Payn's Ponderings... Top 10 Essential Albums

[Dannyalcatraz]

So, one of my favorite quotes (and I do have a lot of them!) is this-

Anyone who insists they like "all kinds of music," is, in fact, telling you that they like no kinds of music.

That's a paraphrase of Chuck Klosterman. And yes, he does like a lot of music. He's ... kinda good at the music thing.

Another point Chuck hits on is that talking about your favorite music, identifying your favorite music, is usually not about the music you love, so much as establishing your own bona fides. It's really about signaling. It's not just about saying what type of music you like, it's about saying what kind of person you are.

Anyway, this is a long way of getting around to the main point- the benefit (to the extent there is one) of these types of exercises isn't about the final list, per se, it's about your own internal exercise as to how you arrived at it, and what that means for you. It doesn't mean the list is immutable (my list at 14 would have been very different!), but the exercise in making it is what makes it interesting. For example, I knew that I had to narrow my list to "rock/pop/hip hop" because I've been listening to a LOT of jazz recently and I just didn't have the capacity to compare.

But it's not supposed to be easy! If I made this list two years ago, or maybe two years in the future, I probably wouldn't have Portishead on it. But right now, I can't imagine them not being on it.

Point being- just give us 10 albums Danny. I promise (with 98% certainty) that the albums you don't include will not form together in some type of Voltron-esque critter and murder you in your sleep.

Okay. Maybe 80% certain. Still, good odds!

I simply can’t, Klosterman be damned. I tell you my own internal movie soundtrack- the music I hear in my head without benefit of devices- is deep and broad. If I were asked to grab 10 CDs from my collection- Hell, let’s make it out of all CDs ever recorded- to take with me as we evacuated the planet, never to return, I’d ask to take a guitar instead, so I could play what‘s running on my iBrain. (And write new stuff besides.)

Or I’d stay on Earth so someone else could take their 10 and be saved.

Please believe me, I do NOT like all kinds of music. I would probably have trouble expanding my list of opera I like to 10 songs, much less 10 whole operas. And that’s with me growing up as the son of a music teacher who loves opera.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Some more…

• Top 10 Albums similar to or by bands featured in Dave Grohl's Probot album

AFAIK, there’s not a lot of artists releasing albums like that. Besides Probot, there’s Carlos Santana’s Supernatural and Tony Iommi’s Iommi. Dr. John did an album called Locked Down with a host of young guns selected by Dan Aurbach (The Black Keys). Kodo did Mondo Head, featuring musicians from around the world, fusing their styles. Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum qualifies, IMHO. Jason Becker’s 5 albums since his ALS diagnosis robbed him of his ability to play are arguably also key. But Bill Laswell is the 800lb gorilla here. A huge portion of his discography of HUNDREDS of albums consist of groups he’s put together for projects in particular styles- actually, usually FUSIONS of styles.

• Top 10 Grunge

Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
Nirvana Bleach
Soundgarden Badmotorfinger
Pearl Jam Ten
Mad Season Above
Temple of the Dog Temple of the Dog
Green River Rehab Doll
Mother Love Bone Apple
Alice In Chains Dirt

(Now technically, Young & Sonic Youth’s albums might more accurately be called proto-grunge by some, but that’s splitting hairs to me.)

L7's Bricks are Heavy is one of my top grunge albums; but your list is very strong and I'm not sure I would replace any (maybe Green River) with L7.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

L7's Bricks are Heavy is one of my top grunge albums; but your list is very strong and I'm not sure I would replace any (maybe Green River) with L7.

L7 had some killer tunes!

 

[Jacob Lewis]

Right. This is why I don't pay much attention to lists created by other people unless they're people I want to know about. If I create a top10 list of anything, it's always going to be my top 10. Not yours, and not what others expect it to be. In other words, if someone says you forget x, y, and z, they're not really interested in your opinion.

Also, there is a real difference between "I like all music" and "I can appreciate music in all forms".

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Here you go Danny alcatraz:

• Top 10 NuMetal
• Top 10 Post Punk
• Top 10 Smooth Jazz

• Top 10 NuMetal
• Top 10 Post Punk

Tough calls on these. A lot of the bands called post-punk now were called New Wave (or other things) back when I was a teen. And the distinctions between Rap Rock and NuMetal are blurry, especially considering the efforts of some of the earliest bands. So, still thinking it through,

• Top 10 Smooth Jazz

George Benson Breezin
Chuck Mangione Feels So Good
Spyro Gyra Morning Dance
Sade Stronger Than Pride
Herb Alpert Rise
Bill Withers Menagerie
Grover Washington, Jr. Mister Magic
Al Jarreau Breakin’ Away
Anita Baker Rapture

You’ll note 1) that’s just 9 albums and, 2) Kenny G is not on the list. Kenny G has talent and skill that has made him one of smooth jazz’s biggest names…but I don’t care for his stuff. So while one of his albums probably belongs on a list like this, I couldn’t tell you which one.

 

[amethal]

I don't actually own that many albums - I'm more of a "greatest hits" sort of person (cue Alan Partridge comparisons). I put it down to not listening to much music growing up, so everything was new to me and it was difficult to know where to start. Anyway, in alphabetical order:

Adele 21
Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA
Chris Rea Road to Hell
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms
Karl Jenkins (composer) Adiemus
Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man
Queen A Kind of Magic
Show of Hands Witness
Space Pirates of Rocquaine Vraic and Ruin
Susanne Vega Solitude Standing

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

2) Kenny G is not on the list. Kenny G has talent and skill that has made him one of smooth jazz’s biggest names…but I don’t care for his stuff. So while one of his albums probably belongs on a list like this, I couldn’t tell you which one.

You have to watch the HBO Max Kenny G documentary.

It had the weird effect in that it made me understand him, and then I appreciated him more ... and less ... at the same time.

ETA- By the way, Kenny G is responsible for the genre we call smooth jazz. Other artists later get lumped into it.

 

[payn]

Cool Jazz > Smooth Jazz

Though, I do occasionally enjoy some Chuck Mangione.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Cool Jazz > Smooth Jazz

Though, I do occasionally enjoy some Chuck Mangione.

Personally, I can't get enough free jazz.

I love all sorts of jazz, but as soon as I heard Ornette Coleman, I was hooked. I felt like I was on ... a nightflight to venus.

Oh .....


No .....

I said today's phrase!

 

[payn]

Personally, I can't get enough free jazz.

I love all sorts of jazz, but as soon ass I heard Ornette Coleman, I was hooked. I felt like I was on ... a nightflight to venus.

Oh .....


No .....

I said today's phrase!