The 100 Best Rock Albums, 2002 Edition (51-60)
Submitted by lbangs on Wed, 02/12/2003 - 11:53
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- 51. XTC – Apple Venus, Vol. 1 : The first song is simply breathtaking, a marvelous and inventive merger of classic pop and orchestral splendor. It may well be the best song on this album, but just barely. After a 7-year break from releasing music, XTC returned in 1999 with this huge leap forward, an album that even eclipses their previous Skylarking. The music is beautiful but never stale, and enough wit and sorrow seeps in to keep the music from being a simple exercise in beauty. Not that the endlessly gorgeous music needed any leavening, as the melodies on this work are flawless and instantly memorable. Apple Venus, Vol. 1 is an instant classic from the late nineties.
- 52. Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York : Nevermind might have shook the world, but this intimate, live album toppled souls. Stripped to their essentials, their original songs reveal the layers of skill that went into them like never before, and the band even recasts several songs by other artists to make them extremely personal, individual statements. Most of the songs rise to the level of legend here, and the band has never sounded as great as in these performances. A live album full of old and borrowed songs is usually a formula for boredom. Nirvana managed to use it to create their masterpiece, a work whose reputation will only rise with passing years. They may have lit the fuse to grunge, but they obviously had even greater fire inside them, and one can only dream of what may have been waiting for the future.
- 53. The Beatles – Revolver : Rubber Soul bent the rules; Revolver ignored them. A kaleidoscope of new styles, new sounds, even new instruments, Revolver burst forth onto the world and announced the split of rock from rock 'n' roll. She Said She Said managed to graft psychedelic influences onto a pop song, but the genre-shattering Tomorrow Never Knows didn't hardly bother to be straddle by pop at all. The dizzying whirl of music may keep this album from ever really finding a form, but the songs are some of the best 3 minute slices of rock ever created
- 54. Massive Attack – Blue Lines : Ground zero of trip-hop, one of the best musical inventions of the 90s, Blue Lines stole rap, slowed it down, layered it with sheets of soul, and shaped it into songs that played as well at home as it did on the dance floor. One of the most influential albums few have heard, this album was another product of 1991, the year which also gave us Nirvana's first major release and Pavement's Slanted, Enchanted. Was this really 12 years ago? Even so, these discs still reside on the cutting edge.
- 55. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Imperial Bedroom : Despite the success of his early new wave albums, Elvis Costello always craved chances to explore his roots. This album dove into the classical pop that had captivated audiences earlier in the century, and his amazing songcraft and experiments with 'updating' the music for the rock era created one of his best albums. His songs remained as cynical as ever, but he rooted the lyrics deep in personal histories, creating an emotional effect that matched the gorgeous music he and the Attractions produced. Jazz still sneaks into the mix a bit, and the songs stand among Elvis' best. This album, a victim of a confused marketing strategy, pretty much tanked upon arrival, but many have discovered the sublime pleasures hiding in the layers of its classic, beautiful music.
- 56. Buddy Holly – From the Original Master Tapes : Rockabilly is mostly known for its simmering singles; this collection hurls some of the greatest singles ever at the listener at an amazing pace. Of course, Holly wasn't simply a rockabilly artist, and the variety of pop styles he mastered in the genre's infancy is astounding. He also started many fascinating experiments (over-dubbing, echo) that the Beatles would later follow up on. Of course, all this would mean little if the songs weren't near-perfect pop classics. That'll Be the Day, Not Fade Away, Everyday, Peggy Sue, Rave On... The list rolls out endlessly, and the number of artists who have remade these singles testifies to Buddy's vast influence on rock music as a whole. A solid collection bursting with mini-masterpieces from one of the greatest artists to grace the genre.
- 57. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico : Rock was an experiment gone wild. When Elvis and Chuck Berry first concocted the formula for this new music, no one would have dreamed it would soon sweep the world. By 1967, that formula was well in place, and few were noodling with the successful ingredients. Then Lou Reed, John Cale, and company arrived on the scene. They took the basic blues backbone of rock and twisted it out of shape. Pianos banged, cellos whined, drums suffered arrhythmia, and after all the tinkering was through, the final creature was actually able to walk. While Heroin, with its music echoing the rush and ebb of chemical euphoria, is rightly praised as a standout, the band also managed to churn out some achingly beautiful pop songs (I'll Be Your Mirror, for example) at the same time. While few have followed the Velvet Underground's adventurous tinkerings, it doesn't matter. Few could probably do this much this well anyway.
- 58. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Armed Forces : Elvis got sneaky with this release. After unleashing the scathing, wired rock of This Year's Model onto the world, he crept back into the studio to add a polished sheen to his next recordings. His plan worked; radio stations actually played his razor-sharp songs over the airwaves, and Armed Forces quickly became a best-selling album. Instead of watering down his compositions, the added production actually increases their complexity, and even though the songs played more like pop, the band could still rock out with songs such as Goon Squad. The variety is almost as remarkable as the songs, and the Rykodisc reissue receives a special kudo for adding many excellent B-sides and out-takes to the new disc, including the intriguing My Funny Valentine, Tiny Steps, Clean Money, and Talking in the Dark; it also added the famous non-album single, (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding. The Rhino has more tunes, but also contains more dross. With the Rykodisc version, a great album is even better
- 59. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle, Vol. 1 : Creedence Clearwater Revival only created albums for five years, and in those five years, they managed seven studio albums. That incredible pace is only matched by a remarkable consistency; only the last of those albums is weak, and at least three or four of them are indispensable. Chronicle does a flawless job of summarizing the peaks of one of the greatest American bands of the late sixties, and what a ride it is. The chronological sequencing allows the listener to hear the band’s output evolve from terrific covers of near novelty tunes (Susie-Q, the sublime I Put a Spell on You), to mythological songs of the South reminiscent of a tighter, post-electric Band (Proud Mary), to twisting that mythology from comforting to spooky (Green River, Bad Moon Rising), to blistering political commentary (Fortunate Son), to band tales (Down on the Corner, Travelin’ Band) melding into the amazing series of singles from Cosmo’s Factory (Travelin’ Band, Run Through the Jungle, Who’ll Stop the Rain). Somebody even had the foresight to stick I Heard It Though the Grapevine on here before it became a proper hit (and the vinyl has it in it its arguably superior single version, which certainly fits here better on this collection than the CD’s sprawling, full length take). After this amazing run, Chronicle collects the prime cuts from the band’s eventual decline (Someday Never Comes). All in all, it is one of the greatest, concise career compilations ever produced. Luckily, it happens to cover a band with one of the greatest two-years runs in history (Can you believe Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, Cosmo’s Factory, and Pendulum all arrived between 1969 and 1970?!?!?). You simply must hear the music presented in these Chronicles.
- 60. The Rolling Stones – Singles Collection: The London Years : The Stones' early work is full of great albums, but none capture the genius of the band in their 60s infancy like this massive collection of every single and B-side they released during that pivotal decade. Listening to this boxed set with fresh ears, it is incredible to hear the band evolve from their R&B and blues roots to rock / pop, only to turn around and begin to reinvent their roots into their own image. The beginning of their classic early 70s work is mapped out here; even if they had broken up in 69, their place in rock history was firm. Of course, amazingly, this was only half the story.
Author Comments:
Influence and historical importance mean nothing here. Each and every album is ranked based solely on its own artistic merits. All official releases are fair game; only bootlegs are not considered. This is it - the best rock albums ever.
I will be adding entries as time allows. The list is complete, but I wish to write a bit about each album, so it may be a week or two until all albums are listed. I hope to add at least two or three entries each weekday and more if I have the chance.
Creating this list hurt. Great albums were left on the cutting room floor, and sadly, I fear albums near the bottom of the list may be looked down upon. Make no mistake - any album on this list is a fantastic work well worth your time. The difference between closely ranked albums was microscopic at best.
To prevent this list's size from becoming prohibitive, I am breaking the hundred entries into blocks of ten.
Ah, updating older lists. That's always a fun process because you get to see how your thoughts and judgments have shifted, and how albums heard since the last time have rocketed up the charts.
I agree with you on MTV Unplugged; I've come to the realization also that, as great as Nevermind is, Unplugged is just a bit better. That breaks all the rules, as you said, because albums that acoustically retread older songs are never supposed to be masterpieces, merely a pleasant diversion at best. I don't know how Cobain did it, but he infuses more emotion into these songs than he did before.
Chronicle is great too. I had no idea how deep the well went until I heard some of the albums. Of very few bands can you say that what isn't released as singles is as good as what was. Creedence is one.
Johnny Waco
Thanks! Updating is fun and needed, but sadly, I am so slow, my update needs an update! Since I started this process back in October, I've encountered at least two albums that need a place but do not have one. Perhaps when I finish, I'll run a Future Contenders list to keep score...
You and I may well be among the ten or twenty people who prefer MTV Unplugged to Nevermind. Hmmm. I can't help but believe that ratio will change as time rolls on, the historical impact fades, and the music remains.
One of my nicest 'rediscoveries' of the last few years is just how great of a band Creedence really is. The recently released AP Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray remasters, with incredible sound that simply slaughters the standard issues, really help drive home how great the group was. I still can't believe what they released in two years' time!
I'm very thrilled to see back here again!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Count me among the 10 or 20 that prefer "Unplugged." Although I'm not sure how much my opinion counts, being swayed as it is by the marvelous cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". My favorite Nirvana song, and it's not even a Nirvana song.
Actually, believe it or not, I already *was* counting you in! I recall you mention this before.
But beware the company that includes you in! JohnnyW is cool, but I am terminally unhip. Proceed with care...
Hard to beat Where Did You Sleep Last Night. Very hard.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'll take that number 21 spot of "Unplugged" over "Nevermind".
Incredible. Not only do three people at this site agree, but three respected people known for great taste!
Maybe the rumblings of a trend brewin...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I count four such people, unless you aren't counting me. :-)
Actually, I didn't meant to count myself. I had meant to type "three other people", thus singling out you other three and excluding myself from the good taste comments. Somehow, the word 'other' got dropped. Repressed egotism?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ah...
I'm slow.
Thank you, Jim.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs