So, when I sat down to write last week’s article about five albums I never get tired of, I realized I was having lots of trouble narrowing down the list to just five. So now, like any good album, here’s some bonus content — five more albums I never get tired of.
A Perfect Circle: Thirteenth Step (2003)
This album holds the distinction of being the only one on either list about which I have ever written a paper. It is a concept album that explores many types and points of view of addiction. While most of its songs fit into popular rock forms, it mixes in some weird meters, like on “Weak and Powerless,” and stretches the capacity of the band’s instruments. Listen to “Blue,” when the bass is played in the upper register to produce a sound similar to a guitar.
BEST TRACKS: “Weak and Powerless,” “Blue,” “Gravity”
Maroon 5: Songs About Jane (2002)
Maroon 5 is often touted as the successor to boy band sensations like ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. There’s just one key difference: The boys of Maroon 5 actually are good musicians. They manage to infuse rock and pop sensibilities with a hint of soul, which puts a twist on traditional lyrics. They are also interesting because their live shows are a completely different experience from their studio albums, especially their live DVD, Friday the 13th.
BEST TRACKS: “She Will Be Loved,” “Shiver,” “Not Coming Home”
Bond: Classified (2004)
Classical-music purists will probably hate me for including this band, but I can’t help it. Rather than fusing classical and rock like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Bond brings classical into the world of pop hooks. “Classified” includes reinterpretations of classics like Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” on “Dream Star”. The band gained notoriety when its song “Explosive” was chosen as Australia’s theme song for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
BEST TRACKS: “Explosive,” “Lullaby,” “Dream Star”
Imogen Heap: Speak For Yourself (2005)
Imogen Heap is another innovative artist, injecting pop songs with a little electronica. Her voice is also versatile — haunting in “Hide and Seek” and passionate in “Goodnight and Go.” Another interesting element of “Hide and Seek” is her use of a vocoder along with an a cappella voice, perfecting a technique that Laurie Anderson pioneered. She often acts as a “one-woman band” during her live shows, operating all her electronic instruments herself.
BEST TRACKS: “Hide and Seek,” “Daylight Robbery,” “Just for Now”
Audioslave: Revelations (2006)
Tom Morello, guitarist of the now-defunct Audioslave, described this record as “Led Zeppelin meets Earth, Wind, and Fire.” This description is apt, as this album contains a lot of funky wah-pedal effects to go with the band’s rock roots. The strong backbeats on the drums also almost give the album a danceable sound. Audioslave was a collaboration between three former members of Rage Against The Machine and singer Chris Cornell, and the band initially struggled with chemistry on its first two albums. But on Revelations, the band gels well for the first time ever. Alas, the group broke up just after the release of this record, proving that chemistry isn’t everything.
BEST TRACKS: “Revelations,” “One and the Same,” “Wide Awake”
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