Neutral Milk Hotel "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" (1998)

Where to even start talking about this one?  For an album running under 40 minutes, it's amazingly ambitious.  While there are various elements that are so lofi as to seem amateurish, there is clearly an intentionality to the work itself.  What exactly that intention is is not so clear. 

There's a cult like devotion to this album by people of a certain age.  I can hear influences of it in records recorded years later.

And yet, it doesn't work for me.  There's a lot here, but quite simply isn't engaging enough for me to want to spend the time upacking all that is here.  It's not really suited for anything but close listening, and yet I am not engaged when I do listen closely.

Amp Fiddler & Sly & Robbie "Inspiration Information" (2008)

This is another in the "meet your idols" series.  Sly & Robbie are the legends, while Amp Fiddler is the contemporary musician who has been influenced by their work.  And what of the album itself?  It's okay... a mix of soul, funk, reggae. Ultimately it's brought down by the quality of the songwriting.  While a cool concept, it really doesn't do much unique musically, & the songs just aren't as good as lots of other similar sounding records (Sly Stone, Shuggie Otis, etc).

Patty Loveless "Sleepless Nights" (2008)

Here is a fantastic album that few people have heard.  Why not?  Patty Loveless is (IMHO) one the finest of our contemporary country vocalists.  The songs are all basically stone cold classics. Why didn't this become a big crossover record?

Sure, it's obviously too country for much of the country market in the last decade.  It's not going to get played on the radio.  That's a given.  But why doesn't Loveless have more of a following from the Americana/NPR crowd?  That's the real question.  Is it as simple as marketing or some business slight of hand?

The Knitters "Poor Little Critter on the Road" (1985)

This was an absolutely groundbreaking album for me.  Like so many kids, I had rebelled against the country influences that seemed to surround my childhood.  I loved X.  And then they made this country record.  Yeah, it's not that country.  But to my ears in 1985 or whenever I heard it, this was country as hell.  I mean, there are MERLE HAGGARD songs here.  What did it mean that cool people like X liked that stuff?

In retrospect, it's clearly one of those generational albums that introduce people to country music.  I don't think my own story is particularly special in that regard.  And it's also interesting at how it foreshadows so much of John Doe's solo career.

Oasis "Definitely Maybe" (1994)

This is probably on a lot of short lists as one of the best records of the 1990s.  After the darkness of the late 70s & 80s, it must have felt like a huge breathe of fresh air to hear this bold debut.  It's heavily indebted to the British bands of the 60s, of course.  But the rhythms and sonics sound fresh and contemporary.

North Mississippi Allstars "Hernando" (2008)

The Allstars seem to try to mix up their sound a bit, and end up sounding more like a classic power trio.  The blues is still there, of course, but it's heavier and seems like Cream more than you might expect.  Unfortunately, the fun that is so present at a NMA show is sorely lacking.

The Pixies "Complete B-Sides" (2001)

As time goes on, The Pixies seem more & more the most influential band to emerge from the 80s.  Their sound, or portions of it, have probably influenced more bands than any of their peers.

This collection of B-Sides is a bit of a mixed bag.  Almost nothing here has the power of their more famous songs.  But the catalog is deep enough that there's still a ton of great material here.