Ed’s Top Ten Rock Albums of All Time

Here is my Top Ten Rock Albums of All Time list. Well, to be fair it includes nothing before the late 60’s. So here is to Chuck Berry (who is the TRUE king of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and who without there would be no Rock.) Keep in mind this is by no means a definitive list, and the entries are in no particular order. Feel free to comment and or add/correct any information you want. (My definition of rock = classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jam bands, progressive rock, alternative, new wave, etc.)

• Phish – A Picture of Nectar

The name of the bar that was Phish’s first official gig – Nectar’s (Burlington, Vt.). The entire album Picture of Nectar is non-stop Phish at their best, with classic songs like – Tweezer, Glide, Stash, Poor Heart, and my personal favorite – The Mango Song.

• Tom Waits – The Early Years vol. 2

Mr. Waits is a musical master, easily a living legend and one of the most influential artists of the last 50 years. The man is having an incredible career (spanning 4 decades and well over 20 albums). I like The Early Years Vol. 2 because it is a somewhat odd collection of Waits ballads, with a lot of actual singing, some of the best singing I think Waits has ever done. My two favorite songs from the album are; Mockingbird and Blue Skies.

• Jimi Hendrix – Live at Winterland

I have said it before and I will say it again; of course Jimi revolutionized electric guitar, but at the heart of Jimi was also a true poet and mystic. To me that’s what makes Jimi, - Jimi. A master artist and visionary, who fused together blues, rock, poetry, soul, spirit and much more. He channeled that energy through his guitar and left us an incredible legacy of music. Live at Winterland gives us what some people call ‘definitive’ versions of some Hendrix songs. It also kind of reveals his desire to move away from hits like “Fire” and “Hey Joe” and into something much more complex and undefinable.

• Grateful Dead – Built to Last

Of course the live performances are at the heart of what the Grateful Dead are, but I like this studio album a lot. The last official studio album release by the group, who by this point in time had been playing well over 30 years together.

• Rush – 2112

I was fortunate enough to see the Rush tour (Kansas City stop) about 12 years ago in which they replayed the entire album from start to finish. I entered the concert just a curious person wanting to enjoy a show. I left completely blown away and a Rush fan for life.

• REM – Fables of the Reconstruction

I like most things they have ever done, and everything they did from 1982 – 1986 (The I.R.S. record label years).

• Tool – Opiate

This album, released in 1992, is already considered a classic by most rock enthusiasts. Tool’s latest album 10,000 Days has a very complex and powerful sound. I like Opiate though because it is so raw and powerful, and an indication of their even more powerful sound yet to come. You can hear the progression of Tool’s sound in the progression of their albums. They only release an album about once every 2-4 years, but when they do you are assured it is a masterpiece. This is them at the start, raw and powerful.

• Neil Young – Prarie Wind

A fairly recent album (2005), it was put together in a very short time before Mr. Young had brain surgery. You can really feel his life flash before his eyes in this work. In my opinion a very beautiful, stoic, and touching album, from who can only be called a true master. The one and only legend Neil Young.

• The Violent Femmes – The Violent Femmes

One of the first albums that I really really liked has a young music listener. I’ve had the fortune to see them live several times and The Femmes never disappoint. They are truly one of the best live rock bands now and for the last 20+ years. There is a clip (from their collection album – Add it Up) where someone introducing them at a show once, says – “You can’t fuck with the Violent Femmes, YOU CANNOT FUCK WITH THIS BAND, they bring all their equipment on the bus.” This relates to the first time I saw them live, which was at an outdoor music fest where people were being stupid and throwing mud at each other and on-stage during some of the performances. When the Violent Femmes stepped on-stage they got like halfway through the first song when Gordon Gano stopped the music and said something like ‘alright If there is one more piece of mud thrown on this stage, we are gonna turn around and walk out and leave. It doesn’t make any difference to us, and if we do leave there’s probably going to be a lot of pissed off people who paid to see us play.’ Not ONE piece of mud was thrown on-stage or even in the crowd the rest of the show, and they were completely awesome. So truly, I am a witness – You Cannot Fuck With The Violent Femmes.

• Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream

Yes, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is good, but it’s my opinion they start to sound a little too pop in some of the songs in that album and thereafter. Siamese Dream is a pure, smooth, thematic well put-together album that they never replicated.