* means I bought the album right when it was released or at the latest a few months
# means I discovered it later
29 - Agnostic Front (1984, Rat Cage)- Agnostic Front wasn't included on my list of best punk/hardcore releases here because that was for more overlooked releases that don't get as much attention as they deserve. I do consider Victim in Pain to be the best hardcore album of all time. Eleven short, fast, urgent songs, and one slower one, in just fifteen minutes. All of them crammed with good lyrics about unity within the musical scenes, getting stabbed in the back, and the usual hardcore subjects. Agnostic Front would take a real turn towards metal on their next album never really returning to the fast hardcore style but live you can safely assume they will play all the songs from Victim in Pain. (The cover shown is the Combat Records cover because I never really liked the original) (#) 28) The Wedding Present - Seamonsters (1991,
RCA) - On Seamonsters, The Wedding Present took a darker sound than on their last few albums with much shorter song titles too. They also added tidal waves of still melodic guitars framing singer/guitarist David Gedges thick Leeds accent resulting in a lot of seriously intensive moments. Seamonsters is also hands down one of the most perfectly recorded albums. Every instrument can be heard perfectly. Just like he did on The Jesus Lizard's Goat album earlier on this list, Steve Albini's production brings the album louder and quieter in just the right moments so you don't have to. (*)
27) Killdozer - 12 Point Buck (1989, Touch and Go) - In the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last" where banker Henry Bemis reads in the bank vault only to come out and find the world has been wiped out by nuclear war. I always thought Killdozer's loud heavy sludgy music would have been the perfect soundtrack for the smoldering world Henry finds as he walks around exploring the damage. Add Micheal Gerald's growly singing stories of pop culture and local twisted events which occurred in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin makes up one of the most perfect albums out there. Hearing this album was also the reason Billy Corgin and Kurt Cobain picked Butch Vig, who recorded most of Killdozer's work, to produce their upcoming albums Gish and Nevermind. (*) 26) Subhumans - Incorrect Thoughts
(1980,Friends/CD Presents) - The Canadian band, not the British one of the same name. I posted a whole entry on this album here so I am not going to into it. Let's just say these guys were one of the first bands which showed punk rock can also be filled with tons of driving melodic guitars and hooks. If you check it out make sure its the CD Presents version which includes one probably my third or fourth all-time favorite song ( a list too hard to make) "Behind My Smile", which wasn't included on the original Friends Records release.(#)
25) Suicidal Tendencies - S/T (1983, Frontier)- This is another album I won't get to into because I wrote about it here. However I have to add it was an album that changed my life when someone gave me a third-generation tape of it sometime in 7th grade. Hardcore punk rock but with metal guitars here and production greater than almost any other album of its genre. It's also the only real punk album the band released. Like Agnostic Front and so many other bands of the time, they moved a more metal sound after this. I also have to add while I write this I am drinking a Pepsi. (#) 24) The Clash - London Calling (1979, CBS) - May make some enemies but I consider The Clash our generations Beatles and London Calling our Sgt Pepper. Up until this point The Clash had released some awesome albums filled angry punk rock albums before exploring other types of music on London Calling, just like The Beatles did with timeless rock and roll albums before they recorded their masterpiece. Whether it the band's originals or songs they are covering, every note on every song is perfect and in just the right order for the London Calling to always be listened to straight through. The iconic cover photo seals the deal.(#) 23) The Replacements - Let it be (1984, Twin
Tone) - Whereas London Calling is our generations Sgt Pepper,
The Replacement'sLet it Be would be our Exile On Main Street. Like the Rolling Stone's masterpiece, Let it Be is where The 'Mats perfected their sound but still kept the songs varied and gritty before cleaning them up on their next album, the almost equally as great Tim. The cover photo of the band sitting on the roof of guitarists and bassist brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson's mother's house has become almost as iconic as the one of Paul Simonon smashing his bass on the cover of London Calling. (#)
22) Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker (1993, Dischord) - 1990's Repeater would normally be in this slot but since I wrote about it here I'll add my second favorite Fugazi album. In On The Kill Taker is the last album that still contained a few anthems Fugazi was known for before moving in more of an experimental phase which was hinted on their previous album Steady Diet of Nothing and will go full force on the follow-up Red Medicine, my least favorite Fugazi album. In On the Kill Taker was produced by Ted Nicely, who had previously worked with the band, but it was originally recorded by Steve Albini. Those recordings were shelved because both the band and Steve were not thrilled with the outcome. A few of those mixes can be heard on Youtube. (*) 21) The Cure - The Head on the Door (1985,
Fiction) - I would probably include the 1980 "album" Boys Don't Cry as my favorite release because it includes so many of my favorite songs but technically it is a compilation of singles not available in the States at the time. Instead The Head on the Door takes the place. Just like U2's Unforgettable Fire this was the ultimate Cure album. From the poppy opening track "Inbetween Days" to the closing darker "Sinking" at the end, this is what I feel The Cure was supposed to sound like. This also pertains to an album by another band that will be appearing about ten more down the list. (*)
20) The Descendents - Milo Goes to College (1982, New Alliance) - The Descendents (and ALL) are my all-time favorite band(s) and I like almost all their albums equally. As far as a favorite though I have to go with the debut. Each song on the album shows the individual musical personality of each band member who wrote them, The album also includes so many of their awesome classics in "Hope", Bikeage", and "Suburban Home" but also has a few that have been forgotten over the years like "M-16", "Parents", "Statue of Liberty", and "Marriage".(#)
If I thought the cover for Seventeen Seconds was stark and gloomy when I first laid eyes on it I was in for a real treat with The Cure's third album Faith.
Faith - 1981-The albums cover was a faded grey, on the right side was an outline of what looked like the outline of a ghost with a few blades of grass coming up from the ground underneath it. Holding the record in my hands looking at this cover image I thought it was pretty safe to assume The Cure had not gone Power/Pop. Years later I learned the picture on the cover was actually of Bolton Priory monastery, taken in the fog
Track 1 "Holy Hour" begins with some solo bass strumming showing right from the gate which instrument would be taking the spotlight on this album. The Keyboards are
there but not so out front or enveloping. This was probably due in part to Robert smith
giving keyboardist Mathieu the boot and taking over any keyboards himself. Now
he could make sure his guitar is heard in full and not too washed out with synthesizers.
Track 2 "Primary", with its
appearance on the Standing On A Beach compilation, was the only song I was familiar with before buying Faith. It definitely stands out as
the most upbeat song of the record. Lol Tolhurst’s drums and the again out front bass
strumming of Simon Gallup keep the song moving. The Cure proves once again they
can keep you dancing as well as moping.
Track 3 "Other Voices" once again slows it down but
very heavy bass takes center stage on the song stepping further out front of
Robert’s vocals and guitar strumming
Track 4 "All Cats Are Grey" is a surprisingly long song. The vocals don’t
appear until over two minutes in. This song is also the only one on the album were the keyboards are very prominent and take the lead. They are even allowed a solo where the guitar solo would be. The last thirty
seconds of the song consists of only a few piano notes bringing the side A to a
somber end
The First track of the Second side “Funeral
Party” kicks off with melodic and atmospheric keyboards. The sounds almost
resemble music you would hear playing in a movie while pall bearers carry the deceased
coffin to its final resting place, each one of them swaying to the music as
they walk. Robert adds some far away sounding vocals acting as the guy walking behind them singing the song the pall bearers are swaying too.
The band snaps out of the gloom for Track 6
“Doubt”. Robert’s vocals take a snarlingness not seen since Three Imaginary Boys.
With lyrics like “You Tense you hands, draw my claws”. “Tear at flesh and rip your skin”, the song
is also a tad violent. First hearing this song at 14 years old and feeling some pent up adolescent rage I was very happy to find The Cure still had some rage lurking in there
among these other somber songs
Track 7 “The Drowning Man" picks right up
where "Funeral Party" left off. Slow and desperate with Roberts vocals coming out
of the headphones at all directions. Closing you eyes you can picture a man drowning, clawing up in each direction the vocal come from in an effort to find something
to hold him afloat. The song slowly fades out as the guy gives up and succumbs
to his watery fate
The very atmpsphearic title track "Faith" closes out the album. The last words said on the album "I went away alone with nothing left but faith" serves as a perfect closing line for the album.
Overall Faith is a very good record. It compliments the album before it nicely. Most the songs are longer than on other
albums with “All Cat’s Are Grey” clocking in over 5 minutes and “Faith” passing
6 but they never get boring or tiring. I always believed the keyboards took a
lot of the life out of Seventeen Seconds so that fact they take a back seat on
Faith was always a plus for me.
Like it’s predecessor I mostly used Faith in
making downbeat mixes for studying or sleeping, never for listening to in the
car. If you try that you might as well place a pillow right on the steering
wheel.
The Cure would go on to do one more album, Pornography, in
their dark, somber gloom faze before cheering up a bit. Unfortunately the band
did not play Pornography on that night at Radio City Music Hall, just these
first three. My initial reaction to and thoughts on the albums Pornography, The
Top, The Head On The Door and all those other great albums the band
released will have to be placed on hold for awhile.
Well, at least until The Cure’s next “In It's Entirety” tour.
So with the conclusion of this post I think
it is time to distance the blog just a bit from what writer Nick Hornby would call “Sad
Bastard Music”. I promise the next few posts to be more upbeat. There may even be some more Disney just around the corner.
Going over Three Imaginary Boys and it’s American counterpart in Boys Don’t Cry seems to
have gone on a bit long. As we move on to The Cure's second album, if you are
still with me I promise to not be as extensive Actually I should not be making
any promises. Let’s just say I will attempt to keep it to the point.
Seventeen Seconds- 1980- The only track from our beloved Standing On A Beach compilation which was taken from Seventeen Seconds was "A Forest". On this song there was a noticeable difference between the earlier songs on the compilation but it still sounded like the same band, maybe even a more upbeat. "A Forest" really was not the best song to be placed on Standing On A Beach to repesesnt the album it was taken from.
In
1987 Seventeen Seconds was still not readily available in the US. It would
be a year before the American label Elektra would release it. The Fiction Records import would have to be tracked down.Years later I would learn in 1981 A&M Records had released an album called Happily Ever After which combined Seventeen Seconds with it's follow-up Faith.
I
could almost tell from the cover image of Seventeen Seconds that it was not
going to be a continuation of the same sound Robert Smith and company had
displayed on Three Imaginary Boys or Boy’s Don’t Cry. As those album cover contained
images with many colers illustrating a few of the album's respective songs,
Seventeen seconds cover possessed an very stark image of some trees with what looks
like brush stroke of white paint over 80% of it.
As
track one begins, the 2 minute instrumental “A Reflection", my suspicions were
confirmed. The slow guitar strumming accompanied the band’s new addition of
piano sets the pace for the rest of the album right from the get go
.
When
the instrumental is over Track 2 attempts to set the album in motion. “Play for Today” is definitely one of the more upbeat songs on the
album. The track could almost fit in among “Someone Else’s Train” and “Grinding Halt” on the first album(s), only this time they added Mathieu Hartley’s keyboards
washing over it.
Track
3 “Secrets” brings the tempo down a bit. Robert Smith sings in almost a whisper
with some more of his vocals song a bit louder but placed way back in the mix.
The louder vocals do return to the front with the next track, “In Your House”, but the tempo is slowed down even more than the prior track. The keyboards
filling in gaps left by the guitars. Then the even slower and almost all
instrumental song “Three” closes out the first side of the record.
When
the record is flipped over we are greeted with the downbeat instrumental “The Final
Sound”. The song acts as a continuation of “A Reflection” only this time the
piano playing sounds almost drunk. This song proves to perfectly keep along
with the general feel of the album. Letting the listener know the album will be continuing right where it left off when side one ended.
Next
the song from the Standing on a Beach comp comes on. “A Forest”
definitely proves to be the most upbeat song on the album. The steady beat of
drummer Lol Tolhurst also makes it the most danceable.
Track
8 ”M”slows it down again. On this track the ever present
keyboards take a back seat to Robert’s out front guitar. They would however
return to the similar paced “At Night” of track 9.
Closing
out the album at Track 10 is the title cut “Seventeen Seconds”. Once again it
is another slow paced number but Robert does get a little angry towards the
end. The album closes with the song becoming slower and slower until the album
comes to an end.
Overall
the albums very downbeat and a tad gloomy, almost ambient. It serves as a great
introduction to the new darker side of The Cure, a sound which would cause many
music fans to place them unfairly in the “Goth” category for the next few
albums. The prominent drums keep the album from going too far to the dark side.
Seventeen
Seconds definitely has not graced my headphones as often as Boys Don’t Cry but it still ranks among my my favorite albums. I must admit that “Primary” and “A
Forest” still remain my most listened too tracks on the record. Too
this day when it becomes time to make an more ambient or downbeat mix for someone or even for me to listen while studying or to listen to while trying to fall asleep too, Seventeen seconds is always one
of the first two albums I reach for.
The other day I read in the paper that The Cure had recently played Radio City Music Hall. I was really not too disappointed in missing the show. Let’s face it; The Cure is not the most exciting live acts. Further reading showed that it was not just another Cure concert. The band had played their first three albums in their entirety. Normally I am not a huge fan of the “Album in its Entirety” concerts. I feel they cheat you a little bit. Maybe THAT album is pretty good but you want to hear the songs but what about the many other albums the band has released?
Anyway, back to The Cure. So when I read about this past concert were they played Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith in “their entirety”. I wasn’t upset about missing the concert. What it did was make me think about those three albums. How much I loved those three albums and how important they were to forming my musical mind. The rest of The Cure’s albums, at least up to Disintegration, I loved too. I’ll write about those another time. Since Radio City Music Hall has already brought them up, for now let’s focus those first three. Three Imaginary Boys today, Seventeen Seconds tomorrow and Faith on Friday
Three Imaginary Boys – 1979 – Like many people my age the first exposure to the Cure was the singles compilation Standing on a Beach. Somehow one of my friends scored a copy off an older brother and brought it before us. Listening to that compilation would prove to be a life changing experience, well at least to a 13 year old kid just being exposed to new “alternative” music. All the full albums by our new favorite band would have to now be acquired.
Although just about every track on Standing on A Beach was incredible and would act as our blueprint to this band, the tracks I was most drawn to were the first three. “Killing an Arab”, “Jumping Someone else’s Train” and the song I had just viewed the new video coinciding with Standing on A Beach, “Boy’s Don’t Cry”. According to the linear notes in Standing on a Beach these three tracks were some of the first songs recorded by The Cure. I figured they would be found on the first album Three Imaginary Boys. This would have to be the first album purchased.
In 1986 Three Imaginary Boys was not readily available. The albums closer to Standing on a Beach had been released on a much larger label and sat on the shelf of most major record chains. Three Imaginary Boys was only available on the import label. Fiction records. It took a few tries but a copy was finally found on a journey to Georgetown with my family.
The album begins with the bouncy “10:15 on a Saturday Night”. It is almost impossible to listen without you head bobbing up and down. The song is perfectly illustrated when lead singer Robert Smith sings “The tap drips, drip, drip, drip”. You can close you eyes and picture a drop of water falling from the spout with each “drip" he sings. A couple of minutes into the song a sharp guitar solo stands out from the rest of the song before going back to a bounce and getting lower and lower until another lower riff closes it out. This would become one of the traits to would attract me to the early Cure.
Track Two "Accuracy" keeps a steady lazy guitar bounce, almost a dub regae pace. Although the song is entirely based on the subjet of practicing to achieve “Accuracy” the song sound like it almost has none whatsoever, purposely contradicting the songs title. I always took this as even though Three maginary Boys was overall a serious album this young band could still poke little fun at itself.
“Grinding Halt”, Track Three becomes the first of The Cure’s song with a fast pace. Well fast paced for a band which would become known for Is’s doom and gloom dark sound. The song’s steady groove will almost force you to dance around your room or drive your car a little faster before the songs does exclty what the it’s title says.
“Another Day” comes off as a early sign of the darker and slower sound the Cure would take on later but at the fact there are only three members of the band allows the song to still carry the stripped down punk sound of the this first album.
The next song “Object” brings back the faster almost punk rock pace of track three only this time even faster. With Robert taking on a snarl for the song’s jilted vocals.
Track 6 “Subway Song” closes out the first side of the album with a slow steady beat almost like those of tracks 1 and 2. This time Robert Smith’s vocals are at a whisper. You can feel the tension of a person walking nervously around a late night deserted subway station. Closing your eyes you can even picture it. The song becomes quiter and quieter building even more tension before a surprise at the end.
Side Two of the album begins with what sounds like the band fooling around with their instruments in the studio before transforming into a rousing version of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" ,done with the steady beat and out front guitar The Cure had already displayed so well on side one, the heaviness of Jimi's guitar replaced with Robert Smith's jagged riffs. Even though Smith would always voice his distaste for this cover, saying it was only a sound check and not supposed to be on the record, I feel it is done just right with the band showing respect to the Hendrix version while still making the song their own.
Track 8 "Meathook" and Track 10 "Fire In Cairo" picks up once again with the slowed down pace of track 1 and once again it is impossible to keep you head from bouncing up and down while they play. "Fire In Cairo" is especially addicting, it's enunciated chorus of "F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O" will be stuck you your head for days. In between these two track is "So What" and it comes off as the sound of band blowing off some steam in the studio
Track 11 "It's Not You" is almost a continuation of "Object". The hooks are present,the pace is picked up and Robert once again becomes a little snarly.
The album closes out with the title track "Three Imaginary Boys". The song is pretty downbeat, showing a little of The Cure's future sound, but halfway through the guitars really kick in reminding us they are still a punk force to be reckoned with
But when the album was finished three of the songs from Standing on a Beach which most of all drew me to the Cure were missing. I then found out there was a US version of Three Imaginary Boys entitled Boy’s Don’t Cry. Even though it is technically not an album I always preferred this version. Gone are the songs “Meathook”, “It’s Not you” and the “Foxy Lady” cover, but in their place are the singles “Jumping Someone Else's train”, “Killing and Arab” and arguably the Cure’s best and most popular song “Boy’s Don’t Cry”. "Jumping Someone Else's Train" has the best of the driving pace. Even done better then Grinding Halt and Object. This track would appear on most of my driving mixes when I would get my licence a few years later. “Killing an Arab”, also one of the songs The Cure is most known for has that great head bobbing rhythm. The song’s subject matter is based on Albert Camus’s novel “The Stranger”, a book 14 year olds were not really too into. Many years later the novel would become one of my favorite I'm sure in part to hearing The Cure's song so many years earlier.
From the day I first saw the video at 13 years old to this day, "Boy's Don't Cry" has been one of my all-time favorite songs. If you are reading this blog I probably do not have to describe the song too much to you but even so I have to say the songs subject matter describes perfectly what most guy have gone through at sometime in their life. The songs hook is also among the best and also one of the most instantly recognizable of all-time.
Overall I prefer Boy's don't Cry over Three Imaginary Boys. All of the songs included are perfect. Even the changed order of tracks makes the record sound better than it's UK counterpart.
I remember perfectly how while walking home from school my Freshman year of High School with Boy’s Don’t Cry on my headphones, the auto reverse of my Walkman flipping it over as side one ends, then again when side two is complete.
Years later both albums are still played regularly on
my iPod
Numbers 29 - 20 of My Top 100 
29 - Agnostic Front (1984, Rat Cage)- Agnostic Front wasn't included on my list of best punk/hardcore releases here because that was for more overlooked releases that don't get as much attention as they deserve. I do consider Victim in Pain to be the best hardcore album of all time. Eleven short, fast, urgent songs, and one slower one, in just fifteen minutes. All of them crammed with good lyrics about unity within the musical scenes, getting stabbed in the back, and the usual hardcore subjects. Agnostic Front would take a real turn towards metal on their next album never really returning to the fast hardcore style but live you can safely assume they will play all the songs from Victim in Pain. (The cover shown is the Combat Records cover because I never really liked the original) (#)
