Are there any famous albums out there that you’ve ignored over the years? I have a small cache of them, which I keep secret because when people find out I’ve never listened to them they sort of freak out. A similar reaction occurs when the movie “E.T.” comes up in conversation. I’ve never seen it, which for some reason makes peoples’ eyes pop out of their head. I know it’s supposed to be this great, heartwarming story but science fiction (I know, I know…it isn’t really science fiction, not in the pure sense anyway) has never been my thing.
OK, so I should say that while I’ve certainly heard a song or two from these records, none of them have been given a full listen. Why is that? Part of it is certainly lack of interest — I’m not the biggest fan of any of these artists. And then I’ll admit right here that there’s a little push back on my part in reaction to the huge amounts of praise these albums have received. Have I been missing out? Probably.
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
During my high school years, the only Beatles record I ever bothered with was the White Album. If there had been another decent rock station in the area, I would have spun the dial when “My Sweet Lord” came on. Yeah, yeah, I known all about Clapton being on it and Phil Spector and all of that. No thanks.
Derek & the Dominoes – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
I was, and remain, a pretty big fan of Eric Clapton. But I never could get behind “Layla.” Or maybe I burned out on it. I’ve heard other bits and pieces from this and despite the added presence of Duane Allman, the songs only served to remind me of how much the British/White Boy Blues thing didn’t resonate with me.
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
There are a handful of Bowie songs that I really like, “Suffragette City” being one of them. But for whatever reason — and this is something I’ve never been able to pin down, at least not past my perception that his vocal delivery leaves me cold — I never really “got” David Bowie. “Oh dude, but it’s Bowie!” Yeah, I know. That’s the problem.
The Kinks – The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
This one is an outlier because I always dug the Kinks, though I didn’t become a big fan until their late-70s Low Budget resurgence. Heck, I might have to listen to this later today.
All of this brings me to Song Cycle. I was reminded of this one when our own Nick DeRiso reviewed Van Dyle Parks’ most recent release Songs Cycled. Van Dyke Parks, given his associations with folks such as Brian Wilson, is often spoken of in somewhat hallowed terms. Back in the 80s, I had a work associate who was a huge Beach Boys fan. At the time I just did not understand this, but that was my twenty-something/music-must-be-loud self. He loaned me Song Cycle, insisting it was one of the most brilliant albums ever recorded. So yes, I did actually listen to this. Once. I hated it. Good gawd, tinkling piano, strings, fey vocals and stories about…oh hell, who cares?!!
So all of these years later I had to give this one another chance. The verdict? This is a clever little record. I’m sure my younger self just wasn’t ready for this kind of eclecticism. Also, there are no guitars to pummel the ear drums. I’ve also become a fan of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys over the years so that explains a lot as well.
Will I give those other records a try? Maybe.
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Don’t deny your inner child – there’s usually a reason for not listening to these overrated classics: because they often suck.
For instance: All Things Must Pass, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, and Song Cycle. Actually, Layla’s OK, but too much for one complete listening session – a single album would have been brilliant.
Hey, Chinese Democracy is a clever little record as well – and it sucks too.
“Layla” contains everything anybody really needs to know about how to play the electric guitar. I don’t think that a lot of “All Things Must Pass” has aged all that well, though it has its moments. Check out “Awaiting on You All.” However, “Song Cycle” is a true work of young audacious genius which takes a number of listenings to truly fathom. And “VIllage Green,” along with “Something Else” and much of “Face to Face,” and a few of the singles from that era (“Autumn Almanac”) are magnificent. Trouble is, Ray Davies wasn’t a very good record producer, and the records don’t sound as good as they could. But any album with “Days” on it is automatically a great album.