** Rock and Roll Reminiscing – XXXX YYYY ZZZZ **

Tour2ma

Rock and Roll Reminiscing

22 June 2003 --- Letters Of The Week are “X, Y and Z”

For what this is about and some guidelines please click on the following link:

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7234

Yes, it’s a long post, but please read, if you participate.

This week we are only discussing artists whose last name, and groups whose name begin with the letter “X, Y, or Z”.

Note: The word “The” doesn’t count, so for example “The Allman Brothers Band” belongs in the "A's" discussion and not in the “T’s” (guideline #5).

When possible, please supply complete title, format, company, year and catalog number when posting recordings.

And so our 26, er, make that our 24-week odyssey concludes…

Hope you have enjoyed the ride… I’ve had a blast…

Tour2ma

Guys, I decided it was getting a little thin at the end of the old alphabet, so WTH let's wrap it up.

Let's limit posts to one artist per letter per day this week... Then go crazy on the leftovers this weekend.

I've had a blast...

shack

OK...I'll start. This not only will be a review, but a bit of a tribute as well. Warren Zevon . As many of you may know Warren Zevon has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. HERE is a link.

Looking at the list of notable muscians that are willing to record on an artist's album is one way to guage how good that artist really is. If that holds true then Warren Zevon must be pretty good. A list of artist performing on his albums is quite remarkable:

Jackson Browne
Lindsey Buckingham
Don Henley
David Lindley
Stevie Nicks
Bonnie Raitt
Phil Everly
Carl Wilson
Glenn Frey
J.D. Souther
Karla Bonoff
Linda Ronstadt
Jennifer Warnes
Mick Fleetwood
John McVie
Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar
Russ Kunkel
Joe Walsh
Don Felder
Graham Nash
Neil Young
Mike Mills
George Clinton
Michael Stipe
Bill Berry
Flea
Brian Setzer
Peter Buck
Jerry Garcia
Jorma Kaukonen
Jack Casady
Chick Corea
David Gilmour
Dwight Yoakam
Bruce Hornsby
Peter Asher

Three albums that stand out for me are:

Warren Zevon - 1976 - "Hasten Down The Wind", "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me", "Mohammed's Radio", "Join Me In L.A.", "Desperados Under the Eaves" and "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" are all very good cuts.

My favorite and probably his most sucessful album:

Excitable Boy - 1978 - Who can forget "Werewolves Of London"with lines like "I saw a werewolf drinkin' a pina colada at Trader Vic's....His hair was perfect"?

I also like "Johnny Strikes Up The Band", "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner ","Excitable Boy" and "Lawyers, Guns and Money". A very good album and well worth a listen.

And finally...Transverse City - 1989 - I like this album because he goes back to his dark roots of Warren Zevon with songs like "Transverse City", "Run Straight Down", "Turbulence", "They Moved The Moon" and "Splendid Isolation"

Warren Zevon is a very talented and interesting muscian. I have enjoyed his music over the years and will miss his work when he is gone.

F1nut

FRANK ZAPPA

I don't own any of his stuff, but have enjoyed many of his songs over the years. Remember guys, "Don't you eat that yellow snow."

abmarsh

ZZ Top

Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres are my favorites.

gidrah

A grand member of this forum turned me onto some good Zappa. Previously I had Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation, Joe's Garage, Reuben & the Jets. He turned me onto:

Hot Rats
Waka/Jawaka
The Grand Wazoo

These are all great. Hot Rats is one of my new all-time favorites. All have limited social commentary (vocals)and great heavy jazz jam sessions.

I've also bought Weesils Ripped my Flesh since then.


The Zombies!

RuSsMaN

I guess I need someone to point me towards 'essential' Zappa, what exactly I need to listen to.

From what I have heard, I just don't get it. It seems to me he should have made more of an effort to release 1 or 2 GOOD albums, instead of 40+ **** ones.

Cheers,
Russ

shack

Russ, I have to agree with you. I have listened to all of the "recommended" albums (ie:"Hot Rats", "Over-Nite Sensation", etc...) and I just don't like them...at all! Zappa was certainly a creative innovator but there is nothing there for me.

Tour2ma

I expected GG to come along with at least a one page post by now.

I only own Rycodisc's Apostrophe'/ Overnight Sensation, 2 on 1 release. I like it, and think it is more accessible than the Zappa that hard core fans love, even though "Dirty Love " and "Dyna-Moe Humm" are definitely "hard-core".

But it's no Weasels Ripped My Flesh in the true fan's eyes...

section19

I'll cast a vote for Frank Zappa as well. His music is definitely not for everyone. I still listen to him on a weekly basis, but I used to be a real Zappa freak and listen to his music almost exclusively. At the height of my record collecting obsession I owned 100 vinyl discs by him (that included bootlegs, double albums, triple albums, a ten record box set, etc.). Over the years I sold many of those records (wish I hadn't) but I still have probably about 20-25 of his albums (all on vinyl).

As I grew older I did seem to prefer his intrumental music over some of his songs with goofy lyrics. Lately I've been listening to "One Size Fits All".

I guess I arrived here just in time to help conclude this exercise in music appreciation.

joe6pak

Neil Young!

I yield my space here concerning Neil to the "Creator" (tour) or anyone else who wants to take a shot.

Frankie Yankovic.

The king of Polka-Rock. Old Frankie could get down. My favorites include "Bar Room Polka" "Beer Barrel Polka" "Three Yanks Polka" and the most fun of all "Secretary Polka". Or was that "Polka Secretary"? Damn I can't remember. O.K. before you start blasting me, this is a Polk forum, so Polk-a seems to fit right in.

Frank Zappa. You guys are right you either like him or you don't. I sometimes manage to do both at the same time.

Well since the Creator wants to limit only one group per day I guess I have hit the limit. Will I be back with another later? YES. YES, I guess I will.

joe

section19

I'm off on a camping trip tomorrow so indulge me two choices today.

I'll second joe's pick of Ol' Neil Young. His albums may be a little inconsistent (I know, that's a matter of opinion) but his "Rust Never Sleeps" tour is still up there as one of the best live shows I've ever seen ('78, old Chicago Stadium).

L.A. punk rock/roots rock/hard rock group X is my last pick. I still love listening to their music and always felt they were unfairly catagorized. They were much more than just another L.A. hard core band.

shack

Joe, Good to see you...where have you been? I assume from your post that you are gearing up to do a review of Yanni today. I know it will be a fragile and close to the edge review. Can't wait!


I'll 3rd Neil Young. For his early stuff an excellent compilation is Decade - 1977 - 35 tracks of his best work up to 1976. Includes solo as well as CSN&Y and Buffalo Springfield. Most of the individual albums he made during this time are very good...especially Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - 1969, After The Goldrush - 1970 and Harvest - 1971.

Freedom 1989 - This is one of my favorite Neil Young albums. This is with his band Crazy Horse and they rock. Two cuts of "Rockin' In The Free World", "Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero, Pt. 1)", "Eldorado" and "No More" are all very strong cuts. A very dark rocker that is well worth a listen.

abmarsh, I agree that ZZ Top should be in any classic rock collection. Tres Hombres -1973 IS a classic. I know it ranks way up there with some of the most overplayed cuts in history but I still like "La Grange" with one of the most recognizable opening riffs in rock.

Another worthy contender (although it is definitely during their MTV lets make songs that will have sexy videos" stage) is Eliminator -1983 - This one is defintely geared to the visuals of the women and cars with cuts like "Legs", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Gimme' All Your Lovin" ", but all-in-all it is still a pretty good album.

Dr. Spec

Who can forget Yes?

Of course the classic Yes from the 70's:

The Yes Album (1971)
Close to the Edge (1972)
Fragile (1972)
Relayer (1974)

And in my opinion their last decent release:

Big Generator (1987)

Doc

shack

Doc, I wholheartedly agree with Yes. Lets not forget 90125 - 1983 - A very good album with a "come back" hit... "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"

IMO Fragile is their best. Close To The Edge has some excellent stuff but I think you have to be a fan to appreciate it due to the length of the tracks. I was on a golfing road trip yesterday and took these two with me. Fragile on the way and Close To The Edge coming back. I had not listened to these albums in a while and I thought that they might be a little dated. I was pleasantly was suprised at how much I still enjoyed the music.

joe6pak

shack.

I have been dealing with a variety of bummer stuff so have not had the time or the mindset to post. I have been looking in from time to time though.

I really thought you would cover Yanni. I figured you had most of his stuff.

Yes.
Its just as well that you guys beat me to this group. Fragile! For some reason that is the only Yes album that I really liked. The others just did not do it for me.

ZZ Top. Gotta like those videos.

Where in the hell are all the polka fans? I figured my Frankie Yankovic post would have all you zany polka dudes coming out of the closet.

joe

abmarsh

"Going For The One" is also one of my favorite Yes albums.:D

mhw58

XTC: A very creative band with several great cd's. I highly recommend Skylarking and Orange and Lemons. Also they
did a fantastic cd called Chips from the chocolate fireball
under the name the Dukes of Stratoshpear. If you're
a fan of 60's phycedeila, check out the Dukes cd.
Yardbirds: Clapton, Beck and Page all played for the Yardbirds,
and they made some great music.
Zombies: Odyssey and Oracle is one of the great 60's
albums.
Mike