Southwest Washington, D.C., boothy443, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A few weeks ago, I offered Americans a chance to end my boycott of American music if they voted to give the Democrats both houses of Congress in this year’s midterms. I wanted to see clear evidence that Americans were determined to rejoin the group of civilized nations by rejecting authoritarianism and restoring the checks and balances built into the Constitution.
Then the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Several red states acted quickly by gerrymandering Democrat-leaning, African-American districts out of existence, bringing Jim Crow back to the South. The rigging of the midterms is far from over. Twenty-eight states are under full Republican control, compared to 18 for the Democrats, so even if the Democrats fought back with their own gerrymandering, their odds of taking the House are no longer a safe bet. And who knows what sort of crap Voldemort and his minions will come up with to ensure GOP control of all three branches of government? End mail-in voting? Station ICE agents at the polling places? Declare a state of emergency?
Given all the political hijinks, my boycott now feels somewhat draconian. I am therefore withdrawing my conditions for ending the boycott and will resume reviewing American music shortly. This change of plans will not affect the reviews I previously announced in my “Decisions” post. I’ll squeeze in the Americans when I can.
Two other developments factored into my decision to give the Yanks a break. First and foremost, I managed to convince my director of my value as an outsider and signed on for another two-year gig with the EU. This allows me to continue to work from home for the most part so I can take care of life priorities (sex and music) while still working to preserve human rights. The second development was the realization that I cannot possibly complete a study of a century of timeless popular music without the Yanks. I already knew that, but something caught my eye that told me I’d better start cracking and get to work.
That something was something I look at every single day: the menu bar on the home page. I have written 256 reviews of American albums, but a peek at the menu bar told me that something was amiss. 17 artists have been honored with a spot on the menu bar for reaching the 5-review threshold. Here’s a breakdown of those artists by country:
- U.K. (14)
- Canada (2)
- United States (1)
The only American to make it to the finish line is Phil Ochs. Miles Davis, the Doors, and the Grateful Dead are close with four. Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Steely Dan are two short. I could easily close those gaps, and a few others might have a shot. There are also several American albums and artists of historical significance that I feel obligated to review, as well as the occasional “I like it, and I don’t give a shit if anyone else does” selections.
I always like to get ahead of things, so a few weeks ago I came up with a working list of the American albums I wanted to review once the boycott ended. I can’t promise I will get to all of them, but I thought I’d share the list with you so you can get the drift of my thinking. You will notice that one of the artists on this list was on my no-fly list for years, but you gotta love a guy who is actively protesting against a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”
| Bernstein-Sondheim | West Side Story Original Soundtrack |
| Beyoncé | Renaissance |
| Billy Joel | TBD |
| Bob Dylan | Another Side of Bob Dylan |
| Bob Dylan | Blonde on Blonde |
| Bob Dylan | John Wesley Harding |
| Bob Dylan | Blood on the Tracks |
| Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run |
| Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town |
| Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska |
| Chicago | Chicago II (Steven Wilson Remix) |
| Country Joe and the Fish | I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin-to-Die |
| Dave Brubeck | Time Out |
| Dolly Parton | Coat of Many Colors |
| Goo Goo Dolls | Dizzy Up the Girl |
| Grateful Dead | TBD |
| Green Day | Dookie |
| Harry Nilsson | Pandemonium Shadow Show |
| Harry Nilsson | Harry |
| James Taylor | Sweet Baby James |
| John Coltrane | Blue Train |
| Marvin Gaye | TBD |
| Mary Wells | Compilation |
| Miles Davis | TBD |
| Pat Benatar | Gravity’s Rainbow |
| Song Series | Surfin’ |
| Song Series | Teen Idols |
| Sonic Youth | Goo |
| Steely Dan | TBD |
| Stevie Wonder | TBD |
| Taylor Swift | Folklore |
| Taylor Swift | Evermore |
| The Doors | Waiting for the Sun |
| The Trucks | The Trucks |
| Thelonious Monk | TBD |
| Todd Rundgren | TBD |
| Tom Petty | TBD |
| Velvet Underground | Velvet Underground and Nico |
| Wayne Shorter | TBD |
| Weather Report | Heavy Weather |
“Wait a minute!” I hear you say. “I thought you hated musicals.” Yes, I expressed those feelings several times, but I should have used more precise language. I hate watching musicals, but I like listening to some musical soundtracks . . . like West Side Story.
Now listen up, Yanks! Just because I’ve ended the boycott doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook for the midterms. DO WHAT THE MAN SAYS!
And if that’s not enough to motivate you to vote, next week’s review covers an album that depicts the future that awaits you if you do nothing . . . and it sure ain’t paradise.
A belated comment, I know. Nevertheless, I am delight that you have lifted your ban on American music & American musicians. I look forward to your reviews of Nilsson, Dylan, The Boss & particularly Chicago II (my favorite Chicago album) in the coming months.
Allow me to recommend an American artist – David Ackles. When Ackles passed away in 1999, those in attendance at his funeral were stunned to learn that he had recorded 4 albums (3 for Elektra & 1 for Columbia) & was the opening act for Elton John during his U.S. debut at The Troubadour in 1970. To this day, John sings Ackles praises.
For most people, that kind of information would be front and center. Ackles scarcely mentioned his recording career after it was over. I first heard Ackles about 10 years ago & it was unlike anything I had heard ever committed to vinyl. His voice, the arrangements & the manner in which he told his stories.
As mentioned, Ackles recorded 4 albums – David Ackles (1968) Subway to the Country (1970), American Gothic (1972) and Five and Dime (1973). Of these albums, American Gothic was his most ambitious. Of further note, it was produced by Bernie Taupin.
Anyhow, I hope this at least piques your curiosity.
I admire Bruce the man but find some of his music a little bombastic. The Wild, the Innocent… (his second album) is different and certainly worth a listen. Secondly, I can’t see a review by you of Love’s “Forever Changes”. Apologies if I’m wrong, if not, please review it! Many thanks.
Oh, boy—I wrote a review of Forever Changes for the Psychedelic Series but deleted it after one of the guitarists complained about my comments on his less than satisfactory guitar work on one of the songs. I cancelled a review of Da Capo and have avoided Love like the plague ever since.
Well if Love are a no-go can I recommend Songs Ohia by Magnolia Electric co? Jason Molina’s finest album. Thanks again.
I didn’t put Love on my no-fly list as I intended to revisit them someday, but I think I would start with Da Capo and see where that goes. I’ve never heard anything by Jason Molina but I’ll put the album on my list of maybes and check it out. Thanks!
Okay…I think I support your decision. Many of your choices for future reviews seem a bit bland, though.
No Los Lobos? No Albert Ayler? No Marc Ribot? No James Blood Ulmer? Taj Mahal? Ry Cooder? There are a lot of artists who express a rather more skewed and nuanced view of the “American Experiment” than many on your list. I mean, what is left to say about James Taylor that hasn’t already been said on innumerable NPR pledge drives?
That said, your reviews always bring something new to light. So…looking forward to them.
The choices I listed were merely a starter kit designed to fill obvious holes in my coverage of American music before I dig deeper. All of the artists you mentioned are on my master list of possible reviews. The jazz musicians represent a challenge because I find myself having to educate many in my audience about jazz, so I tend to limit my offerings to the major influencers.
I haven’t seen an NPR pledge drive since I left the states, but I would guess that their coverage of James Taylor is more adulatory than critical.
Sometimes I think adulatory = critical on NPR. I wish they would develop more of a direct, biting streak. The good ol’ USA needs that right now.
I understand the concerns re: jazz. It’s been my experience that it’s tough to talk about and not come across as patronizing.
By the way, you sound a lot more invigorated than you did a couple of weeks ago. Way to go.
You are very wise, pleased to see list of albums that contains quite a few that I have not listened to so looking forward to giving them a chance.
Hooray!!
For the Grateful Dead choice, can I vote for Blues for Allah. Since Bob Weir died, I have listened to this quite a lot. But since you are in Europe, the live album Europe ’72 might be appropriate, with 3 records in the set, including improv jams.
I’ve already reviewed Europe ’72, so my top choices are Blues from Allah and From the Mars Hotel. It’s likely I’ll do both!
Please end your boycott of American music! Otherwise, our economy will crash, inflation will rise out of control into 1970s-style stagflation, and then we’ll enter a generalized global depression. All fingers will point at you. Let this be on your conscience.
I like the list, but I would like to make a suggestion.
Skip the three Bruce Springsteen albums and just go with his “Live 1975-1985” collection. I know live recordings are not your go-to, but, with Springsteen, EVERY song is better in concert. His voice is stronger. The band is terrific. And you get a much better picture of the artist through some of his introductions to songs.
After listening to their listless studio albums, I did the same thing with Thin Lizzy. I’m still familiarizing myself with Springsteen’s discography, but given all I’ve heard about his live performances, I think your idea might be the way to go.
Cool. If that is your decision, the release came as 3 CDs and could easily reviewed separately.
Wow!
Among the many surprises, (thanks for introducing me into Harry Nilsson earlier,) I’m surprised to see Sweet Baby James on the list: it’s not a bad album, but I worry that given your analytical style of dissecting lyrics and breaking down songs, this album might be too thin to withstand rigorous analysis. I love ARC’s brilliant, full-of-commitment analyses of deeper, more lyrically focused albums, but I also love this album and its songwriter, so please allow me to offer a small defense.
First, this album cannot bear the historical significance that Rolling Stone and other establishment media have since bestowed upon it; if it has any, it was accidental. James Taylor caught a cold before recording, which unfortunately placed his voice in the “emotionally flat” category you’ve described—out of necessity rather than choice. The arrangements on his previous Apple debut were lush, which led him to opt for simpler arrangements on his next album. These contingent factors may have made people at the time see it as the representative album of the early 1970s shift from adventurous music toward safer music, yet from the artist’s perspective, this was entirely unintentional. On closer inspection, his bitter songs don’t entirely align with the audience’s needs. He parted ways with the singer-songwriter movement on his fourth album, ending his brief flirtation with it, proving that he had no intention of proving himself within that movement. For instance, the songwriting on his debut album ran completely counter to everything the hippie movement pursued, yet one cannot say he was deliberately opposing it.
Second, using this album as a lens to understand James Taylor also yields a picture that is easily skewed. As mentioned, his voice was far from its best during recording—there’s a far better version of “Steamroller Blues” in the link below. He deliberately chose relatively simpler songs for this album, concealing the more complex chord progressions he would choose on his mid-1970s albums, as well as his guitar writing when performing solo, especially his bass lines. As a songwriter, he had better-written songs on his Apple debut, and more interesting songs on and . As a performer, the BBC live video from 1970 linked below may be more representative—his brief introductions between songs say more than most non-ARC album reviews ever have:
Actually, I chose Sweet Baby James because of the “flaws” you mentioned. I do believe that the album is historically significant, but not for the reasons offered up by Rolling Stone and other critics. I had planned to review this album immediately after Tapestry, so I will pick up where I left off and do Sweet Baby James first. It’s beyond unlikely that this will be the only James Taylor album I review.
Thank you! It’s always a joy to understand your perspective.
The albums I accidentally erased in my comment “and more interesting songs on … and …” were Walking Man and JT.
Here’s a 1970 concert starring two of my favourite American artists, which sadly mirrors the shift in the public’s interest toward softer things. I think the audience were unfair towards Phil Ochs. He performed brilliantly, and his messages within his songs shone brightly as ever.
I’m considering both those albums and Mudslide Slim . . . and I wish I could have been there for that concert!
Great news.
Wonderful list for future work. Can’t wait to welcome all your future reviews into my music room.
Well, the future of rock and roll reading is as bright as the Evil Empire’s is dark. May i vote, in a safe, non-gerrymandered forum? For Tom Petty, ‘She’s the One’, obscure and beautiful, for VU, ‘Songs for Drella’, the obit Reed and Cale crafted for Andy Warhol and for the Grateful Dead, ‘Terrapin Station’ the surprise closest they came to sounding like Tull. Looking forward to all your work.
Right on about “She’s The One”. Great recommendation.
Good Morning! Think Positive! There’s still hope… Love the list and thanks
Has to be Diamond Dogs then!