294 - MC5 - Kick Out the Jams

Loud and raucous, MC5's Kick Out the Jams laid part of the foundation for punk with this 1969 release. The blues are distorted. The vocals are frequently shouted. The band is occasionally chaotic with feedback, drum rolls, and screams.

Kick Out the Jams probably wouldn't be as wildly loved as it is if it wasn't recorded live. The rawness of being live emphasizes many of the traits that punk and other bands found so influential with this album. For me, the album seems very much of its time. There are songs where MC5 sound like a really loud version of Big Brother and the Holding Company and other times that they seem to lose the blues and instead sound like raw version of KISS. Gene and Paul need to give their Motor City big brothers a big thank you for the inspiration.

Songs I knew I liked: "Kick Out the Jams"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Borderline"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Motor City is Burning" - not really a bad song, but I found myself skipping it nearly every time after my first couple of run-thrus.

293 - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Ah, a good compilation that isn't just a collection of singles. Released in 1972, Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits has songs such as "Mrs. Robinson," "Scarborough Fair," and "The Boxer." But in addition to those hits, there are live versions of 6 songs on this 14 song collection. The live tracks are interspersed through the song listing and help to give some texture to the album.

I'm more of a fan of Paul's solo work and was a bit surprised with how much I enjoyed this album. Frequently when an album ends when I'm reviewing, I tend to enjoy the silence for a while before restarting the album. This greatest hits collection had me immediately repeating the tracks once I reached the final fading note of "Cecilia." The songwriting, the blending of their voices, the pictures brought to mind from the lyrics, and the excellent instrumentation are a great asset. What wasn't an asset is this album's horrible sound quality. This should be prime pickings for a remastered release. The highs often sound like they were played through a can. You can hear pops of sound during some tracks. But if you want to have an album of S&G's music that you WILL listen to, this should go to the top of the list.

Songs I knew I liked: (not counting the live versions of songs I only knew the studio version) "Mrs. Robinson," "The Boxer," "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," "I Am A Rock," "Homeward Bound," "America," and "Cecilia"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" and "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: None

292 - Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat

The two previous Velvets albums on the list were after John Cale left the band. This was my first in-depth listen to what his era in the band sounded like. In some ways, it sounds very similar to what I heard previously...just with insanely loud, distorted guitars constantly feeding back or creating "noise" as opposed to "tunes." The title track starts the album and actually has a classic rock and roll sound - as if they were covering a Little Richard song. From there, the album tends to focus on songs that mesh poetry reading, the aforementioned distorted guitars, and an unfeeling vocal delivery.

The sound for pre-Goo Sonic Youth is firmly established here. White Light/White Heat definitely stretched what it meant to be a rock song with the lyrics and instrumentation. However, I just didn't enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed the other two Velvets albums.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Lady Godiva's Operation" and "Here She Comes Now"

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