Bulldog

And while I'm still hanging around...

38. Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

To put the lid on all the trip-hop on this list is the one which started the whole thing (even if the term didn't actually come into use 'til a few years later). Here lies the first album to filter American hip-hop through the British clubbing subculture. Add a dash of dub here and there, shake it up and you've got the musical cocktail that is Blue Lines. I could easily have included the equally brilliant Mezzanine here (and, indeed, was going to 'til about ten minutes ago), but in terms of the sweeping influence it had on dance and pop music, as well as the Unfinished Sympathy factor, this is the album I'd stick in a top albums list such as this.
The best bits: Be Thankful For What You've Got, Unfinished Sypathy, Daydreaming

37. Faith No More - King For a Day, Fool For a Lifetime (1995)

I'm probably in the minority on Faith No More fans who actually prefers their last three albums to the Real Thing and Introduce Yourself, but hey. Of the last three, Angel Dust takes some beating, and I'm a big fan of Album Of the Year too but, mostly for nostalgic reasons (my dog-eared copy of this album's been in my possession for a good 6 or 7 years) this is the one I'd pick. While nowhere near as much of a headf*ck as Angel Dust was, King For a Day... finds FNM making their most musically straightforward release, while containing a dazzling blend of moods, textures and generic blends, from the smooth jazz-funk of Evidence to the bossa nova of Caralho Voador to the heavy metal of Ugly In the Morning and so forth. A sublime album, and frankly bollocks to the popular opinion of it.
The best bits: Ricochet, Cuckoo For a Caca, What a Day

36. Tom Waits - Mule Variations (1999)

Tom Waits' discography is one I've merely skimmed the surface of. While I have a massive amount of respect for him as an artist (having just voted for him in the Hall Of Fame and all), I'm yet to grow into the fully obsessed fan that I've been threatening to become for some time now. 'til then, this would be my favourite work of his. Being probably the lightest and most instantly-accessible item in his back catalogue (certainly from what I've heard anyway), it's as good a starting point as any for curious listeners out there. As for the music itself, it's hard to pin down, which is the beauty of Tom Waits' work. While still being a fairly dark and somber body of work, Mule Variations is certainly a lot less abrasive and light than his other works. For a beginner like me this is, of course, a good thing, and one which makes for one of my favourite ever albums.
The best bits: Get Behind the Mule, What's He Building?, Chocolate Jesus

35. Transglobal Underground - Impossible Broadcasting (2004)

I got three of these guys' albums at once and of all of them, needless to say, this is the one made the most immediate impact. Another one the more overlooked groups out there, Transglobal Underground deliver a breathtaking mish-mash of Indian atmospherics, dub rhythms, ragga vocals, rock guitar riffs and some killer, danceable rhythms (sometimes all in the same tune), which is fully realised with this, their artistic peak (to me).
The best bits: Drinking In Gomorrah, Isis K, Take the Tram

Piss Me Off

What's He Building? is one of your fave tracks? You're more of a man than me, terrifies the hell out of me.

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NSW

Good pick! I also thought this was the best album of the lot...Isis K was a highlight.

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Molecules

ahh memories. the sickest of the sick, smoothest of the smooth. i am with you ein hundert Prozent on this one fam. Classic artwork too. I need to really give Angel Dust more of a chance

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Janszoon

Great album and I agree some really great artwork too! I love the drawing on the back of the disc especially.

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Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

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lucifer_sam

Three of my favorite artists and none of my favorite albums.

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Bulldog

I might have to take you up on that offer sometime. Richest Man In Babylon and Sounds From the Thievery Hi-fi are pretty intriguing from what I've heard about them. Only when you've got time of course.

Did you rip Angel Dust off me at all? If not just let me know and I'll send you a link sometime.

I remember doing art in school once and I had a copy of the CD with me. The teacher asked me if she could borrow the sleeve so she could make her Year 11 art pupils draw the dog on the cover to represent anger or something similar. Mmm, nostalgic value!

Well, I grew up with King For a Day, and I've always loved the album. The same with Blue Lines, although I haven't had my copy of it for quite so long. As for Mule Variations, as I said, I'm something of a beginner when it comes to Tom Waits and haven't got a copy of Sworfishtrombones or Bone Machine. Don't worry though, I'll get them one day and regret the choice of album probably (I do with a few of my picks already).

Right, on with the next bunch then...

Bulldog

34. Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

Speaking of Tom Waits, here's another bunch whose discography I haven't yet had a good dig around in. Of the three Floyd albums I have, Piper At the Gates Of Dawn is terrific, Dark Side Of the Moon is very good (though not quite as spectacular as some people make out), and then there's this. While to me it's not exactly Roger Waters labelling the human race as dogs, pigs or sheep, but he creates a grim album of progressive rock which befits that kind of thinking. Therein lies one of the key successes of this album - the mood. To these ears it's not jam-packed with infectious hooks and melodies, but it's the dark mood of the album as a unit which elevates it to greatness. While in a sense it's an album of extended jams, it's all held down so majestically by Waters' black-spirited lyrics and desperate vocal delivery, the blues-rock flavours of David Gilmour's guitar (resulting in some of the finest guitar work I've ever heard) and the added space-rock colours of Richard Wright's keyboards. I haven't had this so long (only a couple of months), which is why it isn't any higher, but no doubt it's a masterpiece, and one that'll grow even more on me.
The best bits: Just listen to the whole damn album.

33. Gorrilaz - Demon Days (2005)

And behind curtain number 33, another pretty obvious choice. Although Dan the Automator had left Damon Albarn as the unquestioned leader of the world's favourite virtual pop group here, what could so easily have turned out like the soulless dirge that was Blur's Think Tank (after Graham Coxon decided to pack it in) turns out to be as unified and purposeful an album Albarn had involved himself in since since Blur's (underrated) the Great Escape. It's easy to say that what we end up with is the dark and gloomy synth-driven album that Think Tank should've been - even the more seemingly upbeat singles have a sense of post-9/11 menace about them. I'd go on, but it's safe to assume you've already heard all this about Gorrilaz before, so I'll wrap up with a quick 'one of the best albums of the decade' sentence like this one.
The best bits: O Green World, Feel Good Inc., Dare

32. 10ft Ganja Plant - Midnight Landing (2003)

Over the last 70-odd entries I've probably missed out on a ton of some classic modern reggae (can already think of a few examples), but here we are anyway. Although this, the mysterious 10ft Ganja Plant's third effort, boasts some very effective dubwise instrumentals and production techniques, the main strength of this album is in its songs, with the singer (whoever he might be) hitting some interesting notes which sound like a cross between Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The bass on this LP conjures some of the finest grooves you'll hear on any reggae album too, in an effort which is a strong allusion to 70s roots.
The best bits: Ganja Plane Rider, Let the Music Hit, Midnight Landing

31. The Clash - London Calling (1979)

Call me lazy, but need I say anymore?

Mixtape VII right here;

40-31.rar
1. Tom Waits- Get Behind the Mule
2. 10ft Ganja Plant - Midnight Landing
3. Faith No More - Cuckoo For a Caca
4. Gorrilaz - Feel Good Inc.
5. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
6. The Damned - Noise Noise Noise
7. Transglobal Underground - Take the Tram
8. The Clash - Death Or Glory
9. Thievery Corporation - The Mirror Conspriacy
10. Pink Floyd - Pigs On the Wing Pt. 1

And after this we move on the upper echelon of musical greatness according to yours truly. Despite what I said at the start of the thread, 30-11 won't be in preferential order (try as I may, I just couldn't do it).

Anyway, I'll get started on that lot in a couple of days.

lucifer_sam

No they're all good albums but I confess I don't have much patience for anything FNM did post-Martin. Mule Variations is pretty good as well, probably his second best '90s album (behind Bone Machine). But Tom's 80s material is absolutely stellar: Heartattack and Vine, Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, Frank's Wild Years (which is severely underrated, IMO). And well, I could never get into Blue Lines, it seems like such a sparse album compared to Mezzanine (and the monotone delivery is really off-putting at times).

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