This, the first Clash album was released in 1977 - the peak of England’s Punk Rock era. While it lacked the production polish of their later albums, it sounded exactly the way it should have. Short (mainly) and raw songs about life in England at the time: unemployment, riots, police and thieves.
The record included a cover of Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, which for me is the highlight of this brilliant debut. Note that I have featured the UK version of this album, the record label released a different version in the US which left out the tracks “Deny”, “Cheat”, “Protex Blue” & “48 Hours” and replaced them with “Clash City Rockers”, “Complete Control”, “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais”, “I Fought the Law” and “Jail Guitar Doors”. Both versions are still available.
Tracklist:
1. Janie Jones
2. Remote Control
3. I’m So Bored With The U.S.A.
4. White Riot
5. Hate & War
6. What’s My Name
7. Deny
8. London’s Burning
9. Career Opportunities
10. Cheat
11. Protex Blue
12. Police & Thieves
13. 48 Hours
14. Garageland
Bjork’s second album was released in 1995. The former singer of Icelandic band The Sugarcubes had already made a massive splash with her first album. With Post, she followed up on the success of her debut and proved (as if there was any doubt) the depth of her talent. A hugely successful album, with production from Nellee Hooper, Graham Massey, Tricky and Howie B.
Electronic beats, orchestral scores and Bjork’s unmistakeable voice make this a must have.
Tracklist:
1. Army Of Me
2. Hyper-Ballad
3. Modern Things
4. It’s Oh So Quiet
5. Enjoy
6. You’ve Been Flirting Again
7. Isobel
8. Possibly Maybe
9. I Miss You
10. Cover Me
11. Headphones
Favourite track: Possibly Maybe
“Since we broke up
I’m using lipstick again
I suck my tongue
in remembrance of you”
I will never tire of this album. Released in 1988, recorded by Steve Albini, it was their first “full” album although they had released a mini album earlier called Come On Pilgrim. Some versions of the CD contain both records so if you don’t have this album already check which one you are buying.
The Pixies were Black Francis (A.K.A. Frank Black), Kim Deal, Joey Santiago & David Lovering. Perhaps the greatest thing about the Pixies for me was their combination of noise and melody.
A former flatmate of mine once said to me that if a partner never liked this album, the relationship was never going to work. And I know what she meant.
Do yourself a favour and buy this album.
Tracklist:
1. Bone Machine
2. Break My Body
3. Something Against You
4. Broken Face
5. Gigantic
6. River Euphrates
7. Where Is My Mind?
8. Cactus
9. Tony’s Theme
10. Oh My Golly
11. You Fucking Die! I Said…
12. Vamos
13. I’m Amazed
14. Brick Is Red
Favourite track: Cactus - for the line
“Run outside in the desert heat
make your dress all wet
and send it to me”.
Massive Attack followed the classic Blue Lines with the equally classic Protection. This time using the vocal talents of Tracy Thorn (of Everything But The Girl) among others, this album was perhaps slightly more polished than their debut but no lesser quality for it. The title track featuring Tracy Thorn is stunning, and Karmacoma featuring Tricky is possibly one of their best songs ever. This album is only let down by the horrible version of Light My Fire, but you can’t really hold it against a band this good.
They later released a dub remix of the album, mixed by the one and only Mad Professor.
Tracklist:
1. Protection
2. Karmacoma
3. Three
4. Weather Storm
5. Spying Glass
6. Better Things
7. Euro Child
8. Sly
9. Heat Miser
10. Light My Fire
This release from 1992 saw Rage Against The Machine explode. Very serious and angry sounds with some lyrics that border on stupid, it can’t be denied that this is a classic album. Let’s face it, if you don’t know the song “Killing in the Name” then you are either over 50, or a liar. Rage Against The Machine, or RATM (which fits on a baseball hat better) were a brilliant live band and seemingly played every music festival known to man promoting this album. They thought it important to write “no samples, keyboards or synthesizers used in the making of this recording” in the sleevenotes, which is obviously very radical. But regardless, it remains one of the most popular records of the nineties.
Tracklist:
1. Bombtrack
2. Killing In The Name
3. Take The Power Back
4. Settle For Nothing
5. Bullet In The Head
6. Know Your Enemy
7. Wake Up
8. Fistful Of Steel
9. Township Rebellion
10. Freedom
This first album from Burial became an instant classic. Sparse, haunting, bleak, a very English record. Released in 2006 on Hyperdub/Cargo records, it is loosely considered dubstep but really defies category. The identity of the artist Burial is not publicly known, it was suggested that it might be a pseudonym for Kode9 who produced the album, but who knows. If you’re not familiar with this record, do yourself a favour and check it out. It’s certainly not a feelgood album but it is very moving.
Tracklist:
1. Distant Lights
2. Spaceape
3. Wounder
4. Night Bus
5. Southern Comfort
6. U Hurt Me
7. Gutted
8. Forgive
9. Broken Home
10. Prayer
11. Pirates
Favourite track: U Hurt Me. Although this really is an album you play all the way through.
Well, I was going to start with the first Clash album just on principle, but things don’t always go as planned. From 1993, produced by Butch Vig, this is probably my favourite Smashing Pumpkins album. Although the guitars do sometimes stray into Big Country-esque horribleness, this is such a great album of beautiful songs and for me it is the band at their peak. Although I may change my mind and pick Gish for that honour at a later date.
Welcome to Best Albums Ever. Hopefully something here will inspire you to seek out an artist you wouldn’t have otherwise thought about, or pull out a record you had forgotten about. Feel free to comment, agree or disagree. This will be a varied selection of recordings - I love music and I don’t care who makes it or what category it is supposed to be. Don’t touch that dial…
