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Classic Album Discussion Thread: The Kinks-Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Pt. 1 (4 Viewers)

Eephus said:
The five piece lineup and Tyler's mannerisms got them tagged as the American Stones.  That probably helped at the beginning of their career but it really wasn't a fair comparison.
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To my ears, Aerosmith sounded way more like Zep and some of the British boogie bands (Humble Pie, Ten Years After) than they did the Stones, but I think you have it right on their general perception.

 
timschochet said:
I did consider Rocks, along with the debut album that features “Dream On”, arguably their best song. But it’s hard to argue with two massive hits like Toys has. 
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Dream On is far and away their best song IMO. They have lots of hits and lots of good songs but Dream On for me is their only song that truly stands up as an all time rock song.

 
I missed the Billy Joel discussion in real time, but my $0.02:

He is the biggest star who I like zero songs from. I don't actively hate any of them; I just don't like a single one. None. Nada. Zilch.

I just thought I should add something constructive to that conversation  :D

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I missed the Billy Joel discussion in real time, but my $0.02:

He is the biggest star who I like zero songs from. I don't actively hate any of them; I just don't like a single one. None. Nada. Zilch.

I just thought I should add something constructive to that conversation  :D
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I've never once listened to an entire song. Don't hate him either. 

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I missed the Billy Joel discussion in real time, but my $0.02:

He is the biggest star who I like zero songs from. I don't actively hate any of them; I just don't like a single one. None. Nada. Zilch.

I just thought I should add something constructive to that conversation  :D
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Joel's a likable Neil Diamond. He knows what a popular song is made of, loves himself even more than his generally-repulsive fan base does but, while i appreciate his work, i don't connect with it at all

 
wikkidpissah said:
Joel's a likable Neil Diamond. He knows what a popular song is made of, loves himself even more than his generally-repulsive fan base does but, while i appreciate his work, i don't connect with it at all
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No idea if you meant to imply that Neil Diamond is unlikeable (and he may very well be) but I still like some Neil Diamond songs. Who can resist singing along to "Sweet Caroline", etc.?

For me, there's not a Billy Joel song that has that effect. I don't hate the guy, recognize his talent, but he just doesn't do it for me.

 
timschochet said:
Aerosmith- Toys in the Attic (1975)

Toys in the Attic

Uncle Salty

Adam’s Apple

Walk This Way

Big Ten Inch Record

Sweet Emotion

No More No More

Round and Round

You See Me Crying

Like several other artists that we’ve already covered, Aerosmith is a band that has reinvented itself over the years. This album along with their debut represents the first and best version. The fact that they unashamedly attempted to imitate the Stones doesn’t mask a pretty damn good band, with a great rhythm section. The two hit songs that emerged here, “Walk This Way” and “Sweet Emotion” were as good as any hard rock in the 70s. 
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Loved, loved, loved this album as a kid. 

 
If you’re going to release a Greatest Hits album, like Aerosmith did in 1980, you should stop producing new music.  

I wore that cassette out while delivering newspapers as a kid, and they were the first concert I went to in ‘88, so they have of a special place in my heart, but they should have hung it up a long time ago.  

 
I kind of like Aerosmith's late 80s records on Geffen.  They were produced by Bruce Fairbairn who also did Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (as well as Loverboy) and it shares that big 80s sound.  But the band is big enough to handle it.  Tyler had matured as a singer but hadn't gotten into self-parody yet.  Perry rips off some incredible leads and the rhythm section were locked in after 15 years together.

Pump is the best album of the bunch IMO and a nice memory of the last time Classic Rock songs could make the pop top ten.  It has a solid collection of songs including FINE and Janie's Got a Gun.  The latter is schmaltzy but Perry's modal solo gets me every time.

I'm sure their second trip through popular culture was a lot more lucrative than their first one.

 
wikkidpissah said:
Joel's a likable Neil Diamond. He knows what a popular song is made of, loves himself even more than his generally-repulsive fan base does but, while i appreciate his work, i don't connect with it at all
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I saw Neil Diamond live back in the late 90s, and he was great. It was a fun show. There were a lot of different age groups there, and everyone sang and danced. I've seen Billy Joel a few times through the decades, and he has always put on a good show. Who is this repulsive fan base you speak of?

 
Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Sountrack) (1977)

Bee Gees- “Stayin’ Alive”

Bee Gees- “How Deep Is Your Love”

Bee Gees- “Night Fever”

Bee Gees- “More Than A Woman”

Yvonne Elliman- “If I Can’t Have You”

Walter Murphy- “A Fifth of Beethoven”

Tavares- “More Than A Woman”

David Shire- “Manhattan Skyline”

Ralph McDonald- “Calypso Breakdown”

David Shire- “Night on Disco Mountain” 

Kool & the Gang- “Open Sesame”

Bee Gees- “Jive Talkin”

Bee Gees- “You Should Be Dancing”

KC and the Sunshine Band- “Boogie Shoes” 

David Shire- “Salsation”

MSFB- “K-Jee”

The Tramps- “Disco Inferno”

Arguably the biggest hits record of all time, completely dominant when it came out in 1977. (though looking at the track list, I have to wonder, who the hell is David Shire, and how did he end up with 3 songs on this seminal album?) 

Of course the main artist here are the Gibb brothers- they jumped on a specific genre of dance music and made it their own. The songs are well-written, catchy, and remain pop masterpieces decades later. 

 
Eephus said:
I kind of like Aerosmith's late 80s records on Geffen.  They were produced by Bruce Fairbairn who also did Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (as well as Loverboy) and it shares that big 80s sound.  But the band is big enough to handle it.  Tyler had matured as a singer but hadn't gotten into self-parody yet.  Perry rips off some incredible leads and the rhythm section were locked in after 15 years together.

Pump is the best album of the bunch IMO and a nice memory of the last time Classic Rock songs could make the pop top ten.  It has a solid collection of songs including FINE and Janie's Got a Gun.  The latter is schmaltzy but Perry's modal solo gets me every time.

I'm sure their second trip through popular culture was a lot more lucrative than their first one.
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Those actually weren't bad records, IMO. I liked Pump and the other one.  

 
I love the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I had the 8 track, album, cassette, and disc. When it came out my mom bought me one of those glitter balls from Spencer. I'd play the music, hit the lights, turn on the ball and boogie down.  I still listen to the album sometimes, and usually have several of the songs scattered about on mix playlists. 

 
I also like the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I used to have the old Bee Gees 45s on Casablanca Records and played them non-stop as a four year-old.    

 
Big fan of the SNF soundtrack.

It's also Alice Cooper's favorite album. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

ETA: "Manhattan Skyline" is a hidden gem. Kind of like the combined themes of the "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" on steroids.

 
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Eephus said:
I kind of like Aerosmith's late 80s records on Geffen.  They were produced by Bruce Fairbairn who also did Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet (as well as Loverboy) and it shares that big 80s sound.  But the band is big enough to handle it.  Tyler had matured as a singer but hadn't gotten into self-parody yet.  Perry rips off some incredible leads and the rhythm section were locked in after 15 years together.

Pump is the best album of the bunch IMO and a nice memory of the last time Classic Rock songs could make the pop top ten.  It has a solid collection of songs including FINE and Janie's Got a Gun.  The latter is schmaltzy but Perry's modal solo gets me every time.

I'm sure their second trip through popular culture was a lot more lucrative than their first one.
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What triggered the comeback?  Run DMC covering Walk This Way and putting Tyler and Perry in the video?  Permanent Vacation had a lot of money behind it for a band that hadn’t put up a hit in years.

 
timschochet said:
Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Sountrack) (1977)

Bee Gees- “Stayin’ Alive”

Bee Gees- “How Deep Is Your Love”

Bee Gees- “Night Fever”

Bee Gees- “More Than A Woman”

Yvonne Elliman- “If I Can’t Have You”

Walter Murphy- “A Fifth of Beethoven”

Tavares- “More Than A Woman”

David Shire- “Manhattan Skyline”

Ralph McDonald- “Calypso Breakdown”

David Shire- “Night on Disco Mountain” 

Kool & the Gang- “Open Sesame”

Bee Gees- “Jive Talkin”

Bee Gees- “You Should Be Dancing”

KC and the Sunshine Band- “Boogie Shoes” 

David Shire- “Salsation”

MSFB- “K-Jee”

The Tramps- “Disco Inferno”

Arguably the biggest hits record of all time, completely dominant when it came out in 1977. (though looking at the track list, I have to wonder, who the hell is David Shire, and how did he end up with 3 songs on this seminal album?) 

Of course the main artist here are the Gibb brothers- they jumped on a specific genre of dance music and made it their own. The songs are well-written, catchy, and remain pop masterpieces decades later. 
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Great album that still plays well at parties. Think a lot of people who think of it as a Bee Gees album are surprised to find Disco Inferno and Boogie Shoes on it.  

My favorite track from SNF is Jive Talkin, but wow Album 1 Side 1 is a juggernaut.

David Shire is a theater/score guy.  He was Streisand’s pianist for a while, scored some Coppola (the weird piano sounds from The Conversation are Shire) and other movies in the 70s and 80s.  I imagine rather than do a separate album of the SNF original score, they put a couple Shire pieces on the soundtrack to bring in the mood of the score and fill out a double album for the soundtrack.  

 
simey said:
My favorite track usually depends on the day. Today it is If I Can't Have You.
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That's always been my favorite on song the album. I like the Yvonne Elliman version on the soundtrack better than the one the Bee Gees recorded themselves a short time later,

 
Saturday Night Fever = Bee Gees = guilty pleasure for me.  The Bee Gees simply hit theses songs out of the park, and the ball is still flying.   And, this album is just a great collection of fun songs that never seem to get old. 

 
The Bee Gees reinvention as a R&B act started a couple of albums before Saturday Night Fever.  Their "Main Course" album in 1975 included a worldwide hit in "Jive Talking" and the epic "Nights on Broadway" that formed the blueprint for their disco hits.  

"Children of the World" with its ridiculous album cover came out the following year.  Its big hit "You Should Be Dancing" moved the group closer to a disco style.  "Children of the World" also was the brothers' first collaboration with producer Albhy Galuten and engineer Karl Richardson.  Galuten produced a string of hits in the late 80s as well as both albums by 90s psychedelic powerpop band Jellyfish.

The non-Bee Gees songs on the soundtrack had different producers.  Some of the songs are quite good but the songs that Gibb, Galuten and Richardson worked on sparkle in comparison.

 
Eephus said:
"Children of the World" with its ridiculous album cover came out the following year.  Its big hit "You Should Be Dancing" moved the group closer to a disco style.  "Children of the World" also was the brothers' first collaboration with producer Albhy Galuten and engineer Karl Richardson.  Galuten produced a string of hits in the late 80s as well as both albums by 90s psychedelic powerpop band Jellyfish.
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That album was recorded at the famed (and since burned down) Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec aka "Rush's Abbey Road".  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Studio

 
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Saturday Night Fever was a dividing line at my grade school.The girls loved SNF and disco dancing and the boys loved Kiss.

School dances were interesting with the girls begging us to dance and us refusing to like "that Bee Gees crap!".

 
DocHolliday said:
Saturday Night Fever = Bee Gees = guilty pleasure for me.  The Bee Gees simply hit theses songs out of the park, and the ball is still flying.   And, this album is just a great collection of fun songs that never seem to get old. 
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I'm not ashamed to say (anonymously on an internet forum) that I'm a big Bee Gees fan.

 
Eephus said:
"How Deep Is Your Love" and "Stayin' Alive" were recorded in France at Chateau d'Herouville.   The Chateau was also the studio for "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", Iggy's "The Idiot" and Bowie's "Low" and "Pin Ups" records.
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And Chateau d'Herouville was, of course, also where Elton's Honky Chateau was recorded - and named after.

 
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northern exposure said:
Saturday Night Fever was a dividing line at my grade school.The girls loved SNF and disco dancing and the boys loved Kiss.

School dances were interesting with the girls begging us to dance and us refusing to like "that Bee Gees crap!".
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Same for us back then. Times change as you guard against lawn trespassers.

 
zamboni said:
It's also Alice Cooper's favorite album. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
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Have to call you on this one. I tried searching it and while he does admit to owning and liking this album, I see no evidence of him saying it is his favorite.

 
northern exposure said:
Saturday Night Fever was a dividing line at my grade school.The girls loved SNF and disco dancing and the boys loved Kiss.

School dances were interesting with the girls begging us to dance and us refusing to like "that Bee Gees crap!".
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I was in High School at the time :bag: but figuring out girls liked boys who would dance with them was a valuable life lesson that helped me snag Mrs. Eephus years later.

 
jamny said:
Have to call you on this one. I tried searching it and while he does admit to owning and liking this album, I see no evidence of him saying it is his favorite.
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Pretty sure I saw a documentary where he said it's his favorite, but can't swear to it. Clearly he does like it though.

 
timschochet said:
Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Sountrack) (1977)

Bee Gees- “Stayin’ Alive”

Bee Gees- “How Deep Is Your Love”

Bee Gees- “Night Fever”

Bee Gees- “More Than A Woman”

Yvonne Elliman- “If I Can’t Have You”

Walter Murphy- “A Fifth of Beethoven”

Tavares- “More Than A Woman”

David Shire- “Manhattan Skyline”

Ralph McDonald- “Calypso Breakdown”

David Shire- “Night on Disco Mountain” 

Kool & the Gang- “Open Sesame”

Bee Gees- “Jive Talkin”

Bee Gees- “You Should Be Dancing”

KC and the Sunshine Band- “Boogie Shoes” 

David Shire- “Salsation”

MSFB- “K-Jee”

The Tramps- “Disco Inferno”

Arguably the biggest hits record of all time, completely dominant when it came out in 1977. (though looking at the track list, I have to wonder, who the hell is David Shire, and how did he end up with 3 songs on this seminal album?) 

Of course the main artist here are the Gibb brothers- they jumped on a specific genre of dance music and made it their own. The songs are well-written, catchy, and remain pop masterpieces decades later. 
Click to expand...
Like Thriller, this record was a massive mono-culture presence that just doesn't exist anymore in music. It was everywhere for a year and a half - if you didn't like it, too bad because you were going to hear it coming out of every other car radio and storefront.

I always thought the Bee Gees were underrated as artists. Their stuff in the 60s/early 70s was really weird, even though it sounded kind of like a discount Beatles. And their mid-to-late 70s peak was full of great pop goodness, done with skill and talent. They also made half a dozen other artists' careers.

All that said, the best song on this record IMHO is the incendiary and aptly-named "Disco Inferno". The bass line is iconic, of course, as are the swirling brass-&-strings. But what makes the record, to me, is Jimmy Ellis' Voice Of God lead vocal. Other than P-Funk and one or two others, most bands then that were playing dance music in the late 70s went for smoother vocals. Jimmy said" screw that" and went full-on Edwin Starr/Wilson Picket. That tension between 60s-style soul singing and the more streamlined playing of the band makes it one of the most exciting records of the late 70s

 
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Eephus said:
I grew up in Milwaukee and always was taught that the name meant "gathering place by the water" (from similar words in the Potawatomi and Ojibwe languages).
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Lived in MKE for a bit as a kid. Was never was taught the history of the city - just taught not to go downtown.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
Like Thriller, this record was a massive mono-culture presence that just doesn't exist anymore in music. It was everywhere for a year and a half - if you didn't like it, too bad because you were going to hear it coming out of every other car radio and storefront.

I always thought the Bee Gees were underrated as artists. Their stuff in the 60s/early 70s was really weird, even though it sounded kind of like a discount Beatles. And their mid-to-late 70s peak was full of great pop goodness, done with skill and talent. They also made half a dozen other artists' careers.

All that said, the best song on this record IMHO is the incendiary and aptly-named "Disco Inferno". The bass line is iconic, of course, as are the swirling brass-&-strings. But what makes the record, to me, is Jimmy Ellis' Voice Of God lead vocal. Other than P-Funk and one or two others, most bands then that were playing dance music in the late 70s went for smoother vocals. Jimmy said" screw that" and went full-on Edwin Starr/Wilson Picket. That tension between 60s-style soul singing and the more streamlined playing of the band makes it one of the most exciting records of the late 70s
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Disco Inferno is another guilty pleasure.   It just makes you dance.  What a great tune.   

 
To me, the only weak spot on the soundtrack is Tavares’s version of “More Than A Woman” - far inferior IMO than the one from the Gibb boys.

 
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