The Urban 1000 (ish)
 

May as well start it then

Link to the first 100... http://www.musicbanter.com/showthread.php?t=9727

Anyway , the first 5 or so here are ones that would have been in the original 100 but i`d not heard them until after the majority of the list was done.


The first time I heard this I was shocked at just how modern this album sounded.This album is at least 15 years ahead of it`s time. In fact the album sounds like Talking Heads if Aphex Twin & DJ Shadow were in the band. David Byrne no singing on this album. All of the lyrics are made up from samples of tv/radio news reports , movies , speeches , chanting .. even an exorcism .Tracks like America Is Waiting & Regiment are pure funk. Help Me goes one step further by being funk with African percussion. The Jezebel Spirit features the above mentioned exorcism ,sounding like it`s being performed at a James Brown gig given the background music.The album then takes a arabic flavour with tracks like The Carrier , The Secret Life & Qu`ran (taken off some versions of the album & replaced by another track called Very Very Hungry), before going back into full on electronica with Come With Us. The final track Mountain Of Needles has a kind of Hare Krisna feel with bells ringing & chanting. This really is a fascinating album it`s almost like there`s something for everybody who`s prepared to be broad minded & take a few new things on board.I`ve never met one person who`s heard this album dislike it.

Favourite Tracks - America Is Waiting , Regiment , The Jezebel Spirit , The Carrier




Hawkwind`s last hurrah. This album is a big two fingers to the people who said Hawkwind would lose the plot after Lemmy was fired from the band.I mean they did , but at least the put this out first before it all went downhill. This is probably the most professional line up of the band.In previous years there was very much an attitude of just letting anyone who was around do things, they didn`t have a frontman of any description , that being shared by Lemmy , Bob Calvert & Nik Turner.By the time this album was released Calvert returned to the band after a couple of years off & actually became 'The Singer' , they also had a proper keyboard player in Simon House rather than just someone making weird spacy effects, and also two drummers.The main way that this differs from the usual Hawkwind album is how direct the songs are , almost as if they`d taken a leaf out of punk. Even the 10 minute long 'Steppenwolf' has a solid riff going the whole way through the song backed up with some structured keybords & sax , something totally unheard of when it comes to Hawkwind usually.
'City Of Lagoons' an instrumental , sounds like it could have come straight off a Pink Floyd album , a slow bluesy riff layered in high pitched keyboards. I`ve never really understood why people consider Hawkwind prog rock , but hearing this it wouldn`t surprise me.'The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon' could almost be considered Jazz / funk , a total departure but interesting. The album also contains 3 great 'singles' in Reefer Madness , Kerb Crawler & Kadu Flyer which are all flat out rock n roll.The album ends with Chronoglide Skyway which again tries to sound like it should have been put on Dark Side Of The Moon.
I was led to beleive that Hawkwind post Lemmy were crap , I`m so glad I gave this album a chance. Didn`t last mind you, by the time they`d finished touring for this album they were down to a trio of Dave Brock , Robert Calvert & Simon King .......oh well.

Favourite Tracks - Reefer Madness , Steppenwolf , Kerb Crawler , Chronoglide Skyway

( they're getting bigger again );)

Only because Hawkwind have about 50 line up changes a year ;)

Howcome there is no photo for the first one?

There is on mine

You can't see this?

If not here http://rateyourmusic.com/album_images2/14763.jpg

just changed it

I see it now, but no, it wasn't there a moment ago.
...honestly. I am not crazy

So I'm expecting Decemberists, Eagles, and a Chili Peppers album on here, cause they weren't in the top 100.

^You're funny.

si muy comico

Special tribute post.....


When I was about 13/14 I remember having Pink Floyd forced upon me by many different people. And I just thought they were sooooo dull.
A few years later I was staying with a friend & got talking to her step father about music. He was a huge Pink Floyd fan and I told him that they didn`t really do anything for me.I told him about the stuff I liked and he gave me a copy of Piper At The Gates Of Dawn & told me to give that album a chance. I played it & loved it instantly. Eventually I did get into Pink Floyd , and I could see why people thought that the likes of Dark Side Of The Moon & Wish You Were Here were so great , but for me it was the Syd Barrett era of the band that I thought was special. Some people like Pink Floyd for Dave Gilmours guitar skills , other for Roger Waters lyrics but for me it was Syd Barretts songwriting that made me like that band.
I`d always been aware of Syd`s solo albums but never really bothered to check them out , then about 10 years ago I found myself reading in detail about them in various magazines (I think it may have been the hype over his 50th Birthday) and decided I should check them out.

His first album 'The Madcap Laughs' is a very erratic affair ,it`s pretty directionless & raw as hell. The opening song 'Terrepin' is a slow bluesy acoustic number that sounds like it`s about to breakdown any minute. Just listening to songs like this you can tell in what a fragile state the guy was in. 'No Good Trying' is more like the psychdelic pop that he wrote with Pink Floyd , it just sounds totally random. The lyrics hardly fit the song , the guitars sound like they`re doing what the hell they like , the song is just utter chaos.'Love You' is a little more cohesive sounding like an early Beatles song with a bit of music hall piano ,Barrett seems to be really putting effort into this song. One of the best songs on the album.The next two tracks No Mans Land & Dark Globe are light psychadelia inspired acuostic songs , they`re nothing special really but they keep the album flowing.'Here I Go' could be a great 60s style pop song but Barretts vocals spoil it , it`s just like he`s mumbling the whole song.'Octopus' is the best song on the album , This is probably the best song Barrett ever recorded as a solo artist.It probably closer to something on the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album than anything Pink Floyd ever recorded, but it`s a fantastic piece of 60s psychadelia thats worth hearing the album for.After that the album goes downhill quite dramatically of the 5 remaining tracks only 'She Took A Long Cold Look' is really any good the other 4 tracks basically being directionless acoustic songs where Barretts voice really sounds strained.

His second album 'Barrett' is a huge improvement , probably due to the added influence of Roger Water & Dave Gilmour who were much more involved with this album than the first.It`s said that Barrett had very little to do with the music side on this album , he wrote & sang the songs but did very little else & would disappear for days on end during the recording of it.The opening song on the album 'Baby Lemonade' is another of Barretts best songs as a solo artist, a wonderful example of pop at it`s purest form with vunerable edge to it.'Love Song' is a beautiful piano led ballad , easily on par with anything on 'Piper' , one of my favourite Barrett songs too.The next couple of songs 'Dominos' & 'It Is Obvious' are more of the same psychadelic pop , much better than anything on the first album , showing the consistancy that this album has that 'madcap' didn`t. 'Rats' is probably the nearest Barrett song ever made to what could be classed as 'rock' , he even shouts some of the lyrics.'Maisie' is possibly the weakest track on the album , just a slow steady drum beat with Barrett mumbling over the top of it.'Gigalo Aunt' would probably be Barrett`s best known track , A nice upbeat guitar pop song that i`ve lost count of the number of indie bands that have covered it.The album picks up after this with 4 nice songs in 'Waving My Arms In The Air' , I Never Lied To You' 'Wined & Dined' and 'Wolfpack', again these 4 songs are nice gentle examples of psychadelic pop that was missing from the first album,if there is a fault they do all sound rather similar.The album ends off with 'Effervescing Elephant' which is basically a nursery rhyme put to music , a bit like 'Bike' of 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn'

'Opel' was a compilation of unreleased songs & alternate takes released in 1988 , of the new tracks here 'Clown & Jugglers' is a highlight being an version of 'Octopus' with different lyrics , in fact it reminds me a lot of 'Sally Simpson' off the Who`s Tommy.'Swan Lee (Silas Lang) is just plain weird , it just sounds like someone tuning up a guitar mumbling over it , in fact it probably was.in 'Lanky Part 1' Syd actually picks up an electric guitar , it sounds like the weird bits in 'Intersteller Overdrive' but it makes a nice change from all the acoustic pop on the album. Speaking of which the song that closes the album 'Milky Way' is one of the better ones of that nature.

I`m not going to pretend these are the greatest albums ever recorded , if you are into the 'rock' music Pink Floyd put out in the 70s you may as well look elsewhere because these albums are all psychadelic pop / folk music. But for anyone whos willing to give them a chance between the three of them there`s enough good material to make up one albums worth. But it has to be said given the circumstances that they were recorded under given Syd`s mental state it`s a miracle that we even have these out at all. There are some real gems buried in these albums and I hope that people will check them out with the raised awareness of them around his death.

Thanks for everything Syd.

Beginners guide to Syds solo work : Terrepin , No Good Trying , Octopus , She Took A Long Cold Look , Baby Lemonade , Love Song , Gigalo Aunt , Effervescing Elephant , Clown & Jugglers , Lanky Part 1, Milky Way.

The Prisoners are a classic example of wrong time, wrong place.Had a band like them existed in London in 2000/2001 with their brand of mod / psychadelic garage rock they would have been all over the music press as the next big thing. However being from Kent in 1982 when the rest of the world was interested in new romantics , new wave , new wave of British heavy metal and various other genres beginning with the word 'new' it was never going to happen.
There`s quite a few influences at work on this album , the album opener 'Better In Black' sounds just like The Jam , even vocalist Graham Day sounds like a more gravel voiced Paul Weller . The following song , the title track 'A Taste Of Pink' is an instrumental song plucked straight from mid 60s , Jamie Taylors organ dominates on this track and theres an obvious influence from the R&B / mod pop bands of the time such as Booker T & The MGs.There are a couple of nice ballads on the album too in 'There Can`t Be A Place' & 'Threw My Heart Away' which are pure mid 80s jangly C86 indie 4 years early. Another highlight is 'Come To The Mushroom' which is pure early Pink Floyd (Try telling me that album cover isn`t a total rip off from Piper At The Gates Of Dawn).There`s also a couple of more 'punk' numbers in 'Creepy Crawlies' & 'Say Your Prayers'.The album finishes with possibly the best track on the album 'Don`t Call My Name'.
I can`t remember where I first heard of this band.I think it was about 3 or 4 years ago reading something about them when this album was reissued.Glad I checked it out though.They put out a couple more albums that were lapped up by their cult following but sadly it wasn`t enough and they lasted just 3 more years and split in 1985. Shame.

Favourite Songs - Better In Black , There Can`t Be A Place , Come To The Mushroom , Don`t Call My Name




I was there........

Around 1987/88 the BBC`s acclaimed documentary series 'Arena' broadcast an eagerly awaited documentary about 'Heavy Metal' , on 9pm one Friday evening. As a young kid just getting into metal at the time this was unmissable veiwing and I sat down to watch it with my Dad. Expecting to see the usual metal bands of the mid 80s , people were shocked to discover that the main topic of the documentary followed one band....... Napalm Death. From the moment the band launched into their live show things were never quite the same again.
My Dad sat there with his jaw on the ground , I was staring wide eyed at the screen in amazement that a band like this even existed. It might sound old hat now but back then you NEVER had music like this on prime time TV. This to me was my 'Sex Pistols on the Grundy show' moment. They had songs a couple of seconds long , they called Slayer a bunch of wimps , my parents thought it was a joke. They were perfect.
I went to school the following Monday , all the metal kids were only talking about one band , Napalm Death.The metal magazine letters pages went into meltdown , even metal fans thought it was a joke. Suddenly Iron Maiden seemed boring in comparison.
I never did get around to buying the album , no money at that age plus indie albums were hard to get here at the time. I did pick up a couple of their later more 'Death Metal' albums but it was a totally different line up and wasn`t really the same.
I finally did get the album a few weeks ago , with the original Dorrian , Embury , Steer , Harris line up.It bought back so many memories and I listened to this brutal , loud , uncompromising music with a huge shit eating grin on my face.
My first ever contact with 'underground' music , and probably the best too.

Favourite Songs - Evolved As One , It`s A MANS World , Cock Rock Alienation , Mentally Murdered

I only have Scum. It's pretty... brutal. In a good way though.

I finally own this again after losing it when I moved house a few years ago , so i`m now happy.
I got into this lot in the late 90s after getting into Ian Svenonius following band The Make Up. I liked The Make Up but I found that a lot of the gospal style preaching detracted from the music. I found myself wishing that Svenonius would just shut up & play. The Nation of Ulysses seemed to me to be a more streamlined band than the Make Up and I liked them a lot more for that.
I like the band for the same reason I like bands like the New York Dolls & Motorhead, It`s pure dumb loud rock n roll. I`ve always thought that if the New York Dolls were a post punk band they would sound like this. In fact during the song 'Today I Met the Girl I'm Going to Marry' features the exact same spoken word intro to the Dolls 'Lookin For A Kiss'.
I do find it funny there are some people consider this band an influence on emo. I think that kind of misses the point. The whole beauty of the Nation Of Ulysses is that they are totally superficial. The defining theme of this album is image , it`s about looks , clothes , manifestos , political imagery , preaching , In fact you could say that the Nation Of Ulysses are the ultimate scene/poser band , something that your average 'real' emo fan seems to detest.
The whole subject of album is little more than a joke to me. To me this is satire of musical elitism done so well you wonder if they`re being serious or not.But the music on it is faultless. Punk? post punk? hardcore? post hardcore?....who the hell cares, to me it`s great rock n roll.

Favourite Songs - Spectra Sonic Sound , Look Out ! Soul Is Back , Asprin , Target USA

^Could you upload that album and possibly go on with the list? I'm gonna try to find everything I haven't heard from the 100 and this thread as well.

It`s a while since I did anything in here but i`m in the mood to start it up again so here we go.........


First off I have to say that this is going to really difficult because I do not have a clue how i`m even going to begin to describe this album , In fact i`d even struggle to tell you which genre you could stick this under.All I can do is tell you this album is wonderful and just say how it sounds to me. I`m sure if anyone listens to it they`ll disagree with me totally and roll off a load of other names that this sounds like but it doesn`t really matter, the point is this is in a class of it`s own.
I know virtually zero about this band , I know they`re made up of four beardy multi-instrumentalist none of which have a defined role in the band , and that they`re a backing band for ex Swans vocalist Michael Gira. But thats about it.
The album opens with the 9 and a half minute epic Blessed Force which starts off sounding like Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart fronting The Mars Volta , before going off on various tangents including bubbly acoustic guitar and chanting before finishing off in some kind of freeform jazz interlude. The second song Gone Beyond is an acoustic folk song , The title track sounds like a cross between and Irish folk song and a sea shanty. Next comes a couple more slower tracks , No Space In This Realm verges on post rock , Lightning Bolt Of Compassion is another acuostic ballad.The Rider (Dolphin Song) is a 7 minute psychadelic wig out. The final song Love & Space is a mellow track that sounds like a Pogues song sung by a barbers shop quartet.
A totally weird album , but I love it.In fact it`s easily one of my favouirte albums of the year.

Favourite Tracks - Blessed Force , Meek Warrior , Lightning Bolt Of Compassion , The Rider (Dolphin Song)

God I'm loving this shit. I get the feeling Meek Warrior might just make it into my Top 100.

My God is it really a year since I updated this?

You'd be correct

Looks as though you have a bit of catching up to do.

The MX-80 Sound were one of the lost gems of the post punk era. Forming in Bloomington, Indiana in 1978 the band moved to San Francisco where they cut this ,their debut album in 1980. To me MX-80 Sound kind of bridge the gap between punk & early indie. The obvious influences are bands such as Pere Ubu & Television. Lead vocalist Bruce Anderson's delivery owes a heavy debt to Jonathan Richmond of the Modern Lovers , the opening track 'Man on the Move' and 'Facts Facts' in particular. But they don't just leave it at that 'PCB's' for example fuses punk rock with a jazzy feel much in the same way the Minutemen would become well known for. Actually a few of the songs remind me a lot of early Sebadoh only less folky. 'You're not alone' has a kind of jangly Sonic Youth feel to it , but still manages to sound nothing like Sonic Youth. 'Civilised Demeyes' manages to sound like Wire slowed down. 'Afterbirth Aftermath' sounds like Frank Zappa doing punk. The album finishes with 'Checkmate' a short instrumental piece which sounds like lots of horns being played over a Slayer riff.
I love this album , it's like a greatest hits of musical styles between 1975 & 1982. It's badly produced , but in a good way like Dinosaur JR's You're Living All Over Me , It just adds to the charm of the album. Not the most original album around but the energy of it& the kind of homemade feel to it add to it's charm and make me want to come back to it again & again.

Favourite Songs : Man On The Move , PCB's , Facts Facts , Checkmate

God damn you Urban, You know more than me. It's not fair! A great list fella!

Thanks.

It's just a shame my next album will blow away any credibility I have :D

OK OK Shut up. The way i've always seen it is like this. If you want to listen to big dumb rock music (And let's face it there's room for it , i'd go mad if I spent my entire life listening to intense avant garde unlistenable bollocks)Then you may as well embrace the biggest dumbest rock band there has ever been.

I can't help including this. I've owned this since I was about 14 years old and it still gets the odd airing. One of the things I love about this album is the production. It's just so in your face in the same way that Mike Tyson would be ,especially the drums. I'd love to know how many speakers i've damaged by playing this loud.

Kiss had a point to prove when they came out with this. Coming out after line up changes and their worst album ever in Music From The Elder. Hell , forget trying to write meaningful rock epics with Lou Reed , thats not what I want from Kiss , this is.
Once you hear the thud of the drums on the opening track (The title track) and Vinnie Vincent's flashy riff (Ace Frehley didn't play on the album and was fired shortly after) you know they're back on form. Creatures Of The Night is easily Paul Stanley's finest hour since Strutter. Even the traditional rock ballad in 'I Still Love You' isn't all that bad , well ... isn't bad compared to most 80s rock ballads anyway. 'I Love It Loud' is the best rock anthem Kiss ever wrote , it's good here but it's a shame it's not a live version. Seeing them playing it live in Rio De Janiero in front of 250,000 people singing along to it was one of my earliest musical memories and was a defining moment of me discovering music. One last track that deserves a mention is 'War Machine' the song that closes the album. It's the heaviest most powerful song Kiss have ever written. Which makes it a real shame that it was co written with Bryan Adams. Yes , THAT Bryan Adams. Oh well.

I now return you to your usual elitist music snob.

Favourite Songs : Creatures Of The Night , Keep Me Comin' , I Love It Loud , War Machine

i'll try to look into that mx80 album, sounds interesting

Keep It Comin is a great rock tune. I love the huge drum sound on this one too.

I havn't heard any of these albums except 13 Point Program To Destroy America =x. I think I'll start with Barrett's solo work I've been wanting to check him out.

I think you might enjoy Akron/Family.

They just released a new album but i've not heard it yet.

It's less crazy noise more traditional indie pop folk so I like it less.

And I'll probably like it more :D

In the whole time I've been on musicbanter I have only ever seen this band ever mentioned by one other person & with all the fans of folk music there is on this board I figured it was about time that more people became aware of them.

Current 93 were put together by David Tibet who had previously worked with Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P Orridge in Psychic TV , he also did the rounds for a bit with 23 Skidoo before forming Current 93 with whoever he felt like working with at that time.

Although this is folk music it's much more darker than that and there's so much more on offer. They didn't become known as the originators of 'apocalyptic folk' for nothing.
Current 93's material has a very spiritual feel topics usually range from Christianity , Buddhism , Paganism , Symbolism , Crowleyism (Which is where the band take their name).In the case of this album mostly it's paganism. It is therefore apt in a way that when Tibet delivers his lines he doesn't sound so much of a folk singer, more that a preist performing an exorcism which helps give the album an extremely rich atmosphere. With the Gregorian chants & operatics in the background in some songs mixing with old English style folk , Choirs , Spoken words and all kinds of interesting things going on in the background you can almost imagine that album being performed in the bowels of some sort of medieval castle.
This has been called by fans of the band as Current 93's 'pop album' in that it is their most accessable work and is a great introduction to the bands huge discography since their formation in the mid 80s , of which I am slowly working through.

Favourite Songs : North , Black Sun Bloody Moon , The Summer Of Love , Beausoleil

Weird band... I only have Black Ships Ate the Sky and it's very dense and inaccessible. Should check this out as well.

That sounds interesting, I am getting it now.

Urban. I hate you because I am trying to study for finals and I am too busy searching out these ****ing bands. Please upload the Prisoners album.

<3 Crowe

It's like a light-hearted version of the one I have,
but it still manages to be just as twisted and bizarre.

Awesome.

If you have ever heard the White Stripes 'Well It's True That We Love One Another' off the Elephant album then you'll know of who Holly Golightly is. Sadly most people don't know any more than that so here is some background. She rose to fame in Billy Childish's all girl garage band Thee Headcoatees recording several albums with them before going solo in the mid 90s and has since put out around 11 or 12 solo albums. Truly She Is None Other , her 9th album is the pick of those and the one that has recieved the most praise , and it deserves all of it.
I'll get one thing straight out of the way , if your looking for originality you won't find it here at all. This is like listening to something that came out in 1964.It's a straight pop album with blues , country and early R&B influences. If you are a fan of the Rolling Stones , The Kinks and The Who's first couple of albums before they became 'rock' bands then you'll know the sort of thing I mean. The main riff from 'Time Will Tell' is stolen straight from 'All Day & All Of The Night' by The Kinks , but thats ok , The Kinks used it on about 5 different songs anyway , In fact the album also features the Ray Davies penned 'Tell Me Now So I Know'. Whatever originality is lacking here is more than made up for with great songwriting. I can't think of a single song on here that I would consider filler material. It's just 13 great 60s retro style pop songs performed well & sung beautifully.
So if you do like what you've heard from her on Elephant what are you waiting for , find this NOW.

Favourite Songs : Walk A Mile , Time Will Tell , It's All Me , Tell Me Now So I Know

Surprisingly I've never really heard that much Napalm Death apart from Scum.


I love how high David Bowie - Low was in your original 100. It's definitely one of my favourite albums ever as well. The first half is charming/funky/great to say the least, and the second half is atmospheric beauty. Bowie at his best.


To be honest, I'm surprised not to see Kyuss in any of your lists even though QOTSA is. I'm not sure if you've even listened to them, but I feel they're better than QOTSA. Welcome to Sky Valley is also one of my favourite albums ever.

To me, they embody everything that stoner rock should be. The bass is groovy, thumping and really drives the music, the guitar riffs are deliciously crunchy, the leads are nice and bluesy, the drumming is bombastic and the vocals are commanding.

I didn't mind Kyuss but always preferred Monster Magnet over them.

Then I discovered Hawkwind & decided I liked them more than both of them :D

*Note to self*

Get off your arse & do Dylans Desire album before Crowquill gets there.

:D