Tag: The Best Of
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ‘Deja Vu’ (1970)
From the opening moments of Deja Vu, when Stephen Stills’ iconic acoustic guitar kicks in and the three-piece harmony hits your eardrums, it’s evident you’re about to bear witness to musical greatness. Out of all the iconic protest folk rock that entered the American consciousness during the late 60’s and early 70’s, Deja Vu stands…
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Black Sabbath ‘Paranoid’ (1970)
Black Sabbath is the most important heavy metal band of all time, hard stop. It’s impossible to overstate just what they did for the genre. The fact a record as heavy as Paranoid came out in 1970 is sort of shocking. You almost don’t blame the parents of yesteryear for losing their shit over kids…
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The Clash ‘London Calling’ (1979)
There are three bands that stand alone in the Holy Trinity of punk rock. Those bands are the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and The Clash. All three have combined to inspired literally hundred of thousands of kids to pick up guitars, start their own bands, and express themselves musically. All three have had a massive…
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alt-J ‘An Awesome Wave’ (2012)
I was fresh out of college and into the working world when An Awesome Wave came out in 2012 and can still vividly remember this album encapsulating my feelings at the time– wistful nostalgia for friends left behind and the hope of what life had in store. Listening ten years later, there’s still something about…
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Michael Bolton ‘Time, Love & Tenderness’ (1991)
It’s not necessarily en vogue to love the music of Michael Bolton but I seriously can’t get enough of the guy. Every other vocal line he delivers is completely over the top and it’s absolutely great. The dude has tone for days and a gritty high end to his voice that makes every song he…
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The Cure ‘Disintegration’ (1989)
Epic. Grandiose. Expansive. Just a handful of words to describe The Cure’s 1989 magnum opus Disintegration. This was the album that returned The Cure to their goth-rock roots, and what a gloriously incredible return it was. One of my favorite albums this year. Lead songwriter and vocalist Robert Smith is a musical and cultural icon,…
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The Darkness ‘Permission to Land’ (2003)
All The Darkness do is write bangers. This is one of my favorite hard rock albums of all-time for the simple reason that it is fun as hell and has no interest in pretending to be anything otherwise. Modern rock music in general has the unfortunate malaise of sometimes being a little too self-important, and…
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Creedence Clearwater Revival ‘Green River’ (1969)
One of the hallmarks of a great and enduring band is their signature sound. It’s that sound you immediately recognize and know who it is when the first note hits and the entire band hops in. It’s the punchy distortion of AC/DC’s guitars, the G-Funk synthesizers of Dr. Dre, and the dual guitar harmonies of…
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Solange ‘A Seat at the Table’ (2016)
Solange’s A Seat at the Table is a terrific album. Much like Thursday’s War All The Time, this is an album meant to be experienced from front to back, an art piece that is more than the sum of its parts. Throughout A Seat at the Table Solange invites us into her home to discuss…
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Peter Gabriel ‘So’ (1986)
So is a dichotomy. On one hand it is a pop record with massive hooks. On the other hand, it is a nuanced prog-pop album that features sonic choices that challenge the listener to re-imagine what a song could be. I’m not sure if there’s been album that has walked the tightrope between artistic integrity…
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Nas ‘Illmatic’ (1994)
Let’s not bury the lead here. Nas’ 1994 debut Illmatic is one of the most honestly authentic albums I have ever listened to. It is strikingly personal. There isn’t a single track, let alone a single bar, that feels out of place or begrudgingly coerced to fit into a specific theme. It’s as raw and…
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John Mayer ‘Continuum’ (2006)
At one point in his career John Mayer was a great dichotomy. He soared to incredible mainstream popularity with a rogue smile, a holier-than-thou intellectual superiority, and catchy pop tunes. His virtuouso guitar playing was alluded to, but never really focused on, the press focus instead covering his lurid dating history. In other words, one…
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Audioslave ‘Audioslave’ (2002)
With all due respect to Robert Plant, Axl Rose and Bon Scott, Chris Cornell is the GOAT of pure rock-and-roll vocalists. In fact, I would argue it’s not even very close. Along with his incredible four-octave range, Cornell’s ability to hit that distorted gravel scream in an explosive chorus after an intimate verse delivered in…
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Paul Cauthen ‘Room 41’ (2019)
Here’s the headline– Paul Cauthen’s Room 41 is one of the best country records ever made, should be on every critic’s Top 100 list, and will be a mainstay in my rotation forever. The backstory of “Room 41” is stuff legends are made of. Following an abrupt breakup with his long-time fiancee, Cauthen rented a…
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