#580: The Good Stuff (Part 1)

OK, we R well in2 The Good Stuff now. All of the following Strange Music albums have great songs, some have great whole sides, but R somehow just short of Great overall. I'll highlight where they just miss, + the outstanding trax, as I go on.
Again, in more-or-less descending order....

+ Moody Blues: EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR (1971) -- Mostly great 1st side, 2nd side's spotty. Best: "Story in Your Eyes," "Our Guessing Game," "One More Time to Live," "You Can Never Go Home."
+ Moody Blues: SEVENTH SOJOURN (1972) -- Programmed sideways, but 4 great trax: "You and Me," "For My Lady," "Land of Make-Believe," "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band."
+ Camel: BREATHLESS (1978) -- Great 1st side, spotty Side 2. Title song, "Echoes," "Down on the Farm," "Summer Lightning."
+ Yes: GOING FOR THE ONE (1977) -- Very solid, not a single bad track, but somehow not quite stunning. "Wonderous Stories," "Turn of the Century."
+ Genesis: A TRICK OF THE TAIL (1976) -- The last 2 songs R weak, but the 1st 6 R uncommonly gorgeous, dramatic, vivid. "Ripples," "Madman Moon," "Entangled," "Robbery, Assault and Battery."
+ Caravan: BLIND DOG AT ST. DUNSTAN'S (1976) -- Some silliness & 1 complete waste, but "All the Way" & "Can You Hear Me?" R especially gorgeous. They shoulda stopped here.
+ Moody Blues: ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM (1969) -- Falls apart at the end, but til then pretty great. "Lovely to See You," "Never Comes the Day," "Send Me No Wine." & Graeme Edge's "The Dream" is his best poem ever....
+ Gentle Giant: FREE HAND (1975) -- Starts & ends weakly, but the middle's great! "His Last Voyage," "On Reflection," "Time to Kill."
+ Genesis: ...AND THEN THERE WERE THREE... (1979) -- Almost sounds like a Moody Blues album, but features 6 great trax! "Undertow," "Deep in the Motherlode," "Burning Rope," "Snowbound," "Down and Out," "The Lady Lies."
+ Hawkwind: HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL (1974) -- Excellent heavy space-rock. "You'd Better Believe It," "Lost Johnny," "Paradox," "Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)."
+ Led Zeppelin: IV (1971) -- Is this Strange enuf? "Stairway to Heaven," "Battle of Evermore," & the cosmic, end-of-the-world "When the Levee Breaks." The hugest drum sound of all time....
+ Camel: ECHOES best-of -- Too much later commercial stuff, but most of the essentials R here, & the best of it's great: "Never Let Go," "Rhayader," "Rhayader Goes to Town," "Unevensong," "Breathless," "Echoes," "Drafted," "Sasquatch," "West Berlin," "Mother Road"....
+ Caravan: CANTERBURY TALES CD-best-of -- Too many weak later choices, but the best of it's great. "For Richard (live)," 1/2 of the great FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT, "The World is Yours," "Songs and Signs," etc.
+ Caravan: LIVE WITH THE NEW SYMPHONIA (1974) -- Epic "For Richard," wonderful "Virgin on the Ridiculous," good "Love in Your Eye," & more....
+ Camel: THE SINGLE FACTOR (1982) -- 2nd side's perfect. 1st side's like plunging off a cliff. "Sasquatch," "Manic," "End Peace."
+ Genesis: ABACAB (1980) --1/2way Btween arty & commercial. "Like it or Not," "Keep it Dark," "No Reply at All," title song.
+ Spirit: 12 DREAMS OF DR. SARDONICUS (1970) -- Starts & ends strong. "Nature's Way," "Animal Zoo," "Nothing to Hide," "Morning Will Come," "Life Has Just Begun," "Soldier."
+ Kansas: (box set best-of) -- They include 5 songs from LEFTOVERTURE & miss the 3 best, but "Journey from Mariabronn" is here, + all the other essentials. Also a lot from MASQUE & SONG FOR AMERICA, & some ugly loud stuff....
+ Jethro Tull: SONGS FROM THE WOOD (1977) -- Their best folk-rock album. "The Whistler," "Ring Out, Solstice Bells," "Fire at Midnight."
+ Buffalo Springfield: RETROSPECTIVE best-of (1969) -- Solid sampler. "On the Way Home," "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," "Bluebird," "Mr. Soul," "Rock and Roll Woman," "Broken Arrow."
+ Barclay James Harvest: GONE TO EARTH (1978) -- Probly their best, tho inconsistent as usual. 3 greats: "Hymn," "Spirit on the Water," & the defining "Poor Man's Moody Blues."
+ Supertramp: CRIME OF THE CENTURY (1975) -- "Dreamer," "School," "If Everyone Was Listening," title song. The rest is smooth & pleasant....
+ Judie Tzuke: STAY WITH ME 'TIL DAWN (1979) -- Probly just an arty singer-songwriter, but the huge production & drama sounds like Art Rock 2 me. Move the title song 2 the end of Side 1 & that side'd B perfect. + "Welcome to the Cruise," "These Are the Laws," "For You" & the real sleeper "Sukarita."
+ Manfred Mann's Earth Band: CHANCE (1980) -- Mechanical. & pretty solid. "Stranded," "Heart on the Street," "For You," & other oddities....
+ Kate Bush: THE WHOLE STORY best-of -- Good singles package with some stunning stuff: "Cloudbusting," "Running Up That Hill."
+ David Sancious and Tone: TRANSFORMATION (THE SPEED OF LOVE) (1976) -- The title track is 18 minutes of cosmic jazz-rock/synthesizer bliss. "Play and Display of the Heart" is a gorgeous 5-minute piano showcase. The rest ain't terrible....
+ The Who: TOMMY (1969) -- This is OK, it peaks at the end with "See Me, Feel Me" & "Listening to You," but generally I like their later stuff better....
+ Alan Parsons Project: I ROBOT (1977) -- 1st side's pretty great. Check out "Some Other Time."
+ Al Stewart: 24 CARROTS (1980) -- Heavily underrated. Check out the gorgeous "Rocks in the Ocean," "Running Man," hilarious "Mondo Sinistro."
+ Camel: RAIN DANCES (1977) -- Some hidden gems: "Unevensong," "First Light," title track....
+ Jethro Tull: STORMWATCH (1979) -- "Dark Ages," "Dun Ringill" & lotsa brooding doom....
+ Kate Bush: THE KICK INSIDE (1978) -- The best of this is brilliant. 2nd side's spotty. "Man With the Child in His Eyes," "Saxophone Song," "Strange Phenomena," "Kite," title song.
+ Kate Bush: NEVER FOR EVER (1980) -- Still brilliant & creative. "Delius," "Babooshka," "The Wedding List," "Violin," "Breathing."
+ Al Stewart: TIME PASSAGES (1978) -- A little TOO commercial, but a few gems: "Valentina Way," "Almost Lucy," "Life in Dark Water."
+ Kevin Ayers: ODD DITTIES (1976) -- This collection of singles, B-sides & vault songs may B deep-smooth-voice's best album. + lotsa art-rock guest stars (Soft Machine, Caravan, Mike Oldfield,  Dave Bedford, allegedly Syd Barrett (?!), etc). "Connie on a Rubber Band," "Butterfly Dance," "Soon Soon Soon," "Gemini Child," & other silly charmers....
+ Alan Parsons Project: ULTIMATE best-of -- "You Don't Believe," "Days are Numbers (The Traveler)," "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether"....
+ Pink Floyd: WISH YOU WERE HERE (1975) -- A little cold & distant, but I love "Shine On" & the title track, hate "Have a Cigar" & "Welcome to the Machine"....
+ Gentle Giant: THREE FRIENDS (1972) -- Weak ending, but check out "Schooldays" & "Peel the Paint."
+ Synergy: SEQUENCER (1976) -- Melodic synth music from Larry Fast. "S-Scape," "Icarus," "Classical Gas."
+ Gryphon: COLLECTION best-of -- Edited versions of almost everything you'd ever need by these guys....
+ Steeleye Span: ORIGINAL MASTERS best-of (1977) -- Occasionally-great electric folk from the 2nd- or 3rd-best British folk-rock band ever. "Allison Gross," "All Around My Hat," "Thomas the Rhymer," "One Misty Moisty Morning," "Fighting for Strangers"....
+ Yes: DRAMA (1980) -- "Tempus Fugit," "White Car," "Into the Lens," "Machine Messiah" & a coupla Police-ish trax....
+ Manfred Mann's Earth Band: ANGEL STATION (1980) -- Falls apart on Side 2, til then pretty great. "Don't Kill it Carol," "Hollywood Town," "Belle of the Earth," "You Angel You," "Angelz at My Gate."
+ Beatles: REVOLVER (U.S. vinyl version) (1966) -- The updated-CD/import version's stronger, but still some great stuff: "Got to Get You into My Life," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "For No One," "Taxman"....
+ Camel: I CAN SEE YOUR HOUSE FROM HERE (1979) -- 3 great trax: "Who We Are," "Eye of the Storm" & "Wait." & the long guitar showcase "Ice."
+ Caravan: WATERLOO LILY (1972) -- Swingin' & jazzy, with a great 2nd side. "The World is Yours," "Aristocracy," "The Love in Your Eye," "Songs and Signs," title song.
+ Happy the Man: (1st) (1977) -- "Time as a Helix of Precious Laughs" is GORGEOUS. The rest is always at least pleasant, tho it takes awhile 2 get rolling....
+ Wigwam: HIGHLIGHTS best-of -- Good moments from the Finnish band. Great organ workout "Losing Hold," catchy "Tramdriver," 4 trax from the great NUCLEAR NIGHTCLUB album but NOT the classic "Bless Your Lucky Stars."
+ Blue Oyster Cult: AGENTS OF FORTUNE (1976) -- The good stuff's great ("Reaper," "E.T.I.," "Morning Final," "Debbie Denise," "Vera Gemini"), but 1/2 of it's really stupid....
+ Dixie Dregs: DREGS OF THE EARTH (1980) -- Nice guitar from Steve Morse. "Elsewhere," "The Great Spectacular," "Old World."
+ Dixie Dregs: WHAT IF? (1978) -- More nice gtr. "Night Meets Light," "Ice Cakes," "Take it Off the Top."
+ Yes: THE YES ALBUM (1971) -- "Your Move" is perfect, "A Venture" is intresting, but the rest sounds better on YESSONGS....
+ Yes: FRAGILE (1972) -- "South Side of the Sky"'s great, & "Roundabout" of course, but there's 2 much filler....
+ Soft Machine: THIRD (1970) -- 2-record set with 4 side-long trax. Summa these British jazz-rock themes will stick 2 yer ears 4 YEARS: "Out-Bloody-Rageous," "Slightly All the Time." With the CD reissue you get a bonus CD with 3 Xcellent long live trax....
+ Joan Armatrading: ME MYSELF I (1980) -- Very smooth, + 3 great songs: title track, "All the Way from America," "I Need You."
+ Spirit: BEST OF (1972, expanded on CD) -- You get 1/2 of SARDONICUS & other good stuff. Check out "Aren't You Glad?," the spooky "1984," & the brilliant gtr rocker "I Got a Line on You."
+ Supertramp: BREAKFAST IN AMERICA (1979) -- A little TOO smooth & pleasant, but some buried greats: "Just Another Nervous Wreck," "Child of Vision," "Gone Hollywood."

Coming Soon: More above-average stuff; The Best!; & Subjects for further research....