HER PICKS |
HIS PICKS |
|
J.J. Cale Reminds me of Jimmy Jim…my surrogate godfather of sorts…along with my parents, he helped to shape my early music listening. |
Earth Quake I don’t see this one around as much as I do their other albums. Shame because it’s great. |
|
Hydra I recalled the Capricorn label from another record and hoped for some good southern rock. |
Black Pearl Gabby already nabbed Hydra (my planned second pick). So I went with the next most metal album of the bunch. |
|
Jimmy McGriff T&A on the cover…the ultimate smoke screen or just a nice touch? We shall have a listen. |
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band This guy sounds like he is going to eat the microphone after he clears the last one out of his throat. Love it. |
|
The Velvet Underground I love live albums…I love double albums…I love the Velvet Underground! |
Tower Of Power Guess I’m on a rockin’ blues/soul kick. |
|
Average White Band Intrigued by the big lineup of Scotsmen on the back…wanted something funky. |
Spencer Davis Group Why are these guys not as well known as The Animals or The Zombies? |
Not Chosen Yet (Back to the Stacks):
Roy Orbison-Early Orbison
Three Dog Night-Seven Separate Fools
Stray Cats-Built For Speed
The Guess Who-Born In Canada
James Gang-Newborn
Yes-Tales From Topographic Oceans
Fleetwood Mac-Rumors
Eric Clapton-At His Best
Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship-Blows Against The Empire
Boston-Self Titled
For Your Listening Pleasure:
Visit our YouTube Channel and listen to our Round Three Top Picks Playlist as you read our thoughts below.
J.J. Cale-Troubadour 1976
Her Album Score: 9/10 His Album Score: 9/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| I just keep hearing him say “Hey Baby” in my head and find it extremely endearing. Despite that song sticking with me, “RIDE ME HIGH” more than endears me. His voice is definitely swoon worthy and his songwriting is masterful. | Buy this record. Eric Clapton owes at least 2 hits to this guy. Other bands that have covered songs from JJ’s first few records included Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, Widespread Panic, Nazareth, Beck, Jerry Garcia and many more. It’s a near perfect rock album being both personal and accessible at once. “TRAVELIN’ LIGHT” hearkens images of roads I’ve never been on in ways I’ve never imagined. The record is very visual in general for me. |
Earth Quake- Self Titled 1971
Her Album Score: 7.5/10 His Album Score: 8/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| “THINGS” carries Side A and ultimately the entire album although Side B has some stars as well… “Blurry Eyes”, “Guarding You”, “Look out Your Window”. | These guys played gigs together for 5 years before recording this, their first, album and it shows. All the songs were written by the band members and are all fairly complex but tight. Would have loved to see them live. “THINGS“ is a good 9:20 song that showcases a bit of everything they do. |
Hydra-Self Titled 1974
Her Album Score: 8/10 His Album Score: 8/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| “Glitter Queen” shines for imagery elicited, “Going Down” tempts me with its heavy southern sounds and nod to Don Nix. It’s just what the rock doctor ordered as evidenced by the many other great acts to incorporate it into their repertoire: Freddie King, Deep Purple, JJ Cale, Pearl Jam, Gov’t Mule, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Who, Led Zeppelin…and more. I looked up and enjoyed the original 1969 release by the band Moloch but I’m more impressed by the amped up version that Hydra put out. All that considered, “IF YOU CARE TO SURVIVE” wins me over with it’s weighty bass. Going back to the album, this one clearly sinks me in the best way. | “GOOD TIME MAN” combines the double guitar effect of prime Aerosmith with the macho vocal stylings of good funk/soul. This is another band that deserves a lot more credit than they get for their work. Only time I’ve seen this album is the time I bought it. |
Black Pearl-Self Titled 1969
Her Album Score: 9/10 His Album Score: 9/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| With “White Devil”, I love the sound but with “MR. SOUL SATISFACTION”, I love the mood…arms ascending…filling up with soul satisfaction…that’s my game. Overall, I love the cathartic edge to the vocal style…grunty squawky conviction, quite enthralling. | Do you like proto-metal? I DO!! Do you like Aerosmith, The Velvet Underground & Blue Cheer? I DO, I DO!! Well in 1969 you could have all three at the same time with Black Pearl! The relatively unknown band that emerged from the even less known psych-nugget 60’s garage band The Barbarians. If Captain Beefheart sounds like he is about to eat his mic this guy sounds like he is about to rip it apart with his bare hands and stomp on it. In a good way. He also squawks like a possessed parrot. Rock on. “WHITE DEVIL“. |
Jimmy McGriff-Groove Grease 1971
Her Album Score: 8.5/10 His Album Score: 6.5/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HER THOUGHTS |
| I love the bass throughout this album as well as, of course, the organ. I’m torn between the relaxed boppiness of his original “Plain Brown Bag” and the way the album closes with the slinky sizzle of “Secret Love”. Ultimately, “SECRET LOVE” sneaks up with the winning vibe. I love the way he turns the swoony sounds of Doris Day into something with more allure and scintillation. | “GROOVE GREASE” is the title track for a reason. It is by far the grooviest, greasiest, song on the album and it’s a good one. |
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band-Unconditionally Guaranteed 1974
Her Album Score: 7/10 His Album Score: 7.5/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| “FULL MOON, HOT SUN” is a simple but heavy win with great harmonica. I also like the sweet and twangy “Peaches” with its imagery of the big red bird carrying away its peach. The swoopty swoop of “New Electric Ride” also really gets me feeling the album. | “UPON THE MY-O-MY”. What is this song about? I have no clue but it’s different from all the other songs and I like it….. perplexing as it is. |
Velvet Underground-1969 Live with Lou Reed 1974
Her Album Score: 9.5/10 His Album Score: 8/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| “What Goes On” combines the earthy chuggin of the guitar with the celestial sounds of the organ in a way that really gets me excited, “Rock and Roll”, conveys an entirely relatable sentiment and reminds me of a memoir I’m reading called, The Importance of Music to Girls…highlighting the life shaping nature of rock and roll or any music that changes you or the way you see the world. I’m not usually moved to give the win to a song so sedate and stripped down but “I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR” gives me the chills, even though I do miss Nico on this version. It closes the two record album of live jams with a short and sweet reflective piece that gets to the heart of so much. | The Velvet Underground were groundbreaking. As a vocalist Lou Reed’s subtleties and sass don’t always translate live when he is working at it so hard. He almost can’t keep up with the pure energy of these songs he wrote when they are unleashed. That energy more than makes up for it though in “HEROIN“. |
Tower Of Power-East Bay Grease 1970
Her Album Score: 7.5/10 His Album Score: 7.5/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| “The Skunk, the Goose, and the Fly” is a fun song that reminds me of childhood rhymes but “BACK ON THE STREETS AGAIN” carries greater meaning and resonance. The East Bay is an extension of my home community and one of my dearest friends spent years living there, on and off the streets that inspire this song. | Living in the greater bay area I find a large number of SF & Oakland bands’ LP’s. T.O.P. played all over the Bay. They would frequent the hot rock spots like the Fillmore and Winterland but I have come across flyers for some of their shows at high school proms as well. Seems to me they just wanted to play, regardless of pay. You can feel that love of music on their debut album. “KNOCK YOURSELF OUT” wins the fight for best song. |
Average White Band-Show Your Hand 1973
Her Album Score: 8/10 His Album Score: 7/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| The layered funky build up on “T.L.C.” takes the cake on this one even though I like the story and feeling conveyed in “Back in 67”. Too busy moving during this one to make a lot of notes. | “T.L.C.” creeps and crawls along and keeps it funky. It sounds sort of southern rocky as well. Great track!! |
Spencer Davis Group-I’m A Man 1967
Her Album Score: 8.5/10 His Album Score: 7/10
HER THOUGHTS |
HIS THOUGHTS |
| One of my mom’s favorite albums is The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys so I get a kick out of getting into this early Steve Winwood project. For me the tops for this one are the title track “I’m a Man”, John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples”,and the Winwood instrumental “On the Green Light”. The verses on “I’M A MAN”, along with Winwood’s unstinting vocal and instrumental delivery so early in his career, tip the scales in its favor even though I really want to boogie with “On the Green Light”. | “I’M A MAN”. Once again I am reduced to choosing the big single. Normally I try not to pick the song everyone has heard but here I feel like no one remembers who did this classic. Steve Winwood wrote this tune along with most of the other originals contained in the “I’m A Man” album. it’s not The Zombies, it’s the Steve Winwood Group!!….er… um….Titled the Spencer Davis Group for some reason. |
Round Three Score Chart
On a scale of 1-10, here’s how the albums stacked up this round. For a running look at how the albums stack up from round to round, check out our NMG Charts page.
BLUE=HIS PINK=HERS GREEN=SHARED *ASTERIX=BEST OF SCORE
Round |
Album |
Score |
| R3 | Velvet Underground-1969 Live with Lou Reed 1974 | 9.5 |
| R3 | J.J. Cale-Troubador 1976 | 9* |
| R3 | Black Pearl-Self-Titled 1969 | 9 |
| R3 | Spencer Davis Group-I’m a Man 1967 | 8.5* |
| R3 | Jimmy McGriff-Groove Grease 1971 | 8.5 |
| R3 | Velvet Underground-1969 Live with Lou Reed 1974 | 8 |
| R3 | Earth Quake-Self-Titled 1971 | 8 |
| R3 | Hydra-Self-Titled 1974 | 8* |
| R3 | Average White Band-Show Your Hand 1973 | 8 |
| R3 | Captain Beefheart and Magic Band-Unconditionally Guaranteed 1974 | 7.5* |
| R3 | Tower of Power-East Bay Grease 1970 | 7.5 |
| R3 | Earth Quake-Self-Titled 1971 | 7.5* |
| R3 | Average White Band-Show Your Hand 1973 | 7 |
| R3 | Spencer Davis Group-I’m a Man 1967 | 7* |
| R3 | Captain Beefheart and Magic Band-Unconditionally Guaranteed 1974 | 7 |
| R3 | Jimmy McGriff-Groove Grease 1971 | 6.5 |
Vinyl Reflections
With our first round of posts being on Valentine’s Day and now this one on Easter, this is shaping up to be a holiday blog. I’m sure we’ll break that trend with the next release but, as of yet, incorporating it into celebratory days has been spot on with the our lively mood and free time. We also scored big with records at the flea market today so it’s nice to spend the evening with that theme continued.
Extra Extra!
Also featured on our YouTube Channel is our Round Three Extras Playlist featuring songs that got honorable mention as well as some alternate and live recordings.
NEEDLE MEETS GROOVE 