Week 12 & 13

Let's call this "double" week. First, because  it's been two weeks since I posted and because I listened to a few albums twice (dual-format). I moved during this two week blog and between packing and unpacking there was little time to write. One reader inquired about whether I was only listening to only the albums I write about each week. The answer is absolutely, NO! Often I listen to something completely different in the truck or at home on vinyl or CD. When I'm in the "mood" for something I do what every person does, I satisfy that indulgence.Well of course I mean rocking out or mellowing down easy, well you get the point. Despite the two week coverage, I didn't get through that many albums for the project. (3/22 - 4/4):

Blind Faith - Blind Faith (vinyl)
Aerosmith - Done With Mirrors (cd & vinyl)
Green Day - Dookie
Keb Mo' - Door, The
The Doors - Doors, The
Gov't Mule - Dose
Golden Smog - Down By The Old Mainstream
Stephen Stills - Down The Road (cd & vinyl)
Aerosmith - Draw The Line (cd & vinyl)
Toby Keith - Dream Walkin'
Train - Drops Of Jupiter

Blind Faith was a super-group formed by Steve Winwood (Traffic) and Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker (Cream) and Rich Grech (Family). The band was only together for less than a year, but the connections formed would last years beyond the project. Delaney & Bonnie toured with Blind Faith and Clapton spent time after Blind Faith touring with them. Keeping in line with the double theme - this album had two covers due to the controversy surrounding the original album which featured a topless minor child holding a phallic airplane. The album I own has the alternate band photo cover, but some of the crazy theories on the girl on the cover make for some wild stories.

Albums that follow a hiatus often fall short of expectations and Done with Mirrors is no different. Aerosmith was piecing the puzzle back together while attempting to kick their addictions. During the tour rehearsals prior the to studio work on this album, someone played Steven Tyler a song and he said "We should cover this" and when he asked who the artist was shocked to learn it was one of Aerosmith's songs. I personally like the album, but it got terrible critical reviews.The only song from the album which makes it into live rotation is the Joe Perry Project carry over song Let The Music Do The Talking. My personal favorites are She's On Fire and Darkness. Quite in contrast to Done With Mirrors, Draw The Line is a masterpiece of classic Aerosmith. The band rented out a mansion and lived in virtual isolation of each other, but managed to record some amazing music. There isn't a truly bad track on the album with my favorites being the title-track, Critical Mass, and Sight For Sore Eyes.

The Doors self-titled debut is a ground breaking album. People either like The Doors or hate them and I for one love them. Hits like Break On Through (To The Other Side) and Light My Fire are encompassed here, but it has gems like The Crystal Ship, Alabama Song, and Twentieth Century Fox. Morrison is pretentious and often created cosmically weird lyrics, but that's what made The Doors enjoyable. They don't bore from track to track, make you think, all while rocking in an art-folk style that has stood the test of time.

Back to the double theme is Gov't Mule's second album Dose. Two of my favorite songs from Gov't Mule are the opening tracks Blind Man In The Dark and Thorazine Shuffle.

Another super-group hitting the radar this week is Golden Smog. Members include Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), and Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum). If you like alt-country rock then Down By The Old Mainstream is one of the finest works available. While the album contains no hits it is worth a good listen. It even contains a cover of the Faces tune Glad & Sorry which is far from the albums best track.

One of my favorite Stills albums is the final Manassas work Down The Road. The Hillman/Stills penned So Many Times has be covered on the latest Black Crowes album Before The Frost...Until The Freeze. The Crowes version is my favorite. My favorite tracks from this album are Isn't About Time and the title-track. Not up to par with the original Manassas album, but certainly a wonderful album.