A no way near complete, nor in any particular order, list of the best
albums known to man.
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
What gets me most about this album, is nostalgia; not the
nostalgia of wanting to go back and do it all again, but the one
that causes you to remember what it was like to discover things.
There is a specialness about the wonder that comes with youth, that
exists at no other time and in no other way than when you are young
and fresh to the scene. I think this album was one of the turning
points in my life; it was definitely part of my departure from
childhood. And what a show that was, too. Of course, I was biased,
liking them so much and all.
Echo and the Bunnymen - Live in Liverpool
Ian always had a wonderful voice, but on this record it's so
smokey and rich and deep. It might be age or cigarettes or vodka,
but it doesn't matter. His voice has definitely bettered as time
passes. It's got a wonderful resonance to it, a huskyness that could
make you melt. It's the best live album I've ever heard. If it
wasn't for the audience noises, you might never know it was live at
all.
Forgotten Rebels - In Love With the System
The first punk album I ever bought. 17 years-old and just
beginning to figure it out. Learning the joys of scouring record
stores, of realising the wonder that was college radio, of realising
that difference wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
I am very partial to their version of Do You Know the Way to
San Jose. It's not something I could explain. It's just that
when I first heard what was on this album other than the hits, I was
impressed.
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Monks - Bad Habits
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Nirvana - Unplugged
For the post-party chillout factor, if nothing else. We're
probably all going to end up in a lake of fire frying.
Paul Simon - Graceland
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Pink Floyd - Relics
Pixies - Bossanova
Pixies - Doolittle
Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
For the sheer wall of sound. Heavy.
Sugar - Copper Blue
T-Rex - Electric Warrior
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Beatles - Let It Be
Ever since I was a teenager, this record has always been
something I listened to in the spring. It just screams springtime to
me. There was never anything quite like throwing wide the windows
and turning the volume up and singing along to this.
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
The Who - Tommy (not the soundtrack for the film)
The Who - Who's Next?
Definitely on my top 10, if I had a top 10 albums list. You
can't beat this for power, but not power in the sense of being
overpowered; power in the sense of being swept up. It's a
masterpiece. A work of genius. Lifehouse to be sure.