And now, the exciting conclusion of the music staff’s first impressions!
If you missed the countdown, you can catch the first two parts here:
7. “Foxey Lady,” Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced?
Greg W. – I wasn’t there so I have no idea how he did it. This aggressive song about lust, with the some not so loving lyrics (“Here I come, baby. I’m coming to get you.”) had no business being a hit and a hippie anthem. if anything, it’s born to be a rapist’s defense a la “Suicide Solution.” But, let’s face it, Jimi’s just too likable and his guitar work is simply astounding. He made a song talking about a woman being like getting stuck in traffic cool and no one seemed offended when he said he’s rather love his guitar than a woman. Just Jimi being Jimi.
6. “Break On Through,” The Doors, The Doors
Michaelangelo – I don’t think today’s generation understands just how groundbreaking a band The Doors were. With Robby Krieger’s guitar work, John Densmore’s backbeat, Ray Manzarek’s incredible use of keyboards, and Jim Morrison, the gold standard for a front man, The Doors were the perfect example of four disparate individuals coming together into one cohesive unit. When you hear this song, you actually get ready to embark on a journey with The Lizard King and his band of shamen. It was the signal for a communal acid trip, one that we’re still enjoying today.
5. “Blister in the Sun,” Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Greg W. – If there’s a song on this list that made the most people say “what the hell was that?” on first listen, this one is probably it. REM had already tackled the instrumentation but the attitude was completely different from anything that was popular at the time. I, like most people that year, had this played for me by a friend and immediately copied his tape. If it wasn’t for the album’s staying power, they mght not have made a dime from this record. People made an immediate and personal connection to this band from the second they got over Gordon’s nasaly voice singing “when I’m a walking, I strut my stuff and I’m so strung out.” I still don’t get it, but from time to time I still need it.
4. “Head Like A Hole,” Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine
Gloomchen – “Head Like A Hole” started as a curiosity, seeing the video casually one day on MTV and grabbing the CD on a whim. I can honestly say that it was at least a month before I bothered listening to the rest of the album. Oh Trent, thank you for the angst; poor little Iowa never knew what hit it. What happened afterward has dragged me to the depths of “ShutUpI’mNotGoth” where I’m stuck today, over 15 years later.
3. “Runnin’ With The Devil,” Van Halen, Van Halen
Gloomchen – My sister is named after a song on this album — does that say enough about the impact of the first outing from Van Halen? My father gave me the vinyl that I grew up hearing daily. At the time of its release, I wasn’t old enough to know what I was hearing; I just knew it was part of my life. And from the opening guitar riff to the chorus to all the Diamond Dave squealing, this was my childhood. It couldn’t have better kicked off a career.
2. “Blitzkrieg Bop,” The Ramones, The Ramones
Greg W. – It’s telling that the Romones lasted for years without moving more than an inch from this formula. Admittedly, I was on the young side, so I had to wait for “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” to really figure out what the Ramones were all about, but does that matter? Creating the soundtrack for “Whatever, man — I just want to rock” took hard work and dedication, but for the rest of us it’s now so easy. Thanks to the Ramones, we can now just say “hey, ho, let’s go” whenever teenage life becomes too much to bear.
1. “Welcome To The Jungle,” Guns n Roses, Appetite For Destruction
Michaelangelo – The first time I heard this song I remember thinking, “When I go to Hell this is what’ll be playing on the elevator.” Just the opening riff makes you feel like you’re entering Sodom and Gomorrah, and when Axl says, “Oh my God”, you know you’re in for a wild ride. This album didn’t really take off until “Sweet Child O’ Mine” hit, but the first time I heard that song play on Q102 in Dallas, I immediately ran out and bought the tape. I can count on one hand the number of times I bought a band’s album just based on the first song I ever heard of theirs, and this was one of them.
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