#7/1000: Nancy Sinatra "Boots" (1966)

Few times in my life have I ever been as enraged as I was when I read the iTunes reviewer's disgusting words about this album. His pitiful half-ass excuse for an opinion read: "Unexceptional debut album built around "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" and covers of contemporary rock and pop hits, with a couple of other Lee Hazlewood songs." I seriously doubt this turd even listened to any of the songs past the 30-second preview mark before scribbling down his whopping sentence of a review; I mean, that Nickelback isn't gonna listen to itself, ya know!? This is an absolutely incredible piece of work. It's very apparent that no one was holding a gun to Nancy's head saying, "Cover these songs, or else!!" There's some real soul here. Aside from her voice being sickeningly beautiful, it's dripping with love and respect for these already amazing songs. The music on the record is also amazing; the studio super group known as The Wrecking Crew worked with Hazelwood and backed Sinatra to help sculpt these gems. Covering pop songs while they were still fresh-outta-the-dryer was definitely not uncharted territory in the late '60s, but these selections were not cut from that same cloth. While mundane barely-altered versions were the norm in those days, Sinatra, Hazelwood and The Wrecking Crew did just the opposite on most of these songs. They created rich, vibrant, and barely-recognizable variations of these previously unmistakable hits. The Rolling Stones' own the writing credits to the first track on Boots, but Sinatra and friends take "As Tears Go By" to a new level making it one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The Beatles' "Day Tripper" has the next slot on the album; the rendition here is extremely similar to the original. The fun difference is that the guitar has been replaced by a horn section, while a stand-up bass, simple piano, and lively percussion pound out the accompanying music. "I Move Around," the first of the Lee Hazelwood originals on Boots, is an extremely impressive, deep, and somber cut. Nancy almost speaks rather than sings on the song, but triumphant trumpets and some wonderful backing vocals by Sinatra make this one of my favorites. Next comes a cute cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe," followed by the jam "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'." Vance-Pockriss's "In My Room" is pounded out next and definitely holds the title for most epic track. The Knickerbockers' "Lies" is next, then Hazelwood's second original song "So Long, Babe" dazzles us. Beginning the wind-down of the record is a really great cover of The Statler Brothers' "Flowers On The Wall." Next to last on the album comes the lovely Rilo Kiley-ish "If He'd Love Me," then a jazzed-up version of The Beatles' "Run For Your Life" closes the whole thing out. There is no getting around the quality and strength of this record. It's just plain great - and so deserving of your time and attention.

#6/1000: Radiohead "Amnesiac" (2001)

While most of my friends got into Radiohead via "The Bends" and pretty much everyone on earth got into them with "OK Computer," I wasn't properly introduced to them until this mind**** of an album. I remember feeling way behind everyone; I hadn't ever really been exposed to Radiohead since I grew up without MTV or VH1 (no cable in the sticks where my parents lived). So, I decided to fast-track-it and get "Amnesiac," the newest of their albums; I can honestly say that I've never been more confused by music. I had never heard anything like this before, I didn't know how to categorize it, and I sure as hell didn't know what to think about it. Most of my friends didn't really have an opinion of it yet and others just hated it. Thinking maybe it was just outside my realm of familiar genres, I let a friend of mine listen to it who was into electronic music, but he hated it; so, I couldn't even categorize it. I just didn't know what to make of this odd record, but I wasn't going to give up on it. A new part of my consciousness was fully realized with this album; a sense of knowing, despite not immediately liking what I was hearing, that I should keep listening to it until I almost made myself like it. Something else that was so perplexing, yet aesthetically pleasing, to me was the insanely scribbled artwork that filled the CD booklet. This artwork by Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke, that actually won a Grammy, was so complimentary to the music and just plain awesome to thumb through - I still love looking at it. I listened to this album a lot from beginning to end for the next few months with a few songs starting to stand out such as "Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box," "You And Whose Army," "I Might Be Wrong," "Knives Out," and my favorite track "Life In A Glass House." Then one day, things started to make sense to my ears on some of the seemingly un-accessable (and almost frightening) tracks like "Pyramid Song," "Dollars & Cents," and "Like Spinning Plates." The ultimate payoff of my repetitive listening was definitely realizing the full perfection of the track that I had hated most of all on those initial listenings, "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors;" what an incredible use of 4 minutes and 7 seconds. This album really taught me to not write-off music, or any art for that matter, that was strange and/or unpleasing at first and I am so grateful for that.

#5/1000: The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)

Honestly, if you need to read a review to decide whether or not to give this album a listen, you have much bigger problems in your life than that decision. In this masterpiece, The Beatles somehow transcend their previous rock efforts and set the bar entirely too high for any other band around. The recording process was as eclectic as the cover, with over 700 hours of studio time devoted to making the most experimental and unique rock album at that time. This titan of an album has headed up numerous “Best Rock Album” charts and usually comes out on top as #1 on several. Thousands of reviews have been written in praise of this album, so all I’ll say is be sure you pick up the MONO version; it’s more rockin’ and honestly just sounds better.

#4/1000: Dr. Dog "Easy Beat" (2005)

I'm not sure how most people do it, but I've always found all my music through suggestions and mainly exposure of my close friends' music collections and discoveries. We were like vultures around a fresh kill every time a new piece of music would come into our lives. I vividly remember when Dr. Dog fell onto our plates; not even the bones were left over.

My longtime friend and then roommate Brittney Maddox came home one afternoon beaming and, without a word, proceeded to plug a burnt CD into our living room computer. My mind was instantly blown; I just could not wrap my head around what I was hearing. These beautifully-written harshly-recorded pop songs sounded like they had oozed out of the Beatles' brains in the middle of the night and ended up here decades later. She had found 3 of their songs from who-knows-where ("The World May Never Know," "Oh No," and an alternate version of "Wake Up") and we listened to them excessively until we finally got this full 9 song album. Two weeks later, in fully-obsessed mode, we went and saw them live in Dallas at Trees in Deep Ellum, had a few too many, and all awkwardly professed our love to them after their set while we collectively watched Architecture In Helsinki rip it up on stage. There have only been a few times in my life where I instantly like an entire album the first listen; Easy Beat achieved that and has only gotten better each time. This gorgeously unpolished record deserves your attention; don't keep it waiting!

#3/1000: Lou Reed "Transformer" (1972)

Few albums ever have the stuff to make me stand up and proclaim, "5 Stars!" Lou Reed's second solo album "Transformer" is one, however, that stands up and proclaims it for itself. With The Velvet Underground days already 2 years behind him, Reed enlisted the the help of Mick Ronson and David Bowie (both of whom cited Lou and the VU as heavy influences) to co-produce the 11 darkly-lit pop gems that make up this stellar album. It's always been mind-blowing to me that out of all the catchy, clever, and melodic songs this record has to offer, "Walk On The Wild Side" was the one chosen as the first single! I'm sure most people had to listen to the lyrics a few times before they could really believe what they were hearing was actually playing on the radio. Despite the grim subject matter and lewd lyrics, the song has stayed a staple on classic rock stations and remains the forerunner in people's minds when they hear the name Lou Reed.

The album starts out (yeah, that was just an introduction) with the very basic Velvet Underground-type repetitive droning riff through the entirety of the opener "Vicious." The eyebrow-raiser here, though, is how bright, accessible, and enjoyable the music is. I'm a huge fan of the VU, but very few of their songs make me wanna dance around in my socks on my living room floor. Things quickly get serious on the second track "Andy's Chest;" like, get ready to sway and sing along with the ba-da-baa's. The mood cools off a little with the somber and beautiful "Perfect Day," then picks right back up where "Vicious" left off with the dancier "Hangin' Round." "Walk On The Wild Side" is next, followed by the awesome tuba-accompanied "Make Up," one of my favorites from the record. There are strong whiffs of David Bowie throughout the album, but none more potentate than on "Satellite of Love;" an earlier Velvet Underground b-side from "Loaded." Bowie pumped some serious production and vocal magic into this already strong song. "Wagon Wheel" is the perfect follow-up with it's finger-snapping rhythm and swaggering guitars and percussion. "New York Telephone Conversation" (another unused VU song) is a light romp followed by what I consider to be the weakest track "I'm So Free." The album ends on a perfect note with the drunken "Goodnight Ladies;" Reed puts on his lounge singer persona and is backed by some soft piano work, a bouncy tuba, crisp hi-hats and rimshots, and just a handful of brass and woodwinds. This album is absolutely essential to anyone who loves music - period. I initially discovered it when skimming through a "Top 100/500/whatever" list nearly a decade ago; hopefully this can help you discover it the same way right now.

#2/1000: Hot Hot Heat "Knock Knock Knock" EP (2002)

My sister and I used to fight over this CD constantly. Not only did it rock ridiculously hard, but it was probably the coolest CD we'd ever seen since it was clear plastic around the outer inch rim of the disc.
Gimmick aside, though, it's definitely incredible enough to easily make it onto this list despite it's short running time. Steve Bay's voice is at it's most golden here with all-out open-throat barks and cries that feel so fresh and original. The energy on this EP seems infinite (the fact that there's only five songs helps) and I know that that energy is what keeps me coming back. "Le Le Low" kicks off the soiree the right way and let's you know that Steve can and will do anything with his voice that he pleases while the band cranks out some really impressive music. "5 Times Out of 100" melts my face so good while "Have A Good Sleep" and "Touch You Touch Me" help build up to the crown jewel. The EP ends on a platinum note with the epic "More For Show;" I'd say it's probably my favorite of all their songs. Do yourselves a favor and take 17 minutes out of your life to change it.

The 1000 Albums You Should Own

So, my partner Jason Anders over at Fulle Circle has asked me to do a "1000 Albums" to compliment his "1000 Movies" compilation at fullecircle.com; of course, I was ecstatic. I'll be doing the same random posting that he's doing with films - no rational order, just whatever I'm listening to and enjoying at the moment. He started at #1000 and I'll be starting at #1 (just so no one thinks this is a countdown - I would surely go insane trying to organize 1000 albums in order of preference.) So, here we go!!

#1/1000: The Walkmen "You & Me" (2008)

Wow, what an amazing piece of work. I was told to pick this up for so long and stupidly never heeded that advice until it was over 2 years old. The album is kept in the same familiar vein that only The Walkmen can flow through. The whole thing is kicked off hard with "Donde Esta La Playa" and keeps the same relentless energy, along with murky moments of reflection, all the way to the end. "On the Water" chugs on with beautiful underwater melodies floating in the background and finally ignites with percussion and puckered lips like you've only dreamed of. "In the New Year" is by far my favorite cut. Utterly beautiful organ-pounding, toe-curling lyrics/vocals, and the always-perfect percussion that almost gets taken for granted since it's always present. It shines through the brightest in "Four Provinces" but keeps tapping and crashing all the way through "You & Me." "Canadian Girl" is definitely my second favorite track; trumpets and bass lines rain down from the heavens onto what is an already amazing song. This fourth effort of The Walkmen is such a solid album and absolutely worthy of your time. Check it out and fall in love with it as I did.

"Robert Plant's Voice Makes My Butt Tense Up So Good or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Entire Led Zeppelin Catalogue" by Paul Cloud

There are few bands that made as huge of an impact on rock as Led Zeppelin. They were, in my opinion, the biggest thing since electricity to hit the genre. Earlier musicians like Little Richard, Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones and The Who certainly helped shape rock, but Zeppelin really took it to a whole new level of mind-blowingly heavy music that could barely even be contained by arenas or stadiums. Most people my age probably got their first real taste of them from random radio encounters or the occasional VH1 Classic special. Others grew up hearing their parents play Zeppelin albums in the car or around the house. My experience had no such nostalgia linked to it since my childhood did not include cable television and my father was absolutely not a Led Zeppelin fan. Around 2003 I had the pleasure of living under two of my best friends in an apartment in downtown Shreveport. Luckily for me, one of them was obsessed with Zeppelin and owned all of their albums on CD. He nearly vomited when I told him that I had never really listened to them. He immediately took me down to his car, thumbed through his bulky CD binder, picked out all nine of their albums (including Coda), and shoved them all into my open arms. "Euphoric sensory overload" might be the term that could best describe the overwhelming joy that the next few months held. From that moment on, I've been jumping from album to album finding new favorites that rotate in and out of my "top" lists continuously. I really had no idea how hard it would be to create a list of favorite Zeppelin albums in order when I started writing this, but I think I've finally narrowed it down (at least for the moment). It goes a little something like this:

9. Let's start with my least favorite of the Led Zeppelin albums - Presence. Up until very recently I wouldn't even look at this one, much less ever listen to it. It had always sounded strained, thrown together and had, honestly, just bored the hell out of me during each listen. To defend them, though, Plant was confined to a wheelchair during the whole recording process following a serious car accident. Finally, after having been shelved for a couple of years, I decided to pull Presence back out since I had thoroughly exhausted all of their other albums including the live ones. I still utterly hated "Achilles Last Stand," but was surprised by how much I enjoyed a few of the other songs on the album. "For Your Life," "Candy Store Rock," and especially "Hots On For Nowhere" actually grabbed and held my attention; the result was a huge sense of completeness as far as my Zeppelin love and knowledge.

Listen to "Hots On For Nowhere" here:


8. Led Zeppelin III is one that, I'm sure, is close to the bottom of everyone's list. It's a beautiful album, but when I hear "Zeppelin" my first thought is definitely not "yeah, acoustic folk songs!!!" It's an extremely mature album and has the blinding evidence of the six months hard work that was pumped into it - it's just not what I want in a Led Zeppelin album. I do, however, love it for the sheer fact that it probably kept them from completely self-destructing and burning out. These months of rest and seclusion at the 18th century Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales was a perfect place for the band to cool down from two intense albums and a dauntingly long and rigorous touring schedule.

Listen to "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" here:



7. No offense Houses of the Holy, but you're way back here on this list. I'm sure that most people will disagree, but Houses is just one of my least favorite of their albums. I mean, it's a great piece of work and I do love a couple of songs off of it, but it just doesn't get the job done for me like the rest of them. "The Rain Song" is an absolute masterpiece and the hits "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "D'yer Mak'er" are incredible - just not my favorites. "Dancing Days" and "The Ocean" are two songs that really earned my love after hearing them on the triple live album How The West Was Won (un-be-lieve-a-ble!!!).

Listen to "The Ocean" here:


6. It's not Coda's fault that it's not a real album and I love love love a few songs from it, but it's also kind of low on this list. "We're Gonna Groove" and "I Can't Quit You Baby" are so rockin' and I'm sure it floored all those people who never got to experience them live. Thank God all of that Led Zeppelin concert footage was salvaged and released to blow people's faces off via double DVD in 2003. "Poor Tom" and "Wearing and Tearing" are both foot-stomping gifts given to us by this release of epic B-sides, while "Bonzo's Montreux" reminds us that we are, in fact, dealing with the greatest drummer ever. The bonus tracks included on the CD release are all treats including the soulful "Baby Come On Home," the super catchy "Traveling Riverside Blues," and the classic "Hey Hey What Can I Do."

Listen to "Wearing and Tearing" here:


5. Next up is In Through The Out Door. This and the other four albums that have yet to be mentioned are all extremely close to one another as far as my love is concerned. This final album has been described by Jimmy Page as a transition album towards an evolution of the band's sound. It gives me goosebumps thinking about what the next album might have sounded like. Robert Plant and John Paul Jones contributed much more heavily to this album than Page and Bonham due to their "extra curricular activities." Despite their absence, the album is pretty straight forward Zeppelin-style rock music. "Wearing and Tearing," the raw and driving song I mentioned from Coda, was actually recorded during these sessions. This album really flew under my radar for a long time. Songs like "Hot Dog" and "South Bound Saurez" rocked my freakin' socks right off of my feet when I finally heard them, and who on earth can resist that juicy island-percussion romp on "Fool In The Rain!?" The fact that this album originally came in a brown paper bag to conceal the identity of which of the six sleeve covers you were buying is enough to make it this high on my list!!

Listen to "South Bound Saurez" here:


4. I honestly feel incredibly guilty putting Led Zeppelin I this far away from the top, but #4 is where it has to live on my list for now. I am so in love with this album; I mean, it's where it all started! Can you even imagine what those kids in 1969 must've thought when they had their faces melted for the first time?? I'm such a freak for blues rock and this just could not be a juicier morsel of that flavor. You know that overwhelming feeling you get when a song is so good it's almost too much to handle? "How Many More Times" is the one that made my knees buckle, eyes water, and jaw drop for the first time - and every time I've listened to it since. "You Shook Me" and "I Can't Quit You Baby" are also two songs that just, somehow, get even better each time I listen to them. Plus "Communication Breakdown" and "Dazed and Confused" were born from this album, too!

Listen to "How Many More Times" here:


3. Ok, so here's where things get messy - Led Zeppelin IV is neither my first nor second favorite of their albums. It's a monster of an album and the songs that I do love from it could not be more huge, but it's still only #3 for me. "Rock and Roll" is the biggest song ever made in my opinion - I mean, holy crap. When I hear those symbols being abused like that in the opening seconds my blood starts blasting through my veins and I just find it impossible to not get 5-year-old-in-a-toy-store-with-a-hundred-dollars excited. There's also no other song in their whole catalogue that that man's voice sounds more golden - I dare you to even suggest such a thing. A very close second to that feeling is conjured up by the ridiculously awesome "Misty Mountain Hop." The opener "Black Dog" is so funky and so fun to blast and the closer "When the Levee Breaks" just could not be heavier - oh my God, those drums!!! This being a mostly positive review, I'm not going to say much else about the other songs on this glorious album. Although, I will say that "Going To California" is probably my favorite of their acoustic songs.

Listen to "Rock and Roll" here:


2. I have absolutely no shame in saying that I love Physical Graffiti more than IV. Physical Graffiti is just a mammoth of a double album that's all over the place, it's their White Album. Such a huge selection of my favorite Zeppelin songs come from this album including "In My Time Of Dying," "Houses Of The Holy," "Down By The Seaside," "The Wanton Song," "Boogie With Stu," and "Black Country Woman." "Custard Pie," "The Rover," and "Trampled Under Foot" are among my favorites of the lesser gems sprinkled throughout this album's four sides. "Kashmir" is an epic song that has, through no fault of its own, suffered from over exposure and something I like to call "P-Diddying." I just can't say enough good things about this album; if you've never given it a chance, you need to get right and get it.

Listen to "Boogie With Stu" here:


1. Well, here it is at the top of my list. Led Zeppelin II is, and always has been, my absolute no-questions-asked favorite of all their albums. There just could not, in my opinion, be a greater Zeppelin album; it's the absolute definition of Led Zeppelin. The first album was an incredible experiment in blues rock, but the Led Zeppelin that we now know was truly given birth through Led Zeppelin II. There's really little else to say about it - just look at the track listing!! "The Lemon Song" was the first song of theirs to make me feel warm and funny inside and it still gets my teeth'a grindin' every time I punish my speakers with it. Oh my God, and what about all the other tracks!?!? "Whole Lotta Love," "What Is And What Should Never Be," "Heartbreaker," "Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)," "Moby Dick," and my all-time favorite Zeppelin song "Bring It On Home." Get outta my face with Led Zeppelin IV!!!!!! Uggggghhhhh!!!!! *Phew, I'm sorry - I just get so carried away.

Listen to "The Lemon Song" here:

Top 20 Favorite Movie Soundtracks- By Jason Anders

In my last post post I wrote about the top ten movies I love that most people hate. It got me to thinking about movie soundtracks and if I had a top favorites list already made up in my mind for the best scores and favorite "mix tape" soundtrack albums. I didn't. But now I do. There was never an official soundtrack released for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", but if there were it would have easily slid into the top five.

20. Psycho (1960) - Bernard Herrmann
''Do what you like, but only one thing I ask of you: Please write nothing for the murder in the shower. That must be without music.'' -Alfred Hitchcock

19. Marie Antoinette- Various Artists
Nothing made this film more unique than its music- Sofia Coppola's mix tape makes this story from 1786 feel like modern day. Who else would dare put The Cure against an 18th century backdrop?

18. I ♥ Huckabees- Jon Brion
Jon Brion rules. Case closed.

17. American Graffiti- Various Artists
This was the first soundtrack I remember buying as a kid. I was blown away by its length- 41 songs straight out of a '60s jukebox. This is where I first learned names like Morris Levy and Jerry Allison. I was also somewhat attracted to the fast-food girl on the album cover.

16. The Bride of Frankenstein- Franz Waxman
Movies hadn't even had sound for seven years when Franz Waxman created the musical clichés that you still hear in today's horror movies. That it's organic here makes it all the more delightful.

15. The Pink Panther- Henry Mancini
Besides the fact that this music takes me back in time to days lounging in my Colorado den watching Peter Sellers with my dad is enough to rank this soundtrack in my top fifteen- That it also makes me feel carefree and in the mood to do some detective work is an added bonus.

14. Meet Me In St. Louis- Roger Edens
From its title track down to Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", this music reminds me of a time I never lived in with people I never knew... but wish that I did.

13. Magnolia- Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann recorded eight new songs for this film, and the only negative reviews this soundtrack garnered were that people were upset she didn't record more. The song used in the trailer, "Momentum", is my favorite. In fact, I'm listening to it right now.

12. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou- Seu Jorge
This soundtrack has it all- Not only some of the best of David Bowie, but Bowie songs in Portuguese by Brazilian artist Seu Jorge. It also has one of my favorite score tracks by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo called "Ping Island". It starts off as soft-techno and grows into an epic orchestral theme.


11. This Is Spinal Tap- Spinal Tap
"It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black." When Rob Reiner makes a pop metal album, you listen. This album goes all the way up to 11 on my list.

10. Good Will Hunting- Elliot Smith
I wasn't allowed to watch the movie when it came out, but I certainly owned the soundtrack which played endlessly in my Discman. "Miss Misery" by Elliot Smith was my favorite track, but you also get goodies like Gerry Rafferty, Al Green, and even some score by Danny Elfman.

9. Lost In Translation- Kevin Shields
Another Sofia Coppola soundtrack makes my list, only this time she's bringing My Bloody Valentine to the streets of Tokyo. I wish that all of the songs that appeared in the movie made it onto this record, but at least we get the hidden track of Bill Murray performing "More Than This" by Roxy Music.

8. Reservoir Dogs- Various Artists
Quentin Tarantino has the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. He selects his music as carefully as he does his actors. He once said that marrying a scene with a piece of music is about as cinematic a thing you can do, and he does it with every film he makes. This soundtrack is fun because we get to have Steven Wright as our DJ. The music of Stealers Wheel will never be received the same way after this film.

7. Almost Famous- Various Artists
Who better to put together a mix tape soundtrack than a journalist for Cream Magazine and Rolling Stone? And in a movie about writing for Rolling Stone in the '70s, no less. Cameron Crowe assembles a soundtrack consisting of Led Zeppelin, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, David Bowie, The Beach Boys, and many more. Including a score by his wife and guitarist of Heart, Nancy Wilson. It's a think piece.

6. The Graduate- Simon & Garfunkel
An entire soundtrack from Simon & Garfunkel? Yes, please! I especially love the interlude of "Scarborough Fair". This album is trying to seduce me.

5. The Blues Brothers- John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
Not only do you get new versions of classic blues songs by Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues, but there's also new recordings from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Cab Calloway. Too bad the extended John Lee Hooker track didn't make this album.

4. The Music Man- Ray Heindorf
My favorite classic musical of all time... maybe it's a result of living in Iowa. My favorite song is "Ya Got Trouble". One of my favorite moments in television is on Ally McBeal when Peter MacNicol breaks into this song in front of the jury during his closing. David E. Kelley references this musical in a lot of his work.

3. Juno- Various Artists
The key is to get the limited edition 2-Disc edition of this soundtrack- It has more Buddy Holly, plus "Zub Zub" by Ellen Page. Despite its over-exposure, the Moldy Peaches song still makes me happy. My favorite is a pre-existing track from Cat Power, a cover of "Sea of Love". I usually put that one on repeat.

2. Pulp Fiction- Various Artists
This was my first CD to buy with the "Parental Advisory" sticker on it. Fortunately the guy at Music 4 Less was cool enough to sell it to an 8th grader. It's funny that this album requires parental advisory, seeing as how it's fueled by classic tracks from Ricky Nelson, Dusty Springfield, and The Statler Brothers. What's cool is that of all the artists being suggested to Quentin Tarantino by MCA Records for a new recording to promote as a single, he chose to go with Maria McKee of Lone Justice. Her live vocals on "If Love Is A Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags)" is the best she's ever sounded. You also get tons of movie dialogue here, and another of my favorite tracks, the explosive "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang. The soundtrack does suffer from not having all of the music featured in the film, especially the song that plays while John Travolta explores the scenery of Jack Rabbit Slims.

1. A Hard Day's Night- The Beatles
Strummmmm! Need I say more? My favorite tracks are "Tell Me Why" and "Can't Buy Me Love"- This stands alone as a great Beatles album, but when accompanied by the visuals of Richard Lester's film you'll conjure up images of the "dirty old man" popping up, and John, Paul, George, and Ringo gleefully running amok through the streets of London. British critic Leslie Halliwell said "it led directly to all the kaleidoscopic swinging London spy thrillers and comedies of the later sixties." An album for that moment in time by the biggest band in history for one of my favorite movies makes this my top soundtrack.

"Top 10 Movies I Love That Most People Hate" By Jason Anders

10. "Defending Your Life"
A movie written and directed by Albert Brooks about the afterlife, sort of the comedy version of What Dreams May Come, makes number ten on my list not because most people hate it, but because I only know one other person in my life who has even heard of it. I saw this movie in 7th grade and tried showing it to my friends- Who knew that seventh graders weren't ready to find humor in Judgment Day? If Judgment City really does exist, I think we can certainly count on seeing Shirley MacLaine there.

9. "Some Kind of Wonderful"
As a lover of eighties movies, no one understands more that most films from that decade can be at best embarrassing to watch- This is not one of those movies. It feels like cheesy 80s as the opening credits role, with Mary Stuart Masterson banging away on the drums, and the movie probably could have done without not one but TWO songs about Lea Thompson's character, Amanda Jones. Those minor details aside, the dialogue by John Hughes ranks with the best modern teen comedy scripts like Juno. In fact, one of Hughes's biggest fans is Jason Reitman. Those who have given Hughes's movies a chance can see clearly why.

8. "Species"
There's nothing more exciting for a hormonal middle school sci-fi geek than an alien movie where the monster is played by a sex-crazed Natasha Henstridge whose goal in the film is to have a baby. What is most intriguing about the story is that you find yourself rooting for a murderous monster who you are also fantasizing about. Roger Ebert rightfully proclaimed this wasn't 2001: A Space Odyssey or Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and if the movie could have been more subtle it could have pulled off being a modern day Frankenstein. Any movie that stars Michael Madsen as a hitman should never be held to that standard. This is the kind of movie where you see a woman's spine ripped out of her back while she's on the toilet. She had it coming. Sort of.

7. "The Frighteners"
The movie was too tame for fans of Peter Jackson's earlier work like Dead Alive and Bad Taste, and it was too bizarre for the mainstream audience with which it was designed for. I still remember seeing the 3-D movie poster in the theater lobby when I was a kid, and my dad standing over my shoulder forewarning me that I wouldn't be allowed to see it. How often do you get to see Michael J. Fox as a modern-day Ghostbuster, battling the mom from E.T. and Gary Busey's son? Be sure to watch the director's cut of this movie, it's superior. Come to think of it, the first half of the movie is like an R-rated Casper.

6. "Breathless"
This movie had no chance. The only people willing to give this a chance now are cinephiles, and they'll be the first to condemn it for even attempting to remake Godard's classic film- But I think this movie is more enjoyable than the original. Richard Gere is hilarious and Valérie Kaprisky is more charming than Jean Seberg. However, this isn't a movie to compare with À bout de souffle- I love the original and never even think of the two existing in the same universe. They can't. Don't compare them. Don't condemn this movie. It's pure fun.

5. "Vanilla Sky"
I fell in love with this movie while sitting in the theaters. Everything about it grabbed me emotionally, like connecting with a truly great record unexpectedly. The first words I heard when the closing credits began to roll were, "Well, that sucked." Why do people hate this movie? Because it's a horrific new-age science fiction thriller disguised as a romantic comedy. It challenges us to question our own selfish desires for money, sex, and vanity while ignoring the things in life that truly matter- Love, friendship, and family. I was shocked to discover how many people loved Inception after seeing this movie slammed so hard. I guess it just took nine years for people to adapt to the idea of a movie about dreams.

4. "Elizabethtown"
Vanilla Sky wasn't the only Cameron Crowe movie to make my top 10 most hated list- Elizabethtown had far more potential to be liked by the average movie goer, but I'm convinced that it was more ill-received than Vanilla Sky. Why? I truly don't know. Cameron Crowe bared his soul with his autobiographical Almost Famous, and he returns to that in this film, but attempts to tell his story in the style of a Billy Wilder movie. It's about finding ways to connect with people, even when it seems to be too late, such as with a deceased father. Two years earlier was a film with a familiar theme, Tim Burton's Big Fish, which I found highly annoying but everyone else seemed to love. The typical reason given for despising this movie is being annoyed by the performances of the actors. I, however, found them delightful. It's no Say Anything, but it's classic Crowe.

3. "From Dusk Till Dawn"
This is not a movie I am shocked to discover people hated- It takes a certain breed to enjoy this sleazy exploitation tribute to Grindhouse cinema. This movie premiered long before Tarantino and Rodriguez made "Grindhouse" a household name, and even that project was ill-received. Here they outdo even themselves in an attempt to make the raunchiest vampire movie in history. Tarantino brings back legendary 1970s actors to help slay demons from hell such as Fred Williamson and Tom Savini. This was George Clooney's first movie, and Harvey Keitel received top-billing as a minister who has lost his faith after the death of his wife to an automobile accident. The genius of the movie is that we hang out with the key players for the first half, and we forget that there is even the potential of monsters showing up. The only tragedy is that we lose one of the main characters before the fighting really begins, and it's someone I would have loved to see in the situations that developed after their death. The script by Quentin Tarantino is up there with his best, despite the lowbrow and bloody subject matter.

2. "Jaws 3-D"
First off, this is not a sequel to Jaws. Comparing it to Spielberg's original immediately destroys your chances of enjoying it. Secondly, it is meant to be seen in 3-D sometime after midnight in a rowdy downtown movie theater with intoxicated teenagers, not in its VHS format in your living room. However, that is how I first viewed it. When I was a kid, seeing the Jaws movies lining the walls of video stores was in itself exciting, they just seemed off-limits for some reason. My first viewing of Jaws 3-D stands out more in my mind than any of the others, if only for that floating severed fish head. My sister was terrified of The Living Seas at EPCOT Center thanks to this movie, as it takes place in Sea World. The 3-D shots looks awful on DVD, but if you can find a bootleg copy of the 3-D print, it's really not that bad considering the technology back then. Richard Matheson, a key writer from The Twilight Zone, wrote the script, but was unhappy with the "doctoring" that was done with his work and disliked the film. It's campy. It also stars Lea Thompson, and the movie was parodied in Back to the Future: Part II. "The shark still looks fake."

1. "Psycho III"
Norman Bates is back to normal, but Mother is off her rocker again. That was the tagline for the second sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (a running theme in this list seems to be horror movies and sequels, maybe my next list will be a little more diverse.) Anthony Perkins actually took up the role as director for this film, and he turned it into a black comedy. Certain scenes from this film never leave your mind; like the sheriff chomping on bloody ice cubes pulled from the cooler where a girl's dead body is buried while he interrogates Norman, or Jeff Fahey playing guitar in the corner of a dark room next to the corpse of Mrs. Bates while Woody Woodpecker plays on the television set. There's also a very bizarre sex scene which would benefit from being cut from every print of this film. If the premise of Psycho isn't strange enough, this time it's a love story between Norman and a nun on the run who just failed at committing suicide and instead accidentally murdered a fellow sister. If that's not enough, she's slandered, nearly raped, and left for dead on the side of the road after being picked up by a hitchhiker. She also has the likeness of Janet Leigh, and gives Norman flashbacks of murdering the 1960s shower victim. Remember that shovel scene in Psycho II? This time we get to see Bates beat someone to death with an acoustic guitar, swim the dirty swamp where all of his victims are buried, and in the creepiest of moments, see he him cut the head off of his dead mother... while dressed as his mother! This movie is messed up. It's no wonder I turned out the way that I did.

Oh, hello.

My name's Paul Cloud and I do a lot of artsy fartsy stuff like drawing and painting and writing and making things and loving lots of music and film and things like that. My great friend Jason Anders and I have been working together for 10 years or so on lots of fun random projects. For the past couple of years, he and I have been conducting interviews with various artists. All of my interviews (which total in only a fraction of the number of the ones he's conducted) are made up solely of musicians. I'm pretty obsessed with music. All of our interviews are housed under the sturdy roof of Fulle Circle Productions and will, hopefully, be released soon in the form of Fulle Circle Magazine. Also in these last few years, I've established a very small hand-drawn-design company called PANDAcolour that I'm very fond of. Any who, we've decided to try something a little different and collaborate on a two-headed blog. You'll find our rants, random obsessions, reviews of stuff we like, and anything else that happens to be on our minds (except interviews, they'll still be over at fullecircle.com).

-Enjoy,

Paul