The top 10 albums that have made me who I am (Top 10 Albums)

Member Name: QueenofInsanity

Product:	Top 10 Albums
Date:	04/12/08 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good, classic albums

Disadvantages: May not be everybody's cup of tea!

Having enjoyed reading many people's 'Top 10 albums', I decided to attempt writing one for myself. This wasn't a particularly easy task to do as I love my music too much, and although this Top 10 of my albums has ended up being mostly from the 90s and noughties (which surprised me myself really - you learn something new everyday about yourself), I very much still have a VERY wide taste ranging from classical and drum'n'bass, to heavy metal!


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1) Muse - Showbiz
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If you have never had the opportunity to listen to any Muse tracks, then I wholeheartedly suggest that you do. I came across the band whilst wanting to spend my very first wage packet I got from working as a young teenager, and picked up their very first album after hearing the great 'Muscle Museum'. The first time I heard the album, I decided that I didn't like it (as I thought it to had been a bit strange and 'too experimental' for the music scene at the time) and I didn't touch it again for a fair few months. The second time I listened to it however, my god, why didn't I love it the first time round?! The tracks for the time were unique and quite unheard of. From Matt's unique hauntingly beautiful voice, to Dom's incredible drum playing skills and finally to Chris' energetic, heavy (and addictive) bass lines, Muse are an awesome and very talented band. They were probably one of the main reasons for me wanting to learn how to play guitar and bass properly. As a lass who has been to many music gigs, Muse are still the most exciting (and talented) band I have ever seen perform live! Although I have loved every single album that Muse have released thus far, I chose this one to put in my top 10 purely because if I hadn't given the album the second chance it deserved, I wouldn't be the person I am today and wouldn't had listened to half the stuff that I do now.


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2) Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing
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It was actually my older sister who introduced me to the wonder that is Placebo, and ultimately, where my 'rock roots' was about to begin. Back then, the only interest in Placebo I had was due to a man called Brian, and all I wanted to do was look at him all day and put his eyeshadow on for him (he was a very pretty ladyboy...what can I say?) 'Pure Morning' was probably the track that did it for me, and 'Every You Every Me' was so addictive that I ended up playing the song with my band at a high school music concert - ah, those were the days! 'Without You I'm Nothing' is probably their best album just because of those songs, but it isn't the only treasure...as each song on the album finishes you regret it, and you'll want to hear it again...and then the next one starts up and you're caught up again...safe to say that the "repeat all" setting on my stereo was made for this album!


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3) Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
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If people didn't know any better, they would think that The Manics were a bunch of men who were huge in the 90s and early noughties ('If You Tolerate This', 'Kevin Carter' and 'You Stole The Sun From My Heart' being prime examples of some of their biggest hits). How little do they know the real truth! Before the disappearance of the guitarist Richey Edwards, The Manics were men who once sang controversial songs about the holocaust ('The Intense Humming Of Evil'), prostitution ('Yes'), anorexia ('4st 7lb') and general despair (everything else on the album). Depressing, you might think. Sure, it was, but above all, it was also a huge breath of fresh air - this album showed me a whole new world that wasn't discussed as much as it should have done. The majority of the songs and lyrics were written by Richey before he was hospitalised with depression, and this was probably the first time in my life I actually became spellbound with song lyrics that actually made me think a lot more deeply about the world we lived in. This album is still the single most greatest moment in The Manic's history in my humble opinion.


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4) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
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What can I say about this album? GIRL POWER (or something along those lines - and it couldn't be further away from the Spice Girls!) I originally bought this album for the tracks 'Hand In My Pocket' and 'Ironic' , and didn't expect to like every single song on the album itself - but I did! Every one of her songs has something to say about an aspect of life, from religion to relationships. Alanis consistently produces some of the best lyrics I had heard in a long time. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for female lyricists to be labelled negatively, but anyone with brains can see this woman has talent. I also learnt how to play the whole album all the way through on guitar, which was also another turning point for me in terms of my progression.


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5) System of a Down - Toxicity
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'Toxicity' is the result of a genius band at work - all are completely in tune with each other and contributing 100% to their collective soul. It's amazing to hear an album where the famous single 'Chop Suey!' doesn't stand out like a sore thumb, as any of the tracks on this album could have been singles...it's one of those masterpieces that you know will be recognised for years and years to come. 'Aerials' and 'Toxicity' are another two of my most favourite songs on the album. An album which proves that metal doesn't always have to be really heavy in order to work, their slower stuff is also beautiful to listen to.


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6) Skunk Anansie - Stoosh
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Skin, in my opinion, has one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard in my lifetime - she has such a wide vocal range that I was honestly speechless when I first heard her sang 'Infidelity (Only You)' ...that woman is truly talented. Although the band can be quite explicit in their songs, I feel that this album shows off their softer side with tracks such as 'Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)' and 'Brazen (Weep)'. In all, 'Stoosh' opened me up to a brand new world where it was proven to me that a woman CAN sing rock tunes every bit as well as a man - it may be a rarity one may argue, but still, nobody can say that Skin cannot pull it off. It's a perfect example proving that funk and metal combined can work together! It is also another 90s album which I think is pretty underrated.


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7) Terrorvision - How to Make Friends and Influence People
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This was another band introduced to me by my older sister (gotta love family, right?), and she absolutely ADORED this album. When I first heard the track 'Oblivion', I thought it was a bit silly in terms of its lyrics (which is always good when you're a youngish kid), but also had a pop feel to it, but without it being 'Spice Girls'...hard to explain unless you have the album for yourself! It really wasn't until a few years later when my sister moved away to university and left her Terrorvision album behind by accident that I appreciated the album in all its glory. In a time where Nirvana was huge in the Grunge scene (who I also adored), Terrorvision bought a little sparkle to the rock scene...and actually made it 'cool' to sing "do wop, bap ba do wop". Don't believe me? Listen to the album for yourself! I still listen to this album frequently whenever I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps :o)


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8) Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend
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Bob Marley, an artist that was introduced to me by my mother at a very young age when she listened to a wide variety of music from T-Rex to classical music, and she owned every Bob Marley record that there was to own! Bob Marley and The Wailers rule the world of reggae, and if you haven't heard of them then you have probably been living under a rock for the majority of your life! This album collects both live and studio recordings, and puts them onto one excellent CD. Music doesn't get more honest than this, and this collection of stuff is the perfect way of relaxing and taking away all of your worries (for a few minutes, anyway!) Beautiful songs to accompany a beautiful voice, and lyrics that will make you smile for whatever reason. Bob is still indeed a legend.


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9) The Offspring - Ixnay on the Hombre
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Another punk-fuelled album which reminds me of my youth! Listening to this album over and over again certainly helped with my rollercoaster of many emotions as an angry teenager, and The Offspring certainly know how to cater for their young fans. Tracks such as 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' made the band popular as it reached number 1 in the charts and made me want their album, 'Americana'. After becoming a huge fan of The Offspring, I worked my way through their other (older) albums, and discovered that 'Ixnay on the Hombre' was a masterpiece in itself. Unlike 'Americana' which was rock and rather poppy, this album was more punk-ska which appealed to me a lot more. This album opened new doors to me in the punk world, and I will always be thankful for that!


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10) U2 - The Best Of: 1980 - 1990
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U2 are probably one of the best rock bands of all time, with the 80s being their best era for music (although they do have some brilliant tracks from the 90s too). Even though I was only a wee munchkin at this time, my mother again introduced me to U2 when I was still rather young. 'New Years Day' is one of my favourite tracks of all time, and although the 'Joshua Tree' is a great album in itself, this album being a collection of many of their biggest tracks is perfect for me to listen to their greatest hits over and over again.



So there you have it, my top 10 albums. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did when writing it! Hmm, what to listen to now I wonder....?

Summary: Mostly stuff from the 90s and the early noughties