#223.



De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead

Year: 1991

US Chart Position: #26 / #24 R&B

UK Chart Position: #7

Charting Singles: "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (#3 Rap US, #10 UK), "A Rollerskating Jam Called 'Saturdays'" (#6 Dance US, #22 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #23 (year), #188 (decade), #1020 (all-time)

AMG Says: "It isn't that De La try to remake their sound here -- Dead keeps the skit-heavy structure of the debut, and the surreal tone and inventive sampling techniques are still very much in evidence. But, despite a few lighthearted moments ("Bitties in the BK Lounge," the disco-flavored "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'"), a distinct note of bitterness has crept into De La's once-sunny outlook. On the one hand, they're willing to take on more serious subject matter; two of the album's most powerful moments are the unsettling incest tale "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa" and Posdnuos' drug-addiction chronicle "My Brother's a Basehead," both true-life occurrences. Yet other tracks betray a brittle, insular state of mind; one running skit features a group of street thugs who ultimately throw the album in the trash for not having enough pimps, guns, or curse words [...] Dead is clearly the product of a group staggering under the weight of expectations, yet even if it's less cohesive and engaging, it's still often fascinating in spite of its flaws."

Ranked Highest By: Slackmo (#18)

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when the black album came out I bought it and was very disappointed. I was in love with Puppets, Ride the Lightning and Justice most of all. to my ears the black album sucked so much that I listened to it once and smashed it to pieces. I was 12 or 13 at the time, I think.

I really like Dave's voice actually. I mention it in my (shill~!) blog post on 'Holy Wars/The Punishment Due'. Err, here.

There's still like two Jesus Lizard albums left that are definitely going to be on here. Awesome.

For me it's kinda all of side one, plus the title track and it's Goodnight Irene.

'Ashes In Your Mouth' is pretty good, I guess.

Dan not voting is sort of going to hurt Goat's success in this poll. Sad, really.


I might. My favorite Sonic Youth album is Confusion Is Sex. Or Sister. "Halloween" is okay. I don't really care, though.

#222.



Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun

Year: 1992

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #30 (year), #266 (decade), #1390 (all-time)

AMG Says: "With Josh Homme's guitar tuned down two whole steps to C, and plugged into a bass amp for maximum distortion, stoner metal pioneers Kyuss achieve a major milestone in heavy music with their second album, 1992's Blues for the Red Sun. Producer Chris Goss masterfully captures the band's unique heavy/light formula, which becomes apparent as soon as the gentle but sinister intro melody gives way to the chugging main riff in the opener, "Thumb." This segues immediately into the galloping "Green Machine," which pummels forward inexorably and even features that rarest rock & roll moment: a bass solo. "Thong Song" alternates rumbling guitar explosions with almost complete silence, and "Mondo Generator" plays like an extended acid trip. The slow build of the epic "Freedom Run" and the driving "Allen's Wrench" are also highlights, and though the album is heavy on instrumentals, these actually provide a seamless transition from song to song."

Ranked Highest By: Throughsilver (#6)

Amazon Link

Sky Valley >>>> Blues

but Blues has the best closing track of all time.

hm, really?

It has "Mr. Frump In The Iron Lung"?

Awesome.

"Yeah"

the second to last track is a big metal epic and shit, and then the last track is just Garcia(?) going "yeah".


idk you had to be there

My "first 'Weird Al' Yankovic album"-based humour is completely lost on my fellow young people. You've let me down.

"Albequeruqwue" > whatever other one you said

Wow, the guy's closers really are his best songs. Shit. Not just "Albuquerque" and "Mr. Frump In The Iron Lung," but also "The Night Santa Went Crazy," "Genius In France," "The Biggest Ball of Twine In Minnesota," etc. Brilliant stuff.

Damn! I should've voted for that!

It is and it isn't.

Only read the post now. Now you know how it feels.

We are part of a small, elite club.

#221.



Galaxie 500 - This is Our Music

Year: 1990

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "What turned out to be the final Galaxie 500 album was also arguably the band's most accomplished. Not that the earlier records lacked either charm or ability, but right from the charging, chugging start of "Fourth of July," the amazing single and leadoff song from This Is Our Music (even including a cheeky Velvet Underground reference from "Candy Says"), the trio here sounds like they could take on anyone. Kramer's production and the use of reverb from past releases all once again contribute to Galaxie 500's magic, while the individual members continue to sound fantastic. Somehow, though, everyone aims higher, Wareham's singing among his finest and his guitar going for the truly epic more than once, Krukowski and Yang even more perfectly in sync than before, often being very bold without losing their intrinsic warmth. "

Ranked Highest By: Dark Heat (#23)

Amazon Link

#220.



Faith No More - The Real Thing

Year: 1989

US Chart Position: #11

UK Chart Position: #30

Charting Singles: "Epic" (#9 US, #25 UK), "Falling to Pieces" (#92 / #40 Mainstream Rock US), "From Out of Nowhere" (#23 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #12 (year), #125 (decade), #721 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Faith No More rebounded excellently on The Real Thing after Mosley's firing. Given that the band had nearly finished recording the music and Patton was a last minute recruit, he adjusts to the proceedings well. His insane, wide-ranging musical interests would have to wait for the next album for their proper integration, but the band already showed enough of that to make it an inspired combination. Bottum, in particular, remains the wild card, coloring Martin's nuclear-strength riffs and the Gould/Bordin rhythm slams with everything from quirky hooks to pristine synth sheen. It's not quite early Brian Eno joins Led Zeppelin and Funkadelic, but it's closer than might be thought, based on the nutty lounge vibes of "Edge of the World" and the Arabic melodies and feedback of "Woodpeckers From Mars." "Falling to Pieces," a fractured anthem with a delicious delivery from Patton, should have been a bigger single that it was, while "Surprise! You're Dead!" and the title track stuff riffs down the listener's throat. The best-known song remains the appropriately titled "Epic," which lives up to its name from the bombastic opening to the concluding piano and the crunching, stomping funk metal in between."

Ranked Highest By: Rocks and Blows (#31)

Amazon Link

Been driving for days now
Been driving to take the pain away


#219.



Swervedriver - Raise

Year: 1991

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "A molten hybrid of Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, the drill-press rhythms of the Stooges, and early Dinosaur Jr., Raise sounds like a record made by young record shop rats from the Midwest. Adding to this notion is the lyrical fascination with cars. With this in mind, it's no small wonder that the Oxford, London-based Swervedriver found a home on even the most Anglophobic turntables in the States. Through loads of effects pedals and buried vocals, the band was initially lumped in with the shoegaze scene. But with a heavier aesthetic caused by their love for the above-mentioned bands, as well as the likes of the well-named Loop and Spacemen 3, they were unique — even with their earliest material [...] A fantastic debut that merely hinted at the band's talents."

Ranked Highest By: Ronald Reagan (#6)

Amazon Link

#218.



Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader

Year: 1988

US Chart Position: #22 / #7 R&B

UK Chart Position: Charted #25 in 1998 for some reason

Charting Singles: "Follow the Leader" (#5 Dance US, #21 UK), "The R" (#14 Rap US)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #19 (year), #184 (decade), #957 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Having already revolutionized hip-hop, Eric B. & Rakim came up with a second straight classic in their sophomore album, Follow the Leader, which basically follows the same blueprint for greatness, albeit with subtle refinements. Most noticeably, Eric B.'s production is already moving beyond the minimalism of Paid in Full. Follow the Leader finds him changing things up more often: dropping in more samples, adding instruments from musician Stevie Blass Griffin, and generally creating a fuller sound over his rock-solid beats. It's still relatively spare, but the extra sonic weight helps keep things fresh. For his part, Rakim wasn't crowned the greatest MC of all time for the variety of his lyrical content, and Follow the Leader is no different. Yet even if he rarely deviates from boasting about his microphone prowess (and frankly, he's entitled), he employs uncommonly vivid and elaborate metaphors in doing so [...] And, of course, there are several more turntable features for Eric B. Follow the Leader may not have broken much new ground, but it captures one of the greatest pure hip-hop acts at the top of its form, and that's enough to make the album a classic. "

Ranked Highest By: wh1tepony (#18)

Amazon Link

#217.



Camper Van Beethoven - Key Lime Pie

Year: 1989

US Chart Position: #141

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (#1 Modern Rock US)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart closed with Lowery singing about how "Life Is Grand" in pointed response to "those of you who have appointed yourselves to expect us to say something darker." So when Key Lime Pie came out, its moodier music and imagery, not to mention that soon after the fact the band fell apart on the tour for the album, led more than one person to think those darker times had finally arrived. As it is, the group had already gone through one major shake-up between the two albums — founding member Segel had taken a powder to concentrate on other efforts, with Morgan Fichter brought in as a replacement violinist. Her abilities were certainly praiseworthy, as the album-starting instrumental "Opening Theme" shows quite well. However, it's definitely not the same band that did Telephone Free Landslide Victory a mere four years previous — things are more straightforwardly rock here most of the time, perhaps not too surprising in light of Lowery's subsequent work in Cracker."

Ranked Highest By: Dr. Jimmy (#22)

Amazon Link

That album is so full of great songs. It's sort of ridiculous.

Amen.

LET'S DO BUSINESS, BOYS
THE DRINKS ARE ON ME

ALI BABBA AND THE 40 THIEVES


#216.



Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

Year: 1986

US Chart Position: #1

UK Chart Position: #7

Charting Singles: "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" (#7 US, #11 UK), "Brass Monkey" (#48 US), "The New Style" (#20 Dance US), "Paul Revere" (#34 Dance US), "Hold It Now, Hit It" (#41 Dance US), "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" (#14 UK), "Girls" / "She's Crafty" (#34 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #3 (year), #26 (decade), #154 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Perhaps Licensed to Ill was inevitable — a white group blending rock and rap, giving them the first number one album in hip-hop history. But that reading of the album's history gives a short shrift to the Beastie Boys; producer Rick Rubin and his label, Def Jam; and this remarkable record, since mixing metal and hip-hop isn't necessarily an easy thing to do. Just sampling and scratching Sabbath and Zeppelin to hip-hop beats does not make for an automatically good record, though there is a visceral thrill to hearing those muscular riffs put into overdrive with scratching. But, much of that is due to the producing skills of Rick Rubin, a metalhead who formed Def Jam Records with Russell Simmons and had previously flirted with this sound on Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell, not to mention a few singles and one-offs with the Beasties prior to this record. He made rap rock, but to give him lone credit for Licensed to Ill (as some have) is misleading, since that very same combination would not have been as powerful, nor would it have aged so well — aged into a rock classic — if it weren't for the Beastie Boys, who fuel this record through their passion for subcultures, pop culture, jokes, and the intoxicating power of wordplay."

Ranked Highest By: Birdistheword (#33)

Amazon Link

Great songs, but no ska, no freakouts...kinda missed that. At least some of the humor remained.

The lack of ska was a bonus for me (although there wasn't really any to speak of on the previous album, either.)

Finally some decent albums coming along. Quite frankly, I'm not too impressed thus far.

You know how people often wish that double albums could be edited down to one album's worth of good material? That's how this thing always struck me.

I imagined they started with two albums. One album would've had stuff like Fight for Your Right and Brass Monkey and Girls, and the other one would've had Rhymin' and Stealin' and No Sleep Til Brooklyn and Hold It Now, Hit It. I would've preferred to hear the entirety of album two.

Yeah, it's why the album is great. I enjoy the early stuff, but I prefer CVB when they're actually focused on writing decent songs over CVB living up to their "eclectic college party band" reputation.


WHEN NEGROES BLINK THEIR EYES
THEY SINK INTO SIESTA
AND WE ARE ROTTING LIKE A FRUIT UNDERNEATH A RUSTING ROOF

Obviously you've no idea how important my personal taste is as a barometer for the masses.

#215.



Ice-T - O.G. Original Gangsta

Year: 1991

US Chart Position: #15 / #9 R&B

UK Chart Position: #38

Charting Singles: "New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)" (#3 Rap US), "O.G. Original Gangsta" (#7 Rap US)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #25 (year), #203 (decade), #1059 (all-time)

AMG Says: "One of gangsta rap's defining albums, O.G. Original Gangster is a sprawling masterpiece that stands far and away as Ice-T's finest hour. Taken track by track, O.G. might not seem at first like the product of a unified vision; perspective-wise, it's all over the map. There's perceptive social analysis, chilling violence, psychological storytelling, hair-trigger rage, pleas for solutions to ghetto misery, cautionary morality tales, and cheerfully crude humor in the depictions of sex and defenses of street language. But with a few listens, it's possible to assimilate everything into a complex, detailed portrait of Ice-T's South Central L.A. roots — the album's contradictions reflect the complexities of real life. That's why the more intelligent, nuanced material isn't negated by the violence and sexism — both of which, incidentally, are held relatively in check, with the former having been reshaped into a terrifying but inescapable fact of life [...] O.G. Original Gangster is a certifiable gangsta-rap classic, and arguably the most realistic, unvarnished representation of a world Ice-T was the first to chronicle on record."

Ranked Highest By: Diesel (#15)

Amazon Link



I love the way LTI packs all of its hits in the middle of the album. And there are like eight of 'em. And they're all pretty cool.

Album's pretty fucking low on the list, especially compared to those AM stats. Can't really complain though, since up until last month I wouldn't have voted for it either.

#214.



The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express

Year: 1986

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Charting Singles: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #21 (year), #188 (decade), #972 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Robert Forster's endearingly fey persona, equal parts Bryan Ferry and gangly bookstore clerk, reaches full flower on the Go-Betweens' fourth album, which tempers the angularity and occasional claustrophobia of the band's previous work with a new airiness and nervous romanticism. The lighter sound can be partly attributed to the growing influence of co-leader Grant McLennan, whose wistful "Cattle and Cane" and "Bachelor Kisses" lent grace to the Go-Betweens' sometimes stilted early records. McLennan's touch is all over Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express — his "In the Core of a Flame," a love song that manages to be at once tenderhearted and impatient, is a highlight — but this is still mostly Forster's show, and as such is a revelation [...] Liberty Belle is by no means free of the old Go-Betweens edge (the brooding "Twin Layers of Lightning" is proof of that), but it is the pervading warmth and rueful humor of this release that make it so accessible and such a delight."

Ranked Highest By: Falling and Laughing (#3)

Amazon Link

Yeah, but Acclaimed music is critical acclaim, which often takes into account historical significance. I just can't listen to the Beasties' most egregious faux-juvenile-pose stuff anymore.

#213.



The Verve - A Storm in Heaven

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: #27

Charting Singles: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a (fuuuuukkkked)

AMG Says: "Whereas future Verve masterpieces A Northern Soul and Urban Hymns would feature succinct song structures (for the most part) and instantly memorable verses and choruses, the group's 1993 full-length debut, A Storm in Heaven, was based on buoyant, extended psychedelic passages. Looking back today, it was an interesting and original musical direction, since at the time, angst-ridden Seattle bands (and their many copycats) were all the rage. While a few songs hint at the Verve's future penchant for composing pop gems ("Make It Till Monday," "Blue," "Butterfly"), many of the longer tracks are just as strong, especially the album's best track, the hauntingly beautiful "Already There." Also featured was the album-opening space rocker "Star Sail," the shifting moods of "Slide Away," the misty "Beautiful Mind," and the stark closer, "See You in the Next One (Have a Good Time)." A fine debut, A Storm in Heaven proved to be the important connection between the Verve's expansive early work (1992's self-titled EP) and their later worldwide pop hits."

Ranked Highest By: Turdferguson (#11)

Amazon Link

Yeah, Licensed to Ill is an embarassment. Can't stand it.

I don't know what truth is, but that certainly isn't it.

Yeah, I definitely don't agree with the "embarassment" thing. There are some unfuckwithable tracks on there.

Well, the Beastie Boys themselves are pretty embarrassed by it now, aren't they? It's fucking horrible, although I loved it when I was like 11 or 12.

#212.



Morrissey - Vauxhall & I

Year: 1994

US Chart Position: #18

UK Chart Position: #1

Charting Singles: "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" (#46 / #1 Modern Rock US, #8 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #20 (year), #115 (decade), #624 (all-time)

AMG Says: "While it isn't a gutsy rock & roll record like Your Arsenal, Vauxhall and I is equally impressive. Filled with carefully constructed guitar pop gems, the album contains some of Morrissey's best material since the Smiths. Out of all of his solo albums, Vauxhall and I sounds the most like his former band, yet the textured, ringing guitar on this record is an extension of his past, not a replication of it. In fact, with songs like "Now My Heart Is Full" and "Hold on to Your Friends," Morrissey sounds more comfortable and peaceful than he ever has. And "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get," "Speedway," and "Spring-Heeled Jim" prove that he hasn't lost his vicious wit."

Ranked Highest By: The Ghost of 'Lectricity (#18)

Amazon Link

wasn't there a Verve thread recently, and the majority bashed this one? I still like it, but don't remember voting for it.




yuck. montana to thread

the word "fey" was essentially invented for three groups--Orange Juice, Prefab Sprout, and the Go-Betweens.

Belle & Sebastian out-fey any of them.

yeah, not a big fan of the fey. but I did sample the Prefab Sprout Collection and it has some good stuff on it. the problem is it's a double disc and it doesn't have any info about which albums the tracks came from. that's a big problem, because half of the double disc is good, the other sucks.

B&S are more wimpy than fey, but I guess it's a fine line.

I think you have to throw The Beautiful South in there somewhere

#211.



Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: #50

UK Chart Position: #10

Charting Singles: "Start Choppin" (#3 Modern Rock US, #20 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #33 (year), #347 (decade), #1848 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Recorded with a full band throughout, Mike Johnson and Murph lay down does-the-job rhythm tracks while Mascis tackles almost everything else. Where You Been is occasionally moody and dark but otherwise is more rough fun. Opening track "Out There" is one of the most mournful things Mascis has recorded, with an especially yearning chorus, but his fiery solo still makes it classic Dinosaur Jr. "Start Choppin" immediately follows, its quick, catchy lead riff helping to make it as close to a radio hit as the band ever had — and, of course, a big ol' solo or two adding to the fun of it all. From there on in it's a puréed blast of punk, classic rock, and more. It may be business as usual, but it's good business just the same, whether it's the gentle "Not the Same," on which Mascis does his best Neil Young impersonation, or the stuttering feedback snorts and rips on "Hide," on which he borrows a bit back from disciple Kevin Shields. Other highlights include "Get Me," a melancholic, steady cruncher with another trademark solo of the gods, and the unjustly ignored "What Else Is New," which sounds like a mid-'70s rock ballad with louder volume and none of the crud, right down to the concluding string section. "

Ranked Highest By: No Magnets (#4)

Amazon Link

An act of public service. Everyone should hear this album.

Ouch, no place for any of the others then



Fixed



Boo hiss boo. Far too low. Any Smiths fans that haven't heard it, do yourselves a favour.

GET YOUR FUCKING VOICE OUT OF MY HEAD!!!


#210.



The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

Year: 1987

US Chart Position: #35

UK Chart Position: #6

Charting Singles: "Just Like Heaven" (#40 / #27 Dance US, #29 UK), "Why Can't I Be You?" (#54 / #8 Dance US, #21 UK), "Hot Hot Hot!!!" (#68 / #11 Dance US), "Catch" (#27 UK)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #32 (year), #288 (decade), #1421 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Simultaneously more accessible and ambitious than any of the Cure's previous albums, the double album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me finds Robert Smith expanding his pop vocabulary by tentatively adding bigger guitars, the occasional horn section, lite-funk rhythms, and string sections. It's eclectic, to be sure, but it's also a mess, bouncing from idea to idea and refusing to develop some of the most intriguing detours. Even if Kiss Me doesn't quite gel, its best moments — including the deceptively bouncy "Why Can't I Be You?" and the stately "Just Like Heaven" — are remarkable and help make the album one of the group's very best."

Ranked Highest By: Qwerty (#10)

Amazon Link