#490: The first record on the list that I already own...

Great stuff. This record, introduced to me by my buddy Chip's hip older sisters Amy and Lori, has been traveling with me since high school and, along with Billy Bragg and Crass, has been informing my musical and political sensibilities ever since. Classic video of 'em here.

Some other thoughts:

#492, Pearl Jam's Vitalogy: Let me just say that I love Pearl Jam. They've held a special place in my musical heart since 1991, when I saw them, twice, touring with the Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins, in Kalamazoo and Lansing. Ten had just been released. They were proud of their debut, and clearly hungry for the success that had been taken from Mother Love Bone when Andy Wood died, all of which showed in those Michigan performances. Eddie blew our minds, with his astounding voice, of course, but also with his fearless climbing of the stage rigging, all the while bouyed by Stone, Jeff and the rest of the band back on terra firma. I bought a copy of Ten on cassette on my way out of Kalamazoo's State Theater, and played the thing to death over the next year, even as Nirvana broke and left all of their Seattle brethren in the dust. Ten was definitely a marker, musically, for me. That said, there's a lotta filler on this record. Honestly, I'm a little surprised Vitalogy made it onto the list. When they're firing on all eight cylinders, they send it. I'm thinking here of "Nothingman" and "Corduroy." But apart from those two tracks, there's not that much that showcases what these guys do best. Tracks like "Pry, To" and "Bug" could almost work as experimental sonic art, but only in the hands of somebody who specializes in that sort of thing. And Pearl Jam, that ain't...

#491, Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes: Interesting story behind this record... Apparently, the band was on the verge of breaking up, and their bass player went to David Bowie looking for some touring work. Bowie, upon hearing the news that his favorite band was to be no more, persuaded them to stick it out and produced this record, which made them a household name. Great record. Thanks, Dave!