Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“Anti-gravitation keeps you high above ;  Like some comet speeding toward the sun ;  Communication's lost between the ones who love you ;  It's impossible to think that something loves you more than us…” From the likes of Shrek, to almost every teen comedy movie, Smash Mouth are one of the most soundtracked bands. Hearing the constant renditions of ‘All Star’,  it was a cover of War’s ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’ that caught my attention…this pop band played ska punk? Having gone out and purchased their debut album, it was apparent that their roots were indeed in ska and punk music. Whilst this was prevalent, it was their psychedelic rock sound that seemed to lay the foundation for their next few albums with ska and reggae making a cameo here and there. And whilst never having the success of their first few records, it’s their fourth studio album that finds it’s way into my top 100. Probably the catchiest on the list; this mix of synth, pop and light rock makes an unlik...

“A broken record plays the same old song ;  It's getting old, dirty needle getting worn ;  Now you're ready, take the demons head on ;  Look em in the eye and say they gotta go ;  Get on behind me …” As a punk CD collector in my late teens, I would buy CDs by bands I never even heard of. In my later years as a vinyl enthusiast, with a family (and overdraft), my purchases are far more strategic, and have to be albums that I absolutely adore. But ‘Fight The Good Fight’ was the only album to date that I took the chance on and was so glad that I did! Some may say they are a copy of punk band Rancid and I partly agree. But in this case, it’s not a bad thing. I’ve owned nearly all Rancid albums, but it was their unique ska sound that really drew me to them. The likes of ‘Timebomb’, ‘I Wanna Riot’ etc… Unfortunately, it was the odd song here and there, and sometimes not even present on particular albums, hence none of them even make it into this list. The Interrupters have ...

“ I've got stars in my great big sky;  I shall gaze upon without leaving small ones behind,  because they're harder to find;  Some were satellites, others planes;  Some were twinkling while others were fading away,  but they're all one of a kind …” I never latched onto the likes of Blink 182 or Sum 41. Surprising, as I spent most my teens listening to Punk Rock. The closest mainstream band of my desire, in the Pop Punk genre, would probably be Green Day. But another Spotify discovery brings us The Starting Line, at 66 in our 100 best albums countdown.  I don't tend to latch on to the popular bands, but to what my ears like (It’s what this list is all about). And ‘Direction’ takes a look at punk from the alternative rock angle; really good melodies, interesting rhythms and timings, and quite a range of dynamics. Its a far more mature sound than the likes of those bands previously mentioned. Although I’m not totally enamoured by Kenny Vasoli’s vocals, the mel...

“If you let me I could;  I'd show you how to build your fences;  Set restrictions, separate from the world;  the constant battle that you hate to fight, just blame the limelight;  Don't look up, just let them think, there’s no place else you'd rather be…” From hearing the likes of ‘Misery Business’ on XFM, I’ve been a great admirer of Paramore. But, like a few other bands on this list, it took me a while before giving the album my full attention. Through many plays in the car by Mrs Temple, it became a firm favourite. This is alternative rock but full of punk energy. Emo without the whineyness and despair. Their songs are excellently crafted; catchy and brilliant. There is a mix of upbeat rock songs and slower ballads, the former definitely stronger.  Hayley Williams’ vocals are fantastic. Full of emotion, clarity, confidence and with a bite; one of my favourite female singers for sure. Her soaring vocals and the generally upbeat themes throughout truly set this...

“Understand I`m a man who  believes in the glory of love;  True love is the light shining bright from  the Heavens above;  I believe it is better to trust even when I`m wrong;  Than to let my fear drive me from  the home where I have belonged…” Back to the Lockup - the early morning punk rock show on Radio 1 as mentioned before, where I discovered the legends that are Fishbone! A live session on the show, playing with an energy and sound I’d never heard before, their 80s classic ‘Ma & Pa’ and the excellent ‘Where Did You Get Those Pants’; this was a unique mix of eclectic ska, soul, funk and punk.  I admit a struggle to fully enjoy their albums. Such is the wide range of styles, sometimes all smashed together in an incredibly manic fashion, from heavy metal, to reggae, rock and those mentioned previously. But a slight departure from others, this album is far more approachable. More of a pop feel, without losing their ska, funk and soul edge, ‘...

“Empty man lonely man,  I call myself depressed;  I'm finding ways to avoid you, at  the expense of sanity;  I'm hanging on your words, and I'd like to share a thought; I know that I can't be you now, but I'd like to stay a while…” The  first Goldfinger album i bought was ‘Stomping Ground’ , released in 2000, and it was great, but slightly disappointing due to the fact it was pure punk rock and devoid of any of the ska that I was expecting. Shortly after, I was introduced to the first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game, which featured their song ‘Superman’. I researched for the album and promptly bought it. To this day it remains as one of my favourite ska punk albums. I would describe Hang-Ups as one of the “sunnier” albums on this list and of Goldfinger’s repertoire;  Ironic as the lyrics seem to be mostly based on disappointment. But these are the  kind of vibes that would go down well on a Californian beach in Summer. Although there is a good mix of punk...

“ That which many strive to be,  It's the marble statue staring over me;  And nobody has the will to tear it down,  it determines wrong and right;  but to me it's just a stereotype,  and it makes us lose our sight….” One afternoon, at the age of 16,  a cardboard box appeared in our garden. Within the box, found at the waste tip in Bromley, sat a decent amount of 90s grunge, funk rock and punk CDs. The likes of Nirvana,  Rage Against The Machine and Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Someone had gone to the lengths of dividing each CD into eighths, with a razor blade.  Maybe they were the product of an angry spouse, wrecking their now ex’s CD collection. I like to believe they belonged to a born again christian, putting to the sword the music of his past, turning over a new leaf… the irony that they ended up in the CD player of the very same…and some actually worked!! And the only one that survived in my collection was ‘Recipe for Hate’ by punk rockers, Bad R...

“I don't know if you saw it coming or not; All I know is that I saw the end result; It can’t have been a pretty thing; You looked like your world caved in…” Have you ever had a geek moment that helped you discover new music? For example: I quite like airshows and military aircraft, so when I see a CD called 'Chocs Away', with a cover featuring members of a band wearing vintage pilot gear, fake handlebar moustaches and the band name coloured in army camouflage, its an obvious must buy!  Snuff were already on my radar; having heard of this UK punk band with trombone, they were an inquisitive notion for this ska fan.  After enjoying the Chocs Away single, I bought the accompanying album, ‘Disposable Income’. As a music lover more into his modern punk rock, this is the closest to raw UK punk that we will see in this list. But not all of the album is straight punk and the variety one reason I rate it so highly. Although it's sometimes hard to understand Duncan’s vocals easil...

“ Easy easy money baby, red wine from the well. He’s inspired , taste acquired, watch out mademoiselle” I honestly can’t remember where I heard of The Fat Cats, and why I bought this album, but my gosh was it one of my best discoveries! So much was my excitement for these songs that ‘Deadbeat’ went on to inspire a large variety of my writing with the band Little Blue Light. Take a pinch of Madness, a swig of the Stray Cats, even a small measure of Barenaked Ladies and some overdriven guitar and we are only part-way to describing the unique sound of this album. A mash up of boogie woogie, ska, swing, punk and rock; there is nothing quite like this out there. Very piano driven, with a strong sax throughout, and excellent vocals. The songs are super catchy and not one is alike, as they flow through various genres.  The piano right at the forefront of the compositions really set it apart from other punk albums. It gives the music a crispness, a swing, and an overall fantastic sound. Ha...

“I'm tired of having to look good, pretend  that we feel good;  Never let it show that we could be  anything less than completely obsessed;  With the contents of our wallets and the way that we're dressed…” A band i always wanted to see live, but never had the opportunity, Capdown were probably the headliners of the UK ska punk scene in the early noughties. The genre generally stayed underground in the UK, and I was surprised to find their ‘New Revolutionaries’ CD single in HMV, back in 2003. Perhaps they broke out of the underground? I didn’t enjoy that single as much as their previous two albums, but the album that followed three years later, “Wind Up Toys” was excellent. The aptly named track ‘Surviving the Death of a Genre’ shows that ska punk in the UK had pretty much died out by that point and was to remain underground. Capdown have an ability that seems to escape other ska punk bands. The likes of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Less Than Jake, for example, hav...

“I was judge, jury and witness in one;  I put myself on trial for the things I had done;  Forced to stare and look at now what I had become;  Cold and unforgiving like the face of a gun … ” Inside my Slick Shoes CD case was a record label catalogue. Turns out that Slick Shoes had recorded a split EP with a band called Autopilot Off. “Huh…” my mind thought, and then promptly forgot the name until sixteen years later. Although no Slick Shoes albums make it onto this list, ‘Make A Sound’ comes in at 86. I haven’t got loads to say, other than its a really solid punk rock album. A more mature punk rock than the likes of Blink 182 etc; Focusing more on minor keys, and more intellectual in lyrical content. Very catchy ‘Offspringesque’ melodies (and I’m not talking about the comedy parmesan they so often released). I’m not a big fan of “whiney” punk rock singers and Chris Hughes’ vocal tone is great. Once again they use more interesting chords and play an upbeat tempo style of P...

“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...

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...