soul Reviews | Colossal Reviews

An Innocent Man by Billy Joel (Vinyl record album review)

December 20, 2022 By Natan Gesher Leave a Comment

Record basics

Album name: An Innocent Man
Artist name: Billy Joel
Year: 1983
Number of discs: one
Label: CBS
Collection: Selman
Buy it on Amazon: $7.50

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I don’t think I’ve ever heard this record, and have never listened to Billy Joel intentionally (and have always gotten him confused with Bruce Springsteen), but I do recognize at least two of the songs, Uptown Girl and The Longest Time.

What I expected

Soft rock.

What it was actually like

This was a really unusual record. I was prepared to mock Billy Joel relentlessly for trying to look “punk,” but actually, though none of this music was punk at all, there were certain things about it that were aligned with the punk ethos, which is highly reactionary: most of An Innocent Man sounded like it was explicitly meant to evoke earlier musical eras, particularly 1950s and 1960s American music, which is more or less consistent with groups like the Ramones.

The title track An Innocent Man was everything about why I’ve never listened to a Billy Joel record before: weird vocals, weird rhythm, too much piano, too slow, no energy, and it went on far too long.

Easy Money was a soul song and, not to compare, but it kind of evoked Sam Cooke’s Twistin’ the Night Away, though it was nowhere near as good.

Similarly, Christie Lee reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, but could not seriously be compared to Little Richard (or John Goodman).

The Longest Time was played on the radio when I was growing up, and I think I always assumed that it was an actual oldie (ie, a doo wop song from when doo wop was actually popular), but I guess it was not! And it’s pretty song solid! Nicely done, Billy Joel!

This Night also had an oldie sound, but with much more rock instrumentation and much less of a great melody, and the saxophone was terrible.

Uptown Girl was another that I heard on the radio when I was growing up, and I think it’s a good song. I wouldn’t want to listen to it more than one or two times in a year, though.

Tell Her About It was another that I recognized, but not as well, and it had a soul sound, too. The other soul songs were Leave a Tender Moment Alone and Careless Talk, the latter of which also had some doo wop elements.

Keeping the Faith weirdly tried a reggae-type beat and was not successful.

Grade

4/5: would listen again

Fulfillingness’ First Finale by Stevie Wonder (Vinyl record album review)

December 18, 2022 By Natan Gesher Leave a Comment

Record basics

Album name: Fulfillingness’ First Finale
Artist name: Stevie Wonder
Year: 1974
Number of discs: one
Label: Tamla Records
Collection: Selman
Buy it on Amazon: $12.79

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I’ve never heard this record before, but I listened to Innervisions a month ago and did not like it.

What I expected

I won’t judge an album by its cover, but the album art for Fulfillingness’ First Finale reminds me a lot of Innervisions. I’m still optimistic that I’ll find something on it to like, though.

What it was actually like

This actually was a lot like the previous Stevie Wonder record, and I didn’t like it very much.

Boogie On Reggae Woman was a pretty good techno-funk song, and I thought the harmonica in it was great, though I’m not sure what was supposed to be reggae about it. I considered it the best song on the record.

You Haven’t Done Nothin’ was also a funk song, but nowhere near as good.

Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away was somewhat recognizable as a soul song in the traditional sense, largely because of its vocal style.

Too Shy to Say was elevator music.

Most of the rest of this record was boring and forgettable.

Grade

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

Joy to the World: Their Greatest Hits by Three Dog Night (Vinyl record album review)

December 16, 2022 By Natan Gesher Leave a Comment

Record basics

Album name: Joy to the World: Their Greatest Hits
Group name: Three Dog Night
Year: 1974
Number of discs: one
Label: Dunhill Records
Collection: Selman
Distinguishing characteristics:
- Sticker: PROMOTIONAL RECORD FOR / BROADCAST & REVIEW / NOT FOR SALE
Buy it on Amazon: $62.99

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I definitely know the song Joy to the World and consider it one of the most obnoxious songs ever recorded, and if I’m not mistaken, Three Dog Night may have been one of the washed up has-been bands that performed at my hometown Rockville, Maryland’s “Hometown Holidays” when I was a teenager.

What I expected

It’s a record with Joy to the World, so my expectations aren’t exactly high, but I do think it’s likely that Three Dog Night had some better songs and that I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

What it was actually like

With the exception of the first and last songs, this record wasn’t that bad at all. The first was the aforementioned Joy to the World, and the last was an awful Oompa-Loompa song called The Show Must Go On, with an actual carnival music intro and outro.

Besides that, I thought the arrangements of most of the songs were quite strong, with multiple guitars, lively percussion and various vocalists doing harmonies that were solid, but not too ambitious.

One was a song that I recognized and I had no idea that it was a Three Dog Night. It was kind of gimmicky, but it’s unique and memorable. I also recognized An Old Fashioned Love Song and felt similarly about it, but pondered how to described its style: it was kind of R&B, but hardly sounded like 1971.

A bunch of their songs could be described as rock with a strong soul influence, like Shambala, The Family of Man and Never Been to Spain, the latter of which I thought was the best on the record.

Black and White was a cover of a bad Pete Seeger song that they somehow made far worse by recording it in a reggae style. I was almost embarrassed to be listening to it.

Grade

3/5: interesting, but not for me

Light Shine by Jesse Colin Young (Vinyl record album review)

December 14, 2022 By Natan Gesher Leave a Comment

Record basics

Album name: Light Shine
Artist name: Jesse Colin Young
Year: 1974
Number of discs: one
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Collection: Selman
Buy it on Amazon: $2.99

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I have never heard of this.

What I expected

Folk rock.

What it was actually like

This was not a good record. Most of it was soft rock, and there was a lot of flute and saxophone.

Certain parts of the title track Light Shine sounded like they could be a Kenny G. cover.

Barbardos was goofily done in a sort of calypso style.

Motorcycle Blues definitely needed to lose the saxophone, but if it had, then it could have been a decent blues song.

The Cuckoo was kind of an attempt at soul, but by the mid 1970s, the soul sound was already pretty bad and not worth emulating.

Grade

2/5

Briefcase Full of Blues by The Blues Brothers (Vinyl record album review)

December 7, 2022 By Natan Gesher Leave a Comment

Record basics

Album name: Briefcase Full of Blues
Group name: The Blues Brothers
Year: 1978
Number of discs: one
Label: Atlantic Records
Collection: Selman
Distinguishing characteristics:
- Stamp on front: Promotional Copy / NOT FOR SALE
- Ballpoint pen on front: DAN AKROYD (on Dan Akroyd’s face), JOHN BELUSHI (on John Belushi’s face), WAMU-AM (on Dan Akroyd)
- Sticker on front: track list with ATLANTIC RECORDS and LICENSED FOR PROMOTION ONLY – SALE IS UNLAWFUL / Ownership and right to possession is reserved by Atlantic Recording Corporation
- Written on both sides of LP: WAMU AM
Buy it on Amazon: $24.06

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I watched the Blues Brothers movie a few times in my childhood, but didn’t know that this record existed.

What I expected

Blues and soul.

What it was actually like

This turned out to be a really enjoyable live record that consisted entirely of cover songs.

Rubber Biscuit was a doo wop song from the 1950s that I recognized, and it was a joke song, but kind of cute. I do have to wonder what kind of drugs someone would have to take to create a song like this.

Groove Me was another that I recognized, though this was kind of a reggae version, which I’m not sure was a good idea.

I also knew Soul Man, and it might have been the best on the record.

The intro and outro songs, Opening: I Can’t Turn You Loose and Closing: I Can’t Turn You Loose were both fast, with great bass lines, and Flip, Flop and Fly was even lively enough to be a reminder that blues is dance music.

Grade

5/5: love it