Combined & Condensed Albums, Part 2

I'm back again with some more condensed albums, my take on what a pared-down playlist from a band's similar releases might sound like. Last time we went over Guns N' Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nine Inch Nails albums and for this week I've chosen three other bands' works. Let's take a look.

Unload by Metallica (1996, 1997)

If you don't know the basics of Metallica lore you may come to think you've been living under a rock, but honestly this period in the group's history may be worth skipping. Quick summary: 1991's Black Album is when Metallica gained mainstream success, selling tens of millions of copies but also representing a departure from the band's signature thrash metal sound. This more accessible, meatier stylistic and tonal shift was further exemplified on the follow-up albums Load and Reload which adopted a more hard rock and southern rock sound. I suppose when you're as influential and successful as Metallica you've earned the right to do whatever you want with your career, but that doesn't make this material inherently good now, does it? I no longer own these two albums because quite frankly I thought they were boring and I seldom listened to them. But that's not to say they're all bad; there are a few diamonds in the rough worth listening to. This playlist I've made here cuts out the rubbish (12 songs used out of 27) and makes for a more engaging 70-minute listen, but whether it's a worthy successor to the Black Album is up for debate.

1. “Fuel,” Reload

2. “Ain't My Bitch,” Load

3. “The Memory Remains,” R

4. “Until it Sleeps”, L

5. “Hero of the Day,” L

6. “2x4,” L

7. “Carpe Diem Baby,” R

8. “Mama Said,” L

9. “Ronnie,” L

10. “Low Man's Lyric,” R

11. “Where the Wild Things Are,” R

12. “The Outlaw Torn,” L

Me Are Men by Barenaked Ladies (2006)

Now for some real confusion. If you lived in Canada in the 1990's and early 2000's you could barely go a single day without hearing a Barenaked Ladies song. They made a lot of radio hits as well as some fine albums that had a variety of musical styles. One of these was the earnest, yet entertaining Are Me released in 2006. The recording sessions produced a wealth of material which was released in a variety of collections including the original 13-track album, a 14-track Starbucks exclusive, the remaining 16 tracks packaged as a separate album called Are Men, a 25-track 2-disc deluxe edition, and a 29-track deluxe edition. And let's not even talk about the digital versions! I'm going to go over the 25-track deluxe version because that's the one I happen to have. Making an album-length playlist for this collection of songs was rather fun. Like any of BNL's upper-tier albums Are Me and (especially) Are Men are a fine mix of quirky tunes, reflective folk-rockers, and the occasional spirited rockers. If you just want to hear the best of the 25 total then this 47 minute, 13-track assortment has got you covered.

1. “Sound of Your Voice,” Are Me

2. “Easy,” Are Me

3. “Serendipity,” Are Men

4. “Bank Job,” Are Me

5. “Running Out of Ink,” Are Men

6. “Angry People,” Are Men

7. “Adrift”, Are Me

8. “I Can I Will I Do,” Are Men

9. “Peterborough and the Kawarthas,” Are Me

10. “Beautiful,” Are Men

11. “Down to Earth,” Are Men

12. “Wind it Up,” Are Me

13. “The New Sad,” Are Men

The Mob Rules Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath (1980, 1981)

You could argue that I'm cheating with this since Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules aren't directly related to one another but I couldn't resist. The first Black Sabbath albums to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals, their sounds are so similar that comparisons between the two are inevitable. It seems that most people – myself included – prefer Heaven and Hell's more metallic approach compared to Mob Rules' slightly more atmospheric tone with its greater use of keyboards and synths. But at the end of the day they're both fine entries in the Black Sabbath catalogue, so what do they sound like when mashed together? Not very good, in my opinion. I did my best but this 10-track, 51-minute playlist doesn't quite capture the atmosphere and mood of each musical work. You're better off listening to them separately.

1. “Neon Knights,” H&H

2. “Voodoo,” MR

3. “Lady Evil”, H&H

4. “Heaven and Hell,” H&H

5. “The Mob Rules,” MR

6. “Country Girl,” MR

7. “The Sign of the Southern Cross,” MR

8. “Die Young,” H&H

9. “Falling Off the Edge of the World,” MR

10. “Lonely is the Word,” H&H

Combined & Condensed Albums, Part 1

It's awesome when a band/artist you love suddenly releases a deluge of new material, isn't it? Whether it's a double album or a trilogy of EPs, hearing new material for the first time sure is exciting. But later on once the afterglow has worn off I often wonder what a more condensed collection of this material might sound like. If all the fat were trimmed away and one standard-length album was assembled from all that we got, would we be left with an undisputed masterpiece of art? Join me as I explore this theory today with some of my favourite artists. Think of these as playlist ideas if you want. I'll even try coming up with fancy names for them too.

Choose Your Illusion by Guns N' Roses (1991)

One complaint I hear a lot from people who don't like Guns N' Roses (i.e. weirdos) is that it took them too long to make their second/third full-length album(s) and when they finally did it was a bloated wreck with too much filler and that if it was just one album of songs it would've been pretty good. While I agree that the four years' wait was too long, I still think Use Your Illusion I and II are fine albums that are worthy additions to the GNR discography. But if those thirty songs are too much for you I understand; allow me to trim it down to twelve. This was not an easy playlist for me to make up since I like both albums so much – although I clearly prefer I over II as you can see by the eight-to-four split – but these twelve songs best represent where the band was at musically in 1991. I've included the big hits (“You Could Be Mine”, “Civil War”), the ballads (“November Rain”, “Don't Cry”), and the hard rockers (“Locomotive”, “Right Next Door to Hell”). I also wanted to bring to light songs like “Bad Apples” and “Bad Obsession” which I think decent under-appreciated rock tunes that remind me of the Rolling Stones. I left off the cover songs and the drawn-out “Estranged”; I never much cared for them. And if you were expecting to see “My World” on this list then you must be out of your mind! So here's to you, non-GNR fans. If you're still not satisfied then I'm afraid I can't help you.

Approximate run time: 1 hour 15 minutes

1. “Right Next Door to Hell”, I

2. “Civil War”, II

3. “Bad Obsession”, I

4. “Don't Cry”, I

5. “Breakdown”, II

6. “Locomotive”, II

7. “Dust N' Bones”, I

8. “Double Talkin' Jive”, I

9. “November Rain”, I

10. “Bad Apples”, I

11. “You Could Be Mine”, II

12. “Coma”, I

Machina 1.5: The Gods of Modern Music by The Smashing Pumpkins (2000)

In 2000 the Smashing Pumpkins put out two albums: Machina/The Machines of God and Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music. They were OK. As far as I'm aware Machina II never got a physical commercial release – instead it was available for free on the internet, possibly the first major album to do so – and as a result lots of people never heard it. True, the band's glory days had just recently come to an end but both Machina albums still had a lot of good songs on them with a variety of tones and sounds. This goes double for the marathon second album: almost half the songs there are B-sides and alternate versions. This made it difficult for me to decide which songs should go where, what a good order for them would be, so I tried starting out with the heavier songs and ending with the gloomier ones. All in all I ended up with thirteen songs – seven from Machina I and six from Machina II – out of a possible forty for an approximate run time of 57 minutes. With these two albums together I think we've got a pretty good collection roughly on par with Pisces Iscariot. Not as great as my made-up title suggests, but still worth your time.

1. “The Everlasting Gaze”, I

2. “Raindrops + Sunshowers”, I

3. “Dross”, II

4. “Real Love”, II

5. “Let Me Give the World to You”, II

6. “The Sacred and Profane”, I

7. “Try, Try, Try”, I

8. “In My Body”, II

9. “Here's to the Atom Bomb”, II

10. “If There is a God (Piano)”, II

11. “Age of Innocence”, I

12. “The Crying Tree of Mercury”, I

13. “Blue Skies Bring Tears”, I

Not the Actual Witch Violence by Nine Inch Nails (2016, 2017, 2018)

Last decade Nine Inch Nails announced that they would put out a trilogy of EPs: Not the Actual Events, Add Violence, and Bad Witch (later re-branded as a full-length album even though it's only 30 minutes). Each of the three works had their focuses: Not the Actual Events returned to the abrasive industrial sound of the band's earlier material, Add Violence adopted a calmer, more electronic approach, and Bad Witch took both avenues and drowned them in a darker atmosphere (with some unexpected saxophone to boot!). The three releases produced a total of 16 songs. One could argue that that would be enough for a single long album – 1999's The Fragile included 23 – but for this one I decided to cut out the fluff and present only the essentials. And so we end up with a roughly 49 minute collection of ten songs (split 3-2-5) which I think is pretty good, but you're probably better off just listening to the three original recordings anyways.

1. “Less Than”, AV

2. “Shit Mirror”, BW

3. “Ahead of Ourselves”, BW

4. “Play the Goddamned Part”, BW

5. “She's Gone Way”, NTAE

6. “The Idea of You”, NTAE

7. “This Isn't the Place”, AV

8. “I'm Not From this World”, BW

9. “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)”, NTAE

10. “Over and Out”, BW

My 10 Favourite Albums of the 2010's

 

Yeah, I know I'm late to the whole “Top 10 ______ of the Decade” list trend, but 2020 has been a most unusual year, wouldn't you say? I've still got some energy to spare and not many movies to write about and since I find writing about music to be a fun challenge I've decided to take a look at some of the 2010's standout albums. Most of my preferred music comes from past decades and since I didn't listen to nearly enough of last decade's tunes to comment on the music scene as a whole this will simply be my list of personal favourite albums from the 2010's. This list will cover full-length albums released from 2010 to 2019, and will focus mostly on major label stuff. Compilations, remixes, live albums, and film soundtracks don't count.

Honourable mentions: The Great War by Sabaton, Weapon by Skinny Puppy, King Animal by Soundgarden

10. Apocalyptic Love by Slash (2012)

I've written about this album before (April 2016) and mentioned that I thought it was “OK... not great”, but every time I hear Apocalyptic Love I appreciate it just a little bit more than before. Slash's second solo album – the first to feature Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators on every track – sees the man slip into conventional hard rock album trappings as opposed to the jumbled guest star hodgepodge that was the previous album. This second recording is much more focused, better paced, and better written and it gives the guitarist more room to show off his chops. There's your standard hard rocker tunes like “One Last Thrill”, slower moody songs like “Far and Away”, and even a classical-sounding epic, “Anastasia.” Altogether the Slash man released four solo albums in the 2010's but for my money Apocalyptic Love beats them all thanks to its superior variety and pace.

9. Tattoos & Tequila by Vince Neil (2010)

That's right, I've listed a Vince Neil solo album as one of my top 10, and I'm not ashamed to say that I quite enjoy Tattoos & Tequila. It seems like most aging rock stars eventually go the live albums and cover songs route once their sales decline but Vince isn't just going through the motions on this record; this collection of songs delivers more rawness, energy, and fun than almost any other covers album I've heard. The songs range from classic rock staples like Cheap Trick's “He's a Whore” and The Hollies' “Long Cool Woman” to glam metal versions of unexpected gems like Elton John's “The Bitch is Back” and even “Viva Las Vegas” from Elvis. A real highlight comes in the form of “Nobody's Fault” from Aerosmith; it's easily the heaviest song of the bunch and the talk-box guitar solos were a nice touch. However I'd be technically incorrect in saying that Tattoos & Tequila is a full covers album. There are two original songs and they're easily this recording's weakest points, missing the energy and rowdiness found in the rest of the tracks. It makes me wish that Vince Neil did some more covers albums because his selection of some old classics fed through his patented L.A. sleaze-rock approach made Tattoos & Tequila surprisingly fun.

8. 13 by Black Sabbath (2013)

In 2013, the godfathers of heavy metal assembled to record one last collection of original songs and they did not disappoint. Any fan of Black Sabbath's first eight albums will feel at home listening to 13, with its doomy/spooky mood, long, intricate song structures, and excellent pacing. Ozzy's desperate, howled singing would fit neatly into 1978 and Tony Iommi proves that after 44 years he can still crank out heavy-duty riffs that you can't help but bang your head to. There's numerous callbacks to previous Sabbath classics; for example “Zeitgeist” bears undeniable similarity to 1970's “Planet Caravan”, “Live Forever” reminds me a lot of 1972's “Cornucopia”, and the closing track, “Dear Father,” shares many similarities with “Black Sabbath”, the first song from the band's first album. The only thing I can really knock 13 for is the production; the sonic range has been crushed under compression and artificial volume. Of all the albums in all the world, why did this one have to be a casualty of the loudness war? If it weren't for that blemish, 13 would've ranked much higher for me.

7. Collapse Into Now by R.E.M. (2011)

For their final album, alternative rock legends R.E.M. dial back from the hard rocker tone of their previous album, Accelerate (2008), and display a bit more variety in their songs. What we get is a broad sampling of all the styles and moods that the band has done throughout their past. There's songs reminiscent of Life's Rich Pageant (“Mine Smell Like Honey”) and New Adventures in Hi-Fi (“Blue”) and there's even direct lyrical references to at least one song on Accelerate (“Oh My Heart”). Speaking of lyrics, it's clear that this album is about the band coming to terms with the changing world around them while settling comfortably into middle age; more than once a mystified Michael Stipe refers to “the kids today”. Comfortable might be the best word to describe Collapse Into Now, in spite of the band members' talents on full display. It's a great band going out in style, doing what they do best.

6. ...Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age (2013)

With the return of both past band members as well as an eerie – occasionally dreary – mood previously seen on Lullabies to Paralyze (2005) you might think that Josh Homme & Co. are coasting off of their glory days, trying to duplicate past success. This theory couldn't further from the truth. Instead ...Like Clockwork finds the band at a new level of maturity and focus; gone are the drug references and stoner vibes – with the possible exception of the groovy “Smooth Sailing”. What we get instead are lots of guest appearances, some top-notch production, and some tight, to-the-point songwriting. It's an album that's both complex and easily digestible and it easily ranks amongst the band's better works.

5. Welcome Oblivion by How to Destroy Angels (2013)

What genre of music of music is HTDA? Electronic rock? Post-industrial? Trip hop? Electronica? Whatever it is, I like it. After listening to every Nine Inch Nails recording I could find I figured I'd move on to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' side project featuring Mariqueen Maandig on lead vocals. Welcome Oblivion, the band's only full-length album to date, is dreamier and more mellifluous than your typical NIN recording thanks to Maandig's softer voice and the more melodic textures/arrangements. There are brief moments of drama and urgency and even some of the quieter songs have something going on in the background, like the ominous ringing in “Ice Age” which eventually builds up into a piercing crescendo. But moments like this only add to the sonic texture and aren't just there for the sake of being noisy. All in all, Welcome Oblivion was a pleasant surprise for me. It's a recording that's as soothing as it is hypnotic, perfect for listening through headphones with your eyes shut.

4. Hesitation Marks by Nine Inch Nails (2013)

In true Nine Inch Nails fashion it took five years for the next album to be released, and as always it was worth the wait. In the early/mid-2000's frontman Trent Reznor transitioned from bitter, angst-ridden young man with substance abuse problems to sober, industrious, and progressive artist exploring new themes and evolving his band's sound. The trend continues on NIN's eighth full length album, Hesitation Marks. The word introspective can be used to describe pretty much every NIN record, but this one does it from a more peaceful and mature – sometimes even hopeful – perspective which is unique for this band's discography. Sure, there are songs that are louder and aggressive (“Copy of A”, “In Two”) but there's also some calmer and contemplative ones (“Find My Way”, “Disappointed”). Overall I'd say Hesitation Marks most closely resembles a calmer, more mature, and more varied version of 2005's With Teeth. It's the sound of a band that's grown up.

3. Dystopia by Megadeth (2016)

After two underwhelming albums earlier last decade, Megadeth underwent a lineup change by adding lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Chris Adler. Sometimes a little turmoil can do a band some good, as Dystopia is easily one of Megadeth's most energetic and aggressive albums since their glory days (the late 1980's to early 1990's). Fans of this band get exactly what they want: nearly every song hits hard and heavy with a furious level of speed, like in “The Threat is Real” and “Death from Within.” One exception is “Poisonous Shadows” which starts out with machine gun drumming and a chugging guitar riff only to give way to an orchestra and then a piano outro. And it all sounds great thanks to the top-notch production. Some listeners may be turned off by the lyrics' political themes or Dave Mustaine's voice but that's Megadeth for you; you should know what you're getting into by this point. All in all Dystopia sees Megadeth reaffirming itself as one of the Big Four of thrash metal with this menacing and blisteringly fast record guaranteed to please any of its fans. This is a dystopia worth living with.

2. Let England Shake by PJ Harvey (2011)

Let England Shake is easily the most ambitious album PJ Harvey has ever done. After mixing things up on 2007's White Chalk – a spooky piano-driven record where PJ sings in a much higher pitch than normal – the alt-rock legend struck with another starkly different recording. For starters her lyrics explore the themes of her English nationality/heritage and England's relation to the rest of the world – in particular its involvement in the First World War. Several songs are dedicated to the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign as well as the violence and tragedy of war; definitely a step away from Harvey's usual lyrical topics! Further experimentation is heard through her use of background vocals, autoharp, and brass instruments. Combined with the upper register vocals this makes for a soft sounding record – in spite of the often dreary subject matter – accentuated by the spacious production. I guess you could say it mirrors stereotypical British stoicism in masking its own disheartenment and outrage. Such complexity and harmonic grace make Let England Shake a surprising treat in PJ Harvey's catalogue. In fact one could argue that it's her best album to date but considering the strength of some of her previous efforts it wouldn't be an easy argument!

1. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here by Alice in Chains (2013)

Dang, 2013 sure was a great year for music! By 2018 the new lineup of Alice in Chains had put out just as many full-length albums as the classic lineup and while the current band isn't quite as exciting or captivating as it once was it has still produced some quality recordings. 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue was AIC proving that they still had something to offer and it was quite good, showcasing a heavier, doomier sound. But the “new” band's second album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is where they truly show off their songwriting abilities. The doom and heaviness is still there – “Hollow”, “Phantom Limb”, “Hung on a Hook” – alongside a few catchier rockers – “Breath on a Window”, “Low Ceiling” – and even a few upbeat acoustic-led tunes like “Scalpel” and “Voices”. Needless to say this all makes for a listening experience that's varied and refreshing, bolstered by the glossy production and impeccable pacing which allows the expert instrumentation and the signature spine-tingling vocal harmonies to really shine. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is a darkly vivacious listen that goes by faster than its 67 minute length would have you think, perfect for driving to. I can't wait to see what this band does next.

All Songs, Best to Worst: Alice in Chains

  Hey, guys. I'm still here. I know it's been a long time since I've written anything for this blog and I am sorry about that but since there's no movies to write about there's not much out there to give me material these days. I was running low on ideas until I decided to try another all songs rankings. As of late I've been listening a lot to today's band, Alice in Chains, and I think they're a band with a fascinating story.

  The classic lineup of this Seattle-based heavy metal group was known for its bittersweet harmonized vocals, the bleak and poignant lyrics, and overall raw and aggressive sound. Unlike most people I never considered Alice in Chains to be an out-and-out grunge band (unless we're talking about their deliciously murky self-titled album). This was 1990's metal at its finest, led my the talented songwriter-guitarist Jerry Cantrell and the balls-to-the-wall singing by Layne Staley who is my favourite singer of all time. Even though I didn't start listening to AIC until the early 2010's I was genuinely saddened to learn of Staley's passing in 2002, such was the power and sincerity of his performances.

  Years later the band came back with a new singer and a louder, doomier sound that still manages to fit snugly with the previous lineup's aesthetic. Despite not being as exciting as its previous incarnation I still have huge respect for this band that has survived the deaths of two members (the original drummer also died), reinvented itself, and continues to put out quality albums. So today I'm going to rank from best to worst – in my opinion – all 83 of Alice in Chains' songs that were released on full-length albums and EPs. Live albums, promotional singles, or duplicates will not be included. (Their first EP, We Die Young, included two songs that were also on their first album, Facelift, so I'll include them there.)

1. “Nutshell”, Jar of Flies (1994)

2. “Man in the Box”, Facelift (1990)

3. “Rooster”, Dirt (1992)

4. “Down in a Hole”, D

5. “We Die Young”, F

6. “Love, Hate, Love”, F

7. “No Excuses”, JoF

8. “Frogs”, Alice in Chains (1995)

9. “Heaven Beside You”, AIC

10. “Rain When I Die”, D

11. “Would?”, D

12. “Rotten Apple”, JoF

13. “Dirt”, D

14. “Stone”, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

15. “Sea of Sorrow”, F

16. “Sludge Factory”, AIC

17. “Last of My Kind”, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)

18. “Hollow”, TDPDH

19. “All Secrets Known”, BGWtB

20. “Brother”, Sap (1992)

21. “Dam That River”, D

22. “Head Creeps”, AIC

23. “Real Thing”, F

24. “A Looking in View”, BGWtB

25. “Over Now”, AIC

26. “Got Me Wrong”, S

27. “Bleed the Freak”, F

28. “I Can't Remember”, F

29. “Grind”, AIC

30. “Shame in You”, AIC

31. “Voices”, TDPDH

32. “Check My Brain”, BGWtB

33. “Phantom Limb”, TDPDH

34. “Lab Monkey”, TDPDH

35. “God Smack”, D

36. “Red Giant”, Rainier Fog (2018)

37. “Them Bones”, D

38. “Your Decision”, BGWtB

39. “Rainier Fog”, RF

40. “Maybe”, RF

41. “Drone”, RF

42. “Sickman”, D

43. “It Ain't Like That”, F

44. “God Am”, AIC

45. “Confusion”, F

46. “When the Sun Rose Again”, BGWtB

47. “Junkhead”, D

48. “Killing Yourself”, We Die Young (EP, 1990)

49. “Again”, AIC

50. “Lesson Learned”, BGWtB

51. “Pretty Done”, TDPDH

52. “Hung on a Hook”, TDPDH

53. “All I Am”, RF

54. “So Far Under”, RF

55. “Scalpel”, TDPDH

56. “Sunshine”, F

57. “Angry Chair”, D

58. “Hate to Feel”, D

59. “Acid Bubble”, BGWtB

60. “Take Her Out”, BGWtB

61. “I Know Somethin' (Bout You)”, F

62. “Deaf Ears Blind Eyes”, RF

63. “So Close”, AIC

64. “The One You Know”, RF

65. “Brush Away”, AIC

66. “Don't Follow”, JoF

67. “Whale & Wasp”, JoF

68. “Private Hell”, BGWtB

69. “Low Ceiling”, TDPDH

70. “I Stay Away”, JoF

71. “Breath on a Window”, TDPDH

72. “Right Turn”, S

73. “Put You Down”, F

74. “Fly”, RF

75. “Nothing Song”, AIC

76. “Swing on This”, JoF

77. “Am I Inside”, S

78. “Black Gives Way to Blue”, BGWtB

79. “Choke”, TDPDH

80. “Never Fade”, RF

81. “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here”, TDHDP

82. “Love Song”, S

83. “Iron Gland”, D

Tier List: Nine Inch Nails Albums & EPs

I've recently gotten into Anthony Fantano's music reviews on YouTube. Let me rephrase that: I'm not so much glued to his album reviews as I am interested in his videos where he talks about general music trends and entire band discographies. This includes his Tier Lists in which he ranks all of a band's albums into tiers based on quality. This inspired me to do one of my own. I chose Nine Inch Nails because not only is it one of my favourite bands but it's also a band that has a large and diverse discography. For this ranking I've listed all fifteen of NIN's studio albums and EPs; live albums and remixes don't count. So let me explain in detail what this means.

• S Tier: They way I see it, an S-tier album is an exceptional album, one that is most essential to knowing an artist. I believe only one NIN album meets this criteria and it should come as no surprise that that album is 1994's The Downward Spiral. Straight from the pain factory comes a dramatic, machine-generated descent into anxiety and depression that isn't exactly easy to listen to. While it isn't for everyone, TDS is well-paced, heavily textured, and memorable.
• A Tier: To me an A-tier album is excellent, something no true fan should be without. One of them is this band's debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, a 48-minute sample of dark synthpop/machine rock whose hooky songwriting and defiant-yet-celebratory tone brought some mainstream appeal to industrial music. The other is 1999's The Fragile, a grandiose double album that offers a lot in the way of textured soundscapes – 7 of its 23 songs are instrumentals – but represents an evolution of NIN's sound and themes rather than a revolution. It wasn't quite as good as TDS but it was a damn good effort.
• B Tier: Next up we have the albums that I consider to be very good and by coincidence they all happen to be EPs. The band's first EP, Broken, is a focused buzz saw of intense rage and ferocity. It's as metal as the band ever got and it catapulted NIN into public consciousness. On the other end of the spectrum is Still, a toned-down set of eight songs some new and some deconstructed remakes of older NIN songs. I would argue that Still is a hidden gem in the Nine Inch Nails discography, the fulcrum around which the band's tone has matured. The other two are the first and third of the EP Trilogy (2016-18), Not the Actual Events and Bad Witch, respectively. NTAE is exciting for bringing back a bit of hard rocking aggression that NIN fans hadn't seen in years and Bad Witch features some ominous dread with its interesting arrangements (which even includes some saxophone!).
• C Tier: This tier is what I consider pretty good, above-average work. Starting it off is 2005's With Teeth, which is more focused yet less daring than The Fragile. Despite this it still has some great songs and remains one of my favourites. Next is The Slip, a lean, straightforward industrial rock album that's easy to enjoy. NIN's following release, Hesitation Marks, sounds like an amalgamation of all that came before it but with a more mature – even hopeful – tone. Rounding out this tier is the band's most recent release (from two weeks ago), Ghosts VI: Locusts, an instrumental album of dark, anxious background music. It's a genre that Nine Inch Nails has become quite at home with.
• D tier: Lastly we have the D-tier, albums that I consider OK or average. The first amongst them is 2007's Year Zero. I find Year Zero, NIN's second concept album, to be an alright listening experience but there's not much that makes it standout. One year later the band released Ghosts I-IV, a sprawling instrumental album full of 36 brief untitled songs. While it does have a handful of catchy tracks, most of the album is kind of boring. Things are mostly the same with the 2017 EP Add Violence. The difference is that Add Violence only has about 3 ho-hum songs on it instead of 28! Lastly there's the 2020 instrumental album Ghosts V: Together. It's the lighter, gentler companion to Locusts, but NIN has always been better at making listeners feel uncomfortable.

All Songs, Best to Worst: The Doors (Morrison era)

Has it really been two years since I've done one of these? Hard to believe. I guess it's because I don't listen to the entire discography of that many bands (or at least I'm not comfortably familiar with enough bands to judge their entire discographies). Anyways this time we're going to compare The Doors' songs from the Jim Morrison era against eachother.

The Doors is a band that I've only recently gotten into and I'm wondering what took me so long; they're one of the most highly regarded American rock bands ever and their mix of blues, psychedelic, and rock is right up my alley. Their music was both intense and groovy (especially the keyboards by Ray Manzarek), Morrison's vocals were mesmerizing, and the songwriting never failed to take you on a mystical trip. The enigmatic Jim Morrison was the face of the band and he grew increasingly unstable as time went on. He died in 1971 and the remaining members tried continuing The Doors without him but called it quits after two marginal albums. Not many people care about the Doors after Morrison so today I'm going to rank all of the band's 61 songs from the six Morrison albums, best to worst. (Just for the record, I have heard 1978's An American Prayer and while I do think it's interesting I don't consider its tracks to be songs.)

1. “The End”, The Doors (1967)

2. “Light My Fire”, TD

3. “L.A. Woman”, L.A. Woman (1971)

4. “Hello, I Love You”, Waiting for the Sun (1968)

5. “Roadhouse Blues”, Morrison Hotel (1970)

6. “When the Music's Over”, Strange Days (1967)

7. “Riders on the Storm”, LAW

8. “Love Me Two Times”, SD

9. “Five to One”, WFTS

10. “Shaman's Blues”, The Soft Parade (1969)

11. “Not to Touch the Earth”, WFTS

12. “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”, TD

13. “Love Her Madly”, LAW

14. “The Soft Parade”, TSP

15. “The Changeling”, LAW

16. “Strange Days”, SD

17. “The Unknown Soldier”, WFTS

18. “Soul Kitchen”, TD

19. “The Crystal Ship”, TD

20. “People Are Strange”, SD

21. “Peace Frog”, MH

22. “20^th Century Fox”, TD

23. “Love Street”, WFTS

24. “The Spy”, MH

25. “The Wasp (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”, LAW

26. “Ship of Fools”, MH

27. “End of the Night”, TD

28. “Been Down So Long”, LAW

29. “Land Ho!”, MH

30. “We Could Be So Good Together”, WFTS

31. “Maggie M'Gill”, MH

32. “Touch Me”, TSP

33. “Take it As it Comes”, TD

34. “Blue Sunday”, MH

35. “Waiting for the Sun”, MH

36. “Tell All the People”, TSP

37. “You're Lost Little Girl”, SD

38. “I Looked at You”, TD

39. “Back Door Man”, TD

40. “Wintertime Love”, WFTS

41. “Cars Hiss By My Window”, LAW

42. “My Eyes Have Seen You”, SD

43. “Wild Child”, TSP

44. “Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)”, TD

45. “Summer's Almost Gone”, WFTS

46. “I Can't See Your Face in My Mind”, SD

47. “Yes, the River Knows”, WFTS

48. “Queen of the Highway”, LAW

49. “Runnin' Blue”, TSP

50. “L'America”, LAW

51. “You Make Me Real”, MH

52. “Do It”, TSP

53. “Unhappy Girl”, SD

54. “Crawling King Snake”, LAW

55. “Moonlight Drive”, SD

56. “Spanish Caravan”, WFTS

57. “Easy Ride”, TSP

58. “Horse Latitudes”, SD

59. “My Wild Love”, WFTS

60. “Indian Summer”, MH

61. “Wishful Sinful”, TSP

Movie Review -- Bohemian Rhapsody

  So I finally got around to watching Bohemian Rhapsody and to my great disappointment it wasn't a two-hour music video for the song of the same name. Talk about false advertising! Instead it's a biopic about Queen and its lead singer Freddie Mercury. So can this movie spread its wings and breakthru or will it bite the dust? Let's check it out.

  So yeah, as stated above the film follows Mercury from his days as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport all the way to his performance with Queen at 1985's Live Aid at Wembley Stadium. And yeah that's about all there is to say about the plot. It covers a few major events of the band's life up to 1985, detailing the origins of their most popular songs interspersed with Mercury's relationships and sexuality. It is, regrettably, a lot of surface-level stuff. I didn't know all that much about Queen before seeing this film and after seeing it I still don't feel as if I know all that much about them.

  Apparently there's also a lot of historical inaccuracies to Bohemian Rhapsody. For example, in real life Freddie Mercury didn't learn that he had HIV until after Live Aid, not before. Also Queen never broke up, which means that Live Aid wasn't really a reunion gig as the movie suggests. If you're like me and you're not overly familiar with Queen's history then these stone cold crazy glitches shouldn't bother you too much (I had to look these up). I can accept biopics often require little changes to real life stories in order to streamline events into movie script material. But if you're a big fan of Queen then you may be disappointed that the band's history was oversimplified to this degree. Plus Bohemian Rhapsody suffers from that old familiar problem of a lot of musical biographies: anyone who's familiar at all with the subject already knows how the story is going to end.

  In the director's chair we've got Brian Singer and his work here is kind of a mixed bag. One can't deny how well-shot, energetic, and fun the concert scenes are but on the other hand there are a bunch of scenes that overstay their welcome. For example the movie's climax is Queen's performance at Live Aid and this legendary 21-minute set is almost fully recreated (I think they only left out “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “We Will Rock You”). But as good as this scene is, I couldn't help but wonder is it over yet?

  As one might expect of a Queen movie the main character is Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek. Malek does a fantastic job with his somewhat weird performance and it definitely grows on you after a while, as Freddie becomes more comfortable with himself as the film goes on. The other characters are alright although I suspect that some of them fall prey to the aforementioned oversimplification, especially with regards to the film's antagonist.

  So that's Bohemian Rhapsody, an ordinary musical biopic that, while lacking in staying power, does manage to have some scenes of genuine fun. If you're already a hardcore Queen fan then you may end up going slightly mad at this one vision. For everyone else who's thinking about seeing it, don't stop now because it will rock you.

Grade:

All Songs, Best to Worst: Nirvana

Rounding out this most recent trilogy of All Songs Ranked is my countdown of Nirvana, one of the defining bands of the 1990's. It wasn't the first or most talented alternative band around, but it was one of the most influential and energetic. Nirvana was a band with the right attitude that came around at just the right time to become the vanguard of the alternative and grunge movements. Combining alternative music with punk sensibilities, Nirvana's music challenged its audience with music that sounded very different to what was on the radio and, as was the case with 1993's In Utero, wasn't always easy to listen to. It was, however, music that changed the world and today I'm going to countdown every one of Nirvana's 53 songs from best to worst. Since the band only released three studio albums, I'm also going to be including songs from 1992's Incesticide and 2002's Nirvana. Also, no live albums. Here we go.

1. “Aneurysm”, Incesticide (1992)

2. “In Bloom”, Nevermind (1991)

3. “Heart-Shaped Box”, In Utero (1993)

4. “Lithium”, Nm

5. “About a Girl”, Bleach (1989)

6. “School”, B

7. “You Know You're Right”, Nirvana (2002)

8. “Pennyroyal Tea”, IU

9. “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, Nm

10. “Dive”, I

11. “Come as You Are”, Nm

12. “Milk It”, IU

13. “Something in the Way”, Nm

14. “Blew”, B

15. “Breed”, Nm

16. “Negative Creep”, B

17. “Aero Zeppelin”, I

18. “Territorial Pissings”, Nm

19. “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle”, IU

20. “All Apologies”, IU

21. “On a Plain”, Nm

22. “Paper Cuts”, B

23. “Love Buzz”, B

24. “Scentless Apprentice”, IU

25. “Big Long Now”, I

26. “Hairspray Queen”, I

27. “Serve the Servants”, IU

28. “Been A Son”, I

29. “Dumb”, IU

30. “Lounge Act”, Nm

31. “Very Ape”, IU

32. “Mexican Seafood”, I

33. “Sliver”, I

34. “Turnaround”, I

35. “Radio-Friendly Unit Shifter”, IU

36. “Mr. Moustache”, B

37. “Swap Meet”, B

38. “Drain You”, Nm

39. “Polly”, Nm

40. “Endless, Nameless”, Nm

41. “Rape Me”, IU

42. “Scoff”, B

43. “Floyd the Barber”, B

44. “Son of a Gun”, I

45. “New Wave Polly”, I

46. “Molly's Lips”, I

47. “Tourette's”, IU

48. “Sifting”, B

49. “Big Cheese”, B

50. “Stay Away”, Nm

51. “Beeswax”, I

52. “Stain”, I

53. “Downer”, B

All Songs, Best to Worst: Led Zeppelin

The time has come to talk about Led Zeppelin. But what can I say about them that's not been said already? They're one of – if no the – greatest hard rock bands that ever existed. They've influenced countless bands, pioneered whole new genres of rock n' roll, and sold hundreds of millions of records. They're one of the heaviest bands ever and without them hard rock would sound very different today.

How can one describe Led Zeppelin's sound? It's a bit of everything, a mix of hard rock, blues, old school rock and roll, heavy metal, folk, funk rock, and progressive rock. Sometimes it was several of these genres in a single song! Listening to the band's music one can tell that Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham weren't content to stay put in the confines of just one box. They wanted to do everything and they did it well. So to celebrate their rich legacy I'm going to list all 80 of their songs (from the nine main albums) from best to worst. And just for the record, this is the hardest songs rankings list I've had to do yet, mostly because I don't really consider any Led Zeppelin song to be bad. It's just that some are way, way better than others.

1. “Stairway to Heaven”, Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

2. “Kashmir”, Physical Graffiti (1975)

3. “Whole Lotta Love”, Led Zeppelin II (1969)

4. “Heartbreaker”, LZ II

5. “When the Levee Breaks”, LZ IV

6. “Immigrant Song”, Led Zeppelin III (1970)

7. “In My Time of Dying”, PG

8. “Moby Dick”, LZ II

9. “The Ocean”, Houses of the Holy (1973)

10. “No Quarter”, HOTH

11. “Dazed and Confused”, Led Zeppelin (1969)

12. “Black Dog”, LZ IV

13. “Rock and Roll”, LZ IV

14. “Wearing and Tearing”, Coda (1982)

15. “Babe I'm Gonna Leave You”, LZ

16. “The Lemon Song”, LZ II

17. “Bring it on Home”, LZ II

18. “The Rain Song”, HOTH

19. “Communication Breakdown”, LZ

20. “That's the Way”, LZ III

21. “I Can't Quit You Baby”, C

22. “The Battle of Evermore”, LZ IV

23. “Houses of the Holy”, PG

24. “Custard Pie”, PG

25. “Ten Years Gone”, PG

26. “Since I've Been Loving You”, LZ III

27. “Going to California”, LZ IV

28. “In the Light”, PG

29. “Good Times Bad Times”, LZ

30. “Achilles Last Stand”, Presence (1976)

31. “D'Yer Maker”, HOTH

32. “The Crunge”, HOTH

33. “I Can't Quit You Baby”, LZ

34. “Ramble On”, LZ II

35. “What is and What Should Never Be”, LZ II

36. “Misty Mountain Hop”, LZ IV

37. “Four Sticks”, LZ IV

38. “Fool in the Rain”, In Through the Out Door (1979)

39. “The Rover”, PG

40. “Bron Y Aur Stomp”, LZ III

41. “Walter's Walk”, C

42. “Living Loving Maid”, LZ II

43. “Tangerine”, LZ III

44. “Hots on For Nowhere”, P

45. “Dancing Days”, HOTH

46. “Candy Store Rock”, P

47. “You Shook Me”, LZ

48. “Down By the Seaside”, PG

49. “Friends”, LZ III

50. “Thank You”, LZ II

51. “Royal Orleans”, P

52. “Ozone Baby”, C

53. “Nobody's Fault But Mine”, P

54. “Bonzo's Montreux”, C

55. “How Many More Times”, LZ

56. “I'm Gonna Crawl”, ITTOD

57. “Trampled Under Foot”, PG

58. “The Song Remains the Same”, HOTH

59. “Black Country Woman”, PG

60. “Sick Again”, PG

61. “For Your Life”, P

62. “Darlene”, C

63. “Over the Hills and Far Away”, HOTH

64. “Celebration Day”, LZ III

65. “All My Love”, ITTOD

66. “Hot Dog”, ITTOD

67. “Boogie With Stu”, PG

68. “We're Gonna Grove”, C

69. “Your Time is Gonna Come”, LZ

70. “Black Mountain Side”, LZ

71. “Out on the Tiles”, LZ III

72. “The Wanton Song”, PG

73. “South Bound Saurez”, ITTOD

74. “Poor Tom”, C

75. “Carouselambra”, ITTOD

76. “Hats Off to Roy Harper”, LZ III

77. “Bron-Yr-Aur”, PG

78. “Night Flight”, PG

79. “Tea For One”, P

80. “In the Evening”, ITTOD

All Songs, Best to Worst: Audioslave

Like anyone with good taste in music I was saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Chris Cornell, one of the most gifted singers of his generation, certainly one of my favourites. I thought it would be appropriate to kick off this third round of Ranking All Songs (first batch since last December) with some of Cornell's and since I haven't heard all of Soundgarden's songs I'm going to rank all of Audioslave's songs.

Audioslave was definitely a unique band during its short lifespan in the 2000's. It mixed hard rock with the 90's alternative sound. This is hardly surprising given where Chris Cornell came from as well as the other three bandmates, the instrumentalists from Rage Against the Machine. The band didn't start off too well. The band's name was rather dull. In addition the first album wasn't great; the songs mostly sounded the same and their sound was basically just Rage but with a different singer. But there were a couple hits that rocked well. With their second album, the band matured to become more than the sum of its parts and had established its own sound. The third album – the best in my opinion – continued expanding the band's sonic palette with forays into funk rock and R&B. The band only made three albums, but they're decent modern rock albums and we should be thankful for the time we had with Audioslave. So read on and enjoy my ranking of all 36 of Audioslave's songs from best to worst.

1. “Be Yourself”, Out of Exile (2005)

2. “Like A Stone”, Audioslave (2002)

3. “Doesn't Remind Me”, OOE

4. “Shadow On the Sun”, A

5. “Revelations”, Revelations (2006)

6. “#1 Zero”, OOE

7. “Moth”, R

8. “Until We Fall”, R

9. “Gasoline”, A

10. “Shape of Things to Come”, R

11. “Cochise”, A

12. “Set it Off”, A

13. “Jewel of the Summertime”, R

14. “Out of Exile”, OOE

15. “Man or Animal”, OOE

16. “Your Time Has Come”, OOE

17. “One and the Same”, R

18. “Getaway Car”, A

19. “Broken City”, R

20. “I Am the Highway”, A

21. “Show Me How to Live”, A

22. “Dandelion”, OOE

23. “The Curse”, OOE

24. “Nothing Left to Say But Goodbye”, R

25. “What You Are”, A

26. “Yesterday to Tomorrow”, OOE

27. “Sound of a Gun”, R

28. “Somedays”, R

29. “The Worm”, OOE

30. “Drown Me Slowly”, OOE

31. “Light My Way”, A

32. “Original Fire”, R

33. “Hypnotize”, A

34. “Exploder”, A

35. “Wide Awake”, R

36. “The Last Remaining Light”, A

Unboxing the Paranoid Super Deluxe Edition

If you read my article ranking all of original Black Sabbath's songs in December, then you'll know that I'm a pretty big Black Sabbath fan. (And if you didn't read it, then the preceding sentence has more than likely tipped you off.) They're one of my favourite rock/heavy metal bands ever and their groundbreaking second album, Paranoid (1970), is one of my favourite albums ever. So as you can imagine, my eyes popped out of my head when I learned that Paranoid was coming out as a 4-disc Super Deluxe Edition. I waited until after Christmas to order it from Amazon for $44 (Canadian) and it arrived just as I was shovelling snow in the windswept subarctic desert that I call my neighbourhood. So let's open this bad boy, shall we?

It's a decent weight. Feels solid enough. I've taken the shrink wrap off, but I almost feel bad for throwing it away since it has a sticker that lists everything included in the package – the only place on the whole thing where such a list exists. Oh well. At least the back of the box gives us a complete track list. The original artwork looks fabulous (and just as quirky as ever). And the header text is in glorious pink and purple. Nice.

Like I said, the box feels solid. It's got a wide, front-side lid which makes the box spread open just a bit when stood up. I would've preferred a thin box with a jacket-style lid – you know, the kind that DVD box sets often come in.

The first thing the set gives us is the 60 page hardcover booklet. This thing looks cool, good quality, in colour. I haven't finished reading it yet, but it goes over the band's early history and the album's recording process and includes lots of interviews, pictures, concert advertisements, and period newspaper clippings. Neat! Next up is the 16 page replica tour program pamphlet by the Chrysalis Group. Kind of cool. I don't think it's especially interesting but it does spotlight a couple other bands of the era: Freedom and Curved Air.

After that we have the one-sided poster, approximately 55x54 cm. It sure looks cool, what with the signature Paranoid font and colours, though in my opinion there are better photos of the band they could've used for this.

And now on to the discs. Each one comes in a plastic sleeve inside a folding cardboard sleeve, a lot like a vinyl record. Unfortunately the plastic sleeve – which I'm not sure is even necessary, by the way – is really flimsy and it folds and scrunches whenever I try putting the disc back in the cardboard case. The cases all look great and the two live albums have very stylish and psychedelic designs. Excellent job there.

Lastly, there's the music itself. Disc 1 is the 2009 remaster of Paranoid. It sounds good, more cleaned up than the 1990 Warner Bros. Music edition that I bought previously. For example, “War Pigs” no longer has that noticeable volume increase during the second half of the second verse. And maybe it's just me but it seems like the bass has been turned up. I especially find this the case with “Electric Funeral”.

Disc 2 is the same album, just the quadraphonic mix of it originally released in 1974, now on CD for the first time. I don't have a home stereo to properly support this mix, but I promise that if and when I eventually get one this is going to be the first album I play on it! Of course you could just try playing it in your car, but it'll only sound right if you sit in the exact centre of your vehicle. (DISCLAIMER'S NOTE: do not attempt to drive around while sitting in the centre of your vehicle's interior!) TONY'S NOTE: do it!

Disc 3 is the previously unreleased live recording at Montreux in August 1970, before Paranoid even came out. It sounds great – Ozzy's voice sounds clear and crisp when compared to the songs' studio recordings – though the intro and the encore applause parts do drag on a bit. For some reason, the track list doesn't include the closer “Rat Salad”. Still, this album is an interesting piece of heavy metal history.

But if you ask me, Disc 4 is the much better live recording included here. It's a Black Sabbath concert from Brussels in October 1970 which can be found on video on YouTube (though the video titles erroneously list it as “Live in Paris”). This recording sounds moodier and Ozzy interacts with the crowd a bit more here, such as when he yells at the crowd to clap to the opening of “Iron Man”. This recording also includes Tony Iommi playing “Black Sabbath” with a sinister opening guitar solo which sounds awesome. The only downside is that in both of these live albums, the bass is hard to hear. This kind of blemishes the renditions of “Hand of Doom”. Otherwise, the Brussels concert is a great, historic recording that I'd listen to any time. What's interesting is that each of these live recordings sometimes have alternate lyrics like in “Hand of Doom” and “Iron Man”. The Montreux concert recording has Ozzy singing “War Pigs's” original “Walpurgis” lyrics.

Overall, this Paranoid Super Deluxe Edition box set is sweet. Even though one of its discs is functionally useless to me (right now, at least), it has enough extras and a professional presentation that handily earns the set's price tag. If you're a big fan of classic Sabbath then consider checking this one out. You'll like it.

Talkin' Jive: Guns N' Roses, Part 4

   Remember that three-part series I did on Guns N' Roses last April? Remember the article I wrote on the soundtrack/bootleg/whatever called Guns Box: Attitude for Destruction? Well it turns out that there's another such collection of GNR-related music floating around known as The Many Faces of Guns N' Roses and in light of my previous GNR articles it's my duty to shed some light on it. So let's take a look.

   This is yet another multi-disc collection – made in 2014 – of Guns N' Roses music brought to us by Walmart, and for $12.88, only 88¢ more than Guns Box. Does this make it worth it? Well I didn't actually buy it but I have done some research on it so I don't really need to listen to it to know what it's like. (More on that later.) The packaging is way better this time around. For starters, it actually has the balls to use the Guns N' Roses name, unlike Guns Box. Second, the cover art looks nice, very close to some “official “versions of the classic GNR logo I've seen. Third, the set comes on three discs inside one of those folding cardboard CD cases – no multiple, cumbersome jewel cases in a loose cardboard sleeve this time. And lastly, the track listing on the back is in a neat, square, easy to read list. However, it isn't free from mistakes. For example, “Last Cigarette”, the Hollywood Roses song from Guns Box is now erroneously attributed to Hollywood Rose. At least they fixed the “Sex Action” mistake this time; on this album there really is “Sex Action” and not “Love and Hate”.

   Now let's talk about the music. The reason I don't need to buy this set to know what's on it is because much of this album is just the same songs from Guns Box. They're all there: the first two discs include most of the Hollywood Rose demos, the L.A. Guns rockers, and the Tracey Guns/Gilby Clarke collaborations. There are a few differences, though. This album has more L.A. Guns covers of songs originally done by Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy, and Bon Jovi. Thankfully that horrible rendition of “Paradise City” is now gone, but the crappy versions of “Don't Cry” and “Patience” still remain. The good news is “You're Crazy” and “Sweet Child O' Mine” – the best tracks from Guns Box – make a return. The most interesting inclusion here is a rendition of “Nice Boys” actually performed by Guns N' Roses themselves. It sounds very similar – but not exactly alike – to the version officially released on the 1985 faux-live EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide. The vocals sound slightly different and there's no audience track playing, so maybe this was an outtake or a demo for that album or something.

   And then there's the third disc. It's just a collection of 1980's hair/pop metal music that, aside from just one L.A. Guns song, has nothing to do with Guns N' Roses. Seriously? This is the type of music that GNR stood against. They'd be embarrassed to be lumped together with the likes of such jokers as Warrant, Poison, and even Winger. Freakin' Winger! Did anybody – even back then – ever think Winger was cool? Where's Motley Crue? Where's Whitesnake? Where's Dokken? Those guys were actually good. But no, apart from one good Ratt song (“Round and Round”) the third disc is just that cheap, disposable, superficial calibre of glam rock one can find on any old $4 no-name brand compilations rack not worthy of the GNR name.

   And there you have it: The Many Faces of Guns N' Roses. Is it any better than Guns Box: Attitude for Destruction? On the whole, not really. The only things it does better than that album is better packaging (which, let's face it, isn't that big a deal) and that one early Guns N' Roses demo of “Nice Boys”. So completionists, take note. For everyone else, the extra disc for 88¢ is simply not worth it.

All Songs, Best to Worst: Cream

There have been a lot of great rock supergroups over the years, but none of them quite measure up to the high standard established by the first successful supergroup, Cream. The number of bands and artists that have drawn influence from Cream defies quantification. Their soothing, exciting, unorthodox blend of blues and psychedelic rock created a wonderful sound that was often imitated but never duplicated. It also helps that each of its three members – guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker – were masters of their respective instruments, giving the band a unique talent for free-form instrumental jams. They're a band that I listen to constantly, so to round off this second trilogy of every song countdowns is my list of all of Cream's 34 songs from best to worst. This list includes all of their studio songs from their four albums. The live songs form those albums don't count.

1. “Sunshine of Your Love”, Disraeli Gears (1967)

2. “Toad”, Fresh Cream (1966)

3. “White Room”, Wheels of Fire (1968)

4. “Strange Brew”, DG

5. “Spoonful”, FC

6. “I Feel Free”, FC

7. “Tales of Brave Ulysses”, DG

8. “Sitting on Top of the World”, WoF

9. “Sweet Wine”, FC

10. “NSU”, FC

11. “World of Pain”, DG

12. “We're Going Wrong”, DG

13. “Deserted Cities of the Heart”, WoF

14. “Cat's Squirrel”, FC

15. “Born Under a Bad Sign”, WoF

16. “Dance the Night Away”, DG

17. “Outside Woman Blues”, DG

18. “Those Were the Days”, WoF

19. “Dreaming”, FC

20. “Rollin' and Tumblin'”, FC

21. “Four Until Late”, FC

22. “What a Bringdown”, Goodbye (1969)

23. “Sleepy Time” FC

24. “Blue Condition”, DG

25. “Pressed Rat and Warthog”, WoF

26. “Politician”, WoF

27. “Badge”, G

28. “I'm So Glad”, FC

29. “Take It Back”, DG

30. “As You Said”, WoF

31. “Passing the Time”, WoF

32. “Anyone for Tennis”, G

33. “Mother's Lament”, DG

34. “Doing that Scrapyard Thing”, G

All Songs, Best to Worst: Black Sabbath (Original Lineup)

   A legendary, grim, hulking mololith of power and doom which appears every so often when the planets align: this is the perfect way to describe the original line-up of Black Sabbath, the fathers of heavy metal music. People love to have the debate about who exactly invented the genre, with some attributing it to Led Zeppelin, others to bands such as Blue Cheer or Cream. While there were certainly many bands that produced hard rock, Black Sabbath was much different. They down-tune their guitars, they slightly eased the pace (sometimes), and most importantly they included dark and serious subject matter into their lyrics. With Tony Iommi's incredible riff-writing ability and Ozzy Osbourne's crazed energy, the band embodied a spirit of mystery, unorthodoxy, and raw power. The number of bands that wouldn't exist had it not been for Black Sabbath undoubtedly number in the thousands.

   For me, the original line-up of Black Sabbath is one of those bands whom I would genuinely feel excited about upon picking up one of their albums for the first time. I almost crapped myself when I heard that 3/4 of the original members were getting together to record a new album in 2013, during my lifetime! While I do enjoy the Ronnie James Dio era of Sabbath, their best years were the Ozzy years, no doubt. I'll listen to any one of those nine albums any time. So today, let's pay tribute to one of the all-time greats and rank all 72 of original Black Sabbath's songs. This list will include songs from their debut album (1970) all the way to Never Say Die! (1978), and will also include 2013's 13. Sorry, no live albums. Let's go!

1. “Iron Man”, Paranoid (1970)

2. “Black Sabbath”, Black Sabbath (1970)

3. “War Pigs”, Prnd

4. “Children of the Grave”, Master of Reality (1971)

5. “Paranoid”, Prnd

6. “Symptom of the Universe”, Sabotage (1975)

7. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

8. “Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B.”, BS

9. “Electric Funeral”, Prnd

10. “End of the Beginning”, 13 (2013)

11. “Hand of Doom”, Prnd

12. “Snowblind”, Vol. 4 (1972)

13. “Supernaut”, V4

14. “A National Acrobat”, SBS

15. “Sweet Leaf”, MoR

16. “The Wizard”, BS

17. “The Thrill of it All”, Sbtg

18. “Lord of This World”, MoR

19. “Wicked World”, BS

20. “Cornucopia”, V4

21. “Planet Caravan”, Prnd

22. “A Bit of Finger/Sleeping Village/Warning”, BS

23. “Age of Reason”, 13

24. “Sabbra Cadabra”, SBS

25. “After Forever”, MoR

26. “Hard Road”, Never Say Die! (1978)

27. “Solitude”, MoR

28. “You Won't Change Me”, Technical Ecstasy (1976)

29. “Killing Yourself to Live”, SBS

30. “Rat Salad”, Prnd

31. “Megalomania”, Sbtg

32. “Loner”, 13

33. “Johnny Blade”, NSD

34. “Hole in the Sky”, Sbtg

35. “Live Forever”, 13

36. “Into the Void”, MoR

37. “Fairies Wear Boots”, Prnd

38. “Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes”, V4

39. “Supertzar”, Sbtg

40. “Looking For Today”, SBS

41. “Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener”, V4

42. “Tomorrow's Dreams”, V4

43. “Dirty Women”, TE

44. “Rock N' Roll Doctor”, TE

45. “Back Street Kids”, TE

46. “St. Vitus' Dance”, V4

47. “Over to You”, NSD

48. “Air Dance”, NSD

49. “The Writ”, Sbtg

50. “Dear Father”, 13

51. “Zeitgeist”, 13

52. “She's Gone”, TE

53. “Damaged Soul”, 13

54. “All Moving Parts (Stand Still)”, TE

55. “Never Say Die”, NSD

56. “Swinging the Chain”, NSD

57. “Spiral Architect”, SBS

58. “Embryo”, MoR

59. “Junior's Eyes”, NSD

60. “Breakout”, NSD

61. “Shock Wave”, NSD

62. “Fluff”, SBS

63. “Laguna Sunrise”, V4

64. “God Is Dead?”, 13

65. “Who Are You?”, Sbtg

66. “Gypsy”, TE

67. “Am I Going Insane? (Radio)”, Sbtg

68. “Don't Start (Too Late)”, Sbtg

69. “Orchid”, MoR

70. “FX”, V4

71. “It's Alright”, TE

72. “Changes”, V4