491: Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes

Year: 1972

01. Sweet Jane
02. Momma's Little Jewel
03. All the Young Dudes
04. Sucker
05. Jerkin' Crocus
06. One of the Boys
07. Soft Ground"
08. Ready for Love/After Lights
09. Sea Diver

RollingStone Says:
Mott the Hoople were a hard-rock band with a Dylan fixation until David Bowie got ahold of them and turned them into glam rockers. He penned the androgyne title track and had Mott cover Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane." Mott would sound more soulful but never more sexy or glittery.
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Adam Says:
I was pretty much interested in this right when I saw that David Bowie essentially produced this record. I love Bowie, and I figured at the very least it would be an interesting listen. Oddly enough it isn't nearly as interesting as the band name, or the Bowie collaboration would lead you to believe. The Bowie influence is clearly evident in the albums sonic blueprint. It's just that it's the more tame David Bowie we're hearing here, not the off the wall, man from space character that he would grow legendary for. In truth there's nothing wrong with this, because in all fairness this isn't a David Bowie record. It's just with all the hoopla surrounding his involvement in this, I expected some mind blowing, epic backdrops.

What we get is a fairly straightforward rock record, and very good one at that, even if it is a bit traditional. Nothing done here is going to blow your mind, but it is very polished and well thought out. Not a single one of the 9 tracks is wasted, and Bowie brings a cohesive sound to the album that ties everything together rather nicely. The song writing is also fairly solid, though none of it matches the single Bowie contribution (the title track). It's a great glam-rock record though, even if I was somewhat surprised by how tame the "glam" in it was.

Overall - 4/5
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Dan Says:
This is good glam rock. David Bowie both helped write and fully produce this album, saving the band from an imminent breakup. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this record. It has some really interesting mix features with the left-right panning. I also wanted to say that I know when we write reviews we mostly talk about the music. But I also wanted to say that I absolutely love the album cover! The art gives ambiance to how the record feels. Definitely recommend giving it a listen.

Overall - 4/5

492: Pearl Jam - Vitalogy

Year: 1994

1. Last Exit
2. Spin the Black Circle
3. Not for You
4. Tremor Christ
5. Nothingman
6. Whipping
7. Pry, To
8. Corduroy
9. Bugs
10. Satan's Bed
11. Better Man
12. Aye Davanita
13. Immortality
14. Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me

RollingStone Says: 
They were the most successful rock band in the world by the time of their second record, Vs. They celebrated by suing Ticketmaster and making Vitalogy, where their mastery of rock's past and future became complete. Soulful ballads such as "Nothingman" are matched by hardcore-influenced rockers such as "Spin the Black Circle."
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Adam Says:
Unlike my partner below, I don't mind Pearl Jam. I was never a huge fan, but I have almost always loved the bands singles. Having just recently (within the last two years) gone through the majority of the bands discog though, I can honestly say i'm surprised to see this here. I don't think it's necessarily a bad record. In fact it has moments of absolute brilliance (See the hit single: "Better Man"). It's just that, as a whole I don't feel this represents one of the bands stronger bodies of work. To be blunt, it sticks out on this list like a sore thumb.

The problem I have with this album, and the majority of the groups work to be honest is this; Nothing on this album is as good as its single, "Better Man". An unpopular opinion with Pearl Jam fans i'm sure, but to me a lot of these songs lack strong songwriting, rather it more-so sounds like a jam session or a loose collection of ideas for future songs. I do enjoy Vedders vocals, and I think the band is one of the best when it comes to playing loud, fast grunge music. It's just I don't feel like there's any structure here. No rhyme or reason to what's happening. Once the album starts, it takes off like a bat out of hell and never stops.

All that being said, when I am in the mood for it, I do dig the album. True it's not the most amazing lp on this list, or even one of the bands stand out releases in my opinion, but it does have its charm. There's a certain addictiveness to the madness and mess of it all. It's the type of record you can throw on and lose your mind to, just get wild too. I'm sure it translates amazingly well to Pearl Jams legendary live shows, and perhaps that was the point, but as a studio lp? It's a bit lacking.

Overall - 3/5
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Dan Says:
I can't stand Pearl Jam. Especially this record. Something about his vocals just turn me off. It also pisses me off when people lump this music in with Nirvana. As successful as this band may be, they are nowhere near the aesthetic value of Nirvana. That's my opinion anyway. I will give this record 1 star. Merely for the fact it is a decent recording and has had success, drawing upon my reluctant respect. The lack of 4 stars is due to my lack of interest, and also my general disgust of such lackluster music.

Overall - 1/5

493: Earth, Wind and Fire - That's the Way of the World

Year: 1975

1. Shining Star
2. That's the Way of the World
3. Happy Feelin
4. All About Love
5. Yearnin' Learnin
6. Reasons
7. Africano
8. See the Light

RollingStone Says:
Before he got into African thumb piano and otherworldly philosophizing, founder Maurice White was a session drummer at Chess studios (that's him on Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me"). EWF's seventh album is make-out music of the gods; its title track is one of funk's most gorgeous ballads.
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Adam Says:
I'm not a huge fan of "Funk", but I've always had a special place in my heart for Earth, Wind and Fire. they're one of those all time classic groups, the kind that transcends their given genre of music and go on to become universally loved. I'm more familiar with the groups singles then I am their lps, so I was interested to see if their albums were as smooth and well produced. The answer is a resounding "Yes".

The thing that makes this group work so well is that they never pigeonhole themselves, never force themselves to make strictly "Funk" music. Instead they experiment with Jazz. Rock, R&B, Blues, and well...pretty much everything under the Sun. They bring all of these sounds together and make wonderfully cohesive pieces of pop music. My only real knock would be that, at times I feel like the album is kinda just floating along. Not in a bad way, but more like music that you would throw on in the background at a party. Not every song here is going to make you jump to your feet and party, a good chunk of it is more relaxing, late night, kick your feet up and vibe out type of music. Make-Out music as RollingStone likes to call it.

I enjoy it though, I would recommend this group to fans of any genre, and while this lp may not pack the same exciting punch of a Greatest Hits compilation, it's still an amazing point of entry for one of musics all time greats.

Overall - 4/5
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Dan Says:
This is one of those albums you could have sex to. It's just sexy all the way. I'm not a huge fan, but enjoyed it (by myself mind you) nonetheless.

Overall - 3/5