#73: The Who - Who's Next (1971)

 

Zack: The Who were punk rock back when the Ramones were gleams in their papa's eyes. They just bring that kind of anger and intensity to all of their work while still maintaining the focus expected from the other great bands of that generation. If you don't believe me, just listen to Won't Get Fooled Again. Sure, it may be about 5 times longer than the typical punk song and not quite as fast, but you could search your whole life and never find another song as rebellious as that one. From that first guitar riff to the final cymbal crash, it's just pure revolution. The inclusion of synthesizers also makes it more modern sounding to accompany the hard rock approach expected of The Who. As a whole, this album isn't as consistent as Tommy or The Who Sell Out, but I like it more that way. The fact that it isn't so structured allows their creativity to really burst forth. Every member of the band benefits from this approach, but most notably Keith Moon. Nobody beat their drum set the way Moon did, and the fact that this album was a little looser allowed him to really attack his kit.

Favorite Tracks: Won't Get Fooled Again; Baba O'Riley; Bargain

Emily: The Who are every teenage boy's favorite classic rock band. At least, it's true for a lot of the teenage boys I know. Why this is true I'm not really sure, but in any event it shows that The Who are truly a classic band. The combination of Pete Townshend's songwriting and crazy guitar prowess, Roger Daltrey's vocals, and Keith Moon's legendary drumming create a unique sound that is equal parts rebelliously punk and arena-ready rock.

Favorite Tracks: Won't Get Fooled Again; Baba O'Reilly; Behind Blue Eyes

#72: Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

Emily: I feel like most people fall into two camps regarding Sonic Youth - the "they are so innovative and creative no other band can ever be like them!!" camp, and the "how the hell is this noise even music?!" camp. I, for one, fall somewhere in between. There are some Sonic Youth songs I absolutely love - their cover of Superstar is one of my favorite songs of all time. But then, there's the noise. Sonic Youth loves their distorted guitars. Sometimes it works by adding a cool, unique dimension to their alternative-punk sound. Other times, it's just jumbled noise, especially when that's all a song is. Goo contains songs on both ends of the spectrum. As much as Sonic Youth songs tend to sound the same, there was a surprising degree of variability within this album. I personally enjoy the songs where Thurston Moore sings. His voice is much more suited to a punky, less-distorted sound, and the tracks where he sings reflect that sensibility.
Favorite Tracks: Dirty Boots; Kool Thing; Mary-Christ

Zack: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!!!! When I think of Sonic Youth, that's basically what I hear. At some parts of this album, I thought I had been proven wrong. And then, sure enough, along came the shrieking that saved the day by proving that I was, as per usual, right all along. The tracks Mildred Piece and Scooter + Jinx are the two tracks that proudly display why Sonic Youth falls into the genre of "noise rock." They're nothing more that pain-inducing background noise forcefully dragged to the foreground. Some of the other songs, however, make those few shrieks bearable. When Sonic Youth is good, they're really good. Songs like Dirty Boots, Disappear, and the ever cool Kool Thing are alternative-punk anthems that make you want to punch the air and rock out.
Favorite Tracks: Dirty Boots; Kool Thing; Disappear

#71: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)

Zack: Well, loyal readers, it's going to be Valentine's Day in less than 30 minutes and so we decided to celebrate by reviewing a romantic album. Despite my protests that Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle was the perfect candidate, we decided to take the Marvin Gaye route. Initially, we would have liked to have done Let's Get It On, but I don't have it yet, so we settled on a different on-based Gaye album. Admittedly, I haven't listened to much Marvin Gaye prior to this album. My experience is pretty much limited to the line in Jay-Z's Dirt Off Your Shoulder when he says "I'm like a young Marvin in his hay." As you can probably guess, I was very surprised when I didn't hear some phat beats and a sick flow. But luckily, this album manages to overcome it's unfortunate lack of Jigga and still be awesome. It's just so smooth, soulful, and sexy. Anytime you can nail those three S's, you're going to have a hit on your hands. Marvin Gaye does that and more. It's a great album to groove to. Any of you love birds out there looking for something to get down to, whether it be dancing or some other activity, should pick this album up because it will definitely fulfill that requirement.
Favorite Tracks: Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology); Flying High (In the Friendly Sky); What's Going On

Emily: Marvin Gaye is the ultimate sensual singer. When you listen to a Marvin Gaye song, it just unleashes your inner sensual seductor/seductress. I don't care how prudish you are - Gaye's silky, soulful voice always tends to have that effect. Even though What's Going On is decidedly less sexual than many of his other hits, the soul and sensuality always comes through. I especially liked that the album flowed right from one track to the next. Each song stands out, but they all are part of one cohesive, beautiful sounding unit.
Favorite Tracks: What's Going On; Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology); What's Happening Brother

#70: Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual (1983)

Emily: Cyndi Lauper is certainly unusual. Perhaps original is a better word, because in the crazy pop-culture environment that was the '80s lots of things that may seem unusual now were perfectly normal - like mousse or stirrup pants. Well, Cyndi Lauper was a little bit more out there than that, but somehow it all fit together. Through the weird fashion and loopy personality, Lauper crafted some great pop songs. Look no farther than Girls Just Want to Have Fun. That song has become an anthem. It's in every teen movie, a ton of sitcom montages, and will certainly show up on your drunk friends' karaoke list. Lauper may have been unusual, but she's certainly a pop icon.
Favorite Tracks: Girls Just Want to Have Fun; She Bop; I'll Kiss You

Zack: Cyndi Lauper is quintessentially 80s. The primary reason is (that) She's So Unusual. See what I did there? I was really proud of that. If you want an example of her unusualness, look no further than She Bop. Allegedly, the vocals were recorded while Lauper was naked. While that thought is distracting enough as is, it gets even more strange. The song was written so that young kids would hear it and think that it is about dancing, but the real message concerns masturbation. It takes some large balls to release a pop single about the wonders of self-love, and Lauper has those in spades. Listening to this album makes it very apparent what kind of character she was. Cyndi Lauper was just an '80s girl who just wanted to have fun, and if that meant setting some alone time aside, then so be it.
Favorite Tracks: She Bop; Yeah Yeah; Girls Just Want to Have Fun

#69: Ministry - Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs (1992)

Zack: As many of you out there probably know, the number 69 is the most bro number ever. Granted, that's not much of an achievement since bros are so anti-math, but it's still worth commemorating. Once we decided to do something special to celebrate this bro-tastic milestone, it was just a matter of determining what was the most bro album on this list. We searched high and low for some Dave Matthew's Band or Whiz Khalifa, but there was none to be found. Then, we stumbled across this gem and knew it was perfect. First off, it has the number 69 in the title, which is always a good start. Second, succeed and suck eggs is actually a shockingly clever play on oral sex. Get it? Suck-seed and suck eggs. It made me lol. The fact that it is so rooted in one of the staples of bro culture (brolture?) helped it to overcome the fact that it was a metal album and metal is totally unchill. Bros love dome, after all. Now, on to actually reviewing this album. First, allow me to change my pants because I wet myself listening to the first track. Yeah, it was that scary. When I learned that that particular song had been nominated for a Grammy, I had to assume it was because the people who nominated it were scared that that song may know where they sleep. Moving on past that song, however, the album became slightly more bearable, if only slightly. Some of the songs were cool in a headbangy sort of way. But ultimately, it just didn't suit me personally. To me, metal is best when used as an enhancer. If you play it over a visual, that visual becomes aggressive and intense. When it's unaccompanied, it just makes me want to cower in the corner.
Favorite Tracks: Hero; Scare Crow; TV II

Emily: As a wise lead singer of a ska band once said, in regards to a metal version of one of the band's songs, "It was scary and it got people too excited." Well, half of that statement applies to this album. It was just plain scary. When we turned on the first track, all we could do was whimper in fear. That initial shock died down after a couple tracks, but that's not to say the rest of the album was all warm and fuzzy. It was loud and banging and just...metal-y. Not exactly my style. But if that's your thing, you can go suck some eggs. Just like Squidward Tentacles.
Favorite Tracks: Hero; Jesus Built My Hotrod; Psalm 69

#68: Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (1972)

Emily: Stevie Wonder is one of the greatest living music artists, and this album shows exactly why. Talking Book is classic Stevie - soulful, romantic, and just a bit funky. My favorite songs are the funkiest songs, like Superstition. The upbeat horns and bass combined with Stevie's voice create a totally different sound than any other song on the album. It certainly has soul and funk, but there's definitely a bit of rock in there too. I think that's what makes Stevie Wonder so widely revered. He doesn't just stick to one genre, but adds elements from all over the musical spectrum to create something that is both unique and universal. Anyone can relate to his love songs, and everyone will dance to his funky tracks.
Favorite Tracks: Superstition; You Are the Sunshine of My Life; I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)

Zack: Before I begin my review, I think it's important that I give a warning to all the readers out there. This album will make you feel randy. I'm not saying this to be funny or weird, but rather to give you all a fair warning. Don't listen to this album with family around lest things get awkward. Trust me on that. Anyway, Stevie Wonder is a musical icon. An award show doesn't go by where he doesn't do a duet with Alicia Keys. I'm told he also did one with the Jonas Brothers, but I'm going to choose to assume that that was just a bunch of people all having the same terrible nightmare. Either that or it was robo-Stevie Wonder. We'll have to add that to the list of unsolved mysteries, which is getting pretty long at this point. This album is a fantastic blending of all the classic Stevie Wonder sounds. There's R&B, soul, funk, and badass (the genre that I put Superstition is because it's too cool for all the others). Overall it's just a cool album by the coolest of musicians.
Favorite Tracks: Superstition; Blame it on the Sun; You Are the Sunshine of My Life

#67: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)

Zack: At the risk of offending a whole mess of hipsters, Neon Bible is my favorite Arcade Fire album. I know Funeral is their classic first album and Suburbs is the trendy new thing, but I've always connected more with this one over the others. Something about the way the semi-overblown sound reverberates off my soul is just so capti.....okay never mind. I just re-read that and it's way too hipster for me to actually finish writing. Forget I ever mentioned it. This is a perfect example of what indie music should be about. It's self-produced but they don't let a desire to avoid selling out prevent them from releasing a good product. Plus, they're Canadian, which is psuedo-foreign. Hipster kids love foreign shit, after all.
Favorite Tracks: No Cars Go; Ocean of Noise; Neon Bible

Emily: Like many other hipster paradigms, indie music is generally known for low-quality production and general dislike from the masses, ironically or otherwise. Arcade Fire's second album shows that neither of these things need to be true. Neon Bible is self-produced, but they don't sacrifice production quality at all. The band creates a grand sound that's polished yet still emotional - all recorded in a church, no less. They even prominently feature an organ, reflecting their environment and adding to the grandiosity. Even more, this album debuted at #2 in the US. It's living proof that indie's not just for Urban Outfitters-wearing, bike-riding, organic-farming, pretentious hipster kids anymore.
Favorite Tracks: My Body is a Cage; Intervention; (Antichrist Television Blues)