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| 181. | The Only Ones |
| Even Serpents Shine |
| 1979 |
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This band didn't so much ride the New Wave as stand on the beach in the shade watching.
Save in the knowledge that they had the best riffs and the most distinctive singer anyway.
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| 182. | The Cure |
| Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me |
| 1987 |
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| | |
No one will question The Cure's ability to record more or less perfect singles in the dozen. But
although albums were not their strong point a very fine single album waits to be compiled from this
75 minute long double LP.
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| 183. | Wire |
| Chairs Missing |
| 1978 |
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| | |
So there were probably a few art students too many in this band. This might be the reason why this
album sounds so hopelessly contrived. But in spite of (or maybe rather because of) this it
still fascinates to this day.
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| 184. | Soft Cell |
| Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret |
| 1981 |
|
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This brought a certain party vibe to the otherwise slightly austere synthipop scene.
And what a strange and kinky party that was.
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| 185. | Yazoo |
| You And Me Both |
| 1983 |
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The combination of a soulful voice and electronic background sounds was a novelty
back then. Later in the 00s this kind of music was all over the place but none of
its creators matched Yazoo's unique songwriting skills.
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| 186. | Leftfield |
| Leftism |
| 1995 Review |
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| | |
This was the best of the bunch of electronic albums that surfaced in the mid 90s. More varied
than simultaneous releases by Underworld, Chemical Brothers etc.
And as usual in that genre the guest vocalists provided the stand-out moments.
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| 187. | Cocteau Twins |
| Victorialand |
| 1986 |
|
| | |
Reducing their instrumentation to an absolute minimum yielded surprisingly
rich results. And what strange and colourful song titles they coined for their songs.
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| 188. | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Bookends |
| 1968 |
|
| | |
A bit uneven and confusing this one but not as much as their multi-million selling album
released two years later. However 'America' and 'Mrs Robinson' are eternal classics without question.
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| 189. | Aztec Camera |
| High Land, Hard Rain |
| 1983 |
|
| | |
It's a bit of tragedy if you reach your artistic peak as early as Roddy Frame who was only
19 when he put together this magical set of songs. Cause afterwards, of course,
the only way was down for him.
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| 190. | The Byrds |
| Turn, Turn, Turn |
| 1966 |
|
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This was their last song based work before they started experimenting. First
with drugs, then with their music. Both with rather mixed results.
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| 191. | Red House Painters |
| Red House Painters |
| 1993 Review |
|
| | |
While some of the long songs on this 70min long double album might be a bit exhausting to listen
to, the rest surely is as intense as possible. And all this wrapped up in one of the best artworks ever.
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| 192. | The Human League |
| Travelogue |
| 1980 |
|
| | |
This marks the exact point in time when the torch was passed from Kraftwerk to this lot.
And 'Dreams Of Leaving' is without doubt the best electronic track ever.
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| 193. | Felt |
| The Strange Idols Pattern And Other Short Stories |
| 1984 |
|
| | |
Felt were one of the most archetypal representatives of the mid 80s indie guitar
avalanche. But contrary to other main players like The June Brides or The Loft
they stayed together long enough to finish a complete album. Ten complete albums
to be precise.
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| 194. | Real Estate |
| Atlas |
| 2014 |
|
| | |
Crystal clear guitar lines, hushed vocals and no synthetic sounds. There were a lot of bands in
the 80s who sounded exactly like this, but few of them were as good as Real Estate in 2014.
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| 195. | Manic Street Preachers |
| The Holy Bible |
| 1994 Review |
|
| | |
One of the most analysed, dissected, examined and reviewed albums ever. A monument,
a provocation, an enigma.
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| 196. | Portishead |
| Third |
| 2008 |
|
| | |
Brutal electronic soundscapes meeting fragile vocals. This was light years away from the
cocktail party background music Portishead made in the 90s. And 'The Rip' is certainly a
contender for song of the decade.
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| 197. | The Heart Throbs |
| Cleopatra Grip |
| 1990 |
|
| | |
A long forgotten female fronted band best known for their allusive album titles. So
when they sang "I am not an angel" you could be sure they were not kidding.
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| 198. | Arctic Monkeys |
| Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not |
| 2006 |
|
| | |
The Arctic Monkeys were the final opportunity for the British music press to over-hype
a band. And boy did they use it. But don'st let this put you off.
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| 199. | The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart |
| The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart |
| 2009 |
|
| | |
This band could easily have been on a C09 cassette alongside The Drums and Crystal Stilts,
save for the fact that none of them are British. Nostalgia can be a good thing sometimes.
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| 200. | The Boo Radleys |
| Giant Steps |
| 1993 Review |
|
| | |
When around 1993 the bands on the legendary Creation label simultaneously turned to the 60s for
inspiration, it was The Boo Radleys who gained the most profit from it. Sadly their next
album was a step too far.
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