476 - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - (eponymous)

I gotta be honest...musically, this album is really good. If you have any inclination towards blues bands (not just a singer and guitar), this needs your attention. HOWEVER...I am not a fan of Paul Butterfield's vocals. I'm sorry, I find his voice to be too weak. I wasn't pleased with his voice at first, but when the drummer, Sam Lay, takes over to do the vocals for "I Got My Mojo Working," my mood changed completely. The kickass guitars, organs, and harmonica (where Paul really shines) finally had a voice that fit the rough and gritty feel of the songs. But it goes to show you how great the music is that my dislike for the vocals was merely an annoyance and not enough to turn me off of these songs.

Songs I knew I liked: None of these versions, though I'm familiar with other artists' versions of "Shake Your Money Maker," "I Got My Mojo Working," and "Screamin'"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Born in Chicago"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: There aren't any I feel strongly enough to not want to hear again.

474 - Otis Redding - Live in Europe

(Gotta skip past 475 for the time being as my source of all of the music so far - Rhapsody - doesn't offer Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love. Hopefully I should have a copy to listen to within the next 24-48 hours.)



A searing live set by a great R&B singer. The man had energy that he burned quite profusely while on stage. I was shocked to discover while listening to this album that Aretha Franklin's "Respect" was actually a remake of Otis's original where the guy comes home from work wanting respect from his woman. He later does a cover of "Satisfaction (I Can't Get No)" that comes across as a Vegas version to me. But his covers aren't all bad. His remake of the Beatles' "Day Tripper" works really well as a James Brown-esque jam.

Songs I knew I liked: I'm familiar with other versions of many of these songs. Otherwise, I know the Otis's studio versions of "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and "These Arms of Mine."

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa (Sad Song)" and "Day Tripper"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: The original (male) version of "Respect." After knowing only Aretha's version, Otis's original seems rather backwards to me.

473 - Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head

I have mixed emotions about this album. I thought the band was okay when I heard "Yellow" and was put off a little by how much the press drooled over them. I've always seen Coldplay as a more pop version of Radiohead*. My uneasiness with the band definitely increased with the release of A Rush of Blood to the Head. It took "Clocks" to embed itself in my head for me to confess liking them enough to buy their CD...a CD that I haven't heard since a few months after buying it. So, yes, I have this CD in my collection, but I've avoided it so much that my listening to it today was just as much as a rediscovery than a technicality to meet my "listen to the album twice before writing a review" requirement.

On this album, Coldplay finds a sound and sticks to it fairly well on the first half. Chris and the band have crafted ballads that are laid atop a rhythm that insists that the listener bob his or her head or shake a fist. Starting with "Politik," the piano, guitars, and drums bang out a beat in the intro and choruses and then sit softly during the verses. Are the drums about to go into "When the Levee Breaks" at the beginning of "In My Place?" Nope, just setting the beat counterpoint for another ballad-like song. After a soft intro with strumming acoustic guitar and Chris's relaxed vocals for "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", HERE COMES THE BEAT! For me, the piano beat for "Clocks" is what has preserved my appreciation for this song. Despite the solidifying of the "ballad with a beat" as part of Coldplay's sound, there are some good pop hooks that will grab you and have you humming, singing, or tapping along.

Variety does come along in the second half of the album, but it isn't a big change from song to song. Listeners finally get a traditional ballad without the hammer-rhythms of the other songs with "Green Eyes." But I find the second half of the album to be less interesting than the hooks used in the first half.

Songs I knew I liked: "Clocks" and "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" is really the only song I would readily admit to liking before my listens today.

Songs I didn't know but now like: I had forgotten about "In My Place" and "Daylight" (with its pseudo-sitar guitar sound) over the years.

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: Pretty much everything in the second half of the album.




* There was something that went around the internet about a decade ago that pointed out how most British rock bands were merely deviations from Radiohead. I believe Coldplay was "Radiohead for people who like U2." I tried finding it just a little while ago, but my Google-Fu wasn't adequate.