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 | Rank: 301 Album: 1 of 50 Artist: Dolly Parton Title: Coat of Many Colors Released: 1971-10 Tracks: 14 Duration: 37:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Coat of Many Colors (03:05) 2 Travelling Man (02:41) 3 My Blue Tears (02:17) 4 If I Lose My Mind (02:30) 5 The Mystery of the Mystery (02:28) 6 She Never Met a Man (She Didn’t Like) (02:43) 7 Early Morning Breeze (02:56) 8 The Way I See You (02:48) 9 Here I Am (03:19) 10 A Better Place to Live (02:41) 11 My Heart Started Breaking (03:04) 12 Just as Good as Gone (02:30) 13 The Tender Touch of Love (02:28) 14 My Blue Tears (acoustic demo) (02:24) |
| Coat of Many Colors : Allmusic album Review : Dolly Parton had a number of hits in the late 60s as Porter Wagoners duet partner, yet solo success eluded her until her 1971 album Coat of Many Colors. The title track was a Top Ten single, and it effectively became her signature song, largely because it was a sweetly autobiographical tune about her childhood. That song, along with its two hit predecessors, "Traveling Man" and "My Blue Tears," were evidence that Parton was a strong songwriter, but the full album reveals the true depth of her talents. She wrote seven of the ten songs (Wagoner wrote the other three), none of which is filler. There isnt really a theme behind Coat of Many Colors, even if its title track suggests otherwise. Instead, its a remarkably consistent album, in terms of songwriting and performances, but also remarkably diverse, revealing that Dolly can handle ballads, country-rockers, tearjerkers, and country-pop with equal aplomb. And while it is very short, clocking in at under a half-hour, there isnt a wasted moment on the album. Its a lean, trim album that impresses because of succinctness -- with its ten songs, it announced Parton as a major talent in her own right, not merely a duet partner. | ||
 | Rank: 302 Album: 2 of 50 Artist: Public Enemy Title: Fear of a Black Planet Released: 1990-03-20 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:03:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Contract on the World Love Jam (01:44) 2 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 3 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 4 Incident at 66.6 FM (01:37) 5 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 6 Meet the G That Killed Me (00:44) 7 Pollywanacraka (04:13) 8 Anti‐Nigger Machine (02:39) 9 Burn Hollywood Burn (03:04) 10 Power to the People (03:48) 11 Who Stole the Soul? (03:52) 12 Fear of a Black Planet (03:42) 13 Revolutionary Generation (05:43) 14 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (02:46) 15 Reggie Jax (01:35) 16 Leave This Off Your Fuckin’ Charts (02:31) 17 B Side Wins Again (03:45) 18 War at 33⅓ (02:07) 19 Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned (00:48) 20 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) |
| Fear of a Black Planet : Allmusic album Review : At the time of its release in March 1990 -- just a mere two years after It Takes a Nation of Millions -- nearly all of the attention spent on Public Enemys third album, Fear of a Black Planet, was concentrated on the dying controversy over Professor Griffs anti-Semitic statements of 1989, and how leader Chuck D bungled the public relations regarding his dismissal. References to the controversy are scattered throughout the album -- and it fueled the incendiary lead single, "Welcome to the Terrordome" -- but years later, after the furor has died down, what remains is a remarkable piece of modern art, a record that ushered in the 90s in a hail of multiculturalism and kaleidoscopic confusion. It also easily stands as the Bomb Squads finest musical moment. Where Millions was all about aggression -- layered aggression, but aggression nonetheless -- Fear of a Black Planet encompasses everything, touching on seductive grooves, relentless beats, hard funk, and dub reggae without blinking an eye. All the more impressive is that this is one of the records made during the golden age of sampling, before legal limits were set on sampling, so this is a wild, endlessly layered record filled with familiar sounds you cant place; its nearly as heady as the Beastie Boys magnum opus, Pauls Boutique, in how it pulls from anonymous and familiar sources to create something totally original and modern. While the Bomb Squad were casting a wider net, Chuck Ds writing was tighter than ever, with each track tackling a specific topic (apart from the aforementioned "Welcome to the Terrordome," whose careening rhymes and paranoid confusion are all the more effective when surrounded by such detailed arguments), a sentiment that spills over to Flavor Flav, who delivers the pungent black humor of "911 Is a Joke," perhaps the best-known song here. Chuck gets himself into trouble here and there -- most notoriously on "Meet the G That Killed Me," where he skirts with homophobia -- but by and large, hes never been so eloquent, angry, or persuasive as he is here. This isnt as revolutionary or as potent as Millions, but it holds together better, and as a piece of music, this is the best hip-hop has ever had to offer. | ||
 | Rank: 303 Album: 3 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: John Wesley Harding Released: 1967-12-27 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 John Wesley Harding (02:57) 2 As I Went Out One Morning (02:49) 3 I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (03:53) 4 All Along the Watchtower (02:32) 5 The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (05:36) 6 Drifter’s Escape (02:52) 7 Dear Landlord (03:16) 8 I Am a Lonesome Hobo (03:19) 9 I Pity the Poor Immigrant (04:12) 10 The Wicked Messenger (02:03) 11 Down Along the Cove (02:23) 12 I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (02:38) |
| John Wesley Harding : Allmusic album Review : Bob Dylan returned from exile with John Wesley Harding, a quiet, country-tinged album that split dramatically from his previous three. A calm, reflective album, John Wesley Harding strips away all of the wilder tendencies of Dylans rock albums -- even the then-unreleased Basement Tapes he made the previous year -- but it isnt a return to his folk roots. If anything, the album is his first serious foray into country, but only a handful of songs, such as "Ill Be Your Baby Tonight," are straight country songs. Instead, John Wesley Harding is informed by the rustic sound of country, as well as many rural myths, with seemingly simple songs like "All Along the Watchtower," "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," and "The Wicked Messenger" revealing several layers of meaning with repeated plays. Although the lyrics are somewhat enigmatic, the music is simple, direct, and melodic, providing a touchstone for the country-rock revolution that swept through rock in the late 60s. | ||
 | Rank: 304 Album: 4 of 50 Artist: Jeff Buckley Title: Grace Released: 1994-08-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mojo Pin (05:42) 2 Grace (05:22) 3 Last Goodbye (04:35) 4 Lilac Wine (04:32) 5 So Real (04:43) 6 Hallelujah (06:53) 7 Lover, You Shouldve Come Over (06:43) 8 Corpus Christi Carol (02:56) 9 Eternal Life (04:52) 10 Dream Brother (05:26) |
| Grace : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Buckley was many things, but humble wasnt one of them. Grace is an audacious debut album, filled with sweeping choruses, bombastic arrangements, searching lyrics, and above all, the richly textured voice of Buckley himself, which resembled a cross between Robert Plant, Van Morrison, and his father Tim. And thats a fair starting point for his music: Grace sounds like a Led Zeppelin album written by an ambitious folkie with a fondness for lounge jazz. At his best -- the soaring title track, "Last Goodbye," and the mournful "Lover, You Shouldve Come Over" -- Buckleys grasp met his reach with startling results; at its worst, Grace is merely promising. | ||
 | Rank: 305 Album: 5 of 50 Artist: Lucinda Williams Title: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Released: 1998-06-30 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Right in Time (04:36) 2 Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (04:44) 3 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (04:42) 4 Drunken Angel (03:20) 5 Concrete and Barbed Wire (03:08) 6 Lake Charles (05:28) 7 Cant Let Go (03:28) 8 I Lost It (03:31) 9 Metal Firecracker (03:30) 10 Greenville (03:23) 11 Still I Long for Your Kiss (04:09) 12 Joy (04:01) 13 Jackson (03:42) |
| Car Wheels on a Gravel Road : Allmusic album Review : It isnt surprising that Lucinda Williams level of craft takes time to assemble, but the six-year wait between Sweet Old World and its 1998 follow-up, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, still raised eyebrows. The delay stemmed both from label difficulties and Williams meticulous perfectionism, the latter reportedly over a too-produced sound and her own vocals. Listening to the record, one can understand why both might have concerned Williams. Car Wheels is far and away her most produced album to date, which is something of a mixed blessing. Its surfaces are clean and contemporary, with something in the timbres of the instruments (especially the drums) sounding extremely typical of a late-90s major-label roots-rock album. While that might subtly alter the timeless qualities of Williams writing, theres also no denying that her sound is punchier and livelier. The production also throws Williams idiosyncratic voice into sharp relief, to the point where its noticeably separate from the band. As a result, every inflection and slight tonal alteration is captured, and it would hardly be surprising if Williams did obsess over those small details. But whether or not you miss the earthiness of Car Wheels predecessors, its ultimately the material that matters, and Williams songwriting is as captivating as ever. Intentionally or not, the albums common thread seems to be its strongly grounded sense of place -- specifically, the Deep South, conveyed through images and numerous references to specific towns. Many songs are set, in some way, in the middle or aftermath of not-quite-resolved love affairs, as Williams meditates on the complexities of human passion. Even her simplest songs have more going on under the surface than their poetic structures might indicate. In the end, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is Williams third straight winner; although she might not be the most prolific songwriter of the 90s, shes certainly one of the most brilliant. | ||
 | Rank: 306 Album: 6 of 50 Artist: Beck Title: Odelay Released: 1996-06-17 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:15:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Devils Haircut (03:14) 2 Hotwax (03:49) 3 Lord Only Knows (04:14) 4 The New Pollution (03:39) 5 Derelict (04:12) 6 Novacane (04:37) 7 Jack‐Ass (04:11) 8 Where It’s At (05:30) 9 Minus (02:32) 10 Sissyneck (03:52) 11 Readymade (02:37) 12 High 5 (Rock the Catskills) (04:10) 13 Ramshackle (04:47) 14 Computer Rock (00:43) 15 Deadweight (06:12) 16 Inferno (07:03) 17 Gold Chains (04:59) 1 Where It’s At (U.N.K.L.E. remix) (12:26) 2 Richard’s Hairpiece (Aphex Twin remix of “Devil’s Haircut”) (03:19) 3 American Wasteland (Mickey P. remix of “Devil’s Haircut”) (02:42) 4 Clock (03:17) 5 Thunder Peel (02:40) 6 Electric Music and the Summer People (04:38) 7 Lemonade (02:21) 8 SA‐5 (01:53) 9 Feather in Your Cap (03:45) 10 Erase the Sun (02:56) 11 .000.000 (05:25) 12 Brother (04:47) 13 Devil Got My Woman (04:34) 14 Trouble All My Days (02:25) 15 Strange Invitation (04:06) 16 Burro (03:13) |
| Odelay : Allmusic album Review : Unlike Stereopathetic Soul Manure and One Foot in the Grave, the indie albums that followed his debut Mellow Gold by a mere matter of months, Odelay was a full-fledged, full-bodied album, released on a major label in the summer of 1996 and bearing an intricate, meticulous production by the Dust Brothers in their first gig since the Beastie Boys Pauls Boutique. Odelay shared a similar collage structure to that 1989 masterpiece, relying on a blend of found sounds and samples, but instead of lending the album its primary colors, the Dust Brothers provided the accents, highlighting Becks ever-changing sounds, tying together his stylistic shifts, making the leaps from the dirge-blues of "Jack-Ass" to the hazy party rock of "Wheres Its At" seem not so great. Like Mellow Gold, Odelay winds up touching on a number of disparate strands -- folk and country, grungy garage rock, stiff-boned electro, louche exotica, old-school rap, touches of noise rock -- but theres no break-neck snap between sensibilities, everything flows smoothly, the dense sounds suggesting that the songs are a bit more complicated than they actually are. Most of the songs here betray Becks roots as an anti-folk singer -- he reworks blues structures ("Devils Haircut"), country ("Lord Only Knows," "Sissyneck"), soul ("Hotwax"), folk ("Ramshackle") and rap ("High 5 [Rock the Catskills]," "Where Its At") -- but each track twists conventions, either in their construction or presentation, giving this a vibrant, electric pulse, surprising in its form and attack. Like a mosaic, all the details add up to a picture greater than its parts, so while some of Becks best songs are here, Odelay is best appreciated as a recorded whole, with each layered sample enhancing the allusion that came before. | ||
 | Rank: 307 Album: 7 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: A Hard Days Night Released: 1964-06-26 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Hard Day’s Night (02:28) 2 Tell Me Why (02:04) 3 I’ll Cry Instead (02:06) 4 I Should Have Known Better (instrumental) (02:16) 5 I’m Happy Just to Dance With You (01:59) 6 And I Love Her (instrumental) (03:42) 7 I Should Have Known Better (02:44) 8 If I Fell (02:16) 9 And I Love Her (02:29) 10 Ringo’s Theme (This Boy) (instrumental) (03:06) 11 Can’t Buy Me Love (02:15) 12 A Hard Day’s Night (instrumental) (02:00) |
| A Hard Day's Night : Allmusic album Review : Considering the quality of the original material on With the Beatles, it shouldnt have been a surprise that Lennon & McCartney decided to devote their third album to all-original material. Nevertheless, that decision still impresses, not only because the album is so strong, but because it was written and recorded at a time when the Beatles were constantly touring, giving regular BBC concerts, appearing on television and releasing non-LP singles and EPs, as well as filming their first motion picture. In that context, the achievement of A Hard Days Night is all the more astounding. Not only was the record the de facto soundtrack for their movie, not only was it filled with nothing but Lennon-McCartney originals, but it found the Beatles truly coming into their own as a band by performing a uniformly excellent set of songs. All of the disparate influences on their first two albums had coalesced into a bright, joyous, original sound filled with ringing guitars and irresistible melodies. They had certainly found their musical voice before, but A Hard Days Night is where it became mythical. In just a few years, they made more adventurous and accomplished albums, but this is the sound of Beatlemania in all of its giddy glory -- for better and for worse, this is the definitive Beatles album, the one every group throughout the ages has used as a blueprint. Listening to the album, its easy to see why. Decades after its original release, A Hard Days Nights punchy blend of propulsive rhythms, jangly guitars, and infectious, singalong melodies is remarkably fresh. Theres something intrinsically exciting in the sound of the album itself, something to keep the record vital years after it was recorded. Even more impressive are the songs themselves. Not only are the melodies forceful and memorable, but Lennon and McCartney have found a number of variations to their basic Merseybeat style, from the brash "Cant Buy Me Love" and "Any Time at All," through the gentle "If I Fell," to the tough folk-rock of "Ill Cry Instead." Its possible to hear both songwriters develop their own distinctive voices on the album, but overall, A Hard Days Night stands as a testament to their collaborative powers -- never again did they write together so well or so easily, choosing to pursue their own routes. John and Paul must have known how strong the material is -- they threw the pleasant trifle "Im Happy Just to Dance with You" to George and didnt give anything to Ringo to sing. That may have been a little selfish, but it hardly hurts the album, since everything on the record is performed with genuine glee and excitement. Its the pinnacle of their early years. | ||
 | Rank: 308 Album: 8 of 50 Artist: Frank Sinatra Title: Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! Released: 1956-03 Tracks: 15 Duration: 44:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Make Me Feel So Young (02:57) 2 It Happened in Monterey (02:37) 3 You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me (02:19) 4 You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me (02:49) 5 Too Marvelous for Words (02:32) 6 Old Devil Moon (03:57) 7 Pennies From Heaven (02:45) 8 Love Is Here to Stay (02:42) 9 I’ve Got You Under My Skin (03:43) 10 I Thought About You (02:32) 11 We’ll Be Together Again (04:27) 12 Makin’ Whoopee (03:08) 13 Swingin’ Down the Lane (02:54) 14 Anything Goes (02:44) 15 How About You? (02:46) |
| Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! : Allmusic album Review : After the ballad-heavy In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra and Nelson Riddle returned to up-tempo, swing material with Songs for Swingin Lovers!, arguably the vocalists greatest swing set. Like Sinatras previous Capitol albums, Songs for Swingin Lovers! consists of reinterpreted pop standards, ranging from the ten-year-old "You Make Me Feel So Young" to the 20-year-old "Pennies From Heaven" and "Ive Got You Under My Skin." Sinatra is supremely confident throughout the album, singing with authority and joy. That joy is replicated in Riddles arrangements, which manage to rethink these standards in fresh yet reverent ways. Working with a core rhythm section and a full string orchestra, Riddle writes scores that are surprisingly subtle. "Ive Got You Under My Skin," with its breathtaking middle section, is a perfect example of how Sinatra works with the band. Both swing hard, stretching out the rhythms and melodies but never losing sight of the original song. Songs for Swingin Lovers! never loses momentum. The great songs keep coming and the performances are all stellar, resulting in one of Sinatras true classics. | ||
 | Rank: 309 Album: 9 of 50 Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival Title: Willy and the Poor Boys Released: 1969-11-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Down on the Corner (02:45) 2 It Came out of the Sky (02:56) 3 Cotton Fields (02:57) 4 Poorboy Shuffle (02:25) 5 Feelin’ Blue (05:07) 6 Fortunate Son (02:20) 7 Don’t Look Now (02:11) 8 The Midnight Special (04:13) 9 Side o’ the Road (03:25) 10 Effigy (06:33) |
| Willy and the Poor Boys : Allmusic album Review : Make no mistake, Willy & the Poor Boys is a fun record, perhaps the breeziest album CCR ever made. Apart from the eerie minor-key closer "Effigy" (one of John Fogertys most haunting numbers), there is little of the doom that colored Green River. Fogertys rage remains, blazing to the forefront on "Fortunate Son," a working-class protest song that cuts harder than any of the explicit Vietnam protest songs of the era, which is one of the reasons that it hasnt aged where its peers have. Also, theres that unbridled vocal from Fogerty and the ferocious playing on CCR, which both sound fresh as they did upon release. "Fortunate Son" is one of the greatest, hardest rock & rollers ever cut, so it might seem to be out of step with an album that is pretty laid-back and friendly, but theres that elemental joy that by late 69 was one of CCRs main trademarks. That joy runs throughout the album, from the gleeful single "Down on the Corner" and the lazy jugband blues of "Poorboy Shuffle" through the great slow blues jam "Feelin Blue" to the great rockabilly spiritual "Dont Look Now," one of Fogertys overlooked gems. The covers dont feel like throwaways, either, since both "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special" have been overhauled to feel like genuine CCR songs. It all adds up to one of the greatest pure rock & roll records ever cut. | ||
 | Rank: 310 Album: 10 of 50 Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers Title: Blood Sugar Sex Magik Released: 1991-09-24 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:14:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Power of Equality (04:04) 2 If You Have to Ask (03:37) 3 Breaking the Girl (04:55) 4 Funky Monks (05:23) 5 Suck My Kiss (03:37) 6 I Could Have Lied (04:04) 7 Mellowship Slinky in B major (04:00) 8 The Righteous & The Wicked (04:08) 9 Give It Away (04:44) 10 Blood Sugar Sex Magik (04:31) 11 Under the Bridge (04:26) 12 Naked in the Rain (04:26) 13 Apache Rose Peacock (04:43) 14 The Greeting Song (03:14) 15 My Lovely Man (04:41) 16 Sir Psycho Sexy (08:17) 17 They’re Red Hot (01:11) |
| Blood Sugar Sex Magik : Allmusic album Review : The Red Hot Chili Peppers best album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik benefits immensely from Rick Rubins production -- John Frusciantes guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent, even if some of the grooves drag on too long. Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis is as preoccupied with sex as ever, whether invoking it as his muse, begging for it, or boasting in great detail about his prowess, best showcased on the infectiously funky singles "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss." However, he tempers his testosterone with a more sensitive side, writing about the emotional side of failed relationships ("Breaking the Girl," "I Could Have Lied"), his drug addictions ("Under the Bridge" and an elegy for Hillel Slovak, "My Lovely Man"), and some hippie-ish calls for a peaceful utopia. Three of those last four songs (excluding "My Lovely Man") mark the bands first consistent embrace of lilting acoustic balladry, and while its not what Kiedis does best as a vocalist, these are some of the albums finest moments, varying and expanding the groups musical and emotional range. Frusciante departed after the supporting tour, leaving Blood Sugar Sex Magik as probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make. | ||
 | Rank: 311 Album: 11 of 50 Artist: Various Artists Title: The Sun Records Collection Released: 1994 Tracks: 48 Duration: 2:05:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Gotta Let You Go (02:46) 2 Rocket 88 (02:49) 3 B.B. Blues (02:31) 4 Swamp Root (02:34) 5 Moanin’ at Midnight (02:56) 6 How Many More Years (02:42) 7 There’s a Man in Jerusalem (02:23) 8 Rats in My Kitchen (03:06) 9 She May Be Yours (But She Comes to See Me Sometime) (03:03) 10 Baker Shop Boogie (02:47) 11 Easy (02:57) 12 Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (02:51) 13 Take a Little Chance (02:19) 14 Just Walkin’ in the Rain (02:40) 15 Make Room in the Lifeboat for Me (02:35) 16 Feelin’ Good (02:58) 17 Tiger Man (King of the Jungle) (02:48) 18 Mystery Train (02:23) 19 Come Back Baby (02:48) 20 Gospel Train (02:20) 21 My Kind of Carryin’ On (01:58) 22 I’m Gonna Murder My Baby (03:05) 23 Cotton Crop Blues (02:55) 1 That’s All Right (01:55) 2 Good Rockin’ Tonight (02:12) 3 Drinkin’ Wine Spo‐Dee‐O‐Dee (02:50) 4 Turn Around (02:58) 5 Baby Let’s Play House (02:16) 6 Someday You Will Pay (02:19) 7 Red Hot (02:25) 8 Lookin’ for My Baby (02:53) 9 Cry! Cry! Cry! (02:28) 10 Sitting by My Window (03:25) 11 Mystery Train (02:29) 12 Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing (02:51) 13 Defrost Your Heart (02:32) 14 Folsom Prison Blues (02:49) 15 Blue Suede Shoes (02:15) 16 Honey, Don’t! (02:50) 17 Let’s Get High (02:37) 18 Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby (02:14) 19 Rock ’n’ Roll Ruby (02:50) 20 I Walk the Line (02:44) 21 Get Rhythm (02:14) 22 Ooby Dooby (02:12) 23 Red Headed Woman (02:10) 24 Dixie Fried (version 2: single master) (02:26) 25 Ubangi Stomp (01:58) |
 | Rank: 312 Album: 12 of 50 Artist: Jane’s Addiction Title: Nothing’s Shocking Released: 1988-08-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Up the Beach (03:01) 2 Ocean Size (04:19) 3 Had a Dad (03:45) 4 Ted, Just Admit It… (07:22) 5 Standing in the Shower… Thinking (03:05) 6 Summertime Rolls (06:20) 7 Mountain Song (04:03) 8 Idiots Rule (03:01) 9 Jane Says (04:53) 10 Thank You Boys (01:04) 11 Pig’s in Zen (04:30) |
| Nothing’s Shocking : Allmusic album Review : Although Janes Addictions 1987 self-titled debut was an intriguing release (few alternative bands at the time had the courage to mix modern rock, prog rock, and heavy metal together), it paled in comparison to their now classic major-label release one year later, Nothings Shocking. Produced by Dave Jerden and Janes Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell, the album was more focused and packed more of a sonic wallop than its predecessor; the fiery performances often create an amazing sense that it could all fall apart at any second, creating a fantastic musical tension. Such tracks as "Up the Beach," "Ocean Size," and one of alt-rocks greatest anthems, "Mountain Song," contain the spaciousness created by the bands two biggest influences, Led Zeppelin and the Cure. Elsewhere, "Ted, Just Admit It..." (about serial killer Ted Bundy) and the haunting yet gorgeous "Summertime Rolls" stretched to epic proportions, making great use of changing moods and dynamics (something most alt-rock bands of the time were oblivious to). An incredibly consistent and challenging album, other highlights included the rockers "Had a Dad" and "Pigs in Zen," the horn-driven "Idiots Rule," the jazz instrumental "Thank You Boys," and the up-tempo "Standing in the Shower...Thinking." Like most great bands, it was not a single member whose contribution was greater: Perry Farrells unique voice and lyrics, Dave Navarros guitar riffs and wailing leads, Eric Averys sturdy basslines, and one of rocks greatest and most powerful drummers, Stephen Perkins. Nothings Shocking is a must-have for lovers of cutting-edge, influential, and timeless hard rock. | ||
 | Rank: 313 Album: 13 of 50 Artist: Nirvana Title: MTV Unplugged in New York Released: 1994-11-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 53:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 About a Girl (03:38) 2 Come as You Are (04:13) 3 Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam (04:37) 4 The Man Who Sold the World (04:21) 5 Pennyroyal Tea (03:40) 6 Dumb (02:52) 7 Polly (03:16) 8 On a Plain (03:44) 9 Something in the Way (04:01) 10 Plateau (03:38) 11 Oh Me (03:26) 12 Lake of Fire (02:55) 13 All Apologies (04:23) 14 Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (05:06) |
| MTV Unplugged in New York : Allmusic album Review : If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobains talents and pain so fascinating, its hard to listen to repeatedly. Is it the choice of material or the spare surroundings that make it so effective? Well, its certainly a combination of both, how the version of the Vaselines "Jesus Doesnt Want Me for a Sunbeam" or the three covers of Meat Puppets II songs mean as much as "All Apologies" or "Something in the Way." This, in many senses, isnt just an abnormal Nirvana record, capturing them in their sincerest desire to be R.E.M. circa Automatic for the People, its the Nirvana record that nobody, especially Kurt, wanted revealed. Its a nakedly emotional record, unintentionally so, as the subtext means more than the main themes of how Nirvana wanted to prove its worth and diversity, showcasing the depth of their songwriting. As it turns out, it accomplishes its goals rather too well; this is a band, and songwriter, on the verge of discovering a new sound and style. Then, theres the subtexts, as Kurts hurt and suicidal impulses bubble to the surface even as hes trying to suppress them. Few records are as unblinkingly bare and naked as this, especially albums recorded by their peers. No other band could have offered covers of David Bowies "The Man Who Sold the World" and the folk standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" on the same record, turning in chilling performances of both -- performances that reveal as much as their original songs. | ||
 | Rank: 314 Album: 14 of 50 Artist: Lauryn Hill Title: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Released: 1998-08-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:47) 2 Lost Ones (05:34) 3 Ex‐Factor (05:27) 4 To Zion (06:09) 5 Doo Wop (That Thing) (05:20) 6 Superstar (04:57) 7 Final Hour (04:16) 8 When It Hurts So Bad (05:42) 9 I Used to Love Him (05:40) 10 Forgive Them Father (05:15) 11 Every Ghetto, Every City (05:15) 12 Nothing Even Matters (05:51) 13 Everything Is Everything (04:53) 14 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (04:17) 15 Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You (03:42) 16 Tell Him (04:41) |
| The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill : Allmusic album Review : Though the Fugees had been wildly successful, and Lauryn Hill had been widely recognized as a key to their popularity, few were prepared for her stunning debut. The social heart of the group and its most talented performer, she tailored The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill not as a crossover record but as a collection of overtly personal and political statements; nevertheless, it rocketed to the top of the album charts and made her a superstar. Also, and most importantly, it introduced to the wider pop world an astonishingly broad talent. Hills verses were intelligent and hardcore, with the talent to rank up there with Method Man. And for the choruses she could move from tough to smooth in a flash, with a vocal prowess that allowed her to be her own chanteuse (à la Mariah Carey). Hill, of Haitian heritage, rhymed in a tough Caribbean patois on the opener, "Lost Ones," wasting little time to excoriate her former bandmates and/or record-label executives for caving in to commercial success. She used a feature for Carlos Santana ("To Zion") to explain how her child comes before her career and found a hit single with "Doo Wop (That Thing)," an intelligent dissection of the sex game that saw it from both angles. "Superstar" took to task musicians with more emphasis on the bottom line than making great music (perhaps another Fugees nod), while her collaborations with a pair of sympathetic R&B superstars (DAngelo and Mary J. Blige) also paid major dividends. And if her performing talents, vocal range, and songwriting smarts werent enough, Hill also produced much of the record, ranging from stun-gun hip-hop to smoother R&B with little trouble. Though it certainly didnt sound like a crossover record, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill affected so many widely varying audiences that its no surprise the record became a commercial hit as well as a musical epoch-maker. | ||
 | Rank: 315 Album: 15 of 50 Artist: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Title: Damn the Torpedoes Released: 1979-10-19 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Refugee (03:22) 2 Here Comes My Girl (04:26) 3 Even the Losers (04:00) 4 Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid) (04:25) 5 Century City (03:45) 6 Don’t Do Me Like That (02:42) 7 You Tell Me (04:34) 8 What Are You Doin’ in My Life? (03:26) 9 Louisiana Rain (05:55) |
| Damn the Torpedoes : Allmusic album Review : Not long after Youre Gonna Get It, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers label, Shelter, was sold to MCA Records. Petty struggled to free himself from the major label, eventually sending himself into bankruptcy. He settled with MCA and set to work on his third album, digging out some old Mudcrutch numbers and quickly writing new songs. Amazingly, through all the frustration and anguish, Petty & the Heartbreakers delivered their breakthrough and arguably their masterpiece with Damn the Torpedoes. Musically, it follows through on the promise of their first two albums, offering a tough, streamlined fusion of the Stones and Byrds that, thanks to Jimmy Iovines clean production, sounded utterly modern yet timeless. It helped that the Heartbreakers had turned into a tighter, muscular outfit, reminiscent of, well, the Stones in their prime -- all of the parts combine into a powerful, distinctive sound capable of all sorts of subtle variations. Their musical suppleness helps bring out the soul in Pettys impressive set of songs. He had written a few classics before -- "American Girl," "Listen to Her Heart" -- but here his songwriting truly blossoms. Most of the songs have a deep melancholy undercurrent -- the tough "Here Comes My Girl" and "Even the Losers" have tender hearts; the infectious "Dont Do Me Like That" masks a painful relationship; "Refugee" is a scornful, blistering rocker; "Louisiana Rain" is a tear-jerking ballad. Yet there are purpose and passion behind the performances that makes Damn the Torpedoes an invigorating listen all the same. Few mainstream rock albums of the late 70s and early 80s were quite as strong as this, and it still stands as one of the great records of the album rock era. | ||
 | Rank: 316 Album: 16 of 50 Artist: The Velvet Underground Title: The Velvet Underground Released: 1969-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Candy Says (04:04) 2 What Goes On (04:55) 3 Some Kinda Love (04:03) 4 Pale Blue Eyes (05:41) 5 Jesus (03:24) 6 Beginning to See the Light (04:41) 7 I’m Set Free (04:04) 8 That’s the Story of My Life (02:04) 9 The Murder Mystery (08:56) 10 Afterhours (02:07) |
| The Velvet Underground : Allmusic album Review : Upon first release, the Velvet Undergrounds self-titled third album must have surprised their fans nearly as much as their first two albums shocked the few mainstream music fans who heard them. After testing the limits of how musically and thematically challenging rock could be on Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat, this 1969 release sounded spare, quiet, and contemplative, as if the previous albums documented some manic, speed-fueled party and this was the subdued morning after. (The albums relative calm has often been attributed to the departure of the bands most committed avant-gardist, John Cale, in the fall of 1968; the arrival of new bassist Doug Yule; and the theft of the bands amplifiers shortly before they began recording.) But Lou Reeds lyrical exploration of the demimonde is as keen here as on any album he ever made, while displaying a warmth and compassion he sometimes denied his characters. "Candy Says," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "Im Set Free" may be more muted in approach than what the band had done in the past, but "What Goes On" and "Beginning to See the Light" made it clear the VU still loved rock & roll, and "The Murder Mystery" (which mixes and matches four separate poetic narratives) is as brave and uncompromising as anything on White Light/White Heat. This album sounds less like the Velvet Underground than any of their studio albums, but its as personal, honest, and moving as anything Lou Reed ever committed to tape. | ||
 | Rank: 317 Album: 17 of 50 Artist: Pixies Title: Surfer Rosa Released: 1988-03-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 33:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bone Machine (03:03) 2 Break My Body (02:05) 3 Something Against You (01:47) 4 Broken Face (01:30) 5 Gigantic (03:54) 6 River Euphrates (02:31) 7 Where Is My Mind? (03:53) 8 Cactus (02:16) 9 Tony’s Theme (01:52) 10 Oh My Golly! / [untitled] (02:32) 11 Vamos (04:20) 12 I’m Amazed (01:42) 13 Brick Is Red (02:00) |
| Surfer Rosa : Allmusic album Review : One of the most compulsively listenable college rock albums of the 80s, the Pixies 1988 full-length debut Surfer Rosa fulfilled the promise of Come on Pilgrim and, thanks to Steve Albinis production, added a muscular edge that made their harshest moments seem even more menacing and perverse. On songs like "Something Against You," Black Francis cryptic shrieks and non sequiturs are backed by David Lovering and Kim Deals punchy rhythms, which are so visceral that theyd overwhelm any guitarist except Joey Santiago, who takes the spotlight on the epic "Vamos." Albinis high-contrast dynamics suit Surfer Rosa well, especially on the explosive opener "Bone Machine" and the kinky, T. Rex-inspired "Cactus." But, like the black-and-white photo of a flamenco dancer on its cover, Surfer Rosa is the Pixies most polarized work. For each blazing piece of punk, there are softer, poppier moments such as "Where Is My Mind?," Francis strangely poignant song inspired by scuba diving in the Caribbean, and the Kim Deal-penned "Gigantic," which almost outshines the rest of the album. But even Surfer Rosas less iconic songs reflect how important the album was in the groups development. The "song about a superhero named Tony" ("Tonys Theme") was the most lighthearted song the Pixies had recorded, pointing the way to their more overtly playful, whimsical work on Doolittle. Francis warped sense of humor is evident in lyrics like "Bone Machine"s "He bought me a soda and tried to molest me in the parking lot/Yep yep yep!" In a year that included landmark albums from contemporaries like Throwing Muses, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine, the Pixies managed to turn in one of 1988s most striking, distinctive records. Surfer Rosa may not be the groups most accessible work, but it is one of their most compelling. | ||
 | Rank: 318 Album: 18 of 50 Artist: The O’Jays Title: Back Stabbers Released: 1972 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 When the World’s at Peace (05:21) 2 Back Stabbers (03:06) 3 Who Am I (05:14) 4 (They Call Me) Mr. Lucky (03:20) 5 Time to Get Down (02:53) 6 992 Arguments (06:09) 7 Listen to the Clock on the Wall (03:48) 8 Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People (03:37) 9 Sunshine (03:43) 10 Love Train (02:58) |
| Back Stabbers : Allmusic album Review : A major turning point for the OJays, Back Stabbers took the group to the top of the charts and made them household names in the R&B world. The OJays had been paying serious dues since the late 50s, and their perseverance payed off in a major way when the unsettling title song, the infectious "Time to Get Down," and the uplifting "Love Train" became their biggest hits up to that point. Indeed, this album did more than its part to help establish Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huffs Philadelphia International Records as the most successful soul label since Stax and Motown. | ||
 | Rank: 319 Album: 19 of 50 Artist: The Wailers Title: Burnin’ Released: 1973-10-19 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Get Up, Stand Up (03:17) 2 Hallelujah Time (03:28) 3 I Shot the Sheriff (04:41) 4 Burnin’ and Lootin’ (04:15) 5 Put It On (04:00) 6 Small Axe (04:01) 7 Pass It On (03:33) 8 Duppy Conqueror (03:44) 9 One Foundation (03:42) 10 Rastaman Chant (03:46) |
| Burnin’ : Allmusic album Review : The Wailers fourth album overall, Burnin, was their second for Island Records, released only six months after its predecessor, Catch a Fire. Given that speed, its not surprising that several tracks -- "Put It On," "Small Axe," and "Duppy Conqueror" -- are re-recordings of songs dating back a few years. But they fit in seamlessly with the newer material, matching its religious militancy and anthemic style. The confrontational nature of the groups message is apparent immediately in the opening track, "Get Up, Stand Up," as stirring a song as any that emerged from the American Civil Rights movement a decade before. The Wailers are explicit in their call to violence, a complete reversal from their own 1960s "Simmer Down" philosophy. Here, on "Burnin and Lootin," they take issue with fellow Jamaican Jimmy Cliffs song of the previous year, "Many Rivers to Cross," asking impatiently, "How many rivers do we have to cross/Before we can talk to the boss?" "I Shot the Sheriff," the albums most celebrated song, which became a number one hit in the hands of Eric Clapton in 1974, claims self-defense, admits consequences ("If I am guilty I will pay"), and emphasizes the isolated nature of the killing ("I didnt shoot no deputy"), but its central image is violent. Such songs illuminated the desperation of poor Jamaican life, but they also looked forward to religious salvation, their themes accentuated by the compelling rhythms and the alternating vocals of the three singers. Bob Marley was a first among equals, of course, and after this album his partners, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, quit the group, which thereafter was renamed Bob Marley and the Wailers. The three bonus tracks on the 2001 reissue are all by Tosh and Wailer, though recorded at the albums sessions, suggesting the source of their frustration. | ||
 | Rank: 320 Album: 20 of 50 Artist: Radiohead Title: Amnesiac Released: 2001-06-04 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:46:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box (04:00) 2 Pyramid Song (04:49) 3 Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors (04:07) 4 You and Whose Army? (03:11) 5 I Might Be Wrong (04:53) 6 Knives Out (04:15) 7 Morning Bell/Amnesiac (03:14) 8 Dollars and Cents (04:51) 9 Hunting Bears (02:01) 10 Like Spinning Plates (03:57) 11 Life in a Glasshouse (04:34) 1 The Amazing Sounds of Orgy (03:38) 2 Trans‐Atlantic Drawl (03:01) 3 Fast‐Track (03:17) 4 Kinetic (04:06) 5 Worrywort (04:37) 6 Fog (04:04) 7 Cuttooth (05:23) 8 Life in a Glasshouse (full length version) (05:08) 9 You and Whose Army? (live) (03:18) 10 Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box (live) (03:04) 11 Dollars and Cents (live) (04:41) 12 I Might Be Wrong (live) (04:55) 13 Knives Out (live) (04:23) 14 Pyramid Song (live) (05:07) 15 Like Spinning Plates (03:47) |
| Amnesiac : Allmusic album Review : Faced with a deliberately difficult deviation into "experimentation," Radiohead and their record label promoted Kid A as just that -- a brave experiment, and that the next album, which was just around the corner, really, would be the "real" record, the one to satiate fans looking for the next OK Computer, or at least guitars. At the time, people bought the myth, especially since live favorites like "Knives Out" and "You and Whose Army?" were nowhere to be seen on Kid A. That, however, ignores a salient point -- Amnesiac, as the album came to be known, consists of recordings made during the Kid A sessions, so it essentially sounds the same. Since Radiohead designed Kid A as a self-consciously epochal, genre-shattering record, the songs that didnt make the cut were a little simpler, so it shouldnt be a surprise that Amnesiac plays like a streamlined version of Kid A, complete with blatant electronica moves and production that sacrifices songs for atmosphere. This, inevitably, will disappoint the legions awaiting another guitar-based record (that is, after all, what they were explicitly promised), but what were they expecting? This is an album recorded at the same time and Radiohead have a certain reputation to uphold. It would be easier to accept this if the record was better than it is. Where Kid A had shock on its side, along with an admirably dogged desire to not be conventional, Amnesiac often plays as a hodgepodge. True, its a hodgepodge with amazing moments: the hypnotic sway of "Pyramid Song" and "You and Whose Army?," the swirling "I Might Be Wrong," "Knives Out," and the spectacular closer "Life in a Glasshouse," complete with a drunkenly swooning brass band. But, these are not moments that are markedly different than Kid A, which itself lost momentum as it sputtered to a close. And this is the main problem -- though its nice for an artist to be generous and release two albums, these two records clearly derive from the same source and have the same flaws, which clearly would have been corrected if they had been consolidated into one record. Instead of revealing why the two records were separated, the appearance of Amnesiac makes the separation seem arbitrary -- theres no shift in tone, no shift in approach, and the division only makes the two records seem unfocused, even if the best of both records is quite stunning, proof positive that Radiohead are one of the best bands of their time. | ||
 | Rank: 321 Album: 21 of 50 Artist: Nick Drake Title: Pink Moon Released: 1972-02-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 28:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pink Moon (02:04) 2 Place to Be (02:43) 3 Road (02:02) 4 Which Will (02:58) 5 Horn (01:23) 6 Things Behind the Sun (03:57) 7 Know (02:25) 8 Parasite (03:36) 9 Free Ride (03:06) 10 Harvest Breed (01:37) 11 From the Morning (02:32) |
| Pink Moon : Allmusic album Review : After two albums of tastefully orchestrated folk-pop, albeit some of the least demonstrative and most affecting around, Drake chose a radical change for what turned out to be his final album. Not even half-an-hour long, with 11 short songs and no more -- he famously remarked at the time that he simply had no more to record -- Pink Moon more than anything else is the record that made Drake the cult figure he remains. Specifically, Pink Moon is the bleakest of them all; that the likes of Belle and Sebastian are fans of Drake may be clear enough, but its doubtful they could ever achieve the calm, focused anguish of this album, as harrowing as it is attractive. No side musicians or outside performers help this time around -- its simply Drake and Drake alone on vocals, acoustic guitar, and a bit of piano, recorded by regular producer Joe Boyd but otherwise untouched by anyone else. The lead-off title track was eventually used in a Volkswagen commercial nearly 30 years later, giving him another renewed burst of appreciation -- one of lifes many ironies, in that such an affecting song, Drakes softly keened singing and gentle strumming, could turn up in such a strange context. The remainder of the album follows the same general path, with Drakes elegant melancholia avoiding sounding pretentious in the least thanks to his continued embrace of simple, tender vocalizing. Meanwhile, the sheer majesty of his guitar playing -- consider the opening notes of "Road" or "Parasite" -- makes for a breathless wonder to behold. | ||
 | Rank: 322 Album: 22 of 50 Artist: Randy Newman Title: Sail Away Released: 1972-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 30:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sail Away (02:52) 2 Lonely at the Top (02:34) 3 He Gives Us All His Love (01:56) 4 Last Night I Had a Dream (03:02) 5 Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (02:05) 6 Old Man (02:46) 7 Political Science (02:00) 8 Burn On (02:35) 9 Memo to My Son (01:55) 10 Dayton, Ohio -- 1903 (01:51) 11 You Can Leave Your Hat On (03:18) 12 Gods Song (Thats Why I Love Mankind) (03:36) |
| Sail Away : Allmusic album Review : On his third studio album, Randy Newman found a middle ground between the heavily orchestrated pop of his debut and the more stripped-down, rock-oriented approach of 12 Songs, and managed to bring new strength to both sides of his musical personality in the process. The title track, which Newman has described as a sort of commercial jingle written for slave traders looking to recruit naïve Africans, and "Old Man," in which an elderly man is rejected with feigned compassion by his son, were set to Newmans most evocative arrangements to date and rank with the most intelligent and effective use of a large ensemble by anyone in pop music. On the other end of the scale, "Last Night I Had a Dream" and "You Can Leave Your Hat On" are lean, potent mid-tempo rock tunes, the former featuring some slashing and ominous slide guitar from Ry Cooder, and the latter a witty and willfully perverse bit of erotic absurdity that later became a hit for Joe Cocker (who sounded as if he took the joke at face value). Elsewhere, Newman cynically ponders the perils of a stardom he would never achieve ("Lonely at the Top," originally written for Frank Sinatra), offers a broad and amusing bit of political satire ("Political Science"), and concludes with one of the most bitter rants against religion that anyone committed to vinyl prior to the punk era ("Gods Song [Thats Why I Love Mankind]"). Whether hes writing for three pieces or 30, Newman makes superb use of the sounds available to him, and his vocals are the model of making the most of a limited instrument. Overall, Sail Away is one of Newmans finest works, musically adventurous and displaying a lyrical subtlety that would begin to fade in his subsequent works. | ||
 | Rank: 323 Album: 23 of 50 Artist: The Police Title: Ghost in the Machine Released: 1981-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spirits in the Material World (02:59) 2 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (04:20) 3 Invisible Sun (03:44) 4 Hungry for You (JAurais Toujours Faim de Toi) (02:52) 5 Demolition Man (05:57) 6 Too Much Information (03:42) 7 Rehumanize Yourself (03:10) 8 One World (Not Three) (04:46) 9 Omegaman (02:47) 10 Secret Journey (03:33) 11 Darkness (03:13) |
| Ghost in the Machine : Allmusic album Review : For their fourth album, 1981s Ghost in the Machine, the Police had streamlined their sound to focus more on their pop side and less on their trademark reggae-rock. Their jazz influence had become more prominent, as evidenced by the appearance of saxophones on several tracks. The production has more of a contemporary 80s sound to it (courtesy of Hugh Padgham, who took over for Nigel Gray), and Sting proved once and for all to be a master of the pop songwriting format. The album spawned several hits, such as the energetic "Spirits in the Material World" (notice how the central rhythms are played by synthesizer instead of guitar to mask the reggae connection) and a tribute to those living amid the turmoil and violence in Northern Ireland circa the early 80s, "Invisible Sun." But the best and most renowned of the bunch is undoubtedly the blissful "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," which topped the U.K. singles chart and nearly did the same in the U.S. (number three). Unlike the other Police releases, not all of the tracks are stellar ("Hungry for You," "Omegaman"), but the vicious jazz-rocker "Demolition Man," the barely containable "Rehumanize Yourself," and a pair of album-closing ballads ("Secret Journey," "Darkness") proved otherwise. While it was not a pop masterpiece, Ghost in the Machine did serve as an important stepping stone between their more direct early work and their more ambitious latter direction, resulting in the trios exceptional blockbuster final album, 1983s Synchronicity. | ||
 | Rank: 324 Album: 24 of 50 Artist: David Bowie Title: Station to Station Released: 1976-01-23 Tracks: 6 Duration: 38:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Station to Station (10:14) 2 Golden Years (04:01) 3 Word on a Wing (06:03) 4 TVC 15 (05:33) 5 Stay (06:15) 6 Wild Is the Wind (06:00) |
| Station to Station : Allmusic album Review : Taking the detached plastic soul of Young Americans to an elegant, robotic extreme, Station to Station is a transitional album that creates its own distinctive style. Abandoning any pretense of being a soulman, yet keeping rhythmic elements of soul, David Bowie positions himself as a cold, clinical crooner and explores a variety of styles. Everything from epic ballads and disco to synthesized avant pop is present on Station to Station, but what ties it together is Bowies cocaine-induced paranoia and detached musical persona. At its heart, Station to Station is an avant-garde art-rock album, most explicitly on "TVC 15" and the epic sprawl of the title track, but also on the cool crooning of "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing," as well as the disco stylings of "Golden Years." Its not an easy album to warm to, but its epic structure and clinical sound were an impressive, individualistic achievement, as well as a style that would prove enormously influential on post-punk. | ||
 | Rank: 325 Album: 25 of 50 Artist: Eric Clapton Title: Slowhand Released: 1977 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cocaine (03:38) 2 Wonderful Tonight (03:41) 3 Lay Down Sally (03:53) 4 Next Time You See Her (03:59) 5 We’re All the Way (02:30) 6 The Core (08:41) 7 May You Never (02:58) 8 Mean Old Frisco (04:37) 9 Peaches and Diesel (04:46) |
| Slowhand : Allmusic album Review : After the guest-star-drenched No Reason to Cry failed to make much of an impact commercially, Eric Clapton returned to using his own band for Slowhand. The difference is substantial -- where No Reason to Cry struggled hard to find the right tone, Slowhand opens with the relaxed, bluesy shuffle of J.J. Cales "Cocaine" and sustains it throughout the course of the album. Alternating between straight blues ("Mean Old Frisco"), country ("Lay Down Sally"), mainstream rock ("Cocaine," "The Core"), and pop ("Wonderful Tonight"), Slowhand doesnt sound schizophrenic because of the bands grasp of the material. This is laid-back virtuosity -- although Clapton and his band are never flashy, their playing is masterful and assured. That assurance and the albums eclectic material make Slowhand rank with 461 Ocean Boulevard as Eric Claptons best albums. | ||
 | Rank: 326 Album: 26 of 50 Artist: The Cure Title: Disintegration Released: 1989-05-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:00:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Plainsong (05:15) 2 Pictures of You (07:28) 3 Closedown (04:20) 4 Lovesong (03:29) 5 Lullaby (04:10) 6 Fascination Street (05:15) 7 Prayers for Rain (06:09) 8 The Same Deep Water as You (09:21) 9 Disintegration (08:23) 10 Untitled (06:26) |
| Disintegration : Allmusic album Review : Expanding the latent arena rock sensibilities that peppered Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by slowing them down and stretching them to the breaking point, the Cure reached the peak of their popularity with the crawling, darkly seductive Disintegration. Its a hypnotic, mesmerizing record, comprised almost entirely of epics like the soaring, icy "Pictures of You." The handful of pop songs, like the concise and utterly charming "Love Song," dont alleviate the doom-laden atmosphere. The Cures gloomy soundscapes have rarely sounded so alluring, however, and the songs -- from the pulsating, ominous "Fascination Street" to the eerie, string-laced "Lullaby" -- have rarely been so well-constructed and memorable. Its fitting that Disintegration was their commercial breakthrough, since, in many ways, the album is the culmination of all the musical directions the Cure were pursuing over the course of the 80s. | ||
 | Rank: 327 Album: 27 of 50 Artist: Liz Phair Title: Exile in Guyville Released: 1993-06-22 Tracks: 18 Duration: 55:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 6′1″ (03:05) 2 Help Me Mary (02:16) 3 Glory (01:29) 4 Dance of the Seven Veils (02:29) 5 Never Said (03:16) 6 Soap Star Joe (02:44) 7 Explain It to Me (03:11) 8 Canary (03:19) 9 Mesmerizing (03:55) 1 Fuck and Run (03:07) 2 Girls! Girls! Girls! (02:20) 3 Divorce Song (03:20) 4 Shatter (05:28) 5 Flower (02:03) 6 Johnny Sunshine (03:27) 7 Gunshy (03:15) 8 Stratford-On-Guy (02:59) 9 Strange Loop (03:57) |
| Exile in Guyville : Allmusic album Review : If Exile in Guyville is shockingly assured and fully formed for a debut album, there are a number of reasons why. Most prominent of these is that many of the songs were initially essayed on Liz Phairs homemade cassette Girlysound, which means that the songs are essentially the cream of the crop from an exceptionally talented songwriter. Second, theres its structure, infamously patterned after the Stones Exile on Main St., but not the song-by-song response Phair promoted it as. (Just try to match the albums up: is the "blow-job queen" fantasy of "Flower" really the answer to the painful elegy "Let It Loose"?) Then, most notably, theres Phair and producer Brad Woods deft studio skills, bringing a variety of textures and moods to a basic, lo-fi production. There is as much hard rock as there are eerie solo piano pieces, and theres everything in between from unadulterated power pop, winking art rock, folk songs, and classic indie rock. Then, there are Phairs songs themselves. At the time, her gleefully profane, clever lyrics received endless attention (theres nothing that rock critics love more than a girl who plays into their geek fantasies, even -- or maybe especially -- if shes mocking them), but years later, what still astounds is the depth of the writing, how her music matches her clear-eyed, vivid words, whether its on the self-loathing "Fuck and Run," the evocative mood piece "Stratford-on-Guy," or the swaggering breakup anthem "61"," or how she nails the dissolution of a long-term relationship on "The Divorce Song." Each of these 18 songs maintains this high level of quality, showcasing a singer/songwriter of immense imagination, musically and lyrically. If she never equaled this record, well, few could. | ||
 | Rank: 328 Album: 28 of 50 Artist: Sonic Youth Title: Daydream Nation Released: 1988-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:10:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Teen Age Riot (06:57) 2 Silver Rocket (03:47) 3 The Sprawl (07:41) 4 ’Cross the Breeze (07:00) 5 Eric’s Trip (03:48) 6 Total Trash (07:33) 7 Hey Joni (04:23) 8 Providence (02:41) 9 Candle (04:59) 10 Rain King (04:39) 11 Kissability (03:08) 12 Trilogy: The Wonder / Hyperstation / Eliminator Jr. (14:03) |
| Daydream Nation : Allmusic album Review : Sonic Youth made a major step forward with 1987s Sister, their first album where the songs were as strong as the groups visionary approach and they rocked with the force and authority theyd clearly sought since the beginning. If 1988s Daydream Nation didnt make as decisive a leap in terms of theory or style, as far as execution was concerned, it was Sonic Youths first unqualified masterpiece, a triumph that made them one of the most respected bands in indie rock. Initially released as a two-LP set, the sheer scope of Daydream Nation was ambitious, but the longer tracks worked to Sonic Youths advantage, allowing them the space to lay down solid melodic structures and then use them as a framework for extended jams (thankfully, the band made splendid use of their wanderlust without wearing out their welcome). Sonic Youth were playing at the top of their game on the Daydream Nation sessions; the guitar interplay between Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo was stronger and more intuitive than before, and bassist Kim Gordon and drummer Steve Shelley had grown into a powerful rhythm section that cut an impressive groove, giving the band a greater freedom to explore the space around them without getting lost. Sonic Youth were not simply tighter on Daydream Nation, they were making better and more satisfying use of their arsenal of alternate tunings and bent but elemental song structures, and the final product fused their love of creatively applied noise and the sound of the electric guitar with song structures that merged elements of punk, prog, boogie, and psychedelia. The journey from the trippy joy of "Teenage Riot" to the hot-rodded choogle of "Eliminator Jr." was a bracing, glorious experience, and Daydream Nation confirmed their status as one of Americas best and most original alternative rock bands, and one that had a shot at a future outside the underground -- a pleasant surprise given the alienating air of their earliest work. | ||
 | Rank: 329 Album: 29 of 50 Artist: James Brown Title: In the Jungle Groove Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:11:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Its a New Day (06:25) 2 Funky Drummer (09:14) 3 Give It Up or Turnit a Loose (remix) (06:12) 4 I Got to Move (07:18) 5 Funky Drummer (bonus beat reprise) (02:59) 6 Talkin Loud & Sayin Nothing (remix) (07:45) 7 Get Up, Get Into It and Get Involved (mono) (07:07) 8 Soul Power (re-edit) (mono) (08:02) 9 Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants) (08:42) 10 Blind Man Can See It (extended) (07:19) |
 | Rank: 330 Album: 30 of 50 Artist: Neil Young Title: Tonight’s the Night Released: 1975-06-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tonight’s the Night (04:41) 2 Speakin’ Out (04:57) 3 World on a String (02:25) 4 Borrowed Tune (03:26) 5 Come On Baby Let’s Go Downtown (03:36) 6 Mellow My Mind (03:11) 7 Roll Another Number (for the Road) (03:04) 8 Albuquerque (04:01) 9 New Mama (02:13) 10 Lookout Joe (03:54) 11 Tired Eyes (04:34) 12 Tonight’s the Night, Part II (04:52) |
| Tonight’s the Night : Allmusic album Review : Written and recorded in 1973 shortly after the death of roadie Bruce Berry, Neil Youngs second close associate to die of a heroin overdose in six months (the first was Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten), Tonights the Night was Youngs musical expression of grief, combined with his rejection of the stardom he had achieved in the late 60s and early 70s. The title track, performed twice, was a direct narrative about Berry: "Bruce Berry was a working man/He used to load that Econoline van." Whitten was heard singing "Come On Baby Lets Go Downtown," a live track recorded years earlier. Elsewhere, Young frequently referred to drug use and used phrases that might have described his friends, such as the chorus of "Tired Eyes," "He tried to do his best, but he could not." Performing with the remains of Crazy Horse, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina, along with Nils Lofgren (guitar and piano) and Ben Keith (steel guitar), Young performed in the ragged manner familiar from Time Fades Away -- his voice was often hoarse and he strained to reach high notes, while the playing was loose, with mistakes and shifting tempos. But the style worked perfectly for the material, emphasizing the emotional tone of Youngs mourning and contrasting with the polished sound of CSNY and Harvest that Young also disparaged. He remained unimpressed with his commercial success, noting in "World on a String," "The world on a string/Doesnt mean anything." In "Roll Another Number," he said he was "a million miles away/From that helicopter day" when he and CSN had played Woodstock. And in "Albuquerque," he said he had been "starvin to be alone/Independent from the scene that Ive known" and spoke of his desire to "find somewhere where they dont care who I am." Songs like "Speakin Out" and "New Mama" seemed to find some hope in family life, but Tonights the Night did not offer solutions to the personal and professional problems it posed. It was the work of a man trying to turn his torment into art and doing so unflinchingly. Depending on which story you believe, Reprise rejected it or Young withdrew it from its scheduled release at the start of 1974 after touring with the material in the U.S. and Europe. In 1975, after a massive CSNY tour, Young at the last minute dumped a newly recorded album and finally put Tonights the Night out instead. Though it did not become one of his bigger commercial successes, the album was immediately recognized as a unique masterpiece by critics, and it has continued to be ranked as one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever made. | ||
 | Rank: 331 Album: 31 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Help! Released: 1965-08-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 34:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Help! (02:19) 2 The Night Before (02:36) 3 You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (02:11) 4 I Need You (02:31) 5 Another Girl (02:08) 6 You’re Going to Lose That Girl (02:20) 7 Ticket to Ride (03:11) 8 Act Naturally (02:32) 9 It’s Only Love (01:58) 10 You Like Me Too Much (02:38) 11 Tell Me What You See (02:39) 12 I’ve Just Seen a Face (02:07) 13 Yesterday (02:05) 14 Dizzy Miss Lizzy (02:56) |
| Help! : Allmusic album Review : Considering that Help! functions as the Beatles fifth album and as the soundtrack to their second film -- while filming, they continued to release non-LP singles on a regular basis -- its not entirely surprising that it still has some of the weariness of Beatles for Sale. Again, they pad the album with covers, but the Bakersfield bounce of "Act Naturally" adds new flavor (along with an ideal showcase for Ringos amiable vocals) and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" gives John an opportunity to flex his rock & roll muscle. George is writing again and if his two contributions dont touch Lennon and McCartneys originals, they hold their own against much of their British pop peers. Since Lennon wrote a third more songs than McCartney, its easy to forgive a pair of minor numbers ("Its Only Love," "Tell Me What You See"), especially since theyre overshadowed by four great songs. His Dylan infatuation holds strong, particularly on the plaintive "Youve Got to Hide Your Love Away" and the title track, where the brash arrangement disguises Lennons desperation. Driven by an indelible 12-string guitar, "Ticket to Ride" is another masterpiece and "Youre Going to Lose That Girl" is the kind of song McCartney effortlessly tosses off -- which he does with the jaunty "The Night Before" and "Another Girl," two very fine tunes that simply update his melodic signature. He did much better with "Ive Just Seen a Face," an irresistible folk-rock gem, and "Yesterday," a simple, beautiful ballad whose arrangement -- an acoustic guitar supported by a string quartet -- and composition suggested much more sophisticated and adventurous musical territory, which the group immediately began exploring with Rubber Soul. | ||
 | Rank: 332 Album: 32 of 50 Artist: Richard & Linda Thompson Title: Shoot Out the Lights Released: 1982 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Man in Need (03:36) 2 Walking on a Wire (05:28) 3 Don’t Renege on Our Love (04:19) 4 Just the Motion (06:19) 5 Shoot Out the Lights (05:24) 6 Back Street Slide (04:33) 7 Did She Jump or Was She Pushed? (04:52) 8 Wall of Death (03:42) |
 | Rank: 333 Album: 33 of 50 Artist: X Title: Wild Gift Released: 1981-05 Tracks: 13 Duration: 32:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Once Over Twice (02:30) 2 We’re Desperate (02:00) 3 Adult Books (03:19) 4 Universal Corner (04:33) 5 I’m Coming Over (01:14) 6 It’s Who You Know (02:16) 7 In This House That I Call Home (03:40) 8 Some Other Time (02:17) 9 White Girl (03:27) 10 Beyond and Back (02:49) 11 Back 2 the Base (01:35) 12 When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch (01:57) 13 Year 1 (01:17) |
| Wild Gift : Allmusic album Review : For Xs second release, 1981s Wild Gift, the quartet followed the same path they had taken a year earlier on their debut, Los Angeles, creating another batch of timeless compositions that merged the energy of punk rock with other musical styles. Former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek reprised his role as producer on what would turn out to be Xs last independent release before signing to Elektra. Included are such eventual punk standards as "Were Desperate," the melodic hookfest "White Girl" (sampled years later by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their song "Good Time Boys"), and "Beyond and Back." Other highlights include the 50s-prom feel of "Adult Books," the punk-pop composition "In This House That I Call Home," and the rapid "Back 2 the Base." While it may be a shade less exceptional than its predecessor, Wild Gift is nonetheless a classic effort. | ||
 | Rank: 334 Album: 34 of 50 Artist: Graham Parker & The Rumour Title: Squeezing Out Sparks Released: 1979-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Discovering Japan (03:28) 2 Local Girls (03:37) 3 Nobody Hurts You (03:39) 4 You Can’t Be Too Strong (03:15) 5 Passion Is No Ordinary Word (04:26) 6 Saturday Nite Is Dead (03:17) 7 Love Gets You Twisted (02:58) 8 Protection (03:50) 9 Waiting for the UFO’s (03:07) 10 Don’t Get Excited (03:05) 11 Mercury Poisoning (03:09) 12 I Want You Back (Alive) (03:25) |
| Squeezing Out Sparks : Allmusic album Review : Generally regarded as Graham Parkers finest album, Squeezing Out Sparks is a masterful fusion of pub rock classicism, new wave pop, and pure vitriol that makes even his most conventional singer/songwriter numbers bristle with energy. Not only does Parker deliver his best, most consistent set of songs, but he offers more succinct hooks than before -- "Local Girls" and "Discovering Japan" are powered by quirky hooks that make them new wave classics. But Parkers new pop inclinations are tempered by his anger, which seethes throughout the hard rockers and even his quieter numbers. Throughout Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham spits out a litany of offenses that make him feel like an outsider, but hes not a liberal, hes a conservative. The records two centerpieces -- "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" and the anti-abortion "You Cant Be Too Strong" -- indicate that his traditionalist musical tendencies are symptomatic of a larger conservative trend. But no one ever said conservatives made poor rock & rollers, and Parkers ruminations over a lost past give him the anger that fuels Squeezing Out Sparks, one of the great rock records of the post-punk era. | ||
 | Rank: 335 Album: 35 of 50 Artist: Soundgarden Title: Superunknown Released: 1994-03-07 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:10:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let Me Drown (03:52) 2 My Wave (05:12) 3 Fell on Black Days (04:42) 4 Mailman (04:25) 5 Superunknown (05:06) 6 Head Down (06:08) 7 Black Hole Sun (05:19) 8 Spoonman (04:06) 9 Limo Wreck (05:47) 10 The Day I Tried to Live (05:19) 11 Kickstand (01:34) 12 Fresh Tendrils (04:16) 13 4th of July (05:08) 14 Half (02:14) 15 Like Suicide (07:03) |
| Superunknown : Allmusic album Review : Soundgardens finest hour, Superunknown is a sprawling, 70-minute magnum opus that pushes beyond any previous boundaries. Soundgarden had always loved replicating Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath riffs, but Superunknowns debt is more to mid-period Zeps layered arrangements and sweeping epics. Their earlier punk influences are rarely detectable, replaced by surprisingly effective appropriations of pop and psychedelia. Badmotorfinger boasted more than its fair share of indelible riffs, but here the main hooks reside mostly in Chris Cornells vocals; accordingly, hes mixed right up front, floating over the band instead of cutting through it. The rest of the production is just as crisp, with the band achieving a huge, robust sound that makes even the heaviest songs sound deceptively bright. But the most important reason Superunknown is such a rich listen is twofold: the bands embrace of psychedelia, and their rapidly progressing mastery of songcraft. Soundgarden had always been a little mind-bending, but the full-on experiments with psychedelia give them a much wider sonic palette, paving the way for less metallic sounds and instruments, more detailed arrangements, and a bridge into pop (which made the eerie ballad "Black Hole Sun" an inescapable hit). That blossoming melodic skill is apparent on most of the record, not just the poppier songs and Cornell-penned hits; though a couple of drummer Matt Camerons contributions are pretty undistinguished, theyre easy to overlook, given the overall consistency. The focused songwriting allows the band to stretch material out for grander effect, without sinking into the pointlessly drawn-out muck that cluttered their early records. The dissonance and odd time signatures are still in force, though not as jarring or immediately obvious, which means that the album reveals more subtleties with each listen. Its obvious that Superunknown was consciously styled as a masterwork, and it fulfills every ambition. | ||
 | Rank: 336 Album: 36 of 50 Artist: Radiohead Title: In Rainbows Released: 2007-10-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 15 Step (03:58) 2 Bodysnatchers (04:02) 3 Nude (04:15) 4 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (05:18) 5 All I Need (03:48) 6 Faust Arp (02:09) 7 Reckoner (04:50) 8 House of Cards (05:28) 9 Jigsaw Falling Into Place (04:08) 10 Videotape (04:41) |
| In Rainbows : Allmusic album Review : In Rainbows, as a title, implies a sense of comfort and delightfulness. Symbolically, rainbows are more likely to be associated with kittens and warm blankets than the grim and glum circumstances Radiohead is known for soundtracking. Theres a slight, if expected, twist at play. The band is more than familiar with the unpleasant moods associated with colors like red, green, and blue -- all of which, of course, are colors within a rainbow -- all of which are present, and even mentioned, during the album. On a couple levels, then, In Rainbows is not any less fitting as a Radiohead album title than "Myxomatosis" is as a Radiohead song title. Despite references to "going off the rails," hitting "the bottom," getting "picked over by the worms," being "dead from the neck up," and feeling "trapped" (twice), along with Radiohead Wordplay Deluxe Home Edition pieces like "comatose" and "nightmare" -- in the same song! double score! -- the one aspect of the album that becomes increasingly perceptible with each listen is how romantic it feels, albeit in the way that one might find the bioport scenes in David Cronenbergs eXistenZ to be extremely hot and somewhat unsettling. Surprisingly, some of the albums lyrics are even more personal/universal and straightforward than anything on The Eraser, the album made by Thom Yorke and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. "Im an animal trapped in your hot car," from "All I Need," has to be one of the saddest, most open-hearted metaphors used to express unrequited love. "House of Cards" begins with "I dont want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover/No matter how it ends/No matter how it starts," and the one with the worms includes "Id be crazy not to follow/Follow where you lead/Your eyes/They turn me." This effective weaving of disparate elements -- lyrical expressions commonly associated with the band, mixed in with ones suited for everyday love ballads -- goes for the music as well. The album is very song-oriented, with each track constantly moving forward and developing, yet there are abstract electronic layers and studio-as-instrument elements to prevent it from sounding like a regression. In Rainbows will hopefully be remembered as Radioheads most stimulating synthesis of accessible songs and abstract sounds, rather than their first pick-your-price download. | ||
 | Rank: 337 Album: 37 of 50 Artist: Jethro Tull Title: Aqualung Released: 1971-03-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Aqualung (06:37) 2 Cross‐Eyed Mary (04:09) 3 Cheap Day Return (01:23) 4 Mother Goose (03:53) 5 Wond’ring Aloud (01:55) 6 Up to Me (03:15) 7 My God (07:12) 8 Hymn 43 (03:19) 9 Slipstream (01:13) 10 Locomotive Breath (04:26) 11 Wind‐Up (06:05) |
| Aqualung : Allmusic album Review : The leap from 1970s Benefit to the following years Aqualung is one of the most astonishing progressions in rock history. In the space of one album, Tull went from relatively unassuming electrified folk-rock to larger-than-life conceptual rock full of sophisticated compositions and complex, intellectual, lyrical constructs. While the leap to full-blown prog rock wouldnt be taken until a year later on Thick as a Brick, the degree to which Tull upped the ante here is remarkable. The lyrical concept -- the hypocrisy of Christianity in England -- is stronger than on most other 70s conceptual efforts, but its ultimately the music that makes it worthy of praise. Tulls winning way with a riff was never so arresting as on the chugging "Locomotive Breath," or on the character studies "Cross Eyed Mary" and "Aqualung," which portray believably seedy participants in Ian Andersons story. The fable imagery of "Mother Goose" and the vitriolic anti-authoritarian sentiments of "Wind Up" both serve notice of Andersons willful iconoclasm and his disillusionment with the spiritual traditions to which he was born. Varied but cohesive, Aqualung is widely regarded as Tulls finest hour. | ||
 | Rank: 338 Album: 38 of 50 Artist: Big Brother & the Holding Company Title: Cheap Thrills Released: 1968-08-17 Tracks: 7 Duration: 37:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Combination of the Two (05:48) 2 I Need a Man to Love (04:54) 3 Summertime (04:01) 4 Piece of My Heart (04:15) 5 Turtle Blues (04:22) 6 Oh, Sweet Mary (04:16) 7 Ball and Chain (09:30) |
 | Rank: 339 Album: 39 of 50 Artist: Tom Waits Title: The Heart of Saturday Night Released: 1974 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 New Coat of Paint (03:23) 2 San Diego Serenade (03:30) 3 Semi Suite (03:29) 4 Shiver Me Timbers (04:26) 5 Diamonds on My Windshield (03:12) 6 (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night (03:53) 7 Fumblin’ With the Blues (03:02) 8 Please Call Me, Baby (04:25) 9 Depot, Depot (03:46) 10 Drunk on the Moon (05:06) 11 The Ghosts of Saturday Night (After Hours at Napoleone’s Pizza House) (03:16) |
| The Heart of Saturday Night : Allmusic album Review : If Closing Time, Tom Waits debut album, consisted of love songs set in a late-night world of bars and neon signs, its follow-up, The Heart of Saturday Night, largely dispenses with the romance in favor of poetic depictions of the same setting. On "Diamonds on My Windshield" and "The Ghosts of Saturday Night," Waits doesnt even sing, instead reciting his verse rhythmically against bass and drums like a Beat hipster. Musically, the album contains the same mixture of folk, blues, and jazz as its predecessor, with producer Bones Howe occasionally bringing in an orchestra to underscore the loping melodies. Waits songs are sometimes sketchier in addition to being more impersonal, but "(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night" and "Semi Suite" are the equal of anything on Closing Time. Still, with lines such as "...the clouds are like headlines/Upon a new front page sky" and references to "a 24-hour moon" and "champagne stars," Waits imagery is beginning to get florid, and in material this stylized, the danger of self-parody is always present. | ||
 | Rank: 340 Album: 40 of 50 Artist: Black Flag Title: Damaged Released: 1981 Tracks: 15 Duration: 35:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rise Above (02:28) 2 Spray Paint (00:35) 3 Six Pack (02:20) 4 What I See (01:57) 5 TV Party (03:33) 6 Thirsty and Miserable (02:07) 7 Police Story (01:34) 8 Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie (01:49) 9 Depression (02:30) 10 Room 13 (02:06) 11 Damaged II (03:25) 12 No More (02:28) 13 Padded Cell (01:49) 14 Life of Pain (02:52) 15 Damaged I (03:50) |
| Damaged : Allmusic album Review : Perhaps the best album to emerge from the quagmire that was early-80s California hardcore punk, the visceral, intensely physical presence of Damaged has yet to be equaled, although many bands have tried. Although Black Flag had been recording for three years prior to this release, the fact that Henry Rollins was now their lead singer made all the difference. His furious bellow and barely contained ferocity was the missing piece the band needed to become great. Also, guitarist/mastermind Greg Ginn wrote a slew of great songs for this record that, while suffused with the usual punk conceits (alienation, boredom, disenfranchisement), were capable of making one laugh out loud, especially the protoslacker satire "TV Party." Extremely controversial when it was released, Damaged endured the slings and arrows of outrageous criticism (some reacted as though this record alone would cause the fall of Americas youth) to become and remain an important document of its time. | ||
 | Rank: 341 Album: 41 of 50 Artist: Moby Title: Play Released: 1999-05-17 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:03:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Honey (03:30) 2 Find My Baby (03:59) 3 Porcelain (04:01) 4 Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (04:25) 5 South Side (03:50) 6 Rushing (03:00) 7 Bodyrock (03:36) 8 Natural Blues (04:14) 9 Machete (03:38) 10 7 (01:02) 11 Run On (03:45) 12 Down Slow (01:35) 13 If Things Were Perfect (04:19) 14 Everloving (03:26) 15 Inside (04:49) 16 Guitar Flute & String (02:09) 17 The Sky Is Broken (04:18) 18 My Weakness (03:38) |
| Play : Allmusic album Review : Following a notorious flirtation with alternative rock, Moby returned to the electronic dance mainstream on the 1997 album I Like to Score. With 1999s Play, he made yet another leap back toward the electronica base that had passed him by during the mid-90s. The first two tracks, "Honey" and "Find My Baby," weave short blues or gospel vocal samples around rather disinterested breakbeat techno. This version of blues-meets-electronica is undoubtedly intriguing to the all-important NPR crowd, but it is more than just a bit gimmicky to any techno fans who know their Carl Craig from Carl Cox. Fortunately, Moby redeems himself in a big way over the rest of the album with a spate of tracks that return him to the evocative, melancholy techno thats been a specialty since his early days. The tinkly piano line and warped string samples on "Porcelain" frame a meaningful, devastatingly understated vocal from the man himself, while "South Side" is just another pop song by someone who shouldnt be singing -- that is, until the transcendent chorus redeems everything. Surprisingly, many of Mobys vocal tracks are highlights; he has an unerring sense of how to frame his fragile vocals with sympathetic productions. Occasionally, the similarities to contemporary dance superstars like Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers are just a bit too close for comfort, as on the stale big-beat anthem "Bodyrock." Still, Moby shows himself back in the groove after a long hiatus, balancing his sublime early sound with the breakbeat techno evolution of the 90s. | ||
 | Rank: 342 Album: 42 of 50 Artist: Depeche Mode Title: Violator Released: 1990-02-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 World in My Eyes (04:22) 2 Sweetest Perfection (04:40) 3 Personal Jesus (04:55) 4 Halo (04:25) 5 Waiting for the Night (06:05) 6 Enjoy the Silence (06:12) 7 Policy of Truth (04:52) 8 Blue Dress (05:42) 9 Clean (05:23) |
| Violator : Allmusic album Review : In a word, stunning. Perhaps an odd word to use given that Violator continued in the general vein of the previous two studio efforts by Depeche Mode: Martin Gores upfront lyrical emotional extremism and knack for a catchy hook filtered through Alan Wilders ear for perfect arrangements, ably assisted by top English producer Flood. Yet the idea that this record would both dominate worldwide charts, while song for song being simply the best, most consistent effort yet from the band could only have been the wildest fantasy before its release. The opening two singles from the album, however, signaled something was up. First was "Personal Jesus," at once perversely simplistic, with a stiff, arcane funk/hip-hop beat and basic blues guitar chords, and tremendous, thanks to sharp production touches and David Gahans echoed, snaky vocals. Then "Enjoy the Silence," a nothing-else-remains-but-us ballad pumped up into a huge, dramatic romance/dance number, commanding in its mock orchestral/choir scope. Follow-up single "Policy of Truth" did just fine as well, a low-key Motown funk number for the modern day with a sharp love/hate lyric to boot. To top it all off, the album itself scored on song after song, from the shuffling beat of "Sweetest Perfection" (well sung by Gore) and the ethereal "Waiting for the Night" to the guilt-ridden-and-loving-it "Halo" building into a string-swept pounder. "Clean" wraps up Violator on an eerie note, all ominous bass notes and odd atmospherics carrying the song. Goth without ever being stupidly hammy, synth without sounding like the clinical stereotype of synth music, rock without ever sounding like a "rock" band, Depeche here reach astounding heights indeed. | ||
 | Rank: 343 Album: 43 of 50 Artist: Meat Loaf Title: Bat Out of Hell Released: 1977-10-21 Tracks: 7 Duration: 46:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bat Out of Hell (09:49) 2 You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) (05:04) 3 Heaven Can Wait (04:41) 4 All Revved Up With No Place to Go (04:19) 5 Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad (05:24) 6 Paradise by the Dashboard Light (08:28) 7 For Crying Out Loud (08:45) |
| Bat Out of Hell : Allmusic album Review : There is no other album like Bat Out of Hell, unless you want to count the sequel. This is Grand Guignol pop -- epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and its appealing because of all of this. Jim Steinman was a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this. And there never could have been a singer more suited for his compositions than Meat Loaf, a singer partial to bombast, albeit shaded bombast. The compositions are staggeringly ridiculous, yet Meat Loaf finds the emotional core in each song, bringing true heartbreak to "Two out of Three Aint Bad" and sly humor to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." Theres no discounting the production of Todd Rundgren, either, who gives Steinmans self-styled grandiosity a production thats staggeringly big but never overwhelming and always alluring. While the sentiments are deliberately adolescent and filled with jokes and exaggerated clichés, theres real (albeit silly) wit behind these compositions, not just in the lyrics but in the music, which is a savvy blend of oldies pastiche, show tunes, prog rock, Springsteen-esque narratives, and blistering hard rock (thereby sounding a bit like an extension of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which brought Meat Loaf to the national stage). It may be easy to dismiss this as ridiculous, but theres real style and craft here and its kitsch is intentional. It may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and thats certainly silly, but its hard not to marvel at the skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album. | ||
 | Rank: 344 Album: 44 of 50 Artist: Lou Reed Title: Berlin Released: 1973-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Berlin (03:25) 2 Lady Day (03:39) 3 Men of Good Fortune (04:37) 4 Caroline Says I (03:57) 5 How Do You Think It Feels (03:43) 6 Oh, Jim (05:12) 7 Caroline Says II (04:13) 8 The Kids (07:53) 9 The Bed (05:51) 10 Sad Song (06:59) |
| Berlin : Allmusic album Review : Transformer and "Walk on the Wild Side" were both major hits in 1972, to the surprise of both Lou Reed and the music industry, and with Reed suddenly a hot commodity, he used his newly won clout to make the most ambitious album of his career, Berlin. Berlin was the musical equivalent of a drug-addled kid set loose in a candy store; the albums songs, which form a loose story line about a doomed romance between two chemically fueled bohemians, were fleshed out with a huge, boomy production (Bob Ezrin at his most grandiose) and arrangements overloaded with guitars, keyboards, horns, strings, and any other kitchen sink that was handy (the session band included Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Aynsley Dunbar, and Tony Levin). And while Reed had often been accused of focusing on the dark side of life, he and Ezrin approached Berlin as their opportunity to make The Most Depressing Album of All Time, and they hardly missed a trick. This all seemed a bit much for an artist who made such superb use of the two-guitars/bass/drums lineup with the Velvet Underground, especially since Reed doesnt even play electric guitar on the album; the sheer size of Berlin ultimately overpowers both Reed and his material. But if Berlin is largely a failure of ambition, that sets it apart from the vast majority of Reeds lesser works; Lous vocals are both precise and impassioned, and though a few of the songs are little more than sketches, the best -- "How Do You Think It Feels," "Oh, Jim," "The Kids," and "Sad Song" -- are powerful, bitter stuff. Its hard not to be impressed by Berlin, given the sheer scope of the project, but while it earns an A for effort, the actual execution merits more of a B-. | ||
 | Rank: 345 Album: 45 of 50 Artist: Talking Heads Title: Stop Making Sense Released: 1984 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Psycho Killer (04:29) 2 Swamp (04:29) 3 Slippery People (live) (04:13) 4 Burning Down the House (04:14) 5 Girlfriend Is Better (05:06) 6 Once in a Lifetime (05:34) 7 What a Day That Was (06:30) 8 Life During Wartime (05:51) 9 Take Me to the River (05:59) |
| Stop Making Sense : Allmusic album Review : While theres no debating the importance of Jonathan Demmes classic film record of Talking Heads 1983 tour, the soundtrack released in support of it is a thornier matter. Since its release, purists have found Stop Making Sense slickly mixed and, worse yet, incomprehensive. The nine tracks included jumble and truncate the natural progression of frontman David Byrnes meticulously arranged stage show. Cries for a double-album treatment -- à la 1982s live opus The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads -- were sounded almost immediately; more enterprising fans merely dubbed the VHS release of the film onto cassette tape. So, until a 1999 "special edition" cured the 1984 releases ills, fans had to make do with the Stop Making Sense they were given -- which is, by any account, an exemplary snapshot of a band at the height of its powers. Even with some of his more memorable tics edited out, Byrne is in fine voice here: Never before had he sounded warmer or more approachable, as evidenced by his soaring rendition of "Once in a Lifetime." Though almost half the album focuses on Speaking in Tongues material, the band makes room for one of Byrnes Catherine Wheel tunes (the hard-driving, elliptical "What a Day That Was") as well as up-tempo versions of "Pyscho Killer" and "Take Me to the River." If anything, Stop Making Senses emphasis on keyboards and rhythm is its greatest asset as well as its biggest failing: Knob-tweakers Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison play up their parts at the expense of the treblier aspects of the performance, and fans would have to wait almost 15 years for reparations. Still, for a generation that may have missed the bands seminal 70s work, Stop Making Sense proves to be an excellent primer. | ||
 | Rank: 346 Album: 46 of 50 Artist: De La Soul Title: 3 Feet High and Rising Released: 1989 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:07:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (01:41) 2 The Magic Number (03:16) 3 Change in Speak (02:32) 4 Cool Breeze on the Rocks (00:48) 5 Can U Keep a Secret (01:40) 6 Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge) (03:25) 7 Ghetto Thang (03:35) 8 Transmitting Live From Mars (01:11) 9 Eye Know (04:12) 10 Take It Off (01:52) 11 A Little Bit of Soap (00:56) 12 Tread Water (03:46) 13 Potholes in My Lawn (03:50) 14 Say No Go (04:20) 15 Do as De La Does (02:12) 16 Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend) (04:06) 17 De La Orgee (01:13) 18 Buddy (04:55) 19 Description (01:31) 20 Me Myself and I (03:50) 21 This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.) (03:09) 22 I Can Do Anything (Delacratic) (00:41) 23 D.A.I.S.Y. Age (04:42) 24 Plug Tunin’ (original 12″ version) (03:43) |
| 3 Feet High and Rising : Allmusic album Review : The most inventive, assured, and playful debut in hip-hop history, 3 Feet High and Rising not only proved that rappers didnt have to talk about the streets to succeed, but also expanded the palette of sampling material with a kaleidoscope of sounds and references culled from pop, soul, disco, and even country music. Weaving clever wordplay and deft rhymes across two dozen tracks loosely organized around a game-show theme, De La Soul broke down boundaries all over the LP, moving easily from the groovy my-philosophy intro "The Magic Number" to an intelligent, caring inner-city vignette named "Ghetto Thang" to the freewheeling end-of-innocence tale "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwins Revenge)." Rappers Posdnuos and Trugoy the Dove talked about anything they wanted (up to and including body odor), playing fast and loose on the mic like Biz Markie. Thinly disguised under a layer of humor, their lyrical themes ranged from true love ("Eye Know") to the destructive power of drugs ("Say No Go") to Daisy Age philosophy ("Tread Water") to sex ("Buddy"). Prince Paul (from Stetsasonic) and DJ Pasemaster Mase led the way on the production end, with dozens of samples from all sorts of left-field artists -- including Johnny Cash, the Mad Lads, Steely Dan, Public Enemy, Hall & Oates, and the Turtles. The pair didnt just use those samples as hooks or drumbreaks -- like most hip-hop producers had in the past -- but as split-second fills and in-jokes that made some tracks sound more like DJ records. Even "Potholes on My Lawn," which samples a mouth harp and yodeling (for the chorus, no less), became a big R&B hit. If it was easy to believe the revolution was here from listening to the rapping and production on Public Enemys It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, with De La Soul the Daisy Age seemed to promise a new era of positivity in hip-hop. | ||
 | Rank: 347 Album: 47 of 50 Artist: Pink Floyd Title: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn Released: 1967-07-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Astronomy Domine (04:12) 2 Lucifer Sam (03:07) 3 Matilda Mother (03:08) 4 Flaming (02:46) 5 Pow R. Toc H. (04:26) 6 Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk (03:05) 7 Interstellar Overdrive (09:41) 8 The Gnome (02:02) 9 Chapter 24 (03:42) 10 The Scarecrow (02:11) 11 Bike (03:21) |
| The Piper at the Gates of Dawn : Allmusic album Review : The title of Pink Floyds debut album is taken from a chapter in Syd Barretts favorite childrens book, The Wind in the Willows, and the lyrical imagery of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is indeed full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD. Barretts catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the groups instrumental freak-outs, often using themes of space travel as metaphors for hallucinogenic experiences -- "Astronomy Domine" is a poppier number in this vein, but tracks like "Interstellar Overdrive" are some of the earliest forays into what has been tagged space rock. But even though Barretts lyrics and melodies are mostly playful and humorous, the bands music doesnt always bear out those sentiments -- in addition to Rick Wrights eerie organ work, dissonance, chromaticism, weird noises, and vocal sound effects are all employed at various instances, giving the impression of chaos and confusion lurking beneath the bright surface. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn successfully captures both sides of psychedelic experimentation -- the pleasures of expanding ones mind and perception, and an underlying threat of mental disorder and even lunacy; this duality makes Piper all the more compelling in light of Barretts subsequent breakdown, and ranks it as one of the best psychedelic albums of all time. | ||
 | Rank: 348 Album: 48 of 50 Artist: Muddy Waters Title: Muddy Waters at Newport 1960 Released: 1960 Tracks: 9 Duration: 34:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Got My Brand on You (04:50) 2 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:57) 3 Baby, Please Don’t Go (03:04) 4 Soon Forgotten (04:17) 5 Tiger in Your Tank (04:29) 6 I Feel So Good (03:00) 7 I’ve Got My Mojo Working (04:26) 8 I’ve Got My Mojo Working, Part 2 (02:55) 9 Goodbye Newport Blues (04:49) |
| Muddy Waters at Newport 1960 : Allmusic album Review : The cover photograph of Muddy Waters holding John Lee Hookers guitar gave the impression that he was at a folk festival rather than the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival. However, the record revealed the King of Chicago blues at his very best, shouting his music above the discordant wail of a band that included Otis Spann, James Cotton, Pat Hare, and Francis Clay. Film of the event shows a sharply dressed Waters shimmying and jiving around the stage with the energy of a man half his age. Some of that atmosphere is apparent on the record, in a program that includes "Hoochie Coochie Man," Big Bill Broonzys "I Feel So Good," then-recent singles "I Got My Brand on You" and "Soon Forgotten," and a massive "Got My Mojo Working." The set ends in poignant mood with the announcement of the end of the festival and Otis Spanns improvised "Goodbye Newport Blues." | ||
 | Rank: 349 Album: 49 of 50 Artist: Jay‐Z Title: The Black Album Released: 2003-11-17 Tracks: 14 Duration: 56:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Interlude (01:23) 2 December 4th (04:35) 3 What More Can I Say (04:57) 4 Encore (04:13) 5 Change Clothes (04:18) 6 Dirt Off Your Shoulder (04:07) 7 Threat (04:08) 8 Moment of Clarity (04:26) 9 99 Problems (03:56) 10 Public Service Announcement (interlude) (02:55) 11 Justify My Thug (04:06) 12 Lucifer (03:14) 13 Allure (04:54) 14 My 1st Song (04:44) |
| The Black Album : Allmusic album Review : If The Black Album is Jay-Zs last, as he publicly stated it will be, it illustrates an artist going out in top form. For years Shawn Carter has been the best rapper and the most popular, a man who can strut the player lifestyle with one track and become the eloquent hip-hop everyman with the next, an artist for whom modesty is often a sin, and yet, one who still sounds sincere when hes discussing his humble origins or his recurring doubts. After the immediate classic The Blueprint found him at the peak of his powers, and The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse came as the most deflating sequel since Star Wars: Episode I, his follow-up (and possible siren song) impresses on the same level as the best of his career. As he has in the past, Jay-Z balances the boasting with extensive meditations on his life and his career. The back history begins with the first song, "December 4" (his birthday), on which Carter traces his life from birth day to present day, riding a mock fanfare and the heart-tugging strings of producer Just Blaze, along with frequent remembrances from his mother in This Is Your Life fashion. The other top track, "What More Can I Say," opens with Russell Crowes defiant "Are you not entertained!?" speech from Gladiator, then finds Jay-Z capping his career with another proof that hes one of the best of all time, and a look into what made him that way: "God forgive me for my brash delivery, but I remember vividly what these streets did to me." He also goes out with a few words for underground fans who think hes sold too many records for his own good. On "Moment of Clarity," he lays it out with an excellent rhyme: "If skills sold, truth be told, Id probably be lyrically Talib Kweli/Truthfully I want to rhyme like Common Sense/But I did five mil, I aint been rhyming like Common since." The first single, "Change Clothes," is much more interesting than the lightweight club hit it sounds like, a keyboard-heavy pop sequel to the Neptunes "Frontin" (the anthem that rocked the summer of 2003, and his last collaboration with professional beat-maker and amateurish falsetto Pharrell Williams). And he can rock with the best as well, working with Rick Rubin on a cowbell-heavy stormer named "99 Problems" that samples Billy Squier and outrocks Kid Rock. The only issue thats puzzling about The Black Album is why one of the best rappers needs to say goodbye -- unless, of course, hes simply afraid of being taken for granted and wants listeners to imagine a rap world without him. | ||
 | Rank: 350 Album: 50 of 50 Artist: The Yardbirds Title: Yardbirds Released: 1966 Tracks: 22 Duration: 55:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Lost Woman (03:14) 2 Over Under Sideways Down (02:23) 3 The Nazz Are Blue (03:01) 4 I Cant Make Your Way (02:25) 5 Rack My Mind (03:14) 6 Farewell (01:30) 7 Hot House of Omagararshid (02:43) 8 Jeffs Boogie (02:24) 9 Hes Always There (02:14) 10 Turn Into Earth (03:06) 11 What Do You Want (03:23) 12 Ever Since the World Began (02:04) 13 Over Under Sideways Down (single version) (02:22) 14 Jeffs Boogie (single version) (02:23) 15 Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (02:55) 16 Psycho Daisies (01:49) 17 Hot House of Omagararshid (alternate take) (02:42) 18 Mr. Zero (02:46) 19 Knowing (01:55) 20 Shapes in My Mind (02:19) 21 Blue Sands (02:11) 22 Shapes in My Mind (alternate version) (02:47) |