Archive for the ‘The Album-a-Day Project’ Category

Squeeze-Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

Keepers:

I Learnt How to Pray
Break My Heart
I Won’t Ever Go Drinking Again (?)
Love’s a Four Letter Word
The Fortnight Saga

Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

ABBA-Arrival

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

Arrival

One of the reasons I really love ABBA is the way they oh-so-sweetly butcher the English language. “Is” becomes a delightful “iss”, Hawaii becomes something that sounds like “huhwhy”… the phonetic successors to the Shocking Blue.

I also loved the girls’ cat dresses (seemingly re-made into shirts some time later because they obviously didn’t have the money for new costumes), although they weren’t wearing them anymore by the time this record came out.

Have I mentioned yet that whenever I had a particularly wild night (and predictably wobbly morning) ABBA was the only thing that could get me on my feet?

That’s why I love ABBA.

Keepers:

When I Kissed the Teacher
Dancing Queen
My Love, My Life
Dum Dum Diddle
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Money, Money, Money
Tiger
Fernando (Bonus)
Happy Hawaii (Bonus)

Arrival

Ringo Starr-Vertical Man

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

Vertical Man

All of the post-comeback Ringo records are good ones – nothing on them is bad, and there are usually a couple of standouts.

Keepers:

Vertical Man
La De Da

Vertical Man

Zombies-I Love You

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

I Love You

Keepers:

Is This The Dream
Whenever You’re Ready
You Make Me Feel Good
Gotta Get A Hold Of Myself
Don’t Go Away
I Love You
Leave Me Be
Remember You
Just Out Of Reach
She Does Everything For Me

I Love You

R.E.M.-Murmur

Monday, December 26th, 2011

Murmur

Keepers:

Radio Free Europe
Pilgrimage
Talk About The Passion
Catapult
Sitting Still

Murmur

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

Spector Christmas

For the third year in a row, but no Christmas could be complete without it, right?

Merry Christmas everybody!

Christmas Pantheon:

White Christmas – Darlene Love
Frosty the Snowman – The Ronettes
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – The Crystals
Sleigh Ride – The Ronettes
Marshmallow World – Darlene Love
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – The Crystals
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – The Ronettes
Winter Wonderland – Darlene Love
Parade of the Wooden Soldiers – The Crystals
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
Here Comes Santa Claus – Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans

A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

William Wilde Zeitler-Crystal Christmas

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Crystal Christmas

It’s Christmas Eve… something quiet.

Crystal Christmas

Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

Christmas Pantheon:

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Sleigh Ride
The Christmas Song
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Winter Wonderland
White Christmas

Other Keepers:

Jingle Bells
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Frosty The Snowman

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

California Guitar Trio-A Christmas Album

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

A Christmas Album

Christmas Pantheon:

Greensleeves (What Child Is This)
Silent Night

Other Keepers:

Carol Of The Bells
Oh Christmas Tree
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Unto Us A Child Is Born
Jingle Bells
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

A Christmas Album

Beatles-Magical Mystery Tour

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Magical Mystery Tour

Keepers:

All You Need Is Love
Baby You’re A Rich Man
Hello Goodbye
I Am The Walrus
Magical Mystery Tour
Penny Lane
Strawberry Fields Forever
The Fool On The Hill
Your Mother Should Know

Magical Mystery Tour

The Who-It’s Hard

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

It's Hard

It sure must’ve been. They had a great run, though.

Keepers:

It’s Hard

It’s Hard

Jim Reeves-12 Songs of Christmas

Monday, December 19th, 2011

12 Songs of Christmas

Christmas Pantheon:

An Old Christmas Card
Silver Bells
Silent Night

Other Keepers:

Jingle Bells
Blue Christmas
White Christmas
Mary’s Boy Child
Oh Come All Ye Faithful

12 Songs of Christmas

Christmas With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

Christmas With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos

Great songs, great band playing at their best, great singer…

This one probably has to be up there as one of the best Christmas records ever made – no surprise, because Buck Owens almost always did everything right.

Christmas Pantheon:

Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
Jingle Bells
Blue Christmas Tree

Other Keepers:

Christmas Ain’t Christmas
All I Want For Christmas Dear
Santa’s Gonna Come In A Stagecoach
Christmas Time’s A Coming
Here Comes Santa Claus Again
Christmas Morning
It’s Christmas Time For Everyone But Me
Because It’s Christmas Time

Christmas With Buck Owens And His Buckaroos

Paul McCartney-Pipes Of Peace

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

Pipes Of Peace

Keepers:

Keep Under Cover
Simple As That (Bonus Track)

Pipes Of Peace

Gene Clark (White Light)

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Gene Clark

Keepers:

The Virgin
With Tomorrow
White Light
Because Of You
One In A Hundred
For A Spanish Guitar
Where My Love Lies Asleep
Tears Of Rage
1975
Because Of You (Bonus)
Ship Of The Lord (Bonus)
Opening Day (Bonus)
Winter In (Bonus)

Gene Clark

Eric Burdon and the Animals-Love Is

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Love Is

Keepers:

River Deep Mountain High
I’m An Animal
To Love Somebody

Love Is

Moby Grape

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Moby Grape

Keepers:

Hey Grandma
8:05
Omaha
Someday
Ain’t No Use
Sitting By The Window
Lazy Me
Indifference

Moby Grape

Phil Manzanera-Diamond Head

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Diamond Head

I remember the day I bought this one. For weeks I had known of its existence and I knew I needed to have it, but the record store never got it in – or so I thought.

Albums were kept in bins sorted by artist with labeled white plastic separators, and I had been searching through the “M” section for it, which seemed prudent until the day I was looking through “Z”s and found today’s album in a bin labeled “Philman Zanera”.

Lesson learned: when dealing with the obscure, assume misunderstanding.

A great album by the way, with lots of good otherwise unavailable Eno and Robert Wyatt performances.

Keepers:

Lagrima
Big Day
The Flex
Miss Shapiro
Alma
Diamond Head
Frontera

Diamond Head

Television-Adventure

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Adventure

Keepers:

Glory
Days
Foxhole
Ain’t That Nothin’

Adventure

Steve Earle-Train A Comin’

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

Train A Comin'

Keepers:

Angel Is the Devil
Mystery Train Part II
Nothin’ Without You
Rivers of Babylon
Sometimes She Forgets
Tom Ames’ Prayer

Train A Comin’