Yet Another List to Complain About

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In the middle of this list-mania, figured I'd throw this up and see what people thought. It's a list of the "50 Greatest Albums in Memphis Music" I did for Memphis' city magazine for next month. I figure the shock and outrage on ILM will prepare me for when this hits the streets in a couple of weeks.

A few disclaimers: Box sets were banned from consideration. List is only of "local" artists who were local at the time of the recording, and not of artists (White Stripes, John Prine, etc.) who came to the city to record. Not all music had to be recorded in Memphis (all Elvis is deemed Memphis), but almost all of it was. Out-of-print records and import-only items were avoided if possible (especially for comps), but excptions were made. Blast away.

1. Call Me – Al Green (Hi, 1973)
2. The Sun Sessions – Elvis Presley (RCA, 1987)
3. The Very Best of Otis Redding – Otis Redding (Rhino, 1992)
4. The Sun Years – Johnny Cash (Rhino, 1990)
5. #1 Record/Radio City – Big Star (Fantasy, 1992)
6. Greatest Hits – Al Green (The Right Stuff/Hi, 1995)
7. Memphis Days: The Definitive Edition, Volumes 1 and 2 – Howlin’ Wolf (Bear Family, 1989/1990)
8. 30 #1 Hits – Elvis Presley (RCA, 2002)
9. The Best of the Memphis Jug Band -- The Memphis Jug Band (Yazoo, 2001)
10. Otis Blue – Otis Redding (Stax, 1965)
11. The Best of Sam & Dave (Atlantic, 1969)
12. Original Sun Greatest Hits – Jerry Lee Lewis (Rhino, 1884)
13. Elvis is Back! – Elvis Presley (RCA, 1960)
14. Third/Sister Lovers – Big Star (Rykodisc, 1992)
15. The Belle Album – Al Green (Hi, 1977)
16. The Memphis Record – Elvis Presley (RCA, 1987)
17. Play 9 Songs with Mr. Quintron – The Oblivians (Crypt, 1997)
18. The Best of Booker T. & the MGs – Booker T. and the MGs (Rhino, 1994)
19. One Sock Missing – Grifters (Shangri-La, 1993)
20. The Essential James Carr – James Carr (Razor & Tie, 1995)
21. I’m Still in Love With You – Al Green (Hi, 1972)
22. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (RCA, 1956)
23. Heroes of the Blues: The Best of Furry Lewis – Furry Lewis (Shout Factory, 2003)
24. Original Sun Greatest Hits – Carl Perkins (Rhino, 1986)
25. Sun Records: The 50th Anniversary Collection – Various Artists (BMG Heritage, 2002)
26. Dictionary of Soul – Otis Redding (Stax, 1966)
27. Classic Masters – B.B. King (Virgin, 2002)
28. Gee Whiz: The Best of Carla Thomas (Rhino, 1994)
29. “Wanna Meet The Scruffs?” – The Scruffs (Power Play, 1977)
30. Al Green Gets Next to You – Al Green (Hi, 1970)
31. Born Under a Bad Sign – Albert King (Atlantic, 1967)
32. Sun Masters – Little Milton (Rounder, 1990)
33. 19 Years: A Collection – Alex Chilton (Rhino, 1991)
34. Straight From the Heart – Ann Peebles (Hi, 1972)
35. Stacked Deck – Amazing Rhythm Aces (ABC, 1975)
36. Do The Funky Somethin’: The Best of Rufus Thomas – Rufus Thomas (Rhino, 1996)
37. Top of the Stax: Twenty Greatest Hits – Various Artists (Stax, 1988)
38. Tiger Man – Elvis Presley (RCA, 1998)
39. Solo Piano – Phineas Newborn, Jr. (Collectibles, 1974)
40. Creator of the Memphis Blues -- Frank Stokes (Yazoo, 1990)
41. Charlie Feathers – Charlie Feathers (Elektra/Nonesuch, 1991)
42. Time Bomb High School – The Reigning Sound (In the Red, 2002)
43. On the Loose – Hi Rhythm (Hi, 1976)
44. The Completed Works, 1927-1930 -- Cannon’s Jug Stompers (Yazoo, 1989)
45. The Soul of a Bell – William Bell (Atlantic, 1967)
46. Soul Deep: Best of the Box Tops – The Box Tops (Arista, 1996)
47. The Soul of O.V. Wright – O.V. Wright (MCA, 1992)
48. King & Queen – Otis Redding & Carla Thomas (Stax, 1967)
49. Mississippi Delta Blues Jam in Memphis – Various Artists (Arhoolie, 1993)
50. Known Felons in Drag – Mud Boy and the Neutrons (New Rose, 1986)

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

http://triplesix.com/t6main.jpg

― put cha d in her mouth, Tuesday, 25 November 2003 05:10 (twenty-two years ago)

they got MJB and Reigning Sound, so what do I care?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:27 (twenty-two years ago)

nice list -- except for not including the Memphis Goons.

― jack cole (jackcole), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i think some people may be shocked you ranked al green higher than elvis. also i've never seen a list that included four otis redding albums but not "dock of the bay" (not that i disagree).

― vahid (vahid), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

my only complaint, and I guess it's not much of a complaint as a sadness, is with too many greatest hits albums are listed, but since most of the acts were singles oriented, and some of them NEVER got mainstream radioplay, whachagonnado?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

was 'dusty in memphis' done in memphis?
then it MUST be included!

― joan vich (joan vich), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

no "dusty in memphis"!?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

x-post

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah -- the compilations thing is obviously unavoidable, and made it harder than it might have been otherwise. I tend to think it would be more fun to do a list of this sort in a city with a less-storied history.

I figured four Otis Reddings was plenty, but I might have gone with The Immortal over Dock of the Bay if I'd included another.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Re: Dusty -- see disclaimer. The album was recorded here, but she's obviously not local. I was going to do a sidebar list of those records (lead by White Blood Cells, Dusty in Memphis, and Pleased to Meet Me), but there was no space.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i do think the "best of" thing is a bit much... it makes sense for some but saying "Best Of" for someone like Al Green is just plain lazy, he had so many solid LPs.

and if you are going to include best of Sun Records etc... why none of the Stax/Volt box sets?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry, "lazy" is wrong - you listed a bunch oF good Al records... which just seems to make the "Best Of" kind of redundant

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Fritz: 37. Top of the Stax: Twenty Greatest Hits – Various Artists (Stax, 1988)

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

read disclaimer -- NO BOXED SETS (I went with a 2-disc max and put in the no-box rule to keep rockabilly nerds from claiming I should have included some 12-gazillion-disc Bear Family thing). Remember, this is for a city magazine, not a music publication, so it's pitched to "average" listeners.

And I'd argue the Al Green's Greatest Hits is a total classic as an "album," sort of like Sly and the Family Stone's Greatest Hits, and is essential to show that Green was equally great as an album artist and singles artist.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Chris, I think the AG Greatest Hits is redundant. I'd scoot Gus Cannon up a couple notches. Otherwise, good list--there is no such thing as too much Otis Redding.

― Keith Harris (kharris1128), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

hmmm, the only "contemporary" acts mentioned are the Oblivians and Reigning Sound...oh! and the Grifters, nearly missed that.
Maybe I would have tried to cut back just a little on some of the people who got multiple mentions in order to give latter-day Memphians (is that what you're called?) some room. Just to say, "hey, we still got it!"
(though I got no quibble with your contempo choices and not being local, can't think of who else from more recent times would belong on the list...)
what about Jeffrey Evans? Panther Burns? Maybe Tony Joe White's self-titled second album?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah -- I was concerned about the relative lack of recent stuff, but considering I only had 50 slots to work with and was dealing with music that dates back to the Twenties and includes Sun/Stax/Hi/etc., it was hard to slip much in, especially when the most popular recent stuff -- Three-Six Mafia, Saliva, North Mississippi Allstars -- I couldn't really justify from a quality standpoint.

If I had it to do over again, I might drop O.V. Wright or Otis&Carla for one of these recent gems:
Black-Wave -- Lost Sounds
Start With the Soul -- Alvin Youngblood Hart
Cloud-Wow Music -- Shelby Bryant
Shangri-La's 90s Garage-Rock comp.
10 Years -- Shangri-La Indie-rock comp.
The Hell You Say -- Cory Branan.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm pleasantly surprised no-one has mentioned the name "Isaac Hayes" yet.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey Chris, nice list! Yay for including the underrated and (seemingly) largely forgotten Grifters.....

My only other picks would be the aforementioned Oblivions Popular Favorties, the Memphis Goons....
also:

I always thought Eightball and MJG were pretty damn great at times, even though now they are kinda overshadowed by the Three Six posse.....although I'm not familiar enough with all their albums to pick which one....I have Comin Out Hard (I think) haven't listened to it in awhile but remember it being good.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

although maybe they never had one album that was good all the way through....my exposure is through mostly single/hearing CDs at peoples houses/and (mostly) BET and MTV.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 25 November 2003 23:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Apart from Big Star, and possibly Al Green and Johnny Cash, nothing of musical value has ever come out of the most overrated city in musical history.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

god, you're a dumb ass.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:41 (twenty-two years ago)

heavens! GEIRBOT STRIKES AGAIN OH NO!!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

geir is keyser soze

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

also, i would have included the Compuslive Gamblers compilation of their first stuff, Gambling Days Are Over -- which is some of the finest material produced in modern Memphis.

― jack cole (jackcole), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey Geir -- can we use that for publicity?

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris, call the Memphis Chamber of Commerce!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it can replace "Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll" as the official city slogan!

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yep, music in the 20th century would have been pretty good, if it wasn't for that pesky blues, R&B, and rock n' roll crap.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The fact is that Matt Helgesons' supposedely ironic statement is true.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

The most important city in 20th century music is Liverpool.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

where rock/roll just spurted out of the dirty river

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Liverpool was when rock and roll was united with better and more musically sophisticated stuff.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Like sissy hairdos?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Memphis music (too) and "I'm Still in Love with You" remains my favorite.

Does this prove I'm not Geir?

― Henrik Franzon (frazze), Wednesday, 26 November 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

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