To put it down,here are MY favorites albums of all time. There are a lot of great albums that I love that are quality works that are not on this list. Hey, I can't remember them all. I'll add them as time permits. For now, here are my favorite full length recordings.
John Coltrane "Blue Train":The way that jazz was meant to be played. Listening to John crank that tenor sax is the best high you can get without touching any outside chemicals. Its power intensifies more when you listen to it at night.
Public Enemy "It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back":Before the widespread popularity of so called "gangsta" rap,Chuck D and the rest of the PE reigned supreme. This IS the best rap album EVER made:An album that all rap albums(past,present,and future) should be judged against. This will also prove to all of you rap hating,conservative shitstains out there that all rap IS NOT about getting laid and gun toting. This album is ten years old and yet so ahead of its time with its message and its beats:the danger of the destructive nature of television on "She Watches Channel Zero",the knee jerk stupidity of the media on "Don't Believe the Hype",the affects of crack on "Night of the Living Baseheads",and rap's future of sampling in "Can I Get A Witness?" Chuck D proves that rap can be "honorable" and "thought provoking" and "intellegent" if it wants to.
N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton":Even though Ice T is the father of the so called "gangsta" rap genre,this debut from N.W.A. put it in the mainstream. Eazy E,Ice Cube,MC Ren,Yella,and Dr. Dre weave the web to a magical journey through South Central Los Angeles. This album was released in 1988 like the aforementioned PE album,also with the same knack for foretelling:While you jerkoffs applauded the FBI for harassing the group for telling the truth about police brutality L.A. style in "Fuck Tha Police",you didn't realize that you'd hear about Koon and company beating the crap out of Rodney King less that five years later. Oh my god! Did you realize that even though a person is black and from the inner city and doesn't speak the Queen's English properly that he could be (GASP!) taking sense and (the horra!) telling the truth?!? Threw you for a fuckin' loop,didn't it?
Fiona Apple "Tidal":This is a great album. Yeah,I know I whacked Fiona in the past because her MTV speech contridicted her involvement in the PETA hotline,but I still like her music. She has a great talent that few of us even have:To let your voice flow and with strength without raising your voice. I like the album's jazzy feel. "Slow Like Honey","Shadowboxer",and "Sullen Girl" are great pieces. Critics said that Fiona was Sony's answer to Alanis Morrisette,which is total bullshit. I don't think that Fiona is in with the same league as these other broads that claim the "chick rock" icon status. She's in her own league,no doubt. Even if she doesn't make another album or if the rest of her albums forward are wack(which I don't think that they will be),"Tidal" is a near flawless,powerful album. You go girl.
Pearl Jam "Ten":Yeah,I just whacked that fool,Eddie,too. However,I can seperate the art from the artist. Another great piece of work. Great balance of hard shit("Porch" and "Even Flow") and laid back songs with edge ("Alive","Black",and "Jeremy"). I still think that Pearl Jam is wack and are pushing their fan base away by refusing to do videos,release singles,or do concerts in major venues,but I still dig them musically.
James Brown "James Brown 20 Greatest Hits:You know that I had to let my home state represent...and James Brown indeed DOES represent. This is the best collection of songs from the Godfather of Soul. "Get on Up" and "I've Got the Feelin'" is on this one. I wish they had the faster tempo version of "Get Up Offa That Thang" on this one,but I guess you can't have it all.
Otis Redding "Dock of the Bay":Again Georgia represents! Even though Otis didn't pay attention the pop singer no-no of the 60's and 70's and got on a plane,he did leave us with this great album. You've got to love "The Huckle Buck":I think some of those club are still around today,although I'm not sure about the Royal Peacock here. "Tramp" is another great one. "The Glory of Love" is such a great and powerful song down by Redding that the beat no talent whitebread Bette Milder should be beaten to death for covering it. This represents R&B when it was GOOD. This was when people played real musical instruments,not electric keyboards. This was when people sang about love,not about how much pussy they got. This was when people sang about how to solve the world's problems,not about how many Benjamins they have and how many cars they have. R&B today suck. If Otis Redding was around today,he'd blow Dru Hill out of the water. Props to the old school.
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik":I kid about "cracker soul" and the "gangsta crackers" on this page,but there are white people who truly in their hearts have the essence of what the brothas and I dub "soul". Janis Joplin had it. The Black Crowes have it. The Chili Peppers have it for sure. This whole album is filled with it. Whether you hear "Funky Monks" or "Sir Psycho Sexy" or almost another cut on this album,you can feel it. Some of you ask how do you know sould when you see it. To be honest and to quote a song on this album,"...if you have to ask,you'll never know."
Jane's Addiction "Nothing's Shocking":Before Generation Y was trying to whine like the Smashing Pumpkins and were trying to dye their hair ecru,there was Jane's Addiction. They put the "alternative" rock stuff on the map. Unlike the crap that pass for rock today,you actually KNEW what Perry Ferrell was talking about:The song ADDRESSES something. What a concept! You've got to melt when you hear "Jane Says". "Mountain Song" urges you to speak up. "Summertime Rolls" is gentle and aloof. C'mon people! They did album before that "Been Caught Stealing" song,which is better than "Ritulo De Lo Habitulo". Come correct and get it!
Hole "Live Through This":I don't care if people say that Kurt's suicide is the cause of this album's popularity. This album can stand on its own. With good old fashioned rage and blaring guitars,Courtney and company goes through this one with kick ass songs like "She Walks Over Me" and "Gutless". This one proves that Love is her own woman.
Nirvana "Nevermind":Perhaps one of the best and most influencial rock albums of all time. Kurt, Kris, and Dave were totally ahead of their time. You have to feel Kurt's pain on that joint, especially listening to On a Plain. Alt bands today need to drop to their knees and thank God that this album did well. It even influenced members after Kurt died. Dave Grohl started a band called the Foo Fighters....which I'll be talking about later on. How can anyone NOT see that Kurt was in pain. Anyone who writes a song called I Hate Myself And Want To Die might actually be depressed. At any rate, Nirvana has some great album. This is the best known one and the best of rock. Oh yeah, I kinda dig it too.
Kid Rock "Devil Without A Cause": Unapolegetic mix of rock and rap. I love it. I'm down with Kid Rock. No problem with saying he represents the brothers on the streets and the crackers in the trailer. I saw with at Music Midtown and was impressed ever since.
Foo Fighters "Foo Fighters": I dig this album. Not only because it has great songs on it like This Is A Call, but it shows that Dave Grohl refused to live and die with Nirvana. He took a axe and chopped through the aftermath of Nirvana. Kris tried, but only broke off one album. However, the Foo Fighters are still going. Hell, it's David Letterman's favorite band. Hopefully, they'll have a new album soon.
Eminem "The Slim Shady LP" and "The Marshall Mathers LP": I think that Eminem is one of the most talented rap out there, if not THE most talented rapped out there. Say what you want about the content of his lyrics, but I believe you have to be deaf and dumb if you truly think that Mr. Mathers does NOT have the abiity to twist words into great stories and phrases. You can hear it on Rock Bottom. You can hear it on Stan. You can sure as hell hear it on Kim. In fact, hearing Kim gives me the heebie jeebies. Then again, that's what he meant to do. Check them out.