I've been talking
about doing this list for years and finally I'm
making it happen. I'm making it happen. This list is comprised
of albums that for one reason or another I have grown to love
over the years. Some of them date all the way back before I
was born. I was a child of the 80's. So most of the 80's entries
are kind of nostalgic.
Many
of these albums I dare to consider some of the best
ever written. I hope you enjoy the list and maybe even
feel drawn to check out a few that you are unfamiliar with.
10.
Jimmy Eat World-
Futures
(23)
Futures, predictably, is not a sequel to the
hugely popular "Bleed American". It's in Jimmy Eat World's DNA to find
success with one album only to frustrate fans on the next album with an
album that sounds only vaguely similar to their past one. In this case
there's still enough of the pop sound, particularly on songs like "Pain", to
not be as big of a shock to fans as the difference between their debut
"Static Prevails" and follow up "Clarity".
Regardless of where you sit on the emo fence,
it's hard not to respect the level of musicianship Jimmy Eat World have
ascended to. The hooks never get bogged down by the complexity of the
melodies and the supporting cast of alternate instruments and loops brings a
rounded, mature flavor to this record.
09. Jeff Buckley- Grace
(Mojo
Pin)
Jeff Buckley's tragically early
death surely did something to
immortalize
his one and only full-length album, but even so, Grace is without doubt
a truly musical monument, spanning time and space and perpetually
blowing fresh minds round the globe (and quite possibly somewhere
beyond). His voice is multi-textured and he uses notes to dramatic
effect - the agony and the ecstasy of it hitting you straight in the gut.
album review--->
08.
Smashing Pumpkins-
Siamese
Dream
(Mayonaise)
The best compliment to give this true work of art is that it means more and more with each listen. For the past 15 years I don't think a month or two goes by when this album doesn't work it's way back to my CD player only to be rediscovered. Kind of a weird thing to say right....? If listened to THAT often how can it be "rediscovered". The answer of course lies within the complexity of the songs on the album, the placement of the songs on the album, and the moods the album takes the listener through. album review--->
07. U2- Joshua Tree
(Exit)
After its release, Bono was quoted as saying
"The Joshua Tree is the best record we've made to date, but it will not be
our best record by a long shot." People may argue about whether or not it is
their best record, or even was at the time, but I think it would be
difficult to support the second half of the statement. "The Joshua Tree" was
released on the 9th of March, 1987 and was a critical success, and a sales
success as well as it reached number 1 on the charts in over 20 countries.
It was U2's fifth studio album, and with it the group explored different
genres, and in particular blues, than they had in their previous albums. At
the same time, the album also builds on their previous release, "The
Unforgettable Fire", both in sound and with their decision to stick with
Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois as producers.
06. Cush- New Sound
(Crush
Me)The band plays a somewhat dreamy rock not unlike The Surfers or Everything but the Girl. Considering the members involved, it's not hard to see why comparisons to Honey and occasionally to The Lassie Foundation and Mike Knott's work would be in order as well. "Angelica" has a guitar solo very similar to The Lassie Foundation's "She's Long Gone--She's the Coming Sun," and many of the falsetto background vocals hearken to Wayne Everett's work with Starflyer 59 and The Lassie Foundation.
album review--->
05.
Common Children-
The Inbetween Time
(Last
Display)
It seems 2001 is the "Year of the Comeback" for bands we all thought had disappeared forever. Weezer, Presidents of the USA, Daniel Amos, The Toadies, Poor Old Lu . . . and now, Common Children. Thank God for musicians who just can't stop the rock. Except the Children have now almost completely left said rock. They began their career with the well-received post-grunge pop of Skywire, then continued with the critically-acclaimed, Choir-ish Delicate Fade.
album review--->
04. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood Sugar Sex Magik
I know a lot about this album has already been said but I'll go ahead and say that I agree when people say that this is one of the best '90s rock albums, and one of the best rock albums of all time. Every song on "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" is amazing, with lots of great musicianship, singing and songwriting.There's so much energy, funk and fun, this album is always great with every listen. From the amazing basslines of the legendary Flea to the in-the-pocket drumming of Chad Smith, the crooning vocals alongside the sometimes profound but in this case quite often naughty lyrics by the amazing Anthony Keidis and funky lead guitar lines of the awesome John Frusciante. Plus, Blood Sugar Sex Magik contains 17 songs at over 70 minutes, so that'll definitely keep you busy for a while! Basically, this album is an all-time classic and is just about the greatest album ever made by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
03. Pearl Jam- Ten
(
Do I dare say it? Zeppelin had IV, Floyd had Dark Side Of The Moon, The Who had Who's Next, Guns N Roses had Appetite For Destruction... But Pearl Jam has Ten. This very well could be the greatest Rock ablum ever recorded. Call it what you will, Grunge, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, it doesn't matter. This album opened the door to a musical era that provided more power, enthusiasm, and passion than any in recent history. And it didn't end there. Once the Grunge and Seattle scene started to fade, a new crop of bands started to emerge that would take just as much musically from Pearl Jam as the acts before them.
02. The Prayer Chain- Mercury
(Creole)
By almost any
standards, "Mercury" stands as a
towering artistic achievement that few bands have accomplished. Recorded
during a time of high tension and confusion within the band, they were still
able to create a work of fierce beauty that utilized band talents in greater
synthesis than any of their previous works.
Andrew Prickett's guitars took a decidedly ambient turn,
Eric Campuzano's bass became more
eloquent, and the vocals and percussion both took on deeper subtleties than
on their previous album.
01. Pearl Jam- Yield
(No
Way)
Pearl Jam
is one of the few bands of the last ten years that has released a number of
great albums. Starting with the incredible Ten and most recently the allso
incredible
Binaural, Pearl Jam has
continually proved themselves to be a great band, great songwriters and
great album makers. Yield is just another in a long line of great albums.
True, it isn't quite as impressive as, say Ten, but it is close and
continues their level of excellency.
01. U2- Achtung Baby
"Achtung Baby" has to rate as one of two of the best albums by U2. It ranks with "Joshua Tree," which has more variety, even if "Achtung Baby" gratifies the listener with more immediacy. U2 reinvents their own sound wheel with the help of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, once again, but with "Flood" added to the helm. The lyrics cover the gamut of love realized and unrealized with the fluency and passion of their best work. album review--->
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
