Tuesday, June 3, 2008

More music...

With apologies to anyone who is getting tired of the music, here are 30 of my favorite albums, which are mostly different from Michelle's. I purposely excluded greatest hits albums, as it would be altogether too easy to grab the greatest hits collection for almost anyone and move on. The asterisks are for the groups that I've actually seen in concert.

1. Amused to Death, Roger Waters* – my favourite album of all time. Another concept album, with great guitar by Jeff Beck, and brilliant, if cynical, social commentary.
2. So, Peter Gabriel* – If I can’t have greatest hits albums, then I’d probably end up with this one, although it would be a tough choice. It has the cherished In Your Eyes on it, as well as Sledgehammer, and the not as widely recognized Mercy Street.
3. Us, Peter Gabriel* – Michelle actually made me a copy of the album and I didn’t buy it for quite some time. His tour, at this time, was the “Secret World” tour, which I totally didn’t understand, because Michelle never told me that she had run out of room and taken the last track (Secret World) off of my tape. I didn’t realise this until we saw him in concert and he played it as his closer. Everyone else in the audience seemed to know the song but me.
4. Achtung Baby, U2* – Before I’d pick up The Joshua Tree, I’d take this one. Much darker, more complex, less political and more personal, and absolutely brilliant.
5. The Joshua Tree, U2* – Although it’s fair to say I’d take this one too. Worth it for the first three songs alone.
6. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance – I’m still waiting to see if this one stands the test of time, but for now, this is one of my favourite CD’s. Definitely one of the best things to come out of rock in the last few years.
7. The Wall, Pink Floyd* – No album collection can be considered complete without it.
8. Bloodletting, Concrete Blond – Johnette Napolitano’s voice is low, husky, and sounds like scraping concrete. (That’s praise, by the way.) Alternative rock, but it shows punk roots.
9. Pyromania, Def Leppard* - The hair band standard. It was ranked 384 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
10. a new Standard, Steve Tyrell – Several covers of old jazz favourites. He’s done a couple of other albums, including a Christmas album, but his first remains his best.
11. Hot Fuss, The Killers* - Sounds reminiscent of the Cure and old school 80’s pop rock made this one immediately listenable.
12. Look What the Cat Dragged In, Poison* - Ah, high school days…
13. Metallica, Metallica – Metallica officially became popular when they released this album, which was both exciting and disappointing. The sound had officially gelled at this point and was a bit less harsh than on previous albums.
14. Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads – I got this for Christmas one year from one of my aunts. At the time, I thought it was odd. It was, of course, but still good stuff.
15. Disintegration, The Cure – Widely acclaimed as the most depressing album ever. I can only say that people who say that haven’t heard of The Essence. I still kick myself for not seeing them when they came on tour.
16. Synchronicity, The Police – Their last record as a group. Necessary for Every Breath You Take, if nothing else.
17. Dusk, The The* - Politically and emotionally charged rock, although without the overt references of Mind Bomb.
18. Burning from the Inside, Bauhaus* - I remember this album for several reasons, one of which is that it was one of three tapes I took with me to the beach one year, and I ended up listening to it over and over again.
19. She’s So Unusual, Cyndi Lauper – Okay, yeah, so I’m stuck on this one.
20. Paradise in Me, K’s Choice* - I was convinced that K’s Choice would be the next big thing after this album. Unfortunately, although I was enthralled, apparently most people weren’t. Best known for the song, Not an Addict.
21. A Boy Named Goo, Goo Goo Dolls* - The “Goo’s” were still finding themselves at this point, I think, and it shows a bit. An uneven blend of punk songs and more traditional rock songs, including Name.
22. Depeche Mode 101, Depeche Mode* – This one might be considered cheating a little bit, but it’s not a greatest hits collection, it’s a live performance. Standouts include Everything Counts, and Black Celebration
23. Born in the U.S.A, Bruce Springsteen – My personal favourite track on this one is I’m on Fire, which unfortunately, doesn’t even make the three minute mark.
24. Abbey Road, The Beatles – I’m not a huge Beatles fan, but it’s hard to ignore their influence on rock history. This album has always been one of my faves, probably because my dad owned it on vinyl and when I was “discovering” rock, I listened to it several times on the old LP player.
25. Canyon, Paul Winter – Really nothing but non-synthetic nature sounds and a saxophone. I heard this on Echoes several years ago, and was enchanted. Good for a nice unwind.
26. Tango in the Night, Fleetwood Mac – I don’t actually own this anymore (I have the greatest hits instead), but this has Little Lies, Everywhere, Seven Wonders, and Big Love.
27. The Dreaming, Kate Bush – This is not one that the average Kate Bush fan would pick, but I love it for its quirkiness. If you want to convince someone that you are really into strange stuff, you can play this. Follow it up with some Bauhaus, and you’re done.
28. Kick, INXS* - I’m not sure if there’s a song on this album that wasn’t a hit..which, in true J. fashion, meant that I didn’t listen to it for a few years.
29. Songs From the Big Chair, Tears For Fears – I kind of “re-discovered” this album a few years after its release. I had it for Shout, of course, but then found out that the whole album was actually quite good.
30. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd* - Another necessity.

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