They Exist

Imagine that a group of Carnies escaped from a roving caravan only to breed children with little intelligence and exceptional foreheads. This is the population of Lockport.

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The Shit for Brains on my Train

I originally was going to post this as a haiku and spent a few minutes on this ride coming up with the right words. The truth is that the guy sitting right in front of me warrants more than a few sentences of carefully crafted verse.

The guy sitting in front of me is roughly 5 ft 4 and weighs close to 160 lbs. He has salt and pepper hair, glasses, and a blackberry that was in style roughly three years ago. He is also the most annoying man I have ever had to deal with in the general proximity. He is loud, obnoxious and from the idle conversation he shares with a few riders I think he is a lawyer. Oh and he is also an extreme creature of habit thus creating the issue between us.

Every night I get on the train while it is relatively empty, I take a seat and draw out the demons of the workday by listening to my IPOD or reading or writing. When obnoxious gets on the train he makes it a point to announce that I am not Richard. Apparently the seat I am in is reserved for this mysterious Richard. He yells this every single day.

Oh wait I am stopping this rant to say his annoying compadres just showed up to spend their time being loud and obnoxious. I guess, taking into account that obnoxious man rolls with a pack, that he is guilty by association or by culture. It is evident that they are just the coterie of idiots that make up the population of Lockport. So it goes.

You Know They Got A Hell of a Band

Let me make this quick and painless. If you have not listened to the new Black Keys album Brothers you are missing out on what might be the greatest listening experience I have had this year.

For me it is rare to hear an album that I would categorize as top tier. Artist release albums to fulfill a need by the label to have a hit single. Because we have moved into a new digital realm, that is all the label needs to make a profit. So with that in mind, artist put on a hit single on an album then load it with another 11 tracks of crap.

This is why I have been amazed by Brothers and the Broken Bells. Here are two albums that are absolutely pure and a throw back to the time when artists actually recorded an albums worth of material. The songs sync together to create an experience which is all this music fan asks for.

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Test

I am testing my phone blogging capability.

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1960's

So right off the bat I will give you what I think the Best Album of the 60's, The Most Influential Album of the 60's, and Best Song of the 60's is, and from there you can choose to continue reading. Please note, I am just a dude who likes music and have no idea if the music I have chosen is reflected on any list (but I bet they are).

Best Album: The Beatles- Rubber Soul.

Most Influential Album: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds.

Best Song: The Beach Boys - God Only Knows.


Best Album: The Beatles- Rubber Soul.

There are two camps when it comes to best albums + The Beatles. Those who think Revolver is the best, or those who think Sgt. Peppers is the best. Now, both of these albums are the amazing, do not get me wrong. If I was on a desert island with my top 100 albums, they would both be in my treasure chest. However, if I was on a desert island with only five albums, Rubber Soul would be one of the five.

In this world, there is nothing better than listening to this album, frontwards to back, and taking it in. This was The Beatles at the beginning of their musical journey. Yes, there are at least a hundred recordings previous to this record, but it was here that they began to shine. Take away a few garbage songs on the album, the rest is solid gold. For me, The song In My Life is the number 1 song Lennon/McCartney ever wrote. It is an important album- Harrison starts to shine as a lyricist and instrumental innovator, Lennon starts to seem more comfortable with his singing, and McCartney truly begins to put substance into his lyrics (most of the songs are written for his impending break-up with then girlfriend Jane Asher). Hell, even Ringo gets creative by flicking a matchbook as percussion during the song I'm Looking Through You. This is the best Beatles album, and no matter how many revisions to the list, or new expanded remastered albums they put out, Rubber Soul will always be their best.


Most Influential Album: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds.

It is almost fitting that the most influential album of the 1960's was born from the best album. When Brian Wilson heard the album Rubber Soul by The Beatles, he realized that musically The Beach Boys needed to go places. Wilson began writing songs with lyricist Tony Asher, and the result, in my opinion, is the most influential album of the 1960's. This album, besides giving the world amazing songs, was what would usher in the world of studio experimentation. One could say, well George Harrison (The Beatles) was playing the Sitar and George Martin(The Beatles producer) was messing around with the studio space, but Brian Wilson took experimentation and made it into a cohesive, grand experience. Any band, from May 1966 onwards who ever flipped a knob and found brilliance, owes that inspiration to this album.


Best Song: The Beach Boys - God Only Knows.

What can someone say about this song that has not already been said. This is one of the best songs of all time. Now saying that might lead you to believe that I am saying it is great amongst rock and roll or the music post Elvis shaking his hips. No, I am saying it is one of the best of ALL time. Throw in a couple songs by Mozart and Beethoven and you are on your way. When people in the future are carbon dating our bones and picking up bits of our culture and they happen upon this song, they will think we were a beautiful species. I am going on record with this blog that no one has written a more beautiful song since and I am guessing no one will. I danced to this song with my wife at our wedding. case closed.

My Best, Influential Albums and Best Songs

So I have been in a heated debate with my old buddy Chris about what was the best song of the 1990's. Chris and I have of course agreed to disagree( for now) but in the interim, the discussion has prompted me to take a look at the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's and pick my favorite album, the most influential album, and the best song of the decade. I decided I would blog about it and see everyones reaction. By no means am I the definitive answer to great music, but I thought it would be interesting to see what others reactions would be. Chris may get a little pissed at me but am going out on a limb

Top 100 of Decade

Well, I certainly took a big crap when it came to my official list of top 100 albums of the decade. Of course I had great excuses for ignoring the list. First, My wife and I moved to the suburbs, specifically with my mother in law whose Internet access was crap. Second, my wife and I were building a new house which is a time suck. Third, my wife was pregnant. My daughter was born happy and healthy on November 18, 2009. Now, I am not a complete loser. I compiled my list last May and therefore I am going to publish it without comments. Maybe my blog followers have their own idea of top albums?

My list

100 Eddie Vedder Into the Wild(OTS) 2007
99 Girl Talk Feed the Animals 2008
98 Jets Overhead Bridges 2005
97 Dr Dre The Chronic 2001 2001
96 Wolfmother Wolfmother 2006
95 Nine Inch Nails With Teeth 2005
94 Dave Matthews Band Everyday 2001
93 Gorillaz Demon Days 2005
92 Jay Z Kingdom Come 2006
91 Dave Matthews Band Gru Grux King 2009
90 Dr. Dog Fate 2008
89 Eminem The Marshall Mather LP 2001
88 The Strokes Is This It 2001
87 Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake.. 2004
86 Tool Lateralus 2001
85 Shins Chutes to Know 2002
84 Queens of the Stoneage Songs for the Deaf 2002
83 The Killers Sawdust 2007
82 Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica 2001
81 Beyonce I'm Sasha Fierce 2008
80 Bloc Party Silent Alarm 2006
79 Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium 2006
78 Brian Wilson Smile 2004
77 Mgmt Oracular Spectacular 2008
76 Incubus Morning View 2001
75 Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad 2008
74 Beyonce Dangerously In Love 2004
73 Outkast Speakerboxx/The Love Below 2003
72 System of a Down Toxicity 2001
71 The Great Northern Trading Twilight for Daylight 2007
70 Wilco Wilco(The Album) 2009
69 Sufjan Stevens Illinois 2006
68 Thom Yorke The Eraser 2006
67 Keane Hopes and Fears 2004
66 Kings of Leon Only By The Night 2008
65 The Strokes Room on Fire 2003
64 The National Boxer 2007
63 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000
62 Staind Break The Cycle 2001
61 3 Doors Down The Better Life 2000
60 The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan 2005
59 Greeny Day 21st Century Breakdown 2009
58 Beck The Information 2006
57 Kanye West Graduation 2007
56 Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love. 2005
55 Ryan Adams Heartbreaker 2005
54 Mark Ronson Versions 2007
53 Jay Z American Gangster 2007
52 The Killers Day & Age 2008
51 Metallica St. Anger 2003
50 Pearl Jam Pearl Jam 2006
49 Coldplay Viva La Vida 2008
48 Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred 2006
47 Radiohead Amnesiac 2001
46 Beck Guero 2005
45 Jeff Tweedy Sunken Treasure 2006
44 Lil' Wayne Tha Carter III 2008
43 Amy Winehouse Back to Black 2007
42 Dave Matthews Some Devil 2003
41 Eve Scorpion 2001
40 U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic 2003
39 The White Stripes Icky Thump 2007
38 Maroon 5 Songs About Jane 2003
37 Jay Z The Blueprint 2001
36 James Blunt Back to Bedlam 2005
35 Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairy Tales 2001
34 Gym Class Heroes As Cruel as School Children 2006
33 Gorillaz Gorillaz 2001
32 Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand 2004
31 Danger Mouse The Grey Album 2004
30 Beck Modern Guilt 2008
29 Fergie The Duchess 2007
28 The Soundtrack of our Lives Behind the Music 2002
27 Kanye West Late Registration 2005
26 Radiohead Hail to the Thief 2004
25 Justin Timberlake Future Sex Love Sounds 2006
24 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes 2008
23 The Killers Sams Town 2006
22 Metallica Death Magnetic 2008
21 Nelly Furtado Loose 2006
20 Wilco A Ghost is Born 2004
19 Coldplay X&Y 2005
18 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend 2008
17 Beck Sea Changes 2002
16 The Killers Hot Fuzz 2000
15 Jay Z The Black Album 2003
14 Radiohead Kid A 2000
13 TI Paper Trail 2008
12 Weezer The Green Album 2001
11 Bright Eyes Cassadega 2007
10 The White Stripes White Blood Cells 2001
9 Radiohead In Rainbows 2007
8 The White Stripes Elephant 2003
7 Wilco Sky Blue Sky 2007
6 Green Day American Idiot 2004
5 Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head 2002
4 U2 All That You Cant Leave Behind 2000
3 Kanye West College Dropout 2004
2 Coldplay Parachutes 2000
1 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2001