Tag Archives: 2001

Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums

RS #385: Bob Dylan, Love and Theft

#385

Bob Dylan, Love and Theft

Release Date: 2001 Previously Owned: No First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: Another late-career Dylan entry. Okay, let's get through this... Bluesy, rockabilly opener. His craggy, nasal vocal style doesn't really appeal to me, but this sounds lighter and looser already. Unpretentious production. Something about "Mississippi" snuck up on me: he's older and been through some stuff and it seems lived in with lyrics like "I'm … Continue Reading ››
Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums

RS #423: Diana Ross and The Supremes, Anthology

Diana Ross and the Supremes, Anthology
Another anthology… sigh
Release Date: 2001 Previously Owned: No First Time Listen: Yes
Impressions: A sprawling 2-disc anthology of the, well, supreme Motown group that has at least three different versions that were released. Let's dive in!… The earliest songs are mostly new to me and range from novelty tunes about a man who only eats "Buttered Popcorn" to weird moody organ/flute driven doo-wop of "I Want A Guy." The singing is already top-shelf from the get go and the dreamy Latin-accented, Smokey Robinson production "Your Heart Belongs To Me" shows everything all coming together … Continue Reading ››
Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums

#497: The White Stripes – White Blood Cells

#497

The White Stripes – White Blood Cells

Release Date: 2001 Previously Owned: No First Time Listen: Yes
It looks like that shadow on the left is holding a dog
Impressions:  Pretty simple on the surface: dirty guitar+bashing drums+straightforward vocals= garage to counter the digital era. It works. The opening song, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," fulfills that formula. But after that, they throw a few extra tricks: some acoustic guitars on Hotel Yorba and then keyboards on "I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman." Some nice, hummable tunes, especially the needle-in-the-red punk rock "Fell In Love With … Continue Reading ››