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The Best Rock 'N' Roll Records of All Time: A Fan's Guide to the Stuff You Love
The author discusses the one hundred rock and roll albums he considers the best of all time
- GenresMusic
Paperback
Published January 1, 1992
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December 19, 2023
"It's good for the body, it's good for the soul. The golden age of Rock and Roll.---Mott the Hoople
Jimmy Guterman agrees with Mott and lists their seminal album, MOTT THE HOOPLE, among the greatest rock LPs of all time. but that's not all, folks. Jimmy knows listing the best is harder than picking THE WORST ROCK 'N' ROLL RECORDS OF ALL TIME, his previous and hilarious volume. The fun of this book lies in agreeing and disagreeing with Jimmy. Is Rod Stewart's EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY the absolute greatest, the GOAT, coming in at #1? Yes, it's amazing. Rod covers the loadstar of rock and roll, "That's Alright Mama" by Elvis, and Tim Hatdin's torch song, "Reason to Believe", then moves on to his own brilliant, originals; the title track and "Maggie May". But, does it beat anything by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, or Elvis's "Sun Sessions"? Incidentally, this makes Rod's post-1975 turn into a Las Vegas lounge lizard all the more heartbreaking to his fans. Speaking of the Holy Trinity and God, AKA Elvis P., Jimmy ranks EXILE ON MAIN STREET at #2, precisely because "it is indecipherable. Mud is the quintessential feature of great rock". The Beatles get their star with PLEASE, PLEASE ME. Why not SGT. PEPPER? Jimmy: "I think PEPPER is a mess and an overall bad influence on rock 'n' roll, although I enjoy the cover art and the inside puns". The genius of Bob Dylan cannot be represented with just one record, so Jimmy advises shelling out for an Italian bootleg, ZIMMERMAN: TEN OF SWORDS; ten LPs of everything Bob recorded in the Sixties. On a similar note, Elvis is represented by the bootleg of THE BURBANK SESSIONS or the definitive recording of his 1968 "Comeback Special". Kudos to Jimmy for having the courage to champion the obscure, from the Mekons to Jason and the Scorchers to Australian balladeer Paul Kelly ("Paul Kelly is great, and no one knows who he is!"). Jimmy is fully aware of the politics of race and music. Black artists usually get short-changed on 100 best lists since before the Sixties the .45 single was their forte, and at times ghetto. Hence he includes live albums by Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, along with studio gems by Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green. Pick your own GOAT of rock and match it with Jimmy's.
Jimmy Guterman agrees with Mott and lists their seminal album, MOTT THE HOOPLE, among the greatest rock LPs of all time. but that's not all, folks. Jimmy knows listing the best is harder than picking THE WORST ROCK 'N' ROLL RECORDS OF ALL TIME, his previous and hilarious volume. The fun of this book lies in agreeing and disagreeing with Jimmy. Is Rod Stewart's EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY the absolute greatest, the GOAT, coming in at #1? Yes, it's amazing. Rod covers the loadstar of rock and roll, "That's Alright Mama" by Elvis, and Tim Hatdin's torch song, "Reason to Believe", then moves on to his own brilliant, originals; the title track and "Maggie May". But, does it beat anything by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, or Elvis's "Sun Sessions"? Incidentally, this makes Rod's post-1975 turn into a Las Vegas lounge lizard all the more heartbreaking to his fans. Speaking of the Holy Trinity and God, AKA Elvis P., Jimmy ranks EXILE ON MAIN STREET at #2, precisely because "it is indecipherable. Mud is the quintessential feature of great rock". The Beatles get their star with PLEASE, PLEASE ME. Why not SGT. PEPPER? Jimmy: "I think PEPPER is a mess and an overall bad influence on rock 'n' roll, although I enjoy the cover art and the inside puns". The genius of Bob Dylan cannot be represented with just one record, so Jimmy advises shelling out for an Italian bootleg, ZIMMERMAN: TEN OF SWORDS; ten LPs of everything Bob recorded in the Sixties. On a similar note, Elvis is represented by the bootleg of THE BURBANK SESSIONS or the definitive recording of his 1968 "Comeback Special". Kudos to Jimmy for having the courage to champion the obscure, from the Mekons to Jason and the Scorchers to Australian balladeer Paul Kelly ("Paul Kelly is great, and no one knows who he is!"). Jimmy is fully aware of the politics of race and music. Black artists usually get short-changed on 100 best lists since before the Sixties the .45 single was their forte, and at times ghetto. Hence he includes live albums by Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, along with studio gems by Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green. Pick your own GOAT of rock and match it with Jimmy's.
Displaying 1 of 1 review