Albums That Just Missed the Cut, pt. 2

Cross by Justice

Next generation's French house duo

Release: June 11th, 2007
Genre: Electro House
Favorite Tracks: Genesis, Waters of Nazareth, D.A.N.C.E

 

Why it missed the cut:

Yet another album I discovered during the making of my top 100 list, I heard Cross mentioned in many public forums as one of the best electronic releases in recent memory. My head chef at my job delivered the push I needed to finally hear this one for myself around the middle of last year, and I'm pleasantly surprised by what I heard. Proverbially taking the torch from all-time greats Daft Punk, Justice utilizes similar methods of looping and layering to build up monolithic machines that play out like a sonic adventure, embracing a poppier and bouncier tone than some of the deeper house Daft Punk was known for. Electronica has always been a weak point in my library, but especially throughout last year, I listened to so many iconic albums from the genre that I can't believe I hadn't heard before. Cross would have likely placed somewhere in the high 80's or low 70's on this list had it not been for my late arrival to the party.

None So Vile by Cryptopsty

Pure evil incarnate

Release: July 3rd, 1996
Genre: Death Metal
Favorite Tracks: Benedictive Convulsions, Slit Your Guts, Orgiastic Disembowelment

 

Why it missed the cut:

It should be no secret by now that my music tastes have a tendency to lean towards the extreme. Primarily during my early adulthood, I strongly gravitated around music that elicited an emotional response...generally violence. I wouldn't consider myself an aggressive person, but I do have a knack in letting out that feeling through music. I uncovered Cryptopsy in 2016 during an attempt to chronicle one song per day on Tumblr. I was recommended a blog that had posted an assortment of death metal songs to choose from, and the album cover for None So Vile certainly caught my attention. This album has everything you could possibly ask for from a death metal band: themes of grotesque bodily mutilation, chaotic blast beats, and wretched screams of horror from vocalist Lord Worm. I understand it's not everybody's cup of tea, which is likely the reasoning behind my eventual striking of this entry from the list. I thought it'd be best to highlight music on my top 100 list that people might...y'know, actually want to listen to. I have a feeling this one wouldn't have resonated very well, but None So Vile is still a personal favorite of mine all the same. 

Watch the Throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West

On the shoulders of giants

Release: August 8th, 2011
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Otis, Niggas in Paris, No Church in the Wild

 

Why it missed the cut:

2023 wasn't ideal for Ye's public image. Between a slew of antisemitic comments and bizarre public appearances, the media had a field day last year profiting off the disappointing behavior of Ye. It's such a tragedy to see one of this generation's most prolific musicians fall from grace, because his art had such widespread impact before his reputation was tarnished. Take Watch the Throne, one of my first and finer examples of modern hip-hop to find its way into my life. Initially a no-brainer for this list, I started having second thoughts on its inclusion at the start of the year when Ye stocks started to tank, and ultimately replaced it by the time I reached its entry in the high 80's. The circumstances at the time really forced my hand on this one, but I truthfully love Watch the Throne for its meeting of the minds between two of the biggest names in rap: Jay-Z and Kanye West.  Jay-Z's emphatic and sophisticated flows perfectly contrast the tongue-in-cheek, out-of-pocket bars of Ye, all backed behind some of the most impressive beat samples I've heard, period. I feel Ye is the ultimate test in practicing the separation of art and artist, as the quality of his productions alongside the severity of his actions are both remarkably high. Some people aren't ready to have that conversation, so I found it best to put it aside for this list. Watch the Throne is certainly good enough for an honorable mention, though!

No Gods / No Managers by Choking Victim

Anti-establishment anarchy

Release: March 30th, 1999
Genre: Ska Punk
Favorite Tracks: Crack Rock Steady, 500 Channels, Money

 

Why it missed the cut:

When compiling this list, I tried to make it reflect my musical tendencies as closely as possible in the albums represented. I listen to plenty of punk music, but the problem with the genre is that there are so few landmark releases that really stuck with me. I guess I should give an honorable-honorable mention to the eponymous debut albums of both Bad Brains and Suicidal Tendencies, as they were among two of the first records I purchased for my vinyl collection. Punk was a bit underrepresented on this list, but if I were to squeeze one more album on there, No Gods / No Managers would have probably been the one. Driven by the frantic and uplifting off-beat accents of ska music, the album's subject matter written by frontman Stza is some of the darkest, most off-putting material I've ever heard in punk music. With an obvious distaste for authority, many of the songs propagate for the complete removal of government and slaughtering of the police, all while the instruments cheerily skitter along in the background. This dichotomy fascinated me when I first listened to No Gods / No Managers back around 2015, but I'm even more absorbed by the fact that Choking Victim immediately broke up after the recording of this album, with some of the members then forming the equally notable punk group Leftöver Crack. There's something mystifying that surrounds this one-album wonder for me, and that reverence continues to keep it a favorite punk album of mine. As far as best of all-time...well, maybe not so much.

Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest 

Riding on wings of steel

Release: July 1982
Genre: Heavy Metal
Favorite Tracks: Electric Eye, Screaming For Vengeance, You've Got Another Thing Coming

 

Why it missed the cut:

It hurts me to leave off an album within my fabled yard sale CD stack, especially given how much mileage I got out of Screaming For Vengeance throughout high school. As soon as I began ingesting a strict diet of classic rock in 2007, Judas Priest was a name I heard come up consistently in discussion as one of the greatest acts of the era. When I had the opportunity to purchase an album of theirs for myself, I didn't hesitate to grab it and see what all the fuss was about. I can safely say Screaming For Vengeance is the best this group has to offer, with dazzling performances by the tandem guitars of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. Of course, I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the soaring vocal range of the legendary Rob Halford, second only to that of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickenson. His staggering falsetto provides a powerful edge to the music that many metal bands at the time either lacked the prowess or were afraid to replicate. While Screaming For Vengeance is a monumental album in my life, it's definitely lost its luster for me a bit in comparison to other choices within my top 100. That stack of CDs though...I can't help but be sentimental for the music that shaped my teenage years. 

Lightning Bolt by Lightning Bolt 

Blurring the boundaries of music

Release: April 1st, 1999
Genre: Noise Rock
Favorite Tracks: Zone, Murk Hike, Fleeing The Valley Of Whirling Knives

 

Why it missed the cut:

By far, this album is the one I am most upset at my inability to include within my top 100. For one, the last two songs of the album are inexplicably missing from Spotify's database. It's probably for the better though, which leads me to my second point: Lightning Bolt is...barely music. It very well might not be considered music at all during some portions. This record is about as raw and unfiltered as it gets, intentionally aiming for the trashiest production possible to accompany Lightning Bolt's primitive demo tapes. The climax of the album occurs at Zone, a 30-plus minute monstrosity that desensitizes the listener into madness with fragmented riffs that are intermittently interrupted by the penetrating squeals of the amp feedback, with only the unintelligible shouts of Brian Chippendale to serve as respite. I've contemplated the musical ramifications of Lightning Bolt across dozens of run-throughs, and the best analogy I can give is that it sounds like if music had an abortion; denied any right to fully develop and forcefully extracted in its unfinished state. I know that doesn't sell this album at all, so how could I possibly justify putting it in the top 20 like I feel it deserves to be? Personally, I could write a doctoral thesis on the sheer genius behind the album, but in no way does that mean I look down upon others who don't agree with that opinion. In fact, I wouldn't take offense if someone chose never to speak with me again after recommending this album. It's just not for everybody. Fortunately, Lightning Bolt had plenty of releases to choose from with much more musical integrity to include in my top 100. Unsurprisingly, my indecisiveness led to plenty of last-minute switch-ups on this list for artists where I enjoy multiple selections from their catalog. As a bonus lightning round (see what I did there?), let's run through a handful of albums from artists that did make the cut, just with a different entry.

 Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Release: September 12th, 1975  
Genre: Prog Rock
Favorite Tracks: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5), Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9), Welcome to the Machine
Succeeded By: The Dark Side of the Moon (#6)

 Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys

Release: July 25th, 1989
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Hey Ladies, Shake Your Rump, Egg Man  
Succeeded By: Licensed to Ill (#23)

Avenged Sevenfold by Avenged Sevenfold

Release:  October 30th, 2007
Genre: Metal
Favorite Tracks: Afterlife, Almost Easy, Scream
Succeeded By: City of Evil (#73) 

Sublime by Sublime

Release: July 30th, 1996
Genre: Ska Punk
Favorite Tracks: What I Got, Doin' Time, Santeria 
Succeeded By: 40oz. to Freedom (#67)

 

Fragile by Yes

Release:  November 12th, 1971
Genre: Prog Rock
Favorite Tracks: Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise, South Side of the Sky
Succeeded By: Close To the Edge (#55)

 Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? by Megadeth

Release:  September 19th, 1986
Genre: Thrash Metal
Favorite Tracks: Wake Up Dead, Good Mourning/Black Friday, Peace Sells 
Succeeded By: Rust In Peace (#15)

Nevermind by Nirvana 

Release:  September 24th, 1991
Genre: Grunge
Favorite Tracks: Endless, Nameless, In Bloom, Drain You  
Succeeded By: MTV Unplugged in New York (#22)

 F#A#∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Release: June 8th, 1998   
Genre: Post-Rock
Favorite Tracks: The Dead Flag Blues, East Hastings, Providence 
Succeeded By: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (#53)

Back In Black by AC/DC

Release: July 25th, 1980   
Genre: Hard Rock 
Favorite Tracks: Shoot to Thrill, What Do You Do for Money Honey, Hells Bells    
Succeeded By: High Voltage (#54)

PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

Release: June 16th, 2023   
Genre: Thrash Metal
Favorite Tracks: Motor Spirit, Supercell, Gila Monster  
Succeeded By: Nonagon Infinity (#4)

 ______________________________________________________________________

And that's just about it! I had to impose a limit on myself, otherwise I could be here for multiple parts going on and on about some of my other favorite albums. However, that isn't what this list is about, and there's still one entry left to cover before this list comes to a close. Honestly, one of the biggest reasons it's taken me so long to finish the top ten is because I don't want this journey to end. It's been exciting to build up my own anticipation for the music I consider to be my favorite of all-time, and it was a great trip down memory lane reviewing a few entries that fell just short of the mark. My next task will be much more daunting: drafting up the words to describe my favorite album ever. There aren't enough words in the dictionary to properly pay homage to such a significant piece of art...but here I go, attempting to do just that. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned, because number one is coming very soon! Wish me luck, and I'll see you on the other side!!

Albums That Just Missed the Cut, pt. 1

 Albums That Just Missed the Cut

We've nearly crossed the finish line! 99 albums down, only one more left to go. This endeavor has been a long time coming, and I'm eager to share my favorite album of all-time with you very soon. Before number 1 is revealed, I thought it might be fun to take a look at a handful of albums that I felt deserve an honorable mention. Throughout the last year, this list has undergone multiple revisions to the point where it's unrecognizable from the draft I hammered out in late 2022. For one reason or another, these entries didn't end up cracking the top 100, but they were very close! Without further ado, why don't we start things off with a notable yet controversial omission?

The Beatles (White Album) by the Beatles

I've got blisters on me fingers!

Release: November 22nd, 1968
Genre: Rock
Favorite Tracks: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Helter Skelter, Back In The U.S.S.R.

 

Why it missed the cut:

That's right, there is no Beatles album in my top 100. Listen, this was a conundrum I experienced several times when compiling this list. It's intended to be a collection of my favorite songs of all-time, not necessarily the greatest songs. Despite my own personal reservations on the music of the Beatles, even I can't ignore the generational impact this fearsome foursome accomplished during their tenure. There's a reason this band holds a majority of the all-time sales records: their music was groundbreaking for its era, truly revolutionary from the status quo. But to consider any of these legendary albums as my favorite? Well, I just couldn't end up rationalizing with myself to put them on there over so many other albums I'd rather listen to. Over the years, I've begrudgingly acquired a taste for the Beatles in order to be part of the conversation, and I have to say there's plenty out there to keep even the harshest of critics at bay. I've had stints where Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was my favorite Beatles record, similarly with Revolver, but the white album has stolen my heart in recent years for its extensive range in songwriting. There's certified classics like Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, but also plenty of selections that push the limits of the band's genre like Revolution 9 and Helter Skelter. If the Beatles couldn't make the list, what hope was there for any of these other albums?

All Eyez on Me by 2Pac

Welcome to the wild wild west

Release: February 13th, 1996

Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Only God Can Judge Me, All About U, Can't C Me

 

Why it missed the cut:

I may have to turn in my Californian citizenship after featuring the east coast anthem Ready to Die on my top 100 in lieu of this west coast classic. Growing up in the Bay Area, 2Pac was so deeply entrenched in the culture, his music was unavoidable. Some of my earliest memories around my childhood neighborhood was walking around the streets, hearing the bombastic bass of 2Pac's beats blast from a vintage low-rider or out on the back porch. Noted for his lyrical genius, you'll be hard pressed to find anybody in the rap game who hasn't taken some influence from 2Pac. This guy was on top of the world throughout the 90's before he was violently murdered in September of 1996, robbing the world of one of its best wordsmiths. It's purely speculative what 2Pac could have accomplished had he still been here, but what's not for debate is the legacy he left behind in his music. All Eyez on Me is seen by many as the magnum opus of 2Pac's storied career, and it's definitely the album I find myself picking from most often. While I initially had this album ranked in the high 90's, I pulled a last-minute audible and decided against it. Ultimately, I just couldn't get over the exhausting run time of this album. Clocking in at over two hours, All Eyez on Me is chock full of hits like Ambitions Az A Ridah and California Love, but admittedly does end up becoming stale around halfway through the second disc. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

Enema of the State by blink-182

Nobody likes you when you're 23

Release: June 1st, 1999

Genre: Pop-Punk
Favorite Tracks: The Party Song, Aliens Exist, Mutt

 

Why it missed the cut:

Enema of the State was a bit of an oversight by the time I considered it for a spot in the top 100. When my initial research began in late 2022, I briefly pondered whether this album was worthy of a spot, but dismissed it early on. As my list progressed and the entries started rolling, I ended up revisiting Enema of the State as a fringe candidate, only to realize I liked this album more than I once thought. However, by the time I came to that conclusion, I couldn't convince myself to bump another entry to feature this one. blink-182 is peak juvenile debauchery, and represents an era of my life where my adolescence was the best excuse for acting up. Travis Barker was actually one of the first drummers that got me interested in picking up a pair of sticks. Enema of the State is loaded with some of the group's most recognizable songs like All The Small Things and What's My Age Again?, but I value it more for the garage band style that refines some of the muddled production of past albums, tweaking them to perfection in songs like Dumpweed and The Party Song. This album probably ranks somewhere in the low 80's for me, and it's a shame it couldn't be included in time. This was a problem I experienced quite often in the making of this list.

LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem

 You don't know what you really want

Release: January 24th, 2005

Genre: Electronica
Favorite Tracks: Losing My Edge, On Repeat, Tired

 

Why it missed the cut:

Despite the encyclopedic knowledge of music I claim to possess, I'm still finding new music I've never heard before that blows me away. How lucky am I? LCD Soundsystem is a group I knew the name of, but couldn't tell you a single song of theirs. Actually, I don't recall hearing any song of theirs until I started working at my current job in a kitchen, where my head chef recommended me the song Losing My Edge. He doesn't listen to a ton of music, but he's incredibly informed about what he remembers from growing up. When he gives me a music recommendation, I tend to resonate with it. I couldn't have imagined the ride that this eponymous debut album would take me on as I picked through more and more of its tracklist. It was probably August of last year when I first heard LCD Soundsystem, and I was already writing entries in the 30's by that time. While this album wasn't that good enough to warrant a swap, I'd say now that this album is good enough to break the 60's, or maybe even low 50's. This album is such a unique entry among the heaping pile of content available during the mid 2000's. I've been recommending it to just about anybody who will listen these days.

Collection by the Misfits 

I ain't no goddamn son of a bitch

 

Release: July 1st, 1986

Genre: Punk
Favorite Tracks: Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?, Where Eagles Dare, London Dungeon

 

Why it missed the cut:

I'm not the brightest bulb of the bunch from time to time. I was so excited to write an entry on one of my favorite punk bands ever in the Misfits, especially since Collection harbored a majority of the songs I adored by them. However, I specifically outlined in the introduction of this list that compilation and greatest-hits albums were excluded. Collection is actually an assortment of songs from the Misfits' prior three albums. I mean come on Joe, it's right there in the title. As much as I wanted to give this album its due diligence, I couldn't possibly allow such a blatant breach of the rules to rank so high on my list (or at all, evidently). Without that one glaring issue, Collection easily has a spot in the mid to high 80's on this list. The Misfits were such an integral part in developing American counterculture in the 1980's, and I fell in love with their music after attending a legendary reunion concert of theirs at Riot Fest 2016. If you're looking for a strong kick in the teeth, Collection is the album for you.

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis

Release: March 30th, 1970

Genre: Jazz Fusion
Favorite Tracks: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, Pharaoh's Dance, Spanish Key

 

Why it missed the cut:

It's a shame I wasn't able to highlight a large number of jazz albums in my top 100. I listen to jazz pretty frequently during my free time, thanks to the publicly-funded radio station 89.3 KUVO Jazz (shoutout to them, fantastic organization!). I've always had deep appreciation for the art of conversational performance that jazz displays, but my knowledge of artists tends to be isolated within the vacuum of individual songs. Miles Davis is as legendary of an act as you can ask for in the jazz sphere, responsible for some of the best pieces of contemporary music like Kind of Blue and, of course, Bitches Brew. This album was among the initial batch of entries for my list, but I regrettably chose to leave it off, as it wasn't a record I tended to revisit as often as other selections. I'm thankful I was able to squeeze in a couple jazz entries with Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters and Isaiah Collier's Return of the Black Emperor, and I really should have made an effort to fit Bitches Brew in there too. I'd estimate this album to be right at the border of top 100, a perfect 101 or 102 pick, if you will.

 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie

Birth of a Starman

Release: June 16th, 1972
Genre: Glam Rock
Favorite Tracks: Suffragette City, Ziggy Stardust, Starman

 

Why it missed the cut:

Much like the Beatles, David Bowie was an artist that took years to finally grow on me. This is surprising to me, as my musical upbringing completely revolved around classic rock, yet I somehow managed to avoid Bowie's music, save for Suffragette City on the original Rock Band soundtrack. I saw him as a bit overrated for the amount of fame and success he had, but I was inspired to listen to a bit of his catalog in early 2016 following his death. As it turns out, I'd heard a number of songs I liked, not knowing they were David Bowie songs: Changes, The Man Who Sold the World, Young Americans, the list goes on. It seemed colloquially agreed upon that Ziggy Stardust was by and away Bowie's finest work, but it remained an album I shelved for years before finally checking it out. For not being a huge Bowie fan, Ziggy Stardust captivated me with a well-developed narrative and theatrical voice of its decorated vocalist. I value this one for being a great concept album, but it's not necessarily one that I'm shouting from the hilltops about.

Stankonia by Outkast 

The OGs of southern hip-hop

Release: October 31st, 2000
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: B.O.B., Ms. Jackson, So Fresh, So Clean

 

Why it missed the cut:

As one of the first hip-hop groups of the new millennium to cross over into the mainstream, I grew up listening to Outkast staples like Hey Ya! and The Way You Move on the radio. For a while, it felt like Outkast was the next big thing in hip-hop, but they seemed to fall off towards the end of the 2000s as creative differences between Big Boi and André 3000 grew. It took me well into adulthood to take a retrospective look on Outkast and truly understand the gravity of their impact during their heyday. Stankonia boasts a decent amount of the duo's best songs in their catalog, but beyond that, I feel there's a lot to be desired in an album that extends to over an hour long. The best songs on Stankonia are straight 10 out of 10 bangers, and the lesser tracks run their course on me fairly quickly to keep engaged. That said, André 3000 and especially Big Boi deserve some credit as two of the best MCs to ever spit on the mic. It's the unique and whimsical bars of Stankonia and Outkast as a whole that give them staying power, just not enough to win me over entirely.

Number 2 - Alive 2007 by Daft Punk

 Number 2: Alive 2007 by Daft Punk

Music's got me feelin' so free

Release: November 19th, 2007
Genre: Electronic, French House
Favorite Tracks: Prime Time of Your Life/Brainwasher/Rollin' & Scratchin'/Alive, Human After All/Together/One More Time/Music Sounds Better With You, Television Rules the Nation/Crescendolls

 

Where I heard it: 

Daft Punk is a group that has managed to transcend each phase of my life as a constant musical force. From as early as 2006, I heard Aerodynamic featured in Adobe flash animations I'd watch on Newgrounds, and I actually saw the music videos for Around The World and One More Time in the early days of YouTube. Although I was well aware of Daft Punk by the start of high school, my content consumption didn't hit until music streaming became increasingly available. I first downloaded Spotify on my cousin's computer around Christmas of 2012 while visiting family, and my listening habits have only exponentially grown since then. Having a massive music library at the tip of my fingers wasn't something I was used to (legally...), so I browsed to my heart's content with reckless abandon. With the impending release of the highly anticipated Random Access Memories around this time, I found it best to begin combing through Daft Punk's library around the spring of 2013, starting with their 1997 debut Homework. I quickly grew an obsession with the dynamic duo, and rushed to purchase Homework on vinyl for my newly developed collecting hobby. I'd finish off the trilogy throughout the rest of 2013 with copies of Discovery and Human After All, and proceeded to play the ever-loving shit out of these records. I remember playing Discovery in my room with a couple cute girls while my mom wasn't home. There were multiple sessions in my garage with friends listening to the deep house of Homework. Any chance I had to give these albums a spin, I took advantage. These three releases were some of my most played material throughout my late childhood and early adulthood. As Daft Punk began to grow commercially through artist collaborations like The Weeknd, my interest only seemed to grow more and more. Aligning with this interest, I began craving new Daft Punk material to dissect, which led me to Alive 2007. For years, this album was framed to me as one of the greatest concerts to ever be recorded. As a long time Daft Punk fan with a desire to see them perform in-person, the prospect of a live album was incredibly enticing. By mid 2021, I was compelled to finally crack this one open and give it a listen for myself. I wasn't able to ingest it all in one sitting, and instead broke each segment into small chunks to follow along episodically over the course of a couple days. I remember looking at the titles of each mash-up and thinking there was absolutely no way Daft Punk could pull them off, only to be completely blown away at their successful integration. I probably listened through this album for two weeks straight after finishing it for my first time. I was instantly hooked, and I don't see myself jumping off this bandwagon anytime soon. I initially debated submitting a studio album for this list, but none of them truly compare to the dazzling spectacle this album provides. Alive 2007 lives up to its legendary reputation, an unparalleled musical experience that's a treat to revisit every time.

 

"With clever teases, head-exploding mutations and sleight-of-hand segues, this greatest-hits set becomes a labyrinthine journey – tech-house as a Grateful Dead bootleg."
~ Rolling Stone

What to expect:

Attempting to specifically designate electronic music into categorized subgenres can be a hassle. Without going too far into detail, Daft Punk have ceremoniously been crowned the kings of French house music, defined by its influences in Euro disco of the late 70's and early 80's. Founded by Thomas Bangalter and the painfully French Guy-Manuel de Hommem-Christo, these two assume the alter egos of robotic DJs that conceal their identities behind trademark masks, prominently featured on the cover of Random Access Memories. Daft Punk stormed onto the EDM scene in the late 90's with the progressive, repetitive, and aggressive groves of Homework that dominated the underground clubs of Europe and the east coast of the United States. Tracks like Da Funk and Around the World earned the pair mainstream appeal, exploding in popularity with their 2001 follow-up Discovery. With hits like One More Time and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, Daft Punk officially became a household name. By the time 2005's Human After All made waves with Robot Rock and Technologic, public reception for the group began to stagnate. To many, Daft Punk were seen as a 'been there, done that' sort of act that didn't have much left to offer. That all changed in 2006, following an announcement that Daft Punk would be performing in the U.S. for the first time since 1997. Entitled the Alive tour, Daft Punk embarked on a worldwide venture spanning over 40 shows in 22 different countries. Notable for its use of a giant LED pyramid on stage, this run of concerts is seen as one of the most innovative and influential moments in 21st century music. The duo decided upon their June 14th home show in Paris, France as the location to document the occasion with their first live album in a decade: Alive 2007. You might guffaw at the idea of a live EDM show due to the inherently synthesized material being played, but Daft Punk silences critics with their setlist that serves as a love letter to any devoted fan. Rather than perform songs in their entirety, the two DJs playfully fuse together notable riffs from both iconic tracks like Around the World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and underrated deep cuts like Television Rules the Nation/Crescendolls. Focusing on songs from the group's first three releases, Daft Punk delivers a nearly continuous stream of musical bliss that revitalizes their beloved discography into an entirely reimagined experience. Bangalter even slips in snippets from side projects like his remix of Gabrielle's Forget About the World and Stardust's Music Sounds Better With You. Each amalgamation seamlessly flows into the next like a mad science experiment, each ingredient interjecting its pungent aroma into the mix to conjure wonderous and marvelous creations. Each roar of the crowd as the next beat kicks in acts like a studio audience, guiding the energy of the performance with every peak and valley. Some of the genius of Alive 2007 may be lost to a casual fan, but those with extensive knowledge of the Daft Punk catalog will squeal in delight upon each transition. This album demands a bit of prerequisite listening to fully realize its potential, but I promise the payoff from Alive 2007 is worth every second. Daft Punk uses their setlist as a musical playground to bounce ideas between each other in synchronous harmony, setting the precedent for live electronic shows going forward.

 

"One of the most remarkable aspects of Alive 2007 is how well it recontextualizes career nadir Human After All, turning previously leaden songs into ebullient rock’n’roll manifestos. Injected with Homework’s air-tight Moroder-style anthems or Discovery’s flamboyant funk, Human After All tracks are constantly improved and born anew. The live set doesn’t simply run through the hits, mindlessly segueing from one smash to another. Instead, well-worn favorites are glued together, cut-up and mashed into pieces."
~ Pitchfork

Why it's my favorite: 

On the morning of February 22nd, 2021, I awoke to check my phone and see that Daft Punk's social media team had released a promotional video entitled Daft Punk - Epilogue, published only 45 minutes prior. My heart froze with anticipation - could this be the announcement of a long-awaited farewell tour? Was this finally my chance to see one of my favorite artists of all-time with my own eyes? I couldn't hit play faster on that video, and sat patiently in the quiet of my room as the video played. As the seconds ticked, it became apparent to me this may not be declaration I thought it was. I was wrapped in both denial and anguish as this shot appeared, confirming the dissolution of Daft Punk. It couldn't have been earlier than 9:30 AM, and I was already bawling in bed. I was in utter disbelief. My dreams of seeing Daft Punk live were suddenly dashed with little to no explanation. It's crushing to know you'll never have something you've always wanted in life. There's always hope of a reunion tour down the line (and you better believe I'll be first in line), but until then...Daft Punk is effectively no more, due to the creative differences between Bangalter and Hommem-Christo. That's that. It's still a tough pill to swallow nearly three years later. Since then, Alive 2007 has been invaluable to me. It's the closest thing we'll ever get to seeing Daft Punk in our lifetime, and it's as close to perfection as we could ask for. This set throws a bone to fans of every album, from the hardcore heads that adore Homework to the new-age crowd that prefers Human After All. Some of my favorite moments in this album occur when three or four beats from different songs are layered over each other in a chaotic clash of rhythm that washes over you in pure euphoria. I'd say the best moments happen in the end of Prime Time of Your Life/Brainwasher/Rollin' & Scratchin'/Alive, as well as the encore finale that sends things off with a bang. As I've grown older, I've realized how much of an impact Daft Punk has had on my generation that I now get to share in. Those moments are few and far between, but I'll drop everything to discuss the intricacies of Alive 2007 with somebody else. Every time I run through this album, I pick up on a subtle cue that I must have missed before. It's the same exact performance, but it's handled so beautifully that I can't help but immerse myself into the lore. From beginning to end, Alive 2007 spares no expense and goes out of its way to build stunning statues out of spare parts. I wouldn't necessarily say the Alive 2007 mixes have ruined standalone Daft Punk songs for me, but there always seems to be something missing from them now. I can't listen to Da Funk without waiting for the Daftendirekt crossover to kick in. Around the World feels woefully incomplete without Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger to bookend it. These remixes have now become my definitive standard to experience these songs under. I'm not sure any other live album has done that for me. Alive 2007 is special beyond measure, and words fail to describe the significance it has on my life. 

Number 3 - Currents by Tame Impala

 Number 3: Currents by Tame Impala

The times they are a-changin'

Release: July 17th, 2015
Genre: Synthpop
Favorite Tracks: New Person, Same Old Mistakes, Yes I'm Changing, Let It Happen

 

Where I heard it: 

One of the most successful artists of the past decade, Tame Impala is a case where I heard their music long before I knew who they were. It must have been around late 2014 when I regularly heard the songs Elephant and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards on my local alternative radio station, 93.3 the X. While they caught my attention enough to add them to a couple playlists of mine, I didn't have enough interest to fully delve into Tame Impala's catalog just yet. Not long after, it seemed like everybody I knew was talking about Tame Impala. I caught wind over various internet outlets that Tame Impala's most recent album Currents was incredibly well-received by critics and listeners alike. As the years went on and the chatter never subsided, Currents slowly worked its way up my list of albums to listen through. It all came to a head right at the beginning of 2021, when one of my best friends Peter was holding a small get-together to see him off before leaving for Marine boot camp. We comprised a group playlist for the occasion, and Peter included a handful of selections from Currents. Most notably, I remember hearing Let It Happen for the first time, taken completely aback by its mid-song shift before marveling at its genius. When Peter informed me it was a Tame Impala song, this was the catalyst that drove me to action: I absolutely had to listen to Currents. We arranged a date a few days later for a listening party, and before I even pressed play, the album already had incredibly heavy emotional connotations, with songs that I was able to bond with Peter over in his final hours as a civilian. As it turns out, Currents was the perfect album for this time period, ultimately becoming a large part of the grieving process throughout Peter's absence. Currents spoke to me like few other albums have, at it absolutely deserves its spot this high on my list.

 Finally taking flight
I know you don't think it's right
I know that you think it's fake
Maybe fake's what I like
The point is I have the right
Not thinking in black and white
I'm thinking it's worth the fight
Soon to be out of sight
Knowing it all this time
Going with what I always longed for
Feel like a brand new person
But you'll make the same old mistakes
~ New Person, Same Old Mistakes

What to expect:

Mastermind behind the Tame Impala project, Kevin Parker is often the sole visionary of Tame Impala's releases, from the recording of each individual instrument to the mixing in post at the studio. Although Parker tours with a live band and conscripts help from other musicians on some tracks, Tame Impala largely remains a solo endeavor of Parker's. In fact, Currents was the first of his three studio albums at the time to be entirely produced by Parker from head to toe. Tame Impala was already adorned as an indie and psych rock darling following 2010's InnerSpeaker and 2012's Lonerism, but Parker had a desire to challenge his expectations as a musician with his third installment. Leaning in to the electronic and synthesized elements of his previous works, Parker also took songwriting influence from Fleetwood Mac in creating narrative, episodic songs for Currents. You can hear these similarities in songs like The Less I Know The Better and Disciples that possess the same lustful passion heard in Fleetwood Mac classics like Everywhere and You Make Loving Fun. Parker's heighted attention to detail in his songwriting provide some of his most intimate and resonant lyrics to date. Revolving primarily around the themes of time's rapid and steadfast progression, the wistful remorse of past loves, and personal fulfillment through self-actualization, his words are candid and earnest, unafraid to criticize himself for the mistakes he's made in life. These subjects inherently carry substantial emotional weight as it is, but Parker intensifies those feelings through vocal falsettos like in Yes I'm Changing and overdubbed harmonies that accompany Love/Paranoia, evoking the strongest possible reaction from the listener. Currents didn't necessarily invent the model for modern synthpop, but it damn well popularized it. Currents eases off the auxiliary instruments and instead replaces them with electronic drum patches and emphatic synth chords that gives the music a more digital feel, while still preserving the spirit of classic Tame Impala. In contrast to notable hits like Solitude Is Bliss and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, songs like Reality In Motion and New Person, Same Old Mistakes mirror the same compositional strategies of their predecessors, but through a computerized lens that helps reinvent Tame Impala's sound. With little indication of such a transition, Kevin Parker transformed from a multi-instrumental mogul to one of the industry's most in-demand DJs after the release of Currents. Was it for the better? Well, that courageous leap gave us Currents, so I've gotta say I'm in favor. As far as I'm concerned, the more exposure for Kevin Parker, the better.

I saw it different, I must admit
I caught a glimpse, I'm going after it
They say people never change, but that's bullshit
They do
Yes, I'm changing, can't stop it now
And even if I wanted I wouldn't know how
Another version of myself I think I've found
At last
And I can't always hide away
Curse indulgence and despise the fame
There is a world out there and it's calling my name
And it's calling yours, too
~ Yes I'm Changing

Why it's my favorite: 

Life comes at you fast in your mid-to-late 20's. I'm sure you can relate. One minute you're under the tutelage of your superiors, and the next you're thrust into the great beyond. The fear of the unknown is one of my greatest unbecomings as an adult, and I've always viewed change as an enemy to be avoided at all costs. I know I'm not alone in that phobia, but sometimes you really get isolated on that island where you feel you're the only one. When my friend Peter left for the Marines, I was confronted with that anxiety head-on, and my response was mostly that of denial and panic. I was at a significant loss of what to do about something I had no control over. Then came Currents - this poignant, eloquent album that perfectly expressed the sentiment of my situation, and I luckily had the opportunity to share it with one of the most important people in my life. Once Peter officially shipped off, I desperately clung to Currents as a means to capture the company of Peter through association. There were definitely times across the first few weeks of 2021 where I'd play songs from Currents and break out in tears because they'd remind me of Peter. It seems kind of dramatic and overplayed, but I hadn't really experienced anything like that up to that point in my life. I deeply missed my friend. I still do. Currents had such an integral role in comforting my pain and worry during this time, and I believe that's attributed to Parker's cautiously optimistic outlook throughout the album. None of the songs necessarily reach a resolution in their conflict, but instead look toward the horizon with hopeful intentions. Parker humbly acknowledges his faults and setbacks, approaching them with faith that he will eventually triumph over them. I've since taken that message to heart, viewing life as a whole with the perspective of patience through the storm. No matter what challenges life may throw at you, it's all part of becoming a better and more understanding version of yourself. I'm not sure if I would've came to that conclusion had it not been for Currents. Perhaps it was just grounding for me to hear it through a medium that connected with me the closest. This album represents my coming-of-age into the latter part of my 20's, teaching me that it's okay to let things from the past go and embrace the uncertainty of the future. I don't know how often music changes people's lives, but this is one instance for me where an album did exactly that. What more constitutes Currents as one of my favorite albums ever?