Tag Archives: 500 greatest albums of all time

The Beatles: Help

2 Comments

Help

On August 6, 1965, “Parlaphone” label released “Help!”, the fifth Beatles (The) studio album and the soundtrack from their movie with the same title. It was recorded February – June 1965, at “EMI Studios” in London, and was produced by George Martin. Seven from the total fourteen album songs, including “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride”, appeared in the movie. and took up the first side of the vinyl album. The album also included “Yesterday”, the most-covered song in the history of popular music. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 331 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, electric piano
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony, and backing vocals, lead and bass guitars, acoustic and electric pianos, güiro
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums, miscellaneous percussion
  • George Martin– piano
  • John Scott– tenor and alto flutes
  • Sidney Sax – violin
  • Tony Gilbert – violin
  • Kenneth Essex – viola
  • Francisco Gabarro – cello
  • String quartet on “Yesterday”, arranged by George Martin and Paul McCartney
  • Robert Freeman – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Help!
  2. The Night Before
  3. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
  4. I Need You
  5. Another Girl
  6. You’re Going To Lose That Girl
  7. Ticket To Ride
  8. Act Naturally
  9. It’s Only Love
  10. You Like Me Too Much
  11. Tell Me What You See
  12. I’ve Just Seen A Face
  13. Yesterday
  14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy

The Beatles: Revolver

Leave a comment

Revolver

On August 5, 1966, “Parlaphone” released “Revolver” the seventh Beatles (The) album. It was recorded April – June 1966, at “EMI Studios” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album was recognized by critics as having redefined the parameters of popular music. The album’s Grammy Award-winning cover design was created by Klaus Voormann, old band’s friend from their early years in Hamburg. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Revolver” at number three on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and backing vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitars; piano, Hammond organ, harmonium; tape loops, sound effects; cowbell, tambourine, maracas, handclaps, finger snaps
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and backing vocals, bass, acoustic and lead guitars; piano, clavichord; tape loops, sound effects; handclaps, finger snaps
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and backing vocals, lead, acoustic, rhythm and bass guitars; sitar, tambura; tape loops, sound effects; maracas, tambourine, handclaps, finger snaps
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums; tambourine, maracas, handclaps, finger snaps; tape loops
  • Mal Evans– bass drum, backing vocals
  • Anil Bhagwat – tabla
  • Peter Coe, Alan Branscombe– tenor saxophone
  • Eddie Thornton, Ian Hammer, Les Condon – trumpet
  • Alan Civil– French horn
  • Geoff Emerick- tape loops of the marching band
  • George Martin– piano, Hammond organ, tape loops of the marching band
  • Tony Gilbert, Sidney Sax, John Sharpe, Jurgen Hess
  • Stephen Shingles, John Underwood – viola
  • Derek Simpson, Norman Jones – cello
  • Brian Jones – backing vocals
  • Donovan– backing vocals
  • Marianne Faithfull– backing vocals
  • Neil Aspinall– backing vocals
  • Pattie Boyd– backing vocals

Track listing

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

  1. Taxman – George Harrison
  2. Eleanor Rigby
  3. I’m Only Sleeping
  4. Love You To – George Harrison
  5. Here, There and Everywhere
  6. Yellow Submarine
  7. She Said She Said
  8. Good Day Sunshine
  9. And Your Bird Can Sing
  10. For No One
  11. Doctor Robert
  12. I Want To Tell You – George Harrison
  13. Got To Get You Into My Life
  14. Tomorrow Never Knows

Velvet Underground: & Nico

Leave a comment

Velvet Underground & Nico

On March 12, 1967, “Verve” label released “Velvet Underground & Nico”, the debut Velvet Underground album. It was recorded in 1966 during Andy Warhol’s “Exploding Plastic Inevitable Multimedia”  event tour, and was produced by Andy Warhol and Tom Wilson. Thanks to inventing  experimental performances sensibility in the music and controversial subjects in the songs lyrics including drug abuse, prostitution, sadism, masochism  and  sexual deviancy, the album gained status of one of the most influential and critically acclaimed albums in history in the modern music. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 13 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”.

Personnel

  • Lou Reed– lead and backing vocals, lead and ostrich guitar
  • Sterling Morrison– rhythm and lead guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
  • John Cale– electric viola, piano, bass guitar, celesta, hissing, sound effects, backing vocals
  • Maureen Tucker– percussion , drums, tambourine, bass drum
  • Nico – chanteuse, backing vocals

Track listing

All tracks by Lou Reed, except where noted.

  1. Sunday Morning – Lou Reed, John Cale
  2. I’m Waiting for the Man
  3. Femme Fatale
  4. Venus in Furs
  5. Run Run Run
  6. All Tomorrow’s Parties
  7. Heroin
  8. There She Goes Again
  9. I’ll be Your Mirror
  10. The Black Angel’s Death Song
  11. European Son

Led Zeppelin: Same

Leave a comment

LZ

On January 12, 1969, “Atlantic” label released the self-titled, debut Led Zeppelin album. It was recorded October 1968 at “Olympic Studios” in London in only 36 hours, and  was produced by Jimmy Page. The album art was coordinated by George Hardie; the back cover photography of the band was taken by former Yardbirds member Chris Dreja. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 29 on its of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; in 2004 it was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Page– acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars, backing vocals
  • Robert Plant– lead vocals, harmonica
  • John Bonham– drums, timpani, backing vocals
  • John Paul Jones– bass guitar, Hammond organ, backing vocals
  • Viram Jasani– tabla
  • Glyn Johns – engineer
  • Peter Grant– executive production

Track listing:

  1. Good Times Bad Times – Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Robert Plant
  2. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You – Anne Bredon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
  3. You Shook Me – Willie Dixon,  B. Lenoir
  4. Dazed and Confused – Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes
  5. Your Time Is Gonna Come – Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant
  6. Black Mountain Side – Jimmy Page
  7. Communication Breakdown – Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Robert Plant
  8. I Can’t Quit You Babe – Willie Dixon
  9. How Many More Times – Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, John Bonham

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Leave a comment

12

On May 26, 1967, “Parlaphone” label released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the eighth Beatles (The) studio album. It was recorded 24 November 1966 – 21 April 1967, at “EMI Studios” and “Regent Sound Studio” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album is regarded as the first concept and art album in popular music. “Time” magazine described it as “a historic departure in the progress of music” It was an immediate commercial and critical success, winning four “Grammy Awards” in 1968, including “Album of the Year”, becoming the first rock album to receive this award. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at number one in its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature” (Professor Kevin J. Dettmar) described it as “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded”.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and background vocals; rhythm, acoustic and lead guitars; Hammond organ and final piano E chord; harmonica, tape loops, sound effects, and comb and tissue paper; hand claps, tambourine, maracas
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and background vocals; bass and lead guitars; electric and acoustic pianos, Lowrey and Hammond organs; hand claps; vocalisations, tape loops, sound effects, comb, tissue paper
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and background vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, sitar; tambourine, harmonica, kazoo, hand claps, maracas
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums, congas, tambourine, maracas, handclaps and tubular bells, harmonica; final piano E chord
  • Sounds Incorporated– the saxophone sextet on “Good morning, good morning”
  • Neil Aspinall– tamboura, harmonica
  • Geoff Emerick– audio engineering; tape loops and sound effects
  • Mal Evans– counting, harmonica, alarm clock, final piano E chord
  • George Martin– tape loops, sound effects, harpsichord , harmonium, Lowrey organ, glockenspiel, Hammond organ , piano , final harmonium chord
  • Four French horns on “Sgt. Pep per’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: Neill Sanders, James W. Buck, John Burden, Tony Randall,  arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney,
  • String section and harp on “She’s leaving home”, arranged by Mike Leander and conducted by George Martin
  • Tabla, dilrubas, tamboura and swarmandalon “Within you without you”, played by members of the Asian Music Circle, with eight violins and four cellos arranged and conducted by George Harrison and George Martin
  • Clarinet trio on “When I’m Sixty-Four”: Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, Frank Reidy, arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney
  • Saxophones on “Good morning, good morning”, arranged and conducted by George Martin and John Lennon
  • Forty-piece orchestra, including strings,  brass,  woodwinds, percussion; arranged by George Martin, John Lennon and Paul McCartney and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney.

Track listing

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney except where noted.

  1. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
  2. With a Little Help From My Friends
  3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
  4. Getting Better
  5. Fixing a Hole
  6. She’s Leaving Home
  7. Being for the Benefit of Kite
  8. Within You Without You – George Harrison
  9. When I’m Sixty Four
  10. Lovely Rita
  11. Good Morning Good Morning
  12. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – reprise
  13. A Day in the Life