My Top Ten Albums...

i'm 27. i have thought of this list several times. actually too many times. i don't know what i will think once i'm 47, or even if i'll be alive by then. there is a lot of thought that i had to make to go into this list. it wasn't some fluke, or fly-by action. i've used this blog as a means to express personal data, or be "naked" in how i portray myself. some things can be and should be left unsaid. this is the internet of course...

i'm trying my best to not be a jaded fool here. a bitter "old man" i guess. music to me is something more than what's presented on the outside. it has to move me. flow through me. i consider it to be one of the last free things humans can do without expertise or worry because it's an expression of one's self. i don't make music and the thought of me trying doesn't seem to work for me. i don't like to criticize, but there have come some times when i have stood on the soap box and stated my claims. these days i try to just write about what's happening and what i think others would like to hear. even though a lot of music isn't good, there's still the notion that somewhere out there in this vast universe, the creative process is rolling, and unbeknownst to all, the next amazing thing will spring forth.

in my short time i've heard and seen many things. what i'm about to list is what has stayed with me through the long run. from all the things that's come across my path, these albums are what continue to stay. take that for what you will. enjoy the list of all lists...

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree
this is my favorite album of all time. there has never been an album that has taken its place. it's my entire life all collected in one sweet place. when i listen to it, i think about my childhood and the good memories from it. the mountains of new mexico. the long drives through oklahoma. the cold air i breathe. black and white pictures. the 80's...

2. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
this was my first band i discovered on my own and took the time out to acknowledge and listen to. they were my first concert. i got this album on double cassette and i played it to death. "1979" is my favorite song of all time. this is my album of the 90's. it's what i use to think back on how i acted and related to things. i was young and had no idea about anything other than this music is special and it means something to me. i was hooked after that and became a music nerd.

3. Deftones - White Pony
high school sucked. it probably sucked for everyone, no matter how much they say it didn't. this is that one album that made those days seem at least livable. time moved slow in school back then, and so did this music, but in its own unique way. songs like "Digital Bath" and "Change (In The House of Flies)" flowed with my time spent there and it all glazed over like a warm washing. no class or somewhat lecture could distract me from learning every word and note from that album. it was inspiring and led me away from a lot of things that i thought were cool and important. it's been like that to this day.

4. Radiohead - Ok Computer
this album freaked me out on first listen. it took some time to grasp, but the end result was worth the energy and mind boggling complexity i put into liking it. i still continue to find new things each time i listen to it. it really did portray the insecurity and fear of the future through technology. its more poignant today than ever before. from the first time i heard it, i never thought i'd be typing this on a phone. typing my thoughts on a blog...

5. Greenday - Dookie
my pre-youth time being a spoiled brat and spending money given to me to buy music for myself. i thank Beavis and Butthead for gettin me into this band. this is my favorite punk album. its raw, yet refined in pure pop goodness. it was another gateway album for me. it has that time locked safe that holds my childhood and innocence i guess...

6. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
an album of sound. just pure sound. its wonderfully made. nothing comes close to it. shoegaze is an interesting thing if it's done right. it's a real work of "art". art as in the creative process to make a mark on life through God given talent. there was a massive amount of talent shown here. Kevin Shields heard something in his head here, or perhaps he didn't. it was probably organic, which i like the idea of.

7. Radiohead - The Bends
a more soothing album than Ok Computer, but nonetheless complex and downright astonishing in its own way. it holds that special place for many people as their last journey with Radiohead. i can understand that and its perfectly fine. i guess i continued on with the band because they had more to give. but here is a an album that can stand tall and perhaps take the spot as their best album, but that's always going to be for people's debate.

8. Bob Dylan - Blood on The Tracks
an album full of pain and regret, but beautifully made. a "perfect" album. one that i recall Bob as being excited over enough to show all his friends immediately. "Simple Twist of Fate", "Idiot Wind", and "Shelter from the Storm" stand out as tracks that helped me through tough times. the tough times of a breakup and depression. it was made before my time, but totally relates right now.

9. At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
this album has already been written by me in a much more detailed post from a long time ago, but i'll go back to it again. it took me away from mainstream pap and brought me into the underground world of music. it opened the door to indie, punk, hip-hop, electronic, and whatever else. i still recall the first time i watched the music video for "One Armed Scissor". the band looked different, played different, and sounded different. it struck me quick and left an impression. at this time, the band is going to reunite and play at this year's Coachella. a moment i've always wanted seems to be in place for me. i can't wait to go back to california one more time.

10. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People
taking tenth place is an album that i carefully thought of. it was hard to make this choice, but after all the time i've spent through my collection, it has rightfully taken its place here. its charming and subtle, rockin' and rollin'. i love it.


i couldn't make this list without mentioning some that almost made it. these are just as important to me, but only slightly fell below my choices. sorry to those who were a runner-up. i always was...

The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
Third Eye Blind - Self Titled
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Joy Division - Closer
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Minor Threat - Discography
Bruce Springsteen - Born In the USA
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
American Football - Self Titled
Converge - Jane Doe
Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
U2 - Achtung Baby


and i guess that's it for now. like i said, i'm only 27, soooooooo what else is left???