Essential Studio Albums

[wease]

Sledgehammer fucking kicks. Umphreys McGee did a slamming cover of it.

[liebzz]

Sledgehammer fucking kicks. Umphreys McGee did a slamming cover of it.

As does Dave Matthews. It’s actually shocking how much their singing voice sound alike.

[liebzz]

Genesis - Invisible Touch

So this is the moment where Genesis and Phil Collins’ solo work become one. Invisible Touch, In Too Deep, and Throwing It All Away all feel like they could have easily come off one of his solo albums. I have to say I was impressed with the long (8 minutes with an extended middle instrumental jam) Tonight Tonight Tonight, and other than the aforementioned Sledgehammer, I might have seen Land of Confusion’s music video more times than I can count. I’m pretty sure in my childhood I considered Ronald Reagan to be a cross between this caricature and a California raisin.

The Essential Track: Tonight Tonight Tonight

Up Next: Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Way It Is

[liebzz]

Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Way It Is

This debut album from Bruce Hornsby is admittedly bland rock and roll in many spots - a sort of rehash of late 70s soft rock through the lens of 80s production choices. It does, however, have some really wonderful keys from Hornsby, most notably at the end of the album, and in its classic title track. Plus there are some good tracks here worth a listen - the other single, Mandolin Rain, plus Every Little Kiss and The Wild Frontier have their moments. Probably not essential, but The Way It Is is a soft rock beast of an 80s single, perfect for riding with the car windows open while your feathered hair blows in the breeze.

The Essential Track: The Way It Is

Up Next: Paul Simon - Graceland

[wease]

I love to hear him play. Even the small amount of Dead stuff I’ve heard. I could listen to him all day.

[liebzz]

Paul Simon - Graceland

Paul Simon’s ambition on this album may be unlikely any other. He appears to be attempting to meld his folk traditions with folk traditions from East, West, North and South - the African traditions most glaringly so, but also the southern jazz and funk elements of New Orleans as well. There’s no question this is a stunningly natural album given that large scale effort. The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and You Can Call Me Al are classics, but it all sort of fits together on a sort of universality or unifying sense of music.

The Essential Track: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Up Next: Steve Earle - Guitar Town

[wease]

Paul Simon - Graceland

Paul Simon’s ambition on this album may be unlikely any other. He appears to be attempting to meld his folk traditions with folk traditions from East, West, North and South - the African traditions most glaringly so, but also the southern jazz and funk elements of New Orleans as well. There’s no question this is a stunningly natural album given that large scale effort. The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and You Can Call Me Al are classics, but it all sort of fits together on a sort of universality or unifying sense of music.

The Essential Track: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Up Next: Steve Earle - Guitar Town

I think the video to Al makes me enjoy the song more than I would otherwise.

[liebzz]

Steve Earle - Guitar Town

This one went by so effortlessly and quickly I felt like a nearly missed it. This is the smoothest country/country rock album I can immediately bring to mind, and so consistent it would be real hard to pick a favorite. Guitar Town, Hillbilly Highway, Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough), My Old Friend the Blues - which juxtaposed against the barn burner that precedes it - and Down the Road come immediately to mind, but it feels like I should go back soon to keep a closer eye on this. Went down way too easy.

The Essential Track: Good Ol’ Boy (Gettin’ Tough)

Up Next: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

[liebzz]

Paul Simon - Graceland

Paul Simon’s ambition on this album may be unlikely any other. He appears to be attempting to meld his folk traditions with folk traditions from East, West, North and South - the African traditions most glaringly so, but also the southern jazz and funk elements of New Orleans as well. There’s no question this is a stunningly natural album given that large scale effort. The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, and You Can Call Me Al are classics, but it all sort of fits together on a sort of universality or unifying sense of music.

The Essential Track: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes

Up Next: Steve Earle - Guitar Town

I think the video to Al makes me enjoy the song more than I would otherwise.

To me it’s a perfectly balanced Paul Simon/Simon & Garfunkel type song.

[liebzz]

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

Based on the surface level look into this album, some seem to portray this album as the mountaintop for The Smiths, and in some circles, the apex of the entire subgenre and even further. Undoubtedly I think the former applies as it seems like the other albums sort of lead into this album, probably with the most range yet definitely the most consistently great. There’s a little levity here amongst the moodiness, such as on Frankly Mr. Shankly and Vicar in a Tutu, but what defines this album is still the drive of the title track, along with some really stunning songs in I Know It’s Over, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, and Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others. This is where it all does seem to come together.

The Essential Track: The Queen Is Dead

Up Next: Rolling Stones - Dirty Work

[liebzz]

Rolling Stones - Dirty Work

This is largely considered rock bottom for the Rolling Stones. And yet, this is no embarrassment of a record, though the tensions between a more modern sound and the formula that’s produced some of the most essential rock music is more than evident. The inclusion of backup singers, synthesizers, etc. is simultaneously pulling against the muscular rock of the title track, Fight, and Winning Ugly. As per usual, there are little attempts to take the Stones into other musical territories as in Too Rude and the cover of Harlem Shuffle. Does this, in sum, all fall flat? Yes, but there really are flashes of a band who can still do it in their sleep, or in complete disarray as a band.

The Essential Track: Dirty Work

Up Next: Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

[liebzz]

Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

Speaking of rock bottom, this album (sorry it’s out of order - a 1987 release) was the commercial comeback for Aerosmith on the heels of Rag Doll, Dude (Looks Like a Lady), and the ballad Angel. This album seems to be melding 70s blues rock à la The Rolling Stones with the pop metal genre that emerged in the likes of Theatre of Pain era Motley Crue, Poison, etc. - outside of Girl Keeps Coming Apart, which does manage a successful joining of these sounds, this album is a pretty miserable listen. They may have successfully reinvented themselves for the masses of the time, but this album just seems like an overly sleek collection of songs trying to sound current rather than digging into their collective creativity that produced those great albums in the 70s. It’s a shame because I thought these songs were pretty cool in the actual 80s, though I was 9 years old, so there’s that.

The Essential Track: Girl Keeps Coming Apart

Up Next: Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

[oasisfan35]

Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

Speaking of rock bottom, this album (sorry it’s out of order - a 1987 release) was the commercial comeback for Aerosmith on the heels of Rag Doll, Dude (Looks Like a Lady), and the ballad Angel. This album seems to be melding 70s blues rock à la The Rolling Stones with the pop metal genre that emerged in the likes of Theatre of Pain era Motley Crue, Poison, etc. - outside of Girl Keeps Coming Apart, which does manage a successful joining of these sounds, this album is a pretty miserable listen. They may have successfully reinvented themselves for the masses of the time, but this album just seems like an overly sleek collection of songs trying to sound current rather than digging into their collective creativity that produced those great albums in the 70s. It’s a shame because I thought these songs were pretty cool in the actual 80s, though I was 9 years old, so there’s that.

The Essential Track: Girl Keeps Coming Apart

Up Next: Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Had a dubbed copy of this on cassette way back and those singles definitely pull at some nostalgia strings but man I don't think I have heard them in decades.

edit: Other than this being an off year inclusion, have you been trying to stick with release date chronology? I thought I was paying attention but...

[liebzz]

Not release date. More like trying to stick to the year, and then generally trying to stick with a moderately consistent sound for a few albums at a time. An art more than a science.

[liebzz]

Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Speaking again of hitting rock bottom, this thread can now be toeing close to that line. I spent years being dismissive of 80s music primarily correlating it with the last two albums, stuff I thought was great as a little kid when my older brothers listened to it and before I ever found my own way. This is probably amongst the most embarrassing of those albums - an attempt at melding the circus like nature of Motley Crue with the fireworks of Van Halen. It does neither and just comes across as ridiculous. I guess if I have to pick a song here it’s the nostalgic Talk Dirty to Me, but rather than fighting to pick a song amongst the gems, this is more like what hurts the least.

The Essential Track: Talk Dirty to Me

Up Next: Van Halen - 5150

[oasisfan35]

Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Speaking again of hitting rock bottom, this thread can now be toeing close to that line. I spent years being dismissive of 80s music primarily correlating it with the last two albums, stuff I thought was great as a little kid when my older brothers listened to it and before I ever found my own way. This is probably amongst the most embarrassing of those albums - an attempt at melding the circus like nature of Motley Crue with the fireworks of Van Halen. It does neither and just comes across as ridiculous. I guess if I have to pick a song here it’s the nostalgic Talk Dirty to Me, but rather than fighting to pick a song amongst the gems, this is more like what hurts the least.

The Essential Track: Talk Dirty to Me

Up Next: Van Halen - 5150

You clearly did not apply enough make-up for this listen

[wease]

Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation

Speaking of rock bottom, this album (sorry it’s out of order - a 1987 release) was the commercial comeback for Aerosmith on the heels of Rag Doll, Dude (Looks Like a Lady), and the ballad Angel. This album seems to be melding 70s blues rock à la The Rolling Stones with the pop metal genre that emerged in the likes of Theatre of Pain era Motley Crue, Poison, etc. - outside of Girl Keeps Coming Apart, which does manage a successful joining of these sounds, this album is a pretty miserable listen. They may have successfully reinvented themselves for the masses of the time, but this album just seems like an overly sleek collection of songs trying to sound current rather than digging into their collective creativity that produced those great albums in the 70s. It’s a shame because I thought these songs were pretty cool in the actual 80s, though I was 9 years old, so there’s that.

The Essential Track: Girl Keeps Coming Apart

Up Next: Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Except for Sweet Emotion, when I hear their tunes on the radio nowadays, I’d rather hear their 80s output rather than their 70s stuff.

[wease]

Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Speaking again of hitting rock bottom, this thread can now be toeing close to that line. I spent years being dismissive of 80s music primarily correlating it with the last two albums, stuff I thought was great as a little kid when my older brothers listened to it and before I ever found my own way. This is probably amongst the most embarrassing of those albums - an attempt at melding the circus like nature of Motley Crue with the fireworks of Van Halen. It does neither and just comes across as ridiculous. I guess if I have to pick a song here it’s the nostalgic Talk Dirty to Me, but rather than fighting to pick a song amongst the gems, this is more like what hurts the least.

The Essential Track: Talk Dirty to Me

Up Next: Van Halen - 5150

You clearly did not apply enough make-up for this listen

Pure garbage. I wish you hadn’t even included this.

[oasisfan35]

Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In

Speaking again of hitting rock bottom, this thread can now be toeing close to that line. I spent years being dismissive of 80s music primarily correlating it with the last two albums, stuff I thought was great as a little kid when my older brothers listened to it and before I ever found my own way. This is probably amongst the most embarrassing of those albums - an attempt at melding the circus like nature of Motley Crue with the fireworks of Van Halen. It does neither and just comes across as ridiculous. I guess if I have to pick a song here it’s the nostalgic Talk Dirty to Me, but rather than fighting to pick a song amongst the gems, this is more like what hurts the least.

The Essential Track: Talk Dirty to Me

Up Next: Van Halen - 5150

You clearly did not apply enough make-up for this listen

Pure garbage. I wish you hadn’t even included this.

Pfft... look what the cat dragged in.

Spoiler: show

The opening riff to I Won't Forget You is etched in to my soul.

[liebzz]

Van Halen - 5150

We’ve made it to Van Hagar! Actually, I don’t know that I ever gave this album a proper listen straight through. I may have mostly written it off given that much of their singles from this were ballads and ballad adjacent - the kind of stuff that tried to mark a clean break from the non-stop party of the David Lee Roth years. The actual product is not as cleanly broken. Good Enough, Get Up, and Summer Nights seem like they could have been recorded with DLR (and that he might have done more with those), but Best of Both Worlds, 5150, and Inside are a real interesting change that does much to redeem this album. The aforementioned singles are not my cup of tea. A mixed bag to start a new era, but better than what I expected.

The Essential Track: 5150

Up Next: David Lee Roth - Eat ‘Em and Smile