Am
Artist: Alan Jackson
Year: 1994

1. Summertime Blues
2. Livin’ on Love
3. Hole in the Wall
4. Gone Country
5. Who I Am
6. You Can’t Give Up On Love
7. I Don’t Even Know Your Name
8. Song for the Life
9. Thank God for the Radio
10. All American Country Boy
11. Job Descripion
12. If I Had You
13. Let’s Get Back to Me and You

Jackson’s career took off pretty fast and hit it’s first high note with Chattahoochee, on this third album. He’s had some pretty amazing songs, including She’s Got the Rhythm (and I’ve Got the Blues) and Midnight in Montgomery, but most of his albums contain one or two songs that are just trying to be too cute. This album pretty much stays away from that.

It starts with a pretty decent cover of Summertime Blues, then rattles off a couple of #1 hits in Livin’ on Love and Gone County, the latter being one of Alan’s more creatively composed songs. I initially placed Hole in the Wall in the “too cute” category, and it is silly, but over the years it’s grown on me, mostly because deep down it’s a really depressing song (about a guy who completely flips out after noticing a nail hole where a picture of his ex used to hang).

Oh I guess a saner man
Would simply paint it
But I’m not sane and after all
It’s my wall, ain’t it
I’ve got this hammer in my hand
And when I’m through
There’ll be a hole in that wall
Big enough to drive a truck through

The middle of the album is where Who I Am really heats up. I Don’t Even Know Your Name is a fun ditty about a guy who gets so drunk he accidentally marries his ugly waitress, and Song for the Life is easily my favorite. a wonderful ballad by Rodney Crowell. Job Description is my third favorite on the album. The album ends pretty weakly, as there is no reason to have those final two songs. But eleven solid songs in a row was enough to make the countdown.

Sidebar: I find it annoying that 99% of country album covers are just a picture of the artist. Is that just the safe thing to do?  They make them completely unmemorable.

Music

53: Solid Ground (John Anderson)

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Album: Solid Ground
Artist: John Anderson
Year: 1993

1. Money in the Bank
2. I’ve Got It Made
3. I Fell in the Water
4. Bad Love Gone Good
5. All Things to All Things
6. Where I Come From
7. I Wish I Could Have Been There
8. Nashville Tears
9. Can’t Get Away From You
10. Solid Ground

John languished in mediocrity in the 80’s when country music was pretty bad, so it was surprising when he finally became popular in the early 90’s (during his late 30’s), starting with Seminole Wind. He then put together five solid years of top ten hits. His best album is Solid Ground, which had four hits.

Money in the Bank was the first song released and his last number one as an artist. I’ve Got It Made is a really sweet song about being satisfied with your current lot in life. But the album’s killer tune is I Fell in the Water, about idolizing the wrong woman. Most of the rest of the album is John singing about keeping life simple and the environment clean (a common theme throughout his career). It’s repetitive, but pleasant all the same. I Wish I Could Have Been There is his version of Cat’s in the Cradle and was another hit for him.

John never strayed from his Grand Ol’ Opry roots, and most of his stuff is either too silly or too dull for my tastes. Solid Ground hits the sweet spot and is a good introduction to his music.

 

 

 

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54: ABBA (ABBA)

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Album: ABBA
Artist: ABBA
Year: 1975

1. Mamma Mia
2. Hey, Hey Helen
3. Tropical Loveland
4. SOS
5. Man in the Middle
6. Bang-A-Boomerang
7. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
8. Rock Me
9. Intermezzo No. 1
10. I’ve Been Waiting For You
11. So Long

I was introduced to ABBA’s music as a kid and they were probably the first non-children’s band I ever sang along to. While many of their songs from a lyrical standpoint don’t rise above your run-of-the-mill pop band, they rose above it by having great harmonies and some excellent guitar and piano work by Benny and Bjorn.

The popular songs from their self-titled album are Mamma Mia, SOS, and Rock Me, which I remember singing out loud as a kid and still love to do now. Two of the pleasant surprises from this album are Hey, Hey Helen (about a women leaving her abusive husband) and Tropical Loveland about…a tropical loveland, but it’s a very catchy tune. But easily the hidden gem here is Intermezzo No 1, a rockin’ instrumental that really shows off Benny’s talents and makes me long for an Intermezzo No 2.

My favorite ABBA songs are on other albums (Knowing Me, Knowing You; Take a Chance on Me; One of Us) but their self-titled album is the most consistent from beginning to end.

Music

55: Eye of the Zombie (John Fogerty)

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Album: Eye of the Zombie
Artist: John Fogerty
Year: 1986

1. Goin’ Back Home
2. Eye of the Zombie
3. Headlines
4. Knockin’ on Your Door
5. Change in the Weather
6. Violence is Golden
7. Wasn’t That a Woman
8. Soda Pop
9. Sail Away

Is that a zombie on the album cover or a werewolf? Either way, most critics and fans felt confused by this album and it failed miserably. CCR’s frontman didn’t release another solo album for eleven years after this flop. I’m in the camp that not only enjoys it, but feel it’s better than his #1 album Centerfield, which had too much screaming for my taste.

Goin’ Back Home is a synthesized instrumental that really isn’t worth anyone’s time, and the album pretty much gets better in slow increments from there on out. Most of the songs are classic rockers that highlight John’s guitar work, with repeating beats and choruses. Violence is Golden is his one protest song on the album, but he tries to be funny with it. It’s worth it just to hear him rhyme TNT and enemy.

Soda Pop is a tounge-in-cheek song about advertising. I mostly love it for the chorus which is repeated at least 20 times. Sail Away is one of John’s prettiest ballads and has an almost angelic quality to it, which is bizarre if you know the rest of his work. Overall, this certainly isn’t the best from Fogerty, but if you like him and you like simple rockers, then you might want to give this a go.

Music

56: Cooleyhighharmony (Boyz II Men)

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Album: Cooleyhighharmony
Artist: Boyz II Men
Year: 1991

1. Please Don’t Go
2. Lonely Heart
3. This is My Heart
4. Uhh Ahh
5. It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
6. Motownphilly
7. Under Pressure
8. Sympin’
9. Little Things
10. Your Love

The debut album for the proteges of Bel Biv Devoe, Boyz II Men burst onto the pop charts with (appropriately) some really awesome harmonies. To be honest, their lyrics rarely do much for me, and many of their ballads are very simplistic. But damn if I don’t find myself swaying to their velvet voices in This is My Heart or beat the steering wheel during Motownphilly. Yesterday is a bit overrated for me, but still solid. And Under Pressure, as they explicitly state in the intro, is a pretty great example of them blending harmony with hip hop.

Interestingly, the album is divided into slow songs in the first half, and up-tempo songs in the second half. I’m not sure that would work for every album, but it seems appropriate here.

I didn’t care much for their sophomore album, though I did dig their duet with Mariah Carey, at least the first eighty-thousand times I heard it.

Music

57: Begin to Hope (Regina Spektor)

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Album: Begin to Hope
Artist: Regina Spektor
Year: 2006

1. Fidelity
2. Better
3. Samson
4. On the Radio
5. Field Below
6. Hotel Song
7. Apres Moi
8. 20 Years of Snow
9. That Time
10. Edit
11. Lady
12. Summer in the City

Despite my affinity for jam bands, I also love a singer/songwriter who can play a mean piano.

I struggled ranking this album considering it has songs I adore as well as loathe. I’m not a huge Regina fan as I find her glottal stop thing she does pretty obnoxious, as well as her songs that eschew melody or structure. The last half of this album has quite a bit of that, though I do enjoy Edit a little bit.

Begin to Hope, however, has probably my favorite first half of any album. Fidelity is an incredibly sad song despite it being about falling in love. Better is above average. Samson and On the Radio are both in my top 30, both lyrically and musically perfect.  I prefer her version of Samson on her 2002 album Songs, but this one is pretty damn good, too. And every time I hear Hotel Song, I sing about orca whales and owls pretty much the rest of the day. If I’m listening to this album, I often turn it off after Hotel Song.

There are extended versions of this album that add a whole slew of songs. If you’re so inclined, Dusseldorf is a pretty good track.

Music

58: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)

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Album: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
Artist: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Year: 1970

1. Some of Shelly’s Blues
2. Prodigal’s Return
3. Cure
4. Travelin’ Mood
5. Chicken Reel
6. Yukon Railroad
7. Livin’ Without You
8. Clinch Mountain Backstep
9. Rave On
10. Billy in the Low Ground
11. Jesse James
12. Uncle Charlie Interview
13. Mr. Bojangles
14. Opus 36
15. Santa Rosa
16. Propinquity
17. Uncle Charlie
18. Randy Lynn Rag
19. House at Pooh Corner
20. Swanee River
21. Uncle Charlie Interview #2 / Spanish Fandango

With 21 songs, you’d think it was a double album. In reality, it’s a lot of short songs and instrumentals. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is most famous for their song Fishin’ in the Dark, but they released a ton of albums before that song ever hit the airwaves. This one’s my favorite.  Like many folk albums, a lot of the songs are borrowed, but they’re borrowed pretty damn well.

The album is strongest at the beginning. Some of Shelly’s Blues (Michael Nesmith) is a classic, but it doesn’t let up for a while after that. The instrumentals are true jugband material, replete with mandolins, a washtub bass, a washboard, conga, accordion, and lots o’ pluckin’. Some of the more solid vocals are on Prodigal’s Return (Kenny Loggins) and Livin’ Without You (Randy Newman).

Then the album is broken up with random interviews with some old guy named Charlie (an in-law of the album’s producer), who is supposed to be Mr. Bojangles. They’re not terribly interesting, and the harmonica is pretty obnoxious. Thankfully, Mr. Bojangles is strong enough to help you forget.

The rest of the album is hit and miss, with the hits being Propinquity (Michael Nesmith) and House at Pooh Corner (Kenny Loggins). I can’t explain why I’m obsessed with this version of the Three Acre Wood homage, but they turned a pretty but nap-inducing lullaby into an uplifting romp.

The album ends with another silly interview, but that’s a nitpick for this otherwise fun folk record.