Nick's Top 50: 40-31

It being Thursday I will give you disc’s 40-31 in Nick’s top 50.

40. Led Zeppelin, Zeppelin II – Like all of the Zeppelin records, this one got overplayed. However, that should not dilute its brilliance. Every once in a while every one needs to get the Led out and to do so to Zeppelin II is a good way take care of that urge. The Heartbreaker to Living Loving Maid segway has always been a favorite. With, Ramble On and Whole Lotta Love on this as well you have nothing to argue about.

39. Nirvana, Unplugged – I am a huge Nirvana fan and this disc always has been a favorite of mine. It is a beautiful record in which Kurt Cobain’s tragic crackled voice permeates throughout. No matter what you may think of what Cobain did, one cannot argue with his music. Their take on, The Man who Sold the World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night are masterful. I was not a huge fan of the whole MTV Unplugged thing but on this one they got it right.

38. Jimi Hendrix, Are you Experienced – The record that is the definitive Hendrix release. This has to go down as one of the greatest debut albums ever. Hendrix shreds guitars and labels with this mix of trippy rock and roll and blues. For all of those who shrug off Jimi as just noise I give you, The Wind Cries Mary or his version of the blues classic Red House. Of course Purple Haze, with its shear brilliance, catches you and never lets go. Still a fresh record and one in which sadly only scratched the surface of this guitar genius.

37. Bruce Springsteen, The River – A double record where Bruce strings it all together. Early Springsteen still gets me going. Yes, he has become a caricature of himself all of these years later and Born in The U.S.A. was a piece of shit. However, The River was the last great Bruce effort. Here with the help of the E Street band he fuses a song like Out In The Street with Wreck On the Highway. Sure, it has some low points as well but there is nothing better than driving along in the summer jamming to this record in your car.

36. Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority – The first and greatest Chicago record. While many will never forgive what Chicago became in the 80’s, I can listen to this disc and remember just how great they were. I have personally taken it upon myself to try to educate the masses of the true greatness that was Terry Kath. A great fusion of jazz and rock with that killer horn section. Questions 67 & 68 with the dueling voices of Cetera and Kath and of course, their take on the classic I’m a Man. If you don’t own this one do me a favor, buy it. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

35. Van Morrison, Moondance – Van Morrison simply has one of the greatest voices ever recorded. I could listen to him sing anything. Moondance is his Goodfella’s. It is where everything comes together to make an amazing record. From the opening track, And It Stoned Me, it grabs a hold of you and sucks you in. You melt with Van as he lays it down. It is the anti-Brown Eyed Girl and it erases all memories of that era of his career

34. The Doors, The Doors – From Van to Jim Morrison. The Door’s first record, which launched a short, but brilliant run. The poetic lyrics of Morrison, the haunting guitar of Kreiger and the eclectic organ of Manzarek, a pure masterpiece and a must own for any serious fan of rock and roll. Of course the epic The End that closes this disc is one for the ages and as Jim says, “Ride the Snake.”

33. Living Colour, Stain - For better or worse I’ve always been a big fan of Living Colour. In Stain, the band makes a left turn and never looks back, there is no Elvis Is Dead on this disc. Instead, they tell the eerie tale of Postman or wink to the lyrics of Bi. Then you have the sadness of Nothingness. I have a huge fondness for this one and always will. A record that I have never gotten sick of all these years later and I still grove to.

32. Santana, Abraxis – A popular choice I’m sure, as this record has sold millions. It deserves all the praise that it gets. As they said on Freak’s and Geek’s, “How much of bad ass must that guy be if they named the band after the guitar player.” That about sums up Santana and Abraxis is the pinnacle. Just put it on, sit back and take the ride. There have probably been ten million joints smoked to it and just as many twinkles consumed. Please, do not write this off as a stoner disc. It is so much more than that and deserves respect.

31. REM, Green – Ah, Green, the last great REM album. They were on such a roll in the late 80’s. Many REM fans will point to earlier works as their best and they are all great records. However, I have this soft spot for Green. I was a fan of REM before this record but I really got hooked on them during their Green days. A catchy little record that REM has fun with. It was the last time REM would be good and they made it count. Maybe they got bored with their greatness; maybe they wanted fame and fortune beyond the alternative universe. Whatever the reason REM would never be as good as they were here.