Dean’s favourite albums – the number one place – Abbey Road – The Beatles

 

So, its come to this, the number on spot one my list, and well, it really had to go to one of the biggest bands of all time. The reality is, just about all of their albums probably could have made it to my list , (except for “Please Please Me”, “Yellow Submarine” and maybe  “Beatles for Sale”). The “White Album” and “Rubber Soul” in particular were very close to making it, but just missed out.  But “Abbey Road” was the first album picked for the list, and was always going to be my number one.
 

A fun album, it effortlessly mixes up classic rock tracks with more whimsical tracks (and I do love a good novelty song), and then just to show off, produces a killer medley of short tracks that blend in and reprise each other with the end result being a masterpiece.

The rock on the album is fantastic, getting underway with “Come Together”, and continuing through with several other fine tracks like “Oh Darling” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. But my favourite on the album is, in my opinion, George’s best Beatles track (sounds like a great topic for a future list by the way), namely “Something” (see link). I don’t have the words to describe how wonderful this track is, and I really think that George’s songwriting really came to the fore for this album. His other contribution is “Here Comes the Sun”, a fine track that adds to a great contribution to the album.

I mentioned the whimsical tracks earlier, and how can you go past “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”?  According to Wikipedia, both Ringo and John described this as “Granny music”, but I still like it, it’s a bit of fun. As too is the Ringo contribution to the album, “Octopus’s Garden”.

The second half of the album largely consists of the medley, and what an arrangement of short snippets of songs – “Mean Mr Mustard”, “You Never Give Me Your Money”, “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”, “Golden Slumbers”, “The End”, I could go on. I still haven’t really figured out what it is that I like about this, but I suspect it’s the fast pace of it all, moving from song to song  quickly.  Yet, having said that, its not like all of them are quick tracks, with stunning ballads like “Golden Slumbers”  being perfectly showcased amongst it all.

So there you go, the Beatles take the top spot on my list. For those of you that have read my list, provided comments etc, I hope you have enjoyed reading it, it was fun putting it together. I am very interested in your thoughts though – you have now seen my musical tastes, so perhaps you might like to share some recommendations about albums I might like, and indeed, what your favourite albums are, I would be interested in hearing from you!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrW7dlDHH28

Dean's favourite albums #2 - A Night at the Opera - Queen

Now I know and now I know that “A Night at the Opera” is number two on my list. An amazing album named after the Marx brothers film, it really has a bit of everything. Of course to most the highlight of this album would be the amazing “Bohemian Rhapsody”, but there is heaps more diverse moments beyond this. There are the rockers, like the menacing opening track “Death on Two Legs”,  and “Sweet Lady” as well as the epic “The Prophet’s Song.” Those of you that know me are aware that I am not averse to a novelty song, and you get two whimsical tracks on this album – “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” and “Seaside Rendezvous”. You also get the completely over the top rock of  “I’m in Love with My Car”, which you could categorise into rock or novelty (indeed when Brian May heard the demo of this Roger Taylor track, he thought it was a joke.) Then there is the acoustic and nostalgic sounding “’39” and “Good Company”, and the ballad “Love of My Life”. “You’re My Best Friend”, today’s link, in my opinion is the perfect pop song, so catchy and if it weren’t for “Bohemian Rhapsody” would probably be the highlight of the album. And I haven’t even mentioned the closing track, an electric guitar led version of “God Save the Queen” that would rival Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” rendition at Woodstock. Some of the albums on my list are personal favourites, not necessarily widely regarded but this one is undoubtedly a classic album.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2JSUXaY-tw

 

 

So there you have it, after counting down 24 fine albums we reach the number one spot. We have covered indie rock, swamp rock, folk, rock, country, 80’s pop, 90’s rock , punk, and a host of other genres. I hope you have enjoyed reading the list as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Although a difficult task, I really enjoyed re-listening to albums, not just the ones on the list, but also the ones that were in contention but didn’t quite make the cut.

 

Normally I have given you a bit of a hint as to the next album on the list, but not this time…you will have to just wait and see what the number one track is…but feel free to speculate in the lead up….

Dean’s favourite albums #3- Traveling Wilburys, Vol 1 – Traveling Wilburys

The term supergroup is thrown around a bit, but in the case of the Traveling Wilburys, when you get music legends Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, ex Beatle George Harrison, Tom Petty and the driving force behind ELO, Jeff Lynne together, I think the term is absolutely appropriate. Recorded in 1988, sadly just before Orbison’s death, the project essentially started as a bit of a jam session between mates, and the finished product ended up becoming a hugely successful album. It is probably fair to say they don’t make them like this any more!

Like several of the selections in my top 25 list, it may not be the most musically challenging album (not sure what this says about me) but it’s a great listen from start through to finish. The radio friendly hits like “Handle with Care” and “End of the Line” (today’s link) are well known and great tracks, but the album has far more depth than just these songs. Like those hits, it works well when they all sing together, but similarly when one of them takes the lead vocals, it is equally as great. For example,  “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” is classic Dylan, on “Not Alone Anymore” Orbison showcases his amazing vocals, Petty goes reggae-lite on the incredibly catchy “Last Night”, Lynne goes all early rock and roll on “Rattled” and Harrison provides the light and breezy “Heading for the Light”.  Add to these the slowest song on the album,  the extremely cynical “Congratulations” and you really have a great album. Probably the best song though to give you a sense that it was just a few mates having a bit of fun is “Dirty World” where like silly schoolkids they picked phrases out of auto magazines and turned them into an innuendo laden song. Great fun.  

The follow up to this album “Traveling Wilburys Vol 3” (there wasn’t a volume 2) although containing some good moments, was always going to struggle to live up to this one, especially without Orbison in the lineup.

One other thing to mention about the album is the  production, which was done so well by Lynne and Harrison and really adds to make it a gem of an album.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA

 

Coming up at #2 – we go back to the seventies for a rock masterpiece

Dean's favourite albums #4 - Imagine - John Lennon

So you are a member of the biggest band in the world. It breaks up, you release a debut solo album that is critically received. What then to do with the next year. Release another great album of course!

 

Imagine, the song, is very well known, and yeah, it’s a good song, but there are lots of other tracks that I really enjoy. “Jealous Guy” (today’s link) in my opinion is a stunning piece of songwriting and the highlight on the album. I love the country rock of “Crippled Inside” , it just provides such a toe-tapping feel to it. I have never really been a fan of Yoko Ono, but gee John wrote some great songs about her, and “Oh Yoko” is a wonderful example, lovely light pop.  The protest song “Gimme Some Truth” is amazing as well. Perhaps the  most intriguing moment on the album is “How Do you Sleep?”, a vitriolic criticism of Paul McCartney, which feels at odds with the sentiments that John sung about in the title track. Despite this, it’s a fine song. When John’s relationship with Paul later improved he sort of stepped away from the song and gave an unconvincing explanation that it was more about himself than Paul – I don’t believe that for a moment, but I guess that’s the thing with writing a song, you convey your feelings at a point in time and then could potentially spend the rest of your life singing that song over and over.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giN6m-sfzng

 

Coming up at #3 – a supergroup!

Dean's favourite albums #5 - At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash

“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”. And with this simple yet powerful phrase, Cash launches into a blistering set of music to the inmates at California’s Folsom Prison. Cash draws on the great American songbook to find songs with a prison/crime them and delivers the lyrics with the passion that he is renowned for, resurrecting his career that was stagnating at the time.  In the opening track, “Folsom Prison Blues” (see link) an old Cash song from the 50’s, he delivers that definitive version of this song, complete with the audience cheers after the infamous “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die” line. (I was disappointed to read that this didn’t actually occur though, the cheer was added later). Other great moments on the album are “Cocaine Blues”, ”Busted” and  “25 Minutes to Go”, which Cash really launches into character for, as he sings about the desperation of a man about to be hanged. There are also poignant moments, such as the thought provoking songs “The Wall” and “The Long Black Veil”. Throughout the album, Cash subtly makes fun of the prison guards watching over his audience with the odd snide comment. He wife, June Carter also joins him onstage and the album contains a version of their signature duet “Jackson”.

 

One other thing to say about this album – there are a number of versions floating around. I own the 1999 re-release version, which does contain a few different tracks and a different order to the original release. 2008’s legacy edition is different again, but I am sure that they are all great versions and any one of them would be a great addition to your music collection.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDktBZzQIiU

 

Next Time – we turn to the early 70’s for a popular album with a big big hit track on it

Dean’s Favourite Albums #6- (What’s the Story) Morning Glory – Oasis

1995. Britpop, the wave of British alternative music that Tony Blair decided to ride the coat tails of and get himself into office. The driving forces in Oasis were those Gallagher brothers, whose arrogance and bad behaviour could be quite annoying at times. Despite this, the band has produced some great tracks, and this album is a masterpiece. If I was writing this list a few years ago, this album probably would have been right up in the top two, but I haven’t listened to it much in recent years. I gave it another spin, and wow, it is still a great album.  Highlights abound, with the wonderful “Wonderwall” a piece of class (see link), but there are plenty of other great tracks, the sing-along catchy “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, the driving rock of the opening track “Hello”, the fun “She’s Electric”, and the anthemic “Morning Glory”. “Champagne Supernova” provides a great closer after the journey the band takes us through during the album.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc

 

Next time – the only live album to make it on my top 25 list launches us into the top five. Any guesses as to what it might be? Any predictions for the top five? Leave a post below…

Dean's favourite albums #7 - London Calling - The Clash

Ok, so I probably gave it away last time, but number seven on my list is the Clash’s “London Calling” album. This is the sort of album that usually rates highly on best of all time lists, and is often called the greatest punk album of all time. I find that tag strange though, because when I think of punk, I think of the Sex Pistols “God Save the Queen” or the Saints “I’m Stranded”. This album is not like that though, and its more diverse with reggae, ska, jazz, pop and rockabilly all featuring at some point. It’s a long album – was a double album when released, but it doesn’t outstay its welcome at all. My favourite songs – probably  the opening title track, a great rock track (see link),  the sinister sounding “Guns of Brixton”, the rockabilly of “Brand New Cadillac”,and the fun of “Wrong Em Boyo”.  I could keep mentioning songs, but I think you get the idea.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c

 

Coming up at number six – its Britpop time, and an album from a band that really annoys me, yet the album is a masterpiece

Dean's favourite albums #8 - Nothing But a Dream - Paul Kelly

With a body of work of such high calibre that Paul Kelly has, I really could have virtually clogged up this entire list with Paul Kelly albums, and would not have been unhappy with the final composition of the list. So the choice of this album might seem like a strange one to you all, as its normally albums like “Gossip” or “Comedy” that get mentions on these types of lists. If I wanted to take a different approach, I could have turned to the bluegrass incarnation of “Foggy Highway”. Indeed if I wanted to take a sentimental approach, “Spring and Fall” could have been the choice, because it was released on the day my boys entered this world. But no, I have gone for one of his lesser known albums, 2001’s “Nothing But a Dream”.

 

I remember back to 2001, and the Weekend Australian newspaper did a promotion where you got a free four track sampler ahead of the release of this album. I still have that sampler, and the wonderful thing about it was that it contains some alternate versions of some of the tracks, which are a great listen. I can’t actually remember how I got the album, but I think it was bought for me as a birthday gift (if that is the case, to the person that bought it for me – thank you – (and I am thinking that it might have been from my mate Andy))

 

So why did I choose this album? Well, it is just full of some gems that really show off Kelly’s songwriting abilities. The opening track, “If I could Start Today Again”, a simple song, but wow, what a song, with beautiful lyrics that talk about regrets and wanting to go back and start the day again (see today’s link). “I Wasted Time”, written from the perspective of an old person thinking back at the time they have wasted in their life who now sees “…old friends at funerals now and then, its down to this, it either me or them”. The there is “Somewhere in the City”, a track where Kelly sings deep in thought about what a loved one might be doing, perfectly evoking feelings of  loneliness, jealousy and longing to be with someone.  There is a certain moody, atmospheric sound to a number of the tracks (such as “Midnight Rain”, “Would You Be My Friend”, “Smoke Under the Bridge” ) and then just for some diversity, Kelly throws in the bass laden “Love is the Law” and the frantic “Just  About to Break”. 

 

I know its not as well known as many of Paul’s other albums, but its a great album and very worthy top tenner! (and, like “Suburban Songbook”, it has a great cover as well!)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb9nrAvGPaI

 

Coming up next – its off to the UK, for a more well known classic album (or should I perhaps say that London is calling)?

Dean's favourite albums #9 - Suburban Songbook - Bob Evans

As lead singer of 90’s-00’s alt rock band Jebediah, Kevin Mitchell sung with an unusual but distinctive rock and rock whine. So when the time came for Mitchell to do something different, he chose to perform under a pseudonym, and as the story goes, he got the name from a US burger chain. In 2004, he released “Suburban Kid” an underrated album that showcased intimate roots flavoured songs. In 2006, he released his second album under the Bob Evans name, “Suburban Songbook”, which occupies number nine on my favourite albums list.

 

The first thing I need to mention about this album is the cover art – what a beautiful photo of a suburban street, with lovers hand in hand walking towards the sunlight.  But a good cover alone won’t get you on this list, and this album is so much more than its cover. In the 100 Best Australian Albums book (which rated this at #74), they describe it as “…a revelation, catching the listener off guard with its naked honesty and big , romantic heart.” The album blends country and folk with pop and sunshine, and sets the tone right from with the start with the warm acoustic track “Don’t You Think Its Time” (see link). There are great moments all throughout though, such as “Sadness and Whiskey”, the catchy pop of “Don’t Walk Alone” . Even when the sentimental, “Nowhere Without You”  ventures towards being too lovey-dovey and saccharine sweet, it doesn’t cross the line and leaves a smile on your face. Its not an overly diverse album, but has significant variation to keep the listener hooked. One of my favourite tracks is the hidden closer “Me and My Friend”, which could have very easily been called an ode to friendship. It’s a wonderful track, simple, but so effective. The use of the word “suburban” in the album title is no coincidence either, as it really has that everyday timeless, romantic feel to it.

 

For those of you that don’t know the album, and want to know what to compare the sound to, I have read various reviews that compare parts of it to the Beatles, Elliot Smith, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, John Lennon, and even Burt Bacharach!  So I hope that mixed back of names helps in some way.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lx_lPyJluc

 

Coming up at #8 – one my favourite musicians, and Australian music legend….but which album?

 

Dean's favourite albums #10 - Cold Fact - Rodriguez

My friends had been talking about this album from the 70’s for a while, and they had played me a few tracks and I had liked them, so it was on my list of albums to check out for a quite some time. Then, in March 2010, I was on my lunchbreak from work and walking through the city, when I happened to pass the laneway where Basement Discs is located, and saw a sign – “Rodriguez – in store today”, so I thought this was too good an opportunity to let pass. As I walked down the staircase to Basement Discs, I heard the crowd applause. Of course, he had just finished his performance as I arrived…damn…but he was hanging around to sign copies of his album. I lined up and the shop assistant asked me what I thought of his performance, I explained that I missed it and I think he thought I was a bit odd! Waiting in the line, Rodriguez, looking just a little frail, posed for a photo for the lady in front of me. Then, as it was my turn, I was asked to pause…Rodriguez produced a backpack and started fumbling through it for something. Eventually he produced a bottle of red wine, which he proceeded to drink straight from the bottle! After a swig, he chatted and signed my album, and that is the story of how I came about owning a copy of “Cold Fact”.

 

Hailing from the US, Rodriguez released “Cold Fact” in 1970, and it was a massive flop, barely troubling the US charts. But for some random reason, it became a cult classic in South Africa, and to a lesser extent, Australia. In more recent times, the man was the subject of the Oscar winning documentary “Searching for Sugarman”, something which I still haven’t seen but am quite keen to, which has brought some belated attention to Rodriguez in his home country.

 

In terms of describing the album, I find it very hard, and the best I can do is borrow from the review on allmusic.com: “There was a mini-genre of singer/songwriters in the late '60s and early '70s that has never gotten a name. They were folky but not exactly folk-rock and certainly not laid-back; sometimes pissed off but not full of rage; alienated but not incoherent; psychedelic-tinged but not that weird; not averse to using orchestration in some cases but not that elaborately produced. And they sold very few records”. I think this sums it up quite well.

 

 Its Dylanesque, in terms of the stream of consciousness lyrics, which sometimes don’t make sense, and seem to have an undercurrent of protest in them, but it would be wrong to dismiss this as just another wannabe Dylan album. Its full of highlights for me -  the catchy “I Wonder” and “Sugar Man”, “Rich Folks Hoax”, “Hate Street Dialogue” and my favourite track on the album, the wonderfully titled “This is Not a Song, its an Outburst: Or, the Establishment Blues” (today’s link)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnzGrQy7cwU

 

For those that know the album, how would you describe it to someone who has never heard it?

 

Coming up next – a beautiful album from the suburbs of Australia

Dean's favourite albums #11 - Crowded House - Crowded House

Being a fan of Crowded House, virtually their entire back catalogue could have made it onto the list, and in particular, their fourth album “Together Alone” was very very close to making the cut. But I decided to head to their debut album, “Crowded House”, which occupies the 11th spot. This is an album full of hits – “Don’t Dream Its Over”, “Mean to Me” (see link), “Now We’re Getting Somewhere”, “World Where You Live” and  “Something So Strong”, but also contains some great other moments like “Love You Til the Day I Die” and “Tombstone”.

 

Strangely enough, it took the band breaking up for me to take notice of them. I still remember watching their “Farewell to the World” concert on TV, and thinking, “I know this song, this is a good song”, over and over again, and that led me to purchasing their best of album. My first venture into a Crowded House album though, was made in Hobart of all places in 1999. Its funny the things you remember – I still have strong memories of  purchasing a three pack containing “Crowded House”, “Temple of Low Men” and “Woodface” from the Sanity music store in the Hobart’s Elizabeth Street Mall. Those albums have been listened to a lot over the years since, and they all hold up as great albums.

 

 

Coming up – we enter the serious end of the countdown and at number ten its time to face fact with an American folk singer of Mexican heritage.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8nCSyPRCBQ

Dean's favourite albums #12 - The Living End - The Living End

January 1999. My first overseas trip. After a tiring flight, I arrive at my hotel in Los Angeles, and put the radio on – the first song I hear is “Save the Day” by the Living End, I didn’t even know it was a single, and I didn’t even know it had made it to LA, but I felt an immense amount of national pride to hear this. (I don’t think the radio was tuned to a mainstream station, but why let facts like that get in the way).

 

Released in October 1998, this brilliant album of high energy music is great listen, but it actually took me a while to purchase it. When I was living at home with my parents, my sister had a copy so I just used to play hers. Naturally when she moved out, she took it with her, and I had plenty of other music to listen to, it I went a number of years without having a copy at all. Then when I decided that I wanted to listen to it again, I couldn’t find it in the shops, so it took me quite some time to track it down.

 

The album contains rock rebellion anthems like “Prisoner of Society”,”Growing Up (Falling Down)” and “Save the Day”, but there is a significant amount of diversity that makes it a whole lot more than just another punk rock album. It ventures into rockability, it ventures into ska, as well as being loyal to its rock roots. I think another thing worth mentioning is the lyrics – covering all sorts of topics like the Dunblane massacre (see “Monday”), the overdevelopment of cities leading to the disappearance of heritage buildings (see “All Torn Down”) and the clashing of the different classes (see “West End Riot”, today’s link). It even closes with an instrumental, “Closing In”, which I have always thought would make one hell of a TV theme song, not that I would actually want that to happen though.

 

Like a few other albums  on my top 25 list, despite the fact that I really love this album, it is the only Living End album that I own – I never really took the time to explore them more than this. I can’t really explain why, perhaps I just thought they would never be able to top this effort.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twPZDLNzEXI

 

Coming up at #11 – another hugely successful debut album from the Antipodes

Dean's favourite albums #13 - Mermaid Avenue - Billy Bragg and Wilco

This is another album that I would not have forecast to make it this high on the list, but after making my list and checking it twice, I decided its spot is well deserved. A bit of background, the daughter of folk singer Woody Guthrie asked Billy Bragg to take some of Woody’s unheard lyrics and put them to music. Bragg accepted the challenged and roped in Wilco to assist him. The results were “Mermaid Avenue”, and a subsequent follow up “Mermaid Avenue Vol 2”.

 

It took me a bit of time to get into this album. Some tracks, the standouts in my opinion immediately stood out like “Walt Whitman’s Niece” (see link) and “Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key”, but the remainder of the album took a little while to unravel.  Eventually though, they started to work their way into me, and now I can say that the whole album is great with the catchy tracks like “Hoodoo Voodoo”, “She Came Along to Me” and “I Guess I Planted” stacking up nicely with the slower ones like “Ingrid Bergman”, and “At My Window Sad and Lonely”

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhe9tVARzCk

 

At #12 – we crank up the volume for a brilliant Aussie debut rock and roll album

Dean’s favourite albums #14 – What Rhymes with Cars and Girls – Tim Rogers

With a gap between You Am I recordings, frontman Tim Rogers decided he wanted to make a solo record. At the same time he was going through a breakup, and was able to draw on some of these emotions in the songwriting for this album. A low budget, simple album, Rogers moved away from the energetic rock and roll of You Am I, and created an album that leans more towards country sounds (although I have read reviews where Rogers states that it is not a country album).

 

I just find this album so accessible, and such an enjoyable listen, with highlights all through it, such as the catchy tracks “You’ve Been So Good to Me So Far” (see link), “You Just Don’t Do it For me Friend”, and “Arse Kicking Lady from the North West”. Then when you think it is just that sort of album, Tim throws in some wonderful ballads like “The Songs they Played as I Drove Away”, and a tale of relationship troubles in “Twenty Eight”.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feH37zr-c7g

 

Coming up next time - #13, we are off to fight the fascists with folk music!

Dean's favourite albums #15 - One Nil - Neil Finn

“One Nil” is the second solo album by Crowded House frontman Neil Finn.  The review of this album on Allmusic.com describes it as a straightforward album where“the songs are gently insinuating, slowly working their way into the subconscious.” I can certainly understand where this review is coming from, although it didn’t take me long to get into it, I was hooked right from the first listen, with the rockier track “Hole in the Ice”, the catchy “Don’t Ask Why”, and  first single “Rest of the Day Off” . But the more you listen, the more some of the other tracks to reveal themselves – the lovely “Last to Know”, the experimental “Elastic Heart”, and the acoustic opener, “The Climber”, for example. The highlight of the album though in my opinion is the stunning track “Turn and Run”, have a listen via the link.

 

This album was released in 2001, and interestingly enough, Neil has only just released his next solo album, “Dizzy Heights”, this month (not that he has been quiet, with Crowded House albums, Finn Brothers albums, Pajama Club album, Seven Worlds Collide albums etc made in that time). Its still early days with that one, it hasn’t quite grabbed me yet, although it has enough there to make we want to keep persisting.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bceT_mXlTjM

 

Next time on Dean’s favourite albums countdown - #14 – an unheralded classic, low budget album with just a tinge of country

Dean's favourite album #16 - Hourly, Daily - You Am I

For You Am I fans, the choice between their definitive album usually comes down to “Hi Fi Way” or “Hourly, Daily”, and fans usually plant themselves in one or other of the camps. Indeed in the book “ The 100 best Australian Albums”, “Hi Fi Way” came in at 8, “Hourly, Daily” at only 55. I have never really got into “Hi Fi Way” in a big way, so the choice for me came down to “Hourly, Daily” or “Dress Me Slowly”. You won’t see “Dress Me Slowly” on too many lists of great albums, but I like it, and it brings with it a lot of great memories or growing up, and I have to say, its often the album I will turn to if I am a bit low and need a pick me up. As important as that album is to me, I can’t really rate it above “Hourly, Daily” for one reason alone – “quality”.

“Hourly, Daily” is a classy album, sort of a concept album that creates a host of little sub stories about suburban life. The opening sequence of eight songs, being with the acoustically led wonderful opening title track, is about as good as any sequence of songs you will get on any album, as it moves though the ode to breakfast radio “Good Mornin”, the catchy “Mr Milk”, the underrated tracks of “Soldiers” (see link), “Tuesday”, the story of young lovers in “If We Can’t Get it Together”, the taxi driver ode “Flagfall $1.80” and “Wally Raffles”. But don’t think the album is done right there, there is still another half to go, and each of those tracks I could talk about as being solid too, including the song about “..dental work that puts fear in twelve year old’s faces” (ie braces) in “Please Don’t Ask Me To Smile”.

 

If you don’t know the album and read a review of it, I am sure that bands like the Who, the Kinks and the Small Faces would be likely to be compared. Sure, all great bands, and no denying some similarities, but You Am I’s sound is distinctively theirs and this makes a great listen.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1SV4v_qtBI

 

Coming up next – for #15 we head across the Tasman for an extremely talented singer/songwriter whose inclusion on this list I am sure would come as no surprise to those who know me.

Dean’s favourite albums #17 – The Whiff of Bedlam – James Reyne

 

As lead singer of Australian Crawl, James Reyne was the quintessential rock star. He then went onto an impressive solo career, which is showing no signs of slowing down. His popularity was at its peak in the 80’s, his debut self titled album in particular was very successful. Although those 80’s albums have great moments on them, they have dated a little, and I think you need to do turn to the 90’s and even the 2000’s to hear his best work. Albums like “Design for Living”, “Speedboats for Breakfast” and “Every Man a King” are all great and certainly could have pushed for selection on this list.

I have however chosen 1994’s “The Whiff of Bedlam” as my top James Reyne album. A mature album, it opens with a wispy electric piano led track, “Who the Hell do Think You Are” and then there is not a dud track on the album. Some of my favourites are “Red Light Avenue” (see link), the catchy “Uptown Ruler”, “Goin’ Fishing”, “Poor Man in the Penthouse” and the great closer “A Day on the Sun”, which grows on me more and more with every listen.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDlB5zcMEj0

 

Next time – we reach #16, and some alternative Aussie rock and roll from the 90’s!

Dean’s favourite albums #18 – Basement Birds – Basement Birds

Possibly the most controversial selection on my list – not so much because it’s a bad or controversial album, but more because it was simply a side project for a number of musicians (namely Kav from Eskimo Joe, Bob Evans/Kevin Mitchell, Josh Pyke and Steve Parkin) who really recorded it for a bit of fun. I suspect a lot of you are probably thinking “what the?” at this point. Its not going to win any awards for being innovative, but this Aussie “supergroup” if you like has carved out a lovely album laden with harmonies and nice enjoyable music. Its possibly the album I have listened to most over the past few years. There are highlights everywhere, as the album cruises along, from the whimsical jangly pop of “Bus Stop” (featuring a cameo appearance by Julia Stone), to the catchy pop/rock of “Not the One” (today’s link) and a number of country folk esque numbers in between.  “Waiting for You” and “Cinnamon and Smoke’ also rank up there as some my favourites on the album. Well worth a listen if you are unfamiliar with this album.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKLyzmxvpzU

 

Coming up at #17 – another favourite musician of mine, an Aussie well known for his work as lead singer of a band, but one that I feel really came into his own as a solo artist

Dean’s favourite albums #19 – Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow

I am a Sheryl Crow fan. Her first four albums (“Tuesday Night Music Club”, “Sheryl Crow”, “The Globe Sessions” and “C’mon C’mon”) are all brilliant, then came “Wildflower” which was OK, “Detours” which was good, “100 Miles from Memphis” which was disappointing, and then last year her first venture into country music with “Feels Like Home” which is good.  “Tuesday Night Music Club” is the critically acclaimed and Grammy award winning album that you are meant to like, but for me, it has always been a toss up between “Sheryl Crow” and “The Globe Sessions” for my favourite one. I was pretty certain that “The Globe Sessions” would make this list, but  at the last moment, I have switched, and decided to go with her second album, the self titled one.

 

This one contains radio friendly tracks like “If It Makes You Happy” (see link), a  great rock song, and “Every Day is a  Winding Road”, an enjoyable pop/rock track, but then its got a number of great ballads like “Home”, and “Sad Sad World”, one of my favourite Sheryl Crow tracks. Sheryl even moves into a bit of funk, on “Love is a Good Thing”. “Redemption Day”, a stunning piece of songwriting, would go on to be covered by Johnny Cash.  I think its always a mark of a good album when each time you listen to it, a different track jumps out at you and impresses, and that is exactly what happens every time I listen to this album.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyihQtBes1I

 

coming up at #18 – another self titled album, this time from 2010.

Dean’s favourite albums #20- Tea for the Tillerman – Cat Stevens

Clocking in at only 36 minutes or so, Mr Stevens (now Mr Islam) does not waste any of this time carving out a stunning album that leaves you wanting more. Even the closing track, the title track (which might be known to some of you as the theme music from The Extras) only goes for 1 minute, finishing before it even began.  In some ways, a musically simple album, there are just so many lovely tracks to enjoy. The lesser known tracks like “Miles from Nowhere” are “Longer Boats” are great, and then there is the hits like “Wild World”, a break up song where Stevens gives his ex some advice. It’s a curious track, because depending on how you view it, it’s a man showing genuine concern for his ex, but on the other hand it could be viewed in rather cynically. The highlight of the whole album though, is the ultimate generation gap song, “Father and Son”, where Stevens, singing as two characters, the father and then the son, perfectly sums up a situation where the older father is trying to impart the wisdom of experience to his son, yet the son feels that his thoughts and feelings and not being heard, which drives him away. Forget your Westlife and countless other covers of this song, you can’t beat the original. If you don’t know this track, see the link.

 

One other thing that I can’t explain – I have no idea who or what the Tillerman is (but I hope the tea was enjoyed). Happy to hear any theories on this topic.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cpX1ZjuaiA

 

As we move into the teens, #19 brings us into the nineties, and an album from one of favourite artists – but not the critically acclaimed album.