MY TOP TEN - GREG ALLEN

I've loved posting everyone's top tens over the last few weeks and already listened to a couple of albums as a result and I know I say this every week but this is probably my favourite top ten so far.  This is a really varied selection, spanning several decades, not necessarily the obvious album to select by some of these artists and is way too good for someone of such tender years.  Greg, I wanna hear your next 90 album choices.  And the fact I have 9 of these albums myself and love everyone means so much.  Oh and by the way the one album I don't have, I now really want.    

Top 10 albums, in no particular order.


MTV Unplugged in New York - Nirvana

I have 2 Nirvana live albums. This one, and Live at Reading. Live at Reading is good and contains a far bigger set, but the MTV Unplugged concert was possibly their greatest ever performance. You have to have balls and talent to turn up at MTV and perform only lesser known records and still produce the greatest MTV Unplugged session ever.



Ill Communication - Beastie Boys

I like the mix of early 90's Hip Hop and Hardcore punk in this album - the hardcore punk bits being the best songs (Heart Attack Man being up there with my favourite punk songs ever).


Automatic For The People - REM

This album does not include many of my favourite REM songs (Daysleeper, Imitation of Life, Animal) and also includes their most over rated song, Everybody Hurts, and yet I still love this album. Michael Stipe is my favourite front-man ever. His voice is haunting and beautiful. This album also includes their most underrated song ever - Try Not To Breathe. If you like REM but have not heard Try Not To Breathe, stop what you are doing now and look it up.



Minor Threat - Minor Threat

1980's US Hardcore punk classic. I still say Minor Threat are better than Fugazi even if most disagree. In My Eyes is probably the greatest punk song ever.


Forty Licks - The Rolling Stones

It's probably cheating to include a compilation album but no Rolling Stones album includes all of their best songs in one place. If I had to listen to just 1 song for the rest of my life, Gimme Shelter might just win.



Sweet Soul Music - The best of Stax

Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MG's, Isaac Hayes, all on one album. Need I say more? Better than Motown.



Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike - Gogol Bordello

Discovered these one year watching Glastonbury performing "Not a Crime" and getting the crowd bouncing. Since then, everyone I have pushed them on end up loving them. Amazing live band. Has contained countless different nationalities in their line up through the years. Best Gypsy Punk band in the world.



De Stijl - The White Stripes

I would have selected Under Blackpool Lights as my White Stripes selection, but as they have only ever released it as a DVD and not a CD, I have had to go for one of their Studio Albums. I don't know why he named the album after a crap Dutch Art movement, but the music on the album is anything but.



Mellow Gold - Beck

The majority of Beck's albums contain a lot of hit and miss stuff, however his first album Mellow Gold was superb from start to finish. One of the best début albums ever.



At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash

Cash managed to produce countless amazing albums, and his ability to adapt and change throughout his career is amazing (look at his later stuff before he died, outstanding cover songs). His change to "The man in black" in the late 60's produced 2 of the greatest live albums ever. Performing live in a prison in the 60's sounds a bit risky when his old audience was the bible belt from the south - so it get's the nod from me.

I could have included countless albums. I'm disappointed I did not include any folk music as I love Artists like Tommy Makem and the Clancy brothers, and Renegades by Rage Against The Machine, The Fat Of the Land by the Prodigy, OK Computer by Radiohead and anything by Amadou and Mariam could easily have made the top 10. Honourable mentions also go to comedy music pioneers like Flight of the Conchords and Richard Cheese.