Essential Studio Albums

[liebzz]

John Mellencamp - Big Daddy

Mellencamp’s heartland bona fides are pretty unquestionable, especially in the albums that precede this one. That trend doesn’t change in any significant way here, except that the devotion to running down the center aisle of the subgenre for this many albums sort of makes this more of a snooze than another classic. The songs don’t seem to have the same magic from his earlier releases, and this for me existed in the realm of there’s nothing wrong with this album, but there’s also nothing really on here that pushes me to care either. Jackie Brown, Country Gentleman, and Let It All Hang Out come the closest for me, but really it’s just that latter song that captured much of anything for me.

The Essential Track: Let It All Hang Out

Up Next: Don Henley - The End of the Innocence

[liebzz]

Don Henley - The End of the Innocence

Don Henley, despite his glory days being in the Eagles, a band I have never been even remotely interested in, is a master of the soft rock gem, and he’s got 3 classics in that vein here, the title track, The Last Worthless Evening, and The Heart of the Matter. An entire album in this space would have been fine for him, and certainly would have maintained what I think is a major upgrade from his back and forth with the Eagles. He’s even cool enough here to repurpose the classic Mike Campbell guitar riff on The Heart of the Matter, complete with Mike Campbell himself. And yet, this isn’t the most surprising or more rewarding part of this album - it’s when Don Henley shows a bit of bite - like on the Axl Rose backed I Will Not Go Quietly, the synth heavy Little Tin God, and If Dirty Were Dollars. This is the stuff I’m here for.

The Essential Track: I Will Not Go Quetly

Up Next: Smithereens - 11

[wease]

The End of the Innocence is a tune that, whenever I hear it, I’m taken back to a certain time, place and person. Nostalgia is a helluva drug.

Co-written by Bruce Hornsby, btw.

[oasisfan35]

The End of the Innocence is a tune that, whenever I hear it, I’m taken back to a certain time, place and person. Nostalgia is a helluva drug.

Co-written by Bruce Hornsby, btw.

100%
Pretty sure I still have a signed promo flat at the 'rents house as well.

[liebzz]

Smithereens - 11

On this third album (we covered the first before), there’s a bit of harder edged guitars but we’re in honest to goodness pop rock territory. This breezes by quickly, not just due to the 33 minute run time, which is getting really short by late-eighties standards where the 45 minute cassette or the 74 minute compact disc are becoming your limitations, but also because the music feels light and fresh - not so different from the way Tom Petty or R.E.M. could fly through choruses and jangly guitar parts. The first two tracks, A Girl Like You and Blues Before and After, really caught me the most, but this is good solid stuff from the opening note to close.

The Essential Track: A Girl Like You

Up Next: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - In Step

[liebzz]

The End of the Innocence is a tune that, whenever I hear it, I’m taken back to a certain time, place and person. Nostalgia is a helluva drug.

Co-written by Bruce Hornsby, btw.

100%
Pretty sure I still have a signed promo flat at the 'rents house as well.

No surprise on Hornsby co-write. It’s right up his alley.

[wease]

Smithereens - 11

On this third album (we covered the first before), there’s a bit of harder edged guitars but we’re in honest to goodness pop rock territory. This breezes by quickly, not just due to the 33 minute run time, which is getting really short by late-eighties standards where the 45 minute cassette or the 74 minute compact disc are becoming your limitations, but also because the music feels light and fresh - not so different from the way Tom Petty or R.E.M. could fly through choruses and jangly guitar parts. The first two tracks, A Girl Like You and Blues Before and After, really caught me the most, but this is good solid stuff from the opening note to close.

The Essential Track: A Girl Like You

A Girl Like You is one of my favorite tunes. Glad you agree that the album is much more than just the two “hits.” It really is a great album and certainly their best.

[liebzz]

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - In Step

This is a really nice album where Vaughan shows a fair amount of range and diversity while still maintaining his throne as modern electric blues royalty. Mixed in here is some soul, rock and pop - these ingredients bringing fresh life to his sound. Crossfire is the instantly recognizable song here, but Tightrope, Wall of Denial and the House is Rockin’ are also quite enjoyable. There’s two great instrumentals here in Travis Walk and Riviera Paradise. There’s some expanding past the blues on Scratch-N-Sniff. The newfound sobriety really had a positive impact for what would be the final Double Trouble album in SRV’s lifetime.

The Essential Track: Crossfire

Up Next: Paul Kelly & the Messengers - So Much Water So Close to Home

[wease]

I know he didn’t write it and it’s certainly more in the rock vein than most all of his other output, but I’d be hard pressed to name another of his tunes as my favorite over Crossfire.

[liebzz]

Paul Kelly & the Messengers - So Much Water So Close to Home

This album is sort of interesting in that it seems to randomly split between a jangly pop rock and blues. There are elements of country and folk in there too, but not nearly as prominent as the split noted. Most Wanted Man in the World, She’s A Melody (Stupid Song), and No You were the bluesiest and my favorites here, but the pop rock of Careless, You Can’t Take It With You and Sweet Guy are duly noted highlights. The album ends with 2 songs that feel like they split the difference between Neil Young and Bob Dylan in Pigeon/Jundamurra, and Cities of Texas. A real solid album here.

The Essential Track: She’s a Melody (Stupid Song)

Up Next: Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy

[liebzz]

Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy

With all due respect to some of the Dylan albums I am sure I am going to fly right over (I’m looking at you, Infidels), this might be Dylan’s best album since Blood on the Tracks. Every song here pretty much is right on the money. Political World, Everything is Broken, Man in the Long Black Coat, Most of the Time, Disease of Conceit, and What Was It You Wanted might all be all-timers for me in his catalogue, at least on this listen. And there is really no let down here, just a Dylan release that for me belongs with his true classics.

The Essential Track: (it could be any of those) Political World

Up Next: Weddings Parties Anything - The Big Don’t Argue

[liebzz]

With 10 albums left in ‘89, we should start chatting about 1990 (a new decade!). Here’s my list so far:

Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 3
Tom Waits - Night On Earth
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining
Sinead O’Connor - I Do Not Want What I Do Not Have
Lou Reed & John Cale - Songs For Drella
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting
Depeche Mode - Violator
Marshall Tucker Band - Southern Spirit
Allman Brothers Band - Seven Turns
Neil Young - Ragged Glory
The Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
A Tribe Called Quest - People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Warrant - Cherry Pie
Slaughter - Stick It To Ya
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Alice In Chains - Facelift
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
Sonic Youth - Goo
Pixies - Bossonova
The Breeders - Pod
Steve Earle - The Hard Way
The La’s
Phish - Lawn Boy
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Fugazi - Repeater
Bad Religion - Against the Grain
Mother Love Bone - Apple

[Kalevi]

1990 is weak, no wonder 1991 was so strong. Social distortion is worth a listen

[wease]

Living Colour- Time’s Up
Damn Yankees
Prince- Graffiti Bridge
Green Day- 39/Smooth
Robert Johnson- The Complete Recordings

[liebzz]

Living Colour- Time’s Up
Damn Yankees
Prince- Graffiti Bridge
Green Day- 39/Smooth
Robert Johnson- The Complete Recordings

Adding most. Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings might be on the very first page of this thread.

[LoathedVermin72]

Helmet - Strap It On
Bathory - Hammerheart
Adrian Belew - Young Lions
Artillery - By Inheritance
Danzig - Danzig II: Lucifuge
Sonic Youth - Goo

[wease]

I almost included the Danzig but couldn’t remember enough about the whole album.

[LoathedVermin72]

Best Danzig album by far, IMO. Near perfect.

[Kevin Davis]

With 10 albums left in ‘89, we should start chatting about 1990 (a new decade!). Here’s my list so far:

Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 3
Tom Waits - Night On Earth
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining
Sinead O’Connor - I Do Not Want What I Do Not Have
Lou Reed & John Cale - Songs For Drella
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting
Depeche Mode - Violator
Marshall Tucker Band - Southern Spirit
Allman Brothers Band - Seven Turns
Neil Young - Ragged Glory
The Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
A Tribe Called Quest - People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Warrant - Cherry Pie
Slaughter - Stick It To Ya
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Alice In Chains - Facelift
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
Sonic Youth - Goo
Pixies - Bossonova
The Breeders - Pod
Steve Earle - The Hard Way
The La’s
Phish - Lawn Boy
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Fugazi - Repeater
Bad Religion - Against the Grain
Mother Love Bone - Apple

Try Robin Holcomb's self-titled debut -- one of my favorite albums ever.

[Higgs]

Paul Kelly & the Messengers - So Much Water So Close to Home

This album is sort of interesting in that it seems to randomly split between a jangly pop rock and blues. There are elements of country and folk in there too, but not nearly as prominent as the split noted. Most Wanted Man in the World, She’s A Melody (Stupid Song), and No You were the bluesiest and my favorites here, but the pop rock of Careless, You Can’t Take It With You and Sweet Guy are duly noted highlights. The album ends with 2 songs that feel like they split the difference between Neil Young and Bob Dylan in Pigeon/Jundamurra, and Cities of Texas. A real solid album here.

The Essential Track: She’s a Melody (Stupid Song)

Up Next: Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy

My wedding dance is on that album.