My Top 666 Albums Ever Part 36

36) Alice In Chains - Dirt (1992)

By 1992, the public were lapping up anything that came out of Seattle thanks to Nirvana's 'Nevermind' and Pearl Jam's 'Ten' both being released the previous year and becoming the first "grunge" records (as stupid as the term is) to break through to the mainstream. So, 'Dirt' by Alice In Chains had a distinct advantage when it came to the success it achieved. Luckily, however, it's an album that's every bit deserving of said success, and the best thing to bear the Alice In Chains name. The songs written by Layne Staley are some of the darkest of the period, based upon his experiences with heroin addiction. These songs are kind of structured like a concept album, so 'Junkhead' is about the arrogant attitude drug users adopt when they first start taking them ("you can't understand a users mind, but try with your books and degrees. If you let yourself go and open your mind, maybe you'll be doing like me, and it ain't so bad"), but by the time of 'Hate To Feel' and 'Angry Chair', the effects of heroin abuse have taken their toll and the result is deeply depressing. Jerry Cantrell's slow-paced, chugging riffs compliment this to make one of the thematically heaviest albums ever to achieve mainstream rotation.
Best Songs: Down In A Hole; Hate To Feel; Would?

35) Tool - Ænima (1996)

With the replacement of original bass player Paul D'Amour with Justin Chancellor, Tool took a turn for the ambitious. Ænima is defined by its odd time signatures and tunings, as well as its scope, with several songs approaching 10 minutes in length (and the final track, 'Third Eye' coming close to 15). The band's lyrics also took on more diversity, with the albums theme being stated as Egyptian mythology in a seven-pointed star symbolizing Babalon, and sacred geometry in dividing the planet into grids related to chromosomes. Pretentious? Yes... but when the music on offer is this good, it doesn't matter. There are also attacks on popular culture in LA (the title track), L. Ron Hubbard and Jesus Christ ('Eulogy'), and elitist music snobs ('Hooker With A Penis'), as well as an ode to the sexual art of fisting ('Stinkfist'), so it's not all existential crap and mythology.
Best Songs: Stinkfist; Eulogy; Forty Six & 2

34) Bumblefoot - Abnormal (2008)

'Abnormal' is Bumblefoot's first solo album since joining Guns N' Roses in 2006, and I believe the influence of that band's music really shows at some points here. What also shows through is the lyrics that sound like they reference some of the negative elements of being in a big rock band... in fact, many of the lyrics (including "When the whole world looks at me, they see some other guy. It doesn't matter what I say, they've all made up their minds"), sound like they could have been written by Axl Rose himself. It's also a sequel to his previous album, 'Normal', and this time is based upon his life away from antidepressants, which might also explain the generally angrier tone to be found throughout, which is echoed with some of the hardest riffs that he has ever written.
'Dash' is a notable exception, and it has one of the most interesting themes I've heard... it's based upon going to a funeral of a friend of his and looking at the gravestone. He saw the years and thought, "everything that this man was, all of the important parts... his entire life, were reduced to a dash between the two years". The lyrics are pretty life-affirming, with the message of making that dash mean as much as possible. It's a positive note to go out on, considering a lot of the rest of the record.
Best Songs: Abnormal; Glad To Be Here; Dash

33) Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute (1995)

John Frusciante temporarily left the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 90's, to be replaced by former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. This line-up of the band only released one album together, which has since been savaged by the band, fans and critics alike. You'll never hear a song from this album at a Chili Peppers gig nowadays. I actually think it's the most underrated album of the band's catalogue, with some fantastic songs. It gets a bit strange with songs suddenly changing direction at the halfway point, and the music does sound closer to Jane's Addiction than anything else in the Chili Peppers catalogue, but it's a nice little oddity. 'My Friends' is among my favourite of their songs.
Best Songs: Aeroplane; My Friends; Shallow Be Thy Game

32) Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania (2012)

Seemingly abandoning the 'Teargarden By Kaleidyscope' concept (though there's a possibility that may resume at some point), Billy Corgan and his new line-up of Smashing Pumpkins (guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Nicole Fiorentino and drummer Mike Byrne) went into the studio in 2011 to record a full-length, conventionally released album. Early buzz was positive, and with good reason, as the first album to feature the full current line-up of the band since 'Machina' is the best album that the band have released since their mid-90's peak. Corgan appears to have achieved the feat that Trent Reznor is so good at... making an album that is familiar enough for old fans to be able to enjoy, yet different enough to take them into a whole new direction. It's taken him half a decade to do it, but he seems to have finally found a place in the band in which he is happy.
Best Songs: Quasar; Panopticon; Pinwheels

31) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (1999)

John Frusciante returned to the Chili Peppers in 1998, and the band immediately hit the studio to record what would become the best album of the band's career. Some people say that 'BloodSugarSexMagik' is better, or any of their albums from the 80's (two of which were absolutely awful), but the level of songwriting on display in 'Californication', along with Anthony Kiedis delivering his finest vocal performances (both rapped and sung) show all the hallmarks of a band at the top of their game. Personally, I believe it's a kind of elitist thing... the Chili Peppers exploded when this album was released, so naturally people decided that they were sell-outs.
Best Songs: Parallel Universe; Scar Tissue; Emit Remmus

30) Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)

Metallica's second album was an infinite improvement on the samey 'Kill 'Em All'. Several songs incorporate acoustic guitar intros before kicking in with the band's trademark thrash metal riffs.
Best Songs: For Whom The Bell Tolls; The Call Of Ktulu

29) Soundgarden - Louder Than Love (1989)

The second full-length album by Soundgarden shows a band that has grown into its sound. 'Ultramega OK' was a bit of a sloppy mess when compared to the previously released EP, 'Screaming Life', so they really had to prove that they were capable of producing a great full-length album, and this album proved it in spades. Soundgarden were already the first band from the Seattle scene to sign to a major label, and after this was released they were hugely tipped to be the first of those bands to break into the mainstream. Their follow-up, breakthrough record was beaten to the punch by less than a month, however.
Best Songs: Ugly Truth; Loud Love; Big Dumb Sex

28) Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)

'Raw Power' opens with one of the best opening tracks of any record ever. 'Search And Destroy' introduces you to the record at a breakneck pace and lets you know exactly what you're in for over the next 34 minutes. Raw, unbridled garage rock, with the centrepiece being Iggy Pop's voice which jumps between low-pitched singing, to demented howling at will. This is probably the root of the tradition that "if you want to be a great rock singer, you need an impressive scream". Personally, I usually prefer a sleek production on a record, but if there's ever an album that required the bare-bones, keep all the mistakes in approach, 'Raw Power' is it.
Best Songs: Search And Destroy; Raw Power

27) Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986)

'Master Of Puppet's is practically a remake of 'Ride The Lightning'. It follows the exact same formula with it's tracklist (eight tracks, start short heavy, follow with the longer title track, incorporate an acoustic guitar as a brief respite from the barrage before resuming, and have an instrumental which features an extended bass solo). The biggest difference being that 'Master Of Puppets' is a far better executed album, with Metallica perfecting their sound. If they carried on like this (which a lot of their fans seem to think they should have), it would have gotten very boring, very fast, though.
Best Songs: Master Of Puppets; Orion

26) A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (2000)

If there's any album that you wouldn't expect to be connected to Guns N' Roses, the debut gothic metal album from A Perfect Circle would probably be it. But here's the story... guitarist and primary songwriter was working as a technician for Guns N' Roses during the early days of recording for 'Chinese Democracy' (probably brought in by Robin Finck who had worked with him before whilst on tour with Nine Inch Nails). One of the things he requested from Axl Rose was his own studio so that he would be able to write and record his own demo's. Howerdel's flatmate at the time happened to be Tool's Maynard James Keenan, who heard some of these demo's and immediately fell in love with them. Howerdel had no intention at the time of making his songwriting a career and considered it a hobby he did on the side whilst working behind the scenes. Keenan and Howerdel eventually played some shows together with Danny Lohner, Paz Lenchantin and drummer Tim Alexander under the name A Perfect Circle. However, it was the current Guns N' Roses drummer Josh Freese who Keenan turned to when he wanted to help convince Billy to record an album.
The three of them recorded 'Mer de Noms' together, with both Howerdel and Freese eventually leaving work on 'Chinese Democracy' to go on tour in support of Nine Inch Nails (joined again by bass player Paz Lenchantin - who played violin on several songs on the album, and guitarist Troy van Leeuwen). The album itself shows a melodic side of Maynard James Keenan rarely seen in Tool, with him showing off the versatility of his voice with the tender and beautiful '3 LIbras' (another of my favourite songs of all time), and showing off his more aggressive side with 'Judith' - questioning his mother's continued faith despite her spending most of her life paralysed... ("It's not like you killed someone. It's not like you drove a hateful spear into his side. Praise the one who left you broken down and paralysed. He did it all for you"). It's a shame that now that the band have returned from hiatus (with a new line-up consisting of former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins and drummer Jeff Friedl), it's unlikely that we'll hear any new material from them, as I believe Maynard's full potential is fulfilled by A Perfect Circle, in a way that it is rarely utilised in his other projects.
Best Songs: The Hollow; Judith; 3 Libras

25) Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

What can be said about Nirvana's breakthrough album that hasn't already been said before. Cobain's combination of punky songwriting, combined with an incredible ear for hooks, and deceptively simple guitar-playing, the amazing power of new drummer Dave Grohl, the driving bass of Krist Novoselic (the band's unsung hero, without which Nirvana's song would just never have worked), combined with the expert production of Butch Vig created an album that helped define a generation that still stands up over two decades later. Compared to Nirvana's other material, 'Nevermind' is a very pop-oriented commercial record which has led to something of a backlash amongst Seattle's purists, and for a long time I considered 'In Utero' to be superior. But upon listening to them all again recently, I realised just how great 'Nevermind' is. It's a fantastic album that can never and should never be replicated.
Best Songs: In Bloom; Stay Away; Something In the Way

24) Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)

Michael Jackson's second collaboration with legendary producer Quincy Jones is the biggest selling album of all time. The combination of funk, soul and rock practically invented modern pop music (not necessarily a good legacy to leave, but an impressive one, nonetheless), and if you haven't heard it, there's a good chance you don't have ears.
Best Songs: Beat It; Human Nature

23) 10 Minute Warning - 10 Minute Warning (1998)

Before moving to LA, partly to kick-start his music career, and partly to (ironically, as it would turn out) escape the heroin epidemic that had begun to plague his home city, Guns N' Roses' bass player Duff McKagan was involved in the sowing the seeds in Seattle that would grow in a big way. Notable early bands that McKagan played in (he learned a variety of instruments so that he could play whatever was needed) were The Vains, The Fastbacks (as one of that band's myriad drummers) and hardcore punk band The Fartz. Eventually, after several line-up changes, The Fartz evolved into 10 Minute Warning, with McKagan playing guitar along with the local legend Paul Solger on lead guitar, Greg Gilmore (who would eventually join Mother Love Bone) on drums, and vocalist Steve Verwolf.
For two years, 10 Minute Warning earned an impressive reputation in Seattle, landing an opening slot for The Replacements at one point (in case you haven't been reading prior to this, that band's bass player would end up replacing Duff in Guns N' Roses), and even inspiring Stone Gossard to pick up a guitar for the first time. The band's sound was also ahead of its time, slowing down the hardcore punk riffs to create a dark, slow-paced dirty sound that would become a hallmark of later Seattle bands. Despite recording demo's and contributing tracks to a few compilations released by independent labels, the band never actually released an album.
In 1997, after leaving Guns N' Roses however, a meeting with Stone Gossard convinced 10 Minute Warning to reunite (minus Verwolf who was in prison for a bank robbery at the time. His replacement was Christopher Blue) and record this self-titled album that was released on Sub Pop Records in 1998. The album consists of rearranged versions of tracks written in their first incarnation, with lyrics slightly rewritten by Blue, whose voice I would describe as like a gritter version of Chris Cornell's, just without such an impressive range.
By the time the album was released, however, the band had broken up again, and so they are still an almost unheard-of, yet highly important band in the history of music. Steve Verwolf was attempting to find all of the recordings made whilst he was in the band to release himself a few years ago (myself and my wife helped him track a few down), but it wasn't to be as in 2008 he sadly passed away after a heroin overdose.
Best Songs: No More Time; Is This The Way?

22) The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)

'Gimme Shelter' is possibly the greatest song ever written by Richards and Jagger. And as any fan of Martin Scorsese will tell you, including it in your movie automatically makes for a cool scene. Up until this point, 'Let It Bleed' as a full album was the greatest collection of songs in their catalogue. They would one-up themselves with the release of their next album, but this remains the greatest album released in the 1960's (unless you're a Beatles fan, of course).
Best Songs: Gimme Shelter; Live With Me

21) Bash & Pop - Friday Night Is Killing Me (1993)

The end of The Replacements in 1991, led to bass player Tommy Stinson (who had been a member of that band since he was 11 years old in 1979) switching up to guitar and vocals for his new band, Bash & Pop. The band struggled to find a consistent line-up, and 'Friday Night Is Killing Me' was their only album, which suffered from disappointing sales. But it's a great bit of Faces-influenced blues-rock which showcases Stinson's unique voice. Other than this, there were a couple of promo singles, as well as the track 'Making Me Sick' which was featured on the soundtrack to Clerks, but ultimately the band fell apart, leaving Tommy to form Perfect.
Best Songs: Never Aim To Please; First Steps

20) Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995)

A two hour double CD (or triple vinyl) album is a tricky thing to pull off at the best of times. When you're a band who being asked to follow-up your breakthrough album that got almost unanimously fantastic reviews, and became one of the biggest hits of the 90's, going down that route could probably be considered an unecessary risk. But Billy Corgan is nothing if not ambitious, and that's exactly the route that he decided to take. 'Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness' is the definition of an epic album, with 28 tracks that take you on one of the greatest rollercoaster rides in the history of rock music. There's music on this album that is reminiscent of 'Siamese Dream', but that's only the jumping off point, with lavish string arrangements ('Tonight, Tonight'), screamy heavy metal ('X.Y.U.'), dreampop ('Farewell And Goodnight'), slow-burning epics that explode in bursts of grandiose genius ('Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans'), and seemingly every other type of song on display here. I can't listen to this album without experiencing seemingly every emotion at once. The Pumpkins (and nobody) have ever managed to release anything quite like this ever since.
Best Songs: Zero; Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans; Thru The Eyes Of Ruby

19) The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls (2003)

Introducing punk cabaret. Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione combine pre-Nazi German theatre music with their own rock sensibilities to create something that sounds like nothing else in the world. It's hard to believe that with only piano and drums, you manage to get an album every bit as heavy as some bands with a full rock set-up of guitar, bass and drums, but The Dresden Dolls pulled it off with this debut album. Lyrically, the album deals with things like gender identity ('Half Jack'), being reminded of an ex every time you see the kind of car they drive ('Jeep Song'), child abuse - both traditional ('Slide'), and with the child as seductress ('Missed Me'), and Palmer's ADHD (the gloriously schizophrenic 'Girl Achronism', that can't seem to stick to any one subject before jumping onto something else, though all of the strands relate to feeling out of place). The Dresden Dolls are one of those love-it or hate-it deals, but whichever way you swing, you can't deny that they're pretty damn unique.
Best Songs: Girl Anachronism; Missed Me; Half Jack