Favorite Albums: 58 - 57

I know the order of these two albums will irk some people, but, like I said earlier, the albums in the top 75 or so are so close together in my opinion that they all could have just as easily been higher or lower on the list. Until the top 15 or 20, anyway.

58. The Wall by Pink Floyd (1979)

The ultimate concept album, this is purely a story of a man's descent into utter madness. Taken in pieces, the songs don't actually hold themselves up, for the most part, but as a whole this is one of the most phenomenal albums ever. the three song combo of "Another Brick In the Wall, Part 1", "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" and "Another Brick In the Wall, Part 2" is one of the best 9 minute sections of any album ever. Each of the three songs goes straight into the next with no break, and all three are just outstanding. The helicopter effects at the end of "Another Brick In the Wall, Part 1", especially, are awesome in surround sound. The other main highlights, for me, are "Run Like Hell" (love that song), "Goodbye Blue Sky", "Goodbye Cruel World" and "Nobody Home". Most of the rest of the album I can take as long as I'm listening to the whole album, but not as individual pieces, although there are exceptions, such as "The Show Must Go On", "Mother" and "Young Lust". Obviously everyone has heard at least a few songs off this album, no matter what type music they listen to. If you haven't seen the movie, though, get a copy and at least check it out. It's not for everyone (my wife hates it) but it's worth seeing at least once.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Nobody Home"


4. "Run Like Hell"


3. 2. 1. "Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 1" "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" "Another Brick In the Wall, Pt 2" (Sound quality isn't the best, but it's the only one I could find with all three parts.)


57. Chorus by Erasure (1991)

This was really the last super-popular Erasure album in the States. It's also one of their most laid-back and gentle albums. From the opening "Chorus", to the beautiful and somber "Am I Right?" to the lovely gentle closer "Home", this is just a very peaceful album. The only rough spot is "Love To Hate You". It is so much more frantic and fast paced than the rest of the album that it just seems extremely out of place. It isn't a bad song, by any means, it just doesn't fit at all. Overall, though, this is a great album, and should have gotten even more popularity than it did.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Home"


4. "Siren Song"


3. "Waiting For the Day" (Terrible sound, but there are only 2 versions, and the other one is even worse.)


2. "Chorus"


1. "Am I Right?"

Favorite Albums: 60 - 59

60. The Sky's Gone Out by Bauhaus (1982)

The third Bauhaus album kicks off with a ripping rendition of Brian Eno's "Third Uncle". "Silent Hedges" follows, a pretty cool song about someone having a mental collapse, basically. "In the Night" is actually an older Bauhaus song, but this is the first album it appears on. Cool song. "Swing the Heartache" is one of the most famous Bauhaus songs, not that that's saying a whole lot - ha ha. It's also one of their best, I think. "Spirit" is an all-out tribute to the band's fans. Very good song. The next song starts off a trilogy. "The Three Shadows, Pt. 1" is a haunting four minute instrumental, very lovely. "The Three Shadows, Pt. 2" is about a minute shorter, also pretty chilling, especially with Peter Murphy's voice. "The Three Shadows, Pt. 3" is only about a minute and a half, but completely changes the tone of the three part song while also expanding on the themes in part 2. Good stuff. Part 2 is the best of the three, though. "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" is a very sad song, really. One of the gloomiest songs I've ever heard, and extremely beautiful. "Exquisite Corpse" closes the album. It is a somewhat chaotic, very fragmented song, seemingly, again, about someone losing their mind. Really well done. Overall, this album is kick ass. Not a weak spot on it, and several very very strong spots. Highly recommend it.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Third Uncle"


4. "Swing the Heartache"


3. "The Three Shadows, Pt. 2"


2. "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything"


1. "Spirit"


59. Nothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction (1988)

I started this entry on June 28th. It is now July 7th.
Sorry... I really don't have the time to get into this any more, now that school has started, so... From here on out, it's going to be very very generic. Once I get settled into a pattern, I'll come back through and redo all these, but right now I just don't have the time.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Up the Beach"


4. "Pigs In Zen"


3. "Ted, Just Admit It..."


2. "Mountain Song"


1. "Summertime Rolls"

Favorite Albums: 62 - 61

So... This entry took me 9 days to finish, and with school starting in a week and a half, it's not going to get much better. So, after this, I am going to be very quick about the entries, until the top 20 or so. Sorry, but my free time is about to get filled with medical terminology and algebra.

62. Zooropa by U2 (1993)

This album gets ripped on more than just about any other U2 album. It's a shame, because it really is a decent album. It was only intended as a quick EP before they went back on tour, but ended up becoming a full 10 song album. While some of it is bad, there are many really good spots. It starts off with "Zooropa", a pretty good opening track. Slowly gathers itself, builds to a nice solid finish, and lets you know right off the bat that this is a very keyboard driven album. Like it. "Babyface" is next, one of the prettiest U2 songs that nobody has heard. Pretty sure it was even a single, but not positive. Good tune. "Numb" is next, one of the few songs The Edge gets to sing lead vocals on. Love love love this song, even now. Then comes "Lemon", which I can't stand. Not really a fan of any of the songs Bono sings in that falsetto of his, but this one's probably the worst. Just annoying. "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" is one of the most beautiful U2 love songs ever. Just an outstanding song. "Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car" is one of those songs that I used to hate but now appreciate and enjoy. Groovy beat, somewhat menacing yet silly lyrics, good vocals. Good tune. "Some Days Are Better Than Others" is just kind of lazy. It is extremely repetitive, and gets pretty boring. Pass. "The First Time" is bad ass. Absolutely love this song, and have from the first time I ever heard it. Just a great song. "Dirty Day" is okay, but for me it's just filler between the two best songs on the album. "The Wanderer" closes the album with one of the most awesome pairings ever - U2 with Johnny Cash on vocals. Absolute awesomeness. I don't even care if it's not the best song in the world, it is still extremely cool. All in all, there is a lot of good music on this album. It really didn't deserve the bashing it took from both critics and fans, and I think if more people gave it a shot, they'd be surprised how good it really is.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Babyface"


4. "Numb"


3. "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"


2. "The Wanderer"


1. "The First Time"


61. Sugar Tax by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1991)

So, OMD started off as a duo, then over the years they added other musicians. Then, the two founding members, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, got into a bit of a spat, and the band split. McCluskey continued on under the OMD name, and this was the first release after the split. It's not that bad of an album, even though it pretty much got ripped to shreds. It starts off with "Sailing On the Seven Seas", a pretty thumping tune, and one of the best on the album. Instant hook. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)" was the only single off this album that got any attention whatsoever, and it's a pretty decent song. "Then You Turn Away" and "Speed Of Light" are both pretty good, the former being an especially moody song. "Was It Something I Said" is one of the greatest break up songs ever. It's basically about the break up of the band, but it can be applied to relationships of damn near any kind pretty easily. Awesome tune. "Big Town" is okay, a nice fluff piece after the emotion of the preceding song. "Call My Name" sounds like it was written specifically for a dance club. Good stuff. "Apollo XI" is a funky little piece that uses broadcast clips from different moon landings for the "lyrics". Not much substance, but interesting. "Walking On Air" has a very odd feel to it compared to the rest of the album. Kind of a jazzy thing going, not quite sure how else to describe it. "Walk Tall" is another bad ass break up song, but it's more defiant, basically saying the other person isn't going to break his spirit. Great. "Neon Lights" is another filler type song. Not great, not terrible, just there. "All That Glitters" closes the album on a pretty down note. It's a good song, just very pessimistic. Overall, this is a pretty decent album, especially for what amounts to a solo work. Not just solo vocally, but he did all the music, too. Is it the best O.M.D. album? Probably not. My favorite, though.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Then You Turn Away"


4. "All That Glitters"


3. "Walk Tall"
(No versions available)

2. "Pandora's Box (It's a Long, Long Way)"


1. "Was It Something I Said"

Favorite Albums: 64 - 63

I really have to get back into doing this silly thing. Just been a bad couple weeks.

64. Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats by Peter Gabriel (1990)

This is one of the most complete yet incomplete collections I've ever bought. It was basically a filler between Gabriel's two biggest albums, So and Us. So was already 4 years old at this point, and Us would not be released for another 2 years, so this collection was thrown out there to keep him on the scene, more or less. It starts off with "Solsbury Hill", one of P.G.'s biggest hits. "I Don't Remember" is next, a groovy, somewhat crazy track. "Sledgehammer" follows, Gabriel's biggest hit at the time, if not ever. Not the greatest song, but awesome video. "Family Snapshot" is a very pretty song about the Kennedy assassinations. Love it. "Mercy Street" is another really pretty song, but not really sure why it's here in place of "In Your Eyes", which the year before had been on the soundtrack of the film Say Anything... and became Gabriel's second biggest single behind "Sledgehammer", yet is nowhere to be seen on this album. Odd. "Shaking the Tree" is the only new song on this album, and while it's not great, it is pretty good, and has become a staple of Gabriel's live shows. "Don't Give Up" is a gorgeous duet with Kate Bush. One of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs. "San Jacinto" is yet another slow pretty song, this one being about a Native American man seeing his culture overrun by white Europeans. Good tune. "Here Comes the Flood" continues the slow trend. This was a new recording of an older song, making it more sparse, with just vocals and piano. Great great song. "Red Rain" finally picks the pace back up, an environmentally charged song, referring to either acid rain or nuclear fallout, depending on which interpretation you read. Good tune. "Games Without Frontiers" is next, one of the best songs of Gabriel's early solo career. It is very much a political song, comparing nationalism, diplomacy, and war to children's games. Great song. "Shock the Monkey" comes next, another pretty popular song that is pretty good. Gabriel has described it as a "love song that examines how jealousy can release one's baser instincts." Umm... Sure. I thought it was about electric shock therapy in a nut house, but, hey, that's obviously wrong. Ha ha. "I Have the Touch" is next, and is a really kick ass song that has been in quite a few movies. Kick ass. "Big Time" follows, yet another hit from So. Not as catchy as "Sledgehammer", but still a pretty good tune. The next song is "Zaar" from Passion: Music For The Last Temptation Of Christ. It was originally the soundtrack for the movie, then ended up becoming a full album on its own. It is mostly instrumental, and was the first album where Gabriel really leaned heavily on African music and musicians. This song seems out of place here, though, because it's such an obscure song. This one definitely should have been replaced with "In Your Eyes" because it would have given the album a phenomenal 1 - 2 punch to close the album. The final song is "Biko", a very political song about a man named Stephen Biko who was a political prisoner in South Africa in the '70s and killed in jail by guards. Awesome awesome song. This is a pretty good collection, but leaving "In Your Eyes" out, as well as not including anything from his second album, such as "On the Air" or "D.I.Y.", really hurts it overall and makes it incomplete. Other than those glaring omissions, it's a pretty good collection.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Solsbury Hill"


4. "Here Comes the Flood"


3. "Don't Give Up"


2. "Games Without Frontiers"


1. "Biko"


63. Every Breath You Take: The Singles by The Police (1986)

This album was released a few years after The Police broke up, and the original plan called for new versions of all their hit songs. In the end, they could only tolerate being around each other long enough to record one of the songs they were supposed to do, so this became a singles collection instead. It starts off with "Roxanne", unquestionably the most instantly recognizable Police song. "Can't Stand Losing You" comes next, one of their more overlooked songs, I think. Good tune. "Message In a Bottle" follows, and this song always drives my dad nuts because of the repetition at the end. Personally I think it's one of their best songs. "Walking On the Moon" is a slow song, kind of boring. "Don't Stand So Close To Me '86" is the one song the band was able to re-record, and damn I wish they hadn't. It is so shitty compared to the first one it's not even funny. Such a shit song. "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" is next, one of the silliest titles in music. Bad ass song though. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is also kick ass, just a great song. "Invisible Sun" is another pretty under rated song. Never hear this one, but it is a really good song. "Spirits In the Material World" is probably the weakest song on here, at least, the weakest of the ones that are in their original forms. It's a decent song, just kind of boring. "Every Breath You Take" is probably the most beloved Police song, and for good reason. This song is just outstanding. Love it. "King Of Pain" is also outstanding, probably my personal favorite Police song ever. Great tune. The final song is "Wrapped Around Your Finger", yet another great song. I know, repeating myself, but can't help it. These three songs are just awesome. Overall, this is a really good record. The only things I would change would be to include the original version of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" instead of the shitty remake, and include "Synchronicity II" and "So Lonely", which are both missing for some absurd reason. Other than that, it's a very solid, very complete collection.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Invisible Sun"


4. "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"


3. Wrapped Around Your Finger"


2. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"


1. "King Of Pain"

Favorite Albums: 66 - 65

66. God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies (1993)

So, usually one of the sites I use for reference gets into a ton of detail about pretty much every album. The entire review from this album reads:

Thanks to Jerry Harrison's remarkably clear and focused production, Crash Test Dummies' second album became a surprise hit. Apart from the relatively concise pop smarts of the singles "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" and "Afternoons and Coffeespoons," God Shuffled His Feet isn't all that different from the band's first album.

That's it? Really? How is it not different from The Ghosts That Haunt Me? What a lazy ass reviewer. How about mentioning that many people hadn't even heard the first album, but because of the success of this one, the first one got pretty popular, too, and "Superman's Song" became a hit over two years after it was originally released? Grrr. Lazy.
So. Anyway. This album kicks off with the title track, a pretty amusing song about the conversations at a picnic between God and some of the first people he made. Best line? "If your eye got poked out in this life, would it be waiting up in heaven with your wife?" Ha. "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" is next, a pretty decent song that became a minor hit after "MMM, MMM, MMM, MMM" but before "Superman's Song". "MMM, MMM, MMM, MMM" is next, easily the most popular Crash Test Dummies single ever. I'm sure you've heard it. "In the Days Of the Caveman" is next, a pretty dull song, really, basically about what separates humans from animals, with a bunch of camping analogies. Blah. "Swimming In Your Ocean" is pretty funny, all sorts of sexual innuendo. Good tune. "Here I Stand Before Me" Is decent, nothing great. It's basically about the human body and how it works, and... Yeah, I'm bored too. "I Think I'll Disappear now" is great, to me. It's not really the best song on the album, but it's one of my favorites, for some reason. Hard to explain. "How Does a Duck Know?" is awesome. Absolutely love this song. "When I Go Out With Artists" is pretty crappy, on the other hand. Worst song on the album. "The Psychic" is a very pretty song, great harmonies and a nice simple melody. Good tune. "Two Knights and Maidens" is another pretty song, telling the story of two knights (shocking!) who want to get it on with some maidens (shocking!) but the maidens, well, have other plans, which include drugs and tigers. Nifty stuff. The final song is an untitled minute and a half instrumental that is extremely pretty and would have been great as a full song, especially keeping it an instrumental. Good stuff. I know I'll get made fun of for liking this album, and honestly I don't care. I dig it. It's pretty good, with only two songs that I don't care for. Worth a listen, yes?
5 Best Songs:
5. "God Shuffled His Feet"


4. "MMM, MMM, MMM, MMM" (This one's kind of loud)


3. "Swimming In Your Ocean"


2. "I Think I'll Disappear Now"


1. "How Does a Duck Know?"


65. International Superhits! by Green Day (2001)

I have seriously tired of the greatest hits and singles collections, so this is going to be pretty quick. (There are only a couple more left, including each of the next two albums, but after that I think there's only one more. Sure hope so, anyway. Okay, I was wrong, just went through and counted, and there are 8 more, ten if you count the next two. Sheesh. What was I thinking?) So, this one contains everything pre-American Idiot. There really aren't any weak songs out of the 21 here, but there are some definite strong points. "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" is obviously a great song, as are "Longview", "She", and "When I Come Around". "Minority" is one of the better Green Day singles, a somewhat underrated song. The other main highlights include "Geek Stink Breath", "Nice Guys Finish Last", "Warning", and "Redundant", as well as the rockabilly tinged "Hitchin' a Ride". For me, though, the best part of the album is the one-two punch of "Brain Stew" and "Jaded". Love the slow methodical "Brain Stew" followed by the absolute chaos of "Jaded. Great stuff. I know I am being super weak on this album, and it deserves more attention than I am giving it, but I've just had an absolute shit day, and kind of just want to get it over with. Step one? finishing this so I can go read and go to bed. Anyway, there are quite a few songs on this album that I didn't even mention, but I can confidently say it is well worth checking out. Good album.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Warning"


4. "Hitchin' a Ride"


3. "Minority"


2. "She"


1. "Brain Stew/Jaded" (I know, they are two songs, but they go together pretty well and are usually even played together on the radio.)

Favorite Albums: 68 - 67

So, yeah, I'm only, what, 3 days late or so? No big deal. Ha. This is going to be a horrible entry, fair warning. 4 hours sleep since Monday does not make for a coherent mind, so.. yeah... it's not going to be pretty.

68. Twice Upon a Time

I started this on May 20th. That's how far I got. It's now May 27th. Time to quit slacking!

68. Twice Upon a Time: The Singles by Siouxsie and the Banshees (1992)

This was the second singles collection from the Banshees, and it includes every single from 1982 - 1992. From start to finish this is just an awesome collection, with one exception, which we'll get to later. It's all in chronological order, as collections like this should be, so it gives a really nice sense of how the band grew over a decade. "Fireworks" kicks things off with a bang, a very high energy song, very good. "Slowdive" is another pretty good tune. A little slower and less frantic than "Fireworks", but not much. Very similar feel, actually. "Melt!" is next, a very pretty very mellow song. Love it. Next is their cover of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence", and it is bad ass. I actually like this version more than the original, personally. Just a very good version. "Swimming Horses" is a really cool song, and not just because Robert Smith was in the band at the time. (This song, "Dear Prudence", and the next song were all from the album that Robert appeared on while The Cure were on hiatus.) Nifty tune. "Dazzle" was the song that made me like Siouxsie and the Banshees. I'd heard other stuff by them, and thought they were okay, but this is the song that made me a fan. Love it. "Overground" is a very cool atmospheric song. Dig it very much. "Cities In Dust" is one of the band's most known songs, and is a really good one. It has a nice mix of standard Siouxsie and the Banshees and pure pop, which gels better than it seems it would. "Candy Man" is a decent song, but kind of forgettable. Not bad by any means, just kind of gets lost in the shuffle. "This Wheel's On Fire" is kind of the same way. It's not quite as good as "Candy Man", but also not a bad song at all. again, just gets lost in the mix. "The Passenger" is next, another cover song, this time of the awesome Iggy Pop tune. This is another great cover, and to be quite honest, I didn't know until a few years after I got this CD that this was a cover song. Never really listened to Iggy Pop and the Stooges before. My bad. Killer song. Next up is the first song I ever heard by Siouxsie and the Banshees, at least, first one that I knew who I was listening to. "Peek-A-Boo" is just an infectiously catchy song, from the beat to the vocals to the music. Just an awesome song. "The Killing Jar" is probably the most surprisingly unappreciated Siouxsie song ever. Just a great great song. "The Last Beat Of My Heart" is next, in a live version recorded during the first Lollapalooza tour. The album version is way better, in my opinion, but the live version is still pretty kick ass. One of the most beautiful songs ever. "Kiss Them For Me" was the biggest U.S. hit for Siouxsie and the Banshees, and is still a killer song even now. "Shadowtime" is yet another one of those songs that I always forget about, then play several times in a row because I forgot how much I like it. Good stuff. "Fear (Of the Unknown)" is the only weak part of this album. The actual album version is really good, but this is some remixed dance club version that is just annoying. If they had put the regular version, it would have been much better. The final song is "Face To Face" from the Batman Returns soundtrack. It is just an unbelievably beautiful and sad and wonderful song, and still my favorite by them. Outstanding. Overall, this album rules, if you can deal with (or skip) the one truly bad song. But really, one bad song out of 18 is a pretty good ratio.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Overground"


4. "Fireworks"


3. "The Passenger"


2. "Dazzle"


1. "Face To Face"


67. Genesis by Genesis (1983)

This was the last Genesis album before they went strictly pop, containing just enough of their artsy prog rock roots to keep old fans happy, but more than enough pop whimsy to attract new fans. It was a bit too much for one nine track album to accomplish, yet it is still a really great album. It starts off with the crazy, eerie "Mama", which is seen by a lot of critics and fans as the third song in a trilogy, along with Phil Collins' two solo songs, "In the Air Tonight" and "I Don't Care Anymore". It's very similar both musically (very sparse, with heavy emphasis on the percussion for most of the song) and vocally, more chanted than sung. Good song. It's odd, though, to go from "Mama" into "That's All", because the change in mood is so stark. Yes, "That's All" is still angry lyrically, but the poppy circus like music just feels odd after "Mama". The next two songs, "Home By the Sea" and "Second Home By the Sea", are brilliant. They tell the story of someone who goes into a house (or buys it, or something) and encounters a ghost, only to become one himself, trapped in the residence for eternity. This is old school Peter Gabriel type Genesis, and it kicks ass. "Illegal Alien" is easily the worst song on this album. It isn't that bad in concept - the struggles of an illegal Latino immigrant trying to provide for his family and not get shipped out of the country. It's the way Collins sings it that makes it a bad song. He sounds like he's trying to do a bad Mexican accent, and it just comes off horribly. Bad Phil. Bad. "Taking It All Too Hard" is a really pretty break up song, like it very much. "Just a Job To Do" is the only song on this album that was not released as a single or b-side, and it was the only song from the album not played live during the tour for this album. Makes no sense on either count, because it's a really strong song, one of the best Genesis songs nobody has heard. "Silver Rainbow" is a really good song, I think, but it is always ripped by critics. I dig it. The final song is "It's Gonna Get Better", the only really hopeful song on this surprisingly dark album. It's a pretty song, and a good way to close the album out. Overall, I think this is one of the best Genesis albums around. It is fairly steady, and even with how dark the lyrics are it's really easy to listen to and get lost in. Highly recommended.
5 Best Songs:
5. "It's Gonna Get Better'


4. "Silver Rainbow"


3. "Just a Job To Do"


2. "Home By the Sea"


1. "Second Home By the Sea"

Favorite Albums: 70 -69

70. No Jacket Required by Phil Collins (1985)

Yep, yet another album from 1985. I think once this is over I am going to tally up what year each album was from, and I can almost guarantee 1985 will have the most. Only one I can think of that might come close is 1987, but that's highly doubtful. Anyway. This one starts off with "Sussudio", a pretty popular tune that helped catapult this album up the charts. (Yes, I feel like a douche for typing that sentence.) "Only You Know and I Know" is next, a decent song but kind of forgettable. "Long Long Way To Go" is very pretty ballad that has Sting sharing the vocal duties. Good song. "I Don't Wanna Know" is easily the worst song on the album. Just an overload of keyboards and no substance whatsoever. "One More Night" is one of Collins' signature ballads, a really pretty song that is heard at every school dance ever. "Don't Lose My Number" was a pretty big hit back in the day, but it really isn't played much any more because, well, it hasn't really stood the test of time. Still a decent tune if you only hear it once or twice a year, but just sounds too dated if it's played too often. "Who Said I Would" is okay, but kind of blah. "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore" is a surprisingly good song. Just kind of creeps up on you, and before you know it you're sitting there tapping your foot and humming along. Nice tune. "Inside Out" is a good song, but it seems like he couldn't decide if he wanted it to be a ballad or not. Kind of stuck in some sort of off-tempo limbo. Like it though. The final song is, in my opinion, the best one on the album. "Take Me Home" is just a bad ass song that I can listen to any day. Such a cool tune. Overall, this is a decent album. Probably shouldn't be this high on the list, but... It's here, so it's staying. Some good stuff, some bad stuff, but most of it is worthwhile.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Long Long Way To Go" (Horrid fan video using clips from a soap opera, but only one I found with a clean album version of the song.)


4. "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore"


3. "One More Night"


2. "Inside Out"


1. "Take Me Home"


69. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure (1987)

The Head On the Door was The Cure's first real attempt at making a pop album. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me took the parts that worked and made them even better. But they also experimented quite a bit, which is why Kiss Me ended up being an 18 song double album full of awesomeness. "The Kiss" starts the album off, and other than "Plainsong" on Disintegration it's my favorite album opening song from any Cure album, and top 5 for any album in general. Just a kick ass song. The anger of "The Kiss" leads into the very sweet "Catch", a very nice little song about love, loss, and regret. "Torture" swings back toward angry, but not quite as angry as "The Kiss". "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" is a very pretty song, very calm and warm, really. Good tune. "Why Can't I Be You?" is an extremely catchy and addictive song. One of the best pure pop songs The Cure has ever done. "How Beautiful You Are..." is kind of a funny song. It sounds all sweet and stuff, except that the lyrics are actually about how much he hates some woman for being so conceited. Good stuff. "The Snakepit" sounds like it should have been on an earlier album, especially The Top. Would have fit perfectly there, but seems a bit out of place here. "Hey You!" is just a quick little song that is usually only on the cassette version of the album. Fun little song. "Just Like Heaven" is just, like, awesome. I absolutely love this song still, and will never get sick of it. "All I Want" is decent, but it's my least favorite track on the album, I think. Maybe second least favorite, but up there either way. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" is another catchy pop song, and while it is pretty good, it's not quite at the same level as "Why Can't I Be You?" or "Just Like Heaven". Actually, compared to those two, it's pretty weak. "One More Time" changes the mood yet again, to a more sad, longing, "wish we could be together" kind of vibe. Very pretty song. "Like Cockatoos" is more of a narrative, weird but cool song. "Icing Sugar" is a very fast crazy song, very cool. "The Perfect Girl" should have been a single. It's a very good, very catchy song, and if they had released more songs like this, they wouldn't have been pigeonholed into the "depressing goth blah blah blah" labels they've been stuck with forever. Great song. "A Thousand Hours" is the prettiest song on the album, and probably the saddest. Mostly instrumental, the lyrics are just filled with pain, loss, and longing. Great great song. "Shiver and Shake", on the other hand, goes back to the "I hate you get out of my life" vibe that is all over the album. Not great, but not bad. "Fight" is the final song, a good tune about standing up for yourself, pretty much. This album just rules. really thought I had it higher up on the list, but apparently not. Great album, and a must have if you're a Cure fan.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Like Cockatoos"


4. "The Perfect Girl"


3. The Kiss"


2. "A Thousand Hours"


1. "Just Like Heaven"

Favorite Albums: 72 - 71

Moving right along...

72. Beelzebubba by The Dead Milkmen (1988)

This album, more than any other, reminds me of high school and skateboarding. Yeah, I was horrible at skateboarding (and at high school, really) but those were just some fun times, for the most part. (The skateboarding, not high school.) "Brat In the Frat" is a nice caustic little tune, basically just berating somebody for wanting to be like everybody else. "RC's Mom" Is a kind of funny, kind of annoying song. It's like a funk parody, almost, with lyrics about wife beating. Odd combo. "Stuart" is frigging awesome. It's basically a narrative about "what the queers are doing to our soil", and has one of my favorite lines from any song. One of the sections is talking about a kid in the neighborhood who gets a burrow owl for his birthday, and he's looking for it in a tree, and the narrator screams, "Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick! Everybody knows that a burrow owl lives in a hole in the ground! Why the Hell do you think they call it a burrow owl anyway?!?!?" Sorry, I just laugh every time I hear that part. That, and, "Pow! He was decapitated! They found his head over by the Sno-Cone concession!" Freaking hilarious song. "I Walk the Thinnest Line" is also great, talking about how he's walking the thin line between the good and bad sides of his mind. Funny song. "Sri Lanka Sex Hotel" is bad ass. I can never quite stop myself from dancing to this one. "Bad Party" is pretty crappy, really. Just a dumb song. "Punk Rock Girl" is pretty much the only Dead Milkmen song that anybody knows, and it's just a classic. Great tune. "Bleach Boys" is another fun little song, good to be-bop around the house to. "My Many Smells" is great. One of my favorite songs by them. (You'll hear that statement four more times on this album alone, and there are several others that are damn close to that level.) "Smokin' Banana Peels", on the other hand, is probably my least favorite Dead Milkmen song ever. Just annoying as hell. "The Guitar Song" is, without question, my favorite song by these guys. Just a nice simple melody, and one of the few non-funny, honest, sweet songs by them. Not a love song or anything, just a very very good song. (Each of the next two songs also fall into the "one of my favorite songs by them" category as well.) "Born To Love Volcanos" is basically a tribute to PBS fundraising auctions. Absolutely hysterical song. "Everybody's Got Nice Stuff But Me" is an awesome jealousy filled song. What makes it awesome, though, is the stuff he's jealous of. "She's got eyes of deepest blue. He's got hair that's green. Everybody's got nice stuff but me." Great. "I Against Osborne" is a hectic, frantic tune. Pretty good. "Howard Beware" is a great song about a paranoid conspiracy theorist who thinks absolutely everybody on the planet is out to get him. Love it. "Ringo Buys a Rifle" is about Ringo Starr losing his mind and going after the other Beatles, basically. Good but not great. The final song is also the final "one of my favorites by them" song. "Life Is Shit" is just amazing. Such a great song, and such a great way to close the album out. This album is just awesome. Cannot get enough of it, and hopefully I'll never tire of it. Great stuff.
5 Best Songs: (I could only find a video for one of these. Seriously????)
5. "Everybody's Got Nice Stuff But Me"
4. "My Many Smells"
3. "Born To Love Volcanos"
2. "Life Is Shit"

1. "The Guitar Song"

71. Apollo 18 by They Might Be Giants (1992)

It's kind of funny. This is very close to being my favorite TMBG album, yet the other one doesn't show up until the top 20. That's how close the albums on this list are, to me. Apollo 18 starts off with "Dig My Grave", a loud frantic song that just sets the pace for the rest of the album. It's short, just over a minute, but only three of the 18 songs are over three minutes, and there's even one shorter than this. Good song. "I Palindrome I" is great. At one point there's a section of about 15 lines that is an actual continuous palindrome. Awesome. "She's Actual Size" is pretty good also. Can get annoying after too many repeated listens, but for the most part it's a good song. "My Evil Twin" is pretty funny and pretty catchy. Good tune. "Mammal" is great, one of the best on the album, I think. Just a total nerd song, really. "The Statue Got Me High" is pretty good. Used to hate it, but it's grown on me over the years. "Spider" is a quick 50 second song, kind of annoying. "Dinner Bell" is really good. The way the verses are sung is great, with the dueling vocals and such. Fun song. "Narrow Your Eyes" has probably the best vocals on the album, as far as real singing, but it's just kind of boring. It's okay, just dull. "Hall Of Heads" has some great horns, but that's pretty much the only redeemable quality it's got. Blah. "Which Describes How You're Feeling" is a great song, but way too short at just under two minutes. The way he sings this song is great, though. Really wish it were longer. "See the Constellation" is okay, nothing special. "If I Wasn't Shy" is another song that is way too short, because it's really good, and really could be my theme song. "Turn Around" is also pretty great. Definitely a top 5 song. "Hypnotist Of Ladies" should be top 5, but probably comes in sixth. We'll see. Very good song. The next song is "Fingertips". Technically, the next 21 songs are "Fingertips". It is a collection of little snippets ranging from 4 seconds to one minute one second. Basically, this song was designed with the "shuffle" feature on CD players in mind. Remember, in '92, this was still kind of a big thing. Basically, it makes it so that if you threw the CD on shuffle you'd never hear the same album twice. Brilliant concept, and brilliantly executed, because even as a whole, these 21 snippets make a pretty interesting and fun song. The final song is "Space Suit", a nice little instrumental. Good closing song. Overall, this album is just kick ass. Absolutely love it, and absolutely recommend it.
8 Best Songs: (going 8 since there was only 1 video for the other album.)
8. "The Guitar"


7. "Which Describes How You're Feeling"


6. "Hypnotist Of Ladies"


5. "Fingertips"


4. "If I Wasn't Shy"


3. "Turn Around"


2. "Mammal"


1. "Dinner Bell"

Favorite Albums: 74 - 73

74. Automatic For the People by R.E.M. (1992)

This was the follow up to Out Of Time, and it is so vastly superior to that album that it's almost unfair to compare the two. Obviously, "Everybody Hurts" was an extremely popular song, but there was so much other good stuff on this album. It kicks off with "Drive", a very slow and plodding song. As bad ass as the album version is, the live version is a little better. It's faster, more driving, more urgent. Both versions are great though. "Try Not To Breathe" is a pretty song, very lovely, except that the lyrics are about an elderly person trying to end their life. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" is one of the best true pop songs R.E.M. has ever recorded. The lyrics are absolute nonsense, but the music is great, and it actually sounds like they are having fun recording it. Great song. "Everybody Hurts" is next, and while it is indeed a good song, much like "Losing My Religion" I think it's a bit overrated. It's not the masterpiece everyone claims it is, and it's not even the best song on this album, to be quite honest. Still good, though, and the video is one of my favorites, but it's just not an "all time great" song. "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" is, as the title implies, an instrumental. Quick little pretty song. "Sweetness Follows" is an absolutely amazing song. Just amazing. "Monty Got a Raw Deal" is pretty good. I kind of go through phases with this one on liking it and hating it. No real reason why, it just happens. "Ignoreland" is decent but I can't listen to it after a while. Again, no real reason why, just starts to get on my nerves. "Star Me Kitten" was originally supposed to be called "Fuck Me Kitten", but Warner Bros. told the band that they couldn't put the f-bomb on the cover, so it would just read "**** Me Kitten". So, they just changed it from "Fuck" to "Star". True story. Good song. "Man On the Moon" is an exceptional song. Because of its success, R.E.M. did the entire soundtrack to the film of the same name. Both are about Andy Kaufman, obviously, and both are great, I think. This is one of Michael Stipe's best vocal performances, and probably would be the best if it weren't for the horrid attempts at Elvis impersonations. Ill conceived, there. "Nightswimming" is a gorgeous song, Mostly piano and strings, with a little oboe thrown in for good measure. Th lyrics are a tad repetitive, but if that's the only weakness in the song, so be it. "Find the River" closes out this awesome album. It's a nice relaxing song, and brings a bit of hope at the end of what is undoubtedly R.E.M.'s most depressing album. Great ending to a great album.
5 Best Songs:
5. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"


4. "Try Not To Breathe"


3. "Nightswimming"


2. "Man On the Moon"


1. "Sweetness Follows"


73. Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads (1984)

Classic live album, one of the most widely heralded out there. The set list is a bit out of order from what it was at the actual show, and as it is in the movie version, but for the most part it's extremely well done, if a little over produced. It starts off with "Psycho Killer", one of the greatest Talking Heads songs ever. Outstanding live, too, as it's just David Byrne with an acoustic guitar and a recorded rhythm section. Kicks ass. "Swamp" is next, and this is really the only weak spot on the album. Just a boring song. "Slippery People" is a pretty decent song, one that I kind of forget how good it is until I hear it again. From this point on, the album just gets epic. "Burning Down the House" is awesome here, probably the best version I've ever heard. "Girlfriend Is Better" is classic, awesome keyboards, awesome vocals, great song. "Once In a Lifetime" is also amazing here. Again, best version of this song I've heard, as well. "What a Day That Was" is stellar, absolutely perfect version of a really cool song. "Life During Wartime" became my favorite Talking Heads song for a while after I got this album. Love love love love love it. "Take Me To the River" closes out the album, a very good song to end on, bringing it to a smooth close. Overall, this album is a classic. It definitely deserves all the praise it gets. Now, I just have to get the double album version that came out a couple years ago that has the full concert in order on it. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Girlfriend Is Better"


4. "Burning Down the House"


3. "Life During Wartime"


2. "Once In a Lifetime"


1. "Psycho Killer"

Favorite Albums: 76 - 75

Hot damn! After these two, we are officially at the half way point! Why didn't I start this at 100 again? Oh well. Not going to get done any faster sitting here bitching.

76. Bloodflowers by The Cure (2000)

For some reason this album took me a long time to start enjoying. Like, four or five years. And I really don't get why I disliked it so much, because this album sounds closer to Disintegration than anything else they've recorded, and I love that album. Anyway. "Out Of This World" is the opener, a very slow, somber song, very pretty. Not necessarily the best song to start an album with, but not the worst by any means. "Watching Me Fall" is a bit more up tempo, with very biting lyrics, and clocks in at over 11 minutes. Really good song. "Where the Birds Always Sing" is good, but a little bland. Could have been better. "Maybe Someday" is bad ass, very driving, even though it's slower paced. Really well done song. "The Last Day Of Summer" is one of the more upbeat songs on the album, musically, at least. Pretty somber lyrics, but very pretty music. "There Is No If..." is amazing. Very understated music, very powerful lyrics, and the only song on the album under 5 minutes. Great song. "The Loudest Sound" is one of my absolute favorite Cure songs. It's just an insanely sad song, about two lovers who have nothing left to say to each other. Just a brilliant song. "39" is a very very angry song. Really hate filled. Good tune. "Bloodflowers" closes out the album. It's slow, but keeps that angry vibe, but throwing in the faintest hint of hope. Overall, this album is one of the more solid albums The Cure have recorded. There really aren't any bad spots, just a very even, steady album. Two thumbs up.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Out Of This World"


4. "Maybe Someday"


3. "39"


2. "There Is No If..."


1. "The Loudest Sound"


75. Gordon by Barenaked Ladies (1992)

The official debut album by Barenaked Ladies is one of the best debuts by any band not named Nirvana or Smashing Pumpkins. It kicks off with "Hello City", which right off the bat introduces BNL's signature harmonies. "Enid" and "Grade 9" are both pretty much trying to be high school anthems of a sort, the former about not getting the girl of choice, the latter about not fitting in. Both are pretty good. "Brian Wilson" is one of BNL's most beloved songs, and for good reason. Just a great song. "Be My Yoko Ono" took a while to grow on me, and I'm still not a huge fan of it, but it's pretty well written overall. "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" is an extremely pretty song that I forget about sometimes. Good tune. "What a Good Boy" is fantastic, one of their best songs. "The King Of Bedside Manor" is probably the funniest song on this album. All sorts of innuendos and double meanings and such. Pretty good. "Box Set" uses the idea of a musical box set being used to describe a failed relationship from beginning to end, with each "disc" being a chapter in the relationship. Pretty clever, but kind of a rip off of "Every Day I Write the Book" by Elvis Costello. Still a good song, though. "I Love You" is a funny jazzy little number, a fun listen. "New Kid (On the Block)" is kind of blah. Tries to be funnier than it is, and just comes out sounding somewhat forced. "Blame It On Me" is another slow pretty song, with some pretty funny lines. Good tune, but could have been better. "The Flag" is a surprisingly sad song on an otherwise extremely up beat album. Very very good song. "If I Had $1,000,000" is, well, the trademark song of Barenaked Ladies. If you don't know this song, shame on you. Shame. Ha ha. "Crazy" closes out the album on a fun note, very cool song. This is just a great album. Very mellow, very good to just throw on while your reading a book, or if you want to dance around. Nice balance of styles and rhythms. Good times.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Crazy"


4. "The Flag"


3. "I Love You"


2. "Brian Wilson"


1. "What a Good Boy"