Morrison Hotel
Artist: The Doors
Community Score: 6.79

The Doors returned to crunching, straightforward hard rock on Morrison Hotel, an album that, despite yielding no major hit singles, returned them to critical favor with hip listeners. An increasingly bluesy flavor began to color the songwriting and arrangements, especially on the party'n'booze anthem "Roadhouse Blues." Airy mysticism was still... Read More

Spitballs
Artist: Spitballs

There was certainly a precedent for label mates to sing on each others records at Beserkley; for instance, Jonathan Richman sang on Greg Kihn's "All the Right Reasons." Still, the idea of the entire label roster combining under one "band name" to make this record is kind of unique and part of what makes this record fun. Consisting of mostly... Read More

Henry Gross - A&M
Artist: Henry Gross
L.A. Woman
Artist: The Doors
Community Score: 7.85

The final album with Jim Morrison in the lineup is by far their most blues-oriented, and the singer's poetic ardor is undiminished, though his voice sounds increasingly worn and craggy on some numbers. Actually, some of the straight blues items sound kind of turgid, but that's more than made up for by several cuts that rate among their finest... Read More

Unavailable
Artist: Clover

In 1976, Clover relocated from Mill Valley, California, to London, England, where the group hooked up with managers/record company executives Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson and signed to PolyGram Records, which, in early 1977, released this, their third album. In the UK, the LP appeared on PolyGram's Vertigo label and was called Unavailable; in... Read More

The J. Geils Band
Artist: J. Geils Band
Community Score: 10.00

Their debut paid homage to the likes of Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker, and Motown through blistering covers, but originals such as "Wait" and "What's Your Hurry" more than hold their own. Magic Dick steals the show on this one. ~ John Floyd, All Music Guide Read More

A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse
Artist: Faces
Community Score: 8.00

Boasting "Stay With Me," the only hit the Faces ever had, A Nod Is as Good as a Wink is their most consistent record, and arguably their best. "Stay With Me" and "Miss Judy's Farm" showcase the band at their best -- they're all over the place, threatening to fall apart altogether before they snap it all back into place. Nobody rocked better than... Read More

Long Player
Artist: Faces
Community Score: 6.00

With their second effort, Long Player, the Faces grew more muscular and loose, rocking with loose abandon on "Bad 'n' Ruin" and "Had Me a Real Good Time," two of their best songs. At the same time, their ballads also improved, with Rod Stewart's "Tell Everyone" and Ronnie Lane's "Richmond" rivaling each other for the most touching number on the... Read More

First Step
Artist: Faces
Community Score: 10.00

On their first album, the Faces established the pattern they would follow throughout their four albums -- a ragged mix of breakneck rockers ("Shake, Shudder"), sensitive yet gritty ballads ("Devotion"), folk songs ("Stone"), revelatory covers (Bob Dylan's "Wicked Messenger"), and relaxed, friendly rockers ("Three Button Hand Me Down"). Although... Read More

Ducks Deluxe/Taxi to the Terminal Zone - EDSEL
Artist: Ducks Deluxe

Both of the group's albums, Ducks Deluxe and Taxi to the Terminal Zone, compiled on one CD with one song from each removed to fit the format's time restriction -- really a best-of, and worth any three Led Zeppelin albums. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide Read More