Hello there,
I'm feeling a little creative at the moment and as my multitracker is full on memory i've decided to post a blog, instead of doing something totally uncreative with my time, i.e. watching Antiques Roadshow or sleeping.
Hopefully it might encourage you to go out there and listen to some cool new music if you haven't already heard of these albums/bands, and maybe it might give a little bit of an insight into my personality if you don't know me. These are the albums that i lie in bed and listen to with my headphones on, and don't turn them off until finished. ENJOY!
The main 5, in no particular order.........
Bayside (www.myspace.com/bayside)
The Walking Wounded
This album, in my opinion, is the best pop / punk albums of all time and no matter how many times I listen, it never seems to get old. The songwriting is my favourite thing about it and the fact that some people would dismiss it as emo dross doesn't bother me in the slightest. I also love it because of how much the album means to the band; being there first full album since drummer "Beatz" died, it's amazing that they continued to exist, never mind record such a fantastic album
Favourite Tracks = Head on a Plate, Dear Your Holiness
Colors
Fan-fucking-tastic from start to finish, includes some, i mean alot of moments of inspiration, in fact, the whole album is just one whole album of sheer inspired song-writing. If you like your music technical, very technical, then this might be for you, and don't just expect a torrent of hard to understand noise with ridiculous, non-sensical time signatures, 'Colors' is a calculated, well-organised mess.
Favourite Tracks = Ants of the Sky, White Walls
Jeff Wayne
War of the Worlds
The only acceptable story-book album of all time. Absolutely awe-inspiring stuff. I'm sure you've heard some of it before, so i don't really have to go into much detail, apart from the fact that you really have to listen to it from start to finish to really appreciate the thing as a whole. And theres a guest apperance from Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy which is always good.
Favourite Tracks = Thunder Child, Forever Autumn.
ABBA
ABBA GOLD
Ok, so it isn't an album as such, it's a greatest hits. But it's the best thing ever. Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are the greatest songwriters of all time and that's an official statement, and as the old cliche goes, they just don't make 'em like this anymore. Utter over-the-top, camp genius from cover to cover, that just makes me want to, a) Dance and, b) wish that i could write something even an eighth as good as it.
Favourite Tracks = The list is endless...
Opeth (www.myspace.com/opeth)
Ghost Reveries
If any hardcore Opeth fans where to read this they might be disgusted at the fact that i've picked this one out of all of them but who cares? It's my favourite from the band, which as bands go are one of, if not the favourites. The album is just really clever, none of the songs sound the same and as each song ends you'll be wondering how the song that started 12 minutes earlier became the song that finished moments ago. I love Opeth's ability to just switch between moments of agression and moments of tranquility. Any doubters of Opeth or anyone who isn't aware of them must listen to this album.
Favourite Tracks = Ghost of Perdition, Reverie / Harlequin Forest.
Some other flipping amazing albums.....
Hundred Reasons - Ideas above our station (www.myspace.com/hundredreasons)
Just a great rock album, clever from start to finish. Shame that there other stuff doesn't come anywhere near close, and doesn't look like it ever will. Listen to "Answers"
Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing (www.myspace.com/killswitchengage)
My favourite metal album of all time, the reason that I got so much into the genre. Listen to "Alive or just breathing".
Panic at the Disco - Pretty Odd (www.myspace.com/panicatthedisco)
As the title says, Pretty Odd, but in a brilliant way, maybe an unexpected choice given the fact that i hate their other stuff but this is brilliant. Listen to "Do you know what i'm seeing?"
Mew - ...And the Glass Handed Kites (www.myspace.com/mew)
Sleepy, Reverb heavy, dreamy pop/rock from Scandanavia, it's good to listen to before bed. Listen to "The Zookeeper's Boy"
Queen - Greatest Hits I, II, III
Self explanatory, AMAZING. Freddie Mercury is an idol and an inspiration, just watch the footage from their gig at Wembley 1990. Listen to "I'm going slightly mad".
Mayhem - Chimeira
Really, really strange. Aggressively Technical Black Metal. You have to hear it to understand, and still i bet you won't. Listen to "Whore".
Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High (www.myspace.com/falloutboy)
Just a great pop album, as simple as that. Patrick Stumps vocal ability manages to knock me back every time i listen to "I've got all this ringing in my ears and none on my fingers". Listen to it!
...And finally some great songs from albums and bands that are still fantastic but not my all time favourites. (Lacked better title!)
Bright Eyes - Four Winds, Classic Cars; First Day of My Life, Lua;,Old Soul Song, Land Locked Blues
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Panasonic Youth, Black Bubblegum, Milk Lizard
Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
Electric Light Orchestra - It's a Living Thing, Mr. Blue Sky
Faith No More - Be Aggressive, Midlife Crisis, Everythings Ruined, Ashes to Ashes
Hell is for Heroes - I Can Climb Mountain, You Drove Me To It
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah, Grace
The Killers - Bones, When You Were Young, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
Manic Street Preachers - Australia, if white america could tell the truth for one day its world would fall apart, Send Away the Tigers, Autumnsong
Modern Skirts - My Bully
Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down, Young Love
The Ocean - Cryogenian
Opeth - The Leper Affinity, Harvest, Masters Apprentice, A Fair Judgement, Advent, Demon of the Fall, In the Mist She Was Standing, Hex Omega, The Lotus Eather.
Rammstein - Mutter, Links 2,3,4, Du Hast
Saves the Day - Freakish, At Your Funeral
SiKth - Pussyfoot, Peep Show, Bland Street Boom, When Will the Forest Speak?
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss, Angel of Death
Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
Ulver - Eos
So if you've read this far you may aswell go an listen to some this stuff. It might change the way you think about music like it did to me.
Roger
XXX
