My Favorite Albums Evar: 40-31

Episode 40-31

100-91 / 90-81 / 80-71 / 70-61 / 60-51 / 50-41

You know the drill, follow the ‘more’.

40 Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain (1984)

Ian McCulloch helped me through high school, and this lush and haunting album is just incredible, start to finish. “The Killing Moon” remains one of my favorites songs ever. This album turned down the guitars and turned up the orchestra, making it the band’s most ambitious work at the time, and one of the classic 80’s albums, from start to finish.

39 Paul Simon - Paul Simon (1972)

Thank God he and Garfunkel broke up, because if I didn’t have this, I’d be miserable.

38 David Bowie - Low (1977)

I was never too into Ziggy and the majority of Bowie’s late 60’s-early 70’s stuff, but from Low right on up to Let’s Dance (or thereabouts), I’m smitten. If you know me, you know I really love stuff that is harsh but sensitive underneath, stuff that plays with dissonance and difficulty levels, but at the end of the day, I still love a good love song. In many ways, this is the perfect example of what I love, as “Be My Wife” jots through angular transitions and robotic percussion to reveal a lonely person’s desire to be with the one he loves. The juxtaposition there, and across this album, make it a benchmark for me in terms of what I love about music.

But I’ll still dance to “Modern Love” until the sun comes up.

37 Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

It’s hard to deal with Queen because the body of work is so broad and varied. This album is my favorite, but even 1991’s Innuendo, an unpopular effort among many fans, draws me near, with “The Show Must Go On” and “Bijou” echoing through the hole in my heart where Freddie Mercury used to live. Queen can make me happier than a pig in shit, and can bring me down, down low. “Somebody to Love”, “You Take My Breath Away”, and all of Mercury’s ballads sting, because it’s common knowledge how intimate and personal they were. But, getting back to this album, songs like “Stone Cold Crazy”,”Killer Queen” and “Misfire” succeed in displaying the innovation these guys had, the incredible talent of Brian May, and the young hopefullness of a true genius destined to leave us before his time.

36 The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (1980)

I discovered this album late, very late, but it doesn’t change how incredible it is. You can’t question Robyn Hitchcock’s influence on 80’s rock without first appreciating his monumental contributions to the future of post-punk with this album. Taking songs that, by any other band, would simply be re-hashings of obscure 60’s guitar-rock bands and turning them into catchy, almost psychedelic toe-tappers, The Soft Boys get under your skin, like little bugs.

• Soft Boys: I Wanna Destroy You

35 The Clash - London Calling (1979)

There’s always an argument to be had about the actual greatness of this album, but to me it’s their best work. Best punk album ever? We’d probably argue.

34 Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned (1985, 1994)

If MBV and The Velvet Underground had a baby and spit on it, this is what it would look like. Look at how far apart the albums are in terms of years, and realize what a turd I am for calling it a tie! I’m a cheat! I don’t care, though. Psychocandy represents how I fell in love with them, and Stoned represents the pinnacle of their sound, the perfection of what they started. Think simple pop melodies leveled with feedback, angst and fuzz. Think Mascis meets Brian Wilson. Brilliance, through and through.

• Jesus and Mary Chain: Just Like Honey

• Jesus and Mary Chain: You’ve Been a Friend

That’s for you, be a friend and give it a listen for me.

33 Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime (1994)

Damn 1994, you kicked my ass. “Luau” (featuring Rob Crow) is without a doubt one of the greatest rock n roll songs ever written, if you’d give it a chance, and the entire body of work here is elevated above everything else coming out of the scene at that time. Complex, difficult and dense Yank Crime will kick your ass and hand it to you with a snarl. Reis and Froberg’s guitars are epic and miraculous, unable to be imitated, and Trombino’s drumming is what initially got me interested in percussion and rhythm. Can’t fight it, just enjoy it. Don’t call it metal, either. I’ll fight you. PS if you have the Pitchfork 7″ I’ll give you my pinkie finger.

32 Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985)

I know at least one person who is going to be royally pissed that Kate Bush is ahead of Jehu, but I can’t help it. The sensuality and beauty of this album is incredible. Yes, more sensuous that Sensuality. And besides, I can’t bear to hear “This Woman’s Work” one more time or I’ll throw up in my mouth.

• Kate Bush: Running Up That Hill (Deal with God)

• Kate Bush: Hounds of Love

31 Peter Gabriel - So (1986)

This might seem like a copout choice, considering how accesible Gabriel became with this record, but I have to be honest when trying to decide which of his is my favorite. “In Your Eyes” still makes me teary-eyed, all the songs still sound as exciting and fresh as they did then, even after years of over-exposure, and the Kate Bush duet should really be played at least once a day by anyone who has anything trying going on in their life.

this is definitely my favorite 10 on your list so far! “ocean rain”…sigh. so awesome. did you ever get to see them live back then? i still contend that they are/were one of the best live bands ever.

“in your eyes” makes me teary-eyed, too, but for different reasons. it was the song my ex and i danced to at our wedding. GAG. in my eyes it’s tainted forever! heh.

“In Your Eyes” has been given the “We Dance” (Pavement) treatment: I only give it to really special people because if it gets fucked up, the world’s goin’ down.

In Your Eyes was the song my wife and I were “introduced to the crowd” to at our wedding. Cheesy, I know.

Man, that’s awesome. As long as you’re still in love and married.

I create wedding soundtracks in my spare time, it’s fun.

Chag-
It sounds creepy and lame that I create wedding soundtracks, huh. Here’s what I was referring to:

http://swoon.us/?p=76

Unfortunately the mp3s aren’t there anymore.

i wonder how many of us 30-somethings danced to “in your eyes” at our weddings?? heh. you know, it really is a sweet song. what’s probably more gag-inducing is that we walked down the aisle to yaz’s “only you.” hahaha! no lame-ass mendelssohn for us!

Aww, Only You! I actually like that!

yeah. too bad that marriage was doomed from the get-go. perhaps i thought playing good music at the wedding would have some effect? now i’m just pissed that every time i hear those songs, i associate them with an emotionally retarded prick! heh.

Having songs ruined by people fucking sucks. That’s why you save the best ones for yourself!

“Only you” is a good choice, but may not be appreciated by the crowd. Buncha savages.

I know nobody agrees, but “Say Anything” ruined “In Your Eyes” for me. It seemed to be the last of the Great John Cusack teen movies, overproduced, disinteresting, and freakin’ cheezy as all get out with the ghetto-blaster-over-the-head business. Far too serious.

So I guess Cameron Crowe ruined “In Your Eyes” for me.

Maybe they should re-cut it with one of the original choices to give it some edge. And no, I didn’t just add those to Wikipedia.

echo and the bunnymen, david bowie, the clash, jesus and mary chain…

(sniff sniff)

i smell the top 10 getting closer.

100% agreement on those four.
and kudos to you for being brave and putting j&mc above the clash, unlike every “alternative” rag i’ve ever read that’s put together an all-time list.

Thanks Mike-

I’m sure someone will show up pissed that London Calling is all the way up here, but oh wellz.

I never realized there was a debate over the merit of London Calling.

Where’s Cut the Crap, dammit? Or Big Audio Dynamite XII?

Accessible or not, ‘So’ is a great album. I like ‘Us’ better, but it’s still as…familiar, though not as overplayed.

And actually, I very much prefer Sinead O’Connor with Pete on ‘Don’t Give Up,’ over Kate (I know! Blasphemy!) from when she toured with him. Well, before Paula Cole had to replace her, as she tried to commit suicide and sue him. But whatevah.

And hell yes on ‘Sheer Heart Attack.’