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A Modern Punk's Top TenDec 30 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Many of these bands deserve attention, whether you are new age or old-school, and all of these albums are a must for any punk's collection.
It took forever to round this out into ten albums, as I started with over forty. I believe these to be the top ten, though I cannot place them in any order, as I cannot bring myself to selecting one over another. All of these are from the 90s and later, so if you are an old-school punk rocker, I apologize. The Ultimate Escape - Tsunami Bomb The lead singer, Agent M, has one of the best vocalists I’ve ever heard. She gives an emotional energy to every word, giving the listening audience no choice but to agree with everything she sings. The overall force of the music, lyrics, and vocals is outstanding. The album features twelve great songs, the best of which is, in my opinion, 20 Going On..., a song about the hope of overcoming the hardships of growing old. Recipe for Hate - Bad Religion The lyrics and vocals of this album were amazing, but the percussion and guitar made the album perfect. The power of the music complements each song’s lyrical atmosphere with faultless accuracy. The only problem I had with this album, as well as every other Bad Religion album, was the language. The words used in the songs can be much more sophisticated than a simple college student such as myself can begin to contemplate without the aid of a dictionary. Not only do the lyrics make you thing, they make you learn. Out of the fourteen tracks, the best has to be Watch It Die. Land of the Free? - Pennywise The strength behind the vocals, like with Tsunami Bomb, makes the lyrics much more meaningful. The music is basic and strong, but the lyrics are what bring this album to my list. With everything from anti-government to anti-religion, this album fights all forms of oppression which afflict the modern day citizen. The best song on the album is WTO, which is a rally cry being shouted out to the average man to stand up and fight against the forces which plague us all. Let’s Face It - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Punk-ska at it’s best. The music makes you dance, and the lyrics make you think. The album covers everything from the evil of racism and sexism to violence and even alcoholism. The vocals are not as potent as the other bands covered, but they still have an impact. Out of the twelve songs, Another Drinkin’ Song is the most memorable. Ixnay on the Hombre - Offspring While most people would say it was the low point of the Offspring’s musical career, I have to disagree. This album was one of the most powerful albums, lyrically, vocally, and musically, that I have ever heard. Gone Away, one of the darker songs on the album, is one of the most emotional songs in existence. I cannot choose a single song to be the best, as every song, including Intermission, is so captivating that no single one can be placed above the others. Veni Vidi Vicious - The Hives When I first heard the song “Hate to Say I Told You So,” I was impressed. The song, however, pales in comparison with the rest of the album. Every song is stylish and impacting, not a single one is weak in it’s presentation. Even the love ballad is worthy of attention. The most amazing thing was Howlin’ Pete’s voice, however. Especially in songs like Supply and Demand where he makes his voice jump up by at least two octaves for a single note without cracking it. That takes severe talent. The lyrics are not as impacting as their Barely Legal album, but the music and quality have improved drastically. The best song is The Hives - Introduce the Metric System In Time. Ever feel you don’t have enough hours in the day? This song is about a remedy for that mentality. “A hundred hours is my supply, it’s gonna give us all satisfaction.” Sing Loud, Sing Proud - Dropkick Murphys One of the greatest bands of my time, the Dropkick Murphys mix traditional Irish style with New England punk. The chorus of each song is designed to get the audience singing along, causing one of the most spectacular events to occur. While singing along, a sort of unity is formed among the audience, regardless of skin color or social standing. It’s one of the most beautiful designs ever employed. Though the music is not as hardcore as the Dropkick albums created before this one (such as Do or Die), the unity factor has strengthened, and to me, that’s what counts. The songs are all great, and a best is hard to decide. The only song I disliked was Good Rats, which was done better on Punk O Rama 5 than on this album. The song is still great, but the presentation is lacking. Death Rides a Pale Cow (The Ultimate Collection - The Dead Milkmen A best of compilation of the Dead Milkmen, including many of their greatest songs, this truly is the Ultimate Collection. Though most of the 23 songs are silly, they remain memorable and entertaining. A few of the songs are nothing more than words being spoken to music, but the majority is regular music that has a club atmosphere to it. Songs such as If You Love Someone Set Them on Fire and Do the Brown Nose make this album lovable. Social Distortion - Social Distortion Though the album only has ten songs, it is one of Social Distortion’s greatest works. The songs are all very traditional punk in nature, as if they were Ramones tribute songs. The song Ring of Fire has never been done better. The lyrics and music are old-school, in the best of ways, but still apply to modern life. The best song, Ball and Chain, is one of the greatest songs of all time. Band Geek Mafia - Voodoo Glow Skulls Finally, the Voodoo Glow Skulls are one of the strangest bands I’ve ever heard. While the Dropkick Murphys mix punk and Irish music, the Voodoo Glow Skulls mix punk with a Latin sound. The end result is very moving. Even if you don’t like the lyrics, which are great in every respect, the music will addict you to this band. The songs on this album are irresistible, from the first track to the last, and make you come crawling for more. One song, Yo No Tengo Tiempo (para ti), is in Spanish. Despite the fact that I can’t understand a single word of it, it is one of the greatest songs in existence.  |
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