The Greatest Albums Ever At Presstime!

The Greatest Albums Ever At Presstime!

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So what are the “greatest” rock albums of all time? Well, you really won’t find the answers here, since it’s all a matter of opinion anyway.

But since most rock writers love compiling rock lists, we thought we’d poll our many writers and contributing editors on their favorite 10 rock LPs ever. Naturally we didn’t differentiate between “best” and “favorite” on the ballots we sent out, since most of us are egomaniacs to begin with, and we realize that “favorite” for us means “best.” Seriously, we just asked writers to vote for their “favorite” and/or “best” rock albums, with a short explanatory paragraph, which you’ll find on the following pages. We also suggested that people vote only for “legitimate” LPs rather than “greatest hits” collections and anthologies, although lots of voters disregarded this suggestion. Just for fun’s sake, we also thought we’d poll a couple of people who actually make rock albums, so included you’ll find lists by David Lee Roth and a few members of R.E.M.—two opposite ends of the rock spectrum, so to speak. We’re also going to give you readers a chance to vote for your favorites elsewhere in this issue, so read on...

There really were no big surprises in the results: Bob Dylan came in ahead of the pack with Blonde On Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited tying for first place with eight votes apiece. Speaking of opposite ends of the rock spectrum, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On came in second with seven votes, while the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks came in a close third with six mentions. The Beatles’ Rubber Soul tied David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust for fourth with five votes apiece, although a wide assortment of Fab Four LPs got votes, as did various LPs by all the other “biggies” like the Stones, the Who, the Beach Boys, etc. More recent “biggie” Bruce Springsteen got votes for every one of his LPs, excepting Greetings From Asbury Park and Nebraska (Darkness On The Edge Of Town and The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle led with three votes each), while every one of the Velvet Underground’s LPs placed; The Velvet Underground And Nico leading with four votes, while all the others received three, except their 3rd Album, which only received two. And three landmark LPs tied for fifth place with four votes apiece: the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Are You Experienced?, Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions and Meet The Beatles.

Some notable non-“biggies” (in terms of commercial popularity) didn’t do so badly either, with the late Robert Johnson’s King Of The Delta Blues Singers receiving two mentions, while Love’s Forever Changes and the MC5’s Back In The U.S.A. received three apiece. The early “new wavers”/“punks” also had strong showings, with assorted votes for such veterans as Iggy, the Dolls, Patti Smith, the Ramones, Television and Elvis Costello.

So what were you expecting? Dark Side Of The Moon?

MAN

1. Buddy Holly—Buddy Holly

2. Beatles ’65—The Beatles

3. The Beach Boys Today!—The Beach Boys

4. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

5. Younger Than Yesterday—The Byrds

6. Moby Grape—Moby Grape

7. White Light/White Heat—The Velvet Underground

8. What’s Going On—-Marvin Gaye

9. Sticky Fingers—The Rolling Stones 10. Rocket To Russia—The Ramones

COMMENTS: I have deliberately restricted my selections here to actual albums intended as albums—in chronological order of release— and not included compilations or greatest hits packages. The result is a list of albums all released from the ’60s and ’70s, with the notable exception of Buddy Holly (who was, all told, more a ’60s artist than a '50s one in terms of spirit and influence). That’s because the notion of “great album” to me is mainly a product of that time period. The ’50s and ’80s have been all about singles, specific songs, not albums, and make no mistake—I’d take Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie,” Little Richard’s “Ooh My Soul!” and Don Henley’s “Boy’s of Summer” over half the LPs listed here. Which is why lists are so misleading.

KEN BARNES

1. The Beach Boys Today!—The Beach Boys

2. Rhythm And Romance—Rosanne Cash

3. Risque—Chic

4. Liege And Lief— Fairport Convention

5. Walk Away Renee—The Left Banke

6. Forever Changes—Love

7. Between The Buttons—The Rolling Stones

8. Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica —The Ronettes

9. I Want To See The Bright Lights —Richard and Linda Thompson

10. Sings My Generation—The Who

COMMENTS: Since I listen to singles almost exclusively, by necessity and choice, albums tend to get one hurried audition and consignment to the files, most likely never to be heard again. That makes it tough to compile an all time top 10 list.

I’m sure there’s an R.E.M. or Church or Madonna album I like better than some of the tried and true chestnuts I grew up with, but I haven’t heard them enough to be sure they stand up. So this list is more conservative and retrograde than I’d like.,I did, however, resist the temptation to list 10 greatest hits albums full of prime singles; that’s the coward’s way out.

Anyway, the Rosanne album made it because I listened to it more than any album of 1985 and it blazes the trail for the country of the future. Chic shattered my bad attitudes toward black and dance music forever. I like the Ronettes album enough to name a cat after it (“Veronica” for short). Left Banke is exquisitely ornate; the Thompsons chill everything else on the list. The Beach Boys Today! has most of Pet Sounds production values and much more ebullience. Love is a ’60s staple; Between The Buttons is the most consistently surprising Stones album. Fairport retains a stately beauty, and the Who still holds off all challengers (Sex Pistols, Clash, and all) as the ultimate raw aggressive rock album. It has its own distinctive unity, yet also sounds like a collection of singles—the best possible combination.

Blft-ftBERRY (R.E.M.)

1. Led Zeppelin—Led Zeppelin

2. Cosmo’s Factory—Creedence Clearwater Revival

3. Love Tractor— Love Tractor

4. Chomp—Pylon

5. Mesmerization Eclipse—Captain Beyond

6. Plan 9—Plan 9

7. Greatest Hits, Voi. I— Patsy Cline

8. Visions Of Excess—Golden Palominos

9. Galactic Zoo Dossier—Kingdom Come 10. Radio City—Big Star COMMENTS: None.

JOANNE CARNEGIE

1. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle/

Darkness On the Edge Of Town

—Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (tie)

2. What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye

3. James Taylor—James Taylor

4. Meet The Beatles—The Beatles

5. Walk Away Renee—The Left Banke

6. Are You Experienced?—The Jimi Hendrix Experience

7. Who Came First—Pete Townshend

8. Time Of The Zombies—The Zombies

9. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

10.Pirates—Rickie Lee Jones

COMMENTS: Hope you liked “it” too!

MITCHELL. COHEN

1. The James Brown Show (Live At The Apollo, Voi. 1)

—James Brown

2. Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica —The Ronettes

3. Going To A Go-Go—The Miracles

4. Rubber Soul—The Beatles

5. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

6. Aftermath—The Rolling Stones

7. The Burbank Sessions, Voi. 1 (bootleg)—Elvis Presley

8. The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle —Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

9. In Too Much Too Soon—The New York Dolls 10. Horses—Patti Smith

COMMENTS: Oh, all right. No greatest hits albums (not even Motown or the Drifters), no compilations (so much for Mr. Maestro’s 20 Original Golden Oldies, Voi. 1), no boxed sets. Only “real” albums. To make things marginably more manageable, I decided to eliminate albums predating my first listening to and accumulating rock ’n’ roll (1960). Not that I don’t love LPs by the Everlys, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, etc., but for these purposes, let’s stick to music that made its impact on me upon release. Let's also not consider albums from the current decade, just because. Even so, any list of 10 (10 debut albums, 10 Atlantic albums, 10 summer-of-’66 albums) would be woefully incomplete. The records mentioned have an immediacy, a sense of the Moment, that is incredibly vivid; they are imprinted with a need to take events to the next level, keep on pushing. All of this music quite literally knocked me out, gave me unexpected jolts, and still has the zap of lightning caught in a bottle.

EDOUARD DAUPHIN

1. Never Mind The Bollocks,

Here’s The Sex Pistols —The Sex Pistols

2. The New York Dolls —The New York Dolls

3. Between The Buttons —The Rolling Stones

4. All Of Us—Nirvana (British Import)

5. The Slider—T. Rex

6. Get It!—Dave Edmunds

7. Victory In Rock City —Roderick Falconer

8. L.A. Woman—The Doors

9. Rickie Lee Jones —Rickie Lee Jones

10. The Use Of Ashes—Pearls Before Swine/Things Aren’t Right —Wazmo Nariz (tie)

COMMENTS:1.) A sucker punch to the already dead carcass of rock ’n’ roll. 2.) The Dolls kept a capacity crowd, including The Dauph, waiting for three hours one night at Max’s Kansas City because Arthur Kane’s girfriend had cut off part of his thumb. P.S. Arthur showed and the band was memorable. 3.) The disc that got me through the Summer of Love in Germany when nothing else—even AN-1 pills and the love of a good barmaid named Marlene—would. 4.) Rock’s most blatant stylists and money bet you never heard of them, right? 5.) Marc Bolan; he died as he lived—in a car crash! 6.) Edmunds taught a lot of rockers what they still don’t know. 7.) A legend in his own behind, Rod was either ahead of his time or about 40 years too late for the Anschluss. 8.) The aural equivalent of cruising on the freeway at 100 m.p.h. with a Courvoisier hangover. 9.) Subterranean jazz vs. airshaft rock in a fight to the finish. Rock TKO’d! 10a.) An enigma wrapped in a mystery enveloped in a shroud, Pearls and their mercurial leader Tom Rapp knew better than to tour. 10b.) Cuz when you spell his name backwards, it’s OmzawZiran!

MICHAEL DAVIS

1. Highway 61 Revisited—Bob Dylan

2. Sail Away—Randy Newman

3. Are You Experienced?—The Jimi Hendrix Experience

4. Lick My Decals Off, Baby

—Captain Beef heart & His Magic Band.

5. The Velvet Underground & Nico—The Velvet Underground

6. Remain In Light—Talking Heads

7. Swordfishtrombones—Tom Waits

8. Arthur—The Kinks

9. Ace Of Spades—Motorhead

10.Live—Bob Marley & The Wailers

COMMENTS: I don’t usually think in terms of top 10s unless I’m asked to; this list would probably be very different if you asked next week or next month. There’s nothing here from before the mid-’60s because this is a list of albums, and LPs were not recorded with the same intent in the ’50s as they were later on. This don’t mean that Elvis P. or Chuck Berry at their primes couldn’t kick booty on the artists mentioned above, just that they didn’t in terms of consistently amazing albums. The same might be said of, say, Hank Williams and Howlin’ Wolf vis a vis Elvis or Chuck as well; rock is a marketing term, not a musical one. My list of singles would definitely include some ’50s stuff.

Note: If, urn, “underground” recordings are acceptable, substitute Bob Dylan & The Hawks Live At Albert Hall 1966 for Highway 61.

DAVE DiMARTINO

1. Forever Changes—Love

2. Astral Weeks—Van Morrison

3. Pet Sounds—The Beach Boys

4. Volume //—Soft Machine

5. Starsailor—Tim Buckley

6. 3rd LP—The Velvet Underground

7. Third— Big Star

8. Here, My Dear— Marvin Gaye

9. Odessey & Oracle—The Zombies 10. Five Leaves Left—Nick Drake

COMMENTS: And you wondered why this magazine is going down the toilet.

JIM FARBER

You’ve got your nerve. Only 10 albums allowed? Frankly, I think Sophie’s choice was easier. Of course, far be it from me to pass up the opportunity to reduce all rock history to a narcissistic romp through my psyche. Herewith, then, in no particular order, are 10 choices plus capsule exceses for each. Incidentally, the way I arrived at the 10 was to concoct a list of the artists that move me most (Dokken came that close), and then pick my fave platter from each. Also, for brevity’s sake my “excuses” all relate to the LPs’ ultimate gestalt, which is why you won’t see the word “hooks” anywhere.

1. With A Little Help From My Friends—Joe Cocker (it brilliantly expresses life at its most pathetic). 2. Beggar’s Banquet—The Rolling Stones (this conjures up the whole late ’60s era for me, which I was too young for and therefore have glamorized beyond all reason). 3. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols—The Sex Pistols (because it really sounds like they want to kill everyone now). 4. On The Beach— Neil Young (because it’s totally and unashamedly cynical). 5. Blue— Joni Mitchell (It make me blubber uncontrollably. Even the dippy parts). 6. St. Dominic’s Preview—Van Morrison (during “Listen To The Lion,” I see God). 7. Gasoline Alley—Rod Stewart (never has anyone so young written so well about growing old). 8. Ziggy Stardust— David Bowie (the first LP to make me think it was OK to be a faggot). 9. Born In The U.S.A.—Bruce Springsteen (for making me care about people I hate in real life). 10. Highway 61 Revisited—Bob Dylan (if you want to know why I picked this over, say, Blonde On Blonde, well, does everything have to have an explanation?)

JIM FELDMAN

1. Sunshower

—Thelma Houston

2. Come To My Garden —Minnie Riperton

2.After the Gold Rush

—Neil Young

4. Blue—Joni Mitchell

4. What’s Going On

—Marvin Gaye

4. Blue River

—Eric Anderson

4. Angel Clare

—Art Garfunkel

4. Rubber Soul—The Beatles

4. Surrealistic Pillow—Jefferson Airplane

4. The Third Album—Barbara Streisand

COMMENTS: And Joni Mitphell’s Court And Spark, Laura Nyro’s Eli And The Thirteenth Confession and the Who’s Who’s Next. It’s been these 13 albums for so long that I suspect the list may remain this way until I check out, at which time these records must be played at my memorial party. Not in toto, since even the best parties (i.e., those at the Garage) last at most 12 hours or so, and there’s so much more I want played. Definitely the Supremes (but it was always the singles, girls) and the Rolling Stones—in fact, a lot of Stones—and Aretha and stacks of other records, oldies and newies. Lots of dance music, of course—Loleatta Holloway’s "Love Sensation” is to be played several times.

If I weren’t planning this party in the pages of CREEM, I’d bump a couple of this baker’s dozen (which ones, I couldn’t say) for an equal number of Stephen Sondheim cast albums (Sunday In The Park With George, Company— British LP—maybe Sweeney Todd), which can be played as my mourning pop friends (plus one) chow down and make for the open bar. (Yeah, I know, the Babs album is strictly Broadway, but her voice is THE BEST, and so are most of her songs, and it’s my party...) And the last record played, when only my nearest and dearest are around—however they must, they better last this party out—will be Alberta Hunter’s Amtrak Blues. I want to leave them smiling.

JOE FERNBACHER

1. Raw Power— Iggy & The Stooges

2. Back In The U.S.A.—The MC5

3. Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine—The Doors

4. Forever Changes—Love

5. The Velvet Underground & Nico—The Velvet Underground

6. Killer— Alice Cooper

7. Sabotage—Black Sabbath

8. Spirit Of ’67— Paul Revere & The Raiders

9. Axis: Bold As Love—Jimi Hendrix Experience 10. Clear Spot—Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band COMMENTS: None.

LAURA FISSINGER Not in order of importance:

1. Dirty Mind—Prince

2. Blue—Joni Mitchell

3. Hard Station—Paul Brady

4. This Year’s Model—Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5. Painting It Red—Rue Nouveau

6. The Things That Matter—Vince Gill

7. Hounds Of Love—Kate Bush

8. After The Gold Rush—Neil Young

9. Squeezing Out Sparks—Graham Parker & The Rumour 10. Escenas—Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar

COMMENTS: First and foremost, this is an impossible task, so fuck you all for thinking of it.

Second, I notice that the pivotal adjective is “favorite,” not “best.” Enough said.

1.) Makes me want to vigorously participate in the procreation process. Makes me glad I didn’t hawk my hormones. Makes me dance. Makes me proud to be from Minnesota!

2.) Three in the morning, when you’re looking at yourself without any delusions, this is the album to be playing.

3.) Paul Brady is a highly esteemed Irish singer/songwriter/etc., and this was his 1982 bid for American mainstream success. It won’t hit you the first few listens—who needs another folkie with amplified instruments? But ah, give it one more spin. The guy is on fire. He’s smart. He’s mad. And he opens himself up so far to the listener you almost get embarassed. Almost.

4.) Oh, Declan, you’re so sexy when you’re angry!

5.) This is a Minneapolis pop/rock band, and this is their second homemade record. Literate, melodic, emotional, irreverent, marginally deranged. The people who are really deranged, however, are the A&R guys at the major labels who won’t give this band a record deal.

6.) Gill is both a country artist and a real rocker. He’s also both an asskicker and a crooner. This particular LP is more crooning than kicking. Your broken heart will never hurt so good. Gill, by the way, has a prettier voice than McCartney. Dig that.

7.) I can’t explain what this record does to me or where it takes me. Total dreamscape.

8.) If I have to tell you why, you’ll never know.

9.) See number 8.

10.) It was a toss-up between Blades’s two Elektra (read: Anglo) releases—there’s hot things on both. But this one is a little glossier, and that might help those folks unaccustomed to latin music. Blades is going to be a superstar someday, so you might as well get warmed up now.

TOBY GOLDSTEIN

Not in preferential order except for # 1 & #2, which have been my

two faves since the day they were released:

1. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

2. Aftermath—The Rolling Stones (U.K. version).

3. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols —The Sex Pistols

4. Reggae Chartbusters—Various Artists (U.K. release)

5. Panorama—The Cars

6. Suicide—Alan Vega/Martin Rev

7. Heat Treatment—Graham Parker & The Rumour

8. Happy Jack—The Who

9. Born To Run—Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 10. White Light/White Heat—The Velvet Underground COMMENTS: Should I be disturbed that there isn’t one disc here released past 1980? Probably, but I still need convincing that there has been any significant musical innovation in the field of rock going on for most of this decade. Note that I say rock: rap music from artists like RunD.M.C., Lisa Lisa, Grandmaster Flash, Soul Sonic Force et. al. has really charged my batteries for the fast few years. Unlike most new rock, this stuff comes from the streets. And it’s always been the streets—whether in the doo-wop of Dion & The Belmonts (the first LP I ever bought, in the late ’50s), or psychedelia, or punk—that results in the conviction which, placed on disc, equals true quality. This also explains the presence of Reggae Charbusters on the list. Each of the classics on the record was a British smash single, and together they make up an unforgettable slice of ska/reggae’s first golden age. Interestingly, when this album came out, in 1969, all good “progressive rockers” were ashamed to be seen asking for “that dirty skinhead music.”

RICHARD GRABEL

1. Highway 61 Revisited—Bob Dylan

2. Rocket To Russia—The Ramones

3. Marquee Moon—Television

4. Let It Bleed—The Rolling Stones

5. Veedon Fleece—Van Morrison

6. Dub Housing—Pere Ubu

7. The Velvet Underground and Nico—The Velvet Underground

8. The Clash—The Clash

9. Horses—Patti Smith

10.Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)—Eno COMMENTS: As with the year-end polls, I’ve voted for the records that I remember listening to over and over again, and that I can still go back to and discover new pleasure. But this is very arbitrary. Almost every one of these artists has other albums that could have made it into this list. I’ve listed albums that make a cohesive statement, that work as albums, that are (or seem to have been) crafted as units. Soul, R&B, rap, funk and reggae, all musics I love, are missing, because I have usually loved these best on singles. I wonder what this list will look like if I try to draw it up 10 years from now.

BILL HOLDSHIP No particular order:

1. Meet The Beatles/Abbey Road—The Beatles (tie)

2. The Sun Sessions—Elvis Presley

3. Loaded—The Velvet Underground

4. Gef Yer Ya-Ya’s Out—The Rolling Stones

5. The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

6. This Year’s Models—Elvis Costello & The Attractions

7. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

8. The New York Dolls—The New York Dolls

9. The Modern Lovers—The Modern Lovers

10.Darkness On The Edge Of Town

—Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band COMMENTS: This will probably all change tomorrow. I did a similar list nine years ago, and only three remain from that one, which included Horses, Rubber Soul, Marquee Moon and The Doors. My “perfect” list would include at least 13 Beatles LPs in between the two above (plus Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band), nine Stones LPs between Out Of Our Heads and Sticky Fingers (especially Flowers) plus Exile and Some Girls, every Velvet Underground album (plus some solo Lou), a couple by the Kinks and at least five Dylan LPs, including Blood On The Tracks. A list 10 years down the road could conceivably include Scarecrow, Born In The U.S.A., Murmur, Fegmanial, Psychocandy, something by the BoDeans or (roots are showing) A Date With Elvis (the Cramps) and Let It Be (the Replacements). If I was going to that proverbial desert island, I’d do my best to finagle a tape with my favorite cuts from Elvis’s Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Vol. I and The Other Sides, Worldwide Gold Award Hits, Vol. II. Which is why I think favorite singles would be a more valid list, although you could fill that up with nothing but James Brown and/or Little Richard and/or Buddy Holly and/or C.C.R. and/or almost every other song CKLW (Windsor) played between 1964-72...

ROBERT A. HULL

1. A Date With Elvis—Elvis Presley

2. The Immortal—Otis Redding

3. Rubber Soul—The Beatles (American & English versions combined)

4. / Saw The Light—Hank Williams

5. The “Chirping” Crickets—Buddy Holly & The Crickets

6. King Of The Delta Blues Singers—Robert Johnson

7. What’s Going On—Marvin GayelVeedon Fleece —Van Morrison (tie)

8. Dance, Dance, Dance—The Beach Boys (repackage of Beach Boys Today\)

9. Dusty In Memphis—Dusty Springfield

10. Tragic Songs Of Life—The Louvin Brothers COMMENTS: In a sense, these are all either posthumous or transcendental LPs (a few are even concerned with the afterlife), and there were many alternate choices I had to omit (Al Green’s Tha Belle Album, Bob Dylan’s The Basement Tapes, among them).They are, however, my favorite albums TODAY but my opinion would undoubtedly change tomorrow. A more honest list would include anthologies, hits packages, various-artists compilations, and boxed-sets only, an even more honest list would include the two most influential LPs of the past 15 years, the Stones’ Exile On Main Street and Led Zep’s ZoSo. But the most honest list I could make would consist of my 10 favorite Elvis Presley albums based on the assumption that, if he is rock ’n’ roll’s most significant figure, then he must bear the glory—yet his prolific output makes the task tedious from the outset. So, here is my list, a half-truth perhaps, but containing enough truths to give anyone a sense of what rock ’n’ roll has always been about.

RICK JOHNSON

1. Beatles 6—The Beatles

2. 5D—The Byrds

3. The Beatles’ Second Album—The Beatles

4. Pet Sounds—The Beach Boys

5. After Bathing At Baxters—Jefferson Airplane

6. Ramones—The Ramones

7. Moby Grape—Moby Grape

8. Younger Than Yesterday—The Byrds

9. Sunflower—The Beach Boys

10. Don’t Crush That Dwarf— Firesign Theatre COMMENTS: I don’t mean to say that any of these are as much fun as beating up puppeteers or teaching at one of those high pregnancy risk girls high schools. But these records have totally snonkered me outta my tutu since day one, not to mention being the foundation of my “taste” in music. They’ll never live that down!

J. KORDOSH

1. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society —The Kinks

2. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

3. 17 Original Groovy Hits —Little Richard

4. Magical Mystery Tour—The Beatles

5. Sail Away—Randy Newman

6. Face To Face—The Kinks

7. The Sun Sessions—Elvis Presley

8. Idea—The BeeGees

9. Loaded—The Velvet Underground 10. Back In The U.S.A.—The MC5 COMMENTS: What if some people didn’t like my list and then they started getting headaches—mild at first, then annoying, then agonizing, then crippling! You know why? Well, they go to the doctor and find out they have brain cancer. It’s inoperable: I guess I should mention that. Anyway, they go blind and die in horrible pain while their loved ones curse the random fate that’s snatched him or her from them. It’s a chilling prospect if you ask me.

IIWIAIM LABABEDI

1. Rubber Soul—The Beatles

2. Elvis Is Back!—Elvis Presley

3. Are You Experienced?—The Jimi Hendrix Experience

4. It’s Too Late To Stop Now—Van Morrison

5. There’s A Riot Going On—Sly & The Family Stone

6. Metal Box—Public Image Limited

7. GP—Gram Parsons

8. Gef Happy!!—Elvis Costello & The Attractions

9. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

10. Germ Free Adolescents—X-Ray Specs COMMENTS: 10) The single best LP to come out of one of the most important rock movements of all times. 9) “But, oh, mama, can this really be the end?” Some finale. 8) Misery loves company. 7) The ashes of love-, the resurrection of country/and Emmylou Harris. 6) Everything Johnny Rotten promised, John Lydon, Jah Wobble, Jeannette Lee and Keith Levine delivered here. 5) The riot was over. Nobody knew it better than Sly. 4) I could’ve chosen Astral Weeks. But then I couldn’t have had “Here Comes The Night” or “Gloria” or, expecially, “CaraVan.” And if you include “Cyprus Avenue,” you have one side of this four sided live album. 3) YES! YES! YES! 2) The blues by the King. 1) I do mean the British version. The word was love and soon the world would be saying it.

DAVE MARSH

1. What’s Going On —Marvin Gaye

2. Greatest Hits —Sly & The Family Stone

3. Darkness On The Edge Of Town —Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

4. Highway 61 Revisited —Bob Dylan

5. Green River—Creedence Clearwater Revival

6. The Who Sell Out—The Who

7. The Sun Sessions —Elvis Presley

8. Spirit In The Dark —Aretha Franklin

9. Greatest Hits—Sam & Dave 10. Sings Soul Ballads

—Otis Redding COMMENTS: 1.) No particular order

2.) #2: Because it hangs together like an LP

3.) #7: Ditto

4.) #9: Because it’s never far from my turntable

5.) But what all this really proves is that rock ’n’ roll is singles music. Emphasizing LPs, I think, works heavily against black singers and in favor of white/British ones.

6.) Anyway, you asked for favorites.

JOHN MENDELSSOHN

1. Arthur—The Kinks

2. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society —The Kinks

3. Tommy—The Who

4. Shazam—The Move

5. The Notorious Byrd Brothers—The Byrds

6. The Autumn Stone—The Small Faces

7. Beggar’s Banquet—The Rolling Stones

8 Get Happy//—Elvis Costello & The Attractions 9. Revolver—The Beatles 10 Blonde On Blonde Bob Dylan

COMMENTS: I hold these truths to be self-evident. Number s 1-5 are tied for first place, 6-10 tied for second.

(Editorial note: As a special bonus, lovable John typically enclosed a chronological listing of his favorite singles and album tracks. If you’re interested, send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope, and we’ll send you a xerox.)

MIKE MILLS (R.E.M.)

1. Live—Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers

2. Radio City— Big Star

3. Pet Sounds—The Beach Boys

4. Number One Record—Big Star

5. Greatest Hits, Vol. 7—ABBA

6. Led Zeppelin—Led Zeppelin

7. Shake Some Action—The Flamin’ Groovies

8. The Belle Album—Al Green

9. Raw Power— Iggy & The Stooges

10. Layla & Other Love Songs—Derek & The Dominoes COMMENTS: This list is not immutable. On any given date some choices could change.

JEFFREY MORGAN In alphabetical order:

1. Rocks—Aerosmith

2. Goldfinger (soundtrack)—John Barry

3. Abbey Road—The Beatles

4. Inside Shelley Berman—Shelley Berman

5. Call Me Burroughs—William S. Burroughs o. I Am The Greatest!—Cassius Clay

« Tiaer Mountain (By Strategy)—Eno

o , .n,e K°vacs Album-Ernie Kovacs

9. Metal Machine Mus/c-Lou Reed

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1. Golden Decade—Chuck Berry

2. Exile On Main Street—Rolling Stones

3. Highway 61 Revisited—Bob Dylan

4. 3rd Album—The Velvet Underground

5. What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye

6. I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You —Aretha Franklin

7. The Wham Of That Memphis Man (For Collectors Only)

—Lonnie Mack

8. The Belle Album—Al Green

.9. Tonight’s The Night—Neil Young 10. Electric Warrior—T. Rex

COMMENTS: Best and favorite are two different lists, at least for a critic of some modesty. A tilt toward best would add The Apollo Theatre Presents In Person The James Brown Show or The Stooges: a tilt toward fave would require Grievous Angel or Ray Charles In Person. So I’ve tried to mix and match judiciously, but I’m clearly closer to fave than best. I have no qualms about Chuck’s collection as #1—praise him from whom all blessings flow. Besides, rock ’n’ roll is simply songs. Critical Thomism re: the “legitimacy” of collections of those songs vs. real or imagined sustained statements—mostly about permissable levels of nostalgia,.anyway—leaves me “cold, cold, cold...”

RICHARD

1. The Animals—The Animals

2. Shotgun—Jr. Walker & The All Stars

3. The Young Rascals—The Young Rascals

4. Blonde On Blonde—Bob Dylan

5. I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You—Aretha Franklin

6. Back In The U.S.A.— The MC5

7. Blondie—Blondie

8. Blank Generation—Richard Hell & The Voidoids

9. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols —The Sex Pistols

10. Catholic Boy—The Jim Carroll Band

COMMENTS: The operative aesthetic principle here is that funky beatnik rock is still the best ever (and it’s about time it started flourishing again—note release date of the “newest” album on this list). At least the first three albums above, and maybe the fourth too, obey Riegers Law that the proper lead instrument is always an electric organ (not synthesizer), and that electric guitars make great rhythms. Note also that seven out of the above 10 albums are the first albums from those respective artists. Extra points: all above titles from Atlantic for their cover art; that company issued the best ever during the 1960s. Blondie for coming up with the essential female element the otherwise wondrous Blue Oyster Cult always lacked. Richard Hell’s and Jim Carroll’s albums for some of the finest guitaring ever (and U thought I just went for their words). And these Bob Dylan and Sex Pistols albums will be remembered long after all the authentic baggies of Elvis’s sweat have burst and evaporated.

IBI IMS

1. The Who Sell Out—The Who

2. Bringing It All Back Home—Bob Dylan

3. Wheels Of Fire—Cream

4. This Year’s Model—Elvis Costello & The Attractions (British import)

5. Give ’Em Enough Rope—The Clash

6. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

7. Country Life—Roxy Music

8. Ramones—The Ramones

9. There Are But Four Small Faces—The Small Faces 10. Beggar’s Banquet—The Rolling Stones

COMMENTS: If I spent another hour on this, I’d probably change my mind all over the place. Every era has its quintessential albums that changed my life—some more singles than albums. (Hence the omission of such ultimate bands as the Pistols, Byrds, Sparks, Generation X, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Mott the Hoople, Sam Cooke, etc., etc., etc.) Furthermore, I’m leaving out artists whose music changed my life, but who never made one flawless LP that sums up their work—the Velvets, Hendrix, Canned Heat, Undertones, Townshend solo, U2, and hundreds more.

I’ve consciously avoided overweighing recent releases—I need a few more years to decide whether Tim or Psychocandy would eliminate any of the above, some of which I’ve loved now for two decades without losing my fondness.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52

That all said, all the above drastically affected me at the time, and some still do. What unifies them for me is a sense of intensity and commitment, the feeling that they were make with a knowledge of their impact. What else can I say? People who ask for such inanities and impossibilities as an all time top 10 don’t land on it! Have fun! CYNTHIA ROSE

1. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols—The Sex Pistols

2. King Of The Delta Blues Singers —Robert Johnson

3. Marquee Moon—Television

4. The Best of Del Shannon —Del Shannon

5. Rum, Sodomy And The Lash —The Pogues

6. Blood On The Tracks—Bob Dylan

7. Rocket To Russia—The Ramones

8. The Alpha Band—The Alpha Band

9. Funhouse—The Stooges 10. Wild Gift—X

COMMENTS: Due to the anti-anthology structure, this lacks mention of America’s greatest musical poets: Smokey Robinson, Chuck Berry, Hank Williams, and (my personal favorite singer-songwriter) Buddy Holly. But this list adequately represents the quirk that for me all art aspires not to the state of music but the state of Mayakovsky. Probably I should include Patti Smith’s Horses instead of a Del Shannon anthology, but it’s a courtesy for the most moving show I’ve seen a solo performer give: in a crummy pub in suburban London, 1983. The only other possible link between No.’s 1-10: since #1 debuted, I have moved lodgings nine times. That and my budget keep my “record collection” portable.

DAVID LEE ROTH

1. Axis: Bold As Love —Jimi Hendrix

2. Disraeli Gears—Cream

3. Led Zeppelin—Led Zeppelin

4. Machine Head—Deep Purple

5. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust —David Bowie

6. Live At Leeds—The Who

7. Live—Grand Funk Railroad

8. Band Of Gypsies—Jimi Hendrix

9. Tres Hombres—ZZ Top

10. Natty Dread—Bob Marley & The Wailers

11. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols—Sex Pistols

COMMENTS: I sensed a kinship with them (the Sex Pistols) right away. The way they were bashing their guitars around and lighting each other on fire. I figured that’s rock ’n’ roll, even if the haircuts were all wrong.”

KAREN SCHLOSBERG

1. Rubber Soul—The Beatles

2. Blood On The Tracks—Bob Dylan

3. Get It!—Dave Edmunds

4. This Year’s Model— Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5. I Just Can’t Stop It—The Beat

6. East Side Story—Squeeze

7. Beauty And The Beat—The Go-Go’s

8. Marshall Crenshaw —Marshall Crenshaw

9. Mummer—X TC

10. Big Plans For Everybody— Let’s Active COMMENTS: As someone once said, “Lists are hell.” I hate this list. It makes me feel guilty for leaving out these albums and more: the UK version of Nick Lowe’s Labour Of Lust, Graham Parker’s Squeezing Out Sparks, Joni Mitchell’s Court And Spark, Los Lobos’s How Will The Wolf Survive?, the Bangles’ All Over The Place. I feel guilty for listing new ones because they haven’t passed the test of time. But I listed the Lucky 10 chronologically because having to choose an all-time fave number one LP would simply be too cruel. As for major guilt, where are Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Ramones, the Monkees, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, the Supremes? Where the hell is Elvis Presley? a.) I never knew the albums many classic singles belonged to; b.) No room; c.) Apologies to my conscience for the multitudes not listed; d.) All of the above. ROY TRAKIN

1. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—The Beatles

2. Exile On Main Street —The Rolling Stones

3. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust —David Bowie

4. Marquee Moon—Television

5. Ramones—The Ramones

6. What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye

7. The New York Dolls —The New York Dolls

8. Highway 61 Revisited—Bob Dylan

9. Raw Power— Iggy & The Stooges 10. The Velvet Underground And Nico

—The Velvet Underground COMMENTS: 1.) The first real rock ’n’ roll album and a personal revelation, though I might have liked Rubber Soul and Abbey Road more...

2.) Tough to ignore either Let It Bleed or Beggar’s Banquet, but this one came at a time when I was about to give up on rock ’n’ roll.

3.) He’s still trying to top it, as far as I’m concerned.

4.) The first record I ever reviewed for money.

5.) Beat on the brat with a baseball bat...conceptually, the perfect punk record.

6.) The toughest political record of the day, with Sly Stone’s There’s A Riot Going On a very close second.

7.) What can I say? This record conviced me rock ’n’ roll could be fun again.

8.) Bands are still trying to sound like this.

9.) The most abrasive rock ’n’ roll in history.

10.) Lou Reed’s finest hour.

Runners-up: Suicide, The Doors, Joni Mitchell’s Ladies Of The Canyon, Prince’s 1999, Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard/A True Star, Patti Smith’s Horses, Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, The Clash, Wailers’ Burnin’, Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come soundtrack. GREGG

(KHRUSHCHEV) TURNER

1. ’Mid The Green Hills Of Virginia —The Original Carter Family

2. The Family Who Prays —The Louvin Brothers

3. Boom—The Sonics

4. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society

—The Kinks

5. Odessey & Oracle—The Zombies

6. Home—Procol Harum

7. Blue Oyster Cult—Blue Oyster Cult

8. Master Of Reality—Black Sabbath

9. Go Girl Crazy!—The Dictators 10. Berserkley Chartbusters

—Various Artists COMMENTS: Hon. Mention:

1. Eternally Yours—The Saints

2. Anything Roky Erickson (and in particular Easter Everywhere & 13th Floor Elevators)

3. Loaded—Velvet Underground

4. More Greatest Hits—Dion

The as-yet-unreleased Confessions Of A Murderer by the Vince Neil Experience could seriously reshuffle the above.

RICHARD C. WALLS

1. Highway 61 Revisited —Bob Dylan

2. Between The Buttons —The Rolling Stones

3. Astral Weeks—Van Morrison

4. Kick Out The Jams—The MC5

5. Trout Mask Replica—Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

6. Jack Johnson—Miles Davis

7. Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)— Eno

8. Armed Forces—Elvis Costello & The Attractions

9. Squeezing Out Sparks —Graham Parker & The Rumour

10. Too Tough To Die—The Ramones COMMENTS: I suppose this is the part we’re to render our list coherent via some sort of unified field theory in order to prove that we’re genuine critics rather than just grubby opinionmongers who would foist our faves on the public for reasons we barely understand. But since in your request letter you make no distinction between “10 best” and “10 favorite,” I figured grubby self-indulgence was what you were after—which is fine with me and so this list is fairly spontaneous, mostly ahistorical and ridiculously inconclusive (a given in this sort of exercise, no?). But it’s honest—I would happily listen to any of these albums, as of June ’86, at the drop of a needle. And I can say without hesitation that each album represents the peak of something or other, and the best example of this or that. As for the lack of pre-mid-’60s stuff, when it comes to rock, I’m just not a pre-mid-’60s kinda guy. Like, I’m sorry.

5. Are You Experienced?

—The Jimi Hendrix Experience

6. You’ll Lose A Good Thing —Barbara

7. The Sun Sessions—Elvis Presley

8. Live In Europe—Otis Redding

9. Stranded—Roxy Music 10. White Light/White Heat

—The Velvet Underground COMMENTS: All of these records were selected for the honor roll because they’re hyper-emotional. They’ve still got that old snap, crackle and pop. In closing, let me add a plug for the late Billy Fury, the greatest British rocker of the pre-Beatles era. We Want Billy!, which was never released here as far as I know, may be the most exciting live album ever. Wow!

CRAIG ZELLER

1. The Great Twenty-Eight —Chuck Berry

2. Meet The Beatles—The Beatles

3. The Band—The Band

4. Moondance—Van Morrison

5. Loaded—The Velvet Underground

6. The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle—Bruce Springsteen

7. Ramones Leave Home—The Ramones

8. The Clash—The Clash

9. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols—The Sex Pistols

10. Greatest 64 Motown Original Hits —Original Artists

COMMENTS: 1.) Berry was a singles artist. In my not-so-humble opinion he, along with other ’50s giants like Elvis and Buddy Holly, did all his best work on 45s not LPs. Thus, the inevitability of this selection. He also happened to be a genius rock ’n’ roll singersongwriter-guitarist, and this double set is proof positive for the ages.

2.) The forever-stunning debut of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band. There is no happier sound in music than the opening verse of “All My Loving.”

3.) One of those one-in-a-thousand LPs that remains as fascinating now as the day it came out. Every great claim that was ever make for this group is justified on here. And God, is it soulful.

4.) I’ll go with this over Astral Weeks. Morrison’s level of passion is staggering and beautifully expressed. “Caravan” alone was enough to make me cry “masterpiece” after one play.

5.) Lou Reed’s finest hour if only for including “Rock ’n’ Roll,” the finest song ever composed on the subject.

6.) The one that made me a believer back when he was still struggling with cult status. It’s a shame he never does “Kitty’s Back” anymore; the finale may be the most uproaring thing he’s ever done.

7.) America’s most intense rock ’n’ roll band at the peak of their pulverizing power; one of the most joyously cathartic rampages anyone’s ever been on.

8. & 9.) England’s two best bands of the last decade at the peak of their pulverizing power. Hear the Clash turn themselves into aural dynamite; listen to the Pistols blow up the world with maficious glee. They meant it, mann. 10.) “Heat Wave” is the greatest record ever made. The other 63 selections aren’t bad either. 0