Believe me. After Bookends, that'll my my first priority.

Bookends was the first one I heard (unless you count their Greatest Hits, which is actually a good collection) since my mom had it on vinyl. I'd say it's their best studio album.

Then it's gonna have to be freaking amazing if it's to top ridge for me.

What list is Rumours on?

Pop Rock. That's gonna be my number 1 choice for the list.

Dookie by Green Day



Style: Pop Punk
Release: 1994
Length: 40 min.
Round: Pop Punk (hopefully

I have heard great things about Green Day. I've also heard trash talk. Well, to decide for myself, I think they real are one of the better pop punk bands. Dookie, along with American Idiot, are both proof of that. I don't know what to tell you except that this is one of the best punk albums I've ever heard, and I was sure of that from the second track. Basically, I think Dookie represents punk. It's everything that regular punk rock needs to be, even for a pop album.

“Burnout” is the opener, a perfect opener. A great punk song, a fun and exciting punk song, and perfect for setting the ground for the rest of the album. “Having a Blast” really did give me a blast. Somehow, it took me back to my school field trip at Sunsplash, probably because it's all about excitement. At first I thought it was a little worse, but I learned to appreciate the song more than the opener over the course of the song. “Chump” takes a more mainstream/alternative route, but retains the same level of grandeur and fun. I got curious about the lyrics. They start out a little generic, but then get more creative to maker their point. It seems that the songs get better as they go. “Chump” transcends into “Longview,” which tones done the eccentric and heavy outro and turns into a kind of alternative to punk (pun-k intended), at least for the intro. The chorus carries a very riffy rhythm akin to something from SFTD. Next is "Welcome to Paradise," another grand song that takes the generic tone of punk and makes it as absolutely catchy as possible. I was right in assuming the songs got better as I went along. Or was it the album? So, next is "Pulling Teeth," which ends this "better as it goes" chain. So, it was a little, tiny bit of a disappointment. Still it was nice to listen to, like a sweet, innocent and romantic punk song. "Basket Case" is another great punk song. Nothing unique. "She" follows a similar tone to "Pulling Teeth," but a little heavier. Although the songs are great, they don't go for anything different until "When I Go Around," which carries a heavy alternative sound. You know, it's that one Green Day song you hear one the radio but can't place the name of until the chorus? After more of the same style, the a;lbum ends with a weird little acoustic song by Tre Cool.

I think Green Day had proven themselve to really know punk for a short while. I suppose the limit of doing the same thing over and over again can be stretched through a full album before it gets tiring, just as long as every song remains catchy in its own way. And Dookie is one of the catchiest albums I can thionk of.

95/100. Current top choice for the pop punk list.

Was about to say. If that album got left off for Tango in the Night, that thread was gonna have to burn.

I think I made both lists. I put on as much Fleetwood Mac as possible. It was a bit hard to do since their modern stuff pretty much only falls into both.

Hex Enduction Hour, an album by The Fall

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ction_Hour.jpg

Stylwe: Art Punk, Post-Punk
Release: 1982
Length: One Hour
Round: Post-Punk

I understand post punk and art punk were still kind of new back in 1982, but even music can havew limits. Proof? You don't like hearing the samer thing over and over again, right? I'm not just talking about the 1000th time you've heard More Than a Feeling on the radio. I'm talking about the same four seconds being played more than 100 times in a row with little to no change, and that seems to be the case with this album. Is it good? Yes. It has great instrumentals and a quirky feel. But it's also repetitive.

Upon the first note, I became aware of the art-punk experimentation this band so gleefully exudes. Upon the first bit of singing, I became aware of how much like Remain in Light this would be. I suppose "The Classical" is about breaking the rules of logic as that seems to be the point of the tune for me. It is so different from anything I've heard in the realm of post punk before. The experimentation and raspy guitars remind me of Pink Flag, but the tone and production seems closer to the post-punk I've heard. Plus, it doesn't really "feel" like a punk album yet. There are three flaws I have with the song: The layout could be a little better, and the vocals could be easier to hear, and the song drags on after about 3 and a half minutes. So it's not perfect. But I suppose it does its job as an opener. I can only hope that the rest of the album is far more experimental. I like the song, but I don't want to listen to the same sound for an advertised hour. I hit "Jawbone and the Air Rifle," the title makes me think of Samson with a machine gun. I also note that the song makes the same flaws as the opener. I then think about how I was aware of "This Nation's Saving Grace" being the real "essential" album, even if this was the album that secured their famer through the ages. Still, a part of me believes this was not the best place to start The Fall on. At least the song feels like punk. "Hip Priest" begins with a very quiet beat. As soon as the vocals start, I think about how retard they sound. I think to myself the band may have taken the experimentation the wrong way. The song's dull. I ten find out the song lasts eight minutes. Why? I continue in the hopes that the song will shift pace at some point, and thankfully it picks up adfter the 12 minute mark on the album. Still, it's dull. I can't get into it. Then comes "Fortress"/"Deer Park," clocking in at seven minutes. I think to myself that since the song's got two titles, it's in two parts. But I only hope I'm right, sincve listening to the same thing for too long has proven tiring on this album. I appreciate the punk sound of the song, but I feel it steers away from the post-punk aspects that started the album. It definitely has more rhythm than the last track. Well, it wasn't sl\plit. It was the same damn ting for seven minutes.I'm thankful the next song lasts 3 minute. Plus, it's more clever. Taking a break from the wild atmosphere, a sdofter tune plays. Winter. So easy. It ends the side on a somewhat high note. it gets a little heavier at the end, but rightfully so.

The tune from Winter begins Side 2 with "Winter 2." Odd. I guess it's clever in the sense that it's not done before, but this only proves how often they play the same thing. Knowing it was 4 and a half minutes, I skipped the rest. "Just Step S'ways" starts with an ad. It later uses that vocal speaking style and turns it into singing, like making a commercial out of music. I find this humorous, because it was clever for a moment. Despite its short length, I think this is the best example of getting tired of the same thing, because all of the lines sound the same and I don't think there's any real change in the rhythm until the last minute, literally. "Who Makes the Nazi's" was actually pretty good, because it experimented the right way. I think it changed its direction (while keeping the same rhythm) long enough to contradict the tiring repetition of the album's tracks. Best track. Next comes "Iceland," a song starting with spoken words. I suppose it's a little creative for this album, as the song goes from white noise to a nice luittle tune. But when the singing starts, I think of how lame it can get. At least it has a nice tune to back it. But it dragged on as well, so I skipped the last two minutes. Next comes the final, 11 minute track... "And This Day." It begins with an obnoxious sound that I hope doesn't last the full twelve minutes. If the band knows ANYTHING about experimentation, they'll know eleven minutes of the same four seconds being played is just too mjuch, like Chinese Water Torture. At least it went by pretty quickly at the start. Every two minutes felt like 1. I let the sound drag on as much as possible before I get tired and skip a bit ahead. I'm impressed they were able to use drowned rhythms and new instruments to make this redundancy a lot less redundant, and I eventually grew to enjoy the track and part of me accepted it was a worthy ending. I also accepted it was the real best track. I actually enjoyed practically the whole song. Is this because the legnth of the album grew on me as I played it? I don't know. All I can say is that this one impressed me the most. I actually let it drag on until the end.

Overall, it felt like a mix of Talking Heads and Wire. Still, I think it often got too carried away with blending their artistic side with the post-punk side. This gets in the way of enjoyment for me. I think it could have been much better, and I think anyone wanting to get into The Fall should start elsewhere.

Despite how negative my review has been, it wasn't bad. Just tiring. I mean, instrumentally, it was good. Clever. But the length is the problem. It could easily be Hex Induction 40 Minutes. 76/100. Voting it off first because I think their attempt at artistic flair got in the way of music.

L.A. Woman by The Doors

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net...LA%2BWoman.png

Style: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Release: m1970
Length: 49 min.
Round: Blues Rock

I've never been a Doors fan. I like acid rock. In fact, one of my favorite bands is Jefferson Airplane, but I guess these guys were a little too different for me. However, I am actually quite into some of the songs on L.A. Woman. I'mn glad Jim Morrison lasted long enough to create this opus.

Upon the first note, I understood how true to their style and their origins they would be in this album. I've heard three Doors albums before, Doors, Strange Days, and Waiting for the Sun. I theorized this might be the most devoted album the band has. The intro, "The Changeling," is one of the best intros to an album I've heard, being a perfect example of getting the listener familiar with the vibe and the style of the album. The funkiness of other psych acts like Sly Stone and Hendrix is very apparent in this intro. "Love Her Madly," one of The Doors biggest hits, is a worthy second, even though I feel it was a little too early to switch from a funky psychedelic song to a piano and acousic guitar based track. It's a great song, no doubt. Despite its odd and cheery vibe, it has an almost sad kind of romantic background, as if this was a fantastic bar song. "Been Down So Long" has a little bit of the auras from both of the first two tracks. It's slower, but heavy for its bass line. Very bluesly as well. This blues feel is carried into a softer, more easy-going track..."Cars Hiss By My Window." It's overall aura is very similar to the softer blues of the early 60's. The vocals are carried very, very well. The truth to blues proved my earlier statement of being true to the original styles this album is spo heavily influenced by, failing to be cheap immitations. The title track comes nexy, ending the A Side. I remember this song from the radio and forgot it was a fairly big radio hit, not that that's a qualification of its quality. The real hint comes from the awesome, grand guitar playing akin to the happy and lovable style of Duane Allman. At this point, I think to myself, "This is better than their debut." A heartful eight minutes end the side.

A deep, dark, electric guitar... unsettling like a dark alley, begins this side. An organ then comes in, accompaned by bass. This is "L'America." It continues into this vibe throughout the song except for a middle section, causing a pleasant contradiction. "Hyacinth House" is next, starting with an acoustic solo similar to "Over the Hills and Far Away." The rest of the song continues into its own, strange gospel of soft rock and psychedelia, once again creating a guitar style similar to Duane Allman. "Crawling King Snake" carries the blues well, but it gets a little tiring after 5 minutes. "The WASP" ios a cpoem of cryptic energy that can send the player into a strange, desert realm of magic. When the singing starts, it seems to carry the same cryptology, except in the form of an ancient tune. Clever song. The album ends with one of the Doors most notable and most essential hits, the lengthy and thought-provoking "Riders on the Storm." As a mist of rain descends upon the piano and bass, like a strangte jazz intro, Morrison works mwith the guitar to create a mystifying and mezmerizing sense of emotion. Amazing song. I never knew its quality until now.

Overall, I find this album to be better than the debut for its diversity and its devotion to the feel of the elder genres of rock. L.A. Woman is nothing short of amazing. 95/100.

Abbey Road by the Beatles.

http://www.cherrysoft.ru/uploads/pos...-1983-flac.jpg

Well, it's often argued which is the best Beatles album. The general consensus will usually be one of four of their albums: Sgt. Pepper (my fave), Revolver, White, or Abbey Road with the last two mostly duking it out. Personally, I think Sgt. and White are better, but Abbey Road does deserve most of the hype it gets. I mean, Beatles are one of the most fun, sunshiney, and psychedelic bands one could ask for. It's easy to see why they're loved, and considered to be overrated.

Abbey Road shows off some of the Beatles' most resonating pieces of soft, poppy goodness, even though it doesn't express the same creative level as Sgt. The best tracks include She's So Heavy with it's fantastic guitar work (although I'd like more lyrics), Come Together which is notable for it's deep tone and its Aerosmith cover which might be better, Octopus's Garden with its innocent and childish behavior, and Never Give Me Money with the absolute love for the psychedelic/sunshine pop vibes. The album keeps its ultra-fun and fantastic aura throughout, even if every song is different.

Not their best album, but one of their most notable. I'm really glad I got to listen to this again after all of the Beatles songs were taken off of Youtube.

92/100. It's a great album, but I have a few other priorities on the popp rock list.

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd
Round: Psychedelic Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock

I liked it from the first time I ever heard it. Relistening to it today, I can't deny how amazing the album is. How many would be surprised to find that Pink Floyd started out as a somewhat different, more experimental psychedelic band that blended the pop feel of rock and drugs of psychedelic with a sense of wonder and thought? This is apparent in songs such as Pow R Toc H and the opener. So the fact that they changed pace a little later in their future is very interesting. This album is nothing like their other grand hits such as DSOTM, The Wall, and WYWH and Animals. Their psychedelic side occasionally has traces of early space rock and early garage rock. And the vocals are out of this world, combining the harmonization and production to make a sleek, astral kijnd of atmosphere that drives the messages of this odd album into a league of its own.

1967 has always been one of my favorite years in music, notably for Sg.t Pepper, Surrealistic Pillow, Forever Changes, and other psych albums. Piper is one of the best examples. However, I have a couple I'd put above it, so it's not going to win.

Whenever I want to unleash my anger on Frown, I let Merzbow do it for me. Frown is so distressed at not being able to even feign interest in Pulse Demon.

Mirage by Camel



Style: Symphonic prog
Release: 1974
Length: 38 min.
Round:Symphonic prog

Believe it or not, I know the keyboardists daughter online. I've been curious about them for a while. Finally, I decided to get to more prog after bragging that I had heard 60-70 prog albums, notr including some of the subgenres. What better place to start than the band I've been most curious about?

Letting myself enjoy the music, it took a minute for me to realize this was not going to be what I expected. I was going for something more symphonic. What I get is weird electronic backgrounds andf a very upbeat tune to begin "Freefall." For five minutes, energy and Pete Pardens lead the music into a very progressive, very cool sound. But a total turnaround appears in "Supertwister." Lead by the most beautiful flute I've ever heard, this soft, soothing, almost jazzy experience really brought out the music-junkie in me. It felt like a supergroup with Mozart, Miles Davis, and Phil Collins. I was pretty sad when it ended. Next came "Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider ," which starts off with a very weird guitar techniquew, almost like music to an alien invasion. The flute whistled like the X-Files theme, and it ended with a crowd cheering a parade on. After that, the second movement of this strange musical story goes into a beautiful electric experience with violins to back it up. Other parts include a soft rock experience with beautiful harmonized vocals and a sound effects amalgam played to a deep, cool bass. Truly, this epic is a story in movements, like an anthology film in the form of a wonderful song.

The second side starts with something more simplistic: "Earthrise." If it gets complex later, that's cool as well. Either way, just about every moment of this album has been pretty awesome. This cute little xylophone-esque lullaby has been a great way top start off a song and the second side. And as predicted, it gets more complex. It shifts between the strange lullaby and raw energy with precise timing and excellent musical skill. I've rarely ever heard such skill in composition. I'm almost surprised this group is not a member of the big four. The final track, "Lady Fantasy," starts with a heavy amount of keyboarding, and goes into a soft, summery poem of love. Beautiful. It later goes into a hard rockin', ecstatic collage of guitar solos. And there's still seven and a half minutes to go! We exit this long, ecstatic solo and go into a softer, more sym,phonic and operatic are driven by guitars that play with the samer poetry as a violin and more of Barden's keyboards. This part transcends into a very ambient, post-ropck sound that drags emotion and quality into a whole new level. The vocal poetry begins again speaking of walking on whirlpools, sitting on sunbeams and other cryptic lines than bring a strange sense of vocal psychedelia into the mix. And so, we go into the most raw, energetic, eccentric, and heavy moment on the whole album as the guitars gleefully rock their way through a well-composes piece of grand sloppiness, ending with a short, symphonic fareell until album 3.

This grand album magnificently shifts between the sad and the happy, the soft and the hard, the energy of the sun and the serenity of the moon. In all forms, this album is musical poetry. I'm glad I can finally tell Pete's little Talullah her father was nothing short of magnificent.

Overall, this is one of the best prog albums I've ever heard. It is a collaboration of the whole of music in the form of its own kind of rock opera, a story formed of several epics with no plotline or point other than to entertain through the essence of rock music. I'm gonna have a hard time deciding wether this or Selling England will be my top spot. 100/100.

You brag about the number of albums you listen to? DWEEB!

Inb4 "I'm not bragging" followed by a long defensive rant about how keeping track of albums makes you humble or something.

Actually, I was going to say the bet you made was beaten by seven times the amount. Haven't even listen to ten albums quickly turned into 70. This has nothing to do with humility, but the humor in which your post may have been partially serious and yet you were cxompletely wrong.

That was a little shorter than I expected.

In den Garten Pharoas byPopol Vuh

This album can put scenery and images in your mind like no other album can. The album is beautiful, mysterious, ghostly, imaginitive, like a secdond soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi. I am not high. I have never taken any of those drugs in my life. What I'm about to tell you is nothing but a story played in my mind, told from the conversion to imagery from music that is this album. This review tells of everything I saw in my imagnation while listening to this album.

This is a dialogueless album that's job is to use its krautrock and ambient instrumentals to create a new scenery.

Upon the first splash of the water, I had a strong feeling the album would casrry a very strong sense of serenity. When serenity is strong, that means it's extremely calming and relaxing. I think the spashing of water does a fantastic job at that I even felt my fingers type so slowly as my troubles washed away in the emenation of ambience from this album. Ghostly, but wonderful, as if a gospel were singing a tribute to a dead, great man, and the waters flowing from the fountain was singing with them.

Brian. Eno. Can. Suck it.

As the ambience ends after a wonderful five minutes, African drums bring the krautrock into this ambient treasure, shifting from the flowing waters of green field with mountains to an African dance of mystery. I have never heard an album that exercises the imagination as much as Popul Vuh's In den Gärten Pharaos. "I suppose the album could do more with complexity," I thought to myself. As I rthink that, the drums began picking up, more energetic than ever. I wondered what was in store as the instrumenrts played a ghostly tune to these bongos. A dance to the deceased. As we enter a softer, more poppy tune backed up by keyboards and the same soft ghostly winds of music, my mind enters a little playground area where children are playing on swings and slides... and wondering where the music of the African dance comes from as it echoes through the wind. As the keyboards became more ambient, I found myself looking at a purple night sky, shifting quickly from an orange sun to a purple moon, and then... back where I started. At a field with a little stream of water. And next to that water, was a tribal man playing on the bongos, playing for the dead who have now gone into the sky, as the fish in the water just splash, wondering who this man was, and then going on their way down the stream. This was all one track: "In den Gärten Pharaos."

After the track ended, I had to take a small break to soak in what I just heard. But I was so eager to find where the next track would take me!

The secopnd track began with an orchestra playing under a sky where all of space could be seen lighting up the band. As the image zoomed out, I saw the orchestra playing for ghosts, all captivated by the combination of music and space. Some carrages came and delivered coffins. Some of the audience had to leave to go back to the sky. As the drums came, I found myself in an African desert again, the sun brightening the tan sand, where a tribe had been playing for those who are alive. Both bands had stopped playing, as if they could feel each other's emotions.Slowly, the orchestra began playing again, with a wonder in their mind what the afterlife was like. As an ambient flute played, in space, a doorway opened. In this strange afterlife, ghosts had been playing in their own band of flutes and cymbals and their own vocals. Some of them played like pipers from an old Irish fairy tale. In his mind flew the images of fairies and cupids. As the cymbals drowned out most of the music, I saw a ghetto town, wherre there were people who either wished their lives were better or wished they were in heaven. A sad image. I saw a church in that town, where the same coffins from before were being put in. Many of the people in the ghetto surrounded the church, wondering what was going on. In the afterlife where the band played, some of the ghetto men had floated up there. The band welcomed the m to the afterlife. The ghetto men walked away from the band, still listening to them. I came back to the desert, shifting in between the desert and the ghetto man walking through the afterlife. It seemed to shift so fast that the two almost blended together. The messiness and noisiness of the cymbals represented the ghetto, and the bongo drums represented the African tribe. When they did blend, I saw African gods flying through space. It seemed as though they were familiar with the troubles of the two realms blending in one. This image lasted for a while. But the two realms eventually separated themselves. And the area in space that they occupied became nothing but space.

In Africa, I saw the orchestra playing to the living tribal children... songs for the dead. And joining them was the ghetto man. As the music picked up, I sawe the African musicians join

Okay, so what album are we talking about here?

Popol Vuh's In den Gärten Pharaos

Thänk you.

Boredoms - Pop Tatari

I'll keep it sweet and simple.

Unorganized episode of WTF Japan that tries to be Captain Beefheart. The guitar work was excellent at times, but that's all it really had for me. 65/100. Voting it off. I hope to get mjore into noise rock someday.

Big Black - Songs About ****ing.

I don't admire the noise rock sound as much as I'd like. So I never got into Sonic Youth or KEN Mode or anything. Dinosaur Jr. was my favorite noise rock band/. It might be Big Black now. I can greatly appreciate Big Black's well written sense of energy, truth to their noise rock and hardcore sounds, as well as great guitar work and rhythms.

Batlord told me it would be hard for a guy like me to get into bands like Boredoms and Big Black. Boredoms, yes. Big Black? No. Big Black is more my thing. Although their guitar techniques aren't as unique and creative as Boredoms, Boredoms did one thing right for me while Big Black does most things right. I mean, keep in mind. This is Steve Albini's band. Seriously. No man knows energy like him. No man knows fuzziness like him.

All in all, Big Black is my current top choice for noise rock. I really like this album, and I wish they did more than two studio albums. 95/100

Joe's Garage by Frank Zappa



Style: Experimental Rock, Comedy Rock, Rock Opera
Release: 1979 (for both albums), 1987 (comp)
Round: Rock Opera

I've already set it in my mind that Zappa's one of the mbest musiciansd ever. Hot Rats and Freak Out were nothing short of amazing. I've been deciding where to go next for Zappa for a while. I don't want to do "Only in It for the Money) spo that IO havern't heard all of his "absolute best works" first. That's usually decided to be his "number 3." Well, I remembered an album on the rock opera list, and here it is.

ACT I

It starts out as a simple rock tune, but it's made fantastic by a strange, whispered intro of this so-called rock opera. Eventually, it turned into a goofy and childish piece of Banjo-Kazooie style “energy,” but soon transcended back into its rock sound. This is The Central Scrutinizer." The title track comes next, and is a vaguely country-infused rock song of a man's at-home history. Next comes a more obnoxious tune about tiny little mustaches called “Catholic Girls.” Although it's not quite as good as the first two tracks, it carries just as much energy and guilty goofiness as any other Zappa track, due to intentionally weird vocals. “Crew Slut” is a song that sounds like it has actual meaning, recreating arena-style soft rock singles while carrying a very complicated and deep guitar throughout. An excellent example of Zappa's persona in the form of a song with a false sense of meaning. Still, I realize this recognizable bounciness does not come on as strong as Hot Rats and Freak Out did. It seems a little toned down, even if that means Zappa has more time to focus on excellent song construction.

As Side B of Disc one starts, I try to soak in this weird intro that I'm listening to, attempting to distinguish the message from the humor. And then... a disco song in the form of a rock song starts. It is called, “Fembot in a Wet T-Shirt.” At the title and sound alone, I theorize that it may be futile to find any form of meaning in a Zappa album, or at least to attempt to separate them. I then theorize that the humor is what carries the meaning, intentionally poorly hiding an anti-totalitarianism message behind comedic sex. “Here at the brasserie... home of the tits.” Yeah. They treat a strip joint as a game show in this track. After the game show ended, a guitar solo starts, with eccentricity to spare, but not as much quality as many other Zappa tunes. Afterwards, a prog style instrumental begins and fades the song out into another whispered piece of dialogue... and then, more xenochrony, which is one of Zappa's many talents/specialties. And next comes a somewhat more emotional song... “Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?" This confirms my theory that any and all meaning is combined with humor when it comes to Zappa. This is as good as “Look at My Enormous Penis.” “Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up" has a more soul-jazz style, although it maintains the same excellence in quality as the rest of the albums, and may be one of the better songs. The guitar work is excellent, carrying a very slight reggae attitude. Soul-infused reggae rock. Really cool. Even if it drags on for a while, it's worth it. The disc ends with another piece of dialogue saying... “Hi, it's my again.” And some other stuff.

I take a break from this compilation to listen to “Look at My Enormous Penis.”

I think this release was one of Zappa's more imaginative and comedic releases. Even if it doesn't share Zappa's excess energy that he might not have gotten to release as a kind and releases through his music in the process, he still attempts to base his songs all around his persona with stunning success. I think this is definitely one of his most essential albums.

ACT II

Act Two begins the rest of the album, which makes up a whole studio album with Act III.

Act Two starts with “Token of My Extreme,” which picks up Act I's pace immediately afterwards, as if there was never two separate releases in the first place. However, the album seems noticeably different just judging from the first track, as if the album was going to focus more on diversity and construction than ever before. As far as comedic effect goes, it seems to lie within the compositions themselves. I'm still debating on whether this is a pro or a con. But I'm leaning towards con because it gives me the idea of a “sequel that reinvents the vibe,” As if the music itself was trying to be funny instead of the artist. At least it carries the same dialogue breaks as the first album, pretending to be a mysterious narrator but failing due to his 1970's lingo and attitude. That's what I like. The next song, “Stick It Out,” carries the aura of 60's surf rock, reinvented for the 70's. Of course, the lyrics are still occasionally hilarious. But seriously vulgar, probably Zappa's most vulgar song. I could be wrong, and I can only hope I am because I'd rather not have a Zappa album scar me in any way. :P “Sy Borg" is next, which lasts nine minutes. Cyborg carries obvious electronics (if Zappa has a song called Sy Borg, it's pretty obvious). What I didn't expect was the same R&B and reggae background as Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up." The song's alright, but nine minutes? I suppose it's good in the same way as “She's So Heavy” by The Beatles, being long and driven by fantastic instruments rather than lyrics. At least,t hat's how it started. It later sang its story as if everything must be said in song. It started to carry the same aura as “Take a Look,” what with all the talk about getting a blow job and the harmonized vocals.

All in all, I have no idea what the hell this story is about. It was about as confusing as Neon Genesis Evangelion (plus End of Evangelion, which I'm a big fan of). It got to the point where I didn't think I could take it anymore. Not because of the sexuality, but I can't really qualify this as a song due to its odd combination of story, music and comedy no matter how well it does its job on the album. So I was about to skip to the next track, but then the spoken word began. You know, “The Central Scrutinizer.” So there was no need to skip. Next track is “Dong Work for Yuda.” I actually will say more, despite no need to. It's surprisingly just as sexual and comedic, even if it doesn't combine them in a way that's just as intolerable. The band acts as though they were song kind of gospel, singing about dongs a lot. There's one for the history books. Next is “Keep It Greasy.” WWWWOOOOOWWWWWW. Driven by a faster pace, heavier rock music, and a lot of guitar work, it became apparent to me that the only point of this disc, and probably the whole album, was to talk about its enormous ego, as well as looking at its enormous penis. Thus, Zappa managed to create one of the most sexual things I've ever heard of. It makes me wonder if his junk was one of his favorite things? Because I'm sure his music came from his heart, not his burnt weenie sandwich.

[IMG]https://desolationofblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/twinkie.jpg[/IMG}

Well, the dis ends with “Outside Now,” which carries gospel style vocals through a somewhat darker (but not deeper) tone. It's driven by xenochrony, like many of the songs on the album. An alright ending to Act II.

Well, this was one of the most sexual things I've ever heard. I can only hope that the next half isn't like that because a rock opera against totalitarianism (as it's advertised) should be about more than the musical division of the sexual revolution Zappa considered himself a leading figure of.

ACT III

Well, now we get to an area of the story where apparently the gov'nent made music illegal, a very common theme in rock operas and musicals, including Footloose, 2112, and Dream Theater's The Astonishing. The guitar work is what drives this tune. It's extremely complex, and very progressive. An excellent example of the whole “programming your personality into a computer” metaphor. I refer to how Zappa implements himself into his music, and combining that with progressive influence and more and more xenochrony makes perfection. I'm greatly looking forward to the rest of this album. This act is comprised of 4 long tunes lasting 37 minutes in total. “Packard Goose” continues this tradition, and has an emotional sound and tempo similar to “Hold the Line” by Toto. That is, until the song gets all proggy and changes tempos and time signatures. After a long series of solos, the song ends in a very upbeat, sunshiney song about cosmic utensils. The next track is “Watermelon in Easter Hay," which Zappa and his son, Dweezil, had stated to be one of his best, and the best song on the album. The guitar solo is extremely bluesy, very beautiful, a great change in the tone of the album, representing the story's protagonists' desire for music. And finally, the album ends with "A Little Green Rosetta." Although just as goofy as you'd expect from a Zappa album, it starts out pretty nice and soft. Zappa's ability to implement hilarity into music knows no bounds. It's like a doo-wop song in the form of a psychedelic prog song.


Now, the first album was utterly fantastic. The second one was almost fantastic, but not quite. I definitely think the albums are a couple of Frank Zappa's best. As I've mentioned before, the energy is not as abundant as other Zappa albums. But it's made up for in goofiness and excellent construction.


However, I couldn't tell what was going on in the story most of the time (which isn't a good thing for an album that tells a story), and this so-called rock opera just seemed like an excuse to talk about the junk. In fact, I feel “The Astonishing” is a better representation of the rock opera practice because it's story was easier to follow. And The Astonishing is by far a worse one. So I will vote it off because I didn't get the rock opera vibe at all. I don't disagree with the tag, but I'd rather take a look at a story than take a look at an enormous penis. Plus, the fact that the album is two albums in one release is something to consider. I won't vote for two albums in one slot. I don't listen to compilations if it's mostly previously released material. I listened to this one because I never heard the albums. I know I'm being quite picky, but I think if any one album deserves the spot, it would be either Ziggy or the Wall (unless Bat actually gets pretty high). Besides, I find The Wall, Quadrophenia, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Bat Out of Hell to be better albums. Plus, I still need to listen to the rest of them on the list.

97 for the first album. 94 for the second.

American Beauty by The Grateful Dead

Release: 1970
Style: Coutnry Rock, Blues Rock
Length: 42 min.
Round: Country Rock

It doesn't take a deadhead to recognize the perfection in a Grateful Dead album. The notable one is American Beauty, the one with the same name as that movie. Even though they are more of a live band, Grateful Dead had put everything about country's heart and soul into a rock album.

Amazing acoustic guitar rhythms, like on Box of Rain and Friend of the Devil, show off a wide array of emotion, notably the sadness of the blues influence that GD are not afraid to show off (such as in Truckin'). And then we have some really sweet, soothing electric guitar riffs, like on Candyman. But I suppose what really sets this album apart from most country rock albums is the vocals. Well harmonized and beautiful, the vocals are what really drive the great riffs. Their usage of vocals is on par with CSNY, even if the vocals aren't as good.

This is really come from a first time experience with a large dose of Grateful Dead. It's a perfect country rock album that's about as good as CSN or CSNY's best works.

100/100. Going to keep it on no. 1 if nothing on the list impresses me more.

P.S. And if anyone brings up religion, I don't think Friend of the Devil is about satanism of any kind.

Meat Puppets II

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I am a bit of a punk fan, and I grew up with country and country rock. So it's needless to say I was actually lookinfg forward to it. Every time I think about this album, Kurt Cobain's love of the album comes to mind. I wondered if I would share the same love.

I didn't really. I liked the album enough, being a mix of country and punk. I'm always up for thwe idea of taking two genres and turning it into something else. Country andf Punk are like polar opposites. Country's more mellow and the majority of it is based on calmer and/or deeper emotion, while punk's main form is usually raw and energetic, built upon chaotic emotion. Putting a little bit of both in these creates a distinct emotion, somewhat balanced between the two, like a war between love for the nostalgia of home and anger at the rest of the world. Meat Puppets can pull it off. Yet, I have yet to find a cowpunk album I love. Meat Puppets II definitely has some of the heart of country and some of the heart of punk. However, their musical prowess cannot be compared to early Violent Femmes, who are clearly more talented in the cowpunk/folk punk realms. Meat Puppets can write good instrumentals and fun songs, but Violent Femmes just writes better songs.

Overall, I do recommend Meat Puppets II for something a little unique to the punk fans' palette or the country rock fan's palette. I think it's a good enough album to put in an essential punk albums list, and maybe an essential albums list due to its loyalty to the country and punk genres.

85/100.

At Action Park by Shellac

Release: 1994
Style: Math Rock, Post-Hardcore
Length: 37 min.
Round: Math Rock

Math rock is not a genre to me. To me, it's a style of playing, not a style of music. So, what is math rock? It's an attempt at implementing a complex sound led by drums into any sound you want. Math rock is usally combined with punk genres, such as post-hardcore. As a result, we have albums like At Action Park by Shellac.

This is the first Shellac album I've heard, so I won't bother comparing it to other Shellac albums. However, I can easly compare this to other math rock albums. The tempos are rarely improvised and unconventional, mostly playing at a 4/4 time. This gives rthe album a more enjoyable and more relatable feel for those are are more used to 4/4, the most common time signature. But that does not stop the great Todd Trainer from doing andf drumming whatever the hell he wants. As far as math rock goes, Todd Trainer's drumming is some of the best, leading the noisy post-hardcore sound in a stimulating parade of creative and catchy structures. That was the one thing that really got me about the album: the drumming. Although I felt nothing could compare to the drumming on that album, it also surprised me that the other aspects failed to be overshadowed. In other words, the drumming didn't just lead the album. It improved the rest of the band's playing in its own creative way.

Not perfect, but certainly not passible, At Action Park is a fine example of math rock, and a great album to start getting into it. It may not be the best place to start with post-hardcore, but it's certainly enjoyable down to the last second. I'm not sure where this album will be when I vote it off (if I do), but it'll be high up there.

90/100.

Dopes to Infinity by Monster Magnet



I actually played some Monster Magnet for the stoner rock round on the Big Four Bands Thread, hoping to hear enough stoner rock to nfinally construct my own personal big four. But this was on the space rock list for the RAS, so why npot? Space Rock is something I've been wanting to get into anyway. I had already heard Spine of God, which was a really cool album. But I'm very uneducated in the realm of space rock. Before Monster Magnet, I had only heard the first two Pink Floyd albums. That was all the space rock I knew. I've barely heard any. Even so, I can say this is an underappreciated release. I honestly think they are as good of a band as Motorhead.

Dopes to Infinity is widely known by Monster Magnet fans as their best album, and for very good reason. Dopes to Infinity improves on everything Spine of God, their debut, had to offer. The psychedelic atmosphere of the space rock influence, the ultra-heterosexual (sig that, pls) and badass riffs of stoner rock, and the overall influence and diversity altogether were vastly improved. Throughout the album, I could sense the odd, paychedelic influence coming from songs like Dead Christmas, light similarities akin to 1980's Soundgarden, and a very cool combination of delicate, calming atmosphere and hard and heavy riffs. Altogether, it was badass down to the bone.

Just from these two albums, I feel that Monster Magnet is almost right up there with Queens of the Stone Age. Almost. I know that, thanks to Dopes to Infinity, I now have another favorite band and I'm eager to try all of their albums. Dopes to Infinity is fun in all the best hard rock ways.

95/100. No idea how soon it will get voted off, but it's a great album. SO it's likely it'll stay for a while.

A Wizard, A True Star by Todd Rundgren

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Release: 1973
Style: Art Rock, Pop Rock
Length: 56 min.
Round: Art Rock

Todd Rundgren is something I've been wanting to listen to for a long time since I loved his work on Bat Out of Hell, but I always had other priorities. Art rock never really became a priority unless I was getting through David Bowie albums. I've finally gotten around to it in an attempt to get some pop albums out of the way. “A Wizard, A True Star” is my first album of his. And so far, I am very impressed because it feels like a mixture of Bowie and Zappa.

The album starts with “International Feel,” a short but festive sci-fi experience riddled with the eccentricity of a circus. The next song, “Never Never Land,” is another short one (as most of the album consists of short pieces). A soft and elegant poem, it quickly transcends into an instrumental known as “Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off,” a robotic carnival of backing art-rock/electronic production and Rundgren's bizarre musical sense, which gets more bizarre with the vocal-heavy “You Need Your Head.” A loud, obnoxious, and fun frenzy full of unique guitar playing, like a robot programmed to party. This booze-laden robot continues to party in the hard and heavy rock experience properly named “Rock and Roll Pussy.” At this point, I marvel at the various kinds of eccentricity Rundgren can implement in one album, and so quickly. “Dogfight Giggle” is next, being nothing but a misplaced amalgam of production techniques made to sound like rats squealing in a voice box. It fits the eccentricity, but it feels pointless. The last 1-minute song in this chain, “You Don't Have to Camp Around,” is a soft and romantic piece that acts as a short intermission from the party. “Flamingo,” an electronics-riddled piece of unintentional psychedelia akin to the Main Street Electrical Parade acts as a closer to this chain before we reach a somewhat longer track. “Zen Archer” is this song. It takes the softer, romantic side of the album that we've heard and combines it with the eccentric side, almost as if this song was parodying the album as a whole. It ends with saxophones playing upon both sides of the album while high-pitched vocals back them up. “Just Another Onionhead/Da Da Dali” is somewhere in the middle between the softer and jumpier sides pretending to have meaning, but is really just another Zappa style joke. “When the **** Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd.” comes next, starting with drums marching like a parade before the song picks up its own unique sense of eccentricity that borrows from hard rock artists but is lightly backed up by a festive piano that uses its sound that's drowned out by the other instruments to its full potential. With synthesizers acting like a video game soundtrack, “When the **** Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd.” is easily one of the best songs on the album. This track slows down into Side A's finale, “Le Feel Internacionale” which acts as a jubilant 2 minute final-float to the parade.

Side A cuts itself off on the vid I watched to start “Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel,” which has a similar vibe to Billy Joel's The Stranger, except a little more upbeat. It's not quite the intro I hoped for, as it's of less quality than the entire first half of the album. But it's worth it. It picks up more later in the song. Next comes “Does Anybody Love You?” which is alsdo of less quality due to its simplicity. But at this point I can only hope that the rest of the album picks up quickly, especially considering there's a ten minute song that's appropriately named “Medley” that's coming up. As the first part, Curtis Mayfield's “I'm So Proud” starts, I'm immediately impressed at the soul influence and the very soothing touch the medley takes right from the start. This soul influence continues in “Ooh Baby Baby,” which is an improvement in some areas, but worse in other ways. The Medley continues with a more upbeat and somewhat Asian sound with”La La Means I Love You.” Wonderful song. It's sweet and soft, unlike the harder and more rock-based finale to the medley, “Cool Jerk.” What is it with Todd Rundgren and such appropriate titles? Is it a hidden skill off his? The song is all Rundgren going back to his obnoxious side and bragging about himself. It ends in utter hyperactivity. At this point, I wonder if I'll get something overly eccentric, or something really soft. I get mildly eccentric. “Hungry for Love” starts out with a long grunt, a bar piano, and another very strong Zappa feel: joking, obnoxious, and musically talented. It gradually becomes more hyperactive. “I Don't Want to Tie You Down” is a complete turn around, probably the most soothing track on the album. Nothing but a clever love song that fits those cheesy love songs from the 70's and 80's that pop fans love so much. This softness ends with the heaviest track on the album, one filled to the brim with raspy guitars (although that does not stop Rundgren's overpowering style from taking over the song), “Is It My Name?” And finally, the album ends with a proper, soul-infused track called “Just My Victory.”

My thoughts are the Todd Rundgren has a similar sense of art to David Bowie, but has some of the same eccentricity as Frank Zappa. It seems hard to take him seriously when it comes to his content, but he's clearly a very skilled musician. What the album accomplishes is a unique brand of art that is clearly influenced from other art rock greats of the 60's and 70's, but is unique in the sense that you can feel that this is Todd Rundgren's persona exuding from every note and beat of the work. At least I felt that way. I honestly think this is a great triumph for Rundgren. It's probably too much for some people, but I think just about everything was pulled off well. And anything that wasn't was overcome by the power of the best moments on the album.

100/100. I've heard a lot of art rock, but not most of the albums on the list. So it's only possible this will be my top choice. I like art rock for its will to experiment while maintaining a radio-friendly presence. I'll probably keep this on.

Something/Anything by Todd Rundgren

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Release: 1972
Style: Pop Rock, Power Pop
Length: 90 min.
Round: Power Pop

Something/Anything is a very different kind of album. Whereas the next album, “A Wizard, A True Star” was all about hyperactive fun and frolicking through the flowers...

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This one seems to be more about mainstream hits and something people could easily relate to throughout the 70's as a collection of sweet love songs while still maintainin a child-like behavior at other points in the album.

Side A, named “A Bouquet of Ear-Catching Melodies,” is a short collection of mostly soul-infused love songs that probably got the ladies back in the 70's. “I Saw the Light” is a very radio-geared song, one that's a bit lovey-dovey with Neil Young style vocals and a very 70's pop/soul feel. The next song, “It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference ,” touches up farther in the generic 70's soul radio-hit aura. The difference is that it's hard to get tired of Todd Rundgren. “Wolfman Jack” is more about harmonized vocals singing their hearts out like a gospel choir to a pop rock song. Rundgren's vocals are noticably different from his high-pitched Neil Young vocals on the first track. But he's clearly having just as much fun.

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“Cold Morning Light” goes back to that old love-sound we dadrockers know from our teen years, right? Or at least what we know of our mothers playing all of their favorite Ambrosia hits when we were young. “It Takes Two To Tango (This Is For The Girls)” takes a slightly stranger approach, one a little synthesized. Whereas Wizard was heavily synthesized, this album seems to use it only when necessary. And the end Side A, the guitar-ridden “Sweeter Memories” sends the listener into yet another starry, romantic night, almost cheesy. I can see why Meat Loaf got Rundgren on production. Of course, I'd like anyone who can do motorcycle guitar to produce my album.

Side B: The Cerebral Side

“Intro” is an odd introduction to the many different production/sound flaws albums may or may not have, spoken as if Rundgren was Ben Stein doing his Clear Eyes thing. This quickly ends after one minute, and enters an electronic collection of rhythms called “Breathless.” I immediately see why it's called “The Cerebral Side.” It gets gradually more “cerebral” (Rundgren's cleverly picked word for “experimental”) every ten seconds. “The Night The Carousel Burned Down” quickly ends the abundant synth-fest with a more well-paced and lyrical tune that's backed up just as many backing vocals as their were electronic riffs on the last song. “Saving Grace” begins with a very distorted, monstrous form of vocals, goes into a short and quiet drum solo, andf transcends into another soul-infused piano rock song. “Marlene” is another sweet little pop rock song. At this point, I feel that the album isn't as diverse as Wizard. Despite popular opinion, I currently think this album's actually worse than Wizard. This 90 minute double album will have to change pace really soon for me to consider it better, because I started with Wizard so I can get more used to Rundgren before playing his best. The problem behind that was I didn't expect the two albums to be so different. “Song of the Viking” (fantastic song name) does take a change of pace, one like a simplistic spoof of opera in general, and not like this.

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I just googled “Viking Opera.”

And when it looks like this song's going to transcend back into it's original territory, it picks back up and goes into its own sense of goofiness. Side B ends with “I Went To The Mirror,” a track that's much slower and quieter than the rest of the album, at first. But through that slow pace, it got slower and weirder gradually throughout. The album managed to change pace for a little while, so that's good.

Side C: The Kid Gets Heavy

I'm not so sure what to expect from this side. “Black Maria” is noticeably less romantic, but balancing itself between more and less dramatic than the love songs I've been getting. It felt like a rock song. “One More Day” goes back to feeling like something Ambrosia would right. It feels like the alum takes short breaks when it wants to be diverse. The only real difference between this and other songs on the album is that it's more guitar based, even though that's not really broadcasted. “Couldn't I Just Tell You” starts with an acoustic intro, and leads the song from their during the lower parts and the very upbeat parts. “Torch Song” isn't exactly heavy, but it's very dramatic and seriousl;y piano based. Even though it's another love song, it's unique because of that and as well-composed as the rest of the album. Side C ends with a very heavy track (in comparison to the rest of the album). “Little Red Lights” starts with a very noisy and raspy guitar solo, and turns into a high-energy hard rock experience that fails to act as a worthy ending to Side C but acts as a good example of diversity that this album occasionally takes.

Side D: Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)

I had absolutely no idea what to expect except for more love songs. I wasn't sure I'd get that after “Overture” started playing. Intentionally fuzzily produced at the beginning to give off a “playing on the radio” feel, the song's second half is all distorted vocals and a lot of power pop guitar. It's a lot like an intro to a Zappa album, so I ended up being impressed. It is labelled as an Overture, so I'm not sure if there's an actual story in this. “Dust in the Wind” (not the Kansas song which came out three years later) is yet another love song very much similar to the rest of them on the album, but it's more driven by saxophones, so it's still attempting to be different. The next song, “Piss Aaron,” has a somewhat country feel, so it's very unique for the album. “Hello It's Me” is... do I have to say it?

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“Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me “ is Rundgren's attempt at being more badass than he generally is. A lot of hard vocals, plenty of jazzy sax, and a heavy beat are all proof of this. “You Left Me Sore” starts out asd a bunch of takes of the same song being messed up by one band member really quickly. After about 30 seconds of that, the actual song starts. So, have you tried turning it off and on again? And Dis D, as well as the album, ends with “Slut.” It's the hyperactivity similar to Wizard that runs this finally. There should have been a couple more songs like that on the album.

As far as my thoughts on the album go, I have to disagree with the general opinion. Too many songs sounded a bit too similar, so there's a flaw right there. But the songs were all great, somethiong enjoyable. But I think most of the songs work together individually as a consistent flow seems to be absent. This is not as good an album as Wizard. However, Something/Anything is still a great listen, and as clear five star album. Every song works very well, even if not every song added something new.

96/100. I need to listen to more in the power pop list before I can decide, but I know my top choice so far is Pinkerton.