“God Shuffled His Feet” by Crash Test Dummies (No. 62)
You have to love an album that asks the important questions, like how does a duck know which direction south is, and whether you have to get your hair cut in heaven. God Shuffled His Feet is full of little things to ponder, and strong pop tendencies. The Crash...
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show Original Soundtrack” (No. 63)
It’s probably been at least ten years since I was moved to stay up until midnight to catch a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but I still reach for the soundtrack on a regular basis. Oddly enough, I won’t watch the movie at home. I firmly believe...
“Stunt” by Barenaked Ladies (No. 64)
It’s unclear to me when I first heard the Barenaked Ladies. It feels like I was introduced to the band through a sort of osmosis, hearing their tunes in the background for a long time before I really noted them as a band I should check out. Stunt is...
“Everything Under the Sun” by Jukebox the Ghost (No. 65)
The band behind today’s album may have the distinction of having the oddest name in the entire lineup. Naming aside, the trio produces amazing piano-based pop, and Everything Under the Sun is a fantastic snapshot of their work. The band consists of Ben Thornewill (piano, vocals), Tommy Siegel (guitar/bass,...
“Your Arsenal” by Morrissey (No. 66)
When I first got my hands on Your Arsenal back in 1992, I knew from the first few notes of “You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side” that it’d be a winner. No disrespect to Moz, but it’s tough to carry a band with vocals and lyrics alone. Johnny...
“Puzzle” by Dada (No. 67)
The early 90s were a great time for music. Not only were there a lot of really interesting bands putting out albums, it was the first time in my life that I actually had a fair amount of disposable income to drop on new music. Those factors combined meant...
“All of this and Nothing” by Psychedelic Furs (No. 68)
Thank goodness for Columbia House. The “12 cassettes for a penny” deals helped me build a healthy music collection back when I was a teen with minimal spending cash. That’s how I landed All of this and Nothing, the Psychedelic Furs compilation album that serves as a fairly comprehensive...
“Give Me Convenience or Give me Death” by Dead Kennedys (No. 69)
The juxtaposition of yesterday’s album with today’s probably says something deeply disturbing about my psyche. Today we’re going to go directly from cello concertos to The Dead Kennedys and Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death....
“The Sound of Jacqueline du Pré” by Jacqueline du Pré (No. 70)
For nearly as long as I can remember, I’ve been a music junkie. The radio always seemed to be on the “oldies*” station when I was a young’un in the early 70s, and I got bit by the Beatlemania bug big time when I was a mere seven years...
“Sirens” by The Weepies (No. 71)
The sirens, in Greek myth, were “beautiful yet dangerous creatures” that would lure sailors to the rocks with their music and voices. The Weepies, as far as I know, have no habit of luring sailors to the rocks with their music – but Sirens could certainly do the trick,...