#5 - The Cure - Wild Mood Swings. (1996)
I never was a real big Cure fan and still am really not. Piper introduced me to them right after we first met. It was tough to pick between this album and "Faith". Faith is a cool sounding album but as you will see as this list goes on, I am more into lyrics instead of the music. (Except for #1 as you will see) This starts will the track "Want" which goes for 2:19 with just music. The core of the song is great and has a good flow. The next track "Club America" is kinda weird / different but good. It doesn't really sound like Robert Smith, he changed his tone. Track 3 "This is a Lie" is pretty good but kinda brings you down at the same time. Track 4 "The 13th" picks up the mood a bit and almost makes you forget the angst of track 3. Nice use of horns as well. Track 5 "Strange Attraction really steps it up a notch. This is one of my favorites on the album. When I hear this song, I can't tell if I am supposed to be happy or sad. They nailed it! Track 6 "Mint Car" is a happy go lucky song that is bubblegumy and almost made to sound fake. This is the peak happiness of the album. Track 7 "Jupiter Crash" brings it back down to famous Cure levels of melancholy. This is a great song though. It reminds me of being outside with someone special and looking up at the stars and being overcome with a flood of mixed waves of emotions. Track 8 "Round & Round & Round" tries to pick up the pieces from Track 3 and 7. It is a valiant effort. Track 9 "Gone!" is an overall great sounding song with a good mix of emotions. Mostly this song just sounds like a bad motivational VHS tape from the late 80's, but in a good way. :) Track 10 "Numb" brings it back down a notch and makes you think. The song really isn't all about drug addiction I think. It is just about addiction in general. What is your "drug"? Track 11 "Return" makes the last attempt to bring it back up a notch with dutiful success. Track 12 "Trap" is where the album starts to wrap and and you are taken out on an almost angry yet relieved state. Track 13 "Treasure" sounds at first to take you back down to sad, almost upset even. The more you listen to it however, the more you realize that it is more of a reflection on the past. The past is the past, you can't do anything about it. Track 14 "Bare" the final song. This song wraps it up pretty well. A wild mood swing roller coaster of emotions. Don't hide all your wild mood swings, "Bare" everything. It makes for a much easier time.
#4 - The Church - Starfish (1988)
Most people forget / forgot about this album / this band. This is really the only album that I like from them. Track 1 "Destination" is a great song from start to finish. A great way to start the album. My 2nd favorite song on the album. Track 2 "Under the Milky Way". Most people have heard this song on the radio during the 90's at some point. Another great song overall, not the best on the album. Very strong lyrically and gets an A- for bagpipe usage in a rock song. Track 3 "Blood Money" is probably my least favorite song on the album but starts getting the album ready for the upbeat songs. Track 4 "Lost" is a good song overall. It reminds me of the band "Soul Asylum" and their style of music. Track 5 "North, South, East, West" picks it up a bit and gets a little more rocky sounding. Good song overall with a good mix of slowness and heaviness. Track 6 "Spark" keeps the up beat rock sound going. This song is almost borderline punk sounding. Track 7 "Antenna" is my favorite song on the album (and no, not because I am an amateur radio operator). This song makes you really think about what it means (GASP!!! Not intelligent rock!). Track 8 "Reptile" is easily my 3rd favorite song. It gets high marks for the cool guitar riff and the comparison of a significant other to a snake. Track 9 "A New Season" slows it back down a bit. A good song and very listenable. Track 10 "Hotel Womb" wraps up the album well. Another song that make you think.
#3 - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (Double Album, 1975)
Well, what can you say? Led Zeppelin. You either like them or you don't. Most people don't. Either they don't get them, or they think they are overplayed / overrated. Think what you will, this is a great album. Track 1 "Custard Pie" is a typical sounding Led Zeppelin tune and a good way to start the album. Track 2 "The Rover". This is one of my favorite Zeppelin tunes. It doesn't sound like much of the rest of their music and really showed what they are capable of. Track 3 "In My Time Of Dying". Awesome song! This song absolutely rocks out. This is also one of my favorite Zeppelin tunes. Track 4 "Houses Of The Holy" is also a later album name. This song is not the best and the only bad thing about the whole album. If you can get through it, many treasures await! Track 5 "Trampled Under Foot". A good rocky / bluesy song that is typical Zeppelin. Not as bad as the previous track. Track 6 "Kashmir". Alot of people hate this song and call it monotonous. I think it is a great song, especially the orchestrated sound of it. Track 1 Album 2 "In The Light". This is where those treasures I was referring to start. This song is great from beginning to end. You can't find anything bad about it. I remember listening to this song constantly when I was about 17 years old. Track 2 Album 2 "Bron-Yr-Aur". Awesome Jimmy Page acoustic guitar style. Need I say more? Track 3 Album 2 "Down By The Seaside". This song sounds nothing like typical Led Zeppelin. The song is an absolute masterpiece. It makes you want to go to the ocean and "just sit". Track 4 Album 2 "Ten Years Gone". This song is also far from sounding like typical Zeppelin. Once again, one of those treasures I was telling you to hold out for. Track 5 Album 2 "Night Flight". Now we are getting back to typical Zeppelin sounding tunes (which is not entirely bad). Track 6 Album 2 "The Wanton Song". Awesome. This song rocks out as well. I can almost picture Jimmy Page with his patented "fish look" playing the guitar with his head going back and forth. :) Track 7 Album 2 " Boogie With Stu" is a feel good out right jammin' song that makes you wanna dance. Track 8 Album 2 "Black Country Woman". You have to like blues to like this song. Period. Track 9 Album 2 "Sick Again" is a good way to end it all. Just in case anybody was wondering if they still had their "Zeppelin" sound or if it was coming back for the next album.
#2 Rush - Presto (1989)
This album should be number 1, but as you will see, number 1 is number 1 because of what it is and cannot be trumped by even the almighty Canadian power trio. I am a huge Rush fan. Most Rush fans will tell you that this is their worst album (I think Vapor Trails is). This album is a lyrical masterpiece throughout. I really think this is / was the peak of Rush. Track 1 "Show Don't Tell". This is my least favorite song on the album and it is a great song. You get the idea. A bad song on this album is not really bad. I really just don't like the chorus on the song, the rest is fine. Track 2 "Chain Lightning". Wow! This song is absolutely riveting from beginning to end. It takes you to a warm summer night, possibly away from city lights with storms "firing" on the horizon, sky blanketed by stars and a feeling of pure energy in the air. Track 3 "The Pass". This song starts out with a strange / different but good bass line. This song takes you to a changing point in your life. A point in ones life full of important decisions. The choices are laid out for you. Everybody goes through it and the bottom line is the fact that no matter what you choose it will most likely be the wrong decision in your mind but possibly the best decision you will make. Track 4 "War Paint". Also another song about life decisions. Dealing with more of a younger version or oneself that is confused and scared. A version of oneself that you don't understand until you are much older and experienced in life. Track 5 "Scars". A metaphorically inquisitive song that deals with oneself wearing their emotional scars in the open. The drumming on this song is superb Neil Peart quality. The song overall reminds you how powerful the human mind is. Track 6 "Presto". Well, here it is. My second favorite Rush song. Separation angst mixed with a bit of felling sorry for yourself with a dab of self realization. Track 7 "Superconductor". My 3rd favorite Rush song. Rush has never done anything before that sounds close to this song. This song is very dark and evil without sounding like it. That's actually quite difficult to do. This song sounds kinda upbeat and "poppy" but something is not quite right. Something underlying is going on but you can't quite figure it out. Brilliant! Track 8 "Anagram (For Mongo)". I am not quite sure what to thing of this song. It is a song about how things are not always as they seem? (no, that was the previous song). The beauty of this album is the fact that you take something different away from it on every listen. Track 9 "Red Tide". By far the most "upbeat" song on the album, if you can call it upbeat. A song about how life is too short to be worried about all of the BS out there. Live your life and be happy, not scared. Track 10 "Hand Over Fist". The album is winding down now. This is not one of their best, but certainly listenable. A good prelude to the end. Track 11" Available Light". Great way to end the album. There are lots of positive things out there, you just have to "learn" to look for them.
#1 - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
I discovered it when I was 12 years old (like almost everybody did). 12 year olds are still discovering it. James (my 12 year old) will more than likely pick up on it later this year. The first time you hear it, it changes your life and your taste in music forever. I am not going to write a track by track review on this album. It would be like trying to disprove God or building a time machine just so you can create a paradox and destroy the entire space time continuum. From beginning to end, pure genius, all the bullshit aside about Wizard of Oz and how overplayed the album is.
In the words of the great Ted Nugent "If you don't eat meat, you have shit for brains"
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