Favorite Albums: 80 - 79

Alrighty then. Finally got the fussy little man to sleep, now back to work.
I was having some YouTube issues while getting the videos, so leave a comment below if they are messed up and I'll put different ones up.

80. The Best Of O.M.D. by O.M.D. (1988)

This is one of the greatest "Best Of" albums ever, hands down. While most people only know one, maybe two songs by OMD, they were one of the best synth pop bands of the '80s, and this is a perfect compilation of their career. Nothing here that shouldn't be and, more importantly, nothing missing. "Electricity" is the first song, a super catchy addictive tune. Very good for a debut single. Next is "Messages", a bit slower, but a bit better than "Electricity". It's the first song where they truly show off their vocal range. "Enola Gay" almost sounds like a mixture of the previous two songs, but not like a copy. Something that pretty much defines this album and their career, really. They never stray too wildly from their comfort zone, just hammering out great, consistent music. "Souvenir" is the first of several straight slower ballad-type songs, although none are actually ballads. It's a really pretty song, though. "Joan Of Arc" is bad ass, just a great song. "Maid Of Orleans" is almost a sequel, still singing about Joan Of Arc, and is also pretty kick ass. "Tesla Girls" gets back to the upbeat music, a pretty good tune as well. "Locomotion" is probably the weakest song here, I think, but it's at least tolerable. "Talking Loud and Clear" is another slower pretty song, great mix of soft vocals and somewhat subdued yet aggressive music. Hard to explain. "Secret" is an amazing song. I'd never heard it before I got this album, and I've loved it since the first time I listened to it. Just a great tune. "If You Leave" is next, and I know you all know how great that song is. Classic. "(Forever) Live and Die" follows, and this song should really have been a hit for these guys. Love this one, too. Next is the other song you've probably heard by them, "Dreaming". You'll remember it when you hear it in a minute or two. "We Love You (12" Version)" and the final song, "La Femme Accident (12"Version)" are remixes of earlier singles, both pretty popular in dance clubs at the time, and both of these versions reflect that dance club vibe. Overall, in case I haven't clarified, I love this album. I'll never get sick of it, and can't imagine a time when I won't own it. Love it.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Dreaming"


4. "Enola Gay"


3. "If You Leave"


2. "(Forever) Live and Die"


1. "Secret"


79. X by INXS (1990)

This one kicks off with the two big singles. "Suicide Blonde" is first, and includes one of the most awesome harmonica parts ever. "Disappear" is next, the far superior single. Excellent song. "The Stairs" should have been a single, plain and simple. This was one of the best INXS songs ever, and it's baffling why they didn't release it. "Faith In Each Other" on the other hand is pretty bland. Just sounds kind of generic. "By My Side" is awesome also. Take what I said for "The Stairs" and apply it here. From here on out, the album just gets kind of average, the only reason it's not higher. "Lately" sounds like they were trying to write another song around the guitar riff from "Devil Inside" on Kick. "Who Pays the Price" and "Know the Difference" are both decent, but too similar to really be notable. "Bitter Tears" is pretty good, saving the last half of the album from total mediocrity. "On My Way" sounds like "Faith In Each Other", almost like they're the same song with slightly altered words. The final song, "Hear That Sound", is better than most of the songs on the tail end of the album, but still not great. Basically, coming off the success of Kick, this album just feels a tad too rushed, like they wanted to keep their name out there while people were still talking about them. The thing is, though, there were three years between the two albums, the longest between any INXS albums to that point. They really should have tried to broaden their sound a bit more. Nothing too excessive that would drive away the new fans they'd earned, just enough to keep things interesting and keep X from sounding like a poor man's Kick.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Suicide Blonde"


4. "Bitter Tears"


3. "Disappear"


2. "By My Side"


1. "The Stairs"

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 List: 132 - 129

I am breezing through these 4 because I really want to be done with these damned Greatest Hits collections. So, not anywhere near as in depth as they could (should?) be, sorry. Just really really really want to get these over with.

132. The Hits by Garth Brooks (1994)

The only country album on this list, and actually the only country album I own. (Sorry, I don't consider Johnny Cash country. More rockabilly than anything, for the most part, except for his gospel albums.) There are 18 songs here, and 14 of those 18 were #1 on the Billboard country chart. Don't really know what to say about it... I really like this album, but as far as his regular albums go, I think there was only one that I could actually listen to. He also put on one of the coolest concerts I've ever been to, so I guess that counts for something?
5 Best Songs:
5. "The River"
4. "Shameless"
3. "The Dance"
2. "Standing Outside the Fire"
1. "Unanswered Prayers"

"The Dance"


"Standing Outside the Fire"


"Unanswered Prayers" (Video is cheesy, so I suggest just listening, not watching.)


131. The Best Of INXS by INXS (2002)

I am definitely not getting into this one too much because the two albums that are featured most prominently, Kick and X, both appear later in the list. Really the only song that I can think of that is missing from this CD is "The Stairs." Other than that, every big INXS song is here. (Not that "The Stairs" was a huge hit, it was just one of their better songs.) The only bad thing about this CD is the jumbled order. Would have been a lot better going chronologically, although I can understand opening with "Need You Tonight." Great compilation, though.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Not Enough Time"
4. "Devil Inside"
3. "By My Side"
2. "Disappear"
1. "Never Tear Us Apart"

"By My Side"


"Disappear"


"Never Tear Us Apart"


130. Greatest Hits by James Taylor (1976)

This is a great album to fall asleep to. Not because it's boring, which I don't think it is, but just because it's so peaceful. From start to finish it is a very solid collection of Taylor's early work, except for the final track, "Steamroller," which is just a piece of crap. Taylor is without question one of the great songwriters, and this was pretty much him at his best.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Mexico"
4. "Something In the Way She Moves"
3. "Sweet Baby James"
2. "Shower the People"
1. "Fire and Rain"

"Sweet Baby James"


"Shower the People"


"Fire and Rain"


129. Substance by New Order (1987)

Technically, this is a singles collection, not Greatest Hits, but it pretty much passes for both. This is basically 24 of the best club songs of the '80s all in one spot, all by one band. This one took a while to grow on me, I must admit. But once it did, I really learned to appreciate it. The opening track, "Ceremony," is a beautiful song, and was actually written while the band was still Joy Division. The four most well known New Order songs are here, of course, and they all sound just as good now as they did back then. (Those would be "Blue Monday" "Perfect Kiss" "Bizarre Love Triangle" and "True Faith.") Most of the songs are a bit on the long side, with 18 of the 24 being over 5 minutes long, but surprisingly the album doesn't really drag on at any point. Granted, for a lot of people a lot of the songs sound the same, but the vast majority of the album is very good.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Blue Monday"
4. "Confusion"
3. "True Faith"
2. "Ceremony"
1. "Bizarre Love Triangle"

"True Faith"


"Ceremony"


"Bizarre Love Triangle"