My Top Ten Albums

Hello Dear Reader,

Welcome to the blog that will probably be a little of everything (or whatever I feel like musing about). I’ll be tossing out articles on concepts that will be biting at me for a little while. Honestly at this point, I’ve have no idea where this will be going. Nevertheless, here’s my first post:

My Top Ten Albums

Well I guess these blogs are for discussing interests. I guess I’ll tackle this one pretty directly. This is a list (in no particular order) of my current favorite music albums. Don’t take this list as being remotely objective. These are just my preferences. Feel free to enjoy your own (and post your own list in the comments).

Introduction:

To make this list a bit clearer here are a few of the criteria for this list. I evaluate each item by the sound of the whole album not by individual songs, or what have you. I usually listen to albums in their established order (shuffling is for playlists). As much as possible I tried to stick to traditional albums. No compilations (which generally make for bad albums anyway) or live albums (which are their own beasts), with two exceptions. With all the qualifiers out of the way, let’s get started!

 

The List

1. Elephant by the White Stripes

We might as well start at the beginning. This is not the first piece of music had I listen to, but this is where my ears were opened for the first time. I had listened to albums by some other artists, they were decent, but something was missing (sorry Foo Fighters and Guns and Roses; ya don’t make this list). When I listened to this album, I found the sounds I had been searching for. This album changed my life in a profound way. It had the dynamism and power of some of the rocks acts I had listen to before, but it also had the two precious P’s: Pathos and Playfulness.

This album is an exploration of our relationships and disaffection with various elements of modern life. The White Stripes discuss alienation in its various forms: from home, society, love, and family. Like many White Stripes albums, love and relationships are subjected with fun twists that put pressure on how we normally approach them. Musically the album has noisy rockers, guitar heroics, thunderous riffs, and pained vocals aplenty. Everything I love about the White Stripes can be found here somewhere.  Listen in and maybe your ears can be opened too.

Other Notable Albums: Icky Thump, The White Stripes, and Under Great White Northern Lights

 

2. Blank Generation by Richard Hell and the Voidoids

Bouncing from two other bands previously (Television and the Johnny Thunders fronted Heartbreakers), Richard Hell formed his own band to fulfill his vision of music. Enlisting Robert Quine, the greatest guitarist of punk, future Ramone Marc Bell, and Ivan Julian, Hell crafts a tight band that could bring his ambitious songs to life.

This is not the punk you know. Rather than furiously strummed three chord punk of say the Ramones, Hell and his band create a nice set of ambitious compositions that are still very catchy. Taking hints from various sources, such as free jazz, surf music, blues, Bob Dylan, and 60’s rock, this band sounds like no other, even themselves. Characterized by catchy melodies, witty lyrics, harmonious guitar interplay (a la the Yardbirds), unorthodox time signatures, and Robert Quine’s sensational soloing, the songs stand out in numerous dimensions.  The best part of this album, is that even after one listen, you will have the songs stuck in your head for days. Richard Hell and the Voidoids combine elements from musical culture both “low” and “high” and show how it all can harmonize on the same stage.

Other Notable Albums: Destiny Street Repaired, Time

 

3. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

“Because something is happening here/But you don’t know what it is/Do you, Mister Jones?”

The best chorus for a song I have ever heard! Of course such memorable lines are delivered by the immaculate wordsmith Bob Dylan. The middle part of the trilogy of Dylan’s 60s electric albums, this is one where Dylan embraces his rock influences. Some of his most well-known songs can be on found on this album. It contains such cuts as Like a Rolling Stone, Highway 61, and Ballad of a Thin Man.

Backed by greats such as guitarist Mike Bloomfield and organist Al Kooper, Dylan drives furious across the soundscape of American music. Here you find Dylan at his most aggressive, both lyrically and musically. The each songs cuts deep, dealing one’s ego a grievous wound (especially if you were the song’s target), but leaving a profound gem to staunch the bleeding. Dylan had formed one of his best bands. Bloomfield’s guitar stings with ever note, and Kooper dishes out a whole choir full of noise himself. What more could you ask for?

Other Notable Albums: Basement Tapes, Time out of Mind, The Bootleg Series, Blood on the Tracks

 

4. Entertainment! by Gang of Four

Gang of Four bears some great credentials. It’s probably the most influential band you’ve never heard of. Trail blazers of Post Punk (which amusingly enough emerged before punk itself had even run its full course) they’ve influenced more acts than you can believe. Here’s a short list: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, REM, and U2.

Entertainment is Gang of Four’ masterwork. There are rock solid and funky bass lines laid down by Dave Allen, unorthodox drumming (the drum hits are nowhere you would expect) from John Burnham, shrieking rhythm lines by Andy Gill, and nervous, aggressive singing from John King. Gang of Four uses aggressive sloganeering, Syndicalist rhetoric, and wry social observation to craft this stunning work. Each song does its job nicely. There are balanced observations on navigating Gender roles (Contract, Damaged Goods), outcries against love songs (Anthrax), and funny commentary on pressures of capitalism (Natural’s Not in it, Ether). The album lives up to its name. It entertains, with heavy doses of irony, and might change the way you see the world.

Other Notable Albums: Solid Gold, The Peel Sessions

 

5. Tribute to Jack Johnson/Agharta by Miles Davis

Two albums, what blasphemy is this?! Well dear readers, I apologize for being indecisive. Both albums belong on this list, but for very different reasons. I’ve included them here together so as to leave room for other acts to be included.

Tribute to Jack Johnson was originally a soundtrack to a documentary about boxer Jack Johnson. The album consists of two instrumental tracks. In the first “Right Off” Miles Davis puts together the best “Rock band” that he can find and proceeds to play one his most vicious and brutal tracks of his career. Featuring one his two best solos (the other on “So What”), Miles Davis electrifies the room, despite only having an acoustic trumpet. His trumpet darts and dives, bobs and weaves. His sound has the impact of a boxer’s fist. All the other players (including John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock) also play sensationally can keep pace with Miles’s relentless energy. The second track “Yesternow” is a moody and atmospheric piece. It’s open and relaxed. Miles plays in an impeccable and restrained manner. Halfway through, the music finds a driving groove. The band moves the atmosphere forward with an extra energy. Miles plays with extra force, but still sits calmly in the groove that has developed. These two tracks form complete musical suites.

Agharta finds Miles Davis performing in Japan with his last great band. Here, with his hardest hitting rhythm section, he truly nails the power of the deep grooves he learned from funk. He plays less than before, due to an illness that would soon debilitate him, but he directs and leads the band to furious heights. On first listen, these pieces seem like unstructured jams. However upon closer examination, the band plays with otherworldly coordination that can only be accomplished through careful playing, improvisatory skill, and strong onstage communication. Each tune, despite being composed, sounds like a unique, one time only, entity. In some sense this is true. Miles Davis plays the similar setlist later the same night (as recorded on the album Pangea) and the songs sound almost completely different. This is the magic of Miles Davis’s electric work. He and his musicians do not play the same way twice. Miles forms a group with the upmost dynamism and freshness. The scariest part of this music is how futuristic it sounds. Even today it sounds completely out there, that we have yet to fully understand and master this brand of musical fury.

Other Notable Albums: Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew, On the Corner, Pangea

 

6. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits

What is a rain dog? Honestly I’m still not really sure, but this album does its job communicating the impression without words. Sure the songs are well written, but that’s not what makes a rain dog. The album evokes an atmosphere that conveys the message best.  The album exudes a special aura of cool that can’t really be explained. It’s weird and murky for sure, but it’s the kind of weird no one can mock.

In terms of musical qualities, the album uses a nice variety of sounds and influences. You can find bar room ballads like Blind Love and Downtown Train. There are solid songs with nice sound lyrics like Jockey Full of Bourbon, Singapore, and Wakling Spanish. There’s even two short instrumentals to round the album out. Despite the fact that there are 19 songs, the album is still under an hour. Each cut is short and focused, like it’s been purified down to its essence.

Other Notable Albums: Mule Variations, Bone Machine, Real Gone

 

7. Saints by Marc Ribot

Marc Ribot is actually appearing for the second time on this list. He is the primary guitarist on Rain Dogs (Quine, who is on Blank Generation, appears on Rain Dogs too, go figure.). His solo outing is a much different entity. Here he plays solo guitar with absolutely no additional help. He doesn’t even sing to provide a second voice to the recording. Naked as he is, he is in prime position to showcase the power of the guitar. Improvising on a set of great tunes, Ribot reveals their beauty. On “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” Ribot takes a nice melody and raises it to heights that could not be achieved with confines of the voice. He uses the freedom of his guitar to take a slightly different path and emotional register, revealing the deeper potential of this already great song. He finds a solid driving groove on Saint James Infirmary and show that great rhythmic sense does not require a drummer at your side. On tracks like “Empty” and “Book of Heads number 13” Ribot explores the quirky sounds of the avant-garde and shows that what’s weird and confusing can also be beautiful. Ribot lays his whole being out with this album. Like any person, it’s complex and confusing, but very much a wonder to observe.

Other Notable Albums: The Prosthetic Cubans, Asmodeus Book of the Angels Vol. 7, Live at the Village Vanguard

 

8. Atlanta Twelve String by Blind Willie McTell

“No one can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell,” sang Bob Dylan. What better tribute can one receive? McTell is a tremendous talent. As Bo Dylan explains, he can sing amazingly well. He can also play great accompaniment with his guitar. The scary part is that he can do this all at once without slowing down at all.

Most Blind Willie McTell recordings sound somewhat grainy due to the antiquated recording equipment used. This album is an important exception. This recording is pristine and contains versions of many of Blind Willie McTell’s best songs. He combines the roles of down-on-his-luck singer, showman, and virtuosic musician. McTell’s voice is emotionally effecting, wringing every last drop the song could manage. Importantly, he isn’t too caught up in the song to forget he is a performer. He uses a performer’s voice and sings like he is regaling you with stories.  He’s seems to be having great fun too! Unfortunately, he died before the blues revival in the 60s. Fortunately, his legacy is kept alive by the many artist who cover his songs and pay tribute to him.

Other Notable Recordings: Best of Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie McTell Vo. 1, Last Sessions

 

9. The Day the Earth Met Rocket from the Tombs by (you guessed it) Rocket from the Tombs

Rocket from the Tombs is a criminally neglected band, but it’s easy to understand why. They’ve only released three albums: a live album (this one), and two studio albums recorded thirty years after the band originally broke up. However, the former members of Rocket from the Tombs spawned two other punk legends: the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu, which is shocking considering how different these two bands are. Guns and Roses even gained a minor hit by covering their song “Ain’t it Fun.”

This album remains the one live album I’ve included on this list as it provides the only contemporary recording of Rocket from the Tombs (and the only recording with underappreciated guitarist Peter Laughner). While this album does not have the best sound quality, the energy of the group and the strength of their songs catapult the album to its status on the list. Each song, had it been recorded, could have become a punk classic. It’s littered with great songs such as “It’s Cold,” “Ain’t it Fun,” “What Love is,” and “Amphetamine.” The band combines the thrashing force of the great punk acts on songs like “Sonic Reducer,” but can also embrace the weirder, experimental side with “30 Seconds Over Tokyo.” This album is like the baptism that Punk never received.

If the sound quality of this album bothers you, you can also try listen to the album Rocket Redux. Most of the same songs are covered, but this was recorded in 2006, with a few changed members. It’s almost as good.

Other Notable Albums (from its descendent bands): The Modern Dance, Dub Housing (Pere Ubu); Young, Loud, and Snotty (The Dead Boys)

 

10. Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus

Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is an ambitious album. Conceived like a classical composition, it consists of 4 modes (and six movements) rather than individual songs. The album is a beautiful cacophony of sound, without ever overwhelming the listener with noise. The band sounds like a tight ensemble, constantly flowing and adapting to evolving mood of the pieces. This band is quite democratic. While there are many moments of individual brilliance, each musician serves the feel of the composition rather than trying to rise above it.

This is album is one that you must take in at once. It is an experience like attending a concert. One needs to give the piece its attention, as there are so many details to keep track of at once. The second mode “Duet Dancers” has two competing sounds coming out of your speaker’s twin channels. They blast and yell at each other, but still find means of delicate and virtuosity interaction.  In the final mode, the band ebbs and swells with tremendous force. These trips are rollercoaster rides that sweep you away with the sheer force of the music. This is music infused with tremendous passion and an eclectic knowledge of music’s vast history.

 

Honourable Mentions: White Light/ White Heat (Velvet Underground), In Utero (Nirvana), , Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads), Going Home (Albert Ayler), London Calling by the Clash, Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones

 

There’s my list. I hope you found it interesting! Please post your comments (or your own list) if this article inspired you.