The Best Albums of 2012 (12-22)

Merry Christmas to all.

Sometimes Christmas surprises you.  For years I've grown complacent with Christmas presents.  Not for others.  For others I go all out spending most of the year trying to figure out exactly what they want.  What I'm referring to is what is given to me.  I'm not bitching about peoples' generosity, everyone around me is very generous but sometimes their presents miss the mark and I spend most of the day smiling and thanking people for something I'm figuring out how I'm going to return.  This year something different happened.  I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan...if you haven't noticed in my Billy Corgan manlove.  I've purchased all the reissues thus far.The Pumpkins reissues have been one of the best remaster/editions to come out in years.  Though it comes close to the "wall of sound" disaster that ruined Nevermind...it toes close enough to the line to respectfully keep the original sound intact.  Naturally, I admired the Mellon Collie box set from afar.  I thought the Pisces price tag of $40 was steep...but the Mellon Collie set weighs in at over $100.  Granted you get 5 discs worth of material...plus a DVD.  It was still far above what I could handle paying.  I joked with my brother about getting it for me...knowing fair well that he would never cough up the dough for it.  My brother would rather spend $100 on polishing the tires on his Maserati than ever think about doing something like this.  Granted, his tires do get dirty very easily.  I had begun plotting how I might be able to download the bonus tracks though the availability of them was very slim.  I had resigned the fact that this one would be the box set that would just get away.  Then, Christmas morning I unwrapped it.  The last present under the tree happened to be the one thing I wanted that I never thought I'd have.  Though it wasn't from my brother...it was a bit of a Christmas miracle.

A post about this SP set will be coming shortly...

Here are the Best Albums of 2012 (12-22):

12.  Jeff The Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights 
13.  Chiddy Bang - Breakfast 
14.  Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal 
15.  Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
16.  The Raveonettes - Observator 
17.  Crystal Castles - III
18.  Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes 
19.  Japandroids - Celebration Rock 
20.  Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 
21.  The Lumineers - The Lumineers 
22.  Kendrick Lamar - good kid, maad city (Bonus Track)

Buy these albums and more now!!!

The 11 Best Albums of 2012 So Far

I've never figured out the way critics decide which aging rock stars to skewer and which ones to reward.  There were a lot of big releases last year from bands making comebacks.  There were many of them I was very impressed with...only to read the reviews later and find out I must be sorely mistaken.  I thought the new album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers was their best since Blood Sugar Sex Magic, but when I read the reviews they told me it might be "their worst effort"...and "a sign of the apocalypse of alternative music."  I was pleasantly surprised by the new Janes Addiction.  But the reviewers called it "musical retardation," "F-minus," and "dead baby dumpster drivel."  Meanwhile, I thought the new Bush and Beastie Boys were huge disappointments to only learn that they were some of the best comebacks of the year.  I know music is arbitrary...but sometimes it seems like a band's hip factor has more to say about whether their album will be well-received or not.

This year...I at least seem to be somewhat inline with the critics.  I doubt VH will stay atop the list for the whole year...but it's nice to a familiar face leading the pack out of the gates.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 2012 so far:

1.       Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth 

2.       Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, Yim Yames - New Multitudes 

3.       The Big Pink - Future This (Lose Your Mind)

4.       Craig Finn - Clear Heart Full Eyes

5.       Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

6.       Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (Stay Useless)

7.       WZRD - WZRD

8.       Anais Mitchell - Young Man in America

9.       Grimes - Visions

10.   Chiddy Bang - Breakfast

11.   Burial - Kindred EP

The 11 Best Songs By Van Halen (DLR Era)

Hell has frozen over.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Van Halen:

1. Panama (1984)
2. Unchained (Fair Warning)
3. Hot For Teacher (1984)
4. Dance the Night Away (Van Halen II)
5. You Really Got Me (Van Halen)
6. Jump (1984)
7. Ain't Talkin 'Bout Love (Van Halen)
8. Women In Love (Van Halen II)
9. I'll Wait (1984)
10. Little Guitars (Diver Down)
11. Jamie's Cryin' (Van Halen)

Buy the new Van Halen album, A Different Kind of Truth...now!!!

The 11 Most Anticipate Albums of Winter 2012

The final year of existence is upon us...and here's what we have to look forward to.

They always did say Van Halen would reunite when hell froze over.  I guess they were right.

Here are the 11 Most Anticipate Albums of Winter 2012:

1. Van Halen - Secret Title (2/7)
2. The Shins - Port of Morrow (March)
3. Craig Finn - Clear Eyes, Full Hearts (1/24)
4. Paul McCartney - Kisses on the Bottom (1/31)
5. Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror (2/14)
6. The Big Pink - Future This (1/17)
7. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks (1/31)
8. Heartless Bastards - Arrow (2/14)
9. Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society (2/28)
10. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (1/24)
11. Miike Snow - Happy To You (March)

The 11 Best Albums of 1979

I had a friend Anthony who was obsessed with Pink Floyd. One day he spent the entire afternoon a dual cassette deck trying to line up the last song on the Wall so it would transition smoothly back into the first song. He was so proud of the 3-second splice that he made a mixed tape with that intertwined between every song. As strange (and super obsessive) as this was, there were something about his actions that embodied the mojo of his actions. That seemingly meaningless minutia was of the utmost importance. Maybe that's because everyone was smoking so much pot or that after the mayhem of the 60s...it was time to chill out.

Here are the 11 Best Albums of 1979:

1. Pink Floyd - The Wall

2. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall

3. AC/DC - Highway To Hell

4. Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door

5. The Police - Regatta de Blanc

6. Van Halen - Van Halen 2

7. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Disorder)

8. The Ramones - End of the Century

9. Prince - Prince

10. Split Enz - Frenzy

11. Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming (Gotta Serve Somebody)

Buy these albums here at my store!!

The 11 Worst Van Halen Albums

I discovered 1984 at the age of 11. At that time in my life, it was the greatest album I had ever heard. Of course, running a close second was Quiet Riot's Mental Health, which illustrates the brevity of my musical catalog. Living in a small town, there was no way to see the band without traveling a few hundred miles. And my skateboard just wouldn't handle the distance. By the time, I was old enough to drive to see the band, David Lee Roth was already out of his Gigolo stage and onto living in Paradise. Meanwhile, Van Hagar was already onto their clever album titles with OU812. Seeing David Lee Roth with the Van Halen brothers had become nothing more than a pipe dream. But then one day, came a glimmer of hope...

In an interview, Eddie Van Halen was asked if he would ever play with DLR. Eddie said "No way." But then the interviewer brought up a rather good point...what if they were ever inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame? Would they play together then? Eddie pondered..."Good point," he said. And went on to agree, if the band was ever voted into the Hall of Fame, he would play with DLR for one night...and one night only. This was about 1987...twenty years ago. And for the last twenty years, I've been waiting patiently for that night to come.

Monday night, March 12th, 2007. Van Halen are inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. The only members to show up are Michael Anthony (currently not in the group) and Sammy Hagar (also currently not in the band). Eddie's in rehab. David is somewhere being crazy. And Alex just stood us up. Instead of the reunion that we were all waiting for, we got a horrendous Velvet Revolver cover of "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love" and Sammy Hagar and Paul Schaffer doing...actually I don't know what song they were doing. I turned it off.

Screw you, van Halen. I've been good. I've been patient. In return for the lavish life or riches and fame we've given you, you could have given your loyal fans back something you didn't like for one night. I've lost all respect for the band. I hope you all die...well, except Michael.

The 11 Worst Van Halen Albums:

11. 1984
10. Van Halen 2
9. Van Halen
8. Diver Down
7. 5150
6. Fair Warning
5. OU812
4. Balance
3. F.U.C.K.
2. Women and Children First
1. 3

The 11 Best Van Halen Songs (Sammy Hagar)

When I first heard the news that David Lee Roth was leaving Van Halen and Sammy Hagar was taking over the vocal duties, I was crushed. It was like finding out my parents were getting divorced and my mother was marrying the guy who mowed our lawn. Not that I had anything against the guy who mowed my lawn…but he was the FREAKIN’ GUY WHO MOWED OUR LAWN?!?! How could they do this to me? We were so happy together. Everything was going great! We were planning to go to Disneyland that summer. Are we still going? Is the Lawn Guy going to be coming with us now? Am I going to have to ride the Matterhorn with Lawn Guy? That’s just creepy.

I’m not sure where any of this is coming from, my parents are still married. But you can understand how upset I was. There was no way the Sammy Hagar version of Van Halen would in anyway match the exciting Rock N Roll that David, Eddie, Alex, and Michael had given us. Well, I was wrong. Sorta.

Hagar’s Van Halen was nowhere near the bombastic energized craziness from Lee Roth’s Van Halen. But Van Hagar had heart and soul. And, to the world’s surprise, the guys managed to make some very excellent rock songs. Twenty years later, I’m shocked to hear myself saying this. But at the same time, I’m also very satisfied to say it, too.

Here are the 11 Best Van Halen Songs (Sammy Hagar):

1. Summer Nights (5150) – maybe the best guitar playing of the past 20 years. Eddie masters the Trans-Trem system, allowing his guitar to change keys without changing its sound. No one has matched this to this day.
2. Dreams (5150)
3. Feels So Good (OU812)
4. Can’t Stop Loving You (Balance)
5. Right Now (F.U.C.K.)
6. Why Can’t This Be Love (5150)
7. Humans Being (Greatest Hits 1)
8. Love Walks In (5150)
9. Dream Is Over (F.U.C.K.)
10. When It’s Love(OU812)
11. Aftershock (Balance)

I still haven't figured out a place to store MP3s. All the places seem rather expensive...any suggestions? Until then, the links will take to a place to hear the songs.

The 11 Best Van Halen Songs (David Lee Roth)

Sorry, for the delay in posting. The new blogger is full of more bugs than the amazon jungle.

In honor of the Rock N Roll hall of Fame induction this weekend, the entire week will be dedicated to the bands be inducted.The first Van Halen album I ever owned was Women and Children First. I know, I know, what the hell is wrong with me. Well, I was 10. I thought I was buying the album with "Unchained" on it. Boy, was I wrong. But being a 10-year-old and trying to look cool, I pretended I bought the album on purpose. I memorized all the songs and most of the lyrics. Sure getting through "And The Cradle Will Rock" was pretty easy but try looking cool while humming "Could This Be Magic?" I didn't catch up with the rest of the world until the release of 1984. Since I was the only one in the neighborhood with cable, the kids had to come to my place to see the "Hot For Teacher" video. That video was one of those videos from childhood that never leaves you. When ever it was on, every kid in the neighborhood ran into my house and packed themselves into my mom's room like Elton John packing himself into a pair of leather pants. Who didn't want to be one of those kid-versions of the band members? Who didn't want to have one of those teachers? And most importantly, who wasn't disturbed by that strange Waldo kid? And what the hell ever happened to him anyway?

Van Halen is set to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. Will they both perform? Will they kill each other? Either result will be well worth watching.

So until Sunday......I brought my pencil...give something to write on!!!

The 11 Best Van Halen Songs (David Lee Roth):

1. Panama (1984)

2. Unchained (Fair Warning)

3. Hot For Teacher (1984)

4. You Really Got Me (Van Halen I)

5. Dance The Night Away (Van Halen II)

6. Ain't Talking Bout Love (Van Halen I)

7. You're No Good (Van Halen II)

8. I'll Wait (1984)

9. Little Dreamer (Van Halen I)

10. Jump (1984)

11. And The Cradle Will Rock (Women and Children First)

I still haven't figured out a place to store MP3s. All the places seem rather expensive...any suggestions? Until then, the links will take to a place to hear the songs.