Well for my first topic I've decided to take on My Top 50 Albums of all time.
Now keep in mind that my mind and tastes change quite frequently so there will be a lot of artists that you may have never heard of, and plenty of things you'll disagree with. So feel free to leave your comments.
I will do this with 5 installments of 10 albums.
*note these are not in any order
Elvis Costello- My Aim Is True
The first release from Elvis Costello. To me this is his best work. The snarl and sardonic tone of his words really sets up this album. This album does not have one stand out song to me. The songs swing from sweet heart wrenching songs like "Allison" to the aggressive Fuck yous like "I'm not Angry".
You have to realize that at this time artists like Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello were both the doing exactly the opposite of what others were doing in England. Taking heavily from the early American rock 'n' roll movement. While others like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and the Cure were creating the
english punk sound, with the latter authoring what we know as "Goth".
To sum it up, Elvis Costello knows how to write a song!!! And this album let's you know it.
Did I mention that the song "Watching the Detectives" was also added to the American pressing of this album!
Nirvana- In
Utero
Well music becomes the soundtrack to certain times in life. And being a teenage boy during the reign of Nirvana, how could I not mention them. Lyrically Kurt Cobain talked about the insecurities of being a human. With an almost caustic sincerity.
"Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet /Cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath"Make what you want of those lyrics, I know I do. that's one of the beautiful things about music it's all based on interpretation.
Back to the music, well for fucks sake look at the line up. I mean The drummer goes on to front his own giant of a band. And Kurt knew how to write a song that kept you interested.
The Beatles-Revolver
Once again I will stress that music is the soundtrack to life. You can put an album or song on and you are brought to a time when life was different. The Beatles always remind me of being a kid. Now growing up the most listened to Beatles album in our house was "The White Album". But as I got older, this album really made me into a fan. It's got soul people. Not the soul that Billy Preston brings, that wouldn't occur for another 3 years. A year earlier the album Rubber Soul was released and these 2 albums would become my favorites.
I love the production, the true stereo mix. George Martin was one of the great producers.
Every track is special in its own way. And this is the original version of
Elenor Rigby, but check out Aretha Franklin on "This Girls In Love With You".
Of Montreal-
Skeltal Lampings
Before I heard this album I had never heard any Of Montreal's stuff. This album to me is like if Beck, the Flaming Lips, And the Beatles had a baby with Prince. I mean this is one of the most amazingly weird, savory pieces of ear candy I've ever heard! Now the story this album tells is of
Georgie Fruit. Much like David
Bowies "Ziggy Stardust" this
charecter is an extension of Kevin Barnes. These are stories of his fears, and fantasies. I
hghly reccomend this album if you've never heard Of Montreal before and want to try some out.
This album is made with little snippets of music that perfectly fit together like a cracked out jig-
saw puzzle. This is something you should listen to from front to back.
EL-P- Fantastic Damage
Before he went solo, EL-P was part of the greatest NY underground hip hop group ever, Company Flow. Right from the
begining you are drawn into this album. Now friends I will let you in on a little secret and one of the reasons I love everything on Def
Jux. There are very few samples used to make this record. This is a man, a keyboard,
Kaoss pad and turntables using pro tools.
The mans flow is fierce, and you can tell he's sick of these big labels trying to low ball and take away the beauty of the art that is music. He lets you in on his childhood, complete with alcoholic step dads and more. If you have not heard this album go and find it. (download it from
Itunes or the Def
Jux web site) Get out your headphones, and be prepared to have your mind imploded.
Unlike what you hear on the radio, this is real hip hop! This is soul music for the new
millenium.
The mans angry, just before he released this album
Rawkus records came to him and wanted him to change the whole thing, because it wasn't a radio friendly album. So he left
Rawkus and started Def
Jux.
"Signed to Rawkus? I'd rather be mouth fucked by Nazis unconscious"That line should be a good idea of what this album is about.
Funkadelic- Maggot Brain
Now a lot of people out there and think
Funkadelic is P-Funk. This is half true.
Parliment and
Funkadelic were 2 groups that were led by George Clinton. Parliament was a 5
pc vocal group that was under contract with a bankrupt label. After some success Clinton put together a 5
pc backing band for Parliament but Clinton lost the rights to the name Parliaments. And renamed the band
Funkadelic, so they could record for other labels.
Now this is not the first
Funkadelic album, this is the 3rd.
This deserves song breakdown folks.
Track 1- Maggot Brain.
How else are you going to start off a funk/soul album in 1971? How about the most moving and passionate 10 minute long guitar solo you've ever imagined, now swell that up by 1,000. Eddie Hazel makes you feel like Mother Earth is crying. It's moving and a surprising choice to open an album.
Track 2- Can You Get To That
" I once had a life or rather, life had me I was one among many, or at least I seemed to be"12 string acoustic guitar, groove for days, harmonies!
Funkadelic was paying attention to what was going on around them.
"When you base your life on credit and your lovin' days are done Checks you signed with a love and kiss'll later come back signed insufficient fun" Just plan good
ol' music!
Track 3- Hit It And Quit It.
The funk continues
Track 4- You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks
Now it's starting to get hot and sweaty.
Track 5- Super Stupid
Now this is 1971, do you hear this guitar tone?
Either way this album is art at it's highest get up off your ass and dance peak.
Cursive-
Domestica
This reminds me of driving to San Diego to go play a show. The sun was in the west, the moon up high in the east. The windows were down, radio cranked, and the smoke was great.
Later on that night, on
Garnett Iwas coming out of a drive through taco place with this playing and was asked by some guy who this was. I told him, it's Cursive, and they are going to be huge.
They aren't, but they still make great albums. And I fell in love with them because of this album.
Thank you Tim
Prince-Prince
October 1979, Prince is 21 and has just released his second album. Considering the first one flopped he was pressured to write an album with some hits. How about I wanna be your lover, Why you wanna treat me so bad?, and I feel for you! Later made famous by
Chaka Khan, of course. Now Prince plays all the instruments on this album. he wrote everything, produced everything, the man was a genius at an early age. This album from top to bottom is a masterpiece. Just check out the harmonies on "It's gonna be lonely" the last song on the album.
Mr. Bungle- California
One of the most ambitious albums to ever make it to your ear drums. Mike
Pattons voice is both soothing and
aggetating. This album sounds like The Beach Boys on tons of
caffine. The Pacific themes of this album will at times make you turn your head like a confused puppy. Because they are met by Scat loving greasers, gypsies, and art types. And I guess in a way
thats what California is all about.
Just trust me, Mike Patton is one of the most talented man with vocal chords ever!
Elbow- Cast of Thousands
I first picked this album up when I was living in Alaska. This was a corner stone in my drive back in the early fall of 2004. The opening "Ribcage" couldn't have been more perfect to cap my life changing experience that was Alaska. A perfect road trip mix tape opener. I can feel the orange sun, and the crisp smell of the trees in the cold wind.
Track 3 "Fugitive Motel" has a line in it that makes my heart ache every time I hear it. "Blow you a kiss, it should reach you tomorrow." This album brings you from soft and loving to smokey and resentful. I feel almost as if this is a coming of age story. One that starts in the mid 20's.
