100 Reviews, ten albums. (Top 10 Albums)

Member Name: paulhanton

Product:	Top 10 Albums
Date:	03/07/08 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I love them, of course.

Disadvantages: You might not like them.

My all time top 10 Albums.

I have chosen this for my 100th review on Dooyoo, some of you will have sussed that music is pretty important to me. You may have heard of some of these albums, you may not, certainly Dooyoo has not heard of some of them and as suggestions on music seem to be taking a while right now I will use this opportunity to do a small piece on each one.

I. Snap, Box Set - Jam (2006)
The Jam were one of my favourite groups, I cannot honestly remember a 'bad' song, though obviously some tracks were stronger than others. This 'best of' collection has 33 Jam songs, including four live tracks from a Wembley stadium event. Two CD's more or less charting the whole of Jam's careers which took distinct musical turns in my opinion. CD 1 opens with 'In the city' one of their earlier 'Mod' influenced numbers. Also on this first disc are many of their other early offerings including; Billy Hunt (fantastic), English Rose (perfect), Butterfly Collector (sublime) and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (their best song in my opinion). CD 2 opens with Eton Rifles, an absolute stonker, and then contains such tracks as; going underground (how right was this for the era?), That's entertainment (The lyrics to this are just epic) and of course 'Beat surrender', pretty much their finale and I remember watching this on Top of the Pops in disbelief that they were about to split (it was no big secret). So yes, without a doubt, my number one, with nearly every great Jam track on it.

2. Holy Ghost - Albert Ayler (2004)
Albert Ayler is definitely not to everyone's taste. Avant garde is one way to describe his tenor sax' playing, my wife uses 'edgy', a friend of mine said he is just f***ing weird. This is another compilation that has no fewer than 140 tracks and musings from the great man. I do not own this album, just a few tracks downloaded from itunes, the whole album is nearly £80, and to be truthful I don't want to listen to 25 second musings on other musicians. The reason I include this album however is because, primarily of one track, 'On Green Dolphin Street' It is as near to saxophone heaven that I know. It is quirky, edgy, strange and fabulous all in one. The other tracks worthy of note on this album are; Summertime (His rendition is so different it is sublime), Spirits (most music fans will hate this mish mash of sounds and seemingly unrelated phrases and notes, I love it), The Truth is Marching on (for it's irreverence).

3. Legend - Bob Marley (1984)
Arguably done more for reggae than any other artist, some sublime songs included on this compilation. A couple of the tracks are iconic and anthem like; No Woman no Cry, and redemption song, I have already reviewed this on this site.

4. The Essential Charlie Parker - Charlie Parker (2006)
Okay, this is not an album as such, it is an iTunes 'essential' which means it is a collection of what itunes thinks are the best of Charlie Parker and it is taken from numerous albums. Koko (perfect bebop), Now's the time (one of the best tunes to improvise too), Parker's Mood (just lovely, makes me cry), Scrapple from the Apple (wonderful fast fingers) are all there, sheer class. If I can play 1 tenth as good as this man ever did, I will die happy. Summertime is missing which is a shame as that, for me is one of his best.

5. ABBA Gold - ABBA (1992)
What can I say, ABBA, much berated remain one of the most successful vocal groups in history. People profess to hate them and love them in equal numbers, but for a me a true test of pop(ular) music is if people recognise the tunes and know the words: Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Waterloo, The Winner takes it all.......yep, you know what I'm talking about.

6. The Story of The Clash, Volume one - Clash (1988)
Another album I have reviewed at length already, just class, sheer class.

7. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll - Ian Dury and the Blockheads (2007)
Another compilations, with songs going back as far as 1976/7. Hit me with your Rhythm stick, What a waste, Reasons to be Cheerful (pt3) and of course the title track. This band, and this man were incredibly influential in my musical education as a young man, and just so way, way ahead of their time. Fantastic.

8. 2001 - Dr Dre (1999)
Confusingly this album was released in 1999 by the former NWA rapper and includes some early Eminem (Forgot about Dre). As rap albums go this is a classic and even though he is misogynistic in parts, some of the songs are just classics. The lyrics in 'Bang Bang': "Johnnies got a shotgun, aint even big enough to cock one". What's the Difference, famously sampled in 'Breathe' by Sean Paul and Blue Cantrell, fantastic. I make no pretence of liking rap, have ever since Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, this album is epic, a classic and marked Dre's return to the top and the setting up of Aftermath Records.

9. Best of the Human league - Human League (2001)
Well, the Human league: Don't you want me, Love Action, Seconds, and the fabulous lyrics of Louise, this album is just a blow away, great stuff, gotta love it.

10. Take me to God - Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart (1994)
Ex Public Image Ltd Bassist, friend of the Sex Pistols and former bad boy has gone on to make some very interesting electronic, trance and new age music and has collaborated with Sinead O' Connor, Natacha Atlas and other artistes. This album is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern beats but also very trance influenced and has distinct reggae flavours. Very, very good, some of his best work and some great titles; Yoga of the nightclub, No change is sexy, and 'The Sun does Rise is stellar.

Although there is not an album release in my top ten from before 1984, some of the songs include go back as far as the 40's (Charlie Parker) and the newest I guess are from the Dre album.

The biggest shame about this review is that I can only list ten, 'them's the rules'. If I were able to describe and list more I would be looking at:
Lennon: Legend
Kanye West: the College Dropout
The Specials: Too Much too Young
The Doors: LA Woman
Transformer: Lou reed
Miles Davis
The Who
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Oh and there are so many classical pieces that could be included too.

I'll stop there. My 100th Review.

Summary: My top 10 albums.