My Top Ten Albums
Submitted by KitchenDoorRuby on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 19:37
- #01: Exile On Main Street - Rolling Stones. For the sound and the mood, the grit and the dirt in every track. Plus the songs are great; 'Sweet Virginia' deserves a more prominent place in Stones discussions. Keith's guitar is blistering here, with the best tones of their career I think.
- #02: London Calling - The Clash. No band can cover this much ground, this is not a punk album. The quality of the writing is supplemented by the tightness of the band. Joe Strummer's stage presence leaks through every song and Mick Jones is eclectic in his guitar playing.
- #03: Rubber Soul - The Beatles. Not saying Stones or Clash are better than The Beatles, overall Beatles have more quality music. This is the folky type of Beatlemusic I like, and they sound like they are working together and having fun. You can hear each Beatle in each song, great to hear so many Lennon and McCartney rootsy harmonies.
- #04: Highway 61 Revisted - Bob Dylan. Whether you like Bob or not, this album was about something more than just Dylan. Its roots rock, bluesy tones and melted over it that surreal poetry that nobody, not even Dylan, has been able to duplicate.
- #05: Rain Dogs - Tom Waits. Criminally under-rated because of the anti-commercial sound he can sometimes delve into. This is a blend but each song could stand under any guitar-guitar-bass-drums arrangement, the songs are good. The wierd insturmentation that comes and goes is an added layer of appeal. Nobody takes you to another world like Tom Waits.
- #06: Seeger Sessions - Bruce Springsteen. Wooden floor folk band, where Bruce belongs.
- #07: Wildflowers - Tom Petty. Crisp and the songwriting is top-notch.
- #08: My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello. Biting and the themes of the songs are endlessly interesting.
- #09: White Album - The Beatles. Alot of mediocre songs, but far more brilliant ones.
- #10: Volume One - Traveling Wilburys. Not for orginality, but for the FUN in each song.
Author Comments:
It's not about which band is best, or whose career went where, or who influenced who. It's about one individual album next to the other. Yes, I know without 'Rubber Soul' The Beatles would still be legends and without 'Lodnon Calling' The Clash would be far less revered. Doesn't make 'Rubber Soul' better than 'London Calling'.
I like this list. It always nice to see the often overlooked Waits get his due. Exile, Highway 61 and Rain Dogs are all-time favorites of mine. I go back and forth on London Calling, but there's no denying that it is a classic a piece of the rock 'n roll canon.