50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house 5.0

Citizens of hope and glory, I look at the world and I notice a red car in the fountain, so this must be what people once called, and still call, winter. And as I am he as you are he as you are me and I’m the space invader, I’ll be a rock ‘n rollin’ bitch for you and gather the most notorious music professors in town to contemplate the most vital question of the year: “Which is the best rock album of all time?”. Heading into the fifth edition this year, we’re looking for successors of Selling England by the Pound, Kid A, The Velvet Underground & Nico, Band on the Run, What’s Going On, Blood on the Tracks and Revolver.

Well, if you wanna see the sun rise honey, I  know where, as I’m not alone in this smoky dark cave. Of course there’s RKH, going strong since 2012, and be quick or he might already be gone: Guus ‘Rockin’ Chair’ Fog. Too late! Anyway, they say he comes on a pale horse, but I’m sure I hear a hybrid car, so that must be Donald ‘Ramblin’ Oude Kamphuis actually rejoining the armed forces this year. This means 2016 will be brought to an end with a great musical blast, so trouble ahead, lady in red, and the results of the first autumn nights:

DOK
Artist Album Year 2013
50 Tool Aenima 1996 *
49 Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. 1972 44
48 Janis Joplin Pearl 1971 *
47 Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion 2009 37
46 Steely Dan Aja 1977 *
45 The Move Shazam 1970 *
44 George Harrison All things must pass 1970 25
43 David Bowie The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust 1972 *
42 Yes The Yes Album 1971 *
41 Radiohead The King of Limbs 2011 42
GvZ
Artist Album Year 2015
50 My Morning Jacket Circuital 2011 45
49 John Cale Fear 1974 35
48 Pink Floyd A Saucerful of Secrets 1968 31
47 Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age 1998 *
46 Killing Joke Killing Joke 1980 27
45 Jethro Tull Aqualung 1971 30
44 The Mountain Goats The Sunset Tree 2005 40
43 Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield Again 1967 39
42 The Afghan Whigs Gentlemen 1993 *
41 Creedence Clearwater Revival Green River 1969 49
RKH
Artist Album Year 2015
50 Kanye West The Life of Pablo 2016 *
49 Elvis Costello This Year’s Model 1978 *
48 Kate Bush Hounds of Love 1985 *
47 Frazey Ford Indian Ocean 2014 46
46 Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town 1978 35
45 Guided By Voices Alien Lanes 1995 29
44 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2002 47
43 Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home 1965 *
42 Dismemberment Plan Emergency & I 1999 *
41 Lee Hazlewood Cowboy in Sweden 1970 41

50 Albums you must hear before you buy a house 4.0 (5)

Canvass the town and brush the backdrop, it’s hair pie:

GvZ:

30. (20) Jethro Tull – Aqualung (1971)
29. (12) The Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
28. (32) The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come (1987)
27. (*) Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1980)

26.  (16) Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
“Went Mental. Deny. Deny. Deny.”

RKH:

30. (26) The Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
29. (12) Guided By Voices – Alien Lanes (1995)
28. (*) Steely Dan – Katy Lied (1975)
27. (44) Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen (1993)

26. (32) Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
“Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Go Mental.”

Shuffle of the week #11

This is an ode to the shuffle. How better to get a good insight in your digitized album collection than by a classic shuffle? Finally discover the albums you never got into, finally throw the ones away you will never get into and worship those classics that never grow old again. The Shuffle of this week:

1. Pink Floyd – On the Turning Away (A Momentary Lapse of Reason, 1987) [singlepic id=128 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Starting this week with one of Floyd’s latest great singles, a very nice power ballad dominated by Gilmour’s vocals and guitar playing. In this way a song (just like the album) with a lot of recognizability, but without the originality the band was famous for, as the sound resembles that of ‘Wish You Were Here’ while the lyrics seem to be borrowed from Dark Side of the Moon.

2. Killing Joke – Complications (Killing Joke, 1980) [singlepic id=126 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Quite the anthithesis then with this song from Kiling Joke’s debut album. It’s completely driven by the fast guitar riff that reminds of the bands punk roots. A preview of what was released later by bands like Nine Inch Nails and Faith No More.

3. Echo & the Bunnymen – Thorn of Crowns (Ocean Rain, 1984) [singlepic id=119 w=80 h=50 float=left]

The transition is completed by the post-punk of Echo & the Bunnymen (again!) from four years later. I’m going to explore this band further, as the shuffle is clear on this point.

4. Pearl Jam – Why Go (Ten, 1991) [singlepic id=127 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Time for guitar licks from all different eras this week, as this juwel from one of rock history’s most amazing debut albums kicks in next. The music of this song was written by bass player Jeff Ament long before Eddie Vedder added the lyrics about a girl in a psychiatric hospital.

5. The Band – Rockin’ Chair (The Band, 1969) [singlepic id=129 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Easy going song from the best album that I discovered in the past couple of years. This group and its sound are officially declared incredible. About time for an album review right here.

6. The Afghan Whigs – My Curse (Gentlemen, 1993) [singlepic id=125 w=80 h=50 float=left]

I guess this is the moment to add this one to my mp3 player, as I have nothing to say about Greg Dulli’s curse yet. (update: after a long struggle that lasted a couple of years, this album has convinced me of being a modest classic)

7. Titus Andronicus – A Pot In Which To Piss (The Monitor, 2010) [singlepic id=131 w=80 h=50 float=left]

An album I got passed by art spotter Levenskoenst. Kind of Guided By Voices meets Neutral Milk Hotel, with lyrics contributed by The Band.

8. The Books – All Our Base Are Belong to Them (Thought for Food, 2002) [singlepic id=130 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Album I was never captivated by. This song doesn’t really change that. Or wait a minute… no.

 

9. Traffic – Forty Thousand Headman (Traffic, 1968) [singlepic id=132 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Total highlight then with some great late sixties rock from this bands’ second album. The album offers a great variety of rock songs, in which you seem to recognize different rock bands from that era like Blind Faith (inevitably thanks to Steve Winwood’s presence), Fleetwood Mac (‘Don’t Be Sad’) and Jethro Tull (this song).

10. Johnny Cash – I Hung My Head (The Man Comes Around, 2002) [singlepic id=67 w=80 h=50 float=left]

Can we close in a better way than by hanging our head together with mister Cash?