As I was writing what was to originally be a 1 part column about the music of 1978, I realized that doing it in one post would probably be unreadable due to it's massive length. Here's the second part: My top 25 (technically 26) albums of 1978. If you missed part 1 you can find it here.
25(a). Lou Reed: Street Hassle
On Street Hassle it seems Lou was determined to not be outdone by the punks and upped the ante on being edgy and self loathing. Not everything works but "I Wanna Be Black" is misunderstood, funny and still relevant and the ten minute title track is among the most successfully ambitious things Lou has ever done.
25(b). Dire Straits: Dire Straits
Dire Straits' debut album finds Mark Knopfler and the boys as a fully formed band with their sound already intact. "Walk of Life" is the best known songs but tracks like "Water of Life" and "Setting Me Up" are nearly as good.
24. The Adverts: Crossing The Red Sea
This short lived British punk band first album is a high energy burst of pop melodies and savage guitars. "One Chord Wonders" sums up the initial reaction to punk. "Bored Teenagers" and "No Time to be 21" are excellent tales of youthful dissatisfaction and "Gary Gilmore's Eye's" is about as catchy as the original punks got.
23. The Jam: All Mod Cons
The Jam's mix of punk, pub and pop led to a number of great albums in the late 70's heyday. I'm not sure if All Mod Cons is their best one but it's certainly in the discussion. "To Be With Someone," Mr. Clean," and a cover of the Kinks "David Watts" are early album highlights. "In the Crowd" is one of the sweetest songs Paul Weller has ever written and the closing "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" is a fantastic song that was banned from being played on the BBC due to it's unrelenting depiction of getting beaten and robbed in a subway station.
22. Waylon Jennings: I've Always Been Crazy
I've Always Been Crazy is Waylon Jennings' last classic outlaw country album. While nothing else matches the back to back classics of the title track and "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand," the album is full of solid tunes. In particular the three song medley of Buddy Holly songs along with Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" and Merle Haggard's "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" are highly enjoyable.
21. Joe Ely: Honky Tonk Masquerade
This one surprised me a lot. I had only heard of Joe Ely because of his involvement in the Flatlanders and because The Clash toured with him but had never listened to him before a month ago. With styles ranging from weepy country ballads ("Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown") to atmospheric honky tonk ("Boxcars"), Tex-mex ("West Texas Waltz") and old school rock ("Fingernails") the album is diverse and vastly underrated.
20. Warren Zevon: Excitable Boy
Thanks mostly to "Werewolves of London," this is really the only commercially successful album of Zevon's long career. While that's an article for a whole new future post that I'll never write it's easy to see why. It's a bit more straightforward than a lot of Warren's stuff and maybe not as rewarding over time but songs like "Werewolves," "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and the title track are highly memorable and the closing "Lawyers, Guns and Money" is a fascinating tale of depravity and desperation that would make Hunter S. Thompson happy.
19. Johnny Thunders: So Alone
Johnny Thunders only legitimately good solo album is a helluva lot of fun. There are takes on old rock and girl groups ("Great Big Kiss," Daddy Rolling Stone"), "London Boys" takes a fun jab at the Sex Pistols -- who's Paul Cook and Steve Jones play on the album along with Chrissie Hynde and Phil Lynott -- and it also has Thunder's greatest ballad and most well known song "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory." It's a shame that Thunders was too fucked up on drugs to contribute a lot of great solo stuff but So Alone is fantastic.
18. Bob Marley & the Wailers: Babylon By Bus
This is the greatest live reggae album of all time. It's pretty much a Marley greatest hits album but in a live context the Wailers rock harder and stretch out amazingly well. The sound quality is excellent and the music is even more so. If you're only gonna own one live reggae album, this is the one.
17. Marvin Gaye: Here My Dear
Here My Dear is one of the most personal albums you will ever hear. Marvin basically chronicled his relationship and divorce on tape for everyone to hear. The double album is a lot to take in and the fact that Marvin basically ignored classic song structure (there are few choruses and some songs are repeated multiple times) makes it a pretty daunting task. On the plus side the music is beautiful and Marvin was obviously one of the greatest vocalists ever. I have a feeling this one could only move up on this list in the future.
16. Patti Smith Group: Easter
Patti Smith's most rocking album is also one of her best. "Till Victory" and "High on Rebellion" are as punk as she gets. "Because the Night" is her only real hit and a great pop tune. "Rock 'N' Roll Nigger" is a valiant attempt to redefine a notorious word that no one person could ever actually redefine, it's also a kick-ass rock tune. "25th Floor" manages to find a perfect balance between hard rock and pop. Smith's lyrics are full of religious imagery and reveal new twists on every listen.
15. Willie Nelson: Stardust
What could be more outlaw than releasing a cover album of pop standards from the 20's at the height (well maybe a bit after the height) of the outlaw country movement? That's exactly what Willie Nelson did and it ended being not only a huge hit but also Willie's best album. Mixing a wide variety of styles, Stardust reveals Nelson to be a master interpreter and the backing band is at the top of their game. Nelson's phrasing and sing-song vocals are perfect for the music. Even of you don't generally like country music, there's no reason to not check this album out.
14. Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove
This is the finest album that George Clinton has ever released, whether with Funkadelic, Parliament or one of his other similar bands. The key is the balance between the dance aspect along with the fantastic guitar work that is present throughout. The title track is one of the greatest funk songs of all time, "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?" is a fantastic statement of purpose and even the 11 minute song that's literally about shit is entertaining. The songs do run together a bit but taken as a whole, One Nation is as good as funk gets.
13. Big Star: Third/Sister Lovers
After 2 albums of beautiful guitar pop that was ignored by radio and suffered numerous distribution problems, Big Star frontman Alex Chilton basically self sabotaged their third album. It worked as this was recorded in 1974 but sat on the shelf for four years before being released and even then barely anyone heard it. Third lacks the immediate thrills that the first two Big Star albums had in spades but this album is weird, beautiful and fascinating. It gets better with every listen.
12. The Police: Outlandos D'Amour
The Police's debut album isn't as diverse as what would come but it is full of high energy punk and reggae with a bunch of classic songs. Obviously "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You" are the highlights but tracks like "Next To You," "Peanuts" and "Truth Hits Everybody" show the raw side of the band at it's early peak. While the Police would go on to do greater things, Outlandos D'Amour is still a fantastic first album.
11. The Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings & Food
The Talking Heads upped the dance rhythms on their second album and ended up trumping their solid debut. The first 9 songs are all similarly funky and jagged (with "Thank You For Sending Me an Angel," "Found a Job" and "The Girls Want to be With the Girls" the highlights) but the final two showcase the bands ability to musically expand. The Al Green cover "Take Me To the River" was the bands first true hit and remains one of their finest songs and the closing "The Big Country" finds David Byrne both contemplative and contentious with the music the closest thing to country the band would ever do.
10. The Ramones: Road to Ruin
9. Blondie: Parallel Lines
Road to Run is the last classic album the brothers would ever make. It's not up to the standards of their first three and a couple of the rockers are pretty by the books but "I Wanna Be Sedated," "She's the One" and "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do" are as good as anything the Ramones ever recorded. This also features a couple of the best ballads of the bands career in "Needles & Pins" and "Questioningly."
9. Blondie: Parallel Lines
Blondie moved away from the straight new wave of their first two albums with Parallel Lines and the results were amazing. Dabbling in power pop ("Hanging on the Telephone"), hard rock ("One Way Or Another"), Disco ("Heart of Glass") and pure pop ("Picture This," "Pretty Baby") the band proves more than capable of doing almost anything. Debbie Harry's vocals are very strong and a great showcase for her ability to change her voice to fit the style of music. Parallel Lines is one of my favorite female fronted rock albums of all time.
8. The Cars: The Cars
The Cars self titled debut has been jokingly referred to as their greatest hits album and it's easy to see why. "Good Times Roll," "My Best Friends Girl," Just What I Needed" and "You're All I've Got Tonight" are classic rock radio staples and every single album track could easily be. The Cars were the first band to really combine pop and hard rock in a way that appealed to the masses and the underground in equal measure and this album is easily their crowning jewel.
7. Van Halen: Van Halen
There's not too many people in history that can say they changed the way an instrument is played. Eddie Van Halen is one of those people. From the opening moments of "Eruption" it's clear that Van Halen's first album isn't going to be like anything that came before it. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Runnin' With the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin' and the cover of "You Really Got Me" are all hard rock classics and the remaining tracks aren't too shabby either. In time David Lee Roth's vocal hysterics would grow old but at this point he's a perfect for for the music. This is one of the best hard rock albums of all time.
6. Cheap Trick: Heaven Tonight
Cheap Trick's finest album is a perfect balance of both their rock side and their pop side. "Surrender," "On Top of the World," "Takin' Me Back," "High Roller," "California Man" and "On the Radio" are power pop at it's best. "Auf Weidersehen" is more punk than most punk bands could hope to pull off and the title track is a superb psychedelic ballad. The many voices of Robin Zander are on full display and Rick Neilson's guitar work is phenomenal. Power-pop doesn't get much better than this.
5. Nick Lowe: Jesus of Cool
Jesus of Cool is a pretty hefty title to live up too (and in America it had to be changed to Pure Pop for Now People) but Nick Lowe manges to pull it off with this classic. There may no have been any actual hits but literally every song has aged to perfection and in a just world there would be numerous radio staples taken from here."I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass," and "No Reason" touch on reggae, "Shake and Pop" and "So It Goes" are great power-pop and "Tonight" is an absolutely beautiful ballad. Rock is well represented by a scorching live version of "Heart of the City" while "Marie Provost" is a great Beatles tribute. Lowe's sense of humor is fully evident on "Music for Money" and "Nutted By Reality" and always welcome. Jesus of Cool indeed.
4. The Clash: Give Em Enough Rope
The Clash's second album is a bit over produced but any album that has the triple threat of "Safe European Home," "Tommy Gun" and "Stay Free" is going to go down as a classic. "English Civil War" "Cheapskates" and "Guns on the Roof" are as good as punk rock album tracks get and you can hear the band expanding their sound on the 60's soul of "Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad." Even though "Drug Stabbing Time" doesn't make a lot of lyrical sense, it's a lot of fun and features a sweet 50's style rock saxophone.
3. The Rolling Stones: Some Girls
Some Girls finds the Stones giving their spin on punk (""When the Whip Comes Down," "Lies," "Respectable" and lyrically if not musically "Shattered") and disco ("Miss You") with a tongue-in-cheek take on country ("Far Away Eyes") thrown in for good measure. Add in one of Keith's best songs ever ("Before They Make Me Run"), a solid 60's soul cover ("Imagination") and hands down the greatest ballad the Stones would ever record ("Beast of Burden") and you've got not only a late 70's classic but one of the best albums the Stones career.
2. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: This Year's Model
Costello's first album to feature the Attractions turns the focus as much on Steve Nieve's keyboards as Costello's guitar without sacrificing any of the anger and black humor that got him dubbed as "the angry young man." The end result is Costello's best album ever and an undeniable classic. Elvis didn't look like a punk and the music is more new-wave than anything else but there's no denying the force behind songs like "No Action," You Belong to Me," "Lip Service," "Living in Paradise" and the closing classic (and my personal favorite Costello song ever) "Radio, Radio." The funky dance beat of "Pump it Up" makes it easy to overlook the scathing lyrics as does the faux-reggae of "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" Even the ballad "Little Triggers" -- which sounds like a beautiful love song -- is far from a positive outlook on romance. Even with the album seemingly being full of hate, it's not depressing at all. The Attractions were just too good of a band for that to happen. It's shocking to think this wasn't the best album to come out in 1978.
Bruce Springsteen: Darkness on the Edge of Town
After three years of legal holdups and constant recordings Springsteen was finally able to release his follow up to his 1975 breakthrough Born To Run. That time took it's toll Bruce as Darkness is by far the bleakest and heaviest album he ever recorded. Sure it's got the all time classics "Badlands," "Racing in the Streets," "The Promised Land" and the title track but they're all infused with a sense of failure that previously had been a sense of hope. "Adam Raised a Cain" is such a tough and punishing hard rock track that it's almost shocking to hear it come from Bruce. "Candy's Room" approaches punk levels of speed and is a fantastic showcase for drummer Max Weinberg. The ballads "Factory" and "Something in the Night" are both devastating descriptions of people trying to get ahead but failing to find the right ways to do so. "Streets of Fire" bursts with energetic rage and "Prove it all Night" (the closest thing to a happy pop song here) offers a bit of a reprieve from the Darkness that permeates the album. Darkness on the Edge of Town may not be Bruce's best album ever but it's damn close and the finest example of the amazing music that was released in 1978.
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