jingle.boy's Top 50 Albums - v. the Necrominicon epilogue

[jingle.boy]

For starters, here's a little on my musical background so you have a bit of a sense of what you're in for.  I was born in late '71, and neither of my parents were all that in to music, so I just kinda wandered musically, never really finding anything that I could get truly connected to (I listened mainly to pop music).  Then, at 14 years old, my older brother played Black Dog (and the rest of Zeppelin IV) for me.  I found my musical calling.  From 85-95, Rock was my musical passion - predominantly Classic Rock, but I also branched out to 80's Hard Rock, and Glam Rock.  I was working a night job on weekends in 1988/89, and full-time from 90-92 that allowed me to listen to copious hours of music – all from the Classic/Hard/Glam rock genre. 

I didn’t do much in the way of musical discovery between ‘92 and ‘96 (I was in University), but was exposed deeper into the catalogue’s of rock icons like Floyd, Rush, Maiden, Halen, AC/DC, Kiss, Boston, Triumph, Styx, Queen and the like. Late in '96, I found Dream Theater, and expanded my horizons to everything Progressive.  Still to this day, that's pretty much my core musical tastes.  There are some other genre's that I occasionally listen to, but what you're going to find on this list will invariably fall into those 3 genres - Classic Rock, Glam Rock, Progressive Rock.  I'm not much a fan of scream or growl vocals, but there are some cases where it fits in a particular song.  Oh... I'm a sucker for Concept albums, whether a full storyline and character driven concept, or simply an album with a consistent and common theme (10 of my top 50 fall into one or the other)

Before I get started, let me just put the disclaimer out there that a lot of what I'm about to state in my "review" of these is OPINION, not fact (although I will throw in the odd factoid).  I'm not going to include "in my opinion" on every write up, so let's not get into the whole debate about right vs wrong, subjective vs objective yada yada.  These are largely my thoughts and opinions only (maybe others too).

Lastly, I’ll link some of my “Fav Songs”… if you don’t know the album and feel like checking out one tune, have a click on the one I link.

[ReaperKK]

Awesome jingle.boy, I'm excited to read your Top 50, I'll be following

[King Postwhore]

Yes.  Me too.  I'd like to see our parallels in taste.

[Ravenheart]

The "Necronomicon" in the title makes me a happy man. Will be following.

[Obfuscation]

Yup following indeed.

[The King in Crimson]

Klaatu.... Barada..... Necktie?

Will be following.

[jingle.boy]

First up, my honorable mentions.  If I were to do my actual top/favorite 50 albums, these seven likely would've made the cut.  However, something from these bands will show up later in the list, so I decided to forgo them from the Top 50 in favor of a handful of albums that wouldn't normally seem up my alley, but are great discs that I love none-the-less (and to throw in a little diversity).

57) Tesla, Psychotic Supper (1991) - Edison's Medicine, Song & Emotion, What you Give
Couple of home-runs on this disc, but it's got a couple of duds too.

56) Whitesnake, Whitesnake (1987) - Crying in the Rain, Still of the Night, Children of the Night
Prototypical late 80s glam album.  Not a bad track on it.  Probably most well known for the video with Tawny Kitaen - man she was hot in the day

55) Van Halen, 5150 (1986) – Get Up, Dreams, Good Enough
Despite the departure of Diamond Dave, Sammy stepped in and they put out a stellar album signalling they were here to stay.

54) Skid Row, Slave to the Grind (1991) - Wasted Time, In A Darkened Room, Slave to the Grind
Although still considered a Glam band, this was one metal album 

53) Pink Floyd, A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) - Sorrow, On The Turning Way, Dogs of War
Even without Waters, and a almost 5 year absence, Pink Floyd still put out a solid progressive/psychedelic experience

52) Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (1975) - In My Time of Dying, Ten Years Gone, Kashmir, Custard Pie
What's better than 1 Zeppelin disc?  Two of course!  Although in this day and age, it would probably fit on to a single disc.

51) Frost*, Experiments in Mass Appeal (2008) - Dear Dead Days, Toys, Welcome to Nowhere
Thankfully, this wasn't the end of Frost* - an amazing blend of old and new school melodic prog.

[jingle.boy]

And, so we begin.

50) No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom (1995)



What a terrific blend of pop, rock, punk, even a few jazz elements packed into these 13 tracks.  This was No Doubt’s 3rd album, universally considered a huge improvement over the first 2.  It brought tremendous mainstream attention to Gwen Stefani, who evolved to be a pop superstar – still to this day.  As I mentioned, it’s not up my usual genre of music, but it’s just fun to listen to.  Not only did it have a handful of radio hits, but every song has a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.  The band wasn’t afraid to step outside the box, blending different styles even within songs (there’s even a cool disco feel at times – You Can Do It sounds like it could be the Wonder Woman theme).  The sounds aren't very diverse, but it all just works well together.  Commercially, it was a lasting success, making Rolling Stone's Top 500 of all time, reaching the top 3 in almost every country it was released in, #22 on Billboard's albums of the 90s.  Most songs on this disc give the same kind of feel as Oracles on the Delphi Express from The Dear Hunter (Act II).  So, if you like that track, you're sure to enjoy this album.

Fav Songs - Excuse Me Mr., Sunday Morning, Sixteen

[jingle.boy]

49) Spirit of the West, Save This House (1990)



Now, here’s a good Celtic band from down east (what we Canadian’s call the maritime provinces).  In the mid 90’s, I (and most Canadian’s) couldn’t go to a bar in my university home town on the weekend without hearing Home for a Rest - a song all about the mother of all drinking binges.  This was their debut album with 14 tracks, none breaking the 5 minute barrier except for the calming ballad Last to Know.  This album is a mix of folk, celtic, pop, and rock music - mostly acoustic, plethora of percussion instruments, flute (or flute like) instrumentation and more accordion than necessary (I can just hear Christopher Walken shouting “more accordion”).  Bottom line is that it’s just plain happy music - the kind of music you just want to spend with a handful of friends around the table, drinking pitcher after pitcher of beer, telling wild and sordid tales, and maybe even getting up to dance a little jig with the hottest chick in the place - even better if she's a total stranger.  It just gives you that kind of vibe.

Fav Songs - Putting up with the Jonses, Home for a Rest, Roadside Attraction

[ReaperKK]

w00t for A Momentary Lapse Of Reason I think it's a very solid album

I wasn't expecting No Doubt but that is a great cd, haven't listen to it in years.

[WebRaider]

I love all the honorable mentions! Good stuff there. And Tragic Kingdom was pretty cool 

[Fluffy Lothario]

Wow, our tastes aren't much alike, but awesome first pick. Tragic Kingdom is a phenomenal 90s pop/rock album, and most of the stuff on it still holds up really nicely fifteen years later. I don't think I could pick favourites without naming about half the album.

[King Postwhore]

Love the energy of the No Doubt album.  I've never heard of Spirit of the West and I will remedy that.

[Arch Benemy]

Following! No Doubt's early stuff is pretty great

[jingle.boy]

Still a few more "oddities" ...


48) Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain (1984)



Michael Jackson may have been the King of Pop, but in 1984, Prince was appropriately named as he would absolutely have been the next in line to the throne… almost an edgier version of MJ, or maybe more like a cult-esque Rock/Pop superstar.  He'd had a couple of other previous hits, but Purple Rain was the total package. It ranks pretty high in a ton of "all-time" charts (Time, Rolling Stone, VH1, and others).  Certified 13 times platinum with 2 Grammy's in 1985, it's a bona fide heavy-weight in the pop-rock genre.  What you’ll hear is a blending of genre's beyond just pop-rock... there's R&B, dance, psycadellic, and some of the guitar licks approach a more (dare I say) metal sound.  Prince's extravagance comes out through his guitar playing.  His licks and solo's just ooze with flamboyance and arrogance.

Fav Songs - Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, Baby I'm a Star

[jingle.boy]

47) Slade, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1984)



Slade's biggest commercial success in North America with the radio hits Run Runaway and one of the best power ballads of the 80s, My Oh My.  Who (in North America) knew they'd been around since the late 60s and had 12 albums already in their discography?  Other than the 2 radio hits, and the 3-part closing song (Ready to Explode), nothing clocks in over four minutes.  Every song packs a punch though, and this is a really good (and quick… as in short) pick-me-up disc.  Something to pop in when you don't have a lot of time, and need your mood brightened just a little bit.

Fav Songs - My Oh My, Slam the Hammer Down, Ready to Explode

[jingle.boy]

46) Sass Jordan, Racine (1992)



Definitely on the softer side of the rock genre, with a very blues vibe and a full complement of rock instrumentation ... gruff bass riffs, piano keeping the rhythm, guitar licks that almost sound like the instrument is crying.  With a very bluesy voice, reminiscent of Janis Joplin (but the song-writing is nothing like Joplin's), and despite the plethora of catchy tunes, this album (and Jordan’s career in general) was not as well known outside of Canada as she should have been.  This was her second album, following the very poppy Tell Somebody (but if you’ve ever heard that album or songs from it, don’t let it influence you… this one is nothing like it).  Jordan followed up this album with a much edgier and harder disc (Rats), and it was a coin toss as to which one I wanted to include here.  Ultimately, I chose this one because it contains one of my favorite ballads of all time - I Want to Believe

Fav Songs - I Want to Believe, Time Flies, You Don't Have to Remind Me.

[ReaperKK]

I've only heard Purple Rain I'll have to check out the other two.

[King Postwhore]

Purple Rain introduced me to Prince and his guitar playing.  I never know he was a killer guitarist.  Plus he wrote some catchy tunes.

Never was a big Slade fan.

Man I forgot about Sass Jordan.  It's been a long time since I heard her music. 

Since your Canadian I'm hoping to see a Lawrence Gowan album on this list .

[ReaperKK]

King, have you heard Prince's song "Bambi"?

[jingle.boy]

Purple Rain introduced me to Prince and his guitar playing.  I never know he was a killer guitarist.  Plus he wrote some catchy tunes.

Never was a big Slade fan.

Man I forgot about Sass Jordan.  It's been a long time since I heard her music. 

Since your Canadian I'm hoping to see a Lawrence Gowan album on this list .

Honestly, I don't know anything else from Slade.  This is a cool album though.

Great Dirty World JUST missed the cut.  Man, that record got a lot of spins for me.  Strange Animal is a gem as well.

[WebRaider]

Prince is genius. Great musician (guitar/piano) and song writer.

[King Postwhore]

King, have you heard Prince's song "Bambi"?

I did when I went back in his catalog.  You always have a perception of someone and then they blow away that perception.

[ReaperKK]

I completely agree

[jingle.boy]

Since your Canadian I'm hoping to see a Lawrence Gowan album on this list .

Had to go and listen to Great Dirty World and Strange Animal today.  Love how this is my top 50, but I'm getting prompted to go and (re) explore.  No sarcasm there King, I'm being 100% sincere.   Thanks for making me thing of Larry (which is the moniker he went under originally). 

[jingle.boy]

45) Shania Twain, Come On Over (1997)



No one ever in the history of music was able to bridge two genre's the way Shania Twain did with this album.  Several artists may have had marginal success at combining Country with another genre (usually pop), but bringing Country and Rock together was first done with Come On Over (probably directing that title to both Rock and Country fans).  The enormous list of kudos for this disc include being one of only 11 albums to have sold over 40 million copies worldwide puts this album in some limited company (with Dark Side of the Moon, Rumours and Back in Black); the best selling country album EVER, the best selling studio album by a female EVER, biggest selling album of the 90s PERIOD.  16 tracks, 12 released as singles, all reaching the top 5 on the charts.  You couldn't turn on a music TV station in 1998 for more than 20 minutes without seeing a Shania video (and gentlemen, you wanted to see that video)... the list can go on and on.  Bottom line is that this disc has some really good music for just about anyone - dance tunes, toe-tapping rock, hip-swinging country... all sometimes in the same song.  Add the emotional ballads, and this is a beauty of a disc.  Plus, it helps that From This Moment On is my wedding song.

Fav Songs - From This Moment On, Honey I'm Home, Man! I Feel Like a Woman, Rock This Country

[jingle.boy]

All righty then... now that those are done with, now on to the albums that aren't so unexpected.

44) Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run (1975)



For any fan of "classic" rock, this has to be a staple in your collection.  Eight tracks and none of them disappoint.  Masterfully written, performed meticulously, Bruce Springsteen was a perfectionist - taking 14 months to record this one.  His 5 album stretch starting with Born to Run (up to Born in the USA) was something to behold.  The E Street band presents the perfect pairing to match the music and lyrics that Springsteen pens.  Piano dominates the core melodies, as the music was originally composed on piano, not guitar, something pretty uncommon in the mid-70s.  This was the breakthrough album for the Boss, both a critical and commercial success.  What this album intends is to take listeners through a cycle of emotions, each side of the album starts with an uplifting song (Thunder Road and Born to Run) and concludes with songs with a more somber mood (Backstreets and Jungleland… which was epic before "epic" was used to describe music) – and it succeeds.  You'll never get away with an All-Time Top Rock Songs countdown on your local radio station without hearing one or both of Born to Run and Thunder Road.

Fav Songs - Jungleland, Thunder Road, She's the One

[FlyingBIZKIT]

 

[jingle.boy]

43) Extreme, Extreme II:Pornograffitti (1990)



Lost in the mix of such popularized axe-men like Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, Slash, and Rik Emmett, Nuno Bettencourt was quite possibly the most under-rated guitar player of the late 80s/early 90s.  Man could that guy create some jaw-dropping licks and memorable solos.  This album showcases Nuno's immense talent. If ever you wanted to know how well he can shred, just listen to the first 100 seconds of He-Man Woman Hater.  The first glam rock entry on my Top 50 is probably the one that is I would classify to be the least like glam now that I've matured and can come to truly appreciate the musicianship that Extreme demonstrated in 1990.  While their radio hits More Than Words and Hole Hearted helped them commercially, they really didn't do the rest of the album any justice as those two songs were like no others on the album.  Extreme combined a lot of elements in this - rap, metal, funk, folk, power-ballad (obligatory in that era) that gives the listener a diverse experience from track-to-track.  Gary Cherone gives a smooth and flawless vocal performance, demonstrating his stylistic range, and I’ll reiterate again that Nuno on the guitar was

Fav Songs - He-Man Woman Hater, Hole Hearted, It ('s a Monster)

[ReaperKK]

I've heard none of those albums except a few songs from that Bruce Springsteen album, I have to check this music out.

[Arch Benemy]

Extreme are such a great band, but I definitely prefer looking at Shania Twain to listening to her 

[contest_sanity]

I liked me some Shania in the 90's, but it's certainly been a while since I've listened to any of her stuff.

[Zydar]

Springsteen

It's in my Top 10 of all time.

[King Postwhore]

Never was a Shania fan but I've never been too keen on Country Music.  I do like certain songs but not full albums.

Amazing Bruce album and I never could get enough of Extreme. The begining guitar part for He Man, Woman Hater is unreal.

[Dr. DTVT]

I figured your signature was also your take on country music king