Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“Departments of police, the judges, the feds;  Networks at work, keepin' people calm;  You know they went after King  when he spoke out on Vietnam;  He turned the power to the have-nots… and then came the shot…” Let me take you back to no.78 and the box of scratched up CDs. Amongst them was Evil Empire by Rage. Although not too fond of it at the time (and it’s still my least favourite Rage album), this one gets a good few spins…when the kids aren't around anyway! Not for the faint-hearted, and the most political album on this list. This is funk rock rap metal with a message. The songs are strong, the lyrics are both brilliant and overly explicit. Look past the passionate shouting and we see incredible musicians, fantastic rhythms and very well crafted songs.  The bass lines compliment the guitar riffs very well, and get to shine with the funk/slap here and there. Tom Morello is one of the greatest guitarists in the world, and has plenty of space to share his tal...

“Sometimes I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear; And I can’t help myself but ask myself how much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer; It’s driven me before and seems to have a vague haunting mass appeal; But lately I’m beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel …” I first heard of Incubus from friend’s hoodies at secondary school, and even though I bought a couple of albums from the bargain bin at Virgin Megastores, I didn't really give them a thought and proper listen. It was approximately a decade later when revisiting and ‘Make Yourself’ became a firm favourite.  Through discovering certain bands, I’ve enjoyed interesting rhythms, notably between the score and vocals. This album thrives on it,  mostly due to the funk and hip hop influence, mixed with alternative metal. Heavy guitars, superb drum riffs, prominent bass and DJ scratches fill this album.  There is a real beauty in the changes between reflective slower verses and  rip r...

“Illuminate the shadow, and  try to keep the light within;  Avoid another battle, and  forget what might have been;  How do I keep it? How do I keep it here…” ‘Evolver’ was the first 311 album I owned, and, whilst thoroughly enjoying it, it was much more a showcase of their mix of rap funk punk metal. The more I dived into their back catalogue, it was certain songs that I latched onto; ‘Beyond the Grey Sky’, ‘Amber’ and ‘Beautiful Disaster’, ie, their ska/reggae influenced songs. ‘Mosaic’ is almost fully ska inspired with mixes of the classic 311 sound, which I would describe as a relaxed Rage Against The Machine on a beach. It is probably their most poppy album to date, but the songs are incredibly infectious. The quality of production on this album is excellent also, and that’s mostly down to Goldfinger singer and producer Jon Feldmann’s handywork. The rap funk metal is still prevalent, in songs like ‘Too Late’ and ‘Perfect Mistake’ which have the classic 311 feel ...

“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, ‘...