Greatest albums (Part 3 10-6)

10. Nirvana - Unplugged (1994)

I'm sure Kurt Cobain would appreciate the irony that the band that was the lynchpin of grunge had one of their most well received album on an acoustic set. To his credit, he knew exactly what songs would and wouldn't work in this format, something that isn't quite as obvious as it seems if you've ever heard any Chris Cornell acoustic material.

It also flies in the face of common sense to take Dave Grohl's drumming away from songs yet still have them be excellent in a different sort of way. He knew enough not to try to do Smells Like Teen Spirit or a lot of the edgier songs off Nevermind and added enough wrinkles to make it intereseting. He even said F U to MTV who didn't want him to do a cover of a band so obscure as the Meat Puppets, but Lake of Fire is one of the best cuts on here. My favorite, however, has to be Where Did You Sleep Last Night? where even acoustically he gets the nice grungy screaming in on the last verse which always gives me chills. Sadly this was Nirvana's last album. Oh what might have been.

Key Tracks: About A Girl, Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Lake Of Fire, Plateau

9. Boston - Boston (1976)

Speaking of hitting the ground running with a debut album...wow. Think they had been building up waiting for a record deal for a while? Every single one of these eight songs received solid radio play and if I had to rank every Boston song all would be in the top ten if not the top 8 themselves. How many albums can you say that about?

Not to mention More Than A Feeling is one of the most infectious songs ever.

Key Tracks: More Than A Feeling, Foreplay/Long Time, Rock & Roll Band

8. Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl (1989)

This is a bit of an oddball pick for me in some regards as it's probably more of a nostalgia love than the music itself actually merits. Roy Orbison is one of the greatest artist and especially vocalist in rock history around from the beginning until his early death in 1988. This album was his comeback of sorts that was a big hit posthumately. It shows how much he was respected in the industry to have Bono and Elvis Costello give him songs for this album. If only Bono would have given him more songs to simply sing instead of spout political dribble, I wouldn't dislike U2 so much. This album along with the concurrent Traveling Wilburys supergroup project thrust the Big O back into the spotlight which was unfortunately after his death.

Most people know the hit single off of here, "You Got It', but every single track on here is good and much like Johnny Cash in his later years the excellent lamenting lost love crooner's voice only got wearier and truer with age.

This was one of the first cassette tapes I ever got and between my dad and I we played it until it barely worked anymore. For a long time this wasn't available as a cd, but last year at Christmas I found copies of it and got a copy for me and my dad. I'm pretty sure it hasn't left either of our cd players since then. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, this music sounds good and it's something I can bond with my parents over.

Key Tracks: She's A Mystery To Me, The Only One, California Blue, You Got It

7. Big & Rich - Horse Of A Different Color (2004)

I'm a rock and roll guy first and foremost so a country album rating this high is a definite coup. This album just has it all though. It really reminds me of a modern day Johnny Cash and how country music used to sound. After all as they say in the first song, rock and roll used to be about Johnny Cash. There are fun songs, deep songs and religious songs on here for a real wild west show. I love this album, unfortunately the Nashville hype caught on too soon and every album they've released since has been commercialized crap.

This is what country music is about. I just wish Big & Rich had taken their own advice and kept making their own music. Their subsequent suckitude though doesn't make this album any less enjoyable.

Key Tracks: Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy), Rollin' (The Ballad Of Big & Rich), Holy Water, Live This Life

6. Pearl Jam - Ten

This album is just a classic. Also buying the 15 year re-release/remix makes me feel old. There are kids in high school who weren't even born yet when this came out. But anyway, this is about the pinnacle of the grunge age, but the one thing that always stood out about Pearl Jam is that they were an evolution of Neil Young. Sure they were grunge, but Mike McCreary still has some wicked guitar chops.

Also back when MTV actually played vidoes, I can remember being really freaked out by the Jeremy video. I'm pretty sure that video on repeat along with Black Hole Sun would drive anyway insane.

The only thing that prevents this from vaulting to the top is the blah-ness of the last few tracks. Not bad, but not nearly as iconic as the first few tracks.

Key Tracks: Alive, Even Flow, Black, Jeremy