1d. The Big 500: The albums that satisfy (151-200)
Kate Bush: The Hounds Of Love (EMI 1985)
Willie Nelson: Shotgun Willie (Atlantic 1973)
Belle & Sebastien: If You're Feeling Sinister (Enclave 1996)
Paul McCartney & Wings: Band On The Run (Capitol 1973)
Flaming Lips: Yoshimi vs. The Pink Robots (Warner Bros. 2002)
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief (Hannibal 1969)
Peter Gabriel: So (Geffen 1986)
Sly & The Family Stone: Stand! (Epic 1969)
Ice Cube: Death Certificate (Priority 1992)
Mark Lanegan Band: Bubblegum (Beggars Banquet 2004)
Willie Nelson: Stardust (Columbia 1978)
Prince: Purple Rain (Warner Bros. 1984)
The Clash: The Clash (Epic 1977)
Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding (Columbia 1968)
The Replacements: Let It Be (Twin/Tone 1983)
Nick Drake: Bryter Layter (Island 1970)
Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of (Ruffhouse 1998)
The Afghan Whigs: Gentlemen (Elektra 1993)
Can: Future Days (Spoon/Mute 1973)
The Postal Service: Give Up (Sub Pop 2003)
Sheryl Crow: Tuesday Night Music Club (A&M 1993)
Howlin' Wolf: Howlin' Wolf (Chess 1962)
The Smiths: The Smiths (Sire 1984)
Spoon: Kill The Moonlight (Merge 2002)
Buena Vista Social Club: Buena Vista Social Club Presents (World Circuit/ Nonesuch 1997)
Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure (Reprise/EG 1973)
Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted (Matador 1992)
Guns N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction (Geffen 1987)
The Coral: The Coral (Columbia/Deltasonic 2002)
Dick Gaughan: Handful Of Earth (Green Linnet 1981)
Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Columbia 1963)
Nick Cave: The Boatman's Call (Mute 1997)
Stevie Wonder: Talking Book (Tamla 1972)
Modest Mouse: The Moon And Antarctica (Epic 2000)
Bjork: Vespertine (Elektra 2001)
James Brown: Live At the Apollo, 1963 (King 1963)
Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck: Djam Leelii (Palm Pictures 1989)
Gillian Welch: Revival (Alvo Sounds 1996)
Weezer: Pinkerton (Geffen 1996)
Gomez: Bring It On (Virgin 1998)
Salif Keita: Soro (Mango 1985)
Clem Snide: The Ghost Of Fashion (SpinART 2001)
Clem Snide are the kind of band that balances a love for quiet country-folk with alt-rock blitz. What seems to separate them from the pack are the lyrics. Exquisite little pieces of insight, meaning very little but communicating a trunk load of junk. Eef Barzelay (heck of a name) has a voice that counterpoints the simple, critical lyrics perfectly. It’s a breathy bit of acidic nasal presience that burbles above the bubbling arrangements. No One’s More Happy Than You heaves along with loud dirge music, twanging in a way only alt-country can, contented to mash together into jolts of noise while Barzelay does his best impersination of the world-weary slacker. It’s a beautiful hackey-sack night, two teenagers kiss and hold tight, the satellite swimming above, is sending a message of love he sings with over-emotive pathos that understands that feeling of first love and mocks how trite it is at the same time. Long Lost Twin contains the brilliant lyric ”Tonight I feel like Elvis longing for his long lost twin” as the wonderful slack-keyed guitar bubbles about behind the band conjuring a home-sick Elvis. All the songs seem packed with insights of little great importance. Clem seems intent on underplaying the brilliance of this album, as if singing about “the big subjects” would jinx the album. I don’t know about that but it certainly gives the album a wonderul singularity, as if you were staring at snapshots hidden in a secret diary. You feel like a compatriot, sitting in a bistro, listening to the interesting tales Clem Snide are weaving. The realization that thousands of other people probably feel the same way is only icing on the cake.
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