333 - Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights

I enjoyed this album much more than the previous Richard (& Linda) Thompson albums I've heard before. Unlike the 70's albums by the couple, this album didn't seem to be Celtic folk music played with rock instruments.

The songs that stood out to me had a obvious tension to them. "Don't Renege On Our Love" and "Walking On a Wire" did a great job of opening the album, with Richard and Linda taking turns expressing a frustration and exhaustion over a romantic relationship. It isn't a great album in that while it maintains a mood throughout the songs, I did find myself losing interest during each of the listens until "Shoot Out the Lights" and "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" would get my attention again.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Don't Renege On Our Love," "Walking On a Wire," "Shoot Out the Lights," and "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: While there are songs that I would probably skip once about halfway through, there are none that I want to actually avoid.

332 - The Beatles - Help!

There aren't any big surprises with Help!. It is basically the last of the pop song collection period of The Beatles' discography. After this would come Rubber Soul and their other albums that were more than a collection of singles and ephemera. There are some excellent songs ("You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Yesterday") and some filler ("Another Girl," "You Like Me Too Much"). Part of me feels that maybe the album wouldn't seem quite so disjointed if the track listing was adjusted (the somber "Yesterday" immediately before the rockin' "Dizzy Miss Lizzy?").

Songs I knew I liked: "Help!," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Ticket to Ride," "Act Naturally," and "Yesterday"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "The Night Before"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Another Girl," "You Like Me Too Much," and "Tell Me What You See"

331 - Neil Young - Tonight's the Night

There is something about Neil Young that just doesn't click with me. I find myself, at best, liking songs despite of certain attributes.

Tonight's the Night is an album of mourning. Neil and the band are sloppy, somber, and, at times, sound drunk/stoned out of their gourd. The title track (which, for some reason, bookends the album with some differences, but not a bunch) lays out the theme of drugs and death. While the attitude behind the recording and the lyrics do combine into a concept album of sorts, that didn't do anything to actually affect my enjoyment of the album. My ears could care less about the history or artistic aspect of the recording. These songs just didn't do much for me.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Tonight's the Night" (moreso the album opener than the end version) and "New Mama"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Roll Another Number," "Albuquerque," and "Tired Eyes"