Urban75 Album of the Year 1953

[Knotted]

OK now we've caught up properly let's start with 1953. I recon this is a goer. Looking at this Rate Your Music list there's some exciting if US centric looking albums in there. Ellington, Monk, Leadbelly, Ertha Kitt, Tom Lehrer.

I'm going to wave the no compilation rule but not the no EP rule. As this is so early on in the history of the LP, compilations seem legit to me and I can't be arsed working out what is and isn't a collection of previous 7 inches.

Lets give it a go.

You have the rest of May to get it together.

 

[ska invita]

Oldskoooool.....

 

[Knotted]

Lets start you off with this Yma Sumac album. Such an incredible singer with a legendary range. A bit pedestrian exotica maybe but still behold:

 

[Indeliblelink]

I rather like this lively Brazilian album.
Humberto Teixeira – Eu Sou O Baião

Humberto Teixeira - Eu Sou O Baião

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1953 Vinyl release of "Eu Sou O Baião" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[Indeliblelink]

Moondog's first album
Moondog - Moondog and his Friends

 

[Spandex]

Why is there a picture of an angry Maggie Thatcher dressed for a state banquet on the cover of the Billie Holiday album from 1953?

 

[ska invita]

Could someone please do a search for me of 1953 Big Band - Music genre - RYM/Sonemic
and 1953 Progressive Big Band - Music genre - RYM/Sonemic
I cant seem to work out how to do a genre+year search
(acutally a Cool Jazz one too would be good, but hopefully I can work it out once i see a list)

 

[Knotted]

Best Big Band albums of 1953 - RYM/Sonemic

The greatest Big Band albums of 1953, as voted by RYM/Sonemic users

rateyourmusic.com

You can find the tags in that Duke Ellington album. Then see full chart then update chart.

 

[ska invita]

Thanks,,,Full Chart is the bit i was missing

 

[Knotted]

Monk was properly rad for 1953

 

[nogojones]

I'll try and engage with this one, mostly because I've hardly got anything from '53 and two of those have been mentioned already, so it shouldn't take me too long.

 

[Spandex]

the no EP rule

How are you defining EPs in 1953?

From a quick look around the 10" album seems a common format at the time. Are you counting these - 8 to 12 tracks on 10" vinyl - as an EP or an album? The Humberto Teixeira record Indeliblelink posted is an example. Or does anything less than 12 inches not do it for you?

 

[Knotted]

How are you defining EPs in 1953?

From a quick look around the 10" album seems a common format at the time. Are you counting these - 8 to 12 tracks on 10" vinyl - as an EP or an album? The Humberto Teixeira record Indeliblelink posted is an example. Or does anything less than 12 inches not do it for you?

OK then lets open it up a bit and include 10 inches.

 

[Spandex]

The late 40s and 50s saw the mambo craze spread from Cuba to Mexico and the US and 1953 is around the peak of mambo boom in New York. I think* three of the big names had albums out in '53...

Perez Prado And His Orchestra – Mambo By The King


Tito Puente - Mambo's By Tito Puente


Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra - Mambo


* It's hard to find exact years for albums in the early 50s - the various sites like Discogs and RYM all give different years for albums. That Tito Puente album is listed as both 1950 and 1953 on Discogs (RYM doesn't seem to have it). But the catalogue number (Seeco Records' SPL 23) seems to come well after albums released in '51 and '52 according to this Seeco Discograhy. I think we'll have to rely on detective work, hope and blind faith if we're going to include any less famous albums in this poll.

 

[Knotted]

Various field recordings. Animal sounds, musicians tuning up, people imitating animal sounds, traffic, people chanting etc. etc. Kind of interesting to listen to if only because you never know what's coming next.

Anyway try and get a list together for me this weekend if you can.

 

[Spandex]

The trouble with 1953 is that the best music, the musical revolution that was happening, was all getting released as singles and wouldn't start appearing on albums until later in the decade. The Rhythm and Blues chart in 1953 is wall to wall bangers and we can't vote for any of it.

Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog


The Du Droppers - I Wanna Know


Ruth Brown - Wild Wild Young Men


Joe Turner - Honey Hush


Willie Mabon & his Combo - I'm Mad

 

[Knotted]

You're right of course Spandex and I think throughout the 50's and early to mid 60's it's a similar story. But at the same time I'm struggling to find an album I don't love from this year.

edit: yeah those are proper bangers!

 

[Knotted]

OK this isn't happening let's move onto 1963. Post up your would be lists if you want.

 

[editor]

No Frank Sinatra albums in '53.

And when you've loved and lost the way Frank has, then you know what life's about.

 

[platinumsage]

This one of course:

 

[Knotted]

Bloody 'ell that's got to be tedious.

 

[The39thStep]

OK this isn't happening let's move onto 1963. Post up your would be lists if you want.

On here or a fresh thread . If the former we might need a title change to lure in more posters?

 

[Knotted]

On here or a fresh thread . If the former we might need a title change to lure in more posters?

Sorry yes fresh thread. Give me a minute.

 

[danski]

You're right of course Spandex and I think throughout the 50's and early to mid 60's it's a similar story. But at the same time I'm struggling to find an album I don't love from this year.

edit: yeah those are proper bangers!

Would it been an idea to have sister threads for this period, to have a ‘single of the year’ vote?

 

[Knotted]

Would it been an idea to have sister threads for this period, to have a ‘single of the year’ vote?

Yeah we could do. Not sure how that would pan out. I would need to find time for it, as well.

 

[Knotted]

For what it's worth I thought the albums from Moondog, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holliday and Leadbelly were as great as anything in any other year. The last of those being a truly fantastic collection.

 

[mojo pixy]

I saw the thread title and my first thought was a facetious lol there were albums in 1953??&&? But obviously there were .. to add a thought but not any actual music (sorry) there were quite a lot of classical LPs being released. eg, I've got a double LP of Beethoven string quartets, recorded between 1932 and 36. It could have been released in 53, on discogs it's listed as 'year unknown' .. but anyway that kind of thing was fairly plentiful in 1953. So yeah, fuckin' beethoven man .. 53 is way before he had to roll over

 

[Indeliblelink]

Would of gone with-
Thelonious Monk Trio - Thelonious
Moondog - Moondog and His Friends
Billie Holiday - An Evening With Billie Holiday
Humberto Teixeira - Eu sou o baião
Peggy Lee - Black Coffee With Peggy Lee
Gil Mellé Quintet/Sextet - New Faces, New Sounds
Lou Donaldson Quintet with Clifford Brown & Elmo Hope - New Faces, New Sounds
Willie "The Lion" Smith - The Lion Steps Out
Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Country All-Stars- String Dustin'

 

[hitmouse]

Is it time to start a "AOTY 19x4" thread? If we run a 64 one through the rest of June then that should give enough months. Knotted, any enthusiasm for doing it this year?

 

[Knotted]

Sure. Bloody 'ell it's June already. If belboid does not mind, we'll start to tomorrow.