So here I figured I would finish my listing of favorite albums. Enough talk, here goes with 5 more of the albums that are amongst my favorites at this point in time.
Over The Rhine ~ Drunkard's Prayer - This album has so much to it. This is a great album for everyone, but it is especially great for those folk who are married. Here's a quick back story on this album. Karen and Linford, the two main people who make up Over the Rhine, are married. Shortly after the beginning of a tour for their previous (and also really good) album Ohio they realized that though the music was good, their marriage was on auto-pilot, and was going nowhere. They dumped the rest of the tour and went home to work on that part of their lives. Out of that hurt, healing, confusion, prayer, and time came this amazing disc. Together they have put together an album that is as raw and beautiful as any album I have ever heard.
The Cure ~ Disintegration - I always thought I hated the Cure. Robert Smith still creeps me out to a certain degree, but this album was my introduction to what has become one of my favorite bands. Dark brooding songs, fun pop songs, interesting music is all over this disc. It is one of those 80s albums that everyone should own.
Vigilantes of Love ~ Audible Sigh - Bill Mallonee is one of my favorite songwriters. I have just about every album he has ever put out, but this one is in my mind his most complete album. The songs are strong, the playing is top notch, and the themes are stirring. On top of that, I'll always love his fascination with trains. If I ever got around to a listing of my favorite songs, it would surely include several Bill Mallonee songs, and there is a good chance that none of them would be from this album, but when I want to listen to a lot of Bill Mallonee, this is the album I go to.
Low ~ Things We Lost in the Fire - On paper Low sounds like an extremely boring band. Three people playing their instruments pretty very slowly. When it comes together though, it makes for such a great listen. This disc has some great atmosphere and vocal harmonies. I think I could fall asleep to this disc every night (and I mean that in a really good way).......if it wouldn't drive my wife nuts.
Sufjan Stevens ~ Michigan - I will preface this blurb by saying that I think Illinoise is a better album. This list isn't about best albums though, it is about my favorites. This album is quite an adventure. It was my introduction to Sufjan, and as such, it will always be one of my favorites. He does so many things so well, and this album shows a lot of that.
Well, there's the list, and for today, I'm sticking to it.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
Favorite Albums of My Lifetime
On a long roadtrip by myself to meet my wife at her parent's house, I started listening to some albums that I hadn't listened to in a long time. It got me thinking about a bunch of my favorite albums. I love finding new music, and as such there are times that I tend to neglect my old favorites. As I have grown up, my favorite albums have changed a lot. I pulled out my favorite album from eighth grade a month or so ago. Stone Temple Pilot's Purple just doesn't connect with my quite like it used to. I think I would rather gouge out my eye than listen to my favorite album from fifth grade. That one is embarrassing enough that I won't even admit what it is. All in all at this point in my 25 years I have listened to a lot of albums. Here are ten in no particular order that right now I would consider my favorites:
- The Prayer Chain ~ Mercury - I picked up my first Prayer Chain disc Antarctica in the bargain bin when I was in 9th grade. I thought the chanting at the beginning of Crawl was pretty cool, but there wasn't much for my tastes to latch on to at that time. Five years later after reading about how much people loved Mercury, I picked up a copy. I understood more about music at that point and knew that I was listening to something that really was special. After getting to see those guys perform their songs in 2003, Mercury was cemented in its place as one of my favorite disc from one of my all time favorite bands.
- The Violet Burning ~ Lipstick and Dynamite Wonder - Different songs have hit me like a brick at different times. The words and tones all across this album hit me differently everytime I hear them. I wish I could better explain how much this album effects me, but I can't.
- The Normals ~ Coming to Life - This album was the theme of a great year in my life. I learned so much that year, and this album got so many listens because it went so well with what I was being taught. When I need a reminder of God's grace, I pull this album out. This album is probably the most up front "Christian" of any album I have ever loved in it's entirety. Andrew Osenga continues to be one of my favorite songwriters to this day.
- Sleeping at Last ~ Ghosts - As sort of the Anti-Coming to Life, this album was the theme of one of the worst seasons in my life. After I graduated college, but before I got a job was one of the toughest times I have ever faced. This album comforted my like no other album ever had. I was listening to this disc just about every night for 2-3 months. Like many of the others on this list, these guys should be huge, but they are criminally overlooked. They are about to release a new album. Go to www.sleepingatlast.com and buy it.
- Counting Crows ~ August and Everything After - Ok, ok, so Counting Crows might have sort of a bad reputation. Many music fans would immediately ignore your opinion if you considered anything by Counting Crows as one of your favorite albums. This disc is solid from start to finish and contains some of the best story songs of the 90s. I can say with 100% honesty that I love this album more than I did when I bought it after hearing Mr. Jones on the radio when I was 12. When you find a "pop" album with songs better than Round Here, Anna Begins, and A Murder of One, let me know.
Well, I have written way too much so far. I will stop at five for now and continue when I have some time later this week. Life should be a little slower with not having to go out of town along with the Mavs not playing until Thursday.
- The Prayer Chain ~ Mercury - I picked up my first Prayer Chain disc Antarctica in the bargain bin when I was in 9th grade. I thought the chanting at the beginning of Crawl was pretty cool, but there wasn't much for my tastes to latch on to at that time. Five years later after reading about how much people loved Mercury, I picked up a copy. I understood more about music at that point and knew that I was listening to something that really was special. After getting to see those guys perform their songs in 2003, Mercury was cemented in its place as one of my favorite disc from one of my all time favorite bands.
- The Violet Burning ~ Lipstick and Dynamite Wonder - Different songs have hit me like a brick at different times. The words and tones all across this album hit me differently everytime I hear them. I wish I could better explain how much this album effects me, but I can't.
- The Normals ~ Coming to Life - This album was the theme of a great year in my life. I learned so much that year, and this album got so many listens because it went so well with what I was being taught. When I need a reminder of God's grace, I pull this album out. This album is probably the most up front "Christian" of any album I have ever loved in it's entirety. Andrew Osenga continues to be one of my favorite songwriters to this day.
- Sleeping at Last ~ Ghosts - As sort of the Anti-Coming to Life, this album was the theme of one of the worst seasons in my life. After I graduated college, but before I got a job was one of the toughest times I have ever faced. This album comforted my like no other album ever had. I was listening to this disc just about every night for 2-3 months. Like many of the others on this list, these guys should be huge, but they are criminally overlooked. They are about to release a new album. Go to www.sleepingatlast.com and buy it.
- Counting Crows ~ August and Everything After - Ok, ok, so Counting Crows might have sort of a bad reputation. Many music fans would immediately ignore your opinion if you considered anything by Counting Crows as one of your favorite albums. This disc is solid from start to finish and contains some of the best story songs of the 90s. I can say with 100% honesty that I love this album more than I did when I bought it after hearing Mr. Jones on the radio when I was 12. When you find a "pop" album with songs better than Round Here, Anna Begins, and A Murder of One, let me know.
Well, I have written way too much so far. I will stop at five for now and continue when I have some time later this week. Life should be a little slower with not having to go out of town along with the Mavs not playing until Thursday.
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