At Folsom Prison: Johnny Cash (1968)
Johnny Cash wanted to perform at a prison. Record company execs hated the idea, so it percolated until changes at Columbia opened the door. Cash, June Carter, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three put on two shows in January, 1968. The resulting live album was a smash hit and spawned a second prison album, At San Quentin.
Key Tracks:
Folsom Prison Blues
Cocaine Blues
25 Minutes to Go
Jackson
American Recordings: Johnny Cash (1994)
In 1994, Johnny Cash returned to relevance after years in the wilderness. Metal and Rap producer Rick Rubin approached Cash hoping to produce the album. At first, Cash demurred, but eventually relented. It proved the perfect match. Rubin engineered Cash’s return to a stripped down, darker sound. The end result was the most unlikely and amazing musical comeback in history.
Key Tracks:
Delia’s Gone
The Beast in Me
Redemption
Cheap Trick: Cheap Trick at Budokan (1979)
Japan loved Cheap Trick before the states. The band decided to record a live album for their Japanese fans over two nights, but the songs made it onto American radio. Thousands of imported copies of the Budokan album sold in the United States before it was released domestically. The surprise hit broke Cheap Trick in the U.S. and led to a sequel album in 1993 which included the remaining songs from the shows.
Key Tracks:
I Want You To Want Me
Surrender
Ain’t That A Shame
The Clash: The Clash (1977)
While disco reigned and rock appeared dead, The Clash released a high powered punk album that followed on the heals of The Ramones. The band followed the Ramones formula with short, fast songs. However, they added a political component raging against unemployment, capitalism, racism, and commercialization. The band later expanded their music to become “the only band that mattered.”
Key Tracks:
White Riot
Complete Control
Career Opportunities
London’s Burning
London Calling: The Clash (1979)
The Clash dramatically expanded their musical stylings with London Calling. They incorporated ska, pop, soul, jazz, reggae, and rockabilly into their vision of a post apocalyptic world. The album’s themes surrounded drug use, unemployment, racism, adulthood, and the pressures of modern life. It encapsulated late seventies London and the failure of socialism….although the band viewed it as the failure of capitalism.
Key Tracks:
London Calling
Brand New Cadillac
Clampdown
The Guns of Brixton
Train in Vain
No Jacket Required: Phil Collins (1985)
Ok, I know what you’re thinking…why is Phil Collins on this list? Answer is simple. No Jacket Required best represents the mid-80s pop scene. Phil Collins was omnipresent during this period. In fact, Collins joked that he was tiring of himself. The album’s title derives from an incident at Chicago’s Pump Room. Collins was denied entry because he lacked the proper attire. The album spawned four major hits and accompanying videos. Despite his reputation, not all the songs on the album were fluffy pop. For example, “Long Long Way To Go” is a politically charged work that was never released as a single and features Sting on backing vocals.
Key Tracks:
One More Night
Don’t Lose My Number
Take Me Home
Long Long Way To Go
Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year’s Model (1978)
Elvis Costello mixed pop sensibilities with youthful angst on his second album. Instead of begging in typical whiney pop fashion, Costello tortures himself and seems to enjoy it. The album incorporated punk with pop sensibilities to create something different.
Key Tracks:
Pump It Up
Radio Radio
Night Rally
Disraeli Gears: Cream (1967)
Cream was the first true “super group” with Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce playing bass, and some guy named Clapton rounding out the trio with his guitar. The band’s second album, Disraeli Gears, fulfilled promise the original merger of the three presented fans a year earlier. The album found Cream discovering their own style deviating away from the blues which brought them together. They indulged and jammed creating a psychedelic time capsule. On a side note, the album’s name derived from a slip of Clapton’s tongue. The guitarist was discussing bicycles with Ginger Baker and mentioned Disraeli Gears as opposed to derailleur gears. The band thought the slip hilarious and used it as their album title.
Key Tracks:
Strange Brew
Sunshine of Your Love
Tales of Brave Ulysses
SWLABR
Wheels of Fire: Cream (1968)
Cream followed Disraeli Gears with the double album Wheels of Fire. The first album contained new studio material. The second contained four live performances from the Fillmore recorded over three March evenings in 1968. The albums capture the band and its complex musical tastes as it includes blues standards, cynical political rock, eccentric pop rock bordering on prog, and psychedelic. Turmoil plagued the band throughout its lifetime and it split after one final album. That turmoil led to the creative tensions that gave birth to Wheels of Fire.
Key Tracks:
White Room
Sitting on Top of the World
Born Under a Bad Sign
Politician
Green River: Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
CCR may be the greatest American rock band of all time. They incorporated their influences and created a style unlike any other act. Green River demonstrates everything that made CCR great. The album included straight on rockers like “Commotion” and classics such as “Bad Moon Rising.” The most interesting tune, “Lodi”, is about a performer trapped in a small town and unable to raise enough money to escape.
Key Tracks:
Green River
Commotion
Bad Moon Rising
Lodi
Cosmo’s Factory: Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
Cosmo’s Factory both encapsulated 1970 and remains relevant in the 21st century. The album seems as if it were recorded in the jungles of Vietnam. Yet, it also seems fresh in the Age of Terror. It is dark and foreboding while at the same time hopeful.
Key Tracks:
Travelin’ Band
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Who’ll Stop the Rain
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Johnny Cash wanted to perform at a prison. Record company execs hated the idea, so it percolated until changes at Columbia opened the door. Cash, June Carter, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three put on two shows in January, 1968. The resulting live album was a smash hit and spawned a second prison album, At San Quentin.
Key Tracks:
Folsom Prison Blues
Cocaine Blues
25 Minutes to Go
Jackson
American Recordings: Johnny Cash (1994)
In 1994, Johnny Cash returned to relevance after years in the wilderness. Metal and Rap producer Rick Rubin approached Cash hoping to produce the album. At first, Cash demurred, but eventually relented. It proved the perfect match. Rubin engineered Cash’s return to a stripped down, darker sound. The end result was the most unlikely and amazing musical comeback in history.
Key Tracks:
Delia’s Gone
The Beast in Me
Redemption
Cheap Trick: Cheap Trick at Budokan (1979)
Japan loved Cheap Trick before the states. The band decided to record a live album for their Japanese fans over two nights, but the songs made it onto American radio. Thousands of imported copies of the Budokan album sold in the United States before it was released domestically. The surprise hit broke Cheap Trick in the U.S. and led to a sequel album in 1993 which included the remaining songs from the shows.
Key Tracks:
I Want You To Want Me
Surrender
Ain’t That A Shame
The Clash: The Clash (1977)
While disco reigned and rock appeared dead, The Clash released a high powered punk album that followed on the heals of The Ramones. The band followed the Ramones formula with short, fast songs. However, they added a political component raging against unemployment, capitalism, racism, and commercialization. The band later expanded their music to become “the only band that mattered.”
Key Tracks:
White Riot
Complete Control
Career Opportunities
London’s Burning
London Calling: The Clash (1979)
The Clash dramatically expanded their musical stylings with London Calling. They incorporated ska, pop, soul, jazz, reggae, and rockabilly into their vision of a post apocalyptic world. The album’s themes surrounded drug use, unemployment, racism, adulthood, and the pressures of modern life. It encapsulated late seventies London and the failure of socialism….although the band viewed it as the failure of capitalism.
Key Tracks:
London Calling
Brand New Cadillac
Clampdown
The Guns of Brixton
Train in Vain
No Jacket Required: Phil Collins (1985)
Ok, I know what you’re thinking…why is Phil Collins on this list? Answer is simple. No Jacket Required best represents the mid-80s pop scene. Phil Collins was omnipresent during this period. In fact, Collins joked that he was tiring of himself. The album’s title derives from an incident at Chicago’s Pump Room. Collins was denied entry because he lacked the proper attire. The album spawned four major hits and accompanying videos. Despite his reputation, not all the songs on the album were fluffy pop. For example, “Long Long Way To Go” is a politically charged work that was never released as a single and features Sting on backing vocals.
Key Tracks:
One More Night
Don’t Lose My Number
Take Me Home
Long Long Way To Go
Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year’s Model (1978)
Elvis Costello mixed pop sensibilities with youthful angst on his second album. Instead of begging in typical whiney pop fashion, Costello tortures himself and seems to enjoy it. The album incorporated punk with pop sensibilities to create something different.
Key Tracks:
Pump It Up
Radio Radio
Night Rally
Disraeli Gears: Cream (1967)
Cream was the first true “super group” with Ginger Baker on drums, Jack Bruce playing bass, and some guy named Clapton rounding out the trio with his guitar. The band’s second album, Disraeli Gears, fulfilled promise the original merger of the three presented fans a year earlier. The album found Cream discovering their own style deviating away from the blues which brought them together. They indulged and jammed creating a psychedelic time capsule. On a side note, the album’s name derived from a slip of Clapton’s tongue. The guitarist was discussing bicycles with Ginger Baker and mentioned Disraeli Gears as opposed to derailleur gears. The band thought the slip hilarious and used it as their album title.
Key Tracks:
Strange Brew
Sunshine of Your Love
Tales of Brave Ulysses
SWLABR
Wheels of Fire: Cream (1968)
Cream followed Disraeli Gears with the double album Wheels of Fire. The first album contained new studio material. The second contained four live performances from the Fillmore recorded over three March evenings in 1968. The albums capture the band and its complex musical tastes as it includes blues standards, cynical political rock, eccentric pop rock bordering on prog, and psychedelic. Turmoil plagued the band throughout its lifetime and it split after one final album. That turmoil led to the creative tensions that gave birth to Wheels of Fire.
Key Tracks:
White Room
Sitting on Top of the World
Born Under a Bad Sign
Politician
Green River: Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
CCR may be the greatest American rock band of all time. They incorporated their influences and created a style unlike any other act. Green River demonstrates everything that made CCR great. The album included straight on rockers like “Commotion” and classics such as “Bad Moon Rising.” The most interesting tune, “Lodi”, is about a performer trapped in a small town and unable to raise enough money to escape.
Key Tracks:
Green River
Commotion
Bad Moon Rising
Lodi
Cosmo’s Factory: Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
Cosmo’s Factory both encapsulated 1970 and remains relevant in the 21st century. The album seems as if it were recorded in the jungles of Vietnam. Yet, it also seems fresh in the Age of Terror. It is dark and foreboding while at the same time hopeful.
Key Tracks:
Travelin’ Band
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Who’ll Stop the Rain
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
