KirksNoseHair's Top 50 v. And the #1 album is........

[kirksnosehair]

OK, that was the last update until Monday.  I've got a busy weekend ahead with the gym tomorrow morning followed by two ProTools classes and recording a demo for the album in the afternoon then yard work on Sunday. 


Only 11 albums left, though. 

[jjrock88]

SSOASS might just be my favorite Maiden disc.  Love Blizzard of Ozz, but I think I would pick Diary of a Madman over it.

[kirksnosehair]

You know, I went back and forth over Blizzard and Diary and settled on Blizzard because it was more of a    when it came out.   

[Lowdz]

Aha, a chink in the armour 

SSOASS never caught my attention at all. A concept album (apparently- though I wouldn't have known if they didn't tell me) that came around at a similar time to Mindcrime. One had a good intelligent story with recognisable characters, sounding a million dollars with segues between tracks to link the story and one was the Maiden album. The first Maiden album I didn't love.

PoS- I bought this album after seeing them support DT and I couldn't tell you anything about it other than I can't tell you anything about it. Nothing made me want to inject the time with it. Not heard it in a decade.

Ozzy. A good album, certainly, though I prefer Diary and Ultimate Sin. No argument about RR though. He would have been an awesome player and I would have bought everything he would have recorded if he hadn't been taken too soon.

Metal church- not heard much by them but I was anti- Thrash at the time.

Redemption- i like the band and have two albums by them (Snowfall and TMC) but I haven't heard this one. Will get round to it eventually.

Spock's- not my favourite album (that would be V) but I like them.

[kirksnosehair]

Redemption- i like the band and have two albums by them (Snowfall and TMC) but I haven't heard this one. Will get round to it eventually.

I have all of Redemption's albums and I think TFOT is the best one.  Snowfall is pretty close, though.

[TAC]

Metal Church.........bought this album the week of its release and it still gets heavy rotation

Love everything about this album

Kurdt wrote some classic riffs on this album and Mike Howes vocals were sung with pure emotion

I love the three Mike Howe albums. I actually prefer Hangin' In The Balance.

I did NOT expect to see Metal Church here.

[ariich]

Have to say, I wasn't too keen on this list for a while, but it's definitely been improving hugely over the last few updates, some great albums!

[ronnibran]

\m/ to SPock's Beard and Redemption!!!  I was hoping to see them on the list.  My two favorites of theirs would have to be "V" and "Origins of Ruin." (but the ones you chose are great as well).

[senecadawg2]

I've never enjoyed Spock's Beard or PoS, although there are definitely some other great albums in there.

[DebraKadabra]

2112, Rust In Peace, SDOIT, Blizzard are all stellar choices!

I didn't include Remedy Lane, as I'm just starting to get into earlier PoS - really liking the majority of what I've heard so far, and Rope Ends is a killer song (thanks, _floyd )

[wolfking]

Incredible albums.

[Big Hath]

this was the first mention of 2112 in any list

[jingle.boy]

Last two updates were great.  7th Son was actually my first Maiden CD.  such a great album.  Can't go wrong with ANY SB (well, self-titled aside).  Redemption... can't decide which of the four I like best.  I got the first three all at the same time, so I have a bit of trouble distinguishing between them.  Love them all.  Blizzard ... best Ozzy by far.

POS... still not much of a fan.

[BlobVanDam]

Oh, how did I miss this last batch?

Blizzard is a great album beginning to end, although I'd personally place No More Tears higher. I'm a big Ozzy fan, so I really like most of his albums though, but the Randy Rhoads ones are definite classics.

[kirksnosehair]

"No More Tears" is definitely a great album, too.  Just doesn't make my top 50, but would possibly appear in the honorable mentions section on the strength of "Mr. Tinkertrain" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home"


Did you know, Blob, that Lemmy of Motorhead fame was one of the co-writers of that song?

[BlobVanDam]

"No More Tears" is definitely a great album, too.  Just doesn't make my top 50, but would possibly appear in the honorable mentions section on the strength of "Mr. Tinkertrain" and "Mama, I'm Coming Home"


Did you know, Blob, that Lemmy of Motorhead fame was one of the co-writers of that song?

Yeah, I knew he had writing credits on the album (I always like to know songwriter credits as much as the performers). Have you heard his version of Hellraiser?

[kirksnosehair]

Yes, I have     Not a huge Motorhead fan, though.

[WebRaider]

More great selections. SSOASS is probably top 2 for me with Iron Maiden at this point (back and forth with Somewhere in Time) and if you read my write up on my own Top 50 you'd see how highly I regard Ozzy's early solo work... although I cheated and went with a combo of Blizz and Diary live in his RR Tribute album .

[Elite]

That's some great albums in the past days, nice!

[kirksnosehair]

11. The Flower Kings - "Flower Power"





Tracklist:


Disc One:
01 - Garden Of Dreams
   I   -  Dawn
   II  -  Simple Song
  III  -  Business Vamp
   IV  -  All You Can Save
    V  -  Attack Of The Monster Briefcase
   VI  -  Mr. Hope Goes To Wall Street
  VII  -  Did I Tell You?
 VIII  -  Garden Of Dreams
   IX  -  Don't Let The d'Evil In
    X  -  Love Is The Word
   XI  -  There's No Such Night
  XII  -  The Mean Machine
 XIII  -  Dungeon Of The Deep
  XIV  -  Indian Summer
   XV  -  Sunny Lane
  XVI  -  Gardens Revisited
 XVII  -  Shadowland
XVIII  -  The Final Deal


Disc Two:
   
01 - Deaf, Numb & Blind
02 - Stupid Girl
03 - Corruption
04 - Power Of Kindness
05 - Psychedelic Postcard
06 - Hudson River Sirens Call 1998
07 - Magic Pie
08 - Painter
09 - Calling Home
10 - Afterlife


"Flower Power" is a monstrous double album totally 140:40 of music, including the 59:16 long first CD which contains the epic suite of songs called "Garden of Dreams."  From the standpoint of The Flower Kings, this release has everything that typifies their music.  It's grandiose, bombastic, poppy. silly, weird, psychedelic, trippy and pretty damned cool all rolled into one awesome release.  Even though most people cite the first disc as their favorite, I am actually partial to the second disc, which, in my opinion, contains some of the best music The Flower Kings have ever released.  Songs like "Deaf, Numb and Blind" "Psychedelic Postcard" and "Magic Pie" are frequently heard blasting from my car.


10. Spock's Beard - "V"





Tracklist:
01 - At the End of the Day
02 - Revelation
03 - Thoughts (Part II)
04 - All On a Sunday
05 - Goodbye to Yesterday
06 - The Great Nothing
   I   -  From Nowhere
   II  -  One Note
   III -  Come Up Breathing
   IV  -  Submerged
   V   -  Missed Your Calling
   VI  -  The Great Nothing


"V" is the aptly titled fifth studio album from progressive rock band Spock's Beard.  It was the first Spock's Beard album I ever heard and I was hooked from about the first minute. With only 6 tracks, this album features two epics, the opening song "At The End of The Day" clocks in at 16:28 and the massive "The Great Nothing" is close to a half hour long at 27:02 and they are clearly the best tracks here, although "Thoughts (Part II)" is also very interesting.  Spock's Beard also included a "single" here in an effort to gain some crossover appeal.  The song "All On a Sunday" was promoted as a single and even had a video made for it, but it never really gained any traction anywhere.  This album, and in particular, "The Great Nothing" features some of the best vocal harmonies ever recorded by the band with drummer (who later became lead vocalist) Nick D'Virgilio flexing some seriously excellent vocal chops to accompany Neal's emotive and expressive voice.  Many fans consider "V" to be Spock's Beard's finest album.


09. Transatlantic - "Bridge Across Forever"





Tracklist:


01 - Duel With The Devil
   I   -  Motherless Children
   II  -  Walk Away
   III -  Silence Of The Night
   IV  -  You're Not Alone
   V   -  Almost Home
02 - Suite Charlotte Pike
   I   -  If She Runs
   II  -  Mr. Wonderful
   III -  Lost And Found Pt. 1
   IV  -  Temple Of The Gods
   V   -  Motherless Children/If She Runs (Reprise)
03 - Bridge Across Forever
04 - Stranger In Your Soul
   I   -   Sleeping Wide Awake
   II  -   Hanging In The Balance
   III -   Lost And Found Pt. 2
   IV  -   Awakening The Stranger
   V   -   Slide
   VI  -   Stranger In Your Soul


Neal Morse teams up with Mike Portnoy (ex Dream Theater), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion) and basically gives a clinic on epic songwriting and execution.  It's an album that truly requires multiple listens to appreciate the nuances in the songwriting and lyrics.  But with each successive listen you are rewarded with "nuggetz."  There is really not much more I can say about it.  Key Tracks:  All of them.  Listen, lather, rinse, repeat as necessary.  Interesting side note: Prince has co-songwriting credits on the title track, "Bridge Across Forever"  Also worth noting, "Suite Charlotte Pike" ends with a fade-out, however, the ending jam is found after "Stranger In Your Soul", which actually ends at 26:04. At 27:24, there is a hidden track; a continuation of the final section of "Suite Charlotte Pike", picking up where it faded out, followed by various sound effects similar to those found at the end of "Duel With The Devil".  If you don't own this album, you're weird     (just kidding, but seriously, you should check it out!)

[Zydar]

V is my favourite SB album

BAF ain't too shabby either.

[Nekov]

3 great albums. BAF made my top 50 too 

[Elite]

V is excellent and Bridge Across Forever is my favourite Transatlantic album, great picks!

[Mladen]

V is my 3rd favourite SB album

BAF ain't too shabby either.

Fixed it for me. 

[Lowdz]

V is my favourite SB album

BAF ain't too shabby either.

I second these comments. V is one of my fave prog albums, and I'm no big prog fan.

[KevShmev]

Wait, where did the last three tracks on Disc 1 of Flower Power go?

Anyway, that is about where Flower Power would be on my list, too.

[jingle.boy]

Still haven't discovered The Flower Kings.  The other two are pretty damn awesome.

[Scorpion]

Never got into TFK and SB, really. They are too... easy-going for me, if that makes any sense.

BAF is my favourite TA album, though, and it also makes my Top 50, though not quite as high.

 

[TAC]

Not into any of the last 3 but they seem like solid respectable choices.

[senecadawg2]

I really should check out Flower Kings

[kirksnosehair]

08. Iron Maiden - "Somewhere In Time"





Tracklist:
01 - Caught Somewhere in Time
02 - Wasted Years
03 - Sea of Madness
04 - Heaven Can Wait
05 - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
06 - Stranger in a Strange Land
07 - Deja-Vu
08 - Alexander the Great


It's interesting that this album comes in at #8 for me all time, because had you asked me when it was released what I thought of it, I would have bent your ear for an hour whining about how Iron Maiden had "ruined" their sound by introducing synths.  Hey, what can I say?  It was 1986 and I was only 22 years old.    I would eventually come around to this new element in the Iron Maiden sound and now with the benefit of almost another 30 years of hindsight, I can see just how brilliant of an album this really is.  Although many people think this is a concept album, and while there is certainly a common lyrical thread (the subject of "time") running through many of the lyrics, Steve Harris insists that they never set out to write a concept album when they began working on "Somewhere In Time."  This is the fist Iron Maiden studio album not to be released one year after the previous one - the band took extra time with this one in an effort to to a better job and not be rushed.  Also, this was the beginning of some personal and professional tension in the band especially between lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and Steve Harris.  Dickinson brought several completely written acoustic based songs to the table claiming that Iron Maiden needed to do something different or risk stagnation.  Those tracks were summarily rejected by the band who instead chose a couple of fully written songs from Adrian Smith "Wasted Years" and "Stranger In a Strange Land" to build the album around - those eventually became the album's two singles.  My favorite tracks here are "Deju-Vu" the previously mentioned Adrian Smith-penned tunes and "Alexander The Great"




07. Opeth - "Watershed"





Tracklist:


01 - Coil
02 - Heir Apparent
03 - The Lotus Eater
04 - Burden
05 - Porcelain Heart
06 - Hessian Peel
07 - Hex Omega


Opeth's ninth studio album saw a change in lineup.  New drummer Martin Axenrot replaced the highly acclaimed Martin Lopez (whom I still prefer) and brought a tighter, more blast-beat infused style.  This album also saw the addition of guitarist  Fredrik Åkesson with the departure of longtime guitarist Peter Lindgren.  Many Opeth "purists" (whatever that is) have lamented the gradual migration away from coarse (so-called "cookie monster") vocals to a more prevalent use of clean vocals, but I have to be honest in writing here that it is precisely the more dominant use of clean vocals that allows me to rate this album as highly as I do.  While the music of the previous album, "Ghost Reveries," is on par with what is offered here, I feel that the vocals hold it back.  On Watershed, Mikael Åkerfeldt demonstrates what I believe is a well-balanced approach to clean/harsh vocals which give the harsh vocals so much more authority and power when they are used.  But it's the songwriting here that really sets this album above the rest of the Opeth catalog.  Unencombered by the traditional "deathmetal" baggage, these songs absolutely soar to heights rarely seen in the genre.  Indeed, tracks like "Burden" and "Porcelain Heart" demonstrate a profound maturity and a true progression from the band's earlier, more one-dimensional output.  "Watershed" is an apt title for an album that is likely the high-water mark for Opeth and marked a change in direction for the band that would eventually be fully realized in their most recent release, "Heritage."




06. Symphony X - "V:The New Mythology Suite"





Tracklist:


01 - Prelude
02 - Evolution (The Grand Design)
03 - Fallen
04 - Transcendence (Segue)
05 - Communion and the Oracle
06 - The Bird-Serpent War / Cataclysm
07 - On the Breath of Poseidon (Segue)
08 - Egypt
09 - The Death of Balance / Lacrymosa
10 - Absence of Light
11 - A Fool's Paradise
12 - Rediscovery (Segue)
13 - Rediscovery (Part II): The New Mythology


This is the fifth studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X.  It's a concept album that deals with the story of Atlantis, ancient Egyptian mythology and astrology.  This is the first Symphony X album with Michael Lepond on bass and the original drummer, Jason Rullo, rejoined the band after having been absent for the previous album "Twilight In Olympus."  This is probably the last album by Symphony X that features Russell Allen's soaring melodic vocals as opposed to the kind of guttoral, grunting, snarling stuff he's being doing on Symphony X's more recent albums and especially with his new project with ex Dream Theater drummer, Mike Portnoy, called Adrenaline Mob.  This is a crying shame as Allen displays some serious vocal range both in terms of pitch and style on this album.  I won't pick out any key tracks here because I believe this is an album that must be consumed in its entirety to be fully appreciated.

[kirksnosehair]

Only 5 albums left, so I will post the last 5 one at a time.   

[Big Hath]

awesome update!  Love those three albums.

edit to say I think Allen sounds great on The Odyssey.  It's on Paradise Lost and Iconoclast where I feel like the harsher vocals have emerged.

[jjrock88]

Maiden and Symphony X rule

[Zydar]

Excellent choices!

- Somewhere In Time is my 2nd favourite Maiden album after Seventh Son
- V is probably my favourite SymX album
- Watershed is up there with the best of the Opeth albums too