Punk/Ska Music

» sean39 - What are YOUR Essential Punk Albums of All Time?

This list would probably change a little if I thought about it for a while, but off the top of my head:

5. Descendants, "Milo Goes to College" -- Great harmonies.
4. Minor Threat, "Minor Threat" -- Ian Mackaye was just so cool. He had the voice that every teen boy wanted to have.
3. Bad Brains, "Bad Brains" -- The build-up in the Big Takeover, the speed of Pay to Cum, the power and commanding presence of HR was awesome.
2. Social Distortion, "Mommy's Little Monster" -- Mike Ness was the first genuine punk rocker in my opinion. I love the Clash, but they mostly sang about politics on a global scale. I love the Ramones, but you can't take songs like the KKK Took My Baby Away seriously. And the Sex Pistols were legendary, but they practically admitted they were putting on an act. Social Distortion was very different in a very unique way at the time. They sang about the pain of being outcast, being lonely, being frustrated. Their music was layered and full of emotion, not just a burst of speed and adrenaline. For those who know the story of the Black Hole in Fullerton, you can understand how this band was able to tap into the very painful real experiences of kids growing up with no one to depend on but each other. This album has always made me feel that punk rock was real and not just a fashion statement.
1. The Clash, "The Clash" -- Miraculous union of four musicians that were meant to be together, much like the Beatles. Mick Jones and Joe Strummer's voices complemented each other perfectly. These guys were just unbelievable song writers.

Nothing too controversial, but after all these years these are the albums that really probably mean the most to me.
Some might say that I'm just old school and don't appreciate the newer stuff. Probably some truth to that, but I have kept up with the scene better than most. These albums just had the most staying power.

Denise, I looked at your list after filling out my own. I like all of your choices. For the sake of discussion, I would have put Operation Ivy before Rancid because they were much more unique. Rancid was a great band and "And Out Came the Wolves" is undoubtedly a great album, but the thing I liked about Operation Ivy was the way they kept it very loose and unrefined, even a little sloppy at times but in a very good way -- kind of like the Germs or Reagan Youth.

-- posted by sean39