The Entelechy Of Love & Self-Respect

Consider this an open letter to anyone who finds himself or herself in an abusive relationship.  I'm not referring solely to physical abuse but more so to emotional and mental abuse, particularly when it comes to family and people of influence.  Over the past few years, I have had a distressingly high number of conversations with friends and family members in which they have revealed a certain level of stress caused by a person (or persons, in a few cases) that holds a position of import in their lives.  It seems, sadly, more often than not to be a family member but there are a still a number of friends who are referenced as well.  What is universal among these situations is the fact that this person continues to mistreat the friend or family member in question, seemingly without regard either for them or for the relationship that is shared between them.  I have offered not simply an ear to listen to the lamentations of the abused but what I view as solid advice as to how to deal with the situations.  Few, if any, have heeded said counsel and so I feel compelled to write this correspondence in the hope that it will serve as a clearer voice for the things that I have tried to say.

Everyone is familiar with the cautionary maxims of, "People will treat you how you let them treat you" and "You teach people how to treat you" and yet, sadly, few seem to understand not simply the validity in these words but their importance as well.  While you cannot control how other people treat you or what they think of you, you certainly can influence them.  In cases of friendship, the situation is fairly straightforward: you and the person in question are engaged in a relationship of voluntary mutual respect.  Essentially, you choose to respect each other and, as such, to perpetuate said relationship.  Sometimes, though, one friend winds up taking advantage of the other, whether because it is the aggressor's nature to do so or because the victim allows himself or herself to be treated as such.  What I find disheartening is how many people allow themselves (repeat: allow themselves) to remain in such relationships.  They will complain about how they are mistreated and either do nothing about it or continue to allow it to happen despite their protestations.  So for those of you who are the victim in such a friendship, here are some words of wisdom:

YOU are allowing this to happen.

If you want it to stop, you need to do something about it.  In an age where communication has become dehumanized and people are further removed from direct, physical contact, it seems that a reticence to engage in confrontation has fostered itself in the hearts and minds of these social souls.  They are "afraid" of speaking up.  Here's some more advice:

STOP BEING AFRAID!

YOU are allowing this to happen.  You cannot control what this other person is doing to you or how he or she is treating you, you can control only your reaction.  If you don't like being abused, then stand up for yourself!  You're worth more than that so start acting like you are.  If a so-called close friend mistreats you once, you can consider it an aberration and let it go if you so choose...but when it's persistent and without regard for your feelings or well-being?  That's a serial situation that warrants not simply your attention but your action.  Be active in your relationship.  Make a stand and say, "NO!  I will not allow you to continue to treat me this way."  Remember:

You've got nothing to lose.

It's a simple but oft-overlooked fact.  People allow themselves either to be brainwashed or to be put into a situation in which they empower their friend with some sort of emotional authority over them.  The relationship that should be built upon a foundation of love and respect is suddenly constructed with fear and ill-will.  What are you so afraid of losing?  A so-called friend who doesn't think enough of you to treat you with even a semblance of respect?

Big loss.

How about the big one that you hear so often in abusive romantic relationships:

But I can't live without her/him!

YOU CAN AND YOU WILL!  This one is arguably the primary reason that keeps people in such relationships and it stems mostly from the fear of somehow not being able to be whole without that person.  First, how disrespectful is that to everyone else who does love you, care about you, and treat you right?  What does it say about how you view them that you're more concerned about this one insignificant solipsist leaving you or not being in your life as opposed to the multitudes who want to see you happy?

In the past two or three years, I've gone through the aforementioned situation several times: guys that I considered blood-brothers--friends who I truly could not envision my life without, have disappeared.  Getting through one of those situations in particular was one of the hardest things that I've ever gone through...

...at the time.  See, now, with the lovely gift of hindsight and temporal distance from both the situation and, more importantly, the emotions involved, I wonder how I was ever so distraught in the first place.  It's obvious now that both of those so-called friends were anything but and that it was ridiculous for me to think first that they would always be there and second that I could ever live without them.  So here is another bit of advice that is proffered without an ounce of cynicism or bile:

Some of your best friends--the ones who you think will always be there for you, will leave you one day.



For every friend who does leave, another will come to fill the void.

The friends who I am fortunate enough to surround myself with right now are the best I've ever had.  Some have been there for nearly two decades, others for only two years.  Will they all be there in another two decades or two years?  Probably not...but the important thing is: it doesn't matter.  It has taken me years of obsessing over my lack of control when it comes to relationships--heartache and disappointment beyond belief, to realize that it really doesn't matter.  Stop worrying about losing the people you have in your life and start focusing on enjoying them for the time that they are there! 

And as for those who choose to abuse you?

Fuck em.  Give them the ultimatum they deserve: shape up or ship out.  If they can't see that they're hurting you or if they cannot find a way not to treat you that way, then they don't deserve to be in your life.  Plain and simple.

But it's not friendships that have spurred me to write this letter.  It's family dynamics, particularly filial relationships.  Before I explore this topic further though, I must preface it with an admission: I have two loving parents who have shown me nothing but respect throughout my life.  Both my mother and father had shitty relationships with their parents (to greater and lesser degrees with their mothers and fathers, respectively) and vowed not to treat their progeny the way that they were treated.  As such, I will admit readily that it's easier for me to say certain things or to take certain viewpoints because I have not personally dealt with the situations firsthand.  With that said, I would like to point out that I do not need to throw myself into a vat of acid to know that it will hurt.  Think about that before you fall back on the, "Yeah but you haven't gone through this" excuse.

Now, the biggest number of situations deals with friends and their relationships with either their mother or father (or both, in a few rare cases).  Invariably, one parent continues to treat them like shit and they continue to take it.  In many cases it has become a rinse, wash, repeat cycle of sorts: the parent in question does what they've always done, the friend in question vents their frustration, advice is given, it is claimed to be taken...and then nothing happens until the cycle begins anew.  The one constant here is the slew of excuses that spews forth as to why a stand cannot be made, most likely masking the emotions that remain ineffable out of the fear of whatever consequences they seem to think will follow.

Let me throw this out there: If you're an adult, you have the right and indeed the duty to stand up for yourself when someone puts you down or treats you like shit.  YOU have to stand up for yourself because, especially with filial situations, no one else can.

So why do so many people fall back on this reason for perpetuating the abuse?

"I can't--she's my mom/he's my dad."

Fear and submission.  In at least one case that I can think of, the subjugation that my friend has endured began when she was a kid and has persisted to this day.  She is a tremendous success in my eyes in nearly every possible way: academically, professionally, socially.  She's got it all and yet her father will still find ways to put her down--flaws in the nearly flawless things that she does in her life.  He is an emotional leech, feeding himself through his own negativity by sapping her of her optimism and happiness.  So why does this keep happening?  In part, because of the aforementioned fear but also because of a desire to seek the approval of someone who will never give it.

A general reiteration for the rest of the class:

YOU WILL NEVER GET THE APPROVAL/LOVE/RESPECT YOU SEEK BECAUSE HE OR SHE CANNOT GIVE IT TO YOU WHEN YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE TRYING TO GET IT.

It's a difficult truth to face and the tragic part of it is the happiness and relief that comes with its admission.  Don't believe me?  Ask my wife.  She endured horrific emotional abuse at the hands of damn near her entire family.  When I met her, I couldn't understand how people could mistreat someone so beautiful, caring, generous, funny, and loving...and yet they did.  It took her eight years of support and encouragement from me (not to mention the nearly nineteen years of hell she endured prior to that) to feel finally that she was strong enough to make a stand (the irony is that she always had that strength inside of her--I certainly saw it from day one--but she needed to come to the realization that it was there on her own).  Once she recognized that strength, she made that stand--she did what so few people think they are capable of doing: she excised the growth that was her abusers.  It wasn't easy for her but she'll be the first one to tell you that she can't imagine her life any other way.  Not only that, since making that decision and taking the actions that she did, she has never been happier in her life (again of her own admission).  People have seen this and yet still they cling to their relationships out of the fear of those goddamn perceived consequences.

Your parents are deserving of your respect because, without them, you wouldn't be here.  With that being said, you too are deserving of a certain level of respect because THEY CHOSE TO BRING YOU INTO THE WORLD!  Even if it wasn't necessarily their intention, it was still their actions that brought you here.  That warrants you better treatment that you think you deserve.  I understand that traditional and cultural values say that you should honor your mother and your father and you should...unless they're abusive to you.  At that point, they stop being your parent and become an emotional assailant.  If it was your mother/father who you caught abusing your child/stealing money from you/destroying your property, would it change how you would react?  I would hope not...so why should it change the level of self-respect that you keep for yourself?

It shouldn't.

It doesn't matter that your mom has "always been this way" or that your dad "doesn't realize he hurting [me]"; it's inexcusable and you have to decide to stand up for yourself.  Enough with the "but it's my mom/dad" bullshit!  At nearly thirty years old (or older in some cases), you should be at a point in your life where you're living both for yourself and through yourself.  If you're not still living with mom and dad, eating their food, having them do your laundry for you, then you should be confident enough to stand up for yourself and say:

NO!

I get that your parents are authority figures and that they are deserving of a level of reverence greater than most people in your life but that doesn't or shouldn't change the fact that you are deserving of being treated with love and respect too.  If you don't like when your mother/father makes a comment about how you look, speak up for yourself.  If they disapprove of your path in life or tell you that you're going to fail, tell them to go fuck themselves because at that point they've stopped being a parent.  YOU are the one who is giving them control over you.  They're not an authority figure in your life any more.  If you feel deep within your heart of hearts that the love that should be there for them isn't or that the love that they should have for you isn't, then take a moment to reflect on that. 

You can never change who your blood-relatives are but that doesn't make them FAMILY.

Think about that one too.  Does it resonate with you at all?  I'm sure it does with my wife.  She just spent the day celebrating Christmas with her family.  Not her family--her family--the people who love her for who she is and who treat her the way she deserves to be treated.  Biologically speaking, they happen to be the people who are related to me, but so what?  That shouldn't change anything and, now that she has rid herself of the emotional vampires that comprise her biological relations, she is able to accept truly and fully the love that has been offered to her.  She has chosen her family and has been enfolded into their lives as naturally as if she had been born into them.

So why can't you?

Stop making excuses.  Stop saying "I can't" and start saying "I will."  Stop allowing yourself to be berated, put down, mocked, forced to put up with directives from your mother and father like "because he's your brother."  Start focusing on the people who truly do love and respect you, friends and family alike.  Stop making time for those who don't and start spending it with those who accept you in your entirety--who see through to the essence of you and love you for that instead of deriding you for faults and imperfections that aren't there or that don't or shouldn't define who you are.  Your mother/father probably resents you for things that have nothing to do with you.  She/he is jealous of your beauty/your popularity/your academic and professional success/your financial stability/the fact that you can live your life and look at the world in a way that they cannot. 

YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DECISIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE!

YOU ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF MISTREATMENT THAT THEY ENDURED AT THE HANDS OF THEIR PARENTS!

YOU SHOULD NOT BE PUT DOWN FOR SUCCEEDING AND FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS WHEN THEY HAVE FAILED IN PURSUING THEIR OWN!

IF YOU DON'T LIKE HOW YOU'RE BEING TREATED:

SPEAK UP!!!

If you're afraid, lean on those who will support you, whether they are friends or family (though, truthfully, the ones who you turn to will likely be one and the same).  If you're afraid of what your life will be like without your mother/father/brother/sister/cousin/aunt/uncle/coworker/friend/lover in your life, think about how bad you feel when you're abused and imagine what a relief it will be never to endure that again (it will be even better, I assure you).  Stand up for yourself and demand the respect that you deserve because you deserve it. 

This life is so short that every moment should be cherished and enjoyed to its fullest--why would you waste even a second on a relationship from which you're not getting every ounce that you can?  If you're giving someone everything that you've got and you're getting anything less in return, please, bless someone else with your time and attention.

So for everyone I'm thinking of in writing this letter:

For the actions that you have taken: I'm proud of you.

For the moments you've considered acting but allowed your fear to overwhelm you: I believe in you.

And for the time that you finally do stand up and make your voice heard: I'll be there for you.

Above everything, know that there is at least one person who loves you and appreciates you for who you are.


Remember: you always do for others, now go do you.

Tim Tebow, God, & The New York Jets

Clearly I should not have picked the Jets to win this game (even though they were winning with just over a minute to play).

Tim Tebow led yet another miracle comeback on the field of play last night and, for some reason, it still surprises people that he is able to win games despite the unorthodox option offense in which he plays...but not me.  Anyone watching that final play could see clearly that something was wrong.  It was as if the Jets were swept aside by some unseen force...well, ALMOST unseen.

BEHOLD!  GOD HIMSELF BLOCKED FOR TEBOW LAST NIGHT!  WITH HIS GLORIOUS HAND HE SWEPT ASIDE THE ENTIRE DEFENSIVE AND O-LINES--PARTING THEM LIKE MOSES PARTED THE RED SEA--AND ALLOWED THE EXALTED ONE TO SCORE THE GAME WINNING TD, HALLELUJAH!

You hear that, Moses!?  You led the Israelites to SAFETY...but Tebow led the Broncos to a TOUCHDOWN.  He's got you beat by four points (five counting the extra kick).

Eat it, Old Testament!

My Top 200 Albums Of The Past 20 Years (1991-2011)

A band logo from a previous life

Music has always held an important place in my life.  When I was a kid, the sounds of Billy Joel and Elton John (my Mom's favorite artists) were ubiquitous in my home.  My Dad enjoyed a great deal of classic rock, so I was exposed also to plenty of phenomenal tunes that likely contributed to my subconscious love of music as well as my unconscious development as a musician.

It wasn't until I reached junior high school though that I began to develop my own taste in music.  I remember getting my first CD player from my parents during this time.  It was a Marlboro one that they were able to get with the points from the packs of Marlboro Lights that they smoked.  It was ironic given the degree to which I held smoking in disdain...but I have capitalism in my blood and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to own my very first CD player.  At the time, the only disc that I could play was my Sonic CD video game (it would cycle through the game's soundtrack if inserted).  My Dad felt bad giving me the player without having anything to listen to and so he took me to The Wiz on the corner of Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue.  He let me pick out a few albums and, though I can't remember all of the ones I got, I do remember a few--the very genesis of my collection: Elton John's "The One," Seal's "Seal," the Batman Forever Soundtrack, and Ace of Base's "The Sign."

By the time I got to high school, I had already begun to open myself up more to music.  1997 proved to be a landmark year for me as I was introduced to some of my favorite music of all time.  It was during this time that I began to listen to the radio on a regular basis (Z-100 back when they played a variety of stuff), tuning in for the "Nine at Nine" each night and even voting on occasion to champion a favorite band or song.  My love for alternative rock deepened with each new album I explored: The Wallflower's "Bringing Down The Horse," Third Eye Blind's self-titled album, and Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" to name but a few.  I also enjoyed the requisite pop of the time including the particularly rich collection of one hit wonders that came and went during the late '90s.

As I progressed through high school, I saw my musical interests vary a great deal.  Where I had previously shunned rap, I developed a love for it and added a few solid albums to my collection.  Then, in 2000, I was exposed to some heavier music for the first time through the wave of nü-metal, particularly Linkin Park and Disturbed.  3 Doors Down's "The Better Life" and Linkin Park's debut album quickly became among my favorites, adding to my ever-growing collection of CDs.  I also begun playing acoustic guitar, which brought my love of and interest in music to a completely new level.

College exposed me both to myriad new types of people and music alike.  I went to my first concert in October of 2001 (Hoobastank at "The World" in Times Square), I learned about some great bands through a friend of mine (Lit, in particular, developed into one of my favorites), and I finally ended my hatred of country music thanks to an ESPN commercial for the '04 World Series Of Poker (it featured Big & Rich's "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)").  I started a band called "Dark Horse" (see picture at the beginning of this entry) and watched it ultimately fall apart.

From a musician's standpoint, I found that listening to a broader array of music helped me to develop my abilities as a guitarist more fully.  I stuck mostly to acoustic guitar and grew adept at singing and playing chords simultaneously.  This, in turn, led me to play almost 1,100 songs for my unborn and then-born son from September 2009 through September 2010.  During that same time-frame, I practiced a great deal at my electric guitar playing, finding that I enjoy it even more than the acoustic.  My crowning achievement though came earlier this year when I was able to tab out an entire album by ear.

Overall, though, as much as I love to play music, I'd go nuts if I couldn't listen to it.  Silence, though welcome in a few special instances, is a sign that something's wrong.  There is always something playing in my home; it's important to me to expose my son to as much music as possible in the hope that he will develop an interest as strong as my own.  With that said, I decided to take a look back at the past twenty years' worth of music and give in to another interest of mine: making lists.  For this one, in particular, I had to dust off a number of math skills that I had not employed for some time; the fact that I was able to figure out the calculations and to achieve what I had set out to was quite fulfilling.  Here's a quick note about the list and the methodology behind it:

The way that I ranked the albums was through a fairly detailed scoring system that I developed solely for this project.  Each song on an album was given a score of 0 through 10 (inclusive) unless it was a skit, a verbal interlude, or an extremely brief instrumental piece (twenty seconds or less), in which case it was not included for grading purposes (such songs were labeled "N/A" in my spreadsheet).  The rubric that I used is slightly unconventional in that it does not follow a traditional bell shape distribution of points (with "five" being average, per se).  The rubric is as follows:

0 = Unlistenable
1 = Barely Listenable
2 = Listenable  ***(This is what a "filler" track would receive for a score)***
3 = Alright
4 = Decent
5 = Pretty Good
6 = Good
7 = Above Average
8 = Great
9 = Excellent
10 = Hit/Single/Perfect

A track that received a score of 0 is one that I would skip immediately (if using a CD) or not add to a playlist (if using Winamp).  Scores of 1 and 2 are applied for filler material; scores of 3 and 4 imply slightly better-than-average filler tunes.  Scores of 5 and 6 refer to above average filler or songs that have memorable riffs and lyrics.  Scores of 7 and 8 are used for the better non-single material on an album while scores of 9 and 10 are reserved for only the best tunes on the album.

Now, where it gets complicated is with the songs that received a score of 10.  Obviously a really catchy single that was popular in its time might be deserving of such a grade...but to have it rub shoulders with tracks like "Everlong" and "One Headlight"?  Not happening.  And thus I developed a second scoring system for singles.  Any track given a perfect 10 on the initial scoring was subjected to a second analysis that featured a range of 1 to 10 (inclusive) where 1 represents only the most banal of hits and 10 represents my favorite, most cherished songs by that particular band.

The problem with calculating the total album scores arose with the consideration of "quantity over quality."  I had to find a way to reward both the quality of the individual perfect 10s while taking into consideration the overall number of such tracks.  Ultimately, my solution was to break the total album scoring down into two factors: percentage of the sum of the individual track scores plus a percentage of the bonus points that the album earned.  I decided on a 90/10 breakdown.  What I did first was to sum up the total point values for the songs on a given album.  I think divided this by the total number of tracks on the album multiplied by ten.  This gave me a percentage of points earned versus points possible--a decent representation of an album's standing. The issue that arose here though was that there were too many albums on an even footing that I felt should have been much further apart, hence the employment of the bonus points system.

The bonus score was also broken down into two constituent parts: Strength of Single score and Percent of Perfect Tracks.  The former was meant to reward the quality of the songs while the latter rewarded the quantity.  Strength of Single scores were calculated by summing the bonus point values for each song on an album (each one out of ten), multiplying the number of perfect 10s by ten, and then dividing the former into the latter.  Basically, if you have two singles that are pretty good (each receiving a bonus value of 5), then the SOS for the album would be 0.50 (the two scores (5+5=10) divided by the number of singles times the total point potential for said number of singles (2*10=20) (10/20=0.50).

The Percent of Perfect Tracks was integral in determining my top fifty albums.  All of these received 10s across the board because, in my opinion, every song is worth listening to and could stand alone as a solid track.  The differentiation, then, came in the quality of each individual track in terms of the bonus points.  Basically, I felt that if I was declaring an album to be one of my all-time favorites, it really should be devoid of any filler or fluff.  Therefore, if an album had even a single song that I would routinely skip (sorry "The Sickness"--you can thank "Droppin' Plates for that one), it would be ineligible for the clean sweep of 10s.  An imperfect system, sure, but it made things more manageable in the long run.  Plus, without doing what I just outlined, a double-album like the Foo Fighters' "In Your Honor" would have destroyed something better simply because it had more songs.  By keeping everything calculated in terms of each individual album and rewarding a greater percentage of solid songs instead of simply a greater number, I was able to achieve a much more balanced (and in my opinion, accurate) set of results.

Finally, the overall calculation for each individual album's score was as follows: 90% of the "Album Score" added to 10% of the "Bonus Points," which, in turn, consisted of 60% of the Strength of Single calculation and 40% of the Percent of Perfect Tracks.  Symbolically, it can be read as:

((0.9 * AS) + (0.1*((0.6*SOS)+(0.4*POPT))))

I then converted the decimal results into a percentage and, voila, the final values out of 100% were tallied.  I'm going to post the list in reverse order beginning with # 200 and I will add comments sporadically throughout until I begin to get near the top; then I will explain my thoughts and feelings about each of the albums.

Only full-length albums (LPs) were used and, in most cases, only the original release of the album was considered unless a re-release served as the de facto version; EPs, remix albums, cover albums, and acoustic versions of an album were not used regardless of popularity or superiority to original releases (as in the case with Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill.")  Bonus tracks were not counted except in two cases where they were part of the re-release and should have been included as featured tracks anyway (Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" and Dead By Sunrise's "The Morning After").  Hidden tracks were scored in conjunction with the songs they followed (both tunes were given a single score) instead of being separated (in most cases the scores wound up being identical anyway).  Cover songs that stood as individual tracks were counted as such but remixes and alternate versions of earlier songs on the albums were not included.

*DISCLAIMER!!!!!!*

This is NOT a list of the best 200 albums of the past 20 years as such a list would be remarkably difficult to draft.  For one, I haven't listened to a thousandth of a percent of all of the music that has been released during the past two decades and for me to speak intelligently to the "best" of even a single genre, I would have had to have listened to an incomprehensible quantity of music.  With that said, my list represents MY favorite 200 albums of the past 20 years.  Nonetheless, there will still invariably be people who will balk either at an inclusion or an exclusion and so I offer these caveats:

If an album isn't listed it's likely because...

A) I've never listened to the album before (Candlebox & Silverchair's stuff, for example)

B) I don't like the particular artist (Radiohead and Muse for example)

C) I didn't like the particular album or didn't listen to it enough to warrant its inclusion (AX7's "Nightmare," for one).

If you feel an album should have been included let me know--the odds are that it fits in under A, B, or C...but maybe it won't.  If I overlooked something I shouldn't have (we're not talking about the Muse shit or "OK Computer" here folks) then I can try to amend the list.  Otherwise, just enjoy a trip down memory lane and thanks for reading!

MY TOP 200 ALBUMS OF THE PAST 20 YEARS (1991-2011)

(A shout out first to Andy McKee's "Art of Motion" and Loreena McKennitt's "The Book Of Secrets."  Both albums are near-flawless and flawless, respectively but given the fact that neither album represents an easily compared genre, I didn't feel that it would be fair to include them and to rate them against their rock, metal, pop, and rap counterparts.)

Format is: Artist - Year of Release - Album Title          Score


200-151

200. Authority Zero - 2004 - Andiamo                                                                    22.500%

199. Rage Against The Machine - 1999 - The Battle Of Los Angeles                       23.250%

198. Matchbox 20 - More Than You Think You Are                                                23.883%

197. Stone Temple Pilots - 1996 - Tiny Music...Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop  24.000%

196. Everclear - 1995 - Sparkle And Fade                                                              24.029%

195. Rob Zombie - 2010 - Hellbilly Deluxe 2                                                           24.036%

194. Rage Against The Machine - 1996 - Evil Empire                                              24.545%

193. Buckcherry - 2008 - Black Butterfly                                                                24.750%

192. Good Charlotte - 2004 - The Chronicles Of Life And Death                            25.071%

191. Audioslave - 2002 - Audioslave                                                                       25.271%

190. Authority Zero - 2007 - 12:34                                                                         25.500%

189. Sum 41 - 2001 All Killer, No Filler                                                                   26.433%

188. Backstreet Boys - 2007 - Unbreakable                                                            27.486%

187. Colbie Caillat - 2008 - Coco                                                                            29.250%                 
186. Matchbox 20 - 2000 - Mad Season                                                                 29.415%

185. Stone Sour - 2007 - Come What(Ever) May                                                    30.000%

184. Rage Against The Machine - 1992 - Rage Against The Machine                        30.400%

183. Cowboy Troy - 2005 - Loco Motive                                                                30.750%

182. Creed - 1997 - My Own Prison                                                                        31.500%

181. Offspring - 2008 - Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace                                              31.683%

180. Rob Zombie - 1998 - Hellbilly Deluxe                                                                32.167%

179. Gin Blossoms - 1996 - Congratulations...I'm Sorry                                             32.433%

178. The Eagles - 2007 - Long Road Out Of Eden                                                     32.600%

177. Foo Fighters - 1995 - Foo Fighters                                                                     33.000%

176. Evanescence - 2011 - Evanescence                                                                     33.000%

175. Verve Pipe - 1997 - Villains                                                                                 33.585%

174. Blessid Union Of Souls - 1995 - Home                                                                33.855%

173. Coldplay - 2000 - Parachutes                                                                              34.000%

172. Sum 41 - 2002 - Does This Look Infected?                                                         34.100%

171. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 2002 - By The Way                                                       34.213%

170. Stone Sour - 2002 - Stone Sour                                                                          35.062%

169. Eminem - 1999 - The Slim Shady LP                                                                   35.243%

168. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1999 - Californication                                                     35.400%

167. Good Charlotte - 2002 - The Young And Hopeless                                              35.557%

166. No Doubt - 1995 - Tragic Kingdom                                                                     35.714%

165. Stone Temple Pilots - 1999 - No. 4                                                                      35.991%

164. Slipknot - 2004 - Vol. 3 - The Subliminal Verses                                                    36.114%

163. Nine Inch Nails - 1994 - The Downward Spiral                                                     36.271%

162. The Strokes - 2011 - Angles                                                                                  36.500%

161. Seether - 2011 - Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray                                     36.633%

160. Avril Lavigne - 2002 - Let Go                                                                                36.692%

159. Incubus - 1997 - S.C.I.E.N.C.E                                                                            37.117%

158. 10 Years - 2008 - Division                                                                                      37.231%

157. Tom Petty - 2010 - Mojo                                                                                       38.067%

156. Big Kenny - 2009 - The Quiet Times Of A Rock And Roll Farm Boy                      38.700%

155. Daughtry - 2009 - Leave This Town                                                                        39.000%

154. Default - 2005 - One Thing Remains                                                                        39.273%

153. Creed - 2001 - Weathered                                                                                      39.345%

152. Limp Bizkit - 1999 - Significantother                                                                        39.492%

151. Queens Of The Stone Age - 2003 - Songs For The Deaf                                          40.443%

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Reaction to the bottom fifty albums:

--Way to lie Sum-41: some killer and plenty of filler.

--Creed...such a shame that Scott Stapp is such a douchebag--they had some great albums.

--Tragic Kingdom definitely should have been higher; looking forward to the next No Doubt album!

--The Downward Spiral is one of the best albums, as a whole, of this period but individually (and thus taken out of their original context) most of the tracks do not stand out, hence its low standing.

--The Daughtry album is surprisingly good but I'm hoping he steps up the rock aspect on the next one.

--If there's only one album you check out from these fifty, let it be Default's 2005 release "One Thing Remains."  Really great stuff.

50 albums featuring a total of 39 different artists.



150-101

150. System Of A Down - 2001 - Toxicity                                                                  40.553%

149. Bush - 1994 - Sixteen Stone                                                                                40.567%

148. Audioslave - 2005 - Out Of Exile                                                                        40.683%

147. Maroon 5 - 2008 - It Won't Be Soon Before Long                                               41.283%

146. Puddle Of Mudd - 2001 - Come Clean                                                                41.545%

145. Backstreet Boys - 1999 - Millennium                                                                    41.683%

144. The Fray - 2005 - How To Save A Life                                                                41.767%

143. Evanescence - 2006 - The Open Door                                                                  42.754%

142. Finger Eleven - 2000 - The Greyest Of Blue Skies                                                42.855%

141. Jimmy Eat World - 2004 - Futures                                                                         42.918%

140. Nirvana - 1991 - Nevermind                                                                                  43.267%

139. Creed - 1999 - Human Clay                                                                                   43.300%

138. Slash - 2010 - Slash                                                                                               43.314%

137. Papa Roach - 2004 - Getting Away With Murder                                                    43.417%

136. The Strokes - 2003 - Room On Fire                                                                       43.736%

135. Rob Thomas - 2005 - ...Something To Be                                                               43.800%

134. Jason Mraz - 2002 - Waiting For My Rocket To Come                                           44.433%

133. Sheryl Crow - 1993 - Tuesday Night Music Club                                                   44.549%

132. 3 Doors Down - 2002 - Away From The Sun                                                         44.917%

131. Blink-182 - 1999 - Enema Of The State                                                                  44.917%

130. Disturbed - 2010 - Asylum                                                                                      45.000%

129. Cold - 2000 - 13 Ways To Bleed On Stage                                                            45.031%

128. Static-X - 1999 - Wisconsin Death Trip                                                                   45.133%

127. Alice In Chains - 1992 - Dirt                                                                                   45.333%

126. Switchfoot - 2003 - The Beautiful Letdown                                                             45.755%

125. Boyce Avenue - 2008 - All You're Meant To Be                                                     46.000%

124. Lostprophets - 2004 - Start Something                                                                    46.231%

123. Blues Traveler - 1994 - Four                                                                                   46.267%

122. Godsmack - 2006 - IV                                                                                            46.727%

121. Hinder - 2010 - All American Nightmare                                                                  46.800%

120. Tonic - 1996 - Lemon Parade                                                                                  46.867%

119. A Perfect Circle - 2000 - Mer de Noms                                                                  47.433%

118. Jimmy Eat World - 2001 - Bleed American                                                              47.827%

117.  Darius Rucker - 2008 - Learn To Live                                                                     48.000%

116. Third Eye Blind - 1999 - Blue                                                                                   48.031%

115. Hootie & The Blowfish - 1994 - Cracked Rear View                                                48.283%

114. Stone Temple Pilots - 1995 - Purple                                                                           48.582%

113. Sarah McLachlan - 1997 - Surfacing                                                                         49.150%

112. Ace Of Base - 1993 - The Sign                                                                                 49.400%

111. Weezer - 1994 - Weezer (The Blue Album)                                                               49.600%

110. Chevelle - 2002 - Wonder What's Next                                                                     49.982%

109. Matchbox 20 - 1996 - Yourself Or Someone Like You                                              50.833%

108. Jay-Z - 1998 - Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life                                                                   51.760%

107. Kelly Clarkson - 2004 - Breakaway                                                                          52.183%

106. DMX - 1998 - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot                                                                   52.433%

105. Cold - 2003 - Year Of The Spider                                                                             52.615%

104. Weezer - 2008 - Weezer (The Red Album)                                                                53.000%

103. Godsmack - 2003 - Faceless                                                                                     55.267%

102. Metallica - 1991 - Metallica (The Black Album)                                                        55.950%

101. Wallflowers - 2002 - Red Letter Days                                                                        56.415%
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Reaction to albums one hundred-fifty through one hundred-one fifty tracks:

--Toxicity...there's nothing like it man.  Same goes for System Of A Down.

--Just saw Bush in concert last month--they sounded as good if not better than they did almost twenty years ago.

--Maroon 5...thanks for one of the most incredible spontaneous karaoke moments of my life.

--I honestly didn't want to include the Backstreet Boys stuff on here but it would've been disingenuous to leave it off.  The hits on that album were among the ones I listened to on the radio every day.  Granted, just about everything else on the album sucked but those songs are a part of that era.

--Nevermind...I'm okay with where it landed--not as big a landmark album as people make it out to be.

--I can't believe the Black Album was so low but there are a bunch of solid albums ahead of it.


100-91

100. Foo Fighters - 1999 - There Is Nothing Left To Lose                                               57.091%

99. Weezer - 2009 - Raditude                                                                                         58.300%

98. Green Day - 1994 - Dookie                                                                                       60.160%

97. Goo Goo Dolls - 1998 - Dizzy Up The Girl                                                                61.391%        
96. Big & Rich - 2007 - Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace                                  62.655%

95. Disturbed - 2008 - Indestructible                                                                                63.633%

94. Filter - 2010 - The Trouble With Angels                                                                      64.100%

93. Stone Temple Pilots - 1992 - Core                                                                              64.867%

92. Lifehouse - 2010 - Smoke & Mirrors                                                                          64.867%

91. Lifehouse - 2005 - Lifehouse                                                                                       65.327%

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Reaction to albums 100-91:

--Dookie is just an amazing album.  Would've been career-defining if not for American Idiot.

--Seriously--how many hits are there on Dizzy Up The Girl!?

--Big & Rich's album was incredible--I really hope the next one is as good if not better.

--Filter.  Scope them out!!!

--Core = Epic grunge



90-81

90. Eminem - 2000 - The Marshall Mathers LP                                                                 66.041%

89. Breaking Benjamin - 2006 - Phobia                                                                             66.800%

88. Lifehouse - 2007 - Who We Are                                                                                 67.633%

87. Disturbed - 2005 - Ten Thousand Fists                                                                        69.286%

86. Goo Goo Dolls - 2002 - Gutterflower                                                                         76.950%

85. Linkin Park - 2007 - Minutes To Midnight                                                                   80.162% 

84. Third Eye Blind - 1997 - Third Eye Blind                                                                    84.229%

83. Shinedown - 2005 - Us And Them                                                                              89.619%

82. Disturbed - 2000 - The Sickness                                                                                 90.748%

81. Crossfade - 2004 - Crossfade                                                                                   94.600%
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Reaction to albums 90-81:

--Goddamn...I remember when the Marshall Mathers LP came out.  Do you remember the craziness that came with the track "Kim"?

--Supposedly Breaking Benjamin designed Phobia to have every song potentially be a single.  I don't know if they succeeded but it's definitely a great album.

--Gutterflower would have been SO MUCH higher if not for Robbie's horrendous vocals.

--Third Eye Blind's self-titled album is insane...except for two or three tracks.  Should've been top ten and would've been if not for these duds.

--The Sickness blew my fuckin' mind the first time I heard it.  It would've been top ten if not for "Droppin' Plates," which is, hands down, the worst song I've ever heard.  Ever.  By any band.  The worst.


80-71

80. Three Days Grace - 2009 - Life Starts Now                                                              94.976%

79. Seether - 2005 - Karma And Effect                                                                           95.200%

78. Seether - 2007 - Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces                                                  95.500%

77. Seether - 2002 - Disclaimer                                                                                       95.800%

76. 12 Stones - 2002 - 12 Stones                                                                                    96.100%

75. Nick Carter - 2002 - Now Or Never                                                                         96.500%

74. Hoobastank - 2006 - Every Man For Himself                                                            96.650%

73. Lit - 2001 - Atomic                                                                                                    96.815%

72. 3 Doors Down - 2008 - 3 Doors Down                                                                     97.000%

71. Incubus - 2004 - A Crow Left Of The Murder                                                           97.043%
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Reaction to albums 80-71:

--Seether's become one of my favorite bands, especially after seeing them live.

--I've listened to the 12 Stones album a hundred times--just a good overall listen.

--I still can't believe people hate on the self-titled 3 Doors Down album--it's their second best one behind The Better Life.


70-61

70. Finger Eleven - 2007 - Them vs. You vs. Me                                                          97.055%

69. Nine Days - 2000 - The Madding Crowd                                                               97.150%

68. Eve 6 - 1998 - Eve 6                                                                                              97.273%

67. Sublime - 1996 - Sublime                                                                                      97.320%

66. The Fray - 2009 - Fray                                                                                          97.327%

65. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - 1997 - Let's Face It                                                     97.350%

64. Flogging Molly - 2008 - Float                                                                                 97.382%

63. Lit - 1999 - A Place In The Sun                                                                              97.400%

62. Gin Blossoms - 1992 - New Miserable Experience                                                 97.400%             
61. Incubus - 2006 - Light Grenades                                                                             97.415%
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Reaction to albums 70-61:

--A bunch of self-titled albums in a row...weird.

--Let's Face It is probably my favorite ska album ever.

--New Miserable Experience had some of my all-time favorite songs, especially Hey Jealousy.  Awesome album.

--Light Grenades could have been SO much more if not for the "new direction" Incubus started heading in.
          

60-51

60. Finger Eleven - 2003 - Finger Eleven                                                                       97.450%

59. Lonestar - 1999 - Lonely Grill                                                                                 97.545%

58. Jason Mraz - 2005 - Mr. A-Z                                                                                  97.550%

57. Avril Lavigne - 2004 - Under My Skin                                                                     97.650%

56. Foo Fighters - 2002 - One By One                                                                          97.655%

55. Collective Soul - 1995 - Collective Soul                                                                   97.700%

54. Sugarland - 2004 - Twice The Speed Of Life                                                           97.709%

53. The Wallflowers - 2000 - Breach                                                                              97.780%

52. Papa Roach - 2006 - The Paramour Sessions                                                           97.785%

51. Green Day - 2004 - American Idiot                                                                           97.785%
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Reaction to albums 60-51:


--Where The River Flows on the Collective Soul album is one of the heaviest songs ever.

***THE TOP 50***

50-41

50. The Bollox - 2009 - The Bollox                                                                                 97.818%

49. Authority Zero - 2002 - A Passage In Time                                                               97.850%

48. Linkin Park - 2003 - Meteora                                                                                    97.900%

47. Maroon 5 - 2002 - Songs About Jane                                                                        97.900%

46. Fuel - 1998 - Sunburn                                                                                               97.927%

45. Papa Roach - 2000 - Infest                                                                                        98.000%

44. Fastball - 1998 - All The Pain Money Can Buy                                                          98.015%

43. Staind - 2001 - Break The Cycle                                                                                98.062%

42. Dead By Sunrise - 2009 - Out Of The Ashes                                                              98.062%

41. Foo Fighters - 2005 - In Your Honor                                                                          98.080%    

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Reaction to albums 50-41:

--If you like Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys, scope out the Bollox--you won't be disappointed.

--Songs About Jane was HUGE for what felt like forever.

--Infest--definitely an underrated album because of the genre it falls under.

--In Your Honor--not sure there was a more diverse album to come out of the past ten years, man.


40-31


40. Fuel - 2000 - Something Like Human                                                                     98.100%

39. Flogging Molly - 2002 - Drunken Lullabies                                                              98.200%

38. Hoobastank - 2001 - Hoobastank                                                                           98.200%

37. Dry Cell - 2002 - Disconnected                                                                               98.246%

36. Alanis Morissette - 1995 - Jagged Little Pill                                                             98.250%

35. Linkin Park - 2000 - Hybrid Theory                                                                        98.250%

34. Nickelback - 2005 - All The Right Reasons                                                            98.255%

33. Foo Fighters - 2011 - Wasting Light                                                                        98.255%

32. Billy Joel - 1993 - The River Of Dreams                                                                  98.260%

31. Metallica - 2008 - Death Magnetic                                                                          98.260%

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Reaction to albums 40-31:

--It pisses me off to no end that the phenomenal music on Something Like Human is Carl Bell's doing and not Brett Scallions.  Saw Brett perform with the revamped Fuel at the Starland Ballroom.  What a killer voice, even now.

--Drunken Lullabies is the single best album for St. Paddy's Day, period.

--Hoobastank's album should be higher but "Better" and "Give It Back" are such pedestrian tracks that I couldn't bear to mark them up any more than I already did.  "Pieces" is a WICKED tune with such a crazy arrangement (in Open E it's crazy, in standard it's almost impossible) and of course "Crawling In The Dark" and "Running Away" are among the top songs of the decade.

--Dry Cell's only problem was being signed (briefly) to Warner Brothers at the same time Linkin Park was blowing up.  One of the most expensive albums you'll find on eBay.

--Jagged Little Pill: the quintessential alt-female album from the mid-90.  Fuck you Dave Coulier a.k.a Mr. Duplicity!

--Hybrid Theory would have been higher if not for "Cure For The Itch."  I hate that on every album they have at least one shitty track that prevents it from being 100% listenable.

--Wasting Light...best album of the new decade, hands down.  Bridge Burning?  Why that would be my third favorite Foo Fighters track right behind Everlong and HJP!

--Billy Joel and Metallica...probably the only time you'll ever see them in the same sentence lol




30-21

30. Audiovent - 2002 - Dirty Sexy Knights In Paris                                                       98.300%

29. Foo Fighters - 2007 - Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace                                    98.350%

28. Jason Mraz - 2008 - We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.                                    98.400%

27. Plain White Ts - 2007 - Every Second Counts                                                         98.431%

26. The Script - 2009 - The Script                                                                                98.440%

25. Three Days Grace - 2006 - One-X                                                                         98.450%

24. Hoobastank - 2003 - The Reason                                                                           98.450%           
23. Shinedown - 2008 - The Sound Of Madness                                                          98.527%

22. Daughtry - 2006 - Daughtry                                                                                    98.550%

21. Disturbed - 2003 - Believe                                                                                      98.550%

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Reaction to albums 30-21:

--It shouldn't be a surprise that the brothers of Brandon Boyd and Mike Einziger would create some awesome music together...it was just a surprise that it happened on only one album.  I blame shitty single selection as much as the charges of nepotism and what not for their downfall.

--Fact: Jason Mraz is one of the best songwriters of our time.

--Every Second Counts has a special place in my heart because I listened to it at least a dozen times, start to finish, while driving around the Big Island of Hawai'i on my honeymoon.

--Saw The Script for the first time opening for Paul McCartney at Citi Field.  Wasn't surprised they blew up the way that they did.  Kick ass album.

***THE TOP 20***

20. Bryan Adams - 1993 - So Far So Good                                                                  98.586%

An album that features just about every one of Bryan Adams' hits except for "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman."  Still can't believe "Summer of 69" isn't about the year.


19. Shinedown - 2003 - Leave A Whisper                                                                     98.600%

Brent from Shinedown has one of if not the best voices in rock.  I absolutely cannot wait to hear the new album next year.  This one--their first--was a revelation at the time.  Shame these guys aren't more well known.


18. Three Days Grace - 2003 - Three Days Grace                                                         98.600%

Adam Gontier's voice has that scathing quality to it that I love in a singer.  He writes some amazing songs--an even blend of awesome acoustic work and skull-splitting heavy electric work.  This album is by far their best.


17. Big & Rich - 2004 - Horse Of A Different Color                                                      98.615%

One of the few albums that I can listen to for days without getting bored.  Love these guys like they're family and SO proud that John Rich won Celebrity Apprentice (which allowed him to raise upwards of a million dollars for St. Jude's).


16. Hinder - 2005 - Extreme Behavior                                                                           98.620%

Hinder gets a lot of shit for being a generic band of the Nickelback variety but I couldn't care less.  Austin Winkler's got a voice that could cut through glass and this album was simply chock full of great songs.


15. 3 Doors Down - 2000 - The Better Life                                                                   98.636% 

Kryptonite gave me one of the best van memories ever.  Loser was one of the first full songs I learned to play on guitar.  Duck and Run made Heather even cooler than she already was.  If Smack, The Better Life, and Down Poison weren't such pedestrian tunes this album might've been even higher on the list.


14. Vertical Horizon - 2005 - Go                                                                                   98.650%

This album has grown on me in recent years and I'm glad it has.  Matt Scannell's acoustic guitar work, in conjunction with his infectiously beautiful vocal melodies, really come through on the songs featured on Go.


13. Evanescence - 2003 - Fallen                                                                                    98.650%

I had as big a crush on Amy Lee's voice as legions of goth teens probably had on her.  She has one of the purest voices in all of rock...it's just a shame she's such a cunt (as the reports of the behind-the-scenes stuff that went on in her band seem to say).


12. Foo Fighters - 1997 - The Colour And The Shape                                                   98.662%

Everlong is one of the greatest songs ever written (up there with the likes of Stairway, Layla, Freebird, Hotel California, and Wish You Were Here/Comfortably Numb) and features what has to be one of the most insane drum riffs ever.  And to think that it's just one of four of the Foo's best tracks (HJP, Monkey Wrench, and My Hero are the other three) on this album. 


11. Lit - 2004 - Lit                                                                                                         98.662%

Of course I fell in love with Lit right when their hiatus went into effect.  I've been waiting seven years for new material...anxiously awaiting, thanks to their self-titled release.  This is just an insanely good album...really hope the new stuff lives up to it!

***THE TOP 10***

10. Incubus - 1999 - Make Yourself                                                                              98.662%


If it weren't for that goddamn Battlestar...ugh!  This album was damn near perfect and it showcased Mike's ability to craft deceptively simple and mind-boggingly complex songs.  Pardon Me, Drive, Make Yourself, Stellar...craziness.


9. Lifehouse - 2003 - Stanley Climbfall                                                                           98.700%

Another album that I've only recently come to appreciate more fully, every track on this album is a stand out one.  I probably like the songs, collectively, even more than the ones on No Name Face; it's only the history associated with the latter that gives it the edge.


8. The Wallflowers - 2005 - Rebel, Sweetheart                                                               98.700%

I really couldn't stand Red Letter Days when it came out...but Rebel, Sweetheart?  Love at first listen.  "God Says Nothing Back" inspired me while writing my second novel and every single song is amazing.  Here's hoping the next Wallflowers' album is as good as this one!


7. The Calling - 2001 - Camino Palmero                                                                         98.745%     

I liked "Wherever You Will Go" when it was on the radio but I came to love this album and all of the other songs on it.  "Stigmatized" is a beautiful tune and "Unstoppable" and "Adrienne" are addictive in their own right.  Heather will be happy that Camino Palmero is (deservedly so) sitting in the Top 10.


6. Lifehouse - 2000 - No Name Face                                                                             98.750%

It's funny that every time I share the music that I have written with friends and family that they like the heavier stuff but love the acoustic tunes.  Aside from my favorite alt-rock bands of the mid to late-90s, no other band encapsulates so purely the sound that beats in my musical chest.  No Name Face was probably the first album that I really loved from end to end and it's for that reason that it's what I'm listening to right now as I write out the last of these reflections!


5. The Wallflowers - 1996 - Bringing Down The Horse                                                   98.800%

No single album is more important to me than Bringing Down The Horse.  It's what inspired one of the best friendships of my adult life and what established both taste in music and my obsession with expanding my musical horizons.  I love every song on this album and feel that, as a whole, it pretty much defines my adolescence in a way that nothing else could.  It was the first of innumerable connections that I've had with my hermano through the years and I'll forever be indebted to Jakob Dylan for making this incredible album.


4. Everclear - 1997 - So Much For The Afterglow                                                          98.800%

I always loved this album as a teenager but as an adult I've developed newfound respect for Art Alexakis' lyricism.  As some of the songs on this album grew more personal for me, I realized just how intelligent his lyrics are and it makes me sad to think that shit like Ke$ha and Nikki Minaj dominate the radio and collective consciousness of teenagers right now.  Instead of listening to a man bleed his life story onto paper, creating truly personal and penetrating lyrics, they're listening to the nonsensical, self-aggrandizing drivel that passes for modern pop music.  So Much For The Afterglow will never be dated but will instead age like a fine wine.  Believe it.


3. Vertical Horizon - 2009 - Burning The Days                                                                99.000%

When I walked 21 miles last winter, what helped me through the rough final stretch was this album.  Once again, the guitar riffs and vocal melodies, in accord with the lyrics themselves, produce an almost incomparable listening experience.  I still can't believe this album is only two years old...in another ten years, I'm sure it will still be deserving of the bronze medal in my list of top albums.


2. Vertical Horizon - 1999 - Everything You Want                                                            99.509%

The final song on this album is, like Everlong, one of the best songs ever written, bar none, hands down.  I've never seen another song before or since with such an amazing guitar arrangement.  Everything You Want is an album I know intimately, start to finish, every note, every drum hit, every line of lyric.  I can listen to it perpetually and still find new things to love about it.  It's an almost perfect mix of songs and is probably the one album I would take with me if trapped on a deserted isle with only a CD player or iPod with unlimited battery life lol  One of the only full albums that I played for Timmy during the concert series I set up and deserving of every ounce of effort I put into learning the tunes.  Can't wait to listen to it in the morning on my way across the island!


1. Incubus - 2001 - Morning View                                                                                  99.677%

In my opinion, there's no such thing as a perfect album...but if there was, it would be Morning View.  There is simply no better arrangement of songs in existence than those featured on this album.  It was the pinnacle of Incubus' career and it will never be reached let alone approximated by those boys from Calabasas.  Song after song, every track is technically perfect in its own right with only varying levels of awesomeness separating them.  Nice To Know You is one of their best tracks with an almost Cantrell/Staley-an vocal harmony for the chorus.  Circles is a complicated, heavy, amazing song that demonstrates how quickly, easily, and smoothly the album can transition from heavy to heavier and then to lighter.  Wish You Were Here has some great lyrics and laid back guitar-work.  Just A Phase is a quintessential Incubus track: deceptively simple on the surface but, deep within its inner workings, rife with musical complexity and depth.

Then there's 11am.  The greatest set of lyrics of any song I've ever heard.  Brandon Boyd's metaphors and wordplay is tremendous and incomparable.  Blood On The Ground continues his wordsmithing ("Blood in my mouth beats blood on the ground"--think about that for a second).  Mexico is one of my all-time favorite acoustic tracks of any band.  Warning is undeniably creepy, not even accounting for the really unnerving video associated with it.  Echo features a riff that was co-created with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and has an incredible ambient sound to it.  Have You Ever and Are You In fall into the same category as Just A Phase and are just awesome tracks.  Under My Umbrella is a wickedly intricate song when you consider the guitar work, bass riff, and drum beats used.

And finally there's Aqueous Transmission.  There's nothing like it.  The most relaxing song I've ever heard on a rock album.  It features a Chinese stringed instrument (the Pipa) as well as the sounds of frogs that the boys in the band heard on a nightly basis.  By including those chirps, Incubus tied in the very location that the album was recorded at into the mix, transforming it into a song in and of itself.  Close your eyes while you listen to it--tell me you're not transported immediately to that river, feeling yourself drifting away to a better place...

The album begins on a heavy note and ends on a light one that blends perfectly right back into the opening notes of the initial song.  It's not a concept album and that's part of what makes it amazing--how smoothly it forms a musical circle--a never-ending sonic sequence that, like the river in Aqueous Transmission, never changes and is never the same at any given moment.  It's like Finnegans Wake, beginning and ending in the middle of the same sentence.

Morning View.  The best album I've heard in the past twenty years' worth of music...and possibly beyond!