Day 218: First we take Manhatten, then we take Berlin...

Album 743/1031

Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)

All tracks written by Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Highway Star"	6:05
2.	"Maybe I'm a Leo"	4:51
3.	"Pictures of Home"	5:03
4.	"Never Before"	3:56

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	"Smoke on the Water"	5:40
6.	"Lazy"	7:19
7.	"Space Truckin'"	4:31

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

Golf's verdict: I listened to this whilst running around a park in Christchurch at the same time as people were congregating at a concert venue in the centre of town to watch Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple perform. This would be far more serendipitous if this had not been the final album made with Roger Glover, before Glenn joined the band. Is there a word for almost serendipitous, but not quite? Anyway, quite good to run to and featuring every budding guitar player's first riff.

Maire's verdict: One classic riff amidst a lot of middle of the road rock.

Album 744/1031

Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man (1988)

All songs were written by Cohen, except where noted.

1. "First We Take Manhattan" – 6:01
2. "Ain't No Cure for Love" – 4:50
3. "Everybody Knows" (Cohen, Sharon Robinson) – 5:36
4. "I'm Your Man" – 4:28
5. "Take This Waltz" (Federico García Lorca, Cohen) – 5:59
6. "Jazz Police" (Cohen, Jeff Fisher) – 3:53
7. "I Can't Forget" – 4:31
8. "Tower of Song" – 5:37

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_Your_Man_(Leonard_Cohen_album)

Golf's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! Definitely sounds like a product from the 80s due to its synthesizers and (brace yourselves) fretless bass. But ultimately it transcends this and is one of his classics.

Maire's verdict: HIDDEN GEM! Leonard Cohen had been a revelation over the course of this challenge. Adored this album - listened to it twice on my flight to the capital - and it's shot into my all-time favourite Top 10.
Update: Listened to it for a third time on the way back to Auckland. Just genius.

Album 745/1031

Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt - Trio (1987)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"The Pain of Loving You"	Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner	Harris	2:32
2.	"Making Plans"	Johnny Russell, Voni Morrison	Parton	3:36
3.	"To Know Him Is to Love Him"	Phil Spector	Harris	3:48
4.	"Hobo's Meditation"	Jimmie Rodgers	Ronstadt	3:17
5.	"Wildflowers"	Dolly Parton	Parton	3:33
6.	"Telling Me Lies"	Linda Thompson, Betsy Cook	Ronstadt	4:26
7.	"My Dear Companion"	Traditional; arranged by Jean Ritchie	Harris	2:55
8.	"Those Memories of You"	Alan O'Bryant	Parton	3:58
9.	"I've Had Enough"	Kate McGarrigle	Ronstadt	3:30
10.	"Rosewood Casket"	Traditional; arranged by Avie Lee Parton	Parton	2:59
11.	"Farther Along"	Traditional; arranged by John Starling, Emmylou Harris	Harris Parton Ronstadt	4:10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_(Dolly_Parton,_Linda_Ronstadt_and_Emmylou_Harris_album)

Golf's verdict: The whole of this is, sadly, rather less than the sum of its parts.

Maire's verdict: Pleasant enough. Dolly has the stand-out voice.