Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“Sometimes I'm sure that I am crazy;  It's taking its toll, it 's making me old;  With half the winter still to go;  Maybe I'm afraid of love, maybe I'm afraid of pain; And maybe I'm afraid too much, maybe I'm afraid that I won't ever change…” It was August of 2006, and our first and only Reading Festival. Wanting to see the likes of Muse, Less Than Jake, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash and others around the Lockup Stage, we left the festival having discovered a new band, and one of our favourite acts of the weekend, Zox. They don’t really fit into the bracket of other bands. A mix of Sublime, The Pixies and Maximo Park; There is a ska influence, but mixed with indie rock. The  defining feature being an electric violin player, taking the role of lead guitar, producing an interesting and unique overdriven sound. Although this setup felt a little sparse to me in the studio recordings at first, I appreciate hearing the string nuances and ...

“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, ‘...

“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 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...

“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...

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...