Dez's 5 Star Albums: The R's, part I

I have one of my few soul selections in this batch. Echoing a point I have made before, the lack of soul albums does not reflect a dislike of the genre. To the contrary, I am a big fan of Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Otis, etc. As with many blues artists of that and previous eras, though, they were more about singles than cohesive albums. This list focuses on the album.

Radiohead – The Bends (1995): Before the much lauded experimentation, Radiohead released a kick ass rock record that echoed bands from the past but also featured a fiercely unique vision.

Radiohead – OK Computer (1997): The orgasmic critical and fan reaction to this was a bit overwhelming and created some backlash (at least from me), but enough time has passed to where I can listen to it without the surrounding hype and hear much that is great; although to be honest, I still more admire OKC than love it.

Radiohead – Kid A (2000): I like Amnesiac about as much as Kid A, but I’ll give the edge to Kid A since it has a more unified sound and it had the bigger impact coming first. NOTE: Even Thom Yorke has said that Kid A and Amnesiac should have been released together as a double. I agree. I view them as pieces of one work.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – By the Way (2002): How this band has progressed and grown over the years is quite impressive, BTW represents the peak of their songwriting and exciting sonic explorations.

Otis Redding – Otis Blue (1965): Sam Cooke was the greatest soul singer, but Otis was my favorite; this may be the best soul record ever made, Otis uses his gritty Southern-Stax sound on a mix of brilliant originals and outstanding covers (including three from Cooke[Otis absolutely owns “Shake”] and even one from the Rolling Stones).

Lou Reed – Transformer (1972): Lou’s best album features wonderful shots of glam, but also solid pop songs with subversive lyrics (listen closely to unlikely hit “Walk on the Wild Side”) and moments of real beauty (“Perfect Day.”)

Lou Reed – Rock and Roll Animal (live) (1974): Lou has mostly been willfully perverse in his strange career moves over the decades and often alienating albums, but here he decides to give the people what they want with a bruising, rocking live album highlighted by the glittering, glam guitar work of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner.

REM – Out of Time (1991): I don’t even like “Losing My Religion,” but the rest alternates between great pop music and moody pieces that all work.

REM – New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996): I don’t know why this record made so little impact when it came out, but I stand by it as one of REM’s most complete records that shows all of their latter day strengths; also notable as the last record as a four piece and the last album before they started to suck.

ABOVE: Lou Reed makes my five star list, but Lou is also notable for creating what many critics consider to be the worst record of all time, 1975's Metal Machine Music. It is an album of modulated feedback and tape hiss. It was seen as a joke or a "F you" from Lou at the time, but of course, it has been reassessed by some as a revolutionary birth of industrial music. And it's a double. I own it, of course. It's bad.