Thursday, May 29, 2014

Geeshie Wiley & Elvie Thomas: Lost & Found.


Some time ago, in one of my first blog entries, I wrote a piece about Geeshie Wiley's recording of "Last Kind Word Blues." At the time, virtually nothing was known of Wiley, which only reinforced the song's unsettling mystique. "Like Wiley herself," I wrote, "the song seems to mysteriously exist on its own terms, holding all but revealing nothing."

"Last Kind Word Blues" is a song about a woman who hears the last kind words of her WWI lover to send his body to his mother-in-law if he doesn't survive the war (he won't). It is a song about a woman who, when reflecting upon her own death, decides she'd rather be eaten by buzzards than receive a proper burial. It is a song about a woman whose simple actions—walking across a rich man's field, going to the depot & looking up at the sign—take on the epic weight of a Biblical parable. It is a song about a woman who recounts her mother's dying words to her to not be so wild, in a voice that is void of any sense of wildness, let alone any trace of youthful daughterhood. It is a song in which a woman looks across the Mississippi River & sees her own face on the other side. It is a song about a woman who is inflicted with a feeling that she cannot get out of her & believes she has to cross the deep blue sea.


It is a song about profound loneliness, the finality of death, & the solitude of sin.


It is a song about isolation, about entrapment, about depression.


It is a song about Purgatory.

"Geechie Wiley can see her face from across the Mississippi River because hers is the only face to see;" Greil Marcus wrote in Invisible Republic (later retitled The Old, Weird America: The World Of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes), "all that she loves are dead, & there is no hint of community or society, of town & fellowship, anywhere in her song. The country it makes is a wasteland." Or, as Don Kent put it in the liner notes of the 1994 Yazoo Records compilation Mississippi Masters: Early American Blues Classics, 1927-35: "If Geeshie Wiley did not exist, she could not be invented."

But Geeshie Wiley did exist, as did her singing partner, Elvie Thomas, as evidenced in a remarkable new article by John Jeremiah Sullivan, "The Ballad Of Geeshie & Elvie," which was featured as the cover story on The New York Times Magazine last month. For anyone who's a fan of Wiley, Thomas, or the country blues, this article is a watershed & must be read in full; Sullivan's ability to describe the big picture while simultaneously focusing on the details is masterful, & much of his work would not be possible without the help of Caitlin Love, who dug through the trenches to provide the groundwork for many of the article's revelations.

In the article, it is Thomas who emerges most fully from the mystic chords of history. She was born August 7, 1891, went to prison at 18 for unknown reasons, played picnics with (& outsang) blues legends, teamed up with another female blues singer named Geeshie Wiley, recorded a few records with her in Wisconsin, then later turned to God, & apparently lesbianism. By the time she died on May 20, 1979, she was best remembered as a strict, God-loving hermit who chain-smoked cigarettes & had the most beautiful voice in the Mount Pleasant Church of Houston, Texas. She had cut off all ties to her blues-performing past—helped, no doubt by what Sullivan terms the "long, invisible blade between the two destinies" of "Elvie, a singer, who lives nowhere, & L.V., a woman, at her house in Houston"—such that her own family were surprised to hear of her unique blues legacy when the article was being published.


Geeshie Wiley largely remains in the shadows. We learn her birth name, Lillie Mae Scott, that she was born in Louisiana around 1908, married a man named Thorton Wiley who Thomas did not care for, & went off to live in rural Oklahoma some three years after recording her entire known catalog of a half-dozen sides. As Caitlin Love discovered, Geeshie Wiley comes sharpest into view is on the death certificate of her estranged husband who "died of stab wound between collarbone & neck" by a "Knife wound inflicted by Lillie Mae Scott."


What makes this so epic is that Wiley seems to predict this act of violence on the flipside of "Last Kind Word Blues" in a song called "Skinny Leg Blues."


I'm gonna cut your throat, baby, gonna look down in your face

I'm gonna let some lonesome graveyard be your resting place.

Given the events that soon played out after Geeshie Wiley recorded this song, these words are jarring enough, but considering the musical creative environment of the day, they are all the more bizarre and unusual. In their definitive Faking It: The Quest For Authenticity In Popular Music, Hugh Barker & Yuval Taylor write about what a relatively recent phenomenon the autobiographical song is: "Performers often use autobiographical song now as a talisman of their personal authenticity, parading their insecurities & problems through song in order to boast of how 'real' they are. But it was not common to give such detail in song until relatively recently, especially not in songs aimed at a mass market."


Barker & Taylor's example of a rare autobiographical exception that proves the rule is Jimmie Rodgers' "T.B. Blues," which he recorded in January 1931; when he died of tuberculosis two years later, people made the then-unusual leap of connecting the song's lyrical content with the singer's plight. Wiley's recording of "Skinny Leg Blues" was made in March 1930. In the time between Jimmie Rodgers recorded "T.B. Blues" & died of the disease he sang about, Geeshie Wiley cut her baby's throat.

Thus, a post-rock temptation to take all lyrics as autobiographical is seemingly justified by Geeshie Wiley's words & actions. If the most dire of her lyrics are proven accurate, what does this mean about her as a musical artist & lyricist? Is this another way in which she was ahead of her time? & does this now grant us the ability to listen to all of her songs that much more literally, the way we might be tempted to hear a John Lennon or a Joni Mitchell song?

Part of the unique chill of "Last Kind Word Blues" is how directly Geeshie sings it; this is not the lament of some overwrought torch song or a blues that uses irony like a shield to distance the singer from the hardship they express. When Geeshie tells you the last kind words of her lover, you take her at her word, just like she takes her lover at his word within the song.

The effect is that Geeshie is further drawn into the world of "Last Kind Word Blues" & further separated from our own. & yet, only a few weeks ago, it was largely unknown any concrete detail of her life, down to her real name. "Last Kind Word Blues," then, pulls the ultimate trick—it continues to recede even as we gain new facts that should allow us to view it closer. As Sullivan hints, our mind races at his article's newfound information. Given L.V.'s lesbian lifestyle & guardedness about Geeshie, is it possible that the two women were lovers? & if so, did Thorton Wiley suspect, know, or walk into the wrong room at the wrong time? Did L.V. secretly blame herself for Thorton Wiley's murder? It would be enough to make someone want to turn to the church & never look back.

It is tempting to say that we'll never know what happened, but given the recent small avalanche of information that has appeared, perhaps maybe we will. As a professor I sometimes do research for likes to say, "It's all out there waiting. You just have to find it."

Still, perhaps our postmodern, post-feminist readings of Geeshie & L.V. tell us more about the age that we live in than the one that we tell ourselves we are reconstructing. But now, with the long-forgotten murder of Thorton Wiley & Geeshie Wiley's recorded prophetic confession in the year prior, the strangest force imaginable now seems to attach itself to Geeshie's recordings: Truth.

One cannot help to wonder if maybe, just maybe, when Geeshie Wiley looked across the Mississippi River, she could see her face on the other side.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

The 501 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

Ten years ago this summer, rock & roll music turned 50.

To commemorate this event, I made a list of the 501 Greatest Rock & Roll Albums Of All-Time, covering the first half-century of The Rock & Roll Era, 1954-2004.



I created my list by compiling some 36 of the most definitive rankings—18 that were by decade & 18 that covered the entire era up to when that list was made—& then threw in my own 37th list to mix my own fruit into the labor.

A total of 1672 albums by 861 artists in 37 rankings were listed & evaluated, culled from the sources below. If a list contained more than 200 albums (such as Virgin's All-Time Top 1000 Albums), only the top 200 albums were used.

Decade Lists.

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s


Full Lists.

Rolling Stone (1967-1987)
Mojo (1995)
The Guardian (1997)
Q (1997)
Virgin (2000)
Acclaimed Music (Current)
Pop Vortex (Current)

American Wolf (Current)





[Postscript Ed. Note: Although it is conspicuously absent, I am almost positive I also consulted the VH-1: 100 Greatest Albums list from 2001 as a 19th "Full List."]

Highlight Rankings:

The Top 10.


1. The Beatles: Revolver
2. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3. Nirvana: Nevermind
4. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
5. The Clash: London Calling
6. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
7. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
8. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
9. The Velvet Underground & Nico
10. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced



Top 5 Of The 1950s.


1. Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
2. Elvis Presley
3. Little Richard: Here's Little Richard
4. Buddy Holly & The Crickets: The "Chirping" Crickets
5. Chuck Berry: Chuck Berry Is On Top



Top 5 Of The 1960s.


1. The Beatles: Revolver
2. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
4. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico



Top 5 Of The 1970s.


1. The Clash: London Calling
2. Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
3. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
4. Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
5. David Bowie: The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars



Top 5 Of The 1980s.


1. Prince: Purple Rain
2. Paul Simon: Graceland
3. Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
4. Michael Jackson: Thriller
5. U2: The Joshua Tree



Top 5 Of The 1990s.


1. Nirvana: Nevermind
2. Radiohead: OK Computer
3. R.E.M.: Automatic For The People
4. U2: Achtung Baby
5. Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill



Top 5 Of The 2000s.


1. Arcade Fire: Funeral
2. Jay-Z: The Blueprint
3. Radiohead: Kid A
4. The Strokes: Is This It
5. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells



Most-Represented Artists.


11 Albums: Bob Dylan
10 Albums: The Beatles
8 Albums: R.E.M.
7 Albums Each: David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, & The Who
6 Albums Each: Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, & U2
5 Albums Each: Elvis Costello, Bob Marley, Radiohead, & The Smiths
4 Albums Each: The Beastie Boys, Bjork, The Byrds, Miles Davis, PJ Harvey, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Prince, Talking Heads, & The Velvet Underground
3 Albums Each: Beck, The Clash, Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nick Drake, Kraftwerk, Madonna, Randy Newman, Nirvana, Outkast, The Pixies, Elvis Presley, Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & The Family Stone, Sonic Youth, The Stooges, Stevie Wonder, & Frank Zappa



Breakdown By Decade.


1950s: 14 Albums
1960s: 92 Albums
1970s: 138 Albums
1980s: 112 Albums
1990s: 95 Albums
2000s: 50 Albums



& without further ado, here is the master list—

The 501 Greatest Albums Of All Time.


1.     The Beatles: Revolver
2.     The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
3.     Nirvana: Nevermind
4.     Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
5.     The Clash: London Calling
6.     Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On
7.     The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
8.     The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main St.
9.     The Velvet Underground & Nico
10.  Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
11.  Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
12.  David Bowie: The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars
13.  Radiohead: OK Computer
14.  The Beatles: Abbey Road
15.  The Beatles [A.K.A. “The White Album”]
16.  Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run
17.  The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed
18.  Joni Mitchell: Blue
19.  Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
20.  Prince: Purple Rain
21.  The Who: Who’s Next
22.  Van Morrison: Astral Weeks
23.  Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks
24.  Led Zeppelin [IV]
25.  The Doors
26.  Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
27.  The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet
28.  Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde
29.  The Beatles: Rubber Soul
30.  Paul Simon: Graceland
31.  Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
32.  The Sex Pistols: Never Mind The Bollocks
33.  Michael Jackson: Thriller
34.  Stevie Wonder: Innervisions
35.  The Band
36.  Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life
37.  Neil Young: After The Gold Rush
38.  U2: The Joshua Tree
39.  Otis Redding: Otis Blue
40.  Prince: Sign ‘O’ The Times
41.  Love: Forever Changes
42.  The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
43.  David Bowie: Hunky Dory
44.  R.E.M.: Automatic For The People
45.  U2: Achtung Baby
46.  Led Zeppelin II
47.  Television: Marquee Moon
48.  Patti Smith: Horses
49.  The Ramones
50.  The Clash
51.  Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water
52.  James Brown: Live At The Apollo
53.  Talking Heads: Remain In Light
54.  Guns N’ Roses: Appetite For Destruction
55.  Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
56.  Michael Jackson: Off The Wall
57.  AC/DC: Back In Black
58.  Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home
59.  John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
60.  Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
61.  Iggy & The Stooges: Raw Power
62.  Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti
63.  Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique
64.  The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
65.  Pink Floyd: The Wall
66.  Carole King: Tapestry
67.  Van Morrison: Moondance
68.  Led Zeppelin I
69.  John Lennon: Imagine
70.  Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
71.  Arcade Fire: Funeral
72.  The Stone Roses
73.  The Pixies: Doolittle
74.  Jay-Z: The Blueprint
75.  Radiohead: The Bends
76.  Oasis: What’s The Story Morning Glory
77.  The Band: Music From Big Pink
78.  The Eagles: Hotel California
79.  Captain Beefheart: Trout Mask Replica
80.  Sly & The Family Stone: There’s A Riot Goin’ On!
81.  The Who: Tommy
82.  Derek & The Dominos: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
83.  Stevie Wonder: Talking Book
84.  Sly & The Family Stone: Stand!
85.  Elvis Costello: This Year’s Model
86.  Radiohead: Kid A
87.  Beck: Odelay
88.  Dr. Dre: The Chronic
89.  N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton
90.  R.E.M.: Murmur
91.  The Police: Synchronicity
92.  Bruce Springsteen: Born In The U.S.A.
93.  The Strokes: Is This It
94.  Portishead: Dummy
95.  Various Artists: Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
96.  Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True
97.  Neil Young: Harvest
98.  The Stooges: Fun House
99.  Bruce Springsteen: Darkness On The Edge Of Town
100.                 Dusty Springfield: Dusty In Memphis
101.                 The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
102.                 Jimi Hendrix: Axis: As Bold As Love
103.                 Bob Marley: Exodus
104.                 Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
105.                 The Pretenders
106.                 Massive Attack: Blue Lines
107.                 My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
108.                 Pearl Jam: Ten
109.                 Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation
110.                 Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang
111.                 Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You
112.                 David Bowie: Low
113.                 Lou Reed: Transformer
114.                 Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
115.                 Oasis: Definitely Maybe
116.                 Alanis Morrissette: Jagged Little Pill
117.                 Jeff Buckley: Grace
118.                 Green Day: Dookie
119.                 Elvis Presley
120.                 Joy Division: Closer
121.                 Kate Bush: Hounds Of Love
122.                 Primal Scream: Screamadelica
123.                 De La Soul: 3 Feet High And Rising…
124.                 Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
125.                 Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted
126.                 The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
127.                 Bob Marley: Catch A Fire
128.                 Johnny Cash: At Folsom Prison
129.                 Blondie: Parallel Lines
130.                 Cream: Disraeli Gears
131.                 Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow
132.                 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Déjà Vu
133.                 The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
134.                 Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
135.                 Outkast: Stankonia
136.                 Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin
137.                 Pulp: Different Class
138.                 Blur: Parklife
139.                 Nas: Illmatic
140.                 Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral
141.                 The White Stripes: Elephant
142.                 Outkast: Speakerboxx/The Love Below
143.                 Little Richard: Here’s Little Richard
144.                 Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
145.                 The Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill
146.                 John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
147.                 Peter Gabriel: So
148.                 The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night
149.                 Metallica: Master Of Puppets
150.                 Prince: 1999
151.                 R.E.M.: Out Of Time
152.                 Public Enemy: Fear Of A Black Planet
153.                 Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure
154.                 The Zombies: Odessey & Oracle
155.                 The Who Sell Out
156.                 The Allman Brothers: At Fillmore East
157.                 Curtis Mayfield: Super Fly
158.                 The Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
159.                 Al Green: Call Me
160.                 Queen: A Night At The Opera
161.                 Various Artists: The Harder They Come Soundtrack
162.                 The Velvet Underground
163.                 Marvin Gaye: Let’s Get It On
164.                 Pink Floyd: Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
165.                 Kanye West: The College Dropout
166.                 Buddy Holly & The Crickets: The “Chirping” Crickets
167.                 Tom Waits: Rain Dogs
168.                 Green Day: American Idiot
169.                 The Smiths
170.                 Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die
171.                 Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell
172.                 Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen
173.                 Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
174.                 Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
175.                 Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
176.                 Air: Moon Safari
177.                 Tricky: Maxinquaye
178.                 Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express
179.                 Crosby, Stills & Nash
180.                 Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
181.                 Black Sabbath: Paranoid
182.                 The Velvet Underground: Loaded
183.                 Frank Zappa: We’re Only In It For The Money
184.                 King Crimson: In The Court Of The Crimson King
185.                 George Harrison: All Things Must Pass
186.                 Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells A Story
187.                 Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cosmo’s Factory
188.                 Joni Mitchell: Court And Spark
189.                 Janis Joplin: Pearl
190.                 T. Rex: Electric Warrior
191.                 The Byrds: The Notorious Byrd Brothers
192.                 Nirvana: In Utero
193.                 The Cure: Disintegration
194.                 The Pixies: Surfer Rosa
195.                 Bjork: Debut
196.                 A Tribe Called Quest: Low End Theory
197.                 Madonna: Like A Prayer
198.                 Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
199.                 Interpol: Turn On The Bright Lights
200.                 Jay-Z: The Black Album
201.                 Elliott Smith: Either/Or
202.                 Manic Street Preachers: Everything Must Go
203.                 Daft Punk: Discovery
204.                 The Replacements: Let It Be
205.                 U2: The Unforgettable Fire
206.                 Ray Charles: Modern Sounds In Country & Western
207.                 Gang Of Four: Entertainment!
208.                 Def Leppard: Hysteria
209.                 ABC: Lexicon Of Love
210.                 Talking Heads: Fear Of Music
211.                 Etta James: At Last!
212.                 Bjork: Post
213.                 Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions
214.                 Van Halen
215.                 Big Brother & The Holding Company: Cheap Thrills
216.                 Moby Grape
217.                 Leonard Cohen: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
218.                 The Who: Quadrophenia
219.                 Elvis Presley: From Elvis In Memphis
220.                 The Byrds: Younger Than Yesterday
221.                 Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel
222.                 The Stooges
223.                 The New York Dolls
224.                 Richard & Linda Thompson: I Want To See The Bright Lights
225.                 The Modern Lovers
226.                 Billy Joel: The Stranger
227.                 Bob Marley: Natty Dread
228.                 The Grateful Dead: American Beauty
229.                 Led Zeppelin: Houses Of The Holy
230.                 PJ Harvey: Stories Of The City, Stories Of The Sea
231.                 U2: All That You Can’t Leave Behind
232.                 Outkast: Aquemini
233.                 Mercury Rev: Deserter’s Songs
234.                 Metallica
235.                 Talk Talk: Spirit Of Eden
236.                 Franz Ferdinand
237.                 The Beatles: With The Beatles
238.                 Bob Marley: Legend
239.                 X: Los Angeles
240.                 Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones
241.                 Jesus & Mary Chain: Psychocandy
242.                 Elvis Costello: Get Happy!!
243.                 The Rolling Stones: Aftermath
244.                 Eric B. & Rakim: Paid In Full
245.                 Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska
246.                 Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps
247.                 The Pogues: Rum, Sodom & The Lash
248.                 Elvis Costello: Imperial Bedroom
249.                 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Going To A Go-Go
250.                 The Specials
251.                 Sigur Ros: Agaetis Byrjun
252.                 DJ Shadow: Entroducting…
253.                 The Verve: Urban Hymns
254.                 Belle & Sebastian: If You’re Feeling Sinister
255.                 The Chemical Brothers: Dig Your Own Hole
256.                 Weezer: Pinkerton
257.                 The Fugees: The Score
258.                 Blur
259.                 Spiritualized: Ladies & Gentleman We Are Floating In Space
260.                 2pac: All Eyez On Me
261.                 R.E.M.: New Adventures In Hi-Fi
262.                 Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
263.                 Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
264.                 50 Cent: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’
265.                 Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
266.                 Beck: Sea Change
267.                 Eminem: The Eminem Show
268.                 Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever To Tell
269.                 Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf
270.                 Streets: Original Pirate Material
271.                 The Libertines: Up The Bracket
272.                 Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River
273.                 Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left
274.                 The Ramones: Rocket To Russia
275.                 The Kinks: Something Else By The Kinks
276.                 Nick Drake: Pink Moon
277.                 The Who: Live At Leeds
278.                 Meatloaf: Bat Out Of Hell
279.                 Neil Young: Tonight’s The Night
280.                 Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding
281.                 Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything?
282.                 Nick Drake: Bryter Layter
283.                 Frank Zappa: Hot Rats
284.                 James Taylor: Sweet Baby James
285.                 The Doors: L.A. Woman
286.                 The Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat
287.                 Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic
288.                 Steely Dan: Aja
289.                 Paul McCartney: Band On The Run
290.                 Elton John: Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy
291.                 Hole: Live Through This
292.                 TLC: CrazySexyCool
293.                 Suede: Dog Man Star
294.                 Leftfield: Leftism
295.                 Manic Street Preachers: Holy Bible
296.                 Garbage
297.                 Prodigy: Music For The Gilted Generation
298.                 PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love
299.                 Radiohead: Amnesiac
300.                 Alicia Keys: Songs In A Minor
301.                 Bjork: Vespertine
302.                 Missy Elliott: Miss E…So Addictive
303.                 Ryan Adams: Gold
304.                 Liz Phair: Exile In Guyville
305.                 Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
306.                 Suede
307.                 Rage Against The Machine
308.                 The Beastie Boys: Check Your Head
309.                 R.E.M.: Green
310.                 The Breeders: Last Splash
311.                 My Bloody Valentine: Isn’t Anything
312.                 D’Angelo: Voodoo
313.                 Massive Atack: Mezzanine
314.                 Wilco: Summerteeth
315.                 Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication
316.                 Boards Of Canada: Music Has The Right To Children
317.                 Beck: Midnite Vultures
318.                 Chuck Berry: Chuck Berry Is On Top
319.                 Bo Diddley
320.                 Prince: Dirty Mind
321.                 R.E.M.: Document
322.                 Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin’ Lovers
323.                 Frank Sinatra: In The Wee Small Hours
324.                 Donald Fagan: The Nightfly
325.                 Tina Turner: Private Dancer
326.                 Husker Du: Zen Arcade
327.                 The Beatles: Please Please Me
328.                 The Rolling Stones: Out Of Our Heads
329.                 The Replacements: Tim
330.                 Dexy’s Midnight Runners: Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
331.                 Roxy Music: Avalon
332.                 Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
333.                 Madonna: Like A Virgin
334.                 The Smiths: Strangeways, Here We Come
335.                 Kraftwerk: Computer World
336.                 Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms
337.                 AC/DC: Highway To Hell
338.                 Mamas & Papas: If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
339.                 Public Image Ltd.: Metal Box
340.                 R.E.M.: Lifes Rich Pageant
341.                 John Mayall: Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton
342.                 The B-52’s
343.                 Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
344.                 MC5: Kick Out The Jams
345.                 The Jam: All Mod Cons
346.                 Miles Davis: In A Silent Way
347.                 David Bowie: Staiton To Station
348.                 Parliament: Mothership Connection
349.                 Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends
350.                 Santana: Abraxas
351.                 Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food
352.                 Deep Purple: Machine Head
353.                 Otis Redding: Dock Of The Bay
354.                 The Beatles: Let It Be
355.                 Bob Marley: Live!
356.                 Brian Eno: Here Come The Warm Jets
357.                 Big Star: Radio City
358.                 Moody Blues: Days Of Future Passed
359.                 Funkaelic: Maggot Brain
360.                 The Rolling Stones: Between The Buttons
361.                 Randy Newman: Sail Away
362.                 Randy Newman: 12 Songs
363.                 Kraftwerk: Man-Machine
364.                 Fairport Convention: Leige & Lief
365.                 Yes: Close To The Edge
366.                 The Flying Burrito Brothers: The Gilded Palace Of Sin
367.                 Led Zeppelin III
368.                 Suicide
369.                 Funkadelic: One Nation Under A Groove
370.                 David Bowie: Aladdin Sane
371.                 Buffalo Springfield Again
372.                 Cat Stevens: Tea For The Tillerman
373.                 Boston
374.                 Randy Newman: Good Old Boys
375.                 David Bowie: “Heroes”
376.                 Neil Young: On The Beach
377.                 Jethro Tull: Aqualung
378.                 Bob Dylan: Desire
379.                 Sly & The Family Stone: Fresh
380.                 Lynyrd Skynyrd: Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd
381.                 Fleetwood Mac
382.                 Prodigy: Fat Of The Land
383.                 Bob Dylan: Time Out Of Mind
384.                 Bjork: Homogenic
385.                 Daft Punk: Homework
386.                 Notorious B.I.G.: Life After Death
387.                 U2: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
388.                 Weezer
389.                 Usher: Confessions
390.                 Pavement: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
391.                 Nirvana: MTV Unplugged In New York
392.                 Brian Wilson: SMiLE
393.                 The Killers: Hot Fuss
394.                 The Beastie Boys: Ill Communication
395.                 Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works
396.                 The Libertines
397.                 Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
398.                 Elastica
399.                 Jane’s Addiction: Nothing’s Shocking
400.                 Happy Mondays: Pills ‘N’ Thrills & Bellyaches
401.                 Talk Talk: Laughing Stock
402.                 New Order: Technique
403.                 PJ Harvey: Rid Of Me
404.                 Crowded House: Woodface
405.                 Tracy Chapman
406.                 The Pixies: Bossanova
407.                 Sonic Youth: Goo
408.                 A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders
409.                 Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man
410.                 Bonnie Raitt: Nick Of Time
411.                 Lou Reed: New York
412.                 The La’s
413.                 PJ Harvey: Dry
414.                 Metallica: …& Justice For All
415.                 LL Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out
416.                 Spoon: Kill The Moonlight
417.                 Bruce Springsteen: The Rising
418.                 Missy Elliott: Under Construction
419.                 Radiohead: Hail To The Thief
420.                 Alicia Keys: The Diary Of Alicia Keys
421.                 Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
422.                 Sigur Ros: ( )
423.                 The Dixie Chicks: Home
424.                 System Of A Down: Toxicity
425.                 Buddy Holly
426.                 Jerry Lee Lewis
427.                 Bob Dylan: Love & Theft
428.                 Ray Charles: The Genius Of Ray Charles
429.                 Sonic Youth: Sister
430.                 Minutemen: Double Nickels On The Dime
431.                 Marty Robbins: Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs
432.                 The Who: My Generation
433.                 Bruce Springsteen: The River
434.                 Dave Brubeck: Time Out
435.                 Iron Maiden: Number The Beast
436.                 Johnny Burnette & His Rock ‘N’ Roll Trio
437.                 Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out The Lights
438.                 Madonna
439.                 Violent Femmes
440.                 Black Flag: Damaged
441.                 Brian Eno & David Byrne: My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
442.                 New Order: Power, Corruption & Lies
443.                 Human League: Dare!
444.                 U2: War
445.                 XTC: Skylarking
446.                 Tool: Lateralus
447.                 Simon & Garfunkel: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
448.                 Boogie Down Productions: Criminal Minded
449.                 The Fall: This Nation’s Saving Grace
450.                 Husker Du: New Day Rising
451.                 Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet
452.                 Miles Davis: Sketches Of Spain
453.                 Frank Zappa: Freak Out!
454.                 The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man
455.                 Lionel Richie: Can’t Slow Down
456.                 The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms
457.                 Van Halen: 1984
458.                 LL Cool J: Radio
459.                 Run-D.M.C.
460.                 The Beatles: Help!
461.                 Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
462.                 The Jam: Sound Affects
463.                 Motorhead: Ace Of Spades
464.                 Def Leppard: Pyromania
465.                 George Michael: Faith
466.                 Cocteau Twins: Treasure
467.                 B.B. King: Live At Regal
468.                 David Bowie: Scary Monsters (& Super Creeps)
469.                 Janet Jackson: Control
470.                 Duran Duran: Rio
471.                 Various Artists: A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
472.                 The Beach Boys Today!
473.                 Dinosaur Jr.: You’re Living All Over Me
474.                 Cream: Fresh Cream
475.                 R.E.M.: Reckoning
476.                 Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel Of Love
477.                 Elvis Costello: Armed Forces
478.                 The Police: Ghost In The Machine
479.                 Metallica: Kill ’Em All
480.                 ZZ Top: Eliminator
481.                 The Smiths: Meat Is Murder
482.                 The Smiths: Hatful Of Hollow
483.                 Anita Baker: Rapture
484.                 The Clash: Sandanista!
485.                 The Cure: Pornography
486.                 Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood
487.                 Cream: Wheels Of Fire
488.                 Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willy & The Poor Boys
489.                 John Coltrane: Giant Steps
490.                 Iggy Pop: Lust For Life
491.                 Ian Dury: New Boots & Panties!!
492.                 Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers
493.                 Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters
494.                 Paul Simon: There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
495.                 Al Green: Greatest Hits
496.                 Steely Dan: Countdown To Ecstasy
497.                 Brian Eno: Another Green World
498.                 The Who: Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy
499.                 James Brown: Sex Machine
500.                 The Small Faces: Odgen’s Nut Gone Flake
501.                 Bob Dylan & The Band: The Basement Tapes