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Ten Albums to Try
Introduction
Sometimes it is good to get albums recommended by mates. It can often encourage you to go buy or download some tunes you might not have otherwise given a second glance. I thought that I would put together a top ten of these recommendations from me. Albums that I suggest are well worth the £7.99 on Amazon and that may help you to discover some hidden gems. I won't be telling you to go and buy The Beatles 'White Album' as that is a no-brainer, if you don't have that then you probably lost your entire music collection in a fire last night and are replacing it this morning! No, I will try and recommend stuff you may not have heard of before.
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking: Released in 1988
Nothing's Shocking was the first full studio release by American alternative act Jane's Addiction. The album is still one of my absolute favourites and could still pass for 'modern' today. Perry Farrell's distinctive vocal style and Dave Navarro's heavy, yet exquisite, guitar work make Jane's Addiction's sound unmistakable.
What I love about this album is that is makes perfect sense as an entire piece of work and yet you can happily pull single tracks from the record and they will sound complete on their own as well. It was during the recording and over an argument about royalties that the infamous 'tensions' between the band first arose. Maybe you can hear the tensions in this record, or maybe it is a reflection of the times it was recorded in but it is both intensely angry and beautiful at the same time. The highlight of this album for me is the track 'Ted...Just Admit It'.
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique: Released in 1989
Stolen VW badges, riots at concert venues, probably the most controversial and hated band in both the US and the UK at the time...and then a masterpiece! The story starts with the first Beastie Boys release, 'Licensed to Ill'. This record had the authorities up in arms as kids flocked to buy the record that had hits such as 'Fight for Your Right to Party' on it and the band toured with dancing girls and a huge inflatable penis on stage (bear in mind this was 1988). Then, in 1989, the band came back with Paul's Boutique.
Having parted company with DefJam records, Paul's Boutique was produced by 'The Dust Brothers' and Matt Dike and was hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the best hip hop albums ever made. The songs are very well crafted for a genre that was still only just finding it's feet at the time and have been accredited with moving hip-hop on a couple of years, in terms of production techniques and song craft, in a single album. It struggled commercially on initial release and I still believe that there is a Paul's Boutique shaped hole in a lot of people's music collection. So, if your Beastie Boys collection goes, Licensed to Ill and then Ill Communication you have to check out this album.
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque: Released 1991
There was a time when Manchester ruled the music scene in the UK. Bands like The Stone Roses and The Charlatans had us all brushing our hair over our faces and staring at our shoes but my favourite album from the musical era (and very much what I grew up with) is by a band from Glasgow in Scotland. Teenage Fanclub's 'Bandwagonesque' was released on THE indie label at the time, Creation Records. The album and the band won numerous awards for Bandwagonesque but, for whatever reason, it does not take its rightful place alongside the other huge albums of the time such as Nirvana's 'Nevermind' and My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless' and yet I feel that it should be up there with the best.
The sound of Bandwagonesque ranges from mellow to downright noisy and the songcraft is exquisite. Highlights include 'Metal Baby' which includes the line 'Drank her perfume when I didn't want to know' and also the single 'What You Do To Me' which was played on indie nights in venues for some while afterwards as a nailed on crowd pleaser. The album may hail from a musical genre that came and went with the early 90's but it is a shining example of the indie scene at the time.
Faith No More - Angel Dust: Released in 1992
Fans of early Faith No More music would have been surprised at their 1992 release 'Angel Dust' It was quite a departure from the rap/rock sound of their first two albums. It was the album that finally saw the departure of guitarist 'Big' Jim Martin after its completion but also truly announced the arrival and influence on the band's sound of Mike Patton. Patton did appear on Faith No More's previous release 'The Real Thing' but fans of Patton's other work will really spot his hand in the sound of Angel Dust.
There are some pretty 'heavy' songs on Angel Dust, such as 'Caffeine' and and 'Jizzlobber' but these are coupled with the slighlty more 'accessible' singles that were realeased including 'Midlife Crisis' and probably my favourite Faith No More track of all time 'A Small Victory'. Faith No More have recently reformed and I'd recommend anyone to see them live but if you want their best work on your MP3 player then Angel Dust is my pick of them all.
Cop Shoot Cop - Release: Released in 1994
I'm guessing that 99% of folks out there will be saying 'who?' at this point? Are they a rap group? Well, no. Cop Shoot Cop's music is bass guitar and drum driven and is very, very moody and dark. The drumming probably first attracted me to Cop Shoot Cop when they had a 'minor' hit from their previous album called 'Ten Dollar Bill'. It puts me very much in mind of the Adam and The Ants sound with almost military sounding drum sounds and rhythms. The band hailed from New York and consisted of twin bass guitars, keyboards, drums and occasional brass instruments which combined into a truly innovative sound.
It is the clever lyrics that really set Cop Shoot Cop apart from other bands and the songs on Release can send shivers right down your spine if you are prepared to sit in a dark room and fully digest the content. Particular highlights for me are the incredibly creapy 'Ambulance Song' and the single 'Two at a Time'.Cop Shoot Cop never really got a fair hearing and dispanded soon after Release was released. The album is well worth a listen though but be prepared that it is a little on the black side.
Urban Species - Listen: Released in 1994
'Listen' by Urban Species was one of those records that I only really came to know a couple of years after it was first released. I was at uni in Manchester and one of my then housemates introduced me to the band as the perfect album to get ready for a night out to. Urban Species were a British hip-hop act who formed in London in the late 80's. Their sound drew influence from jazz, funk and, of course, rap and was a real hybrid and driving force behind the 'acid jazz' movement of the mid 90's. A movement that went on to spawn acts such as Massive Attack and Portishead.
It is the blending of sounds that makes 'Listen' a true masterpiece and an album that I still reach for when I 'just want to chill out' today. There were four singles from the record including, 'Hide and Seek' and 'Spiritual Love' and it did recieve world-wide acclaim, a feat not often achieved by British artists in this genre.
Swollen Members - Balance: Released in 1999
Swollen Members are not really your 'Bitches and Hos' kind of rap outfit. They are nasty but in a far more subtle way. Their references aren't psuedo 'gang life' events where we all go 'yeah right' but are drawn from, amongst other things, mythology and ancient egyptian culture. hailing from Canada (yes, I did say Canada) the two main artists 'Mad Child' and 'Prevail' are still held up as shining examples of how hip hop can be innovative and does not need to keep falling back on the cliches of gun and drug crime or the obscene amounts of money they may or may not have.
Balance was released in 1999 on Battle Axe Records and is a monster rap album. The beats are 'Phat' and punchy and the use of samples of strings in particular give the record a unique feel amongst other releases of the time. My favourite track on the album is 'Lady Venom' a song that builds and builds as it goes on until a crescendo of nastiness truly brings the house down. Awesome stuff and I would recommend this to anyone who thinks that all rap is like 'P Diddy'.
Muse - Absolution: Released in 2003
One of my favourite bands, who were always going to make the list, are Muse. hailing from Teignmouth, a small seaside town in Devon, the band are of often credited with being one of the best rock acts to have come out of the early 21st Century. Their sound takes influences from many genres of music with Matt Bellamy's intricate guitar and piano work and falsetto vocals making Muse not just another rock band.
'Absolution' is Muse's third album and it is the one that is credited with finally launching the band in the US. Whereas many bands struggle with that 'difficult third album', Muse just keep developing and morphing with each new record they release and Absolution is a particular high point in their musical Odyssey. With tracks like 'Stockholm Syndrome', 'Time is Running Out' and 'Butterflies and Hurricanes' there is something to keep most rock and alternative music fans happy so, if you don't own a copy of Absolution, you won't be dissapointed if you invest in a copy for your collection.
Evil Nine - You Can Be Special Too: Released in 2004
'You Can Be Special Too' was Evil Nine's first release and is a dance music record with a lot to offer. There are very few dance music records that I will listen to in isolation. I would prefer to be out clubbing or at a party to get my fix but I can happily put this album on at home and enjoy it just as much as I would a rock, pop or alternative album.
This album was released in 2004 to critical acclaim but only a handful of copies were available the first time round due to financial difficulties at the 'Marine Parade' label when it first hit the stores. The sound is a blend of hip-hop, break-beats and techno with loads of great samples. The beats are dirty and up-tempo and the appearance of special guests 'Aesop Rock' and 'Juice Aleem' cover the rap elements of the album. Even if you are not into dance or break-beat music I would recommend this record as a good way of starting to explore the genre.
Tim Fite - Gone Aint Gone: Released in 2005
I first found this record by hearing the track 'No Good Here' on a blog a couple of years ago. The mix of hip-hop, American country music and rock absolutely blew me away as something I'd really never heard before. Tim Fite was born in rural New Jersey and started his music career as one half of the hip-hop duo 'Little-T and One Track Mike'.
'Gone Ain't Gone' is Time Fite's second studio album and was released in 2005. The eclectic mix of genres makes this album one of the few that I would feel comfortable calling 'original'. The tracks are mainly samples from the records that Fite himself 'rescued from the dollar bins' in second hand record stores. It was pretty hard to get in the UK for a little while but copies should now be available widely due to the power of the download.
Well, that's about it for my odyssey into my back catalogue of music. I hope you have found some of it worthwhile and discovered a gem or two. If you have any similar recommendations for fellow music fans or comments on any of the albums here then feel free to leave a comment about it below.
