#226-230

     Okay, so it's been more than a few days since the last post, I lied about having a new one up earlier. We'll stick to the one a week for a while. It's a lot tougher posting more than that when working 50 hours a week instead of 0 hours a week, lemme tellya. I'll also try to shorten the posts slightly since these things have started taking me 3-4 hours to write. TRY being the key word to shortening these, as I do enjoy ramblin' on. The Rolling Stones poll was a flop as only 3 readers voted (what up, people?), so I think we'll try that poll again at a later date. We'll switch it up this week and do a best decade of music poll. If you get a chance, please click on your fave, I do enjoy reading them so. I'll also have a short comment from cousin Mike W and another Matt V review. Here we go...

230. Noble Beast - Andrew Bird (2009)
     The first of 2 albums appearing on this list from the musical jack-of-all-trades from the Windy City, Bird reminds me quite a bit of Sufjan Stevens (see #296). The difference is whereas Stevens sticks to a similar musical theme throughout an entire album, Bird is all over the place. His most accessible album to date, the violin is the driving force behind this album, which makes sense as he began his playing at age 4. The man, however, can play anything with strings, sings brilliantly, whistles note-perfect, the guy even busts out a glockenspiel. The lyrics can get a little too much like a college history or literature course at times, but this is an incredible songwriter who clearly loves word choice as much as the music. Check out tracks like the beautiful Tenuousness, the upbeat sway of Nomenclature and the Radiohead-esque Not A Robot, But A Ghost.

229. Slanted And Enchanted - Pavement (1992)
     It took me a long time to really appreciate the indie rock/alternapunk stylings of Stephen Malkmus and his band, and I've gotta admit, I'm still back and forth on other albums by them. Their debut effort is still my fave and definitely deserves this spot on the list. Most critics, indeed, have this on their 'best of the 90s' lists and Rolling Stone ranked it as the 134th greatest all-time album. It's truly a chaotic work of art, with distinct melodies interweaving with chopped riffs and fuzz static. I've heard it argued that no one was doing this sort of low-fi rock attack during this time, although I would point out Sonic Youth's direction during the early 90s. Still, and I may get flogged for this, I think this album is better than any album Sonic Youth ever put out. Summer Babe, Perfume-V and Fame Throwa our some of my faves. If you're a fan of early 90s alternative music and you haven't heard this, you're not really a fan of early 90s alternative music...yet.

228. Before The Frost - The Black Crowes (2009)
     Although critically acclaimed, this is another regrettably underachieving album. Recorded live in Levon Helms' (The Band) barn/studio/club, this is one of the last truly great roots rock albums to have been released in the past 5 years. These guys wear their jam band, blues groove roots on their sleeve like they own that genre. You'll see these guys twice more on here, so I'll keep this short. This particular version of the album is not the double album that was released later including Until The Freeze, this ranking relates only to the original released album. Good Morning Captain, Been A Long Time, A Train Still Make A Lonely Sound and And The Band Played On will especially demonstrate why these guys can still put out the greatest blues/country tinged rock albums out there....when the brothers Robinson (the singer and lead guitarist/main songwriters) can keep from killing each other.

227. Fear Of A Black Planet - Public Enemy (1990)
     The first time I heard the viciously honest call to arms Fight The Power I began shaking with excitement. Rap music wasn't really known as being smart. Even PE's first albums were a bit hit and miss, although they certainly spelled out the influence possible from these guys. Then Chuck D released this album-with-a-brain that would have made the Scarecrow from Oz's head explode. Rap as a market was beginning to focus more on the album than the single by this time, but there wasn't an album out there that matched the incredible sample-driven production and such wickedly socially conscious lyrics together to produce a genre-defining effort. To this day, Welcome To The Terrordome is one of my favorite hip hop tracks, and I still know the whole thing by heart. No one is spared from Chuck D's wrath, be they white, black, man, woman, whatever.  This is simply one of those albums that, if you say you are a true music history fan, you absolutely must hear. All of it, I'm not even giving you choice cuts, you need to feast on the whole slab.

226. Saxophone Colossus - Sonny Rollins (1956)
     One of my top 5 favorite jazz sax players, Rollins' story is quite an interesting one. He spent some time in jail for armed robbery and, once out, went the route of too many jazz greats and became addicted to heroin. He kicked that habit and went on to play with such greats as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Clifford Brown. This album was his sixth while fronting a band and his best. At only 5 tracks, each one pricks a different vein of emotion and style. St. Thomas is my favorite and is an amazing amalgamation of jazz and calypso. Moritat is a reworking of Mack The Knife with the sax picking up the main melody. It also hits on your classic jazz balad, an awesome be bop song, and the blues. All in all, with the exception of the balad, I always listen to this album all the way through, no flipping forward. One of the greatest jazz albums, if you're looking for an introduction into this genre, you could do a lot worse than starting with the Saxophone Colossus.

      I wish I had more time to dedicate to these descriptions, but this is as rambling as time allows me to be right now. Here's a comment from Mike W.....
I should comment on the blog itself - sorry. Feel free to use those comments if you'd like, I'll try to provide more - that was a cool idea by you to give the blog a little interactive flavor - good stuff man. 

I think I might be inspired to do a worst song/album/band list of some type, although not as ambitious as yours. I've always contemplated writing a piece about otherwise great artists who sold out in the 80s - I believe Jefferson Airplane ...should've been disqualified from your list for later spawning Starship and "We Built This City." By the way, the bad counterpoint to AIC "Dirt" would certainly involve the vaunted Spin Doctors..."And if you want to say my band sucks, just go ahead now."

Two things here: one, I very much want this to be interactive as it makes it much more fun for me and, really, this whole process has been interactive. So, please, take the poll, leave a comment, write a lil review, throw a guy a bone, will ya? Two, I think the worst albums list is a pretty cool idea, I personally just wouldn't have the patience or intestinal fortitude to pull it off. I would certainly read a blog on that subject, though! Thanks, Mike. Appreciate the contribution. We'll have more from you later. Now here's a Matt V review...

TLC - 'crazysexycool': The best album by one of the best girl groups of all time. Rap meets Pop meets R&B, the group did it all. T-Boz has a husky alto voice that is featured on 'Red Light Special'. 'Waterfalls' is the groups biggest single on this album with a smooth chorus from Chili and rough verses from T-Boz and a little rhyme from the late Left Eye. 'Diggin on You' and 'Creep' are also great tracks from this album.

     Thanks as always, Matt. I'll have another post up at some point next week so, please, do check back. Would also love to hear from more of you, as I said, be it a comment about album selection, what type of info you prefer included on my mini-reviews, a review of your own, even just taking the poll, it's all very appreciated, I assure you. Above all, though, I hope you dear readers are still enjoying this and check out some incredible albums you may have missed in your own musical journey. Until next time, remember to tip your waitress and enjoy the veal.

    

     

#231-235

      Apologies that it's been a week since the last post, but that may be the case from here on out. I will probably get to post again in just a few days, then it'll be another week. What can you do, gotta pay them bills. Anyway, we'll have a comment from the great one, Michael A., regarding my statement that Elvis's That's All Right belongs in the 'first rock song' discussion and another review from my cuz Michael W.
     The poll for this week is for the best Stones album. I am surprised to say that, more than any other band that has more than 5 albums on my list, these guys have albums ranked completely different than where I thought they'd be at the start. The Stones album I had long considered my fave has wound up ranking below 4 or 5 other efforts from this band. Very curious to see how this one turns out, so, VOTE! The winner of the Pink Floyd poll was Dark Side Of The Moon by a slim margin over Wish You Were Here. I'd agree with that, too. Onward and upward....

235. Rock And Soul Part 1 - Hall And Oates (1983)
     I have loved this greatest hits album from one of the heaviest charting duos in music history since it was issued. Long before 500 Days Of Summer and, less notably, She's Out Of My League (thanks, Chris and Ryan!) caused a resurgence of interest in them, my dad had the album on vinyl. I would play it constantly, putting She's Gone and Kiss On My List back to back on cassette mixes while reciting where both songs placed on my own Top 10 for the week into the built-in crappy mic on the stereo. I would wait up to see if MTV would play Maneater for the third time in as many hours. Once I hit junior high I hid my love of the rock and soul creators until I met one of the honest-to-buddha biggest musical influences in my life shortly after high school, Adam, and he had it unabashedly blazing forth from his car stereo. We may have listened to I Can't Go For That and Sara Smile each a few times that night. A greatest hits, indeed, and one that, regardless of the aim of the song, always puts a smile on my face. Oh, and this is for Justin (sorry, I kinda rambled): 'They need to Hall more Oates!'

234. A Picture Of Nectar - Phish (1992)
     I'll keep this brief as you've read about my love of Phish already (#273 and the very first post) and will see more later. This was the band's third album on a major label and, although it included great jam songs like Stash and Tweezer, was quite a bit more focused than their previous albums. Chalkdust Torture and Tweezer Reprise were the group's most rocking efforts up to this point. Llama and The Landlady are both surprising in their increased intensity from singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio and the band, and the horns alone make Cavern a great song. An excellent album that continued Phish's path from jazz folk through any musical genre they damn well wanted to traipse through.

233. Mezzanine - Massive Attack (1998)
     The third album from these trip hop pioneers is a departure from their previous 2 albums in that it is much more guitar driven and relies on sound textures more than instrumentation. Vocally it also misses Tricky a bit as he was such a force on the first 2 albums, but the beats and the darker vibe remain the same. If you think you haven't heard this group, you have. It gets hard to track how many movies, commercials and TV shows these songs have been in, perhaps none more immediately noticeable than the song Teardrop used during the opening credits for the show House. This album has gotten many a spin back in the day in a dark apartment with floating candles glowing in the windows, incense smoke wafting through blacklight beams illuminating colorful felt posters of mushrooms and dancing bears, waiting for that special knock on the door that could only mean one thing at 1 AM. Ahhh, the old days. I digress, this is, start to finish, an amazing album from a truly incredible group of electronic producers. Angel, Risingson, Teardrop, Inertia Creeps...I'm just giving you the track list in order, you need to just turn down the lights, grab a strong drink or a smoke, and just let this one play.

232. Fields - Junip (2010)
     This swedish trio has been playing for over 10 years but just released their first full-length album last year. The group features the incredible classical guitar stylings and soothing vocal melodies of Jose Gonzalez with an excellent drummer and organist backing him. Although largely a very gentle, simple album, you can certainly hear the perfectionism inherent in a band that takes this long to churn out an album. You can hear several musical influences infused in this oddly organic yet dynamic work - Richie Havens, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Neil Young and several other folk, jazz, krautrock and soul icons can be deciphered flowing in and out of tracks. The songs are all very similar in style although they vary by degrees. The choppy, staccato bursts of In Every Direction, the breezy Always, the tense anticipation heavy steppin' through Sweet And Bitter, the meditative To The Grain...this is an album that could have come out 40 years ago or could have waited 40 years from now and still wouldn't sound quite of that time. A wonderfully atmospheric and hypnotic album.

231. Love, Power, Peace: Live At The Olympia, Paris 1971 - James Brown
     Most music critics, geeks and fans would pick Live At The Apollo as the greatest JB live album. I would take this show from Paris in a heartbeat. This is the only complete live recording that features the original lineup of the J.B.'s, one of the greatest funk groups ever until splitting to be a part of Parliament-Funkadelic. It also took 20 years to get released on album. This contains the greatest version of Sex Machine I have ever heard. It became so rowdy that a lovely Parisian woman jumped onto the side of the stage, stripped butt naked and danced through the next few songs before security even made a move to end the fun. Scorching versions of Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved, Ain't It Funky Now and Super Bad serve as testimony to the madness rising from the crowd, and, somehow, a one and a half minute medley of Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, I Got You AND I Got The Feeling occurred to cement the insanity of this inferno of a show. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the tightest bands to ever step on stage, live. You need to hear this.

     Here's a comment about my proclamation that the Elvis Presley sung That's All Right should hold a seat at the table of the 'first rock and roll song' debate....
Your blog continues to be fascinating. Different entry, I know, but kudos for including the Meters. Not enough people know about them...I consider it a bit of a holy mission to turn people on to them, and that is a very well chosen compilation. Now, to the subject of my comment, though...I must take issue to the idea of any Elvis song being the "first rock song." Of course, any first is open to debate, but you gotta go back further than Elvis: brilliant as he was, he was just the white guy who made the style cross over. After years of investigation, I personally agree with those who who count "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats as the first ever Rock and Roll record in March of 1951. Said band was actually Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm recording under a different name. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_88 - Michael A 

     Thanks, my man. I understand and have heard that stated by most music fans who were maybe more 'in the know' as far as music history goes, and most music critics and journalists have settled on this. It states on that link that even Sam Phillips said it was the first. I just don't know that I feel that that song was so much different then most R & B of that time. I know the pace picked up, I know it's one of the first examples of guitar distortion, it just doesn't have that attitude to me, that sneer that you can visualize being needed to sing a rock song. It's All Right, recorded 3 years later, I admit, has that, and is so clearly this mix of R&B, country and blues that I don't really know what other genre it would fit in but rock 'n roll. Of course, I've also heard multiple Little Richard and Chuck Berry songs mentioned in the argument, as well as Rock Around The Clock. Going by date recorded, attitude, level of separation from what was popular during it's time, an inability to categorize or label the song into any specific genre and that certain x-factor, I stay with That's All Right as my pick. I could go on with this for hours, as I know Michael could, and maybe someday we will, but that's all right for now (did you see what I did there?).

     Finally, here's a review from my cousin Michael W. with a band that, he will be disappointed to learn, will not appear on this list....
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power...This would be a glaring omission as well. Like many, I didn't like Pantera at first - the "screaming" was a bit much for me at first. But then you listen for a few minutes, and they just can't be denied. Even if you don't like your metal quite this heavy, you can't help but gravitate to the purity of their we're going to throw down and kick some ass attitude and can't help but be wowed by Dimebag Darrell's unique sound all his own and Anselmo's powerful lyrics and ridiculous delivery - whether it's your cup of tea or not. With all respect to grunge, it got a bit one-note in the mid-90s and Pantera provided a desperately needed breath of fresh air on the scene with this album. 

     There it is. Don't forget to take the poll (please!) and check in a few days as I will do my best to have another post up by them. Until then, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars! Sorry, I had to end one of these posts with a little Casey Kasem....I'm done now.

#236-240

     Here's the next 5, as promised, within the same week as the last 5. Next week will start (probably) being one a week, so don't forget to check in here for a music fix. On this post we'll include a comment from the very lovely Joya, which actually raises a question from me that I would love an answer to. I'll also have part of a thread involving Patrick's Top Albums list he is working on that features many suggestions for albums I do and don't have upcoming on the list. Finally, this week we'll do another Matt review. Here we go...

240. Groove Collective - Groove Collective (1994)
     This band appeared on this list with their second album at #272, so I'll keep this one short. This was their first and best album, leaning a little more toward traditional jazz than their later efforts. Don't let that fool you, though. This isn't your grandpa's jazz. The album starts slowly, but once you get to Rahsaanasong your feet will be tapping. When Whatchugot pops up, you'll be fully grooving. Then, when Genji Monogatari drops you'll be raising your glass and woo-hooing to nobody in particular. This one is both the perfect lazy summer Sunday groove album out on the porch with a cold one AND proof that jazz can rock a house every bit as easily as hip hop or rock can. All in all, my fave jazz album after the 70's.

239. Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls (1989)
     Go ahead. Get it all out of your system. South Park, Family Guy, several stand-up comics and many other shows/movies/people have dismissed this album and band as simply the "token lesbian group." This, friends, is bullshit. This folk duo has never released a better album (they HAVE released great songs on some decent albums), but their debut really gets a horrible rap. I am a straight male. This is a stupid comment to make that shouldn't have much effect on my writing or you reading this blog, but as it does, I feel compelled to say it. I am a straight male and I think that the Indigo Girls first album is freaking awesome. Closer To Fine, Secure Yourself, Blood And Fire, Center Stage, all some of the greatest folk songs the 80's pulled out of its back pocket. C'mon. Listen to it, love it, then admit it. Screw your musclehead friends or those ultra-conservative types that try to be cool by saying they're moderates. This is a group that lost a Grammy to Milli Vanilli, for God's sake, they've been through enough. Great, great album, regardless of race, creed or sexual preference.

238. The Fragile - Nine Inch Nails (1999)
     Trent Reznor's third album is quite different from his first two and yet still holds onto that immediately recognizable NIN sound. I'll let Trent explain the difference. These are quotes from interviews done in 1999 and 2005:
*There's a general theme to the album of systems failing and things sort of falling apart. In keeping with the idea of making everything sound a little broken, I chose stringed instruments because they're imperfect by nature. Although it may not sound like it, most of the album is actually guitar - and that includes the orchestral sounds and weird melodic lines. When it came to instruments that I didn't really know how to play - like the ukulele or the slide guitar - we were able to get some really interesting sounds by making the studio the main instrument.
*The Fragile was an album based a lot in fear, because I was afraid as fuck about what was happening to me. That's why there aren't a lot of lyrics on that record. I couldn't fucking think. An unimaginable amount of effort went into that record in a very unfocused way.
     That sums it up. My second fave from Nine Inch Nails.

237. The Sun Sessions - Elvis Presley (1976)
     These tracks actually came from a young Elvis's famous first recordings at Sun Studios in the mid-50s. I am not a big Elvis fan. I appreciate him for what he is, was and has been to music, and obviously I enjoy some of his work, but certainly no other whole album. This one, however, would be hard for me not to include in any argument concerning the birth of rock 'n roll, not to mention possibly the first rock song, That's All Right. With tracks like Blue Moon Of Kentucky, I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone and my favorite versions of Mystery Train and Blue Moon, it's as incredible listening to such raw talent today as it is to think about how jawdropping it would have been to hear in the 50's.


236. Howl - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (2005)
     A San Fran band that, in a round-about way, stemmed from Brian Jonestown Massacre (you'll see them later), BRMC put out a couple of very good, blues-tinged psychedelic rock albums with a shoegazer twist to them. Then they dropped all of those genre defining labels except blues, added some gospel, country and folk rock and almost became an entirely different band. I am a big fan of these guys to this day, but this was their greatest album. From the foot stompin' porch blues of Ain't No Easy Way to the slow-burner blues of Shuffle Your Feet, the gorgeous acoustic Fault Line to the emotionally anthemic The Line (including the hidden track within it), this album epitomizes cool. As a last comment, check the vocal harmonies throughout as well, no one ever talks about that with this band, which is just a shame.

     There's that. Here's a quick comment from Joya....
Love that you included NWA here. My mom wouldn't allow me to own Guns N'Roses because of the Charles Manson connection, but Straight Outta Compton was in my collection :) 

     Thanks, Joya! NWA less obscene that G 'n R? THAT'S a fun discussion. At the risk of sounding stupid (too late), what is the Manson connection with G 'n R? I don't know if this is something I forgot about or something I didn't know. Now I want to, though. Someone post it on here, please.

     Here are some sections of a facebook thread concerning my friend Patrick's list of albums he has begun work on. There are some albums from the thread on my list, but several that are not (no Kinks, no Big Star), so these would be worth looking in to possibly for your aural pleasure as well.

Patrick - Alright, kids. You people know music better than anyone I know. I am in the planning stages of an epic list of albums. My personal Top 200. If you guys wouldn't mind, please submit some albums for consideration. Any artist, any genre. I'd love the imput. Thanks, fools. 

Sam - Big Star-Third/Sister Lovers
Nas-Illmatic
The Kinks-The Village Green Preservation Society
Prefuse 73-One Word Extinguisher (I don't know if you'll like this, but I recommend giving it a shot. It is one of my personal favorite albums.)
Try those for right now. I will try to think of more. Definitely pick of the Big Star...can't stress that enough. 
Carl -Weezer, the Blue Album and "Pinkerton"
-Helmet, "Betty"
-DJ Shadow, "Endtroducing..."
-Cake, "Fashion Nugget"
Cory - Rush - moving pictues, counterparts, or any of their 3 retrospective albums. 
Greg - I second Village Green Preservation SocietyRaw Power, Television--Marquee Moon, Gladys Knight & the Pips--Imagination, The Exploding Hearts--Guitar Romantic, Dinosaur Jr.--Bug and Farm, Morphine--Yes, Patti Smith--Horses, MC5, Lou Reed--Transformer, Velvets--Nico and Loaded. Shit. I'm just gonna make a list. 

     Lots of good ones there with most, I must admit, not on this list. Anyone looking for an album to review and send me? Maybe pass on DJ Shadow and the Velvets, though (oooh, foreshadowing). Finally, a quick review from good ole Matt....
Mika-'Life in cartoon motion': Mika is a British gay pop icon. He has multiple albums that are great but this is the only one on my list. 'Grace Kelly' is a terrific song with a catchy falsetto melody that will get stuck in your head for days! 'Love Today' is probably the most notable single he has released and actually did well in America too. 'Lollipop' and 'Big Girl (you are beautiful)' are the other must listen to tracks on this album. But, if you like these songs the rest of the album is just icing on the proverbial cake. 


     I do actually like that album, too. That's it for now. The next post will more than likely happen mid-next week, so check back then. If i can get an answer to the Manson/G'nR question, great, if I can get some comments/reviews, even better, dear readers!

#241-245

     Fair warning before these next 5...I've been posting, on average, 3 times a week since starting this. Next week I begin a new job that will have me much busier than I currently am, so it will probably get to the point when I will be posting once a week. I'll always say on my facebook page whenever there's a new post, otherwise, you can become a follower of this blog and you'll get a message telling you whenever there's a new post.
     I am anticipating some flood gates opening after this 5, but I hold to these choices as my personal top 300 albums, as always. So there. Along with these we'll have a few comments from the maineth Josh and my cousin Mike W. about other musical lists possibly in the making and previous posts on this baby you're reading. A review from said cousin as well and one more from good ole Matt. It's double your pleasure today. Also, a new poll inspired by much discussion of Pink Floyd lately, so, take it! Sgt. Pepper's beat out Revolver as the reader's choice for best Beatles album on the last poll. Not sure how that will work out on the list as we've a long way to go before we get there. We best get crackin'....

245. The Moon And Antarctica - Modest Mouse (2000)
     Most fans I know of this band insist this is the best album they've done. I actually think they've gotten better and have done better albums since this indie rock gem, although it does include my fave song by Modest Mouse, 3rd Planet. This was their third album and major label debut. Although it's been said this album was much more experimental than their previous efforts, I would also argue it is much more streamlined and focused. This is especially impressive as this album was also more instrumental than their others, which can often mean lyrics, subject and/or emotion takes a dive. Not so here. Check out Gravity Rides Everything, Dark Center Of The Universe, Paper Thin Walls, I Came As A Rat....many great songs on this one. I would say that this is the first real Modest Mouse album, and their first two were just collections of songs. Big difference.

244. New Train - Paul Pena (1973)
      This is truly one of the greatest albums to have almost never been released, and an incredible story. Although recorded in '73, New Train was not available to the music-buying public until 2000. Pena was a blind singer/guitarist/songwriter in San Fran during the late 60s/early 70s. He used to open for the Grateful Dead, and both Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders appear on this, his second album. Due to a dispute with the album's producer, New Train would wait almost 30 years to see the light of day...except for Pena's song Jet Airliner, which Steve Miller took for his own. The royalties Pena made from that one song supported him most of his life. Pena would later become more famous (surprisingly) as a Tuvan throat singer, as documented in the great movie Genghis Blues. To me, this album is the greatest musical accomplishment Pena gave us, and it is ridiculously underappreciated. The whole thing is great and hits several different styles, from the straight R&B and soul of Gonna Move and A Bit Of All Right to the rock of Jet Airliner (better than Miller's version) and Wait On What You Want, the Jimi Hendrixness of Cosmic Mirror and the Grateful Dead inflected Venutian Lady. This is probably an album you don't know, and certainly one that will pay off for you if you find it.

243. From The Choirgirl Hotel - Tori Amos (1998)
     Yup, another Tori, I know you all love it. She did fare better than Lil Wayne in the 'poll of haters' offered earlier in the spring on this blog, though, so I know some of you must be with me. I'll be brief as there will be one more Tori album much higher up. This is her fourth album and was quite the risk as she veered away from her typical piano-driven singer/songwriter folk leanings and busted into great rock songs (Spark, She's Your Cocaine), dance/club tracks (Raspberry Swirl) and radio-friendly electronica (Cruel, Liquid Diamonds). Playboy Mommy is one of my Tori favorites. Lyrically it's still comparable to her earlier albums with most tracks touching on her unfortunate miscarriages prior to recording, but if you know nothing of Tori other than the album I ranked at 286 (Under The Pink), you might think this album is from another artist entirely. And I mean that in the best possible way.

242. Hard Candy - Counting Crows (2002)
     This is a band that, in the garage, gets a bum rap. I've had many look at me when an album from this band starts up and say, "Really?" I don't understand this. This was their fourth of five current albums out, and the only one I really didn't dig was the most recent. This was the band's most critically acclaimed album, and I believe it to be their second best for different reasons. To me, the singles American Girls and the hidden Joni Mitchell cover track Big Yellow Taxi make me cringe. These are the tracks most critics like, though. It's just too 'rock band trying to make radio' to me. I love tracks like If I Could Give All My Love, which could have come from The Band. Or the awesomely 80s vibe of New Frontier. Or the beautiful pain of Carriage and Black And Blue that sound like they were written and dismissed as too angsty by James Taylor. That's the thing about this band, they're compared with everyone I've listed along with R.E.M., Van Morrison, even Dylan. The thing is, the great songs on this album, I don't even want to hear by those great artists. Nobody does Counting Crows like Counting Crows. Again, they have a better album coming later, but if all you know is Mr. Jones or that song from Shrek, listen to this album and thank me later while denying to your friends how much you like it.

241. Fear - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1991)
     This is the second and last Toad album on the list, as this is the band's best. For more on Toad the band, see #280. This was the album that broke the band....well, as much as Toad broke, anyway. It had two great singles make the Billboard charts with Walk On The Ocean and All I Want. It's a strange album in that it borders adult contemporary, mainstream and modern rock and pop, yet it still holds together as a cohesive creation. The subject matter of the songs range from immigrant farewells to those left behind to the self explanatory pseudo-buddhist I Will Not Take These Things For Granted to Hold Her Down, a song dripping with sarcasm from the point of view of a rapist. I am partial to the short and sweet Nightingale Song. A unique, excellent album who's content should not mesh together as an album, but does brilliantly.

     A while back (I think) I told you about some of the other musical lists those I know are becoming inspired to do. One of those was from my best mate Josh, whose crazy idea was to do his top 300 songs, which I wouldn't touch because it would drive me insane. Here is his excellent idea to still do the list and prevent the crazies from occurring....
going to construct top 300 songs WITHOUT USING ANY SONGS ON ROLLING STONES TOP 500. It will make it more challenging, less obvious, and more unique. should be fun. 

     This is an awesome idea and I am quite excited to see this list. Josh has been working on it and, if it gets finished before this blog does, I will post a link or snippets of his list here. Love that idea. Here's a few comments regarding the list from my cousin, Mike W...... 
...I noticed AIC's Greatest Hits did not make your cut, but you didn't list them among the artist's not on your list. As long as "Dirt" makes an appearance at some point, we're all good ;). Best album produced from the grunge era...I may be confused musically, but I'm certain of that much! BTW, I don't get "Yield"...Just don't...I also agree that Green Day's early stuff is better and has more soul to it, although I'd go a step further back than you did and argue 1039 Slip-Slappy Hours (sic?) is perhaps their greatest album. It's raw and perhaps an under-produced guilty pleasure, but I'm partial to it...

     Thanks, cuz. I have something to confess, however, and I usually like to save such things as surprises. There is no Alice In Chains on this list. If there would have been, it would have been the Greatest Hits, or maybe even Unplugged, before Dirt. I loved the band, had all albums, still love certain tracks. When I went back and listened to Dirt a few times, I just never felt it was great. I'd still say Nevermind was the best produced album during that period. I'll agree somewhat on Yield, I like it, but don't love it. And that first album by Green Day, which is actually 4 EPs strung together, is a really good album. That very well may be my second fave by them, it's just Dookie is the only one that made it. We'll hear more comments from Mike W. later, but for now, speaking of Alice In Chains with my cousin...
AIC - Unplugged...I have the utmost respect for Nirvana, but while most folks from the grunge era would argue "Nevermind" is the best album of the era, I respectfully would argue "Dirt" is. FWIW, I also think "In Utero" is better than "Nevermind" as well, although there is no denying "Nevermind" is the most influential, but I digress. Similarly, while most folks would argue Nirvana's Unplugged session was untouchable, I argue as great as that was, AIC one-upped them on the acoustic front too...  
     Thanks again, cuz, and I'll see if that might spurn some people to throw some comments on here. I admit, personally, I would disagree with most of that, but that AIC Unplugged album is a damn good one. Thoughts from the Peanut gallery?.....


     Finally, what would an entry be without a review from Matt...
Scissor Sisters- 'Night Work':
The third album from this band. This album delves deeper into the techno/dance sound the bands known for. A couple of well placed ballads make it a good albums that doesn't wear out. As always with this band most lyrics are hidden innuendos to make it cheeky and guilt free to sing along to. Even though live performance doesn't count on this list, I promise if you can see them and somewhat like them you'll become hard core fans. 'Night Work', 'Running Out', 'Fire with Fire', 'Something like this' and 'Sex and Violence' are the highlights of this album. 

     Thanks as always, Matt. Scissor Sisters is on this list a little further up the road, but not this album, Matt, it sucks. Ha!
     Thanks again to Josh, Mike W and Matt for their contributions. We'll get more from all of them later. I'll try to get another post on here by the end of the week while I still have time to do 2 posts a week! In the meantime, as always, take the Floyd poll and throw some comments at me. Curious to hear more about Nirvana vs. Alice In Chains, or how people feel about Counting Crows, or any damn musical-oriented thing. Light me up, people!

#246-250

     Before we get started on the next 50, I want to thank all the readers of this list. The blog's been up for a month and it's nearing 1800 views. Although this is nothing that incredible by blog standards (I don't think), it's way more views than I thought I'd get this early on in the list. I greatly appreciate you giving me a reason to continue 'wasting my time' doing this. I love it so. Cheers! AND special thanks to my international viewers, really didn't expect that, especially those in Denmark, the UK, Australia and Singapore. It appears I've had views in 9 countries outside of the U.S., and your regions have given me the most. Thanks again, I'd love to hear from you, and I hope you keep reading.
     Okay, here's the next 5, which I suspect may have some saying 'that should be higher.' Looking ahead, the next post will probably steer toward the opposite response, so it all evens out. I will also include 2 reviews in lieu of any comments as the reviews I have been getting currently outnumber the comments. One is from another of my fellow FMFs (Flint Music Freaks...could easily stand for other things and still work, too) on an album that I just listened to and loved (thanks, Scott!) and another from good ole' Matt. Off and runnin'....

250. Songs From A Room - Leonard Cohen (1969)
     I have never been a big fan of Cohen. No disrespect to one of the greatest songwriters alive, which he is. I have the same issues with Nick Cave. I'm just not into the whole goth folk thing. Slower but lengthy songs with minimal instrumentation, a deep bass voice and a darker, more suicidal vibe then, say, Dylan or Paul Simon. I do love a Cohen song taken out of it's original element, however, and would place him with the aforementioned two lyrical virtuosos as far as sheer songwriting goes. Regardless, this is the only Cohen album I love. Bird On A Wire is my favorite song by the former poet and novelist, and opens his second album. Other greats on the album include the Vietnam-through-Old Testament lesson of The Story Of Isaac, the anti-hero A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes and another personal fave, Lady Midnight. As I said, he's not my favorite, but if you are a Dylan or Paul Simon fan (or just a fan of incredible lyrical content and musical storytelling), you should give this album a good listen. Even after he expanded his orchestration on songs and explored different genres, this is his best.

249. Five Leaves Left - Nick Drake (1969)
     Two raging albums, back to back! Just kidding, obviously, as Nick Drake's first album was actually inspired by Leonard Cohen's early work. Similar to the album sitting below this on the list, it is a slower acoustic album from an artist shrouded in mystery with a singular voice and melancholy style and excellent writing lyrically. It differs in everything else. Tempos fluctuate more on this album and the guitar tunings and playing are much more complex and can give a guy sitting in his room trying to pick it out a nervous breakdown. There is some orchestration here, with gentle strings sometimes improving the song, sometimes not. But mostly, it's the voice. This voice that can lull you to sleep, put you in the most somber of moods, or pick you up proper and dust you off...sometimes all in the same song. Time Has Told Me and Day Is Done are simply some of the best acoustic Brit folk ever, as is the song Drake considered the centerpiece of the album, River Man. Some albums (like Cohen's) I feel I have to justify a bit, even to myself, when saying you, dear reader, will love it, too. This is not one of those albums. Just go listen.

248. Gris Gris - Dr. John (1968)
     The actual term 'gris-gris' means a voodoo amulet which wards off evil spirits. When listening to this masterful debut from the Night Tripper himself, you might feel like you need one. Mixing New Orleans R&B, psychedelica and an affinity for recreational chemicals, Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) and producer Harold Battiste created voodoo funk. Heavy with eerie chanting, spell incantations and African percussion that sounds as if a summons to zombies everywhere, this is the perfect stoner summer album for after everyone has left the party and you're sitting at home with the last shot, the last hit and the moon. Personal faves are Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, Mama Roux and the awesome closer, I Walk On Guilded Splinters.

247. White Blood Cells - The White Stripes (2002)
     The second of several albums listed from this band, I know many would say this is their best. While I disagree, it is certainly an incredible album and the one that broke them both commercially and critically with the single Fell In Love With A Girl. I confess, that was the first White Stripes song I ever heard, the one that started the madness within me as a loyal fan of Jack White and all he touches. Building on their blues/punk legacy from their first 2 albums, the Stripes ventured out of the dank smoke-filled rooms of back alley clubs and headed straight for...the dusty garage. Songs like Dead Leaves On The Dirty Ground and Offend In Every Way make you feel as though you're standing next to the Bonneville as you listen, with production on the album purposely left sounding raw and ridged. Jack White said of this album, "there's no blues on the record. We're taking a break from that. There's no slide work, bass, guitar solos, or cover songs. It's just me and Meg, guitar, drums and piano." As a last note, you'll be sorry if you don't check out the sweetly (and oddly) innocent We're Going to Be Friends.

246. Funkify Your Life: The Anthology - The Meters (1995)
     Another band with that distinctive New Orleans sound and marching party rhythm, The Meters belong with James Brown and the JB's and Parliament/Funkadelic as one of the greatest funk bands of all time. They were there from the beginnings of the genre. They were actually Dr. John's backing band at times, but they were best when they did their own thing. This collection encompasses their entire career with this collection of players from the late 60s through the late 70s. At 2 discs and over 40 tracks, I could give you a few stand-outs, but I have to say most of the entire first disc is excellent. Seriously, if you're a fan of funk and/or good Nawlins music and you don't have this set, shame on you. Go pick you up some phat juicy beats and guitar. Now.

     As promised, a band with a new album out from a new reviewer....
Check out Screaming Females album Castle Talk. They used to have more of a punk sound but the new album sounds like a cross between L7 and Smashing Pumpkins. Lead singer plays guitar like Billy Corgan or James Iha, whoever made the SP sound, with running punk basslines and throaty female vocals. Quiet Loud Quiet early nineties sound but this is very different. Chad dubbed it stoner punk. They have toured with The Dead Weather. She is an amazing and unique guitarists. One of best I have heard since Jack White. Good stuff. 

     Thanks, Scott. And you're right, it is good stuff. Here's one more from Matt....
Incubus-'Morning View'
There is always dissension when discussing the best Incubus album. Many feel the older the better. Most like 'Make Yourself' which is on my list, but just not as high as this album. By this time Incubus had settled into their sound and began getting major recognition. The album fine tunes their alternative/ska/funky vibes featured on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and other previous albums. '11 A.M.', 'Warning', 'Wish you were here' are the three best tracks in my opinion but there are great songs throughout. 

     That's all that's fit for print today. I am, indeed, beginning to run low on comments and reviews. I've had many say "oh yeah, I'm gonna give you 3" only to have an empty inbox to show for it. Thanks to Ryan, Scott, Michael and, of course, Matt for giving me a counterpoint and/or some great additional albums so far. The rest of you...git yo shit togetha! This goes for my international readers as well, I'd love to read a lil sumpthin sumpthin about what you're feeling is missing on here, or what you're listening to now. Hit me, people...that's not an offer you'll here from me often. Just please, be gentle. Oh so gentle. Or not.