Top Albums (190- 181)

190. Heart Shaped World- Chris Isaak (while I am partial to San Francisco Days and Forever Blue, this is his best album and no one steals Roy Orbison's shtick better than Isaak. His voice is among the most beautiful male voices in rock and he is quite helpful when a white boy is trying to woo a woman- Sade has been done too many times and most R&B just seems goofy when white guys try it.)
189. Faith Hope and Love- King’s X (everything comes together for King's X on one of the most faith affirming albums I know of. While no Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, the 3 part harmonies and metal guitar are more aligned than previous releases. Legal Kill is still the best song about a consistent ethic of life.)
188. Fear- Toad the Wet Sprocket (the 1st of 3 from Toad on my list, this is the album that introduced them to most people. It has their biggest hits and stands up well years later. The only bad thing about Toad and this album is how many bad Christian bands they have influenced.)
187. Lives in the Balance- Jackson Browne (too in your face with its leftist political agenda and musically not as rich as his earlier albums according to critics. I acknowledge all of it and am still struck at how timely the lyrics are for today's society- 20 years later. I wish Christians would release songs of justice like this collection.)
186. Adore- The Smashing Pumpkins (infinitely better than Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- don't get me started on that overrated piece of crap with 3 great songs and hours of whining- Adore is an excellent foray into electronic music, which fits Corgan's voice well. It is a beautiful album with no pretension and delusions of grandeur.)
185. 5150- Van Halen (I fully acknowledge that 1984 is superior in every way except one. Hagar adds a depth and emotional resonance to this release I had never heard before from Van Halen- and he is a much better vocalist. While I do not remember where I was when I 1st heard I'll Wait, Jump or Panama, I remember the moment I heard the synthesiser intro to Why Can't This Be Love like it was yesterday- and I still like its lyrics.)
184. Lyle Lovett and His Large Band- Lyle Lovett (the 1st of 3 Lovett albums- I did not add Joshua Judges Ruth, although it is wonderful- this is the album in which he told everyone he was not really a country singer. Split evenly between Big Band and acoustic songs, his bittersweet observations begin the transition from slightly misanthropic to ultimately redemptive, in the best Flannery O'Connor tradition.)
183. Bleed American- Jimmy Eat World (not emo at all, this is straight forward pop rock and darn good. Clarity was good, but this was better. It is a forerunner to newer Pop bands such as the Format which walk the line between The Cars and Emo, but understand the power of good hooks and crunchy guitars.)
182. Big Horizon- David Wilcox (while he has brought us the scourge of self important Christian guys with acoustic guitars in church basements converted into "coffeehouses" singing self conscious lyrics that would get laughed out of "songwriting 101," Wilcox is an immensely talented songwriter and guitarist with truly insightful and funny lyrics. This is his best album- you could make a case for Home Again - and better than anything James Taylor has put out since 1971.)
181. Films For Radio- Over the Rhine ( an ill-fated attempt for mainstream glory, this is a an exceptionally strong album with a title that actually fits the music. While not as strong as other albums- you will see this band later- Films is the album your mainstream friends will like the most- and it is better than 99% of mainstream music.)