25-24

# 25: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme - Simon and Garfunkel (1966)

An album 40 years old, yet still so full of hope, exuburance, and pop culture commentary. This one has the entire back side of the sleeve full of dissection/praise for the genius it is. If we could all have someone who adores our compositions pimp us like that. The shimmering "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is the song which of course brings the album's title to life and is probably the best known. My favorite is the cheery/glockenspiel laden "Cloudy". They employed irony at certain turns as well towards the political/folk situation of the times in "A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)". Today we could change this title to maybe "...Karl Rove'd Into Submission. The "7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" would have to be altered a little too to "5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 10, 11 O'Clock News". I can't help but feeling joy in hearing "The 59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)".



# 24: s/t - Shalabi Effect (2000)

I believe this is the second release from Alien 8 Recordings to make the list today...Over 2 hours of spacey, psych, middle eastern influenced drone from Canada. This album is a drug. Like many of my favorites it requires patience and the right mood. Just don't try to dance to to it, well, Shawna does and can. Two of my favorites Mokoondi, On the Bowery (the only vocal track) are each 13 min. in length and take me somewhere. On the 1st disc, opening track "Wyoming", we get to hear the alphabet recited at about the 9 min. mark underneath the drone. Also included-oud, tabla, and scraped metal.