My Top Five

I was going to make this into a question on the 'How Well Do You Know Divya Suresh?' quiz on Facebook (just so you know, it doesn't still exist, and probably never will), but I thought it would be far more interesting as a blog post:

My Top Five Rock Music Albums

All these albums I'm sure figure on the Rolling Stones list. They aren't very original or different, but I always like to talk about them. So here they are in descending order (most most favourite to least most favourite):

1. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
I don't know how many of you find this a surprising first choice, but yes, this is my favourite music album of all time. Incredibly surreal, evoking images of long forgotten gods, mythical landscapes, mighty battles, treasure etc with sudden bursts of nostalgia; this album is simply magnificent. I really can't find enough superlatives to describe it. It starts off with the upbeat and brilliant "Black Dog" followed by "Rock n' Roll" a nostalgic song in both style and lyrics. The fun however ends there. From then on, the album progresses in 'Lord of the Rings' fashion telling stories, weaving allegories and painting a picture of greed and destruction through music. The standout track in the album according to me at least is 'The Battle of Evermore'. Robert Plant's vocals are amazing and the mandolin accompaniment creates a mythical feel to the song. Enough has been said about the next track i.e. 'Stairway to Heaven'. 'Misty Mountian Hop' is another upbeat LOTR influenced song with a fairly sinister feel to it, which is carried forward by 'Four Sticks' and John Bonham's extraordinary drumming. The tone of the album again softens with the acoustic track 'Going to California', but ends in the hard edged and somewhat merciless 'When the Levee Breaks', my second favourite track. All in all, a fantastic album..not just for the music and the immortal songs it has produced, but also for being one the most visually evocative albums I have listened to.

2. Tommy - The Who
Again, an album about which a lot has been said. I discovered this album in these January hols and I was completely blown away. Tommy is a concept album that tells the story of 'Tommy Walker', a deaf, dumb and blind boy who is psychologically adopts that condition on witnessing his mother's lover being murdered. The album is a again paints a vivid and disturbing story and the music is loud, desperate, surreal and angry..conveying the moods of Tommy and his parents and their frustration. While the album is too long into every individual track, my favourite song is undoubtedly 'Welcome'..the song in which Tommy calls people to a 'holiday camp' which he has set up. The song is incredibly fascinating due to its frequent changes in tone, chords and pace. And Keith Moon's evil whisper "Welcome" at the end of the song actually manages to freak you out a bit, the first time you hear it. Another fantastic song is 'Amazing Journey', a psychedelic song about how Tommy starts sensing everything through music. Townsend's gentle vocals and the soft guitar work with crashing drums nicely capture the contrasting nature of a psychedelic trip. The disappointing song in the album is the 10 minute long 'Underture', which is supposed to represent a drug induced experience that Tommy goes through. I guess Pink Floyd is better accomplished at long drawn out psychedelic jams. John Entwhistle's contributions such as 'Cousin Kevin' and 'Uncle Ernie' are wonderful as ever, with an orchestral ensemble and dark humour. This is one album you must listen to as a whole. Truly a great musical achievement.

3. Rubber Soul - The Beatles
Well I'm not going to say very much about this album because at some point in life, I have complimented and raved about each and every song. Its an album which fits together perfectly and can actually be summed up in one work 'longing'. Unrequieted love (Norwegian Wood, You Won't See Me, Michelle, Girl) , jealous love (Run for Your Life, Do What you Want), the desperation of the misunderstood (Nowhere Man), love for the present (In My Life), hoping for love (Wait, If I Needed Someone)..every form of emotion associated with love and longing has been covered in this album. The lovely folksy sound and McCartney's poignant bass (it somehow is) lend each song a sense of coheisiveness which is absent from many albums which seem to be just a collection of songs (outside of concept albums). Definitely recommended for easy listening and something to sigh along with.

4. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
Another surprising entry, but definitely one of my all time favourite albums and definitely the album I have listened to the most number of times. Coldplay's music is angry and at the same time emotional..the theme varying in almost every alternate song. The gem of the album is undoubtedly 'Clocks'. I still remember the first time I heard the distinctive piano riff on the radio..it seemed to open up new doors of music to me! However, one of the loveliest and most underrated songs in the album is 'Warning Sign'. A poetic and beautiful song about unrequieted love, it has a lovely bittersweet to it through out. 'Amsterdam' is another wonderful song with its soft start and catacylsmic ending, which gives a perfect end to this album. While several albums of this song has made their way into mainstream popularity, this album is worth listening to for having some of the best B-sides any album has ever produced. Some might say that this is the album in which Coldplay perfected their 'formula'. For me however, this is the greatest album of modern rock..which became a trend-setter for several other bands - a feat which Coldplay has not been able to repeat!

5. Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd
Yes is "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" but "Piper" is Floyd's most intersting and electic offering, largely due to the genius of Syd Barret. The album is a psychedelic masterpiece..again a very visually stimulating experience. The songs lyrics are childlike in simplicity and yet weird and otherwordly musically. I haven't heard another album which merges complexity and simplicity so well, except perhaps 'Sgt Peppers'. But 'Sgt Peppers' never borders on outrageous, which 'Piper' often does. Apart from 'Interstellar Overdrive' (I somehow just hate that song), every song on the album is fantastic. My favourite of course is 'Astronomy Domine' followed by 'The Gnome' and 'Kite'. Definitely the best album (along with 'Revolver') to listen to when you're drunk!

Those who almost made it:
1. All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2
2. Revolver - The Beatles
3. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
4. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
5. Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan

So here they are. Do tell me what you think!