HondoJoe's 60 Favorite-ish Albums

  #14: The Orchestra--No Rewind  (2001) Top-Notch Tracks:  "No Rewind," [ HJ200  #28], "Can't Wait to See You," "Jewel and Johnny," "Over London Skies," "If Only," "Say Goodbye," "I Could Write a Book," "Twist and Shout" Album Depth:  "Let Me Dream," "Before We Go" Weak Link:  Lack of distribution by a major label. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Stumbling through my back pages, what was I thinking of?"--"No Rewind" "Parenthetically, thank God that you still love me! (Thank God that you still love me!)"--"Can't Wait To See You" "I don't know how much longer I can watch you leave my life."--"Over London Skies" "Every time I see the clouds go by, I hope they're heading to your part of the sky."--"Can't Wait To See You" "Now his world is crashed in seconds flat. He's down on his knees."--...

  #15: Ben Folds--Rockin' the Suburbs  (2001) Top-Notch Tracks:  "The Luckiest," [ HJ200  #1,], "Zak and Sara," "Annie Waits," "Still Fighting It," "Fred Jones, Part 2," "Gone," "Rockin' the Suburbs," "Not the Same," "Fired," "The Ascent of Stan" Album Depth:  "Carrying Cathy," "Losing Lisa" Weak Links:  Massive amounts of profanity. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "I don't get many things right the first time. In fact, I've been told that a lot."--"The Luckiest" "Zak called his dad about layaway plans. And Sara told the friendly salesmen that: 'You'll all die in your car. And why's it gotta be dark? And you're all working in a submarine.'"--"Zak and Sara" "Annie waits for the last time. Just the same as the last time."--"Annie Waits" "You want a Coke? Maybe some fries? The roast b...

  #16: Billy Joel--52nd Street  (1978) Top-Notch Tracks:  "Big Shot," [ HJ200  #21], "Until the Night," [ HJ200  #132]. "My Life," "Honesty," "Stiletto," "Half a Mile Away," "Zanzibar" Album Depth:  "52nd Street," "Rosalinda's Eyes" Weak Links:  So far away that they're probably in Connecticut. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in, if you know when to leave it alone. But, you went over the line, you couldn't see it was time to go home."--"Big Shot" "I'll have my fears like every man; you'll have your tears like every woman."--"Until the Night" "Got a call from an old friend--we used to be real close. Said he couldn't go the American way. Closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the West coast. Now he gives them the stand-up routine in LA."--"My Life" "I can always...

#17: Queen-- A Night At the Opera  (1975) Top-Notch Tracks:  "Bohemian Rhapsody" [ HJ200  #5], "I'm In Love With My Car," "You're My Best Friend," "Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...,)" "Sweet Lady," "'39" Album Depth:  "Lazing On a Sunday Afternoon," "Love of My Life," "Good Company," "The Prophet's Song," "Seaside Rendezvous" Weak Link:  "God Save the Queen" Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide."--"Bohemian Rhapsody" "Killjoy. Bad guy. Big-talking small fry."--"Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to...)" "With my hand on your grease gun, oooh, it's like a disease, son."--"I'm In Love With My Car" "In rain or shine, you've stood by me, girl. I'm happy at home."--"You're My Best Friend" "I come from London ...

  #18: Electric Light Orchestra--Eldorado  (1974) Top-Notch Tracks:  "Eldorado/Eldorado Finale" [ HJ200  #2], "Eldorado Overture/Can't Get It Out of My Head," [ HJ200  #40], "Mister Kingdom," [ HJ200  #53] Album Depth:  "Laredo Tornado," "Poor Boy (The Greenwood,)" "Boy Blue," "Illusions in G Major,"  Weak Links:  "Nobody's Child" Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Sitting here on top of everywhere, what do I care?"--"Eldorado" "Bank job in the city. Robin Hood and William Tell and Ivanhoe and Lancelot, they don't envy me."--"Can't Get It Out of My Head" "Oh, to sleep, perchance to dream, to live again those joyous scenes--the laughter and the follies that are locked inside my head."--"Mister Kingdom" "The dreamer, the unwoken fool. In dreams no pain will kiss the brow."--"Eldorado Overture" "So my friends who are gathered...

  # 19: Weezer--Weezer (Blue Album)  (1994) Top-Notch Tracks:  "In the Garage," "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here," Buddy Holly," "Undone (The Sweater Song,)" "My Name Is Jonas," "Say It Ain't So" Album Depth:  "Surf Wax America," "Holiday," "Only In Dreams" Weak Links:  None Problematic Song  (Maybe) :  "No One Else" Stand-Out Lyrics:  "I've got a Dungeon Master's Guide. I've got a twelve-sided die. I've got Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler too, waiting there for me. Yes, I do. I do."--"In the Garage" "I talked for hours to your wallet photograph, and you just listened. You laughed enchanted by my intellect, or maybe you didn't."--"The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" "I look just like Buddy Holly. Oh, oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore. I don't care what they say about us, anyway. I don't care 'bout that....

  #20: Yes--90125  (1983) Top-Notch Tracks:  "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Hold On," "It Can Happen," "Cinema/Leave It," "Changes" Album Depth:  "Our Song," "City of Love," "Hearts" Weak Links:  Nope. Stand-Out Lyrics:  "Say you don't want to chance it. You've been hurt so before."--"Owner of a Lonely Heart" "Look up. Look down. Look out. Look around. Look up. Look down. There's a crazy world outside. We're not about to lose our pride."--"It Can Happen" "Justice to the left of you; justice to the right. Speak when you are spoken to, but don't pretend you're right."--"Hold On" "One difference between you and I? You're heart is inside your head."--"Changes" "I can feel no sense of measure. No illusions as we take refuge in young man's pleasure. Breaking down the dreams we make real."--"...