Hunky Dory

Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the release of Bowie's fourth (and first really Bowiesque) album Hunky Dory! It's such a great record, and one of the few Bowie long players I have on vinyl, albeit a reissue. There's a special place in my heart for this one, as the Wesleys along with keyboard whiz Kim Siragusa performed this album in its entirety for the Newport Record Club in April 2016. I would place Hunky Dory in my Top 5 Bowie Albums, possibly at the coveted position of number five.

Kicking off with the 1-2 punch of Changes and Oh! You Pretty Things, this record sees Bowie successfully finding his voice, and coming up with some pretty profound lyrics, considering his 24 years on the planet. Both of these songs are fairly well known, with the latter becoming more renowned in recent years. It is a quintessential Bowie track from 1970s, and a little bit of Ziggy creeps into this one, I reckon. Some of the lines from Quicksand are deeply introspective as he searches for identity and ponders his place in the world. Check this out:

"Don't believe in yourself,

Don't deceive with belief,

Knowledge comes with death's release..."

Fairly heavy stuff, huh? This is also the album that gifts us the wondrous Life on Mars? which isn't short of its own profundities either. 

Assembling the band that would go to be his Spiders From Mars, Bowie enlisted Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass and drummer Mick 'Woody' Woodmansey to start recording a new album in mid 1971. Interestingly, Tony Visconti is not involved in this record, having not only played bass on Bowie's previous album The Man Who Sold the World, but he also produced it. For Hunky Dory, Bowie himself co-produces alongside Ken Scott. Visconti and Bowie would work together again on numerous occasions in the future. 

As well as bass, Bolder also contributes a lovely bit of trumpet to the exquisite Kooks, an ode to Bowie's newborn son, Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones. Yes, THAT Duncan Jones, the filmmaker. There's quite a bit of piano on this record, which is played by Bowie himself on Oh! You Pretty Things and Eight Line Poem. However, elsewhere the keys are courtesy of the legendary Rick Wakeman before he joined up with prog rockers Yes. Apparently he was offered a regular spot in Bowie's touring band, but declined in favour of Yes. One wonders how those legendary Ziggy concerts would have gone if he was involved.

After an amazingly strong first side, which includes all six songs I have mentioned, the record flip kicks off with a whimsical cover of Fill Your Heart. The song was penned by a performer called Biff Rose and Paul Williams, a songwriter who would go on to have his hand in many classic songs including Rainy Days and Mondays (the Carpenters), Evergreen (Barbra Streisand) and The Rainbow Connection (Kermit the Frog). The album just stops dead here. It has some nifty piano work, but it's not much of a song. The most exciting thing happens at the track's end when the saxophone jumps in and out of the speaker as the spooky sound effects announce the arrival of Andy Warhol, which features an off-the-cuff introduction from Bowie clarifying the name of the sound, to presumably, the sound crew. Like the song before it, Andy Warhol features no drums, only percussion with two acoustic guitar parts. This wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Space Oddity album, I reckon. I quite like it, as it has some kind of weird Bowie quality, but it's a novelty track really.

Thankfully, the record gets really good again, with two more highlights hitting one after the other, with the excellent Song for Bob Dylan and the rollicking Queen Bitch. The opening lines of Song for Bob Dylan are probably my favourite lyrics on the album:

"Oh, hear this, Robert Zimmerman/

I wrote a song for you/

About a strange young man named Dylan/

With a voice like sand and glue..."

Dylan wasn't even a decade into the biz, but this track seemingly ponders his impact and how his audience will be affected in the future. Have they been deserted, or are they content with what has been left to them? I imagine most people at the time would not have expected the man to still be active fifty years later, let alone still producing excellent work. His last studio album (number 39, if you're counting), 2020's Rough and Rowdy Ways is one of his best efforts, for mine.

An early prototype for what would become glam rock, the aforementioned Queen Bitch is a clear homage to The Velvet Underground in both production and content. As the narrator searches through clubs for romantic encounters of an ambiguous nature, it feels like something Lou Reed could sing about and the crunch of Ronson's guitar landing on the introductory acoustic sets the track on fire. Like Fill Your Heart, this track is not indicative of the rest of the album, but in a good way. It's a big highlight for me, and is a big jump towards the creation of Ziggy Stardust and the sound of the next two Bowie albums. 

The final track is another interesting one, The Bewlay Brothers. Loosely based on Bowie himself and his half-brother Terry, the lyrics are quite nonsensical. Although it feels like a ballad or story, you're not really given much of a plotline. These are merely random images and expressions of feeling, with some of the densest lyrics Bowie ever penned. I like it, but I'm not sure what he means when sings "He's chameleon, comedian, Corinthian and caricature". The final moments of the song change tack when numerous overdubbed voices of Bowie combine to deliver the perplexing denouement:

"Lay me place and bake me pie/

I'm starving for me gravy/

Leave my shoes, and door unlocked/

I might just slip away, hey/

Just for the day, hey!.."

Yeah, no idea there. I think Bowie just liked the sound of the words. It feels a bit like the random imagery of The Beatles' I Am the Walrus. As the voices of Bowie fade out we are left with the memories of an album unlike any other in his canon. So many different feels, and moods, but somehow, undeniably Bowie. It's a good one. Heck, it's a great one, but a couple of missteps prevent this from being absolutely classic. 

NEXT UP: ☆ - 8th Jan, 2025 (last one!)

Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Well, this was an interesting list to revisit. Rolling Stone magazine first published their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time issue in 2003, and again in 2009. I bought an Australian copy of the magazine that published the list as it stood in 2012. That list has been updated a few more times since, most recently in December 2023. I took that update and my magazine and compared the pair. A lot can change in eleven years, and there were a fair few surprises!

The first change is the No.1 spot. In 2012 it was The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not my favourite Beatles album, but I can see why it’s as revered as it is. In 2023, the top spot went to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. Again, a pretty good album, I like it a lot; heck, I own a copy. But best album of all time? Nahhh. Maybe it’s just resonating with a lot of people at the moment because of all the turmoil in the world. Now, these poll things change over time, sure, so maybe Sgt. Pepper’s… is still in the Top 10, or at worst, Top 20, you think? Nope. It now resides at No.24! That’s a bit rich, don’t you think? To add insult to injury, The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album was in the No.2 spot in 2012, and it remains there in 2023! I have never really got why that album is as loved as it is. Again, I own a copy of it, but there’s like, four, maybe five really good songs, and the rest is a bit naff. I guess at the time it was groundbreaking, but I just don’t see why. 

The third spot in 2012 was held by The Beatles’ Revolver album, which I’d argue has a strong case to hold the top spot. Even with the inclusion of Yellow Submarine. In 2023 the record sits at No.11, which feels like a worse crime to me that Sgt. Pepper’s… being at No.24. Worse still, the No.3 position is now occupied by Joni Mitchell’s Blue, an album I do not enjoy. I think I liked The River, and that was about it. I don’t like her voice that much, which makes it hard, but I know that there are people who love her. I’m just not one of them. Kudos for the career and thanks for Both Sides Now, but you won’t see me putting on an album of hers. Blue sat at No.30 in 2012, so again, the influence must be growing in this generation. That same leap forward that album enjoyed is the same fall Sgt. Pepper’s… suffered. Interestingly, only Blue and Court and Spark made the list in 2012, but 2023’s poll also included The Hissing of Summer Lawns (No.258) and Hejira (No.133).

Sitting at No.4 is Stevie Wonder’s bloated Songs in the Key of Life, which is up from No.57 in 2012. That’s a pretty big jump. Not sure where all the love has come from for that album, which has some absolute classic tracks, for sure (again, I own it on vinyl, including the little 7” disc), but it’s too long and self-indulgent in places. It doesn’t belong in the Top 20, let alone Top 5. 

The Beatles finally get a nod at the fifth position with Abbey Road, again above Sgt. Pepper’s… and Revolver. Nope. It’s a great album absolutely, but it doesn’t outdo Revolver in my humble opinion. Abbey Road sat at No.14 in 2012, so I don’t know, maybe a lot of people bought the T-shirt in that time? Nirvana’s Nevermind comes into No.6, up from No.17; whatever. More T-shirts. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours jumps into the seventh spot, previously in the 26th spot. I can appreciate that album growing in popularity, particularly with the sad passing of Christine McVie in 2022. 

Excitingly, the eighth position goes Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution which was catapulted up from the 76th spot it held in 2013. What a leap! It’s a pretty amazing record and possibly has been reappraised since his tragic death in 2016, but the album remains as fresh and vibrant as it did over forty years ago. Possibly a little higher than I’d put it, but all good.

Now, sitting at No.9 in the new poll is Bob Dylan's excellent Blood on the Tracks album, up from the 14th spot. As much as I dig this record, there are at least five other Dylan releases I would rank above it; and two of those albums were in the Top 10 in 2012: Blonde on Blonde (No.9) and Highway 61 Revisited (No.5). Not only are they better albums, they deserve higher rankings than the 18th position Highway 61 got, and the 38th (!!) spot for BoB. That's some mighty big drops, and totally undeserved as well. Both should be Top 10, and I'm quite floored by those falls. 

Rounding out the 2023 Top 10 is another big surprise. All the way from No.314 in 2012, it's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill!! I guess I should have expected that album to poll well considering it topped the 100 Best Albums list according to Apple Music in May this year. It just flaws me. I guess I should listen to it, but it's not really my bag, I don't think. It must have struck a significant note or two with the odd person out there. 

Anyway, here's the two Top 10s next to each other:

2012

10. The Beatles THE BEATLES (1968) 

9. Blonde on Blonde BOB DYLAN (1969)

8. London Calling THE CLASH (1979)

7. Exile on Main St. THE ROLLING STONES (1972)

6. What's Going On MARVIN GAYE (1971)

5. Rubber Soul THE BEATLES (1965)

4. Highway 61 Revisited BOB DYLAN (1965)

3. Revolver THE BEATLES (1966)

2. Pet Sounds THE BEACH BOYS (1966)

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band THE BEATLES (1967)

2023

10. The Miseducation of LAURYN HILL (1998)
9. Blood on the Tracks BOB DYLAN (1975)
8. Purple Rain PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION (1984)
7. Rumours FLEETWOOD MAC (1977)
6. Nevermind NIRVANA (1991)
5. Abbey Road THE BEATLES (1969)
4. Songs in the Key of Life STEVIE WONDER (1976)
3. Blue JONI MITCHELL (1971)
2. Pet Sounds THE BEACH BOYS (1966)
1. What's Going On MARVIN GAYE (1971)

Oh yeah, London Calling and Exile on Main St. are both gone from the Top 10 as well! The Clash came in at No.16 in 2023 and the Stones hit the 14th spot, their highest appearance. Awful lot of white dudes in the 2012 ten, with The Beatles and Dylan accounting for six albums. In contrast, the 2023 peak is a little more even in terms of era, race and gender, with two albums solely credited to female artists. Interestingly, in the 2023 list, Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album polled at No.69, just ahead of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love at No.68. Neither record was in the 2012 list, which I find baffling. Jagged Little Pill was an absolute monster when it came out, and if Stranger Things didn't use Running Up That Hill, would Kate Bush have gone by the wayside again? Both albums fully deserving their place. 

On the subject of female artists, I was also pleased to see Back to Black by Amy Winehouse shoot up from the 451st position to No.33 - one of the biggest jumps! I was quite late to the party with Amy Winehouse, and I only listened to that album after she had already passed. It's so good. She had such a great voice. What a waste. It was great to see Aretha Franklin's wonderful I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You album nearly hit the Top 10 in 2023, with the album moving from the 84th spot to No.13! I would have preferred to see that in the Top 10 over Blue or Nevermind or Songs in the Key of Life. Definitely over Lauryn Hill, but I can't really judge, as I've not listened to it. Something I will rectify in the future. In addition to that jump, Aretha's 1968 record Lady Soul also moved up from No.85 into the 75th spot. She also scored two new entries with Amazing Grace (No.154) and Young, Gifted and Black (No.388), giving her four albums in 2023 as opposed to only two in 2012.

Unsurprisingly, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift both made their debut appearances with three albums each. TayTay scored the 393rd, 170th and 99th spots with 1989, Folklore and Red respectively. I thought 1989 would poll higher, but there you go. Queen Bey nabbed No.81, No.71 and No.32 with her albums Beyoncé, Renaissance and Lemonade, all above Ms Swift. She recently eclipsed Taylor at the Grammy Awards, by now holding the highest number of wins as well. Another female artist to land themselves three albums in the 2023 list is Fiona Apple. Nothing for her in 2012, but the votes gave here No.444 for Extraordinary Machine, No.213 for The Idler Wheel and the 108th spot for her verbosely titled When the Pawn... album from 1999. Quite an achievement, Ms Apple! Congrats! Another female artist making her debut in 2023 was Sade, who had no albums appear in the 2012 poll. Last year's list awarded her No.200 for Diamond Life and No.247 for Love Deluxe. Go Sade! I guess love for Sade is stronger than pride. 

While Tom Petty enjoyed just one entry in 2012 with his Damn the Torpedoes album with the Heartbreakers, two of his solo albums made the 2023 cut. Full Moon Fever sat at No.298, and the wonderful Wildflowers record hit the 214th spot. Damn the Torpedoes moves up in 2023 into No.231 from No.315, so all three Petty entries sit between 200-299. The brilliance of Daft Punk is finally recognised as well, with their last album Random Access Memories hits No.295 and Discovery holds the 236th spot. 

A big surprise to me was not the fall of both Janet Jackson albums that polled in 2012, but a new entry for her in 2023. The Velvet Rope fell from No.259 down to the 318th spot, and Rhythm Nation 1814 dropped from the 277th spot to No.339. However, her third album Control (1986), entered the 2023 list at No.111! Pretty high debut for a record that didn't even appear in 2012! What has she done for us lately? Nasty girl...

There was quite a shift towards R&B and hip hop/rap in general as well, with rises going to Jay-Z, OutKast and the Wu-Tang Clan. The latter actually had one of the biggest leaps forward with Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers jumping from No.387 to the 27th spot! In 2012, OutKast had Aquemini at No.500 and Stankonia at No.360 - fast forward to 2023, Speakerboxx/The Love Below lands at the 290th spot, Stankonia hits No.64 and Aquemini is in the 49th spot! 

Jay-Z enjoyed three albums in both polls, with all three climbing the list in 2023. The Black Album jumped from No.349 to No.155, Reasonable Doubt from No.252 to No.67 and The Blueprint moved from the 250th position to the 50th. Huge movements! Kendrick Lamar stormed the 2023 list with three new entries, his 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly landing the highest position for a debut at No.19! He also hit the 115th spot with his earlier album good kid, m.A.A.d. city and No.175 with 2017's DAMN. 

What about Kanye, I hear you think? Well, he had the distinction of having one of only two albums from the 2010s poll in 2012, with 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The other album was the 2011 box set of The Beach Boys' Smile sessions which sat at No.381 - it would be replaced by Brian Wilson's 2004 Smile in 2023, holding the 399th spot.

Getting back to Kanye, he goes from having three albums in 2012 to six entries in the 2023 update. Not only does he have one of the highest number of appearing albums, his first one doesn't poll until No.269, which is 2013's Yeezus. His next two entries make their debut on the poll, 2008's 808s and Heartbreak which lands at No.244 and 2007's Graduation appears in the 204th position. The remaining three Kanye albums all move up the list, with 2005's Late Registration barely changing, from the No.118 to the 117th spot. 2004's The College Dropout leaps from No.298 to the 74th position, and the aforementioned My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy screams into the Top 20, moving into No.17 from the 353rd spot it had in 2012. Pretty impressive. Not a big Kanye fan, me, but he must do it for a lot of people.

In the 2012 poll, three artists polled higher than anyone else, with ten albums each: Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Let's look at how each act fared in 2023. We've already seen some of the carnage in the Top 10. Here's how Dylan polled in 2012, which actually gave him eleven albums including The Basement Tapes:

410. Time Out of Mind (1997)

385. Love and Theft (2001)

303. John Wesley Harding (1967)

292. The Basement Tapes (1975) w/The Band

204. Modern Times (2006)

174. Desire (1976)

97. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)

31. Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

14. Blood on the Tracks (1975)

9. Blonde on Blonde (1966)

4. Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

That's pretty good, right? His classic trilogies are both there, fully represented, which are The Electric Trilogy from 1965-66 and his revival period of 1997-2006. We know how that worked out for the Top 10, but what happened to the rest of his albums? And did Rough and Rowdy Ways make an appearance? Read on, for 2023:

401. Love and Theft (2001)

337. John Wesley Harding (1967)

335. The Basement Tapes (1975) w/The Band

255. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)

181. Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

38. Blonde on Blonde (1966)

18. Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

9. Blood on the Tracks (1975)

Wow. Dylan lost three albums! Desire is gone, and so too are Modern Times and Time Out of Mind, the latter is possibly my favourite Dylan album! Not that fussed about Desire's absence, but that's a massive drop. Going from No.174 to not even rating. Of the three album's in Dylan's 1997-2006 trilogy Love and Theft is my least favourite, and it still held on! The only Dylan album to move up the poll was Blood on the Tracks. That's pretty mindblowing. If you discount The Basement Tapes, Kanye and Dylan polled the same number of albums. That don't sit right.

Let's look at The Beatles next. They had ten albums in the 2012 list, which were:

392. Let It Be (1970)

331. Help! (1965)

307. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

53. Meet the Beatles! (1964) *US release

39. Please Please Me (1963)

14. Abbey Road (1969)

10. The Beatles (1968)

5. Rubber Soul (1965)

3. Revolver (1966)

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Okay, let's contrast that with the 2023 update:

342. Let It Be (1970)

266. Help! (1965)

263. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

197. Meet the Beatles! (1964) *US release

35. Rubber Soul (1965)

29. The Beatles (1968)

24. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

11. Revolver (1966)

5. Abbey Road (1969)

Some very interesting changes here! The first appearance occur in the same order, but all have moved up the poll. The Meet the Beatles! album is the first time people living in the US at the time were able to buy a full length long player from the mop-tops. Released at the height of Beatlemania, it is a truncated version of their second UK album With the Beatles with the addition of I Saw Her Standing There, I Want to Hold Your Hand and This Boy. Bizarrely, it dropped from No.53 all the way down to the 197th spot in 2023. I guess less people remember the album now. Faring worse was their UK debut album Please Please Me, which held the 39th spot in 2012, and no longer appears at all! I always thought it polled higher than necessary, but that's one way to fix it, I guess. So, The Beatles hold nine spots in the 2023, only losing that one album. The last five albums on both lists are the same, just ordered differently. All five were in the Top 20 in 2012, in 2023 only two remained. Those five are usually THE Beatles albums that most fans revere, but I'm shocked at Sgt. Pepper's fall from the top.

Now, it's time for The Rolling Stones. Here's their 2012 haul of ten positions:

357. Between the Buttons (1967)

270. Some Girls (1978)

213. Tattoo You (1981)

180. The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965) *US release

116. Out of Our Heads (1965)

109. Aftermath (1966)

64. Sticky Fingers (1971)

58. Beggars Banquet (1968)

32. Let It Bleed (1969)

7. Exile on Main St. (1972)

Alright, now let's see how they did in 2023:

468. Some Girls (1978)

185. Beggars Banquet (1968)

104. Sticky Fingers (1971)

41. Let It Bleed (1969)

14. Exile on Main St. (1972)

Now, this is the most drastic cull of the three! Only five albums remain! Aftermath held the 109th spot, and is now gone! Also in exile (nyuk nyuk) are Out of Our Heads, The Rolling Stones, Now!, Between the Buttons and Tattoo You. Wow, what a trim! The remaining entries all fall, with Some Girls close to leaving the 500 altogether after a drop of nearly 200 positions! Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St. remain the big favourites, although they both drop a bit. Wow. Kanye beats the Stones, but The Beatles are still on top, and clear winners of the three. Another big winner in 2012 was Bruce Springsteen, who scored eight entries with these:

467. Tunnel of Love (1987)

424. The Rising (2002)

253. The River (1980)

226. Nebraska (1982)

150. Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)

133. The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)

86. Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

18. Born to Run (1975)

How did The Boss fare in 2023? Let's see:

345. The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)

150. Nebraska (1982)

142. Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

91. Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)

21. Born to Run (1975)

So, not as harsh a cull as the Stones, but The Boss loses three albums, Tunnel of Love, The Rising (one of my faves!) and The River. The last five from 2012 remain in 2023, but in a different order, although Born to Run is still the clear favourite. So, Kanye vs Bruce = Kanye wins with six albums!

Another heavy hitter in 2012 was The Who! They managed to nab seven spots,  so let's have a butcher's at their entries that year:

384. A Quick One (1966)

267. Quadrophenia (1973)

237. The Who Sings My Generation (1965)

170. Live at Leeds (1970)

115. The Who Sell Out (1967)

96. Tommy (1969)

28. Who's Next (1971)

Okay, now for the 2023 picks:

327. Live at Leeds (1970)

316. The Who Sell Out (1967)

190. Tommy (1969)

77. Who's Next (1971)

A similar trend to the last few acts, losing the bottom three of their seven previously polling albums in 2023, and each of the remaining records settling for lower positons. Now, I wonder how Bowie fared? I think he got four or five in 2012. Let's see:

324. Station to Station (1976)

279. Aladdin Sane (1973)

251. Low (1977)

108. Hunky Dory (1971)

35. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

In 2023, Bowie landed these albums:

443. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)

206. Low (1977)

88. Hunky Dory (1971)

52. Station to Station (1976)

40. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

Now, that's interesting! Except for the Ziggy album, everything jumps up a few places, with Station to Station leaping 272 places! Possibly my favourite Bowie record that one, with Low a very close second. I love the fact that Aladdin Sane is no longer in the list (overrated, much?!?) and Scary Monsters has a place in its stead. A much better album! Yeah, very happy with the 'Changesbowie'. How about Neil Young? That's a good question! To the polls! First, 2012:

351. Rust Never Sleeps (1979) w/Crazy Horse

330. Tonight's the Night (1975)

210. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969) w/Crazy Horse

82. Harvest (1972)

74. After the Gold Rush (1970)

The 2023 count:

407. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969) w/Crazy Horse

311. On the Beach (1974)

302. Tonight's the Night (1975)

296. Rust Never Sleeps (1979) w/Crazy Horse

90. After the Gold Rush (1970)

72. Harvest (1972)

Well, how about that? Neil keeps all five albums from the 2012 poll and gets to add On the Beach to that collection as well! I don't understand why EKTIN dropped so far down (nearly 200 positions!) and why Harvest polled higher than After the Gold Rush, but that's the way these things go. Nice that Rust Never Sleeps and Tonight's the Night both moved up a bit though. Additionally, Neil's earlier band Buffalo Springfield falls out of the 500 entirely in 2023, but previously Buffalo Springfield Again held No.188 in 2012. Pink Floyd are a fairly important band, yeah? They must have done alright in both years? Let's see about that. In 2012 they landed on these spots:

347. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

211. Wish You Were Here (1975)

87. The Wall (1979)

43. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

The newer poll in 2023 gave them these positions:

264. Wish You Were Here (1975)

253. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

129. The Wall (1979)

55. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

The same four albums poll in both years, and they all should've polled higher on both occasions in my opinion, except for TPatGoD. I can't believe Dark Side.. didn't reach the Top 20 in either year or that Wish You Were Here failed to make the Top 100! Oh well, at least they're both there. A similar outcome was dealt out to Prince, who scored these four positions in 2012:

206. Dirty Mind (1980)

163. 1999 (1982)

93. Sign 'o' the Times (1987)

76. Purple Rain (1984)

However, his 2023 looked like this:

326. Dirty Mind (1980)

130. 1999 (1982)

45. Sign 'o' the Times (1987)

8. Purple Rain (1984)

The same four albums polled both years with Dirty Mind falling 120 places in 2023. The other three albums all moved into higher spots, with Purple Rain cracking the Top 10, as you've already seen. Another iconic band with a few entries in 2012 was Led Zeppelin. Here's their haul that year:

148. Houses of the Holy (1973)

79. Led Zeppelin II (1969)

73. Physical Graffiti (1975)

69. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

29. Led Zeppelin (1969)

...and in 2023? This happened:

248. House of the Holy (1973)

144. Physical Graffiti (1975)

123. Led Zeppelin II (1969)

101. Led Zeppelin (1969)

58. Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

So, Led Zep hang onto the same five albums (poor Led Zeppelin III - no love for that one either year), just jumbled up a bit. They all dropped down, but they all remain, which is nice. Onto The Velvet Underground, whose influence on the course of popular music, apparently, cannot be overstated. I think they're somewhat overrated, although I do own the Banana Album. In 2012, they had these four entries:

316. The Velvet Underground (1969)

293. White Light/White Heat (1968)

110. Loaded (1970)

13. The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

They polled the same four albums in 2023:

272. White Light/White Heat (1968)

242. Loaded (1970)

143. The Velvet Underground (1969)

23. The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)

The Banana Album still polls highest, and remains in the Top 50, but the self-titled gets a big 173 places jump up, while Loaded falls down 132 spots. WL/WH remains in a similar position. I don't know, it seems bizarre to me that this band gets four albums in both years, but nothing for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Now, how about those albums that went by the wayside in 2023? Obviously, with some many new additions, some records had to go. Let's have a look...

The highest charting album from the 2012 poll to disappear is the Elvis Presley album Sunrise, which held the 11th spot! Released in 1999, the album was a 2CD set of his output during the famous Sun Studio sessions in the fifties. It has possibly been replaced by the 1976 compilation The Sun Sessions which held the 78th position in 2023. 

Second highest album on the chopping block is The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson, which sat at No.22 in 2012. His 1961 collection King of the Delta Blues Singers appears in the 374th position in 2023 though, so maybe it was a similar fate of the Elvis one; just a replacement and realignment. I've already mentioned the disappearance of The Beatles' Please Please Me, so that leads us to the Bob Marley and the Wailers 1984 compilation Legend. It always annoys me when greatest hits albums make these lists. They're not albums, they're collections; they haven't gone through the same kind of creative process! Happily, the aforementioned Legend is banished from the 46th spot, not reappearing in 2023. Interestingly, their album Natty Dread is also gone from the 2012 list, which took out the 181st position, as is Burnin' which was at No.319. The two remaining Marley & Co. albums are the excellent Catch a Fire (falling from No.126 in 2012 to No.140 in 2023) and Exodus, which leapt up from No.169 to the 49th spot! 

Another hugely influential album totally missing from the 2023 list is Captain Beefheart's 1969 monsterpiece Trout Mask Replica, which was produced by Frank Zappa. It held the lofty position of No.60 in 2012, but it would seem that its star has indeed extinguished. Also gone entirely is Zappa himself, who held two positions in 2012 with The Mothers of Invention: Freak Out! at No.246 and We're Only In It For the Money in the 297th spot. All three no longer rank in 2023!

Seminal UK eighties darlings The Smith lose three albums in 2023! In 2012, they had The Smiths at No.473, Louder Than Bombs at No.369, Meat is Murder at No.296 and The Queen is Dead at No.218. Come 2023, only The Queen is Dead remains, jumping up into the 113th spot. That's very interesting, as a similar, but more undeserved, fate befell Elvis Costello, who also had three albums fall out of the 2023 list. 2012 saw positions for Armed Forces (475th), My Aim is True (168th), Imperial Bedroom (166th) and This Year's Model (98th). Rather than gaining ground, his only remaining album This Year's Model dropped down into No.128, and I just can't believe My Aim is True no longer polls. That's my favourite piece of E.C.!

Looking at U2 now, they also lost a few albums. The 2012 list gave them spots for Boy (No.417), All That You Can't Leave Behind (No.280), War (No.223), Achtung Baby (No.63) and The Joshua Tree (No.27). By 2023, only Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree remain, holding the 124th and 135th positions respectively. Nice to see Achtung.. polling higher than Joshua.., but yeah, three albums gone is quite the shift. 

Sixties UK supergroup Cream vanish from the 2023 poll entirely. In 2012, they held No.205 with Wheels of Fire, No.114 with Disraeli Gears and Fresh Cream made the 102nd spot. Not a mention in 2023, despite all three albums making the Top 250. This might possibly be a consequence of Clapton's outspoken views on COVID and lockdowns, because his solo records disappear in 2023 as well. He had 461 Ocean View Boulevard at No.411 and Slowhand in the 325th in 2012; poof! Gone in 2023. So too was the Blues Breakers album with John Mayall that made No.195 in 2012. However, the Derek and the Dominoes sole record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs hangs in there, falling from No.117 down into the 226th position.

Continuing the cull of UK groups is The Police, who landed four albums in the 2012 poll. They had Synchronicity at No.448, Outlandos d'Armour at No.428, Reggatta de Blanc at No.372 and Ghost in the Machine took out the 323rd spot. In the 2023 list, they only had one entry: Synchronicity - which jumped way up into the 159th position. How's that, huh? Lowest polling album is the only one to stay and leaps up nearly 300 places! Go figure. 

Elton John held five albums in the 2012 poll, but is left with only two in the recent list. There is no room for Tumbleweed Connection (No.458), Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (No.158) or 1974's Greatest Hits album (No.136) in 2023. Honky Château moves up from No.359 into the 251st spot, and the classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album falls from the 91st and out of the Top 100, landing at No.112! Poor Elton! Glad to see another compilation get culled, but GYBR should poll higher than that. Banished from the 500 entirely is singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, who held three positions in 2012. He had For Everyman at No.450, The Pretender at No.391 and Late for the Sky in the 436th spot. All gone in 2023!

So, all up, 162 albums from 2012 got the chop in the updated list for 2023; and here they are:

11. Sunrise ELVIS PRESLEY (1999)

22. The Complete Recordings ROBERT JOHNSON (1990)

39. Please Please Me THE BEATLES (1963)

46. Legend BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS (1984)

59. Chronicle Vol. I CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL (1976)

60. Trout Mask Replica CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND (1969)

102. Fresh Cream CREAM (1966)

109. Aftermath THE ROLLING STONES (1966)

112. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS (1966)

114. Disraeli Gears CREAM (1967)

116. Out of Our Heads THE ROLLING STONES (1965)

124. Moby Grape MOBY GRAPE (1967)

127. Younger Than Yesterday THE BYRDS (1967)

136. Greatest Hits ELTON JOHN (1974)

137. Tim THE REPLACEMENTS (1985)

139. Rejuvenation THE METERS (1974)

142. A Christmas Gift for You PHIL SPECTOR (1963)

158. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy ELTON JOHN (1975)

161. The Dock of the Bay OTIS REDDING (1968)

164. The Very Best of LINDA RONSTADT (2002)

166. Imperial Bedroom ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS (1982)

168. My Aim is True ELVIS COSTELLO (1977)

171. The Notorious Byrd Brothers THE BYRDS (1968)

174. Desire BOB DYLAN (1976)

175. Close to You THE CARPENTERS (1970)

178. The Anthology 1961-1977 CURTIS MAYFIELD AND THE IMPRESSIONS (1992)

180. The Rolling Stones, Now! THE ROLLING STONES (1965)

181. Natty Dread BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS (1974)

182. Fleetwood Mac FLEETWOOD MAC (1975)

186. Fresh SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE (1973)

188. Buffalo Springfield Again BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (1967)

189. Happy Trails QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE (1969)

195. Blues Breakers JOHN MAYALL with ERIC CLAPTON (1966)

198. The Best of LITTLE WALTER (1957)

200. Highway to Hell AC/DC (1979)

202. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme SIMON AND GARFUNKEL (1966)

205. Wheels of Fire CREAM (1968)

213. Tattoo You THE ROLLING STONES (1981)

217. Two Steps From the Blues BOBBY BLAND (1961)

222. New Orleans Piano PROFESSOR LONGHAIR (1972)

223. War U2 (1983)

224. The Neil Diamond Collection NEIL DIAMOND (1999)

229. Toys in the Attic AEROSMITH (1975)

234. Bookends SIMON AND GARFUNKEL (1968)

246. Freak Out! THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (1966)

247. Live Dead GRATEFUL DEAD (1969)

260. Stardust WILLIE NELSON (1978)

265. The Genius of Ray Charles RAY CHARLES (1959)

266. Child Is Father to the Man BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS (1968)

267. Quadrophenia THE WHO (1973)

269. Psychocandy THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN (1985)

271. The Beach Boys Today! THE BEACH BOYS (1965)

274. Nightbird LABELLE (1974)

278. Anthology of American Folk Music HARRY SMITH, ED. (1952)

279. Aladdin Sane DAVID BOWIE (1973)

280. All That You Can’t Leave Behind U2 (2000)

282. Folk Singer MUDDY WATERS (1964)

283. Can’t Get Enough BARRY WHITE (1974)

288. Anthem of the Sun GRATEFUL DEAD (1968)

291. Talking Heads: 77 TALKING HEADS (1977)

295. Songs of Love and Hate LEONARD COHEN (1971)

296. Meat is Murder THE SMITHS (1985)

297. We’re Only In It For the Money THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (1968)

305. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road LUCINDA WILLIAMS (1998)

308. Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! FRANK SINATRA (1956)

311. The Sun Records Collection VARIOUS ARTISTS (1994)

312. Nothing’s Shocking JANE’S ADDICTION (1988)

318. Back Stabbers THE O’JAYS (1972)

319. Burnin’ THE WAILERS (1973)

320. Amnesiac RADIOHEAD (2001)

323. Ghost in the Machine THE POLICE (1981)

325. Slowhand ERIC CLAPTON (1977)

329. In the Jungle Groove JAMES BROWN (1986)

332. Shoot Out the Lights RICHARD AND LINDA THOMPSON (1982)

333. Wild Gift X (1981)

334. Squeezing Out Sparks GRAHAM PARKER (1979)

337. Aqualung JETHRO TULL (1971)

341. Play MOBY (1999)

343. Bat Out of Hell MEAT LOAF (1977)

344. Berlin LOU REED (1973)

345. Stop Making Sense TALKING HEADS (1984)

348. At Newport 1960 MUDDY WATERS (1960)

350. Roger the Engineer (a.k.a. Over Under Sideways Down) THE YARDBIRDS (1966)

354. 52nd Street BILLY JOEL (1978)

355. Having a Rave Up With THE YARDBIRDS (1965)

356. 12 Songs RANDY NEWMAN (1970)

357. Between the Buttons THE ROLLING STONES (1967)

358. Sketches of Spain MILES DAVIS (1960)

363. Substance NEW ORDER (1987)

364. L.A. Woman THE DOORS (1971)

366. American Recordings JOHNNY CASH (1994)

369. Louder Than Bombs THE SMITHS (1987)

370. Mott MOTT THE HOOPLE (1973)

371. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not ARCTIC MONKEYS (2006)

372. Reggatta de Blanc THE POLICE (1979)

374. Siren ROXY MUSIC (1975)

375. Late for the Sky JACKSON BROWNE (1974)

377. The Ultimate Collection 1948-1990 JOHN LEE HOOKER (1991)

381. Smile THE BEACH BOYS (2011)

382. The Modern Lovers THE MODERN LOVERS (1976)

384. A Quick One THE WHO (1966)

386. Pretzel Logic STEELY DAN (1974)

389. The End of Innocence DON HENLEY (1989)

393. Kala M.I.A. (2007)

391. The Pretender JACKSON BROWNE (1976)

394. Good Old Boys RANDY NEWMAN (1974)

396. For Your Pleasure ROXY MUSIC (1973)

398. Eliminator ZZ TOP (1983)

404. Dr. John’s Gumbo DR. JOHN (1972)

409. Strange Days THE DOORS (1967) 

410. Time Out of Mind BOB DYLAN (1997)

411. 461 Ocean Boulevard ERIC CLAPTON (1974)

416. Mule Variations TOM WAITS (1999)

417. Boy U2 (1980)

418. Band on the Run PAUL McCARTNEY AND WINGS (1973)

420. The “Chirping” Crickets BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS (1957)

421. The Best of the Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 VARIOUS ARTISTS (1990)

424. The Rising BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (2002)

425. Grievous Angel GRAM PARSONS (1974)

426. At Budokan CHEAP TRICK (1979)

427. Sleepless PETER WOLF (2002)

428. Outlandos d’Amour THE POLICE (1978)

430. Vampire Weekend VAMPIRE WEEKEND (2008)

436. Sea Change BECK (2002)

438. Boys Don’t Cry THE CURE (1980)

440. Rum, Sodomy & the Lash THE POGUES (1985)

443. In Colour CHEAP TRICK (1977)

444. The World is a Ghetto WAR (1972)

445. Fly Like an Eagle STEVE MILLER BAND (1976)

446. Back in the USA MC5 (1970)

447. Getz/Gilberto STAN GETZ & JOÁO GILBERTO (1964)

450. For Everyman JACKSON BROWNE (1973)

453. Strictly Business EPMD (1988)

454. Love It to Death ALICE COOPER (1971)

457. Z MY MORNING JACKET (2005)

458. Tumbleweed Connection ELTON JOHN (1970)

459. Golden Hits THE DRIFTERS (1968)

461. Metal Box PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. (1979)

462. Document R.E.M. (1987)

463. Heaven Up Here ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1981)

464. Hysteria DEF LEPPARD (1987)

467. Tunnel of Love BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1987)

468. The Paul Buttefield Blues Band THE PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND (1965)

470. Radio LL COOL J (1985)

473. The Smiths THE SMITHS (1984)

474. Próxima Estación: Esperanza MANU CHAO (2001)

475. Armed Forces ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS (1979)

478. All Time Greatest Hits LORETTA LYNN (2002)

482. Guitar Town STEVE EARLE (1986)

484. All the Young Dudes MOTT THE HOOPLE (1972)

485. Vitalogy PEARL JAM (1994)

489. Destroyer KISS (1976)

490. Tres Hombres ZZ TOP (1973) 

491. Born Under a Bad Sign ALBERT KING (1967)

492. Touch EURYTHMICS (1984)

494. Oracular Spectacular MGMT (2008) 

495. Give It Up BONNIE RAITT (1972)

496. Boz Scaggs BOZ SCAGGS (1969)

497. White Blood Cells THE WHITE STRIPES (2001) 

499. Live in Cook County Jail B. B. KING (1971)

That means that 2023 had 162 new entries, of course, so here they are as well:

19. To Pimp a Butterfly KENDRICK LAMAR (2015)
32. Lemonade BEYONCÉ (2016)

68. Hounds of Love KATE BUSH (1985)

69. Jagged Little Pill ALANIS MORISSETTE (1995)

71. Renaissance BEYONCÉ (2022)

78. The Sun Sessions ELVIS PRESLEY (1976)

79. Blond FRANK OCEAN (2016)

81. Beyoncé BEYONCÉ (2013)
89. Baduism ERYKAH BADU (1997)

93. Supa Dupa Fly MISSIE “MISDEAMEANOR” ELLIOT (1997)

95. Take Care DRAKE (2011)

99. Red TAYLOR SWIFT (2012)
108. When the Pawn… FIONA APPLE (1999) 

111. Control JANET JACKSON (1986)
115. good kid, m.A.A.d. city KENDRICK LAMAR (2012)
133. Hejira JONI MITCHELL(1976) 
137. 21 ADELE (2011)
148. Channel Orange FRANK OCEAN (2012)
154. Amazing Grace ARETHA FRANKLIN (1972)
158. Mama’s Gun ERYKAH BADU (2000)
162. Different Class PULP (1995)
170. Folklore TAYLOR SWIFT (2020)
175. DAMN. KENDRICK LAMAR (2017)
183. Brown Sugar D’ANGELO (1995)
187. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted ICE CUBE (1990)

195. Songs of Leonard Cohen LEONARD COHEN (1967)

196. Body Talk ROBYN (2010)
200. Diamond Life SADE (1984)

201. Midnight Marauders A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (1993)

202. Homogenic BJÖRK (1997)

204. Graduation KANYE WEST (2007)

211. Unknown Pleasures JOY DIVISION (1980)

212. Wild Is the Wind NINA SIMONE (1966)

213. The Idler Wheel FIONA APPLE (2012)

214. Wildflowers TOM PETTY (1994)
216. Either/Or ELLIOTT SMITH (1997)

217. Definitely Maybe OASIS (1994)

224. Fly DIXIE CHICKS (1999)

228. De La Soul is Dead DE LA SOUL (1991)

230. Anti RHIANNA (2016)

233. Little Earthquakes TORI AMOS (1992)
236. Discovery DAFT PUNK (2001)
239. Criminal Minded BOOGIE DOWN PRODUCTIONS (1987)

244. 808s & Heartbreak KANYE WEST (2008)

245. Heaven or Las Vegas COCTEAU TWINS (1990)

246. Mama Said Knock You Out LL COOL J (1991)

247. Love Deluxe SADE (1992)
254. Head Hunters HERBIE HANCOCK (1973)
258. The Hissing of Summer Lawns JONI MITCHELL (1975)

260. Cut THE SLITS (1979)

261. Check Your Head BEASTIE BOYS (1992)

262. Power, Corruption & Lies NEW ORDER (1983)
265. Wowee Zowee PAVEMENT (1995)

269. Yeezus KANYE WEST (2013)

270. Golden Hour KASEY MUSGRAVES (2018)

271. What’s the 411? MARY J. BLIGE (1992)
275. Curtis CURTIS MAYFIELD (1970)
277. The Diary of ALICIA KEYS (2003)

280. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 50 CENT (2002)

281. Nilsson Schmilsson HARRY NILSSON (1971)

283. Bad Girls DONNA SUMMER (1975)

290. Speakerboxx/The Love Below OUTKAST (2003)

291. The Writing’s on the Wall DESTINY’S CHILD (1999)

293. Last Splash THE BREEDERS (1993)
295. Random Access Memories DAFT PUNK (2013)
298. Full Moon Fever TOM PETTY (1989)
300. Come On Over SHANIA TWAIN (1997)
304. Just As I Am BILL WITHERS (1971)
311. On the Beach NEIL YOUNG (1974)

312. A Seat at the Table SOLANGE (2016)

314. One in a Million AALIYAH (1996)

315. El Mal Querer ROSALÍA (2018)
317. Lady in Satin BILLIE HOLIDAY (1958)

321. Norman Fucking Rockwell! LANA DEL RAY (2019)

328. Modern Vampires of the City VAMPIRE WEEKEND (2013)

329. Endtroducing… DJ SHADOW (1996)

330. African Giant BURNA BOY (2019)
333. Still Bill BILL WITHERS (1972)
336. Avalon ROXY MUSIC (1982)
340. Doggystyle SNOOP DOGGY DOGG (1993)
346. AM ARCTIC MONKEYS (2013)

347. Liquid Swords RZA (1995)

348. Time (The Revelator) GILLIAN WELCH (2001)
351. SOS SZA (2022)
354. Germfree Adolescents X-RAY SPEX (1978)
358. Sour OLIVIA RODRIGO (2021)

361. The Black Parade MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE (2006)
362. Never Too Much LUTHER VANDROSS (1981)

365. Madvillainy MADVILLAIN (2004)
367. If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late DRAKE (2015)

369. The Infamous MOBB DEEP (1995)
370. Tha Carter II LIL WAYNE (2005)

373. Hot Buttered Soul ISAAC HAYES (1969)
374. King of the Delta Blues Singers ROBERT JOHNSON (1961)

376. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL (1998)
377. Fever to Tell YEAH YEAH YEAHS (2003)

379. Moving Pictures RUSH (1981)
380. Mingus Ah Um CHARLES MINGUS (1959)

382. Currents TAME IMPALA (2015)
383. Mezzanine MASSIVE ATTACK (1999)

386. Donuts J DILLA (2006)

388. Young, Gifted and Black ARETHA FRANKLIN (1972)

389. The Emancipation of Mimi MARIAH CAREY (2005)

391. Kaleidoscope KELIS (1999)

393. 1989 TAYLOR SWIFT (2014)

394. Diana DIANA ROSS (1980)

395. Black Messiah D’ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD (2014)

397. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? BILLIE EILISH (2019)

398. The Raincoats THE RAINCOATS (1979)
399. Smile BRIAN WILSON (2004)

401. Blondie BLONDIE (1977)

402. Expensive Shit FELA KUTI & AFRICA 70 (1975)

403. Supreme Clientele GHOSTFACE KILLAH (2000)

404. Rapture ANITA BAKER (1986)

408. Ace of Spades MOTÖRHEAD (1980)
410. Wild Honey THE BEACH BOYS (1967)

413. Cosmo’s Factory CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL (1970)

414. Risqué CHIC (1979)

416. Things Fall Apart THE ROOTS (1999)
419. Chief ERIC CHURCH (2011)
421. Arular M.I.A. (2005)
423. I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One YO LA TENGO (1997)
426. Lucinda Williams LUCINDA WILLIAMS (1988)

429. Reach Out The FOUR TOPS (1967)
430. Un Verano San Ti BAD BUNNY (2022)
432. Confessions USHER (2004)

435. Actually PET SHOP BOYS (1987)

436. All Eyez On Me 2PAC (1996)

437. Demon Days GORILLAZ (2005)

438. Parklife BLUR (1994)
439. Sex Machine JAMES BROWN (1970)

440. Coal Miner’s Daughter LORETTA LYNN (1971)

441. Blackout BRITNEY SPEARS (2007)

442. Beauty Behind the Madness THE WEEKND (2015)
443. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) DAVID BOWIE (1980)
444. Extraordinary Machine FIONA APPLE (2005)
445. Close to the Edge YES (1972)
446. Journey in Satchidanada ALICE COLTRANE (1971)

447. X 100pre BAD BUNNY (2018)
450. Ram PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY (1971)
451. First Take ROBERTA FLACK (1969)

453. Pretty Hate Machine NINE INCH NAILS (1989)

454. Ege Bamyasi CAN (1972)

458. Southeastern JASON ISBELL (2013)
459. Man on the Moon: The End of the Day KID CUDI (2009)

460. Melodrama LORDE (2017)

461. For Emma BON IVER (2008)

463. Eli & the 13th Confession LAURA NYRO (1968)

464. 3 + 3 THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1973)
465. Best of the Classic Years KING SUNNY ADÉ (2003)

466. Red BLACK UHURU (1981)

467. BLACKsummers’night MAXWELL (2009)

469. Clandestino MANU CHAO (1998)

470. 400 Degreez JUVENILE (1998)

472. Ctrl SZA (2017)

473. Barrio Fino DADDY YANKEE (2004)

475. Sheryl Crow SHERYL CROW (1996)
476. Kimono My Place SPARKS (1974)

479. Amor Prohibido SELENA (1994)

480. Weight of These Wings MIRANDA LAMBERT (2016)

481. If You’re Feeling Sinister BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1996)

482. Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde THE PHARCYDE (1992)

484. Born This Way LADY GAGA (2011)
486. Continuum JOHN MAYER (2006)

490. Heart Like a Wheel LINDA RONSTADT (1975)

491. Harry’s House HARRY STYLES (2022)

495. II BOYZ II MEN (1991)
496. Dónde Están los Ladrones SHAKIRA (1998)

499. Ask Rufus RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN (1977)

So, quite a diverse mix of albums added into the new list. Not all stuff from the 00's or 10's. That's the beauty of these sorts of lists. There's no right or wrong opinion, and checking them out can lead you to music that you possibly wouldn't have discovered on your own. Music's pretty great.

The Eleventh Hour of Dylan

This will be my eleventh, and for the time being, final blog post of His Bobness' albums. As I've finished listening to all of his albums in The Complete Album Collection Vol. 1 box set, this entry will see me focusing on his releases post-2013 (when the collection was issued). So, let's get cracking!


SIDE TRACKS (2013) (18/9/24)
This is an interesting collection of odds and sods that were either issued as singles or unreleased outtakes and live versions. Some tracks here were included as new songs on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II (1971), which is just a great selection of his stuff from 1963-1971. It's one of my favourite Dylan compilations, in fact. So, the usual suspects are here, the live version of Tomorrow Is A Long Time, from the aforementioned compilation, along with I Shall Be Released, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, Down in the Flood, and one of my big faves, Watching the River Flow. Also present are singles Positively 4th Street, Mixed-Up Confusion, Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? and 2000's excellent Oscar-winning Things Have Changed. There are also some 'famous' outtakes like Up to Me from the Blood on the Tracks sessions and Lay Down Your Weary Tune from the sessions for The Times They Are A-Changin'. Two outtakes from Oh Mercy which wound up on 1994's Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 set, namely Series of Dreams and Dignity, are also included. 

I think the idea was to have a supplemental disc (or two) which filled in the gaps on non-album tracks, and it does a pretty good job. There's some live version from the Rolling Thunder Revue tours in the mid-seventies and a couple of alternative takes as well. The only song that sticks out to me as being absent is the wonderful Rita May, which thankfully, I have a copy of on Masterpieces. Nice way to end the box set!

SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT (2015) (26/9/24)
Bob's thirty-sixth studio effort consists wholly of covers made famous by ol' Blue Eyes himself, Mr Frank Sinatra. The vocal stylings of the two could not differ more, but somehow, this seems to work. There's a melancholy feel that permeates the material, and the fact that there is no drummer lends an airey quality to the production. It all just floats over you, with Dylan's world-weary rasp taking you through his favourite Sinatra tunes. 

Once again produced by Dylan himself using the name Jack Frost, he has a similar line-up of musicians he employed on 2012's wonderful Tempest album. Despite the lack of drums, George Receli is here on percussion duties, joining bassist Tony Garnier, guitarists Stu Kimball and Charlie Sexton along with Donnie Herron's wonderful pedal steel. There are also brass musicians adding to the colour of the music. 

I'm pretty sure I bought this on CD soon after it was released. I was quite fascinated by the concept, despite only knowing three songs on the tracklisting, which were Some Enchanted Evening, What'll I Do and The Night We Called It A Day. With only ten tracks, and a running time that barely breaks thirty-five minutes, it's an easy listen. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's pleasant enough, and I quite like Autumn Leaves and album opener I'm a Fool to Want You, which at nearly five minutes, is the longest song on offer. 


FALLEN ANGELS (2016) (3/10/24)
Again, we are treated to a record of covers from His Bobness, and I think this is even more enjoyable than Shadows in the Night. Again with his usual band of suspects, plus guitarist Dean Parks and some horn musos, Dylan produces this album under the Jack Frost moniker. And again, like his previous offering, all of the songs had been recorded by Sinatra, except for Skylark. 

He opens the album with a big favourite of mine, Young At Heart, with Dylan and his band delivering a lovely version. The album has a gentler, swoonier vibe for mine as well, except for the hint of swing that creeps into That Old Black Magic. I also really like his take on All the Way, It Had to Be You and Maybe You'll Be There. By the time Come Rain or Come Shine ends the record, you're left feeling a little recharged. Well, I was anyway. I think at the time it came out I was hoping that Dylan would focus on making an original album next. Like, after the two covers albums in the 90s, he gave us Time Out of Mind! Ooooh, what's next?!

TRIPLICATE (2017) (21/11/24)
Ahhh, another album of covers! Who saw that coming? Not just another simple covers album though...this time we get three times as much, as hinted at in the title. Released as either 3CD or 3LP sets, this offering gives us around 90min of Dylan crooning us softly with these songs. Possibly could have been a double disc, or even shaved down to 80min to fit on one CD. Maybe the idea was to emulate the old records of yore?

Anyway, this is what the title suggests: a triple helping of Shadows in the Night or Fallen Angels. The repertoire isn't limited to songs that Sinatra sang here though. The production is just as good as the former albums, and Dylan’s voice fares even better. Once again self-produced under the alias of Jack Frost, the usual suspects appear in his band, namely Charlie Sexton (guitar), Dean Parks (guitar), Donnie Herron (steel guitar), Tony Garnier (bass) and George Receli (drums). There is also a fair bit of horns sprinkled throughout the album. 

The running time of this release, coupled with the amount of songs I wasn’t familiar with, was something of a deterrent preventing me from listening to this album. The high costs of purchase (3CD = $50, 3LP = $100) was also a bit of a block. So, to complete my Dylan blogging, I relented and took it all in, on the Spottersfy, in one sitting.  

I was instantly won over by the opening track, I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans. I'd not heard it before, but dug the vibe and loved the sound of the band and Dylan's performance. Other highlights for me along the way included his tender cover of As Time Goes By, his take on These Foolish Things, a song I'd not heard before called I Could Have Told You and his go at Sentimental Journey. I also really liked a song called Braggin', which decried the use of the concept, saying that if you've got it good, people will find out without you boasting. 

I don't know if it's something that I'll ever listen to again, particularly as I it's the only Dylan album I don't own. It's long, and it's very similar to the albums that preceded it. So, if I'm in the mood for ol' Croon-Eyed Zimmy, I'll probably spin one of those. I enjoyed the listen, but it's done now. I've ticked it off, and I can't see me ticking it again. But now, the occasional track may turn up on a playlist. You just never know how the algorithm will work.


ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS (2020) (23/11/24)
This is actually one of my favourite Dylan albums. Top 5? Probably not. Top 10? Yeah, I think so! It also holds a very special place in my heart because it was a gift from my family on Father's Day in 2020. Lachlan spearheaded the idea of giving me the CD, because he knew I would want the new Bob Dylan album, and he was right. He he he... I'm not sure if it was a birthday or Christmas present now, but I also got given the record on vinyl a little later down the track. In fact, I'm listening to it right now as I type these words.

Before the album came in June 2020, Dylan released a single in March, as COVID was beginning to tighten its grip on the world. I'm pretty sure I listened to it that day on the Spottersfy. It was the song Murder Most Foul, which is the last song on Rough and Rowdy Ways. It's quite an extraordinary piece of work for a few reasons. For one, it's Dylan's longest studio recording, clocking in at nearly seventeen minutes. Also, it deals exclusively with the death of JFK, a subject that Dylan avoided addressing until this time. In true Dylanesque fashion, he paints a picture of the murder and the aftermath, and also weaves in pop culture references from the years following Kennedy's death. It is quite stirring, and I struggle to listen to it without shedding a tear. Another point of note is the appearance of Fiona Apple on the piano. She was purportedly very nervous about sitting in on the session, wanting her performance to be perfect. Apparently Dylan said to her that she didn't need to be perfect, she just needed to be herself.

The rest of the album is a marvel, and as I've already expressed, one of Dylan's best. Kicking off with the sublime I Contain Multitudes, Dylan swings from genre to genre with ease. It's quite a diverse album musically, with the opening track delving into old-school folk and acoustic pop. From there we have a bluesy stomper in False Prophet before the torch song-like My Own Version of You. That's just Side 1 of the two disc vinyl.

It's a great journey, with Dylan again producing, although not credited this time around. In the fold remain guitarist Charlie Sexton, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron and bassist Tony Garnier; but George Receli is replaced by Matt Chamberlain on the drums, and in Dean Parks' stead is guitarist Bob Britt, who featured on Dylan's Time Out of Mind album. It's a cracking band. They rock on tracks like the excellent Goodbye Jimmy Reed and they roll on the exquisite I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You.

There isn't a bad song to be had here. Another big highlight for me is Crossing the Rubicon, which features a very swampy bluesy rock-type refrain that builds and falls throughout the track. It's a such a good album. I hope that his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour gets to Australia. It'll be my fifth time seeing him live and I hope I get that chance.


SHADOW KINGDOM (2023) (24/11/24)
I remember watching this on TV when it was live-streamed during the COVID years. Initially, I thought it was actually live, until a some songs revealed a looped background or musicians deliberately not playing what was being played. All very tongue-in-cheek, and very Bob. The selections were mostly from his output in the sixties, as the full title of the film reads Shadows Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan. 

In true Dylan style, the songs are quite different in these performances from his studio versions. They have been reworked, and some cases re-imagined. To add to the show-type feel of the film, all the songs flow into each other, with no silence separating them, rather a little flourish from the band. The songs possibly work better without the video, as you're not distracted by the gimmicky black and white vignettes accompanying each track. With just the music, you appreciate the new arrangements more, and Dylan's phrasing of his old work. Some songs have additional riffs that weren't on the original release, or the style is quite radically changed. The instrumentation is very similar on all the songs, mainly using acoustic guitars, accordion and double bass. There are no drums or percussion either, but Dylan gives us an occasional burst of harmonica, as the cover art would suggest. No musicians are credited on the album (or the film), but you can spot Charlie Sexton a mile away, and apparently T. Bone Burnett had a hand in there as well. 

From the opening When I Paint My Masterpiece, every song is a joy. The tender, heartfelt Forever Young is given another life, and feels as fresh as it ever did. What Was It You Wanted, from 1989's Oh Mercy (and the newest song here apart from Sierra's Tune), keeps its sense of malice although the doom is dialed down slightly. Two album tracks from Blonde on Blonde are rejigged with old-time music-hall verve, with Pledging My Time rolling along vibrantly and Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine positively bouncing. A track included on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol.II, Watching the River Flow is still a big foot-tapper, but the bluesy feel is replaced with a kind of Cajun swing. That one is a big highlight for me, and it was issued as a single in April 2023 as a teaser for the album's release in June. I remember listening to it on the Spottersfy, excited that the album was going to be available for purchase. Although, it took me until our trip to QLD in October this year to nab myself a copy. In fact, my recent listening was the first time I've heard it in full since the record landed on the Spottersfy. 

The most radical reworking is possibly It's All Over Now, Baby Blue, which is almost delivered like a soliloquy, with sparse instrumentation that fades and rises throughout. It's a fitting end to the film before the credits roll and it ends the selection of songs nicely. The album (and the film) feature hugely enjoyable performances that are easy to listen to. In fact, when it ends, it feels like we were short-changed, but after 54 minutes of excellence, it's possibly anymore would have been too much. Always leave them wanting more, huh? It's such an enjoyable listen, and there's not a bad performance here. 

There were only two tracks I was unfamiliar with, them being The Wicked Messenger from John Wesley Harding and the instrumental closing track that ran over the credits, Sierra's Tune. The latter was newly written, especially for the film. Not sure who Sierra is or was, but there you are. 

Wow, so that's all of the Dylan albums listened to now. I'm not sure if we'll get anything new from him again, or if he'll tour down this way, but he's still going and I'm still enjoying. Still discovering and re-discovering. Thanks for all the music, Bob!