Here it is. My Top 25 albums. I'll be added to this this. It's in no particular order. I can't
put them into order. They each bring their own thing to the table. These are 25 of the best albums in
my collection. I can put them down, pick them back up and enjoy them. I've worn out the bits on a few
of these albums (so to speak). It just don't get much better than these in my book. Eventually, I'm
going to add a list of stuff I'm currently listening to or really like (but does not have the stamina
these have). Likewise, there'll be honorable mentions, individual songs that are awesome despite the
rest of the album.
Entered 8-27-2003
- Maynard Ferguson, Big Bop Nouveau.
This album is tough to find, but by all means don't leave the store without if you find it. Take
Maynard, a legendary trumpet player of the statosphere variety after a run of fusion based bands. Put
him together with a great group of players and put out a hard-bop / be-bop album of some classics and
scorching new arrangements. Mix. This is the jazz your mother warned you about. It's tight. Drummers
with sticks (forget the brushes, this is the 90's baby!). A sax quartet breakdown that makes you cry.
Toss in a live track of the big Maynard hits. It's jazz that just about anyone can dig. Many
(including myself) consider this Maynard's comeback album. And with good reason. I own a couple of his
fusion albums (under the group name High Voltage) and they do nothing for me. I appreciate the
experimentation that Maynard consistently delivers. When he released this album, it was time for
him to experiment with some of the stuff that originally put him on the map. I saw him about a year
after this album was released. I spent another year or two tracking it down. The show was awesome.
Honorable Mention: Maynard Ferguson and Big Bop Nouveau, Live From London.
This album grew on me over time. It's scorching live tracks, though the crowd
unfortunately is hard to hear at times. That said, the band tears up Night in Tunisia. Glen's Den, a
staple of Maynard's though changing names with each sax player that takes the solo (aka Stay Loose With
Bruce) is another great track. The entire album is great though. A little easier to find and well
worth it in leiu of the Big Bop Nouveau album.
- Old 97's, Too Far To Care.
This one without a doubt, took forever to grow on me.
I've always been the type that gets into the hook, arrangements, instrumentations, production, and just
about anything else instrument-wise before getting into the song writing. That said, the sonics on this
album drove me absolutely insane. It's guitars and drums in your face, with no depth or girth sonic
wise (where's Murray's bass?!). It was a tough listen. But for some reason it stayed in the truck's
changer for awhile. And one day it hit me that this was a good album. And little by little, no, it was
a great album. I started getting into the song writing. Wow. It's ashame that Elektra could not
market this album because it is by far one of the 97's best. Definitely better than anything else
they'd put out with Elektra. While Casey at the Goatfarm thinks the track on the album is Four
Leaf Clover with Exene of X, I'm of the opinion that every other track on the album is just as good if
not better. Timebomb opens up the album and sets the pace. Barrier Reef and Niteclub made me realize
the lyrics were where things are at. Once that happened, the rest fell in line. It's a writing tour
de force, by far some of the best writing Rhett has done. When you look up Punk-Country these guys are
by far the best purveyors of the stuff. Update: I realized I forgot to mention one thing that
I've long thought about this album. I truly believe it is one of the best if not best written albums to
come out during the 90's. It's the real deal. Brilliant writing from start to finish.
Honorable Mention: Old 97's, Early Tracks.
Though a compilation, it's a good showcase that the band was capable until one would have to guess
the Elektra execs put their foot down post Too Far To Care. Between these tracks and Too Far, the 97's
proved they've got the talent. I'm of the opinion they were forced to put crap after Elektra realized
Elektra did not know how to sell them. Though there is an occasional highlight post Too Far, Too Far
and earlier is where the meat of the best 97's writing can be found. Por Favor and Ray Charles are two
standouts on Early Tracks, but that's only the tip of what's good on the album.
- The Soup Dragons, Hotwired.
Believe it or not, this band has a New Wave album in their closet. They made some noise with their
Lovegod album and the track "I'm Free" but 1992's Hotwired album stands out as their best and one of my
best. Sure, I'll catch some flak over this album, but it's my list. I don't complain about all of the
Dave Matthews listings many people are bound to have. In my book, it's a well produced album that in
many ways was one of alternative-pop's last gasps (right before the Nirvana invasion). Divine Thing is
probably the track most people are familiar with off the album. However, the rest of the album is well
produced and a testament to pop. Between Jimi Hendrix opening the album, to the Star Trek / Def Leppard
reference in Running Wild, it's hard to find another album as catchy. It's pop without the bubblegum.
Good driving music. It just works and has worked for me for the past 10 years.
- U2, Achtung Baby.
This album made or broke a lot of U2 fans. This one made me a bigger fan (I vividly recall Run Away
getting spins back in the day in STL). I would break from U2 come Pop. Eno and Flood worked some major
magic on this album. I'm hard pressed to find and or think of a better produced album. The songs are
all excellent. U2 had Joshua Tree to thank for seeing to it they'd have some stuff to work from. The
scary part about this album is that every piece of it was gone over with a fine tooth comb. Everything
is where it's supposed to be, deliberate and on the mark. Just take a listen to some of the bass lines,
especially the parts where they're missing. And then that groove kicks back in. The strings on
Mysterious Ways are also pretty slick, especially at the bridge. It's the art of
production taken to the extreme. And it's perfect. Sure, U2 had a lot to do with it. They showed up,
wrote the songs, and worked. But Eno and Flood put together something they (those two or U2) have yet
to repeat.
Honorable Mention: U2, Zooropa.
Count me among the few that not only like this album, but dig it. Joshua Tree was the obvious
answer, but Joshua Tree does not have a track with Johnny Cash. A logical extention of Achtung, this
album still has good writing to back it up. Unlike Pop. Though Lemon got most of the airplay, The
Wanderer (with Cash) and Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car are two that help put the album into HM.
Entered 9-04-2003
- Stereolab, Emperor Tomato Ketchup.
This album is why we go to college. No, you can enjoy this album without going to college.
However, you go to college to open and expand your mind to stuff you'd otherwise not know about. Count
this album as one of those college enrichment finds. Let's go back to MTSU, circa 1996. I'm sitting in
the midi lab in the Mass Comm building when friend Chris Reuger drops this into the CD player for others
to enjoy. He describes the album as making him happy, and frankly that's the best description. It's
definately a happy album. When I later started working on the Row, a morning show at WRVU would
routinely play The Noise of Carpet. Made a very sucky rush hour commute from Murfreesboro to Nashville
a lot better. It's analog synths, lyrics in French and English and a bunch of great instrumentals all
thrown together to make for one of the best albums Stereolab ever put out. Check out the note/chord
that's held for almost all of Metronomic Underground. Pretty cool when you think about keeping a single
note/chord held for the entire duration of a song. It's a great opening track, one many bands should
aspire to emulating. I've heard too many opening tracks not set the tone of the album. This one is a
great intro to the rest of the album. Sterelab and this album are one of the best things to come out of
Europe during the 90's. I'm frankly hard pressed to think of much more music wise as good or even
nearly good enough to come from Europe during this time. FWIW, everyone that I've introduced to this
album has made it a point to give it multiple listens because they like it too. It's the right blend of
experimentation that's still accessable which makes this album work.
Entered 9-05-2003
- Wilco, Being There.
You can pry my copy of Being There out of my cold dead hands. I was familiar in passing with Wilco
when this album was released. I was aware of their much hyped debut A.M. album, riding the hype of the
Uncle Tupelo breakup. Of course, I was really not familiar with Uncle Tupelo, despite growing up in the
same town they were from. STL radio never gave them the time of day. When I started getting into the
recording classes at MTSU, I needed a band to record. One thing led to another and I tracked the now
defunct "The Habaneros". In the process I became good friends with the lead singer and as a result I
started getting into Americana type music. He handed me the Gram Parsons GP/Grevious Angel album and
the Wilco Being There album. I was already familiar with some of Being There, one of the local stations
had put Monday up for their smash or trash. I took a listen to Being There and thought it was
pretty good. Good enough to go out and buy. The Gram Parsons was a little funky (I'd later come
around, Gram is one of foundations of Americana). Anyway, Being There started getting repeated listens.
Each time was better than the next. And then it hit me, the beauty of Being There is that you feel like
you're part of the sessions. It's a double album that technically could fit on one CD. However, like
all good double albums the break between the albums is needed and is what adds to art. They're
technically two albums that can stand on their own and yet both are entertwined to make this a solid
release. Production is outstanding. The instrumentation is what grabbed me. The steel guitar mixed
with the Clav on Kingpin is something you don't hear every day and really works well. The sequence of
Outtasite (Outta Mind), Forget the Flowers, Red-Eyed and Blue, and I Got You (At the End of the
Century) is one of many great parts of this album. The songs flow together and take you on a trip.
It's just like, well, being there.
Honorable Mention: Wilco, A.M..
Fresh off the Tupelo breakup, Tweedy put this album together to set the pace of what he'd be doing
post split. Campy at times (Passenger Side, Casino Queen), it's still a good album that at least
established himself as the understandable half that was Tupelo (does anyone know what Farrar is talking
about half the time?) It was pretty painful to watch I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and seeing how far
the band has removed themselves from this and even Being There.
- The Jayhawks, Sound of Lies.
Aside from Blue off of Tomorrow The Green Grass, I was really not familiar with The Jayhawks. One
night at WMTS, Nathan and I spotted this album, fresh in from the record company (the same night we
spotted the Old 97's Too Far To Care) and decided our radio show for the night would be a good portion
of Too Far but a majority would be for the Jayhawks album. We dropped this album on and immediately
were blown away. And one of the few times we got a few callers all asking, is this the new Jayhawks
album? DAMN. The opening line in The Man Who Loved Life grabs you and does not let you go until this
album ends. It's by far the darkest album the Jayhawks have released, but it's their best. This album
sends chills down your spine and makes your hair stand on end. Case in point. Guitar solo in Trouble
(well, the opening lyrics for that matter too). I think Nathan and I both about passed out when we
heard it. It can be said that a guitar player can talk with his guitar. His solo is either saying
something or it's not. This solo takes you on a ride. It kicks in, takes you on a ride, builds you up,
then BAM, drops you down for the nitty gritty and then BAM hits the high taking part of the chord when
the vocals kick back in. It's one of those moments in music where you don't believe what you just heard
and even after repeated listening it's still a treat. Sixteen Down is just chilling. Poor Little Fish
is the only weak song on the album, and that's not saying much. There's just something different about
it that does not seem to fit, but does not overall detract from the album. Just a little speed bump.
Production, as you can imagine is right on, with Brian Paulson's track record during this time being
spotless.
Honorable Mention: The Jayhawks, Tomorrow The Green Grass.
Overall a great album that got some airplay (Blue) and contains a great cover of Grand Funk
Railroad's Bad Time. It'd probably be in my Top 25 were it not for the fact that Sound of Lies is just
amazing.
- Public Enemy, Apocalypse '91... The Enemy Strikes Black.
For being over 10 years old, this album sounds as fresh today as it sounded when it came out. I
don't know what it is about PE, but they are one of the few bands, let alone rap groups, that have
released a timeless album. They in my opinion did to rap what Pink Floyd did in terms of a concept
album. PE has an opening track which sets the tone of the album and then proceeds to make the rest of
the album flow from one song to the next. Nighttrain, Can't Truss It, and How To Kill A Radio
Consultant all stand on their own but all are interconnected. Nighttrain is particularly excellent, the
pan of the train horn and other effects are particularly effective. As one of my profs put it, they
paint an urban landscape with their music. You can feel the heat of the city streets in their music.
The action, the grime. Very few artists have and can pull this off. This album to me is the pinnacle
of PE's production. I was never fond of By The Time I Get to Arizona, but it's grown on me. In
particular after hearing the former Arizona Gov's comments about the song (he did not think highly of
it). I realized if he hated it then I was missing something if I did not like it. Sure enough, going
back and listening closely revealed some very cool symbolisms. And it's lyrically solid. Of course,
that's why that Gov hated the song. It took aim at him and his state.
Honorable Mention: Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet.
This one is pretty good, Casey over at the Goatfarm likes it better than '91, but I think '91 has
the better production. That said, my favorite track has to be War at 33 1/3. Some excellent production
and great lyrics. Burn Hollywood Burn is my second fav. Of course, all is good, cause Brotha's Gonna
Work it Out. Of course, this album is home to the classic 911 is a Joke.
- Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon.
No, The Wall won't be making an appearance here anytime soon. I really cannot write much since
so much has already been written. The reason why I like Dark Side better is the fact that it's more
concise. It's to the point. The Wall rambles too much. They each serve their respective purposes, but
Dark Side is the better of the two in that it's solid track after track. I've done the Dark Side of Oz
if you must know. I thought it was a little coincidental until I realized The Great Gig in the Sky was
start to finish the length of the tornado scene in Oz. That is my friends, a little freaky.
Honorable Mention: Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (added 10-20-2003).
This has not had time to age like wine in my music library, but in the short time I've had this album
it's already become a fav. Let's backtrack. I was well aware of Welcome to the Machine and Wish You Were Here
from the repeated airplay they get. A couple of months ago I was hanging out in a coffee shop when they put
this album on. My friend Howard told me that they just put on one of his favorite albums. I was like,
hrm, I'll have to check this one out, especially since I was really digging Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
I later aquired the album in mp3 form and gave it a few listens. This past weekend I was in Target where
they were selling it for $9.99. Too cheap to pass up, it's already better than The Wall in my book.
Entered 10-20-2003
- Self, Breakfast With Girls.
Breakfast With Girls is probably the best album to come out during the 90's that less people heard than
The Jayhawks Sound of Lies. There's no comparison between the two, unless you count that Self is from
Murfreesboro and I was a college DJ in Murfreesboro (where I spun tracks off of Sound of Lies).
I was well aware of Self while attending MTSU, he
was Murfreesboro's musical white knight leading the boro music scene onto the national stage. Or something.
Cannon off of "subliminal plastic motives" got some air time on MTV but aside from that and critical acclaim
for a track he did on a tribute to Depeche Mode (the only track that got acclaim I might add) Self has
unfortunately not had a track record of commercial success. Breakfast with Girls would be his official followup
to spm (yes, technically the Half Baked Serenade but that was technically an EP). Self drops a musical
bomb sampling just about anything and everything blending it a musical stew the like of which we've not
heard since the last great Public Enemy album ('91, the Enemy Strikes Black, see above). Add to that Self
samples PE and you've got the makings for a great album. This is byfar a production tour de force, Self
leaves no room for critique, all of the tracks are solid. Kill the Barflies is infectous, "They're schemin'
on a way to get you into bed" to the tune of synths with saw wave type sounds to imitate swarms of flies.
The Girls theme carries thruout the album, Meg Ryan is his tribute to what he'd do if he had one of the
hot properties as his girlfriend. Suzie Q Sailaway, Uno Song, Paint By Numbers is one of the better
song sequences you'll find on any album. The payoff comes at the title track. "The G, the I, the R, the L
the S, they're the one's makin' us breakfast" is catchy, especially with the mellow hip hop beat. It's
ashame this album did not take off the way it should have (why is a subject of debate left for another day).
The key is that it's a great album that shows what the scene in Murfreesboro is capable. Even if there was
not a boro connection this is still one of the best albums to come out in the 90's.
Honorable Mention: Self, Gizmodgery.
What do you do when you need to release an album to follow up the brilliant yet under-sold Breakfast
With Girls? Release a concept album, of course. In this case, the concept is that all of the instruments
you find in the toy section of your local department store. A little Elmo here, some toy piano here, Big Bird there,
toy guitar and a some Speak and Spell and you've touched the tip of this album. Oh yeah, while you're at it
throw in a cover of the Michael McDonald classic "What A Fool Believes", nail the high notes (you know, the
ones that made Michael's career) and oh yeah, make a song (Trunk Fulla Amps)
full f-bombs paying tribute to all of the artists
that have used the word "mother" in their songs (Danzig, Kravitz, Queen, ELO) and you're a little futher
into this album. This is the album a musician always dreams of making. The problem is, Self has now made it
so you'll have to find another gimmick. Some of these tracks are available from Self's website though
they're in a pretty raw form, this album is 100% polish of what an all toy album should be.
- Beck, Odelay.
Since we're on the subject of brilliant sampling, I'd be remiss to skip this masterpiece. Unlike Loser,
I've yet to tire of any track on this album, though I did need a brief hiatus from Where It's At. This
album has yet to grow old on me. If does then all I need to do it put on Lord Only Knows, that scream
gets you everytime. Odelay blends country themes with sampling much the way the Stones blended country
with their style of rock (Lord Only Knows, Hotwax is not too far removed from Honky Tonk Women if you think about
it). Tricks such as reverbing the snare crack only on certain hits during Devil's Haircut makes this a
production treat. Likewise the layers of effects and sounds coupled with Beck's writing make this one
of the few albums that on first listen makes you want to rush out to the store. I know I did. I was blown
away hearing this album on first listen.
Honorable Mention: Beck, Sea Change and Midnight Vultures.
Both compliment Odelay quite well. Sea Change is quite mellow and that's not a bad thing. Vultures explores
more sampling and upbeat stuff but has the down home soul singin of Debra to cap off the album.
Entered 10-28-2003
- The Black Crowes, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
These guys redefined southern rock in the 90's and this album is the pinnacle of that quest.
Exploring R&B overtones with straight out down home rock, the Crowes showed what they were capable of
with this album. Sting Me opens the album with some very cool panning. Straight off the heels of
it they then kick into Remedy. Chris pours his soul out into this album, one of the last times he'd do
so. See Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye for why they've not been able to pour as much soul into an album
since this one.
Honorable Mention: The Black Crowes, Amorica.
Sure, the cover art was a little racy (Larry Flint eat your... nevermind) but the music within would
be the last Crowes album that was good. Stuff like "A Conspiracy", Nonfiction, and the sequence of
Ballad In Urgency and Wiser Time are some of the best Crowes writing and production. Descending closes
the album in high style. It'd be my pick above were it not for the fact that SHaMC is just balls out
good rock and roll. They're both hard to beat though.
- Uncle Tupelo, Anodyne.
These guys made a little name for themselves in the late 80's and early 90's. They spawned a
magazine (No Depression), a legion of fans, and well, played a major part (if not the part) of a musical
movement (Americana in case you've been living under a rock). These guys are the poster boys of
Americana, though they are by far not the originators. They just realized what it would take to make
great music and set about doing it. This album would be their last, a culmination of many years of
critical acclaim but lacking commercial success. See Wilco above to see what one part of the group
became. Anodyne is their most accessable album and is home to a couple of memorable lines. Acuff-Rose
and New Madrid highlight their lighter side. The Long Cut and Chickamauga highlight their ability to
rock. Give Back The Key to My Heart is probably their most recognized song and features the late Doug
Sahm. The title track is beautiful in it's simplicity. It's ashame that more people did not recognize
what was taking place before this album was released, the end was near with members splitting
accordingly.
Honorable Mention: Son Volt, Trace.
Unfortunately, as good as both Tweedy and Farrar are, I've found Wilco's stuff to be a little bit
better, Farrar has yet to release IMO anything on the level of a Being There. I'm not saying he should
release a Being There. Trace is some of his more accessable work, with Drown being the recognizeable
track on the album. Tear Stained Eye is my favorite track off the album, Jay manages to work a good
amount of double meaning into the song in relation to the Flood of 93 and holding back the tears.
Entered 11-6-2003
- The Mavericks, Music For All Occasions.
Music For All Occasions proves that every once in a great while Nashville can put out some really
really good music. And that Nashville can produce an album that is
darn near perfect. Raul's legendary pitch coupled with guest appearances by Flaco Jimenez and
Trisha Yearwood makes this album a musical treat (note, not Yearwood, though
the duet is good). This album is timeless and Don Cook's production was at it's peak form IMO. Raul
delivers in Here Comes the Rain, All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down, though there's really not a weak
track on the album. Much like Mandy Barnett's I've Got A Right To Cry, though there are country
influences this album is just as much good pop and can hold it's own in this regard. Then again,
Raul is the best voice in the industry right now.
Entered 11-17-2003
- Isaac Hayes, Hot Buttered Soul.
These 4 tracks are the only four you'll ever need to know about soul, funk, and all that's good.
These four tracks break down every barrier and re-write the rules. Funky bass line? Check. The funkiest
soul voice of the 70's? Check. Scorching beats? Check. Strings? Check. Strings?! Yeah, and a bunch of
other crazy stuff. This is the album you wish they made more of. Violins playing off of really dirty
guitar sounds. One of the longest song titles ever, yet Isaac leaves it up to the backup singers to belt
out the word "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic". Bonus points for using medulla oblongata in the lyrics too.
Be sure to check out the crescendo in Walk On By. Just when you think the song is going to be over, no,
it gets LOUDER and rocks out even harder. If his status as bad ass was in question this solidified the status.
- Eels, Shootenanny!.
While this album has not had the longevity either in release time or time spent in my collection, the repeated
listens to this album and in particular in comparision to previous Eels albums gives this album a place in my
Top 25. There's not a weak track on the album and it could very well be the peak of the Eels, though I hope not.
It rocks, it brings you down a couple notches and then rocks you some more. All In A Days Work is a classic
opening track for an album. Agony has some of the best tremelo guitar recorded since Chris Isaak's "Goin Nowhere"
off of Forever Blue. Dirty Girl is probably the finest song writing wise the album has to offer. It's perfect
in so many ways it's hard to believe the industry still releases albums this good.
Entered 04-28-2005 (finally, adding another one to the list!)
- Dwight Yoakam, Gone.
This was the followup to his mega smash "This Time". However, this album finds Dwight experimenting, at one point getting in touch with his
inner Al Green. Pete Anderson produced a masterpiece and his guitar playing has never been finer. Truth be told, this album was my gateway to
Dwight. It was released while I was in college. Seeing the video for "Sorry You Asked" made me wonder what I was missing. After picking up
the album I was astounded to hear such a well done country album. This was when I realized there are some talented country artists and they do
produce some good music. I mean, I already loved Johnny Cash, but the thought of liking 90's country music seemed foreign. Nothing good had
come out in country music since the days of the Outlaws. With this album I stood corrected. I've since picked up Dwight's earlier work and have
been just impressed. However, this album stands head and shoulders above the rest, a critical peak in his career he's yet to match since.