25. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here, 1975
Most may prefer Dark Side of the Moon or the overrated The Wall, but I think this is their warmest and most interesting concept album from their classic period. Taking a cynical look at the record biz and also serving as a heartfelt tribute to former leader Syd Barrett, they were emotionally invested in this material. Gilmour is given much room to weave his guitar magic, such as on the extended Barrett tribute “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and the heartbreaking title track (which features some of the prettiest acoustic work in all of classic rock). The oft-repeated story, apparently true, is that Syd Barrett showed up unannounced in the studio just as they were working on “Shine On…” He was physically unrecognizable, and was by this time clearly out of his gourd. He was also oblivious to the fact that he was walking in on a majestic musical tribute to himself. “Have a Cigar” is one of the great cynical songs about the music industry. The “which one’s Pink?” line references the infamous story of a clueless record exec meeting the band at a promotional gathering and asking, “So, which one’s Pink?” Great stuff.
24. The Cars – The Cars, 1978
It was once said, only half jokingly, that The Cars’ debut record could also have been called ‘Greatest Hits,’ because in the words of Spinal Tap manager Ian Faith, “every song on here could be a hit!” Many were. The Cars were one of the best of the New Wave acts, led by the acerbic but pop-infused songwriting of Ric Ocasek. It opens with the brilliant pop trifecta of “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed”…and never really lets up from there. Other highlights include “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” “Bye Bye Love,” “All Mixed Up” and “Moving In Stereo” (made immortal by its use in the scene with Phoebe Cates emerging topless in slow motion from the pool in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’…good times roll indeed). If you were to pick a New Wave artifact to launch into space to get the aliens grooving, it would have to be #24.
ABOVE: The Cars' debut is the best that New Wave has to offer
23. Neil Young – Freedom, 1989
Out of left field, after a decade of head-scratching genre jumping that left even his diehard fans confused and discouraged, Neil delivered one of the best records of his career. #23 has its roots in the Japan-only EP Eldorado, one of Neil’s most uncompromising scorchers. It was a good clue that this was a major Neil release when he chose to bookend the album with acoustic and electric versions of the same song, just as he did ten years earlier on his brilliant Rust Never Sleeps. I was fortunate enough to see him live around this time, and he was actually touring for the mediocre album he put out before this one; but as he often does, he was more interested in playing his unreleased new material over what he was ostensibly out on the road promoting. What a dazzling set of songs, ranging from quiet acoustic numbers to jarring, blazing ragged glory. “Don’t Cry” is a favorite and features his fiercest distortion (I once blew out a car speaker jamming to this song). I love his gritty, roaring cover of “On Broadway,” where he turns it into a seedy, loud, drug-infused manifesto. On the other side of the coin, “Wrecking Ball” is one of his most beautiful piano ballads. “Crime in the City” is an epic screed about everything from the music business to relationships:
“The artist looked at the producer
The producer sat back
He said, ‘What we have got here
Is a perfect track
But we don't have a vocal
And we don't have a song
If we could get these things accomplished
Nothin' else could go wrong.’
So he balanced the ashtray
As he picked up the phone
And said, ‘Send me a songwriter
Who's drifted far from home
And make sure that he's hungry
Make sure he's alone
Send me a cheeseburger
And the new 'Rolling Stone’”
The great acoustic tune “Too Far Gone” finally makes its official appearance on an album after being performed live for two decades. Neil even had the rare hit with the now classic “Rockin’ in the Free World”.
22. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA, 1983
If I were an exec at Columbia Records, I would insist in my next contract extension with the Boss that a clause be inserted that requires him to use the word “born” in every subsequent album title. #22 is the juggernaut that catapulted Bruce from critical fave to superstardom. This is by far his most accessible set of tunes. With no less than seven hit singles (!), it is amazing that some of my and many fan favorites are the album tracks, not the hits. That is how deep this record goes. “Downbound Train” has a killer guitar riff, and is one of his great tales of the wandering loser. “Bobby Jean” and “No Surrender” are touching testaments to the bonds of friendship (both written for long time E Street guitarist Steve Van Zandt, who had recently left the band). But, it is the hits casual fans remember, check this slate out: “Born in the USA” (misunderstood title track), “Cover Me” (his most hard rocking hit), “I’m On Fire” (his first ballad hit), “I’m Goin’ Down”, “Glory Days”, “My Hometown” and “Dancing in the Dark” (the highest charting single of his career). The funny thing is, even that seminal 80’s pop/rock gem is actually quite dark and desperate. If you just read the lyrics without the accompanying infectious pop sheen of the music, you could swear this was one of his dour solo acoustic dirges:
“I get up in the evening and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning, I go to bed feelin' the same way
I ain't nothing but tired, man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark
Message just keep getting clearer, radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror, wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't getting nowhere, I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere, baby I just know that there is
You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark…”
Do those lyrics look like the lyrics of a song many people think of as an 80’s party anthem? That is the greatness of that song.
ABOVE: The story behind Born in the USA's album cover is that of all of the pictures they took, Bruce decided that the picture of his ass looked better than the picture of his face.
21. Dire Straits – Making Movies, 1980
Amongst true Dire Straits fans, this is the favorite. Side one is perfect with three lengthy Dire Straits classics. “Tunnel of Love” may be my single favorite song of all time, and it shows all of Dire Straits’ strengths. The dynamic changes, the vivid storytelling, the tight band playing that alternately rocks out and gets quiet and moody, and stunning guitar work from Mark Knopfler…it’s all there. “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the great songs of lost love. Knopfler sings lines like “And I can’t do a love song / Like the way it’s meant to be” with such vulnerability. Finally, “Skateaway” is a great pop song. The second half is not as strong, but “Expresso Love” and “Solid Rock” are, well, solid rockers. “Hand In Hand” is a nice love song, while the closing “Les Boys” is the only misstep on the record, but is an interesting change of pace nonetheless.
9 comments:
Now, this is the stuff. This handful of albums just screams R... sorry, Dez!
Dez! Dez! Dez!
I love the Springsteen. It was on my list. I also love that Pink Floyd record, and it should've probably been on my list. You're the one who educated me about Neil Young and Dire Straits, at Dez Music Camp in the mid-'90s. And The Cars are very solid, though you obviously like them a lot more than I do.
I can't believe we're already on the threshold of the top 20. Please tell me your movies list is next... I don't want to lose my fix.
This is the first one where I've been totally on board with all five albums.
The passage you quote from "Freedom" may be my single favorite Neil Young moment, and while I'm not as big a fan as you are, I do love me some Neil.
I still vividly remember when I first heard that song--it was in the drive through line of Beck's Prime, in Houston. It was mid-evening, and everything breatehed with the late Houston autumn. The darkness of the swamp and Neil. The heavy emptiness.
So good.
Glad you guys approve this time around. While I would love that my Top 25 have some great curveballs and compelling picks...if you've known me long most probably won't surprise you from here on out.
My prediction is that the two of you will roll your eyes at 15, 9 and 3; ANCIANT will enthusiastically approve of 19, 16, 12, 8, 6 (probably) and 4; while JMW will be more partial to 17, 14, 12, 11 and 7. Funny enough, I am not sure exactly where you guys stand on my #1 (I mean, I know you don't hate it, but I'm not sure how much you love it). (Oh, and JMW will "respect the choice, but it is not one of my favorites" of #13.)
As far as other frequent commentators on my Lists, Pocky is more of a wild card as far as me predicting what he will like and not like. So is Saxo, although I figure he will dig 19, 13, 8 and 4.
I do know that Pocky will despise #10.
I already do, and I have no idea what it is yet.
My concern for the last 20 entries or so is that this list has started to become what I feared it might, a tribute to 10th grade. Don't get me wrong, much of this is very solid music, but I want something that tells me I should go out and buy something that I have never heard of. Something that may not have been straight from rolling stone magazine.
So you want obscurity for obscurity's sake? Just to take these five and your Rolling Stone test. RS does worship at the altars of Bruce and Neil, no doubt. Although, picking FREEDOM as one of my high Neil picks? RS would put at least ten of his albums ahead of FREEDOM. At least. And RS has never boosted The Cars and they have generally been lukewarm towards Dire Straits (although, they have been much more enthusiastic about Mark Knopfler's [yawn] solo work). If I recall, RS has never championed Floyd either. In fact, they have taken a rather anti-Floyd stance more than pro-Floyd.
But you sound as contrived as you are accusing me of being. I refuse to use a band's obscurity or popularity as a bar to my list. I likes what I likes. That's all there is to it.
Or to put it another way, Pocky. Suggesting cool stuff you've never heard of is not really the purpose of this list. It is to count down my 100 favorite rock records. I can certainly have that other conversation with you, naturally. But that is not what this particular series is about. And I refuse to believe that you are intimately familiar with most of what I have listed anyway. Just because you have heard of a band and are familiar with their hits does not mean that you really know a particular album through and through. So, surprisingly, there can even be discoveries within what you thought was familiar.
Sure, without a doubt. Like I said, I am not disputing the fact that much of this is solid music. But like you said, this is not a list of "the 100 best albums of all time" it is rather "Dez's 100 favorite albums." However, if we were to argue the generally accepted top 100 albums of all time, there would be much debate on the order of the albums to be sure, but a general public consensus would agree on many, if not most of the artists that you have on the list (with some notable exceptions to be sure). However, you may choose different albums than that consensus, the same artists would be represented. I guess this is a fundamental difference in musical taste. Whereas you tend to be an inch wide and a mile deep, I tend to be a mile wide and an inch deep.
You usually lock on to a few select artists that tend to be more publicly recognized, but go deep into their anthology, while I tend to pick up things that I like, but don't spend the time to get too deep into their history/prior works/drug habits and rationale behind the music. I just don't have the same level of commitment that you do.
For instance, Mrs. Pockyjack and I just finished renting the movie "Once" which was a very low budget Irish film about a couple of street performers trying to make a demo album. The music and movie are beautiful and one of the songs happened to win an Oscar (Something I did not find out until several days later). While the movie and album are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I really liked the music and it will be part of my playlist for a while (you have probably heard some of the songs on the radio anyway. Though I don't know what they are playing on the radio these days, frankly). However, I will probably never buy anything else that Glen Hansard or Marketa Irglova have ever done or will do (Though the only other film Glen Hansard has ever been in was the Commitments, btw, I did buy those two albums). But for me this album stands on its own, and while I am sure it got some positive press from Rolling Stone or Entertainment magazine, I would never know, because I discovered it by word of mouth, not from what the media was telling me to listen to.
So I know Pink Floyd is good and all, but what is next? Rush? More Led Zeppelin? Kansas? I have been there. Done that. I am not saying they are not good, but let's see some evolution here.
KAN-SAS! KAN-SAS! KAN-SAS!
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