Favorite Albums: 126 - 125

126. Live Baby Live by INXS (1991)

So, it's kind of funny. One of the websites I use as reference for this list really hates this album. They call it "lifeless" and "a thoroughly unengaging affair and the worst record INXS have recorded." Ringing endorsement, that one. Apparently, they would have been happier had the band missed half the notes musically and gotten most of the words wrong. I dunno, call me crazy, but I'd rather hear the songs and actually be able to sing along with them. Not getting into this one too much either, because like the Greatest Hits album this one leans heavily on Kick and X for material, especially since it was recorded during the tour for X. Recorded live at Wembley Stadium for the video, the album included versions of songs from Rio as well.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Mystify"
4. "New Sensation"
3. "Devil Inside"
2. "The Stairs"
1. "Need You Tonight/Mediate"

"Devil Inside"


"The Stairs"


"Need You Tonight/Mediate"


125. Some Great Reward by Depeche Mode (1984)

This was pretty much Depeche Mode's breakthrough album in the U.S., mostly because of the song "People Are People." It includes one of the band's most beautiful songs ever, "Somebody," as well as one of their most cynical, "Blasphemous Rumours." "Somebody" is all about wanting somebody to love, and at points is almost too sweet, but in the end is just a great song. "Blasphemous Rumours," on the other hand, is a very bitter song about a girl who tries to kill herself and fails, then once she embraces life and finds Jesus (didn't know he was lost - ha ha), gets hit by a car and dies. "Master and Servant" is a lovely little S & M tune, filled with sexual tension from start to finish. "Something To Do," the album's opener, is a pretty aggressive song for Depeche Mode, at least at this stage of their career. The four lesser known tracks on this album ("Lie To Me" "It Doesn't Matter" "Stories Of Old" and "If You Want") do well to keeping the flow of the album moving pretty steadily, and are all pretty solid songs in their own right. Definitely the best Depeche Mode album prior to Music For the Masses.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Stories Of Old"
4. "Somebody"
3. "If You Want"
2. "Something To Do"
1. "Blasphemous Rumours"

"If You Want"


"Something To Do" (The intro part is actually music from "Master and Servant")


"Blasphemous Rumours"


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Favorite Albums: 146 - 145

146. Greatest Hits '93 - '03 by 311 (2004)

These guys have always been, for me, one of those "background music" type bands. Hear them all the time, but don't pay that much attention to them. Therefore, this is the only album I've ever bought of theirs. It's a good album for the "casual" fan like me, having all their popular singles as well as some decent less popular songs. I originally bought this album for their cover version of "Love Song" by The Cure, from the 50 First Dates soundtrack, and wasn't expecting to know more than a handful of other songs. Which is pretty much what happened. Only knew 7 out of 17 songs. And, to be quite honest, they are still pretty much the only ones I know. I tend to just skip to those 7 songs and not really listen to the rest unless I'm just cleaning or something. Oh well. And yeah, this band puts on a hell of a concert. And the multitudes of women flashing their breasts put on a hell of a show, also. Ha. Seriously. I have never seen that many flashers at a concert. Unreal amounts of boobage.
5 Best Songs:
5. "All Mixed Up"
4. "Down"
3. "Come Original"
2. "Love Song"
1. "Do You Right"

"Come Original"


"Love Song"


"Do You Right"
Video's a bit off from the music, but it's still funny seeing how young and hip-hop they were trying to be.


145. The Singles - 1986>1998 by Depeche Mode (1998)

Of the two Depeche Mode singles collections, this one is the more substantial one. It's a toss up, though, as far as which one is actually better, since they've had so many great singles. This one spans their albums from Black Celebration through Ultra, including their two biggest U.S. albums, Music For the Masses and Violator. It starts off with "Stripped," one of their better songs and one of Dave Gahan's stronger vocal performances up to that point, which is followed by "A Question Of Lust," one of the most epic songs Martin Gore has ever written or sung. Obviously "Personal Jesus" is included, but it's one of only a couple weak songs. And while I've never personally been a fan of Ultra, most of the 5 songs from that album that are included here are at least decent. For the most part, this is just a very good collection. The 2003 box set The Singles - 1981>1998, which includes both singles collections, is obviously the definitive collection, but for those who aren't really fans of the earlier Depeche Mode music, this is obviously the way to go.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Never Let Me Down Again"
4. "Condemnation"
3. "Stripped"
2. "A Question Of Lust"
1. "Enjoy the Silence"

"Stripped"


"A Question Of Lust"
The sound is kind of low on this one.


"Enjoy the Silence"
Shitty fan video, just one image the entire time, but it's the album version, not a remix or live version, so it wins.


Well, that's it for now. So far so good on keeping with the schedule I wanted for this one, so yay for that. We'll see after it's been more than one week though. Ha ha.