Astral Weeks Van Morrison Astral Weeks is like nothing heard before or after: as heart-wrenching as the greatest blues and soul, with the ' grace and eloquence of classical and the absorbing introspection of jazz. It’s a staggeringly visionary work, especially considering what Morrison had done before and what others were doing. After hearing in Astral Weeks something I’d always felt but never heard in music, my faith in it remains unwavering; I can’t imagine another album replacing it. Despite putting out some brilliant albums since (Moondance would probably be . number one on this list if Astral weeks wasnever recorded), Morrison himself could only match the beauty and soulfulness of Astral Weeks in fits and spurts on parts of albums like Veedon Fleece and St. Dominic’s Preview. Morrison’s blues have been reduced tocomfortable yearning in recent years, but on Astral Weeks he wailed at the beauty and sadness of everything he couldn’t quite grasp. No album in pop music comes near it.

The best

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The Band

Topping their formidable debut, the Band’s self-titled second album is rough, passionate and rousing, the playingis richly textured yetimmediate and the material is some of the most solid to ever be assembled on one album. By creating something so grand, the Band might have cursed themselves; their later music couldn’t help but pale in comparison. Nonetheless, The Band cemented their position as North America’s (they’re Canadian) truest rock’n’roll band.

_ The Man and His Music

# Sam Cooke

No other soul singer displayed the ae y tender sensitivity of Sam Cooke, and being an early r&b artist, his singing was always economical. But Cooke was also one of soul’s greatest songwriters, equally capable ofcrafting lively chart-toppers or heart-breaking ballads. The Man and His Music compiles Cooke’s best work, including some of the early gospel stuff.

Exile on Main Street

f The Rolling Stones

The end came swiftly for the Rolling Stones. After the stunning series of Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and finally Exile on Main Street, the Stones released a so-so, confused album in Goats Head Soup, then promptly dropped into insignificance. The mind boggles at how a band could go from Exile on Main Street to such pandering as It’s Only Rock’n’Roll ina mere two years. . Fortunately, the greatness of Exile can almost overwhelm the band’s two- decade dry-spell since. Everything

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coalesced on Exile --country, rock, blues, soul -- into the loose-limbed trademark Stones sound. Exile is practically the measure ofarock’n’roll album’s greatness, but comparisons inevitably only lead to a greater appreciation of the original.

Rickie Lee Jones

With her slurred, girlish vocals and a natural ability similar to that of Bruce Springsteen, Randy Newman and Van Morrison, Rickie Lee Jones’s debut stood head and shoulders above the competition in 1979. A combination of lively bop and moving Van Morrison-esque balladry, Rickie Lee Jones may very well be the single greatest debut album ever released.

Beaster

Sugar

Here’s my one major departure from rock crit perennials. Released only last summer, I’ve already listened to Sugar’s second effort, Beaster, a mere EP, more than most of the albums on this list. Harsher albums have probably been recorded, but none with such frightening melodic control. Bob Mould splices aggression and melody so often you begin to think one can’t exist without the other. One tracks blurs into the next as Mould piles on some of the most purposeful feedback inthe history ofrock and uses his tunes like launching pads for the ferociously precise explosions. Better than anything by Husker Du and the most utterly furious album ever made.

Layla and Other

Assorted Love Songs

Derek and the Dominos

Without Layla, all the ‘‘Clapton is God” graffiti wouldbe comical. Before Layla, Clapton was talented and fiery, but had unremarkable songwriting talents; since then he has generally beena tremendous bore, thoughhe has his moments. But even doubters had to be stunned by the grandeur of Layla. The album features some of the saddest electric blues ever recorded, right alongside some of the most overwhelmingly inspired jamming ever heard. Ifhe’d done nothing else, Laylawouldjustify the Clapton legend.

Shoot Out the Lights

Richard and Linda Thompson Undoubtedly pop music’s most underappreciated masterpiece, Shoot Out the Lights is the eloquent swansong of Richard and Linda Thompson. The emotions of a romantic breakup have seldom been conveyed so potently.

Abbey Road The Beatles Sgt. Pepper is normally the album that tums up on critics’ lists, but the album is actually more of a cultural

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music they recorded before and since has seemed considerably more assured. Abbey Road is the cumulation of the Beatles’ career, covering the raw rock’n’roll (‘‘Oh! Darling,”’ ‘‘Come_ Together’’), the grandiose, sweeping stuff (‘‘Carry That Weight,’’ ‘*Something’’) and the silly pop ditties _ (‘‘Octopus’s Garden’? ‘‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’’). The Beatles’ break- up made perfect sense after this: there was nothing left to be said.

My Aim is True

Elvis Costello

Unlike most artists, Elvis Costello actually seems to have gotten more confused as he’s gotten older. It all seemed effortless on My Aim is True: his clever songwriting always seemed to come from the heart and despite obvious nods to his mentors, Costello had one ofthe most original and distinct personalities inrock. The title couldn’t be more apt.

Born to Run

Bruce Springsteen

Virtually any Springsteen album can be chosen as his best, but Born to Run is the sound that defined Springsteen: Phil Spector-ish immensity, a Dylan- esque lyrical bent, a classic rock feel for songwriting. Hopeful andromantic, Born to Run is the embodiment of youth.

Good Old Boys _

Randy Newman

Randy Newman is unjustly known for cruel gags like ‘‘Short People,”’ but his finest music has always been sweeping and gorgeous. Good Old Boys is Newman’s most r&b-rooted work, but as always, it’s the ballads that take your breath away: ‘Louisiana 1927,’ ‘‘Guilty,”? ‘‘A Wedding in Cherokee Park.”’ It’sa little sketchy at times, but the best material is simply awe-inspiring.

What’s Going On

Marvin Gaye

Gaye’s most restrained and spiritual outing, the transcendent What’s Going On rises above its religious subtext with music that feels divine without having to get specific. The album also features some of Gaye’s most poignant social commentary.

Document REM Before Document, REM seemed a charming but limited band whose advances since their classic first album had been fairly minuscule: songs like ‘‘Feeling Gravity’s Pull’’ and ‘‘Begin the Begin’’ added an edgy dissonance, while Life’s Rich Pageant upped the energy level, but the band oftenseemed repetitive. Documentis the culmination of REM’s first phase, pulled off with rousing spirit and some of their best —: gar aig: “The One

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ILove,”’ ‘‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’’. The band has since moved ina surprisingly intimate, singular direction, but Document remains their most assured and inspired work.

The Joshua Tree

U2

As Document was for REM, The Joshua Tree (réleased inthe same year) isthe fullrealization of U2’s first phase. Epic, mourning and moody, the album is flawless. Perhaps the band realized they’d gone as far as they could in that direction and couldn’t possibly top it. The emotional fire of The Joshua Tree continues to overshadow their more mechanical recent material.

Loaded

The Velvet Underground

VU’s Loaded might as well be the work ofa different band: nothing they had done before -- fromthemelancholy restraint of The Velvet Underground to the electrified chaos of White Light/ White Heat --indicated the band was capable of such a triumph of unpretentious rock songwriting. Anything but contrived, Lou Reed’s creativity seems to flower in the rock song format, producing some of his most memorable songs in ‘‘Swee Jane,’’ ‘‘Rock’n’Roll’’ and ‘‘Heac Held High.”’

London Calling

The Clash

The Clash’s London Callingisn’treall a punk album, or at least at its best it’ not. London Calling is one of th greatest pop album ever recordec played with the inventiveness of fecund imagination let loose ona whol new world of music.

Paul Simon

After his overblown final days wi Garfunkel, Paul Simon pared thin; down for his solo debut and came \ with his least saccharine work. mood of foreboding is added to contre his always brilliant pop songwritin;

Warren Zevon

With his first, and still best albu Warren Zevon deployedcrazedrock and Randy Newman-ish balladry w equal aplomb. ‘“Desperadoes Unc the Eaves’’ and ‘‘Mohamme< Radio’’ remain his great achievements.

The Pretender

Jackson Browne

With only the most meagre performing talents, the strength Browne’s songwriting made him ' of the 70’s most interesting arti The Pretender is his most ambiti album, a sweeping song cycle, |

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