Tag Archives: 500 greatest albums of all time

Dr. John: Gris-Gris

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Dr John Night tripper

On January 22, 1968, “Atco” label released “Gris-Gris”, the debut Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) album.  It was recorded in 1967, at the “Gold Star Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Harold Battiste. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked “Gris-Gris” at number 143 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Dr. John- vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion
  • Richard ‘Didimus’ Washington – guitar, mandolin, percussion
  • Steve Mann – guitar, banjo
  • Ernest McLean- guitar, mandolin
  • Bob West – bass
  • Harold Battiste – bass, clarinet, percussion, arrangements
  • John Boudreaux – drums
  • Mo Pedido – congas
  • Plas Johnson- saxophone
  • Lonnie Boulden – flute
  • Dave Dixon, Jessie Hill, Ronnie Barron- backing vocals, percussion
  • Joni Jonz, Prince Ella Johnson, Shirley Goodman, Sonny Ray Durden, Tami Lynn- backing vocals
  • Marvin Israel– design

Track listing:

  1. Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya – Dr. John Creaux
  2. Danse Kalinda Ba Doom – Dr. John Creaux and Harold Battiste
  3. Mama Roux – Dr. John and Jessie Hill
  4. Danse Fambeaux – Dr. John Creaux
  5. Croker Courtbullion – Harold Battiste
  6. Jump Sturdy – Dr. John Creaux
  7. I Walk on Guilded Splinters – Dr. John Creaux

Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks

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Bob_Dylan_-_Blood_on_the_Tracks

On January 20, 1975, “Columbia” label released “Blood on the Tracks”, the fifteenth Bob Dylan studio album.  It was recorded in September 1974, at ”A & R Recording “in New York, and December, 1974, at “Sound 80” in Minneapolis, and was produced by Bob Dylan. In 2003, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album at number 16, on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”, and in 2004, it was placed at number 5 on “Pitchfork Media’s” list of the “Top 100 Albums of the 70s”. “Blood on the Tracks” was certified 2 x Platinum in the US by “RIAA”.

Personnel

  • Bob Dylan– vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • Buddy Cage– steel guitar
  • Barry Kornfeld – guitar
  • Charles Brown III – guitar
  • Kevin Odegard – guitar
  • Chris Weber – guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Eric Weissberg– banjo, guitar
  • Peter Ostroushko– mandolin
  • Thomas McFaul – keyboards
  • Paul Griffin– organ, keyboards
  • Gregg Inhofer – keyboards
  • Billy Peterson– bass guitar
  • Tony Brown – bass guitar
  • Bill Berg– drums
  • Richard Crooks – drums

Track listing

All tracks by Bob Dylan.

  1. Tangled up in Blue
  2. Simple Twist of Fate
  3. You’re a Big Girl Now
  4. Idiot Wind
  5. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
  6. Meet Me in the Morning
  7. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
  8. If You See Her, Say Hello
  9. Shelter From the Storm
  10. Buckets of Rain

Pretenders: Same

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Pretenders first album

On January 19, 1980, “Real Records” label released the self titled, debut Pretenders album.  It was recorded in 1979 at “Wessex Studios” and “Air Studios” and was produced by Chris Thomas, except “Stop Your Sobbing” produced by Nick Lowe. In 1982 the album was certified Platinum in US by “RIAA”. In 1989 magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album at number 20 on its list at “Best Albums of the 1980s” and in 2003 at number 155 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”. In 2012, magazine “Slant” ranked the album at number 64 on its list of “Best Albums of the 1980s”.

Personnel:

  • Chrissie Hynde– lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • James Honeyman-Scott– lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Pete Farndon– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Martin Chambers– drums, backing vocals
  • Chris Thomas– keyboards, sound effects
  • Chris Mercer –saxophone
  • Geoff Bryant– horn
  • Henry Lowther– trumpet
  • Jim Wilson – trumpet

Track listing:

All tracks by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted.

  1. Precious
  2. The Phone Call
  3. Up the Neck
  4. Tattooed Love Boys
  5. Space Invader – Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott
  6. The Wait – Chrissie Hynde, Pete Farndon
  7. Stop Your Sobbing – Ray Davies
  8. Kid
  9. Private Life
  10. Brass in Pocket – James Honeyman-Scott, Chrissie Hynde
  11. Lovers of Today
  12. Mystery Achievement

Bob Dylan: Desire

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Bob_Dylan_-_Desire

On January 5, 1976, “Columbia” label released “Desire”, the seventeenth Bob Dylan studio album. It was recorded July – October 1975, and was produced by Don De Vito. The album was certified 2 x Platinum in the US by the “RIAA” and 3 x Platinum in UK by “BPI”.  “Desire” was NME “Album of the Year” and magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked it on number 174, on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

  • Bob Dylan– vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica; piano
  • Dominic Cortese – accordion, mandolin
  • Scarlet Rivera– violin
  • Vincent Bell – bouzouki
  • Rob Stoner– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Howard Wyeth– drums, piano
  • Luther Rix – congas
  • Ronee Blakley– backing vocals
  • Emmylou Harris– backing vocals
  • Steven Soles– backing vocals

Track listing

All tracks by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy, except where noted.

  1. Hurricane
  2. Isis
  3. Mozambique
  4. One More Cup of Coffee – Bob Dylan
  5. Oh, Sister
  6. Joey
  7. Romance in Durango
  8. Black Diamond Bay
  9. Sara – Bob Dylan

Bruce Springsteen: Greetings From Ashbury Park NJ

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Greetings_from_Asbury_Park_NJ

On January 5, 1973, “Columbia” label released “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.”, the debut Bruce Springsteen studio album. It was recorded July – September 1972, at “914 Sound Studios” in New York, and was produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album on number 379 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Bruce Springsteen– lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, handclaps
  • David Sancious– piano, organ, keyboards
  • Harold Wheeler– piano
  • Garry Tallent– bass guitar
  • Richard Davis– upright double bass
  • Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez– drums, handclaps, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons– saxophone, handclaps, backing vocals
  • Steven Van Zandt– sound effects
  • John Berg – design
  • Fred Lombardi – back cover design

Track listing:

All tracks by Bruce Springsteen.

  1. Blinded by the Light
  2. Growin Up
  3. Mary Queen of Arkansas
  4. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street
  5. Lost in the Flood
  6. The Angel
  7. For You
  8. Spirit in the Night
  9. It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City

The Doors: Same

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The Doors - The Doors

On January 4, 1967, “Elektra” label released the self titled debut Doors (The)  album. It was recorded in August, 1966, at the “Sunset Sound  Recorders”, in Hollywood, and was produced by  Paul A. Rothchild.  Both the album and the song “Light My Fire” were inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”. In 2012, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album on number 42, on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2015,  based on its cultural, artistic or historical significance, the “Library of Congress” selected “The Doors” for inclusion in the “National Recording Registry”.

Personnel:

  • Jim Morrison– lead vocals
  • Ray Manzarek– Vox Continental organ, piano, keyboard bass, marxophone
  • Robby Krieger– guitar, bass overdubs
  • John Densmore– drums
  • Larry Knechtel – bass guitar

Track listing:

All tracks by Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore, except where noted.

  1. Break On Through
  2. Soul Kitchen
  3. The Crystal Ship
  4. Twentieth Century Fox
  5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) – Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill
  6. Light My Fire
  7. Back Door man – Willie Dixon, Chester Burnett
  8. I Looked at You
  9. End of the Night
  10. Take It as it Comes
  11. The End

Joni MItchell: Court and Spark

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Court and spark

On January 1, 1974, “Asylum” label released “Court and Spark”, the sixth Joni Mitchell studio album.  It was recorded in 1973, and was produced by Joni Mitchell.  The album was certified 2 x Platinum in the US by the “RIAA” and was voted the best album of the year for 1974 in “The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.” In 2003, the album was ranked at number 113 in “Rolling Stone” magazine list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Joni Mitchell– lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, piano,  clavinet
  • Larry Carlton– electric guitar
  • Wayne Perkins– electric guitar
  • Dennis Budimir – electric guitar
  • Robbie Robertson– electric guitar
  • José Feliciano– electric guitar
  • Joe Sample– electric piano, clavinet
  • Wilton Felder– bass
  • Max Bennett– bass
  • Jim Hughart – bass
  • John Guerin– drums, percussion
  • Milt Holland– chimes
  • Tom Scott– woodwinds, reeds
  • Chuck Findley– trumpet
  • David Crosby– backing vocals
  • Graham Nash– backing vocals
  • Susan Webb – backing vocals
  • Cheech Marin– backing voice
  • Tommy Chong– backing voice

Track listing:

All track by Joni Mitchell, except where noted.

  1. Court and Spark
  2. Help me
  3. Free Man in Paris
  4. People’s Parties
  5. Same Situation
  6. Car on a Hill
  7. Down to You
  8. Just Like This Train
  9. Raise on Robbery
  10. Trouble Child
  11. Twisted – Annie Rose, Wardell Gray

Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding

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Bob_Dylan_-_John_Wesley_Harding

On December 27, 1967, “Columbia” label released “John Wesley Harding”, the eighth Bob Dylan studio album. It was recorded October – November 1967, and was produced by Bob Johnston. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “John Wesley Harding” at number 301 at its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”.

Personnel:

  • Bob Dylan– vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboards
  • Pete Drake– pedal steel guitar
  • Charlie McCoy– bass guitar
  • Kenneth Buttrey – drums
  • John Berg – cover photography

Track listing

All tracks by Bob Dylan.

  1. John Wesley Harding
  2. As I Went Out One Morning
  3. I dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
  4. All Along the Watchtower
  5. The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
  6. Drifter’s Escape
  7. Dear Landlord
  8. I am a Lonesome Hobo
  9. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
  10. The Wicked Messenger
  11. Down Along the Cove
  12. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Captain Beefheart

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On December 17, 2010, Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart died aged 69. He was singer, songwriter, musician (harmonica, saxophone, wind instruments) and producer, best known as a leader and frontman of the ensemble called “Magic Band”. Don Van Vliet was friend and collaborator with Frank Zappa. His 1969 album “Trout Mask Replica”, was ranked 58th in the “Rolling Stone” magazine’s 2003 list of the “500 greatest albums of all time”. Captain Beefheart was regarded as “one of modern music’s true innovators”.

The Clash: London Calling

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london_calling

On December 14, 1979, “CBS” label released “London Calling”, the third Clash (The) studio album.  It was recorded August – November 1979, at the “Wessex Sound Studios” in London, and was produced by Guy Stevens and Mick Jones. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “London Calling” at number 8 on it’s list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album sold in more than 5 million copies worldwide and was certified Platinum in the US by “RIAA”,  and is regarded as one of the most important albums in the history of modern music.

Personnel

  • Joe Strummer– lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
  • Mick Jones – lead and backing vocals, lead guitar, piano, harmonica
  • Paul Simonon – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar,
  • Topper Headon– drums, percussion
  • Mickey Gallagher– organ
  • The Irish Horns – brass
  • Ray Lowry – design

Track listing

All tracks by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, except where noted.

  1. London calling
  2. Brand New Cadillac – Vince Taylor
  3. Jimmy Jazz
  4. Hateful
  5. Rudie Can’t Fall
  6. Spanish Bombs
  7. The Right Profile
  8. Lost in the Supermarket
  9. Clampdown
  10. The Guns of Brixton – Paul Simonon
  11. Wrong’em Boyo – Clive Alphonso
  12. Death of Glory
  13. Koka Kola
  14. The Card Cheat
  15. Lover’s Rock
  16. Four Horseman
  17. I’m Not Down
  18. Revolution Rock – Jackie Edwards, Danny Ray
  19. Train in Vain