It's Only Rock-n-Roll

"There aren't 41 best Prine songs," rock critic Robert Christgau wrote back in 1993 with the release of John Prine's Anthology album. "There are 50, 60, maybe more." Twenty-seven years later, let me just cut to the chase and say there's a truck load more. Shit, I've got over a hundred on my iPhone and I'm still counting. "Illegal Smile," "Hello In There," " Sam Stone," Paradise," "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore," "Angel From Montgomery," "Donald and Lydia," "Souvenirs," "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You," "Please Don't Bury Me," "Christmas in Prison," "Dear Abby," "Blue Umbrella," "Often Is a Word I Seldom Use," "Grandpa Was a Carpenter," "Wedding Day in Funeralville," "My Own Best Friend," "He Was in Heaven Before He Died," and...

With the close of the second decade of the 21st century, I thought I'd put together a list of the best albums of all time. Unlike past lists, I decided to break it up by genre and cap each at ten. There's a limit of one album per artist or band; hence no double dipping. Obviously when you're dealing with a self-imposed limit, some tough choices have to be made. As a result there were a few notable exclusions in each genre. Like the perfectionist that I am, I kept tweaking it right up till the end. A few explanations, I feel, are in order. First, concerning the Beatles, I opted for Abbey Road over Sgt. Pepper's or Rubber Soul because I believe it was the better album. It was for that reason that I chose Michael Jackson's Off the Wall over Thriller . It was simply a better album. Then there was my decision to include two reggae albums in the World Music genre. I felt is was warranted based on the fact that they belong there. And as I'm sure you've...

Five Decades, Five Hundred Albums At long last, it's complete, as promised.  From 1960 through 2009, I've done my best to include what I think were the best albums released over the last five decades.  Every genre is included.  While I do not necessarily own each and every one of these albums, I have listened to all of them. A note here.  Obviously there aren't nearly as many '60s albums, as there are '70s, '80s, '90s & '00s.  In light of the fact that prior to 1967, the majority of LPs released were not up to par, I felt it only fair to include more entries from those four decades. I make no apologies for the order of preference - you are free to disagree.  Nor will I make any apologies for not including certain albums that heretofore have been considered "classics" within the rock critic community; i.e. "The White Album", "Physical Graffiti", and "Dark Side of the Moon."  The reader will also realize p...

A Fond Farewell. It was February 1983. I was working in lower Manhattan and it was a Friday – payday, my favorite day. As I was want to do, I cashed my check and headed down to J&R Music World to pick up a few records. On my way I stopped at a news stand and noticed the cover of The Village Voice . There was a feature titled, “Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome.” I picked it up, turned to the feature column, and that was the first time I had ever read anything by Robert Christgau. It was the annual Pazz & Jop critics’ poll, and Christgau was the self-appointed “Dean” of the critics, writing about the past year in music. What I remember most about that column was how I couldn’t seem to put it down. The writing was mesmerizing. I had read other critics before – my current favorite had been Wayne Robbins of Newsday – but seldom had I seen such a socio-political take on what I had always perceived as basically an entertainment industry. Christgau wasn’t so much talking abo...

Four Decades, Four Hundred Albums I've been thinking about this list now for quite some time. I compiled the list from top album lists I had compiled going back years. I have listened to all of these albums and own most of them in either record, CD or MP3 format. When this decade is done in 11 months I will update it and rename it Five Decades, Five Hundred Albums. The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (1972) The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1986) David Murray: Shakill's Warrior (1991) The Grateful Dead: Live / Dead (1969) Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1971) The Clash: London Calling (1980) The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. (1984) Derek & the Dominos: Layla (1970) Bob Dylan/The Band: The Basement Tapes (1975) Al Green: Call Me (1973) Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998) Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps (1979) Freedy Johnston: Can You Fly (1992) Bob Dy...