2012 Favorite Records List. 10-1

Dragging this across the finish line...

10
Belly 1993
Star
Score: 931 W/L/T: 55 / 10 / 3
Though I was utterly hammered when it happened, I'm happy to say that I saw Belly in 1994. What a great band. And what a beautiful record.
9
The Beatles 1969
Abbey Road
Score: 947 W/L/T: 56 / 0 / 6
And what a way to wrap up (IMO) the best band ever! And what a distance they covered from "She Loves You" to "She's So Heavy". Whew.
8
Black Sabbath 1971
Paranoid
Score: 959 W/L/T: 50 / 4 / 7
Because, SHUT UP! That's why.

Solid all the way through. None of the ballads that would plague their later records. Three absolute classics (Iron Man, War Pigs, Paranoid).

7
Talking Heads 1980
Remain In Light
Score: 964 W/L/T: 64 / 1 / 4
It was crazy and weird when I was 10, it's still crazy and weird now. Even knowing they actually nicked a lot of the sound from Fela Kuti et al doesn't change how otherworldly it feels.
6
Sea And Cake 1995
The Biz
Score: 980 W/L/T: 50 / 3 / 2
Restrained, but sunny. Mellow, but cool. The lighter side of the Biz / Nassau pair.
5
Pavement 1994
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Score: 1001 W/L/T: 54 / 2 / 8
When this came out, it seemed so accessible and catchy that Pavement's mainstream success was a given. It took everything great about Pavement, cleaned it off, rubbed it to a beautiful deep gloss. Guaranteed success.

But it only looked that way to people who loved their previous records. In reality, this was still light years from mainstream. And really, if Belly couldn't get there, there was no way Pavement was going to be able to.

So, fuck the mainstream. "Gold Soundz" shouldda won a fucking Pulitzer.

4
Pavement 1992
Slanted and Enchanted
Score: 1045 W/L/T: 54 / 3 / 3
Pretty much the epitome of early 90's indie rock: take a solid hook and obscure it, bury it under so many layers of noise and cruft that most people won't even bother looking for it. That way, you get to write great catchy songs but get to avoid being accused of wanting to.

I kid. How the fuck would I know what goes on in Malkmus' head?

3
Sea And Cake 1994
Nassau
Score: 1058 W/L/T: 59 / 1 / 5
Belly, Sea And Cake, Pavement, Pavement, Sea And Cake - what am I, 40 ? Well, 41. So, yeah. The early 90's were my heyday. I just can't let go of these records - this one, especially.
2
A Tribe Called Quest 1993
Midnight Marauders
Score: 1105 W/L/T: 44 / 3 / 2
Q-Tip scores a big one! With assistance, of course.
1
Spoon 2001
Girls Can Tell
Score: 1148 W/L/T: 62 / 0 / 2
No surprise here; it was top in 2008 and 2010, too. It's reached that hallowed status where I resist playing it for fear of wearing it out.

And that's that!

The Beatles, Floyd, Sea And Cake, and the Stones all got four records on the list, while The Cure, Wilco, Zeppelin, Gillian Welch and Pavement all managed to get three each.

Here are the full results.

8 thoughts on “2012 Favorite Records List. 10-1”

      1. The Modesto Kid

        Yeah — I am thinking today that what I meant was “Old-timey Talking Heads covers” rather than Grateful Dead ones. I think the name would still work though. Am going to start with me and John learning “Take me to the River” (assuming he is game.)

  3. James Gary

    Good to see Belly making the top ten…”Star” is one of my favorites also.

    I recall that back in the day, the album was roundly sneered at by virtually *every* indie-rock fan I knew (both male and female) for reasons that ultimately boiled down to “it’s too girly.” Weird how things change.

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