Excitable Boy, Warren Zevon

Excitable Boy, Warren Zevon, :31

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This is almost a Retrospective Review, but I have never heard this album in its entirely.  And what an album, just a solid rocker from start to finish!  Zevon's third album has nine tracks (in its original form) and of those nine, four are absolute, five-star classics of black humor.  With "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," "Werewolves of London," the macabre title track, and "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" on here, the rest of the album could be recordings of Zevon belching and it still would rank as an all-time classic.  I don't know if Zevon intended these songs to amplify and lampoon typical masculine tropes, but that's how I read them, and either way, they rock.  Favorite tracks that were new to me until now: "Accidentally Like a Martyr," "Johnny Strikes Up the Band."

Minute By Minute, Doobie Brothers

Minute By Minute, Doobie Brothers, 1978, :37

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The Kenny Loggins-written "What a Fool Believes" is a major hit that I've heard on the radio countless times, but I don't think I ever put together that it's by the Doobies.  Actually, I'm not that familiar with them and have never heard anything but the radio hits.  So I may not be the best judge of this, which seems to be to be super glossy white funk pop, like if Steely Dan were in love with funk instead of jazz.  Apparently their sound changed a lot over the years and this is their most commercially album.  It's a bit too AOR for me.  Favorite tracks: "What a Fool Believes," the bluegrass instrumental "Steamer Lane Breakdown," the almost actually funky "Dependin' On You."

Germ Free Adolescents, X-Ray Spex

It's week two of women week!

Germ Free Adolescents, X-Ray Spex, 1978, :36

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

A brilliant punk debut.  Singer Poly Styrene, whose delivery reminds me of the Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley, rages against consumerist culture and conformity and exploitation with strident sincerity.  Strong melodies and a buzzing saxophone make this stand out among early '70s punk albums.  I'm just sorry I didn't tune into this three decades ago; what a chump I've been!  Favorite tracks: "Art-I-Ficial," "Obsessed With You," "Germ Free Adolescents," "Warrior in Woolworth."

The Raincoats, the Raincoats

It's women week!

The Raincoats, the Raincoats, 1978, :35

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Another new discovery, this post-punk, punk-folk band seems to have been largely dismissed by punk history, rather unfairly I think.  (However, it was rediscovered by grunge grrls in the early 1990s; but I haven't heard of it.)  Bursting with energy and startlingly eclectic, the Raincoats incorporate British folk, terrific fast-paced polyrhythmic percussion, a jazzy bass, and brash, at times discordant vocals into punk riffs.  There are some unusual sounds as well.  Is that a kazoo?  With one member from Spain and another from Portugal, it's no surprise that there's some world music influence.  It all blends into a glorious, bold, slightly off-kilter declaration of artistic vision.  They're kind of like a female Violent Femmes, maybe?  Favorite tracks: "No Side To Fall In," a cover of "Lola," "Fairytale in the Supermarket," "No Looking."

Van Halen, Van Halen

Currently doing one album for each year, 1960-2020. Today: 1978.

Van Halen, Van Halen, 1978, :35

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Every since Eddie Van Halen died on October 6, I've been seeing tributes from not only celebrities but the musicians I know, making me rethink my stance on this band. I have always utterly rejected Van Halen on the basis of their flashy presence and buffoonish front man. So I figure I was missing something and chose to really listen to their debut, an album released before I came of music listening age. My thought was that before all the flash and spandex and mugging in the tacky wrong-side-of-Spinal-Tap videos, the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge juvenilia and the "Just a Gigolo" desecration, I could hear a more grounded, hungry Van at their prime. I dunno. It's just not for me, I guess. All I hear is some hard rock guitar noodling and a singer whooping alpha male lyrics. I'm sure that the guitar virtuosity is very impressive, but it's not something that interests me. The otherwise quite good "Running With the Devil" is marred by Roth's idiotic yowls and whoops. Their "You Really Got Me" rocks harder than, but isn't an improvement over, the original. "Atomic Punk" is affirmatively terrible.  The whole is all a bit polished and there's always some oaf whooping throughout the songs. Favorite tracks: "Jamie's Cryin'," "Little Dreamer" is a pleasant surprise, and I always liked the playful "Ice Cream Man."