The Albums of 1965: The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man

Release Date: June 21, 1965

Members: Roger McGuinn (vocals, guitar); Gene Clark (guitar); David Crosby (guitar); Chris Hillman (bass); Michael Clarke (drums)

Produced by Terry Melcher

Side One: Mr. Tambourine Man; I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better; Spanish Harlem Incident; You Won't Have to Cry; Here Without You; The Bells of Rhymney

Side Two: All I Really Want to Do; I Knew I'd Want You; It's No Use; Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe; Chimes of Freedom; We'll Meet Again

The Byrds debut album introduced a West Coast sound heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. The precise harmonies and smooth riffs by The Byrds brought new dimensions to Dylan's music, as four covers were included on the record.

A truncated version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" became a #1 hit on the U.S. and British charts, often credited with inventing the sound of folk rock. Jangly guitars and a sublime vocal by McGuinn transformed Dylan's folk song into a spaced-out anthem, a pivotal moment in the evolution of '60s pop. The album's producer Terry Melcher hired session musicians, the legendary "wrecking crew," to record it, but were only used for that track.

"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" featured catchy riffs and a lyric evoking the impatience of youth, further amplified by the fervent vocals. "Spanish Harlem Incident" was from Another Side of Bob Dylan, a somewhat less successful attempt to incorporate Dylan's wordplay, but still a worthwhile effort. "You Won't Have to Cry" is a dead-on Beatles pastiche, even a tad heavier. "Here Without You" is once again in the Beatles style, a foreshadowing of Help! that would be released later that summer. "The Bells of Rhymney" was credited to Pete Seeger, a remembrance of the 1926 General Strike in Great Britain. The wavy distortion of the guitars allows the historical narrative of the song to come into focus like a developing photograph.

Dylan's playful "All I Really Want to Do" is performed as a desperate plea. "I Knew I'd Want You" is a standard mid-60s ballad, while "It's No Use" is more in the style of The Kinks. A version of Jackie De Shannon's "Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe" is played with hints of country and blues. The arrangement of "Chimes of Freedom" is another outstanding reimagining of a Dylan song, a dense meditation, rich with symbolism, on the state of America and the meaning of freedom. McGuinn's impassioned vocals seamlessly navigate the dense lyrics. A flowery "We'll Meet Again" ends the album, a reference to Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. 

Approaching its 60th birthday, with Mr. Tambourine Man The Byrds proved themselves as worthy interpreters of Dylan and the British Invasion, while developing their own signature sound. 

The Big Heist: Mo75 Vol. 1, 2, & 3 (2018)

 Release Date: September 29, 2018

Members: Matt Farley; Tom Scalzo; Chris Peterson; Doug Brennan

Vol. 1: The Longest Day; When the Beat Gets Settled; Loring Ave.; Lookout; Crossroads; Blue Creek; We're About to Have One Heck of a Night; Devil on My Side; Bucket Seats; It's a Shame I Let You Down; Campfire Connection; MO75

Vol. 2: All Set; Vitamin Vicky; Wild Child; In the Cathedral; Kitty Cookie; Skin of My Teeth; Rested and Tanned; I Didn't Come Here Not to fight; Brave Deeds; Your Turn to Deal; Used to Hear it All the Time; Chopping the Bop; Mr. Maldoon; Empire of Ash; Gonna Have to Find Me Another Girl; Dandelion Moonglow; Tied to a Tree; Bravest Deed

Vol. 3: Proof of Party; I Am the King of Late Night; Late Night Fight by the Rock; Natural Wizard; Magic Song; I Won't Go; Predecessors; Already Gone; Ready to Split; This is the Sweet Spot; Left Them in the Dust; Just Pretend That I'm Asleep; Run Myself Ragged to Forget Her; They're Already Nostalgic; You Don't Get Me to Kick Around Anymore; Here Comes the Sweetness; A Thousand Tries

Matt Farley has written over 25,000 songs and records under various pseudonyms, all part of Farley's Motern Media, which includes a long running podcast and an entire cinematic universe. Known for writing songs of all sorts from celebrity tributes to toilet humor to geographically themed albums, he'll even write a song about you, just give him a call!

The Big Heist took their name from the Chevy Chase comedy Funny Farm, debuted with no less than a triple album. The songs revolve around the concept of a group of young people (late teens/early 20s) gathering in the woods for parties over a summer. The time period is undefined, but evokes the 1980s. There's an evergreen quality to the themes and sound, the styles cover a sprawling canvas of post-Beatles rock. Thematically, American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, and the canon of Cameron Crowe all come to mind.

Volume One opens with the angst ridden "The Longest Day" with the narrator of the albums sensing the summer ending, a cinematic overture of sorts. "When the Beat Gets Settled" is catchy rock and roll bravado. "Loring Ave" channels power pop, expressing a defiance and a longing, in a memorable refrain, "I can see I'm nonexistent/Just don't call me inconsistent." Of all the tracks, "Loring Ave" serves as a mission statement for the entire record, emotionally and thematically. 

"Lookout" is a contemplative number, evocative of Van Morrison. "Crossroads" sounds like a hazy remnant of '70s distortion. "Blue Creek" builds a harmonic energy not unlike a Beach Boys record. The jaunty and melodic "We're About to Have One Heck of a Night"  anticipates good times. "Devil On My Side" is a revival of British Invasion blues. "Bucket Seats" is about capturing a fleeting moment, "It's a Shame I Let You Down" is an after the relationship ended lament with the narrator gaining self-awareness. "Campfire Connection" reflects on a cryptic late night conversation. The first volume closes with "Mo75," a bittersweet tribute to the old party spot. 

Vol.. 2 opens with "All Set" who looks forward to a "night for the ages." "Vitamin Vicky" is a slight character sketch, "Wild Child" sounds like a flickering symbol from an old school FM channel. "In the Cathedral" evokes classic Bruce Springsteen with its nod towards spiritual growth, then the jaunty "Kitty Cookie" like a deep track from an early Billy Joel album. "Skin of My Teeth" imagines a missed rendezvous, then the country influenced "Rested and Tanned." "I Didn't Come Here Not to Fight" strikes an uneasy tone, then the jukebox ready "Brave Deeds" offers wavy melodies. 

The twangy "Your Turn to Deal" and the haze of "Used to Hear it All the Time" are suited for a long July afternoon. "Chopping the Bop" segues into rockabilly. "Mr. Maldoon" tackles emotional lows, "Empire of Ash" reflects on after the party ended. "Gonna Have to Find Me Another Girl" is wistful. "Dandelion Moonglow" gestures towards arena rock. "Tied to a Tree" is quirky and bass driven, and the reflective "Bravest Deed" reconciles with harsh realities. 

Vol. 3 begins with the exuberant "Proof of Party." "I Am the King of Late Night" revels in one last volley of glory. "Late Night Fight by the Rock" is all braggadocio and distorted guitars. "Natural Wizard" is like a Greek Chorus on the entire proceedings. "Magic Song" channels post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys, "I Won't Go" is all exhausted defiance. "Predecessors" is a melancholy confessional, a realization youth is fleeting and slipping away. "Already Gone" is more in the 90s Grunge mode, lamenting the swift passage of time. "Ready to Split" is pure Americana, a reimagination of the Cheers theme.

"This is the Sweet Spot" continues the existential musing motif. "Left Them in the Dust" channels a vague memory, "Just Pretend That I'm Asleep" recalls endless car rides deep into the night. "Run Myself Ragged to Forget About Her" continues the narrative from the previous song with hints of Rockabilly. "Possible Phenomenon" deals with time and misspent youth, anthemic in design. 

"They're Already Nostalgic" has the narrator observing a couple in total contentment. The Nixonian "You Don't Get to Kick Me Around Anymore" finds solace in the backbeats. "Here Comes the Sweetness" is catchy and cryptic, signaling emotional growth. The final track, "A Thousand Tries" finally flips the perspective to the present, out narrator reflects on the late night parties at the Mo75, the point when the past appears as a phantom. 

An Americana epic traverses through these three records. The first volume runs on adrenaline, the second becomes more expansive and atmospheric, and the final volume blends tempered defiance with reflective acceptance. 

The Albums of 1966: The Who Sings My Generation (U.S. Version)

Release Date: April 25, 1966 

Members: Roger Daltrey (Vocals); Pete Townshend (guitar, vocals); John Entwistle (bass, vocals) Keith Moon (drums)

Produced by Shel Talmy

Side One: Out in the Street; I Don't Mind; The Good's Gone; La-La-La-Lies; Much Too Much; My Generation

Side Two: The Kids Are Alright; Please Please Please; It's Not True; The Ox; A Legal Matter; Instant Party (Circles)

The Who's debut album arrived in America a few months after its release in the United Kingdom, signaling the British Invasion was far from over. The "Maximum R & B" sound of The Who put them alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, launching one of the most legendary journeys in Rock history.

Heavy chords open the record with "Out in the Street", played with rapid fire rhythm accompanied with hyper backup vocals. Then a James Brown cover, "I Don't Mind" swings along gently sounding like "Heart of Stone" by the Stones. "The Good's Gone" taps into the masculine angst The Who that would become their trademark. "La-La-La-Lies" is a teenage heartbreak song, "Much Too Much" hints at the future sound of the band.

"My Generation" is one of the most iconic rock songs ever written. All four members brought their personalities into the group, and "My Generation" exemplifies the power of the quartet. Entwistle's thundering bass and Townshend's staccato guitar borders on menacing, while Moon's drumming sounds like artillery fire being unleashed. A song about identity, defiance, and repressed rage at the social structure, also foreshadowed punk (as many have pointed out). It's also distinctly British and expresses in a new way what the Angry young men were writing about in the previous decade.  

"The Kids Are Alright" also reached iconic status, somewhat more introspective than the other tracks on the record. The narrator still likes his girl even if she dances with other guys in a sly commentary on the mod scene. "Please Please Please" returns to the R&B sound, in another James Brown cover. "It's Not True" borders on pop song and goes down easy enough, "The Ox" sounds improvised, the only instrumental on the album and a foreshadowing of incoming psychedelia. In "A Legal Matter", a sort of story song about a young man backing out of a marriage. Ironically, the closing track "Instant Party (Circles)" got tied up in litigation between the band and producer Shel Talmy after The Who produced their own version for release. Notable for Entwistle playing trumpet, the track is a cacophony of sound. 

Like the Beatles debut Please Please Me, My Generation captures a band coming into its own. The confrontational tone on the record is tempered by its tenuous grasp at self-knowledge. The primitive emotions on the record hint at the possibility of evolution once freed from the chains of youth and societal expectations. In time Townshend's writing would expand into more social criticism and even transcendence, all of which can be found here in its infancy. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #2: You're Gonna Get It

Release Date: May 2, 1978

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Denny Cordell, Noah Shark, Tom Petty

Side One: When the Time Comes; You're Gonna Get It; Hurt; Magnolia; Too Much Ain't Enough

Side Two: I Need to Know; Listen to Her Heart; No Second Thoughts; Restless; Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller

At 30 minutes, You're Gonna Get It is devoted to the three-minute rock song. Building upon the tight riffs and melodies of their debut, the record yielded two hit singles.

"I Need to Know" is a moody track agonizing over the impending end of a relationship. "Listen to Her Heart" seems to be in response to the power pop infused "I Need to Know" with lyrics aimed at a romantic rival.

The opener "When the Time Comes" promises devotion in hard times, "You're Gonna Get It" is a slightly darker love song with a more adventurous production. "Hurt" expresses a wounded romanticism - and nothing much beyond that. "Magnolia" is underrated and had potential to be a hit single, highlighting the strengths of the band. "Too Much Ain't Enough" highlights late 70s excess on the rock scene. 

"No Second Thoughts" features a retro '60s sound, it would be at home on a Stones record. "Restless" goes for a swaggering blues vibe. The album closes with "Baby's a Rock 'N' Roller" another track in the '70s power pop style. 

You're Gonna Get It is a mostly an unremarkable second album, mostly staying the course. In saying that, it's also a fitting companion to the debut in sound and theme.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers #1

Release Date: November 9, 1976

Members: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar); Mike Campbell (guitars); Benmont Tench (piano, organ); Ron Blair (bass); Stan Lynch (drums)

Produced by Denny Cordell

Side One: Rockin' Around (With You); Breakdown; Hometown Blues; The Wild One, Forever; Anything That's Rock N Roll

Side Two: Strangered in the Night; Fooled Again (I Don't Like It); Mystery Man; Luna; American Girl

The eponymous debut by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sustains itself on catchy riffs and Petty's confident vocals. They are confident rock and rollers, letting the songs speak for themselves, and clever enough not to overstay their welcome. 

"Rockin' Around (With You)" opens the record on a minimal riff with a retro doo-wop sound, lyrically simplistic, but knowing. "Breakdown" is another effective riff with Petty's iconic delivery ideal for FM radio. "Hometown Blues" also channels early rock, perfect for the jukebox. Petty pays tribute to mythical woman on "The Wild One, Forever." It would work on a Springsteen record, but Petty's twangy delivery takes it a level above pastiche. Appropriately titled, "Anything That's Rock and Roll" would fit in on a Ramones record, but Petty seems to have a direct line to the foundations of Rock.

"Strangered in the Night" imagines a violent racial confrontation, not so much social commentary, more a reflection of reality in 1970s America. "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) is rooted in the blues, and heavy on atmosphere. "Mystery Man" digresses into country rock, musically "Luna" is the most complex track. Recorded July 4, 1976, "American Girl" quickly became enshrined as a classic. Mystery surrounds what inspired the song; the lyrics encapsulate Petty's longtime fascination with exuberance and darkness of American identity. 

A strong debut for its no frills approach and steady determination.  

The Albums of 1973: Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy

 

Release Date: March 28, 1973

Members: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham

Produced by Jimmy Page

Side One: The Song Remains the Same; The Rain Song; Over the Hills and Far Away; The Crunge

Side Two: Dancing Days; D'yer Mak'er; No Quarter; The Ocean

Houses of the Holy proved to be Led Zeppelin's most eclectic record yet -and their most melodic. 

"The Song Remains the Same" begins the record on a rapturous note, both hard rocking and ethereal. Like "Stairway to Heaven", "The Rain Song" relies more on mood and atmosphere to great effect. "Over the Hills and Far Away" leans into the folkish side of the band, Plant's vocal and Page's riffs repeatedly crest and build. "The Crunge" was considered by some an attempt to channel James Brown with somewhat mixed results, an interesting experiment, nevertheless. 

"Dancing Days" revels in its bacchanalia ethos, "D'yer Mak'er" merges the Zeppelin sound with reggae and remains a classic rock staple. "No Quarter" is one of Zeppelin's most ominous tracks, merging synth-heavy prog-rock with a foggy dystopian atmosphere. "The Ocean" closes the record, more of a throwback to the earlier sound of the band, a joyful swagger with the band at its creative peak. 

Houses of the Holy sounds so fully realized and confident, all members of the group showcasing their skills as individuals and as a potent unit. 

REM #15: Collapse Into Now

 

Release Date: March 7, 2011

Members: Michael Stipe (vocals); Peter Buck (guitars); Mike Mills (bass, keyboards)

Produced by Jackknife Lee & REM

Track Listing: Discoverer; All the Best; Uberlin; Oh My Heart; It Happened Today; Everyday is Yours to Win; Mine Smell Like Honey; Walk it Back; Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter; That Someone is You; Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I; Blue

Collapse Into Now was pre-determined to be the final REM record, in a mutual decision to disband. The album features a variety of tracks calling back to different eras of the group's history, often referencing older songs. There's also a sense of time passing, the lingering message throughout is one for posterity, many of the songs are addressed to "the kids." 

"Discoverer" recalls the more muscular sound of Monster from 1994, and the sentiment going back to Murmur's opening track "Radio Free Europe." The power pop of "All the Best" has a one more for the road vibe, "it's just like me to overstay my welcome." "Uberlin" offers fantastical daydreams with neo-psychedelia sound.

"Oh My Heart" is one of REM's most poignant songs, told from the viewpoint of someone returning to New Orleans amidst the devastation left by the storm. "It Happened Today" is baroque pop, commenting on the nature of interpretation. "Everyday is Yours to Win" offers a compassionate message to someone in despair at the state of the world - evoking a lullaby. 

"Mine Smell Like Honey" offers subtle sarcasm on ego, "Walk it Back" is piano driven and a meditation on time passing."Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter" is punkish and juvenile by design. "That Someone Is You" is guitar driven, mocking a sophomoric rant by an adolescent. "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I" muses on celebrity and cultural obsessions. The final REM track "Blue" features Stipe giving a spoken word poem, with Patti Smith providing back-up vocals, always a influence on the band since the beginning, then the fadeout goes into a reprise of "Discoverer."

Collapse Into Now is a fitting farewell. REM began as a fledgling college band in Athens, Georgia and climbed their way up from a cult band to mainstream success. Through it all, they stayed true to progressive ideals and avoided becoming the walking cliché so many rock bands become.