#7 Sinatra, "Songs for Swingin' Lovers"

It's hard not to compare albums on this list, which really isn't fair as they likely weren't in any kind of competition when released. That being said, I was expecting to feel a good deal of being let down when going right from the Ellington album to a studio recording by Sinatra. And to be fair, this album is nothing compared to that one. And still, this is pretty much Sinatra at his best, from what little I know. The songs are all very well crafted, the performances are tight and iconic. If anything, this is better to me than his first entry in this list. Certainly there are a lot more recognizable songs. A worthy entry to the 1001. Surprisingly enjoyable.

Duke Ellington, album #6

"Ellington at Newport 1956" is the album of tonight, though it really started last night. The version I'm listening to is a combination of various versions. It seems his performance at the Newport Jazz festival was recorded but the recordings were somehow damaged and so the album that was released was actually a re-recording done in the studio with canned applause added. There was a re-release that used the original tapes, a radio broadcast and the re-recordings to make as close a version to the real one as possible. And does it shine. I do NOT like jazz. Never have. But this record is hot, sexy, slow, passionate and tight all at the same time. Of all the records I've listened to so far, this one is the most varied, the most standing out of the bunch. All but the Louvin Brothers, Fats Domino and Elvis were supposedly washed up, has beens that thought their careers were over. These albums proved that wrong. I can't imagine having been at that festival in 1956. An amazing record. And it's teaching me something about jazz. Maybe I finally understand it to some degree. Well worth the listen.

EDIT: At the end of this amazing album. I will be utterly AMAZED if any of the other entries from the 1950s even come close to the heights this album hits. It doesn't break new ground, it's not the foundation of things to come, it isn't a breakout of new talent but dear gods, this album is truly amazing. Easily my favorite so far. Kind of sorry that I'm going back to Sinatra for the next one.

Fats Domino

Fats Domino gets his own entry in this blog because it's the last album I listened to tonight, when I started this whole journal. "This is Fats," is apparently his third album and it's the first one I couldn't locate in whole on Apple Music. All the tracks were there, just not in the order of the original album. So my listening to it was a little scattershot as I hunted and poked for the tracks in a huge listing. There are some big, very well known tracks here, including "Blueberry Hill," and "Blue Monday," but for me, the track that really stood out was, "Rocking and a Rolling." It was soulful, heavy and just damned good. This is the kind of music that you can just tell made people sit up and listen. There's a certain something to it that, even if you know nothing about the era or the music of the times, this music means something. Just shy of actual rock and roll and mostly sticking to the good old 1 4 5 blues progression, this is still obviously the base structure of rock. Some amazing stuff.

Country and Western, Louis Prima

Next in the big list is a country western album. The Louvin Brothers', "Tragic Songs of Life" was the first tonight. C+W is my least favorite type of popular music. This album is the very old, Opry style of C+W. All I can say is that I really didn't care for this album at all, it didn't change my mind about C+W music and, because of this prejudice, I can't understand its importance. I don't reject the claim, I just am so not part of that world that I am unable to comprehend it. Still, I listened to the whole thing, finding most of the songs to sound about the same.

Second was Louis Prima's, "The Wildest!" I was looking forward to this even though my only experience with Prima was from King Louis in the "Jungle Book" movie. I figured he was going to be making music somewhere between big band style and jazz and I was close enough. This was a good, fun record and I'm glad I listened to it. There was a lot of joy in his performance and the musicians were tight and lively. Prima I might look more into and listen to again.

1001 Albums Post 1: Sinatra and Elvis

So it seems that this list, 1001 Albums You Must Hear is done in order of release, or at least by decade. We start in the 50s, not generally my favorite decade for music, though it is the source for pretty much all the music I know in one way or another. I'm no music expert, musician or otherwise qualified person, I'm just some guy that likes music and wants to learn more about it, or at least be more exposed to more of it. And I like to write about the stuff I do. Doesn't matter if anyone else reads it, it's a record, a journal for me. That's good enough.

First up was Frank Sinatra's, "In the Wee, Small Hours." Not a Sinatra fan, not really at all. And yet, I can totally see someone sitting in their living room, at night, perhaps with a bit of rain coming down outside listening to this while sipping a cocktail. It's a lonely record and very evocative of a big city night in the mid 50s. Or at least that's the vibe I get from it. Likely wouldn't seek it out again, but I get its vibe just fine.

Next up was Elvis' first album, eponymously titled. It's a mixed bag of Elvis stuff and, according to the book, that's exactly what it is with some songs leftover from Sun Records recordings and some other, later tracks put together for this first full album. It's fine, if you like Elvis and I'm sure it rocketed him to stardom. But when it came to his cover of, "Tutti Fruitti," I had to roll my eyes as I remembered that this is the decade where any exciting music made by black people had to be re-recorded for white audiences by white performers or it wasn't accepted. Which is stupid. I have heard worse versions of this song, such as the one by Pat Boone also done during the 50s, and this is the only version some white audiences ever heard. Still, to my ears, Elvis doesn't bring anything to the track and can't touch Little Richard. The album is all right, didn't grab me, convert me or otherwise change my mind. Elvis was a fine performer, icon, etc. Just not my cup of tea.

Not for movies only!

Well well, true believers! Believer? Hello? No, this isn't an announcement for a new Movie Wrench article or video, it's something totally different. Why? Because I didn't want to start another blog but I wanted to journal something else I started. We'll see how long I hang onto this idea. I recently came across the list for the book, "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." I'm always looking for some way to find new music that has some value to it. Radio is useless and while I sometimes get suggestions from friends if I ask, this is a cultivated list by critics that's supposed to embrace all sorts of music while also pointing out its importance. I'm sure there will be music I really don't like but the point is to broaden my tastes and even to try and figure out what these albums meant to people when they came out. Besides, the art of listening to albums as a whole is pretty much gone. I'm as guilty as anyone of the shuffle command.

So starting with the next post, this blog will change, possibly forever, to one where I take a long walk through 1001 albums, or as many as I can find on Apple Music.

Well well well, true believer! It's time for another episode of the Movie Wrench! I just completed and posted it on YouTube. This time around, it's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Watch and despair! "Movie Wrench Age of Ultron!