The Greatest

This is my personal list of my favorite albums ever released. In order to keep some sense of a good balance only one album per band. Otherwise you'll see The Beatles dominating pretty much all this list.



15. Sea Change- Beck

Now Beck is a really interesting musician as whatever he does is always awesomely out there and creative. This album is not as creative per se as his other works, but it's something more. It's more personal and honest and thoroughly bare. The music is absolutely beatiful sounding as if it was the sea itself. Here is someone who has nothing to lose and lays it all on the line. Soft and tragic, it still stands to me as the greatest accomplishment Beck has made to date.

Highlights: Sea Change, Lost Cause, End of the Day, It's All In Your Mind



14. Death Certificate- Ice Cube

Recorded in the terrific year of 1991, it stands as the greatest album of that year. Ice Cube lets out a fury and passion unseen by anyone at the time, and still debateable whether it has been matched. A marvelous piece of social commentary that really puts into words how LA was at that era, full or tumult and reeling from racial tension. The production is strong and tight, but the real power of the album is Ice's force of delivery. Full of passion and never missing a beat he easily makes up for any of the weaknesses the album may have had and delivers the definitive gangsta album

Highlights: Wrong Nigga to Fuck With, My Summer Vacation, A Bird in the Hand, No Vaseline



13. You Forgot It In People-Broken Social Scene

One of the most interesting musical acts, composed of various Canadian bands and musicians. With only two core members the sound of this group is pretty much always changing. With this album they hit a high point, as if everyone was easily on board with a common goal in mind. It's really hard to distinguish a specific sound or genre this album creates. That's probably why I like it so much and enjoy the multiple aspects of creativity that this album deploys.

Highlights: KC Accidental, Stars and Sons, Almost Crimes, Time=Cause



12. Fever To Tell-Yeah Yeah Yeahs

A personal favorite that has grown better with age to me. It's really hard to put into words for me why I like this album so much. It have fond personal memories over the years and to me it's a definitive sound of night life for some reason. I guess I just like the flow of songs or something. Iono, I just really like this one.

Highlights: Date With the Night, Tick, Maps, Y Control



11. Blood On The Tracks- Bob Dylan

This album marked the return of glory for Dylan after a string of lousy albums in the 70's and it's also arguably his most personal. He sounds confused, angry, bitter, and terribly sad all at once. I like it as much as I respect it simply because you believe every word he sings in this album, the most crucial part to me for any musician. Again it's not as creative or maybe even as lyrical as his other works from the 60's but there is something more here. This is probably for the first and last time that he opens up to us and let's us view him at his most vulnurable moments.

Highlights: Idiot Wind, Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, Tangled Up In Blue, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go



10. Who's Next- The Who

In 1969 The Who released Tommy and seemed there was no way they could go higher. At first that seemed like an impossibility seeing as how ambitious Tommy was. But they did it. Full of nothing but tight strong and well produced The Who released their strongest effort. This is the quintessential sound that the band for many years had been trying to achieve and they finally made it sound so easy. Fast paced with great instrumentals from the immortal Keith Moon and John Entwistle fill this album as it displays an album at their creative peak taking over.

Highlights: Baba O'Reilly, The Song is Over, Behind Blue Eyes, Wont Get Fooled Again



9. Illmatic-Nas

This album is legendary. It is everything you want in the genre and it's the strongest debut by any rapper. Everything about this album shows perfection. The production is handled with the best of intentions, the lyrics and flow is nearly transcendent. The mood the whole album creates is unparalleled, it makes you FEEL like you're in the inner city. Never confuse this album as a gangster album. It's not. It's simply a view of NY at that time, in a dark and noir style. Ruthless and uncompromising, this is why people fall in love with the genre.

Highlights: New York State of Mind, The World is Yours, One Love, Represent



8. Absolution-Muse

Origin of Symmetry was a damn great album and easily would have made them one of the better musical acts out there, but then they released Absolution and it was pretty obvious that they are. From the start this album is loud and fast with no moment wasted of spared. It's so tightly produced that there's not room to breathe, in the best possible way. The sound they produce is so compelling and focused it's almost unbelievable. The drums hit with energy and fury, the guitar howls and that bass! Oh man the bass intro in Hysteria is simply perfect. Even though their most recent album was what got them big, this is the real crown jewel that is required listening.

Highlights: Apocalypse Please, Butterflies & Hurricanes, The Small Print, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist



7. Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers)- The Wu-Tang Clan

This album is THE reason I got into hip hop. It was so dymanic, so strong, so full of energy that I'm indebted to it. The concept is my favorite in music, period. Nine rappers, and all of them(save U-God) are talented with their own unique style. Normally this would be a disaster but they work together so well as a unit that it only adds to the overall experience. Rather than having over the top beats they go for hardcore style and skill and it shows. The production is great but sparse in the sense that you aren't listening to the beats so much as the flow and delivery that each rapper deploys. Although at this point the Wu have pretty much fallen off(except Ghostface Killah) this album(and their work from 93-95) shows them as the true pioneering force that they were. And king of the mountain, even if it was for only a bit.

Highlights: Shame on a Nigga, C.R.E.A.M., Method Man, Proteck Ya Neck



6. Born To Run- Bruce Springsteen

The greatest thing to come out of New Jersey. Talented and focused he's one of my personal favorite musicians and nothing is better than this masterpiece. Despite the numerous and fantastic albums to come out after this one, this is the crown jewel. A Tour de Force of pure musical talent and valor. Only 9 songs long but it's the perfect length that never falters. The production is simply perfection, with the right amount of force given to each song. Yes this is where his reputation as a perfectionist came from, but who cares when the product is this good. A total triumph that captures the spirit and delivery that Springsteen looked for in his early careers and later honed in his later years. While he has other albums that really flesh out his sound more, this is as raw as he could possibly ever achieved, which is phenomenal.

Highlights: Thunder Road, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, Born to Run, Jungleland



5. The Bends- Radiohead

My vote as The Band To Beat right now and it all started with this phenomenal album. This is not as experimental as their later works but that doesn't matter. This is just a pure straight up rock album. Yet it still feels fresh and new without a feeling of retread. Nevertheless this is Radiohead at their purest and still trying to find a sound(which arguably has yet to happen or maybe they just don't wanna settle) and trying to shed that persona of being a one hit wonder band. Well with this album they successfully took over the next half of the decade, filling the void Nirvana would have almost assuredly have continued to own. It's really hard to decide which is the best Radiohead album considering they're always so different and always changing, but for my money this is them at their best. Just a bit shy before they successfully took over the world

Highlights: The Bends, Fake Plastic Trees, Sulk, Street Spirit(Fade Out)



4. Daydream Nation- Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth is underrated as hell as far as I'm concerned. The amount of bands that they've influenced that everyone listens to now is underappreciated and downright ignored at times. But that's ok, since I do acknowledge that this is a very bizarre band that is polarizing to most. This is probably their easiest album to get into, but it's also their greatest triumph. It's the perfect blend of the "mainstream" sound yet there is no compromise to their marvelous use of distortion and original sound. Ruthless and fast paced the whole albums fires off with such focus and intensity. Both Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon deliver their best vocal work to date, both snarling and fierce they never falter or sound tired. The driving rythm, the rip of the guitars, the thrashing vocal, this is one of those albums where the sum of the parts all came together and out came something memorable.

Highlights: Teen Age Riot, Candle, Rain King, The Trilogy



3. Loveless-My Bloody Valentine

A soaring mix of depression and sexual ecstacy, this is the ultimate album that solely depends on your mindset. This album will sound like pain if you are in pain and will sound like love if you are. This album really is one of the first albums to have a full effect on me experiencing both aspects that this album brings. Someone once said that this albums sounds something "like a black sea" and I don't entirely disagree with that claim. It really is that impressionable. A joke I once read about this album to listen up to this album was to :
A) Shoot up
B) Have sex
or C) Curl up in a fetal position

scary thing was that was probably the most accurate way to describe this album. Beautiful, frightening, and strangely full of hope. This album changes the way you listen to things

Highlights: Only Shallow, When You Sleep, Sometimes, What You Want



2. Funeral- Arcade Fire

My choice for the best band right now and it's all thanks to this album. Named Funeral based on the fact that members were losing family members during recording you feel a sense of loss throughout this album. While only a handful of songs at best actually deal with it the whole album carries this essence of it. But what it does with the loss it turns into strength and triumph. There is a sound of desperation and pain throughout but at the very same time there's something more to it. The music here is simply beautiful and stirring with amazing delivery. Every song here is perfect and has no wasted pace, giving only ten songs. Of course with something this good you always want more, but what's given is more than enough. The ending of this album is arguably my favorite in any album, it's simply so powerful and gives the most cathartic feeling I have ever listened to in music.

Highlights: Neighborhood #2(Laika), Crown of Love, Rebellion(LIES), In the Backseat



1. Revolver- The Beatles

My favorite album by my favorite musical group. The Beatles had the THE best run of albums, from 1964-1969 they were unstopable and could do no wrong. Released in 1966 this is the high point of them as a creative force. There is no flaw in this album, absolutely none. The best part is that it gets simply better and more divine with age, thanks to the superb production. Every song here fits any emotion and shows an amazing range of variety and skill. Unmatched in the level of ingenuity and imagination it takes ahold of you and refuses to let go. This is the album that would immortalize them as beyond a simple pop act and showcase them as the true masters of music that they would later earn recognition for. without this album I don't think I would love music like I do. This quote says it best for how I feel about this album "Revolver, finally, signaled that in popular music, anything -- any theme, any musical idea -- could now be realized. And, in the case of the Beatles, would be."

Highlights: Taxman, Yellow Submarine, And Your Bird Can Sing, Tomorrow Never Knows

Run My Mouth

I feel like I should have a lot to say, all considering how much happened this weekend, but strangely I don't. If you were there you know what went down, if not well then that's your loss.

How bizarre

Silent Alarm

Yeah the post below about me being back. Well after some reflection, yeah not the case. Things are gonna be hard for a while now. There's no point in denying that. BUT I'm gonna remain steadfast and get above this. Something little like this wont be getting to me. FUCK THAT

One

I'M BACK BITCHES!

Interlude

Good weekend to a pretty shitty week.

I don't know it was a pretty awful week overall and I don't wanna talk about it. I've decided to stop what I'm doing and really think about my next move and take things in a practical manner. It's the only thing I can really do at this point. This coming weekend looks pretty good, but as I've learned there is no point to get all excited right away cause anything can happen and people can get flakey or emergencies can happen. Well ok people get flakey. Well except for Thursday, that for sure is happening.

Sunday was Frankie's birthday, I miss that kid

Loveless

I hope that our few remaining friends
Give up on trying to save us
I hope we come out with a fail-safe plot
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us

I hope the fences we mended
Fall down beneath their own weight
And I hope we hang on past the last exit
I hope it's already too late

And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here
Someday burns down
And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away
And I never come back to this town again in my life

I hope I lie
And tell everyone you were a good wife
And I hope you die
I hope we both die

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow
I hope it bleeds all day long
Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises
We're pretty sure they're all wrong

I hope it stays dark forever
I hope the worst isn't over
And I hope you blink before I do
And I hope I never get sober

And I hope when you think of me years down the line
You can't find one good thing to say
And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out
You'd stay the hell out of my way

I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand

And I hope you die
I hope we both die

Moving Pictures

For the past few weeks my mental state of mind could be summed up this way:



which obviously is not so great, you know?

BUT THEN, at midnight exactly on Monday morning, this song played



and everything was gonna be alright :D

suddenly I was riding high, somewhere between

and

BUT THEN shit happened

and now I'm right here



fuck man...

Better, Faster, Harder, Stronger

!Spoilers Abound!

I generally am very picky with heroes cause so many of them tend to suck. But every now and then you run into some amazing ones. Obviously not in numerical order cause that would take too long to figure out for me.

Luffy
One Piece

The shonen prototype done correctly. He currently easily stands above the slew of shitty bishonen or stereotypical characters currently infesting manga right now. He's not mopey or depressed or bitchy. He's funny, a bit naive, and completely focused on his goal. When it comes to either action or comedy he plays it just right. His simple attitude actually hides a lot of his personality in how he truly understands the way of the world. His personality alone made the placid Amazons arc bearable which is saying a lot.

High Point: Vol.22, at the climax of the Alabasta arc it seems like Crocodile has won. He's lost most of his back up but at great cost to the Strawhats. Just as civil war is tearing apart the very nation, the King is captive, and Vivi is the only one left and unable to aid, out from the sky comes the revived Luffy. Reinvigorated from his previous loss to Crocodile he swoops down on the kingdom ready to make due on his promise to restore alabasta to it's former glory

Low Point: Buggy arc, not very exciting. But that's ok since it's only in the beginning of the series

Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird

No man in any story has been able to capture humility and grace like Atticus Finch. The only visible noble and honest bastion in a town that wants to condemn an innocent man simply for being black. Written as eloquently as possible by Harper lee and performed with such sublime and inspiration by the great Gregory Peck, he's one of the few characters that always sticks with you. He is the type of person many people strive to be in their life: humble, honest, Atticus

High Point: Any scene where he talks to Jem, as well as the now legendary Court Scene
Low Point: none

Elijah Snow
Planetary

The Century Baby known as The Ghost of the Twentieth Century. One of the few special beigns born on January 1, 1900 at midnight and granted abilities. But that's not what makes Snow such a great character. Obviously from his name his ability is ice based. Again not why he's so great. What makes him truly stand out is his personality. His calm collected manner backed by his mysterious past makes him captivating. Not to mention his adventures overall are what makes him that much more entertaining. Never resorts to being flashy he still overwhelms with power and proves he's a real threat by using his resources and intelligence over anything. Copelling throughout and never misses a beat, he's probably my favorite comic book hero.

High Point: His flashback stories from 13-18 showcase the threat he is, but also displays his kindness

Low Point: The shipping schedule of Planetary. It's been over two years since the last issue came out with the #27(the finale) planned to released sometime in the near future

Guts
Berserk

When you first meet him you think he's just a monster motivated to kill all the demons in the world for the sake of some twisted revenge by any means necessary. That is until you reach vol.4, where we see a man motivated, by yes, revenge but it's revenge with a purpose. Arguably having the shittiest life ever we see him as a young boy with no parents fighting to survive until finally finding a group of companions to stay with and falling in love. Witnessing the ultimate betrayal and witnessing true horror and despair he finds a purpose to find revenge. Complex and pained he must also ward off a deep monster inside his soul

High Point: The Golden Age arc(Vol.4-14) is the greatest arc in any manga.

Low Point: The release of new chapters is slow and erratic

Dark Schneider
Bastard!!
Foul, crude, and simply unforgetable. The greatest womanizer in manga is also one of the funniest and badass character. You're never really sure if he's a good guy or a villain but regardless his allegiance he's never a bore always entertaining and bringing everything a true main character does in a story, constant entertainments

High point: His fight againts Anthrax or his current fight against the Fallen Uriel

Low Point: First two volumes are kinda weak. Plus Bastard!! is a love it or hate it series

Solid Snake
Metal Gear/Metal Gear Solid
The living stealth legend who has seen his fair share of battle and bloodshed. As the charismatic hero of the revered MGS series he's been drawing in fans for over twenty years now. A pure badass through and through and a pure soldier. Despite the constant betrayal and lies he faces from his superiors he continues on to complete his mission. It's really hard to put into words what makes him so intriguing because that's what he is. He's a soldier who feels he has no purpose other than to do his mission but it's not always that simple. MGS 4 is the last game he's in and it's perfect closure for a hero who has given everything for his country

High Point: All of the first Metal Gear Solid or if you want a singular moment his final fight in Metal Gear Solid 4

Low Point: Metal Gear II: Snake's Revenge, which is not considered part of the official story

Joseph Joestar
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part II: Battle Tendency

The BEST main character of the Jojo legacy, which is saying a lot. Intelligent, resourceful and fucking hilarious, he was always the hero that you want to see suceed. Despite Part II being fairly short he stood out from the very beginning. He acts like a goof but what he reveals is that he's a battle genius and one of the greatest tactical thinkers. Always has a plan no matter the situation(usually) and makes it to his advantage. He's in part III but loses a lot of his luster that made him so great, though it's not his part of thestory in the first place.

High Point: His fight with WHAM in Part II is one of the greatest and most innovative fights you will probably read in a manga

Low Point: He's a useless old man in Part IV :'{


Kenshrio
Hokuto no Ken aka Fist of the North Star

Pure vengeance and badass, he's also one of the kindest and noblest heroes in any series. Yes he's motivated by revenge and kills people by blowing them the fuck up but he never kills or fights without reason to protect and always gives a warning to his would be enemies. Outside of fighting he is a gentle man who cares for the people he runs into the desolate distopia that is HnK and does his best to help them in their lives. But mess with him and he will fuck you up.

High Point: The now epic and legendary fight with Raoh

Low Point: The last half of HnK isn't as strong as the first


Daniel Faraday
LOST

Premiering in the fourth season his introduction, as well as the new characters, could have gone horribly wrong. Instead he quickly became a favorite of the show, played with such energy by Jeremy Davies, Faraday oozes character with his reserved attitude and seemingly larger idea of the scope of everything that's going on. Always mysterious yet played with such pain he is one of the most human characters on Lost and displays that even with only two seasons of screen time he can still outshine most of the established characters with his searing story.

High Point: Really hard to tell at this point, but probably his explanation of events happening in the beginning of the fifth season

Low Point: still hard to tell, but probably *MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE SPOILER* his abrupt death when he still had more to offer to the show, though the producers have stated his role as a RECURRING character is over leads to the possibilities of guest appearances in the final season.


John Locke
LOST

Yes another LOST character(two more coming down I promise you), This one has stood out from the very beginning. Guided by faith he's probably one of the most polarizing characters on the show. His backstory reveals tragedy after tragedy until he reaches the island. By placing his whole faith in the island he's alienated most of the characters on the show, but throughout the series he's proven as someone who has a higher purpose on the island. A man with much conflict throughout the series, in season V all his doubt is gone replaced with nothing but forceful confidence and a seemingly higher state of understanding than anyone else has displayed on the series. As a key player in this season and definitely the next there's looming questions on what he plans to do with his new found purpose

High Point: *MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE SPOILER* Coming back to life after being killed and seemingly now is in a constant state of understanding of what's gotta be done. Plus he's made Ben Linus his bitch, which is the most impressive thing ever

Low Point: Season 3 started off a bit slow and his character suffered because of it, but he makes up for it in the last half of the season


James "Sawyer" Ford
LOST

Yes I love LOST, deal with it. Sawyer is another character I've liked since the beginning. The ultimate con man who would do anything to get what he wants at any cost. However things started changing in season four as out of necessity he had to grow as a leader to help his companions survive. In season five he has shed away all the bad skin and grows to a dedicated and tactical leader for his friends who uses his intelligence and resources to give them a stable life in the Dharma Initiative and setles down, that is until things go wrong. Cunning and never without a smartass insult he's always been a fan favorite and has never fallen off as a character as far as I'm concerned

High Point: The episode "The Long Con" Displays his ability to pit everyone against each other in order for him to come out on top and take control. "LaFleur" shows his growth as a person and a leader

Low Point: Again season Three was weak at the beginning


Desmond Hume
LOST

Last LOST character I promise. Desmond is a personal favorite for the sole reason that he's just likeable. He's the tragic character who has done nothing to deserve what's happening to him but always does his best to survive. Revealed in season two he's gone for most of the season but he owns the finale with his great backstory. Becoming a regular in season three he is the first to show of the blatant sci fi show Lost really was with his future telling abilities that would later morph into time traveling abilities(trust me it's not that great, it's uncontrollable and it slowly kills him). But rather become a guinea pig to the sci fi aspects of the series he was more character driven than most of the cast and was generally well balanced throughout the show, simply a man who's in a series of dire situations and struggles to overcome. Now in the fifth season he's finally found his hard earned peace and deservedly so. But until the end of the series one can never be to sure, as even the unfortunate Desmond can still become a victim to the Island's whims.


High Point: The Constant is one of the greatest episodes of the whole series and shows the well deserved and awaited of communication between Desmond and Penny ever since their painful separation

Low Point: He's gone for over 2/3 of season 2
More to come I promise

Hero/Shine on you Crazy Diamond

This space is dedicated to Francisco Acevedo

He may be an asshole but he's one of the greatest person I have ever had the pleasure to not only have met but to have the honor to call one of my closest friends. It wont be the same without him these next few months but I know he'll be ok. And when he comes back, it's gonna be nothing but celebrations

Come back home safely you loveable bastard

Represent

I've decided to post some Rap songs as a companion piece to my previous post. This will be full of variety. Hopefully you enjoy at least one song