Album of the Day #171: TAPESTRY - Carole King

Artist: Carole King

Title: Tapestry

Year: 1971

Label: Ode

Songs: I Feel The Earth Move/So Far Away/It's Too Late*/Home Again/Beautiful/Way Over Yonder/You've Got A Friend/Where You Lead*/Will You Love Me Tomorrow**/Smackwater Jack**/Tapestry/(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman+

Written by: Carole King, except *Carole King & Toni Stern, **Gerry Goffin & Carole King and +Gerry Goffin, Carole King & Jerry Wexler

Produced by: Lou Adler

Thoughts: Carole King was the writer of so many amazing hits throughout the sixties with her then-husband, Gerry Goffin, but she had never had any success as a performer herself until Tapestry.

The album has since proven to be a cultural phenomenon that has survived over the years simply because it's pretty hard for such beautiful songs to age. This twelve song platter is really a kind of 'greatest hits' for King and it features many of the songs that were already familiar hits for others ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "...Natural Woman" were standards by 1971 and James Taylor just had a hit with "You've Got A Friend"). It was kind of like her Freewheelin' album.

To try to pick a favorite from this album is a really tough thing to do, but if you really wanted me to chose, I would have to say "It's Too Late". It's such an amazing song about pain and heartbreak and, for some reason, those are the kind of songs I like. Of the obscure songs on the album, which in reality are those that weren't released as singles, "Home Again" is pretty good and the title track is really something else.

The truth about Tapestry is that it is literally a Murderer's Row of songs. I really love King's voice and would like to pick up a few more of her records, but she never reached the heights of Tapestry again. You have to admit, it certainly doesn't help when you unload all of your best songs on one album. Still, that's what makes Tapestry so great...song after song you already know. Plus, it means that there's no filler...all killer and in this case, the killer is a little Jewish girl from Brooklyn.

Top 10 Solo Beatles Records

While it is very difficult to make a list of the top 5 Beatles albums, since they are all of fantastic quality, it isn't too hard to do a list of the top 10 solo Beatles records. So, without further ado, here are my personal (note the emphasis on personal) top 10 solo Beatles records:

1. • Walls And Bridges - John Lennon (1974) - I have always felt that this is the one album that comes bizarrely close to what John had accomplished with The Beatles. If you can assign song 'types' to John's Beatles songs, there is one of everything on Walls And Bridges. There is the fantastic pop single ("Whatever Gets You Thru The Night"), the avant-garde nonsense ("#9 Dream"), the attack song ("Steel And Glass") and the insecure autobiographical climax ("Nobody Loves You...").
2. • RAM - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971) - RAM works on so many ridiculous levels that it's amazing. Paul's whimsical side is given a steady dose of rock, accentuated by the staggering lead guitar of David Spinozza. The amount of musical styles Paul covers may make one think of the album as inconsistent, but if you can separate the songs, you realize each one has its' rewards.
3. • John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon (1970) – This album is in a league of its own. Sure, it might be the most emotional album any Beatle, or perhaps, musician has ever made, but the album lacks accessibility and is very hard to listen to on a regular basis. But, that’s what makes it so great – it tells the truths no one wanted to hear.
4. • All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970) – George truly broke out with this album, pouring his heart and soul into it. The trouble is its length – a few songs could have been cut, like the second version of “Isn’t It A Pity” or the unremarkable jam disc.
5. • Brainwashed - George Harrison (2002) – If you compare this to Double Fantasy, Brainwashed is the clear winner. Every song is fantastic and it makes you realize that George was taken from us far too early.
6. • Back To The Egg - Wings (1979) – This is probably the dark horse of this list, but I think the album does have a decent amount of fantastic songs that allows it to hang around with the best of the Beatles’ solo records. Its trouble is the lack of completeness in some of the songs – imagine how great a fully developed “Love Awake” would sound? Or if “Spin It On” was more than just an awesome guitar riff?
7. • Imagine - John Lennon (1971) – The one problem I have with Imagine as an album is that Spector went to town on it. If you thought “The Long And Winding Road” was saturated to the point of sappy, then you’re a person who probably doesn’t care for Imagine too much. (There is NO EXCUSE for “It’s So Hard” to have strings! NONE!) What saves it, though, is the fact that John’s songwriting is top-notch and the fact that the “Wall of Sound” is absent in both the title track and “Oh My Love” (one of John’s most beautiful songs).
8. • RINGO - Ringo Starr (1973) – I had to get Ringo on the list. The truth is that he made some great albums, but only RINGO deserves to mingle with the best of the best. It’s filled with great singles, wonderful appearances from just about every important rock star in 1973 and you can’t forget Paul’s kazoo.
9. • Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973) – Band On The Run is a classic to the point of cliché, but you have to admit that it’s great. There are a few bumps in the road (“No Words” anyone? I’ve never been a fan of “Let Me Roll It”, either), but there’s just too much good stuff on this.
10. • Cloud Nine - George Harrison (1985) – George really swung for the fences on this one. Sure, it’s a Jeff Lynne production, which makes it sound very Jeff Lynne-y, but again, George wrote some great songs that are just so good that Lynne’s production doesn’t get in the way. (I limited myself to just two Jeff Lynne Beatle albums, both by George, because, let’s face it, they're both better than Flaming Pie.) Plus, it’s got “Got My Mind Set On You,” the last solo Beatle #1.

Honorable mentions: Tug Of War (Paul McCartney; 1982)/Mind Games (John Lennon; 1973)/Living In The Material World (George Harrison; 1973)/Flowers in the Dirt (Paul McCartney; 1989)/RingoRama (Ringo Starr; 2002)/Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (Paul McCartney; 2005)/Goodnight Vienna (Ringo Starr; 1974)/Somewhere In England (George Harrison; 1981)/Run Devil Run (Paul McCartney; 1999)/London Town (Wings; 1977)

Album of the Day #170: CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART - Bob Dylan

Artist: Bob Dylan

Title: Christmas In The Heart

Year: 2009

Label: Columbia

Songs: Here Comes Santa Claus [Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman]/Do You Hear What I Hear? [Gloria Shayne Baker & Noel Regney]/Winter Wonderland [Felix Bernard & Richard Smith]/Hark The Herald Angels Sing [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/I'll Be Home For Christmas [Walter Kent, Kim Gannon & Buck Ram]/Little Drummber Boy [Kathrine Davis, Henry Onorati & Harry Simeone]/The Christmas Blues [Sammy Cahn & David Jack Holt]/O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas [Ralph Blane & High Martin]/Must Be Santa [William Fredericks & Hal Moore]/Silver Bells [Raymond Evans & Jay Livingston]/The First Noel [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/Christmas Island [Lyle Moraine]/The Christmas Song [Mel Torme & Bob Wells]/O' Little Town Of Bethlehem [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]

Produced by Jack Frost

Thoughts: When rumors of a Bob Dylan Christmas record started, I quickly thought it was a joke and didn't think it was possible. Then, it happened and I figured I would laugh through all 45 minutes of it and completely ignore the fact that it might just not be that good.

Simply put, it's not that good. The record is certainly entertaining, though. I don't think Dylan himself is probably thinking of it as a serious studio album that should be put in the same category as Blonde on Blonde, Blood On The Tracks or "Love And Theft". In fact, I don't think it should be allowed within a ten-mile radius of those albums...it's better off hanging out with Dylan And The Dead.

Now, I don't think it's as horrid or as unlistenable as that disgusting record, especially since Christmas In The Heart at least has some charm to it. There's the fantastic "Here Comes Santa Claus" opening, the terrific "Little Drummer Boy" (which definitely is the best track here) and the beauty in "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Silver Bells".

Christmas In The Heart is definitely the first album since Under The Red Sky to not receive unanimous critical acclaim. The press seems divided into two camps: there's the people that think it's a complete joke or the people that think it's another example of Dylan exploring 'America's roots' and gave the album five stars. Personally, I'm a little half-and-half on it. As I said, there's some absolutely hilarious tracks ("Must Be Santa" is especially side-splitting, as Dylan name-checks every President since Nixon in the final verse) and then you have the religious Christmas tracks that Dylan appears to take completely seriously ("O' Little Town Of Bethlehem" is one of Dylan's great closing moments).

If you really like Christmas records, I say there's no reason not to get this, just so you can hear what a craggy old man sounds like singing Christmas carols (and you won't have to go to a retirement home to do it!). For those Uncle Scrooges of the world, you certainly won't want this. Oh, and if you are actually having trouble deciding if you should get the deluxe or the regular editions, get the regular. The deluxe just comes in a sleeve like Together Through Life, but the lone extra is a pack of five greeting cards with the album cover and envelopes!

#169: NILSSON SINGS NEWMAN - Harry Nilsson

Artist: Harry Nilsson

Title: Nilsson Sings Newman

Year: 1970

Label: RCA

Songs: Vine St./Love Story/Yellow Man/Caroline/Cowboy/The Beehive State/I'll Be Home/Living Without You/Dayton, Ohio 1903/So Long Dad

Written by: Randy Newman

A Nilsson House Production

Thoughts: While Nilsson's first three albums seem to build on top of each other, Nilsson Sings Newman, his fourth, features an entirely different sound. Gone is the Spector-esque Wall Of Sound, as is the whimsical originality of Nilsson's own songs. Instead, it is replaced by the cynical songwriting and sly piano playing of a young Randy Newman.

The stark contrast makes the album seem, at least at first, like a disappointment. Nilsson was at the forefront of the pop world at the time, writing numerous songs that became hits for other people. Now, he was the one taking someone else's songs and making them accessible to the average buyer. However, if you forget that Nilsson is a songwriter himself, and you just think of him as a beautiful singer, you realize quickly that this album is a hallmark of 1970. The fact of the matter is that no one else was making a record like this in 1970. While it lead to a chart flop, it was a critical success in its time (it was actually named 1970's "Record of the Year" by Stereo Magazine).

For Nilsson, who doesn't play a single instrument on the record, these songs prove to be fantastic vocal exercises, from the harsh power of "Cowboy" to the heartbreaking command in "I'll Be Home". The remarkable thing is that the only voice you hear on this record is Harry's. The choir in "I'll Be Home" is all Harry and the backups in "Living Without You" is all Harry.

For Randy Newman, this record gave him a chance to get his name to a wider audience. He had been making records for a few years before this (in fact, only "Caroline" was specifically written for Nilsson), but never had any of the success that Nilsson was having. His piano-playing on the record also proves that this really should be billed as a "Harry Nilsson & Randy Newman" album. If Nilsson is the mouth, Newman is the heart. The best example of this is in "Living Without You", easily the best track here. As Nilsson belts out this ridiculous vocal performance, Newman's piano follows along, pumping like a heartbeat as Nilsson brings his vocal up. "Cowboy" also features some fantastic playing and so does the rest of the record.

There is also this really unique feature with this album. If you listen to it with headphones, you get the effect of hearing Newman's piano the way Nilsson did as he was singing in the studio. The piano is mixed so far behind the vocal that it sounds like it's in another room. Also, in a typically bizarre Nilsson way, some of Newman's talking was left in the master, so, for example, during the fade-out of "So Long Dad", you hear Newman instructing Nilsson on how to sing the end.

Simply put, this album is just an incredible listening experience. The only bad part - it lasts just over 25 minutes.

Feeding America "Christmas In the Heart"

Sabbatical

I'm taking a little break from "Album Of The Day". It's been a great run and it will continue, but right now I want to put all my energy to college and Every Little Thing! I hope all the members of the audience I built here can be transferred to that site, where I'm writing on every Beatles song. Thanks and I hope to see (and read from) you there!

The Beatles Remasters

In case you're hoping for a full write-up on the stereo box set, I don't plan on doing one. Instead, I'm working on re-starting Every Little Thing. I already kicked it into gear with "Don't Bother Me" yesterday, so go check it out!