by Rik E Boy » Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:29 am
10 - Bat Out Of Hell - Meatloaf
This is one of the most overrated albums in Rock. The song 'Bat out of Hell' is an absolute classic and this whole album was in fact meant to be a show which eventually evolved into an album. The Meat's vocals of course are sublime but many songs on this album are quite unlistenable.
9 - Appetite For Destruction - Guns N Roses
Although this album made quite an impact on the hard rock world in the late eighties as most of their competitors donned make up and got the hairspray out the fact that the Gunners get a gig in the top ten ahead of superior hard rock acts Slayer, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica just to name a few is laughable. This album has not aged well in comparison to some of the classic albums released by some of the bands named above.
8 - Funhouse - Pink
What more can you say? It is a well known fact that chicks just don't rock out as well as blokes. If you had to put in a chick anywhere near this level of rating surely it's Suzi Quatro, Patti Smith or Joan Jett. Pink has borrowed Billy Idol's image but just doesn't have the same strength in her vocal prowess or the material. Funhouse starts off poorly and goes downhill after that. This is easily the worst album in the top ten and unfortunately I can say with experience that this album does not improve with repeated listens. Credit to pink for at least singing at her live shows but seriously, if you are going to buy some Pink select one of her earlier albums instead.
7 - A Night At The Opera - Queen
Now this album is a classic. Of course it contain's Queen's signature tune but the real strength of this disc is the sheer variety and ambition of the material. If all you have heard is one of the 'Greatest Hits' albums this one is worth a listen.
6 - East - Cold Chisel
One of my favourite Australian albums. While I'm not a massive Chisel fan I did go and buy this one. My favourite track on this one is Never Before with Moss' excellent vocals. I wish Mossy sang a bit more with Chisel because as the years go by I just can't stand listening to Barnes anymore. Standing on the Outside is a great album opener too.
5 - Led zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
While it has become very trendy to bag Zeppelin on the Internet I have always felt that far too many younger listeners (i.e. guys who are about my age, the 'generation' after Zeppelin's zenith, or the 'Punks' if you like) spent too much time laughing at Zeppelin's demise as they drugged themselves away from reality as the success took hold. From 'The Song Remains the Same' onwards Zeppelin did themselves little credit on many fronts but the first six discs show that Zeppelin is more than just a heavy metal template that stole the odd blues number. Led Zeppelin IV is the disc that perhaps sums up their mastery of many different music types. From straight ahead rock to Blues to folk and country influences it's all there. One of the best albums ever but my personal fave is Physical Graffiti.
4 - Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Ah Fleetwood Mac. Just so dull and overplayed. Frankly I prefer their early works but Landslide is great song. The rest, meh. I'm astounded at the high rating of this album.
3 - Joshua Tree - U2
Hands up all those people who can't listen to Joshua Tree all the way through? The album starts off strongly and I love 'Where the streets have no name' (and Brian Eno wanted to erase it the stupid ****) but the second half of the album is just dire. I'll bet that many of the people who voted for this one can't listen to the whole thing either. Unforgettable Fire, Live at Red Rocks, War and Achtung Baby are all better than this.
2 - Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
What an album. Floyd were years ahead of their time and once they pissed off that waste of space Syd Barret off they started to produce more focussed work that retained much of the brilliance that was only hinted at during the Barrett era. This album is a quality product. If ever you watch the 'Classic Albums' series just have a look at what went into it. Like Zeppelin, floyd were prog rockers who viewed an album as a complete package and it shows on this one. Wish you were here, Animals and the Wall all followed in one of the best set of four albums ever put together.
1 - Back In Black - AC/DC
I like hard rock, I like Heavy metal, and I've seen AC/DC live. However, Hells Bells aside, after a few listens this shit is pretty boring. How anyone can rate this album as 'the best of all time' is beyond me. I reckon the best Johnson era track isn't even on this one and that's 'For those about to rock'. AC/DC have been the most successful Aussie act ever but they are creatively stifled, locked into that signature soung. If you do like Akker dakker, Highway to Hell and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap are superior offerings. A good, but not a great album.
regards,
REB