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       by So Much Critics Team

I've always loved music but the thing is, until my Junior year of college, I had no idea how deep and wide the world of music was and how much I had been missing! I hadn't heard of Radiohead or Wilco until then. Little did I know that I would soon fall in love with the Flaming Lips and at the same time realize the incredibly wide influence of Lou Reed's Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop's Stooges and the collaberation between David Bowie and Brian Eno.

My first CD was Simon & Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park followed by an Elvis Presley greatest hits collection. My musical tastes have changed dramitcally throughout the years and I love watching and studying the flow of influence that great artists have on the artists that follow them. This has exposed me to a wide variety of music, old and new, but I always tend to come back to the following albums. No other albums have brought me more joy and satisfaction.

#10
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan / 1963

I love the music of Bob Dylan . . . now. It wasn't always that way. Like that stray hair that you continue to pluck but it keeps growing back, Bob Dylan grows on you and you learn to deal with him. Eventually, unlike that stray hair, you can't help but love him. It took me a couple years after buying Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 Revisited, to honestly love his music. Before that I convinced myself that I liked him because I thought I should.

Then I was finally exposed to his pivotal album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, and I couldn't stop listening to it. No unnecessary electric guitar, no screeching and shouting, but just the good ol' Bob Dylan lyrics and acoustic guitar. Gentle singing and simple classic tunes that transport you to a place where, well, wherever you want to go . . . .

#9
Now Here Is Nowhere
Secret Machines / 2004

Do you know how long it took me to realize that "Now Here" and "Nowhere" use the same letters in the same order and that's what the album title was trying to tell me? It's right there: Now Here IS Nowhere. Oh, well, it's the music that counts and this music may not be original, but boy it's really, really good! Creative arrangements, built on a classic rock structure along with talented musicians and wonderful songwriting, equals one of Tim's favorite albums. I don't think I would allow this to enter any of my All Time Best Album lists but I could listen to this album all day. It's a familiar sound, but it's original enough to stand on its own.

#8
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd / 1975

I was first exposed to Pink Floyd through Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall and assumed that I had heard it all, until my brother had me listen to Wish You Were Here, Meddle, and Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Wow! Now here's a band with a wide range of talent! Wish You Were Here may only contain five songs but is incredibly expansive and deep. It also includes one of my all time favorite songs, "Wish You Were Here." The acoustic songs are some of my favorite Pink Floyd moments.

#7
Tonight's the Night
Neil Young / 1975

The album begins and ends with the title track, "Tonight's the Night," a very personal song about Neil Young's friendship with Bruce Berry, who died of a heroine overdose shortly before the recording of this album. Danny Whitten, the guitarist for his band, Crazy Horse, also died of an overdose six months prior. Every song, no matter the subject, drips with emotion and poetry. The sloppy recording quality adds to the emotional state that Young was in at the time.

I listened to the album off and on, when I first purchased it, but didn't fully appreciate it until I sat down and listened to it all the way through. By the end of the album I was upset that I didn't have enough time to listen to it again. It's a beautifully somber piece of work, and easily my favorite Neil Young album of all time.

#6
Kill the Moonlight
Spoon / 2002

The only way to describe this album is "minimal rock 'n roll." It is built on the spirit of the Rolling Stones with a White Stripes attitude mixed with a little bit of Billy Joel bounce. It's a familiar sound, but amazingly original! Every album by Spoon has a different influence and sound, but hangs on to their distinct rhythm and piano-based beat. Spoon seemed to show up everywhere after this album was released in 2002.

I bought their first album, Telephono, at a library fundraiser for 50 cents, since I had heard so much about them. I didn't think much of it, since it's not a very good album, but when I finally bought Kill the Moonlight, I was absolutely blown away! I immediately became a Spoon fan and haven't looked back since. Every album after Telephono has been consistently spectacular!

#5
Bring it On
Gomez / 1998

Bring it On sounds as raw and stripped down as Neil Young's Tonight's the Night and there are moments when it contains as much energy as the Rolling Stone's Exile on Main St, while at other times it's as laid back as an early Bob Dylan album. Though it required a certain amount of patience, the payoff for me, was incredibly rewarding. I can always depend on this album to satisfy my need for creativity while giving me plenty of entertainment through the creative arrangements and enjoyable blues-based rock 'n roll. Every song seems to slowly unravel itself, but by the one minute mark the sound is fully realized and the energy is overwhelming me as I sing along and move to the rhythm of the music.

#4
In The Aeroplane Over the Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel / 1998

Aeroplane is an unusual album that has become not only a cult favorite among independent music fans, but has also been elevated to a "sacred recording" by some die-hard fans. Not to me, though. There's nothing divine or heavenly going on here. This is just a really, really creative album. After a few disappointing listens, the album popped out at me one day while listening to it in my car and immediately became one of my favorite albums. This album may be quite strange and dark, but it blows me away with the intelligent and creative arrangements. Some of the lyrical poetry may never be fully understood, but it speaks to me as a piece of mysterious art.

#3
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Flaming Lips / 2002

My first exposure to the Flaming Lips was their album, Soft Bulletin, but my favorite story line of their's is the little Japanese girl on this album that saves the world from the invading pink robots! Yoshimi is such a sweet and wonderful creation that makes me smile every time. And it's hard for me not to be touched by the simple, truthful lyrics and beautiful music of "Do You Realize?" (You realize the sun doesn't go down / It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round)

#2
The Bends
Radiohead / 1995

Sure, OK Computer and Kid A are more mature and ground breaking, but when it comes to a simple, enjoyable listen they can't compete with The Bends, in my mind. More energy and variety is packed into this album than the other two. Unfortunately, I used to believe that Radiohead could never create anything better than OK Computer so I didn't allow myself to enjoy this album until about a year ago. Shame on me for not giving it the proper chance. I hope to live long enough to eventually grow tired of this album.

#1
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival / 1969

This album opens with "Green River," which is my favorite rock and roll song, and continues that raw, edgy sound with each song that follows. I remember hearing "Green River" on my Dad's greatest hits collection when I was younger and being drawn into the song since it wasn't as catchy as CCR's other songs, but there was something about it that I loved. I can't get enough of this album and the great variety of songwriting that it contains. Each song begins with memorable, catchy chord progressions or guitar solos that grab my attention and remind me that this is one of the greatest straightforward rock 'n roll albums of all time!

The Almost Made It List:

Parklife by Blur (1994)




Serena-Maneesh
by Serena Maneesh (2006)


War (1983) / October (1981)
by U2


Five Leaves Left
by Nick Drake (1969)



Greetings from Michigan
by Sufjan Stevens (2000)

wish you were here . . .

The band is led by my favorite musician, David Albarn and Parklife contains some great Blur songs such as "End of a Century" and "This is a Low" along with the first Blur song I ever heard, "Girls and Boys."

The incredible depth and energy that flows out of each song on this album is more spectacular than anything produced in the past few years.

The very first U2 songs that I ever heard were "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Seconds" from War. War is a powerful album and October is a perfectly natural companion!

This is the most beautiful album I have ever heard. My favorite songs are "Cello Song" and "Saturday Sun." I love to introduce people to this album with the incredible acoustic guitar solo on "Three Hours."

The first Sufjan Stevens album I ever heard. I was immediately impressed by the originality, creativity and gentle power of the lyrics. And how does he create music that perfectly and hauntingly accentuates the lyrics?