Dienstag, 26. Jan 2010, 11:19
When just milling around the flat one evening, avoiding doing any revision for exams again, I realised that it had been a long long time since I last got any new music to speak of. In an attempt to broaden my horizons, I suggested to my 2 flatmates that we each select our favourite 5 albums of all time and send them in each others direction. Sounded simple enough. It wasn't. Selecting my 5 albums has been tough and I know my 2 flatmates have also struggled to wittle it down from the countless albums they own to a mere 5.
Before revealing the 5 I chose, it is important to make a few points.
Firstly, there is a distinct lack of any albums from before 1980. This goes way back but was essentially due to the fact I grew up listening to my dads music; ACDC, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones e.t.c. Whilst these artists would undoubtedly feature on any list of all time top albums, I view these as my dads music and not music I had discovered myself. All 5 albums I have chosen were downloaded by myself having no prior knowledge of them.
Secondly, it would have been very easy for me to have chosen 5 of my favourite punk albums and have had done with it. However, fo the sake of diversity, I have chosen 5 different artists from relatively different genres.
Thirdly, my choices were based on albums I regard as absolute classics. There were plenty of albums I could have chosen by artists that I love to listen to on a weekly basis but I did not feel they were significant enough to appear on this list. I regard all of these as absolute essential listening.
Both of my flatmates have very different taste in music whilst loosely falling under the category of rock. Up until the last minute, Daft Punk and their Discovery album was in the list, yet I did not feel this would be enjoyable listening for my two flatmates and its slot was easily filled with another.
5. Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights
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After getting into music for the first time properly at the age of 14, I made a progression from listening to Green Day to Less Than Jake and then to Catch 22. This album blew me away the first time I listened to it and after years of listening to commercialised, heavily produced pop punk and alternative rock, this album was so different from anything else I had ever heard. Whilst it cannot be said to a massively influential or monumental album, it is without doubt the pinnacle of third wave ska. Anyone looking to start somewhere with the ska genre, this is it.
Best tracks on album - Keasbey Nights, 9mm And A Three Piece Suit, Dear Sergio
4. Operation Ivy - Energy
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One of the most highly influential albums of the ska punk genre. 26 tracks on non stop fast paced ska punk, the raw energy of this album never fails to put me in a good mood. When Rancid play a gig, it is often a Operation Ivy song that gets the biggest reaction from a crowd and the same can be said of other bands. In particular, a Manchester gig springs to mind, when Sonic Boom Six performed a cover of Sound System which saw the whole crowd go absolutely mental and a massive surge onto the stage. The fact that 18 years on it can still create such a reaction shows it worth.
Best tracks on album - Sound System, Unity, Healthy Body
3. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
http://bigpondmusic.com/images/AlbumCoverArt/261/XXL/Rage-Against-The-Machine2.jpg
This really doesn't need much explanation. Powerful vocals throughout, the album never drops in energy and can be listened to over and over without it ever getting old. I feel lucky to have seen these guys live, something I cannot say for any of the other bands on this list, and I will go to any length to see them again at the UK gig this year.
Best tracks on album - Bullet in the Head, Know Your Enemy, Freedom
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Wow, this was hard putting this at number 2. Highly influential on many massive artists such as Nirvana, Weezer and Radiohead, Doolittle is my favourite of their albums, just pipping Surfer Rosa, mainly due to Hey. Unfortunetly, I only got into the Pixies after they had ended their comeback tour so I have never seen them live. I shall just have to make do with putting this album on repeat.
Best tracks on album - Hey, Tame, No. 13 baby
1. Descendents - Milo Goes To College
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~alr237/descendents_milo.jpg
I first heard of the Descendents in a NOFX song, 13 stitches, where Fat Mike describes this album as his "all time favourite record" and it is hard to disagree with. Punk at its absolute best. Its incredibly had to pick favourites from the album, every song is just as fast paced, energetic and great as the last. Everyone needs to have listened to this album once in their life.
Best tracks on album - - Bikeage, Catalina, Suburban Home