Kevin, I had so much fun following you and Sam on this journey! You both put your heart and soul into the words that went on paper, and you each caused me to go listen to a few things I have never heard or not played in a long while. Thank you for reminding us all about the power of a slab of vinyl and the stories behind them.
Great work, this series has made for nearly three months of fun reads. You nailed the landing with both Aja and Abbey Road, two incredible albums in their own unique ways. Also shoutout to In Rainbows making your top 10, Sam. It's the Radiohead album I reach for most often.
Hell yeah! To me, Ok Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows are all in the god-tier of Radiohead albums, so if you picked any of those as your #1, it's a totally valid pick. But In Rainbows is just a crystallization of everything they do well.
Really enjoyed this massive undertaking these last couple months, thanks for taking up this challenge and stirring up the memories. Great finish especially Disintegration. Life is one big The Cure phase!
Wow! What an amazing selection - I'm with you all the way, except that I don't know Pearl Jam. 44 years ago, my ATCO/WEA album 'Fresh Blood' garnered rave reviews and reached number 3 in the US airplay charts. I was signed in NYC by Doug Morris (Prez of Sony Music still?) Then nothing. It's on all streaming platforms, so check it out. So is my new compilation album 'Woke Up This Morning' (also steveswindells.bandcamp.com) Bests. Steve
This was good fun, Kevin and Sam. Thank you! I appreciate all the work you put into it. I second George's comment; this has been a great journey.
Really? Not in one million years would I have guessed that album. I'm not naming it cuz I'll post this as a note and don't wanna spoil it for anyone. This record is a top one, for sure, but pole position - very very interesting. Great coverage on the album and "Murderers row of session players" is a wonderful way to word it. As I scrolled to reveal #1, I'm pretty sure I gasped. Well played good sir, well played.
Beyond finding the occasional hidden gem you haven't yet discovered, I find these lists are a great stimulant for re-igniting your love for old favorites. I've enjoyed this over the past several weeks, kudos to you both on the writing and the unique format.
Oct 16·edited Oct 16Liked by Kevin Alexander, Sam Colt
Guys, this was so much fun. A couple of my favourites here: Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life, Miseducation and Abbey Road.
More than anything, I loved (and wholeheartedly agree with) what you said about each.
I think one of the great things about these lists, at least for me, is that the positions or rankings matter less than what we have to say about each record. On that note, here’s some celebratory cheers. I’ll miss this series!
And how could I forget Purple Rain and What’s Going On?! The fact I find more and more stuff as I re-read it is testament that you guys were not fcking around when you set out to complete this mammoth task. Thanks again!
Seconding everything Andres says here. This was a massive project; I'm impressed at how you two pulled it off, and it felt like there were real emotional stakes coming to the end and seeing each if your final top 10.
Thank you, Nick! I really appreciated your post the other day about wishing records were on here, and our (sometimes) reflexive/defensive responses to that. It bounced around in my head for quite awhile. It's a thread worth pulling on a little bit, I think.
I appreciate that. It felt like a slightly weird comment, but I hoped that we’ve had enough interactions that I could say that and not feel like I was trying to take away from my sincere appreciation for the whole series.
Thank you Andy! And I agree 100%- what the records say to us--and the role the play in our lives-- ultimately matters more than where they land on a list.
Aja is so ridiculously good. It is the album that got me into Steely Dan - it was hearing Deacon Blues on the radio that sucked me in.
The first band I truly fell in love with was the Beatles. I'm not sure if Aja or a Beatles record would be my own number one, but they might be strong contenders.
Kevin, we need to talk. Now I have to listen to Jawbreaker, which did not make much of an impression on the, um, East Coast Rock Critic Boomer Elite (ECRCE). But all’s well that ends well. I see “Aja” going through a fast, recent rise to the top of the Next Generation Steely Dan Fan (NGSDF) list, those who might not have grown up with the previous albums. But. This series is a wonderful introduction to your judgement, taste, and flashes of writing genius, remarkable for a guy with a totally different day (and night) job. And kudos to Sam.
Congrats on finishing this epic list, fellas! Having multiple perspectives on a running list was a cool idea. I wouldn't have guessed Kevin put Aja as number one. Hard to argue against it, but I prefer The Royal Scam and my lawyer will be sending a letter with all of the correct album picks. (no legal issue, my lawyer is just a big music fan with a lot of opinions).
A few more thoughts. First, I do think one of the best parts of the series is seeing your responses to each other's selections. I'm embarrassed to say that It took me a couple weeks before I really figured out the rhythm of your writing and that I needed to be reading both sets of posts to see each of your reactions to the other (it should have been obvious, but there was so much to read that I didn't sort it out immediately).
In a way it's most fun to see the cases where one of your really loves an album and the other person isn't feeling it.
I'll say ad nauseum, that one of the challenges of writing about music is that the better you know a recording the easier it is to think -- incorrectly -- that it speaks for itself and doesn't need any additional context.
Music _does_ serve to carry meaning across boundaries and across cultural contexts, but it does need a little bit of help (or a bunch of work on the part of the listener; we all have albums that we've come to love and understand from repeated listening), and there's an art to being able to figure out how to describe something in a way that helps a listener be prepared to understand it.
What's interesting about the moments of disconnect isn't the disagreement, but the attempt to bridge that gap; trying to figure out if it's possible to hear what the other person likes and to listen with fresh ears.
(I am not living up to that myself; I have not yet gone through and listened to the albums that I didn't know, but I appreciate that the format allows each of you to set an example as listeners as well as writers).
A few thoughts for other albums that might deserve a spot on the top-100 (and I may be making a fool of myself by having forgotten something making an appearance earlier -- I'm relying on memory and haven't gone back to check).
Tori Amos _Little Earthquakes_ -- One of the albums that shaped 90s music and absolutely great.
Sinéad O'Connor -- am I just forgetting? Did _I Do Not Want_ show up in one of the earlier weeks? For my tastes I would pick either _The Lion And The Cobra_ or _She Who Dwells_.
Joe Jackson -- I went through a period of being a huge Elvis Costello fan and then, at some point, realized that EC was more spectacular but I enjoyed Joe Jackson more. I would have to decide between his debut album _Look Sharp_ which has a couple of just perfect pop songs ("Is She Really Going Out With Him") or the more mature _Body and Soul_ which isn't as catchy but feels really solid,
I already argued for Caetano Veloso's 1971 album. From the same year I'd consider John Prine's self-titled debut which has at least a half-dozen great songs.
Finally to pick something that's purely me speaking here, not thinking of critical consensus or influence I'd find a spot for Jim Pepper's _Comin' and Goin'_ somewhere in the 80s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comin%27_and_Goin%27
I mostly listen to "Witchi Tia To" which is does a difficult thing extremely well; merging Native American chant and Jazz in a way that feels more compelling than either individually (at least for me). And read the top comment on that YT video, it's lovely and heartbreaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBdaYKqMUs
Just to pick another track at random off the album "Goin' Down To Muskogee" is amazing. It speaks and it breathes and feels like nothing you would expect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cClRml9rGRo
Some great thoughts (and thought provoking) words here, Nick! Sinead O'Connor didn't make the final cut. I had both The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got on some early lists, but that's as far as it went for me.
Body and Soul made it through a few more rounds, but ultimately I had to make room for something else. It's a solid record for sure, and it holds a bit of extra sentimental value since I picked up my copy while on really fun record shopping trip with my kid.
I'm always happy to meet another Wire fan! At the outset, I knew I wanted this on on the list, but IBTABA and The Ideal Copy both "just" missed the cut.
Kevin, I had so much fun following you and Sam on this journey! You both put your heart and soul into the words that went on paper, and you each caused me to go listen to a few things I have never heard or not played in a long while. Thank you for reminding us all about the power of a slab of vinyl and the stories behind them.
Glad to hear! What new tunes did you check out?
Thank you, George! I'm happy to hear it!
Great work, this series has made for nearly three months of fun reads. You nailed the landing with both Aja and Abbey Road, two incredible albums in their own unique ways. Also shoutout to In Rainbows making your top 10, Sam. It's the Radiohead album I reach for most often.
Hell yeah! To me, Ok Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows are all in the god-tier of Radiohead albums, so if you picked any of those as your #1, it's a totally valid pick. But In Rainbows is just a crystallization of everything they do well.
Thank you Greg! And thank you again for your help/expertise on Thelonious Monk!
Really enjoyed this massive undertaking these last couple months, thanks for taking up this challenge and stirring up the memories. Great finish especially Disintegration. Life is one big The Cure phase!
Indeed it is! Thank you for coming along for the ride. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! What an amazing selection - I'm with you all the way, except that I don't know Pearl Jam. 44 years ago, my ATCO/WEA album 'Fresh Blood' garnered rave reviews and reached number 3 in the US airplay charts. I was signed in NYC by Doug Morris (Prez of Sony Music still?) Then nothing. It's on all streaming platforms, so check it out. So is my new compilation album 'Woke Up This Morning' (also steveswindells.bandcamp.com) Bests. Steve
Thank you, Steve! I'll check it out.
This was good fun, Kevin and Sam. Thank you! I appreciate all the work you put into it. I second George's comment; this has been a great journey.
Really? Not in one million years would I have guessed that album. I'm not naming it cuz I'll post this as a note and don't wanna spoil it for anyone. This record is a top one, for sure, but pole position - very very interesting. Great coverage on the album and "Murderers row of session players" is a wonderful way to word it. As I scrolled to reveal #1, I'm pretty sure I gasped. Well played good sir, well played.
Thank you, Keith! I like to keep the people guessing. :)
I wonder how many more of us stole Hounds of Love from our dads?
Honestly? I'm hopin' a bunch of people did. lol.
Beyond finding the occasional hidden gem you haven't yet discovered, I find these lists are a great stimulant for re-igniting your love for old favorites. I've enjoyed this over the past several weeks, kudos to you both on the writing and the unique format.
Definitely reignited my love for Wire. I forgot how amazing their first three albums are.
So, so good.
Thank you Marty!
Guys, this was so much fun. A couple of my favourites here: Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life, Miseducation and Abbey Road.
More than anything, I loved (and wholeheartedly agree with) what you said about each.
I think one of the great things about these lists, at least for me, is that the positions or rankings matter less than what we have to say about each record. On that note, here’s some celebratory cheers. I’ll miss this series!
And how could I forget Purple Rain and What’s Going On?! The fact I find more and more stuff as I re-read it is testament that you guys were not fcking around when you set out to complete this mammoth task. Thanks again!
Seconding everything Andres says here. This was a massive project; I'm impressed at how you two pulled it off, and it felt like there were real emotional stakes coming to the end and seeing each if your final top 10.
Thank you, Nick! I really appreciated your post the other day about wishing records were on here, and our (sometimes) reflexive/defensive responses to that. It bounced around in my head for quite awhile. It's a thread worth pulling on a little bit, I think.
I appreciate that. It felt like a slightly weird comment, but I hoped that we’ve had enough interactions that I could say that and not feel like I was trying to take away from my sincere appreciation for the whole series.
Oh no, I took it (what I assume) was the context intended. No offense or anything taken! 😀
I love that you keep finding new stuff!
Thank you Andy! And I agree 100%- what the records say to us--and the role the play in our lives-- ultimately matters more than where they land on a list.
Aja is so ridiculously good. It is the album that got me into Steely Dan - it was hearing Deacon Blues on the radio that sucked me in.
The first band I truly fell in love with was the Beatles. I'm not sure if Aja or a Beatles record would be my own number one, but they might be strong contenders.
Why not both? :)
A tie for first? I mean, I might have like 10 of those!
Lol. That’s okay too.
My mom named our first dog Aja after that album. It’s not my favorite but it’s ingrained into my life since early childhood.
Now can we address one glaring band omission from this series?? LOL
Fear not! Our next series will force rank every TMBG song. From there, we'll move on to records, and then maybe live shows. :)
In all seriousness, thanks for reading and coming along on the ride with us!
It’s been such a great series to read. You guys both did an amazing job!
Kevin, we need to talk. Now I have to listen to Jawbreaker, which did not make much of an impression on the, um, East Coast Rock Critic Boomer Elite (ECRCE). But all’s well that ends well. I see “Aja” going through a fast, recent rise to the top of the Next Generation Steely Dan Fan (NGSDF) list, those who might not have grown up with the previous albums. But. This series is a wonderful introduction to your judgement, taste, and flashes of writing genius, remarkable for a guy with a totally different day (and night) job. And kudos to Sam.
Thank you for the kind words, Professor! They mean a lot to me.
Congrats on finishing this epic list, fellas! Having multiple perspectives on a running list was a cool idea. I wouldn't have guessed Kevin put Aja as number one. Hard to argue against it, but I prefer The Royal Scam and my lawyer will be sending a letter with all of the correct album picks. (no legal issue, my lawyer is just a big music fan with a lot of opinions).
Nothing says "fun" like a deposition!
I gave Ten a spin the other day, it's still so good. That three album run of Ten, VS, and Vitalogy is about as good as it gets.
It's an incredible run, isn't it?
Congrats on finishing this project guys. It’s been an incredible read…
And, to answer your question, based on what I have seen with my oldest daughter, kids today still definitely go through a Cure phase!
I'm happy to hear it!
A few more thoughts. First, I do think one of the best parts of the series is seeing your responses to each other's selections. I'm embarrassed to say that It took me a couple weeks before I really figured out the rhythm of your writing and that I needed to be reading both sets of posts to see each of your reactions to the other (it should have been obvious, but there was so much to read that I didn't sort it out immediately).
In a way it's most fun to see the cases where one of your really loves an album and the other person isn't feeling it.
I'll say ad nauseum, that one of the challenges of writing about music is that the better you know a recording the easier it is to think -- incorrectly -- that it speaks for itself and doesn't need any additional context.
Music _does_ serve to carry meaning across boundaries and across cultural contexts, but it does need a little bit of help (or a bunch of work on the part of the listener; we all have albums that we've come to love and understand from repeated listening), and there's an art to being able to figure out how to describe something in a way that helps a listener be prepared to understand it.
What's interesting about the moments of disconnect isn't the disagreement, but the attempt to bridge that gap; trying to figure out if it's possible to hear what the other person likes and to listen with fresh ears.
(I am not living up to that myself; I have not yet gone through and listened to the albums that I didn't know, but I appreciate that the format allows each of you to set an example as listeners as well as writers).
A few thoughts for other albums that might deserve a spot on the top-100 (and I may be making a fool of myself by having forgotten something making an appearance earlier -- I'm relying on memory and haven't gone back to check).
Tori Amos _Little Earthquakes_ -- One of the albums that shaped 90s music and absolutely great.
Sinéad O'Connor -- am I just forgetting? Did _I Do Not Want_ show up in one of the earlier weeks? For my tastes I would pick either _The Lion And The Cobra_ or _She Who Dwells_.
Joe Jackson -- I went through a period of being a huge Elvis Costello fan and then, at some point, realized that EC was more spectacular but I enjoyed Joe Jackson more. I would have to decide between his debut album _Look Sharp_ which has a couple of just perfect pop songs ("Is She Really Going Out With Him") or the more mature _Body and Soul_ which isn't as catchy but feels really solid,
I already argued for Caetano Veloso's 1971 album. From the same year I'd consider John Prine's self-titled debut which has at least a half-dozen great songs.
Finally to pick something that's purely me speaking here, not thinking of critical consensus or influence I'd find a spot for Jim Pepper's _Comin' and Goin'_ somewhere in the 80s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comin%27_and_Goin%27
I mostly listen to "Witchi Tia To" which is does a difficult thing extremely well; merging Native American chant and Jazz in a way that feels more compelling than either individually (at least for me). And read the top comment on that YT video, it's lovely and heartbreaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBdaYKqMUs
But he's a fantastic musician. His saxophone is in the Smithsonian for good reason: https://music.si.edu/object-day/jim-peppers-tenor-saxophone
Just to pick another track at random off the album "Goin' Down To Muskogee" is amazing. It speaks and it breathes and feels like nothing you would expect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cClRml9rGRo
Some great thoughts (and thought provoking) words here, Nick! Sinead O'Connor didn't make the final cut. I had both The Lion and the Cobra and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got on some early lists, but that's as far as it went for me.
Body and Soul made it through a few more rounds, but ultimately I had to make room for something else. It's a solid record for sure, and it holds a bit of extra sentimental value since I picked up my copy while on really fun record shopping trip with my kid.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I can understand how both The Lion and The Cobra and Body and Soul would seem tempting but not essential.
Both of them are important enough artists for me, personally, that I’d be motivated to try to work them in, but definitely a judgement call.
So pleased to see Wire represented here!
I'm always happy to meet another Wire fan! At the outset, I knew I wanted this on on the list, but IBTABA and The Ideal Copy both "just" missed the cut.
I've been on a tear re-listening to the first three Wire albums. They're all so good.
A hard decision, but ultimately I think you made the correct one.