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Dvořák: “New World” Symphony by Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Dvořák: “New World” Symphony
  • Conductor: Bruno Walter
  • Orchestra: Columbia Symphony Orchestra
  • Year: 1974
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Columbia
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “G” written on top left of album, indicating that my father owned it
  • Buy it on Ebay: $17.00

Dvořák: "New World" Symphony by Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve definitely heard of Dvořák and of this symphony before, and I assume that I’ll recognize it once I hear it, but there’s no way that I’d be able to say, “That’s Dvořák’s ninth!” or anything like that.

What I expected

Classical music?

What it was actually like

As expected, listening to the “New World” Symphony was as if I’d heard it every day of my life, which actually isn’t all that much of a stretch; this is some of the most widely played and frequently heard classical-style music in existence. And it’s enjoyable, with a lot of memorable and distinctive parts.

I don’t particularly recall my father ever playing it around the house, and I’m not quite sure why he owned it. I had speculated that he may have gotten it for a music theory course that he took in college, but I’m not actually sure that he ever took music theory, and also, the release date is one year after he graduated.

Grade

4/5: would listen again

It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll by the Rolling Stones (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll
  • Group name: the Rolling Stones
  • Year: 1974
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Rolling Stones Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Buy it on Amazon: $28.33

It's Only Rock 'n Roll by the Rolling Stones

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’m not familiar with It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, but I’ve reviewed these Rolling Stones records in the past few months:

What I expected

Blues rock.

What it was actually like

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg is an awesome song and I love that the Stones covered it and made it into a rock song. Did it actually need to be a rock song? I’m not sure, but it’s great as a rock song. I also loved It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It), a hard rock song that’s hard rock in the perfect way, which is true to the blues roots of rock and hard rock; Time Waits for No One was also very strong.

Luxury was kind of interesting, with a reggae style rhythm.

Short and Curlies was the bluesiest song on the record.

Fingerprint File is more funk influenced and I thought they did an ok job with it, but it wasn’t actually a very interesting or enjoyable song.

Till the Next Goodbye was boring and slow.

Grade

4/5: would listen again

On Stage by Loggins and Messina (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: On Stage
  • Group name: Loggins and Messina
  • Year: 1974
  • Number of discs: two
  • Label: Columbia records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “PROMOTION RECORD NOT FOR SALE” stamped in red on back of album
  • Buy it on Amazon: $2.50

On Stage by Loggins and Messina

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I don’t know very much about Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, but I listened to Loggins and Messina a few months ago, and wasn’t that into it.

What I expected

On Stage is clearly a live record, so I hope it won’t have some of the things that I disliked about Loggins and Messina.

What it was actually like

On Stage got off to a bit of a slow start, but I definitely recognized Danny’s Song, though I had no idea that it was a Loggins and Messina song. I always thought of it as a kind of campfire type song, without ever stopping to wonder who had written it. The version on this record wasn’t the best, but I was happy to hear it.

The aptly titled Listen to a Country Song was great – very lively and catchy, and I loved the fiddle in it, and though there was at least a bit of country sound throughout the whole record, that track kicked off a stretch that consisted of country songs, through Holiday Hotel and to the next side, where Just Before the News was more of a bluegrass song that was also excellent.

Similarly, Your Mama Don’t Dance was another song that I loved – kind of a rockabilly thing, and the saxophone didn’t even bother me, though I still think that part should have been a guitar part.

On the other hand, several parts of On Stage were rather boring, and those parts tended to be where they used the horns section the most, such as Golden Ribbons and Back to Georgia, as well as parts of Trilogy. It wasn’t as corny on this record as when some other musicians have done it, however.

Angry Eyes was a really excellent rock jam that was a high point on the record.

Vahevala, which was 21 minutes long and took up the entire third side, had a lot going on: rock, country, a strong and prominent bass line, guitar solos, great percussion, flute. Parts of it were pretty dancey and I could definitely imagine this being a hit with concert audiences. Towards the end it tapered off, slowed down and got very tiresome, with seagull noises and other sound effects. Then it picked back up, but there was way too much horns at the very end.

Overall, I was extremely pleasantly surprised by On Stage!

Grade

4/5: would listen again

Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin’ by Paul Simon (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin’
  • Artist name: Paul Simon with Urubamba and the Jessy Dixon Singers
  • Year: 1974
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: sticker on front of album with track list and “Columbia Records Radio Station Service / Not For Resale”
  • Buy it on Amazon: $4.99

Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin'

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never listened to this Paul Simon concert, but in the past few months I’ve listened to three Simon & Garfunkel records, including one that was recorded live:

What I expected

Based on the picture on the album, Paul Simon doing folk music with an acoustic guitar, sans Art Garfunkel.

What it was actually like

I absolutely loved El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could) and completely forgot that this song existed (and probably haven’t heard it in… I don’t know how many decades). But it was great and there was a flute accompaniment that didn’t ruin it.

The flute, however, did not help The Boxer at all. It and whatever was being plucked in the background – maybe some kind of Peruvian style banjo? – sounded like they were in direct competition for prominence with Paul Simon and his guitar, and it was highly distracting. Someone should have told him that when you’ve got a song like that with such a distinctive chorus, you don’t add anything that would interfere.

I was also delighted with the record’s opening track, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, as I’ve had the Me First And The Gimme Gimmes cover in semi-regular rotation for probably 20 years, and every time I hear it I’m reminded of Paul Simon, but have seldom heard him singing it since I mostly listen to the much earlier Simon & Garfunkel music. His Homeward Bound was also excellent.

About Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., I wrote a few days ago: “Not surprisingly, The Sound of Silence steals the show on this record, as it’s such a riveting song.” It wasn’t that way on Live Rhymin’, however. I think I get what Paul Simon was trying to accomplish with his choral arrangement and gospel choir backing him up, and it makes sense because the song more than just hints at a religious message, but it didn’t even remotely work, and this was probably the worst version of The Sound of Silence imaginable.

It wasn’t the worst song on the record, though. That has to have been J*sus Is the Answer, a gospel song that just didn’t sound like it belonged with the rest of the music at all. And I get that Paul Simon was into gospel – I think there’s a ton of great gospel music too – but there’s a reason you won’t see me ordering peanut butter as a pizza topping.

From there the gospel experiment continued, with very mixed results. Bridge Over Troubled Water was pretty bad, though I’ve previously described it as the worst Simon & Garfunkel song, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it wasn’t improved by gospelizing it. Loves Me Like a Rock was much better, though.

He went back to a folk style for America, and I was glad that he did, and that he chose to end the record that way.

Grade

4/5: would listen again

Feats Don’t Fail Me Now by Little Feat (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
  • Group name: Little Feat
  • Year: 1974
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Warner Bros.
  • Collection: Selman
  • Buy it on Amazon: $57.95

Feats Don't Fail Me Now by Little Feat

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I listened to Sailin’ Shoes by Little Feat back in May, but I had never heard of Little Feat before that point, and wasn’t really impressed by their music.

What I expected

I guess more blues rock?

What it was actually like

This was such a weird record that sounded almost as if it had been made by two bands, one a funk / jazz band and the other a blues rock / southern rock band.

Jazz and funk:

  • Rock & Roll Doctor
  • Skin it Back
  • Spanish Moon

Blues rock and southern rock:

  • Oh Atlanta
  • Down the Road
  • Medley: Cold Cold Cold/Tripe Face Boogie

Hybrid of both styles:

  • Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
  • The Fan was a sort of jazz-rock jam

I didn’t really like any of it, though.

Grade

3/5: interesting, but not for me