Day 86: Stairway to the Pleasuredome

Album 262/1031

Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Black Dog"	John Paul Jones Jimmy Page Robert Plant	4:54
2.	"Rock and Roll"	John Bonham Jones Page Plant	3:40
3.	"The Battle of Evermore"	Page Plant	5:51
4.	"Stairway to Heaven"	Page Plant	8:02

Standard edition - side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Misty Mountain Hop"	Jones Page Plant	4:38
6.	"Four Sticks"	Page Plant	4:44
7.	"Going to California"	Page Plant	3:31
8.	"When the Levee Breaks"	Bonham Jones Memphis Minnie Page Plant	7:07

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin_IV

Golf's verdict: Dominated by 'Stairway' (I first heard this as a cover version in 1985 by The Far Corporation and - to my eternal shame - actually preferred that version until quite a few years later), this also features some classic rockers (Black Dog, Rock and Roll, When the Levee Breaks) and a song about Hobbits. Cracking stuff.

Maire's verdict: If you knew me when I was 15 then you'd remember I was a Fraggle* with a love of fantasy novels. Two songs on this album (I wonder if you can guess which ones??) will always remind me of that time. For that reason I'll always love it despite the second side not standing up to the wonder of the first.

*A Fraggle is a Northern Irish term for a young person who hangs about town with their friends wearing a lot of black and too much panstick.

Album 263/1031

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome (1984)

All songs written and composed by Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Brian Nash and Mark O'Toole except where noted.^[10][11]

Side 1: "F – Pray Frankie Pray"
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Well..."	Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Andy Richards	0:55
2.	"The World Is My Oyster"		1:02
3.	"Snatch of Fury (Stay)"	Gerry Marsden	0:36
4.	"Welcome to the Pleasuredome"		12:58

Side 2: "G – Say Frankie Say"
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Relax (Come Fighting)"		3:56
6.	"War (...and Hide)"	Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield	6:12
7.	"Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment)"		3:23
8.	"(Tag)" (unlisted track)		0:35

Side 3: "T – Stay Frankie Stay"
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Ferry (Go)"	Marsden	1:49
10.	"Born to Run"	Bruce Springsteen	3:56
11.	"San Jose (The Way)"	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	3:09
12.	"Wish (The Lads Were Here)"		2:48
13.	"The Ballad of 32"		4:47

Side 4: "H – Play Frankie Play"
No.	Title	Length
14.	"Krisco Kisses"	2:57
15.	"Black Night White Light"	4:05
16.	"The Only Star in Heaven"	4:16
17.	"The Power of Love"	5:28
18.	"Bang"	1:08

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_the_Pleasuredome

Golf's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! When I was 11 Frankie were (briefly) like our Beatles (equalling the first four singles going to Number One, amongst other feats). Their suggestive lyrics and videos either went completely over my head or were otherwise not shown on tea time and Saturday morning TV. This album - which I received on cassette for Christmas in 1984 - is one of those truly formative experiences. For the second time today, the covers of Ferry Cross the Mersey, Born to Run and Do You Know the Way To San Jose were - at least for a few years - the definitive versions to my ears. Relax and Two Tribes, meanwhile, were two of the most exciting 7" singles I had ever heard and The Power of Love was (and still is) one of the most perfect songs I had ever heard. Though it may have been 10, 15 or even 20 years since I have heard it, this is an album which I will - literally - never forget.

Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! I was a pretty naive kid and remember asking the folks why 'Relax' wasn't on the radio anymore. Unfortunately I can't remember the answer. Great track (and in my opinion not even the best) and brilliant album.

Album 264/1031

Laibach - Opus Dei (1987)

1. "Leben heißt Leben" (Live is Life) (Opus) – 5:28
2. "Geburt einer Nation" (Birth of a Nation) (Queen) – 4:22
3. "Leben - Tod" (Life - Death) (Laibach) – 3:58
4. "F.I.A.T." (Laibach) – 5:13
5. "Opus Dei" (Opus) – 5:04
6. "Trans-National" (Laibach) – 4:28
7. "How the West Was Won" (Laibach) – 4:26
8. "The Great Seal" (Laibach) – 4:16

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei_(album)

Golf's verdict: Absolutely off its rocker. This opens with a cover of Opus' 'Life is Life' but done as if at a Nuremburg rally (or at least one of Pink's from 'The Wall' film) and then moves on to a German language 'One Vision' (there are a couple of other melodic nods to Queen's 'A Kind of Magic' album hidden amongst the other tracks too). Later, it takes Churchill's D-Day speech and sets it to music. Sadly, this is the only Laibach album on the list. Some of their other highlights include a whole album of cover versions of The Rolling Stones' 'Sympathy for the Devil' and a complete cover version of The Beatles 'Let It Be' album - all done in a kind of teutonic (they're Serbian), marshall inflected industrial sturm und drang. Totally unique.

Maire's verdict: I only know the band from their album which features a variety of different covers of 'Sympathy for the Devil' - you should really look it up! Thoroughly enjoyed this.

Album 265/1031

Steely Dan - Aja (1977)

All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Black Cow"	5:10
2.	"Aja"	7:57
3.	"Deacon Blues"	7:33

Side two
No.	Title	Length
4.	"Peg"	3:58
5.	"Home at Last"	5:34
6.	"I Got the News"	5:06
7.	"Josie"	4:33

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aja_(album)

Golf's verdict: Jazz rock is the point at which my elastic taste in music reaches breaking point. I have never seen the appeal of Steely Dan. I still don't. (And I suspect, once we've completed this challenge and written about a further FOUR of their albums, I never will.)

Maire's verdict: How many of you watched The Love Boat? This is the soundtrack. Death by boredom.