bloggedy blog: the personal weblog of a music lover and aging punk wannabe

:: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 ::

Greatest Pop/Rock Albums, Vol. 8: 30-21
Running behind today. Apologies. Hope I didn't keep you waiting.

Vol. 1 (100-91)
Vol. 2 (90-81)
Vol. 3 (80-71)
Vol. 4 (70-61)
Vol. 5 (60-51)
Vol. 6 (50-41)
Vol. 7 (40-31)

30. Who's Next, The Who
With a rock anthem as powerful as "Baba O'Riley" to anchor this album, how can it miss? A great collection of old and new Who tunes. Lead singer Roger Daltry is at his finest here with "Bargain," "Going Mobile" and "Behind Blue Eyes." (Yes, the original is better than the current Limp Bizkit cover.) "Won't Get Fooled Again" is one of this band's greatest songs. Pete Townsend (guitarist/singer/songwriter) is the genius behind the work, but the personnel of John Entwistle (bass) and Keith Moon (drums) and, of course, Daltry, make The Who a brilliant rock group whose sum is greater than its parts.

29. Hotel California, The Eagles
This album had the misfortune of coming out as I entered my punk phase, so I wasn't much interested in overdone West Coast cowboy rock at the time. Still, I can appreciate the work of Don Henley, Glen Frey and company, and Joe Walsh's addition (on guitar, if not vocals) brought an infusion of boogie rock to the mix. The title song is infectious in its riffs and guitar solo, and "Life in the Fast Lane" is a great cautionary tale about the excesses of the rock'n'roll lifestyle, which the Eagles knew so well.

28. Out of the Blue, ELO
Fusing orchestrations into catchy pop/rock tunes, ELO struck gold with Out of the Blue. Hits like "Turn to Stone" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman" put the Electric Light Orchestra on firm footing in '70s pre-disco radio pop. From Mista Sinista: "From the hate-to-love-it category, I was hooked on this record from the first track 'Turn to Stone.' Incidentally, it is one of the few on my top 25 that I own solely on vinyl."

27. Zenyatta Mendatta, The Police
An outstanding record -- well produced reggae-influenced rhythms without that rough edge of The Police's first two albums. Greatest tracks: "When the World Is Running Down" and "Driven to Tears."

26. Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf
Phil Rizzuto's sportscasting never sounded better than it did on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." A big, ambitious album, and an unlikely hit for its time (1977), Meat Loaf came at the world like a bat out of, well, you know...

25. One More from the Road, Lynyrd Skynyrd
A favorite of redneck/mullet rockers everywhere, this CD captures everybody's favorite Skynyrd tunes -- live.

24. The Who Sings My Generation, The Who
"My Generation," says David Hopkins, is "possibly the greatest single of all time." It certainly contains the greatest stutter ever heard in rock'n'roll -- and a stunning bass solo by John Entwisle. "The Kids Are Alright" and a couple of James Brown covers solidified The Who as the mod/rock band of the '60s.

23. OK Computer, Radiohead
In this 1997 release, Radiohead mixes electronica with whiney vocals and a strong but subtle rhythm section -- or in Mista Sinista's words, the group "combines musical genius, instrumental talent and production wizardry."

22. A Night at the Opera, Queen
Did the title of this album refer to Queen's operatic vision, as captured in "Bohemian Rhapsody," or were they just horsing around with an old Marx Brothers movie title? It hardly matters. This 1975 hit is the ultimate Queen album.

21. The Doors, The Doors
Jim Morrison and company broke on through with their debut. Ray Manzarek's cheesy organ made beautiful music with Lizard King Morrison's laid-back vocals. "Light My Fire" seemed to go on forever, but nobody cared.

*****
My Top 10
by Mista Sinista
(a non-blogger but avid bloggedy blog reader)

10. Out of the Blue, ELO
From the Hate-to-love-it catagory, I was hooked on this record from the first track "Turn to Stone." Incidentally, it is one of the few on my top 25 that I own solely on vinyl.

9. Liscensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys
The year was 1986 and this was the record my parents wouldn't let me hear. I like this album for that reason; I like this album because it manages to morph the hair-rock guitars of the 80s with the emerging hip-hop sound; and I like this album because the Beastie Boys apologized for making it.

8. Waiting for Columbus, Little Feat
I tried to not include any "live" or "greatest hits" records on this list, but some bands were meant to be heard live, and Little Feat is one of these. With their dixieland-meats-rock style complete with extended solos, Little Feat proves on this record that they are meant for a live listener.

7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
IMO, the most solid Beatles album from start to climactic finish.

6. Hard Rain, Bob Dylan
Dylan plugs in his guitar and hires a band for this record, consisting of tracks from his "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour. Many of his fans hated him for abandoning his simple acoustic sound, but I think it gives a worthwhile edge to what would otherwise be more boring Dylan.

5. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Clan
More than 10 years after it's release, 36 Chambers is still the most original and revolutionary Hip-Hop record ever dropped.

4. Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf
Jim Steinman framed the ultimate rock opera with Bat Out of Hell, and no one performs the lead like Meat Loaf.

3. The Joshua Tree, U2
Before U2 became icons, they were musicians that made gems like The Joshua Tree.

2. All Things Must Pass, George Harrison
"Beware of Darkness" is one of my all-time favorite songs, and this album has many more keepers in there. It is easily the greatest post-Beatles record that any of them made.

1. OK Computer, Radiohead
OK Computer combines musical genius, instrumental talent and production wizardry to create the greatest rock album IMO.

:: Andrew 15:02 + ::
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