The first 48…

After two days of listening to my Itunes straight through,( and a whole bunch of other stuff, which this post isn’t about) I have heard a bunch of great, and rather diverse albums and wonder why I don’t listen to some of them more often.  Here they are:

Abbey Road- The Beatles   If not my favorite Beatles album, it is right up there with them. All of them.  It was the last album by them to really seem complete.  I do like Let It Be, but you can tell how the band is falling apart in the way it is put together.  I don’t know if I can explain it better than that.  But at least a few of the tracks feel like bits and pieces.  With Abbey Road, they perfected the idea of songs that begin with the endings of the previous track, bringing music to the otherworldly level that not enough people seem able to do.   Favorite song: I Want You, She’s So Heavy   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4CzqrPZtXk

Abraxas- Santana   Their second album and one of their best.    Listen to: Black Magic Woman   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTbFNsBy73I

Absolution: Muse-  Their third album, and the first I ever began to hear. I had always seen them as something like Radiohead had they taken more of a harder rock approach to their music.  Post-apocalyptic themes, combined with soaring vocals, and tight instrumentation, Muse will always be one of my favorite bands.     Time Is Running Out  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDuNq-a5b4

Stockholm Syndrome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPYLIy3FWpk

Accelerate: R.E.M-  By no means my favorite album by them, Accelerate is their penultimate album, and the album I saw them on tour in support of.  And considering that was their final tour as a band, this album will hold a special place with me for that reason.  My favorite song on it is most likely Supernatural Superserious  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_We6ubpUHZs&ob=av2e

Achtung Baby- U2  Their first real foray into more electronic territory, and their only really great album from the 90’s.  I don’t know what to really say except that none of their most recent offerings have been anywhere near as tight as this.    Until The End of the World  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vHoj-PBGzs

 

Acid Tongue: Jenny Lewis- The Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s second solo album features a few really great collaborations, and though I find it a bit less memorable than the work done with her band, I think it is just as strong, and really shows how capable she is as a solo artist, and just how much she may still be able to do in her career.  Keep it up Jenny!    The Next Messiah  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYhiFNQk4-U

Adam & Eve: Catherine Wheel- One of the best bands of 90’s britpop, if lesser known.  I just can’t get over how pretty the vocals are.      Future Boy  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LqxgG52NWQ  The singer Rob Dickinson, is the second artist on this list so far that I have had the good fortune to see live!

AEnima: Tool-  A band that I have tended to find a bit too complex for my taste much of the time, I would say they are one of my favorites. Though out of Maynard’s bands I am a bigger fan of A Perfect Circle.  No offense.  I think anything he makes is great.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IR9oNzdrA

After The Gold Rush: Neil Young   The third person on this list I have seen live!  One of my favorite classic Neil Young albums.  It’s a great slice of Americana from a great Canadian guitar man.  Southern Man  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVRxdPWV3RM

Agaetis Byrjun- Sigur Ros=  A band I can hope to maybe see live this summer, (fingers crossed)  they make such amazing, angelic soundscapes, mostly in a language that doesn’t have words, and sometimes in Icelandic.  Ethereal sounds come from conventional instruments played in unconventional ways.  One of my favorite albums by them because my favorite song by them is on it!  Flugufrelsarrin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOQVaoYtAsA

I like the idea of this feature, and look forward to sharing the next few days with you.  Be excited!!!