i'm probably gonna get slaughtered for this, but i do like other music than metal...
1. Led Zeppelin-II (1969)
2. Iron Maiden-Killers (1981)
3. Guns N Roses-Appetite for Destruction (1987)
4. Queensryche-Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
5. Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes (1991
6. Lemonheads-Its a Shame About Ray (1992)
7. Letters to Cleo-Aurora Gory Alice (1994)
8. Oasis-(Whats the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
9. Lush-Lovelife (1996)
10a The Verve-Urban Hymns (1997)
10b The Crystal Method-Vegas (1997)
1. Led Zeppelin-II (1969) The definitive hard rock album by the British quartet practically defined what heavy metal sounded like on their sophomore effort. Jimmy Pages guitar riffage on tracks like Whole Lotta Love are just so, well, heavy. John Paul Jones beautiful organ solo in Thank You combine with Robert Plants lyrics to create the ultimate love song. And lets not forget John Bonhams five minutes of pounding on the drums, sometimes bare-handed, on Moby Dick. This album grew out of their live show and is reflected in bluesy improv-sounding tracks like The Lemon Song. Also a great headphones album (check out the end of What is and What Should Never Be), this is blues-based hard rock at its best.
2. Iron Maiden-Killers (1981) The second album from one of Englands New Wave of Heavy Metal bands is a concept album. The lead character is wrongfully accused of murder and is on the run from the French police. He then gets murdered by the real killer and floats up to Purgatory where his soul drifts around for an eternity. This was Paul DiAnnos last studio album with the band (he was replaced by Bruce Dickinson), but Ive always liked his voice better. His range goes from a deep, hoarse growl to delicate, and can sustain the high notes. The musicianship on the album is also brilliant, the dual guitars of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray are razor-sharp. The tempos are so fast on some songs, it makes me remember when metal and punk were close relatives. Just be sure not to get whiplash from banging your head too hard!
3. Guns N Roses-Appetite for Destruction (1987) Critics have said that the debut GNR album sounded like Hollywood, and they were right. The band grew out of the big hair glam metal scene on Sunset Blvd., but you could never tell by the sound of this album. Loud, raw, blues-influenced, and angry, this album did for hard rock what Nirvana did for alternative four years later. It exposed bands like Poison and Enuff Z Nuff for what they really were, a bunch of lipstick-wearing poseurs. Sweet Child OMine reintroduced the power ballad to a generation and went to #1 in the summer of 88. Axl Roses lyrics spoke of sex and drugs and wreaked of misogyny, yet I knew every word. Slash poured pure emotion into his guitar, and the underestimated Izzy laid down excellent rhythms. This album reminds me of junior high school, before we all had to be responsible and p.c. (politically correct).
4. Queensryche-Operation: Mindcrime (1988) Before they brought you Silent Lucidity, Seattles best hard rock band churned out this amazing piece of work. Another concept album, it is a story of a drug addict named Nikki who falls in with a corrupt political leader, Dr. X. He soon falls in love with an ex-prostitute-turned nun named Mary (of course) and becomes brainwashed, murdering the lecherous priest. Mary is also murdered and Nikki is framed by Dr. X for both crimes. Fans of the ryche were left wondering, Who killed Mary? for over a year. Singer Geoff Tate was trained as an opera singer, while the entire band are amazing musicians in their own right. There are some great left-winged political lyrics in songs like Revolution Calling. The operatic mini-epic, Suite Sister Mary, is also awe-inspiring. Queensryche have always been called the smart mans metal band.
5. Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes (1991) When I first saw the music video for Silent All These Years, I was blown away. I had never seen such beautiful imagery. Director Cindy Palmano had perfectly captured Toris faerie-like quality on camera. It was also like nothing Id ever heard before: just a girl and her piano. At the time, I was only listening to hard rock, and this seemed a revolutionary new sound (at least for MTV). When I finally borrowed the cd from a friend, I read all the lyrics before I actually heard the music (I was on my way to the airport). Never had I read such introspective lyrics before; songs of hope and despair, love and loss, pain and anger. The first time I heard the touching ballad of lost childhood, Winter, it nearly drove me to tears with its sweeping string arrangement. Precious Things rocked as hard as anything Id heard that year. The highly confessional Me and a Gun, a five minute a capella song that deals head-on with her traumatic rape at gunpoint, leaves you feeling emotionally spent. This album never fails to move me when I listen to it.
6. Lemonheads-Its a Shame About Ray (1992) My all-time favorite feel-good album, all songs are under four minutes long. The Boston-based band churns out the most catchy tunes Ive ever heard. Singer/guitarist/lyricist Evan Dandos songs have an air of innocence and wonderment that always leaves me feeling happy to be alive. Juliana Hatfield was a member of the band at this time, and Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway starred in the video for albums title track. Rockin Stroll is sung from the perspective of a baby in his stroller: Peoples knees and trunks of trees smile at me. My Drug Buddy is about scoring some dope and just enjoying a female friends company. Lyrics like, Thrilled to be in the same post-code as you
/Smile at me, Ill hold you really tight/Follow you into bed, are practically irresistible. And Rudderless must be one of the most catchiest songs ever made. I pop this cd in when Im feeling low, and it never fails to cheer me up.
7. Letters to Cleo-Aurora Gory Alice (1994) Another Boston-based band, but this one goes a bit deeper than the last. At first listen, it sounds like a rehashed Cheap Trick album. The single for Here & Now appearing on the Melrose Place soundtrack didnt help much either. But Kaye Hanleys lyrics are much more honest and darker than your ordinary pop songs. Written after a big breakup, the songwriter pulls you into her world of agonizing emotional pain and regret, chronic depression and inner turmoil. The song lyrics in this album come the closest to what I know of love, the sheer intensity of feelings and chaos of betrayal. Kaye chants, Cant tear yourself away, can you? like a mantra for the codependent. But Wasted is the most gut-wretching of them all: The saddest sound I ever heard/The quiet that takes the place of the silence that takes the place of your voice
/Ill just come apart or something/No one could be more empty than I am/and I would take it all back if I could/But I cant. Wow. And lets not forget the great musicians, either. This album has many great basslines and subtle guitar-work. After two more great cds under their belts, this is definitely my vote for the most underestimated rock band.
8. Oasis-(Whats the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) Another album that makes me feel high on life, although this ones a bit more sonically devastating. The best band of the 90s in my opinion, the kings of brit-pop peaked during this album. Every track a gem in its own way, Wonderwall hit it big during the fall of 95. Cast No Shadow, dedicated to The Verves Richard Ashcroft, is another gorgeous ballad. Yes, Shes Electric sounds like something off of Sgt. Pepper, but I consider the Beatles influence a tribute, not a rip-off. Liam Gallaghers Cockney accent and sneering lyrics give the songs a rock n roll attitude, while elder brother Noel (who write all the tunes) is a guitar hero who can jam with the best of them. Noel has a penchant for catchy melodies, with every song being a possible hit. The lyrics can be arrogant and boastful, but they are mostly about setting yourself free and being your own person. Oasis has brought back the rock star attitude and swagger, while at the same time, maintaining a positive message, soaring guitars, and a pounding beat. That, to me, is what rock n roll has always been about.
9. Lush-Lovelife (1996) Queens of the ethereal, the band finally went pop with this album, and turned out to be its best. Also hailing from England, these shoe-gazers are Miki Berenyi (with hot-pink hair) and Emma Anderson on guitar and vocals. Their complex harmonies dominate the songs, and I never tire of listening to this. Their jangly, layered guitar-work and melodic solos are also pleasant. Lyrics deal with female insecurities, such as self-confidence and self-consciousness, but these women are no victims. They know how to empower themselves and use their sexuality to get what they want. With biting sarcasm and witty commentary, lyrics confront male/female relationship issues. From the minor hit, Ladykillers: Im as human as the next girl/I like a bit of flattery/But I dont need your practised lines/your school of charm mentality
And from Heavenly Bodies, a song about idol worship: I remember when I was younger I thought the answers were locked in people/So I admired the ones whose lives were a source of envy to people like me. The Childcatcher is a searing take on older men who romance younger girls: You are like the clean white page and I the pen/The innocence I find between your girlish thighs is like the fountain of youth to my old bones. Sadly, this was their last album, as drummer Chris Acland committed suicide after a long bout with depression in 1997.
10. The Verve-Urban Hymns (1997) Yet another band from Britain, this is the album that almost never was. The group disbanded for over a year before recording this masterpiece. Singer/lyricist Richard Ashcroft is as brilliant at songwriter as he is a singer. In The Drugs Dont Work, just the sound of his voice moves me. Then add to it the lyrics: All this talk of getting old/its getting me down my love
/You leave my life, Im better off dead. Chris McCabes psychedelic guitars make the songs come alive, laying down 70s-style grooves in The Rolling People. Melancholy lyrics are mixed with songs of hope; shattered dreams gave way to new ones. Lyrics like, Love seems to stick in the things you know
/Eyes open wide/Looking at the heavens with a tear in my eye, are pure poetry. Other great lines: We have existence and its all we share
/We feel numb cause we dont see/that if we really card/and we really loved/Think of all the joy wed feel, from Space and Time. Im stood here naked/Smiling, I feel no disgrace/with who I am, from Lucky Man shine with being comfortable with oneself. And my personal favorite, the opening lines from Weeping Willow: When morning breaks/we hide our eyes and our lungs aching/nothings strange/It was in our hands from six to ten/It slipped right out again. People are just beginning to discover the greatness of this album.
11. The Crystal Method-Vegas (1997) Okay, so I snuck another one onto the island, I couldnt resist. I
needed an electronica cd to dance to. The Prodigy was supposed to be the big break-through electronic act of 1997, but they have too many guitar samples to be considered a truly electronic act. The Crystal Method, with its tweaking electronic noise, funky break-beats, and minimalistic vocals signal the wave of the future in music (although Im a sucker for progressive trance). With no official hits, per se, the deejays have managed to get three of its songs into big-budget television commercials. We all know Busy Child, (I guess I didnt know {boom boom}, but the instrumental tracks are the highlights for me. Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, hailing from Las Vegas, also put on an amazing live show. The songs are packed full of energy and make you want to jump up and dance.
