I have always loved rock music since seeing The Beatles performing on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Since then I have listened to thousands of albums and CD's and below are some of my all time favorites, in no particular order (except for the first one or two...)

I only picked one album per artist or otherwise I would have about 15 Beatles and Sparks albums listed.

* I somehow forgot Creedence Clearwater Revival, but their album "Cosmo's Factory" is certainly one of my all time favorite albums.

You will notice I mainly stay with albums from the 70's and 80's, but that is mainly because today's music sucks, except for a few "new" bands such as Radiohead, The Arcade Fire and The White Stripes. Plus, of course Nickelback sucks.

I am also not that good at reviewing music, but if you enjoy rock reviews I would suggest visiting Mark Prindle's Record Review site. Besides being a great reviewer, he is funny as hell, although I will warn you that he "occasionally" swears and/or gets mighty silly. He also has a YouTube channel here.

ON TO THE REVIEWS...


THE BEATLES "WHITE ALBUM" 1968

A tough decision between this and their final studio album "Abbey Road", but I have to go with the greatest and most diverse rock album of all time. From heavy metal (Helter Skelter), to wonderful acoustic numbers (Blackbird), to blues rock ('Yer Blues) to psycedelic freak outs (Revolution #9) to country (Don't Pass Me By) and to everything else but the kitchen sink, this is one hell of an entertaining 30 song collection. Plus it has the best album cover of all time.

SPARKS "INDISCREET" 1975



A pretty popular "cult" band who have been around since the very early 70's, Sparks (mainly brothers Ron and Russell Mael) have released many excellent and diverse albums but this has always been my favorite. Just like White Album it is filled to the brim with variety (and not to mention wit galore...)

U2 "ACHTUNG BABY" 1993



I have loved U2's music since 1984 (unlike Mark Prindle...) and Achtung Baby I consider U2's best work. The amazing thing is, as good as this record is, U2 are even better live.

LED ZEPPELIN "PHYSICAL GRAFFITI" 1975



I could have picked any of Zeppelin's first few albums but once again, variety wins (plus it's a double album...) It also contains "Kashmir". Enough said...

TALKING HEADS "REMAIN IN LIGHT" 1980



This has always been one of my all time fave albums and recently I have started to enjoy their other (earlier) records again also.I can't really say WHY I love this album. Is it Eno's production? The sometimes bizarre lyrics or just the overall vibe. Whatever the reason, this album is amazing from start to finish.


FRANK ZAPPA AND THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION
"WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY" 1967


I've been a fan of Frank Zappa since 1975 and once again there are many great albums to choose from but I had to pick this one. Frank was one brave fellow to pick on The Beatles and the whole hippy generation way back in 1967. Plus this is another album cover classic.


LOU REED "BERLIN" 1973



I love humor in music but I also like to listen to more dark, depressing albums also, and this is the most dark, depressing album of them all. I love all of Lou Reed's music and this is his best album in my humble opinion.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "TUNNEL OF LOVE" 1987


I like Bruce but this is the only album of his that I truly love and it contains some of my all time favorite songs, such as
"Brilliant Disguise".


THE ARCADE FIRE "FUNERAL" 2004


I love this album but I don't own it yet...although I have heard all of the songs. They are a powerful band live and the songs
can really make the hairs stand up on your arms.

BLACK SABBATH "SABOTAGE" 1975



All Sabbath albums with Ozzy are great (well, at least up to this one...) I could have picked any of the early albums but
I think this is their best because it rocks harder than any of the others. I even love the instrumental track that most
people hate...


THE GUESS WHO "SO LONG BANNATYNE" 1971



Finally a Canadian band and one that even Mark Prindle likes a lot! Burton Cummings is one of the greatest rock singers of them all and this album (along with "Rockin') is my fave album of theirs. Lots of crazy rockin' tunes. I think they were smoking some funny stuff when this was recorded...

THE WHO "WHO'S NEXT" 1971



Love The Who (up until Keith Moon died...) and it was between this and "Live At Leeds" as my favorite of theirs. Contains the best scream ever in a rock song ("Won't Get Fooled Again")


SEX PISTOLS "NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS" 1977


I had to throw in a punk record and I consider this the best of them all.


GENESIS "LIVE" 1973



BIG fan of Genesis (when Phil Collins stayed behind the drum kit) and this has always been the one I play the most. It includes possibly my all time favorite live number, "The Knife". I could not find a good video of this song live, but the studio version is pretty good too.


BLUE OYSTER CULT 1972



Once again, I could have picke any one of BOC's albums from this one to Spectres, but this is where it all started and I especially love how it just does not sound like any other band. Contains possibly the strangest lyrics of all time too... and don't forget that Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is one of the finest guitarists of all time.


SMALL FACES "OGDENS' NUTGONE FLAKE" 1968


Side One is great but it is Side Two where the fun really begins, and ends with one of the best feel good tunes of all time, "Happy Days Toy Town". (Life is just a bowl of All Bran...) Steve Marriot went on to another band who I also loved (Humble Pie).


BOB DYLAN "SLOW TRAIN COMING" 1979



This is when Bob got religion, and I'm glad he found it. Guitar work by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.


PAUL MCCARTNEY "MEMORY ALMOST FULL" 2007


I lost interest in Paul's work in the early 90's but his last few solo albums have been some of his best work yet. Plus, he shows he can still rock with the best (Only Mama Knows).


WIRE "PINK FLAG" 1977



This is beyond punk, with some songs clocking in at less than a minute. Also contains one of the best rock songs ever, "12XU".


YES 1969



Yes is an amazing band and even their first album is fantastic. I thought
I would choose this one because they sure started on the right foot...

THE NORTHERN PIKES "SNOW IN JUNE" 1990


A popular Canadian band in the 90's and I actually got to know the members later on. I consider them the Canadian Beatles, with three fine singers and songwriters.

ROD STEWART "NEVER A DULL MOMENT" 1972



Not a big fan of Rod, but for some reason I have always loved
this album.

GRAND FUNK "LIVE ALBUM" 1970



After The Beatles, this was probably the second group that I fell in love with (and then Humble Pie and Black Oak Arkansas) Listening now the recording quality is pretty lousy (some bootlegs sound better than this...) but the energy is amazing, especially on "Into The Sun". I also got to meet Mark Farner, their guitarist and have a CD signed by him after a concert in 2008.

DEAF SCHOOL "ENGLISH BOYS, WORKING GIRLS" 1978



Another cult band, but unlike Sparks, not very well known. A fan of all three of their albums and this final album of theirs I consider their finest.

JANE SIBERRY "THE WALKING" 1988



Canadian Jane Siberry makes some strange yet wonderful albums and this is my favorite of hers.


SENSASTIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND
"TOMORROW BELONGS TO ME" 1975

I loved this band in the 70's (and still do...) and this is my favorite of their albums.

RANDY NEWMAN "LITTLE CRIMINALS" 1977

Not known as much of a singer, but who cares when he can put out such wonderful tracks such as "Short People"...

DEVO "Q: ARE WE NOT MEN? A: WE ARE DEVO!" 1978

Although they likely won't admit it, this band was most likely influenced by a mixture of Sparks and Kraftwerk. Contains one of my all time fave songs, "Jocko Homo"...

10CC "HOW DARE YOU" 1975

The last album by the original band (two of the four members left, but they continued on with hits such as "The Things We
Do For Love". This is a great art rock album.

CANNED HEAT "HALLELUJAH" 1969

My first taste of blues rock was from this album and this is why I love it so much.