Nobody tagged me in the facebook Album Challenge, but I did it anyway! I love any opportunity to talk about my favorite music. Below I will list my top. This will be more than a top 10 since no one reads my blog anyway. Ha. These are NOT ranked, with the exception of the 1st 2 legitimately being the top 2. It's too hard to rank the rest. Sorry bros. Here are my top 24 if forced to choose.
BOB DYLAN: BLONDE ON BLONDE (1966)
FAVE TRACK: "VISIONS OF JOHANNA"
Rich and dark, but also lots of bright bouncy and fun sounds. Lyrics are pure poetry. Sounds like nothing else that exists. The 1st ELECTRIC Dylan album and a true experiment of it’s time. My ex-husband introduced me to this as part of a Folk Music History Lesson, but I can’t help how much this album means to me. “Visions of Johanna” is, to me, top 3 most perfect songs ever written. The leisurely harmonica and dragging bass is too-notch feels. “I Want You” is one of my Happy Place songs because of how relentlessly, but not annoyingly, upbeat it is. “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat” is one of the classic story-songs by Dylan, and “Rainy Day Woman” is a raucous party to bring you right into the celebration of the pioneer album.
GREEN DAY: DOOKIE (1994)
FAVE TRACK: "IN THE END"
The 1st time i heard this was with my cousin Jackie, she owned it, and was listening to Longview in her room one day. I’m sure this was an insignificant memory for her, but i was 7 at the time, and the lyrics were VERY intriguing for me, as i grew up in a country & christian music only home. As a teenager with a fast-food job, this was the 1st CD i purchased with my own hard-earned money. This was a grungy glimpse into the mysterious future of an unhappy person such as myself. I was happy to know the bleakness i’ve always seen was a popular viewpoint, and that there were people out there with a sense of humor about it and who had cool haircuts. I clunked my way thru teaching myself the power chords of Welcome To Paradise at 16 and really thought this was written for me, even though it was coming from the era i was just too young to remember: 2 months before Cobain died. What a world. What a pop-punk classic.
LINKIN PARK: HYBRID THEORY (2000)
FAVE TRACK: "A PLACE FOR MY HEAD"
This was the 1st “rock” album I ever owned. I “borrowed” a burned copy of it from my high school bf freshman year when it was new, and after listening to it, never intended to give it back. “In The End” was a perfect, just pop enough intro for me. For the next 4 years this is what a yelled in my bedroom. It was an amazing cathartic experience for me, dealing with bouts of depression, anger, and overall angst about my life - moving away from my hometown, dealing with my mom re-marrying, making new friends, etc. This album honestly fit any situation. I memorized every word and left it on in the background of everything the soothe my constant low-level anger. I remember the 1st time i played Track 1 and literally fell to the floor with the intensity of the music and the crashing of guitars and drums. This spoke to me in a language i didn’t even realize I spoke. Chester’s lyrics were everything every teenager goes thru, and I know this album was huge for every millennial.
RADIOHEAD: OK COMPUTER (1997) / IN RAINBOWS (2007)
FAVE TRACK: "NO SURPRISES" / "15 STEP"
When I was 15 I started taking guitar lessons because I thought I was into "rock" music (KoRn, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson)..little did I know I was about to take a deep dive into 90's alternative. My guitar teacher asked me if I liked Radiohead and I had no clue. He told me I was "too young" and "not ready" for OK Computer, so OF COURSE I went out and bought it immediately. And you know what? I totally didn't understand it, but the trippy vibes really turned my brain on to more artistic jams and psychedelic and electronic music. Then when In Rainbows came out and I heard you have to play them together, alternating songs, well...that was about the coolest thing ever, and made me feel REAL smart. But seriously. I still learn something new every time I listen to these.
LUDO: YOU'RE AWFUL, I LOVE YOU (2008)
FAVE TRACK: "LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN"
Before this point, I really didn't know and/or appreciate songs with humorous lyrics. I was quite the hipster and elitist. Really into those deep dark feels. When "Love Me Dead" came out I was taken with this funny description of a relationship, the contradicting lyrics, and the goofy, semi-operatic, semi-punk vocals. The whole album is full of funny story-songs like "Lake Pontchartrain" and "Go-Getter Greg," but then 50% of the tracks are these beautiful life & love-lesson verses like in "Love Such As It Ends" and "Streetlights." Every bit of this is endearing and beloved to me.
JASON MRAZ: WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME (2002)
FAVE TRACK: "CURBSIDE PROPHET"
I ran right out to buy this in '02 after hearing "The Remedy" about a million times on the radio. You know, back when you bought CDs, just before Limewire? The lyrics in this album are 100% fun, clever, and different than anything I was into back then. The melodies are all completely sing-along-able. The mood for all is relaxed, intimate, and reminds me of just chilling outside somewhere. I have to say I spent a lot of time playing The Sims at that age, and I would put this in the CD player and just keep it on repeat for hours on end over the summer. This is still one I can remember every word to. It's perfectly on the edge of pop and indie acoustic - a beautiful intelligent, well-meaning piece of art for the masses.
PEARL JAM: TEN (1991)
FAVE TRACK: "BLACK"
Call me basic, but every time Eddie Vedder sings that bridge in "Black" - I know someday you'll have a beautiful, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine? DAMN that spoke to me as a lovelorn teenager. This was a classic in regular rotation when I discovered that the 90's had a lot more interesting lyrics and instrumentation. The nice thing about this was it wasn't unnecessarily angry, so I can keep it around for a hard listen, but not feel silly.
A PERFECT CIRCLE: MER DE NOMS (2000)
FAVE TRACK: "RENHOLDER"
This was a BIG one for me. One of the rare albums where I never skip a track. I never had a clue what Maynard was singing about, but the instruments are soooo different. He chants and vocalizes, and really gets to do a lot more with the singing style and music than with Tool. Really it's a mood thing for me. These tracks put you in such a different zone...and that's all I have to say on that, as I truly can't describe what Maynard does here -
NIRVANA: BLEACH (1989)
FAVE TRACK: "DOWNER"
I used to be obsessed with Kurt Cobain. Bleach is such a great collection of feelings. It really suited my teenage feelings of angst, as it did in 1989 and probably in 2018. Listening to Kurt yell and go on makes me feel like I'm in a room with a friend, letting it all out. I'm astonished that this was recorded for an audience, because it is SO personal and intimate. I felt so alone at so many points in my life, and this always seemed to say exactly was I was thinking when I felt like I couldn't share what I felt with anyone. Aside from that - what a unique body of work - this is 100% definition of life as art.
LED ZEPPELIN: II (1969)
FAVE TRACK: "WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE"
I burned myself a copy of this from my dad's CD collection. At the time, I didn't know much about classic rock. I really like stuff like The Eagles and Eric Claption, and wanted to dig deep. I asked him to put aside a few of his favorites, and this was at the top. I made listening to this a reverent and spiritual experience. I would play this with the lights low, candles and incense burning, and I would write poems/song stream-of-consciousness style. The psycodelic vibe with spurts of blues and jam were the stuff of dreams to my young mind.
HAIR: NEW BROADWAY CAST (2009)
FAVE TRACK: "GOOD MORNING STARSHINE"
I've been trying to memorize this album since the first time I saw HAIR live at the Paramount in Aurora in 2012 (3 times). I even have a tattoo with a daisy & the words "Let the Sun Shine in." This story still makes my heartbroken, still makes me laugh, and still has me singing along in my head even when I'm not listening to it. The performance meant so much to me, and I will always have this at the top, handy, on my Most Played.
ALANIS MORRISETTE: JAGGED LITTLE PILL (1995)
FAVE TRACK: "ALL I REALLY WANT"
What a fantastic woman. I'm so thrilled to hear that she wrote a musical from these lyrics. Women in the mainstream didn't talk about these topics - major psychological / relationship deep dives like this were unheard of on Kiss FM, at the Grammys, etc. She goes into detail about relationship enmeshment, codependency, cheating, divorce, and let's not forget movie theater sex. She sings it out because she absolutely means it. These tracks are all such anthems for any woman who has ever met any an
GOTYE: LIKE DRAWING BLOOD (2006)
FAVE TRACK: "PUZZLE WITH A PIECE MISSING"
I was obsessed with "Somebody That I Used To Know" like the rest of the world. Thankfully, iTunes had Gotye's first album as well. Everything on this is a great piece of art, with an array of interesting messages about the world, and obscure and intimate insight to very specific relationship aspects and issues. All the different weird sounds and instruments are performed by Gotye, sometimes all at once when he does it live. "Puzzle With A Piece Missing" was my favorite track to listen to stoned, back in the day. I went thru a period of enjoying smoking, but I was unable to interact with the world, or even look out my window, without getting lost. So I would turn my lights off, shut my door, and put this on my headphones - and instead get lost in imagining stories for all of the sounds.
LORDE: THE LOVE CLUB EP (2013)
FAVE TRACK: "BRAVADO"
These tracks eventually became available on Spotify only recently, as part of the Pure Heroine (Extended) album. I couldn't sit still listening to this, after the dark but super catchy "Royals" was released, I was pretty damn thirsty for more Lorde. I don't care about any of her studio albums. The experiments on the EP were all I needed to love forever. She takes cues from Enya by creating layers and layers of vocals, forming a harmonic chorus of her own voice, taking the songs in all different directions at once ("Bravado" is best example). The lyrical content of all of these are exactly what I wished I was able to write at that age. So true of teenage anger and curiosity, with hints or depression and hatred, yet she creates such a huge experience for the audience, and then when you hear what she's singing about, you almost feel like you shouldn't be listening to such private thoughts.
FUN: SOME NIGHTS (2012)
FAVE TRACK: "STARS"
I spent the whole summer of 2013 trying to memorize all the words of this album. Lyrics are always about something unexpected - sometimes extremely simple, like a quick diary entry, and other times like a therapy session, and some even sound like a motivational speech. My favorite part is that all the lyrics sound unprompted - it's poetic but so very conversational and off-the-cuff. That rawness is then paired with a highly produced, yet original, musical canvas background, making it comparable to arena rock or Bowie. Nate's vocals are so full of talent, but again with that same rawness where you feel like he's just singing to you in the car. "Stars" is one of those beautiful existential pieces that makes you feel a little high as you're lost in the vocal adventure and effects, and really listening to him question everything, then questioning it yourself.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND: CONTRA (2010)
FAVE TRACK: "DIPLOMAT'S SON"
PHISH: UNDERMIND (2004)
FAVE TRACK: "THE CONNECTION"
STAIND: BREAK THE CYCLE (2001)
FAVE TRACK: "EPIPHANY"
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC (1991)
FAVE TRACK: "APACHE ROSE PEACOCK"
DEFTONES: WHITE PONY (2000)
FAVE TRACK: "PASSENGER"
RANCID: ...AND OUT COME THE WOLVES (1995)
FAVE TRACK: "ROOTS RADICAL"
FIONA APPLE: EXTRAORDINARY MACHINE (2005)
FAVE TRACK: "WINDOW"
MUMFORD & SONS: SIGH NO MORE (2009)
FAVE TRACK: DUST BOWL DANCE
HOT SUGAR: GOD'S HAND (2015)
FAVE TRACK: "TRAUMA"
