#256-260

     Here are the next 5, along with a comment from dearest Connie. Unfortunately, Connie, I can't help you out, but good ole Matt has a review for ya that shouldn't disappoint. Wondering if I may hear some rumblings of 'WTF?' about one of these albums, the same way I caught a lil bit 'o hellfire over the placement of The Wall on the list....we'll see! Here we go...

260. St. Elsewhere - Gnarls Barkley (2006)

     Of course, everyone knows Crazy, everyone's heard it at least 1,473 times each in the past 4 years, BUT...it's still a damn good song, isn't it? The majority of this album is filled with pretty damn good songs, especially for a debut effort from rap/soul/ r&b master Cee Lo Green and one of, if not THE, greatest producers in the game today, Danger Mouse. You've seen DM on the list already as producer of Gorillaz second album. Not only is he the best producer of hip hop based pop in the game, he currently creates some of the greatest hooks out there in his many side projects. This album is no exception. Listen to Smiley Faces and Who Cares for an example. Even when Cee Lo, who you can really hear coming into his own as the great soul singer he was meant to be, spouts gibberish on a track, DM's affinity for sampling obscure 60s tunes and Italian movie scores keeps things sounding incredible. The band's second album was good, but this is their best.

259. A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles (1964)

     Okay, clearly this band will have at least 5 more albums much, much further up on the list. My argument for this being, what some may feel, a little low is that The Beatles didn't start out as an 'album' kind of band. Really, no rock/pop band in the early 60s was focused on albums. It was all about the 'single,' the radio cut, the 45. A couple years later, bands would be putting out entire albums full of great music left and right. If you listen to this, it does not really compare to what the boys from Liverpool would be doing even the next year with Rubber Soul. What this album is, however, is the first example of the incredible song writing skills of Lennon and McCartney. It's their third album, and the first with not a cover song on it. Favorites are here such as A Hard Day's Night (obviously) and Can't Buy Me Love, and several other great pop tunes of the time. Although there would be a couple other albums before the band truly began to realize the start of their artistic vision with Rubber Soul, this is the best album of their 'single' days. Oh, and recording the album took 1 day, people. 1 freaking day! Rolling Stone ranked it at 388, so I did give it quite a bump from that, as it should be. Just not any higher.

258. Hot Shots 2 - The Beta Band (2001) 

     The Beta Band had a pretty loyal and avid following in the UK when they released their first EP, but didn't get a lot of attention in America until John Cusack decided to sell 5 copies of the band's Three EP's album by playing the song Dry The Rain in High Fidelity. More on that album later. After curiosity started to peak for the band through their name being dropped in the film, this album was released. It's quite a departure from the experimental rootsy electronic folk of the first 2 albums, but it kept what it should have from those genres and added pop structure and more refined hooks. An excellent album, check out the first 3 or 4 songs and you will stay to listen to the rest. Don't skip the last song called Won, a killer re-imagining of One Is The Loneliest Number as a trip hop song. Awesomeness.

257. Headhunters - Herbie Hancock (1973)

     Attempting to make a funk album, Herbie Hancock and his Headhunters produced the first platinum selling jazz album...ever. Hancock stripped down his complex compositions and left a thick skeletal base for his 5-piece to flesh out through funk, jazz, rock and African folk improvisations. Although jazz purists cried foul, the album crossed over and was a monumental influence on future jazz, funk and hip hop sounds. There are only 4 songs on this album, so it can be found in bargain bins from time to time. The first half of the album is worth whatever you're charged for it. Chameleon in the jazz/funk standard to this day, often covered, sampled and borrowed from. Watermelon Man is a personal fave of mine and my maineth, the best friend, Josh. When in college, we would compose our own variation on the first minute of the song with only our voices and drunkenness as our instruments. On answering machines, in bars, at parties, people were blessed with a very unique version of a Herbie masterpiece. Unfortunately, there are no recordings of this incredible cover we performed. You'll just have to settle for the original. An album that blazed new trails in several genres, I could write for hours on this, but you should just go listen. The last word I have on this, along with all the other accolades, I believe this to be the best funk album ever recorded without use of a guitar other than a bass. Not one electric or acoustic. Incredible.

256. Seal - Seal (1991)

     I can hear it now. "Seriously? Over the other albums in this post? Over the albums on the last post? On this list at all?" Everyone has their guilty pleasures. I know people who eat at Old Country Buffet by choice and who have had a love affair with Zima. This album is one of mine. I don't think I should feel too guilty, however, as this is a fantastic rock/soul/pop album recorded before the singer dove into the ocean of R&B drudgery. Perhaps best known for the cheese-infused Kiss From A Rose or his marriage to Heidi Klum, Seal first came culturally into view when he did the producer Adamski's track Killer, and then with often-covered Crazy (similar to Gnarls above, the song was impossible to avoid for about a year). Honestly, this is a great chill-out-without-passing-out album with some songs you can dance to as a bonus. Aside from the previously mentioned tracks, Whirlpool and Future Love Paradise are favorites. Make fun, tease, but go listen to this album before you do. Seal's only great album, you just might fall into it's clutches as well.

      Here's a comment from a few posts ago from Connie:

As someone who has listened to BNL forever, owns every single album, and has seen them live 7 times (maroon 5 runs a close second).......I would hope at least one of their albums makes the list. Also I'm pleased you are including early rap :) 

     Sorry, Connie. There will be more early hip hop, but no Bare Naked Ladies on the list, just running through my house. That's not as awesome as it sounds. I did love BNL in the early 90s. If I Had A Million Dollars was sort of an anthem for myself and several friends at one point. I'm not as fond of their whole albums as I used to be. But, so as to not disappoint, our friend Matt did have a review at the ready...
Barenaked Ladies- 'Live Rock spectacle': This is the 4th album from this band but its their first of many live albums. In general I find this band cheesy and slightly hit or miss with each album. But, 'Its all been done', 'Old Apartment' and 'If I had a million dollars' are all great tracks on this album. Packed with tons of happy sing along songs this is a fun easy to listen to album. 

     There you have it, Connie. Maybe not the absolute kindest review, but it's better than none, right? I'll try to get the next 5 up within the next few days. Until then, take the poll in the top right, write me some comments or a review of any album you love and want to share, buy the ticket, take the ride....