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Billie Ella Lena Sarah by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Billie Ella Lena Sarah
  • Artist name: Various artists (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan)
  • Year: 1980
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Collection: Selman
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Billie Ella Lena Sarah

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve heard of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan (Holiday and Fitzgerald far more than Horne and Vaughan), but don’t really know much about any of them or their music.

What I expected

Upbeat jazz that showcases vocal talent.

What it was actually like

This was much more old-timey than I anticipated, and definitely far less upbeat. I didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as I expected!

Nice Work If You Can Get It was ok. Side 2 seemed like it was getting off to a much livelier start than side 1, with What A Little Moonlight Can Do, but ultimate most of this record was pretty bland.

Grade

2/5: weak, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

Big Bands’ Greatest Hits by Various Artists (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Big Bands’ Greatest Hits
  • Group name: Various Artists (including Glenn Miller, Lawrence Welk, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington)
  • Number of discs: two
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “MOR – INSTR” handwritten on tape; “Jazz – ANTHOLOGY” handwritten on tape; “WAMU” handwritten on front, back and insides
  • Buy it:

Big Bands' Greatest Hits by Various Artists

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve only heard of a few of the bandleaders on this compilation: Glenn Miller, Lawrence Welk, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. I don’t know any of their songs.

What I expected

I assume this will be pretty easy listening, and that I’ll actually recognize more than just what I think I know, and maybe that I’ll actually enjoy it.

What it was actually like

Like most people who are not fans of jazz music, there is a form of jazz music that I prefer over the others, and in my case, it’s New Orleans style. This was much more swing style, so really not my kind of jazz.

Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman was the only song that I recognized, and I didn’t really like it very much. Somewhat to my surprise, the rest of this record was rather forgettable and boring.

Grade

2/5: weak, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. by Bruce Springsteen (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.
  • Artist name: Bruce Springsteen
  • Year: 1973
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “DEMONSTRATION / Not For Sale” stamped in gold on reverse
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Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. by Bruce Springsteen

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I think everyone is familiar with Bruce Springsteen. Most people are fans of his work, but I am not. Consequently, I’ve never (intentionally) listened to this record.

What I expected

To paraphrase my grandmother, I don’t like Bruce Springsteen now and I haven’t liked him for years! Why is that? To start, I don’t think he’s a great singer or songwriter. His music is pretty basic and boring, which isn’t necessarily bad – I’m a huge fan of the Ramones, and their music is not complex at all – but Springsteen has always seemed to me like a talentless Bob Dylan. I also don’t appreciate his gratuitous use of saxophone and harmonica.

What it was actually like

One of my least favorite Springsteen songs is Blinded By The Light, but the version of it that I heard on this record is not the same as the radio version that I’ve heard a zillion times in my life, and I thought this version was way better. So that was a great start!

Unfortunately, any goodwill accrued in the first couple of tracks was squandered by Mary Queen Of Arkansas, which I absolutely would have skipped after the first verse if it were easy to do so on a turntable. The Angel was equally bad; Spirit In The Night was ok.

There were multiple points while listening to this record that I hoped and wished it would end sooner.

Grade

2/5: bad, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

Blast From Your Past by Ringo Starr (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Blast From Your Past
  • Artist name: Ringo Starr
  • Year: 1975
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Apple Records
  • Collection: Selman
  • Distinguishing characteristics: hold drilled through top left
  • Buy it:

Blast From Your Past by Ringo Starr

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

Ringo Starr was (and remains) the greatest Beatle, but I’ve definitely never heard of this record.

What I expected

Despite my positive view of Ringo Starr, I’m aware that he doesn’t have a strong reputation as a songwriter or solo recording artist, and I am not optimistic about this record.

What it was actually like

Oh dear. I guess my first question is, Why would Ringo even make a record like this? Was it just for the money? Was he not getting adequate royalties from his Beatles records in the mid 1970s?

Anyway… No No Song sounded eerily like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, except it was about cocaine. I’m The Greatest struck me as extremely self-conscious about being a post-Beatles song, which is not a good look.

Back Off Boogaloo was quite bad, and it was around the point when the record got to Only You (And You Alone) that I thought the whole thing might be a joke, and that the joke might have been on me.

Grade

2/5: bad, but I was able to listen to the whole thing

Little Criminals by Randy Newman (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Little Criminals
  • Artist name: Randy Newman
  • Year: 1977
  • Number of discs: one discs / two sides
  • Collection: Selman

Little Criminals by Randy Newman

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I think I’ve heard of Randy Newman’s name before, but I don’t know anything about his music and don’t think I’ve heard this record or could name anything else that he’s done.

What I expected

Singer-songwriter folk rock.

What it was actually like

This was a weird one. It didn’t seem to have any unified musical style. Parts sounded bluesy, and other parts sounded country, and other parts sounded like lounge music. The only thing that tied it together was an almost distracting level of lyrical richness to all the songs.

I can’t really tell if I’m supposed to consider this a novelty record or what, but I can say that I didn’t enjoy it.

Grade

2/5

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