Album List : Rock and Soul

Paragons of Rock n Roll/metal

·         The Beatles – Nothing I could write could possible do the Beatles justice.  I am not a huge Beatles fan, but they are inescapably relevant and influential.  I am pro-John Lennon and I tolerate Paul McCartney. [With The Beatles (1963), Please Please Me (1963), Beatles For Sale (1964), A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Help! (1965), Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), (The White Album (1968), Abbey Road (1969), Let It Be…Naked (1970), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1973), 1967-1970 (1973)]

·         Chuck Berry – The father of great rock n roll [The Definitive Collection (2006)]

·         Guns N’ Roses – Hard rock over the top menace of my junior high years, poppy but snarling, borders on a glam rock thing though that I really abhor [Use Your Illusion 1(1991), Greatest Hits (2004)]

·         Jimi Hendrix – Guitar God, but a bit out of my camp [The Ultimate Experience (1993)]

·         Led Zeppelin – Got into them in junior high, classic, but I am not a big fan of jamming guitar, but maybe the defining pure rock band of all time [Box Set Discs 1 to 4 (1990), Mothership (2007)]

·         Metallica – The heavy metal band of power guitar and raw aggression [Kill ‘Em All (1983), Ride The Lightning (1984), Master of Puppets (1985), …And Justice For All (1988), Metallica (1991) [I had others and their live shit box set from Mexico City, but they got stolen, by some bastard.]]

·         Pantera – furious stomping heavy metal of agro-wail [The Very Best of Pantera (2007), [I had a bunch of their albums and they were all lost somewhere.]]

·         Pearl Jam – The evolution of Zeppelin/Pink Floyd/Neil Young.  The defining rock band of my generation that left commercial fame and said this band is not for you, we are going to be us and I love you, but fuck promotion we are going to do it our way.  I respect the hell out that and have enjoyed them from the beginning to date.  [Ten (1991), Versus (1993), Vitatology (1994), No Code (1996), Yield (1998), Bianural (2000), Lost Dogs (2003), Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits (2004), Live Chicago 5/17/2006, Live New York City 6/5/2008, Backspacer (2009)]

·         The Rolling Stones – Not a big fan, but they have such a presence when they finally put out a comprehensive anthology for cheap I bought it.  I am not a Beatles guy or a Stones guy, I am a Bob Dylan/Woody Guthrie guy in case you couldn’t tell.  Sex rock was created by the Stones.  [Grrr! (2012)]

·         U2 – not a huge fan either, but I respect the humanitarian themes and actions of this band.  I first triggered interest after the Music Rising connection to New Orleans after Katrina.  Their work related to that with Green Day is on this album, but I also have the live recording from the Superdome which is amazing [18 Singles (2006)] 

Soul / as close as I get to pop 

·         Aretha Franklin – diva/mega-voice love, but a bit pretentious sometimes that turns me off [30 Greatest Hits (2005)]

·         James Brown – funk/sex pure rhythm popcorn [Number 1’s: James Brown (2007)]

·         Janet Jackson – not a huge fan, but there is a vulnerable pop-femininity that in context to her brother that is ok Number Ones (2009)

·         Jill Scott – strong feminine voice with rhythm [Who is Jill Scott Words and Sounds Vol 1 (2009)]

·         Gil Scott Heron – spoken word jazzy raw humanity [Evolution and Flashback (1999), I’m New Here (2010)]

·         Florence + The Machine – power-voice of angels rising from gothic darkness and also a playfulness [Lungs (2009), Ceremonials (2011)]

·         Lauryn Hill – not a huge fan, but mix of hip hop and soul that is striking [The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)]

·         Little Richard – fun piano rock n roll doing his thing [The Essential Little Richard (2006)]

·         Marvin Gaye – sexy authentic call to song [Number 1’s (2007)]

·         Michael Jackson – The only pop I will listen to, because he transcends humanity, the rhythms, the beats.  He is a king for a reason.  I see what he probably went through as a kid, being exploited and never getting a real childhood and how his adult years came out.  I am drawn to how misunderstood the guy must have been that almost makes him seem punk to me.  [The Essential Michael Jackson (2005)]

·         Michael Kiwanuka – beautiful soul singer, touching class [Home Again (2012)]

·         Neil Diamond – The only white guy that could make this category probably.  The guy is cheesy at times, but some of his stuff he just goes out and does it his little handicapped way of doing soul and it works enough.  Not the best, but works enough to make the qualifier. [The Essential Neil Diamond (2001)]

·         Otis Redding – A tragedy that he was taken so soon.  Amazing voice and some of the best love songs ever made.  [The Very Best of Otis Redding (1992), Love Songs (1998)]

·         Sam Cooke – Like Redding with the gospel influences added in and a classiness that brought the defining male-vocalist of Soul music. [Greatest Hits (1997), Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964 (2003)]

·         Smokey Robinson – not a huge fan, but enough good soul songs to make the rankings [The Ultimate Collection: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1998)]

·         Stevie Wonder – pioneer of goodness in soul/funk, brings a zest for being alive and in love [Songs In The Key Of Life (1976), The Definitive Collection (2002)]

·         The Temptations – The defining aspiration of every ‘boy band’ doing it right with exquisite harmonies [The Ultimate Collection (2010)]

·         Wilson Pickett – A tamer Andre Williams that never went far enough in my book, but solid soul/sex music [The Very Best of Wilson Pickett (1993)