The Crowe 100

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76. Hum - Downward is Heavenward (1997)
What a fantastic way of doing shoegaze Hum achieves on this album. Hum was one of those banRAB that should have been big... but... gave up? Broke up? Don't know for sure. They had one radio-hit with the song, "Stars", which is not on Downward is Heavenward - and after failing to make any headway with that gem... they disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle of great banRAB. Hum's distorted riRAB and clever lyrics (usually about space) made them truly standout from their mid-late 90's peers. If the Smashing Pumpkins and The Catherine Wheel had a row late one night after getting smashed at a pub - Hum would be their beautiful, beautiful mistake. Make sure to give Hum a listen. I really want to put them higher. I see this placement as a future regret, but I think I am making the right choice.

Check out: Green To Me, Apollo, If You Are to Bloom (read lyrics when listening to this)

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75. Big Black - Songs About F*cking (1987)
Auditory havoc. Roar. Festering Blister of Semen pus. All things that could describe this raunchy, loud, incredibly inventive album. Big Black's flagship album (arguably of course) was a great outlet for my anger somewhere in between 8th grade - 10th grade. Heard it from some stoner neighbor of a good friend of mine. The story of its existence in my life is rather unspectacular - typical, in the garage and it came on kind of thing. I tried to go buy it and couldn't (thanks Mom) when she saw the cover she nearly shat her stockings. So, like the good little child of the internet age is wont to do... I downloaded it and burnt it to a CD (as this was before iPoRAB came along). The insane guitar sounRAB produced on this album is only part of the reason you should have listened to it by now... I mean, it sounRAB like the band took a portable recorder, strapped it to their guitars and did a concert in the 7th circle of Hell. The lyrics are not suitable for children. Please... do not try this at home.

Check out: L Dopa, Kitty Empire, He's a Whore

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74. The Books - The Lemon of Pink (2003)
This is one of those albums that forced me to change my definition of "music". One has to sit back and appreciate it for the music it is making, rather than the music that it IS - if that makes any sense. Creative and simple sampling mixed in with relatively unadvanced electronic/folk stylings make this album a very lush... spacious sounding album that makes absolutely great background music. Think... Animal Collective on Ritalin.

Check out: Take Time, The Lemon of Pink I and II, Tokyo

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73. The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
I'm not going to waste my breath defending the Monkeys from the backlash of that INSANE media hype they got when they released their debut album here. What I will say is; that the Monkeys delivered a beautifully fresh, garage rock revival album right when I needed something to quench my White Stripes fix. This was right after the Stripes released Get Behind Me Satan - and I had played that album until I knew it better than the sound of my mother's voice. I needed something similar, but different. And the Monkeys were there. Now, they were/are not the new Blur, Oasis, Pulp, or whatever that NME hoped they would be... but damn, this is just fun, dance music. Someone called this a "modern classic" on some other forum... and while I'm not sure you can say that yet without some time passing... I know that the Winter of 2006 was the season of the Arctic Monkey.

Check out: Mardy Bum, and all of the other singles that came off of this bad boy.
 
Wahey a Carter fan! Good on you sir.I am off to see these in Noveraber. They are a nice pleasant surprise in your list.Kudos for Scritti Politti too, that's a great little album.
 
I absolutely DETEST Meatloaf but good call on the other three. Talk Talk are one of my favourite banRAB and the Carissas Wierd album is gorgeous. Have you heard Talk Talk's main man's solo album (Mark Hollis)? It was in gestation for ten years and is a little unfocused but if you are in the right frame of mind, it's lo fi mealancholic drawl is hypnotic.
 
Yeah, it's weird talking about some of my top100 because for a site where music is... the topic constantly at hand, I rarely ever see CarterUSM/Scritti Politti and some of my others mentioned. I didn't know Carter was still touring. Where are you seeing them?
 
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16. Beck - Sea Change (2002)

This was a tough decision. What got me into listening to whole Beck albums was that psychedelic, funk sound from "Midnite Vultures" - specifically the song Mixed Bizness. Of course, my musical past had been treated to his radio hits like "Loser" and his great singles from "Odelay" (Where It's At, Devil's Haircut and The New Pollution). But I suppose the best way to put it is: I came for the singles, was surprised by Midnite Vulture, but I stay around for Sea Change. Beck is widely regarded as a music genius, though sometimes according to some critics - he is regarded as insincere a veritable "Pop-class-clown" if you will. Beck, so the story goes, was in the death throes of a relationship - or possibly the grave when he was recording Sea Change. The beauty and heartfelt pain can be felt immensely as this record effortlessly rolls along. Tracks like "Lost Cause" and "Guess I'm Doing Fine" are the heart's version of sado-masochistic actions. It hurts... but it hurts so good. This brings out feelings that a dance album like MV just can't do, though it doesn't deliver on the same kind of fun... that's ok, though.

Check out: Lost Cause, Already Dead, Guess I'm Doing Fine.

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15. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)

Like I have to explain this to anyone at rab, an all around fave here it seems. Joy Division was not a band I got into instantly - I just didn't get it. I feel like it takes some life experiences to start understanding the sinister element that makes up the foundation of the rest of the albums dangerous and dark atmosphere. What did I get from this album? I think, without trying to sound too corny or cliche somehow.... I think that it was the beauty of darkness - not beauty in the visual asthetic (which is an odd comment on darkness, where nothing is seen) but rather the sound of sorrow. Even more strange to me is the fact that it is "catchy" like an early ****ing Beatles track. "Transmission" is relentlessy catchy and dancy at that. "She's Lost Control"... morbid and still catchy. The music is not just soundwaves either... it is tangible, bittersweet airborne tar... you don't listen to this album, you FEEL it. I only wish I had caught on sooner, like many other entries this would have been helpful earlier in life.

Check out: Shadowplay, She's Lost Control, Disorder, Transmission (on the bonus 2007 disc)

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14. The Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999)

Rarely do I comment on the prodcution of a record simply because I don't know enough about the **** to make any intelligent comments. That won't change here, but this is a lush album that talks about all of the things that I write about when I do lyrics - and there is no ultra-unique ideas coming out of me, or the Flaming Lips for that matter... however, what they do uniquely is the approach. Dealing with subjects from commentating on the futility of existence - this album leaks quick silver existentialism and that... that is where this album truly stanRAB out for me. As one who likes to wax philosophical, I love having something from which to draw conversation or even personal thoughts... a time for self important, self described mental grandeur - that is as about as grand as a sparkler in Time Square on New Years, but nevertheless... reflection. This album also gets a lofty praise "Pet SounRAB of the 90s" - yeah, well, maybe... I prefer to think of it as The Soft Bulletin... uhhh, it doesn't need to follow anything it is the X of X it is it's own piece and while comparisons are almost necessary in the critique game... I just can't say that anything would do this album justice, except itself. The only person who can cut Chuck Norris IS Chuck Norris.... unfortunate throwback to a non-hilarious fad... but true. This is an album that you need to be reading the lyrics while you listen to lead singer Wayne Coyne and his fragile upper register. I just can't articulate a good comparison. If this is the only album from the 90s you ever decide to listen to, it isn't a bad choice. Also watch out for the big question: are we alone in the universe? "I stoop up and I said yeeeahhh..."

Check out: A Spoonful Weighs a Ton, The Spark that Bled, Waitin' for a Superman, Race for the Prize

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13. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me (1987)

I'll have to write about this later.
 
Man... I am looking back at this list and I have forgotten some major f'n albums that must have just slipped my mind while I was writing... I can't believe I haven't looked at this whole thing in almost a year. Here are some albums that I cannot fit into the top 12, but belong somewhere in the top 100... perhaps I'll revise sometime and I'll have to do some replacements. It almost makes me sick to my stomach that I've forgotten:

Roxy Music - S/T
Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Cold War KiRAB - Robbers and CowarRAB
Ac/Dc -Back in Black
Belle and Sebastien - Tigermilk
T. Rex - Slider
Pink Floyd - The Wall
The Who - Tommy

and more... yeah, as soon as I finish this there will be an almost immediate revision.
 
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