Strawberries mean love (The Strawberry Alarm Clock) (LP 4579)

The Strawberry Alarm Clock  Incense and Peppermints (Vinyl, Geffen Records, 1967, reissue 2018) ****  

Genre: Psychedelic rock, Acid rock

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Incense and Peppermints

Gear costume: Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow , Unwind with the Clock

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Strawberry Alarm Clock and 1967 go together like, erm, incense and peppermints.

This was their debut album and it's very cool daddio. There is tons to admire about their sound - like the multi-layered vocals, and the exotic instrumentation - flutes, organ, harpsichord, vibraphone, bongos are all interspersed with regular guitar, bass and drums.

The whole album needs to be enjoyed in one sitting for maximum impact. It all makes sense without any help from other substances, as it builds towards the last two songs - the title track and the groovilicious Unwind with the Clock.

Where do they all belong? In an interesting side note - the band's lead guitarist - Ed King, would eventually turn up in Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Fun house (The Stooges) (LP 4577 - 4578)

The Stooges  The Stooges (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1969) ****  

The Stooges  Funhouse (CD, Elektra Records, 1970) **** 

Genre: Punk rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges)

Gear costume: Loose (Fun House)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I love the anarchic energy around Iggy Pop (then Iggy Stooge) and his mates: Ron Asheton – guitar, Dave Alexander – bass, Scott Asheton – drums.

The debut album by the appropriately named Stooges is pure garage punk and in 1969, they were WAY ahead of their time when they married the idea of boredom with punk energy. Ron's fuzzy guitars and Iggy's banshee vocals are perfectly suited and the only thing missing on the debut is consistency. Personally I don't care for the ten minutes drone of We Will Fall.

Fun House was the second album in 1970. It sounds tougher and more unhinged than the John Cale produced debut. So, it doesn't have the charm and naivety of that first album, but it does muscle up. That said I find the final track (L.A. Blues) a cacophonous mess.

Where do they all belong? Two crucial albums that lead to the full-blown punk movement of the seventies in the UK and the USA.

I wanna be adored (The Stone Roses) (LP 4574 - 4576)

The Stone Roses  The Stone Roses (Vinyl and CD, Silvertone Records, 1989) *****  

The Stone Roses  Turn Into Stone (CD, Silvertone Records, 1992) ****  

The Stone Roses  The Second Coming (CD, Geffen Records, 1994) ****  

Genre: Indie rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Fives, JB Hi Fi 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Am The Resurrection (The Stone Roses)

Gear costume: (Song for my) Sugar Spun Sister, I Wanna Be Adored (all on The Stone Roses), Going Down (Turn to Stone), Driving South (Second Coming).

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I first heard The Stone Roses at Roger and Deirdre Marbeck's place when we over for dinner one night. It was I Am The Resurrection that made me pay attention and then I later heard I Wanna Be Adored in a pub and I had to own the album. Once I had the album I was an instant fan.

The band comprised Ian Brown – vocals, Mani – bass guitar, Reni – drums, John Squire – guitars. As AllMusic says -'the key to The Stone Roses is John Squire's layers of simple, exceedingly catchy hooks and how the rhythm section of Reni and Mani always imply dance rhythms without overtly going into the disco'. 

Their debut album is a five-star classic with every song a winner (yes, even the backwards version of Waterfall). It's such a cool sound and there is space for each musician to explore and excel.

Other things I love about it: there's the stylish/cool cover and the way that the album instantly brings 1989 back into focus for me, and memories of dinner at the Marbecks with our babies in carry cots. A magic memory.

Turn Into Stone is a compilation that came out between their first and second album. It consists of singles - A and B sides -none of which was on the debut. As such it's a valuable alternative universe of the debut and I love it, even though it's not as consistently brilliant like The Stone Roses. The extended versions of songs are terrific.

I'm also a big fan of Second Coming. It's not as uniformly brilliant but the best songs on it are superb. Driving South for instance is amazing. In fact John Squire's guitar work throughout the album is inspired. The other songs that also rank with the band's best are the opener Breaking into Heaven, Ten Storey Love Song, Begging You, Tightrope, How Do You Sleep, and Love Spreads.

Where do they all belong? A seminal band of the late eighties/ early nineties.
 

Back home (The Stone Poneys) (LP 4573)

The Stone Poneys  The Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1967) ** 

Genre: Folk rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: 9.10 Train

Gear costume: Just a Little Bit of Rain

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Stone Poneys was a folk rock band in the late sixties that included Linda Ronstadt as a member.

Following her mid-seventies success Capitol re-released their debut with a retitle that focuses on Linda's presence.

The band was actually a trio with Linda Ronstadt on vocals, Bobby Kimmel on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Kenny Edwards on lead guitar. It's pretty standard folk rock from 1967 with Linda only having three solo vocal tracks and even then, there is little indication that she would go on to superstardom. 

Where do they all belong? As it's not an album I'm ever gonna want to play again, it's one for the sale bin.
 

Steady (The Staves) (LP 4572)

The Staves  If I Was (CD, Atlantic Records, 2015) *****  

Genre: Indie folk 

Places I remember: Gift from Tom Kirkham

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sadness Don't Own Me

Gear costume: Steady

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Staves are a group of sisters - Jessica, Emily and Camilla Staveley-Taylor who create that great harmony sound that seems unique to siblings. Emily retired from the group after giving birth to her daughter but all three are featured on If I Was.

If I Was is their second album. It was brilliantly produced by Bon Iver (Justin Vernon). The sisters sing with complete command and the music is superb - sparse and sympathetic.

Where do they all belong? Huge thanks to Tom for introducing me to this album.
 

Bigmouth strikes again (The Smiths) (LP 4569 - 4571)

The Smiths  Hatful of Hollow (Vinyl, Rough Trade Records, 1984) *****  

The Smiths  The World Won't Listen (Vinyl, Rough Trade Records, 1986) *****  

The Smiths  The Very Best of The Smiths (CD, Warner Music, 2001) *****  

Genre: Alt pop, alt rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Gear costume: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Smiths must be unique in my collection as I only own three of their albums and they are all compilations. And all are 5-star albums.

Hatful of Hollow features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single Hand in Glove (a different mix of which had been included on the band's debut album) and two new singles with their B-sides. 

This repackaging effort sounds like a mess right? Very wrong! It's a coherent masterpiece! It's also where you'll find my favourite song by The Smiths. Please Please Please... was B side to a single. A B side!

Same with follow up collection The World Won't Listen. The album is again a collection of the band's awesome singles and select B-sides from 1985 to 1987.

The Very Best of The Smiths is a one-stop shop for all the band's best moments, that I bought for using in the car back in the day.

All of the band's strengths are visible across these albums - Morrissey's vocals and lyrics, Johnny Marr's extraordinary guitar work and the supple rhythm section of Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums).

Where do they all belong? I don't feel the need to own any of the studio albums, or Rank, the live one, because I feel I have the best view of The Smiths via these three albums.
 

All my loving (The Beatles) (LP 4568)

The Smithereens  Meet The Smithereens! (CD, Smithereens Enterprises, 2007) ***  

Genre: Beatles' pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: I Wanna Be Your Man

Gear costume: Not A Second Time

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Smithereens is a four piece band from New Jersey. For their seventh studio album they decided to cover the Beatles' U.S. album Meet The Beatles.

Why? Because as Pat DiNizio (vocals and guitar) says, "I believe Meet the Beatles is historically the most important rock-and-roll album ever released in America". Good enough for me!

Given that I don't think anyone improves on a Beatle version (with very rare exceptions), this isn't a bad effort. The arrangements don't stray much from The Beatles and Pat DiNizio's delivery is different, which is fine, but I'll take the originals thanks.

Where do they all belong? Nice to have in the collection, even though it's a bit of a pointless exercise.