TOP 50 ALBUMS: THE COMPLETE LIST… WHILST I STILL CAN
I came to the realisation a few days ago that there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’ll ever find time to write essay-length rants on my fave Top 50 Albums, so I’ve decided to simply list them below, in no particular order, in the hopes that one day, over the course of this blog’s “development”, I’ll slowly give each and every one of them a rundown in some kind of way. Again, there are no “token” entries here: these are records I listen to. Rather than calling this a Top 50 list, it’s probably best to name it a “Desert Island Discs” roundup (or whatever...sheez). In other words, if, god forbid, I should ever wind up on a remote island with only a stereo, a power outlet and a stack of music by my side, these are the 50 discs I’d take with me to maintain sanity.
Of course, the moment you finish something like this – which has been written on scraps of paper from months ago when I first hatched the idea – you realise all the other greats you missed and didn’t find room for. You know, just because I couldn’t fit the Boredoms, Minor Threat, The Fall, Hendrix, Saints, Big Star, Birthday Party or Townes Van Zandt, it doesn’t mean I love them any less. Sacrifices must be made! Ahem…
50) THE SCENE IS NOW – Tonight We Ride LP
49) BONGWATER – Double Bummer 2LP
48) HAWKWIND – Space Ritual 2LP
47) JOHN MARTYN – Inside Out LP
46) MERZBOW – Music For Bondage Performance CD
45) GERMS – (GI) LP
44) BRIAN ENO – Apollo LP
43) THE BEATLES – The White Album 2LP
42) ROBERT WYATT – Old Rottenhat LP
41) VELVET UNDERGROUND - Velvet Underground w/ Nico LP
40) MINUTEMEN – Double Nickels on the Dime 2LP *
39) SEX PISTOLS – Never Mind the Bollocks LP
38) BOB DYLAN – Blood on the Tracks LP
37) CAN – Tago Mago 2LP
36) LOVE – Forever Changes LP
35) ELECTRIC EELS – God Says Fuck You CD %
34) ROLLING STONES – Beggars Banquet LP
33) FLIPPER – Public Flipper Ltd. 2LP ^
32) THE POP GROUP – Y LP
31) JOHN COLTRANE – Live in Seattle 2LP
30) DIE KREUZEN – Century Days LP
29) NEW YORK DOLLS – s/t LP
28) MILES DAVIS – Get Up With It 2LP *
27) NEIL YOUNG – On the Beach LP
26) BLACK SABBATH – Master of Reality LP
25) CHARLES MINGUS – Black Saint and the Sinner Lady LP
24) STOOGES – Funhouse LP *
23) MEAT PUPPETS – Up On The Sun LP
22) FAUST – The Faust Tapes LP
21) JOHN FAHEY – Days Gone By Vol. 6 LP
20) HOWLIN’ WOLF – Moanin’ in the Moonlight LP
19) VARIOUS – Nuggets 4-CD box set >
18) SUN RA – Space is the Place soundtrack CD
17) MC5 – High Time LP $
16) MX-80 SOUND – Out of the Tunnel LP
15) PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. – Metal Box/Second Edition 3X12”/2LP
14) HALF JAPANESE – Charmed Life LP
13) CHROME – Alien Soundtracks LP
12) 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS – Easter Everywhere LP
11) ALBERT AYLER – Lorrach Paris 1966 2LP
10) CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – Trout Mask Replica 2LP
9) BLACK FLAG – Damaged LP
8) FUNKADELIC – Maggot Brain LP
7) PERE UBU – Dub Housing LP
6) CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – Willie and the Poor Boys LP
5) MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Freak Out! 2LP +
4) RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON – I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight LP
3) SONIC YOUTH – Sister LP
2) THE WIPERS – Follow Blind LP @
1) VARIOUS – Anthology of American Folk Music 6-CD box set >
* = Well if you gotta - and you know you gotta – have a Greatest Album of All Time (gasp!), then these three tie for first place.
+ = Yeah, it’s a fuggin’ Frank Zappa record!
@ = Huh? Yep, it’s my fave Wipers album… and possibly no one else’s.
$ = Their other two LPs wouldn’t even be in the race!
% = Ok, not an “album” as such (in effect a smattering of demo material; the ‘Eels didn’t “do” albums), but a collection of songs so good it defeats my anal rules system.
^ = Anyone ever going to reissue this live behemoth?
> = Various Artist box sets of a high calibre and solid aesthetic constitution fit the bill as “proper” releases, of course.
I came to the realisation a few days ago that there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’ll ever find time to write essay-length rants on my fave Top 50 Albums, so I’ve decided to simply list them below, in no particular order, in the hopes that one day, over the course of this blog’s “development”, I’ll slowly give each and every one of them a rundown in some kind of way. Again, there are no “token” entries here: these are records I listen to. Rather than calling this a Top 50 list, it’s probably best to name it a “Desert Island Discs” roundup (or whatever...sheez). In other words, if, god forbid, I should ever wind up on a remote island with only a stereo, a power outlet and a stack of music by my side, these are the 50 discs I’d take with me to maintain sanity.
Of course, the moment you finish something like this – which has been written on scraps of paper from months ago when I first hatched the idea – you realise all the other greats you missed and didn’t find room for. You know, just because I couldn’t fit the Boredoms, Minor Threat, The Fall, Hendrix, Saints, Big Star, Birthday Party or Townes Van Zandt, it doesn’t mean I love them any less. Sacrifices must be made! Ahem…
50) THE SCENE IS NOW – Tonight We Ride LP
49) BONGWATER – Double Bummer 2LP
48) HAWKWIND – Space Ritual 2LP
47) JOHN MARTYN – Inside Out LP
46) MERZBOW – Music For Bondage Performance CD
45) GERMS – (GI) LP
44) BRIAN ENO – Apollo LP
43) THE BEATLES – The White Album 2LP
42) ROBERT WYATT – Old Rottenhat LP
41) VELVET UNDERGROUND - Velvet Underground w/ Nico LP
40) MINUTEMEN – Double Nickels on the Dime 2LP *
39) SEX PISTOLS – Never Mind the Bollocks LP
38) BOB DYLAN – Blood on the Tracks LP
37) CAN – Tago Mago 2LP
36) LOVE – Forever Changes LP
35) ELECTRIC EELS – God Says Fuck You CD %
34) ROLLING STONES – Beggars Banquet LP
33) FLIPPER – Public Flipper Ltd. 2LP ^
32) THE POP GROUP – Y LP
31) JOHN COLTRANE – Live in Seattle 2LP
30) DIE KREUZEN – Century Days LP
29) NEW YORK DOLLS – s/t LP
28) MILES DAVIS – Get Up With It 2LP *
27) NEIL YOUNG – On the Beach LP
26) BLACK SABBATH – Master of Reality LP
25) CHARLES MINGUS – Black Saint and the Sinner Lady LP
24) STOOGES – Funhouse LP *
23) MEAT PUPPETS – Up On The Sun LP
22) FAUST – The Faust Tapes LP
21) JOHN FAHEY – Days Gone By Vol. 6 LP
20) HOWLIN’ WOLF – Moanin’ in the Moonlight LP
19) VARIOUS – Nuggets 4-CD box set >
18) SUN RA – Space is the Place soundtrack CD
17) MC5 – High Time LP $
16) MX-80 SOUND – Out of the Tunnel LP
15) PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. – Metal Box/Second Edition 3X12”/2LP
14) HALF JAPANESE – Charmed Life LP
13) CHROME – Alien Soundtracks LP
12) 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS – Easter Everywhere LP
11) ALBERT AYLER – Lorrach Paris 1966 2LP
10) CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – Trout Mask Replica 2LP
9) BLACK FLAG – Damaged LP
8) FUNKADELIC – Maggot Brain LP
7) PERE UBU – Dub Housing LP
6) CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – Willie and the Poor Boys LP
5) MOTHERS OF INVENTION – Freak Out! 2LP +
4) RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON – I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight LP
3) SONIC YOUTH – Sister LP
2) THE WIPERS – Follow Blind LP @
1) VARIOUS – Anthology of American Folk Music 6-CD box set >
* = Well if you gotta - and you know you gotta – have a Greatest Album of All Time (gasp!), then these three tie for first place.
+ = Yeah, it’s a fuggin’ Frank Zappa record!
@ = Huh? Yep, it’s my fave Wipers album… and possibly no one else’s.
$ = Their other two LPs wouldn’t even be in the race!
% = Ok, not an “album” as such (in effect a smattering of demo material; the ‘Eels didn’t “do” albums), but a collection of songs so good it defeats my anal rules system.
^ = Anyone ever going to reissue this live behemoth?
> = Various Artist box sets of a high calibre and solid aesthetic constitution fit the bill as “proper” releases, of course.
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