On one hand, my 1995 Top 5 is an anti-climax. My 1995 Mt.Rushmore remains unchanged and number 5 is probably obvious at this point. On the other hand, the Top 4 albums in this dive are Top 20 all time. As I mentioned before, they are 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d. So, once more for the record...
5. Oasis - ( What's the Story ) Morning Glory? ( 5 Stars )
Oasis are a polarizing band. Their recent Rock Hall nominations and upcoming reunion tour have only served to exacerbate the divide. But it takes an entrenched hater to deny Morning Glory is a near perfect album. Every track is a stadium sing-along. I don't need to list them all. How does a band follow-up one of the most successful debut albums ever, with songs like "Supersonic" and "Live Forever"? They write "Champagne Supernova", "Wonderwall", and "Don't Look Back in Anger". No sophomore slump for the Fighting Gallaghers. There's also no denying Noel Gallagher is a gifted songwriter. If you don't believe me, check out his High Flying Birds albums.
4. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix ( 5 Stars )
My all time favorite song is "Sparky's Dream". It is power pop perfection. Not far behind are tracks like, "About You", "Discolite", and "Don't Look Back". Teenage Fanclub had three singer-songwriters. I tend to like the Gerard Love songs best. Unfortunately, he's no longer in the band. They had a tremendous run of albums from Bandwagonesque in 1991, to Songs of Northern Britain in 1997, but for me, Grand Prix is nearly flawless.
3. Son Volt - Trace ( 5 Stars )
What haven't I already said about Trace? I named one of my dogs after it, Jay Farrar is one of my favorite singers, it's my favorite alt-country record, etc. Any other year it's probably Number One.
2. Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot ( 5 Stars )
Eerily, I'm writing this on March 6th, which is the 15th anniversary of Mark Linkous committing suicide. I didn't realize until I saw a Facebook post about it in my feed. No album in my collection moves me more than Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, with its fragile beauty and makeshift soundscapes. Only a tormented soul could have penned this collection of Southern Gothic tales that are more like literature than songs. This is Mark Linkous at his most raw and vulnerable. I get goosebumps every listen.
1. Radiohead - The Bends ( 5 Stars )
The greatest guitar album of all time. One could argue it's the last great guitar album. I had to amend my Mt. Rushmore of guitarists to Alex Lifeson, Tony Iommi, Pete Townshend, and Johnny Greenwood. The difficulty of this post is I've already written quite a bit about these records because I cherish them. The Bends is a masterpiece. The title track is my third favorite song of 1995. Speaking of which, I will publish a Top 25 Songs list, but probably not until Sunday. I haven't had time to cut down my list of 80 songs yet. I decided it would be a lazy, dick move to just post a list of 80 songs. Wish me luck. You already know the Top 3. Peace.
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