#66: Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

Emily: Before Cat Stevens was known for being Yusuf Islam, he was known for his distinct brand of folk-rock. Tea for the Tillerman exemplifies this sound. The quiet grace of classic folk is mixed with rock guitars and worldly lyrics. Although this may sound like a bunch of conflicting elements, each is handled with masterful subtlety that works to convey a sense of power and gravity. Sometimes it comes across a bit too softly, but that may just be because I've only listened to the album one. The intricacies and layers to this album definitely necessitate multiple listens.
Favorite Tracks: But I Might Die Tonight; Hard Headed Woman; Wild World

Zack: I was lucky enough to see the artist-formerly-known-as-Cat-Stevens while attending the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington D.C. last October and it is one of those experiences that I will treasure forever. At the time he was doing a duet/battle with Ozzy Osbourne, so I only got to hear about half of his signature Peace Train, but it was still magical. Yusuf, as he is going by now, is a folk icon approaching the level of the Dylans, Youngs, and Simons of the world. While he has not received quite the same level of recognition, his soft sound is attractive to the ear and inspires the listener to invest in tie-dye and headbands.
Favorite Tracks: Wild World; But I Might Die Tonight; Miles From Nowhere

#65: Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (1986)

Zack: In high school, I took a drawing class where we were allowed to listen to the radio while we worked. One day, a Beastie Boys song came on and a kid who sat in front of me that described himself as "really into rap music" said that he hated stuff like this and that this "shit" was killing rap music. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I promptly remained absolutely silent because he was probably about 100 lbs. heavier than me and I could not confirm how much of that weight was muscle and how much was just useless fat. Still, had I had the balls to tell him off, I would have told him just how wrong he was. First off, as you can read by the handy dandy years we include with each entry, this album well precedes the emergence of popular hip-hop as we know it. In fact, this is the foundations of rap music, although it seems that about half of rap fans don't want to admit it. So it's impossible for it to be killing rap music when it is the very womb that gave birth to rap music. For those of you who are still sticking with me despite the image of Mike D sprawled out on a hospital bed with a doctor staring at his crotch, let me continue. The Beastie Boys are just plain chill. They write rhymes about partying and girls and just hanging out with their friends. They use very simple beats to complement this subject matter. Furthermore, they never take themselves too seriously, leading to a fun and pleasant listening experience overall.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Emily: I was so surprised when I found out that this album is from 1986. The Beastie Boys' sound is so innovative and different that I thought it was at least 10 years newer than it actually is. The Beasties don't take themselves too seriously, and that's what makes them great. Mix some laid-back, relateable lyrics with bouncy music and more than a bit of snark, and these three Jewish boys came up with a hip-hop classic. Put this on during any party, and I guarantee that everyone will start rapping and dancing along.
Favorite Tracks: Fight for Your Right; Girls; Brass Monkey

#64: Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule (1989)

Emily: Lenny Kravitz is cool and funky and all sorts of badass, and on this debut album this is already apparent. He knows his sound - funk rock with a lot of guitar soloing - but that's not to say the entire album sounds the same. He keeps it interesting by mixing up the tempo and theme throughout. Sincere, slowed-down love songs retain a hard-rock edge, and commentary on racism is delivered with funk and a sense of humor. Overall this is a solid debut from a very talented (yet sometimes underrated) artist and musician.
Favorite Tracks: Let Love Rule; Rosemary; Fear

Zack: One of the biggest criticisms of Lenny Kravitz is that he is "just ripping off Jimi Hendrix." As a raving lunatic of a Hendrix fan and a casual enjoyer of Lenny Kravitz, I feel confident reporting that that is a load of bullshit. Why are their sounds familiar? Because they are both part black? DISCRIMINATION!!!!!!! Kravitz may draw some influence from the works of Hendrix, but what contemporary guitarist hasn't? Furthermore, why am I asking so many questions in this review? Do I expect you to answer them? I don't even know anymore. Anyway, Lenny kills it on this album. He brings all the funk and kickass-ness that we've come to expect from him over the years and he does it in a way that is just oh so groovy.
Favorite Tracks: Let Love Rule; Mr. Cab Driver; Blues for Sister Someone

#63: Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

(The original album art, where the beam of white light is actually a lit joint)

Zack: I've listened to this album like a gajillion times and there is really nothing quite like it. Plain and simple, it's just a phenomenon. When I was growing up and first started raiding my dad's Pink Floyd collection, I was shocked to find he didn't have this one. When I asked him about it, he said that since every song got radio play back in the day, it didn't make sense for him to buy it since it was only going to be a bunch of songs he'd already heard. Part of the reason all the songs were played is that it's easily the most listener-friendly of all Pink Floyd's works - as evidenced by the shorter track lengths - but still keeps that distinctive Floyd sound. You don't need to really crawl into Floyd as a band to enjoy it. It helps, but it's far from necessary. It's the kind of album that will simply blow your mind. But then at the end, your mind is reconstructed into a different shape altogether. It's like you go in and your mind is all pink and lobey but then you listen to the album and then it's green and orange polka dots and looks like a giraffe and you're all like "Holy shit! How did this happen!" If you're curious as to what exactly I'm talking about, then go forth and learn for yourself.
Favorite Tracks: Us and Them; Brain Damage; Money

Emily: I'm a bit ashamed to say that I had never listened to Dark Side of the Moon before today. Zack loves Pink Floyd, and one of my best friends tried to get me into them a few years back too. Nothing ever stuck. I just wasn't interested. After this one listen, however, I realized that I've been missing out. This album's psychedelic sound is innovative and different, yet still listener friendly. It's not a bunch of 10-minute long sonic opuses (opi?), but rather concise tracks that seamlessly flow into each other. I feel like it has to be listened to in its entirety - just picking out a track or two certainly will not do Pink Floyd or this iconic album justice.
Favorite Tracks: Brain Damage; Time; Eclipse

#62: The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)

Emily: The best concept albums are those that seamlessly flow from track to track, where the listener cannot distinguish where one chapter ends and another begins. The Mars Volta accomplish this on their debut album. Even though the lyrics are difficult to understand, the cohesiveness of the music reveals a story. The guitar and vocal sounds work together to create a dark mood, portraying emotions from anger to insanity to depression. Long tracks interspersed with short musical bursts give a unique pace to the album that further relates to the story. This album is complex both musically and thematically, which is a definitely major accomplishment for a debut.
Favorite Tracks: Eriatarka; This Apparatus Must be Unearthed; Inertiatic ESP

Zack: It's a very interesting title for a very interesting album. The "comatorium" corresponds to the fact that the album follows the story of a young man who overdoses on drugs and goes into a week long coma where he battles his own  mind. When he wakes up, he commits suicide by jumping off a bridge into traffic. Isn't Wikipedia great, folks. I haven't listened to much prog rock in my day, so I can't compare this to anything else. As it stands, I liked it a lot. It was smooth with blasts of powerful and stressed guitar rifts. More importantly, this is the 100th album from the list that I've listened to! True, the other 38 don't really count until we publish the reviews, but still. I couldn't do it without myself. I'm a true inspiration to myself.
Favorite Tracks: This Apparatus Must be Unearthed; Eriatarka; Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)

#61: The Cure - Disintegration (1989)

Zack: The Cure are a band like none other. At least not any band I've ever heard. The sincerity in delivery of the lyrics coupled with simplistic instrumentation has always made them stand out to to me. When I hear The Cure, I hear poetry. The words just seem to have been jotted down by a teenage Robert Smith into a journal late at night in his room, possibly while drinking absinthe. Of all the songs on this album, the one that sticks out to me most is Lullaby. Lullaby is more than my favorite song of this album, it is my favorite Cure song period...as of right now at least (2 more albums on the list could definitely change that). It's about being devoured by a giant spider. Now, you may be wondering "Zack, didn't you say the song was called Lullaby?" Your abso-fuckin-lutely right I did. That's the ironic part of the song. And no, I don't mean ironic in a douchey hipster way, but an actually correct use of the word ironic. A song about a nightmare called Lullaby. Take notes, future English majors.
Favorite Tracks: Lullaby; Lovesong; The Same Deep Water as You

Emily: I tend to notice music over lyrics upon first listening to an album. The Cure tend to be more lyrics-based, so the first thing I thought of when listening to Disintegration was "ambiance." The music has a dark, understated tone that fits the theme of the lyrics without overpowering them. It simply sets the mood that the lyrics project. Nearly every song begins with an instrumental introduction, which well served this mood-setting purpose. You can get a sense of the underlying emotion without even hearing one word. To truly understand this emotion, however, this album certainly deserves multiple listens. The lyrics are sometimes difficult to understand, but I think it would be well worth the time to decipher and discover their deeper meaning.
Favorite Tracks: Lovesong; Pictures of You; Disintegration

#60: Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool (1957)

Zack: Damn this album is cool. It’s so cool that it is often cited as the defining album for the then-emerging subgenre of cool jazz. The typical characteristics of cool jazz are a more robust collection of instruments and shorter songs: both traits that I am a fan of. The larger group of musicians leads to a more dynamic sound based around the inclusion of a massive horn section coupled with strong supplementary performances by the bass, piano, and drum sections. It is all led by Davis’s famous trumpet. While there are multiple trombone or sax players, the power of that trumpet was so great that only one is needed to fill that need. As for the shorter songs, I find it very helpful. Technological innovation has reduced the average person’s attention span, making it difficult to sit through an eight minute tuba solo in the middle of a sixteen minute track. The smaller length makes the album seem more modern and makes it easily translatable to our futuristic world.

Favorite Tracks: Darn That Dream; Boplicity; Israel

Emily: One thing I have learned from this album: cool jazz is NOT the same thing as smooth jazz. You see, my dad used to love playing the smooth jazz station on the radio every time we were in the car until they took it off the air a few years ago. I thought it was boring and elevator-y, with a lot of Kenny G going on. For a bit I thought this album would be like that. Thankfully, I was wrong. Cool jazz, and this album, is exactly what it purports to be - modern-sounding jazz that is simply cool. Jazz's signature improvisation is present, but the hallmark of this album is all of the musicians (9 of them, including Davis) working together to create a seamless, effortless jazz sound.

Favorite Tracks: Deception; Israel; Boplicity

#59: Iggy Pop - Lust for Life (1977)

Zack: Before listening to the song Turn Blue, I had no idea that Jesus was on a first name basis with Iggy Pop. I expected to hear him say “Jesus, this is Mr. Pop to you” or something along those lines. I gotta say, that upped J-Dawgs cred in my mind and made Iggy seem a tad more sensitive than his rock hard abs would suggest. Lust for Life is an interesting combination of the garage rock/protopunk sound typical of a Stooges album mixed with the sound that David Bowie brings to the table as a producer. It’s rebellious and rocking while at the same time sophisticated in its craftsmanship. It’s catchy and cool and that makes it a perfect album to jam to.

Favorite Tracks: The Passenger; Lust for Life; Turn Blue

Emily: Iggy Pop just embodies the sense of cool that is garage rock. Even to this day, he's up on stage singing and pumping up the crowd. Shirtless. At age 63. That's pretty badass. This album may be a few decades old, but it still sounds modern and cool. The music is catchy but not poppy, and hard-rocking but not too serious. Add some uniquely Bowie songwriting with Pop's sometimes-dark lyrics, and you end up with an awesome rock album that embodies a certain, shall we say, lust for life.

Favorite Tracks: Turn Blue; Lust for Life; Fall in Love With Me

#58: The Kinks - Face to Face (1966)

Zack: The Kinks are at their coolest when they’re singing about hooking up with trannies. Unfortunately, that is not this album. Face to Face marks a real exploration by the chief songwriter, Ray Davies. As random as it is, my dad loves Ray Davies. He has a bunch of Kinks albums as well as a lot of Ray’s solo works, and has seen him perform solo. As you can probably guess, I’ve been exposed to The Kinks from the time I was little. To me, they’ve always seemed like a halfway point between The Beatles and The Who. Their music is socially conscious like The Who, but it isn’t as rebellious and is delivered in a way that is more akin to the pop stylings of The Beatles’ earlier works. Overall, this formula makes for an enjoyable listen, but the album is in no way overwhelming.

Favorite Tracks: Sunny Afternoon; Rosie Won’t You Please Come Home; Fancy

Emily: On its own, this album is nothing special. But as a part of the total Kinks discography, it is a transformative piece for the band. It was the first for which Ray Davies wrote all of the music, and the first where they shied away from the classic rock-and-roll that made them famous. It's a good first step. The songs are consistent and cohesive, but none really stand out with a huge "wow" factor. Davies' songwriting is clever, sarcastic, and socially relevant, which is what really sets the Kinks apart and makes this album worth a listen.

Favorite Tracks: Sunny Afternoon; I'll Remember; Rosie Won't You Please Come Home

#57: Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998)

Emily: I first heard Fatboy Slim when The Rockafeller Skank was the background music for one of my gymnastics recitals. We called it Funk Soul Brothers, and I absolutely hated it. I was 8. Eleven years and much more music exposure later, that hatred is gone. I'm not a huge fan of Fatboy Slim or the genre, but this album was much more enjoyable than our last foray into dance music. It had its moments of irritation, but also its moments where I wanted to get up and dance. This album would make a good party soundtrack. Who knows, maybe next time I'll bust out some of my old gymnastics moves.
Favorite Tracks: Praise You; The Rockafeller Skank; Right Here Right Now

Zack: While this album didn’t completely change my mind on beat music, it did go a long way, baby. I found it to be catchy and fun, as opposed to the weird and annoying sensation I usually get when I listen to this particular genre. It may help that I’ve heard some of these songs before (familiarity breeds comfort, after all), but I think that I enjoyed it solely because it is really a good album. Besides, anyone who makes a music video with Christopher Walken is a-okay in my book.

Favorite Tracks: The Rockafeller Skank; Praise You; Soul Surfing

#56: Muddy Waters - At Newport (1960)

Zack: One of the things that has me excited about this project of ours is listening to some good old blues music. I am an occasional blues listener but I’ve never had the incentive to sit down and really submerge myself in the genre. Unfortunately, the list does not include that many blues album (one of the few complaints I have), but the stuff that does make the cut is all by some of the most renowned bluesmen of all time. This particular album happens to be a perfect sampling of what the blues is all about. It’s about an even split between the traditional slowed down, depressing songs that most people associate with the genre (Soon Forgotten, Goodbye Newport Blues) with the faster paced tracks (Tiger in Your Tank, I’ve Got My Mojo Working 1&2). Instrumentation prominence varies from track to track and included the staples of guitar, bass, drums, piano, and harmonica. Overall, this album is a strong representation of blues music and a great choice for a first time blues listener.

Favorite Tracks: I’ve Got My Mojo Working Part 2; Soon Forgotten; Goodbye Newport Blues

Emily: I've never listened to much blues, but after listening to Muddy Waters I think I will. Blues is the root of almost all modern music, and after listening to that for my entire life it's very cool to go back and see where it came from. As Zack said, this album captures two different, yet equally compelling, sides of blues music. The fast songs are fun and full of joy, and you can truly sense the pain and sadness of the slower songs. Each is rooted in emotion and tradition, and I think that is what makes it great.

Favorite Tracks: I've Got My Mojo Working Parts 1 and 2; Goodbye Newport Blues

#55: David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

Emily: What I love about this album is that Bowie took a futuristic concept and made it classic. The visitor from Mars isn't a little green man, but a rock star - and Bowie gives his star a rock and pop sound with his piano and guitar. Each song is a different chapter in Ziggy's story, from his inspiration (Moonage Daydream) to the height of his stardom (Ziggy Stardust) to his ultimate downfall (Rock and Roll Suicide). The simple yet complimentary instrumentation allows the listener to focus on the lyrics. Bowie is a master songwriter and storyteller, and this album epitomizes that. You can't just listen to one or two songs - this is an album that you need to listen to in its entirety, many times over.
Favorite Tracks: Suffragette City; Ziggy Stardust; Moonage Daydream

Zack: David Bowie doesn’t make concept albums; he makes character albums. It’s akin to method acting. He devises a character, or, more accurately, a complete alter ego for himself, and creates an entire backstory that he tells through his music. Bowie described Ziggy as “my Martian messiah who twanged a guitar.” He went on to say that he was “someone who was dropped down here, got brought down to our way of thinking and ended up destroying himself.” Not too shabby for his first foray into this style of album making. While the concept is rather complex, it is musically simple, at least from a Bowie standpoint. Since Ziggy is a rock star, Bowie just follows a normal rock format in his song construction. The product is a true rock opera with a myriad of fantastic songs that all blend together to create a larger picture of excellence.

Favorite Tracks: Ziggy Stardust; Moonage Daydream; Lady Stardust

#54: Fugees - The Score (1996)

Zack: First and foremost, I want to give big props to the Fugees for repping Jersey so hard and showing everyone that we’re much more than a bunch of muscle-bound, fake tanned idiots whose brains have absorbed too much hair gel. Second, since it’s become somewhat of a tradition that I talk about how sexy the female singers are, Lauryn Hill you are incredibly fine and talented, and I really hope the rumors of you hating whitey aren’t true because I love your voice and I would be heartbroken if we met and you tried to strangle me or something. Third, I want to mention the comparison that Lauryn made between this album and the Who’s Tommy. I’m a huge fan of the Who and I would be pissed about this if any other hip-hop artist/group made a similar claim. When it comes to the Fugees, however, I’m not offended, although I do respectively disagree. It’s true that there are thematic links between the songs that make it somewhat of a concept album, but The Score is somewhat of a creative anomaly. It exists as its own entity and comparing it to any other album just doesn’t do it justice. Finally, I want to add a disclaimer about my favorite tracks that follow. Usually it isn’t an issue for me to pick three of my favorite songs, but it’s very difficult for me here. I’ve decided on the three songs that I am most attached to, but I can make an argument for the inclusion of every single track off this album. What I’m trying to say is that if you, the readers, decide you want to look into the Fugees for the first time, I don’t recommend limiting yourself to the tracks we recommend, but rather that you listen to the entire album because it is all worth checking out.

Favorite Tracks: Ready or Not; Killing Me Softly; No Woman, No Cry

Emily: Our loyal readers already know that I'm not really a hip-hop fan. However, the Fugees are on the better end of the hip-hop I've listened to. In the more rap-heavy tracks, I enjoyed the lyrics. They are socially conscious but not preachy, with extremely creative allusions and wordplay (the '20s references in Ready or Not really stood out to me, and, of course, "Newt Gingrich sucks dick" in The Beast). My favorite song off this album, however, is Killing Me Softly. I know, it's one of very few rap-less songs on this album - but I didn't choose it by default. It is one of the best covers ever done, by any band. The Fugees take a beautiful, classic melody and make it new and even better with a modern beat and exotic instrumental accents. Lauryn Hill's outstanding voice ties it all together - you can feel the emotion with every heartbreaking lyric she sings.

Favorite Tracks: Killing Me Softly; No Woman, No Cry; The Beast

#53: Dire Straits - Dire Straits (1978)

Zack: For about four years now, I have been pondering why Dire Straits are not more popular. If you are wondering why four years, it’s because that was roughly the first time I heard Sultans of Swing, one of my all-time favorite songs. Dire Straits are so fantastic, yet so many people seem to either not know or not care about them. I guess we’ll just have to add it to the list of mysteries that even I, the great P.I. and master of imagined credentials Zack Scott, cannot solve. But now on to reviewing the album. Besides having one of the greatest songs ever composed, played, recorded, and then listened to by human ears in Sultans of Swing, there are plenty of other reasons to adore this album as much as I do. For one thing, there is the song Down by the Waterline, which is the intro track and a damn good one at that. Another reason is the song Southbound Again, which leads you into Sultans of Swing and makes you think, “Wow! This album could not get any better,” right before you hear that first drum and that easily distinguishable guitar riff that makes you think “HOLY FUCKING MONKEY BALLS THIS JUST GOT BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I have another six reasons why to love this album (hint: they are all names to the other six songs) but I think I’ll just save you some time and say that this is a fantastic listen and I’m holding my breath until we review the other Dire Straits album.

Favorite Tracks: Sultans of Swing; Down by the Waterline; In the Gallery

Emily: Though I'm not as overwhelmingly in love with Dire Straits as Zack is, I enjoyed this album. It has a laid back, roots-meets-blues sound that would be right at home in a British pub - it's even been categorized as "pub rock." Instrumentation is definitely the band's strong point. Every solo enhances the music, and the guitar playing is superb throughout.

Favorite Tracks: Sultans of Swing; In the Gallery; Setting Me Up

#52: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell (2003)

Zack: When this album first came out, I remember hearing Maps on the radio pretty often and absolutely adoring the song. Unfortunately, I could never quite remember the name of the band or the song really. After all, Yeah Yeah Yeahs is such a difficult name to remember. So instead of looking into the band at all, I worked very hard on completely forgetting about them and found a great deal of success in that endeavor. But one day I was doing a Sporcle quiz (it’s funny how much I have gained from that website), and an answer was this song. I wrote its name down so as not to forget it again and finally obtained and listened to their music. Golly gee are they terrific. This album, their debut LP (although they preceded its release with a pair of EPs), really encapsulates how talented they are. Maps may be the most well-known song from this album, but every track is good in its own way. Some are more punk rock while others lean more towards the garage rock persuasion. No matter the genre, every song is crafted with love and it really shines through when you listen to the album.

Favorite Tracks: Maps; Rich; Y Control

Emily: To me, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a uniquely modern band. Their sound is eclectic and cool, drawing on punk, garage, and alternative without sticking to one easily defined genre. Karen O's voice easily bends to fit these different styles, adding a feminine touch. What really sets them apart, however, is their fun sensibility. They never take themselves too seriously. I can see the band messing around in a basement, coming up with these songs and just having a good time. The album is finished with studio polish, but never loses that sense of fun and independence.

Favorite Tracks: Tick; Rich; Y Control

#50/51: Exile on Blogspot

Liz Phair said that her 1993 debut album, Exile in Guyville, is a direct song-by-song response to the Rolling Stones' classic Exile on Main St. Since both albums are on the list, we decided to do a back to back comparison of the two albums. No disrespect to Ms. Phair, but neither of us really see the connection - besides the fact that they are both great albums.

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St. (1975)

Zack: God bless the Rolling Stones. On second thought, upon closer examination of Keith Richards’ face I’ve come to the conclusion that Satan is the more likely culprit of their success. The Rolling Stones will always be the quintessential rock band to me. They’re just, quite frankly, rock and roll fucking personified. This album is proof. Exile on Main St. may be their best work (although I will almost definitely say that for all five of the other Stones albums on this list).  There are fast paced tracks like All Down the Line complimented by slower songs like the always classic Shine a Light. They vary their instrumentation to include harmonicas, trumpets, and pianos on top of the core rock staples, but it never throws anything off or seems too much. More importantly, they do it all while showcasing their blues roots that have made them pivotal transitional figures in musical history. It is these blues roots that have me placing them above other classic bands of the same era of a more pop rock persuasion.

Favorite Tracks: Shine a Light; Ventilator Blues; Sweet Virginia

Emily: This album clearly draws on blues influences, but in no way is it strictly a blues album. It’s a mix of British rock with a rootsy American blues sensibility. The Stones are rock through and through, but instrumental touches like horns and harmonica really bring out the unique bluesy edge. My personal favorites are the fast-paced tracks that give each band member and instrument their time to shine. Each song on this album has a different sound, but you can always tell that it’s the Stones – that’s why they’re classic.

Favorite Tracks: All Down the Line; Shine a Light; Loving Cup

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)

Emily: While listening to this album, I sometimes felt like I was spying on Liz Phair’s private life. She writes music as if it were a diary, and some of what she sings is so private I don’t know how she could release it to the world. Phair sings frankly about modern relationships – sex, emotions, and all. She’s clearly sexually charged – just listen to Flower, a TMI revelation of exactly what Phair wants out of a man – but she’s emotionally charged as well. Songs such as Fuck and Run reveal her desire for a normal relationship, rather than “another year alone, fuck and run.” The spare instrumentation, often just Phair singing with her acoustic guitar, enhance the intimate feel of the album. Although I don’t really see the connection to the Stones, I can feel a connection with Liz Phair.

Favorite Tracks: Fuck and Run; Never Said; Strange Loop

Zack: One concept that Liz Phair is not familiar with is TMI. Her songs are often laden with intimate details about her amorous encounters that leave the listener wondering, “Did she really just say that?” The best way to describe her work on Exile in Guyville is honest. It is precisely this honesty that leads me to believe that this album is far from a so-called track-by-track response to Exile on Main St. It is just too personal to be anything other than a confession of sorts. Take the song Flower, for example. In this track, she tells the object of the song, and I am quoting here, “Everytime I see your face I get all wet between my legs,” “I want to fuck you like a dog,” “I want to be your blowjob queen,” and my personal favorite, “I'll fuck you till your dick is blue.” There are two things to note from those lyrics. One, they all sound intriguing. She can go ahead and sign me up. Two, they have remarkably little to do with the corresponding song Let It Loose, which is about having some drinks and unwinding with your bros.  Granted, my interpretation of Let it Loose was itself pretty loose, but the point remains valid. This album is more about Liz Phair airing out her deepest and darkest secrets for the whole world to hear rather than some conceptual response. That being said, it is still a fantastic piece of work that is intimate and personal. You really feel like you get to know Liz Phair from listening to this album. What you learn may offend some listeners, but others will be most…uh…let’s call it intrigued.

Favorite Tracks: Flower; Never Said; Stratford-on-Guy

#49: Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

Zack: As Dave Grohl, one of my personal music idols, once said, “heavy metal would not exist without Led Zeppelin, and if it did, it would suck.” Truer words have never been spoken. Some bands and musicians are so important to the course of music that they literally just change the music scene completely through what they do. The Beatles and Nirvana are two examples of game-changing bands, and Led Zeppelin is a third who is just as important. They did for the seventies what The Beatles had done for the sixties. Because of them, rock music became harder and edgier. From their roots, metal was born. Physical Graffiti, their sixth album, was just as important to that end as all their others. My dad owns this album, but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever listened to it before. From the second it started playing, I realized that my dad must have been slowly brainwashing me to like Zeppelin since the time I was young because I knew every song. Boy, does it rock. This album is dark and mysterious. Listening to it almost makes you feel like you’re a little kid doing something naughty that your parents told you not to do. It really just possesses that sort of mystical and scary feel to it. But that aura never detracts from the fact that it is incredibly good music. Instead, it infuses the songs with something that makes it uniquely Zeppelin. One thing is for sure, you can never mistake Zeppelin for anything else. If it’s them, you’ll know right away.

Favorite Tracks: Kashmir; Black Country Woman; Houses of the Holy

Emily: To be honest, I’m not really a Led Zeppelin fan. I certainly respect their immense contribution and influence on hard rock music, but I just don’t really like their sound. What I do like about Zeppelin, however, is their mastery of the riff. No one can do it quite like them. The opening guitar thump of Kashmir is absolutely iconic, and the driving guitar of In My Time of Dying transforms a traditional gospel song into a hard rocker. I never would’ve guessed that song’s origins if I hadn’t looked it up – the guitar sound and Robert Plant’s howling voice make it quintessentially Zeppelin.

Favorite Tracks: In My Time of Dying; Ten Years Gone; Kashmir

#48: Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

Zack: Grace is a true alternative album. I can’t explain the technicality behind that statement because it isn’t the instrumentation, or the pacing, or the subject matter of the lyrics, or anything like that that defines why this album is such a perfect example of alternative rock. It just has the feel of alternative music is and what is should be. There is a subtle beauty to the music, most notably in the song Hallelujah, a cover of the Leonard Cohen classic. Buckley truly does that song justice, a rare feat considering how poor some of the versions I’ve heard sound when compared to the original. It’s difficult to pick out a high point for this album because it remains at an extraordinary level of excellence throughout, but I believe that Grace peaks in the song Lover, You Should’ve Come Over. That song is absolutely brilliant. It is 95% depressing, but that somehow just makes the 5% of hope even more magnificent. Truly, it is a masterpiece that fits into the largest masterpiece that is the album, Grace.

Favorite Tracks: Lover, You Should’ve Come Over; Hallelujah; Dream Brother

Emily: Jeff Buckley's music is simply beautiful. Everything about it, from the arrangements to the guitar to Buckley's voice, creates a sound of quiet, subtle grace. His guitar interludes throughout the album add dimension and weight to the tender vocals and dark themes. The guitar creates the mood for each song, whether it is the harder sound of Eternal Life or the gentle beauty of Hallelujah. The latter song is one of my favorites, not just from this album, but of all time. Its perfection is in its subtlety. Buckley elicits complex, powerful emotion with just a guitar and his voice. It is sad, it is bittersweet, it is nostalgic, and it is beautiful - just like the brilliance that is Grace.

Favorite Tracks: Hallelujah; Last Goodbye; Mojo Pin

#47: James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1963)

Zack: The Godfather of Soul sure comes with it on this live album. Even without the visual effect of Brown’s dancing, it is pretty clear why he earned the title of “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.” The combination of his caterwaul-esque vocals, the big band feel to the backing instrumentation, and the way Brown conducts the audience in various chants is so powerful that it borders on overwhelming. The music that James Brown creates here contains so much raw energy that it seems to blast out of speakers. It is this energy that has made Brown such an influential figure in the American music scene.

Favorite Tracks: Night Train; Try Me; I Don’t Mind

Emily: James Brown performing at the Apollo is one of the most iconic images in all of music history. He put everything he could into his performances, dancing and singing like a madman well into his golden years. This live album encapsulates that frenetic style. Most of the songs are short and fast, with a soulful sound that complements Brown's signature voice. Hearing the fans screaming as Brown wails and dances across the Apollo stage makes it clear why he's the Godfather of Soul.

Favorite Tracks: Night Train; Try Me; Lost Someone

#46: The Beatles - With the Beatles (1963)

Emily: I'm not going to get into the Beatles being one of the greatest bands of all time, because everyone's heard that before. What I love about the Beatles is how their sound evolved over only a few short years, starting from the basics and becoming increasingly more deep and complex. This album takes us back to the very beginning. Although With the Beatles is their second album, it was the first one to be released in the US. It exemplifies Lennon and McCartney's ability to craft perfect pop songs. The subject matter is always light fare about girls and love - exactly what teen girls want to hear, but never cliched. What makes early Beatles classic rather than throwaway pop, however, is the instrumentation. Over the course of this album the band creates a rock-meets-pop sound with widespread appeal. With a few carefully chosen early-'60s Motown covers, they hone the sound further with classic soul influences. Drawing on various popular genres, they create a completely unique sound that can only be done by the Beatles.
Favorite Tracks: I Wanna Be Your Man; All My Loving; It Won't Be Long

Zack: The Beatles are alright, I guess. Before I get any death threats, that was a joke. They’re pretty good. The Beatles existed on an entirely different plane than any of their contemporaries or anyone since. When John Lennon said they were bigger than Jesus, he was actually pretty spot on. I mean, when you think about it, people were really short back then so Jesus was probably only like 5’2” or something. Doesn’t take a giant to beat that. Musically, they are widely considered superb. To be honest, however, they’re not my favorite band out there. To me, their ballads all sound a little repetitive. When they switch to rock mode, I think they are fantastic, but that leaves half of their repertoire in the “meh” range. This album has several rock songs as well as several ballads, all tied together with a handful of covers that add the little bow on the present. Not the least of them is Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven. There, the Beatles were able to capture Berry’s sound but still alter it in a way that made it their own. The creativity that was employed throughout the creation of this album is rather exemplary, whether it was in composing new songs or re-working music of others. It’s a creativity that one comes to expect when listening to any Beatles album, and With the Beatles is surely no exception

Favorite tracks: Don’t Bother Me; Roll Over Beethoven; Money (That’s What I Want)