Best Rock Albums of All Time (21-25)
Submitted by dcstar on Tue, 05/27/2003 - 09:35
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- 21)Marquee Moon/Television_________ It's difficult to classify the genre hear. I would say on the horizon of new wave, with definite punk taste. Anyhow, once you realize it is as it is, you love every damn second of it. No note seems wasted, and the guitars soar back and forth, and crash down all over the place. The structure is just amazing. The epic title track is out of this world. It could be 30 minutes long and I wouldn't notice. An absolute essential '70's rock record.
- 22)White Album/Beatles__________ What more can be said? I guess The Beatles needed to have just one double LP. The talent oozes out of this gem, even when they are trying to sound like other musicians (perhaps even themselves in the past). For the sheer magnitude and overwhelming assortment of this album, it really does all hold together over the test of time. And despite an encapsulating solo career, I believe this is John Lennon at his pinnacle. It’s so impressive the shift in studio sound they made from Sgt. Pepper’s/MM Tour. Maybe, this was their cohesive peak. Could they have really gotten any tighter than this? And on top of that, the songwriting is near perfect all the way throughout. I just couldn't imagine their catalog without the white one.
- 23)Yankee Hotel Foxtrot/Wilco__________ This decade's masterpiece (so far). Every time I listen to this richly produced odyssey of a record, I get chillbumps. The acclaim of this album is well deserved. It seemed to be near the top of all the critic’s list for 2002 within days of it’s release. There’s simply a fusion here that’s rarely happening today. It sounds like that lost Beach Boys album at times, with it’s loaded blend of acoustics on top of warm vocals and sounds coming around every corner. Each tune is fresh with country rock elegance that Wilco never weaved together so finely.
- 24)My Aim is True/ Elvis Costello__________ After hearing This Year’s Model first, I couldn't wait to hear this delicious debut. When it unfolded, I admit I was astounded and listened to it obsessively for weeks. It’s one of those sticky sweet albums that’s hard to turn off. The young Costello's crisp lyrics and the backing band's smooth rhythm just flows so magically. Mostly, I dig the underproduced sound that is presented so humbly. "I'm Not Angry" is just too good, and "Watching the Detectives"...Come on, you have to own this album. He got better, but his aim was dead center for me here.
- 25)Velvet Underground and Nico/ The Velvet Underground __________ One of my favorite albums of the 60's because of it's intensely original artistic flavor. This will always be labeled as that weird "New York Drug Scene" album from '67. Weird as it is, the mistuned instrument noise (first popularized here), the swanky vocals of Lou Reed, and most importantly the distinctive sound of this out-of-focus “rock” group wearing dark sunglasses, just plain blends into a moving occurrence. Your senses will be invaded. Bottom line, it's far, far ahead of its time and quite courageous. Perhaps the first "cool" album to own.
Author Comments:
Here is the list of the top 25 albums that I hold in high esteem on a continuing basis. I believe these are mankind's greatest noises...
The list was the hardest project I have ever taken on.
It's been my labor of love for quite some time.
I hope everyone enjoys, and most importantly debates whole-heartedly.
How about you put some comments on this list so I can rip it to pieces? Just kidding, but this list is way to Dylan and Rolling Stones centered. Also it focuses more on the past than present, which though not a bad thing, shows that just b/c something is older this list is biased. But of course every list is biased, so its no big deal just somethings I've noticed.
Great list! I have been holding off posting until you slapped some comments on here, but I won't wait any longer. I greatly anticipate your insights!
Can a rock list be too Dylan-centric? ;) Nope, I think not (of course, I also top my own list with a Dylan record...).
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
PS - Have you heard Autechre's Tri Repetae++? With your love of Kid A, I think you might dig it... I do.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'd just like to offer my praise of this list before grizham1 rips it to pieces, as promised. Excellent picks and excellent comments, dcstar. While I've never been a huge Radiohead fan, I love the other choices on your list that I have, and as for the ones I don't have, I should buy them, and soon!
Great list, dcstar. I not only respect it, but I agree with it, not because the albums are old, but because they're great.
Well these five are certainly interesting choices for the top 25 best albums of all time. I start with the bottom and work my way up.
Velvet Underground- If their is an album I can't bear to listen b/c it grates on my nerves this is it. I stand in awe at the fact that the noise on Nico is considered music. The very fact that this album is somehow revolutionary puzzles me, its almost as if this album was made to annoy people and it somehow found its way into classic status. If one wishes to say this album is revolutionary I can't really argue with you, as for this album being good music, I will argue all night with you about it.
My Aim is True- One of the only good Costello albums, don't really care for the man, but that's of no concern, decent choice.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot- An odd choice again, I like the cd, but does it really belong in the top 25 of all time? Not sure, still an excellent album but not neccessarily belonging in the best of all time.
White Album- Excellent choice, I may have even put it higher.
Marquee Moon- Never really listened to this album, but I do like Television, mainly because of their influnence on the New York rock of today.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a just as good as the rest, even if it's decades newer. I hear it. I wish you did too. It's great because it takes it's influences and crafts them into Wilco's own vision for an album that is good "as a whole", just like the other 24.