I have often seen lists of great recorded albums, and honestly there are so many, once you start searching. One that I do not always see mentioned is the self-titled “Blood Sweat & Tears.” Whether I hear the original or the remastered pictured below, it is so good. The stereo separation, I guess what we now call imaging and sound stage, is so good.
For those younger audiophiles, this was recorded in 1968 and boy was music recorded great back then.
When you discuss music with amateurs and they say, “Well you know, back in those days recordings were not that good” which we all know to be completely false. But this is the album I always suggest they listen to. The horns, obviously, but the percussion rolling through "And When I Die, and “Spinning Wheel” are just crazy, and of course the keyboards. But they actually feature what I would call keyboards and then a separate organ. Feel like I am in church with pipe organs going full throttle. Crazy good.
I like to think that I have a really good stereo, and I know I do, but I am in rare company on this board. Love to hear thoughts on others who have heard this album.
Even their debut album Child is Father to the Man in 1968 was a pretty darn good recording with songs written by Nilsson, Randy Newman, Carole King among others. Al Kooper has an admittedly idiosyncratic voice but there are some tracks that are quite worthwhile.
What was so great about them, was when we are all listening to early Led Zeppelin, and other hard rock greats, suddenly you have this Jazz/Rock/Church music all-in-one that was so great. And everyone just loved it as well as the emerging rock explosion.
I see what you mean about the quality of the recording. Some great musical moments for sure. I’ll have to digest the fusion a bit as it is outside of my usual wheelhouse.
I am all over the place really: Early Black Sabbath, Rush, Alan Parsons Project (not so much the radio hits), Warren Zevon, Kate Bush, Lalo Schifrin, Alison Krauss, CCC, BOC, Sci-Fi OST & space age jazz/pop. Some “dad rock” from the 70’s & 80’s, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Rolling Stones, but not… the Beatles GASP!! I used to not like Jazz but have found gateway jazz records that have taken me deeper into it.
