452 - Madonna - Music

After the first listen, I questioned the album's presence on the Top 500 list. Yeah, it was a good dance album, but in the Top 500? Getting a better listen on the second and later run-throughs improved my opinion of the album. While I recently reviewed The Police's Synchronicity that had four absolute classics on the same album with some filler and one gawd-awful song, Music has achieved its position likely because of the consistency of the album.

As usual, whether you like the album depends on one of two things, what producers she works with on the songs and what she sees the purpose of the album being. Her primary partner on Music is Mirwais, who put together beats that are a less-quirky, more electronic feel than Timbaland. After the spiritual and introspective Ray of Light, the deep thoughts get a bit of a rest. This album is a dance pop love album. Most of the songs are for the dance floor; either uptempo club tracks or slow dance songs for the couples.

Songs I knew I liked: "Music" and "Don't Tell Me"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Amazing" and "What It Feels Like For a Girl" - I had heard "What It Feels Like..." a few times when it originally came out, but didn't really pay much attention to it. It is now my second favorite track on the album (just under "Don't Tell Me").

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: I'm not really thrilled with the last two songs - "Paradise (Not For Me)" and "Gone." The first seems like a conscious attempt to be artsy and the latter is just okay for me.

451 - MC5 - Back in the USA

While the album's title is Back in the USA, and despite the early rock and roll covers that start and end the album, at least a third of the songs remind me strongly of a certain British band - The Kinks. MC5 occupies a territory between The Kinks and their Detroit neighbors, The Stooges. This is stripped down rock delivered with force. The Kinks comment aside, the album sets the foundation for the Detroit Rock sound that would be expanded upon by Alice Cooper and KISS. Not only that, but you can also hear where the Ramones would explore a few years later (especially "High School").

The band isn't as furious as they were on their debut, Kick Out the Jams. There is a great revolutionary song with "The Human Being Lawnmower." However, most of the album explores youth (I guess you could argue the covers recall the band's own anthems of their youth). There is also a great ballad that is completely different from everything else in the album, but the raw emotions I hear in Rob Tyner's vocals makes it fit for me.

What does wear on my ears a little is the album is all treble and nearly no bass. Several of the uptempo songs could really use some low end help.

Songs I knew I liked: None.

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Tonight," "Teenage Lust," "Let Me Try," "High School," "The Human Being Lawnmower," and "Back in the USA"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: None. I'm going to put this album on my shopping list the next time I go to Vertical House Records to buy some vinyl.