1h. The Big 500: The albums that satisfy (351-400)

Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique (Capitol 1989)

The Kinks: The Village Green Preservation Society (Reprise 1968)

Talk Talk: The Spirit Of Eden (EMI America 1988)

D'Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin, 2000)

The Violent Femmes: The Violent Femmes (Slash 1983)

Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life (Motown 1976)

David Bowie: Aladdin Sane (RCA 1973)

Linda Ronstadt: Heart Like A Wheel (Capitol 1974)

The Blue Nile: Hats (A&M 1989)

Metallica: Master Of Puppets (Elektra 1986)

Richard & Linda Thompson: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (Hannibal 1974)

T-Rex: Electric Warrior (Reprise 1971)

Roxy Music: Siren (EG Editions 1975)

The Darkness: Permission To Land (Atlantic 2003)

Elton John: Honky Chateau (Island/Rocket 1972)

Lemonheads: It's A Shame About Ray (Atlantic 1993)

Elastica: Elastica (DGC 1995)

Son Volt: Trace (Warner Bros. 1995)

Bob Dylan: The Times They Are A Changing (Columbia 1964)

Badly Drawn Boy: Have You Fed The Fish? (XL/Beggars Banquet 2002)

Basement Jaxx: Kish Kash (Astralwerks 2003)

Aimee Mann: Bachelor No. 2 (Superego 2000)

Radiohead: Amnesiac (Parlaphone 2001)

The New Pornographers: Mass Romantic (Mint 2000)

AC/DC: Back In Black (Atco 1980)

Brian Eno: Before And After Science (EG Editions 1978)

Enya: Watermark (Warner Bros. 1988)

Soul Coughing: Ruby Vroom (Slash/Warner Bros. 1994)

Kate Bush: The Kick Inside (EMI 1978)

The Verve: Urban Hymns (Virgin 1997)

The Neville Brothers: Yellow Moon (A&M 1989)

The Beatles: With The Beatles (Capitol/Apple 1968)

Cocteau Twins: Treasure (4AD 1984)

Mary Margaret O'Hara: Miss America (Koch 1988)

Lightnin' Hopkins: Lightnin' Hopkins (Smithsonian Folkways, 1959)

Astor Piazzolla: Tango: Zero Hour (American Clave 1992)

Morrissey: Vauxhaul & I (Sire 1994)

Accept: Balls To the Wall (Portrait 1980)

Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul (Atlantic 1968)

Byrds: Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (Columbia 1968)

Bob Marley: Catch A Fire (Island 1973)

June Tabor: Aquaba (Shanachie 1988)

The Afghan Whigs: Gentlemen (Elektra 1993)

John Mayall With Eric Clapton: Bluesbreakers (London 1966)

Tool: Aenima (BMG/Zoo 1997)

The London Suede: The London Suede (Nude/Columbia 1993)

This album produces a grand, extravagant, arousing sound dripping with elegance. Butler’s guitars swoop and crescendo as Anderson sighs the witty lyrics. His soaring, nasal voice hitting exquisitely dramatic notes then descending to a candy-sweet whisper that cracks his voice. The waning, reverberating guitar strips away from the elevating vocals creating chasms of sublime fuzz. And the rhythm section creates a sturdy framework for these two to produce their emotional fireworks. The vocals stretch and swoon on So Young as the guitar floats underneath producing honey-like solos. It’s epic, winding rhythms drifting and billowing over 3 minutes prompting each crescendo higher and higher. Animal Nitrate pounds into my ears with jagged guitar and strutting rhythms that twist around the soaring vocals like a clenching muscle, the undulating sound mimicking the sexual bent of the lyrics. The textures of She’s Not Dead repose like a reclining Madonna. She’ll come to her end locked in a car somewhere with exhaust in her hair, What’s she called?, I dunno, she’s f**king with a slip of a man while the engine ran sings Anderson, his voice hushed with dreary sorrow as the sound sprawls out behind him. The pageantry of Pantomime Horse erupts like comets across the sky. The bawling guitar rising and falling in spasms of guttural noise, drums pounding, vocals bursting like fireworks of sugary noise. This is one of the great songs of the 1990’s. The remaining songs follow this same pattern, full of slithering sexual music and divine vocals. After Sleeping Pills the song quality seems to wane (that’s why it ain’t in the top 200), but that doesn’t ruin the album. The band heads into these songs with the same intensity. The Suede is a striking album to immerse your self in and swoon on Brett Anderson’s immaculate voice until The Next Life fades away.

Oumou Sangare: Worotan (World Circuit 1996)

Funkadelic: One Nation Under A Groove (Casablanca 1978)

Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes (Atlantic 1991)

Al Green: I'm Still In Love With You (Hi/The Right Stuff 1972)