Katt's Top 50 Albums v. I bless the rains down in Africa [#1]

[The Walrus]

You must have big ears! 

[cramx3]

I know we've discussed our opinions on GnR already here, but I think it's no surprise this album is so high on your list or really anyone's just because it's usually going to land really high on any major top metal album rankings. 

I recently watched a TV show called "Breaking the Band" and the episode on Guns N Roses (I also recently watched Queen, The Clash, and Motley Crue (since I fininally finished their movie)) and damn are they a really interesting band so I can see how you'd get hooked into interviews and learning about them.  Kind of makes me want to give them more of a shot, my music listening time just is too bloated right now though.

I love Nightrain though, I will check out that live in tokyo video 

[bosk1]

From my "classic albums" of the '80s thread:

This album was/is an absolute MONSTER.  I have mixed feelings about it, so it's kind of a tale of two takes on the album.

First, on a personal note, I don't particularly care for it.  Personally.  While the strength of the songs is undeniable, the headspace of this album just isn't something I particularly identify with or care for.  I liked Welcome To the Jungle, Sweet Child, and Paradise City well enough.  But I first got the album as a "donation" from my uncle, who didn't care for it.  And while I liked a few songs, it wasn't really for me.  I ended up trading away my copy to a friend for Warlock's Triumph and Agony (the vocals on that blew my mind!), and to this day, I still consider that a good trade.  The overall tone of the album captures a gritty, seedy, grungy, unseemly vibe to a tee.  But that's just not me and never has been.

On the other hand, I can appreciate the excellent song writing, the attitude, the genuineness, and the influence this album has had on the rock/metal scene.  GnR took the world by storm as the true "bad boys" of rock.  And they were the real deal, which I think is one of the reasons this album has endured (coupled with, again, rock-solid songwriting). 

So let me be clear:  I fully recognize that this album is incredible.  I just personally do not identify with the vibe.  So while I still enjoy a lot of the songs on occasion, I don't gravitate toward this album.

The interesting thing for me is, as good as the "hits" are, the album really shines on its deep cuts.  Rocket Queen and My Michelle, for example, are way underrated gems.  But really, there isn't a weak track on the album.

One thing I often see sort of touched on when the band is discussed, but not put in quite these terms and explored from this angle is the almost "musical identity crisis" of this band.  And maybe I'm overstating it just a tad.  But I definitely see/hear it.  On one hand, you had Slash and Duff, who were all about dirty, grimy, no-frills, straight ahead, in-your-face rock.  They don't need the music to be shiny and polished.  They just want it real, aggressive, and edgy.  Then you had Axl, who can definitely play in the same playground as Slash and Duff, but also STRONGLY has a more polished, artsy side.  Then you had Izzy, who was sort of artsy in a different way, with some blues and jazzy influence.  The result was, in a way, a mess.  But it was a brilliant mess that gave GnR a unique sound.  That musical tension resulted in some truly groundbreaking songs that made you take notice and rewarded you for listening carefully to what they were doing.

Anyhow, this is kind of a rambling review.  But when it comes to GnR, that's kind of my thought process.

I figured some cross-pollination of discussion might be fun. 

I also should mention Mr. Brownstone:  Hate the lyrics.  But they are really clever, as is the vocal melody at times.  I REALLY hate Axl's forward, mouthy vocal style that he uses here.  But the riff may be my favorite GnR riff of all time.  SO groovy!

[Grappler]

Not much else to add.  I love some of the deeper cuts like Out ta Get Me more than Sweet Child of Mine.  I've heard every hair-band/rock cover band play that song and it's just so tired and worn out to me.  As a whole, it's an incredible album and just knocks your socks off from start to finish. 

[bl5150]

It's probably 20 years since I listened to the album from start to finish but an undoubted classic.  I tended to gravitate to the deeper cuts............I reckon Rocket Queen got the most play when I was a kid.

[The Walrus]

It's probably 20 years since I listened to the album from start to finish but an undoubted classic.  I tended to gravitate to the deeper cuts............I reckon Rocket Queen got the most play when I was a kid.

I think hearing the moaning in that song was the first official time my innocence was violated by rock. And I never looked back.

That Mr. Brownstone riff is nasty. Definitely one of Slash's best riffs ever imo. I personally dig Axl's voice on that one, kinda fits the vibe of the lyrics I think.

[pg1067]

Most people around my age are familiar with the name Agalloch if not the music just 'cause it's a recognizable band for Internet savvy metalheads. 'sall good.

I would submit that "most people around [your] age" aren't familiar with Dream Theater, much less Agalloch.


As for GnR, see my comment in the 80s thread.

[The Walrus]

Let me rephrase: most metalheads my age who browse the Internet with any sort of regularity are familiar with the name Agalloch. Obviously the majority of people my age aren't going to know who Dream Theater is, let's be aware of the context within which we're speaking: metal/rock/prog/music fans.

[Big Hath]

It's probably 20 years since I listened to the album from start to finish but an undoubted classic.  I tended to gravitate to the deeper cuts............I reckon Rocket Queen got the most play when I was a kid.

this.  Rocket Queen received lots of play at my house.

[Podaar]

It's probably 20 years since I listened to the album from start to finish but an undoubted classic.  I tended to gravitate to the deeper cuts............I reckon Rocket Queen got the most play when I was a kid.

this.  Rocket Queen received lots of play at my house.

I'll bet she did! *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

[The Walrus]

I apologize (but not really) for the wall of text for this next one, and, well, for the top 3 as well. Deal with it. 

#4 coming in hot. Just a moment...

[The Walrus]

4.
KINGS OF LEON
COME AROUND SUNDOWN
Indie / Rock

released October 15th, 2010 via RCA



1. The End [4:24]
2. Radioactive [3:26]
3. Pyro [4:10]
4. Mary [3:25]
5. The Face [3:28]
6. The Immortals [3:28]
7. Back Down South [4:01]
8. Beach Side [2:50]
9. No Money [3:05]
10. Pony Up [3:04]
11. Birthday [3:15]
12. Mi Amigo [4:06]
13. Pickup Truck [4:44]
14. Celebration* [5:03]
15. Closer (The Presets remix)* [4:51]
16. Radioactive (remix feat. The West Angeles Mass Choir)* [3:29]

*deluxe edition bonus tracks

COME AROUND SUNDOWN is

Caleb Followill (Lead and backing vocals / Rhythm and acoustic guitars)
Matthew Followill (Lead guitar / Synthesizer / Piano / Wurlitzer / Lap steel guitar / Backing vocals)
Jared Followill (Bass / Synthesizer / Piano / Percussion / Xylophone / Omnichord / Backing vocals on 4)
Nathan Followill (Drums / Percussion / Backing vocals)



WITH

Jacquire King (Percussion / Backing vocals)
Angelo Petraglia (Production / B3 organ / Wurlitzer)
Liam O’Neil (B3 organ / Baritone and tenor saxophone / Synthesizer / Piano)
Robert Mallory (Fiddle)
Krish Lingala (Saxophone / Synthesizer / Theremin)
Chris Coleman (Trumpet / Backing vocals)
Mike Kezner (Sitar / Maracas)

“Spill out on the streets of stars and ride away / Find out what you are, face to face / Once you’ve had enough, carry on / Don’t forget to love ‘fore you’re gone” – The Immortals

Hope you like reading…

If Appetite For Destruction was the soundtrack to my youth, Come Around Sundown is the soundtrack to my 20s and early adulthood. Where Appetite is rebellious, angry, nasty, and dirty, Come Around Sundown is wistful, pensive, sad, almost remorseful at times in its reflection of life and relationships and the turbulence of growing up. Appetite is the soundtrack for partying your ass off and getting laid and all that good stuff; Come Around Sundown is the soundtrack to a cigarette and a drink by yourself, outdoors, in the summer evening, with only you and your thoughts to keep you company.

A lot of that is attributed to the singer, Caleb, who was struggling with alcoholism and dark thoughts during the recording of this album, and his emotions are palpable. There’s a dark sadness in his voice. Every song uses it to great effect, too, especially “The Face” which has him howling longingly alongside a screaming, spacey lead guitar melody. “The Face” bleeds emotion and is one of the highlights of Come Around Sundown, and I think along with “Pyro” and “Back Down South” really capture what this album is all about, musically.

But as the album goes on and nightfall gets closer, and the sky morphs through yellows and oranges and pinks and purples to a soothing deep blue and the drinks really settle in, the songs pick up a little, with some more playful and optimistic melodies (complete with lovely “woo-oos” in the background). And when it ends at the thirteenth song proper, it appears as if the tracklist is structured to perfectly complement an hour of drinking and contemplation – it ends with two songs, one contemplating the friendship Caleb has found in liquor, and the other about drunkenly fighting a guy, who I’ve taken to assume is abusing his girlfriend, who Caleb is walking home in the song.

Lyrically, it’s quite pessimistic, but also nostalgic, looking back on (and longing for) good old times, while lamenting current dilemmas and even pondering the future a little bit. There’s a lot about lost love and searching for your true self on this album and that resonates with me a lot. Certain lines always stick with me and remind me of people I know. Coming from the Midwest, I still relate a hell of a lot with “Back Down South” which is essentially Caleb and his brothers reminiscing about where they came from (Oklahoma and Tennessee) – but it reminds me of my late teens and early 20s hanging out with my friends, both lifelong and from high school, before, during, and after the football games. Go team…

I included the bonus tracks in this one because they add a very special vibe to the rest of the record. “Celebration” invokes images of western canyons and the sound of vultures crying at high noon, Caleb’s raucous singing like that of a drunk stumbling down a desert highway. There is a remix of their 2008 hit “Closer” by The Presets, replacing the rhythm section with an ethereal, ghostly synth melody and gentle electronic percussion taps, allowing the synths to swell throughout the song. Shockingly, this actually reminds me most of “Collapse The Light Into Earth” by Porcupine Tree. The “Radioactive” remix with the choir is only different in the backing vocals but the real choir changes the flavor of the song, in a good way.

In Summary: I know this one won’t be popular with the DTF crowd, but to me, this is a 24-carat diamond in my collection and few records I’ve heard come close to this one. I relate to it on a lot of levels, and musically it’s just about as good as you get. I hate to say it but although this was Kings of Leon’s darkest hour behind the scenes, the record itself is, literally, their finest hour. Strife does have a tendency to bring out the best in an artist, sadly – and this is a strife-fueled, sad album. No shame admitting this one makes me cry – a lot.

Katt’s Favorites: The End, Pyro, The Face, The Immortals, Back Down South, No Money, Closer (The Presets remix)

Listen to “Come Around Sundown” by Kings of Leon on Spotify

[pg1067]

4.
KINGS OF LEON
COME AROUND SUNDOWN

This is a band I've heard a ton about, but if I've heard any of their songs, I don't know it.  Indie rock got really annoying really fast after some decent stuff in the mid- to late 90s.

[The Walrus]

^^ To be honest I have no idea what makes a band 'indie' but most indie bands I've heard, I can't stand. I dunno if KOL's sound is really indie these days or not. Their first two albums, probably, big time. You might know the two songs that (regrettably) became monster hits, Sex On Fire and Use Somebody, but even the band admits those aren't the best songs even on that particular album.

[senecadawg2]

I've only heard those two songs you mentioned, but I'm curious to check this one out.

As an aside, I'm glad you've taken the time to do this top 50. I don't know if I'm imagining it or if I've simply missed most of them, but it seems like there haven't been as many of these threads as there were around 5 years ago, and I always enjoy getting a glimpse at other folks' favorites.

[Crow]

there aren't as many, no.
i'm considering doing one but 1. i haven't started and i'm busy with other projects 2. if i do make one i'll probably put the top 25 into video format, i don't know if i'd even do a full 50 but maybe

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

there aren't as many, no.
i'm considering doing one but 1. i haven't started and i'm busy with other projects 2. if i do make one i'll probably put the top 25 into video format, i don't know if i'd even do a full 50 but maybe

Do a top 500!

[Crow]

you do that one. i'll stick to "doing something humanly possible"

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

you do that one. i'll stick to "doing something humanly possible"

..............hmmmmmmmmmm......I just might...

[wolfking]

Can't stand Kings of Leon.  That is all. 

[cramx3]

I gave them a listen the last time they were on here and I wasn't into them, I checked out Pyro and wasn't into it.  I don't think this band is for me. 

[The Walrus]

Yeah, I knew this one was going to bring crickets, this just isn't a style that's popular around here. And that's okay because now I get to post this.

Me:


DTF:


 

[The Walrus]

I've only heard those two songs you mentioned, but I'm curious to check this one out.

As an aside, I'm glad you've taken the time to do this top 50. I don't know if I'm imagining it or if I've simply missed most of them, but it seems like there haven't been as many of these threads as there were around 5 years ago, and I always enjoy getting a glimpse at other folks' favorites.

Hey, thanks for checking it out, seneca. I'm glad people enjoy just checking out what other peoples' favorite records are even if they're not remotely interested in them. I did start it partially because I wanted to do my own but partially because I hadn't seen any around for a while... I hope this kicks up some interest in people doing them again.

[Ruba]

Can't stand Kings of Leon.  That is all. 

So I thought until Katt sent me Knocked Up on my roulette. I'll probably be checking more of their stuff.

[The Walrus]

Can't stand Kings of Leon.  That is all. 

So I thought until Katt sent me Knocked Up on my roulette. I'll probably be checking more of their stuff.

YAY! Seriously, the album with "Knocked Up" is on this list (Because of the Times) - you should check out my favorites from that record, but honestly, I think the vibe of Knocked Up is more prevalent on Come Around Sundown.

[Stadler]

I SHOULD like the Kings of Leon, but alas, I don't.   I don't know why it is that I don't connect with them, but it is what it is.

Now, Appetite?  Bring it on.  That album has aged SO well for me.  It's one of those few records from the late 80's, 90's, that has transcended into the group of albums that compete with the best of the 70's, the era I grew up on.

[TAC]

 

[Crow]

i thought sex on fire was garbage and also really boring when it was in guitar hero

now i just think it's boring in guitar hero but actually it's an okay song. it exists

i'm just not wild about the band is all 

anyways looking forward to ommadawn being #1

[jingle.boy]

Yeah, I knew this one was going to bring crickets, this just isn't a style that's popular around here. And that's okay because now I get to post this.

Me:


DTF:


 

Sorry mang... just nothing for me to add here.

[The Walrus]

Sex On Fire is a good song.

[twosuitsluke]

One of my friends was obsessed with KoL when they released their first album (2003 or something?). I think they are still his favourite band but we don't hang out so much nowadays. Back when we DID hangout all the time he just used to play the first two albums all the time. Even though I wasn't too into them I liked a few songs. The Bucket is still the best song of theirs I've ever heard, by quite a long way!

By the time the third album dropped we only used to hangout in the pub so I wasn't around his flat (getting aurally assaulted by the band). Since then I've only heard singles and nothing has made me want to check out an album.

And yea, Sex on Fire was overplayed in the UK and I kind of hate it!

I'm tempted to check out this album just out of curiosity. I don't think I've heard a single song.

[gazinwales]

Oh did someone mention that magical word 'ommadawn' ?
One of my fave albums 

[The Walrus]

3.
SONATA ARCTICA
WINTERHEART’S GUILD
Melodic Power Metal

released March 17th, 2003 via Spinefarm Records



1. Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited [5:37]
2. Gravenimage [6:58]
3. The Cage [4:38]
4. Silver Tongue [3:58]
5. The Misery [5:09]
6. Victoria’s Secret [4:43]
7. Champagne Bath [3:58]
8. Broken [5:17]
9. The Rest of the Sun Belongs to Me* [4:22]
10. The Ruins of My Life [5:14]
11. Draw Me [5:06]

*Japanese bonus track

WINTERHEART’S GUILD is

Tony Kakko (Vocals / Keyboards)
Jani Liimatainen (Guitars)
Marko Paasikoski (Bass)
Tommy Portimo (Drums)



FEATURING

Jens Johansson (Lead keyboards on 3, 4, 6, 7)

When I saw Sonata Arctica for the first time in 2009, a girl and I at the Chicago show threw up a banner on stage that said, “Tony, you can abandon, please, brainwash, and exploit me anytime.” I think someone else threw their bra. Giggity.

Ecliptica and Silence are too close to Stratovarius’s world for my liking. Yeah, there are some really great songs on those records, but it wasn’t until Winterheart’s Guild that Sonata Arctica really matured and came into their own. Tony sounds more confident and far less like someone wanting to imitate Timo Kotipelto and Michael Kiske, and the songwriting itself, while retaining many elements of modern neoclassical power metal, sounds more as if Sonata Arctica finally developed their own zesty brand of spice to sprinkle atop a full-course power metal meal. Even the lyrics are more poetic and nuanced than most of Stratovarius’s lyrics up to this point, with a fuller vocabulary and varied themes. The songs are like little stories, which Tony Kakko is very good at writing. It’s one of this album’s strengths, the way it tells stories and explores the human heart. (The ironic thing is Jens Johansson himself played the lead synth tracks on 4 of the songs here.)

And what stories they are. “Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited” is about the world we live in and the kind of horrific philosophical nightmares we pass on from generation to generation. “Gravenimage” is a story about a man who has to make a choice between the two loves of his life because he does not have the time necessary to devote to each on their own. “The Cage” is about a wolf caged by Man. “Silver Tongue” I’ve never been quite sure on, it’s either about Moby Dick or about rich lazy fatcats, but perhaps it’s the former and the latter is “Champagne Bath.” Both utilize the 6/8 time signature extraordinarily well with wild guitar and keyboard parts that complement the rest of the album’s straight-ahead balls-to-the-wall 4/4 170+ BPM power metal anthems. And so on and so forth, the album is full of stories. There is one I particularly like in the closer “Draw Me” which is about a man who stopped painting portraits after the subject of one of his paintings died after being painted, and contemplates doing one final portrait of himself before passing away.

I love those tragic, romantic scenes Tony paints with his lyrics and music. He knows when to use synth pads and strings to create a dark and somber atmosphere, but he also knows when the songs require a little liveliness and fun, and he wraps it all up with some extraordinarily varied vocals, giving everything – clean high notes with or without vibrato, dirty rasps, gentle croons, it’s as if he’s able to channel the spirit of any character he takes the role of. This helps keep the record fresh and interesting; whereas most metal singers have one or two modes they stick to, Tony is all over the map, which I think helps keep listeners engaged.

Other than Tony’s voice, Jens Johansson plays some of my favorite stuff on the record, but it’s “The Cage” that contains one of his all-time best solos, a feisty monster of a synth solo that opens the track like a bat out of hell. Henrik never quite nailed this solo live, and it’s to be expected because Henrik is a wholly different keyboardist and doesn’t play that way, but I’ve always wanted a professional filmed concert in which Jens guest spots on this song to do it right (with the proper synth lead patch, too).

In Summary: Lots of people have lots of different opinions on Sonata Arctica. To me, this was, is, and will always be their peak, perfecting the Stratovarius-inspired formula mixed with just the right amount of originality. For 2003 this was both standard and adventurous. I still think it holds up better than some of Sonata’s most recent stuff and even sounds better than the last couple of records. It’s lightning in a bottle and one of the best albums I’ve EVER heard in any genre. Hits me right in the feels every single time. Also, some of the best lyrics power metal’s ever seen. I learned a lot of my first keyboard solos from this record, as well as a general sense of how to use keyboards well in a metal song. I have NEVER gotten tired of a single song on this album.

Katt’s Favorites: Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited, Gravenimage, The Cage, Victoria’s Secret, Champagne Bath, The Ruins Of My Life

You can’t listen to this one on Spotify, but surely it’s on other stuff…

[Evermind]

I like Sonata Arctica, and I like WHG, but there's no way this album is their best. There are, however, some good songs. APBE was my first SA song I think, and I love Gravenimage and The Misery.

[The Walrus]

I like Sonata Arctica, and I like WHG, but there's no way this album is their best. There are, however, some good songs. APBE was my first SA song I think, and I love Gravenimage and The Misery.

Totes their best by a country mile.