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I defy any music fan to list their top ten favourite albums
of all time. If you own even a half-decent music collection, this is
incredibly difficult. My library of CDs and vinyl sits somewhere in
the vicinity of 600, so selecting this list was virtually impossible.
Rather than offering only my favourites, I've given you ten albums (in
chronological order) that any rock fan with eclectic tastes must hear
before they die. No use just giving you the Michael Jacksons and Fleetwood
Macs, coz you probably already own them. Of course, I'll wake up tomorrow
and scream the inevitable line: "Why didn't I think of that one?"
Enjoy.
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The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks (1976)
While there are several schools of thought on where punk originated,
there can be no doubt that The Sex Pistols were the punk band
that changed the face of popular music more than any other. Led
by John Lydon (AKA Johnny Rotten), these London lads created more
controversy in England during their 19-month existence than anyone
before or since. Their only album 'Never Mind the Bollocks' still
remains as timeless and powerful as it was 29 years ago, with
its crunching guitars and Lydon's unmistakable snarl throughout
the twelve tracks. 'God Save the Queen', released to coincide
with her highness' silver jubilee, was banned by the BBC and kept
at number two on the British charts, despite selling more copies
than the official number one, Rod Stewart's 'I Don't Want To Talk
About It'. All controversy aside, a true rock and roll masterpiece.
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Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures (1979)
Credited by many as the pioneers of the new wave movement, Manchester's
Joy Division were led by flamboyant but troubled frontman Ian
Curtis, whose manic dancing was believed to be a replication of
his severe epilepsy. Their debut LP, 'Unknown Pleasures', was
ground-breaking in the way it took punk sensibilities and transformed
them into stark bass-driven melodies of urban decay and isolation.
Funded by the 8000-quid life savings of their record label's founder
Tony Wilson, the album's brilliance was due in no small part to
Curtis' distinctly low haunting vocals. Opening track 'Disorder'
offered one of the most twisted bass lines ever, with the brilliantly-simple
guitar accompaniment highlighting the band's "less is more"
approach. In addition, drummer Stephen Morris' skeletal opening
to the classic 'She's Lost Control' is one of the great improvisations
of all time. While Curtis' vocal performance would lock him in
as an early icon of angst, he fell in an all-too-familiar fashion
when he hanged himself in his home on 18 May 1980. The remaining
members went on to form the immensely successful New Order.
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Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast (1982)
As a heavy metal act in punk-dominated London in the late 70's,
Iron Maiden had to work hard to prove they didn't have to cut
their hair and put pins in their noses to get gigs. Their packed
touring schedule saw them build a loyal group of fans, and following
in the footsteps of Judas Priest and Motorhead before them, Maiden
built on the resurgence of British metal. Their 1982 classic,
'The Number Of The Beast', was their first with soaring vocalist
Bruce Dickinson, and it was the killer punch Maiden required to
take the podium as metal kings of the world. Containing their
most famous song in 'Run To The Hills' and a title track that
created much controversy from England's religious fraternity,
the album's production and musicianship left their first two records
for dead. Virtually every track is a classic and most still feature
prominently at their live shows. An essential buy for any hard
rock or metal fan.
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The Cure: Pornography (1982)
With the opening lyric of track one reading: Doesn't matter if
we all die, it's immediately clear what you're in for. Put simply;
prepare yourself for the most emotionally-heavy listen of your
life. Arguably the album by which all other Goth-rock albums are
measured, 'Pornography' is eight anthems of the most beautifully
tortured music of all time. Vocalist Robert Smith wails his anger
and sadness through winding poetic verses better than ever on
this album, and the production is incredibly unique, made up of
walls of bass and thumping drums. 'A Short Term Effect' and 'The
Figurehead' remain fan favourites to this day. So intensely dark
is this album, that after months of touring it through Europe,
the band grew increasingly drained, and bassist Simon Gallup quit
the band following a punch-up with Smith. He would return in 1985,
and still remains today.
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Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA (1984)
The Boss took the world by the scruff of the neck with this document
for the Vietnam veteran/blue collar worker. Spawning seven massive
singles including 'Glory Days', 'I'm On Fire' and 'Dancing in
the Dark', the album came to define 80's America and sent Springsteen
and his E Street Band on one of the biggest world tours ever seen.
The title track was also infamously misunderstood and quoted by
former US president Ronald Reagan, which prompted Springsteen
to publicly support environmental and civil rights groups in response.
With its free-spirited and upbeat sound, 'Born in the USA' is
also one of the great driving albums of all time.
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Guns N Roses: Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Without doubt the most dangerous rock and roll band of the late
80's, Guns and Roses burst on to the scene with 'Appetite For
Destruction' when many believed the glam-rock era was coming to
an end. Putting their fellow LA make-up men to shame, the sheer
power of this album made up for what it may have lacked in originality.
Selling 20 million copies worldwide, it combined the yankee rock
and roll of Aerosmith with the "get out of my face"
claustrophobia of the Sex Pistols. Infectiously raw, Appetite…spawned
the hit single 'Sweet Child O' Mine', and contains some of the
all-time great modern riffs in 'Welcome to the Jungle' and 'Paradise
City', as well as one of the best improvised solos from guitarist
Slash to end 'Nightrain'. Riddled by drug and alcohol problems,
the band never reached those heights again, and while never officially
disbanding, they were all but dissolved by the mid 90's.
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The Pixies: Doolittle (1989)
At the time of its release, 'Doolittle' passed everyone by, with
the exception of Massachusetts college radio DJs and kids looking
for an alternative to drab commercial music. Now, 16 years after
its release, it has become legend, and still puts many of today's
supposed "indie-pop" bands to shame. Regarded by many
as the main precursor to the 90's Grunge movement, the Pixies,
led by the eccentric Frank Black, had already released the awesome
and spontaneous Surfer Rosa a year earlier. On 'Doolittle', they
offered a more accessible sound, typified by the pop-perfection
of 'Here Comes Your Man' and the haunting 'Monkey Gone To Heaven'.
This album also highlighted the Pixies ability to master the soft-to-loud
dynamic, heard at its best on 'Tame' and 'Gouge Away' - the track
that Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is reputedly based on.
It's a pretty good line to put on your resume, isn't it?
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Nirvana: Nevermind (1991)
What can you say here? This is the quintessential 90's album,
defining Generation X and opening the door for alternative music
to come into the mainstream. Many of Kurt Cobain's musical influences,
including the aforementioned Pixies, Husker Du and Sonic Youth,
were able to gain much-deserved recognition as a result of doors
opened by Nirvana. The Butch Vig-produced 'Nevermind', offered
a more polished sound than their debut album, 'Bleach', and was
ten times as good as its predecessor anyway. Including the hits
'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'Come As You Are', Nevermind brought
the spontaneity into a stale commercial music scene with its massively-distorted
guitars and "I don't care about anything" approach.
The album was also punctuated by quiet, mellow verses that jumped
into louder-than-loud choruses. Of course, Cobain etched himself
into rock folklore forever when he shot himself on 8 April 1994.
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Blur: Parklife (1994)
The Brit-pop era was exciting in the way it offered a re-birth
of the mod and British Invasion pop of the 60's, and combined
it with the 90's alternative rock sound. The post- Nirvana era
was the perfect time for the movement to explode worldwide, and
Blur and Oasis were streaks ahead of the pack. While the king
of the genre was hotly debated throughout the 90's, Blur's third
album, 'Parklife', sits above all comers for its adventurous musical
approach and raucous London lad imagery. Spurred on by the hugely
successful 'Girls And Boys', 'Parklife' ebbs and flows through
beautiful ballads like 'To The End' and 'Badhead', crazy rock
and roll like 'Trouble In The Message Centre' and the lager-lout
sensibilities of the title track. This one definitely has something
for everyone, and is one of the most eclectic British releases
of all time.
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Interpol: Turn On the Bright Lights (2002)
Rock's recent few years has been littered with bands that sound
like older bands. The Stokes and our very own Jet have harked
back to the Stones and AC/DC with their sound, while The Killers
have drawn endless comparisons with just about every 80's synth
band. New York four-piece Interpol have been compared to the earlier-mentioned
Joy Division, which suggests a major lack of understanding of
how good these guys are. Their debut album, 'Turn On The Bright
Lights', contained no hits or commercial limelight, but it showed
more poise and talent for a first release than anyone else going
around. The album opens with the ambient guitars of 'Untitled',
before going into the manic 'Obstacle 1'. Other highlights include
'PDA' and fan favourite 'Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always
Down'. Every track is a killer, punctuated with awesome interplay
between all instruments and Paul Banks' stirring vocals. The fact
that one of the albums tracks, NYC, was covered by REM at Madison
Square Garden last year, says a hell of a lot.
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2012 Sydney Unleashed - All Rights Reserved - editor@sydneyunleashed.com | 
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