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Dave Mason Is Alive by Dave Mason (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Dave Mason Is Alive
  • Artist name: Dave Mason
  • Year: 1973
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Blue Thumb Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Buy it on Amazon: $29.95

Dave Mason Is Alive by Dave Mason

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I don’t know who Dave Mason is I’ve never listened to this record.

What I expected

A live rock record, maybe soft rock?

What it was actually like

It wasn’t exactly soft rock, but it wasn’t exactly Led Zeppelin, and nobody will mistake Dave Mason for John Lennon when it comes to songwriting, but from listening to this record, I can say that he’s an excellent guitarist. For example, the guitar solo on Look at You Look at Me was pretty good. None of the songs was particularly memorable, however.

Grade

3/5: interesting, but not for me

Led Zeppelin (I) by Led Zeppelin (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Led Zeppelin (I)
  • Group name: Led Zeppelin
  • Year: 1969
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atlantic Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “G” written on left of album, indicating that my father owned this record
  • Buy it on Amazon: $24.14

Led Zeppelin (I)

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

This is one of the few records from my parents’ collection that I used to play in the basement of their house when I was in high school, on the same Yamaha turntable and with the same Advent loudspeakers that I’m using to listen to it right now. Then in college, I bought this Led Zeppelin box set and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve probably listened to this record around 500 times.

What I expected

Rock, blues rock, hard rock.

What it was actually like

From the opening bars of Good Times Bad Times, I was reminded of an amazing discovery that I made as a teenager, which is that any part of Led Zeppelin’s first three records lines up perfectly with any rugby game (given that the rugby’s sound is turned off). Though I had only primitive tools available in the 1990s – the “international channel” on cable occasionally showed some extremely grainy rugby – you can validate this concept for yourself today using youtube.

At any rate, I consider this to be one of the greatest hard rock records ever recorded, one of the greatest blues rock records, one of the greatest 1960s records, and one of the greatest debut records by a rock band. Every part of it is wonderful and it’s amazing that Robert Plant was so young and his voice already so distinctive. If I had to pick a favorite song from it, I think I’d go with Dazed and Confused or Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. I wouldn’t be able to pick a least favorite, though.

Grade

5/5: love it

Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield
  • Group name: Buffalo Springfield
  • Year: 1969
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Atco
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: my parents had two copies of this album. My mother’s has no markings, and my father’s has a “G” written on top left of album.
  • Buy it on Amazon: $12.97

Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

For whatever reason, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this record, though I am familiar with Buffalo Springfield and with Neil Young and Stephen Stills (Déjà Vu, So Far, Woodstock, 2).

What I expected

Rock, folk rock.

What it was actually like

Besides the iconic For What It’s Worth, that I thought might be the only Buffalo Springfield song I could name, it turns out that I am well acquainted with a lot of their work, with Mr. Soul and Go and Say Goodbye also both classic hits.

I assumed this record would be all right, but I enjoyed it a lot! It was especially cool to hear how much influence Neil Young had on the group and how great a songwriter and how Neil-Youngy a singer he already was in the mid 1960s, with songs like Broken Arrow, Sit Down, I Think I love You and I Am A Child almost belonging more on “Harvest” or “After the Gold Rush.”

There were some down points on the record, like the slower and more bluesy Kind Woman, but overall, even the non-hits were great.

Grade

5/5: love it

Are You Experienced by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

  • Album name: Are You Experienced
  • Group name: the Jimi Hendrix Experience
  • Year: 1967
  • Number of discs: one
  • Label: Reprise Records
  • Collection: Brenner / Gessner
  • Distinguishing characteristics: “GESSNER” written inside the album sleeve and on the record, indicating that my father owned this record
  • Buy it on Amazon: $22.49

Are You Experienced by the Jimi Hendrix Experience

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

My parents didn’t play Hendrix while I was growing up, but I first downloaded this on Napster, and have listened to it hundreds of times in the past couple of decades.

What I expected

Psychedelic rock.

What it was actually like

Though “Are You Experienced” was Hendrix’s first record, when I first listened to it, I thought it was a greatest hits collection, because every song on it is such a great hit, and I think that is why some consider it to be the greatest record ever made.

With not a single note of a single song that I dislike, I can’t come up with anything negative to write about it.

About his performance at Woodstock, however, I recently wrote that “Hendrix was greatest when he was playing actual songs, and weakest when he was inventing brilliant new ways to create cacophonous noise with his guitar,” and “Are You Experienced” is exactly what I meant.

I wish this record included All Along the Watchtower.

Grade

5/5: love it

Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt (Vinyl record album review)

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Record basics

Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I listened to Different Drum by Linda Ronstadt last month and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. “Simple Dreams” was recorded a few years later, but maybe it will be similar?

What I expected

Country, rock, country-rock, folk-rock.

What it was actually like

“Simple Dreams” had a bunch of covers, and Buddy Holly’s It’s So Easy was by far its best song, and the only one that I really liked at all – I thought Linda Ronstadt did a great job with it. Blue Bayou (Roy Orbison) and Tumbling Dice (Rolling Stones) were both all right, but nothing special. The rest of the record was quite boring.

Grade

3/5: interesting, but not for me