A Pistol Hot Cup Of Rhyme

This may end up being a horrible post, because I am in a ton of pain right now, and I didn't sleep well last night. Let's find out together, shall we?
And wow. These two albums could not be much more different.

78. Korn by Korn (1994)

I used to HATE this album. An old friend got it when it first came out, and it was all he ever listened to for a few months straight. Got really annoying. It wasn't until about 5 or 6 years ago that I finally got it, and now I love it. Starts off with "Blind", an amazing song to start an album with. Love the way it just starts with the cymbals, then the other instruments slowly join in, then it just explodes. Great song. "Ball Tongue" Is a nice pounding number, very good. "Need To" is relentlessly driving, a very solid song. "Clown" is bad ass. Just an awesome song. "Divine" is decent, but not great. "Faget" is just filled with all sorts of issues. Good song, but gets a bit annoying sometimes. "Shoots and Ladders" is freaking awesome. When we got married, this was the song Holley and I got introduced to at the reception. (The rest of the wedding party got introduced to "Sober" by Tool. Ha!) Second favorite Korn song ever, behind "A.D.I.D.A.S.", and it's a very close second. "Predictable" is probably the worst song on this album. Kind of sounds like he's trying to sound like Chris Cornell singing. Not a terrible song, just blah. "Fake" is a pretty slow song, especially for Korn. Nice change of pace. "Lies" is decent, but by this point in the album I get kind of bored and everything starts sounding the same. "Helmet In the Bush" couldn't possibly be about sex, could it? Ha. Good solid tune. "Daddy" closes the album on a creepy disturbing note. It's a really good song, but... Damn is it creepy. I guess, for me, waiting and giving this album a second chance was worth it. I know a lot of people like a lot of their albums a lot more, but for me, this one's the best. Good shit.
5 Best Songs:
5. "Ball Tongue"

4. "Need To"

3. "Clown"

2. "Blind"

1. "Shoots and Ladders"

77. Lawn Boy by Phish (1991)

On the other end of the spectrum, you have this album. Wow does this bring back my stoner days. "The Squirming Coil" starts it off, a very mellow tune. Love to just sit and listen to a thunderstorm with this one on. "Reba" is a bit over 12 minutes long, incorporating the jam sessions Phish are known for. Never in that 12 minutes does it get boring. Great tune. "My Sweet One", by contrast, is just over two minutes, a very fast paced song, and one of the best on the album. "Split Open and Melt" is the only song that keeps this album from being top 50. It's just such a crap song. "The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony" is a quick little instrumental, just under two minutes. Fun little song. "Bathtub Gin" is a pretty funny song about, well, making some kind of drink in the bathtub. Pretty good. "Run Like an Antelope" clocks in just shy of 10 minutes. It's almost all instrumental, and is a seriously awesome song. Just outstanding. "Lawn Boy" is the song I always forget about, and I'm always pleasantly surprised when it comes on. Nice mellow jazzy number, very good song. The closer is "Bouncing Around the Room", my absolute favorite Phish song ever. I can just listen to this song over and over, it's just awesome. This is easily my favorite Phish album. For a while there I liked Rift as much, if not more, but this one has become the one I judge all the rest of their music by. Great album.
5 Best Songs:
5. "My Sweet One"

4. "Reba"

3. "Lawn Boy"

2. "Run Like an Antelope"

1. "Bouncing Around the Room"

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"