1001+ Albums: 1958

1001+ Albums: 1958

Album of the Year: Jack Takes the Floor
   Artist: Ramblin' Jack Elliot

       This is much more up my alley, Folk being one of my favorite genres. It's nice hearing one of the men who inspired my most favorite Bob Dylan. Jack sings with the same hard luck and hard travelin' blues I've come to love from the truest of the genres singers. Hearing one of my favorites, Dink's Song, played by someone who probably lived closest to it's heart, is simply lovely. I hadn't heard a lot of early stuff besides Dylan, so it was certainly nice to get more background.

   Best Song: Cocaine, for it's beautiful melody and harsh and honest words.
   Worst Song: Black Baby, because short, frankly nothing, and racial in a way that I'd be hard pressed to call racist, but till slightly uncomfortable.
   Rating: B

The Rest: 

Lady in Satin

   Artist: Billie Holiday

       The first female artist of the 1001. It's a heavenly sound. Unfortunately, heaven is heavy on the orchestration sometimes, and a little too pure. That would be if Holiday's voice wasn't suitably slightly rougher in contrast to the angelic choir and strings. For some reason her voice reminds me of Louis Armstrong's, and his voice doesn't really work for me. A couple of the songs I remember off of In the Wee Small Hours by Sinatra, which gave a little familiarity in good ways and bad. As far as that blue feeling goes I much prefer that album. 

   Best Song: But Beautiful, for it's melancholy slow swing.

   Worst Song: Glad to Be Unhappy, hard to listen to without thinking of Sinatra's much superior version.

   Rating: C-

Sarah Vaughan at Mister Kelly's *Best Album Cover*
   Artist: Sarah Vaughan

       The fact that it's live did give it a very lively feel, and in the moment sort of naturalism. It also caused it to feel a little broken up, and unprofessional (which isn't always a bad thing) when she obviously didn't know the song she was meant to be singing. It can't be denied to the authenticity of the feeling of the performance, it's a slight and chilled out atmosphere that can be somewhat relaxing and nice on the ears. Overall not great though.

   Best Song: September in the Rain, because it's the first, and it starts well before getting a little old.
   Worst Song: How High the Moon, She literally sang about how she didn't know the words to the song, and how she wanted to sing it the way Ella Fitzgerald did.
   Rating: C


Dance Mania Volume One
   Artist: Tito Puente and His Orchestra

       Sounded like more Sabu, which I wasn't too big a fan of. More latin jazz, which I'm finding is getting old, and is something I have to be in the mood for, where as a softer, more relaxed jazz is never hard to listen to for too long. If you don't feel like moving latin jazz isn't going to do it for you. Laying in bed feeling sick is a bad time to listen to this album, so maybe this isn't a fair review, but even then, it isn't something I see myself enjoying too much under other circumstances either.

   Best Song: Hong Kong Mambo, Had a more unique sound that I enjoyed.
   Worst Song: Hard to tell the difference between tracks.
   Rating: C-