My Favorite Albums Evar: 80-71

I wish I could have had this portion posted earlier today, but the world hated me all day long and I was busy kicking it in the face and groin. But here you go, My Favorite Albums Evar, 80-71!

80-71 Edition

80 Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)

Yeah, 2005. I’m saying it. I’ve tried tirelessly to force you all to familiarize yourself with these Danish dudes, and a few of you have caught on. This album isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s doing exactly what few albums do anymore: creating a landscape, an entire body of work that is whole and cohesive while moving past their old work and into the varied fields of operatic lullabies and thick, bass-heavy face smashers. Think J Mascis and Queen have a baby, but they don’t pee on it. This album will probably end up rising on my list as time goes on.

79 Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You (1965)

This list will reveal (if it hasn’t already) that I’m pretty particular with female voices. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s undeniable. A woman’s voice needs to ring clear as open sky or give me shivers or fucking terrify me into remembering it, or I just don’t ever get acquainted. Plus, I’m generally sick of hearing songs about breaking up with people, unless you’re Feist. But come with me to 1965 and listen to The voice, performing classics like “Ne Me Quitte Pas”, “Feeling Good” and the title track. Classic and beautiful, Nina Simone.

78 The Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby (1992)

Over the top rock and roll rebellion featuring great fucking hair and tongues in cheeks. This album still sets me on fire with it’s frantic spirit and assaulting sound. Somewhere in between spastic poetry performances, gospel choirs and good old fashioned D.C. punk arrived The Nation of Ulysses, and their stamp on the sound of their time has yet to be matched by any band, with half as much style.

77 Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses (1987)

What can you say about an undisputed classic? Gore and Gahan’s music had never been so popular, and yet Violater was still to come. Can you hear it in there? I can.

76 Cocteau Twins - Treasure (1984)

A practically perfect album, featuring the kind of music that makes groups like Sigur Ros and Xiu Xiu possible (though not quite as obtuse as Xiu, the elegant fractures still sound familiar enough to draw the parallel) today. In fact, listen to “Ivo” or “Lorelei” and don’t let yourself be distracted by all the incredible vocal layers and harmonies, just let yourself focus on the guitar work of Guthrie. Fucking incredible, and probably deserves to be higher on this list.

75 Radiohead - Ok Computer (1997)

This is tough. I actually forgot about this album when I originally put the list together, and ended up bumping someone (guess who? nah) to put it here. It’s not an afterthought, though, I could kick myself for forgetting what an impact this record had on me. Yes, Kid A and Amnesiac break even further through the bounds, but you gotta realize that I fucking love The Bends, and wasn’t really ready in 1997 for any kind of change that drastic. I do know that the first time I heard “Let Down” (not even the strongest track), I felt like I had found music that matched my soul.

I was kind of depressed at the time. Let’s not get into the Philadelphia years, mkay?

74 Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)

They weren’t just “that band that sounds like Big Star”, ok? They’re Loveless and they pre-date Stoned and Dethroned, and they’re fucking gorgeous and dense melody wrapped in some kind of bizarre experimental paper. “What You Do to Me” has appeared on more mix tapes than I’d care to mention (I’m really not that much of a glutton for punishment, I swear), and this entire album will always be one of my sentimental favorites.

73 Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)

Ok now. Calm down. If you know me at all, you knew this was coming. And I’m not alone in my admiration. If you strip away the Behind the Music meltdowns, the inevitable clustering with the rest of the long hairs of the time, and just consider the fact that it was 198fucking7 and fucking “Mr Brownstone” and “Nighttrain” were emerging from the sewers of the grossly cartoon-ish L.A. rock scene, you should be able to appreciate it as its own work of grandeur. If you play guitar and can’t appreciate Slash’s attention to detail and showmanship in general on this record, you might need your head examined. Or you might need to be forced to listen to it - I’ll commentate.

72 My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Two years spent on one album that created an entire genre of imitators = badass. Hollering guitars that have the appeal of dandelions, produced to perfection vocals and densely intricate compositions make this one of the most incredible records of all time. The album has a sort of sexual appeal that makes it one of those timeless classics for affectionate as well as appreciative reasons. They should have covered “I Feel Like Makin’ Love”, because hot damn, papa. But seriously, incredible musicianship, never matched.

Wait - wanna make out? 71 is sort of hard to digest…

71 Slint - Tweez / Spiderland (1989, 1991)

I’ve been trying not to do ties, but Spiderland only has 6 songs, ok? Slint emerged through Rough Trade in the late 80s creating music that you can either really sink into and absorb or you just have to walk away. There’s not a lot easy about Slint, but they’re fucking brilliant anyway. They invented the whole “omg things are quiet wait a sec they’re really fucking loud” thing that bands love to do these days (think Mogwai and a bazillion other bands), but they did it with bizarre guitar work and impassioned, original and fucking poetic vocals and lyricism. Don’t forget the rhythm section, with bass and drum intensity rarely matched, or Albini’s production, or David Pajo’s (Tortoise, Pajo) guitar work. Just incredible.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD. Please. Are you living in there? “Never Let Me Down Again.” “Nothing.”

VIOLATOR.

Heaven.

I picked ‘Speak and Spell’ as my best DM album, although Music for the Masses beats it, I have a bigger sense of loyalty for Vince Clarke. Huge. HUGE. I have a major thing for him, and I think Gore is a little on the arrogant side.

I recognize this makes no sense, but basically, I viewed it as a springboard for Clarke’s earlier work with Yaz(oo) and Erasure, as well as the rest of the work DM did. It started it all. Miracle of miracles.

And Appetite for Destruction is *undisputably* a classic. It brought ‘metal’ to the masses, with a fusion that was unseen before its time. I am, basically, in awe of this album.

Awww, Bandwagonesque. I totally forgot that one on my list. Dammit!

Oh! And heads-up: that CT album cover looks just like Treasure, but I think you posted Cure’s “Head On the Door” (which is also a great album, by the way)

Yeah, at one point Head on the Door was in that spot, and I forgot to go switch the art. Fixed now!

Ahh, of course you did. Another fucking great album.

(and for the record, while I loved Miss Domestic, though I never commented, I’m pleased as punch with this new format. And the music. And the whole thing.)

And also, I am now singing ‘Pimp’ thanks to you. And there’s not even anything to sing, for chrissake.

lovin’ the mbv and slint picks. it’s actually gonna get me to go down to my basement to dig up those slint cds and give myself a little refresher. i know, i know. why were they ever down in my basement in the first place??? well, isn’t it somewhat appropriate? slint’s music sounds like it belongs in a basement - a very dark, cold, and damp basement.

Thanks to you, I pulled Bandwagonesque off the shelf and am currently listening to it. What You Do To Me is such a catchy little pop song. Was it the video for this song that actually segued into Satan? Or am I imagining all that?

And you know my feelings about GNR.

I might actually have to do my own Top 100 list. Although mine would be much more mainstream than you and Aaron’s.

2/30!

Chag,
Please do put together your 100! Who cares how mainstream it is - I just love seeing what makes people love albums.

Norb,

MBV? or GNR?

Deep in your heart, Paige, you know the answer. Although I’m surprised you wouldn’t assume that it’s the Radiohead album. In any event, I should have the bottom quarter (with less art and fewer explanation, or simply album art and no explanation… hmmm) up in lieu of my Friday Random Lucky 11 tomorrow.

I just love Nina Simone, weird vibrato voice and all. I have the “Four Women” box (”Nina Simone Philips Recordings”, Verve, 4-disc boxed set) and just love it.

I used to hate Depeche Mode and today they are one of my fave bands. They put up a mesmerizing live show and I’ve been to just about every single one that passed through here. Great stuff, especially since they supplemented the electronic beats with a live drummer that really kicks ass. I like bands that stay true to themselves and actually improve on their sound without majorly changing things. Depeche Mode just gets better and better.

Axl Rose just doesn’t do it for me. The guy is a jerk and his voice makes my wallpaper curl. Sorry. Just call me a heathen.

Radiohead did some pretty good stuff, but they turned generic at some point. Whenever I put their stuff on, it’s too predictable. Does that make sense?

Looking forward to the next batch.

Norb,

I look forward to it!

Volkher,

Axl was an acquired taste for me, too, but Steven Adler and Slash were in almost every single dream of mine for years. I’d be interested in seeing your top 100, too! Even a top 20, come on!

OH and yes, I definitely know what you mean about Radiohead. I’ve enjoyed Thom Yorke’s “solo” stuff very much, but I certainly can’t say it’s because it’s anything revolutionary or much different that what I’d expect of a Radiohead album.

10/30

Sorry you felt a need to kick the world in the face and groin. Repeatedly. In the words of the freaky little psychic in Poltergeist: “So much rage…”

Heh, so much rage, indeed. What did I ever do to the world for it to treat me so bad? Huh??

Thanks, Two.

damn, 1991 was a good year…

Yay! Nation of Ulysses! Slint!