Net Music Review

The Editors Top Ten; Songs & Albums

Along with picking the England national football team surely trying to pick your top ten songs or albums has got to be one of the most frustrating pub conversations possible. Yes, everyone disagrees and much mocking of other peoples choices will occur, but personally this pales into comparison next to the internal anguish this subject causes me. Just as you dare to think you've got your top ten nailed on, bang, another candidate pops into your head and you're forced to start all over again. Some songs have strong emotional connections to our lives, does this make it a good song, just because it brings back memories, does your favourite album from when you were fifteen automatically qualify? It is a subject that poses more questions than it answers and when you finally manage to come up with a list there is always that nagging feeling at the back of your mind that somewhere along the ay you missed out an absolute belter. So, with all of that in mind I thought I'd give it a go and see what I can some up with.

Top Ten Songs:

And in at number ten (Okay, sorry, won't use that one again!) is The Cure with "Friday I'm In Love", one of their best known songs and also one of their most upbeat. Robert Smith has always been a master of doom n gloom but here, mainly thanks to the guitar that manages to cut through even Smith's world weary delivery like the sun breaking through the clouds. Next, at 9 is The Beta Band with "Simple", I have always admired The Beta Band as they seemed to be one of the few bands willing to experiment and yet still come up with the goods and "Simple" does not disappoint. It seems to build and build from the first moments of the song, with layer upon layer on instrumentation being built up in a slightly unusual way which spectacular results, it encapsulates all that was good about them. At 8 is the Pixies with "Monkey's Gone To Heaven", not much needs to be said about the Pixies really. If they were good enough for Kurt Cobain then they're good enough for me and on a slightly morbid note, one of the songs I'd have played at my funeral! Orbital with "Belfast" get the number 7 spot, back in the late 80's and early 90's during the height of the rave movement there was one band that stood out from the rest and one track stood out from the rest as well. "Belfast" is a staggering achievement with its multi-layered, multi-textured musical backdrops that will forever remind me of sunrise over the stone circle at Glastonbury. Continuing along the electronic theme we come to "If I Survive" by Hybrid, one of the greatest pieces of electronic music ever written. Starting with what sounds like sonar the bass quickly kicks in before the whole track approaches lift off, break-beat at its finest with lush orchestral arrangements providing an almost cinematic backdrop.

The top five is where it gets tricky, apart from number 1, the top four could probably be interchangeable depending on what mood I'm in, but for today it looks this; at 5, "The Ship Song" by Nick Cave. Cave's music can be wild and despairing sometimes, exploring the depths of human emotion, but here we find him and backing band The Bad Seeds on top form with a haunting, melodic tune. The lyrics may not instantly be clear, but I always think about it as trying to let someone go that you love. If I was to be pushed I would have to admit, while the studio version is incredibly good it's a live version that I got given that made me fall in love with this. At four is The Stone Roses with "Sugar Spun Sister", in truth it could have been almost any song from their debut, but this one stands out in my mind due to the chorus, "Until the sky turns green and the grass is several shades of blue, every member of parliament trips on glue", it brings a smile to my face every time I hear it. After all this time, I still have no idea what its about, but that may be what keeps bringing me back to it. At 3 is "Heliospan" by Aphex Twin, the greatest electronic artist of all time. From his Selected Ambient Works 85-92 album it is ambient electronica at its very best , the warm synths swirling around the beat make it something truly special. Richard D James may have spawned a thousand imitators but none have ever managed to scale the same heights and manage to surprise you at every turn. At two is "Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" by Spiritualized, the very definition of a multi-layered tune. Starting off slowly everything builds and builds with synth and guitars building to a crescendo, the vocals are sung almost in a round and the refrain "All I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away" must surely tug at the heartstrings of anyone who hears it. At number 1, my all time greatest song is Pearl Jam with "Corduroy" from 1994's Vitalogy album. This song embodies everything I think makes a great rock song, catchy guitar riff, brilliant vocal and the whole band playing as if one and almost possessed, a definite highlight of their live show too. During 1994 the band and particularly lead singer Eddie Vedder were struggling with the trappings of being catapulted into fame and this certainly manifests itself in the lyric which has to be one of Vedder's most obvious about coping with the pressure. A fitting song, in my opinion, at least, to finish the countdown of my top ten songs of all time.

Top Ten Albums

As this site is mainly aimed at album reviews, it would be foolish of me not to include my top ten albums too. Compiling a list of your top ten albums is even more difficult than songs, you're not considering just one piece but a whole body of work and how it fits together, and apologies to those that didn't make it but deserve an honourable mention including, Nirvana, Flaming Lips, Soundgarden, Nick Cave, R.E.M. and Radiohead.

In tenth position is "A Short Album About Love" by The Divine Comedy, possibly Neil Hannon's least commercial album and his shortest but it is a gem. Allegedly recorded in between sound checks the lush orchestral arrangements wow and Hannon's voice has never sounded better. Key Tracks; Everybody Knows (Except You), If.

At 9 is The Libertines 2002 debut, "Up The Bracket", trumpeted as the saviours of British guitar music at the time, in hindsight it seems little more than a blip, but what a blip. For a few years at the beginning of the millennium Pete Doherty and his merry men enlivened a scene that was going stale fast. Some compared them to The Strokes, but this missed the point. The Strokes were always about looking cool and sounding cool, the Libs were cool without even trying. Eventually, the headlines obscured the music, but on this their finest hour they serve up track after track of infectious indie guitar based heaven. Key Tracks; Time For Heroes, Up The Bracket.

The Beta Band occupy eight spot here, and the first band to make it onto both the top ten songs and albums lists with "Heroes To Zeroes". The Beta Band's last album before splitting distils and refines their sound, and is noticeably more polished than anything else they had delivered before. The listener is taken on a tour de force which leaves you breathless by the end. Key Tracks; Assessment , Simple

Seventh is awarded to Sasha for "Airdrawndagger", a dance album with a difference. Released in 2002 it is was the famous DJ and remixes first full length album, it is a trance masterpiece that is guaranteed to get even the most leaden footed of us onto the dance floor. Sounding slightly retro in places it's a full frontal assault on the senses that has to be played loud. Key Tracks; Mr. Tiddles, Bloodlock

What list of top albums would be complete without an entry from the legendary Led Zeppelin? Answer, none, and this is no exception! At 6 is Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti", while not their most famous album, it surely has to be their finest. While IV may have Stairway To Heaven and Goin' To California "Physical Graffiti" is the most balanced work not only showcasing both their rockier tendencies, but also their softer, folkier side too. Key Tracks; Kashmir, Bron-Yr-Aur

Again, what list could be complete without The Beatles? At 5 is "Abbey Road" by the fab four from Liverpool. The last album they recorded together (although not the last released, that honour went to Let It Be) "Abbey Road" proved to be a fitting swansong. The first half of the album is filled with instantly recognisable classics such as "Come Together", "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun", the second half is a medley of half songs that fit together perfectly finishing with "The End" where member plays a solo. Interestingly, the album saw George Harrison finally emerge from the shadows of John & Paul to become a song writing force in his own right. Key Track; Here Come The Sun, The End

At four is the greatest debut album ever, The Stone Roses' eponymous album pushed the Madchester scene to national attention and paved the way for many others including Oasis. Taking inspiration from the 60's the Roses managed to create a timeless record that seems as fresh today as it did back then. Even if Ian Brown's vocals weren't the greatest attitude more than made up for that. Packed with classic tracks from start to finish there is no better example of British guitar pop than this. Key Tracks; She Bangs The Drums, I Am The Resurrection

Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" occupies third place in the list, it opened up the way for thousands of imitators but is still truly unique. Sounding slightly fuzzy around the edges, but not dated it is a series of brilliantly constructed ambient tracks you'll soon find yourself sliding regressing into a foetal state, totally relaxed and unconcerned about anything. Key Tracks; Heliospan, Pulsewidth

At number two is "Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space", the 1997 classic from Jason Pierces Spiritualized. Written and recorded in the aftermath of his split from girlfriend Kate Radley (Who went on to become Mrs Richard Ashcroft) and mixed over 18 months "Ladies & Gentlemen" is an astounding achievement. Ranging from scuzzy rockers such as "Electricity" to beautiful string arrangements such as "Cool Waves" it surely deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Even the packaging is unique, packed and labelled as if medication with the CD foil wrapped it sums up this album perfectly, aural medicine to sooth the pain. Key Tracks; Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, Come Together

So, at number 1 is Pearl Jam with "Vitalogy". As bleak a record as you're ever likely to come across Pearl Jam's third album was recorded and released in the to the backdrop of Kurt Cobain's suicide and there ever increasing popularity. Most bands would milk this for every penny it was worth, but not these guys who retreated into their own little world, refused to play the game buy boycotting certain live venues and interviews to produce a stripped down post grunge album. Filled with angst and aggression tracks such as "Spin The Black Circle" come on at a million miles an hour, while tender ballads such as "Nothingman" and "Betterman" act as a counterbalance. "Vitalogy" finds Pearl Jam working as a group in the true sense of the word, few flashy solos, song writing contributions from the whole band, Vedder coming to terms with the pressures of fame and a definite sense of togetherness. Hard going at times, but rewarding for those who last the pace. Key Tracks; Corduroy, Betterman