Wednesday, August 07, 2002
I'd started this post last night, and then accidentally deleted it. oops.
the 5 greatest albums of all time.
1. it takes a nation of millions to hold us back, public enemy. this is the record that altered hip hop - and the sound of pop music - inescapably, forever. the bomb squad's production was so dense, so thick, like cake batter. don't think they changed the rules? listen to any of the radio hits from dr. dre's the chronic, which came 5 years later, and tell me otherwise. and then there's the dynamic duo, flavor flav's yang to chuck d's yin, the court jester and the high priest. chuck d's voice is in itself a thrill akin to miles' trumpet or hendrix's guitar; he's the best rapper of all time. period. rakim? biggie? jay-z? bow down before the grand master. and not only is this the greatest album ever made, it features the greatest single, "bring the noise." sheer unadultered genius.
2. the queen is dead, the smiths. the band of the '80s at the peak of their collective powers, notably (of course) morrissey and marr. marr's guitar work is at its most lyrical and stinging, and the mozzer's voice never sounded more morose or passionate. combine that with a phenomenal set of lyrics (if "there is a light that never goes out" doesn't break your heart every time, you don't have one), and you've got an undeniable classic.
3. the lexicon of love, abc. producer trevor horn has had many high highs in his career (think the art of noise, think frankie goes to hollywood), but none reach these grandiose heights. lexicon, simply put, is the apex and apothesis of new romantic glammed-up soulboy pop. it would just be an empty shell, however, without martin fry's spot-on, martini-dry observations on men and women - he was a postmodern bryan ferry before even he knew.
4. rumours, fleetwood mac. the disillusion of two separate relationships compunded by far too much cocaine, told through a gloss of california rock with a dark underbelly, as you could only do in the '70s. "if you don't love me now/you will never love me again" (from "the chain") is one of the most gorgeously biting lyrics ever composed.
5. daydream nation, sonic youth. wherein the nyc noise merchants wed their skronk-und-drag to pop song structures their way, and break on through to the other side. "teenage riot" is a shotgun wedding at cbgb's, "kissability" an alternate-universe #1 single. and through it all, kim just stands and stares at you, so coolly, making you lose all your nerve.
the 5 greatest albums of all time.
1. it takes a nation of millions to hold us back, public enemy. this is the record that altered hip hop - and the sound of pop music - inescapably, forever. the bomb squad's production was so dense, so thick, like cake batter. don't think they changed the rules? listen to any of the radio hits from dr. dre's the chronic, which came 5 years later, and tell me otherwise. and then there's the dynamic duo, flavor flav's yang to chuck d's yin, the court jester and the high priest. chuck d's voice is in itself a thrill akin to miles' trumpet or hendrix's guitar; he's the best rapper of all time. period. rakim? biggie? jay-z? bow down before the grand master. and not only is this the greatest album ever made, it features the greatest single, "bring the noise." sheer unadultered genius.
2. the queen is dead, the smiths. the band of the '80s at the peak of their collective powers, notably (of course) morrissey and marr. marr's guitar work is at its most lyrical and stinging, and the mozzer's voice never sounded more morose or passionate. combine that with a phenomenal set of lyrics (if "there is a light that never goes out" doesn't break your heart every time, you don't have one), and you've got an undeniable classic.
3. the lexicon of love, abc. producer trevor horn has had many high highs in his career (think the art of noise, think frankie goes to hollywood), but none reach these grandiose heights. lexicon, simply put, is the apex and apothesis of new romantic glammed-up soulboy pop. it would just be an empty shell, however, without martin fry's spot-on, martini-dry observations on men and women - he was a postmodern bryan ferry before even he knew.
4. rumours, fleetwood mac. the disillusion of two separate relationships compunded by far too much cocaine, told through a gloss of california rock with a dark underbelly, as you could only do in the '70s. "if you don't love me now/you will never love me again" (from "the chain") is one of the most gorgeously biting lyrics ever composed.
5. daydream nation, sonic youth. wherein the nyc noise merchants wed their skronk-und-drag to pop song structures their way, and break on through to the other side. "teenage riot" is a shotgun wedding at cbgb's, "kissability" an alternate-universe #1 single. and through it all, kim just stands and stares at you, so coolly, making you lose all your nerve.
# posted by Thomas : 7:01 AM
