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 - "River of Dreams"

The first CD I ever owned and Billy Joel's last pop album of new material.  After his massive 1980s success Joel had been riding high on "An Innocent Man" and "The Bridge" when he found that his manager, since the beginning of his career, had embezzled nearly all of Joel's millions (Joel would eventually gave some of it back after a long legal battle).

For much of the late 80s and early 90s Joel had to tour excessively and also churn out hits singles to try and regain some money. Thus many of his post "Innocent Man" albums were comprised of a couple winning songs with a lot of filler that Joel seemed not to care about.

By 1993 Joel was fed up and told everyone when the album "River of Dreams" was released that it would be his last album and to date 2012 he has yet to release any new original material (he did compose a new classical album though in the late 1990s).

When I first heard this album in 1993 I thought it was spectacular and one of the best things I had ever heard but as I grew older and went through Joel's back catalogue I found it to be his most labored and produced album to date, also none of the joy he had in his music (that appears on "Innocent Man," "52nd Street," "Turnstiles" etc.) is largely absent though it does appear occasionally, particularly on the title track.

Since Joel planned this as his last album there is a heavy reflective quality in the lyrics and songs which gives a very somber tone. The last track is called "Famous Last Words" and ends the album and Joel's recording career with a chorus that sings "These are the last words I have to say."

While the songs sound good it is slightly sad that Joel chose to end his recording career with such a dark album and only four or five really great songs the rest sound good but are largely somber filler. On the up side the album was a smash hit with the excellent gospel infused title track becoming a giant hit that everyone was singing at the time. Other than that there is the sweet song to his daughter "Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)," "The Great Wall of China" (obviously directed at his thieving manager) and "All about Soul." Also there is excellent artwork by the then Mrs. Joel Christie Brinkley.

This is not his best album but it contains one of his greatest songs and it will always have a special place in my collection as the first album I ever owned.

Michael Jackson - "Thriller"

The biggest selling album of all time, selling hundreds of millions of copies and still climbing. There was a time that I would listen to this album all the way through at least once a week.

There has been so much said and praised about Michael Jackson's "Thriller" that one wonders if it can really be as good as everyone says. In short it is as good as any great album ever released.

Jackson had had a giant hit with his previous album "Off the Wall" but nothing could prepare anyone for the hit the size of the known universe he had with "Thriller." Seven of the albums nine tracks became charting hits and there is something for everyone on this album. Taking the basic structure of "Off the Wall," Jackson expands the sounds to include Dance, Rock, Funk, Pop, Ballads and Soul into one flawless whole. Even the guest appearances by Paul McCartney (on the Wings style schmaltz pop of "The Girl is Mine") and Eddie Van Halen (the searing guitar that pulses through "Beat It") fit firmly into the overall arch of the album.

Listing the great tracks is pointless because literally every songs is a winner and offers something different to the pallet that is "Thriller." While some of the albums success can be attributed to the expert music videos that Jackson made at the time and aired on the, at the time, incredibly popular MTV channel; the album could stand on its own. Jackson has created the perfect pop album and many try to imitate it to this day.

For better or worse this also marked the beginning of the King of Pop. This album market the end of the day-glo tuxedo, big afro hairdo and began the one gloved, fedora wearing, sequined outfit that marked the  newly crowned king of pop. This is a great album, that some how never sounds dated, and in a word is a thrill to listen to.

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends - "On Tour with Eric Clapton"

Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett were a husband and wife duo from California who made a series of, they actually crossed a number of different genres: Blues, Rock, Soul, Gospel and a little country. The duo recorded eight albums together before divorcing in the early 1970s causing the end of the pairing. Despite having a number of hits in the late 1960s they were never really superstars with the public. They are more well known for all their superstar "Friends" that performed with them such as, Clapton, George Harrison, Duane Allman and Dave Mason. They gained fame as Blind Faith's opening act for Blind Faith's only tour. A number of famous musicians joined their back up band and thus the group was called Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. The Brammlett's are also responsible for the formation of Derek & the Dominos all of whom played in their back up group. The same musicians were also used as backup on George Harrison's epic "All Things Must Pass" album. Delaney Bramlett also cowrote and produced Clapton's first solo album and persuaded Clapton to start a solo career.

This is Delaney & Bonnie's most famous album and one of the only ones still readily available for purchase or download. Their eleven piece band includes all of Derek & the Dominos, Clapton, Mason and Rita Coolidge. They perform like a white version of Ike and Tina Turner but with a better understanding of music. Clapton and Mason provide some strong guitar solos but the Bramletts are always the focus and they do put on a rousing show. They give strong renditions of "Things Get Better," Mason's "Only You Know and I Know" and Clapton's strong "Coming Home." (The version on the Clapton "Crossroads Box Set" has a much clearer sound however than the one presented here). The album though is a brief 40 minutes spear over nine tracks. There was a limited edition 4 disc box set feature the majority of the concerts that this album was culled from, it is a little hard to come by now.

Overall this is a fine live album not really necessary but a very important point in music history. Without this tour and album there would be no Dave Mason solo career, no Clapton solo career and worst of all no "Layla" album. That would be a tragedy.