It can get a bit boring writing a my fave albums of all time because so many are unmovable objects de rock: Revolver, Get Happy!!, Are You Experienced?, Elvis Is Back -they haven't budged in decades.
So let's take the obvious as read, and look for sorta kinda fave albums of all time… these are all Grade: A+ in my book.
Be Here Now – Oasis -Noel Gallagher was suddenly the songwriter for the biggest band in the world and and had to follow up "Morning Glory" with something bigger, better, more glorious. And so he did so. The last 20 minutes on this album are a glorious musical miasma: revved up guitar melody wall of sound and pure, pure glory with Liams vocals right on top. The lyrics coulda been better but that's it. It was the conclusion of three years of true yob mentality hard rock set to, I dunno, a misreading of the Lennon-McCartney songbook. And it got dismissed. Noel hasn't recovered to this day and I am still in shock myself.
Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst – This is the one. "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning", "Fevers And Mirrors" changed indie rock forever (and gave countless people a career) but this album, a country-folk album the equal of "Grievous Angel" (though not GP"). It opens with one of the great songs, "Cape Canaveral" and ends with the almost as good "Milk Thistle" and in between "Sausalito", and, "Eagle On A Pole" -maybe that's the greatest song he has written. Could it be better. Yeah, he should have put the live version known as "I Got A Reason # 2 on it. Otherwise. Could be the best album of all time. I still listen to "The People's Key" because I love it so much.
Ready To Die And Life After Death – Notorious B.I.G. – Hip hop's greatest moment and they connected because of their name and because Biggie never got to make a follow. In fact, the first was one long warning about the effects of the gangsta life, and the last, the first modern hip hop album by the man with the best flow, the best tenor (Rick Ros? yeah, right), the best rhymer. The man was a genius and both of these must be heard.
For Science – Revenge For Hire – This is as great a first album as you will ever hear. 17 songs in 20 minutes, every single one a melodic gem of the first order. Power pop punk with a classic vocalist. And with "Colorado" one of the greatest songs ever written.
The Monitor – Titus Andronicus – Barely a year old and still is an undeniable album. A rolling wasteland of hope and destruction and self-destruction with a caveat for all you wannabes: "I'm going back to New Jersey, I do believe they've had enough of me".