BEST OF 1975:Bruce Springsteen "Born to Run" (1975)

Born to Run
release date: Aug. 25, 1975
format: cd (1988 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,18]
producer: Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, Jon Landau
label: CBS Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Thunder Road" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (3,5 / 5) - 3. "Night" (4 / 5) - 4. "Backstreets" (5 / 5) - 5. "Born to Run" (5 / 5) - 6. "She's the One" (4 / 5) - 7. "Meeting Across the River" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Jungleland" (3,5 / 5)
[ full album ]

3rd studio album by Bruce Springsteen originally released on Columbia Records. The r&b and folk rock elements are tuned down, and instead there's much more focus on rock and what has become a term as heartland rock, which basically is a blend of more traditional American genres of folk, country, r&b, roots rock with electrified and energetic harmony-based pop / rock. New Springsteen producer, Jon Landau, helps building layers on the music, which complete the major difference from his previous two albums. The songs are more simple constructs, although, they're perhaps even more orchestrated. Several songs from the album have become staples at Springsteen concerts: "Thunder Road", "Backstreets", She's the One" and the title track, which became Springsteen's first (and perhaps biggest) million-dollar selling single hit.
Although, early familiar with the title track, I didn't listen to the album in its entirety until after Darkness on the Edge of Town.
The album is by most critics considered his breakthrough album and one of his best ever. Naturally, the album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone Album Guide, Sputnikmusic 5 / 5, Uncut, Mojo 4 / 5 stars ]

1975 Favourite releases: 1. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run - 2. Patti Smith Horses - 3. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here

The Undertones "Teenage Kicks" (1978), ep

A) 1. "Teenage Kicks" (5 / 5) - 2. "Smarter Than You" (4 / 5)
B) 1. "True Confessions" (4 / 5) - 2. "Emergency Cases"

Nina Hagen Band "Nina Hagen Band" (1978)

2. "Rangehn"

Chaos U.K. "Chaos U.K." (1983)

11. "Farmyard Boogie" 

The Band "Stage Fright" (1970)

Stage Fright
release date: Aug. 17, 1970
format: cd (2011)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: The Band
label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Strawberry Wine" - 3. "Time to Kill" - 6. "The Shape I'm In" (4 / 5) - 7. "The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" - 9. "Stage Fright" (4 / 5) - 10. "The Rumor"

3rd studio album by The Band originally released on Capitol Records was initially intended as live recordings, which was shelved as rumors about the concert place became too overwhelming with people arrangers selling more tickets than was available, so the end-production setting was established to record the songs as is. The Band make the attempt to continue in their already familier style, but what appear most striking here is twofold: an immediate absence of enough good songs for a full album and what may sound like lack of presence. It's no big secret that the lifestyle they led at this point with too much alcohol and drugs didn't make things easier and tensions withing the band had become increasingly difficult just to stove away, but also Capitol, who had signed the band for 10 albums, was eager to see another album out that summer and pressed the band into the studio.
"The Shape I'm In" and "Stage Fright" are signature tracks and among their very best but the majority of the remainders seem to lack that quality one will find on The Band's first two albums. The album is far from poor but it may feel like a bit of a disappointment, although, it still contains classic material. I think the biggest complaint about the album is the sensation that you know they could've nailed these songs better proving that they could make a lesser song sound great just by being such great musicians as they truly were. And what are the lesser songs, you may ask. Well, songs like "Sleeping", "Just Another Whistle Stop", "All LA Glory" and "Daniel and the Sacred Harp" just don't rocket the band up the charts, but really, they are quite fine examples of an inner perspective that may have changed. And that's really what the album may be about: all the things that came with fame, and for once they sing about their own present story instead of glory days of the past.
The album sold quite well, reaching number #5 on the US album charts list (number #6 in Canada) but it wasn't met by the same overwhelming enthusiasm from critics as their two previous albums, although, most still saw the album as yet another fine classic release from The Band.
I think, it's better than its reputation as their first album out, or a minor release. Later on, the band members talked the album down, but that may likely reflect the negative emotions that tie around their relationships and unsound lifestyle more than this was about their musical skills and what they actually still produced together.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Rod Stewart "Atlantic Crossing" (1975)

Atlantic Crossing
release date: Aug.15, 1975
format: vinyl (gatefold - BS 2875)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,86]
producer: Tom Dowd
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: England, UK

6th studio album by Rod Stewart containing his major hit "Sailing" (by Gavin Sutherland).

Various artists "Radio-Active" (1980)

Radio-Active (compilation) 
release date: 1980
format: vinyl (RTL 2049)
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: various
label: Ronco - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album of various artists released on British low-budget label, Ronco.
The album is a bit of a strange collection - some great tracks but mixed with songs of too different artists, e.g. Gillan, Genesis, Black Sabbath together with Robert Palmer, Ottowan, Kelly Marie, UB40 and XTC, OMD and Gary Numan... The common denominator being the UK, I guess.