My wife likes to listen to sleep stories on the Calm app, which serve only to keep me awake. They’re circuitous nonsensical blatherings, but she drops right off the cliff into dreamland. They work for her, as she reminds me every time I complain, precisely because they’re nonsensical. I prefer the Coast to Coast app, where I can listen to the old Art Bell radio show taken over by George Noory more than twenty years ago. Yes, it’s an excursion into an antiscience reality, but I ignore the alien talk and concentrate on anything resembling spirituality. It’s also nonsense most of the time, but I feel like I might learn something. All of which proves that one person’s lullaby is another person’s cacophony.
This blog post acts as the first volley in an intractable battle of taste. I know it’s absurd to pigeonhole art into neat little boxes and force them to compete. It’s apples, oranges, pandas, and orangutans, but it can be a fun diversion, undertaken with the caveat that it’s doomed from the start. Any top ten list will be defective by virtue of its limits of perspective, comparison, and space. However, I believe there’s value in seeing how other members of this community perceive the works that reflect and expand our understanding of the world and ourselves.
I thought this disclaimer would set me free, but another hurdle arose: if I compiled a traditional top ten list of albums, I’d pick two by the Beatles, two by the Stones, two by the Who, two by Led Zeppelin, two by Pink Floyd, and then, sorry friends, we’re out of time. No room for any albums from the ’90s let alone the 2000s and after. Not to mention the unconscionable omission of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and many others. The better idea? To exclude the usual suspects and post only discs that once moved—and still get to—me.
So with that piece of housekeeping out of the way, here’s the first edition of the Fabulous Angeles Not Quite Top Fifteen Albums List, because I couldn’t stop myself when I got to ten. In a complete cop-out, I’ve listed them alphabetically:
- Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group, Live
Why: Innovative interplay of guitar and synch. Favorite Track: “Blue Wind.” - David Bowie, Diamond Dogs
Why: Powerful concept album with weighty themes. Favorite Track: “Sweet Thing.”
- Jackson Browne, Late for the Sky
Why: Dark and moody but also crisp and bright. Favorite Track: “The Road and the Sky.”
- Crosby, Stills & Nash, CSN
Why: Songwriting, harmonies, and musicianship. Favorite Track: Every single one.
- John Mellencamp, The Lonesome Jubilee
Why: Gritty sentiments with heartland warmth. Favorite Track: “We Are the People.”
- Graham Parker, Squeezing Out Sparks
Why: Excellent singing, lyrics, and pop melodies.Favorite Track: “Nobody Hurts You.” - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Long after Dark
Why: Brilliant writing, singing, and playing. Favorite Track: Every single one. - The Pretenders, Pretenders II
Why: One of the all-time hardest-rocking albums with sweetness on the side. Favorite Track: “The Adultress.” - R.E.M., Life’s Rich Pageant
Why: Authentic evolution of early jingly-jangly rock. Favorite Track: “Cuyahoga.”
- Linda Ronstadt, Hasten Down the Wind
Why: Masterful selection of songs belted with soul and taste. Favorite Track: “Someone to Lay Down beside Me.” - Bruce Springsteen, The Rising
Why: Thick layers of deep emotion that perfectly capture 9/11 NYC trauma and recovery. Favorite Track: “The Fuse.” - Steely Dan, Katy Lied
Why: Unparalleled ambiance, attitude, composition, performance, and production. Favorite Track: “Any World (That I’m Welcome To).” - Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells a Story
Why: Simplicity, cushy acoustic guitars, and vocals extraordinaire. Favorite Track: “(Find a) Reason to Believe.” - Stephen Stills, Manassas
Why: Unmatched blend of rock, folk, blues, and country. Twenty-one songs, of which at least nineteen are sublime. Do yourself a favor and dig out this underrated classic. Favorite Track: “It Doesn’t Matter.” - Jethro Tull, Aqualung
Why: Wisdom, and humor, driven by vibrant vocals and superb songwriting, from strong acoustic ballads to straightforward rockers. Favorite Track: “Wond’ring Aloud”
What did I unjustifiably deify, or what’s missing? What would never make a regular top ten (or fifteen) list but, in the name of cultural significance, personal impact, or unadulterated beauty, should be cited anyway? Yes, in some ways it’s a silly parlor game. Maybe it’s nonsense—but with meaning.
Please post the reasons you agree or, if you don’t, feel free to enlighten me.