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The three hundred and seventy-second album: #372 Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus

With some classic Bob Marley tracks appearing on this album, it presents the poppier version of reggae that we've heard before, possibly with more conventional production styles coming in. While on a theoretical level I could see how that would be considered a shame or betrayal, it makes it easier to listen to this album. The pop songs are nice if a bit simple, but even the ones that feel more like pure reggae are quite nice. Lyrically, at the same time, there's little to connect to - on a political level, the struggles it addresses are far enough removed, while the religious focus doesn't give me much. Marley's music is quite explicitly about this, especially when written, but it's not something appealing to me much further.

The three hundred and seventy-first album: #371 Billy Joel - The Stranger

Billy Joel here has a good pop rock album - some good, powerful songs, with some really good lyrics to listen to. It's simple, but in most places works so well, with just the right amount of production without overwhelming it, almost a folk album in its focus while having that pop rock sound to it.

The one hundred and thirty-first classical recording: #107 Johann Sebastian Bach - The Well-Tempered Clavier

This covers book one, for anyone still following along, based on the given recording and general naming mentioned in the book.

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome sometimes is the unfamiliarity with an instrument or sound. In contemporary music, electric guitars had that effect back in the day, auto tune sounds off to me sometimes and I certainly struggle a bit with more modern music these days even if it grows on me. That same effect goes the other way as well and the sound of a harpsichord is not one that I'm used to. It's a sound that I think I've mostly heard in a larger group, where it mixes in with other instruments, but on its own it has a metal sound that doesn't sit well with a modern ear that's used to a richer sound from modern pianos and such.

Once past that, you get a musically inventive set of works, each a prelude and fugue. While perhaps not always as overly complex as later composers, there's enough layered in each that it shows the skill involved in them. They're abstract enough that they won't hit any direct emotions or tell you their stories, but they manage to get you in their mindset all the same - often a bit sombre, a bit dark, with some making good use of their minor keys.

The biggest downside of listening to the work like this is probably that it's not made to be consumed like one long work. Two hours is a long time and while the variety is there, it's not enough to sustain an active listening experience.

The three hundred and seventieth album: #370 Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express

As I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, Kraftwerk's oeuvre appeals to me and Trans-Europe Express is probably the best example of this I've heard so far. There's something in the electronic pop that appeals to me. This does depend on how much comes from their focus on the music, rather than the austere vocals that can lose some appeal when they're not just another instrument - the vocals often aren't strong enough for that.

The three hundred and sixty ninth album: #369 Brian Eno - Before and After Science

In an interesting change, Brian Eno's Before and After Science isn't an ambient album. The music still is pretty gentle at times, but the first side has more upbeat tracks, often with more vocals, that are some decent pop tracks. The second side goes back to the more ambient sound, but it still has some that really work. It is simpler towards the end of the album, but compared to the other Eno albums on the list, it feels like the variety really pays off here.

The three hundred and sixty-eighth album: #368 Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

While I've been getting into a number of different genres for this list, seeing jazz-based music grow in a way I appreciate more for example, I think I've hit the point where certain rock albums are no longer doing it for me. Listed as one of the great live albums, Frampton Comes Alive is a bit boring to me, a rock sound that I've heard other bands do more with. There just wasn't much that I could get out of this and I'd rather have grabbed, say, something by The Who instead.

The three hundred and sixty-seventh album: #367 Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

Having sung Sir Duke as part of singing lessons about two decades ago, this album strikes a chord with me. The upbeat, enthusiastic sound of that track has always been infectious for me and while not all tracks are as much of a party, they do carry their emotion quite well and there's something fun about listening to the album - it does work well like that. The album is thoroughly entertaining, to an extent that I wasn't expecting before, even if its double length is exhausting.

The three hundred and sixty-sixth album: #366 Peter Tosh - Legalize It

Although probably not entirely unexpected, this album isn't one of lyrical genius. Effective in getting its message out, that's in part because there's not too much in them. I don't think complex lyrics are really what reggae looks for anyway, but I can't say there was much there. The music works a bit better for me than Bob Marley's, the sound almost moving a bit poppier, upbeat and interesting. It's still a world that I don't have much attachment to, making it difficult to find much more in it, but it shows reggae moves in a more interesting direction to me in this era.

The three hundred and sixty-fifth album: #365 Fela Kuti & The Afrika 70 - Zombie

There's something engaging about this set of afrobeat tracks. The bulk of the music has a jazz feel to it, energetic and exciting without repetition, but also a lot more structured than previous jazz albums were. Its impact doesn't match that of the original listeners, with the message lost on me, but it's been a decent one to listen to anyway.

Been a while huh? Really needed life to settle down again before picking this up.

The five hundred thirty-fourth song: Master Blaster (Jammin’) - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder doing reggae is somewhat predictable. It's a lot better taking through his filter, with the influence adding its jauntiness to a Stevie Wonder track, but I also felt done with it long before the song ended.

The five hundred thirty-fifth song: Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis

I only really know the chorus of this song, the few lines having been used more bombastically in other covers of the track. There's something thoughtful about the way it's played here, small and subdued, with the subdued vocals, the simple arrangement for the synthesizer and simple repeating motives. It's calm, but enjoyable, but it feels like later versions work better.

The five hundred thirty-sixth song: I’m Coming Out - Diana Ross

It's good timing that we're getting this song included around pride. It's a joyous celebration that obviously fits a number of situations, but was written with the LGBTQ+ community in mind and the power and pride in it works well. It's a good song to get pumped up with and draw on that strength. The chorus especially really drives that point home, working especially well here to get the power in, even making up for the disco repetition that would otherwise get annoying.

The five hundred thirty-seventh song: Back in Black - AC/DC

An odd sort of tribute song to thir former lead singer, Back In Black's lyrics don't really stand out to me as much. Instead, it revolves around the guitar riffs, prominent through, supplemented with exuberant drums that really throw it all out there. There's a lot to it here to find in there, even if the shouty lyrics feel like an afterthought.

The five hundred thirty-eighth song: Let My Love Open the Door - Pete Townshend

While I would never have expected another hard rock track to follow AC/DC here, Pete Townshend does stray from The Who's sound to something more poppy, a happy synthesizer track underlying some simple, nice love song lyrics. None of it is too complicated, but it is a pleasant and happy track to listen to that cheers me up immensely.

The five hundred thirty-ninth song: Geno - Dexys Midnight Runners

With ska approaching, the pop rock track - new wave, apparently - borrows from a number of influences that I know from shows from that era, but never really went into. Not that it really works for me, there's a lackluster sound that never really grabbed me in any of it. Give me the earlier punk sounds instead than what this turned into.

The five hundred fourtieth song: Guilty - Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb

Guilty is a smooth pop ballad, exactly the song you expect from these two big artists. That means the skill is there, of course, from the start, but it also pushes it into a predictability that means that there's not much new to find in there. Technically proficient, sure, but not very inspired. I really don't find much more to go for in here.