1. WEEZER – WEEZER (BLUE ALBUM)
(1994 – T10 G10 B10 UB10)Well we’ve finally got to the number 1 spot and as many may have predicted it is Weezer’s self titled debut, more commonly referred to as “The Blue Album”. I missed Weezer when they first appeared as I would have just been listening to chart pop when I was 13. My only exposure to Weezer was the “Buddy Holly” video which was given away on Windows 95 as an example of a video on a PC (oh the wonders of the modern world). But as i was a mid teen and didn’t buy CD’s or tapes at that point, didn’t think much more too it despite liking the song. So when, in August 1998, my Grandma sadly died which was the first death close to me, a week later my Grandad gave me a tenner to treat myself and the Blue Album was what I purchased. And what a purchase! 21 years later it is still my favourite and as you can see I rate every song as an ultimate banger. I mentioned yesterday that I had my chart lists from years yonder. This has always been hovering around the top 3 and generally number 1.
The album just has a cool but nerdy vibe to it. The production is perfect for it also, its not too crisp and sounds like they could have just jammed it out in the studio. The solos are perfect and are part of the songs development (compared to Green where they just simply follow the melody, or Maladroit where its jarringly different at times, 2 albums I can’t fully get on board with). The opener “My Name Is Jonas” opens with that folksy little acoustic riff before the grungy guitar blasts over it. The end section of “the workers are going home…” is magnificent, especially live when it feels like your singing a football song at full voice. “No One Else” is perhaps the closes to dropping out of UB territory but is still class, Rivers vocal change toward the end restores it to such a rating. “The World Has Turned…” is maybe in my top 3 on here. Perhaps not an obvious contender at first, but its just such a chilled ride, but gradually builds and the flowing from Rivers’ herrreeee into the solo at the end is just majestic. “Buddy Holly” everyone knows and is just a perfect piece of rock pop all to the iconic Happy Days video… (did you try the fish? yeah, thats not so good Al). “Undone – The Sweater Song” is a 5 minute song about pulling sweaters apart, starting with several chunks of a conversation about a party, why? who knows but its pure awesome. This is nerd cool at its best, the sing along chorus and drum change at a key moment is spot on. “Surf Wax America” is just full of Californianess with a nice half barbershop bit in the middle. “Say It Ain’t So” is an all time classic with its jazzy nice style intro and boisterously simple chorus and passionate vocals. “In the Garage” or gararrrge as they say in the US, is a joy of a song, the key change at the end and that solo… mmmmmmmm. “Holiday” has more awesome harmony vocals and just sounds like you are going on a holiday somehow, a proper belt it out song. The final track on the album, my list and perhaps my life (not now!!! at my funeral) is my going out song “Only In Dreams” The 8 minutes of this are just incredible and the slow developing guitar is incredible and the stuff falling from the ceiling at their Brum gig back in 2002, incredible. Just incredible.
So there we go, thank you for reading, commenting or just seeing the titles. I’ve fully loved doing this and its a once in a lifetime thing really. I’m getting totes emosh! Why would I ever do it again? Whatever will i do with my early evenings? How do I go on?! I have an idea for next year which is music related again but won’t do the daily barrage. Don’t forget the blog if you ever want to return to any of it, and the spotify playlists. So again thank you for enjoying, enduring or ignoring. =w=.
2. THE GET UP KIDS – SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
(1999 – T12 G12 B12 UB11)
So close to number 1, this missed out by just one ultimate banger. This is what I would describe as emo (a word that is scorned by many and covers a large range nowadays with many definitions, and yes most music is emotional on some level, but what the hell does “rock” mean anyway?). For me this is pure emo. The vocals of Matt Pryor on this are never sung without feeling and the melodies that flow and build behind them just carry it perfectly. Now I used to do the old music spreadsheet way back in the day and looking back at them I have confirmed that this album was a slow grower for me. In 2000 it was #74, 2001 it was up to #54 but still beneath King Adora!! (christ, how tastes change). Sometime before 2003 it must have finally hit home and was up to #5 and by 2007 it was up to number 1 vying with tomorrows album. So basically it took me 8 years to fully appreciate its glories. (PS I stopped doing the music ratings then for another 10 years, distracted by girlfriends and enjoying life away from the computer, but now, as I approach my 39th birthday tomorrow, as a married dad, I’m back at it! full nerd life circle). Anyway the album, its got the passionate vocals as mentioned, the upbeat punk pop melodies without resorting to the cliche sound of palm mutes etc, and the choruses and verses flow into each other beautifully. There are also the slow numbers which are some of the highlights. “Holiday” blasts things off in perfect style before “Action & Action” brings the keyboards/moog further to the fore. Everytime I hear even a section of any these songs I’m fully engaged, it just hits all the right spots for me. “Valentine” is one of the slower songs, with its rolling drums and more piano led song. The 3 or 4 way vocal layering at the end is just perfect. “Ten Minutes” is the most famous song off the album I think and uses the other vocalist in the main and it was the first song I ever heard by them and at that time, before I’d even heard the word emo, they were just another pop punk band in my head with a nice little song. I would never have expected these songs to have grown on me so much. “The Company Dime” is the one song that didn’t quite reach ultimate banger level but its still a banger, but just not quite the level the other songs are. (listening to it now again though it could easily be one, even so it would still be 2nd and would have tied with 1st, so I’d just have to pick my favourite…. destroying the entire spreadsheet matrix world!!). “The Long Goodnight” is a proper glorious emotional song, the build up from halfway to 3/4s and then into the quiet finish is just a joy. “Close To Home” is in the upper echelons of ultimate bangers and then comes the final song “I’ll Catch You” which you can’t help but get the feels for. On the edition I have in a cardboard sleeve it came with 2 bonus tracks and these both are UB’s. Its just class all round.
Rock Sound placed this one at a way too low #102 but said this record paved the way for so many others, and I think for me it wasn’t until i heard those others that I fully appreciated this one.
3. HELL IS FOR HEROES – THE NEON HANDSHAKE
(2003 – T12 G12 B12 UB9)
The lowest step on the podium goes to Hell Is For Heroes and their debut album from 2003 (the year in which Rock Sound named it album of the year). The album came off the back of 4 singles released over 2 years, all full of blinding B-sides on top. The first single was for “Sick/Happy” and “Cut Down” released in 2001 and I got some limited edition numbered version of it, as I was all over this as it followed 2 years after the demise of Symposium who made up 2/5th of the band. By the time I saw them at Reading 2002 this was all they had released and after seeing them live I quickly knew they would be a contender for my favourite band. The album finally arrived in February 2003 and was chock full of bangers and at this stage more importantly nearly all ultimate bangers! It’s an album filled with giant guitars and huge choruses. None of it is complicated and the little melodic guitar parts are perfect in their simplicity. About 3 songs off this album have been ringtones on my phones as a result. The first 2 tracks “Five Kids Go” and “Out Of Reach” get us going but then a run of 9 UB’s starts on track 3. “Night Vision” was one of those prior released singles and has a classic little guitar melody which hooks you in. “Cut Down” has a norty (sic) little riff, which just needs blasting out at volume 12 (piss your turn it up to 11 crap, go 12!!). “Few Against Many” and “Three of Clubs” are possibly less obvious UBs but they just both have a big sound and massive endings. “Few Against Many” in particular has a fully beefed up stomping riff to finish with. “I Can Climb Mountains” is my current ring tone as the intro is perfect for it, probably my favourite track on the album the middle section with the “I can…” etc section is just awesome, then the “arms around it..” bit… ooomph!. “Disconnector” sounds more like what their later albums would go on to be. “You Drove Me To It” has lots of lyrics relating to jumping from buildings and originally was called “World Trade Centre” but clearly required a name change after the event of 9/11. I can’t find any evidence of this on t’internet but I’m sure that was the case. “Slow Song” is a simple genius of a song, the song title does it all with the song starting quietly and the simple melody repeats basically throughout, gradually building and building towards the massive crescendo ending. “Sick/Happy” adds some clicks and whistles to the sound with an electronic beat intro to launch its massive riffs off. “Retreat” finishes us off in echoey atmospheric style. I managed to see the entire album played in full a couple years ago on one of their teasing reunion tours, and they were top class as ever. We are still yet to hear anything new since 2007ish though, but there is hope.
Rock Sound as well as the 2003 award placed this at number 63 in their top 250 of the last 20 years calling it a cult classic.
4. WEEZER – PINKERTON
(1996 – T10 G10 B10 UB8)Now this will end or start some debates for sure. This is one of the 2 Weezer albums left on the chart, its a very predictable 2 also as it would be for any Weezer fan. I got both Weezer albums in 1998 after my musical awakening to alternative stuff in 1996/7, more details on how and why the first one when that arrives on the chart. I got this one a couple of months after it and on first listen it was pretty different. This album is a lot rawer in sound with feedback, lots of cymbal smashing drums, fuzzy guitars and solos and more strained vocals. It didn’t take long to pick up on the glories of this album though and soon it had overtaken Blue, but overtime Blue has re-clinched that Weezer number 1 spot for me. It wasn’t well appreciated by the press at the time though its now seen as a classic and one of the pioneers of the wide range that emo covers. The difference to Blue is obvious from the first song “Tired Of Sex”, not least from the edgier title, the moog, the rough bass line and feedback This song has one of the best Weezer solos and a great big ending. “Getchoo” I can be up and down on, right now its a UB, but sometimes it can dwindle on me when not feeling it. “No Other One” is similar in that way and poss one of the weaker tracks (relatively), it would still be a top track on any other Weezer album. “Why Bother?” gets things into a more accessible mode with it being a bit more upbeat, though not lyrically as he pouts about not bothering to try get a lady as it only goes wrong. This doesn’t stop Rivers from dreaming about a potentially controversially young Japanese girl in “Across The Sea” though. “The Good Life” and Rivers is back to partying, this is a classic Weezer track and probably in their top 3 for me (not that I have that list…. yet… hmmm). watch out for “Dammit Chloe” from the TV series ’24’ in the video. “El Scorcho” is a very odd track at first but instantly a classic with its massive sing along chorus and “Bohemian Rhapsody” style fast section thrown in the middle. The squeaky and off beat backing vocals being a particular highlight in this one. “Pink Triangle” is when he finds out the girl he likes is actually a lesbian, it’s quirky lyrics being the highlight, for me its not quite on the UB level, still awesome but missing something. The album closes with “Falling For You” and for me the dark “Butterfly”. My initial interpretation of “Butterfly” is somewhat different from what it’s apparently about which is related to an opera called Madame Butterfly and a character called Pinkerton. Either way mine was that by this time in the album Rivers (or some character) appears to be pretty desperate for love and with the lyrics being “sorry for what I did, I did what my body told me to, I didn’t mean to do you harm” it sounds like, dare I say, rape :-o, or perhaps just using someone for sex. The song talks about pinning the goal down, smelling her on his hand for days and then again finishing with the nearly tearful “I’m sorry”. It’s a great song and perhaps a surprise UB, but slightly on the worrying side perhaps (maybe its just about butterflies, yes its about butterflies).
5. MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK – I AM THE MOVIE
(2003 – T14 G14 B13 UB8)Well well well, the top 5, and it wouldn’t be complete without a Motion City Soundtrack album. Having crammed 5 of their 6 albums into the top 75 I’m running out of things to say about them. Geek rock this, moog that, top notch melodies here, fast punk drums there, quirkiness just round the corner. This album has it all and this was their debut album and their introduction to me also, thanks to a mate who put this band no one had heard of on round at a house party (small gathering, lets not make it sound too raucous). I think I basically fell in love with it almost instantly. Opener “Cambridge” is a slightly chaotic affair but still manages to whack in a classic middle 8. “Shiver” is full of “oo oo ooo’s”. “The Future Freaks Me Out” was one of the first songs to grab me as it sounds pretty unique and is full of A-class drug catchy hooks. “Indoor Living” is one of my favourite all time songs, its just a sweet moog filled cruise of a song. “My Favourite Accident” was the “big” single with it’s handstand on the keyboard moment at 1:50 in. a true classic. “Boombox Generation” is the only non-banger here but I’m possibly being harsh on it. It just stands out a bit due to the quality of the rest on the album. “Don’t Call It A Comeback” kicks things quickly back into UB territory with its high paced action and is also the name of their comeback tour next year (can they cram a 6th album into the Top 75 then?). “Capital H” has one of the catchiest choruses you’ll ever here and has some of the geekiest and fastest lyrics you’ll hear thrown in there. “Mary Without Sound” is another top top favourite of mine which begins the end section of the album. This is a band I am so glad never changed. They stuck to what they did best and if the masses didn’t get it despite it being what perfect pop should be, then thats their loss and my gain.
6. COMEBACK KID – WAKE THE DEAD
(2005 – T11 G11 B10 UB7)Now this is an album to fight to. Not that I’ve ever been in one or want to be, but this would have to be playing if I’m to stand a chance. The pure pace on it and hardcore breakdowns are just bliss. The first 7 songs on this are all ultimate bangers!! perhaps the last 4 don’t make it just cos of stamina, I just can’t windmill and air drum that long! (despite the entire album fitting inside of 25 mins). I pure love this album (take that as a given for all of these now, obv). Intentions are set with the opener “False Idols Fall” with the ultra fast classic hardcore drumming and then spiky aggressive vocals and gang chants. It’s all there, then the breakdown and melodic guitar ending. “My Other Side” is a song of many parts which is impressive in just over 2 minutes. “Wake The Dead” is def my going out song (not as is in funeral song, thats to come later in the album list), but as is going out out song. This just wakes me up (am I dead?) its just pure energy from start to finish. The section around 2 mins in “don’t lose hope” chugga chugga chugga, is aceness. “The Trouble I Love” just seems to go up in epicness and pitch as it goes along, then “Talk Is Cheap” brings it right down with much lower chord riffs and a classic breakdown section. (get those fists pumping toward the ground!). I can’t talk about every song, but I love them all, esp as said the first 7, beyond this there are still UB moments. “Falling Apart” has some proper dirty slower riffs. “Final Goodbye” appropriately ends the album, who knew a hardcore punk album could have songs about girls. the mid section palm mute guitar part of this song is a real head nodder. They changed lead vocalist after this album and also maybe went heavier, as you’ve seen already 2 of those later albums made my list but none were anywhere near as good as this for me. O Canada, thank you for your hardcore bands ey.
7. BIFFY CLYRO – BLACKENED SKY
(2002 – T12 G12 B11 UB7)
Back in early 2002 this was an album I was desperate to hear after some awesome singles and B-sides. When it was finally released in March I was not disappointed. This album is Biffy in their purest form, the vocals are the best they have been and their guitars and backing vocals have never sounded bigger on any album of theirs since, no matter how much production you throw at it. It maintained the feel of their intimate gigs back then and basically Biffy Clyro (Cliffy Biro) were probably my favourite band at the time. Opener “Joy.Discovery.Invention” has its delicate harmony vocal intro before blasting into its big chorus and finale. “27” is a legendary song, again with the quiet drum rolling start, then the “i still feel the pain in my HEAAAAAAAAARTTTT” happens and the song goes next level. “Justboy” was another single and has some of the best 3-way vocals going as sections of lines are swapped between the 2 brothers and and Simon, amazing live. “Kill The Old Torture Their Young” is kinda mental, and goes all over the shop but I love it. Some classic Biffy style riffs at the end. “Christopher’s River” is a beauty of a song with its rolling guitar melody fitting perfectly with the vocals early on. “57” is probably the biggest song off the album and is a live favourite with its “do do do do” guitar bit before the chorus, again this has some great interweaved vocals. “Stress On The Sky” I didn’t like for a long while but now love, its basically a lot of screaming and varying noisy guitar sections. “Scary Mary” is the mellow finisher and is a darn pretty little song. Nearly 20 years on I still love this album despite long falling out of love with the Biff after a lot of average albums since.
8. REUBEN – RACECAR IS RACECAR BACKWARDS
(2004 – T16 G16 B13 UB7)
I never realised how fun typing RACECAR in capitals in one hand holding shift is RACECAR. hmmm satisfying. Did I type that out loud? anyway as stated its also racecar backwards and this was short lived and much missed Reuben’s debut album from out of 2004. The brit-post hardcore gang of 3 are safely inside my top 5 bands and with 2 albums inside the top 13 is evidence of that. This album has 16 tracks which also works against it, thats def 3 or 4 too many, but for me there is no real bad filler and 13 of those 16 are bangers. Having said that if the 3 which aren’t banger were cut from the album it only rises a single place such is the ramp up at the end of the list where bangers and UB’s dominate the scoring. Opener gets added points for dropping other favourite band Hell Is For Heroes into the opening verse in what sounds like a dig at them but am assured its not. “Stuck In My Throat” is a ripper of a track at number 3 with it frankly violent opening and massive chorus. The vocal layers at the end are a thing of beauty. “Freddy Kreuger” was another single off the album and is def one of my favourites, its def a foot taper and head nodder and who can resist the long held belt out of “giiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllll”. Jamie Lenman’s range of gutteral scream to footy style song singing to delicate singing is immense as ever on the whole album. “Our Song” arrives mid way through and is probably the most aggressive song on the album. The pause for “I’m so fucking bored” is glorious before the dirty riff kicks back in. “Let’s Stop Hanging Out” is the catchiest number on the album and prob the song that fully got me into them after the intruiging non album track “Stux” and its on personal naughty riff. “Missing Fingers” is an unexpected ultimate banger, considering its a right mess of sections, great air guitar song though. Towards the end there are more anthem style songs with big choruses and strings at the end like “Song for Saturday” and “Moving to Blackwater” before “Dusk” smoothly sweeps the album to a close with a bit of haunting piano. I heart Reuben. Shame its a name for posh kids. (Charlie was nearly a Reuben though, but didn’t want him getting ideas above his station)
9. THURSDAY – FULL COLLAPSE
(2001 – T10 G10 B10 UB5)
This is probably the first album I ever heard of this genre back around 2001/2 time. And I probably enjoyed it a bit but on the whole it sounded like a noisy mess. Over time and especially after seeing them at Reading 2002 I began to get it and it didn’t take long to reach the love it stage. It’s place in my Top 10 is definitely warranted. Now admittedly, some of the lyrics and such I either can’t tell what the singer is saying or what the screamer dude is, but I’ve never cared too much about that. The vocals are just another instrument conveying the feeling / sound of the song. The scream vocals on this album in particular sound at times like a guy going through an amputation with no pain killers, after a heavy night on the booze and his stomache is empty of all the sick it can be…. and thats a good thing! They are recorded at just the right level to not drown out the main vocals and guitars etc. The album also has the bass high in the mix which sounds awesome on some songs. The album is bookended by 2 instrumental tracks which to be honest I’ve prob listened to about 3 times, so ignoring them “Understanding In A Car Crash” is an all time genre classic. The pace and flicky little riff are awesome and the quiet bits where the distotion is off and the bass leads are great. the simple high pitched di-doo-doo guitar bit, should sound naff (as thats the sort of shit I would play) but somehow works. The next big highlight for me is “A Hole In The World” with its quiet piano section leading into screaming chaos at the end. The 2nd half of the album is the stronger half for me with “Paris In Flames” being the highlight. the “think its gonna rain rain down” section and then classic spoken word section (as was popular at the time), before the big finish. Glorious song. “Standing On The Edge Of Summer” has a more simple melodic riff to it and the vocals are probably strongest on this one. “Wind Up” is another UB with its high action and is full of changes. “How Long Is The Night?” closes the album the album in traditional longer song epicness.
Rock Sound placed this album at #128 on their list of the top 250 albums of the last 20 years saying 20 years on “it feels as raw, powerful and unique as it did back then”. Its a shame Thursday never got near these heights again and kinda drifted off into meh territory after “War All The Time”
10. THRICE – THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY
(2002 – T13 G13 B12 UB5)
This band appears not once, not twice but… you get the picture, in my chart. This is the oldest of those 3 and was their 2nd career album. Released in 2002 this would have been one of my gateway albums back then into more screamy, heavier stuff, and I still love it to this day. Some prefer “The Artist In The Ambulance” over this one, but for me this is def the winner and has more of a hardcore punk vibe rather than the slightly more metally influenced “Artist..” though that is still a super awesome album. This was a development of their rawer debut “Identity Crisis” and his all the right notes for me, from fast drums to time changes and big screamy endings. “Kill Me Quickly” sets the tone with all of those elements in there. “A Subtle Dagger” takes it up a notch and has an awesome last 40 second breakdown… windmill in!!!!!! (not that I would ever indulge in that at a gig, just stand and nod). “See You In The Shallows” seemingly implausibly wasn’t released as a single or a video, as its the most single like song on the album, it even has a key change, it was the song that hooked me in anyway. “Deadbolt” however does have a video and is probably my favourite on there, tjhe guitar is incredible with its noodly bits over the and numerous time changes, the last minute is just ooooof, pointed-elbow-and-arm-behind-the-back-lean-forward-and-scream-into-the mic-ilicious. Without me mentioning every track take it for granted that nearly every song has an awesome ending. “Where Idols Once Stood” is my next highlight and is all about that rolling scale type riff and then the palm mutes. “To Awake And Avenge The Dead” is equally riffolicious, with some added high pitch noodling, and then an epic ending. Absolutely love this album and am amazed its not made the top 10, but then I could have prob said that for the last 10 also. The album cover for this was also on a t-shirt I had which eventually lead to the beginnings of my uni band, as it enticed the then lost looking fresher Ben Shires over to ask if I was going the upcoming Thursday gig, a lift was offered and that was the start of that!
Phil's Top 250 Albums 
One thought on “My Top 250 Albums (1-10)”