In the interest of starting an endless debate that will no doubt consume the pages of JOC, turning it into a meaningless poll site with lots of banners offering free upgrades of something, I present the Timeworn, oft-maligned, inaugural top ten list. This is no way endorsed by David Letterman or anyone at Worldwide Pants, Inc., nor the law firm of Habush, Habush, Davis, and Rottier. It is my humble opinion, and yours are always welcome.
Without further ado, the list. A couple disclaimers:
1. This is not my "desert island" list.
2. These are not the "10 best albums of all time".
3. These are not the only 10 recordings you should own. You should own hundreds of recordings, be they CD, MP3, vinyl, 8-track, or wax cylinders.
4. I have confined this list to popular music only. While I don't think it's unfair to compare Bach and Armstrong to Zeppelin and P-Funk, it's just too hard to do in 10 albums.
What is this list, then, if none of the above? It is, dear reader, a list which I hope will provoke some interest in artists and genres you may have never explored. I hope it starts a firestorm of debating and leads to pestilence, constancy, and the breakup of the New York Islanders (which is a good idea anyway). In no particular order, these are ten recordings which I feel everyone should own:
1. Revolver-The Beatles: The best album by arguably rock's greatest collection of songwriters. Every song on here is a classic in its own way.
2. Live at Leeds-The Who: This is what a live rock show should be. Raw power from start to finish, while they were still about raw power.
3. Prince-The Hits 1 & 2: Despite all the glowing press around him, I feel his musical genius is still unappreciated. Consider that on his first few albums, he played all instruments and sang almost everything. Even his bad songs are better than most people's best.
4. Let It Bleed-The Rolling Stones: This best displays what the Stones were all about. Raunchy rock and roll attitude, heartbreak and pain, and lots of sex and drugs. Also a telling portrait of the time in which it was produced (right between Woodstock and Altamont).
5. Pet Sounds-The Beach Boys: It took me a few spins to get into this one, but now I can't get out. Probably the best rock harmony group ever, Brian Wilson's studio genius combined with tasteful arranging and playing led to the album that inspired Sgt. Pepper's. Contains the best Beach Boys song ever, Wouldn't It Be Nice.
6. Dreams to Remember-The Otis Redding Anthology: This two-disc set captures the best of the greatest soul singer ever (sorry, Sam Cooke). You can almost feel Otis next to you, pleadin' and beggin' you to come back for more. The live cuts at the end of the album are worth the price of admission alone.
7. Talking Book-Stevie Wonder: The 12-year-old genius grew up to be a 22-year-old supergenius by this album. A master musician, vocalist, and songwriter, Stevie's talents are laid out for everyone to see. From the heavy funk of Superstition to his specialty of ballads (especially You and I), Stevie does it all.
8. Fear of Music-Talking Heads: Uptight and full of nervous energy and frustration, David Byrne et al. rip through a great set of tunes about war, paper, air, death, and animals. One of my favorite lyricists.
9. Voodoo-D'Angelo: My favorite album to come out in the last three or four years. Think Stevie+Prince+ a whole brick of weed and you have D'Angelo. Deep, deep grooves, lots of multi-tracked voices, and a whole lot of gettin' it on implied. This is a great party CD.
10. Led Zeppelin II: This should need no explanationWhatsoever.
There you have it. Obviously, there are about 100 albums I left off, but I leave that to you, the JOC readers. Thanks for the beer, and I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear.