340 - Black Flag - Damaged

If you talk to someone about Black Flag and they don't wonder why you are asking them about a brand of bug killer, likely they just know the band by reputation and/or it being the band that Henry Rollins was in before he started doing spoken word or recorded "Liar." Damaged is the first Black Flag album after Henry was brought on board. The band had already been around for about five years before, but it is the early 80's/Henry-era of the band that most punks of the 80's were exposed to as the band relentlessly toured every club they could schedule.

Hardcore (and L.A. hardcore, in particular) has this album as its foundation. There is a heaviness to Damaged that I haven't heard from the 70's punk albums I've heard. While British punk bands would whine and sneer their vocals, Henry's aggressive voice sounds like he's going to f#(k you up. Greg and Dez added Black Sabbath and heavy metal riffage to the standard punk sound. This album is a testosterone-soaked version of punk that fits the American culture better than the sound of The Buzzcocks and The Clash.

In addition to the songs recorded on this album, the actual low-fi production sound of the album added a grittiness and DIY aspect that helped to encourage other bands across the country to record their own songs. There is no polish on this album. There is no effort to make this sound nice. The vocals can be quite muddy at times. The dual guitars and feedback hide nuances of what notes are actually being played. But this album isn't about nuances. I think the album cover does a great job of expressing this album as a recording of brute force. Either you see this music as utter trash recorded by an inept engineer or there is a genius behind the vocals, instrumentation, and recording.

Songs I knew I liked: "Rise Above" and "TV Party"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Six Pack," "Gimme Gimme Gimme," and "No More"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I really haven't listened to much aggressive music since my early 20's so I'd be content just listening to the five tracks above and could leave the rest of the album be.

339 - Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night

I was caught off-guard by The Heart of Saturday Night. Tom doesn't sound like he's been chewing gravel and smoking cigars for 5 decades on this album. I had these tracks in a playlist with the surrounding albums on the Rolling Stone list. I repeatedly listened to Damaged before moving on to this. I forgot what was after Black Flag and actually thought I had come across a Dr. John collection recorded during a depressing period. While you can see how The Heart of Saturday Night fits into the evolution of Tom Waits, if you know his later works first, this album will likely come across as too straight-forward and maybe even watered down. Tom wrote these songs - there are the quirky characters being described with odd imagery. However, I never really felt that the Tom Waits that has intrigued me with his 80's through 90's releases was singing on this album. If you like Dr. John, Randy Newman, Lyle Lovett, and Richard Thompson, but find his 80's and later albums to be too odd...this is the era of Tom's career for you.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Diamonds On My Windshield" and "Fumblin' With the Blues"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I didn't dislike any of the songs as much as I just didn't feel attracted to any. My post-it note was nearly blank instead of a collection of song titles of ones I enjoyed or hated.

338 - Big Brother & the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

Let's start off by stating the obvious, Big Brother & the Holding Company is more than just Janis Joplin's band. She is the aspect that easily attracts your attention, but this is a well-rounded band that is overshadowed by one of the greatest female rock vocalists to step behind a mic.

About half of the original seven tracks on Cheap Thrills were recorded live, but almost all of them have the energy and raw feel of a live performance. The songs on this album are bluesy, loose, and emotional. Janis's raspy wail is just as effective at expressing joy as it is sorrow. The band goes from full wall of sound with "Combination of the Two" and can simmer slowly and sparely on the following track, "I Need a Man to Love." The cover of the standard "Summertime" didn't do much for me, but I loved the sound of Janis's "Turtle Blues." I kinda wish there was some studio magic done to it to replicate the low-fi sound of a 30's era shellac album (stay up late one weekend night and find an NPR station that plays oooooooold blues records to hear what I'm talking about).

Songs I knew I liked: "Piece of My Heart"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Combination of the Two," "I Need a Man To Love," and "Turtle Blues"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Summertime"

337 - Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Although I've heard a couple of their songs on classic rock stations in the past (the "classic rock" stations that rock and not "oldies minus the ballads"-type of "classic rock"), really the only thing I could tell you about Jethro Tull a week ago is that they stole a Grammy from Metallica a couple of decades ago. I was not looking forward to listening to Aqualung. I have to say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't say that the album won me over, but it was better than what I was expecting.

I'm not about to start advocating that other hard rock or metal bands add flutes or woodwinds to their lineup. There's no chance of me getting any warmer feelings about the Celtic/folk sound in heavy metal. But I have to say that the sound of this album works for me. Maybe it was reading the fact that while Jethro Tull was in one studio recording this, Led Zeppelin was down the hall recording IV/"Runes"/Zoso. Although Ian has repeatedly said Aqualung isn't a concept album, it certainly has a cohesiveness in sound and theme that let the eccentricities of the band's sound gel in a way that...shoot...I kinda liked 80% of the time.

I would be lying if I said I didn't have flashes to Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge" or Ron Burgundy breaking out into some jazz flute on some tracks. But I certainly see how the fantasy/folk aspect of Aqualung influenced so many bands over the next 10-15 years. And the lyrics! I know I only scratched the surface of the lyrics and what all Ian was singing to me on these tracks (especially the second half's focus on religion vs. church), but I can see how a fan could repeatedly listen to the album and get something out of it.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: I hesitate on how much I like some of these songs. I can state that I consider "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Mother Goose," and "Wind-Up" to be highlights on my repeated listenings.

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I wouldn't rule out listening to this album again in the future. But I can't easily see myself craving to hear any of the tracks either.