Tag Archives: 100 Greatest British Albums Ever

The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle

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Odessey_and_Oracle

On April 19, 1968, “CBS” label released “Odessey and Oracle”, the second Zombies (The) studio album. It was recorded June – November 1967, at “Abbey Road Studios” and “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Chris White and Hugh Grundy . In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 100 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; “NME” magazine ranked the album at number 32 on its list of “100 Greatest British Albums Ever!”; “The Guardian” ranked “Odessey and Oracle” at number 77 on its list of “Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever”;  “Mojo” magazine placed it at number 97 in its “100 Greatest Albums Ever Made” list; “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 26 on its list of the “50 Best British Albums Ever!”.

Personnel:

  • Colin Blunstone– lead vocals
  • Rod Argent– organ, piano, harpsichord, Mellotron,
  • Paul Atkinson – vocals, guitar
  • Chris White – vocals, bass guitar
  • Hugh Grundy – vocals, drums
  • Geoff Emerick– engineer
  • Peter Vince– engineer
  • Jools DeVere – design
  1. Care of Cell 44 – Rod Argent
  2. A Rose for Emily – Rod Argent
  3. Maybe After He’s Gone – Chris White
  4. Brief Candles – Chris White
  5. Hung Up on a Dream – Rod Argent
  6. Changes – Chris White
  7. I Want Her, She Wants Me – Rod Argent
  8. This Will Be Our Year – Chris White
  9. Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914) – Chris White
  10. Friends of Mine – Chris White
  11. Time of the Season – Rod Argent

The Chemical Brothers: Dig Your Own Hole

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Dig_your_own_hole

On April 7, 1997, “Virgin” label released “Dig Your Own Hole”, the second Chemical Brothers (The) studio album. It was recorded 1996 – 1997, at “Orinoco Studios” in London, and was produced by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. In 1998,  “Q”  magazine  readers voted “Dig Your Own Hole” the 49th greatest album of all time, and in 2000, placed it at number 42 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. In 2014,  NME magazine ranked the album at number 414 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Ed Simons – performer
  • Tom Rowlands – performer
  • John Dee – engineer
  • Steve Dub – engineer
  • Tim Holmes – engineer
  • Jon Collyer – engineer assistant
  • Cheeky Paul – mastering, editing
  • Negativespace – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands, except where noted.

  1. Block Rockin’ Beats – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Jesse Weaver
  2. Dig Your Own Hole
  3. Elektrobank – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Keith Murray
  4. Piku
  5. Setting Sun – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Noel Gallagher
  6. It Doesn’t Matter – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Paul Conley, John Emelin, Tom Flye, Rusty Ford, Kim King
  7. Don’t Stop the Rock – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Tony Butler
  8. Get Up on it Like This – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Quincy Jones
  9. Lost in the K-Hole
  10. Where Do I Begin
  11. The Private Psychedelic Reel – Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons, Jonathan Donahue

 

Elvis Costello: This Year’s Model

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This Years Model

On March 17, 1978, “Radar” label released “This Year’s Model”, the second Elvis Costello album and the first one with the Attractions. It was recorded in 1978, at “Eden Studios” in London, and was produced by Nick Lowe. “This Year’s Model” was voted the “Best album of the year” in the “Village Voice Pazz & Jop”critics poll. In 2000, magazine “Q” rated the album at number 82 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. In 2003, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album at number 98 on it’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Elvis Costello– vocals, guitar
  • Mick Jones – lead guitar
  • Steve Nieve– piano, organ
  • Bruce Thomas– bass
  • Pete Thomas– drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Elvis Costello.

  1. No Action
  2. This Year’s Girl
  3. The Beat
  4. Pump It Up
  5. Little Triggers
  6. You Belong to Me
  7. Hand in Hand
  8. (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea
  9. Lip Service
  10. Living in Paradise
  11. Lipstick Vogue
  12. Night Rally

Led Zeppeilin: Physical Graffiti

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Led_Zeppelin_-_Physical_Graffiti

On February 25, 1975, “Swan Song” label released “Physical Graffiti”, the sixth studio Led Zeppelin album. It was recorded July – December 1970, January and March 1971, May 1972, January and February 1974, at multiple locations, and was produced by Jimmy Page. The album included unreleased tracks from earlier recording sessions: one outtake from “Led Zeppelin III”, three tracks from “Led Zeppelin IV”, and three tracks from “Houses of the Holy”, including the unused title track. “Physical Graffiti” was certified 16× Platinum in the US by “RIAA”, and 2× Platinum in UK by “BPI”. In 1996, “Mojo” magazine ranked the album at number 47 on its list of “The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made”; in 2000, “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 32 on its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”; in 2001 “Classic Rock” magazine ranked the album at number 5 at its list of  “100 Greatest Rock Album Ever”; in 2003, the TV network  “VH1” named it the 71st “Greatest album ever”; in 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Physical Graffiti” at number 70 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; in 2006 “Guitar World” magazine ranked the album at number 9 at its list of “Reader’s Poll: 100 Greatest Guitar Albums”.  In 1976, the album won “Grammy Award for Best Recording Package”.

Personnel:

  • Robert Plant– lead vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
  • Jimmy Page– electric, acoustic, lap steel and slide guitar, mandolin
  • John Paul Jones– bass guitar, organ, acoustic and electric piano, mellotron, guitar, mandolin, VCS3 synthesiser, Hohner clavinet, Hammond organ, string arrangement
  • John Bonham– drums, percussion
  • Ian Stewart– piano
  • Peter Corriston– artwork, design
  • Mike Doud – artwork, design
  • Dave Heffernan – illustrations
  • Elliot Erwitt, P. Fallon, Roy Harper– photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, except where noted.

  1. Custard Pie
  2. The Rover
  3. In My Time of Dying – John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  4. Houses of the Holy
  5. Trampled Under Foot – John Paul Jones, Robert Plant
  6. Kashmir – John Bonham, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  7. In the Light – John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  8. Bron-Yr-Aur – Jimmy Page
  9. Down by the Seaside
  10. Ten Years Gone
  11. Night Flight – John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  12. The Wanton Song
  13. Boogie with Stu – John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Ian Stewart
  14. Black Country Woman
  15. Sick Again

Led Zeppelin: II

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Led_Zeppelin_-_Led_Zeppelin_II

On October 22, 1969, “Atlantic” label released “Led Zeppelin II”, the second Led Zeppelin studio album. It was recorded January – August 1969, at several locations in the United Kingdom and North America, and was produced by Jimmy Page. In 1989,  “Spin”  magazine ranked the album at number 5 on its list of “The 25 Greatest Albums of All Time”; in 2000, “Q” magazine ranked “Led Zeppelin II” at number 37 on its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”; in 2003, Rolling Stone” magazine the album at number 75 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time “Led Zeppelin II” was the band’s first album to reach number one in the UK and the US. “Led Zeppelin II” was ranked 4 x Platinum in Australia by “ARIA”; 9 x Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada”; Platinum in Germany by “BVMI”; 4 x Platinum in UK by “BPI”, and 12× Platinum in the US by the “RIAA”.

Personnel:

  • Robert Plant– lead vocals, harmonica
  • Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitars, theremin, backing vocals
  • John Paul Jones– bass guitar, organ
  • John Bonham– drums, timpani
  • Eddie Kramer – director of engineering,
  • George Chkiantz, Chris Huston, Andy Johns – engineer
  • Robert Ludwig – mastering
  • David Juniper – artwork
  • Peter Grant – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Whole Lotta Love – John Bonham, Willie Dixon, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  2. What Is and What Should Never Be – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  3. The Lemon Song – John Bonham, Chester Burnett, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  4. Thank You – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  5. Heartbreaker – John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  6. Living Loving Maid – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  7. Ramble On – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  8. Moby Dick – John Bonham, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page
  9. Bring It On Home – Willie Dixon