HondoJoe's 60 Favorite-ish Albums

  #11: Queen--News of the World  (1977) Top-Notch Tracks:  "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions," [ HJ200  #4], "Spread Your Wings," [ HJ200  #88], "All Dead, All Dead," "It's Late," "Fight From the Inside," "Sheer Heart Attack" Album Depth:  "Who Needs You," "Sleeping On the Sidewalk," "My Melancholy Blues" The Weakest Link:  "Get Down, Make Love" Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Buddy, you're a boy. Make a big noise. Playing in the street, gonna be a big man some day. You got mud on your face. You big disgrace. Kicking your can all over the place."--"We Will Rock You" "I've taken my bows, and my curtain calls. You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it. I thank you all."--"We Are the Champions" "Since he was small, had no luck at all. Nothing came easy to him. Now it was time, he made up his mind. 'This could be my...

  #12: Midnight Oil--Diesel and Dust  (1987) Top-Notch Tracks:  "Beds Are Burning," [ HJ200  #13], "The Dead Heart," "Warakurna," "Bullroarer," "Sometimes," "Dreamworld" Album Depth:  "Put Down That Weapon," "Arctic World," "Sell My Soul," "Whoah" Weak Link:  No one named "Bruce" in the band; lack of schmaltzy love ballads. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "The time has come, a fact's a fact. It belongs to them. Let's give it back."--"Beds Are Burning" "We don't serve your country, don't serve your king, know your customs, don't speak your tongue. White man came, took everyone."--"The Dead Heart" "There is enough, for everyone. In Redfern as there is in Alice. This is not the Buckingham Palace. This is the crown land. This is the brown land. This is not our land."--"Warakurna" "In the desert in the dry, befo...

  #13: Styx--Pieces of Eight  (1978) Top-Notch Tracks:  "I'm O.K.," "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights,)" "Pieces of Eight," "Queen of Spades," "Renegade," "Great White Hope," "Sing For the Day" Album Depth:   "Lords of the Ring," "The Message," "Aku-Aku" Weak Links:  Nope. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! In this corner, wearing white. from the city of the big shoulders, the number one contender in a ten round exhibition for your entertainment. So when the bell sounds, prepare yourself for the main event!"--"Great White Hope" "It's six o'clock, good morning sounds are everywhere. The warmth of spring, a gentle breeze blows through my hair. I hurry through my life never stopping to see how beautiful it was meant to be."--"Pieces of Eight" "Give me a job, give me security. Give me a c...