Top 100 favourite songs of all time [Part 3: The 70s]

Next we move on to the 70s. At 29 songs, this is the decade which most of my top 100 comes from. This surprised me quite a bit when I was compiling the list, but there you go.

Badfinger - In The Meantime/Some Other Time
Tragic British power-pop band Badfinger have many well-known songs that have received a lot of radio play. Not this one. Like other songs on Wish you were here, this is a multi-part song which sounds like it could have been on Abbey road. In the meantime is pretty standard power pop fare, there's this weird psychedelic bit in the middle, and at the 4:20 mark the climactic finale begins where riffage and the "I can remember" refrain collide in 2 of the most glorious minutes of music I have heard. It stills gives me goosebumps after more than 10 listens.

Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo
More goosebump-raising power-pop from this cult 70s band from Memphis. This is a delightfully gorgeous Alex Chilton ballad from their overrated debut album, #1 record. Most people cite Thirteen from the same album as the apex of Big Star ballads, but this one has always done it for me a lot more. It has a wonderful Byrds-esque jangle, glorious harmonies, and an unforgettable refrain "And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round". Indeed.

The Cars - Just What I Needed
So many contemporary bands have based their entire career on the sound that The Cars achieved on their first few albums from the late 70s. This song, with lead vocals by the late Benjamin Orr, shows off these copycats as the poseurs that they are. This song was the perfection of the Cars "formula", if you will. Riffage, a steady back beat, keyboard flourishes for a bit of colour, all topped by a wonderfully melodic vocal performance. The call-and-response chorus is the final ingredient which turns this into a modern pop classic.

The Clash - The Guns of Brixton
I love it when one of the best songs by a band is not sung by the regular lead singer. This song, the undeniable centrepiece of the classic London calling, was both written and sung by bass player Paul Simonon. You can tell that it's the bass player who wrote it as well, because it has an absolutely glorious bass line at its heart. Combine that with a wonderful and menacing vocal and lyric courtesy of Simonon, and we have proof that not only could he match the genius of band mates Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, but he could beat them at their own game.

The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
I was pretty tempted to choose Just like heaven as the definitive Cure song, as I would argue that there are very few pop songs that are as perfectly composed as that one. But there's something about this 1979 single which just edges it out for me. There's certainly a nostalgic element to it as well -- I remember borrowing the Standing on a beach CD from Pete and getting really blown away by it, at a time when discovering music like this was truly exciting. And it has a great video clip as well.

Derek & The Dominos - Layla
This song (and its unplugged version released in 1992) have been played to death on the radio, but it's still a classic oldies station staple that will never grow tired for me. The classic riff sets the scene, the gloriously bluesy chorus keeps the momentum going, and the extended coda (which takes up more than half the song) cements its place on the rock walk of fame.

The Doors - L.A. Woman
The title song from their final album, this is late-period (bluesy) Doors at their very best. Many Jim Morrison detractors are put off by his poetic pretensions, but only the most narrow-minded music listeners would deny that this is a perfectly constructed rock 'n roll song. And if there's a better song to drive along the highway to, with the windows wound down, I have yet to hear it. Mojo risin'.

Nick Drake - Northern Sky
Some have criticised his second album Bryter Layter as being a tad over-produced, a little too much studio polish. Maybe it is a tad, but in fairness it is probably judged that way relative to the subtle folk of its predecessor and the raw acoustic nature of its successor, rather than a criticism of the album itself. Northern sky will always be the definitive Nick Drake song to me, and it provides a glorious climax to this album before the instrumental finale Sunday. Wistful, breezy and evocative -- and the "Would you love me?" part is one of the most beautiful moments in music I have ever heard.

Al Green - Let's Stay Together
I have a sentimental attachment to this song. I first heard it in Pulp fiction, and subsequently bought the soundtrack. When Lorin and I started seeing each other, it became one of our songs. When we got married in 2006, it was the song the band played while we did our bridal dance. It might just be my favourite love song. Quentin Tarantino is the master of soundtracks!

The Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
It starts with the sound of a train entering the tunnel, before a jerky bass line kicks in, and finally Paul Weller's vocals. He tells a story about a man who is on the way home to his wife, take-away curry in hand, who is violently assaulted by a group of thugs. The delivery of this song perfectly captures the fear that the man must have felt at the time of the attack. It all ends suddenly with the sound of the train leaving the station, before the music comes in for a final curtain call.

Elton John - Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Delightfully over-the-top in the way only mid-70s Elton John could, this is a touching and epic autobiographical story about how lyricist Bernie Taupin saved Elton's life in 1969. It's one of those songs that builds and builds...and then builds some more. The "sugar bear" chorus is one of the true feel-good moments in music.

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
The story behind the recording of this song is as interesting as the song itself. John Bonham put his drum kit at the bottom of a stairwell at Headley Grange, where the song was recorded. Microphones were put at the top of the stairwell, capturing the fantastic booming drum sound as it reverberated up towards the roof. It's one of those classic bits of recording trickery which paid massive dividends. Oh yeah, and the rest of the band play pretty well too.

John Lennon - Jealous Guy
This song perfectly encapsulates the songwriting style of John Lennon, and how it differed from his former band mate Paul McCartney. While McCartney generally wrote in the third person talking about other people and characters, Lennon succeeded best when he wrote introspective gems like this one. Reading like an apology to his wife Yoko Ono, this is at its core a very simple song. That Lennon was able to turn the simple into the sublime was one of his many talents.

Nick Lowe - Rollers Show
I only recently picked up his debut album Jesus of cool, after reading many rave reviews about it. There are many highlights on the album (So it goes is catchy beyond words), but my favourite is this one -- the final track on the album (technically a bonus track, because it wasn't on the original vinyl). It captures the anticipation of going to see a gig -- in this case, the Bay City Rollers. You only need to hear this song once to have that melody forever stuck in your head. Gonna see the Rollers!

Joni Mitchell - River
It starts with the Jingle bells melody on piano, setting up the Christmas theme of the lyrics. This song is the undeniable highlight of her masterful Blue album. It's a story about wanting to escape from whatever situation we have found ourselves in, and surely something almost any listener can relate to. The imagery of the line I wish I had a river I could skate away on, combined with Joni's fragile delivery, elevates this song into my all time favourites.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Picking a favourite Pink Floyd song was not an easy task, but this stuck out for me for several reasons. Firstly, there's that quiet opening riff which is instantly recognisable and makes me happy whenever I hear it. Then there's the minimalism of the rest of the song -- while many other Pink Floyd songs tend to be more about show-off guitar solos and pretentious noodling, this one impresses quite happily with the most simple musical elements. And it has a stunning vocal melody to top it all off.

Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
No other musical moment makes me want to get up and dance like the opening drum beat of this classic Iggy number. I first got into this song through the superb Trainspotting soundtrack. According to my iTunes stats, I have listened to it 22 times since I got my iPod. I think that I can honestly say that I won't ever get tired of this song. They don't write 'em like this anymore.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
So many musical memories with this one. There's the infamous video clip of course. There's the scene in Wayne's World where they go off to this song in the car. There's the excitement of listening to it when I first got Queen's greatest hits on CD. There was the great stress relief of my friend Simon and me singing along to it in year 12 information systems while we were working on one of our final year projects. Then we all sung along to it at Sheri & Rob's wedding. Memories are one thing, but they wouldn't be anything if this wasn't one of the greatest songs ever written.

Lou Reed - Perfect Day
Another song I got into through the stupendous Trainspotting soundtrack, this song is used in a wonderfully ironic fashion at a pivotal moment in the movie, when the Ewan McGregor character is high on smack. A wonderfully wistful ballad with an uplifting chorus, I don't think Lou Reed ever topped this song in his earlier recordings with the Velvets or his later solo work.

Rodriguez - Rich Folks Hoax
There's about 5 or 6 tracks on Cold fact which are stone-cold classics, but this one just rises to the top for me. Not as critically revered as his more famous numbers Sugar man and I wonder, this one is inconspicuously tucked away as the penultimate track on one of the greatest albums of all time. Lyrically, it would have fit in well with other "Summer of love" hippie anthems in Haight-Ashbury circa 1967. Musically, it's something you'll be humming after one listen.

The Rolling Stones - Let It Loose
This song encapsulates for me why I find Exile on Main Street such an engaging listen. It's all about the vibe of that album, and this amazing gospel-tinged epic drags me into the depths of the record every time I hear it. It also has arguably Mick Jagger's finest vocal performance. The Stones certainly have many more well known ballads (Wild horses, Angie) but don't overlook this underrated classic.

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road
Kicking off the Boss' breakthrough but (in my opinion) overrated album Born to run is this sensational rocker of epic proportions. It's been almost 35 years since this song was originally released, but I don't think the Boss has ever bettered it. Perfect for a road trip, I recently read an opinion on a forum which stated that the "Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair" is one of the greatest moments in music in the past 50 years. When lost in the pure adrenaline of that moment, I tend to agree.

Cat Stevens - Father And Son
A masterclass in character-based songwriting, the singer-songwriter now known as Yusef Islam never bettered this song from his 1970 breakthrough album Tea for the Tillerman. Basically a conversation between a father and son at what appears to be a juncture in the son's life, it's a familiar theme which many can probably relate to: the son wants his independence, but the father tries to convince him using his many years of wisdom that he knows best. Cat Stevens plays both parts remarkably well, adapting his voice to suit each character.

Television - Marquee Moon
I gained even more respect for Richard Kingsmill when he placed this song at the top of his personal hottest 100 of all time. Quite frankly, there is no finer piece of mind blowing guitar virtuoso rock music than the ten minutes and forty seconds of this song. The guitar interplay between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd is nothing short of astonishing, while the rhythm section of Fred Smith and Billy Ficca is perfectly understated. There are too many goosebump-raising moments in this song to mention here, and it is criminal that this song isn't bigger than it is.

Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
A classic rock staple of oldies stations, this is one song that never gets tired for me. As catchy as the song is, it's the late Phil Lynott's wonderful storytelling which elevates this song into the realms of greatness for me. When he sings about the chick at Johnny's place slapping Johnny's face, you can almost smell the cigarette smoke and taste the whiskey. The best Bruce Springsteen song that the boss never wrote or performed.

Tom Waits - Martha
For an artist as eccentric, eclectic and innovative as Tom Waits, choosing a relatively straight-forward ballad from his relatively normal sounding debut Closing time may seem like a bit of a cop-out. But I couldn't go past the tragic romantic imagery of this song. The lyrics tell a tale of a man named Tom Frost calling up Martha, one of his old flames, after 40 years. Martha has since been married and had children, and so has Tom. While Martha has understandably moved on in her life after such a long time, Tom is still carrying a torch for her. Tom (Waits) was in his early 20s when he wrote this song from the perspective of an old man with a broken heart. While his late-career songs are an acquired taste, on this tragic tale of unrequited love he proved that he could write torch songs with the best of them.

Stevie Wonder - As/Another Star
I'm cheating here a little by including 2 songs - but I simply couldn't separate them. Together, they form the climax of his remarkable double album Songs in the key of life. They are also 15 minutes of the most life-affirming pop/soul/R&B music you're ever likely to hear. Stevie interweaves themes of love, gospel and the universe, but the net result is a suite of music that sums up the title of the album perfectly. This is music to live your life by.

Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
Another Tarantino soundtrack, another classic song. This time it's his 1997 movie Jackie Brown, and this was the trademark slow-motion opening credits number. Originally from the 1972 blaxploitation movie of the same name, it works wonderfully in Jackie Brown, but even better as a song on its own merit. This is a superb epic soul ballad which never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I hear it.

Neil Young - Powderfinger
The opening number of the "rock" side of 1979 album Rust never sleeps, this is an incredible song which doesn't outstay a moment of its almost 6 minute running time. It has great harmonies throughout, a wonderfully nostalgic (and at times disturbing) lyric and a very catchy wordless riff-based chorus after every verse. It also has (count them) 2 solos! An underrated Neil Young classic.

Top 100 favourite songs of all time [Part 2: The 60s]

Let's begin the list with my favourite songs of the 1960s.

The Band - Whispering Pines
Heavenly vocals courtesy of the late Richard Manuel, this is the melodic high point of their excellent eponymous album. Makes me feel nostalgic for a time I was never part of.

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Commonly regarded by critics and musicians to be one of the finest compositions of all time, and who am I to argue? The combination of Brian Wilson's gorgeous melody and Tony Asher's romantic lyrics is a match made in heaven, but it's Carl Wilson's angelic vocals which are the icing on the already delicious cake.

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Picking a favourite Beatles song is a difficult task, but this has always been a personal favourite of mine. Credit needs to be given to Eric Clapton for the amazing lead guitar (and solo), but what I love about this song is that it's a George Harrison composition (and vocal performance). This song showed that he had what it took to compete with his older and more experienced bandmates Lennon and McCartney.

David Bowie - Space Oddity
A timely entry in the list, as Monday was the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. This song was rush-released on July 11 1969 to coincide with this amazing moment in history. 40 years later, it still sounds out of this world.

James Brown - It's A Man's Man's Man's World
James Brown (a.k.a. The Godfather of Soul) was more well-known for his upbeat funk numbers, but this beautiful ballad from 1966 is his masterpiece. While the title and lyrics can be considered a bit chauvinist, I like to interpret it as a positive song towards women. Yes males have invented a lot of things in history, but without the women there to support them, their lives would have accounted for nothing. Probably not what JB meant, but it's a wonderful song all the same.

Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues [Live]
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash. Is there a better opening line? Kicking off the classic At Folsom Prison live album is this rollicking number about life on the wrong side of the tracks. This song is such a classic piece of rock 'n' roll history that even Krusty the Clown parodied it in the Simpsons. Despite the fact that the prisoner cheers after the "I shot a man in Reno" line were apparently overdubbed, it's still a goosebump raising moment.

Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man
Picking the best Bob Dylan song was an incredibly tough decision, up there with the Beatles. But this song sums up the surreal poetry of his mid-60s work perfectly. The melody is interesting enough, but the lyrics! How many songs can you name that include the following themes: Geeks, lumberjacks, lepers, crooks, F. Scott Fitzgerald, sword swallowers, one eyed midgets? Okay, maybe a few Tom Waits songs. I think this song is G-E-N-I-U-S. Do you, Mr Jones?

Fairport Convention - Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Rockers may know Sandy Denny from her guest vocal appearance on The battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin. But she was also a part of folk-rock combo Fairport Convention, and this song from their Unhalfbricking album contains one of the finest vocal performances I have ever heard. The lyrics are wistful and nostalgic. A fine effort all around.

The George Baker Selection - Little Green Bag
Reservoir dogs is probably my favourite movie of all time. This song is played at the start of the movie, as the jewel thieves are strutting down the street in slow motion after discussing Madonna over breakfast. I remember falling in love with that amazing opening bassline the first time I heard the song. This song will always remind me of the opening of that movie, and that makes me happy.

The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
The Jackson 5 recorded this song when little Michael was only 11 years old. Not only is it probably the finest Motown song, but it's the definitive "single". With a length of 3 minutes and not a wasted note, this is everything that a catchy pop song should be and more. I'll always be amazing by the breadth of talent that is demonstrated in this song.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Little Wing
Jimi Hendrix is arguably the finest guitarist who has ever lived. With the Experience, he recorded a lot of classic rockers (Purple haze), blues numbers (Red house) and ballads, of which this is his finest example. This song only runs at a little over 2 minutes, but it manages to combine everything that defined the Experience - psychedelic lyrics, understated rhythm and Jimi's amazing guitar work in the finale. Perfect.

The Kinks - Dead End Street
Definitely a "hidden gem" in their catalogue. I could have quite easily chosen Waterloo sunset, also one of the finest songs ever written. But this song has always been special to me. I love the lyrical content (pretty much a description of living in a "shit hole"), the catchy chorus and the general vibe of the song.

Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
Along with Bridge over troubled water, this is probably the finest production on any Simon & Garfunkel song. It's definitely got the Phil Spector "wall of sound" thing happening. The wistful, biographical lyrics of the verses are juxtaposed perfectly with the "Li la li" lyrics and tribal drumming of the chorus. A perfectly constructed song.

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand!
The greatest interracial soul band of all time? I believe so. I could have put almost any Sly & The Family Stone song from their greatest hits here, but this song just makes me happy. The lyrics are life-affirming, positive and with an excellent message. And the music and vocal performances are simply exhilirating.

Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man
Another song I got into through a Quentin Tarantino film, this time the classic Pulp fiction. I have subsequently purchased the Dusty in Memphis album that contains this song, and it is a masterpiece which I would recommend to anyone. Dusty is probably the best white female soul singer of all time, and this song is one of her crowning achievements.

Top 100 favourite songs of all time [Part 1: Introduction]

Every year, Australian radio station Triple J run a poll called the Hottest 100, where listeners get to vote for their favourite songs of the year. On Australia Day every year, they have a countdown of the 100 highest voted songs, and soon after release a 2CD package of the highlights of the hottest 100.

Every so often, Triple J also ran a poll to determine the hottest 100 songs of all time. Well, they just finished one recently, and the results are in. A fairly predictable selection overall, if you ask me. While there are undoubtedly some classics on the list, there were some pretty amusing selections as well.

The nosebleed section by the Hilltop Hoods at position 17? Is this song really better than A day in the life by The Beatles, which only made it to position 24? Anyway, discussions like this are fruitless. This was a democratic poll of the opinion of Triple J listeners, and who am I to argue with the opinions of the masses?

I decided it would be an appropriate time to compile my top 100 favourite songs of all time. It was a difficult task, made much easier by the star ratings on my iPod. I started by setting a few ground rules:

• I could only include a single song by each artist/band. This was done mainly to keep it more interesting; otherwise the list would be full of songs by The Beatles, Radiohead and The Smiths (amongst some of my other favourite musicians).
• I would not even try to attempt to order the songs. This rule was imposed mainly for my own sanity. I find it difficult enough to order a top 10, let alone a top 100. My obsessive-compulsive nature would have driven me to insanity, and in many cases it would have felt like I choosing which child I preferred more.
• I would only choose songs that I legitimately own on iPod/CD. There are lots of classic songs which I don't own yet, for some reason or another. These are not eligible. And if it's on my iPod, I already own it on CD.
  

I have categorised the songs into separate posts based on the decade that they were released in. The next post will be the 1960s, the earliest decade which my favourite songs lie in.

Within a particular decade, the songs are sorted alphabetically by artist/band name.

Next to each entry, you'll see my very brief Twitter-esque synopsis of the song. This is also for my own sanity, as I don't want to spend months writing long descriptions of each song.

Please chime in with your personal favourites from each decade on the relevant post.

I hope that you enjoy the list!

Eye fillets #002

It's been a long time since my last (erm...first) eye fillets post. Just over 2 years by my calculations.

For those new to the game, eye fillets is the dodgy pun I use to describe "choice cuts". The eye fillets post series works this way:

1. Put my iPod on shuffle
2. Navigate to my "Eye fillets" playlist (which contains all my 5-star rated tracks)
3. Write a commentary about the first 5 songs which come up
4. Provide downloads of the 5 songs (for evaluation purposes only)

Please delete the songs after you have listened to them. And if you like the music, support the artists by buying their music.

Enjoy!

1. Super Furry Animals - Hermann Loves Pauline [Link removed]

SFA are almost synonymous with quirky, and this is a typically quirky rocker that is a perfect encapsulation of what made me fall in love with this Welsh band. This is from their 1997 masterpiece Radiator, which was the first SFA album I ever heard (after Pete generously lent it to me).

Everything that makes SFA great is in this song. There's the oddball yet strangely intelligent lyrics ("An asthma sufferer like Ernesto Guevara"), the psychedelic acid-rock, and a melody that most bands could only dream of writing. There's so many indie bands out there who try to make music as intelligent and entertaining as this, but SFA are so far above their contemporaries that it's not funny.

While they are still releasing excellent music, none of their 2000s output has been able to capture the magic that they conjured up on some of their early songs like this one. The finest song they ever released, and it even includes a bonus biography of Marie Curie.

2. The Exploding Hearts - Sleeping aides and razorblades [Link removed]

Oregon band The Exploding Hearts only released one album before most of the band members died tragically in a car accident in 2003. The album Guitar romantic is thoroughly charming and entertaining, despite the fact that it wears its punk-pop influences so proudly on its sleeve.

On the surface (and on the initial spins), they don't sound very different to other punk-pop bands of the era like Green Day. Their sound is indebted to late-era Clash, Buzzcocks and Only Ones. There's nothing particularly innovative about the band, and it's quite likely that if they survived the accident they would have quickly faded into insignificance.

But after a few spins of the album, gems like this little number start emerging from the woodwork. This song has a great stop-start melody which for some reason reminds me of late-60s Motown, despite the fact that it's as far away from a soul/R&B number as you could imagine. There's great use of space in this song, and it just has a nice dynamic about it.

3. Crowded House - Whispers and moans [Live] [Link removed]

This is the live version from the bonus disc which came with my edition of their best-of, Recurring dream. While the studio version on Woodface is also excellent, this live version was the first one I heard and I have always liked it more.

Crowded House were a great live act, and this performance is from their original line-up, which included the sadly deceased Paul Hester. While I have seen them live since they reunited, I can't help but feel sad that I never got to see them before they broke up the first time.

Whispers and moans is one of my favourite Crowded House songs - a beautiful ballad with raunchy overtones, it's one of those songs that should probably have been as big as Weather with you and Don't dream it's over. But most fans, including myself, are quite happy for it to remain a hidden gem in an amazing career.

4. Antony & The Johnsons - You are my sister [Link removed]

I am a bird now was my favourite album of 2005, and this was one of my favourite songs of the same year.

I have always thought of the album as a conceptual piece about androgynous Antony being trapped in a world not meant for him. This stunningly gorgeous duet between Antony and Boy George has always been the emotional centrepiece for me, an integral part of the journey that he takes on I am a bird now.

A beautiful song from a stunning album that any open minded music listener needs to hear.

5. Belle & Sebastian - Get me away from here, I'm dying [Link removed]

A song which nicely brings this list full circle, this is the B&S equivalent of the first (SFA) song on this list. Like the SFA song, this is the highlight on their second (and best) album.

Scottish indie pop collective Belle & Sebastian are certainly a different band thesedays than what they used to be. Starting out as the 90s version of the Smiths, they had the perfect formula: the sad, witty and poetic lyrics of Stuart Murdoch, melodies to lose yourself in, and an amazingly talented collective of musicians to back it all up.

If I had to introduce someone to the genius of B&S, this would be the song I would play to them. If you like this song, I strongly recommend that you pick up any of their first four albums. In many ways, I wish that B&S would return to the sound of their earlier work, but they have clearly moved on.

Update: Song links removed.

RIP: Michael Jackson 1958-2009

I was watching a recorded episode of Seinfeld during my breakfast this morning. When I stopped the recording on the PVR, I was shocked to see a headline at the bottom of the screen. There were unconfirmed reports that Michael Jackson had passed away after falling into a coma after a cardiac arrest. It soon because apparent that these unconfirmed reports were true. The king of pop had died at the age of 50.

Being a child of the 80s, there were 3 undisputed popstars who you worshipped as a youngster - Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson. I have never been a huge fan of Madonna, and although I've recently started getting into Prince's music, I wasn't a fan at the time. But I was always a huge fan of Michael Jackson, and he was the first musician I was truly obsessed with.

The songs from Thriller were a massive part of my growing up. The film clip to Thriller is still the best music video clip ever made, an absolute masterpiece of modern film making. It used to scare the living crap out of me when I was younger, and is still a lot scarier than a lot of the modern "horror" movies released these days.

When we used to visit some of our close family friends, they had a copy of the Making of Thriller documentary on VHS. Every time I used to go there, I would ask to watch it. I distinctly remember that there was a video clip of All night long by Lionel Ritchie, and Master blaster by Stevie Wonder directly before the documentary. It's amazing how one remembers little details like that.

Michael didn't really put a step wrong throughout the 80s. Bad was an incredibly solid follow up to an album that couldn't really be followed up. Subsequent follow-up Dangerous had some great songs, but it was really the start of his decline. The HIStory album released in 1995 can almost be seen as a bookend to his career which started out with the Jackson 5: 1 disc of his greatest hits, and 1 fairly patchy disc of new songs which showed the state of his life in 1995.

More recently, I started getting into some of his older music released with the Jackson 5 and, later, the Jacksons. It's hard to believe that the R&B pop masterpiece I want you back, with lead vocals by Michael himself, was recorded when he was only 11 years old.

Let's put the latter, tragic, part of his life aside, and remember Michael Jackson as the fresh-faced African-American musical genius from the 70s and 80s.

Rest in peace, Michael.

MP3: Michael Jackson - Gone too soon [Link removed]

Update: Song links removed.

Top 10 mediocre songs on otherwise excellent albums

Firstly, a shout-out to Stephen and Gary of the classic albums podcast. I mentioned them briefly in my last post, but I'd like to mention them again for a couple of reasons:

• They mentioned me (and my last blog post) in their last podcast, so I'd like to return the favour.
• A discussion they had on their last podcast inspired me to finally write up this list here, which I had been meaning to do for a long time.

In my Palm Treo PDA, I have many memos with ideas for blog posts, and one of them had the title crap songs that ruin great albums. I had a shortlist of songs in there as well, so when Stephen and Gary started compiling a similar list in their last podcast, I thought it would be a great opportunity to formalise the list into a response post.

[On a blog housekeeping note, you'll notice I have labelled all of my previous blog posts; you can see the list of labels on the left of the blog for easy access to previous posts.]

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There's nothing more frustrating than a single mediocre song putting a blemish on an otherwise solid album. When an album is so close to excellence, and only a small blemish spoils it, you start to ask yourself questions. What if they did a bit more editing? Some will say "why not just skip the track?", but that is missing the point. Would Mona Lisa be so revered if there was someone mooning in the background?

There's a few key points I would like to state first:

• I'm a firm believer that the opening and closing tracks are sacred places on an album. I don't agree with Stephen's assertion on the podcast that it is more desirable for the crap track to be at the end of an album because it makes it easier to skip. I'd much prefer the sub-par track to be somewhere in the middle of the album, even if it reduces the flow; this way the album is at least bookended by solid offerings.
• Sometimes when an album is released (or re-released) on CD, bonus tracks are added to the album. Even if a bad bonus track is added to the middle of the album (which is something I frown upon), it's not eligible for inclusion in this list if it wasn't on the original track listing. For albums released on vinyl first, it's the original vinyl track listing which matters.

Anyway, enough talking. Here's the list!

10. The Beach Boys - Sloop John B [Album: Pet sounds]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this song, a traditional folk standard included on the Beach Boys' masterpiece Pet sounds. It's a catchy number with a great vocal melody, beautiful harmonies that you'd expect from the brothers Wilson, and a solid rhythmic foundation.

My gripe with this song is that it simply doesn't fit on this album. Other than the wonderful songwriting and performances on the album, it's the conceptual unity which elevates it to one of the greatest albums ever released. Most of the songs deal with love, nostalgia and longing for one's youth. But then, slap bang in the middle of the album, we get Sloop John B - a traditional West Indies folk song. It destroys the flow and mood which the previous six tracks helped to build up.

There was rumour that this song was included on the album as a hit single, on the insistence of Capitol records. As much as I'd like to believe this, apparently it's not true. If only they dropped that track, there would have been 6 tracks on side A and 6 tracks on side B. Side A would have ended with the interlude Let's go away for awhile, which would have been perfect. And side B would still remain one of the greatest album sides in popular music.

9. Supergrass - Tonight [Album: In it for the money]

I'm a big fan of Supergrass' second album In it for the money. While debut I should coco fit in well with the Britpop scene of the mid-90s, Money showed that they had the maturity and songwriting chops to outlive that over-hyped scene.

Their second album alternates between glam-infused rockers (Sun hits the sky, Cheapskate), lovely ballads (Late in the day, It's not me) and more epic numbers (In it for the money, Going out). At first listen, Tonight sounds like a quirky and upbeat number which isn't very different to some of the other rockers on the album. But while subsequent listens show that some of the other rockers like Richard III have a lot more depth than they did on initial spins, Tonight just gets more annoying over time for me.

It's the only track on the album which doesn't show any signs of songwriting growth from their debut album, and while it would probably fit well on the debut (a solid album in its own right), it sticks out like a sore thumb on this album.

8. The Smiths - Death at one's elbow [Album: Strangeways, here we come]

The Smiths dabbled in rockabilly a few times on their previous albums. There was Rusholme ruffians on Meat is murder, with its carnival-esque vibe. Then there was Vicar in a tutu from their masterpiece The queen is dead. Both worked on their respective albums, even if they stood out a little bit from the other tracks on the album.

Musically, with its subtle rockabilly influence, Death at one's elbow isn't a particularly bad song; it's just not very interesting. It's the lyrics which really let it down. Here's a sample:

Oh Glenn
Don't come to the house tonight
Oh Glenn
Oh Glenn
Don't come to the house tonight
Oh Glenn

...and there's not much more to the song than that. For a lyricist as witty and biting at Morrissey, this was truly a career nadir.

This was the penultimate song on their swansong, and came this close to being their farewell to the world. I'm very glad they decided to end the album with the much better I won't share you, but I would have been more glad if they left this song on the cutting room floor where it belonged. For a band who delegated so many classic songs to B-side status, including a song like this on the album was inexcusable.

7. Primal Scream - Don't fight it, feel it [Album: Screamadelica]

Firstly, a disclaimer. I'm not a huge fan of dance music in general. The dance and electronica that I do like usually appeals to me in other ways - it usually comes down to melody or atmosphere. So while other music fans might find this track an integral part of the ecstasy high that is Screamadelica, the style of music in this song puts me off.

I would describe Screamadelica to someone who had never heard it as the perfect fusion of acid-drenched Madchester and gospel-influenced classic rock. I'm not into drugs myself, but the album is supposedly sequenced perfectly for the euphoria of an ecstasy high followed by the inevitable comedown. Opener Movin' on up is a mammoth Stones-influenced opening number, and the album moves into weirder territory with Slip inside this house, a cover of a 60s psychedelic rock number by The 13th Floor Elevators.

When the 7-minute Don't fight it, feel it comes in at track 3, it becomes a bit of a momentum-killing brick wall on the album to me, despite its upbeat sound. There are many other acid-house influenced numbers on this album, but they all work so much better for me -- even the 10-minute epic Come together which is as entrancing as it is repetitive.

6. Manic Street Preachers - S.Y.M.M. [Album: This is my truth tell me yours]

This is my truth was the first Manics album I purchased, and because of this it will always hold a special place in my heart. While old-skool Manics fans were quick to diss the album as a significant softening of their punk roots, only the most hardcore punk fan would deny that there were some stunningly beautiful songs on this album.

The only real issue I have with this album is the final song S.Y.M.M. (South Yorkshire Mass Murderer), a 6-minute drone about the Hillsborough disaster. While the source subject matter may be interesting enough, Nicky Wire penned some of his absolute worst lyrics to this song. Here's a sample of the opening and closing verses:

The subtext of this song I've thought about for so long
But its really not the sort of thing that people want to hear us sing
...
The ending of this well I haven't really thought of one
There's nothing I could ever say that could really take that pain away

Now, I've got nothing against lyricists breaking the fourth wall, but most would agree that in this particular song it's just lazy songwriting. It would help if the music was more interesting, but it's not.

I much prefer to think of this album ending at Nobody loved you, Nicky Wire's tribute to missing band member Richey Edwards who disappeared a few years earlier. Dropping the last track would have also made the album nice and symmetrical, with 12 tracks at just under an hour.

5. Yo La Tengo - Spec bebop [Album: I can hear the heart beating as one]

Most of the 70 minutes of I can hear the heart is a lovely amalgamation of shoegaze, pop, electronic and folk which makes it one of their most accessible albums. I hate it when bands throw in a "difficult" track for what appears to be the sake of it, and Spec bebop is one such song.

Spec bebop stands out even more on the album because it's sandwiched between the lovely doo-wop of Center of gravity and the shoegaze epic We're an American band (which has one of my favourite guitar solos in indie rock history). But what hurts it more than anything is that it drones along for almost 11 minutes with no melody and very little variation. I probably could have forgiven it if it was a few minutes long, but talk about killing the momentum of the album!

4. The Polyphonic Spree - A long day [Album: The beginning stages of...]

The Polyphonic Spree's debut album The beginning stages of... was a wonderful statement of intent and possibility. If anything, it showed that a band consisting of 20+ members looking like a cult dressed in white robes could get past the whole novelty factor of such a ridiculous proposition.

For the first 9 tracks and 32 minutes of this album, it's simply a fantastic listening experience. Sounding like a cross between the Flaming Lips and the Brady Bunch (really!), it is optimistic, life-affirming and happy music. Why they stupidly decide to end the album with the 36-minute (!) LSD-fest of A long day is beyond me. I gave it a listen now for the purposes of writing this, and I couldn't get past the 4 minute mark.

I'm sure they thought it was pretty funny at the time, but all they achieved on this track was destroying all of the goodwill that they built up over the previous 9 tracks. And they also made over 50% of the album completely unlistenable, which is unforgivable.

3. Pulp - Seductive Barry [Album: This is hardcore]

Seductive Barry is like a great wall of pomposity separating the gothic, brooding and occasionally upbeat pop of the first 8 tracks of Hardcore from the stadium rock pretensions of the final 3 tracks. Thematically, with its grunts and groans, it is probably the song (other than the title track) which best represents the titular (and front cover) concept of the album. But that doesn't make it any more listenable.

This is hardcore proved that they Pulp could outlive the Britpop scene better than some of their contemporaries. It was a real U-turn of an album which illustrated that, as good as His 'n' hers and Different class were, they had the ability to mature and apply their musical chops to subtle genre experiments like this album.

While Different class will always be their pop masterpiece to my ears, This is hardcore came pretty close to being a very different sort of masterpiece: a yang to Different class's yin if you will. For most of the time, the album works remarkably well; if only they cut back on some of the failed experiments like this track, it would have been much better.

2. Bright Eyes - The big picture [Album: Lifted]

Bright Eyes' excellent 2002 album Lifted or The Store is in the story, keep your ear to the ground (to quote its full and clumsy title) is an album that I generally have to motivate myself to play. Not because it's a particular difficult album overall (it's generally very melodic and accessible) but because the opening track The big picture is an 8 minute 42 second piece of whining, acapella self-indulgence.

Why Conor Oberst decided to open this fantastic album with such an inaccessible song is a complete mystery to me, but maybe it was an elitist way of ensuring that only the really dedicated listeners were invited to hear the remaining treasures on the album. What annoys me most about this song is how dropping it from the track listing would have made the album so much more well-structured - it would have dropped from a 13-track 70+ minute album to a nicely symmetrical 12-track album running at just over an hour.

1. Wilco - Less than you think

Never has a track title summed itself up so well. Start playing this song on your iPod or CD player, and you'll note that it has a duration of 15 minutes. The opening of the song is gorgeously minimalistic -- just a piano, Jeff Tweedy's stunningly fragile vocals and some high-pitched percussion in the background. The song builds up gently over the first few minutes of the song, the subtle melody beautifully emerging from the cracks after 4-5 listens. The whole thing has a gorgeous 3am "I've been drinking my miseries away" vibe to it.

Then, shortly after the 2:50 mark Jeff Tweedy sings "There's so much less to this than you think", which in hindsight is one of the cheekiest lines on their most avant-garde album A ghost is born. For the remaining 12 minutes, the listener is subjected to what sounds like Wilco paying homage to Lou Reed's infamous 1975 album Metal machine music. In reality, Jeff Tweedy was known to be suffering from terrible migraines at the time of recording this album, which had resulted in an unfortunate addiction to painkillers. This song was supposed to be an audible manifestation of what Tweedy suffered during one of his many migraines.

Whatever the thematic intention of this song, I don't think there would be any Wilco fan out there who has honesty listened to this song in full after the first listen. It's a pity that the wonderfully experimental A ghost is born is tarnished by the last 12 minutes of this track -- if it was edited down to the 3 minute mark, there's a good chance that the album would have given their masterpiece Yankee hotel foxtrot a run for its money.

As it stands, this track is a time capsule what happens when a band forget (in a moment of stupidity) that music's primary purpose is entertainment.

Honourable mentions

The Byrds - Mind gardens [Album: Younger than yesterday]

There's little doubt that this album is almost ruined by this pretentious 4-minute piece of dated David Crosby psychedelia. Dropping it from the track listing would have reduced the album down to 25 minutes, but nobody would have missed that song.

David Bowie - It ain't easy [Album: Ziggy stardust]

The sole cover on Bowie's masterpiece, this is not actually not a bad song, but it doesn't seem to fit in with the conceptual theme of the album. Dropping it from the track listing would have made the album flow much better - it would have become a 10-track album with side A finishing on the lovely ballad Lady stardust and side B starting with the wonderful rocker Star. Perfect.

Radiohead - The gloaming [Album: Hail to the thief]

Hail to the thief was a wonderful return to form about the patchy Amnesiac. Even though HTTT was also patchy, it also had some of Radiohead's finest songs on it. This was not one of them. It is a disturbing piece of electronic self-indulgence which completely lacked a melody, and is up there with Pulk/pull revolving doors from Amnesiac as one of their worst ever songs.

Can - Aumgn / Peking O [Album: Tago mago]

Actually two consecutive songs on the album, it's pretty hard for a sober person to appreciate anything here. I understand that it was probably groundbreaking for its time in 1971, but to me it just adds up to 29 minutes of music which is difficult just for the sake of being difficult. A sharp contrast from the difficult yet rewarding songs that make up side A of this landmark krautrock release.

So what are your thoughts? What would you put on your list of mediocre songs which ruin otherwise excellent albums?

Top 10 concise discographies

I'm obviously over-simplifying things a lot here, but there are usually two career progressions that an artist or band can take:

1. Keep releasing albums, with (generally) diminishing returns. Some examples of artists and bands who fit this mould are: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M. and U2. While each of these artists/bands have had some impressive later-career efforts, most would probably agree that they are well past their peak.
2. Release some top quality albums and quit while they're still ahead. For those who have music in their blood, this can sometimes be a hard avenue to take.
   

I call the latter case a concise discography. Except where their career was ended abruptly (and there are a few examples in this post), they simply knew when to quit and had the discipline to do so before they starting releasing crap.

This is my top 10 artists and bands who have a lean, concise and high-quality discography. While there are many artists/bands out there who are probably best introduced to you via a "best-of" or "greatest hits" compilation, it's simply not worth it for these musicians. If you are curious about any of these artists/bands, just jump in the deep end and buy their albums. I'll even help you with the best place to get started.

The bonus is that if you fall in love with any of the artists/bands here, it won't cost you much to own all of their work.

10. Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five are best known for some of their mid-late 90s piano-based alternative rock/pop hits such as Underground, Brick and Army. You may also know some of Ben Folds' solo recordings since the break-up of the band. While some may dismiss their work as throwaway, they were a surprisingly talented trio who coincidentally released a trio of very solid indie power-pop albums.

Their eponymous debut included the aforementioned Underground which is (to my ears anyway) one of the catchiest pop songs of the 90s. Hand me my nose ring! Show me the mosh pit! But as classic as this song is, the rest of the album doesn't pale in comparison. From the beautiful balladry of Alice childress, to the catchier-than-thou Philosophy, to the toe-tappin' Uncle walter, this album rarely puts a foot wrong (the rough-around-the-edges Julianne being the one track which doesn't do a lot for me).

Their 2nd album Whatever and ever amen was their (relative) commercial breakthrough, and it included lots of excellent songs which were hits on alternative radio here in Australia - One angry dwarf, Brick, Song for the dumped and Battle of who could care less. Another great album in the same mould as their debut.

Their final album (the clumsily-titled The unauthorised biography of Reinhold Messner) was their attempt at a concept album. I'll admit that this album did take a while to grow on me, but thesedays I'm quite stunned by its beauty. Their reached a maturity on this album, and while it plays like a modern-day indie rock opera, at no point does it feel pretentious. Mess and Magic are still some of my favourite BFF songs. A great way to end their career.

How to buy Ben Folds Five:
Buy the albums in order. Their first 2 albums are much more accessible, and they'll prepare you well for their rewarding finale.

9. Pixies
Pixies are almost indie royalty now, but I'm sure that Kurt Cobain (amongst many others) name-checking them as massive influences helped there. While they aren't one of my favourite bands of all time, I do respect their talent a lot and appreciate that they had a massive influence on 90s indie music.

What's also amazing is that they managed to influence a new generation of bands with only 4 albums (and 1 EP) over the course of 5 years! And whilst they did reunite in 2004, they have yet to release another album since then. So their discography is still nice and concise.

The debut EP Come on pilgrim and album Surfer rosa are both cut from the same cloth: quiet/loud dynamics, abrasive vocals and a tight rhythm section. Their second album Doolittle significantly improved the songwriting, adding some much-needed melody and accessibility in the process. 3rd album Bossanova was heavily influenced by surf music, and retained the melodic joy of its predecessor. And final album Trompe le Monde was almost a return to the sound of their initial recordings - loud and abrasive. But like all of their albums, it also had some mighty fine tunes on it.

How to buy Pixies:
Start with Doolittle - it's their most accessible and rewarding album. Then buy their debut album Surfer rosa, which also includes the Come on pilgrim EP. These two albums give you a good overview of the Pixies' sound. If you prefer Doolittle more, get Bossanova next as it follows in the same mould. But if you prefer Surfer rosa more, you may want to get Trompe le Monde next.

8. Elliott Smith
This is the first entry in this list which involves an element of tragedy.

Elliott Smith released 5 albums during his lifetime before his untimely death at the age of 34 in 2003. In 2004, the songs he was working on at the time of his death were released posthumously as From a basement on the hill.

Over the course of his lifetime, his sound had a very gradual and subtle progression. His early albums Roman candle and Elliott Smith were lo-fi and intimate, with echoes of Nick Drake. His mid-career masterpiece Either/or was the perfect combination of the intimacy of his earlier work with the pop sensibility of his later work.

He became more well known when his song Miss misery (from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack) was nominated for an Oscar in 1997, but shockingly lost to Celine Dion. What he did get from the publicity was a major label deal with DreamWorks. His major label albums XO and Figure 8 used the extra budget of a major label in subtle ways, combining his songwriting genius with understated studio enhancements.

And while his posthumous release From a basement on the hill was incomplete at the time of his death, it was not a cash-in. Some of the most beautiful songs of his career were on it, and in no way did it tarnish the legacy he left.

How to buy Elliott Smith:
Definitely start with Either/or - not only is it his finest work, but it perfectly combines the folky aspects of his early career (Rose parade, Between the bars) with the melodic pop sensibilities of his later career (Ballad of big nothing, Say yes). You can then decide which sound you prefer more and head in the right direction. But definitely pick them all up, for they are all gems.

7. The Beatles
For a band as ubiquitous as The Beatles, it's amazing when you realise that they only released 12 albums (1 double) and 1 soundtrack over the course of only 9 years. There were also lots of non-album singles too (which was the style at the time), but it's amazing that they were so influential and so revered with such a (relatively) concise discography.

There was no other band in history who showed so much progression and innovation in such a short period of time, and this is coming from someone who was born 9 years after their demise. No other bands utilised the studio quite like the fab four (and producer George Martin) did between 1962 and 1970.

Listening to their earlier work (Please please me, With the Beatles) next to their mid-late period efforts (Revolver, Abbey road), sometimes they sound like completely different bands. And while some would say that some of their earlier work is dispensible (there are a lot of covers on their early albums), it helped define who they were. Every song that the fab four released was essential to the Beatles story, and while I don't listen to some albums as much as others, I would never be without every one of them in my collection. [Having said that, I could probably do without Yellow submarine, but that's a soundtrack and therefore not a core part of their discography.]

How to buy The Beatles:
Just splurge and buy the box set. If you haven't yet been introduced to the genius of all of the Beatles' music (because there's nobody who hasn't heard at least 20 Beatles songs), you're in for a treat and I envy you.

6. The Velvet Underground
For all intents and purposes, the Velvets were probably the first indie band. They sold nothing during their lifetime, but influenced 1000s of musicians. There's this old quotation that while not many people bought their first album, everyone who did buy it ended up started a band of their own.

There's no denying that the breadth of their influence was immense. Anyone who's ever used distortion in their music (Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo) learnt it from the first 2 Velvets albums (The Velvet Underground & Nico, White light/white heat). They practically helped to invent the shoegaze genre of music. Many twee indie-pop bands (Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura) were heavily influenced by their 3rd album The Velvet Underground. And while their final album (Loaded) was probably a bit less essential, there's no denying that it was a great pop/rock album.

The lineage of many contemporary bands can be traced back to what Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker and [later] Doug Yule achieved in the 4 years (!) between 1967 and 1970.

How to buy The Velvet Underground:
It really depends what you like. Their first 2 albums are much more experimental listens; while The Velvet Underground & Nico mixes the avant-garde with the accessible, White light/white heat is a very difficult album. Their last 2 albums are much more beautiful and melodic. Maybe grab their 2 self-titled albums (The Velvet Underground & Nico, The Velvet Underground) and see which side of them you prefer.

5. The Doors
The Doors had a very linear progression over their 6 albums, before Jim Morrison's untimely death in 1971 at the age of 27 (I'm purposely ignoring the albums they released after his death).

The self-titled debut album and follow-up Strange days (both released in 1967) were very 1967 - psychedelic lyrics (Light my fire, The crystal ship, Strange days) mixed with very summer of love production. Strange days didn't stray a lot from the template laid out on their debut - even choosing a suitably epic song to close the album (When the music's over, in response to The end from the debut).

3rd album Waiting for the sun continued the psychedelic sound on a lot of songs (The unknown soldier) while taking them in subtle new directions of pop (Hello, I love you; Love street) and world music (My wild love, Spanish caravan). 4th album The soft parade was in many ways more of a straight forward pop album, but it was quite diverse as well - it added some brass instruments to the mix (Tell all the people), blues (Shaman's blues), country (Runnin' blue) and old-school Doors poetry (The soft parade).

On the final 2 albums Morrison Hotel and L.A. woman, Jim's voice started to show some cracks from all the years of drinking and smoking. But they took advantage of his new voice by subtlely changing their sound to a more blues-rock feel. Their final album L.A. woman may even be their finest album, containing such classic songs as the title track and Riders on the storm.

How to buy The Doors:
Start with either The Doors (the debut) or L.A. woman depending on whether you prefer the psychedelic '67 sound or blues-rock. Then move inwards from both directions based on which sound you prefer more. Finish up with The soft parade, which is probably their weakest album.

4. Joy Division
Post-punk band Joy Division are one of the easiest bands (financially) to get into. They only released 2 albums before lead singer Ian Curtis' suicide in 1980 - Unknown pleasures and Closer (which was released posthumously in 1980).

Unknown pleasures could be described as the more accessible of the 2 albums, but with everything it's all relative. This is far from easy listening, with jerky rhythms, tortured lyrics and fine guitar work all brought together by Ian Curtis' sombre but urgent baritone vocals.

Closer subtlety evolved their sound by adding more keyboards and electronic textures, hinting at the path that the other band members would take when they morphed into New Order after Curtis' death. While I prefer Unknown pleasures overall, the original side B of Closer (on vinyl) - the run of songs from Heart and soul to Decades - is still one of the greatest album sides in popular music.

How to buy Joy Division:
Nothing else spelt "record company cash-in" more than 2008's compilation The Best of The Joy Division. Really? A best-of for a band who released a mere 2 albums in their lifetime? And 2 brilliant albums at that? I would start with Unknown pleasures because it's the more accessible of the 2, and then get Closer. After that you'll want to pick up the odds-and-sods collection Substance, which includes their classic Love will tear us apart, amongst other non-album A-sides and B-sides. Leave the "best of" where it belongs - in the bargain bin.

3. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Another musical genius who died way too young, Jimi's original band The Jimi Hendrix Experience released only 3 albums in his lifetime. And he couldn't have really asked for a better run of albums.

Their seminal debut Are you experienced? is still considered a touchstone of guitar rock, and despite the fact that it was released in 1967, the guitar sound that Jimi achieved on this album still sounds like the future. The CD reissue appends 3 stand-alone singles (Hey Joe, Purple haze and The wind cries Mary) and their B-sides as bonus tracks.

Follow-up Axis: Bold as love (also released in 1967) maintained the sound of their debut, but added some more psychedelic elements to the mix as well (If 6 was 9, Castles made of sound) and some beautiful ballads which have almost become standards (Little wing). [On a side note, I find it incredibly amazing that back in the 1960s, musicians could quite easily release 2 top-quality albums in the one year, while so many pretenders these days take 4-5 years to release a disappointing album.]

Their final album, the double LP Electric Ladyland, was a different affair entirely. Bluesy and epic, it was a semi-concept album which included 2 tracks well over the 10-minute mark. While it's definitely their least accessible album, it's also their most rewarding.

How to buy The Jimi Hendrix Experience:
I'm beginning to sound like a broken record here, but this is another one of those bands where I would just recommend getting their albums in order. You don't want to delve into Electric ladyland first, because its scope and length may be offputting for someone not familiar with their genius. Are you experienced? is the perfect starting point, containing some of their most well-known songs. My only gripe with the 3 albums is that the classic Angel is not on any of the albums, but this can be picked up on posthumously-released First rays of the new rising sun, which was an attempt to create the album that Jimi was working on at the time of his death.

2. The Smiths
The Smiths are one of those bands who, the first time you hear them, you ask yourself where they have been all your life. It's also disappointing in many ways that I got into them so early in my music appreciation "career", as so many other bands have attempted to emulate their sound (and what they achieved in their short lifespan) but fail miserably. The Smiths are also exhibit A in the case that 80s music wasn't all cheesy pop, being a guitar-based band in a sea of their synth-pop contemporaries. It probably also explains why their music hasn't aged so badly.

Despite how influential they were, they only released 4 proper studio albums in their 6-year lifespan. But they were an old-fashioned band in many ways, as they also released a lot of non-album singles with amazing B-sides (in fact some of my favourite songs of theirs were B-sides). They were a real band who took pride in their work, not just appending cheesy remixes as an easy way to pad out singles.

Their debut album The Smiths worked as a suitable template for the rest of their career - jangly guitar, simultaneously sombre yet witty lyrics and Morrissey's wonderful (albeit polarising) vocals. My only gripe with this album is that it is a bit under-produced in places, but the songwriting and performances more than make up for it. And underproduction in the 80s is probably a better avenue than over-production which has aged way too much music from the era. 2nd album Meat is murder is similar in sound to their debut (the production still being pretty raw), but they also managed to expand their sound a little - like on the rockabilly pastiche of Rusholme ruffians.

3rd album The queen is dead is considered by many to be their masterpiece, and I find it hard to disagree with this. It's just a lovely album from beginning to end, alternating between sad but witty laments (I know it's over, There is a light that never goes out), upbeat pop arrangements concealing dark lyrics (Cemetary gates, Bigmouth strikes again) and also Morrissey's trademark whimsy (Frankly Mr Shankly, Vicar in a tutu, Some girls are bigger than others).

Their final album Strangeways, here we come maintained the production values of the previous album, but they continued to diversify their sound - Girlfriend in a coma was probably their most pop song to date (despite the dark lyrics), Death of a disco dancer contained some fine piano playing (courtesy of Morrissey himself) and Paint a vulgar picture was a cynical look at record companies and how they cash-in on helpless artists (ironic now considering how much record companies have milked the Smiths' discography for all that it's worth).

How to buy The Smiths:
The Smiths are one of the few bands where I would not recommend buying their albums in order. I would start out with The queen is dead, because it's their best and most accessible album. Then get their self-titled debut album, because it's simply the next best bunch of songs. After this point, get either Meat is murder, Strangeways, here we come or singles/B-sides compilation Louder than bombs (which amazingly only overlaps with their 4 albums by a single song). Louder than bombs is essential to complete the story of the Smiths, containing some of their finest work which was never released on any of their "official" albums. You won't need to get anything else other than their 4 albums and Louder than bombs - some will say Hatful of hollow is a worthwhile purchase, but there's too much overlap with the rest of their stuff, and you can probably live without the 2 tracks which aren't available elsewhere (Handsome devil and Accept yourself).

1. Nick Drake
Sadly, another career that ended in tragedy. Nick Drake was the Vincent Van Gogh of music; completely under-appreciated and unknown during his lifetime, but developed a cult following after his death.

Nick Drake was a massively accomplished folk-rock-blues guitarist, beautiful singer and composer. Sadly, he only released 3 albums during his lifetime. Happily, they are all absolute gems and each one is worth picking up. Each one is also different enough from the others to make it completely indispensible.

Debut album Five leaves left introduced Nick Drake to the world. If opening track Time has told me doesn't pull at your heartstrings, then sadly Nick Drake probably isn't for you. Follow-up song River man is an absolutely gorgeous track, one of his finest. Rarely does the rest of the album dip below the quality of the first 2 tracks, and the final song trilogy of Man in the shed, Fruit tree and Saturday sun is still one of the best runs of songs I have heard.

Follow-up album Bryter layter continues the sound of the debut, but adds a lot more production and orchestration to the mix. Some have said that this album has dated a bit more than the others because of the production, and while I would tend to agree a bit, the songwriting elevates this album to another level entirely. Hazey Jane II practically invented Belle & Sebastian, and if anyone has recorded a song more beautiful than Northern sky, I have yet to hear it.

Final album Pink moon is a different beast from the previous album entirely. Minimal and folky, this is just Nick's tender vocals and his guitar (with a piano overdub only on the opening title track). Because of the minimalistic sound, this is the most difficult album to listen to out of the three, but if you are in the right mood it could be one of the most beautiful things you hear. Nick invented lo-fi indie folk on this album.

2 years after the release of Pink moon, Nick Drake was dead at the age of 26 from an apparent suicide. Luckily for us, he left behind 3 near-perfect albums.

I've been listening a lot to the classic albums podcast lately, which I highly recommended to any music fan. On each episode, the 2 podcasters Stephen and Gary give the other one an album which they consider to be a classic, and then they talk about it on the next show. On one episode, Stephen (I think) gave Gary a copy of Five leaves left.

There was a great quote in the podcast where Stephen said (and I'm paraphrasing here) Your life will be better with Nick Drake in it. I think this sums up the genius of Nick Drake perfectly for me. His music truly will enrich your life.

How to buy Nick Drake:
I started out with Bryter layter, then moved back to Five leaves left, and finally picked up Pink moon. This order worked well for me, because I fell in love with Bryter layter and simply had to pick up the others. Definitely start with either Five leaves left or Bryter layter, but get Pink moon last. The only reason I say this is that Pink moon is not representive of the sound of his other 2 albums, and its bare sound may be offputting to some. They are all fantastic though.

Honourable mentions:

• Crowded House would have made the list for their original 4 albums, but now that they have released the reunion album Time on earth (still a solid album), their discography doesn't feel so concise anymore.
• Big Star released 3 albums during their lifetime, and all are very solid. They just missed the cut.
• Traveling Wilburys and The Stone Roses both released only 2 albums during their lifetime, but in both cases their debut album overshadowed the follow-up too much, that their discography felt a bit unbalanced.

So who did I miss? Please reply in the comments.

Wireless Cranium sells out!

For those who don't know the origin of the blog name Wireless Cranium, it's an homage to Radiohead, one of my favourite bands.

Radio = Wireless
Head = Cranium

Today I received the following email from someone identifying themselves as Lior F. Lapos:

Attention: Blog writer

I am writing to alert you that your blog may be in breach of the United States Internet Control Act (2005), which states the following:

If at any time, a registered business (as defined under C18-562A of the Industrial Act 1967) is unable to acquire a required domain name required of their business, due to the domain name being used by an individual (not a sole proprieter), they must take whatever means necessary to free up the domain name for use by said business.

UK band Radiohead achieved considerable success with their last album In rainbows, and were looking to expand their mainstream success in the United States. To this end, they have set up a fan club organisation (based in Los Angeles) in an attempt to improve their popularity in the States. They have chosen Wireless Cranium to be the name of this organisation.

As part of the startup of the fan club, they have attempted to register the Blogger domain wirelesscranium.blogspot.com but were disappointed to see that it has been taken by a 3rd party blog.

To avoid any breach to the aforementioned clause of the Internet Control Act (2005), you must action one of the following items within the next ninety (90) days:

(1) Surrender the domain name wirelesscranium.blogspot.com to the Wireless Cranium organisation. You will be permitted to relocate your blog to another domain name.

(2) Allow the Wireless Cranium business to use your domain name for advertising purposes at the ratio of 80/20 (where 80% of the site will be dedicated to advertising, 20% to original blogging material). You will be entitled to 50% of the advertising revenue. If the blogging rate exceeds this, further legal action may be taken.

I will be contacting you directly within the next week to determine which option you have selected.

Yours sincerely,
Lior F. Lapos.

So, there you go. Unfortunately I am not able to take option (1). I have many dedicated readers -- 7 subscribed through BlogLines alone, and I don't want to speculate how many Google Reader subscriptions there are, but I'd suspect it may be 3! I feel changing the domain name would be too disruptive to the people reading this blog.

So I have decided to take option (2), which means you'll be seeing a lot more ads on this blog.

I guess the upside of this is that there'll be a lot more posts; I have been pretty quiet lately.

I apologise to be the bearer of this news. But it's the unfortunate reality of the competitive blogging market.

I think this sums it up best.

RIP: John Martyn 1948-2009

British folk singer-songwriter John Martyn has passed away in Ireland at the age of 60.

I only have one of his albums, Solid air, which is considered by many critics to be a classic of the folk genre. The title track from that album was Martyn's tribute to his friend and Island label-mate Nick Drake, who was suffering from depression at the time and passed away less than 2 years after the album was released. Another song from that album, May you never, was also made famous by Eric Clapton when it was released on his 1977 album Slowhand.

John was a unique vocalist, amazing songwriter and highly underrated guitarist. While he never had huge commercial success, he had a pretty big cult following, and he will be sadly missed by his fans.

R.I.P.

MP3: John Martyn - The man in the station [Link removed]

Update: Song links removed.