Little Richard, "Here's Little Richard", released March 1957

What a great way to kick off this "50 Weeks, 50 Greats" project!  Little Richard is considered one of the true fathers of rock & roll music so it's fitting that he would be the first artist/album I review. His youthful, passionate and energetic approach to music appealed to young audiences looking for something different than the jazz and big band swing of their parents.  I can only imagine how shocking, particularly for parents, it must have been to hear this album upon its full release in March 1957. The beat, sheer volume and at times screaming vocals must have stunned older generations but clearly younger listeners absolutely loved it. Furthermore, I can only imagine how wild a live show inside a juke joint on the chitlin circuit must have been.  And did you know that Jimi Hendrix was once in his backup band?!! Where's my damn time machine??!!

I was already familiar with the big hits this album produced (Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Rip It Up, Jenny Jenny) but I really enjoyed hearing some of the lesser known tracks (Can't Believe You Wanna Leave, Slippin' and Slidin'). The album is full of incredible musicianship with the saxophone (baritone and tenor) featured heavily.  As a child, Little Richard was a talented sax player himself so I'm sure he insisted on letting the instrument stand out.  The legendary drummer Earl Palmer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Palmer) is the primary drummer on the album and he keeps incredible rhythm and driving a fast, consistent beat as Little Richard wails.  Upon listening to the album several times, I also began to realize how great of a piano player he was, something I had forgotten.  In the style of boogie woogie but with the kind of flair that only he could bring. Certainly, most of the songs follow a similar formula.  But when they found a recipe that worked so well and produced hits, of course they were going to try to repeat it.

Overall, I really enjoyed the album and it definitely earns its place among the 50 greatest albums of all time.

To learn more about Little Richard and this album, check out his Wikipedia entries:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here's_Little_Richard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard

If you'd like to hear the album, you can listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obDKpca4C3Q

"Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid", released October 1969

This was a film I had never seen before.  Over the years, I've definitely enjoyed the work done by Paul Newman and Robert Redford but never had a chance to watch this particular movie.  As I tackle these movies, it will be interesting to see how differently movies look, sound, and are directed/presented over the decades. 

I think one reason older films are generally considered "better" is that they couldn't rely on CGI (computer generated imagery) to create a scene.  Production crews had to actually build a set.  Stunt actors had to actually fall off buildings and drive cars recklessly.  Explosions were actually real, and it's reflected in the sound, look and reactions of the actors.  The lack of technology forced the filmmakers, writers and actors to be "better" to make the scenes and movies more believable.  Or maybe it's just because older people usually put these "greatest" lists together and are more nostalgic for what "was" versus what currently "is".  😁  

The music in this film was done by Burt Bacharach, including the original song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" performed by B.J. Thomas.   I enjoyed the extended scenes carried only by the music.  That was definitely unique compared to other movies I've seen.

The cinematography is definitely beautiful even if the camera quality isn't exactly on par with what we see in 2017. It was filmed in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Mexico (in place of Bolivia) and has look of a traditional Western movie.  The acting and writing are very good and deserving of the awards they received.  The movie has some funny lines too, mostly delivered by Paul Newmans character Butch Cassidy.

The film won four Academy Awards:

• Best Cinematography; Best Original Score for a Motion Picture; 
• Best Music, Song (Burt Bacharach and Hal David for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head")
• Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published or Produced
• It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Sound (William Edmondson and David Dockendorf). 

Overall, I enjoyed the movie (running time 110 minutes) and would recommend others see it.  

To learn more about this movie, click here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Cassidy_and_the_Sundance_Kid

Next week #49

The Allman Brothers Band, "At Fillmore East"

"Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs"