I confess to really loving this album; Graceland feels like a good place to start my musical journey. I can’t recall when I heard it first but I do remember Chevy Chase mouthing ‘You Can Call me Al’, and realising that video was now a part of music. We all figured that out by 1987. At the time this came out I was probably in my post Goth phase and off to University I reckon so his might not have been the coolest thing to whistle down the street in East Grinstead, where I grew up. This was the period where we (at school) were confirming The Smiths’ greatness with Meat is Murder but Graceland still came to me and is a part of my life now. When I’m testing speakers and other such Hifi kit I always use ‘Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes’ as a test of bass and drums and the vocal is superb in this song. Indeed, ‘Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes’ is in my own top 10 songs of all time, more on this later, I’m sure, when I run out of things to say.

Graceland.

Rating – 8.2 – I have to start with a Strong 8, can’t go any lower, it is the first of 1001 so seems safe to me. Just snuck a .2 on there in the edit whilst listening to Homeless (!)
Favourite Track – Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes and Homeless is wonderful too, the African voices are so incredibly rich, a real highlight
Released – 1986

Just flicking through what’s ahead in the coming months. Rattlesnakes, A Kind of Blue, Ziggy Stardust, OK Computer, I’m sure I’m in for a few new albums to excite, so here goes. I wonder what he odds are on me finishing this are?

I’m going to have to go for someone/something I’ve never heard tomorrow and be brave. I’ll find a rhythm in the listening order but I’ll flick around chronologically to keep the enthusiasm. I’m not looking forward to the reggae stuff, I can say that for sure.