Jasdevi's top 150 favourite albums: Part 2 100-51
Yes, I am still doing these. As I pointed out, there are double ups scattered here and there, I have like 800 ratings so of course there's gonna be. Not that it matters. List runs from 100 to 51. |
| 50 |  | Dir En Grey
Uroboros
I hated this band for a really long time. Most probably, it was because pretty much the only people that say anything about this band are obsessed, white girls on J-rock music videos on youtube with Mana avatars and shit like that, commenting on a Siam Shade or Deathgaze songs just to say something like “this is catchy, but imo Dir En Grey have more passion blahblahblah” or something to that affect. To be fair, those two bands are pretty shit, but Dir En Grey definitely have their moments. Hell, it’s these guys that those other bands are all ripping off at the end of the day. Anyway, I dig this.
“Vinushka” “Glass Skin” “Reiketsu Nariseba” “Bugaboo” “Dozing Green” |
| 49 |  | Tenacious D
The Pick of Destiny
I’ve seen this movie more times than I care to count. Not that I tend to keep count of how often I’ve seen a movie anyway, unless it’s once or twice, that’s easy enough. Anyway I’ve seen this movie on several occasions with friends and singing Tenacious D acapella is an activity some of us have participated in on several occasions.
“Kickapoo” “Classico” “Master Exploder” “Papagenu (He’s My Sassafrass)” “Dude (I Totally Miss You)” “Beelzeboss” |
| 48 |  | Lilys
In the Presence of Nothing
This album needs talking about more. I mean, when it comes to shoegaze, I’d say this is one of the best in the genre easily. Not necessarily so much in terms of innovation, since this is as much an album that sounds like Loveless and Souvlaki as any other, but more so in the feeling it conveys. I’m not sure exactly which one it is, but it’s warm. There are several feelings that can be described as warm, warmth being one of them but there’s also things like love and joy and other stuff and it might not even be any of those things but it definitely is something.
“Collider” “Claire Hates Me” |
| 47 |  | Midori
Aratame Hajime Mashite Midori Desu
I could punch something to this album. Not out of anger necessarily, just simply because this album is the sort of thing you punch stuff to. Absolutely mental shit, a chick screaming over loud guitars and crazy piano thrashing. Now that I think about it, the piano was probably being punched. Beast punk-jazz fusion.
“Yukiko-san” “Osaru” |
| 46 |  | Maximum the Hormone
Buiikikaesu
Goddamn this bullshit brings back some fond memories. There’s Death Note, obviously, that was the first anime I watched. One of my friends likes this as well uh yeah that’s it tbh, good album imo. I honestly thought I’d have a lot more to say about this one, but it looks like I don’t.
“Zetsubou Billy” “Louisiana Bob” “Akagi” “Bikini Sports Ponchin” “What’s Up, People?!” “Koi no Mega Lover” |
| 45 |  | Incubus
Morning View
My brother owned this for a little bit, then he gave it to me for no reason. I hadn’t listened to it before then, but I knew like half the tracklist anyway. I don’t actually have an awful lot to say about this album other than it’s definitely earned its spot and it sounds really summery.
“Nice to Know You” “Wish You Were Here” “Mexico” “Echo” “Are You In?” “Aqueous Transmission” |
| 44 |  | ECO VIRTUAL
ATMOSPHERES 第2
This is as high up the list as I dare to put a vaporwave album, but this was my introduction to it (back before I realised it was this really bland meme genre) and I do love this. This album for me paints this really strong picture of a watered down, corporate dystopia with a false sense of belonging to it. It makes me nostalgic for a time I was never part of, because it doesn’t exist, but I’m sure it does.
“Sunrise at the Googleplex” “Fiji Water” “IKEA Ferns” “Aloe Vera Water” “Noctilucent” “Silicon Valley Wind” |
| 43 |  | A Perfect Circle
Thirteenth Step
I’ve sat here looking at the space to write about this one for a while. I can’t, don’t know why. Writer’s block? Probably, I did just finish up exams and shit. How about, this is better than the other APC album on the list. It has better songs. It sounds nicer. The concept is far better. Damn, this is quite a task.
“The Noose” “Blue” “The Outsider” “Vanishing” “Pet” “Gravity” |
| 42 |  | Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
OK, now, if this were a ranking of my most listened to albums of all time, this would probably be the winner. I used to listen to this album obsessively when it came out. Like I listened to this more than once a day at times. I just got so absorbed by the sound and the story and the art and all the rest of it. Then I ended up just being obsessed with the band in general and this just slipped down the ranking a little.
“Orchestral Intro” “Stylo” “Empire Ants” “Some Kind of Nature” “On Melancholy Hill” “Plastic Beach” “Cloud of Unknowing” |
| 41 |  | Steve Burns
Songs for Dustmites
Do you remember at high school, every now and then the rumour that Steve from Blue’s Clues committed suicide by sticking two pencils up his nose and slamming his face into a table? Yeah, well, if you actually looked into that once you got home, you’d end up finding this. Turns out, the lying bastard didn’t go to college after all, he started his career as a musician. If you like really geeky indie rock, then this is your jam I suppose. Love this album, Joe ain’t shit.
“What I do on Saturday” “Maintain” “Troposphere” “Stick Around” “A Song for Dustmites” “Superstrings” “Henry Krinkle’s Lament” |
| 40 |  | Sendai Kamotsu
Deko
One of the hardest parts of making this list was picking which of my included 4.5’s I was going to put last. It ended up being this, just because it’s way too comical to end up any higher. I’m not 100% sure what compelled Nightmare to have a homosexual themed side project on the go, but it’s funny.
“Gei School Otokogumi” “Kami-sama mo Sukoshi dake” |
| 39 |  | The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Now it’s probably got something to do with the fact that I’ve never listened to a Beatles album, it actually probably doesn’t, but I really like this. It’s a fun, whimsical neo-psychedelic album. Three sentences will do I think.
“Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1” “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” “Are You a Hypnotist?” “Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon” |
| 38 |  | Swans
White Light From the Mouth of Infinity
For me, this was the peak of Swan’s accessible era. It’s not quite as pummelling as Children of God, a little stronger than Love of Life and doesn’t lose some of the passion in the process like The Great Annihilator. It’s proof that Michael Gira could do more than smash out single chord mantra’s for the unbelievers.
“Love Will Save You” “Failure” “Miracle of Love” “When She Breathes” |
| 37 |  | Pink Floyd
The Division Bell
Unlike most people who enjoy Pink Floyd to an unhealthy extent, the Division Bell has always been a favourite of mine. It’s not really a Pink Floyd album in sound, a major departure from their classic era sure, but I don’t know, it’s just really good. It was a great way to end their career, that is, until they decided to have a good piss all over their legacy by including the Endless River as a studio album.
“Poles Apart” “Marooned” “Coming Back to Life” “Lost for Words” “High Hopes” |
| 36 |  | John Coltrane
A Love Supreme
I’ve always felt weird saying stuff like “X is my favourite hip-hop album of all time” or “yeah, X is a good drone album” or “A Love Supreme is my favourite jazz album ever” when it’s like one of maybe 3 jazz albums I’ve heard. So I like to talk about it outside of its context as a jazz classic and just say it’s an album I’ve listened to that I really like. Gives a really strong image of a diner in the 60s, if you listen closely enough you can almost hear the murmuring voices, the clinking of wine glasses and cutlery and the shuffling of chairs. |
| 35 |  | Jinn
Lemmings
I always planned to review this at some point. But, since I really can’t be bothered, how about I say a couple of sentences about it now? This album has instruments and stuff and it’s really good. Ok, seriously though, Jinn are a band that really should be looking forward to the future, they’ve shown potential here and they’ve still got it, just need to remember what makes them click like they did on Lemmings.
“Shiki Sai Sai other side” “Tone Jiggy” “Malachite” “May” “Raion” |
| 34 |  | Shizuka
Heavenly Persona
This is probably one of the most unhappy sounding albums I’ve ever heard. Sonically, it’s like the antithesis to your usual psychedelic album, with a canvas of bright, vibrant tie dye stains, bright yellows, reds, blues, greens etc. Heavenly persona is more like livid, crimson, navy, magenta, ultramarine and similarly deep colours.
“Shoujo no Kuchibiru ni Chou yo Tomare” “Chimamire no Hana” |
| 33 |  | They Might Be Giants
Lincoln
One of my favourite memories of this was listening to it for a second time, absent mindedly not realising that I had infact listened to it earlier, thinking “damn this is one of their best albums, how have I not heard it yet?” It was then that I went over to Sputnik to rate it and found that I already had it 4.5’d. So, uh, yeah.
“Ana Ng” “Cowtown” “Where Your Eyes Don’t Go” |
| 32 |  | Ween
The Mollusk
No one can accuse me of damaging Ween’s average in the process, since I have The Mollusk rated higher than its average. I inevitably found my way here after considering rewatching the Spongebob Squarepants movie for nostalgia’s sake.
“The Mollusk” “I’ll Be Your Johnny on the Spot” “Buckingham Green” “Ocean Man” |
| 31 |  | Lareine
Blue Romance ~Yasashii Hanatachi no Kyousou~
the 90s was a big era in Japan for ridiculously over the top rock outfits. As anyone who knows me knows that I love my J-rock, especially my visual-kei, it’s probably not a surprise that there’s a Lareine album in my top 150 favourite albums ever. The band that made God of cheese-rock Kamijo, lots of big piano ballads and baroque influenced riffs all chopped up into medium length prog pop songs. Sounds awful doesn’t it?
"Destinée (Higeki no Asa) ～La Tragedie Du Matin～" "Solitude (Kagami no ma) ～Le Salon Du Miroir～” "Romancia (Unmei no Mayoi) ～La Diacorde～" |
| 30 |  | Porcupine Tree
Fear of a Blank Planet
This is probably the least progressive album labelled progressive rock ever to be written, but what it is, is Steven Wilson at the top of his game. Musically, this is really fun and tight, makes for a good jamming album. The concept, while maybe enticing some groans here and there, is at least consistant and I’m sure everyone knows at least one person who this album sounds like.
“Fear of a Blank Planet” “Anesthetize” “Way Out of Here” |
| 29 |  | Iced Earth
Burnt Offerings
I don’t just listen to cheesy over the top stuff from Japan… I listen to cheesy, over the top stuff from other places too. I’ve always had a fascination with Dante’s Inferno. I think it’s because every twonk tells you about how cozy and fluffy heaven is, but what about hell? There’s so much grey area about it, what’s it like? What goes on there? Iced Earth’s Burnt Offerings is one of the best works inspired by the epic poem that I’ve heard.
“Burnt Offerings” “Diary” “Burning Oasis” “Dante’s Inferno” |
| 28 |  | KRS-One
KRS-One
If you’re gonna barely listen to hip-hop in comparison to everything else you listen to (like me), then you’ve gotta at least get on to KRS-One, cause the guy’s a legend. Always has some classic sounding production backing him and has a brilliant flow that doesn’t bury words, and he doesn’t mince them. Got mad respect for this guy.
“MCs act like they don’t know” |
| 27 |  | Death Cab For Cutie
Transatlanticism
One of the most real albums I’ve heard. One of those albums that has a knack for enticing out or putting words together for feelings you can’t quite mouth. Clever word play and imagery throughout the album accented by cry hard instrumentals, the kind of shit you pretend you’re too good for, but you really aren’t.
“The New Year” “Expo ‘86” “Tiny Vessels” “Passenger Seat” “Death of an Interior Decorator” “We Looked Like Giants” |
| 26 |  | David Sylvian
Dead Bees on a Cake
David Sylvian is a master of texture. He knows exactly how to compose a piece to suit a certain mood or atmosphere and he has a brilliant smoky voice that basically never sounds wrong. With Dead Bees on a Cake, David shows just exactly how many different ways he can achieve this. Thought I’d just finish off by putting in the lyrics to one of my favourite songs ever, which appears on here: Darkest Dreaming.
Stay tonight
We’ll watch the full moon rising
Hold on tight
The sky is breaking
I don’t ever want to be alone
With all my darkest dreaming
Hold me close
The sky is breaking
I don’t ever want to be alone
With all my darkest dreaming
Hold me close
The sky is breaking
“I Surrender” “Midnight Sun” “Thalheim” “Krishna Blue” “Café Europa” “Darkest Dreaming” |
| 25 |  | Plastic Tree
Nega to Poji
Oh shit, looks like I might have to actually talk about Plastic Tree now, since I flaked out on the last one. Well actually there is still one more Plastic Tree album on the list, so maybe I still don’t have to. This is the peak of the noise rock soundish thingy they’ve pissed around with for most of their career for me.
“Elegy” “Orange” “Sabbath” “Andro Metamorphose” |
| 24 |  | Have a Nice Life
Deathconsciousness
OK, now I really don’t know what to say. I think everybody else on Sputnik has basically already said it anyway. I’d better get on with this quickly before the eternal worm devours Connecticut. Actually, it would be fine if it did, since I don’t live there.
“A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut” “The Big Gloom” “Earthmover” “Waiting for Black Metal Records to Come in the Mail” |
| 23 |  | Bjork
Homogenic
The album cover makes absolutely no sense, until you listen to the album. Or, perhaps, the costume is still weird af but the colour scheme is perfect. All the dark red and purple bulbs and flowers in the album booklet are perfect as well. It’s one of those albums that sounds like colours, but specific colours that just happen to be present. Well, that’s the production anyway, what about the lady herself? Amazing, obviously.
“Hunter” “Joga” “All Neon Like” “Alarm Call” “All is Full of Love” |
| 22 |  | Raison d'etre
The Empty Hollow Unfolds
Why tag as dark ambient? Why not just dark and ambient? As you can probably tell, I’m really running out of stuff to write about. Umm, this album sounds like walking through an industrial wasteland. This album is one of my favourite ambient albums. I don’t remember any of the names of the songs. Damn. |
| 21 |  | Kuroki Nagisa
Kuroki Nagisa
Goddamn this album sneaks up on you. It actually only really snuck in here when Caldera came up on my iTunes shuffle. Initially, I had considered putting this on here, but took it off in exchange for something else. Well, tough luck for that something else (may or may not have been user CalculatingInfinity's favourite Gackt album/EP), because this deserves the spot more than it does.
“Kumari” “Esper” “Caldera” |
| 20 |  | Shiina Ringo
Shouso Strip
I WANNA BE WITH YOUUUU! God, what do I say about Shiina fucking Ringo for god’s sake? I guess I’ll just talk about how I first heard this album or something. I was sitting alone in the school library and I put this on and listened to it. It’s probably the least exciting memory I can think of, I don’t even remember what I was reading. I think it was The City by Dean Koontz. Can’t recommend it, the book that is, not this.
“Gips” |
| 19 |  | Opeth
Blackwater Park
This had to be on here. It had to be. I’ve got to admit it. It’s a secret that I’ve been hiding from the Sputnik public for the entirety of my account’s activation: I HAVE SHIT TASTE IN OPETH. Or maybe everyone else has shit taste in Opeth, I can’t tell, it’s probably me though. It was a tough choice between this and Damnation, yeah, see? Shit taste. And also there’s one more Opeth album on the list, and you’ll never guess which one it is.
“The Leper Affinity” “Bleak” “Harvest” “The Drapery Falls” “Patterns in the Ivy” “Blackwater Park” |
| 18 |  | Dethklok
The Doomstar Requiem
Holy shit I love Metalocalypse. Holy shit I love Dethklok. Holy shit I love The Doomstar Requiem. Goddamn this has to be the dumbest thing ever. |
| 17 |  | Slowdive
Souvlaki
Hey I’ve got a joke:
“What’s better than Loveless?”
“I don’t know Jas lol, what is it?”
“Souvlaki”
“Hahaha, it’s funny because it’s not true!”
Do you get the joke? If it wasn’t obvious, I’ll spell it out for you. The joke is comparing the two albums, because they’re two entirely different beasts and they’re both amazing. Souvlaki manages to be a very immediate album, something that I didn’t find Loveless to be. Also I just typed Souvlaki into Wikipedia and it looks delicious and now I want to try it.
“Alison” “Souvlaki Space Station” “When the Sun Hits” |
| 16 |  | My Bloody Valentine
Tremolo
But guess what? I actually do like Loveless more than Souvlaki, but I also happen to enjoy Tremolo more thoroughly as well. Honey Power is the best thing ever.
“All of the songs tbh” |
| 15 |  | Burzum
Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
I actually spent ages contemplating whether or not I liked this or Det Som Engang Var more. In the end I chose this one (as I’m sure you can see). I have started to become rather fond of Burzum (the music rather than Varg himself), my fondness developing from reading into the story’s behind the second wave of black metal in Norway. Damn some of those stories are crazy, almost as crazy as this album in fact.
“Just gonna go with all of them again since there are only 4 of them and they’re all good” |
| 14 |  | Deep Turtle
There's a Vomitsprinkler in My Liverriver
Of course I listened to this because of its name, why wouldn’t I have. I mean, why the hell would you not listen to “There’s a Vomitsprinkler in My Liverriver” just to hear what it sounds like. Well, it sounds like its title. Take that as you will.
“Who can actually remember what the songs on this are called tbh?” |
| 13 |  | Michael Jackson
Thriller
Best pop album ever? Nearly. Michael Jackson truly was the “king” of pop. Like, this guy was a born entertainer. I mean, every song on this album was written to be a chart topper. Listening to it, you can truly see why this became such a pop culture phenomenon.
“Wanna Be Starting Something” “Thriller” “Beat It” “Billie Jean” |
| 12 |  | Kekal
Embrace the Dead
At this stage, I’m trying to work out what I think deserves to be in the top 50 for me and what doesn’t. Mostly it’s come down to which artists have double ups anyway, but I’ve pretty much run out of those, so now I’m culling off the albums that just miss out on lacking that sentimentality that all of the albums in the top 50 have. While I think this is an amazing album, it doesn’t really have any particular special tie to me other than I really enjoy it. Some of this part of the list is ranked so loosely though that a lot of the standings are simply influenced by coincidence of the English alphabet.
[3] |
| 11 |  | Radiohead
OK Computer
One of the last bands with double ups is Radiohead. None of their albums ever ended up growing into 5’s for me, but one album in particular did some huge growing and that’s this one. Had this at a 3 for ages, really didn’t get it overall though I did like all the singles. Progressively due to the excuse of me owning it, I kept gravitating back towards it and slowly (like a Jigsaw Falling Into Place xP) my opinion of this slowly warmed to end up sitting at its current rating of 4.5. No way is it Radiohead’s best album though and no way does it need to be so high up the charts.
“Paranoid Android” “Subterranean Homesick Alien” “Let Down” “Karma Police” “Climbing Up the Walls” |
| 10 |  | Nightmare
Anima
I already have a huge blubbery review for this album, so it doesn’t need another over hyperbolised description here. But just know that I listened to an entire album by this band at least every second day for over a year and it was often this one. Amazingly enough, my CD is barely scratched. The case has seen better days though.
“Ibushi – Kuyuru” “Neoteny” “Raven loud speeeaker” “Gianizm Roku” “Sessou” “Mahora” “Rakuu” |
| 9 |  | Carbon Based Lifeforms
Hydroponic Garden
Holy shit does this album sound like its cover and title? The correct answer is yes, yes it does. What else can I say about it? Nope, all out of ideas. Nearly finished part 2, yay!
“MOS 6581” |
| 8 |  | BUCK-TICK
13-Kai wa Gekkou
Ok you know how I said something along the lines of Malice Mizer’s Bara no Seidou is exactly what I hope every album tagged as gothic or darkwave sounds like? Well, you probably don’t since I made that list over two weeks ago, but actually, it’s this. Because it’s far more solid. Faaaaaaaaaaar more solid. Seriously, every second of this album drips with red wine and blood. Ballerina’s dance and clowns… clown and shit and goddamn this is the only band I’ve given enough shits about to listen to their entire 18 album catalogue of studio albums.
“Doukeshi A” “Cabaret” “ALIVE” “Passion” “Romance –Incubo-“ “Muma –the Nightmare-“ |
| 7 |  | Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
My dad played this so fucking much that when I went to listen to it again several years later, I knew every single aspect of every song that was going to happen before it heard it. That’s everything I have to say about it.
“Breathe” “Time” “The Great Gig in the Sky” “Us and Them” “Brain Damage” |
| 6 |  | Maximum the Hormone
Yoshu Fukushu
There’s like a song about Frieza from Dragon Ball Z or some shit on it idk anymore. |
| 5 |  | Nujabes
Metaphorical Music
I have to quickly stop myself from putting this in the top 50, which it’s so dangerously close to. Simply because I haven’t been familiar enough with Nujabes for long enough to put him in the top 50 per say. In a years time however, I’m pretty sure he’ll make it. Not much of an accomplishment for someone like Nujabes I’m sure, but it is for me. Rest in fucking peace brother.
“Blessing It” “Kumomi” “Letter from Yokosuka” “Think Different” |
| 4 |  | The Lemonheads
It's a Shame About Ray
Oh god. I discovered this album during a sex talk vid in science class. There was this chick in the video and she was being interviewed about her experience with going through puberty and all that wholesome shit and in the background on her wall was a Lemonheads poster. That’s it. Great story right?
“Mrs. Robinson” “Confetti” “It’s a Shame About Ray” “My Drug Buddy” |
| 3 |  | Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
Holy damn this album does not sound like it was made as long ago as it was. This is truly such a timeless album. Kate Bush finally came into her own truly on this album, fulfilled all of her potential. One of the greatest singers of all time. Can you tell that I’ve completely run out of words?
“Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)” “The Big Sky” “Cloudbusting” “Waking the Witch” “Under Ice” “Hello Earth” |
| 2 |  | Nirvana
Bleach
“This song is off our first record, most people don’t own it.” Kurt Cobain introducing About a Girl on the MTV Unplugged concert. He’s right at least for me, I actually don’t own Bleach. I should really remedy that some time. In any case, this is so much better than Nevermind.
“Blew” “About a Girl” “School” “Negative Creep” “Paper Cuts” “Sifting” “Downer” |
| 1 |  | Mastodon
Crack the Skye
YES! A! MASTODON! GUITAR! SOLO! The description for OK Computer comes to mind when talking about this for me. Oh damn this is the last one for the list cool. Uh damn I have very little capacity to write about this left. Something about sweeping major progressions and lyrics are good and they suck live but damn they rule in the studio.
“Oblivion” “Quintessence” “The Czar” “Ghost of Karelia” “The Last Baron” |
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