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      Twenty
      Albums
     
     
      by
      Tim
      Lea
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Jayhawks-“Tomorrow
      the
     
     
      Green
      Grass”
     
    

    
     
      Romantically
      laced
      and
      gut
     
     
      wrenchingly
      honest
      rock
      roll/this
      is
     
     
      music
      that
      reads
      the
      omens
      of
      life
     
     
      and
      adjusts
      itself
      for
      the
      journey/
     
     
      like
      a
      river
      flowing
      over
      and
      around
     
     
      fallen
      trees
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wilco
      -
      “Being
      There”
     
    

    
     
      Carved
      from
      a
      wall
      of
      sound
      with
     
     
      the
      most
      primitive
      of
      the
      modern
     
     
      world’s
      technological
      wonders/this
     
     
      album
      will
      stick
      to
      your
      heels
      like
     
     
      an
      old
      dog
      that
      loves
      you
      more
      than
     
     
      anything
      in
      the
      world.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ron
      Sexsmith
      -
      “Ron
      Sexsmith”
     
     
      Delicate
      and
      sharp
      songs
      composed
     
     
      and
      sung
      and
      heard
      in
      a
      childish
     
     
      spirit
      of
      rediscovery/like
      finding
     
     
      five
      dollars
      in
      you
      pocket
      that
      you
     
     
      forgot
      you
      had.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Blue
      Rodeo
      -
      “Five
      Days
      in
      July”
     
     
      Exudes
      the
      thick
      and
      joyous
      aromas
     
     
      of
      summer
      wildflowers,
      fast
      rain
      on
     
     
      hot
      pavement
      and
      singing
      out
      loud
     
     
      with
      people
      you
      love/suitable
      at
      a
     
     
      barbeque
      or
      at
      a
      funeral.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beck
      -
      “Odelay”
     
     
      ...and
      a
      man
      came
      out
      of
      the
     
     
      wreckage
      of
      the
      fallen
      empire
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      wheelbarrow
      full
      of
      noises
      like
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nuts
      and
      bolts,
      and
      a
      selection
      of
     
     
      songs
      like
      they
      were
      written
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      heroes
      too
      eccentric
      for
      history/he
     
    
   
   
    
     
      laid
      it
      all
      down,
      everybody
      looked
     
     
      upon
      it,
      and
      couldn’t
      help
      but
      call
      it
     
     
      good
      for
      it
      was
      funky
      and
      rollicking
     
     
      and
      smooth.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Grant
      Lee
      Buffalo
      -
      “Fuzzy”
     
     
      Tiptoes
      with
      confidence
      on
      the
      thin
     
     
      line
      of
      sound
      waves
      that
      exists
     
     
      between
      quiet,
      reflective
      folk
      and
     
     
      wired,
      swampy
      sonic
      noise/
     
     
      peppered
      along
      the
      way
      by
      rants
     
     
      both
      political
      and
      social.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      that
      are
      as
      broad,
      extravagant
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Billy
      Bragg
      and
      Wilco
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      drunken
      romp
      and
      a
      sober
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Best
      ef
      the
      90's
     
    
   
   
    
     
      opinons
      on
      what
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tom
      Waits
      -
      “Bone
      Machine”
     
     
      Creeks
      and
      screams
      and
      wails
      and
     
     
      cries
      like
      a
      weathered
      and
      thinned
     
     
      out
      grey
      barn
      that
      is
      only
      held
      afloat
     
     
      by
      a
      collection
      of
      rusty
      old
      nails/
     
     
      inventive
      and
      courageous
      music
     
     
      that
      tips
      it’s
      hat,
      without
      personal
     
     
      motive,
      to
      the
      tradition
      of
      fluid
      and
     
     
      honest
      songwriting
      that
      has
      kept
     
     
      people
      singing
      with
      tears
      in
      their
     
     
      eyes
      and
      a
      smile
      on
      their
      faces
      since
     
     
      time
      immemorial.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Skydiggers
      -
      “Just
      Over
      This
     
     
      Mountain”
     
    

    
     
      Although
      not
      reflective
      of
      the
     
     
      swagger
      that
      drips
      from
      the
      ‘diggers
     
     
      live
      act,
      this
      collection
      of
      steamy
     
     
      and
      concise
      pop
      songs
      delivers
      with
     
     
      confidence
      the
      mood
      that
      was
      once
     
     
      held
      in
      monopoly
      by
      Saturday
     
     
      afternoon
      sunbeams
      that
      fall
     
     
      through
      windows
      to
      land
      on
      lush
     
     
      rugs
      where
      the
      one
      that
      you
      love
     
     
      lies
      napping.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lucinda
      Williams
      “
      Car
      Wheels
     
     
      on
      a
      Gravel
      Road”
     
     
      This
      music
      is
      a
      reminder
      of
      three
     
     
      things:
      1.
      How
      hard
      it
      is
      to
      get
      rid
     
     
      of
      something
      that
      you
      hate.
     
    

    
     
      2.
      How
      hard
      it
      is
      to
      hold
      on
      to
     
     
      something
      you
      love
      and
      3.
      That
     
     
      there
      is
      a
      solitary
      and
      powerful
      light
     
     
      that
      shines
      with
      hope
      upon
      all
      a
     
     
      things.
     
    

    
     
      RufusWainwright
      -
      “Rufus
     
     
      Wainwright”
     
    

    
     
      Songs
      with
      flourishes
      and
      gestures
      ¢
     
    
   
   
    
     
      delicious
      as
      a
      great
      mountain
     
    
   
   
    
     
      constructed
      entirely
      from
      chocolate,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      whiskey
      and
      red
      satin
      /
      a
      style
     
     
      of
      music
      that
      cannot
      be
      imitated.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Mermaid
      Avenue”
     
    

    
     
      Much
      more
      that
      a
      tribute
      to
      Wood
     
     
      Guthrie;
      and
      extension
      and
      rebirth
     
     
      of
      a
      legacy/mucic
      about
      Ingrid
     
     
      Bergman,
      faithful
      horses
      and
     
     
      hollow
      trees
      delivered
      with
      both
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reflection.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nirvana
      -
      “Nevermind”
     
     
      Nevermind
      everything
     
    
   
   
    
     
      heard/listen
      again/
      to
      the
      first
      clean
     
     
      and
      immaculately
      constructed
      pop
     
     
      album
      to
      combine
      the
      prerequisites
     
     
      of
      melody
      and
      hook
      with
      the
      before
     
     
      unheard
      of
      elements
      of
      guttural
     
     
      buzz
      and
      passionate
      angst.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Blue
      Rodeo
      -
      “Lost
      Together”
     
     
      Fist
      and
      heart
      pumping
      rants,
      sad
     
     
      and
      weary
      ballads,
      psychedelic
      and
     
     
      paranoid
      epics,
      chair
      rocking
      and
     
     
      beer
      drinking
      country,
      straight
      ..
     
     
      ahead
      three
      chord
      rock
      and
      roll,
     
     
      complete
      with
      oral
      weary,
      yet
      pure
     
     
      a
      fresh
      spring
      water,
      harmonies
      /
     
     
      that’s
      all.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beth
      Orton
      -
      “Central
     
     
      Reservation”
     
    

    
     
      Syrupy
      bitter
      /a
      strolling
      amble
     
     
      through
      a
      n
      old
      storage
      room
      full
      of
     
     
      the
      musty
      smell
      of
      memory
      and
     
     
      regret/akin
      to
      the
      finest
      qualities
      of
     
     
      folk
      and
      jazz
      and
      techno.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Tragically
      Hip
      -
      “Road
     
     
      Apples”
     
    

    
     
      A
      recording
      of
      songs
      that
      draws
     
     
      from
      oral
      history,
      written
      history,
     
     
      and
      a
      quirky
      left-handed
      wisdom
      to
     
     
      spice
      and
      garnish
      the
      finest
      brand
      of
     
     
      hockey
      rink,
      small
      town
      bar,
     
     
      summer
      barbecue
      rock
      and
      roll
     
     
      that
      has
      ne
      ered.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ninging
      infe
      faa
     
     
      ike
      the
      pa
     
     
      licom
      cooing
      a
      hok
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Se
      roang
      look
      thaigaast
      es
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ita
      like
      gettinggfseru
     
     
      Wanti
      d/like
     
     
      redisdaairaw
      you
      don't
     
     
      Nant
      few:
      ymore/like
     
    
   
   
    
     
      smiling.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      John
      Bottomley
      -
     
     
      “Blackberry”
     
    

    
     
      Finds
      solace
      and
      comfort
      in
      trees,
     
     
      loved
      ones,
      rivers,
      shadows,
      oceans
     
     
      and
      the
      encompassing
      spirit
      that
     
     
      belongs
      to
      all/a
      declaration
      of
      loss
     
     
      and
      rebirth
      that
      celebrates
      happiness
     
     
      without
      slipping
      into
      condescending
     
     
      sentimentalities.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Los
      Lobos
      -
      “Kiko”
     
    

    
     
      Surreal
      and
      atmospheric
      Latin
     
     
      dream
      blues/tells
      stories
      in
      quick
     
     
      rich
      strokes
      of
      the
      narrative
      brush
     
     
      like
      an
      illustrated
      children’s
      book
     
     
      that
      you
      cannot
      forget.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nick
      Cave
      and
      The
      Bad
      Seeds
      -
     
     
      “The
      Boatman’s
      Call”
     
    

    
     
      the
      solemn
      delivery
      of
      prayer
      from
     
     
      a
      man
      who
      seems
      driven
      from
     
     
      churches
      and
      temples
      towards
      dark
     
     
      and
      smoky
      theatres
      and
      riverbanks
     
     
      lined
      with
      lime
      trees/songs
      of
     
     
      enormous
      feelings
      of
      bitterness,
     
     
      struggle,
      comfort
      and
      vast
      love.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jules
      Shear
      -
      “Between
      Us”
     
     
      fifteen
      duets
      about
      the
      cavernous
     
     
      spaces
      that
      make
      up
      the
      human
     
     
      heart
      delivered
      with
      such
     
     
      conviction,
      gravity
      and
      musical