thePULSEMust-have music for the jukebox
The Pulse reviews 10 of the best rock-dance albums
June 2004 – Are you tired of hearing “Tiny Dancer” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” every time you go to the bar? House party or local bar, you must find these ten rock albums and commence dancing.
1) Stevie Wonder: Innervisions 1972
This is one of the most aurally, lyrically, and conceptually thick and awe inspiring artifacts of popular music. In the early 1970s, Stevie upped the ante for what constitutes an album that is for serious listening and even more serious dancing. From the invitation of the opening bass line, to the joyously romantic chorus of “Golden Lady,” to the unstoppable funk of “Higher Ground,” this record pulls out all the stops and won’t let you go. Your feet will be sent reeling from the sweeping ballads and dirty beats.
2) Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers 1971
Only the Rolling Stones could package a record of outtakes, blues and country covers, and a few winding jams in the classic, yet crass sleeve designed by Andy Warhol. The Rolling Stones will get everybody carousing (“Brown Sugar”) then crying in their beers (“Wild Horses”), then dancing again (“Bitch”), and then finding their favorite stranger in the room to slow dance with (“Moonlight Mile”).
3) James Brown: Say It Live & Loud: Live in Dallas 1968
This is the Godfather of Soul at the top of his game. An endless stream of squeals, shouts and celebratory proclamations, set against one of the tightest backing bands of the period. With Clyde Stuffblefield’s thick and funky beats set alongside Maceo Parker’s scorching sax, if you close your eyes, you’ll feel as though you’re at the show. This album will keep you grooving all night.
4) Bruce Springsteen: Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle 1973
The Boss’s debut album made him the new Bob Dylan to some. However, Greetings makes “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” seem like a slow waltz. The syncopated delivery of not-so-short stories, the hook of Clarence Clemon’s sax breakouts, and the white boy shuffle of it all makes it irreproducible. As for The Wild, a friend of mine once declared that there were at least seven red hot metaphors in “Rosalita” before the first rousing chorus. For a good time, call on the Boss.
5) Blondie: Parallel Lines 1978
A gorgeous, pure pop song stained by the disco years (“Heart of Glass”). One of the sincerest and sexiest stances made by a front-woman (“One Way or Another”). And a cover from a record collector’s prized possession (the Nerves’ EP). Few have spoken out bolder for the revolution to party than: “It’s 11:59 and I want to stay alive.”
6) David Bowie: Changesbowie 1990
Changesbowie is not only one of the best best-of albums ever produced, but it’s also one of the best dance albums. Of the 18 songs, 15 are all-out dancers. No song on this collection has lost its impact. I guess being disgruntled, painting your face, and dancing is never going to go out of style.
7) Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues 1983
If any other band started an album with “Burning Down the House,” they would be stumbling through the rest of the tracks, trying to come up with something as savvy and fun to dance to. The Talking Heads blow away the competition by employing a few infectious anthems, countless coy witticisms, and a gorgeous aside on the comfort of love (“Naive Melody”). Other highlights include: “Making Flippy Floppy” and “Stop Making Sense.”
8) X: Los Angeles 1980
The Door’s Ray Manzarek played keys and produced X’s harrowing and hard rocking debut. By this record’s end, everyone on the dance floor will be left with sweaty bodies, scratchy throats, and a few moral questions to ponder.
9) The Clash: London Calling 1979
Find a wasted lyric, a loose riff, or a throwaway song, and I’ll owe you a beer. The phrases “autonomous masterpiece” and “sonic cornucopia” would aptly fit this impassioned criticism of hypocrisy, packaged personalities, and unfaithful lovers. Honestly, it is one of the most dynamic and upbeat re-interpretations of the twentieth century songbooks. Listen to “Jimmy Jazz” the next time you slow dance with your drink.
10) Medeski, Martin, and Wood: Shack Man 1996
John Medeski, able and agile on a set of keys, plays alongside Billy Martin, the Curious George of jazz percussion, and Chris Wood, master craftsman of low-end notes. On each album the trio invites you to explore conversations between musicians and musical genres. On Shack Man, they take away the comfortable couch and command you to find the groove inside of you.
