Saturday, May 1, 2010

Sixties

Top of the sixties, no nuthin'.

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (1967).
2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys (1966).
3. Live at the Apollo, James Brown (1963).
4. Astral Weeks, Van Morisson (1968).
5. The Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground (1967).
6. Abbey Road, The Beatles (1969).
7. Are You Experienced?, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967).
8. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan (1965).
9. Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart (1969).
10. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane (1964).

11. Dream Letter: Live in London, Tim Buckley (r: 1968).
12. Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan (1965).
13. Electric Ladyland, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968).
14. Revolver, The Beatles (1966).
15. The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Charlie Mingus (1963).
16. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Ray Charles (1962).
17. Let it Bleed, The Rolling Stones (1969).
18. Odessey and Oracle, The Zombies (1968).
19. Forever Changes, Love (1967).
20. Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin (1969).
21. Rubber Soul, The Beatles (1965).
22. Music From Big Pink, The Band (1968).
23. The Doors, The Doors, (1967).
24. Beggar's Banquet, The Rolling Stones (1968).
25. Fresh Cream, Cream (1966).

Rest alphabetically:

The Band, The Band (1969).
A Hard Day's Night, The Beatles (1964).
Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles (1967).
Meet the Beatles!, The Beatles (1964).
Please Please Me, The Beatles (1963).
The White Album, The Beatles (1968).
Cheap Thrills, Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968).
Blind Faith, Blind Faith (1969).
Two Steps from the Blues, Bobby 'Blue' Bland (1961).
Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds (1965).
Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Byrds (1968).
Younger Than Yesterday, The Byrds (1967).
At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash (1968).
Giant Steps, John Coltrane (1960).
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, John Coltrane (1963).
Live at the Harlem Square Club, Sam Cooke (r:1963).
Disraeli Gears, Cream (1967).
Green River, Creedance Clearwater Revival (1969).
Willy and the Poor Boys, Creedance Clearwater Revival (1969).
Crosby, Stills and Nash; Crosby Stills and Nash (1969).
Highlights from the Plugged Nickel, Miles Davis (r:1965).
In A Silent Way, Miles Davis (1969).
Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis (1960).
Gris-gris, Dr. John (1968).
Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan (1966).
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan (1963).
Far East Suite, Duke Ellington (1967).
The Gilded Palace of Sin, The Flying Burrito Brothers (1969).
Four Tops' Second Album, The Four Tops (1965).
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin (1967).
Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin (1968).
Maiden Voyage, Herbie Hancock (1965).
Song for my Father, The Horace Silver Quintet (1965).
Howlin' Wolf, Howlin' Wolf (1962).
At Last!, Etta James (1961).
Surrealistic Pillow, Jefferson Airplane (1967).
Axis: Bold as Love, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967).
Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (1966).
Live at the Regal, BB King (1965).
The Kinks Are the Village Green Presservation Society, The Kinks (1968).
The Hottest New Group in Jazz!, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross (1960).
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969).
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, The Mamas and the Papas (1966).
Look-Ka Py Py, The Meters (1969).
Freak Out!, The Mothers of Invention (1966).
The Blues and the Abstract Truth, Oliver Nelson (1961).
Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, Laura Nyro (1968).
Night Train, Oscar Peterson Trio (1962).
Happy Trails, Quicksilver Messenger Service (1969).
Otis Blue, Otis Redding (1965).
Aftermath, The Rolling Stones (1966).
Santana, Santana (1969).
Juju, Wayne Shorter (1964).
Speak No Evil, Wayne Shorter (1965).
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; Simon and Garfunkel (1966).
Going to a Go-Go, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965).
Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield (1969).
The Real McCoy, McCoy Tyner (1967).
At Newport 1960, Muddy Waters (1960).
Tommy, The Who (1969).
Roger the Engineer, The Yardbirds (1966).

Seventies

The top albums, unjustified and unexplained, of the seventies, with stuff on the end and things.

1. Innervisions, Stevie Wonder (1973).
2. London Calling, The Clash (1979).
3. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye (1971).
4. Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan (1975).
5. Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (1973).
6. Superfly, Curtis Mayfield (1972).
7. Raw Power, The Stooges (1973).
8. Blue, Joni Mitchell (1971).
9. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin (1975).
10. At Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers (1971).

11. Talking Book, Stevie Wonder (1972).
12. Who's Next, The Who (1971).
13. Paranoid, Black Sabbath (1970).
14. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (1971).
15. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie (1972).
16. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon and Garfunkel (1970).
17. The Clash, The Clash (1977).
18. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (1974).
19. Exile on Main St., The Rolling Stones (1977).
20. The Stranger, Billy Joel (1977).
21. The Koln Concert, Keith Jarrett (1975).
22. This Year's Model, Elvis Costello (1978).
23. Hunky Dory, David Bowie (1971).
24. American Beauty, The Grateful Dead (1970).
25. Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon (1970).

Runners (alphabetically) (deep breath):

Highway to Hell, AC/DC (1979).
Rocks, Aerosmith (1976).
Let It Be, The Beatles (1970).
#1 Album, Big Star (1972).
Radio City, Big Star (1974).
Parallel Lines, Blondie (1978).
The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff (1972).
Deja Vu, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970).
Bitches Brew, Miles Davis (1970).
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Derek and the Dominos (1970).
Pink Moon, Nick Drake (1972).
Hotel California, The Eagles (1976).
Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac (1975).
One Nation Under a Groove, Funkadelic (1978).
Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye (1973).
Europe '72, The Grateful Dead (1972).
Call Me, Al Green (1973).
Band of Gypsys, Jimi Hendrix (1970).
Off the Wall, Michael Jackson (1979).
Honky Tonk Heroes, Waylon Jennings (1973).
Aqualung, Jethro Tull (1971).
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John (1973).
Pearl, Janis Joplin (1971).
Tapestry, Carol King (1971).
Trans-Europe Express, Kraftwerk (1977).
Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin (1973).
Imagine, John Lennon (1971).
Second Helping, Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974).
The Inner Mounting Flame, The Mahavishnu Orchestra (1971).
Burnin', Bob Marley (1973).
Natty Dread, Bob Marley (1974).
Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell (1974).
The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers (1976).
Moondance, Van Morrison (1970).
Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson (1975).
12 Songs, Randy Newman (1970).
Back Stabbers, O'Jays (1972).
Inspiration Information, Shuggie Otis (1974).
Mothership Connection, Parliament (1975).
Animals, Pink Floyd (1977).
The Wall, Pink Floyd (1979).
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd (1975).
A Night at the Opera, Queen (1975).
Ramones, Ramones (1976).
Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones (1971).
Heart Like a Wheel, Linda Ronstadt (1974).
Something/Anything?, Todd Rundgren (1972).
Abraxas, Santana (1970).
Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols, The Sex Pistols (1977).
There's a Riot Going On, Sly and the Family Stone (1970).
Horses, Patti Smith (1975).
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen (1975).
Aja, Steely Dan (1977).
Tea for the Tillerman, Cat Stevens (1970).
Every Picture Tells a Story, Rod Stewart (1971).
Fun House, The Stooges (1970).
Breakfast in America, Supertramp (1979).
Sweet Baby James, James Taylor (1970).
Marquee Moon, Television (1977).
John Barleycorn Must Die, Traffic (1970).
Electric Warrior, T Rex (1971).
Why Can't We Be Friends?, War (1975).
Heavy Weather, Weather Report (1977).
Live at Leeds, The Who (1970).
Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder (1976).
The Yes Album, Yes (1971).
After the Gold Rush, Neil Young (1970).
Harvest, Neil Young (1972).

Eighties

Top albums of the Eighties, no justifications or explanations, with runners and honors.

1. Let It Be, The Replacements (1984).
2. The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses (1989).
3. Appetite for Destruction, Guns N Roses (1987).
4. Back in Black, AC/DC (1980).
5. Thriller, Michael Jackson (1982).
6. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy (1988).
7. Purple Rain, Prince (1984).
8. Graceland, Paul Simon (1986).
9. Stop Making Sense, The Talking Heads (1984).
10. Avalon, Roxy Music (1982).

11. The Joshua Tree, U2 (1987).
12. Paul's Boutique, Beastie Boys (1989).
13. Straight Outta Compton, N.W.A. (1988).
14. Imperial Bedroom, Elvis Costello (1982).
15. Master of Puppets, Metallica (1986).
16. Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen (1984).
17. Sign O the Times, Prince (1987).
18. Like a Prayer, Madonna (1989).
19. The Traveling Willburys Vol. One, The Traveling Willburys (1988).
20. Ghost in the Machine, The Police (1981).

Runners up (alphabetically):

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, David Byrne and Brian Eno (1981).
Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman (1988).
3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul (1989).
Paid in Full, Eric B. and Rakim (1984).
Psychocandy, The Jesus and Mary Chain (1985).
Night and Day, Joe Jackson (1982).
Double Nickels on the Dime, The Minutemen (1984).
Doolittle, The Pixies (1989).
Synchronicity, The Police (1983).
Document, R.E.M. (1987).
Murmur, R.E.M. (1983).
Raising Hell, Run DMC (1986).
The Queen is Dead, The Smiths (1986).
Shoot Out the Lights, Richard and Linda Thompson (1982).

Nineties

My top albums of the nineties (1990-1999), devoid of explanations, with runners-up and honorable mentions.

1. Illmatic, Nas (1994).
2. Endtroducing....., DJ Shadow (1996).
3. Nevermind, Nirvana (1991).
4. OK Computer, Radiohead (1997).
5. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette (1995).
6. Ray of Light, Madonna (1998).
7. Loveless, My Bloody Valentine (1991).
8. The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest (1991).
9. Grace, Jeff Buckley (1994).
10. Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan (1997).

11. MTV Unplugged in New York, Nirvana (1994).
12. Achtung Baby, U2 (1991).
13. Automatic for the People, R.E.M. (1992).
14. Out of Time, R.E.M. (1991).
15. Blue Lines, Massive Attack (1991).
16. Exile in Guyville, Liz Phair (1993).
17. 69 Love Songs, The Magnetic Fields (1999).
18. Damn Right I've Got the Blues, Buddy Guy (1991).
19. The Bends, Radiohead (1995).
20. The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails (1994).

Honorable Mentions (alphabetically):

Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Aphex Twin (1992).
When the Pawn..., Fiona Apple (1999).
Homogenic, Bjork (1997).
My Life, Mary J. Blige (1994).
The Buena Vista Social Club, The Buena Vista Social Club (1997).
The Chronic, Dr. Dre (1992).
The Score, The Fugees (1996).
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill (1998).
Live Through This, Hole (1994).
Ritual de lo Habitual, Jane's Addiction (1990).
The Velvet Rope, Janet Jackson (1997).
Play, Moby (1999).
Ready to Die, Notorious B.I.G. (1994).
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Sinead O'Connor (1990).
Dummy, Portishead (1994).
Global Underground 013: Ibiza, Sasha (1999).
All Eyez On Me, 2Pac (1996).
The Sky is Crying, Stevie Ray Vaughn (1991).
Livro, Caetano Veloso (1997).

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Aughts

My top ten albums of the aughts (2000-2009). Devoid of reasons or explanations.

1. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, PJ Harvey (2000).
2. Kala, M.I.A. (2007).
3. Illinois, Sufjan Stevens (2005).
4. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko Case (2006).
5. Elephant, The White Stripes (2003).
6. Kid A, Radiohead (2000).
7. Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, R.L. Burnside (2000).
8. The College Dropout, Kanye West (2004).
9. Is This It?, The Strokes (2001).
10. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire (2007).

Honorable Mentions:

11. The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem (2000).
12. Stankonia, Outkast (2000)/Tanto Tempo, Bebel Gilberto (2000).
13. Don't Give Up On Me, Solomon Burke, (2002).
14. Mama's Gun, Erykah Badu (2000)/Modern Times, Bob Dylan (2006).
15. American Idiot, Green Day (2004).

...And those are officially all of the aught albums I own.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Daria

I really liked Daria as a high schooler. It ran successfully for years since students with functioning minds can find high school to be hellish. The episodes are consistently funny and usually had an interesting message, or you could relate to them. It reminds me of the flip side of things now that I teach it.

The best episode they ever did I only just saw for the first time on YouTube. I'd never seen it during high school. It struck me right between the eyes, and I really recommend it for those who know the series. (It really is only being shared for those who know the series because it won't make any sense for those who don't. Sorry.) Here is part 1 of 3, with sidebar links to the other parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uFqKGHk2uY

If you don't know the series, don't worry: in May you'll be able to buy the series on DVD.

Sunday, March 7, 2010