Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

We often talk about bands going out at the top of their game. This often refers to an early death like Curt Cobain or Jeff Buckley, or after a fractiously split (see The Smiths), but what we really mean is that these acts broke up in their prime. Not necessarily at the very top of their game, whereas we can legitimately say that the partnership of Simon & Garfunkel dissolved at its absolute apex; both creatively and commercially. Bridge Over Troubled Water wasn't only their biggest hit maker, it is widely regarded as their best album, and their moment of undisputed mainstream dominance. At the time it must of been hard to imagine that Paul Simon wanted to do more artistically, after all what could top this? Thirty-six minutes of the most beautiful pop folk music imaginable. It is no wonder the public bought this album in their millions, each track is somehow more charming than last (and that's no mean feat considering the album's title track is also its opener). "The Boxer" is subtly emotive without sacrificing it's direct accessibility, "Celcia" and "If I Could" are addictive pop of the highest order, and almost any track could have been released as a single. The sneaky lyricism of the Beatles apping "Baby Driver" along with the steadfast sorrow of the album's title track suggest the misery and unrest of the times without ever threatening to bring the mood down. Simply put Bridge Over Troubled Water is one of the greatest pop album's ever penned; irresistible, addictive, and oozing with soul and artistry, what else could you possibly ask for?

Neu! must have been insane. Seriously, Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother must have been certifiable. Who in their right mind would break from Kraftwerk? Who on earth in 1972 would suggest that Kraftwerk weren't creative enough, weren't daring enough, and weren't pushing the envelop far enough? Well Neu! did and against all the conventional wisdom in the world they were right. They took the best elements of Kraftwerk's early sound, and threw the gauntlet down with their brilliant self titled debut. Taking the harsh minimalist electronic structures and introducing driving rhythm. Giving the tracks genuine grooves and sense of propulsion; laying the foundation for thirty years of experimentation and the development of modern day electronica and anything that even vaguely described as indie disco. After all that's what Neu! were. At their best they created music that was fascinating, challenging but danceable at the same time. When all the coolest kids around the world heard "Hallogallo" they were floored; this was cool, this was beautiful, and this was something that they could all do themselves. Soon every band worth its salt would need a synth player, and soon Kraftwerk would have to pull their fingers out and respond. These were exciting times, this was creative warfare, this was true innovation, this was a glimpse into the future sound of popular music, and boy oh boy did we like it.

Kicking off the top 50 is The Cars self titled debut LP. It's hard to think of a more perfect new wave statement. Ric Ocasek perfectly captured the sound and the mood of an entire scene on one thirty five minute slice of new wave, but essentially, pop brilliance. There was no filler to be found. Across these nine tracks Ocasek forged his own mini greatest hits collection. Every tracks hook is somehow more memorable than the last and the guitar work is simple but irresistible. It's all short sharp infectious stuff. The album really kicks into overdrive when Ocasek unleashes the irresistible"Just What A I Needed" a track that captured both a moment in time and the sound of the decade to come. The Cars were ahead of the time, positioned somewhere between Blondie's pop rock dominance and Gary Numan's synth-pop eccentricity they found the perfect marriage of synths, power chords and immediate choruses; that would form the template for a thousand imitators. Far from just out right hit makers when the time came to take things down a notch The Cars proved they could write intriguing atmospheric numbers too with the divine closers "Moving In Stereo" and "All Mixed Up". The Cars was the official transition, this was the beginning of the end for the seventies and the slow dawn of the nineteen eighties.

The Talking Heads could have easily named their debut record "Tentative Decisions" and perfectly encapsulated their entire bands sound and ethos in one fell swoop. Sure the Talking Heads made great revolutionary pop music, but they never sounded settled and they certainly never felt comfortable. They sounded tentative, full of nervous energy; just as you think you've settled into a comfortable groove, the guitars with suddenly spike, the tempo suddenly changes and David Byrne's vocal suddenly spikes. "Happy Day" for example, could have been a charming ballad but it's constantly on edge thanks to Byrne pitchy vocal, and that's why that track, and this record as a whole, is so damn exciting. It combined sharp jagged new wave punk with high end intellectual pop music; Talking Heads; 77 was art rock before people were ever pedantic enough to come up with such labels. The guitar work, the bass grooves and the song structures still thrill, "Who Is It?" is an absolute riot, it still feels unpredictable and frenzied three decades on.

The Talking Heads laid the ground work for the avante guard pop and indie that was to dominate the charts in the noughties (and still does in many respects).This was the forebare of the indie disco record; Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem still worship at the alter ofTalking Heads: 77. By sounding uneasy, unsettled and uncomfortable the Talking Heads managed to make mainstream music that appealed to outsiders, scenesters and the art house all at once. Their unconventional songs about love ("No Compassion") and society ("Don't Worry About The Government") tip toed the line between irony and sincerity creating a delicious sense of intrigue providing the perfect counter balance to those inescapable unsettled grooves...Ai Yi Yi Yi Yah!

Some records are woven together with certain periods in history, they become documents of our time, and genuinely sound track societal movements. The Specials remains one of the most poignant and emotional reminders of Britain's past. Whatever your view on Margret Thatcher or the 1980s, The Specials captured a moment in time, a moment of great social tension. Unemployment was rampant and racial tensions were at an all time high; town's like Coventry weren't fun places to be, but out of these unsettled times came and band and album that transcended the tension and squalor that surrounded it. It's actually the humanity and feel good energy of The Specials that makes it so endearing all these years later. You just can't dislike The Specials, they seemed morally above their times, and seemed capable of documenting without patronizing their surroundings. "A Message To You Rudy" and "Do The Dog" feel like pleas and reasoned arguments to the rude boys and enraged fascists. The Specials turned aggression and depression into shimmering pop music. The message was simple and heartbreaking "Just Because You're Nobody, It Doesn't Make You No Good".

This was smart, emotional, intellectual and most of all irresistible pop music. By blending punk, pop, new-wave, West Indian Dance hall together the Specials crystallized a new sound in ska. This sound and more importantly their lyrical style is still changing the face of pop music today; if it wasn't for The Specials who knows where pop would have ended up? You can hear their sound and lyrical style in Lily Allen and their soul in Amy Winehouse the 21st Centuries great pop revolutionaries. It wasn't always complex or poetic but it was simple, direct and honest (sound familar?) and that made them more relatable and more loveable than a million imitators. Yet before we get too carried away with overly verbose vitriol; we have to remember that behind all the histrionics laid layers and layers of timeless hits: "Too Much To Young", "A Message To You Rudy", "Concrete Jungle", "Do The Dog", "Monkey", "Blank Expression" and "Doesn't Make It All Right".

If the late sixties saw Bowie treading the water of pop domination and creative experimentation, then Hunky Dory was the moment when he unleashed all his initial potential in one concentrated blast. Of course there was more to come but Hunky Dory was the warning shot across the bough. This was smart, well constructed pop of the highest order; the opening salvo made that very clear with the irresistibly vibrant "Changes" and "Oh! Pretty Things" grabbing the listeners attention. From then on in Bowie set about re-imagining the pop landscape. He gave widescreen country guitar work a sexy outer spacial flavour on "Eight Line Poem", while giving dance hall music a make over on "Kooks". In this way Hunky Dory feels like one of the great transitional records as the sounds of the sixties evolved into the glam rock and electro experimentation of the 70s. Hunky Dory highlighted Bowie's great talent for taking established sounds and expanding them, giving them a broader more cinematic and sexy scope. The best results can be seen of the awe inspiring "Life On Mars?" and the tragically under appreciate brilliance of "Quicksand". It's these mid album works that have aged the best; "Quicksand" sounds fresh, exciting and vibrant but most of all, thanks to some truly brilliant production, it still sounds thoroughly contemporary. On Hunky Dory Bowie's palate was broader, more well realized, and ultimately more interesting than his pop peers. After all no one else was making anything as cool as "Andy Warhol" or as snappy as "Queen Bitch". This was high IQ, highly varied pop music, and despite the odd misfire (see "Song For Pop Dylan"), ultimately Hunky Dory was the sound of pop to come.

Kraftwerk's second entry on the countdown comes in the form of their most underrated work; The Man-Machine. While no one actually considers this record to be anything less than excellent it's position among music's elite is often downplayed. Normally the argument goes along these lines; "The Man-Machine is too obvious" which is a fair case to make. Kraftwerk declaring them "The Robots" is hardly complex or subtle, but then neither was Computer Love and that album has never been so readily discarded. Conceptual simplicity to one side, you can't help but feel that people are missing the point of this record entirely. The Man-Machine was designed to be immediate, rather than focusing on capturing a certain idea in sound, Kraftwerk just made the music that came naturally to them, and they were all the better for it. It is the sound of the The Man-Machine that continues to influence contemporary heavy weights like Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem. You can hear Daft Punk grooves and loops on almost every track, you can even notice the subtle synth evolution from "The Robots" to "You Wanted A Hit" as you listen to the stainless steel grooves. "Spacelab" by contrast seemingly inspired the Legend Of Zelda soundtrack and still looms heavy over today's 8-bit scene. In between the moments of inspiration Kraftwerk assembled their most direct and filler free LP; stacked to the brim with not just great creativity but legitimate hits. "The Model" stands proud as the records centrepiece, breaking from the album's core concept it remains a stand out moment of pop brilliance, while "The Man Machine" endures as Kraftwerk's fan's favourite hit. Kraftwerk were never supposed to sound this good, and this accessible, it just doesn't compute. The Man-Machine may not have been the initial revolution but it's the record that above all others continues to influence, inspire and drive 21st Century Electronica.

The Plastic Ono Band remains one of histories most harrowing records. After under going Primal Therapy and forcibly confronting his most traumatic child hood memories John Lennon entered the studio and recorded his greatest solo album. Full of deep introspection and brutal honesty The Plastic Ono Band stands apart from other singer songwriter's efforts due to it's sheer ferocity. While Antony Hegarty may be brutally honest, he can't match those blood curdling screams that conclude "Mother". It's still remarkable that a scream so guttural, so mournful, and so hate filled could sound so damn tuneful. As an album The Plastic Ono Band is spare, basic chords, minimal instrumentation, simplistic vocal arrangements, there are no bells and whistles it's just one man alone screaming his lungs out. It's amazing to think that the now overly covered to the point of artistic bankruptcy, "Working Class Hero" was once too radical and daring to ever consider releasing. While the track's scorn is eventually turned on it's author (like so much of Plastic Ono Band) you can't help but relate and feel moved by it's most simplistic and iconic lines; "As Soon As You're Born They Make You Small, By Giving You No Time, Instead Of It All" and "There's Room At The Top They Are Telling You Still, But First You Must Learn To Smile As You Kill". It's simple, it's direct, it's scornful and most importantly it's a frank admission of grief, guilt, and self loathing. Pure simplicity, simply perfection.

While the arrangements may have become richer and more involving, at it's heart Songs Of Love & Hate is all about Leonard Cohen lyricsim and his choppy guitar work. Songs Of Love & Hate is split into two halves, not just by the natural format of vinyl but as a work as a whole. The first half is made of engaging songs where you get wrapped up in Leonard's deep bassy vocal, you find yourself hypnotically lulled into world. You feel the resentment on "Avalanche" and the sexuality on "Last Year's Man" and of course you'll smile a wry smile at Leonard's near country stomp along "Diamonds In The Mine". It's hard not to laugh as Leonard uncharacteristically tells the band to "take it away". If the first half was marked by it's engaging nature, then the latter half is characterized by it's sheer brilliance. "The Love That Calls You By Name" starts on shaky footing before growing into one of Leonard's greatest works, while "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song writing marvel as Cohen leads us through a strange love triangle over one of the most stirring and affecting arrangements of his entire career. "Joan Of Arc" rounds off the trio of classics and features some of Cohen's most memorable one liners ("Then Fire, Make Your Body Cold, I'm Gonna Give You Mine To Hold") while "Sing Another One, Boys" almost feels like showing off. A masterful live performance at the legendary Isle Of Wight festival to cap off a remarkable album. As you'd expect from Cohen this album is emotionally brutal but it's also one of his most pleasurable, and surprisingly, accessible albums. Cohen's second finest hour.

Back in 1979 Bristol was hardly renowned as a creative hot spot, and the notion of the "Bristol Sound", let alone Trip-Hop, was completely unheard of. However things were slowly beginning to change as The Pop Group released the genuinely revolutionary Y. You can almost trace the entire artistic expansion back to this one cutting edge masterwork. Y is the sort of record that sounds just as daring and intriguing in 2010 as it did in 1979. The way in which styles flow into one another is just glorious; fuzzing uncomfortable electronica, moody Television like post punk stylings, West Indian infused drum beats, sudden inexplicable blasts of free form jazz and avante guard noise making. It's still sounds wonderfully eclectic, but unlike so many fusion artists The Pop Group held their experimentation together with tight and addictive bass grooves; this was a record that had a sense of unity and direction. Y is one of those strange albums that ages well, "She Is Beyond Good And Evil", "Thief Of Fire" and "We Are Time" undoubtedly sound better, cooler and ultimately more palatable today they they would have thirty one years ago.

For Your Pleasure is one of my favourite records, and if you are an unashamed fan of pop music you will love this record to. While no one doubts that it was daring and challenging at the time For Your Pleasure is first and foremost an engaging pop record. It's the standard that the mainstream should aspire to. A record that's instantly accessible but thought provoking at the same time. Even at it's most direct and catchy For Your Pleasure maintains a sense of the unexpected; "Do The Strand" and "Editions Of You" are wittier and cheekier than their contemporaries without being any less infectious. Yet it's those moments when Eno really cuts loose that steal the show; the warped synths of "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" creates a foreboding atmosphere while Brian Ferry delivers a gripping verse. It's one of his greatest performances as he delivers cruel dark lines in a delicious dead pan. The super serious façade is of course broken by the ludicrous line "Inflatable Doll, Love Ungrateful, I Blew Up Your Body, But You Blew My Mind". Despite the obvious tonal differences you can't help but feel a symbiotic link to Pulp's ironic epic "This Is Hardcore". Brian Eno is of course allowed his weird out moment in "The Bogus Man" giving the album it's true art house chops (if it hadn't earned them already) . Despite all the internal tensions, by the time "Grey Lagoon" and "For Your Pleasure" roll around you can't help but be convinced that For Your Pleasure is the sound of a band having the time of their lives, revelling in their own wit and their own creativity.

One of the great struggles for all artists is how to follow up a "great album". Luckily by 1977 David Bowie had garnered plenty of experience in this field. Aladdin Sane followed Ziggy Stardust and even though it's forgotten now following up the provocative Station To Station with Low was no mean feat. It was the aforementioned Low that presented Bowie with his greatest dilemma; how to follow another career best album (more on that later). Bowie was never one to baulk from a challenge bouncing right back with with Heroes. A gorgeous album that combined the talents of three of music's great pioneers; Bowie himself, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. The result was a captivating album that saw Bowie's distinctive tones melding into these wonderfully lucid arrangements. Recorded in Berlin Heroes managed to capture the unsettled division of the times while also embracing the Krautrock/synthpop scene that was leading the world in pop innovation. The nods to Kraftwerk and Neu! are hardly subtle (nor were they meant to be), and while Heroes' instrumentals are still looming and melancholic Heroes feels positively uplifting after the bleak introspection of Low. Heroes was the mid point in Bowie's Berlin trio, and represented his new commercial height and his return to ground breaking form. An album's whose quality is only diminished by comparisons to masterpiece of a forebear. Proof that sometimes more of the same, is exactly what's needed.

The two track fifty two minute Tribute To Jack Johnson is a captivating stand out work. Almost forty years later it remains difficult to define; Jazz fusion? Who cares? Most see it as the leading light in the early formation of Jazz-rock. "Right Off" has a rough around the edges live feel, like it's just a bunch of guys sitting around jamming. The guitar starts the affair with a classic rock riff and soon Miles jumps in with a rip snorting solo and then the band hit full flow jamming and grinding their way through twenty minutes of visceral excellence (yes that's right visceral jazz). The guitar riffs are still uneasy; they bite and fizzle, bursting out of the record as if your old vinyl record is slowly cracking. "Yesternow" by contrast is a more considered classic affair. Low key and solemn it's a track that wafts with cool composed sense of desolation. It's gorgeous and the perfect counterpart to the loose rip roaring patchwork of an opening track. Two perfectly parts of one mind blowing package that ends with a wonderful whirling finale.

Following the commercial triumph of Harvest it seemed the world was waiting for Young to marry his brand of infectious endearing folk-rock and harsh affecting lyricism into one start to finish masterpiece. After all, no one doubted Harvest's quality, or more surprisingly it's accessibility, but it felt uneven and in a way unsatisfactory. On The Beach by comparison was the complete start to finish listen the world had been awaiting. It didn't feel as daring as After The Gold Rush but what it lacked in all encompassing variety it made up for in focus and cohesion. Tracks cascade into one another beautifully "See The Sky About To Rain" is perfectly married to the mesmerizing "Revolution Blues"; whose spite laden lyricism is the perfect transition to the country blues stomp of "For The Turnstiles". Things get really bleak and scathing as "Vampire Blues" rolls into the harrowing "On The Beach" with it's sparse and mournful arrangement centred around one simple sentiment "I Need A Crowd Of People, But I Can't Face Them Day To Day". Many consider On The Beach to be Young's greatest work and it's easy to see why; On The Beach is the perfect balance between deep emotion, scathing lyricism and accessible engaging musicianship.

Thriller will always have a special place in history, after all as LP's go, Thriller is bigger than life itself. It's so entrenched in the narrative of our times that it's easy to forget that on an artistic level it pales in comparison to Off The Wall. Like Thriller, Off The Wall had a core of five star singles; "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", "Rock With You" and "Off The Wall" were perfect disco-motown hybrids and were cooler if not catchier than anything the BeeGees ever wrote. Yet what makes Off The Wall truly special, and MJ's best, is it's sense of balance and fluidity. Off The Wall is an album with a defiant evolving groove and a young tender heart. The way disco charms of "Girlfriend" roll into the sorrowful but never bitter "She's Out Of My Life" is a delight. It recalls the listeners first love and his first break up; Off The Wall is a record of fun, innocence, heartbreak and optimism. It's carefree youth encapsulated in both it's naivety and in all it's dirty funky disco glory. With Jackson reminding us after the trails and tribulations of love there's nothing like dressing up, going out, and Burning The Disco Down.

After Plastic Ono Band provided a shock to the world's collective system, Imagine must have seemed like a real relief. This was the Lennon album the general public had been waiting for, it was the album they had always expected. Despite lacking the raw thrills of it's predecessor, Lennon still had a few tricks up his sleeve. The honesty of Plastic Ono Band recordings transfered over to the Imagine sessions and gave the world the beautiful and heartbreaking "Jealous Guy". Simple sharp and to the point, Lennon pulls no punches on one of the most emotive tracks ever penned. "How Do You Sleep?" is perhaps the greatest shock; an utterly scathing and unrelenting attack on Paul McCartney. It's almost unpleasant to hear Lennon let rip: "A Pretty Face May Last A Year Or Two, But Pretty Soon They'll See What You Can Do" ouch. I normally hate "diss" records but "How Do You Sleep?" is simply too well crafted with it's swirling layered strings. Outside of it's sit up and take notice moments, Imagine is comprised of the catchiest and most addictive pop music of Lennon's post Beatles' career. It's an album that can't help but satisfy. Oh and of course there's the title track, but you probably don't remember it, it's not even worth talking about really.

Okay seriously did I just put this album ahead of John Lennon, Michael Jackson, George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen? I mean this has to be the stupidest album of all time, have you heard "Mongaloid", I mean it's positively morose! Why on earth would I ever include this monstrosity in the top 1,000 let alone the top 90? Maybe I had an "Uncontrollable Urge"...christ this album has got me making terrible puns now. I mean why how could any human being call this music...oh right I forgot they are not mere mortals, THEY ARE DEVO!

Now In all seriousness, what Devo created in 1978 was a blast of sheer synth pop heaven. There are a million reasons why we shouldn't like Devo, the silly hats and the sheer irreverence of their music for starters, but at the end of the day there is one simple reason why people keep coming back to this silly little album. Because across twelve tracks there is not one single song that is anything less than addictive. Quirky and inane, yes, brilliant and surprisingly influential, you better believe it. Now remember, They Are Devo and it's best not to ask questions.

It's testament to the Rocky Horror Picture Show's enduring influence that in a months time, I'll be at the Sonisphere metal festival and their Friday night has a Rocky Horror Theme. Seriously in 2010 a festival that plays host to over sixty thousand people is holding a night in honour of a classic seventies cult movie (and the musical of course). So why has Rocky Horror endured? Maybe it's the sheer camp delight, maybe it's Susan's Sarandon's bussom, or maybe it's just that we all long to be sweet transvestites transexual Transylvania. All these factors probably do come into play, but the real answer lies in the perfect marriage of over the top concepts with brilliant timeless music. Rocky Horror has all the silly cringe inducing elements that make musicals both incredibly popular and unpopular at the same time, but it manages to subvert them, creating something that's just cool. As an album Rocky Horror Picture Show actually works better than the movie itself, it's more coherent without sacrificing any of the inane Rocky Horror randomness. Meatloaf still explodes out of no where only to disappear just a quickly, Tim Curry remains larger than life even if you can't see him prancing around in his tights, oh and "The Time Warp" kicks even harder on record than it does on the silver screen. You can visualize the movie scene for scene, you can picture every image, and you can genuinely appreciate how brilliantly crafted each and every one of these camp classics truly are.

After all that silliness, it almost feels disrespectful to talk about Janis Joplin and Pearl, but really, it simply goes to show just how diverse and intriguing a decade the seventies truly were. Joplin was more of a hang over from the sixties, with her raw blues and folk elements dominating Pearl. For Joplin herself Pearl marked a more straight forward approach casting aside her Blue Grass and Country background. This simplification allows Joplin to really find her voice and make her ultimate artistic statement with blood curdling blues. While Joplin was a product of the sixties Pearl with it's dark, desperate cries and her, dare I say heavy metal showmanship (Robert Plant would be proud of the "arh...arrrrwwwh...aaaarhs" on "Half Moon") remained a thoroughly contemporary record. Pearl bled emotion, and it's Joplin's virtuous vocal that continues to captivate music lovers long after her death.

"Cry Baby" has elements of stripped down blues, heart wrenching soul and even gospel preaching but it's all tied together by the showmanship of a true rock and roll star. Despite "Cry Baby's" brilliance, Pearl happens to be one of those unique albums where the singles are blown out of the water by the album tracks. The winding jaunt of the excellent "Me And Bobby McGee" can't measure up the powerhouse closer "Get It While You Can". A track which contrasts world weary cynicism with strength of character and iron willed determination. In a way it reflects Pearl in it's entirety; it's relentless, it's determined, it's earnest and it's desperate but never weak and rarely fragile. Pearl is about strength, strength of belief, strength of spirit and the strength of one young lady's incredible voice.

So who was Mr. Stephen Morrissey's favourite band during his formative years? That's right, The New York Dolls. Now, that's a pretty big endorsements, but tying The Dolls in with Morrissey actually does a disservice to their great influence and to the sheer quality of this album. The New York Dolls stands shoulder to shoulder with both Funhouse and Raw Power as the great pre-punk or protopunk pioneers. The New York Dolls unlike the Stooges weren't accomplished musicians, they often plagiarized riffs, and even the most casual of music fans will notice a striking resemblance to the Rolling Stones, but that's what made them great. They were low down, they were dirty, and most of all they were sleazy, or to put it in their own words they were "Trash". Raw, rough around the edges, uncompromising "Trash"; intentionally out of tune and out of time they embodied the everyone can be a rock star spirit of punk. Of course they were too androgynous and too glam, to truly be considered punk, but that hardly mattered, because they had the spirit and they had the tunes; "Personality Crisis", "Looking For A Kiss" and "Subway Train" were unstoppable. Simply put, if The Rocky Horror Picture Show were a band it'd be The New York Dolls, and that's the greatest compliment I can give this band, and this album.

This album could easily be subtitled: "How to ruin the perfect album by George Harrison". Now of course that's an exaggeration and All Things Must Pass is anything but ruined, it's actually a gorgeous soothing and harmonious listen, but it's undermined by a selection of random jams that conclude the album. It's hardly a detraction, because few fans ever actually listen to those final few tracks, but it does lower this album from a potential top thirty finish. It's a shame, as the bulk of All Things Must Pass is made up of gorgeous and heartfelt pop music that never fails to bring a tear to this reviewer's eye. It's hard to describe why tracks like "Run Of The Mill" and "The Art Of Dying" are so affecting; perhaps it's the marriage of Harrison's sharp tones and neat guitar work with Phil Spector's legendary wall of sound production, or maybe it's Harrison's talent for broad far reaching sentiments. It's impossible to say, but I suspect it's really the undefinable magic that accompanies the one Beatle who had an unending supply of public good will. All Things Must Pass sees Harrison addressing spirituality more directly than he ever did during his time with the Beatles, but the album never feels preachy; it feels more like a gentle reminder to consider your life, your actions and to think beyond yourself. Or as Harrision put it, and far more succinctly than I, "Beware Of Darkness". Sombre, reflective, melancholic; yet beautiful, uplifting and inspiring, forty years on and All Things Must Pass is still an inspiring and affecting listen.

Springteen delivered his breakthrough record in 1975. When Born To Run hit the stores it established him as one of his or any generations biggest stars, and the subsequent tours turned him from working man's hero into a stadium rocker of Mercury-eske proportions. Then a series of legal proceedings meant the world had to wait three years for the follow up, it may have been a momentum killer but it didn't dampen the sense of expectation. Those who kept the faith were rewarded with one of Springsteen's greatest LP's and another classic album cover. Now call me shallow, but I just knew I was going to love this album when I saw that ice cool brooding cover, but I know enough about art what about the music, right?

"Badlands" has gone down in history as one of the great album openers, with Springsteen's lyricism reaching stirring new heights "It Ain't No Sin To Be Glad Your Alive, When I Find One Face That Ain't Looking Through Me, When I Find One Place, I Want To Spit In The Face Of These Badlands", it was angry, it was desperate and it was hungrier than it had any right to be. The energy never subsides as the guitars soar and slice in the grizzly sleazy scream-a-thon "Adam Raised Cain" and across the entire album the sax and axe attack are relentlessly brilliant. Springsteen's characters continued to transition from down on their luck everymen to low down but somehow admirable scum bags, as seen on the weighty "Racing In The Street". Elsewhere the album had it's hit a miss moments, but Springsteen's determination and earnest enthusiasm turned throwaway tracks like "Promised Land" into powerful sing-a-longs and eventually into live anthems. The album was cemented as a classic by it's closing cuplet "Prove It All Night" and "Darkness On The Edge Of Town". They struck a stark contrast; a rambunctious feel good sing-a-long and a throat shredding ball of raw emotion. In retrospect it's clear that Darkness On The Edge Of Town was the welcome halfway house between Nebraska and Born To Run, combining the darker themes that were to come with the uplifting energy of what came before.

While Elton John's legacy as one of music's great showmen has never been in doubt, his skills as a songwriter and as a true artist have never really been spoken of in just reverent tones. Which is one of music great tragedies, as at his height Elton John wrote not only great singles but he also crafted one of music greatest double albums. Yes, I am talking about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and yes, I am being deadly serious. A million albums have been compared to the White Album but Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the closest any artist has ever come to recreating it's carefree and expansive joy. John loaded this double album with barmy tales, infectious hooks and gloriously over blown arrangements. One minute your emersed in super serious balladry, the next your thrown into a show tune, then a prog epic, then glitzy tale of camp sleaze and then out of blue your hearing about "Bennie And The Jets" or the Jamaican beaches. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is all over the place, and that's it's charm, Elton John throws himself at every genre he can think of bringing his unique band of melodrama to everything he touches. Of course it contains instantly recognizable anthems "Candle In The Wing" and "Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting", but these classics are almost cast aside by the over the top tales and frivolity of "All The Girls Love Alice", "The Ballad Of Danny Bailey" and "I've Seen That Movie Too". What makes Goodbye Yellow Brick Road remarkable is just how quickly it passes by, it's pure undistilled fun, and despite the genre hoping madness, at the end of the day Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is pure unadulterated pop at it's best.

Had Kraftwerk's career ended in 1973 they would have been revolutionary visionaries and cult heroes, but they wouldn't have been world straddling superstars they are today and they may not have been one of the most influential bands of all time. Autobahn transformed Kraftwerk's cold and mechanical style into something glorious, something groovy and something that was accessible to millions across the world. Listening to the title track now it's still awe inspiring and it's a cliche to say it, but Autobahn sounds just a fresh today as it did in 1974. While Electronica, dance, hip-hop and all kind of hybrid pop and rock spin offs have evolved from these electro-pioneers, their core sound has never aged, it's still other worldly. The pulsating rhythm is still addictive, those mangled electronic cries sound more relevant than anything industrial wizard Trent Reznor has done in the last decade, and that eerie synth sound still sounds like a science fiction vision of the future thirty six years on. Kraftwerk would go on to create better works, but Autobahn is the moment electronica arrived, audiences in Europe, the UK and the US were wowed by staggering grooves, it's shimmering lines and it's tongue in cheek sense of humour. Kids across the world had their eyes opened to new possibilities and unheard of sounds, but it's important not to forget, that first and foremost they were having fun dancing and chilling to "Kometenmelodie 2". It's one of those strange quirks of music, that we get so obsessed with holding Kraftwerk on some-kind of impenetrable pedestal of almighty deference, that we forget that they made damn good music, and damn good pop music at that. Autobahn changed history; and for too long when it's come to influence the old tale has gone "The Beatles and then everyone else", well from now on we must remember it goes; The Beatles, Then Kraftwerk and then everybody else.

Released just months before Jim Morrison's death, L.A. Woman holds an interestingly place in The Doors cannon. It doesn't sound like any other Doors record, it's a full on blues record, and Jim isn't in particular good voice, he's grainy, strained and his voice even cracks on occasion; but it only adds to the charm of one of the all time great blues records. Despite it's melancholy, L.A. Woman still feels like a light hearted record full of in jokes, and over the top imagery. The album is bookended by two stone cold classics "The Changeling" and "Riders On The Storm". What happens in between the two is unsettling and inconsistent, and it can be a mighty trudge at times but it's more than worth the considerable endeavor. The Doors as a band are tighter than ever, with a cool blues sound highlighted by a truly mesmeric organ/keys performance adding a winding hypnotic fair ground feel the mix, making easily my favourite blues record of all time, and The Doors second best effort.

James Brown was an artist who was always more at home on stage than in the recording studio, now that's not to say that the Godfather Of Soul didn't make some great records, he most certainly did, but his works were rarely mentioned in the same breath as Bowie or Floyd. The Payback however changed things, it was Brown's legitimate classic, slowing things way down, Brown opted for big open ended sprawling jam sessions; that rather than exposing the bands limitations, instead highlighted just how tight a unit they had become. The album was crammed full of gorgeous grooves and the kind of jams that just soothed their way into your subconscious; "The Payback" floats like a dream, "Mind Power" was a gloriously laid back call to arms, and the ironically named "Time Is Running Out Fast" was the album's centre piece. As a work it shows that Brown was confident enough in his band to let them exchange solos across a largely instrumental twelve minutes of pure jazz-funk ecstasy.

The 70s as a decade spawn a series of albums that would change the course of music history forever, creating the sounds and genres that would dominate the next thirty years of music making, and while Never Mind The Bollocks... may grab the headlines it's Van Halen that would have the biggest and most immediate impact on the music scene at large. Hair metal, speed metal and thrash were waiting just around the corner and they all have their roots in this one album, and Eddie Van Halen's legendary finger tapping style. Now the reason Van Halen's role in rock history is underplayed is quite obvious; the album's sheer self indulgence, it's shallow and revels in the superficial, to put it as succinctly as possible it's an album that has nothing to say. Regardless what critics like myself may say (and have said) this record inspired a generation of kids to start playing their guitars as loud and as fast as they possibly could, while the rest of the world was content to dance and sing-along to "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talking About Love".

When I came to draw up this shortlist I was genuinely dreading the prospect of listing Hotel California and The Eagles. It must have been at least a decade since I last picked up this record and put it on. Yet much to my surprise, it suddenly clicked, I felt the magic that made Hotel California one of the best selling records of all time. Now don't worry, I'm not going to start telling you that Hotel California is some grand artistic statement of Neutral Milk Hotel proportions, I've just finally grasped it's appeal. Hotel California is perhaps the best all round MOR record of all time, while Joshua Tree is so often drowned in praise, Hotel California is a far more consistent, coherent and sonically intriguing work. It lacks the emotional depth of U2's money making juganaught but Hotel California had a wonderful up lifting groove and a swirling sense of musicality. Full of charming melodies and those intricate little lyrical details that transform a mediocre track into a full blown anthem. At it's worst Hotel California circums to saccharine sickiliness (see "The Last Resort") and at it's best it's a satisfying groovy goliath (see "Victim Of Love"). Like the best MOR records Hotel California is instantly familiar, endless anthemic but never lightweight and rarely dull.

Sometimes a phenomenon just erupts and sweeps away everything in it's path, Elvis Costello was one of those phenomena. He seemed completely out of keeping with everything that surrounded him, he looked like an anachronism, even in '77 he appeared dated; but when he opened his mouth he unleashed upon the world a series of albums that were sleeker, shaper, smarter and more infectious than anything else on the rock scene. It's rare that an artist can be so unashamedly poppy and yet so defiantly intellectual. Weaving complex and often misleading narratives Costello arrived fully formed as a song writer even if he was yet to uncover his signature sound and his backing band. Almost every track on My Aim Is True is irresistible, even his smutlziest ballad ("Allison") was utterly captivating, beautifully contrasting the coos of "my aim is true" with the thudding shouts of "stop". My Aim Is True plays like a classic barroom record, except we don't/didn't have bars and saloons in the UK, and in many ways it feels like the natural forerunner to current critical darlings The Hold Steady and Girls. Costello managed to bring a new twist to old sounds "Mystery Dance" never sounds remotely dated because Costello's verse is so sharp and his lyrics twist so beautifully. Then of course there was that closer, you know, the one about "Watching The Detectives"; that clanging guitar still sends chills down my spine, and Costello's verse is positively pedophiliac you almost feel dirty as the words "She Gets Down And Begs" slither from his lips. In short, My Aim Is True was the perfect debut, this ladies and gentlemen is how you make an impact.

Now before I tell you to sit back and enjoy, I must reassure you that this list will be concluded within the next two months, if not sooner. I know I've been unreliable lately, but I've been very busy working for 411mania and genuinely living my life. However I have ample time to update five albums each and every day. Finally, one more in house note, I do fully intend to restart the Top 1,000 singles of the 2000s around September, and hopefully have it finished by Christmas.

Now for those of you new to the Cultural Evaluation Facility, this list is judged on critical quality, influence, importance and of course my own personal preference, with the overall aim of telling the story of the decade, now lets begin shall we? We Shall.

After a hit and miss start to his post-Beatles career, McCartney was feeling the weight of critical scrutiny like never before; while Lennon and Harrison were greeted into the art house elite with open arms. Not to be deterred McCartney resolved to blow the world away with Band On The Run an ultra-slick melodic assault of Abbey Road-eske collages. It may well be the one of the most overrated albums in pop history, but it's certainly anything but a bad record, as it contains most of McCartney's best post-Beatles work. "Band On The Run" is a meandering riot, "Jet" remains strangely addictive, "Mrs. Vandebilt" is a classic piece of joyful McCartney granddad music and "Let Me Roll It", McCartney's rebuke to Lennon, remains McCarntey's best attempted a singing the blues. Inconsistency, is rampant, but Band On The Run remains a damn good time; it may be over produced and it certainly lacks substance, but it has an endless supply of slick hooks and fun melodies, and remains a sublime slice of pop music.

Alive!'s place in music history as been severely marred by the "overdubbing" accusations and admission, but whatever the case, Alive! remains one of the most enjoyable listens in rock and roll history. Kiss never were an albums band, sure they made some decent records, but who wants to "appreciate" Kiss? Kiss we're unashamedly shallow, they were showman, and records constrained Kiss more than anything, so a live album was the perfect solution, and it should come as no surprise that Alive! remains their best selling and best loved LP to date. It's stacked full of hits "Deuce" sets the the tone, "Strutter" lets you know you in for the night of your life, and by the time "Cold Gin" thunders into "Rock And Roll All Nite", overdubbing will be the last thing on your mind.

The 1980s would see women prove definitively that they could rock just as hard as the boys, and in retrospect Heart's brand of folk meets rock music feels like a natural transitional, if not a trailblazing, record. While they were often pigeon holed as a novelty the strength of their melodies, the sheer catchiness of their hooks and the smooth accessible gleam of their production meant that over thirty years later, with the aid of Guitar Hero, Heart would still be winning new fans. "Magic Man" summed up their entire appeal, big chunky slamming chords, a sweet addictive melody, a bold spunky vocal combined with a strong folk twinge that builds and grows into a prog epic, it's classic Heart, and now it's very much classic rock. Then of course there's that intro to that song, "Crazy On You" remains Heart's defining work, and a song that's never really fallen out of vogue; Eminem sampled it free of irony just as easily as he did Aerosmith. It seems the further removed we get from Dreamboat Annie's original release the more influential, the more important, and the more essential it becomes.

A Night At The Opera may just be the single most overrated album of all time; it's the one truly cohesive Queen record, and it seems that critics are obsessed with laying all their praise for the band as a whole onto this one record. Despite this huge stock of good will, A Night At The Opera is not a five star album, but it is a damn good one, and a much loved one, and at the end of the day that's far more important. A Night At The Opera is forty three minutes of sheer pomposity that refuses to take it's self too seriously, and is yet to cleverly crafted to ever be considered a throwaway. It manages the near impossible feat of feeling both irreverent and substantial, and completely over the top without being remotely self indulgent. It also sees Queen broaden their remit, Freddie delivers a selection of music hall ditties ("Good Company", "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" &"Seaside Rendevouz") with a wink and a nod either side of the trippy studio experimentation of "The Prophets Song". In between the silliness there's plenty of room for hard rock as "Death On Two Legs" still feels like the blue print Muse would use for stadium sized sonic expansion thirty years later. While at the other end of the spectrum sure fire singles "My Best Friend" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" send everyone home happy with two monstrous sing along, before "God Save The Queen" brings the curtain down in the most ludicrous fashion imaginable. A triumph of pure ambition mixed with the utterly ridiculous.

Behold the greatest marriage in rock and roll history. It must have been love at first sight when the Jim Steinman first laid his eyes upon Meatloaf. The over the top composer of pop rock musical theatre epics finally found the one man who perfectly encapsulated his vision. Meatloaf was the ultimate showman, too grotesque for musical theatre, too unfashionable for pop music, but somehow Jim Steinman transformed him into one of the world's biggest superstars. Bat Out Of Hell was a the soundtrack to the broadway musical that never could never have actually existed. And in all honesty, it still baffles me how this record ever got made, I mean Springsteen meets Wagner in the middle of the Rocky Horror picture show must have been a tough sell. Well however it happened, it did get made, and thank god it did because the world was treated to one of the silliest slices of pure fun imaginable. "Bat Out Of Hell", "Two Out Three Ain't Bad", "You Took The Words Right Out My Mouth" and "Paradise By Dashboard Lights" are preposterous epics that only Meatloaf could have pulled off. It may be chronically unfashionable to say it, but snobbery to one side, Bat Out Of Hell is legitimately one of the greatest albums ever recorded, even if it's utterly impossible to explain why.