10 Best Albums of All-Time - Blog Day Afternoon Posted by Jeff (Tuesday March 09 2004 @ 06:05PM EST)

6. Judas Priest were a hard rock band from Birmingham who broke their own stylistic tradition to produce one of the first albums of a genre that would become known as Heavy Metal. The term has since been back fitted to include Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. But I grew up in the 70s, and trust me, nobody called Led Zeppelin "heavy metal." By 1980, Judas Priest had finally banished all its blues influences in order to hone the style for which it would be associated. 5. The Goo Goo Dolls were a grunge band from Buffalo who became a surprise hit when an L.A. disc jockey discovered "Name" on the flip side of "A Boy Named Goo." With success came better producers, larger recording budgets and more attention to song composition. The band distanced itself from its grungy past and followed up with thirteen very good songs. 4. The Ramones were the Johnny Appleseeds of punk. Everywhere they went, everybody who was anybody went to see them. A punk rock scene sprouted overnight. The British may have given punk its look, but the Ramones provided its sound. There was no Clash, no Sex Pistols in London until the Ramones played there July 4th, 1976. 3. Who loses their singer and still manages to produce one of the great albums of Rock-n-Roll history? AC/DC, that's who. In 1980, the Aussie quintet lost its singer to a bad case of vomit down the trachea. Before he died, Bon Scott told the Young brothers that Brian Johnson was a great rock-n-roll singer. When AC/DC decided to continue after Scott's death, there was little question who the vocalist would be. 2. To most of you, Jim Carroll is a character played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Basketball Diaries. He is a poet, novelist, singer and song writer from the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Beat Poet, Alan Ginsberg, once "borrowed" his girlfriend's vibrator. I'd be surprised if she asked for it back. 1. In 1975, I bought my first album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Albums don't last as long as CDs and by 1980, I was forced to buy it a second time. In 1994, I purchased the CD. To this day, it's in bank number two of my CD changer. It's doubtful that I'll ever get sick of this album. Honorable Mentions The Verve: Urban Hymns Mozart: Eine Kleine Nacht Musik The Smiths: Meat is Murder Nirvana: Nevermind Bob Marley: Legend The Clash: London Calling Violent Femmes: debut

< I Mean Business | 10 Worst Albums Of All Time >

By kevin the one-armed boy (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 06:44AM EST)

Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties Frank Sinatra: Reprise: The Very Good Years AC/DC: Back in Black Dread Zeppelin: 5,000,000 I shudder to think that Captain Fantastic was also my first album purchase and that I still love it. Hopefully that annoys you in some small way.

[ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 07:37AM EST) It would only bug me if I found out that Cheesy Penis Hands and the Final Member got together and played Captain Fantastic while they made out... [ reply | parent ]

By Maddy Murray (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 08:09AM EST) I thought you would prefer religious music. [ reply | parent ]

By kevin the one-armed boy (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 08:39AM EST) Yes Maddy, here in the monastery we are limited to Gregorian chants and have no access to *your* music. [ reply | parent ]

By doctordoug (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 10:43AM EST) What!!!! no Grateful Dead??? OK... never mind... I don't know that there are any albums that I *never* skip a track on, expecially with a CD version. But,... Europe 72 -- Grateful Dead Let it Roll -- Little Feat Layla -- Derek and the Dominoes Harbor Lights -- Bruce Hornsby Pretzel Logic -- Steely Dan Shiek yer Booty -- Frank Zappa Oh!,. and my entire collection of Gregorian chants [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 12:14PM EST) I never did enough drugs to get into the Grateful Dead. (Monz, on the other hand...) [ reply | parent ]

By doctordoug (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 01:13PM EST) I must admit I saw the Dead in many states (PA and MD for example) Drugs are not a requirement. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 01:15PM EST) I saw the Dead without the aid of narcotics and I beg to differ... [ reply | parent ]

By doctordoug (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 01:42PM EST) Admitedly... they were bad on several occasions I saw them. [ reply | parent ]

By Cher (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 07:23AM EST)

Captain Fantastic might make my list as well even though I didn't hear it until 2000 when Jeff got a disk changer. And yes, he does play it constantly. The others would probably be Paul Simon - Graceland and The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication. The latter has the added bonus of reminding me of many, many fine summer evenings on the Pragmatist's deck.

[ reply | parent ]

By The Pragmatist (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 08:29AM EST) Ahhhh. Those were the days of wine and song and beer and song and scotch and song... That came out the last year of California Uber Alles -- before the meltdown. When jobs were plentiful and George W. Bush was in remedial geography. I know, I know people in this country don't want intelligence in a President, they want character. Character in these parts is evidently defined as doing the same thing no matter how the circumstances change -- the only thing allowed to change are the lies given as reasons. Thanks for the lovely thoughts Cher! [ reply | parent ]

By Suzi H (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 12:41PM EST) C'mon Jeffey Guy, how about Pink Floyd, Dark Side???? Led Zep, Physical Graffiti??? [ reply | parent ]

By doctordoug (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 01:03PM EST) Yeah Suzi H -- cheers to Floyd... I prefer Zep II. [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 01:14PM EST) I was never suicidal enough to get into Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin were way too bluesy for me. [ reply | parent ]

By Suzi H (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 04:48PM EST) " I used to know this old scarecrow", Jeffey Guy, sing it!!! [ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 05:29PM EST) I used to know this old scarecrow He was my song My joy and sorrow Cast alone between the furrows Of a field no longer sown by anyone I held a dandelion That said the time had come To leave upon the wind Not to return When summer burned the earth again Oh oh oh, oh oh oh... Cultivate the freshest flower This garden ever grew Beneath these branches I once wrote such childish words for you But that's okay There's treasure children always seek to find And just like us You must have had A once upon a time [ reply | parent ]

By Suzi H (Thursday March 11 2004 @ 10:44AM EST) I lOVE that song................. [ reply | parent ]

By Will is Right (Wednesday March 10 2004 @ 07:34PM EST)

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail... Renaissance - Scheherazade... Aaron Copeland - Appalachian Spring... ZZ Top - Tres Hombres... Harry Chapin - Heads and Tales...

[ reply | parent ]

By MattC (Thursday March 11 2004 @ 09:52AM EST)

And now the list you've all been waiting for... These are in no particular order, and are limited to Popular Music, including Jazz, Blues, Rock, Rap, Dance. Classical is an entirely different genre and won't be mixed (especially since anything non-20th century isn't an "album"). Chosen for their timelessness, their ability to sound fresh, the album as a complete artistic work, musical cleverness, and their influence on society and the culture of music. I've personally played them all hundreds of times, and can still play them at any time again. Stone Roses : Stone Roses The Stone Roses defined the Madchester/Baggy scene and the UK Summer of Love. Integrating the sound of dance grooves with punk and pop, they exemplified the acidhouse scene of all night warehouse parties featuring live bands. Plus, they brought guitar-rock and pop back as viable sounds coming from the UK (instead of the synthesizer-dominated New Wave). Bands like Oasis, The Verve, and Coldplay all ower their sound to this band. John Coltrane : A Love Supreme John Coltrane's epitomal work is complemented by some of the top avant-garde jazz players of the 60s. The excursions into harmony Coltrane first began while playing with Miles, and released himself on his debut Giant Steps, have come to fruition on this monumental work. Jazz and rock music as a form of improvisation were never the same. Fugazi : 13 Songs Fugazi, featuring founding members of DC Punk bands Minor Threat and Rites of Spring, took east-coast DC punk to new levels. Singing about topics both young and old of a politically aware mind could identify, Fugazi put on entertaining and socially conscious shows. Their control over concert and album costs defined a dedication to their art and fans later emulated by such supergroups as Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Pearl Jam. Fugazi gave birth to the indie genre of Emo, and such critic favorites such as Sunny Day Real Estate and Bright Eyes. Derek and the Dominos : Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs Enthralled in the arms of two of the world's greatest guitar players, Duane Allman and Eric Clapton, these songs of devotion, heartbreak, and love are timeless perfection. If you have any respect for or knowledge of the guitar as a musical instrument, it doesn't get much better than this. Bob Dylan : Blood On The Tracks Dylan is the supreme story teller and song writer. This album has a single weak moment, but tunes like Tangled Up In Blue more than make up for it. This is Dylan's greatest fusion of folk and rock, and is best listened to with a bottle of Merlot, a pipe, and a warm fireplace. Public Enemy : It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Public Enemy's second album nails the combination of politics and hip hop sounds and sets the standard for all hip hop to come. With this album, hip hop was here to stay. Chemical Brothers : Dig Your Own Hole Sure, this is dance, but what a dance album it is! The Chemical Brothers fusion of various styles into their own unique type of psychedelic dance beats made a lasting impression on the maturing electronic music genre. This album is pefect dance music in every way: catchy hooks, fabulous beats, and trippy arrangements. You can't go wrong owning this album, and playing any of these songs at a party or club is guaranteed to raise the energy level. Pixies : Doolittle The Pixies second album perfected their abrasive, poppy punk sound for which grunge and nu-metal owe their birth. A band ahead of their time, the Pixies transformed alternative and indie music which was stuck between punk and art-rock. Not a bad tune on this album. Velvet Underground : White Light/White Heat Arguably the best VU work, this album is definitely their noisiest and most experimental. Without the VU, there would be no punk. Amazing to think that while the California bands were singing about peace, love, and LSD, the VU were tearing apart music on such songs as Sister Ray. Sonic Youth : Daydream Nation Sonic Youth combined punk energy and sensibility with unheard of musicality and talent. This is musician's music, as anyone who has ever tried to figure out how to play one of this album's songs can attest. Sonic Youth is proof that not just anyone who can yell and play a few chords has what it takes to be a great punk band. There are obviously tons of honorable mentions. Bands who can be fantastic live (such as the Grateful Dead, and Phish) were intentionally left off because they never really made very good albums (except live ones, which could be a different list - 10 greatest live albums). Bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Hendrix, and The Doors are important, but I have to be in the right mood to listen to them. I can listen to any of the albums above at any time. Adding a really new artist to this list seems a bit pretentious, given some of the listees. But there are new artists who are fantastic and I highly recommend their work: Modest Mouse - impossible to define Bright Eyes - Connor Obert's personal writing and his brilliant songwriting is amazing for such a young artist. Surely he is going to keep producing amazing work. Check out their latest. Coldplay - wow, a band that is good AND popular. Watch where they go, they have a lot of potential. Rainer Maria - yes, named after poet Rilke. There is a lot of great, new music coming from the midwest (of all places!). The female singer's voice is just captivating. Ryan Adams - no, NOT Bryan. The singer from Whiskeytown just released his 3rd solo album and it is a great blend of hard rocking grooves with a country twang. DO NOT get turned off because something is labeled alt.country. This is not the jingoist souless pop nonsense populated by stars in big hats, this is American music true to original country roots mixed with musical developments within alternative, indie, and punk music.

[ reply | parent ]

By Jeff (Friday March 12 2004 @ 12:03AM EST) Given my criteria it was hard to include a new artist, minimum listens: 100. A moment's infatuation does not a top ten make. The Spaniard shared a story in the carbon based world of how he wore out Back In Black. It would be nice if he could share it cyberly... [ reply | parent ]

Post a Comment

Name: Email: URL   Remember my information (uses cookies)   I would rather be anonymous Comment: * HTML tags are allowed. * Your email will not be made public. * LINK SPAM WILL BE DELETED!