jtwilliams

Next up 1978's Excitable Boy:


Rating: 10/10
This album starts of with "Johnny Strikes Up The Band" a good rockin' tune, which is THE perfect song to start a good rockin' album. Now I won't come in here and pretend to be any good with lyrics and trying to figure out what songs are about, so most likely I won't put any of that type of stuff in my reviews. If I do it will just be either my opinion or what the songs makes me feel. This album has Warren's most recognizable tunes; "Werewolves of London" (which kid rock f@ckin' ripped off!) & "Excitable Boy". Both of which I love. In fact I love this ENTIRE album, not a dud on it. I will admit some of the songs are growers, but they're all great songs.

This album really shows Warren's Macbre outlook and songwriting, especially in the songs "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner", "Excitable Boy" & "Werewolves Of London". The first 4 songs really get you into a good rockin' mood. "Johnny" the perfect opener, "Roland", the macbre but beautifully arranged follow up, "Excitable Boy", my favorite piano & sax accompanied song. Then "Werewolves", which granted has been overplayed but is a good song. Then comes the slower "Accidentally Like A Martyr", I really like the chorus about all the different love makin' lol. Not exactly my favorite song on the album but a good one. Then you get into "Night Time In The Switching Yard", this one of the whole album sounds a little outta place. Don't get me wrong its a great tune, with a little bit of a Funk feel, which I think is great. But it sounds like a clear-cut normal funk-rock song, not a Warren song. In any case it is a stand out for me. Then two more slower songs "Veracruz" & "Tenderness On The Block", I prefer "Tenderness" of the two, but from some reason I do love the spanish sang verse in "Veracruz", even though I have no Idea what is being said lol. Then finally the perfect closer for this album. "Lawyers, Guns & Money", again not sure what this is about but its a good rockin' song with some feeling, and possibly a little "what the hell was I doin?" thrown in. Electric or Acoustic, I love this song.

Stand outs for me:
Johnny Strikes Up The Band
Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner
Excitable Boy
Night Time In The Switching Yard
&
Lawyers, Guns & Money

As you can see from the rating I feel this is a masterpiece. Warren really found his sound here. From start to finish theres not a dud. And the musicianship, though not including a lot of big names like his last, is still top-notch and not over done.

If you are interested in checking out Warren's music, I would highly recommend this album, as I feel it is his most accessible and contains a good overview of his style all in one neat 9 song package

That's it for this one

Any thoughts MB?

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