Wax Ecstatic: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time Part #5

Whoa, we're halfway there!

and

Sep 11, 2024

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Photo: Hughes Airwest DC-9 at Reno, Nevada. Photo courtesy of Boring Postcards.

Good morning!

Here’s an affectionate attempt at ranking their records with the understanding that placing things you love in a rigid hierarchy is objectively insane
~Elizabeth Nelson

Welcome to Part 5!

It’s gettin’ real now. This is the last part covering the first half.

Before we roll on, I’m curious: which of these records has been your biggest surprise? Were there any that had you screaming “yes!” in agreement? Any that had you wanting to fling your laptop out the window? Are you still waiting to see anything in particular? Please sound off below!

So far, one record has appeared on both of our lists. Just for fun, how many do you think there will be in total? Keep in mind that Sam and I are sending these to each other ten at a time, so we don’t yet know the answer. You see these lists not too long after we do.

Spots 60-51 are all killer and no filler, so let’s get right into it! No intro, no problem.

Enjoy!

KA—

P.S. Need to get caught up? Check out Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. All of Sam’s are here.

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60: The Pretenders- S/T (1980)

Note: This blurb first appeared as part of a look at the album’s “Mystery Achievement” track. You can check out the full version here.

The Pretender’s 19801 self-titled release comes out of the gate at 100 mph.

Opening track "Precious" is a blistering roller coaster of a song with Chrissie Hynde's take-no-prisoners attitude on full display. The rest of the group does well to keep up, but as you listen to it, you wonder how long they can hold on.

Luckily for them (and us), one of Hynde's strengths is switching gears. With that once-in-a-generation voice, She can seamlessly shapeshift from piss-and-vinegar to tender and everywhere in between without missing a beat. From blistering "Precious" to poppy "Tattooed Love Boys," and of course, hit single "Brass In Pocket."

Nick Lowe produced the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing" cover for the record but left the sessions after producing just the one song, stating that the band was "not going anywhere."

Oops.

The record takes us through all those twists and turns on the way to album closer "Mystery Achievement."

More than any other song on the record, it has found a second life on multiple Sirius XM channels. It keeps all of Hynde's spunk and hooks—with none of the snarl. It is a perfect balance and a great runout groove on what, pound-for-pound, was one of the best records that year. More importantly, The Pretenders and Hynde, in particular, paved the way for countless bands and female artists to follow.

Sam’s pick & my take: LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver (2007)

I love that we both picked this. It was my #65 just last week. You can check out my thoughts here. Great minds think alike? Maybe great music transcends things like demographics and geography. It's our first duplicate pick. Will it be the last? I doubt it. Stay tuned.

59: Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)

"The Blondies were tough in the studio, real tough. None of them liked each other, except Chris and Debbie, and there was so much animosity. They were really, really juvenile in their approach to life — a classic New York underground rock band — and they didn't give a f*ck about anything. They just wanted to have fun and didn't want to work too hard getting it."
~Parallel Lines producer Mike Chapman

That doesn’t exactly bode well for any record, let alone that would ultimately end up as good as Parallel Lines did.

Some bar trivia: did you know that “Hanging on the Telephone” is a cover? It’s true. It was originally written by Jack Lee and done by his criminally underrated band, The Nerves. It’s the perfect pick for an opening track and sets the tone early. Chris Stein’s guitar is whirring, Debbie Harry’s vocals are on point here, and Clem Burke’s drumming keeps everything in one piece. It’s as good of a start as any opening track in this series, and with “One Way or Another,” it makes for a killer 1-2 combo.

There’s more to the record, of course—a lot more. “Picture This” harkens back to the girl group era, “Fade Away and Radiate” is bombastic, “11:59” is a rocker, and “Sunday Girl” is about…a cat that ran away?

My only quibble with Blondie is that they often get lumped in with New Wave bands. I’m sure there are worse labels to be stuck with, but I’ve never felt it applied here. Either way, Parallel Lines is a no-skips record worth revisiting if it’s been a while.

Sam’s pick & my take: Television- Marquee Moon (1977)

In the 70s, New York was in rough shape. It barely functioned as a city. It was crime-riddled. It was…not like it is today. We all have the images of cars on blocks and adult theaters on every corner seared into our memories. You could get anything you wanted. And if you couldn't pay for it, you could steal it. We’ve heard all of that before. Many of us also know the story of how much fantastic art this city in ruins gave the world—Talking Heads, the Ramones, Blondie, and more, including Televison.

There was frontman Tom Verlaine—a poet if ever there was one- laying his jittery verses over a garage sound that was as urgent as it was catchy. Like records made in the same time/place, Marquee Moon captures the zeitgeist well. In the opener, “See No Evil,” Verlaine cries, “What I Want, I want now.” How’s that for an opening line? It’s just the first of many great ones on this all-timer. If you only know the title track, you’ve been missing out.

58: Guided By Voices- Alien Lanes (1995)

I’ve often joked that someone should do a wellness check on Robert Pollard if we ever go over six months without a new GBV record. Between this band and his other side projects, he’s producing more than several small countries. And he routinely does it well. It’s pop. It’s rock. The songs are short. There are so many of them that I wonder if he remembers the lyrics to all of them. That's a good question, but there’s no doubt many of his fans do.

As of this writing, there are 40(!) GBV studio records. There may be 41 by the time you read this. Alien Lanes is pop. It’s rock. It’s economical (28 songs in 41 minutes). It resonates. It’s incredible.

What the songs lack in length, they make up for with hooks. And there are certainly enough that everyone can have their own favorite.

I waffled a bit between this and the band’s Bee Thousand. Both have rightfully earned having their jerseys hung from the rafters. But at a recent show, I watched hundreds of strangers all singing “Motor Away” as if their lives depended on it. After that, there was no question. The club is open.

Sam’s pick & my take: Frank Ocean- Channel Orange (2012)

A friend and I have been exchanging music for most of our lives. What started in the hallways of an overcrowded/overheated junior high continued through high school and onward. In the early days, it might be a tape pressed into one’s hand coupled with a “you gotta hear this.” Later, it would take the form of text messages or emails, often accompanied by an “if you like, XXX, you like this” sort of endorsement. One day, I only got a picture of the Channel Orange record cover. In saying nothing, he'd said it all.

Channel Orange is a gorgeous trip through Ocean’s 2010 world. There are falsettos, strong vocals, and raps. And the soundscapes to back them up. It's in the 40s here (ick), but the music on “Sweet Life” is all sunshine, no clouds. Lyrically, Ocean made his bones writing for other artists, and you can see his chops on full display here. Listening again, I can see why my friend decided I needed to hear this and why Sam decided it warranted a spot on his list.

57: Cheatahs- S/T (2014)

If you thought the days of finding a new band via college radio were over, I’ve got some good news for you. I found Cheatahs entirely by chance one night while listening to the University of Wisconsin's WSUM, and it was love at first sound.

If you’re not a fan of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride, or similar shoegaze bands, you likely have never heard of Cheatahs. MBV’s Loveless set the bar that everything before and after it is measured against. Cheatahs aren't reinventing the wheel here, but they’ve done such a good job with what they’ve got that it’s impossible to ignore.

There is industrial fuzz and weapons-grade reverb here. Again, those are table stakes for a shoegaze record. But there are also plenty of hat tips to outside-the-genre bands—some post-punk and even some dashes of emo.

We haven’t discussed sequencing much, but this record exemplifies doing it right. The band knows just the right times to go full throttle (“Geographic”) and when to pull back. Sometimes, they do it right during a song (“Kenworth”). Tracks like “Loon Calls” almost sound like they could be pop songs. Almost. On “The Swan,” they check all those boxes.

You're never exhausted, and you’re never bored. You also never want the record to end.

Sam’s pick & my take: Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

Wilco is a band that needs little explanation. They make a record, people love it, repeat. Jeff Tweedy is often mentioned in the same breath as Dylan, credited with sparking the entire alt-country genre, and more. I say all this to mention that my toxic trait is that I don’t like Wilco very much.

I will 100% carve out an exception for Summerteeth—to my ear, “I’m Always In Love” is the quintessential pop song—and there are a few other songs here and there. But after that? Not so much.

Is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot an objectively good record? Yes.

Am I more interested in the apartments featured on the cover than the record itself? Also yes.

This has always felt like a record people liked because they thought they had to. It's one that any hipster craft beer bar likely plays on repeat (heh). That’s reductive and unfair, of course, and listening again with fresh ears—and less cynicism—I can see the appeal. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” is a classic, but tracks like “Kamera” sound far better than I ever remember them being. I can see sitting on the back patio of that bar with some friends whiling away a summer afternoon. The strings on “Jesus, Inc.” are a nice touch, too. I still like the buildings, but I also like the record more than I did two hours ago.

56: Graham Parker- Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)

Last year, I talked to Brinsley Schwarz, who was part of The Rumour and played on this record. When asked if he had any anecdotes to share about the making of Squeezing Out Sparks, he came back with :

It was decided that the band (The Rumour) would stand back from offering song arrangement ideas and let producer Jack Nitzsche guide us. So we were in the studio all set and ready to go; Jack had us playing through things and spent some time listening and making sure we were happy with where we were and how we would record.
But a couple of days later, Dave Robinson, who managed both Graham and The Rumour, asked how it was going. We kind of had not much to report. Dave said he'd have a word with Jack. The next day Jack was like a whirlwind, all enthusiasm and ideas. Graham, Martin, Andrew, and Steve put drums, some guitars, and vocals down, and days later, my turn came. Jack said to get myself together and make sure I was happy with my sound and everything. And when I said I was, he said okay, you have one shot per song. I was saying, 'Sorry, what?' when I heard Steve counting in the song in my headphones. So I played once, and that's what's on the record. He said okay, next track, and so it went. I messed up the solo in 'Passion is no Ordinary Word.' He liked what I was trying to do and gave me another go. But the rest was one shot.

From the rollicking opener, “Discovering Japan,” to minor hit “Local Girls,” through “Love Gets You Twisted” to “Waiting for the UFOS,” this is a record so well put together, so in the pocket that it’s almost impossible to believe that the guitar parts were essentially one and done. Schwarz’s riffs are muscular but never domineering. Parker’s vocals come across almost as mandates. Sometimes, a record takes a few listens to grow on you. This one’ll only need one take.

Sam’s pick & my take: Kendrick Lamar- good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)

I know two things about Kendrick Lamar’s music:

In recent months, my timeline has been packed with “not like us:” memes.
“Humble” is an absolute banger.

Neither of those have anything to do with good kid, m.A.A.d city, so I had to consult a couple of experts: my sons. Both stated that for this era, Lamar is the G.O.A.T. The kids are alright.

55: The New Pornographers- Twin Cinema (2005)

But is it power pop? is one of the more nuanced discussions in music discourse involving Talmudic interpretations of a given song, band, or record.

Twin Cinema is what happens when a murderer’s row of indie musicians gets together, records an incredible debut record, stumbles a bit on the next one, and then swings for the fences after that. There’s more piano here than before. Amongst the hummable choruses, a horn or cello might show up. You never know what’s around the corner, but you can’t wait to get there.

AC Newman, Dan Bejar, and Neko Case all bring their A-Game here, and the six-song run of “Use It” through "Sing Me Spanish Techno” is one of the strongest blocks in the band’s discography. The group’s sound has undergone a few phases and the lineup has seen more than a few iterations, but with its impossibly catchy songs and inch-perfect arrangements, this is the band is at its best. Is it power pop? Yes. And so much more.

Sam’s pick & my take: Massive Attack- Mezzanine (1998)

(takes a deep drag of a cigarette. Looks off into the stance)

This record, man. Whew!

Ethereal and menacing, this record is equally at home at the club or as the soundtrack to a museum heist. It's a ride, and I am 110% here for it. It’s also best consumed as a whole, not by picking out tracks here and there. If you must, “Teardrop” and “Group Four” see the band partnering with Liz Fraser of Cocteau Twins fame. These would be my two choices.

54: Dusty Springfield- Dusty In Memphis (1969)

What can I say about this record that hasn’t already been said? With her career waning, a singer decamps to the American South, bringing along a song list penned by an A-list team of writers (Randy Newman, Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Burt Bacharach, and more).

After initially declining almost all of their suggestions—Springfield was tripped up by her own insecurity and wasn't sure she was ready to be compared to the great soul singers of the eras—she relents and makes a record that… doesn’t do too well initially.

The biggest hit (“Son of a Preacher Man”) wasn’t even supposed to go to her— it was written with Aretha Franklin in mind (who did her own version later). Somewhere in the middle of all that upheaval, she manages to convince Atlantic to sign her friend’s band. They called themselves Led Zeppelin. I’m not sure what ever became of them; I hope it worked out.

But we all know how Springfield’s story ends, don't we? Eventually, Dusty in Memphis is rediscovered, gets a second life, and rightly becomes a standard bearer.

Sam’s pick and my take: Kanye West- Late Registration (2005)

At the risk of becoming the Old Man Yells at Cloud meme, can I just say that I do not miss the interstitial skits that seemed to be on every.freakin’. record from the mid-90s to the early to mid-00s? Some outstanding records are interrupted with weird attempts at humor or just filler (I’m looking at you, TLC).

A lesser reocrd would’ve been wrecked by these. Say what you will about Kanye, Ye, Yeezus, or whatever we’re callin’ him now; Late Registration is chock full of bangers that overcome any skit you can throw in their way. “Touch the Sky” is an all-timer. Any track sampling “Move On Up” already has a head start, but Kanye’s bars put it over the top. I hadn’t heard “Gold Digger” in probably ten years, yet there I was, singing along as if it’d only been ten minutes.

Ye brings plenty of friends along for the ride; Jamie Foxx is on Gold Digger, and Brandy and Common, Jay Z, and The Game show up. Nas features on “We Major,” a track with some questionable lyrics, but whose beat is beyond reproach. This pick is bound to spark some “separate the art from the artist” discussion, but 19 years ago, all we all knew was that West was a force to be reckoned with. Everything else aside, this record testifies to that.

53: ZZ Top- Tres Hombres (1973)

ZZ Top’s brand of rock and blues is not something you listen to quietly. Nor in the small hours of the night (unless the party’s still going). It’s not melancholy; it’s celebratory. You don’t listen in a Prius- that’s a square peg in a round hole.

It feels like it only works in something with a V8. Their kind of music is not something you play to get over a breakup- it’s the soundtrack to adventure.

It’s the sound of being out on the water with friends. In this universe, it’s always sunny, usually in Texas or points south- hell, even Jesus left Chicago.

Always just a little randy and always dependable. The dirty jokes always come with a wink and smile.

Before the Eliminator Coupe (and album), the girls, and MTV, there was 1973’s Tres Hombres. Albums like this from self-proclaimed “little ol’ band from Texas” were stripped down and laid the foundation for later stardom.

This is the sort of mesquite-flavored rock that sounds best blaring from an AM radio as you barrel across the desert southwest. Nothing embodies this better than “Move Me on Down the Line.” Billy Gibbons probably doesn't see himself as a modern-day philosopher, but I've always seen this verse as a mesquite-flavored take on the “you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” mantra.

I tell you, boy, every time
The feelin’ sure is fine.
Just move me on down the line,
Just move me on down the line.

May you all have sunny skies, a straight road, and a lead foot.

Sam’s pick and my take: Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here (1975)

I never got too far into Pink Floyd. I never got high and put this on (there were other records for that). My dad once spent a drive across the metro area ranting about the band because a relative's boyfriend wore a band t-shirt to a family gathering. I watched The Wall before I heard the record. My big “story” from all that isn’t that one of either a good or bad trip, but that I agreed to send a mechanic a new copy of it to cover the balance of a bill for some emergency repairs after my car died in Tacoma, Washington. I’ve still never been to a laser light show.

All of that to say that I didn’t hear this record in it’s entirety until I was in my 40s. This record will turn 49 tomorrow.

Most of you know that I work at an airport on the sunrise shift. We can listen to any radio station we want as long as it’s one of the two that can find its way through all the concrete and competing radio signals.

One is a classic rock station, and it's almost guaranteed that you will hear this on an early Sunday morning. I assume they’ve been doing it forever. Maybe it’s a comfort to those still recovering from Saturday night. I don't know.

This record doesn’t take me back to some hazy memories of my (misspent) youth; it reminds me of all the coworkers I spent those pre-dawn Sundays with and how many of them are no longer around. I wish they were here.

52: Wussy- Funeral Dress (2005)

I’ve covered this record a few times, and the text below is from one of them. For me, Funeral Dress covers love, loss, etc., but through a uniquely midwest lens. I’m not sure how to better articulate it other than to say they navigate these themes the same way only John Mellencamp can do with small towns.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I used to joke that the Midwest and Rust Belt were one giant state—a place where the only thing that ever changed was the license plates.

Then I moved here.

There are very real differences and people leading very real lives.

Wussy is from Cincinnati and every bit an Ohio band. They might be from the big city, but this is music from the Ohio where the day ends with a beer on the front porch and where a long drive in the country can solve most problems.

It’s where you get asked fewer questions when you’re in a truck.

2005’s Funeral Dress reads like vignettes from a broken relationship. And it’s hard to tell if they broke up or gave up. There are a bazillion breakup records, but very few capture the shattered aftermath the way this record does.

The opening track, “Airborne,” is a supercharged post-mortem that feels distant and urgent at the same time.

And you tell me that you love me
But you don’t really love me
You remind me every day
When you’re living in a flood plain
It doesn’t take a hard rain
To wash it all away

Chuck Cleaver (formerly of Ass Ponys) and Lisa Walker’s vocal interplay work wonderfully across the record. They remind me of X if John Doe and Exene Cervenka were in couples therapy.

“Crooked” deftly uses the cicada rebirth cycle and breaking glass as allegories.

This is the part where I break you out
And remove any doubt
As to which side I'm on
Taking the chance and breaking the glass
And people will talk for years to come

And people will talk. Because, well, that’s what they do in small-town America. “What will people at church think?” carries weight in a lot of life decisions.

On “Yellow Cotton Dress,” Cleaver picks through the wreckage of a love he’ll never be free from.

The silverware you used is on the table still
Someone else will have to move it
Because I never will
You’re everywhere

Funeral Dress was a critic’s darling. Even resident grump Robert Christgau gave it high praise, noting in a 2006 review:

The guy sings high and pained, the gal mellow and forthright. Both have Midwestern twangs. The guy sounds older, but the gal dominates. The music is post-Velvet Underground droney, but the contained guitar noise never comes off as urban because it flows too smoothly--there's not enough conflict or racket in it. Also, bands that indulge their noisy sides are never this tuneful, even when they try. The gal is Lisa Walker, an unknown who won't be….They're an unlikely seeming pair. They fit perfectly.

On paper, nothing about this record should work. He’s old, she’s young. Different vocal styles. A drummer who learned to play on the fly ‘cause she wanted to be a part of the band.

They’re from the city but paint pictures of rural life. It’s hopeful and desolate, enduring and terminal. The record is noisy one minute and quiet the next. Everything is fraught, yet there’s no extra note to spare.

It should be out of place, yet it feels right at home. It fits perfectly. Like a farm truck on a county backroad.

Sam’s pick & my take: John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963)

Grab your jacket & loosen your tie. We’re going to an after-after party, and we’re gonna listen to some incredible music. It's an LP that should never be listened to in daylight; it’s far, far too cool for that. Can you describe a jazz record as a “no skips album?” Beats me, but I’m doing it anyway.

51: Various Artists- Singles Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1992)

Gen Z and Generation Alpha readers! If you ever want some insight into what your parents were doing in the early 90s, just put this record on. This is Gen X conveniently packaged for you on a nice slab of wax. Nothing—nothing—captures what life in the PNW was like during that era better than this movie and this soundtrack. Everyone knew a Cliff Poncier. A Janet, too.

In the movie, we see him ranting to his girlfriend (Janet):

Where are the anthems for our youth? What happened to music that meant something? The Who at the Kingdome, or Kiss at the Coliseum... Where is the "Misty Mountain Hop," where is the, is the "Smoke on the Water"... Where is the "Iron Man" of today?

Dunno Cliff. But the anthems for our youth are right here on this Record.

Sam’s pick & my take: Radiohead- Ok Computer (1997)

I’m spending part of my day off listening to Ok Computer. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d write, and if you've been around here for a while, it’ll surprise you, too.

For newer readers, I have two contrarian takes when it comes to music. The first is that Fleetwood Mac’s best record isn’t Rumours; it’s Mirage. The second?

I don’t get Radiohead.

It’s not that I actively dislike them; it’s worse—I don’t get the hype. But anytime I say that people come out of the woodwork to question my judgment. I’m aware that this is a roundly loved band that makes critically acclaimed music, and even if I had my doubts, the fact that almost 30 million people stream them on Spotify monthly is further proof.

But enough of that, let’s get to the record:

Right away, I’m reminded that Thom Yorke’s voice is grating to my ear. The music is intricate and well done, and then it splashes these vocals over the top. It feels like an obnoxious veneer over a lovely floor. I’m not even halfway through “Airbag,” and I’m already mentally trying to pencil out a diplomatic response to Sam’s pick.

But something happens about halfway through “Subterranean Homesick Alien”; I catch myself thinking, "This is a pretty good song.” Dear reader, with the lone exception of “High and Dry,” I have never thought that about any Radiohead music—like ever. Yet here we are. Who even am I?

It’s all I can do to get through “Exit Music (For A Film),” but “Let Down” is, dare I say…lovely? “Electioneering” is a bop.

I no longer recognize the reflection in my PC’s monitors.

This sort of ping pong recurs through the rest of the record. Listening with fresh ears revealed a lot I hadn’t caught previously. Have I been converted into a fan? I have not. But I now enjoy a few more songs from the band, and I can’t ignore the incredible musicianship here. I will say that this is a solid record, and if I weren’t staring at the release date the whole time, it’d be hard to say when it came out. That ability to blend into any era matters.

Bottom line: It’s much more apparent to me why so many people love it so much.

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That’s it for Round 5! Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, check out Sam’s thoughts on his picks, and stay tuned for Part 6 as we start to take on the top half of the list!

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