Stephen Stills - "Stephen Stills 2"

For the 68th Birthday of one of my all time favorite musicians Stephen Stills, I am writing about his second solo album released in 1971, a mere seven months after his first. This also happens to be my first post of 2013. Happy New Year everyone.
[I previously posted about his debut album for his last birthday check it out.
http://loosenthekey.blogspot.com/2012/01/stephen-stills-stephen-stills.html]

Stills had been making great music with a streak of excellence that goes from Buffalo Springfield, Super Session, CSN, CSNY, to his solo debut. After all that success it was no surprise that Stills stumbles a bit here. He mostly falters when he goes into Chicago (the band) territory adding a horn section (The Memphis Horns) and creating his own version of the Wall of Sound. At the time of release the album went Gold but did not produce a big hit single like "Love the One You're With" and the critics ready to bash Stills found ample opportunity here.

Looking at the album now Stills really scores on about half of the tracks. "Change Partners" feels like a ballroom country dance with a swinging tempo and great chorus that gets things off to a great start.
"Fishes and Scorpions" starts slow with acoustic guitar then turns into a rocker in the second half with some nice work by Eric Clapton. "Know you got to Run," a banjo led tune (reworking of John Hopkins song) is a brooding dark accusation (the first two lyrics were used on CSNY's "Everybody I Love You").  "Singin' Call" has a tight acoustic picking and quiet reflective vocals that show off Stills' abilities. "Sugar Babe," is a blues based mid-tempo song with a great feel and good organ work. "Marianne" is superb catchy rock featuring Stills singing in a high register.  "Word Game" is a fast acoustic number  with swirling wordy ranting lyrics about racism and prejudice.

On the rest of the tracks is where Stills stumbles. "Nothin' to do but Today" and "Open Secret" mix gospel and rock, but they are take them or leave them tracks, listenable with choruses that may stick in your head but are not so great. "Relaxing Town" and "Ecology Song" feel unfinished and rushed. The lyrics are also below par on both and the production can be overbearing.

The closer "Bluebird Revisited" is one of those 'why would you remake this?' questions. Seemingly intended as a epic finish that does not succeed. It seems like Stills had a portion of a new song and decided to mix in verses from his Buffalo Springfield classic. The music has been redone and is not bad I especially like the trumpet playing before the last verse.

Like his debut album there are some famous guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Nils Lofgren, Billy Preston and David Crosby. As well as Henry Diltz photography (the back of the cover photo shows what could be a bag of white powder on the table next to Stephen). The CD version I have sounds good, certain vocals seem really soft though. iTunes may help listeners with this album because they will pick their favorite songs and leave the rest.

All in all as many critics pointed out Stills seems to have rushed the album out before enough strong material was ready. His creative energy, however, would get a shot of adrenalin from Manassas a year later. In the end this album has some good moments that many critics chose to ignore and it is definitely worth a look.

Happy Birthday Stephen Stills, let's wish for the much anticipated and long overdue release of the Stephen Stills Box Set this year.

Carole King - "The Carnegie Hall Concert, June 18, 1971"

This legacy edition of this 1971 concert was not released until 1996. But it is a little gem.

Performed for a sold out crowd shortly after the release of King's landmark "Tapestry" album that was climbing up the charts and her song "It's Too Late" had hit number one on the charts the morning of this concert.

The audience is incredibly excited between songs and in sheer respectful awe when songs are sung. The audience is so quiet during some songs you can hear her voice bounce of the walls. King is obviously nervous as evidenced by her stage chatter, she does get more comfortable as the show progresses and as noted at this point in her life she had terrible stage fright.

While the songs are largely from "Tapestry" there are several excellent renditions from her forgotten debut album "Writer" and songs from her at the time unreleased  album "Music." For the majority of the concert King is alone with her piano giving even the famous songs a different spin. It is almost as if King is in your living with a grand piano, that is how intimate this concert sounds. Sometimes her voice is shaky as she was not really a performer at this point in her career. Well known California session guitarist Danny Kortchmar appears on a few songs; There is also a special appearance by James Taylor who duets with King on some of her old hits like "Will you still love me tomorrow" and of course "You've Got  a Friend."

The liner notes are excellent as is the sound which is usual for Legacy releases. This is a great companion piece to the classic "Tapestry" album and a warm nice listen for a late cold night. Recommended for fans of King and "Tapestry."

Elton John - "11-17-70"

As a music listener there are a number of Elton John songs that I love, yet despite his excellent songs his albums often leave me unimpressed. This is the only Elton John album I own and it is a live showcase recorded shortly before "Your Song" became a number one smash. It is a live in studio concert (with a small audience) that was broadcast on live radio at the time.

By and large John performs like a rock and roll/blues/soul animal. This features his simple killer live trio of John on piano and vocals, Nigel Olsson on drums, and Dee Murray on bass. Many non-John fans seek out this album; not because of its rarity, it is readily available on CD and iTunes though it is a lesser known album. The song choices are why they seek it out.

He tears through a number of his lesser known songs with excellent readings of "Take me To the Pilot" and a killer cover of the Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Women." All the tracks are either early album tracks, covers, or B-sides that did not appear on his albums. There is also that rock and roll jam style with all the seven tracks at least going five minutes, one over seven minutes and the closer an 18 minute medley that includes a section of The Beatles "Get Back."

The 1995 CD reissue, (the version I own) on John's Rocket Records as part of "Elton John The Classic Years" reissue series, has a decent booklet with historical notes but the sound is a bit softer than you would expect. Many Amazon reviewers prefer the out of print British CD import reissue from the same 1990s period.

Most fans will be happy with a good Greatest Hits compilation. Overall "11-17-70" is not necessary but a fun good live record and a wonderful showcase of Elton John before his massive success and before all his excess of the 1970s.

Billy Joel -"2000 Years The Millennium Concert"

On December 31, 1999 Billy Joel held a sold out concert at Madison Square Garden to celebrate the new millennium and he also labeled it his last concert (that didn't stick as about ten years later he went back on tour). The event lasted nearly four hours and acted as a history of his recording career and a great encapsulation of the 20th century and a warm welcome to the 21st. Equal mixes of heartfelt performance and sheer spectacle abound.

Two hours of that concert were released in May 2000 as this live album. It is not a bad album but not a great one either. At this point in his career Joel had released two live albums: the powerhouse 1981 release "Songs in the Attic" which shined a light on his lesser known great songs and thus made them big hits. Then there was the 1987 release "Kohuept" a document of his touring of the U.S.S.R. that was more of a historical release.

Here Joel tries to combine the two concepts. "I've Loved These Days," "My Life" and "Summer Highland Falls" all take on a special quality not only because it is the new millennium but also considering Joel's decision to retire from music and not tour for many years; they reach the "Songs in the Attic" feel. Many of those moments appear throughout the two discs but there are also lots of pure spectacle and average runs of a number of songs. Occasionally Joel's voice is pretty weak, the end of "New York State of Mind" really strains.

All in all this is a decent if unspectacular live album, better as capturing a moment in time and probably better if you were in the audience that night.  This is really for the most die-hard fans. His more recent concert album "12 Gardens Live" a compilation of his record setting 12 simultaneous sold out shows at Madison Square Garden is a far better live album with Joel in great energy and spirits. I keep this album because I became a Billy Joel fan right when he retired and this was his first non-Greatest Hits release between 1993 and 2000, so I picked it up.  Billy Joel is one of my favorites.

Billy Joel - "Glass Houses"

Ok my return to the alphabetical posts of my album collection.  The last time I was in order was Billy Joel's "Turnstiles." Here we have Joel's 1980 hit album "Glass Houses." In between the two albums were two smash hits "The Stranger" and "52nd Street" which had catapulted Joel from the sensitive guy who sang "Piano Man" to a music superstar and household name.

As always Joel was never praised much by the critics and that made him angry and music was exploring new territory with Punk and New Wave in the late 70s and early 80s. So this album is his response to all that.

"Glass Houses" was described by Joel as his punk rock album and while it really is not punk rock it is his most rock oriented album. Striping away much of the production aspects of his previous two records and focusing on his five man band. Producer Phil Ramone, who worked on Joel two previous albums, is back and makes sure that this is still a hit making pop/rock album.

While there is the tender "C'etait Toi (You Were the One)" and the McCartney-esque hit "Don't Ask Me Why"most of the songs are rockers "You May Be Right," "All for Leyna," "Close to the Borderline" and the excellent but often overlooked "Sometimes a Fantasy." Then there is the number one hit "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me," which is really a new wave style song with some punk leanings.

Overall "Glass Houses" has a harder edge than any of Joel's other albums and has some great songs that can only be found on this album, one of my favorites is "I Don't Want to Be Alone" with its catchy chorus and relatable story.  This album will please his die hard fans and critics because he moves away from some of his more familiar aspects and it is a good mark in Joel's catalogue.

Billy Joel - "Turnstiles"

"Turnstiles may not have been a hit, but it remains one of his most accomplished and satisfying records, clearly paving the way to his twin peaks of the late '70s, The Stranger and 52nd Street." - All Music Guide


In my opinion this is Billy Joel's finest album and like the quote above says it may not have been a huge hit but it is an immensely satisfying record with many of the songs becoming fan favorites. After recording his first three records in California, Joel decided to return to the greatest city in the world his hometown area of New York City. Joel's song writing abilities were at their peak at this point (he also sustained his abilities for over a decade) and he uses the album not only a vehicle for himself but also as something of tribute to his idols.


The opening track "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" is a tribute to Phil Spector (even borrowing the drum beat from "Be My Baby") and the pop styles of the early 60s. "All you Wanna Do is Dance" and "James" are Paul McCartney styles the former a caribbean influenced number. "New York State of Mind," one of the best love songs to the city, is Ray Charles. "Prelude/Angry Young Man" has echoes of The Who's rock orchestras (and also influenced John Mellecamp's "I Need a Lover" as well as McCartney's "Rockestra Theme"). The Sci-Fi album closer "Miami 2017" is a Broadway style show stopper. Yet despite all the tribute being paid Joel never ceases to make the songs completely his, sure they are inspired by other musicians but they are purely Billy Joel songs.


Then there are two of Joel's finest songs "Summer, Highland Falls" and "I've Love These Days." Critics have often harped on Joel about his lyrics but with lines like, "They Say that these are not the best of times, but they're the only times I've ever known," will easily silence those nay-sayers. These two are pure Joel. 


His melodic skills are on full display and the album is full with beautiful sonic landscapes and stories. These turnstiles are ones you will want to pass through again and again.

Billy Joel - "Piano Man"

Billy Joel is one of my all time favorite musicians, his "River of Dreams" album was the very first CD I ever owned. Joel is one of those artists that despite a massive amount of hits, great songs, awards, and huge fan base he is still not given the credit he really deserves (much like Sheryl Crow and Joel's idol Paul McCartney). Well all us Billy Joel fans know how great a musician he is and love him for it.

After listening to "River of Dreams" I went back into Joel's catalogue and started falling in love with his music. "Piano Man" was his second album and really the record that started his career. The autobiographical title track became Joel's signature song and he became know as The Piano Man.

Released in 1973 this album by and large takes a cue from other 1970s contemporaries by creating a series of characters and story style scenes, some of which Joel inhabits other times he is simply the narrator. His first album was firmly planted in the singer songwriter genre and this album employs some of those songwriter elements, "You're My Home" and "If I only Had the Words" but really he expands his sound into what would become Billy Joel trademarks. His excellent melody abilities are on massive display that make all the songs sound spectacular. He also employs Western/Cowboy theme through the album, such as the banjo hoedown of "Traveling Prayer," the "Magnificent Seven" style "Ballad of Billy the Kid" and the country tinged "Stop in Nevada."

Occasionally Joel sounds like Elton John, particularly on "Ain't no Crime," but by and large this is Billy Joel finding his musical voice and identity with three of his best songs, the title track, "Ballad of Billy the Kid" and the rocking album closer "Captain Jack."

This is one of his best albums even though it has a terrible and creepy cover that has nothing to do with the album. I almost did not put a picture up because the cover freaks me out. Billy Joel is one of the greatest pop/rock musicians of all time and this was his genesis.