Dave de Sylvia
Emeritus

Reviews 164
Approval 99%

Soundoffs 41
News Articles 4119
Band Edits + Tags 965
Album Edits 717

Album Ratings 598
Objectivity 83%

Last Active 12-13-17 10:10 pm
Joined 10-14-01

Review Comments 35

Average Rating: 3.39
Rating Variance: 0.77
Objectivity Score: 83%
(Well Balanced)

Chart.

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2011
All Time Low Dirty Work2.0
And So I Watch You From Afar Gangs3.0
Protest the Hero Scurrilous3.5
The Weeknd House of Balloons4.0
Noah and the Whale Last Night On Earth2.0

2010
Frank Turner Rock & Roll4.0
The release of Frank Turner’s Rock & Roll EP in December caught us a little unawares – though, given his solid album-a-year track record, it probably shouldn’t have done. Essentially, Rock & Roll is an appendix to 2009’s full-length Poetry of the Deed, carrying on the full-band folk rock sound developed on that record. Lead single ‘I Still Believe’ is a slightly cheesy toast to the power of rock & roll to invigorate the spirit (hence the title), but as a rhetorical device it’s hard to find fault with the instantly memorable “hear ye” refrain. There’s a hint of the Decemberists to the epic ‘Pass It Along,’ though is driving rocker ‘To Absent Friends,’ a rather self-explanatory tribute to friends who’ve packed up for greener pastures.
Linkin Park A Thousand Suns3.5
Adebisi Shank This is the Second Album4.0
After the full-on assault of their first album, it was inevitable that the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank should see the Irish instrumental rockers take the tempo down a notch. Clearly inspired by their travels in Japan over the past couple of years, Adebisi Shank have added greater depth and subtlety to their sound, a trait immediately apparent in ebullient opener ‘International Dreambeat’ and the carnival-like atmosphere of ‘Masa’ and ‘Genki Shank.’ The (almost) mindless noodling that made the First Album such a thrilling listen remains, but overall the Second Album is a more melodic and ultimately more balanced album.
Darren Hanlon I Will Love You At All4.0
Big Boi Sir Lucious Left Foot4.5
Against Me! White Crosses3.5
Jogging Minutes3.5
Cast Of Cheers Chariot4.0
Slash Slash3.5
Locksley Be In Love4.0
Melodica Deathship Doom Your Cities, Doom Your Town4.0

2009
Adam Lambert For Your Entertainment3.5
Converge Axe to Fall4.5
AFI Crash Love4.0
Chuck Ragan Gold Country1.5
BATS Red In Tooth and Claw5.0
fun. Aim and Ignite3.5
Our Lady Peace Burn Burn3.0
Daughtry Leave This Town2.0
August Burns Red Constellations3.5
Kiss Kiss The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left3.5
Ace Hood Ruthless4.0
Green Day 21st Century Breakdown1.5
Maximo Park Quicken The Heart2.5
Bob Dylan Together Through Life2.5
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Funk Man (The Stimulus Package)3.5
And So I Watch You From Afar And So I Watch You From Afar4.5
Flo Rida R.O.O.T.S.4.0
Butch Walker Here Comes The... EP3.5
Fight Like Apes You Filled His Head With Fluffy Clouds...3.5
The Mighty Stef 100 Midnights4.0
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion1.5

2008
Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux3.0
Britney Spears Circus4.5
The Killers Day & Age3.0
Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak4.0
Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy4.0
There was a fear- oh, about six or seven years ago now- that Chinese Democracy, were it ever to actually see the light of day, would turn out to be nothing but an album full of metaphors involving countries and proud ancient races: 'The Blues' (re-printed here as 'Street Of Dreams') the only respite from your Madagscars, your Chinese Democracies, yer Riads and, naturally, your Bedouins. Yet while Axl remains hopelessly self-absorbed, he has never been noted for his lyrical prowess, and Chinese Democracy was always going to be judged on one thing and one thing alone: the solos. Buckethead is Buckethead- though his best contribution is probably the acoustic ambience that underpins 'Sorry'- but the real star here is Robin Finck, whose impossibly wide bends on 'There Was A Time''s extended outro are easily the match of Slash's classic air raid siren on 'November Rain.' There are a couple of duds-'This I Love' could be a bizarre parody of the song from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, while 'Scraped' sounds like something Perry Farrell would scare his kids with- but even at 70 minutes it's easily more consistent than either of the Illusions. And, dare I say it, more focused as well?
Dustin Kensrue This Good Night Is Still Everywhere1.5
Nickelback Dark Horse2.5
Butch Walker Sycamore Meadows5.0
Blood On The Tracks. Jagged Little Pill. Sea Change. Iconic break-up records all, but they’re all just a little bit gloomy. Sycamore Meadows isn’t all about a break-up- in fact it’s not so clear there was a full-blown break-up at all- but it’s a record that hits on the full range of emotions that accompany a great loss. Highlight ‘Here Comes The...’ is Walker’s most moving and emotionally vulnerable composition to date, flawlessly evoking the fear and isolation of a relationship going wrong, while ‘Vessels’ takes a more whimsical approach, recalling the exciting “having sex on the hoods of cars” stage of a relationship. The glammy, horn-filled ‘Ponce De Leon Ave’ celebrates the letting loose period after the fact, ‘The Weight Of Her’ channels Elvis Costello in its righteous dismissal of petty post-relationship politics, while tracks like 'Going Back/Going Home' and closer 'ATL' explore the concept of “home” through the eyes of somebody who knows what it’s like to be unexpectedly homeless.
Hinder Take It to the Limit4.0
Girls Aloud Out of Control2.0
Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns2.5
Hank Williams III Damn Right, Rebel Proud4.0
Messiah J & The Expert From The Word Go4.5
Many white people might not be fully comfortable with the idea of unashamedly fun and upbeat rap music, but Irish rap duo Messiah J and the Expert step up the game on both the lyrical front and the dancefloor with their third album, From The Word Go. ‘Jean Is Planning An Escape’ examines the complexity of an abusive relationship above a furious four-to-the-floor beat, while pulsating opener ‘Year Of The Genie’ sheds light on the absurdity of election season, with all its slick hair and empty promises. On the flipside, ‘Turn The Magic On’ (featuring Leda Egri) touches on the telepathic relationship shared by old friends, while ‘Geography’ (featuring a chorus from indie band Delorentos) laments the hardship of long-distance friendship. Messiah J’s rhymes have been tightened significantly, to the extent that it’s advisable to hang on his every word, while the Expert’s musical base has expanded, making for a more diverse but no less distinctive album.
Between the Buried and Me Colors_Live2.5
Super Extra Bonus Party Appetite For Reconstruction3.5
R.S.A.G. Organic Sampler4.5
Rise Against Appeal to Reason1.5
Oasis Dig Out Your Soul2.0
The Nightwatchman The Fabled City2.0
Trivium Shogun3.0
Fight Like Apes ...And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion3.5
TV on the Radio Dear Science2.0
The Script The Script2.0
Yngve Tell Men This4.5
Metallica Death Magnetic3.5
Adebisi Shank This is the Album4.5
Its critics might argue that math rock is arty music for serious people, but Irish three-piece Adebisi shank make a pretty good case for brining instrumental rock back onto the dancefloor. This Is The Album.., the group’s first full-length effort, exudes a rigid, robotic quality, the sort that seemed to be in vogue among indie rock/dance crossover acts a couple years back and became law at James Murphy’s DFA Records, i.e. “robotic” in sense of the silly dance that everybody tries to do badly. As an album, it’s reassuringly retro: guitarist Lar Kaye is a virtuoso, pulling his tricks as liberally from the shred guitar cannon as the experimental hardcore playbook, while kitschy electronic bleeps come courtesy of bassist Vinny McCreith (a.k.a. The Vinny Club). It lasts just 23 minutes, but This Is The Album... might just be the party record of 2009, but it’s among the most thrilling 23 minutes in music this year.
New Kids on the Block The Block1.5
Shugo Tokumaru Exit3.5
The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound2.5
Vessels White Fields and Open Devices3.5
Hawthorne Heights Fragile Future1.0
Miley Cyrus Breakout3.0
Tidal District Hold The Party Line EP4.0
Motley Crue Saints of Los Angeles3.0
Immortal Technique The 3rd World3.0
Less Than Jake GNV FLA4.0
The Offspring Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace1.5
Damien Dempsey The Rocky Road4.0
The Mighty Stef Death Threats EP4.0
The Cool Kids The Bake Sale2.0
Republic of Loose VOL IV: Johnny Pyro And The Dance Of Evi3.0
Portishead Third3.0
Cajun Dance Party This Colourful Life1.5
The Infomatics Kill Or Create4.0
Paddy Casey Addicted To Company (Part 1)2.0
R.E.M. Accelerate3.5
1969 Maya4.0
Bronze Radio Return Bronze Radio Return2.5
Flo Rida Mail on Sunday2.5
The Matches A Band In Hope3.0
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Eleventh Hour2.5
Flogging Molly Float3.0
God Or Julie This Road Before3.0
To-Mera Delusions1.5
Kaizers Orchestra Maskineri4.0
Butch Walker Leavin' the Game on Luckie Street4.0
BATS Cruel Sea Scientist4.0
Grand Pocket Orchestra Odd Socks EP4.0
Protest the Hero Fortress2.5
Have a Nice Life Deathconsciousness4.0
With Blood Comes Cleansing Horror3.0
Promise Of Redemption When The Flowers Bloom...4.0

2007
Lupe Fiasco The Cool3.0
Foxboro Hot Tubs Stop Drop and Roll!!!4.0
Daft Punk Alive 20074.0
Dewey Cox Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story4.5
Polkadot Cadaver Purgatory Dance Party3.5
Primordial To the Nameless Dead4.0
Sebastian Bach Angel Down3.5
Duran Duran Red Carpet Massacre2.5
Goo Goo Dolls Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles3.0
Hardcore Superstar Dreamin' In A Casket3.5
Raine Maida The Hunters Lullaby4.5
Raine Maida's The Hunters Lullaby (no apostrophe) expands upon the blueprint set by his debut EP Love Hope Hero late last year. Simplicity is the Our Lady Peace frontman's key aim here, removing many of the obstacles rock music traditionally puts between vocalist and listener and instead using sparse instrumentation (guitar, piano, hand drums) to subtly supplement his half-sung, half-slam poetry confessional. He broaches issues both political and personal (and often both wound together) directly and frankly, picking his words carefully and delivering them with just as much precision. For highlights, check pessimistic/optimistic closer 'One Second Chance' and the haunting 'Earthless,' or anything else from this unusually consistent first effort.
Fight Like Apes David Carradine Is A Bounty Hunter...4.0
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold1.0
Backstreet Boys Unbreakable4.0
Britney Spears Blackout4.0
Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II3.0
Dark Room Notes Dead Start Program4.0
Aslan For Some Strange Reason3.0
Apocalyptica Worlds Collide4.0
Between the Buried and Me Colors2.5
Four Year Strong Rise Or Die Trying2.5
KT Tunstall Drastic Fantastic3.0
Kanye West Graduation2.0
50 Cent Curtis3.0
David Geraghty Kill Your Darlings3.0
Atreyu Lead Sails Paper Anchor1.5
Akon Konvicted (Deluxe Edition)3.5
Darren Hayes This Delicate Thing We've Made3.0
Sixx:A.M. Heroin Diaries Soundtrack4.0
It all began with a diary that even its author had forgotten about. Written at the apex of his drug-addicted hell, Nikki Sixx's Heroin Diaries begins with its anti-hero at his lowest ebb, and charts his recovery-ish with brutal honesty and no little amount of dignity. Interspersed with surprisingly eloquent readings from the text, The Heroin Diaries soundtrack is a collection of thirteen radio-primed rock singles, a near-perfect cohesion of Sixx's perfect pop smarts and nose for a classic melody. He's helped by renowned producer/guitarists DJ Ashba and James Michael, the latter adding flawless and understated vocals to his extensive songwriting credits. If 'Dead Man's Ballet' and 'Van Nuys' recall the theatricality of Meat Loaf, singles 'Life Is Beautiful' and 'Accidents May Happen' soar with the weight and genuine intensity befitting the best effort in a decade by three of pop rock's underappreciated geniuses.
Bullets And Octane Song For The Underdog4.0
Chuck Ragan Feast Or Famine3.5
Chuck Ragan's debut studio record is about as far removed from his work with melodic hardcore icons Hot Water Music as one could reasonably imagine yet, lined up alongside one another, the successive records make perfect sense. While not the most pleasant or technically proficient singer about, Ragan's gravelly vocals are well-suited to Feast Or Famine's evocative brand of folk-blues, while his keen sense of melody and clever arrangements (courtesy of Flogging Molly producer Ted Hutt) prevent it from becoming just another acoustic punk record. Expect to hear numerous references, musical and lyrical, to early Dylan ('California Burritos,' 'For Broken Ears') and post-war country ('Geraldine,' 'Do You Pray') and an unusually rounded effort for an artist's first shot outside his chosen genre.
Sum 41 Underclass Hero1.0
Slough Feg Hardworlder4.0
Against Me! New Wave2.5
Gogol Bordello Super Taranta4.0
Justice †4.0
Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago3.0
Velvet Revolver Libertad3.5
Kelly Clarkson My December1.5
As any artist will testify, the greatest challenge they'll ever face is the jump from playing other people's music to writing and performing your own unique material. With My December, Kelly Clarkson made just this leap- but, musically, it hasn't paid off. My December stays cautiously within the lines drawn by its 8x-platinum Breakaway, mimicking the Avril Lavigne-inspired angsty light rock blueprint so perfected by Max Martin with 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' and 'Since U Been Gone'- 'Never Again' attempts to duplicate the latter but, though one of the strongest cuts on the disc, pales in comparison. The album's best moments come when Kelly breaks her self-imposed mould, ditches the loud guitars and allows her stunning voice to take hold- closing couplet 'Irvine' and 'Chivas' (hidden) are jazzy, exotic and genuinely moving, while second single 'Sober' is riveting despite the conspicuous lack of a radio-friendly hook. These moments are too few and too scattered to justify continued listening to the entire album, however.
Damien Dempsey To Hell Or Barbados4.5
Critically exalted in his native Ireland, Damien Dempsey's notoriety has only recently spread beyond the far-flung Irish diaspora. To Hell Or Barbados, his most accomplished effort to date, blends his twin loves of gutsy Irish folk, descended from the likes of Christy Moore and Luke Kelly, and the reggae of Bob Marley, while forays into hip hop ('Serious') and electronic ('The City') are just as well executed. Built like a boxer, Dempsey's most impressive feature is his booming voice, a thick Dublin accent he can deliver with as much delicate grace as brute physical force. Highlights include opener 'Maasai,' paying homage to the proud African tribe of the same name, and the title track. Patriotism plays a strong role in all of Dempsey's songwriting, and 'To Hell Or Barbados' is a history lesson in itself, d0cumenting the forgotten slaves of the West Indies, the vanquished Irish during the brief reign of Oliver Cromwell.
Mark Ronson Version4.0
Velvet Revolver Melody and the Tyranny2.5
The Actual In Stitches3.0
Though produced by Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver), In Stitches is a far cry from the grungy radio rock Weiland is known for, instead invoking punk and power pop from The Clash and Cheap Trick through Joy Division and Green Day. As a record, In Stitches gives the impression of a singles collection rather than a singular-vision album, from the Fat Wreck pop punk of 'Pride of the Echelon' to the more contemplative, synth-assisted 'To All The Plain Janes' and the Joy Divison-by-way-of-Brendan Benson cut 'Permanent Kitten.' Despite sounding utterly derivative, strong songwriting and clever production place In Stitches above many similar acts.
Maroon 5 It Won't Be Soon Before Long3.0
Five years in the making, Maroon 5's second album is more compact and worked-upon than its predecessor, but a spattering of dud tracks bring down an otherwise very accomplished record. Lead single 'Makes Me Wonder' and Prince-indebted opener 'If I Never See Your Face Again' are more accomplished melodically than anything from Songs About Jane, while the 'Hey Ya!'-aping 'Little Of Your Time' and the murderous 'Wake Up Call' are masterful in their production and arrangement. However, despite these accomplishments, much of the album suffers from weak writing ('Goodnight Goodnight'), banal arrangements ('Nothing Lasts Forever') and generally forgettable melodies. Yet while It Won't Be Soon Before Long disappoints as an album, it contains a number of tracks which can stand alongside the best of Songs About Jane, enough to suggest that Maroon 5 have a long career of girly break-up songs ahead of them.
The Swell Season Once: Music From The Motion Picture4.0
The Exies A Modern Way of Living with the Truth2.5
Rufus Wainwright Release The Stars4.0
The View Hats Off To The Buskers3.0
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Strength And Loyalty4.0
Maximo Park Our Earthly Pleasures4.5
Manic Street Preachers Send Away The Tigers4.0
Upon its release, Send Away The Tigers marked a turn for long-suffering Manics fans- finally a release that captured the spirit of the great early recordings without sounding forced or contrived. Six months down the line, it sounds as fresh as ever, from the chunky rockabilly shuffle of anti-war anthem 'Imperial Bodybags' and the suggestive, Slash-like licks of single 'Autumnsong.' Opener 'Send Away The Tigers' reignites the group's long-held infatuation with layering morbid literary references inside superficially benign pop songs, while 'Indian Summer' and 'Winterlovers' recall the best of the flawed post-Richey James hangover Everything Must Go. Freely-distributed before the album�s release, 'Underdogs' pays tribute to the proud misfits and outcasts who make up the group�s fanatically loyal fanbase, and lead single 'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough' sees frontman James Dean Bradfield bounce jubilant pop melodies off Cardigans frontman Nina Persson to no small effect. The most impressive aspect of Send Away The Tigers is that it feels as if it means something, and does so naturally, a stark contrast to the forced relevance of Know Your Enemy and electro-pop disaster Lifeblood.
The Wildhearts The Wildhearts1.5
Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare3.5
Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Thing3.5
Annihilator Metal2.5
Super Extra Bonus Party Super Extra Bonus Party4.5
Republic of Loose Aaagh!4.5
Hilary Duff Dignity3.0
The Academy Is... Santi3.0
Everybody Else Everybody Else4.0
Kaiser Chiefs Yours Truly, Angry Mob1.5
Mika Life in Cartoon Motion2.0
Good Charlotte Good Morning Revival2.0
Klaxons Myths of the Near Future3.5
Despite being advertised as "new rave," Klaxons have more in common with art rock revivalists like Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand than they do the recent crop of American dance-punk outfits. Debut single 'Atlantis To Interzone' encapsulates the synthy euphoria of the acid dance era and dispenses with the shoegazing of the same, 'Totem In A Timeline' is an obtuse rocker that plays to the same dancefloor tendencies and newest single 'Gravity's Rainbow' is a short, high-energy number that sees the band dress a spontaneous post punk number with a calculated electronic arrangement. 'Golden Skans' and 'Magick' are built around haunting "oo-ee-oo" melodies, the latter explicitly channeling the occult, while the cover and re-arrangement of club classic 'Not Over Yet' effortlessly improves upon the original.
Enter Shikari Take to the Skies1.5
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Living With the Living3.0
LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver4.0
Sherwood A Different Light3.0
The Stooges The Weirdness0.5
The Frames The Cost2.0
Messiah J & The Expert ...And Another Thing4.0
Kiss Kiss Reality Vs. The Optimist3.0
Fall Out Boy Infinity on High4.0
Lily Allen Alright, Still3.0
Ginger Yoni3.5

2006
Nas Hip Hop Is Dead2.5
Rock Star Supernova Rock Star Supernova3.0
Raine Maida Love Hope Hero4.5
Damien Rice 93.0
Kevin Federline Playing with Fire2.5
Amy Winehouse Back to Black4.0
My Chemical Romance The Black Parade1.5
John Legend Once Again3.0
Brian Setzer 133.0
Messiah J & The Expert Now This I Have To Hear4.5
As relative upstarts and leaders of the minute Irish hip hop scene, MC Messiah J and producer The Expert probably know a few things about making "Something Outta Nothing," and that's what they named the lead single from their second album Now This I Have To Hear. The album is sonically comparable to Gnarls Barkley's ground-breaking debut, in that it blends indie rock and hip hop in a way that's instantly familiar but completely unique but, unlike Cee-Lo, MJ is 100% an MC and doesn't even attempt to sing (take note, Kanye).

Guests are few but impeccably chosen: the single features unknown soul diva Leda Egri, 'When The Bull Gores The Matador' couldn't be more appropriately titled as New York freestyle giant C-Rayz Walz steamrollers the track with a hair-raising guest rap, while 'No Bagsies, No Keepsies' benefits immensely from the cherubic tones of folk-pop songstress Nina Hynes. It's not often that the phrases "true innovation" and "pop" can uttered in the same sentence; when they are, make sure to take notice.
Duke Special Songs From The Deep Forest3.5
Who is Duke Special, you might ask. You'd be well justified in asking, he's achieved little more than minor success in Europe, but already he's built an impressive number of admirers within the industry, including Rufus Wainwright, Beautiful South mainman Paul Heaton and Jack White. Fronting what he describes as the "hobo chic" image, Peter Wilson is a Belfast-based singer-songwriter who's compared in a good light to Elliott Smith and the aforementioned Wainwright, to the latter both in his distinctive accented vocal style and his fascination with vaudeville and music hall.

The arrangements on Songs For The Deep Forest are sometimes a little too predictable and, well, hammy, calling to mind the likes of Keane, but the songs are expertly crafted, as you'd expect from an artist who frequently performs accompanied by a single gramophone. If you don't hear 'Last Night I Nearly Died' and 'Freewheel' on your radio within the next year, call your lawyer.
Director We Thrive On Big Cities3.5
Various Artists Plague Songs2.5
Genuinely interesting concepts are hard to come by in music, and it's probably for this reason that Artangel managed to rope in world-renowned musicians like Brian Eno, Rufus Wainwright and Scott Walker for their Plague Songs project, a ten-track album in which each artist would compose and record a song based on one of the Plagues of Egypt.

Unfortunately, while the idea is great, the execution falls some way short. Inconsistency dogs this collection, and the lack of more than a couple of genuinely great tracks means the albums has little replay value. Wainwright's folky contribution 'Katonah' is compelling but predictable, while Eno's 'Flies' misses the mark completely.

The best tracks here come from unexpected sources: Klashnekoff's virtuousic grime track 'Blood' opens proceedings with a bang and never lets up, which is more than can be said for the following tracks. Stephin Merritt's 'Lice' is an ironic synth pop masterpiece and nu-soul prodigy Cody ChesnuTT's 'Boils' recalls the best days of southern soul.

Ultimately, however, Plague Songs is a collection that will be returned to for individual tracks- fans of the artists will treasure their favourite's contribution, but serious music listeners will find no reason to keep it.
Skid Row Revolutions Per Minute3.0
Skid Row's second album with replacement frontman Johnny Solinger (fifth total) is an improvement upon the abysmal Thickskin, expanding to varying degrees of success upon the alternative and punk rock influence that crept into that album.

The majority of the album was written by bassist Rachel Bolan (instead of Bolan and guitarist Snake), and as a result the punk influence is stronger, with elements of post-punk (a cover of The Alarm's 'Strength'), goth ('Love Is Dead') and Celtic/Oi! punk ('When God Can't Wait'), while tracks like 'Disease' is an example of the kind of MOR rock Chris Daughtry and the like should be producing.

Unfortunately, however, the constant genre-shifting means the album loses focus, and so does the listener. 'You Lie' is a perfectly reasonable twangy country song, but alongside the terrible cock rocker 'White Trash' and pop-punk effort 'Nothing' it represents a tremendous dip in quality and clarity.

Revolutions Per Minute is a step in the right direction for Skid Row, but on this occasion they may have lost their footing somewhat.
The Killers Sam's Town4.0
The Killers second album Sam's Town follows almost three years after their smash debut Hot Fuss, which was devoid of all subtlety but gave the first indication in living memory that Americans were capable of using synths responsibly.

Speaking of synthesiser abuse, Brandon Flowers credits Bruce Springsteen as his biggest influence in the writing of Sam's Town, muttering something that resembled "he made us all believe again." If Hot Fuss was a celebration of the the British contribution to the '80s (Morrissey, Duran Duran, New Order), Sam's Town turns the table on the Americans.

The lyrics may as well be taken from the Springsteen Guide To Meaningless Fucking Metaphors, while the music takes in everything from After The Golrush to Lou Reed and U2 (America can have Bono, we don't like him.) The defining factor that works for Sam's Town is that while Hot Fuss was inconsistent and, to an extent, disposable, on Sam's Town Flowers concentrates on strong, even songwriting. And the shoe fits.
Richard Cheese Silent Nightclub3.5
Paul Westerberg Open Season - Soundtrack3.5
Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor4.0
Almost three years in the making, Lupe Fiasco's debut CD was one of this year's most strongly hyped CDs. Bolstered by his guest spot on fellow Chicagoan Kanye West's 'Touch The Sky,' Food & Liquor features guest spots from Pharrell and Jay-Z, while both Pharrell and West offer production on single 'Kick, Push' and album track 'The Cool' respectively.

Though closely aligned with the broad Chicago sound, Fiasco modelled the album after Nas' classic It Was Written, creating a mood that's positive and thoughtful, if not preachy. Jigga's guest rap is disappointing, and Lupe fails to take advantage of 'Daydreamin''s classic choral sample, but the vast majority of Food & Liquor is both intellectually and dancefloor-ally challenging- and, hey, it's been a while since we white people have had a popular rapper we can identify with.
Scissor Sisters Ta-Dah2.5
The Fratellis Costello Music3.5
Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds5.0
It had to happen, didn't it? With FutureSex/LoveSounds, JT's reached a stage in his career few others have reached in recent year; neither of his solo albums have come close to realising his massive potential, yet he's getting love spanning the length of the culture divide nonetheless. The highly publicised Rick Rubin collaboration turned out to be a damp squib, the Jackson-esque '(Another Song) All Over Again' limping across the finishing line, but the majority, produced by Timbaland and prot? Danjahandz, is a triumph.

'SexyBack' is charming, despite being the sonic equivalent of being beaten in the face with a mallet, while follow-up singles 'My Love' and 'What Goes Around' demonstrate his keen fusion of Prince's natural falsetto with Jacko's ear for a honeysuckle melody. FutureSex/LoveSounds is either 100% derivative or just 99%, but he's ripping off his heroes better than anyone else right now, and that's all that really matters.
Beyonce B'Day3.0
Beyoncé joined a growing number of popstars to declare their work a "masterpiece" twenty minutes after recording it, joining the likes of Justin Timberlake and Brandon Flowers in a club I don't really want to go to.

Ms. Knowles decided to cut short her musical hiatus and record the album after finishing her role as an abused singer in 'Dreamgirls,' adding that she felt the need to express what she felt her character should have. Supposedly written and recorded in 2 weeks, B'Day is the product of her suffering.

First off, it's not no masterpiece, no. Secondly, it's not too bad either. Beyoncé got hold of the best producers around: Rodney Jackson, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz and co-wrote nine songs (plus a Victoria Beckham cover). Swizz Beatz's contribution is immense: his beats make 'Ring The Alarm' one of the best singles of recent times, while the shouted blues 'Get Me Bodied' is another highlight.

Jay-Z guests on two tracks: lead single 'DĂ©ja Vu' and 'Upgrade U.' Neither song lives up to Jay's legacy (the former would have been better had he been given more time), but the real disappointment here is Pharrell, whose contributions 'Kitty Kat' and 'Green Light' would register as low points on any album, let alone a pretty good one.

B'Day is no masterpiece, but it's more fun than you can have without risking personal injury.
Wednesday 13 Fang Bang2.0
Paris Hilton Paris2.0
Christina Aguilera Back to Basics3.5
What sets Christina Aguilera apart from her girl-pop peers, apart from obvious ability, is her Madonna-like desire to actually be set apart.

She's no more self-absorbed than anyone else in her business, but Back to Basics literally screams "look at me". With good reason- Back to Basics is a damn fine album, combining classic Christina- over the top singing and the odd great song too- with stranger elements- Moulin Rouge-style nods to vaudeville and rap genius DJ Premier.

Premier's addition is a masterstroke- his beats roll perfectly with Aguilera's howls- but even finer comes from Linda Perry. Back to Basics isn't quite the pre-war jazz trip it's been sold as but there's plenty of nostalgia on offer: 'Welcome' and 'Candyman' may be the two best Christina songs ever, but even average fare like 'Mercy on Me' could pass for genius as Christina hits top form.

It's the prevalence of average fare that falls well short that hurts this album.
The Bronx The Bronx (II)4.0
Razorlight Razorlight2.0
Butch Walker The Rise and Fall of Butch Walker...3.5
Butch Walker's never been one to evoke a luke-warm reaction- his steadily evolving musical style is about as offensive as pop music can be, and that's not about to change with the release of this semi-concept album, an attempt to stylistically and thematically tread the same ground as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust did over 30 years earlier- the perils of rock n' roll stardom and the non-redemption through indulgence.

Through T. Rex/Bowie aping numbers like 'Hot Girls in Good Moods' to countrified rockers like 'When Canyons Ruled the City', The Rise and Fall... is a record that flows smoothly, only occasionally dropping in quality on the flip side of the record. The choice takes from the album are lead single 'Bethamphetamine', a glammy Lou Reed-type number which reverses the classic riff from Sinead O'Connor's 'Mandinka,' the haunting Broadway-style ballad 'Dominoes' and the Bowie-esque 'Taste Of Red.'
Billy Talent Billy Talent II2.5
AFI Decemberunderground3.0
Very often, critical reaction to an album differs wildly from the reactions of fans or the consumer public. Decemberunderground presents such a case, as many fans have either embraced wholly or brashly rejected the latest turn in AFI's ever-sophisticating studio career. Though considerably poppier than even the group's early horror-punk showings, Decemberunderground builds on the increasingly complex and colourful arrangements the group seemed to have perfected on Sing the Sorrow.
There's a strong New Order-like undercurrent running through much of the album, and the brighter, more assured sound is not altogether unlike the aforementioned took after the demise of the gloomy Joy Division. 'Miss Murder' is an unabashed pop song, jumping straight into the chorus and showing notable sonic similarities to Green Day's 'Holiday,' while the electronically-inclined 'Love Like Winter' is a contender for single of the year. 'Kill Caustic' and 'Kiss And Control' hark back to the band's hardcore days, but Decemberunderground is undoubtedly a step away from where the band was a decade ago and, whether a good or bad decision, it's definitely a challenging album for those who choose to embrace it.
As Fast As Open Letter To The Damned4.5
As Fast As' major label debut sees the band improve upon their genre-shifting indie records with slicker production and stronger songwriting. Instantly familiar yet rarely imitative, Open Letter to the Damned is succinct with barely a hint of filler.

Pop tunes through a hard rock prism is what As Fast As excel at; of the eleven, seven are born for radio, instantly likeable but not disposable, including traditional pop numbers like single 'Florida Sunshine' and the Elvis Costello tribute 'Blame it on the Drugs' to the soul-infused 'This Time' and the McCartney-esque 'If I Only Knew'.

Singer Spencer Albee's tone and melodic sense, clearly indebted to McCartney and Stevie Wonder, has led more than one online commentator to proclaim him "the next Robyn Hitchcock". He's perfectly complimented by guitarist Zach Jones, who trades off finger-burning guitar solos with surf harmonies, 'meat and potatoes' bassist Hache and jazzy drummer Andrew Hodgkins.
Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere4.0
Gnarls Barkley kinda came out of nowhere, didn't they? I'm generally pretty much allergic to hype, especially indie hype, so I didn't exactly approach this duo with an open mind. And, sure enough, I heard 'Crazy' a dozen times a day in various media and, feeling thoroughly self-satisfied with another prejucide well-founded, I found myself accidentally loving the damn thing.

Soon, I was completely enamoured with Cee-Lo's impossibly high-pitched picture of soul and the "oh god, why didn't I think of that" indie rock-based instrumental tracks Danger Mouse was laying down as if such a mix of styles was commonplace. 'Crazy' may be one of the best singles of this century, 'Gone Daddy Gone' one-ups the Violent Femmes and 'The Boogie Monster' captures a child's fear of the irrational and imaginary to perfection. Some albums are just classics, and St. Elsewhere is already assured of that status.
Bullets And Octane In the Mouth of the Young3.0
Buckcherry Fifteen4.0
Unless you�ve been living on another planet or listening to good radio stations this summer, you're unlikely to have escaped the pull of this year's least expected hits: Buckcherry's foul-mouthed single 'Crazy Bitch', a surprise hit which completes a miraculous transition for a band that couldn't pay a label to release their album stateside just a year ago.

'Crazy Bitch', a dirty, wet rocker which evokes sleaze-era Aerosmith, draws parallels to 'Lit Up', but it's in fact one of the album's weaker tracks. The rest of the album shows a renewed vitality for a group that's 3/5 new, and is the first sign that the band could actually justify the "heavy metal Black Crowes" tag that was pinned on them years ago.

Opener 'So Far' and 'Onset' are the best of the rockers, with Josh Todd's throat-mangling Axl-isms and Keith Nelsons bluesy leads, while the tender moments of 'Carousel' and 'Sorry' are more sincere and well-written than Todd has managed to date.
Hilltop Hoods The Hard Road3.0
Morrissey Ringleader of the Tormentors3.0
Pink I'm Not Dead3.0
Bell X1 Flock4.0
Better known as the band Damien Rice left at the proverbial altar seven years ago, Bell X1 have finally hit their stride with their third and most accomplished full-length, Flocks. Shedding the moroseness and overt Radiohead-ness of their previous efforts, and the last of their links with Rice's compositions, the group have embraced some of the popular post-punk sound of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party as well as Coldplay to produce one of the more lively and well-crafted pop-rock releases of the year.

Lead single 'Flame' was a hit on the strength of its football-terrace chorus, while the more thoughtful 'Rocky Takes A Lover' became so popular on the basis of a single radio performance that the group decided to release it nationally. With a string of sold-out concerts across the UK this year, Bell X1 are ready to take on the world once again, this time without the need to ride on the coat-tails of their one-time bandmate.
Hawthorne Heights If Only You Were Lonely3.5
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not4.0
Ginger Valor Del Corazon3.5
DragonForce Inhuman Rampage4.0
The Strokes First Impressions of Earth3.0

2005
Ryan Adams 292.0
Michale Graves Punk Rock Is Dead3.0
Butch Walker Cover Me Badd3.0
Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits3.0
Lindsay Lohan A Little More Personal (Raw)2.5
Hardcore Superstar Hardcore Superstar3.5
System of a Down Hypnotize4.0
Various Artists (Country) Walk The Line3.5
The Darkness One Way Ticket To Hell And Back1.5
Chain Collector The Masquerade4.0
Izzy Stradlin Like A Dog3.0
Roadrunner United The All-Star Sessions3.5
Sinead O'Connor Throw Down Your Arms4.5
Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better3.0
Gogol Bordello Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike3.5
Aslan The Platinum Collection4.5
Brides Of Destruction Runaway Brides1.0
Danny Elfman The Corpse Bride3.5
Crashdiet Rest In Sleaze2.5
Tommy Lee Tommyland: The Ride3.5
Our Lady Peace Healthy In Paranoid Times4.0
Jason Mraz Mr. A-Z4.0
Danny Elfman Charlie and the Chocolate Factory4.0
Sufjan Stevens Illinois2.5
Hard-Fi Stars Of CCTV3.0
Coldplay X&Y3.5
Oasis Don't Believe the Truth3.5
Common Be3.0
System of a Down Mezmerize4.0
Maximo Park A Certain Trigger2.5
In Pieces Lions Write History2.5
Fall Out Boy From Under the Cork Tree2.0
Duke Special Adventures In Gramophone4.0
American Hi-Fi Hearts On Parade3.5
Hanoi Rocks Another Hostile Takeover3.5
Another Hostile Takeover is more polished than its predecessors, and more immediately gratifying with punchy mixes that emphasise the loud dual-guitars and vocals and, for the most part, guitarist Andy McCoy and frontman Mike Monroe are up to the task. 'Love,' 'Hurt' and 'Better High' are reminiscent of the latter-day Aerosmith and New York Dolls, but 'The Devil In You' is an unexpected but rewarding flirtation with electronic beats that recalls Savage Garden and Duran Duran at their most melodic.

'Dear Miss Lonely Hearts,' a cover of a Phil Lynott original, is a highlight, as are the two ballads: 'Centre of my Universe' and 'No Compromise, No Regrets,' the former Andy McCoy's lament to his dead wife, and the latter the last track Mike Monroe wrote with his wife before she herself died. The over-polished production of Another Hostile Takeover occasionally makes the songs less powerful than they should be, but Hanoi Rocks can be forgiven for losing the run of themselves somewhat. As rock legends they're entitled to, and when the highs are this high, it's difficult to complain too much.
Kaiser Chiefs Employment2.0
Trivium Ascendancy2.0
The Academy Is... Almost Here3.5
Motley Crue Red, White, & Crue3.5
Anohni and the Johnsons I Am A Bird Now4.0
Angels Of Mons Last Of The Dead Empires3.0
Martha Wainwright Martha Wainwright3.0

2004
Lindsay Lohan Speak1.5
The Exies Head for the Door1.0
Goo Goo Dolls Live in Buffalo July 4th 20043.0
Rufus Wainwright Want Two4.5
Kasabian Kasabian1.5
Britney Spears Greatest Hits: My Prerogative4.0
Aspects of Physics Marginalized Information Forms One: Ping1.5
Val Emmich Slow Down Kid4.0
Interpol Antics3.5
Green Day American Idiot4.0
With American Idiot, Green Day have added their name to a very short list of pop artists who've had the balls to attempt, and actually succeed, in writing a genuinely engaging concept record- and the music isn't bad either.

The story of St. Jimmy isn't particularly elaborate or original- and is confusingly cut up by thinly veiled political taunts- but its simplicity is part of its charm. Mostly, Green Day play up to the typical suburbanite underclass- troubled pot-smoking teens with eyeliner- but the music is pure pop from a punk perspective.

'American Idiot' and 'Holiday' may represent the least subtle form of propaganda since Mussolini died, but Billie Joe's keen sense of melody and memorable lyrics could make them highlights of any pop calendar, while the nine-minute (I won't say 'epic') epic (sorry) 'Jesus of Suburbia' offers more of the same in five distinct but wonderfully assembled movements.

Elsewhere, 'Whatsername' and 'St. Jimmy' stand up to anything in the Green Day catalogue- just don't mention the word 'punk.'
Flogging Molly Within a Mile of Home3.5
Butch Walker This Is Me... Justified And Stripped4.5
Butch Walker Letters5.0
Razorlight Up All Night3.0
Butch Walker Heartwork EP3.5
The Killers Hot Fuss3.0
My Chemical Romance Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge3.0
Velvet Revolver Contraband3.5
Avril Lavigne Under My Skin2.5
Morrissey You Are the Quarry3.0
Snow Patrol Final Straw2.5
Guns N' Roses Greatest Hits3.5
Brides Of Destruction Here Come The Brides3.5
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand4.0
Jessica Simpson In This Skin (Collector's Edition)2.0
Circle Takes the Square As the Roots Undo4.5
Manic Street Preachers Lifeblood2.0
Kelly Clarkson Breakaway4.0
John Legend Get Lifted3.0

2003
Britney Spears In the Zone3.0
Ryan Adams Rock 'n' Roll2.0
The Strokes Room on Fire1.5
Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Streetcore4.0
Jet Get Born3.0
Elvis Presley 2nd To None3.0
Murderdolls Beyond The Valley of the Murderdolls2.0
Rufus Wainwright Want One4.0
Hilltop Hoods The Calling4.0
Mark Ronson Here Comes The Fuzz3.5
Avenged Sevenfold Waking the Fallen2.5
Jedi Mind Tricks Visions of Gandhi3.5
The Wildhearts The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed3.5
Superjoint A Lethal Dose of American Hatred3.0
Metallica St. Anger2.5
Damien Dempsey Seize The Day4.5
Kelly Clarkson Thankful3.0
Linkin Park Meteora2.0
AFI Sing the Sorrow4.5
50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'3.0
A Wilhelm Scream Benefits of Thinking Out Loud3.0
The Exies Inertia4.0
Our Lady Peace Live from Calgary and Edmonton3.5
Matt Sorum Hollywood Zen3.5
Sam Cooke Portrait Of A Legend 1951-19645.0

2002
Audioslave Audioslave1.5
Pearl Jam Riot Act2.0
Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around3.5
Justin Timberlake Justified3.5
Christina Aguilera Stripped3.0
Manic Street Preachers Forever Delayed3.5
Foo Fighters One by One3.0
Jason Mraz Waiting For My Rocket To Come3.5
Brian Setzer Orchestra Boogie Woogie Christmas4.0
Elvis Presley Elvis: 30 #1 Hits3.5
Porcupine Tree In Absentia4.0
Ash Intergalactic Sonic 7s3.5
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head3.5
Glassjaw Worship and Tribute3.0
Izzy Stradlin On Down The Road4.5
Butch Walker Left of Self-Centered4.5
Maroon 5 Songs About Jane4.0
Avril Lavigne Let Go3.0
Our Lady Peace Gravity3.5
The Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts2.5
Eminem The Eminem Show3.0
Against Me! Reinventing Axl Rose4.0
Brendan Benson Lapalco4.0
Damien Rice O4.0
Gilby Clarke Swag2.5
Oasis Heathen Chemistry3.5

2001
Green Day International Superhits3.0
Britney Spears Britney2.5
Oasis Familiar To Millions3.0
Ryan Adams Gold3.5
The Strokes Is This It4.5
NSYNC Celebrity2.5
Duff McKagan's Loaded Dark Days2.5
Ash Free All Angels4.0
Buckcherry Time Bomb3.0
Daft Punk Discovery4.5
American Hi-Fi American Hi-Fi3.0
Puddle of Mudd Come Clean3.0
Izzy Stradlin River4.0
Kaizers Orchestra Ompa Til Du Dor4.0

2000
Our Lady Peace Spiritual Machines3.0
Blur The Best Of3.5
The Beatles 13.5
Slash's Snakepit Ain't Life Grand4.0
Madonna Music2.0
AFI The Art of Drowning4.0
At the Drive-In Relationship of Command3.0
Marvelous 3 ReadySexGo!3.5
Nile Black Seeds of Vengeance4.0
Eric Clapton and B. B. King Riding With the King3.0
Robbie Williams Sing When You're Winning2.0
Motley Crue New Tattoo2.0
Coldplay Parachutes4.0
Bon Jovi Crush2.5
Rufus Wainwright Poses3.0
A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms2.0
Matchbox Twenty Mad Season4.0
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP4.5
Britney Spears Oops!...I Did It Again2.0
Cypress Hill Skull and Bones2.0
Oasis Standing on the Shoulder of Giants3.0
Deltron 3030 Deltron 30302.5
Gilby Clarke 99 Live4.5

1999
Izzy Stradlin Ride On3.0
Botch We Are the Romans3.0
Led Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 1: Early Days2.5
Guns N' Roses Live Era '87-'932.5
Metallica S&M2.5
Coldplay The Blue Room4.0
Misfits Famous Monsters3.5
Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera3.5
Paddy Casey Amen (So Be It)4.0
Muse Showbiz3.0
Santana Supernatural3.0
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication1.5
Buckcherry Buckcherry3.0
AFI All Hallow's E.P.3.5
Paul Westerberg Suicaine Gratification4.5
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time2.0
Marvelous 3 Hey! Album4.5
Our Lady Peace Happiness...4.5

1998
2Pac Greatest Hits4.0
Oasis The Masterplan3.0
Refused The Shape Of Punk To Come4.0
The Beautiful South Quench3.0
Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The Girl4.5
Brian Setzer Orchestra The Dirty Boogie3.5
Izzy Stradlin 117 Degrees4.5
Madonna Ray of Light1.5
Marvelous 3 Hey! Album (indie)4.0
Gilby Clarke Rubber2.5
U2 The Best Of 1980-19903.0
Hardcore Superstar It's Only Rock'n'Roll4.0
Motley Crue Greatest Hits (1998)3.0
Not unusually for a best of, the the only real problem with 1998's Greatest Hits is the fact it misses out on some of the Crue's best loved tracks, with classics like 'Too Young To Fall In Love' and 'Live Wire' inexplicably passed over for lesser tracks from the peak of their commercial success. 'Shout At The Devil '97' packs a massive punch of its own, but it doesn't compensate for the criminal omission of the original, and with only one song each represented from Too Fast For Love and Shout At The Devil, it never really feels like a true representation of the group's music. 2005's Red, White, And Crue goes entirely the other way, including far too much material, meaning Crue fans still lack a definitive hits package they can be proud of.

1997
All Saints All Saints3.0
The Verve Urban Hymns4.0
Oasis Be Here Now2.0
Marvelous 3 Math And Other Problems3.5
Misfits Static Age4.0
Matt Molloy Shadows On Stone4.0
Motley Crue Generation Swine4.0
Spice Girls Spiceworld2.0
Our Lady Peace Clumsy3.5
Blur Blur3.5
Gilby Clarke The Hangover3.5
Misfits American Psycho4.0
The Prodigy The Fat of the Land4.0

1996
Kula Shaker K3.0
Neurotic Outsiders Neurotic Outsiders4.0
Spice Girls Spice3.0
2Pac All Eyez on Me2.5

1995
Alice in Chains Alice in Chains3.0
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory?4.5
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill4.0
The Chieftains The Long Black Veil4.0
Misfits Collection II3.5
The Wildhearts P.H.U.Q.4.0
Pulp Different Class4.0

1994
Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York3.0
Bon Jovi Crossroad3.0
Oasis Definitely Maybe4.5
Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible5.0
What do you get when you put a bunch of political glam-punks in a cheap, rundown studio with a bunch of Wire and Magazine records and a library of troubled authors? If you said The Holy Bible, you're part of a very exclusive club. The Holy Bible is pseudo-musician self-abusive anorexic junkie alcoholic genius Richey James Edwards' album, from start to finish. He neither composed nor played a single note on the album, but he wrote the album in every true sense. NME called it a "vile record". And they were right. It's twisted, aching, tortured and very very sick triumph of perversity. Overlook it at your peril.
Jeff Buckley Grace5.0
Eagles Very Best Of3.5
Nas Illmatic4.0
Motley Crue Motley Crue3.0
Morrissey Vauxhall and I4.0
Green Day Dookie3.0
Alice in Chains Jar of Flies3.0
Gilby Clarke Pawnshop Guitars4.0
Therapy? Troublegum4.5
Our Lady Peace Naveed5.0

1993
Guns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident?3.0
Snoop Dogg Doggystyle4.0
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)4.0
Danny Elfman The Nightmare Before Christmas5.0
Duff McKagan Believe In Me2.5
Manic Street Preachers Gold Against The Soul3.5
Soundtrack (Film) Last Action Hero3.0
Bash and Pop Friday Night Is Killing Me3.0
Paul Westerberg 14 Songs3.5
The Wildhearts Earth vs. The Wildhearts4.5
Jellyfish Spilt Milk4.5
Marxman 33 Revolutions Per Minute5.0

1992
Ice Cube The Predator3.0
Izzy Stradlin Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds4.0
Stone Temple Pilots Core4.0
Though not their best or most consistent effort- Purple deserves that honour- Core can rightly be called Stone Temple Pilot's greatest album. The album boasts three '90s classics in 'Sex Type Thing,' 'Creep' and 'Plush,' and while the band could never be accused of unrestrained originality, Scott Weiland ranks among the decade's most consistent melodicians. Weiland was never fully comfortable plugging the expanse between the DeLeo brothers' Sabbath-inspired riffs- though 'Wicked Garden' and opener 'Dead & Bloated' might beg to differ- but he's in his element here, demonstrating his versatility through the multi-tempoed 'Sex Type Thing' and 'Crackerman' and his expert melodic craftwork with 'Creep' and 'Plush.'
Manic Street Preachers Generation Terrorists3.5
House of Pain House of Pain4.0

1991
Michael Jackson Dangerous3.0
A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory2.5
Nirvana Nevermind3.0
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II4.0
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I3.5
Metallica Metallica3.0
Skid Row Slave to the Grind4.0
L.A. Guns Hollywood Vampires3.0
The Saw Doctors If This Is Rock And Roll, I Want My Old Job Back3.0
Marc Cohn Marc Cohn4.0
Slint Spiderland4.0

1990
Warrant Cherry Pie2.5
Jane's Addiction Ritual De Lo Habitual4.0
Pantera Cowboys from Hell3.5
The Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker4.0
Sinead O'Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got4.0
Kill For Thrills Dynamite From Nightmareland4.0
LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out4.5
Van Morrison The Best Of Van Morrison Vol 13.0

1989
Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood3.0
The Stone Roses The Stone Roses2.5
Warrant Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich3.5
Skid Row Skid Row4.0
Pretty Boy Floyd Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz3.5

1988
Guns N' Roses G N' R Lies3.5
The Housemartins Now That's What I Call Quite Good4.0
U2 Rattle and Hum3.0
Jane's Addiction Nothing's Shocking4.0
DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper3.0
The Pogues If I Should Fall from Grace with God4.5
EPMD Strictly Business5.0

1987
The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me4.0
The Smiths Strangeways, Here We Come3.5
Michael Jackson Bad3.5
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction5.0
Eric B and Rakim Paid in Full4.0
Whitesnake Whitesnake3.0
Motley Crue Girls, Girls, Girls2.5
Death Angel The Ultra-Violence3.0
Prince Sign o' the Times4.5
Half Man Half Biscuit Back Again In The DHSS4.5
George Michael Faith3.5
Sinead O'Connor The Lion And The Cobra5.0

1986
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet4.0
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead4.5
Hatful of Hollow will forever be my favourite Smiths record, yet I always turn to The Queen Is Dead when I want a quick fix of everything I love about Morrissey and the Smiths.

Clocking in at just 37 minutes, it's short but utterly devoid of superfluous material. While Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke are no doubt talented, the genius of Morrissey and Marr is what really shines throughout and the interplay between the competing egos on 'The Queen Is Dead' and the quite stunning 'There Is A Light...' rivals even 'This Charming Man'.

Morrissey would never again be so creative, so witty and so effortlessly brilliant on tracks like the tirade against the insincere 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly' and the mind-boggling romanticisation of suicide 'There Is A Light...', while into his less melodicaly striking performances (Vicar In A Tutu), Johnny Marr fills the gap with alternating instrumental hooks.

1985
Motley Crue Theatre of Pain1.0
The Smiths Meat Is Murder3.5
The Replacements Tim4.0
The Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash4.5

1984
Madonna Like a Virgin3.0
The Smiths Hatful of Hollow5.0
Hanoi Rocks Two Steps From The Move4.5
Cruel circumstances and ill-desire to truly innovative meant Hanoi Rocks could never reach the same level of glam godness currently (and often falsely) bestowed on the likes of Bowie and Bolan, yet they were one of the defining influences for much of the sleazy glam rock to emerge from the Sunset Strip in the mid-80s, from Poison to Guns N’ Roses. The Anglo-Finnish foursome re-married the glam punk of New York Dolls and Dead Boys with its roots in Bowie and Mott The Hoople, with singer Mike Monroe's sax an interesting addition.

Two Steps From The Move was both their making and their swansong, the album certain to propel them to stardom narrowly preceded the death of drummer Razzle Dingley from which they never recovered. It’s their most accessible album, with the hit singles 'Don't You Ever Leave Me' and 'Million Miles Away' produced and arranged by studio dynamo Bob Ezrin; tracks like 'High School' and 'Futurama' check their punk origins.
Metallica Ride the Lightning4.0
Prince Purple Rain4.0
The Smiths The Smiths3.5
Wham! Make It Big3.5
The Replacements Let It Be4.5

1983
Misfits Earth A.D./Wolf's Blood4.0
Motley Crue Shout at the Devil5.0
The terms "hair metal" and "classic" are a dubious pairing at the best of times; for a genre where a band's image was often more immediately influential than its music, few classics actually stick out. In Shout At The Devil, Motley Crue created an album that not only brought back the tough glam image, it also shaped the way heavy metal was played for the next decade and beyond.

Complete with three hit MTV singles ('Looks That Kill' 'Too Young To Fall In Love' and the title track), a raucous Beatles cover ('Helter Skelter'), as well as the token anti-police anthem, 'Knock 'Em Dead Kid' and much more, the album combined the punk intensity of their debut with traditional sunset strip and NWOBHM sounds to create a true heavy metal masterpiece.
Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones4.0
Metallica Kill 'Em All3.5
Aztec Camera High Land, Hard Rain4.0
Def Leppard Pyromania3.0

1982
Prince 19994.5
Duran Duran Rio4.0
Misfits Walk Among Us4.0

1981
Queen Greatest Hits2.5
Motley Crue Too Fast for Love4.5

1980
Prince Dirty Mind3.5

1979
Pink Floyd The Wall3.0
Michael Jackson Off the Wall4.5
The Clash The Clash (US version)4.5
Joe Jackson Look Sharp!4.5
Gang of Four Entertainment!3.5

1978
Blondie Parallel Lines4.5
Elvis Costello This Year's Model4.5
The Cars The Cars4.0
Van Halen Van Halen3.5

1977
Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols2.5
Dead Boys Young Loud and Snotty4.5
Elvis Costello My Aim Is True4.0
KISS Love Gun3.0
The Clash The Clash4.0
The Damned Damned Damned Damned4.0

1976
Boston Boston3.0
Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions5.0
Eagles Hotel California3.0

1975
Neil Young Tonight's the Night3.0
Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks3.0

1973
New York Dolls New York Dolls4.5
The Stooges Raw Power4.0
Tom Waits Closing Time4.5

1972
Lou Reed Transformer3.5
Neil Young Harvest4.0
Eagles Eagles4.0

1971
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV2.5
Don McLean American Pie4.5
T. Rex Electric Warrior4.0
John Lennon Imagine3.0
The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers4.5
Mahavishnu Orchestra The Inner Mounting Flame3.5

1970
Neil Young After the Gold Rush4.5
Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water5.0

1969
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II3.0
Elvis Presley From Elvis In Memphis5.0
As the '60s drew to a close, one could have forgiven Elvis for writing off the entire decade. Seven years of bad movies, bad movie soundtracks and zero live performances had made the star plenty of money, but left him completely alienated from his fans.

In 1969, that changed- Elvis recorded in Memphis for the first time since 1955, working with producer Chips Moman at his American Sound Studio. AS had a sound that resembled the rival stax studio but with a more commercial polish, and in recent years had produced classic albums from Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield, but arguably its greatest achievement was yet to come.

From Elvis in Memphis is a cool blend of rock, pop, soul, blues, gospel and country, with material ranging from country standards with a gospel (I'll Hold You') or funk ('I'm Movin' On') twist to straight covers elevated by Elvis' best ever vocal performance, particularly Jerry Butler's 'Only the Strong Survive'.
Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis4.5

1968
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison3.0

1967
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band3.5

1966
The Beatles Revolver4.5
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds4.5
1965
The Beatles Rubber Soul5.0
The Beatles Help!3.0

1964
The Beatles A Hard Day's Night4.5

1963
The Beatles Please Please Me4.0

1961
Elvis Presley Blue Hawaii3.5

1956
Elvis Presley Elvis4.0
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley5.0
While Elvis Presley's RCA debut could never dare capture the spontaneity and magic of the legendary Sun Sessions, it was certainly a brave effort.

Recorded with Nashville's own guitar picking legend Chet Atkins at the helm, Elvis Presley was the single most important record in changing the way popular music was made. He may not have written his own songs, but he might as well have; like no pop artist before him, Elvis effectively self-produced, choosing how the songs were arranged and which takes were to be used.

The album opens with the stormy classic 'Blue Suede Shoes', before taking in Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti' and Ray Charles 'I Got A Woman' and five cuts from the Sun Sessions, including the breath-taking 'Tryin' To Get To You', but the album lives for Elvis' underdeveloped but still captivating voice, his extensive, smooth range handling anything from slow croon to blues holler, often in the same song.
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