A young'uns guide to purusing extensive artist discographies

[swdshfsk]

I've been considering this thread for sometime now, and I imagine I'm not the only one who'd be interested. So, there are a lot of artists whos names are thrown around on this message board, many of which sound like they have an extensive catalog of music to choose from. Stuff like David Bowie, Tom Waits, and even R.E.M. I'm not as well aquainted with as I'd like to be. I guess what I'm looking for is suggestions on what albums/recordings to pick up from some of these artists and any other artist that has released a lot of music. It sucks when you accidently buy the one crap album the artist made and wind up writting them off.

OK, so I'm thinking the only criteria is that the artist has to have released at least 5 albums; that does not rule out more recent acts, like Radiohead. Also, I'd say be as obscure as your music collection is...if you have five albums from some backwoods washbin player that you absolutely love and has been out of print for 10 years, please feel free to bring your pretentious music collection to our attention. I appreciate any help and hope this thread can be a reference to others, especially when it comes to checking out this years bands that have a lot to choose from.

I'll start with an obvious one:
Radiohead
I would start with either OK Computer or Hail to the Thief to have a mildly representative (though not holistic) concept of their sound. From there, I would pick up KID A, which is my favorite. If you like those first two, the others will probably suit your fancy.

[ewiggy]

personally, i'm a fan of listening to an artist's catalog initially in the order it was created as often as possible.

[Courtney]

David Bowie: Start with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (which I think is one of the best albums every made by any artist or band), then Diamond Dogs to get a feel for the direction he goes post-Ziggy, then maybe Hunky Dory or Aladdin Sane for more classic goodness.

[bmack86]

Boredoms:

Onanie Bomb meets Sex Pistols-A collection of their first two releases, namely Anal by Anal and The Stooges go to Osaka. This is Boredoms as mysterious noisemakers. They fuck around with their instruments and make a racket. Not for the faint of heart, and not for most music fans. It's really interesting to hear where they started, but they did this style better. Grade:C

Soul Discharge-They make good on the interesting noises from Onanie. The playful, lets-do-whatever-the-fuck-we-can-to-make-a-racket atmosphere is still here, but the songs are more palatable this time around. It's still willfully abrasive, and not for the faint of heart. Grade:B

Boretronix-This one's really hard to find info on. Sometimes it sounds like a mixtape, sometimes it sounds like insanity. It was released on cassette only, and is rather infamously hard to find. As far as I can tell, this is a set of recordings that probably went into eYe's sonic blender to make up the cut-and-paste songs that became Soul Discharge. It's interesting, but hard to listen to at points because of absolutely horrible sound quality. Grade- C

Wow2-They continue playing around, only with a slight increase in focus. This one was released at the same time as Pop Tatari, and was meant to be recorded live in the studio. It's not as good as Pop Tatari tho, and also rather hard to find. Grade:B-

Pop Tatari-A few pop sounds filtered into this recording. This is the apex of their early, fucked up noise band playing. The album flows really well, and is full of screeching, yelling and rapid instrumental changes. Most people won't like this, but it's certifiably the best of their noisy days. Grade:A

Super Roots 1/2-Essentially, these continue the sound of Pop Tatari. They're both short releases, and good luck tracking down Super Roots 2. They're more subdued that Pop Tatari, but they mostly feature more batshit vocals and random insanity. However, it's the sound of Boredoms saying goodbye to that style. Grade:B

Chocolate Synthesizer-Pitchfork said this was the most uncommercial album ever released on a major label; I don't buy it. This album is amazing. It starts with Acid Police, which is one of the best introductions to an album ever. Eye and Yoshimi scream ACID POLEEZAY back and forth, and then get into a rhythmic jam which just rules. The rhythms on this album are much more pronounced, and they, by and large, get rid of the bizarro/whatever and the kitchen sink sound of the earlier albums. Seiichi and his effects pedals are more pronounced here. This is the best of the early stuff. Grade:A+

Super Roots 3-Who the hell saw this coming. The band who formerly wouldn't focus for more than 30 seconds at a time pull together and release what is essentially a 30 minute hardcore punk song. They repeat the same riff for the entirety of the piece, and, to be honest, it gets old. However, this was the first appearance of the new, extremely focused Boredoms. Listen to this if you want to hear their development, but it's hard to enjoy for the whole time. Grade:C

Super Roots 5-The next step in insanity. They take sonic waves and distortion and crank on that for over an hour. There's not a lot of development, and Yoshimi doesn't really lock it in the way she's capable of, so once again it's not so much a great listen as an interesting one. However, the sonic palate is more developed here, so it's a step up from Super Roots 3. Grade:B-

Super Roots 6-Once again, who saw this coming? No longer noisy, they start to focus here, and some of the songs are insanely good. They play more keyboards, and the rhythm becomes the central focus. The Krautrock fascination rears its head prominently on this record. However, this sounds like another experiment in a certain sound. They're developing Cosmic bore, and it's fun to listen to, but only contains moments of greatness. Grade:B

Super Roots 7-I could go on for days about this recording. I'll walk you thru it instead. It starts with the Ewe remix of the track. Eye leaves in the drums, but runs all the other instruments through a phaser, and creates a really psychedelic sound. This leads, without a break, into Super Space 7, which should be on everybody's short list for best jam of all time. Eye spells out BOREDOMS SUPER SPACE 7. Seiichi's guitar keeps switching channels, and your brain gets a little confused. The screaming synth starts to pull things together, and then the guitar explodes, beating out the chord change from Where Were You by the Mekons. It rules. The keyboards go nuts, adding all sorts of embellishments. At around 6:30, the guitars drop out, and you hear the kind of rhythmic pulse that NEU! made, only embellished with kickass keys. It slowly builds to 10:08, when Eye fucks up the track, making it sound like a broken tape. Then, Yoshimi hits the drums like a bat out of hell and Seiichi unleashes the chord heard round the world. Pure bliss ensues for the next ten minutes.
Grade:A+++

Super AE-More genius. They mine the space bore sound that they perfected on Super Roots 7, throwing in some playful vocals. The album works extremely well as a whole, and is oft considered their masterpiece. It is almost flawless, and is an essential purchase. Grade:A+

Super Go!!!!!!-A single featuring a long mix of Super Shine from Super AE. A bit superfluous, but the new mix is enjoyable, and features Eye's psychedelic remixing prowess. Grade:B+

Super Roots 8-A short little tidbit, it features their version of a Japanese children's show theme song. It's cool, but, like Super Go!!!!, not essential. Grade:B

Vision Creation Newsun-The final cosmic bore album, I like this every bit as much as Super AE. The songs are all blended together, and the rhythms are even more pronounced. Yoshimi goes crazy, and the two additional drummers make for an interesting and really well developed beat. Seems like it'd be great drug music. (If you can hunt down the box set, it comes with a live recording of Circle, which is absolutely astounding) Grade:A+

Seadrum/House of Sun-The first track is the birth of Voordoms. An insane drum onslaught with Eye as the mad sound distorter, it's a 20 minute rhythmic blast that will leave you numb, in a good way. Yoshimi's vocals are pixie-awesome, and you can hear when the drums go underwater (They recorded some of the drum parts on the beach as the tide came in). House of Sun is a great cool off after Seadrum, featuring a sitar drone that is very soothing. Grade:A-

Super Roots 9-Just came out, this is a live recording of a 2005 Voordoms show. It features the same drum frenzy as Seadrum, but, in a live context, Eye's goal to create a "Human turntable" becomes more fully realized. The rhythms are all over the place, and Eye adds electronic embellishments, and it's great to hear Boredoms still destroying conventions this far in. Good luck getting this one right now. I paid 30 bucks for the import. Grade:B+

77Boardrum-A bootleg, but really great quality, and worth mentioning because of the importance of the event. With the core 4 set up in the center of a park in Brooklyn, an entourage of 74 drummers spiraling out from this central point to create a giant drum beast, Boredoms truly let loose with the drum assault. The videos of the day are great, and rumor is that a DVD will be coming sometime soon. As it stands, an amazing event with the most dense drumming I've ever heard.

Live at Sunflancisco-It's only two tracks, as it's an accompanying single for a DVD release. That doesn't mean that the two tracks won't rock your face off. The first one is an extension of the stuff from Seadrum, and the second track features eYe's sonic manipulations that he's been perfecting live. It's a brief, 13 minute release, but it's near flawless, definitely the best expression yet of Voordoms outside of seeing the perfection of their live show. Grade: A

[bmack86]

Can:
They have three distinct phases, and there was some great music released in all three. However, the litmus test is the Damo years. I'd recommend starting with Ege Bamyasi. Tago Mago is my favorite album of all time, but Ege Bamyasi consolidates everything that was great about Damo-era Can (psychedelic guitars, polyrhythyms galore, crazed vocals, sheer brilliance). If you like that, then check out the other two Damo albums, and Monster Movie, which features original singer Malcolm Mooney.

[bmack86]

Spiritualized:
Hey boy, you can go almost anywhere with this group and not fail. They've maybe released one or two bum notes in their whole career. Starting with Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space is a good way to go; that's their classic, and it's so damn good. However, Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies are both excellent lead ups to that album, and you can hear them developing their sound.

[swdshfsk]

personally, i'm a fan of listening to an artist's catalog initially in the order it was created as often as possible.

I would do just that (and I actually started to with R.E.M., buying Murmer after having only Monster for a long time), but, alas, I'm broke and am lucky when I pick up one or two CDs a month. Anyway, I'm digging the feedback!

[canexplain]

Spiritualized:
Hey boy, you can go almost anywhere with this group and not fail. They've maybe released one or two bum notes in their whole career. Starting with Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space is a good way to go; that's their classic, and it's so damn good. However, Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies are both excellent lead ups to that album, and you can hear them developing their sound.

interesting choice, i should look back, but i would guess you posted them as one of the least known bands that should have been .... i saw bowie many times, maybe 15, and i always enjoyed him ... got really close on the area 1 or 2 ? ... he is one in a million to say the least ... only time he bummed me out was, i was so used to a big concert experience with all the lights and that like the ziggy tour ( thin white maybe santa barbra sp 71 prob, funny thing about that show, they checked us so much, we had to dump out our cigarette packs to make sure we didnt have anything hidden in them oh well ), well when he did the Thin White Duke tour, it was all black and white .... sort of a let down, but as i look back, fit .... cr******

[TomAz]

I would do just that (and I actually started to with R.E.M., buying Murmer after having only Monster for a long time), but, alas, I'm broke and am lucky when I pick up one or two CDs a month. Anyway, I'm digging the feedback!

technically you skipped Chronic Town, though that's only an EP. the thing about REM is that after you listen to the first five albums (not counting the EP) you can stop.

now for my contribution:

Elvis Costello
I'd start with Armed Forces, it's fairly accessible and a good distillation of the early Elvis. This Year's Model (which immediately preceded it) is in the same vein but a little nastier. I'd then recommend Trust and then Imperial Bedroom, where you can really hear him open up. then maybe King of America. and then all the older ones I've missed (This Year's Model, Get Happy!!, Punch the Clock, but be sure to avoid Goodbye Cruel World). I don't think I can recommend anything after King of America.

[roberto73]

The Wedding Present:

A tough band to find, but worth the effort. My favorite album is Seamonsters, which roughly marks the halfway point in their career as well as a change in sound. Everything pre-Seamonsters is fast and jangly; post-Seamonsters the guitars slow down a little, but the arrangements get more complex. Singer/guitarist David Gedge is the only original remaining member, but quality control has remained high throughout their 20-year career.

Start with Seamonsters, then check out George Best (their debut) and Watusi. You might also want to track down the two volumes of Hit Parade. They tied a record in the U.K. by releasing one Top 30 single a month for an entire year, and each volume contains six of the singles and their corresponding B-sides (fun cover versions of songs by artists like Bowie, The Go-Betweens, and Elton John, as well as "Theme from Shaft"). The band went on hiatus for nearly a decade as Gedge fronted Cinerama, but they released a new album in 2005, Take Fountain, which picked up right where 1996's Saturnalia left off. They've also released an obscene number of singles compilations and John Peel sessions. Criminally underrated and one of my all-time favorite bands.

[mountmccabe]

I have over the last year and a half gotten into Cinerama and the Wedding Present due to inclusion on mixes by board folk and damn I love this stuff. Some stuff I listen to now is stuff I know I wouldn't've liked when it came out but I would've loved Seamonsters at any time in my life. I'm kinda pissed at the radio stations I listened to for not playing them ever.

[Slushmier]

Stuff like David Bowie, Tom Waits, and even R.E.M. I'm not as well aquainted with as I'd like to be.

I guess I'll directly address that problem with Tom Waits. I'll definitely admit that there's someone on this board that knows more about him, but I do at least want to throw this one out there.

Tom Waits more or less has three phases: 70s, 80s, and 90s on. 70s was more of a standard singer-songwriter phrase. Sure he was a lyrical genius, but it's before he started getting esoteric in the way he constructed his music. The 80s was characterized by the Frank's Wild Years trilogy that consisted of Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years. He also did some soundtrack work, most notibly for One From the Heart. Then, starting with Bone Machine in 1992, Waits' music became more or less unclassifyable. Every album has a more unique sound in this period.

So, as for what albums I would pick for each period:
I would pick Closing Time for the 70s period. It's generally regarded as his best from this period, and it's the album that most purely represents Tom Waits as a singer songwriter.

For the 80s pick Rain Dogs. I really don't have a very good reason, I just like this album more than Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years. Plus, "Downtown Train" is one of the best songs ever, regardless of how Rod Stewart tried to destroy it.

For the 90s on pick Mule Variations. Bone Machine and Orphans are also good picks, but, and I'll be honest here, Bone Machine is really a downer of an album. Mule Variations has many of the stylistic elements of Bone Machine, but also has more of a tinge of hope thanks to songs like "Hold On." Plus, you can appreciate the song "Chocolate Jesus" more because of this. As for Orphans, it's three discs, and that's a lot of Waits to start with.


Overall, I would start with Rain Dogs because while it's so stylistically unique, it also incorporates a lot of elements from his other periods. The ballads like "Time," "Hang Down Your Head," and "Downtown Train" reflect his 70s roots. You even get some spoken word fun that shows his beatnik roots. Additionally, the unique use of instruments foreshadows his music from the 90s and later. Finally, "Downtown Train" is one of my two or three favorite songs, so I have to suggest the album with that song.

[swdshfsk]

Mogwai:
Just to start, it's difficult for me to pick a favorite album. Though the typical favorite is probably "Young Team", I also really like Happy Songs for Happy People. This could be because it was my first exposure to the band, but I still think it's great, yet probably not as accessible as Young Team(?? I guess niether are that accessible). If I were introducing a new fan, I'd start em' off easy and so on:

"Mr. Beast": the newest and by-far most "easy" Mogwai album to listen to. It's accessible much like "Rock Action" is, in my opinion, but I prefer it much more than the latter.

"Young Team": their first album that is just "awesome" (the old version of awesome). The music is diverse but just about every song goes where it should. "Mogwai Fear Satan" rocked my face last year.

If you like the first two and want to be a bit more adventurous I'd say check out "Happy Songs...", but if you kind've want to stay in the same vein, then see "Ten Rapid", which is all B-sides but is still really good. And, of course, if you would like to totally stray off the beaten path there's always "Come On, Die Young" (which, I guess isn't that strange but just lacks the emotiveness of the others) or the "My Father, My King" EP. "EP+2 (or whatever)" is really great as well...the sound falls somewhere between "Young Team" and "Rock Action"

[tessalasset]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

[mountmccabe]

Guided by Voices:

Bee Thousand is one clear entry point. It is widely regarded as their masterpiece, there's a 33 1/3 about it... it has "I Am A Scientist" etc. etc. It is lo-fi cut and paste wild and crazy affair. Expanding from here is a good way to go, both forward to the excellent Alien Lanes and back to the albums (Propeller and Vampire on Titus.that got them noticed enough to convince Pollard to get the band back together and actually do the whole music thing.

I'd almost say start with Aline Lanes because it's slightly easier but it's significantly less mythic.

As for the later records I'd rep for Universal Truths and Cycles and then moving back and forwards from there. It's far enough removed from the Ric Ocasek album to sound much like the old stuff but there's some of the arena rock leanings so that it's a good intro. I don't mean to be knocking Do the Collapse, you know, it's great stuff but not representative.

[omg wtf bbq]

bmack86:
HELL yes to Boredoms and Can

[TomAz]

Hanson
I think the best way to go is to start with their best known album "Middle of Nowhere." You will recognize the most songs on there and easily be hooked. From there, it is rather nostalgic to look back to their earlier recordings/versions, in the shape of "3 Car Garage." Listening to "Mmmbop" at a slower pace with even higher, more angelic voices is quite a treat. You can really see how much they fleshed it out and made it their own. Then, I'd go with their 'sophomore' album "This Time Around." You can already see how much they've grown in the past 3 years since MON came out. Their songs are less poppy and more melodic and lush. Try the song "A Song to Sing," for instance. They also have some killer guest artists in John Popper and Johnny Lang. After TTA I'd go into "Underneath," which just showcases their growth in leaps and bounds as songwriters and lyricists. And you can even listen to this cd side by side with its acoustic twin, appropriately titled "Underneath Acoustic." This is where you get to see the skin and bones of the songs on "Underneath" that you're sure to love by now. Before you know it, you're on to "Best of Hanson - Live & Electric." This is a great example of one of their live shows, starting out with a cover of none other than Radiohead. You'll really get a feel for the energy of the crowd and the band. And finally I'd go back to "Live at Albertane" for some live nostalgia, although it's not required.

ahahahahahahaha. i crapped my pants. ahahahahhaha

[mountmccabe]

ahahahahahahaha. i crapped my pants. ahahahahhaha

She's serious, though.

This is why you're the best, Tessa, btw.

[tessalasset]

Eh it was tongue in cheek.

[I'm Rosetta Stoned]

For me know matter what artist it is I buy their first CD and Last CD. A bands first Album is generally their best and their newer albums are generally a bands more produced album? I dunno its different so you can average them out I guess and come to a conclusion about the rest of their catalog

[bballarl]

www.allmusic.com

This is how I start dl'ing or purchasing for any artist.

[TomAz]

For me know matter what artist it is I buy their first CD and Last CD. A bands first Album is generally their best and their newer albums are generally a bands more produced album? I dunno its different so you can average them out I guess and come to a conclusion about the rest of their catalog

you totally missed my 3rd album hypothesis a few weeks ago.

[PsyGuyRy]

The Velvet Underground - Sure, they only released four proper studio albums (Squeeze doesn't count because Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison were gone, so STAY AWAY, it's shit!), but they deserve to be here...
Start out with their first album The Velvet Underground & Nico otherwise known as "The Banana Album." It shows the Velvets at their most eclectic. (The Deluxe Version is only worth it if your a huge fan... otherwise, go cheap.) Next, move on to either their fourth album Loaded, if you're more classic rock / pop oriented, or their third album The Velvet Underground, which is a far more subdued, acoustic affair. Either way, unless your totally into noise rock, stay away from White Light/White Heat until the end, or it may end up turning you off. WL/WH is the beginning of noise rock, and it's amazing once you get past the initial shock.
After you've taken in all of their proper albums, it's time to move on to both VU and Another View, both of which are kinda hit-or-miss studio recordings that make-up a sort of "Lost Album." If you've become addicted after this, seek out the live recordings, 1969, The Quine Tapes, and Live at Max's Kansas City, but try to avoid the reunion album Live MCMXCIII. I also HIGHLY recommend the box set Peel Slowly and See which wraps up all of their 4 studio albums with a bunch of live demos, alternate takes, etc...

Good luck!

[york707]

Luna - Penthouse

This album is the synthesis of all the good parts about Luna. It's also widely accepted as their best album, for good reason. I love every song on that damn album. Next, I would actually go with the Live album, whcih has songs from their first five albums, and is just a good live album, to boot. From there, you can pick which songs you like best and go out and get those CDs. Of their newer two CDs (that aren't represented on the Live CD), and think I like Romantica better than Rendevous, but not all the time. I would hold off on teh EP until you've delved into the rest of the catalogue.

For reference:

1992 - Lunapark
1994 - Bewitched
1995 - Penthouse
1997 - Pup Tent
1999 - The Days of Our Nights
2001 - Luna Live
2002 - Romantica
2004 - Rendezvous

[breakjaw]

This is a really good thread.Something like this thread would have saved me lots of money over the years that was spent on buying crappy albums from good artists(David Bowie's Tonight and Never Let Me Down for example).
I'm going to recommend some titles by Jonathan Richman,who is definitely an acquired taste.
You of course must own The Modern Lovers
which sometimes looks like this:


but originally looked like this:

which is very similar to the Velvet Underground,if they were nice and didn't take smack.(This is no coincidence,Jonathan was a busboy at Max's Kansas City when the Velvets played there in the early '70 and admits worshiping them,even writing a song called "The Velvet Underground")
The classic songs on here include "Roadrunner","Girlfriend", "Astral Plane", "She Cracked" and "Pablo Picasso".
Next I would recommend picking up Modern Lovers Live:

which finds Jonathan at the height of his popularity performing a show in London with his newer,even nicer band(still called the Modern Lovers in name only)
and refusing to buckle to the crowd's demands for "Roadrunner" and instead winning them over with charm and enthusiasm on such tracks as "Ice Cream Man" with it's 10 false endings(which I used to play for both my nephew and my son when they were little and they loved it),"I'm A Little Dinosaur",and the spectacular "The Morning Of Our Lives".This was a really hard to find album for a long time,although a couple of tracks were on the excellent "Greatest Hits" CD entitled
The Best of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: The Beserkley Years:

which I recommend if you want just one CD by him.
Finally,one of my favorite records by anybody is:

To quote the Rolling Stone review of this record,"On his newest record, Jonathan Richman sounds more childlike than childish. There's a big distinction, as anyone familiar with his other records could tell you. It's the difference between engaging the listener with a sense of wonder and making you feel as if you're baby-sitting for an overeager kid. Jonathan Sings! displays a greater maturity and attentiveness to songcraft than all but Richman's very first album, with no apparent diminution of his elfin lust for life."
The entire album is bewitching and makes me feel nostalgic for when I was Erik's(Menik) age,but he's particularly wistful on "That Summer Feeling" and engaging on"Not Yet Three".
If you still like him and want more,other good albums are:
Back In Your Life and Modern Lovers 88.

[mob roulette]

breakjaw, you had me at hello. so nice.

[TomAz]

The classic songs on here include "Roadrunner","Girlfriend", "Astral Plane", "She Cracked" and "Pablo Picasso".

those are all great songs but 'Hospital' needs to be on that list too. That song's just twisted.

[breakjaw]

Thanks,mob,but I was thinking that this post alone should make Colorado Ron BMOTW next week:

interesting choice, i should look back, but i would guess you posted them as one of the least known bands that should have been .... i saw bowie many times, maybe 15, and i always enjoyed him ... got really close on the area 1 or 2 ? ... he is one in a million to say the least ... only time he bummed me out was, i was so used to a big concert experience with all the lights and that like the ziggy tour ( thin white maybe santa barbra sp 71 prob, funny thing about that show, they checked us so much, we had to dump out our cigarette packs to make sure we didnt have anything hidden in them oh well ), well when he did the Thin White Duke tour, it was all black and white .... sort of a let down, but as i look back, fit .... cr******

[breakjaw]

those are all great songs but 'Hospital' needs to be on that list too. That song's just twisted.

God,you're right.I knew I left one off that list and that is a great great song.I've seen Jonathan 4 or 5 times,and the crowd always wants him to do "Roadrunner" but I think I would kill to hear him play "Hospital".

Incidentally Tom,do you not like "My Aim Is True" because of the backing band?

[TomAz]

First, I never said I didn't like My Aim Is True. I love that album. I just don't think it's a good starting point for Elvis explorations because the sound is so different from the rest of his stuff. In the Elvis discography it's almost as much an anomoly as Almost Blue (though lots better, of course).