My Top 40 Albums - #25

#25
Audio Adrenaline - "Hits Parade"

Year: 2001
Label: Forefront
Favorite songs: Will Not Fade, Some Kind of Zombie, I'm Not the King, We're A Band, Never Gonna Be As Big As Jesus
Lyric sample: "So I sing / Sing a song / From this mountaintop I'm on / See it clear / See it true / There could never be another One like You"

I kind of broke my own rules here by including a greatest hits record. Generally I wanted to pinpoint particular releases that I felt especially worthy, but with Audio Adrenaline I have to make an exception. The inclusion of Hits Parade began back when I chose it as one of my "desert island discs" and it never really left the list. Perhaps it is ranked a bit too highly, but what I want to make redundantly clear is that this is Audio Adrenaline's best record. "But Dan," you say, "that's not really fair. Shouldn't every artist's greatest hits be their best album? How can these other releases go up against that?" I understand, but it's not exactly the case. I would say that many times a hits album doesn't flow as well as it could, and it often sounds fragmented as it contains sounds from across a changing career. More than that, fan favorites are likely to be left off.

On the other hand, I feel that Audio Adrenaline, while becoming undeniably successful and a fixture of the Christian music scene, never quite rose to the heights of superstars like dc Talk and Newsboys. While this could be attributed to a number of things, what sticks out to me is that they never made one really stellar album. They have good songs ("Big House" is one of the biggest Christian hits of the 90's) and good records (the likes of Underdog and Lift were well reviewed and received), but not one truly great record. They were always a bit hit and miss. So it only makes sense that the hits should be assembled and become that for which the band will be remembered. Enter Hits Parade. Now you can get all the really great or at least really popular songs from the band (more or less) in one convenient location, plus two new songs. Basically the cream of the crop from the era before Mark Stuart's vocal chords called it quits. More than most hits collections, this one really captures the spirit of the group and so if there is only one Audio Adrenaline album to own, this is it. Read the track listing - I think it speaks for itself.

The starting lineup is impressive. The new song "Will Not Fade" is a great riff-heavy anthem-rocker that makes a fine addition and gives the record a fresh start. Within the first few tracks, we have some of the stronger songs from three of the strongest albums - "I'm Not the King" from Bloom, "Mighty Good Leader" from Underdog, and "Some Kind of Zombie" from guess where. Things never slow down for long. "Big House" and "We're A Band" from Don't Censor Me are tucked right in the middle, and "Chevette" and "Underdog" keep it loud in the second half. It's a quality express tour of Audio A's best moments. The only real dud is "Hands and Feet" which I never thought was musically strong, but it's fairly popular at shows so I guess it makes sense to include it. "Rest Easy" is nothing to write home about either, but it makes a good soothing ending to an otherwise boisterous collection. One of the few "best of" outings that legitimately showcases what the group has to offer, Audio Adrenaline's Hits Parade gives a fan everything they need and very little they don't, squeezing it into the top 25 slots on my list.

My Top 40 Albums - #26

#26
Foo Fighters - "The Colour and the Shape"

Year: 1997
Label: Roswell/Capitol
Favorite songs: Everlong, Monkey Wrench, My Hero, Wind Up, Hey Johnny Park
Lyric sample: "Too alarming now to talk about / Take your pictures down and shake it out / Truth or consequence, say it aloud / Use that evidence, race it around / There goes my hero / Watch him as he goes / There goes my hero / He's ordinary"

This is modern rock.

I'm kind of a casual fan of most of their stuff, but with The Colour and the Shape, Foo Fighters hit one out of the park. Their sophomore release, this will forever be the album by which future Foo Fighters releases are judged. Hopefully, it will be their best remembered as well. With hits like the emotional anthem "My Hero," haunting "Everlong" and punkish, energetic "Monkey Wrench," it probably features more great songs than any other single release. The defining characteristic, the one that makes me love it so much, is the unapologetically BIG sound. It's a roaring wave. The Color and The Shape sounds like it was played on 100 watt Marshall Tube stacks through Gibson Les Pauls while Dave Grohl bangs on the drums as hard as he possibly can. It's an enviable sonic assault that I can only wish more bands could achieve. Greater still, it's LOUD but not necessarily NOISY. The band is nearly always melodic and comes up with some really great riffs carrying the same crashing sound as everything else. Frontman Dave Grohl was the drummer for Nirvana, but this is very much a guitar record. No solos - there is still plenty of grunge influence hanging around - but soulful rhythms and nasty distorted goodness. Then there's Grohl's vocal. One of the grittiest voices in popular music, but oddly smooth in some of the more melodic passages and able to hit some really nice high notes. The likes of "Enough Space" and "My Poor Brain" feature some straightforward screams, while "See You" and "Up In Arms" are poppy little ditties that are held in rock territory by Grohl's strong approach. His powerful performances help lift the record out of the reach of any clawing mediocrity.

And there is some mediocrity clawing. The lyrics are really of very little importance most of the time. A few are poor, most are just enigmatic. In fact, they're at their best when you can't understand exactly what is being said. There are some interesting lines here and there and that's mostly the best you get. What we have here is a case of exceptional music completely overwhelming hit-and-miss lyrics. "Everlong" is one of the best rock songs of the 90's, and there's plenty more goodness surrounding it. For a modern rock aficionado, this is pretty much a must-hear. To me it is probably the greatest pure rock record on my top 100 list. Musically it hits very close to what I think is the ideal for the genre. That makes it a luminary.

My Top 40 Albums - #27

#27
Anberlin - "Blueprints For the Black Market"

Year: 2003
Label: Tooth & Nail
Favorite songs: Readyfuels, Cold War Transmissions, Glass to the Arson, We Dreamt in Heist, Naive Orleans
Lyric sample: "This is a black market reformation / How does it feel to be under the gun / Last ones pull the trigger here on the run / You can hide the money, I'll mark an X / I'm above the law and you're the order / You make everything make sense // And I know Mexico is south of here / Beautiful this time of year / So let's jump the border while the coast is clear / Salvation waits at ocean shore / We won't have to lie no more / Don't you worry baby / I'll be right here"

In 2003, I had had just about enough of slow rock. All the Creed clones on the market had left me high and dry. Bands like Kutless had the distortion of rock and the beat is heavy but plodding. It's the musical equivalent of an elephant walking through a park. No more of this "quiet verses loaded with chorus effect while a guy puts too much vibrato in his voice and tries to sound emotional then turns on the distortion for the chorus" stuff. That formula has its place but I was sick of it. I needed something with some pep to grab my interest. That's where Anberlin came in. One day I heard "Readyfuels" on Radio U and I said to myself "now here is some good rock I can get into." Well, I don't know if I said those words exactly, but the edgy guitar tone, tight rhythm section, brisk pace and talented solo had my attention. It was rock with a beat! Remember when rock songs rocked from the beginning and kept rocking right through to the end? I do. And Anberlin helped me remember. Bless them.

As it turns out, "Readyfuels" quickly became one of my favorite songs of the decade. It's the best song on Anberlin's debut record, but it's by no means the only one worth listening to. It helps of course that Stephen Christian has a recognizable (not to mention very high) vocal and the band's music is fully of infectious melodies backed by well-plotted riffage. It's a little bit emo, a little bit punk, and a little bit rock and roll. Anberlin quickly became one of my favorite bands - not because of a varied style, but quite the opposite. They have basically one sound that I really like and they are the only ones who have it. This record hit at a very good time for me as well. I was a a senior in high school - a volatile time, and one in which I was predisposed for emotional, relationship-focused rock to be appealing. Songs like "Autobahn" and "Naive Orleans" carry a sense of longing that makes me pause and take notice. Then there are those songs that are just a lot fun. The staccato passages of "The Undeveloped Story" and "We Dreamt in Heist" provide memorable sing-a-long moments. In addition, the sometimes cryptic lyrics make for some interesting listening. I won't pretend to know exactly what all of them mean, though some are more overt than others. It's obvious "Foreign Language" is about the different ways men and women communicate, but the intriguing metaphors in the likes of "We Dreamt in Heist" may be off-putting to some. I actually prefer them. I have my own ideas of what certain lines can mean, and not having a spoon-fed explanation allows me to focus on the emotional resonance of individual phrases and movements.

Probably the album's weakest track is the cover of The Cure's "Love Song." I'm not sure why Anberlin seems to be obsessed with covering 80's tunes, but they certainly assimilate this song seamlessly into the track list. It doesn't stick out as a cover. This record is a little darker musically than its successor, but it manages to be a lot of fun as well. It has several good guitar solos and I'd like to see the band expand on this more in the future. I think they still have a lot of untapped potential.

My Top 40 Albums - #28

#28
Switchfoot - "The Legend of Chin"

Year: 1997
Label: Re:Think
Favorite songs: Chem6A, Underwater, Bomb, Home, Edge of My Seat
Lyric sample: "With blankness staring back at me / Screaming from the pages / I feel the fear of apathy / Gripping me, pushing me on / Top of everything / In a corner with a view / I turn off the fluorescent tubes // This is the bomb that I've been waiting for, living for / You've finally lit the fuse that's in my head"

Switchfoot's debut captures the essence of the band at its most honest - not necessarily lyrically, but musically. Legend of Chin is the product of three guys from San Diego who really like to surf and play music. Jon Foreman, the singer/songwriter with the guitar; Tim, his bassist brother; and the elder Chad Butler on drums. For those who started with the band in the Beautiful Letdown era may be interested to know how they got their start. I was not impressed with this record the first time I listened to it, but slowly it grew on me as I realized what I was listening to. While Switchfoot has been wildly successful with their somewhat atmospheric, stadium alt rock, their roots are here in a surf-punk concoction that could only come from the West Coast.

One thing fans will recognize, something that band has not really gotten away from, is the quality and tenderness of their ballads. Songs like "Home" are just pure, passionate and poetic. Just acoustic guitar and a good melody (and in some cases a good string arrangement). "Home" is actually one of Switchfoot's better ballads. The songs like "Only Hope" that eventually made them famous owe to the likes of "Home," "You," and "Don't Be There" from this initial outing. The reason I like this record so much is because the songwriting is so transparent, so close to the listener. It feels more like they are sharing it with you in their basement or garage rather than showering you from the distance of brightly lit and unapproachable stage. The three-piece set-up impresses me because every instrument has to take up exactly the right amount of space. Each has to support the others while shining in its own way. This requires precise and creative arrangements to be done well. Nothing is overproduced - there are no sweeping synths, and there are not 10,000 guitar tracks layered over one another. The distortion is fuzzy rather than compressed to heck and back. Tim's bass lines are part of the melody - take out anything and the tracks falter. Yet it doesn't sound like everyone is trying really hard - it sounds kind of laid back, actually.

The album starts out with the odd but addictive "Bomb," one of the stranger songs of Switchfoot's career but it's a fitting opener, showcasing the color and necessity of Tim's bass as well as Foreman's singing style and characteristic lyrics. Then comes "Chem6A," perhaps the first single of their career. It's a fantastic rock groove with a memorable, bouncy verse riff about the complacency and laziness of American youth. "Underwater" completes the opening trinity, this one featuring a jazzy piano interlude and building to an exciting, saturated conclusion. These three songs should honestly be all you need to see the quality of old school Switchfoot. But they continue with the upbeat "Edge of My Seat" and the gorgeous "Home." For some reason "You" was picked for the Walk to Remember soundtrack, but while it's a fine song, I don't think it's one of the standouts from this record or even from the second half. The second half honors probably go to "Life, Love, and Why," a song that the band had to recently re-learn for their shows based on fan requests.

The band clearly progressed throughout their career, but there will always be a simple charm to this disc. If you like the group at all, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen. It's even easier now that you can get all three of the first three Switchfoot records (Legend of Chin, New Way to Be Human, and Learning to Breathe) in one reasonably priced collection.

My Top 40 Albums - #29

#29
Kevin Max - "The Imposter"

Year: 2005
Label: Northern
Favorite songs: Jumpstart Your Electric Heart!, Sanctuary, Confessional Booth, The Imposter, The Royal Path of Life, Your Beautiful Mind
Lyric sample: "If angels were men well then they couldn't fly / If birds had souls they would forever glide / If people would love then more of us would be alive / Oh my my, oh my / If you were me you wouldn't sleep at night // I take back everything I said / That ever caused you pain or stress / I take it back just like that / I take it back just like that"

For those of you who perhaps enjoy Kevin Max's lyrics or vocals but found his first record a bit hard to get into, you are in luck. The Imposter is not only Kevin's best effort to date, but the best thing to come out of any of the dc Talk solo projects. There's no denying that Max is a talent. His voice is versatile, expressive and powerful. If there is one modern artist I would think could rival the likes of Freddy Mercury, it would be K-Max. This record is a fantastic vehicle for him to prove and refine his singing. Take "Sanctuary" for instance - Kevin matches the guitar for a long, crystal clear high note. Even though his vibrato is part of his style, he proves that he isn't dependent on it. Indeed, those who were annoyed by it will find it much less pronounced on The Imposter.

In addition, while the eclectic mix on Stereotype Be was interesting, it alienated some fans who simply weren't prepared for it. This release is much more grounded in modern pop and rock. The sitars and elaborate string arrangements have been traded in for a standard five piece rock band. At least, most of the songs on the record sound like they could be played that way. Even Kevin's voice is given a drier recording without as much reverb. The result is a more organic approach that feels very honest. Not that the songwriting has gone downhill - the riffs and melodies here are much more infectious than anything Max has done before, so there is a lot for listeners to grab onto. And, never one to pigeonholed, just because this is a pop album doesn't mean it is monotonous. "Confessional Booth," the stripped down rocker that starts the record, even features a scream by Kevin. "The Imposter" is almost a dance pop number, its major progression complimented by plenty of synths. "Your Beautiful Mind" is a transparent ballad asking some difficult questions. "Platform" is a subdued, almost jazzy affair, and "The Royal Path of Life" is a little bit blues rock. Only a piano plays beneath Max's voice on "When He Returns,"  and old-styled church tune. All of these different influences and yet the songs all seem to belong to the same project.

Once again I think it should be clear from this album that Max has not abandoned his faith. Normally I wouldn't even bring that up, but as he is known as kind of the wild child of dc Talk and some have questioned his position in the past I feel compelled to mention it. It's not always obvious from the lyrics where he stands, but faith in God is clearly important. Several songs including "Platform" and "Your Beautiful Mind" reveal honest and difficult questions but an ultimate faith that God is real and good. It may concern some that "When He Returns" is a Dylan cover, but taken on their own the lyrics are anything but ambiguous. There are certainly introverted moments, but as a whole the record is quite uplifting. Also, make sure you stick around for the hidden track. It's one of the more enjoyable rock tracks on the disc.

My Top 40 Albums - #30

#30
Sixpence None the Richer - "Divine Discontent"

Year: 2002
Label: Word
Favorite songs: Melody of You, Tonight, Paralyzed, Breathe Your Name, Don't Dream It's Over
Lyric sample: "So I'm waiting by a phone / For the blessed ring / Like a holy grail / For a fisher king / Time is ticking down / Like a metronome / Rhythm for my brain / And its ceaseless scares / I never seem to play them to the beat I hear / Though my heart beat is a beat / That beats so near"

For some who know me well, this entry might come as a surprise, especially so far up the list. In truth, it debuted in the top 20 but I knocked it down a few places. This demotion comes in no part from a lack of quality on this disc, only that it's one of the quietest records on my list - second only, perhaps, to More to This Life - and I tend to prefer rock. It's one of the few pure pop albums that you'll find here and there's a danged good reason for that. This is quite simply the best pop album I have ever heard.

When "Kiss Me" became a hit, I was no fan of Sixpence the Richer. They wouldn't even have been on my musical radar. However, I saw them after Five Iron Frenzy at Agape Music Festival in Greenville, Illinois and heard the record during the trip. I was not excited about it, but I wasn't annoyed either, and I heard some things that I liked. Many if not most albums in this genre I find dreadfully boring, but Divine Discontent is a really different ballgame. There are several ingredients that make it stand head and shoulders above the rest. The first is Leigh Nash's effortless voice. Unique, soothing and soft but with enough strength and style to give utterance to the range of emotions found on the record. It seems excessive praise to call it angelic, but I can nearly imagine that her tender strains float like billowy clouds through 12 tracks of colorful skies. It's mesmerizing. Yet even this remarkable talent is not enough to keep me interested. What sets Divine Discontent apart from other pop outings and even other Sixpence albums is the pitch-perfect songwriting. The melodies! Every single song has a fantastic, memorable melody. There's an arty, alternative leaning in Sixpence's approach and it blends seamlessly into their other influences. Matt Slocum and co. lend their carefully mixed guitars, pianos and strings to Nash's sweet soprano lines, filling the speakers with intelligent note placements. From the tentative finger picking of "Melody of You," to the rapping drums and electric lead licks of "Paralyzed," there's always something interesting happening and it's never overdone. It's always just right. It's baby bear's porridge.

Then there's the lyrics. Some are better than others, but like everything else the band does, these are thoughtful, usually poetic, and always heartfelt. Consider as an example this verse from "Melody of You": "You're a painting with symbols deep / Symphony / Soft as it shifts from dark beneath / A poem that flows, caressing my skin / In all of these things you reside and I / Want to flow from the pen, bow and brush / With paper and string, and canvas tight / With ink in the air, to dust your light / From morning to the black of night." The record is full of honest reflections. It's something that you sit and absorb - or it absorbs you. There are no poor tracks. From the radio-friendly "Breathe Your Name," to the longing of "A Million Parachutes," Divine Discontent unfolds like a lover's letter. It's a sunset on the beach, a box of memories, a philosophy, a prayer, a dark chocolate. It's a work of art and a sensation of popular music. Now how often do you get to say that?