Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“ Solitary views of the other side of a plane we've yet to know;  Will we ever get the chance to walk alone;  In this life or when we find out that we're home;  What will we hear there … ” Alternative Rock is a genre that bloomed late for me, and so it was after years of CD purchases that music streaming was my engine of discovery, and most of the alternative bands would have been Spotify discoveries; Anberlin being up there as one of my first and one of my favourites. They are most well known for the song “Feel Good Drag”, which is a flippin’ excellent song and well worthy of a mention. But this later album is just fantastic. The same quality, catchiness, and ferocious sound that Anberlin are well known for. But what really stands out is the brilliant range of Stephen Christian’s vocals, and an unmistakeable tone like no other. Sometimes calm, sometimes raucous; never afraid to push his vocals if the melodies demand it. All in all, Anberlin have carved out a sound that i...

“ You're My beloved, l over I'm yours;  Death shall not part us,  It's you I died for;  For better or worse,  Forever we'll be;  My Love it unites us,  It binds you to Me … ” A band i discovered on Spotify; Tenth Avenue North have some really good tunes, but this album is filled with great, heart-felt christian songs. With a sound that crosses modern worship with the likes of Keane or Snow Patrol, this is one of the milder rock albums in the list. A lot of albums tend to position their strongest songs at the beginning of an album. But the first two songs aren't anything special. But track 3 onwards are fantastic. I do favour a band who are totally open about their faith and not afraid to make God apparent and at the forefront of their songs. They deal with the struggles of faith, the joys of a relationship with God, and understand grace. But the songs that really stand out for me are those sang from God’s perspective, to us; His loved creation. ‘Times’ remi...

“I’ve got a lot of bad things I wish that I had never done, because they’re coming back, coming back to me now … ” What do ex-England footballer Sol Campbell, the Millenium, and ska music have in common? Whatever that might be, it is a fact that this particular combo introduced me to ska punk favourites, Reel Big Fish. Although lyrical content seems to be full of adolescent comic immaturity, girlfriends and being total jackasses (and this being the case on every Reel Big Fish album) you cant overlook how catchy these songs are, and how very good the band are as musicians. Overall ‘Cheer Up’ is less ska than their previous albums, and more rock with strong brass, whilst mixing in a load of classic rock style electric guitar solos (mostly taking the p**s), not to mention the excellent a Capella version of Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York New York.’ And there are some good ska numbers on the album too. I tend to feel skapunk bands don't quite get the neat punk rock songs quite right, yet sma...

“Depression swept over the land of no preparation; Searching as much as he can for pure meditation; Tried to find some work, but there’s no work to do; Everything’s gone wrong, and everything is through. … ” As I was walking through HMV, I saw this album out the corner of my eye. Having heard of the band (another ska/reggae act signed to Hellcat Records), but never listened, I purchased ‘IV’ and on first listen, instantly fell in love with it. A small 4-piece with a big sound! The Aggrolites are a fantastic modern American reggae band, but with a sound more akin to the Harry J. Allstars (famous for their ska classic, ‘The Liquidator’), especially with the hammond organ at the forefront of each song. Musically, the songs are strong, with a flow and clarity to the instruments. And the lead vocals are full of character and soul. Very catchy, memorable melodies and instrumental riffs, mixing in some funk and soul along with the traditional reggae. Any album with over 20 songs would struggl...

“ If you’re scared then walk away; ‘Cause there’s no need to be ashamed, yeah we all feel the same; I fell in love with rock and roll, until I found out it was false; It plastered on a face for me… ” Another musical aspect that grabs my attention is a strong Scottish voice. Im not sure why, but it just suits rock music so well! So when I heard the Glaswegian tone of alternative rockers Twin Atlantic, I was drawn right in.  Take the melodies of Biffy Clyro, and the raucousness of Hundred Reasons, then you pretty much have the sound of Twin Atlantic. Really catchy songs, superbly intricate and soaring melodies with excellent vocals to top it all off. A boatload of high energy songs and also some with a Highland folky feel. It escapes me where I first encountered the band but a memory of a one off play on Radio X comes to mind. Very unfortunate to never hear them played again, but was very glad to notice when I did. The song was “Free” - strong piano intro, building up verses and a ch...

“ If you want my reasons for just why I joined the war; Well I’ll tell you, I had to; ‘Cause when they tell you, “Son stand straight and take this gun”; Well they also point one at you… ” Brixton Academy, 2004 - Deconstruction Fest. Arrived looking forward to seeing MxPx, discovered Yellowcard (with their backflipping vilolinist) and left having thoroughly enjoyed a little known but highly regarded ska band; The Slackers. With a boat load of albums in their repertoire, The Slackers are, in my opinion, the world’s best modern era, traditional ska band. Whereas their previous albums include around 20 songs, ‘Peculiar’ actually feels like a fuller, stronger album, with just the thirteen strong. Long punk albums can tend to lose my attention (The Slackers being signed to Tim Armstrong’s punk Hellcat Records), and they’ve got the length just right with ‘Peculiar’ Very political songs, covering different styles, but mostly brilliant traditional ska and reggae. ‘International War Criminal’ hi...

“The City’s on fire; will burn to the ground; Man’s evil desire; Has brought himself down… ” Heading to the clear-out section at my local Wesley Owen and I’m drawn straight to this fauvist hyper colourful cityscape. For the album artwork alone, I purchased it. Later on in the day, I was very pleasantly surprised to be listening to a newly discovered ska punk band, and what a great album it is! It’s a mature sound. Not a hint of fromage, as you can so easily get with some ska albums. Really catchy songs with very complimentary horn arrangements. A good variety of ska, punk rock and reggae, in both the major and minor keys. And a mention for the superb clavinet on ‘Trial and Tribulation’. Lyrical content covers a little politics (as most punk bands do) but generally stick up for the little man, the outsider, the unfairly treated and against the greed of this world. Wholesome values run throughout the album. A couple of the more punky songs are not the greatest, but most of the album is s...

“I would walk through flood and fire; I’d push against the tide; There’s nothing I won’t do to get to You… ” Let’s take some Imagine Dragons, add a bit of Owl City, mixed together with a tablespoon of Phil Wickham… and you have The Digital Age. A rock rave that understands and delights in the grace of God. ‘Galaxies’ kicks off with one of my favourite openings. A very ominous piano introduction, almost Muse-esque. The following vocals pulled me right in. Superb harmonies, a great chord sequence and incredibly strong voice that is right up my street. This then smashes into the best song on the album, ‘One Pursuit’.   A slight downside is that the intensity drops a notch almost straight after. Still continuing to be upbeat, but a little more poppy, and less of me wanting to punch the air, crying out “WOOOOO YYYEEEAHHH”. But this is a praise album like no other. The cosmic/electro theme runs throughout and songs differ in style, which is a real breath of fresh air. From the almost Kra...

“But when you rely on a lie that’s true; And no-one believes in things you do; ‘Cause half the lies you tell ain’t true …” “Oh! A new British punk band…” were my thoughts when hearing ‘The Bartender and the Thief’ for the first time. Although those hopes weren’t fulfilled, ‘Performance and Cocktails’ was the first indie-rock album that I truly enjoyed. Kelly Jones has a great voice, and he really pushes it in this album. A very different feel to their following release (although Mr Writer is possibly my favourite Stereophonics song). The whole album is consistent with a good mix of up tempo songs, very well known and loved singles and some good downbeat tunes. In my opinion, the rockiest album they’ve released and probably one of the reasons I like it so much - the highlight for me being ‘Half the Lies You Tell Ain’t True’  The album received mixed reviews; Rolling Stone magazine describing them as “Oasis trying to be Radiohead.” Poppycock, I say! It ended the year as  the 5th...

“Can’t fight corruption with con tricks; They use the law to commit crime; And I dread, dread to think what the future will bring; When we’re living in gangster time …” Surely one of the most influential British albums of all time, and certainly for me. From covering Specials songs in my first band, to being told that I’d, and i quote, done “Too Much Too Young” by my own Mother when I was 19. And the songs still depict so much of what we see in our times. The pioneers of the 2nd wave ska movement, and the first album to be released on the infamous Two-Tone label. Ska with mixes of reggae and dub, with a strong underlay of bass. A mix of old ska covers (Monkey Man, Too Hot, A Message to You Rudy) and original ska anthems. And a studio version of their no.1 single “Too Much Too Young”, the single being recorded live with a quicker tempo. Lyrics tend to focus on political and social issues. Do the lines quoted above remind us of a particular country’s government handlings of the current c...

“Toast to tears of time’s past glories; This ageless clock chime stalls; Where to kiss the lips of that love forgotten; To fly where no others have soared …” Back in the early noughties, I would set my tape recorder to record at 2am. I had discovered  ‘The Lockup’, a weekly punk rock and hardcore radio show on BBC Radio 1, hosted in LA by Mike Davies. As i slipped the first cassette into my walkman on my way to school, I was instantly hit with a frantic banjo and pounding bass drum introduction followed by the raucous overdriven guitar, fiddle and accordion…this was Flogging Molly and Drunken Lullabies.   With influences including the Pogues, Dubliners, and the Clash, this album pulls out plenty of hectic, yet melodic, celtic punk tunes with a splashing of more traditional Irish tinged folk songs. The lyrics are poetic, whilst “decrying the ills of modern society”  - All Music . At first, it seems hard to differentiate between certain songs but after plenty of years of li...

“ Just for a moment I  faced my life alone;  Just for a moment my luck  had finally run out;  Oh how I love you …” A very subdued beginning to this album list. But from hearing “Strange and Beautiful” on a 2002 Volkswagen Beetle advert, I was instantly drawn to Hales’ soft yet edgy voice and beautiful melody.     This album brings together three of a few very important features about music that instantly draw me in:     1. An expressive and captivating voice 2. Strong piano lead or accompaniment  3. Explorative chord sequences and melodies.   And the album certainly doesn't disappoint. It  is incredibly stripped back, with some songs just vocal and piano. Generally using minimal drums, bass and guitar with overlapped harmonies . The kind of album to just lie on a rug, and soak in the goodness and beauty. But never have i heard such minimalism to be so powerful.  Matt Hales (aka. Aqualung) was already writing songs at the age of...

To those who don’t know me, this top 100 albums wont be like any other you’ve seen.  To those who do know me, a lot of the albums may come as a surprise. But if anyone is expecting a list like those featured on popular radio stations or tv shows, then you will be disappointed, I am no-one special in the eyes of humans, so why should I take this on and publicise it?  Well, I am passionate about music, passionate about the bands I've discovered and love to introduce people to these bands. At the ripe old age of 35, I realise that the list isn't even a full compilation of what i will discover, both old, recent and future, but with 30 years of that time, being in and around music, and having listened to the greats of different genres alongside those left behind, I feel my palette is currently wonderfully coloured.  I also don't get to share with many people my musical tastes, and finding it awkward to spark up a conversation, this is a format that settles one’s heart. To pai...