Doc's 1001 Albums

  Album:  Aftermath Artist:  The Rolling Stones Released : 1966 Label : Decca (UK release) Genre: Rock/Blues Rock This album is a pretty interesting evolution for this band. I grew up on the Stones. In my collegiate years, I read through the book Beatles vs. Stones by John McMillian, which outlined the evolution of both groups: the Beatles evolving from leather-jacket wearing hooligans to the clean cut Fab Four and the Stones from matching jacket wearing goodie goodies to the bad boys of rock and roll. And this album shows that turning point for the Rolling Stones.  The album's content is crisp, the lyrics satirical, and the music solid. Is it perfect? Nah. But the sardonic wit against the status quo is what makes this album fantastic. Are some of the things a bit misogynistic? Yeah, we can't ignore that. I mean, the leadoff track is about a woman relying on a pill addiction to get through the day ("running for the shelter of her mother's little helper"). Some of ...

Album:  Bat Out of Hell Artist:  Meat Loaf Released : 1977 Label : Cleveland International/Epic Genre : Hard rock/operatic rock Okay, I admit it. I knew this album going in. I've listened to this album so many times, I know every song by heart (yes, even the baseball segment of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light"). But why does it have such staying power? Why was it, in no small part, the soundtrack to my growing up? Why do we get so many appearances on classic rock stations? Is it because the songs are so long the DJ can go take drop a deuce? Probably. But there's something more to these anthems.  We all know Meat Loaf had a killer voice. Massive vocal range, his operatic deliveries becoming the stuff of legend. But that's not the only reason this album made it to the list. Look at the style of music that Jim Steinman put together. These aren't just your three minute power chords. These are epic meditations of music. These are a man getting his heart ripped out...