Our Favorite Albums (111 – 120)
111. Horace Andy – Dancehall Style [1982]
Nominated by Fluccs Capacitor of Time Moves Slow who says: I’m a fan of loooong dubs on reggae records and Horace Andy is my favorite singer in reggae and perhaps in general – add the perfect 80s Bullwackie’s spacious production and you have a beautiful soulful and deep album.
112. Medeski Martin and Wood – Shack-man [1996]
Nominated by Andy Chatfield of Center for the Arts Radio Hour.
The album was recorded in an isolated shack in Hawaii, with power supplied by solar energy and generators. (wikipedia.org)
113. Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills [1968]
Nominated by Psychedelic Rick of The Psychedelicatessen.
For Cheap Thrills, the band and producer John Simon incorporated recordings of crowd noise to give the impression of a live album, for which it was subsequently mistaken by listeners. Only “Ball and Chain” was actually recorded in concert at Winterland Ballroom. (wikipedia.org)
114. Fugazi – In on the Kill Taker [1993]
Nominated by Rick Reaction.
The band had originally recorded songs in Chicago with producer Steve Albini at Chicago Recording Company studios, with the intention of releasing a two or three song EP. However, the group ended up recording a whole album’s worth of material, but were ultimately unhappy with the result and re-recorded the entire album in Washington D.C. at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara and Ted Niceley handling production duties. (wikipedia.org)
115. Vampire Weekend – Contra [2010]
Nominated by DJ AmorOso of WTF: What the Funk & Storytime.
Ezra Koenig has stated in multiple interviews that the album contains lyrical themes of opposition consistent with its title, and feels it is important to understand that the word “Contra” is a fundamental concept of conflict, without any implication that one side is right or wrong. The lyrics of Contra are also meant to express a desire to be compassionate even towards people and things one disagrees with. He also states the lyrics of Contra deal with reconciling feeling of privilege and guilt, for which he uses the term “first world guilt”. (wikipedia.org)
116. Prince – Dirty Mind [1980]
Nominated by DJ Lukey G of The Guest List.
During the spring of 1980, Prince and his backing band members Dez Dickerson, André Cymone, drummer Bobby Z, and keyboardists Doctor Fink and Gayle Chapman spent nine weeks on the road opening for Rick James, a musical rival of Prince. Following the end of James’ tour, Prince returned to Minnesota and rented a house in Wayzata where he set up a 16-track studio. During the recording of the album, Doctor Fink’s jam-out during a rehearsal provided the basis for the album’s title track. (wikipedia.org)
117. Pink Floyd – The Final Cut [1983]
Nominated by Rob of Chocolate Cake who says: The underdog in the Floyd catalog. Waters’ songwriting was never more focused, and although he dismisses the album, Gilmour’s guitar playing is incredibly passionate.
118. Jerry Lewis – Just Sings [1956]
Nominated by DJ Steve of WESU Sports & Beyond who says: Yeah, THAT Jerry Lewis. Iconic. AT one time I could sing and/or play every song on Side A. Back when I was 8.
119. Electric Light Orchestra – The Electric Light Orchestra/No Answer [1971]
Nominated by Leith of The Light Fandango.
The Electric Light Orchestra is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in December 1971 in the United Kingdom by Harvest Records. In the United States, the album was released in March 1972 as No Answer, after a misunderstood telephone message made by a United Artists Records executive asking about the album name; the caller, having failed to reach the ELO contact, wrote down “no answer” in his notes, and this was misconstrued to be the name of the album. (wikipedia.org)
120. Talking Heads – Remain In Light [1980]
Nominated by Karen Stein of Imagine who says: My desert island album. Great rock couched in wry, smart, sometimes funny lyrics. The allusions to Yeats (“the center cannot hold…”), the soaring theme that the world is always on the verge of collapsing but we can still make music and dance and have fun, it’s why rock ‘n’ roll was born.
