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General => Archive => General Music Archives => Topic started by: Durg on October 23, 2011, 05:43:54 AM
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PRELUDE
I think the point of life other than family and faith is to discover music. Everything else sort of revolves around that. Not work! Work is just a means for discovering music. We all have various musical tastes. Certain events, friends, and our faith (or lack of faith) in our lives and the music that are associated with those things shape our musical tastes. If one were to be able to go back in time and pull out the albums that have been responsible for shaping one's musical tastes it would include strong emotions, significant events, the breaking of new musical boundaries, or possibly just comfort music that is symbolic to something important in their life.
I've been singing, tenor, in church almost constantly for 30 years either as a soloist, a quartet, a choir, or a praise/rock band. I took piano lessons regularly as a boy. I played trumpet regularly for 12 years strait from Jr. High all the way through my undergraduate degree. I've also been trying to play the guitar, although not trying extremely hard, for the last 15 years on and off. These things along with friends, radio, and self discovery have shaped my musical tastes.
I noticed as I was going through this list that so much of the strong emotions that are attached to an album for me personally come from the 80's and 90's. I would venture to guess that the music people listen to in their high school and college ages are the ones that invoke the most emotion in a person. I can't believe how little "new" music I've listened to in the 2000's. The music of the last 10 years that are listed here are really recent discoveries (within the last few years). I'm sure this is because of the fact that I was more focused on raising a son and being a husband than searching for music. I also spent a few years in there working on a master's degree at night while working full time. Whatever the reason, the recent discovery of Dream Theater and similar bands has been awaking the musical discoveries that I sort of skipped while life happened.
I'm sure this list will change as I discover new music. I discover new bands almost daily, especially here on these top 50 albums lists, and it's hard to include newer bands in this list since I haven't really had a chance to evaluate the lasting impact of their music on my musical journey. So for now we're going to get a lot of 80's and 90's music. Some pop rock, some metal, some gospel, some progressive rock, a little bluegrass, and some other strange choices. I hope you find it entertaining to look into my musical history and learn about who I am.
So here it goes.
50. Billy Joel - Glass Houses (1980)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1636.jpg)
Wow! I really have to dig deep into the memory banks to remember the first time I listened to this album. I'm pretty sure "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" was playing on the radio and even my Mom liked that song. I remember one of my classmates in the 6th grade had a portable 8 track player (yes they did make them) and we were able to listen to this album during recess. I can't remember if I bought this tape or if my sister bought it because we used to listen to it all the time driving to school.
This album was chock full of great hits and music. Many of the tracks had a more edgy guitar rock feel that previous ballady singer/songwriter releases. But that was what me and my friends were into in the 6th grade. "You May Be Right" and "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" are still played on the radio today and where the biggest hits. However, "Don't Ask Me Why" was a pretty big hit at the time. I don't really know why it doesn't get played much on 80's stations these days. One of my personal favorites was "Sometimes a Fantasy" because of it's rockin' sound. I was forming my musical tastes back then and it always seemed to gravitate toward the heavier tracks.
Favorite Songs: You May Be Right, Sometimes A Fantasy, Don't Ask Me Why, It's Still Rock N Roll To Me, Through the Long Night
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The art of album covers!! Never mind hearing, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" but seeing that cover was an automatic buy in my youth. Billy sure was a songsmith.
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49. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1322533.jpg)
I have a nephew that is as passionate about music as I am. He has a degree in music and plays in a Christan rock band up in New York state (Cry of the Scapegoat if you're interested). Anyway, on a visit to our house he played me a sample of Fleet Foxes after hearing about them on NPR and I didn't get it at all. They sounded to me like old people in a southern church (I only paid attention to the beginning of the 1st track). About a year later he insisted that I give it another try and I listened all the way through. That's when I realized that I had incorrectly judged them. The lead singer's vocals are unique and catchy. The harmonies are really good and the folk sounds of the accompaniment make you feel like you're a hermit living in the wilderness. Very few bands can make you feel like you are in a certain type of weather or location, for example Opeth just makes you feel like your in the dark of wintertime, but Fleet Foxes makes you feel like you're standing on the side of some mountain cliff on a clear day with the smell of pine wafting through the air.
Favorite Songs: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood, Blue Ridge Mountains, Oliver James
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It was seeing Fleet Foxes on SNL that lead me to buying the first album. I tell all my friends they are the Beach Boys of this generation.
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It was seeing Fleet Foxes on SNL that lead me to buying the first album. I tell all my friends they are the Beach Boys of this generation.
I never would have thought of them as a modern day Beach Boys but they do focus on vocal harmonies like the Beach Boys so I can see how you could say that.
Last one for the day. I could cut and paste all 50 and be done in an hour but I'd like some people to read it so I'll quit here for a day.
48. James LaBrie - Static Impulse (2010)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s2966601.jpg)
I only discovered Dream Theater 20 years or so after they've been making music and was saddened to read about how James LaBrie blew out his vocal chords in the mid 90's. When I listen to Images & Words, Awake, and Change of Seasons I hear an amazing singer. But when I listen to live performances and Dream Theater's stuff from the last 15 years, I realize that his voice will never be the same as it was in the early 90's. But it's still really great. So I've sampled his solo albums and even that opera metal thing (what the heck was that?). But I only liked a few songs on those records. However, this one is outstanding. The screams and growls kind of rubbed me the wrong way when I first listened to it. However, it doesn't detract from the main melodies. The music, though, is really fantastic. The lyrics are pretty good and of course LaBrie is great. I really enjoy this very heavy melodic metal album. It's really unfortunate that this album doesn't get the recognition it deserves and as I sometimes frequent the hard rock station in my town I wonder why "I Need You" wouldn't be any worse than the stuff they play on there. In my personal opinion "I Need You" is the strongest track on this CD. This is an extremely hard CD and has only 1 softer song in Coming Home and some token soft keyboard beginnings in other songs.
Peter Wildoer the drummer on this album also gets a shout out because I think he's great. Yes, that's mostly because of his well publicized audition for Dream Theater. I'm not a big fan of his screams here but his drumming is outstanding.
Favorite Songs: Jekyll or Hyde, Mislead, I Need You, I Tried, Coming Home
Three more coming tomorrow.......
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Following... and liking it so far. Glass Houses invokes some wonderful memories/feelings - I would've been 9/10 when that was getting all the radio airtime it did. Don't have Static Impulse .. one of the few side projects of JLB that I don't have (yes, I even have True Symphonic Rockestra. Gonna have to give this a listen.
And yes, pace yourself. Part of the appeal in these lists is the anticipation and discussion.
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Following. I haven't listened to the first 2 albums posted but I'll make sure to give them a spin.
As for Static Impulse, it's a good album but not great. The lyrics are outright cringe worthy in some parts (I'm looking at you Euphoric) which is a shame because there is some great music on the album.
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At this point, I'd probably put Static Impulse in the top 50 as well. :tup
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Today's 3 submissions are oldies. Don't think that's a reflection of the rest of the rankings because there are more modern albums higher up in the rankings. So tune to your classic rock station and walk down memory lane with me.
47. Styx - Pieces of Eight (1978)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s4681.jpg)
Why Peter Jackson didn't call Dennis DeYoung about the soundtrack for his Lord of the Rings Trilogy we'll never know. Perhaps he just never was able to forgive him for Kilroy Was Here. Regardless, this album by Styx is probably not the most popular choice among Styx aficionados but it has always been my favorite with Paradise Theater a very close second.
Styx really was popular all through the 80's and me and my friends spent many hours listening to them on our portable cassette players. So much of my musical discovery in the 80's came from listening to other people's music on church trips and school trips. It's been a long time but I think I first heard this album while on a trip with the high school tennis team. Or maybe it was a band trip. It doesn't really matter. It was probably 5 or 6 years after this album was released. I actually think it was shortly after Kilroy Was Here was released. Anyway, I just know that the cheesy lyrics about Lord of the Rings or that a Queen of Spades "will get you" really stuck with me. I've spent a lot of time listening to this tape way more than the other Styx albums.
Tommy Shaw's presence on this record from his lead vocals to his excellent riffs are undeniable. He's also one of the best at harmonizing with the very high tenor. This album just has a sort of fantasy feel to it with "The Message", "Lords of the Ring", "Queen of Spades", "Pieces of Eight", and "Aku-Aku". But then there are the radio pop rock songs that lead to many buying this record like "Blue Collar Man" and "Renegade". But one thing is consistent through the whole thing, lots of great harmonizing and great music. The nostalgia index with this album is off the charts.
It's is really strange how music triggers memories, though, and for some reason I always think about mowing my parents 1 acre lot on the lawn tractor when I hear this music. This must have been my mowing music back then.
Favorite Songs: Great White Hope, Blue Collar Man, Renegade, Pieces of Eight
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46. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s660739.jpg)
So many people associate a certain type of music or album to important events in their life. For The Joshua Tree it was my high school graduation. An X girlfriend's older sister gave me (sounds strange doesn't it) this cassette tape for a graduation gift. I'd heard of U2 before. The song "Pride" is a good song but I really hadn't paid much attention. The "cool" people in my school were all into U2. However, I never allowed myself to get into them. That night, graduation night, I put that tape into the cassette player of my car and cranked it up. From the very beginning of "Where the Streets Have No Name" to "Mothers of the Disappeared". I was mesmerized.
Yes it's popish. Yes, Bono isn't that great of a singer. Yes The Edge doesn't do anything particularly amazing (and has a pretty dumb name). However, the band as a whole just makes great songs and the songs have really not gotten old all these years later.
There have been other memories as well. Water skiing with my buddies with this album blasting across the lake. Hearing it blasting from a dorm down the hall at college. But that graduation night will always be a strong U2 memory for me.
Favorite Songs: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without You, In God's Country
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45. The Police - Synchronicity (1983)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s6866.jpg)
This is an album that I never owned but I didn't need to. Almost every song on the album was a hit and got frequent radio play. Plus I listened to it often at my friends house all the time. However, the songs have not aged and are still played all the time on the radio except for the weird ones like "Mother". This is truly one of the great albums of my generation. Plus Synchronicity II is one of the best Police songs evah!
Notice that I didn't include "Every Breath You Take" in my list of favorite songs off the album. There's no denying that the song was a mega hit in the 80's and stayed at #1 for what seemed like years. It was WAY overplayed and that is a shame since it is a pretty cool song. But that song and this album moved The Police from a trendy college band to a mega arena force. And Sting has gone on to have a stellar solo career that I don't think would have been nearly as successful were it not for Synchronicity.
Favorite Songs: Synchronicity I, Synchronicity II, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Murder By Numbers
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Haven't listened to Styx but that U2 album is fantastic and Synchronicity is wonderful as well. "King Of Pain" and "Murder By Numbers" are two of my favorite songs of all time.
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Great choices with The Police and U2...
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Haven't listened to Styx but that U2 album is fantastic and Synchronicity is wonderful as well. "King Of Pain" and "Murder By Numbers" are two of my favorite songs of all time.
Styx is too cheesy for most people. But I can't deny I listened to this album a ton when I was younger. Plus Renegade and Blue Collar Man are always in frequent rotation on the classic rock stations.
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I won't deny that from what the little I've heard of Styx they are pretty cheesy but I'll do what I do with all these top 50 lists and check out all the albums I hadn't heard before.
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:tup :tup on today's installment. Three heavyweights in the Classic Rock division. You're bang on with all of your comments - especially about Every Breath... radio overkill that one had.
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Great to see some Classic Rock in these lists for a change, maybe I'll get recognise a handful of them :tup
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Amen to all 3 picks Durg!!!
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Amen to all 3 picks Durg!!!
Those 3 are great albums. Specially Synchronicity. Aside from Miss Gradenko and Mother, all the other songs are fabulous.
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Great to see some Classic Rock in these lists for a change, maybe I'll get recognise a handful of them :tup
I hear ya. While interesting to follow some of the recent lists, gotta say I was completely in the dark about a lot of those bands/music. Guess that's what ya get for being an 'old fuck' (in relative terms).
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The Joshua Tree is a good album. I like the pop sensibilities, Bono's voice, and The Edge's guitar playing a lot. :tup
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Following too. I must admit I'm more a fan of newer music than that from the 80s and earlier, but there are still many gems from those eras that I appreciate too. Not a big U2 fan though ;)
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Following too. I must admit I'm more a fan of newer music than that from the 80s and earlier, but there are still many gems from those eras that I appreciate too. Not a big U2 fan though ;)
Fair enough. There will be some newer music higher up in the rankings. Or..... Maybe even tomorrow......
Anyway we need younger people to post on this thread so it doesn't turn into another "Old as Mold" thread.
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My ears were burning......
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My ears were burning......
:rollin
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Anyway we need younger people to post on this thread so it doesn't turn into another "Old as Mold" thread.
Says who! Kids these days... don't they know there actually was some pretty good music released in years starting with a one and a nine. ;)
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I'm 19 and love 80s music. I can name about 10 bands I'm a huge fan of off the top of my head that were popular/originated in the 80s. Not all of us youngsters are ignorant to pre-2000 music. :P
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I'm 19 and love 80s music. I can name about 10 bands I'm a huge fan of off the top of my head that were popular/originated in the 80s. Not all of us youngsters are ignorant to pre-2000 music. :P
You know I've trown a few 80's bands your way. Here's another Ultravox.
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Adding to the mold here
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I'm 19 and love 80s music. I can name about 10 bands I'm a huge fan of off the top of my head that were popular/originated in the 80s. Not all of us youngsters are ignorant to pre-2000 music. :P
You know I've trown a few 80's bands your way. Here's another Ultravox.
No need to be cruel now! Least you coulda done was point him somewhere constructive like Animotion or Icicle Works.
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I'm 19 and love 80s music. I can name about 10 bands I'm a huge fan of off the top of my head that were popular/originated in the 80s. Not all of us youngsters are ignorant to pre-2000 music. :P
You know I've trown a few 80's bands your way. Here's another Ultravox.
No need to be cruel now! Least you coulda done was point him somewhere constructive like Animotion or Icicle Works.
Icecle Work. That's a great pick. I kind of got the stye Ravenheart is going for.
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Great to see some Classic Rock in these lists for a change
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Just wanted to say I hate the Joshua Tree/U2 and I can't understand their appeal at all. :P
That said, some interesting picks so far... Glass Houses is one of Joel's best albums and Pieces of Eight is great too. I still haven't heard the Police album, but it's on my list of things to check out. :tup
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44. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever (2001)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CV3462XHL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I'm probably going to refer to the fact that I only discovered Dream Theater in 2009 many times because that was a seismic event in my little world of music. I not only obsessed over DT for a year, I bought a bunch of the side projects that they were a part of. Transatlantic was a little obsession for me as well. Having Portnoy on drums was enough to cause me to buy the this album. But getting to know who Neal Morse is was a major bonus. That opened the door to discovering even more music. Then to add another progressive album to my very small progressive CD collection was another bonus as well. So I have really enjoyed this album so much since I bought it and despite a few spots in the first and last tracks I love every moment of it.
Favorite Songs: All four of them :)
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43. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/30401d0f6069a88eef179911d093360f/1894992.jpg)
This is actually one of the heaviest album I own. In fact, I know I'm going to sound old here, but, by the 6th song I get a headache. However, it's still one of the new albums that I've discovered since my Dream Theater discovery that I keep going back to. The vocals are so interesting and different. Harsh at times. Strange tone in others. But I like the way three different members of the band have a go at the vocals and harmonize. The heavy guitars, the odd lyrical themes, the interesting vocals, and the progressive nature of this album make it really unique.
I really bought this album on a whim based on its critical acclaim. People were raving about it and I had listened to Oblivion on Napster. I felt like I needed something really heavy in my collection and Crack the Skye fit that perfectly. I love the vocal harmonies they use through out and the haunting track the Czar is one of my favorites. It provides just enough "break" in the heaviness to help you make it through to the end. Another thing they did with this album that is just so impressive is that they capture a mood at the beginning and that mood stays with you through the whole thing. For me that mood is a foreboding, uneasy feeling that very much matches the creepiness of the album art.
Now, the album art is also something that attracted me to listen to it in the first place because it is so Russian looking. Having been to Russia a couple times and adopted a son from there I was very much interested in hearing the story with Rasputin and The Czar and what that was all about. However, after listening to this thing hundreds of times, I still don't really understand what it's all about. :\
Favorite Songs: Oblivion, Divinations, The Czar
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(https://popshifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/car-radio-dial.jpg)
Going back to the classic rock station....
42. Queen - The Game (1980)
(https://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/6fb81ea894aa2e2368a08db7f4a72ed6/6610.jpg)
No matter how many times I forget about Queen something will almost regularly come up that reminds me how much I've always really loved this band. Night at the Opera, Innuendo, A Kind of Magic are all albums that I've owned and enjoyed. However, this particular album is special because it was the first album I ever purchased when I was probably 11 or 12 years old.
At the time "Another One Bites the Dust" was a bit hit on the radio. I was in the 6th grade and discovering my music identity in a world that only listened to country music and easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?). 8 track players were everywhere and I literally wore this one out. Not only do I have fond memories for this being my first purchase but I also remember my 6th grade math teacher allowing us to listen to it in class. The thing is, this was really my first exposure to hard rock. Of course the rock on this isn't all that hard and some of the songs are kind of pop with a sort of 50's grove. But it was hard rock to me none the less and it helped to form the musical tastes that I have today.
As I re listen to this 30 or more years later I realize that almost all of these tracks have such great melodies and musicianship. The songs are so memorable and hearing them again gives me a feeling like that of reuniting with an old dear friend that moved away many years ago. Queen was never afraid to try something different and creative but at the same time they just knew how to write great rock songs.
Favorite Songs: Play the Game, Dragon Attack, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Sail Away Sweet Sister
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easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?).
For those of us that took piano lessons as a kid, Frank Mills was mandatory (and fun). This, Peter Piper and Piano Lesson #5 I can still play to this day from muscle memory.
Transatlantic is a great 4-song album; Freddie is a top 3 vocalist ... ever. Nice picks.
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Again you demonstrate your musical taste is great. Transatlantic is such a great band and BAF is my favorite. The Game is a great Queen album. Mastodon I don't like as much as the other two but still a great choice. :tup
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easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?).
For those of us that took piano lessons as a kid, Frank Mills was mandatory (and fun). This, Peter Piper and Piano Lesson #5 I can still play to this day from muscle memory.
Dude you absolutely nailed it. I spent hours working on playing Music Box Dancer. I quit taking piano lessons shortly after that I never kept it up. It's one of my biggest regrets in life.
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Sail Away sweet Sister and Save Me give me goodbumps everytime I listen to that album. I still have the original shiny Silver Aalbum cover. Not the second generation dull silver cover.
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Transatlantic and The Game are both great albums. I just recently discovered Crack The Skye (well Mastodon as a whole) and I really dig it.
Great choices!
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Sail Away sweet Sister and Save Me give me goodbumps everytime I listen to that album. I still have the original shiny Silver Aalbum cover. Not the second generation dull silver cover.
I've had the Sail Away Sweet Sister chorus running through my head for the last hour. I may have to pull up Napster and listen to this song to satisfy my craving. :tup
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Why'd ya pull the some of the cover art?
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Yay for Bridge Across Forever!
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Why'd ya pull the some of the cover art?
https://rateyourmusic.com
It's also where I built my list.
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Staying tuned to the classic rock station for a couple more entries we have....
41. Queensr˙che - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61w9O%2BiWu%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I had always enjoyed hearing "Eyes of a Stranger" on MTV's Headbanger's Ball or on the radio and I was a big fan of Queensr˙che's Empire songs that were frequently played on MTV and the radio. But it wasn't until I got a copy of Operation: Mindcrime that I really was able to fully get into the awesomeness of this album. Geoff Tate has (had) such a unique tone and a massive range. It's a great album for someone like me that likes a vocal challenge. However, the thing that drew me to this album more than anything was the concept approach. At the time I had only really gotten into Yes and the Moody Blues as far as progressive music goes. I really don't even consider this album "Progressive". But this album has inspired many other future progressive concept albums and so the ranking should be up there for me. It is hard for me to place because I don't listen to it all that often, with the exception of "Eyes of a Stranger" which is my most favorite Queensr˙che song. The rest of the songs on the album are just is OK for me when listening to them individually. However, you can't just listen to just one song from a concept album. You really should listen to the whole thing from start to finish to really be able to appreciate the greatness.
So what memories does this album bring back for me? College graduation and dating a girl I almost married but thankfully did not. For my last quarter (we did quarters with semester hours) at Louisiana Tech it was summer school and I lived with three other guys and a rabbit in a house we all rented together. One guy was never there, another guy was a full blown alcoholic and drank a case (24 pack) of Olympia beer every day. The third guy with the rabbit had a really great music collection and I was allowed to sample it. It's was there that I was able to hear this album, Empire, as well as a bunch of metal bands like Metallica. It was the time in my life that I first started to dabble into Heavy Metal that wasn't Christian metal.
So during that time it was all about girlfriend, graduating, lots of metal, and job hunting that would eventually land me a entry level programming job in South Carolina. It was a crazy time in my life and this was my main music of choice back then.
Favorite Songs: Revolution Calling, Operation Mindcrime, I Don't Believe In Love, Eye of a Stranger
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Amazing album! in my top 10 :)
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40. The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U%2BdEDlx5L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
As I mentioned before, when I was a kid I would go on many bus/van trips with the church, school band, or school tennis team and there was nothing to do on those trips except to listen to music on a portable cassette player. This was where I discovered so many different types of music other than what my parents listened to at home.
Just to be clear Hee Haw was my Dad's favorite TV show. (https://i2.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens2219795module11960857photo_1223565431hee-haw-logo.jpg).
Get the idea now?
On one of these school trips, a friend of mine had this album and we were listening to it (you know with the headphone splitter). I didn't know what progressive music was, but I knew that I really liked the music. As a trumpet player in the concert band I understood song movements. I understood changes in time signatures as well. I was also drawn to orchestrations mixed with rock beats. Later in life I remembered the name "Alan Parsons Project" and made the mental note when hits like "Eye in the Sky" came out. Several years ago I bought an Alan Parsons collection with 3 CDs. The 2nd CD contains most of this album on it and I now understand why I was so interested in my friends Alan Parsons album. I just really like orchestrated progressive pop music and this album is a great one. It's so funny how I have unknowingly dabbled in progressive rock over the years and never really realized that it was progressive rock; Yes, The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Rush, etc. But, this one makes my list because I'm pretty sure this was my first real exposure to the genre.
As far as the music on this album? How many rock albums do you own that start out with french horns blasting out harmonies? Didn't think so. How many rock albums do you own that uses a harpsichord as a primary instrument? Didn't think so. There are moments of 70's disco influence, moments of classic rock influence, and moments of symphonic influence. "May Be A Price To Pay" includes all those things right from the start. But then we get fully into the rock with "Games People Play". Eric Woolfson in my personal opinion is the primary singer for Alan Parsons Project, even though many different singers were used. However, I can't imagine anyone else singing the haunting "Time". It is really a perfect song to describe his voice. It sounds like a low bass but when you sing along with him you realize that he's singing quite high. It's a most unique tone. Eventually we get through a forgettable "I Don't Wanna Go Home" and an interesting instrumental called "The Gold Bug" to get to the real meat of this album. The next 5 tracks are all a part of the title track and the highlight of the album. The music is moving and beautiful with huge swings in symphonic emotion.
"The game never ends when your whole world depends on the turn of a friendly card".
Compulsive gamblers beware.
Favorite Songs: Games People Play, The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part One), Nothing Left to Lose
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(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-srgCSMXIz5g/TZ0WHYiaaeI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/MnsBhwZcvlw/s1600/monty-python-announce.jpg)
And now for something completely different!
39. The Choir - Speckled Bird (1994)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eY9NwuNuL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
It will be interesting to see if there's anyone on this board that has even heard of this band. The Choir's sound is a difficult one to describe. It is a very different sound from any music I've ever heard even to this day. Dreamy, atmospheric, strange, and artistic are good starters for descriptions of this album. It's just a sound that you have to hear to really understand. They've been around since the late 80's and in 2010 made two well received albums. However, this album is one that I've listened to for much of the early 90's. They are considered to be a Christian alternative band but in this album there's only hints of Christian lyrics. In fact the lyrics seem a bit dark and random making little since to anyone, probably, but the band. And, in fact I read that this album was a reflection of the problems that the band was facing having to move from California to Nashville due to the fact that Nashville is the Christian music capitol.
Favorite Songs: Speckled Bird, Weather Girl, Grace, Amazing, Kissers and Killers
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Amazing album! in my top 10 :)
Seconded.
Games People Play is an awesome track. Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.
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Amazing album! in my top 10 :)
Seconded.
Games People Play is an awesome track. Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.
Please do. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on it. Pay particular attention to the last 5 tracks.
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As a 49 year old whos life has been consumed by music, both as a musician and a listener, I find this an enjoyable read.
It would be VERY difficult for me to do this and just pick 50 as I have a huge collection and have been influenced by
so many albums. But it would be a fun excursion to TRY. Maybe I will give it some thought.
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Amazing album! in my top 10 :)
Seconded.
Games People Play is an awesome track. Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.
Please do. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on it. Pay particular attention to the last 5 tracks.
Got it on Grooveshark right now. Will report back later.
Reporting ... Nice little 5-part composition. It's probably one of those things that gets progressively better with each listen. Having only a couple of APP songs in my catalog, I never realized how much they were like Jethro Tull. Me likes.
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As a 49 year old whos life has been consumed by music, both as a musician and a listener, I find this an enjoyable read.
It would be VERY difficult for me to do this and just pick 50 as I have a huge collection and have been influenced by
so many albums. But it would be a fun excursion to TRY. Maybe I will give it some thought.
Thanks! I basically started a private list in rateyourmusic.com and just kept adding to it, reworking it, reordering for months and months for the purpose of doing this list. Of course it was a blast going back and listening to albums that I hadn't listened to in a long time and figuring out which ones have had more impact on my musical journey more than another. It was quite rewarding. And you have PLENTY of time because if you add your name to Aiirch's list it'll be MONTHS before you get a change to show it to everyone. :P
I also figured that my list would be considered boring to many on the board so I figured I'd need to make it more interesting by telling personal stories and stuff.
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I also figured that my list would be considered boring to many on the board so I figured I'd need to make it more interesting by telling personal stories and stuff.
It's not boring at all. In fact it's great to see the different things you have in your list. I agree very much with your opinions on music on how it relates to our lives. I grew up hearing a lot of the music you've posted from my parents although I'm not a whole lot younger than you. So I picked up on these types of music very early in my life and I have a feel of where you are coming from.
Now my list will likely be boring to this group...lol..
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Can't say enough about Mindcrime. You can always tell when a band puts everything into an album and this is it.
I got into Alan Parsons Project in the mid 80's so to my surprise how proggy they were earlier on. I had to go and buy their back catalog.
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MINDCRIME
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Moving right along......
38. 10,000 Maniacs - Blind Man's Zoo (1989)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61Z7BKlkIEL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up. This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode. No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then). So, anywho, I mistakenly lumped them in with the weird 80's, artsy synth type bands. It wasn't until I saw them do MTV's unplugged that I realized that they were not anything like I thought they were and that I really liked Natalie Merchant's voice. "Trouble Me" was just a really sweet song that had a good feel to it so I bought this album.
Trying to describe the songs on this album to someone who has never listened to it is difficult. The hugely, radio popular "Trouble Me" is tender and appeals to the comforter in one's soul, but the rest of the album is decidedly dark and filled with sarcasm, hopelessness and a feeling of injustice. Most of those emotions with a happy music backdrop that masks the angst within. Now don't get me wrong. Not all the music has a happy back drop; Dust Bowl, Hateful Hate, and Jubilee being a few examples. Oh yes Jubilee! Jubilee is just a creepy lyrical freak out complete with cellos and violins that give you (or at least me) a medieval sort of "Scarlet Letter" feeling. You're are lulled into thinking that this is a beautiful song until you realize that some crazy deformed dude is burning people to death! A crazy way to end an album. But that's the greatness of 10,000 Maniacs.
Favorite Songs: Trouble Me, You Happy Puppet, Headstrong, Dust Bowl, Jubilee
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37. Queensr˙che - Empire (1990)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41a6AIzyNcL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Although Queensr˙che is considered by many to be a progressive metal band. This album in my opinion is just strait metal and ballads that were made for the radio. "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night" were major hits but "Silent Lucidity" was a mega hit. It was the token ballad that all metal bands felt like they had to make to get on the radio. The song itself is a little boring for me but it does show Tate's incredible range and the band's amazing musicianship. I rank this album higher than Mindcrime because I have listened to the songs from this album throughout the years way more frequently than Mindcrime. It's not because it's more brilliant (because it's not) but because I've just "enjoyed" it more over the years.
As far as memories associated with this album. Well, let me just say that I might have been listening to this album when I bought an engagement ring for my college/post college girlfriend. A ring that I did not get back when we broke off the engagement, I'm sorry to say. I was listening to this album almost constantly during that time and didn't really start getting back into Empire until the early 2000's probably for that reason.
Favorite Songs: Best I Can, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night, Anybody Listening?
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36. Living Color - Time's Up (1990)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61sdp8nnyaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Seriously, this is a brilliant album. It has so much ear candy to offer. There's a lot of comedy followed up with in your face seriousness. The best track in my opinion is "Love Rears it's Ugly Head" which is just funny, catchy, and down rite great. They really are all over the place with the thrash like "Time's Up" to the eastern/Indian sounding "This is the Life". There's the very strong "Information Overload" and the comedy filled "Elvis is Dead" track. If you've never listened to this album all the way through I highly recommend it. And, if you're giving this album a first listen please don't skip "This is the Life".
How about these lyrics:
I'm standing at the altar
As they play the wedding march.
I'm in a black tuxedo with my collar full of starch
She looks as lovely as she's ever gonna get
I wake up from this nightmare in a pool of sweat.
What guy can't relate to those lyrics!
Favorite Songs: Time's Up, Love Rears Its Ugly Head, New Jack Theme, Information Overload, This Is The Life
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Empire! I would actually rank it above Mindcrime too, but both are awesome.
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Nice to see some love for Empire. I guaran-damn-tee it will reappear again on an upcoming top 50. Fantastic album. The last great one from QR.
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My favorite Queensryche album. Not a bad song on that album
I've always liked Living Colours 1st & 3rd albums better than times up. Not that it's a bad album at all. I still have on VHS them playing Love rears it's Ugly Head and Elvis is Dead on Arsinio Hall's show. Great live too.
Though I like the music, I've never loved Natalie Merchant's voice. She always seemed to monotone for my tastes.
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My favorite Queensryche album. Not a bad song on that album
I've always liked Living Colours 1st & 3rd albums better than times up. Not that it's a bad album at all. I still have on VHS them playing Love rears it's Ugly Head and Elvis is Dead on Arsinio Hall's show. Great live too.
Though I like the music, I've never loved Natalie Merchant's voice. She always seemed to monotone for my tastes.
Ah. The Arsinio Hall hall show. That show started out great and slowly became unwatchable. Remember the dog pound? This is starting to feel like an "I Love the 90's" thread. :laugh:
Natalie Merchant's voice is quite unique. It's very much alto and limited in range. I guess that could make her sound monotone, however, her voice tells the stories of the songs really effectively and the lyrics are usually quite good in any of 10,000 Maniacs music.
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In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up. This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode. No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then).
I always dress in all black, listen to both those bands and other goth bands of the 80s, and am considered weird but some people's standards, so I guess I have no room to complain. :angel:
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In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up. This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode. No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then).
I always dress in all black, listen to both those bands and other goth bands of the 80s, and am considered weird but some people's standards, so I guess I have no room to complain. :angel:
You would have liked my high school girlfriend's older sister. ;D
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Queensryche yes! Living Colour OMG, such a great f'n band!!! Good stuff :)
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I much prefer O:M but Empire is still great.
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35. Dream Theater - Octavarium (2005)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512fUdK49NL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I'm still trying to figure out where I'm putting A Dramatic Turn of Events. I think at this point I like it better than Octavarium so I have to figure out how to rework the list that I made a few months ago to include ADTOE.
Anyway
This Dream Theater album took longer to grew on me than the others. More rock than metal this album has quite a bit of variety in it. "The Root of All Evil" is follows a typical Dream Theater metal sound, however, "The Answer Lies Within" is tender and soft with a positive message. This is one that I always skipped at first and only recently started to really appreciate what a nice song this is. Of course "These Walls" and "Panic Attack" are two of my favorites on this album. Even though "Panic Attack" is one of the most polarizing song among Dream Theater fans it remains one of my favorites. In truth there's nothing better than popping that sucker in the CD player after a frustrating day at the office. Plus the speed at which they play that song is just amazing. It's got to be extremely difficult to keep it all together. Or course the title track is a really great emotional piece of art. The other songs on the album are not that great for me and in fact i really don't like "Never Enough" at all.
Favorite Songs: The Answer Lies Within, These Walls, Panic Attack, Octavarium
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34. Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41K269LQs%2BL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
This is another album that I loved for so many years and never owned. I recently bought the extended edition but I already knew all the songs and listened to them often in the 80's. I don't really need to go into how brilliant Paul Simon is but this album was so cutting edge and unique that it won many awards and they were all were deserved. The pop zaniness of Paul Simon mixed with the African sounds and singers just gave so many listeners like me something different to listen to when they grew weary of the same ole same stuff.
Favorite Songs: Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Homeless
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33 Harry Connick. Jr. - We Are in Love (1990)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IzsBIKpnL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I mentioned in the beginning that I played trumpet all my school days. In college I got pretty good and rubbed shoulders with some very incredible musicians. The music of choice by many of my trumpet playing peers were people like Maynard Ferguson, Wynton Marsalis, and Phil Driscoll. So getting into Harry Connick Jr was natural for me as a singer and a trumpet player. Plus, in the 90's Harry Connick Jr. helped make jazz, big bands, and crooning cool again. This album is the one out of the gazillion that he's made that was always my favorite. It's high quality and sensitive. The trumpets are amazing in the title track. There's plenty of sad "I've lost you" moments that make you want to cry especially after a break up with a girlfriend.
Harry Connick, Jr. is a genius and I own many of his CD's. The Blue Light, Red Light is a similar big band type album with some impressive "screaming" trumpets. He wrote and arranged all the songs on both Blue Light, Red Light and We Are In Love. However, this one has so much more tenderness and sincerity maybe it was because he was just starting to date the Victoria's Secret model Jill Goodacre then. Regardless, I find We Are in Love a more consistent and complete album than any of his other ones. Of course other people thought it was good too. The album went double platinum and he won a Grammy with it.
Favorite Songs: We Are in Love, A Nightingale in Barkley Square, Heavenly, I've Got a Great Idea, It's Alright With Me
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Getting serious crickets today. :rollin
I figured that might happen.
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I'm just fixated on Henry Connick's gaze . . . . .
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Love Octavarium. The title track is probably, probably my favourite DT song
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I've been meaning to check out Graceland, I've only heard 'You Can Call Me Al'.
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I've been meaning to check out Graceland, I've only heard 'You Can Call Me Al'.
There's major African influences in Graceland. Homeless in particular is primarily performed by an African singing group. They use lots of deep harmonies and vocal imagery. Very unique if you're looking for something different.
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Mad love for Octavarium.
Paul Simon is a genius and I still buy all his albums. If you haven't heard Graceland bass players, listen too it now.
Harry Connick Jr. I never liked the big band music but I loved his 2 New Orleans funk, rock albums. Saw him perform them live. the man played every instrument onstage and is a tour de force live. Very charismatic.
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Nice to see Octavarium get some much-deserved praise around here, it's so underrated. :tup
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Paul Simon is a genius and I still buy all his albums. If you haven't heard Graceland bass players, listen too it now.
That is so true about Graceland. There's so much funky bass in that album.
I love the Call Me Al video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA
Harry Connick Jr. I never liked the big band music but I loved his 2 New Orleans funk, rock albums. Saw him perform them live. the man played every instrument onstage and is a tour de force live. Very charismatic.
Trumpet players love big band stuff. Like this from Red Light Blue Light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3SZ3tacC9I&ob=av2e
Freaking Awesome trumpets! It's so hard to play those freaking high notes! :millahhhh
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Love the diversity with these three - something I don't have. A prog masterpiece of this generation; Paul Smon is a folk genre legend himself; and jazz/big band. Very cool.
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Love Octavarium :) . While Paul Simon isn't really my thing, I actually watched a special on VH1 on the making of (I love those shows) the Graceland album and it was pretty cool. I've always enjoyed "50 ways to leave your lover" though (not off that album I know).
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I don't mind Octavarium. It's a good album.
I don't really know anything else though...
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Paul Simon is a genius and I still buy all his albums. If you haven't heard Graceland bass players, listen to it now.
That is so true about Graceland. There's so much funky bass in that album.
I love the Call Me Al video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA
Harry Connick Jr. I never liked the big band music but I loved his 2 New Orleans funk, rock albums. Saw him perform them live. the man played every instrument onstage and is a tour de force live. Very charismatic.
Trumpet players love big band stuff. Like this from Red Light Blue Light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3SZ3tacC9I&ob=av2e
Freaking Awesome trumpets! It's so hard to play those freaking high notes! :millahhhh
Loved seeing Harry live.
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32. Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41afeDOaixL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I will never forget. I had been discussing music on a Arkansas Razorbacks forum and someone kept talking about Dream Theater being highly skilled musicians but unnoticed in the music world. Their comment didn't really make me seek them out at that time. However, a few months later I got a Napster subscription in August 2009 and explored all kinds of musical genres. Once I sort of got board with everything I remembered that forum post and decided to check them out. I was pleased to see that they had just released a new album so I fired it up and sat back to listen. I remember my thoughts exactly as Nightmare to Remember started.
* 0:10 Thunder cool
* 0:40 Nice atmosphere with the keyboard and the rain.
* 0:56 Woah!
* 1:13 WOOAAAH! the drums!
* 1:42 WOOOOOOAAAH! the layers! the keyboard! the horror movie feel!
* 1:44 What?
* 1:56 Ok this is awesome!
* 2:50 I may have finally found my favorite band.
* 3:24 MIXED TIME SIGNATURES. WHAT?!?!??! SWEET!!
* 6:50 So beautiful! OMG this is the most amazing music I've ever heard!
I could go on but it would be too much. I was literally freaking out. This experience was like nothing I had ever experienced. I was completely blown away from the very beginning to the end. I absolutely was obsessed with this album and this band for literally one and a half years and it was an obsession like I've never had before.
Now after buying all of their studio albums and listening to this album so many times I admit it's not my favorite anymore but it still deserves this ranking because it is a very solid album and that first memory was like none other.
Favorite Songs: A Nightmare to Remember, Wither, The County of Tuscany
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Although BC&SL falls into the bottom half of my DT ranking, it's still better than 80% of my library. Good album. I understand the impact that a relatively unheralded album can have on shaping one's musical tastes. I've got my fair share of influences by otherwise mediocre albums.
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'Whiter'. Funny one one letter can make such a difference.
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7th on my DT list. I absolutely love TCOT. Top 5 song for me.
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BC&SL is in my bottom half of DT albums, but still dominates most other music I have. Nice choice!
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31. Jars of Clay - Much Afraid (1997)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pncfug9XL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
The title of this album I always assumed probably captured the feeling of Jars of Clay as they attempted to follow up a hugely successful debut self titled album. In fact the momentum of that first album's success probably prompted fans of the band to blindly go out and buy it expecting to hear more of the same. However, it was different and this was the first time that Jars of Clay fans will experience a new sound. The thoughtful and mature lyrical writing was still there. The catchy melodic hooks and first class musicianship was still there. However, this album seem to be less progressive and more pop rock. Still a few tracks shine through that remind us of the sound that put them on the map in 1995. This album was released in 1997 and I still listen to it to this day. In fact my MP3 player brought up "Frail" just the other day and I got goose bumps listening to it. It's such a beautiful and atmospheric song.
If you're new to Jars of Clay I probably wouldn't start with this album but there are plenty of tracks on here that would make even the toughest critics happy.
Favorite Songs: Overjoyed, Crazy Times, Frail, Truce, Much Afraid
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I'll be honest I don't know most albums from your list... maybe because i listen overall to more recent stuff.
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I'll be honest I don't know most albums from your list... maybe because i listen overall to more recent stuff.
That's ok. I don't know most of the albums on almost all the other lists. :laugh:
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30. Level 42 - World Machine (1985)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zAt%2Bqs20L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I always go through obsession phases with certain bands and this one was my obsession my senior year of high school through the first few years of college. I don't know exactly how I got into Level 42. I know that "Something About You" was on the radio some. But Level 42 was just not all that well known. I guess I was looking for something that wasn't radio at the time and I pulled the trigger with World Machine. I liked it so much that I ended up buying 3 or 4 more albums by them. But World Machine was the best by far.
I haven't listened to them in many many years but I can't deny the impact they had on my musical tastes and influences. Mark King is an OK singer (he get's pretty nasally sometimes) but his bass playing. Oh my! He didn't just play the bass to give the band a backbone. His bass playing was the feature of so many songs with riffs and grooves that are always out front. I guess I've always been a sucker for unique and catchy bass lines in songs. But the way he uses the bass to provide a unique sound to the songs is brilliant.
As I sit here and listen to this album once again for the purposes of this ranking I am still struck with just how good this music is. Sort of rock, sort of electronic, but undeniably good. A must listen is "Hot Water" and "Good Man In A Storm". If you don't like these songs or "Something About You" then just move on because Level 42 is not for you.
Favorite Songs: Something About You, World Machine, Hot Water, Good Man in A Storm, The Chant Has Begun
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'Whiter'. Funny one one letter can make such a difference.
lol. I need an editor.
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'Whiter'. Funny one one letter can make such a difference.
lol. I need an editor.
Apparently so do I, I can't even make a right sentence :lol
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31. Jars of Clay - Much Afraid (1997)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pncfug9XL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
The title of this album I always assumed probably captured the feeling of Jars of Clay as they attempted to follow up a hugely successful debut self titled album. In fact the momentum of that first album's success probably prompted fans of the band to blindly go out and buy it expecting to hear more of the same. However, it was different and this was the first time that Jars of Clay fans will experience a new sound. The thoughtful and mature lyrical writing was still there. The catchy melodic hooks and first class musicianship was still there. However, this album seem to be less progressive and more pop rock. Still a few tracks shine through that remind us of the sound that put them on the map in 1995. This album was released in 1997 and I still listen to it to this day. In fact my MP3 player brought up "Frail" just the other day and I got goose bumps listening to it. It's such a beautiful and atmospheric song.
If you're new to Jars of Clay I probably wouldn't start with this album but there are plenty of tracks on here that would make even the toughest critics happy.
Favorite Songs: Overjoyed, Crazy Times, Frail, Truce, Much Afraid
I cannot say enough about how lush and melodic this album is. Fade to Grey, Tea & Sympathy & Frail give me goosebumps. As a person who isn't very religious, I never wanted to hold myself back because of lyrical intent but JOC lyrics are the best christian themed lyrics I have ever read. 2 thumbs waaaaay up!
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30. Level 42 - World Machine (1985)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zAt%2Bqs20L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I always go through obsession phases with certain bands and this one was my obsession my senior year of high school through the first few years of college. I don't know exactly how I got into Level 42. I know that "Something About You" was on the radio some. But Level 42 was just not all that well known. I guess I was looking for something that wasn't radio at the time and I pulled the trigger with World Machine. I liked it so much that I ended up buying 3 or 4 more albums by them. But World Machine was the best by far.
I haven't listened to them in many many years but I can't deny the impact they had on my musical tastes and influences. Mark King is an OK singer (he get's pretty nasally sometimes) but his bass playing. Oh my! He didn't just play the bass to give the band a backbone. His bass playing was the feature of so many songs with riffs and grooves that are always out front. I guess I've always been a sucker for unique and catchy bass lines in songs. But the way he uses the bass to provide a unique sound to the songs is brilliant.
As I sit here and listen to this album once again for the purposes of this ranking I am still struck with just how good this music is. Sort of rock, sort of electronic, but undeniably good. A must listen is "Hot Water" and "Good Man In A Storm". If you don't like these songs or "Something About You" then just move on because Level 42 is not for you.
Favorite Songs: Something About You, World Machine, Hot Water, Good Man in A Storm, The Chant Has Begun
Mark's melodies and thumping bass lines are a joy to listen too. saw them live and they sounded heavier than the albums or shall I say more powerful. Great album.
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This is what immediately jumped in my head when I saw Level 42. BANZAI!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRRxgapzsU8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRRxgapzsU8)
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I'll have to post tomorrow. I don't have any power at my house. Dang snow in October! >:(
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Dang! Oh well, what's one more day?
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Well, still no power at the house but I'm at work so, on with the show.
After today's submissions things are going to get pretty interesting as for as genre. However, today we're going to stick with the rock genre.
29. Collective Soul - Collective Soul (1995)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SDfodB0EL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I've seen this album on a few other people's to 50 list and it brought a smile to my face. Listening to this album always reminds me of a time in my life that was in such disarray. I had been out of college for a few years. I'd been traveling all over the country working for a company in South Carolina racking up the frequent flyer miles. I was working long hours and sometimes all nighters and making a pretty low salary doing it. I had just broken off my engagement with my girlfriend from college (you know the one that kept the engagement ring >:( ) and just finished up a long stint working on a project on site in San Francisco were I had been exposed to so much of the popular grunge music of the day; Nirvana, Soundgarden, Perl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. And, it's not that I didn't like that style of music, well, it was just OK for me. I had also heard of Collective Soul too....too much! The radio stations played "Shine" like every ten minutes. But then I started hearing songs like "December" and "The World I Know" from this album and decided to buy the album like all the other pop radio listening sheep.
The thing is, Collective Soul is sort of a guilty pleasure for me. They were a 90's (actually I just realized that they released an album in 2007) "happy" grudge band which was a contrast to the "I want to kill myself" Seattle sound. I like that. Yes they're very radio friendly (at least back in the 90's) and their music is very much a catchy riff driven pop grunge. Their music in all of their albums sound pretty much the same with a few exceptions. That can be considered an indictment or a positive depending on what you're looking for. I tend to call it consistent and knowing what your audience likes. I could have easily put Disciplined Breakdown here on this list as much as this one but I feel that overall this one is a bit stronger. So knowing that this was a very trendy band with a pop radio following, I still listen this album all the time, for some reason the music is just a comfort and it makes for good background music for computer programming. I admit that I like the pop radio stuff sometimes.
Favorite Songs: Simple, The World I Know, December, Where the River Flows, Gel, Collection of Goods, Reunion
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28. Boston - Third Stage (1986)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H4EEP2f1L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I had trouble figuring out where to place this one. I listened to this album almost non-stop in high school. I made out with girls to this music. Water skied. Crused in on Friday nights with the guys. Slept with it going on the headphone on band trips. It was a big part of my high school life and culture. But as I look back on my life since high school I realize that I have listened to this album so much over these 20+ years (yes yes I'm old as mold). I suppose the main reason I listen to this album so much is because I'm a singer and Brad Delp is just so FRIGGIN' amazing. The brief time that I sang for a rock band I tried to emulate Brad Delp. It's so sad that today's young people can't appreciate a good singer like Brad anymore. RIP!
Today's singers have to be screamers or rapper. You get a guy that can soar like Brad Delp, Lou Gramm, or or course James LaBrie and kids today get turned off by it. Maybe it's a generational thing. Maybe it was due to the fact that I actually could sing that high. I've just always appreciated the soaring vocals.
But aside from that, Boston just has a great sound that is unique. Not only did I love the singing but the nerd in me loved the fact that Tom Scholz (guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer) was an MIT student and first class brainiac. Not to mention a pretty darn good guitar player.
Third stage has many very strong tracks on it with great harmonies great licks and a bunch of sci fi sounds. It will forever be on my musical play list.
Favorite Songs: Amanda, Cool the Engines, To Be a Man, Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me) / Still In Love
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27. Yes - Union (1991)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BQswxH6gL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
Yes! Finally! We get to a Yes album!
I just love this album. I don't know why I can't get into the really old Yes stuff. Probably because back then I just gave too much credence to what was played on the radio. The only old stuff that they would play would be off Fragile and I didn't really know anything about Close to the Edge. I had sampled some of the old Yes stuff and just really wasn't interested in the "old" sound. So before this album came out I owned Fragile, 90125, and Big Generator and that was the extent of my Yes knowledge.
I bought this album as soon as it came out and as I look back I have listened to this one on and off for 20 years without many breaks in between. Even when my son was 5 or 6 years old I had him listening to it and loving it. It's been one of my Yes favorites which is pretty unusual because so many Yes fans are down on it I just really like the mood and feel of the songs. You can just lose yourself in this album and be sad when it's over. And for my money "Miracle of Life" and "Lift Me Up" is at the top of my list of favorite Yes songs.
Favorite Songs: I Would have Waited Forever, Masquerade, Lift Me Up, Miracle of Life, Dangerous
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Nice to see Boston and Yes!
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Sweet, that same Collective Soul album made my Top 50, great stuff :tup
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Boston!!!! The only shame is that we only got five albums from them (six if you include RTZ... which I do just because for me, Delp = Boston), although I've never had a listen to Corporate America. Scholz could write and play some really awesome riffs.
Collective Soul S/T is probably the only songs I really know from them. Good tracks.
Union isn't my favorite Yes, but any Yes is good Yes. Go fix yourself and listen to Close to the Edge. ;)
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Boston!!!! The only shame is that we only got five albums from them (six if you include RTZ... which I do just because for me, Delp = Boston), although I've never had a listen to Corporate America. Scholz could write and play some really awesome riffs.
Collective Soul S/T is probably the only songs I really know from them. Good tracks.
Union isn't my favorite Yes, but any Yes is good Yes. Go fix yourself and listen to Close to the Edge. ;)
Yes I know. I'm a bad prog rock guy for not getting into it. I've listened to most of it. I just never gave it a chance.
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CttE is massively overrated imo.
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I don't know about over-rated. I wouldn't call it God's gift to prog, but it's pretty damn excellent.
Also, just did a little listen to Corporate America. Not bad. The usual Boston musical sound.
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CttE is massively overrated imo.
It's a great prog classic but I would take Supper's Ready over it.
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Third Stage is a great album. :tup Think I'll spin that one now!
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Boston is great. Loved Delp's voice and Scholz did great things with their sound and his playing.
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26. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
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Well. I have to put this album somewhere and I didn't even have a write up for it. I've refrained from adding newly discovered music to my rankings until I can determine lasting influences and enjoyment from the album (Thrice,Beggars is one that should be added but is too new to my ears). But I already know that I like this album more than Octavarium and Black Clouds & Silver Linings. In fact I'm enjoying this album more than all the other albums ranked below 26 so here is where it will be placed (for now).
Favorite Songs: On the Backs of Angels, Lost Not Forgotten, Outcry, Breaking all Illusions, Beneath the Surface
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25. Huey Lewis & the News - Sports (1983)
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All through out my high school days I was a Huey Lewis fanatic. I had all their albums, saw them in concert, had all my friends listening to them. I guess you could say that high school was my Huey Lewis era. Sure I listened to a bunch of other stuff but Huey Lewis was my main identity and Sports started it all. Strangely enough my favorite Huey Lewis and The News song is not on this favorite album. That song, "Do You Believe In Love" is on the previous album that really wasn't all that great. But this album has great songs from start to finish and brings back all kinds of memories for me.
Favorite Songs: Heart of Rock & Roll, Heart and Soul, Bad is Bad, I Want a New Drug, If This is It, You Crack Me Up
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Just when you think things can't get any weirder with Huey Lewis & the News........
24. Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die? (2005)
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Although, I mentioned that I didn't listen to very much new music in the 2000's this is one of the few that I did listen to. I had not yet figured out how to discover new music through the internet, iTunes, or Napster and I was really too busy to do it anyway since I was working full time and going to school at night for my master's degree. I believe I had heard of Nickel Creek on an award show and thought I should check it out. Eventually someone gave me a Borders Book Store (RIP) gift card for a gift and saw this album in the new releases stand and just bought it without knowing anything about it. For the next couple of years I went on a little bluegrass trip were I was listening to all bluegrass and fingerstyle guitar players like Don Ross. During that time this album was pretty much always playing in my headphones at work.
The first track "When In Rome" immediately grabs you as something that is very different than you've ever heard. The heavy percussive acoustic guitar strumming, the interesting vocal harmonies, the strange fiddle counter melody and the lyrics grab you right away. There are moments of flat out clever bluegrass jamming like in "Scotch & Chocolate" and "Stumptown" then there is the atmospheric, echoey, and creepy "First And Last Waltz". "Can't Complain" is the one to avoid here. It drags on and is really whiny. "Eveline" is brilliant with so many crazy vocal harmonies and is one that you can not miss when checking this album out. The rest of the tracks are just really clever and excellent.
They label Nickel Creek "Progressive Bluegrass". But there are no odd time signatures or 20 minute epics. I think that label is just because it's bluegrass that isn't based on Christian lyrics or hymns and the musicians aren't twangy and old. This is not your father's bluegrass. It's moody, catchy and maybe a bit irreverent for the music to fit nicely into the bluegrass genre. Yes there's a fiddle, banjo, mandolin and a fast playing guitar at times but that's pretty much where the similarities end. If you think bluegrass is kind of stupid or old maybe you should check this out. You might just find yourself wanting more. I know I did.
Favorite Songs: When In Rome, Tomorrow is a Long Time, Eveline, Doubting Thomas
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ADTOE is a fantastic album for sure. If I had to rank my Top 50 right now, it would be there. Not sure about Top 50 of all time - 7 weeks of listens cannot determine that (for me). Hard to know/say whether it will stand the test of time. Most likely it will.
Nothing weird (at least for those of us who grew up in the 80s) about HL&N... great pop/soft rock album. I had that on vinyl. He was an MTV machine too. Great videos. Now, if Hall & Oates shows up on your list... that would be weird.
Think I'll have to investigate Nickel Creek.
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ADTOE is a fantastic album for sure. If I had to rank my Top 50 right now, it would be there. Not sure about Top 50 of all time - 7 weeks of listens cannot determine that (for me). Hard to know/say whether it will stand the test of time. Most likely it will.
Nothing weird (at least for those of us who grew up in the 80s) about HL&N... great pop/soft rock album. I had that on vinyl. He was an MTV machine too. Great videos. Now, if Hall & Oates shows up on your list... that would be weird.
Think I'll have to investigate Nickel Creek.
I like Hall & Oates but I only have a few songs by them an not an entire album. So, no, they will not be in my top 50 list. :lol
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Love to see some more DT!
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Insert obligatory American Psycho joke here.
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Insert obligatory American Psycho joke here.
That was Fore not Sports. :biggrin:
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Huey sure writes some catchy tunes.
Of course I love the new DT.
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I think today will yield more discussion then a 80's pop and a bluegrass album. :lol
23. Jars of Clay - If I Left the Zoo (1999)
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This is the second Jars of Clay album to make it into the countdown (yeah, I like Jars of Clay :tup) and a slightly similar one to Much Afraid, however slightly better as well. Since their acoustic atmospheric beginnings of their first self titled album, their sound has grown to a more catchy rock sound and this album really captures the mixture of zaniness with the more somber moods so well. I've seen these guys in concert 3 times now and they're not only are great musicians, they put on a great show. They don't get to in your face about their faith but they do write some thoughtful songs that tend to play on words or use symbolic metaphors. If I Left the Zoo seems to just feel more relaxed than Much Afraid yet pull of the same heady music fans have always enjoyed.
Favorite Songs: Goodbye Good Night, Unforgetful You, Collide, Sad Clown, Grace
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22. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (2007)
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Now that I've spent almost 2 1/2 years obsessing over Dream Theater's discography. I realized that is the one that I enjoy cranking up in the car the most. This DT album has gotten so much criticism for being too heavy and pretentious. But I love it. "The Dark Eternal Night" is just a really great, fun song. "Constant Motion" is another fun metal song. Then you have the "Wish You Were Here" like progressive bookends of In the Presence of Enemies part I and II. The gorgeous and melodic "The Ministry of Lost Souls" and my favorite vocal workout "Forsaken". Is it my favorite DT album? <wink> You'll just have to wait and see.
Favorite Songs: In the Presence of Enemies, The Dark Eternal Night, The Ministry of Lost Souls
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21. Opeth - Damnation (2003)
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I really credit Mike Portnoy for getting me into Opeth. I knew what black and death metal was and thought the whole genre was really really stupid or disturbing but wasn't really sure which one. When I mentioned that I was listening to all genres of music with my Napster subscription in 2009 I went down this genre path and decided that this music really creeping me out. I read about Mayhem and all that weird black metal stuff they were doing in Norway in the early 90's. I watched some documentary interviewing the vocalist to Gorgoroth and just really felt very uncomfortable with it especially with my Christian beliefs. I didn't want any part of it and as a singer I didn't see any value in the screaming or growling vocals.
However, one night I was being obsessive about Dream Theater and watching YouTube videos of interviews with the band and what not and heard Mike talk about Opeth. I did a search on you tube and clicked on "Porcelain Heart", I believe. The song really hypnotized me. The music had a creepy but beautiful quality that made me want more.
So I learned all about them. I sampled their recent albums and their older ones until I found this one. I actually was avoiding this one just because of the title (Damnation sounds to "evil" :xbones). However, I actually read Opeth's entire Biography on their Web site (there's a lot there) and learned through that that this is a soft rock album. So I had to give it a try because I was interested in the no cookie monster album. It was so much easier for me to digest than the others and I think it was so brilliant of Opeth to do this album. No death growls or even heavy tuned down guitars. Just great song writing musicianship.
I'm not going to say that I'm a 100% death metal fan yet and I really can't get into everything Opeth does. But I listen to this album so much these days and I'm so glad I found it.
Favorite Songs: Windowpane, In My Time of Need, Death Whispered a Lullaby, To Rid The Disease
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SC is my least fave DT album by far. But it does contain some great songs.
Awesome to see Damnation! Great album, it would probably make my top 50 too :D
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Love Damnation, the only Opeth cd I like all the way through simply because I just don't like RORORO vocals.
Systematic Chaos is great too, I think it gets too much flak, it's no where near as horrible as BCSL.
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Hard to say where I'd put SC. Bottom half for sure - but in saying that (as I did with BCSL), it still rates higher than a lot of my catalogue. However, I see how it came at a time when you were just discovering DT, so I can completely respect how/why it rates so high for you. Wait 'til you see some of my Top 50!
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I'll just say that it appears we have very different opinions on DT Durg ;)
But I enjoy the 80s nostalgia
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I'll just say that it appears we have very different opinions on DT Durg ;)
But I enjoy the 80s nostalgia
I'm pretty sure my opinions on music differs from most on this board. But I love the way everyone is still open to it and respectful about it. :tup It's fun to make this list even though I don't think many are reading it.
My catalog is just very limited compared to so many that do these lists. I have a huge catalog of Christian/Gospel/Southern Gospel CDs. About 5-10 years ago this list would have been mostly Christian music and classic rock. Of course I didn't know about DT 10 years ago either. My exposure to new music with the Internet has opened new doors for me and this list has been in major flux. Not that I don't like the Christian music any more. I do. It's just that I'm in a different place musically right now. A lot of that has to do with Dream Theater. So, obviously, I'm pretty high on almost all their albums.
Just so you know. There's only 2 more 80's albums left in my list. It appears I've unintentionally ranked a ton of 90's albums toward the top (teaser). I hope you keep checking back though.
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I too love Systematic Chaos. ITPOE is a fantastic epic, amd I really love Constant Motion even though it gets so much stick. For some reason though I've never really been able to get into Opeth, even though I love death metal vocals. Haven't listened to Damnation though, should give it a try!
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20. Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983)
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Although I never actually owned this album. I've heard every song on it many times. Most of the songs were mega hits that are still played today. They ushered in the British Metal invasion that so many others tried to imitate. Unfortunately, they never really made an album as good. Hysteria was good and it was a triumphant come back for so much tragedy. But Pyromania was cutting edge awesome. The drums are amazing, the vocals are addictive, the riffs are creative, and each song just sticks in your head. The impact of this album on the rock world may never be matched.
Favorite Songs: Rock Rock ('til you drop), Photograph, Too Late For Love, Foolin', Rock of Ages
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19. Kings X - Faith Hope Love (1990)
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Crunching heavy guitar riffs? check!
Vocal harmonies galore? check!
Soulful lead singer? check!
Christian lyrical subtleties? check!
Why these guys have struggled through the years just baffles me. They're incredible. I guess the thing that has hurt them the most is that they tried to walk the line between being a "Christian" rock band and a "Secular" rock band. When you do that you tend to lose people on both sides of the equation. I didn't mind back then and I don't mind now. So Dug Pinnick is gay. So they maybe smoke weed and drink. So what. The music in Faith Hope Love was nothing I had ever heard before and it hugely influenced my love for heavy music with harmonies. These guys, and this album, really influences a lot of current day musicians and they should get credit for it. There are flaws in this album. It's not perfect but it's been a constant in my rotation for 20 years.
But Faith Hope Love gets this ranking due to the the fact that it introduced something new into the music world. After getting hooked on this I always crave something like this type of music and that is why discovering Dream Theater has been so great for me. Because it satisfies a craving that was originally quenched with Kings X.
Favorite Songs: We Are Finding Who We Are, It's Love, Moanjam, We Were Born To Be Loved, Legal Kill
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18. tobyMac - Portable Sounds (2007)
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I'm not a big fan of rap music and hip hop. But the young people love it. I have a 12 year old son and a 16 year old exchange student that hears rap and hip/hop from their friends and the radio. Some of it's OK but most of it is pretty annoying to me. I actually like the Korean rap better than English because I'm not supposed to understand what their saying :-\. Anyway, my son asked for this album for his birthday and since it was tobyMac, I knew that I might like it.
So, this album is a mixed bag of rock, hip hop, dance and some undeniable lyrics. tobyMac, who was one of the driving forces in the hugely successful rap/hip hop/rock group DC Talk, has had a fine solo career since DC Talk ended. In this album almost every track has been a hit on Christian radio stations. There's the driving rock of "Boomin'" and "Ignition" that I love, mixed with dance hits like "One World" and "Made to Love". Some rock mixed with rap and filled with hope and love. There's humor were he and Mandisa (former American Idol finalist) cut up. Plus, a track where his son raps "old school". Songs full of hope and wisdom that all lead to the last track with guest appearance from gospel great Kirk Franklin. It sort of sums it all up in a gospel/rap/R&B single that took the Christian music industry by storm.
If you can handle Neal Morse and you like this type of music you can handle tobyMac.
Favorite Songs: One World, Made to Love, Boomin', I'm For You, Feelin' So Fly, Loose My Soul
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Pyromania is a fantastic album... tons of catchy riffs as you mentioned.
Don't know the other two, but have heard Kings X referenced many times on this board. Will check this one out.
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Don't know the other two, but have heard Kings X referenced many times on this board. Will check this one out.
Start with "Its Love".
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19. Kings X - Faith Hope Love (1990)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/615FhwUt%2BwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Crunching heavy guitar riffs? check!
Vocal harmonies galore? check!
Soulful lead singer? check!
Christian lyrical subtleties? check!
Why these guys have struggled through the years just baffles me. They're incredible. I guess the thing that has hurt them the most is that they tried to walk the line between being a "Christian" rock band and a "Secular" rock band. When you do that you tend to lose people on both sides of the equation. I didn't mind back then and I don't mind now. So Dug Pinnick is gay. So they maybe smoke weed and drink. So what. The music in Faith Hope Love was nothing I had ever heard before and it hugely influenced my love for heavy music with harmonies. These guys, and this album, really influences a lot of current day musicians and they should get credit for it. There are flaws in this album. It's not perfect but it's been a constant in my rotation for 20 years.
But Faith Hope Love gets this ranking due to the the fact that it introduced something new into the music world. After getting hooked on this I always crave something like this type of music and that is why discovering Dream Theater has been so great for me. Because it satisfies a craving that was originally quenched with Kings X.
Favorite Songs: We Are Finding Who We Are, It's Love, Moanjam, We Were Born To Be Loved, Legal Kill
Absolutlely love this album
Moanjam/Mr. Wilson and It's Love are highlights for me
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Don't know the other two, but have heard Kings X referenced many times on this board. Will check this one out.
Start with "Its Love".
Also, check out "Out of the Silent Planet" (the track not the album) from the previous Kings X album, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska.
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Big fan of Kings X. Saw them so many times. They still rock like they did in the late 80's/early 90's.
Toby Mac. Saw him live on TV. Like when he's musical but not the rap stuff. I absolutly love Jesus Freak by DC Talk.
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SC has never been one of one of my favorites by DT. Damnation, however, is amazing. 80s love, no matter what it is, is always cool with me.
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Just want to add that Pyromania is one of the more iconic album covers of all time IMO.
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Just want to add that Pyromania is one of the more iconic album covers of all time IMO.
I should have said something about it too. It was there last organic sounding album in a long, long time. Even the album cuts like Too Late was played on the radio.
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Just gave Why Should the Fire Die a whirl. "moody, catchy" is a very good way to describe it. Kinda gave me a bit of a Sheryl Crow feel... but better. I liked it.
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Just gave Why Should the Fire Die a whirl. "moody, catchy" is a very good way to describe it. Kinda gave me a bit of a Sheryl Crow feel... but better. I liked it.
Glad you liked it.
17. Muse - Absolution (2003)
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I had not heard much Muse prior to last year. It wasn't until I sampled "Uprising" on Napster that I realized that I liked them. But I never really explored their discography. However, I discovered that my Korean exchange student who has a huge library of music (mostly rap unfortunately), had Absolution. So I burned his copy onto a disk and stuck it in my car. That was probably 6 months ago and it's still in my car. I'm still enjoying it and I think "Butterflies & Hurricanes" and "Stockholm Syndrome" are two of the best songs I've ever heard.
Favorite Songs: Stockholm Syndrome, Hysteria, Blackout, Butterflies & Hurricanes, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
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16. Alison Krauss - Forget About It (1999)
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I have a confession to make. Alison Krauss's voice just moves me. It takes me to a happy place. If it were not for the fact that the lyrics of this music makes me a little depressed it would be ranked very near the top. The lyrics are so sad and depressing that it's hard to deal with. But the music is so beautiful and amazing. Alison sings with much less of the nasally bluegrass voice in this more mainstream album and of course Union Station is technically proficient and amazing harmonizers as well.
Without question the best song on this album is "Ghost in this House". But there are so many amazing moody moments in this album that toy with your emotions. Plus, in addition to the emotion filled lyrics and the gorgeous way Alison delivers them there are so many amazing Union Station moments where a acoustic guitar, steel guitar, or fiddle solo that just sounds so amazing. The production on this album is also top notch.
Favorite Songs: Stay, Forget About It, Maybe, Ghost in This House, Dreaming My Dreams With You
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That Muse album is very, very good.
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15. Kings X - Kings X (1992)
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It's tough being a Christian and loving heavy music. So much of the Christian metal and rock that was out there in the 80's and 90's were quite frankly lame. Kings X never claimed to be a Christian band and in fact sort of resented the label. But you can sense that there was faith mixed in with those soulful vocals and riffs in their earlier works and that really drew me to this band. So many have claimed that King's X was a big influence in their musical influences and certainly that is the case with me. This album doesn't get the praise it deserves. The harmonies, the heaviness, and grove of the album are better than Faith Hope Love. Black Flag got a lot of radio play and is one of my favorite Kings X songs. There's really not a weakness on it.
Favorite Songs: The World Around Me, Lost In Germany, Black Flag, Dream In My Life
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Absolution yeah!!
In my top 5 :)
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Durg, have you heard Shadow Gallery? Might be right up your alley. Don't listen to the nooblets who bash them. King, back me on this one...
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Absolution is a really good album. I've heard of King's X for the longest time but just haven't gotten around to listening to them. I'm unfamiliar with Alison Krauss.
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Durg, have you heard Shadow Gallery? Might be right up your alley. Don't listen to the nooblets who bash them. King, back me on this one...
Backing you ... Oh wait, I'm not King, just a dictator. Not to derail this thread, but since you brought up SG, have you had your listen to Elinoire yet?
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Yes I have. 15 listens according to my last.fm. I find something new I like every listen it seems. Actually, in the middle of listening to it now, Adam's Theme just started.
I'll take any SG fans I can find since there is a vocal clique here that hates them but never articulates their hate.
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I'm with you. I love SG. Very melodic and emotional.
BTW Durg. I love Kings X what a great album and Muse's Absolution is amazing.
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Yes. I've listened to Shadow Gallery. I like them pretty well. I have Room V.
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If you like Room V, you should check out Tyranny, which I think is a good deal better.
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I'll do that.
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While we're at it: Durg, have you ever listened to Nightingale or Evergrey? Both are really good and might be right up your alley.
Nightingale: https://grooveshark.com/#/s/The+Dreamreader/1P80gJ?src=5
Evergrey: https://grooveshark.com/#/s/As+I+Lie+Here+Bleeding/3Dcvz3?src=5
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Evergrey is awesome. I'll second that recommendation, and check out Nightingale.
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Evergrey is awesome. I'll second that recommendation, and check out Nightingale.
o/
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*\o
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Moving right along....
14. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
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This is such a great musical experience from start to finish. There is so much brilliance and lyrical intelligence with these CDs. Even "The Great Debate", which is one of my least favorite DT songs, is really a great song. "Misunderstood" with it's backward guitar riffs are just so interesting and different. The collection of songs that make up the title track is a musical experience that just blows me away every time I listen to it from start to finish.
Favorite Songs: The Glass Prison, Blind Faith, Misunderstood, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
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13. Toad the Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea (1994)
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It's just a commercial pop album right. I guess. So why is it so high on this list. I don't know. I've spent much of the late 90's and early 2000's obsessing over Toad the Wet Sprocket. Glen Phillips is a GREAT singer and is masterful at capturing the moment and emotion of a song. This band is great and there are so many creative twists in the music itself. I don't know why but I just love this album so much.
I actually do know why I love this album. In the mid 90's I sang and played in a band that had a sound very similar to this music. I was living in Columbia, South Carolina at the time and Hootie & the Blowfish had become superstars. They were very loyal to their South Carolina roots and decided to do an MTV unplugged performance live and right there on the campus of the University of South Carolina. The concert was fairly unremarkable. However, they asked Glen Phillips to join them because in Darius Rucker's words, "we love Toad". So Glen Phillips made an impression on me during that concert and I went out bought this album. I actually have several of their albums now but this one is such an amazing piece of art.
Favorite Songs: Fly From Heaven, Something's Always Wrong, Crowing, Listen, Windmills, Fall Down, Begin
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12. Yes - 90125 (1983)
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This album is going to always go down as the one that got me into Yes. I can still remember roller skating to "Owner of a Lonely Heart" as it blasts out of the speakers and thinking to myself, "I must own this album". Sure this Yes album was more pop oriented and not as progressive. However, I would have never heard of progressive music if they had not released this album. I had also never heard anyone play mixed meter times in a rock song until I heard "Changes". Still I love the singing and the harmonies. "Leave It" just makes me happy. I know Yes has a huge catalog and the progressive purest might hate this one. But not me, besides, I'm not a progressive purest anyway. I have consistently pulled this CD out and listened to it probably the most out of all my collection. I really never get tired of it.
For those of you who love "Leave It" there is an Expanded version of 90125 that contains the A Capella version of it. You absolutely must hear this version.
Favorite Songs: Owner Of a Lonely Heart, Hold On, Cinema, Changes, Leave It, Out Song
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Big Toad fan here Durg. Boy can they write a simple but beautiful harmony and melodies. I love Fear a little bit more than Dulcinea.
90125 was light years ahead of it's time. The production was second to non in 1983. Progressive yet pop sensibilities.
6DOIT may be my favorite DT album of all time. It blends everything I love about DT.
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A lot of great and a lot of odd choices indeed. Very interesting nonetheless. :smiley:
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Way to go with Yes. That album has some really good songs.
SDOIT is one of DTs best.
Lots of great stuff in your list and a lot I've never heard of.
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Yes and DT! Great picks, particularly 6DOIT.
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11. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Wh2otbdqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I've already talked about how I started to get into Opeth in my review of Damnation and this is a very high ranking for an album that contains a vocal style that I don't really like in the death growls. In fact I only downloaded this a couple months ago because so many people are so high on this album. Of course I had been listening to it on Napster at work but that is always a tough way to really get into an album when your constantly being interrupted with people asking how to get rid of stupid Java errors or needing help building Web pages that work. Yes, this is one of those albums that must be experienced, uninterrupted, from start to finish to really understand how the harsh vocals, the atmosphere, and the beauty all fit together. Quite simply it is brilliant and I'm still in a sort of awed mood when I listen to it due to the fact that it's still relatively new to me.
I don't understand the lyrics and really don't care. For me it's all about the music and when I hear "Harvest" or "Patterns in the Ivy" I'm inspired to learn how to play these songs. The sound is so unique and cutting edge for me that I just can't believe what I'm hearing. I've always like wild emotion swings and huge changes in song dynamics and Opeth are the professors of the musical emotion.
Favorite Songs: Bleak, Harvest, The Drapery Falls, Dirge For November, Blackwater Park
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Did I mention I really like Dream Theater. :biggrin:
10. Dream Theater - Awake (1994)
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When I first heard Awake I didn't like the edgy rasp that James LaBrie was singing with. However, the music is so amazing that you can't ignore this album. There are a couple songs that I really haven't cared for and a few that I love to listen to all the time. Not to mention that Voices is, in my humble opinion, one of the best Dream Theater song ever.
Favorite Songs: 6:00,Caught In a Web, Voices, The Mirror, Lifting Shadows Off a Dream,
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9. Neal Morse - One (2004)
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I've only known about Neal Morse since my resent discovery of Dream Theater. Someone recommended that I check him out and I was amazed that not only does Mike Portnoy play on his albums, I was excited that he's Christian and the album is a Christian concept album. For this album, though, I was even more exceted that Phil Keaggy plays and sings on this album. . . .
WIN!
I've been a major Phil Keaggy fanatic for years and have seen him in concerts many times. Anyway this album was a real eye opener for me because I never knew that there was Christian prog. Happy was me to find this. But then the music is amazing. "Author of Confusion" just makes me go.... like..... WOW! and then Reunion with the horns.... YES! I'm really at a loss for words. The start to finish this is an awesome album. I have not heard Testimony and so many claim it is his best. But I can't imagine how it can get better.
Favorite Songs: Author of Confusion, Cradle to the Grave, Father of Forgiveness, Reunion: No Separation/Grand Finale/Make Us One
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Opeth is the one true band that I don't mind growls. The music is so hauntingly beautiful and the use of the growls as more like a guitar pedal as an affect and not full blast growls the whole time.
Believe it or not, I'm one of the rare few that doesn't put Awake that high on my list. That doesn't mean I don't like it, I just don't look at it as a masterpiece as others do.
One is my favorite Neal solo album and has my favorite song of his of all time, Help Me / The Spirit and the Flesh.
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BWP and Awake! Nice picks!
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Very nice updates there. Blackwater Park is one of my favourites ever, as is Awake.
As for Shadow Gallery, I recommend you check out the (less accessible) Legacy, imho their best work.
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Believe it or not, I'm one of the rare few that doesn't put Awake that high on my list. That doesn't mean I don't like it, I just don't look at it as a masterpiece as others do.
I'm there with ya King. It's an excellent album, but it took me a REAL long time to really appreciate it. Even still, there are a few songs that I just don't really care for. For me, it's a pretty polarizing album - mostly great songs, but a few duds.
Will be checking out Neal Morse. I love SB, but never really tried his solo stuff.
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I've never checked out Neal Morse's solo work but I was so turned off by Transatlantic, is there any reason to check out his work?
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Depends on what it was you didn't like about Transatlantic. So, what was that?
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Surprised (but happy) to see BWP so high.
Reaper, I'm sure you know this already but all but two of Neal's solo albums are very religious, and this is one of those religious albums. I don't know where you stand on that, but thought I would give you a heads up on it because in general I LOVE Neil's work, but I just can't sit through musical preaching.
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I'd have to listen to it first, I'm not a big fan of musical preaching as long as it isn't very in my face but it's worth a shot I guess.
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Awake and BWP are 2 phenomenal albums.
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I'd have to listen to it first, I'm not a big fan of musical preaching as long as it isn't very in my face but it's worth a shot I guess.
It's pretty much a concept album that covers the topic of how man became separated from God because of sin (Adam & Eve) and how Jesus gave man the way to be back in fellowship with God. It's the cornerstone of the Christian faith. So if that kind of topic rubs you wrong then I don't think you'd be able to get past it. However, Master of Confusion is an AWESOME song. Seriously! There's some incredible vocal sequences in that song that is the coolest I've ever heard.
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90125, Awake, and One are great choices. And it's funny how many people who aren't fans of "musical preaching" probably have no problems with Neil Peart's atheist diatribes or openly satanic bands.
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Which bands are openly satanic? Serious question.
As for Neil's atheist preachings, I never noticed them but I don't listen to much Rush to begin with.
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Three very very solid albums right there.
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As for Neil's atheist preachings, I never noticed them but I don't listen to much Rush to begin with.
Neil doesn't preach about atheism on every song, so it's not quite the same.
Satanic bands tend to be so overly, ridiculous SATAN! that I can't really take them seriously at all.
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8. DC Talk - Jesus Freak ((1995)
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So it's pretty clear that I'm a Christian. Plus, I listen to a lot of Christian music. As I mentioned before, I grew up in a small town in Arkansas and there was no Christian music radio and Christian rock music was frowned upon in my childhood church. I don't know why. Something about missionary kids playing Christian rock in Africa and the natives thinking it was the beat of the devil or something like that. All I know is, I'm a Christian and I love heavy rock music with bold message. Jesus Freak and more specifically the title track came out at a time in the Christian music industry where artists were trying, unsuccessfully, to water down the message to get mainstream radio time. The music was boring and usually behind the times. The message was usually vague and uninspiring. DC Talk and more specifically TobyMac decided it was time to just be unafraid and get in peoples faces about our Christian faith. This album speaks from a perspective of Christians being flawed and completely in need of a God that forgives us and loves us in spite of how unloving we are. It points the finger at hypocrites and and encourages us to be bold and unwavering in our beliefs. On top of that every song just plain ROCKS!
Anyone that has read any of my various song rankings and other related posts in the past would actually be surprised that this is so low. Indeed for more than 10 years it has been at the very top for me. But as I have spent a lot of time thinking about this list. Doing write ups. Reranking and reranking. I have to be honest that I sort of burned myself out on this album a bit. Of course #8 is nothing to sneeze at but low none the less for me and I'm even surprised, myself, that I had to move it down this far. It just goes to show how tastes change over the years.
Favorite Songs: So Help Me God, Colored People, Jesus Freak, Between You and Me, What Have We Become
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7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
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As I mentioned before. I listened to a lot classic rock when I was younger and that includes a lot of Pink Floyd. I never liked them enough to buy their albums but I was pretty familiar with their stuff. When I would think of Pink Floyd I always thought of "Another Brick in the Wall" which seemed to get played like once an hour on classic rock stations. However, one of my favorite Pink Floyd's songs has always been "Wish You Were Here" and I enjoy playing it on the guitar. I download this album earlier this year and realized that I had heard every song on this album many times on the radio (except maybe part 2 of Shine On You Crazy Diamond). The thing that surprised me even more was that I have always really liked ALL those songs.
Favorite Songs: All 5 of them
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6. Yes - Talk (1994)
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This underrated Yes album is one of my favorites. I'm clearly a Trevor Rabin fan. I bought this album as soon as it came out. I obsessed over it. Then I saw them in concert in Charlette, NC. Hootie & the Blowfish opened for them which was very interesting (and good by the way), but I digress. Having been a fan of the Union album and 90125. Talk was a treat and seeing them in concert playing "Endless Dream", "Walls", and the title track was almost a spiritual experience for me. This album, while not being that popular with the Yes fans, is one of my favorites supported mostly for the time of my life and the concert which was one of the best I've ever been to.
Favorite Songs: Really all of them.
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I agree that Talk is a totally underrated album normally. I'm happy to see it so high in your list. Endless Dream is a magnificent musical piece.
Wish You Were Here is just so amazing.
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WHOOOO for Wish You Were Here what a fabulous album. I really need to check out yes.
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WYWH is awesome! Haven't heard that Yes album but I will check it out!
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You must've done a lot of re-ranking. Your writeup says DC Talk is #9, but it's #8.
WYWH... brilliant album.
Top 5 prediction ... I don't know many Christian albums, so can't comment there. I&W is still to come. Maybe another Floyd? Boston debut?
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You must've done a lot of re-ranking. Your writeup says DC Talk is #9, but it's #8.
WYWH... brilliant album.
Top 5 prediction ... I don't know many Christian albums, so can't comment there. I&W is still to come. Maybe another Floyd? Boston debut?
Duhp! :facepalm:
Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it.
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You must've done a lot of re-ranking. Your writeup says DC Talk is #9, but it's #8.
WYWH... brilliant album.
Top 5 prediction ... I don't know many Christian albums, so can't comment there. I&W is still to come. Maybe another Floyd? Boston debut?
Duhp! :facepalm:
Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it.
No biggie.
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Well we're getting close to finishing this thing. Three today and two tomorrow.
5. Kings X - Dogman (1994)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61gKj0T3QTL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
For me the early 90's was spent rocking out to King's X and Dogman without question is the best King's X album out there. Faith Hope Love is great but Dogman is just a amazing rock album that I have enjoyed for many many years. It just seems to be heavier, the harmonies are more crisp, and the lyrics are better. I must also mention that I love the album cover.
Favorite Songs: All of them. Of course
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A very interesting list to be sure. Awesome.
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4. Phil Keaggy - Beyond Nature (1991)
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This is the only instrumental album in my listing, but this one ranks near the top for not only it's musical brilliance but also it's healing power on me personally. I've owned this album for 20 years and have listened to it when I couldn't sleep, when I've had headaches, and when I'm stressed out. My son would always listen to it when he was going to sleep at night as well. It's beautiful, technical, and spiritually healing. Phil Keaggy is one of the greatest guitar players in the world and this is one of his greatest works.
I've seen Phil Keaggy in concert probably 5 times and the man is a guitar hero. However my favorite time was when I was living in New Jersey and he did a concert on the Princeton campus. It was cool walking across the old campus to the auditorium. The auditorium was very cool and we were actually above him as he performed. It was clear that he was not in the greatest of moods and possibly didn't want to be there. I think he dealt with this by turning the concert into what seemed more like a practice session for himself. Playing mostly acoustic instrumentals he would change string tuning multiple times in the middle of songs. He used a sequencer/recorder to record 5 or 6 licks or patterns and play them all back one by one. Building layers and layers of sounds until it was like a full band was playing then he would jam out to an amazing guitar solo. It truly was one of the most amazing spectacles I've ever witnessed and being able to sit right above him watching him have complete command over his guitar has stuck with me for so many many years.
I'm not a big fan of his singing and not even really a big fan of his rock music style. But his beautiful instrumentals speak to my soul in a way I just can't explain. I've mentioned this album on this board in the context of various topics and I've received some "meh" responses but that's OK. Perhaps Beyond Nature was made just for me. :azn:
Favorite Songs: Well... All of them
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I was never a big DC Talk fan when they did rap but starting with Jesus Freak, I fell in love with their last 2 albums. Though I am not a religious person I love this album, melodies, harmonies and all. Great pick Durg.
What can I say about WYWH. Fantastic pick.
Yes Talk. I am one of the Yes fans that love this album. Always will be a Treveor Rabin fan and this album is great.
Dogman, King's X with Balls. I couldn't believe how heavy and the bottom end on this album (Please come home Mr. Bulbous blew my bottom end mind even more). Beatles harmonies with funky heavy music. A perfect meld of styles I love.
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I've always heard so much about Phil Keaggy but never checked into him. I've always thought of him as the secular version of Richard Thompson. I need to check him out.
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3. Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)
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The late 80's was my Huey Lewis era. I've had Level 42, Kings X, Yes, Toad the Wet Sprocket obsessions that got me through the 90's and the 2000's. However, in August of 2009 my musical world was changed forever with the discovery of Dream Theater. As I mentioned before, Black Clouds & Silver Linings was my first Dream Theater experience. But, hearing Images and Words for the first time was really where I knew that my obsession was going to be long lasting. It was the moment that I realized that I had finally found what I was looking for in music. I had been on a long 40 year musical journey to find a way to quench a never ending thirst for something to satisfy my musical cravings. Hearing Images and Words for the first time was like that euphoric plunge into cool clean oasis of water after crawling through the desert and dying of thirst. It led me to so many other musical options that I would have never considered before and restored my belief that there are still people out there can care about creating the best quality in music and musicianship. My only regret is that I never discovered them sooner.
When I first created this ranking last year I automatically put this as my #1. However, I've noticed that I've cooled a little (obviously not much) on the album. But really the next two are just that much special to me personally.
Favorite Songs: There is no weakness. They are all my favorite.
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Well, I knew I&W had to be there. No surprise, and well deserved.
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I&W is my favourite album ever. Perfect in every way! I'm in love with that album so much.
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I&W, a Top 5 album for me. Outstanding in every possible way. Nothing more to say, really.
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YES! Phil Keaggy is great and I love that album, almost made my top 50 myself.
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YES! Phil Keaggy is great and I love that album, almost made my top 50 myself.
Sweet. You made my day!
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Images & Words. The album that currently sits the #3 spot in MY top 50 as well. Nice!
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You can never go wrong with I&W.
Also, it's cool to see a lot of albums on this list that are exclusive to yours. I doubt many of these will be on future lists.
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I was never a big DC Talk fan when they did rap but starting with Jesus Freak, I fell in love with their last 2 albums. Though I am not a religious person I love this album, melodies, harmonies and all. Great pick Durg.
First of all I think it's really cool how you've heard so much of the music on my list and as a non religious person give albums like Jesus Freak a chance. I actually don't think that most on this board would have a problem with the lyrics on this album because it mostly contains a chastising, angry tone at Christians in the content. A sort of "quit acting like pansies and hypocrites and start living for the one you claim to believe in" tone.
Secondly I don't have their next album Supernatural but I did see that concert in Philly and man were they great! They really knew how to put on a show.
Dogman, King's X with Balls. I couldn't believe how heavy and the bottom end on this album (Please come home Mr. Bulbous blew my bottom end mind even more). Beatles harmonies with funky heavy music. A perfect meld of styles I love.
I really love the way you articulate Kings X sound. It's quite unique and you described it perfectly. They really lost me with Ear Candy and I haven't even listened to Mr. Bulbous. If you're telling me it's better then I really need to go get it. It's unfortunate that even with my Napster subscription that Mr. Bulbous only allows me to hear 30 second samples.
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You can never go wrong with I&W.
Also, it's cool to see a lot of albums on this list that are exclusive to yours. I doubt many of these will be on future lists.
I bet your list will have a lot of exclusive albums that are just yours. I'll really be interested to check out the stuff on your list.
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You can never go wrong with I&W.
Also, it's cool to see a lot of albums on this list that are exclusive to yours. I doubt many of these will be on future lists.
I bet your list will have a lot of exclusive albums that are just yours. I'll really be interested to check out the stuff on your list.
Heh, well, I think a lot of the exclusive albums on my list will be very unappealing to most people on the board, but there's always an outside chance one or two of them may intrigue some viewers.
I'm still not entirely sure if I want to carry through with the list. I tend to go back and forth, but I'm more inclined to do it than not.
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Images and Words is not personally my favourite DT album, but I think it might be the best DT album.
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Images and Words is not personally my favourite DT album, but I think it might be the best DT album.
This fo' sho'.
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Images and words :tup
I'm surprised to see Talk in your top 10, being that I've never listened to the album and knowing that it's not really regarded as one of their classics. I'll listen to it someday, that's for sure - I might be pleasantly surprised the way I was with The Ladder, that one turned out to be amazing.
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Images and words :tup
I'm surprised to see Talk in your top 10, being that I've never listened to the album and knowing that it's not really regarded as one of their classics. I'll listen to it someday, that's for sure - I might be pleasantly surprised the way I was with The Ladder, that one turned out to be amazing.
I've never listened to The Ladder. I should do that!
2. Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay (1995)
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This one shouldn't really be much of a shocker. By now you guys should know that I love Jars of Clay and this is one is their best. Make no mistake about it, Jars of Clay is not just your regular contemporary Christan band. They are talented, creative and of high musicianship. They just keep cranking out the hits year after year and winning Grammy awards and all kinds of other awards. However, this first, platinum, self titled album was without question a masterpiece. After winning a song writing competition in Nashville, Jars of Clay started working on this Album with Adrian Belew of King Crimson. Most of the tracks have a very mysterious chamber music feel coupled with a catchy percussive acoustic guitar feel that produced a very new and unique sound. Of course most people listening to rock radio stations just knew of them as a "one hit wonder" with the song "Flood". But "Flood", despite being a good song paled in comparison to some of the other atmospheric brilliance of songs like "Worlds Apart", "Liquid", and "Blind". I own many of their albums and they're all very good but this one is great!
I've seen them in concert 3 times with the most recent one being in a small auditorium at a Christian college in Lancaster, PA. Their equipment truck had broken down on the interstate in Tennessee and all they had was some guitars and some borrowed equipment from local musicians and music stores. It was Jars of Clay unplugged. They decided to perform all the songs from this first album in a raw acoustic mix just like they did when they were just getting started and opening for Michael W Smith 16 years ago (I saw them then in Charlotte, NC and the mix was really bad). But that night. Man oh man the mix was perfect. The acoustics of the room was perfect. Their vocals were spot on perfect and they were funny and relaxed and just having a good time without the big production. A few of the songs were so old for them that the singer had to have the words near to make sure he didn't forget them. But the song "Worlds Apart" was really the most beautiful song I've ever heard in a concert and I couldn't believe that I never really noticed it just listening to the song on the CD. It's mainly because of this concert that this album moved ahead of Images & Words.
One other interesting note about this album for those of you that are not familiar with it, is the last track. It starts off as just any other track with the song "Blind", which is a beautiful song by the way. Then after a few minutes of dead space another half song plays and sort of fades away to what sounds like a recording of the practice/arranging session with the orchestra when they are working on the accompaniment for "Blind". I'm not sure how long it goes on, maybe 10 minutes, but I love listening to it and it's so weird that they lumped it in with that last track. Check it out sometime if your board.
Favorite Songs: At this ranking it should be all of them.
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Here's a recap of the entire list.
50. Billy Joel - Glass Houses (1980)
49. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
48. James LaBrie - Static Impulse (2010)
47. Styx - Pieces of Eight (1978)
46. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
45. The Police - Synchronicity (1983)
44. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever (2001)
43. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
42. Queen - The Game (1980)
41. Queensr˙che - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
40. The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980)
39. The Choir - Speckled Bird (1994)
38. 10,000 Maniacs - Blind Man's Zoo (1989)
37. Queensr˙che - Empire (1990)
36. Living Color - Time's Up (1990)
35. Dream Theater - Octavarium (2005)
34. Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
33. Harry Connick. Jr. - We Are in Love (1990)
32. Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
31. Jars of Clay - Much Afraid (1997)
30. Level 42 - World Machine (1985)
29. Collective Soul - Collective Soul (1995)
28. Boston - Third Stage (1986)
27. Yes - Union (1991)
26. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
25. Huey Lewis & the News - Sports (1983)
24. Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die? (2005)
23. Jars of Clay - If I Left the Zoo (1999)
22. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (2007)
21. Opeth - Damnation (2003)
20. Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983)
19. Kings X - Faith Hope Love (1990)
18. tobyMac - Portable Sounds (2007)
17. Muse - Absolution (2003)
16. Alison Krauss - Forget About It (1999)
15. Kings X - Kings X (1992)
14. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
13. Toad the Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea (1994)
12. Yes - 90125 (1983)
11. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
10. Dream Theater - Awake (1994)
9. Neal Morse - One (2004)
8. DC Talk - Jesus Freak (1995)
7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
6. Yes - Talk (1994)
5. Kings X - Dogman (1994)
4. Phil Keaggy - Beyond Nature (1991)
3. Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)
2. Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay (1995)
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My prediction for 1: Lulu.
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My prediction for 1: Lulu.
I've never even heard of Lulu. I had to look her up. No its.......
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vK5uhM62L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
Just kidding. :rollin
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Ultimate troll.
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Well, here we are at #1. I've really enjoyed sharing this list with all you guys and I really appreciate the comments and humor.
1. Toad the Wet Sprocket - In Light Syrup (1995) [Compilation]
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Really? Really? Seriously, why would you rank a Toad the Wet Sprocket album this high? Well I have to. I must. I love every single song on this album and some are the most moody and wonderful songs ever made. This is a collection of rare Toad songs. Basically an album of B side songs. Sure there are some prototype Toad pop songs like "Brother", "Little Heaven", and "Good Intentions" which are great. But any self respecting music lover must give "Are We Afraid", "All Right", and "Hope" a chance. Those 3 songs are mellow and fairly simple but you can just put your headphone in and lay back and chill with them. Glen Phillips just sings them so beautifully and makes them so wonderful. Of course there is the oddity as the can on the album states in "Hobbit on the Rocks" and "Janitor".
Yes this album is called a collection but it's really just a fantastic album that doesn't get enough credit. I've spun this CD litterally thousands of times and I can't get tired of it.
Favorite Songs: Already answered this
So there we have it. I'm sure this is kind of a weird ending to a top 50 list and I agree. But I just have to be honest with myself and admit that In Light Syrup is my favorite album ever......
until I change my mind..... :P
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Cheater. Rule Breaker. Rebel! :evilmonkey: Collections are disallowed. Your selection is hereby voided and invalid. :lol
Will be listening to it later. I really enjoyed this list. No offense to some of the more recent ones, but those genre's and style's of music just weren't my cup of tea. I'm just p-o'd that Kings X isn't on Grooveshark (and there's not spotify in Canada). :rant:
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Cheater. Rule Breaker. Rebel! :evilmonkey: Collections are disallowed. Your selection is hereby voided and invalid. :lol
Will be listening to it later. I really enjoyed this list. No offense to some of the more recent ones, but those genre's and style's of music just weren't my cup of tea. I'm just p-o'd that Kings X isn't on Grooveshark (and there's not spotify in Canada). :rant:
Man I can't believe that. I just had to go check myself and there's not much there for Kings X. There's a live concert that has horrible sound quality and their first album that I didn't like all that much. Weird.
I'm not sure In Light Syrup should be considered a compilation. None of those songs are on any of their other albums. At least that I know of.
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Hey... one more post, and you're in the 1000+ club! Make it a good one.
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I don't see a collection of B-sides as a compilation. I wouldn't care if someone included "Cleaning Out the Closet" in a list, other than maybe disagreeing with them.
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Yeah, agreed. I guess I originally misunderstood, and was just raggin on him anyway.
None-the-less, I had a go at both Jars of Clay and In Light Syrup. I wouldn't say they are overly appealing to me, but they were nice to listen to. In Light Syrup was a nice mellow background album to listen to.