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The Alarm – 675

ALBUM: Declaration  (1984)

This must be the first (and possibly only) punk hair band. I mean check out the hair on these guys. It’s the Farrah-Fawcett-in-a-wind-tunnel look.

And yet while they looked like Poison, they played more like the Clash,  raspily singing anthems with acoustic guitars a’blazing. “Blaze of Glory” and “Marching On” are like Welsh rebel yell versions of Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re Not Going to Take It.’ Or Big Country singing fight songs.

The bass player.

And they sound like they really might take up arms to fight for their right to party, while burning the midnight oil.

OK, I’ll stop.

Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.

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Aerosmith — 676

ALBUM: Get Your Wings (1974)

MVP Rating: 4.5/$$$$

This is a guitar hard rock album (though there is a saxophone on the first cut). Got this when I was living in Indiana at about 14 or 15. It was just the beginning of my record-buying ways. It was a time when I was listening to the Beatles, Stones, Who, Hendrix under the influence of my hippie foster (older) sister.

I also was drawn to other melodic hard rock such as UFO, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and CCR to name a few. I also loved good old Top-40 radio (kind of secretly) as well as soul, Al Green, Wilson Pickett and JB.

On this 70’s record, when Steven Tyler did his now patented cat-hairball scream, it sounded so rock ‘n roll perfect. And when Tyler and boys were singing and living the rock n’ roll lifestyle, it seemed so cool. With all the expected touchstones: Sex (check), drugs (check), rock n’roll (check). And hey, they can play their instruments, especially Joe Perry on guitar. They’ve apparently weathered their self inflicted rock ‘n roll injuries and are still at it.

But check this earlier one out, if only to hear early Tyler screeches — before the throat surgeries.

He belts like a Jaggerized punk AB.

Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.

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King Sunny Ade — 678, 677

ALBUMS: Aura (1985), Juju Music (1982)

MVC Ratings: Aura 4.0/$$$, JuJu, 4.5/$$$

Ade was doing so-called world music before it was cool.

For decades he has been blending electric guitars, pedal steel, synthesizers and voice harmonies into a bubbly Nigerian stew.

For me it was Sunday morning music– a Sunny Sunday morning with bright rhythms rolling like a river, kind of the opposite of Kris K’s downbeat ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down,’ (which I love by the way.)

In Ade’s aural world, talking drums speak, and voices melt into choruses smooth as syrup. I have no Idea what the words mean. These two albums I have are from a time, early 1980s, when the world music thing became big. Ade was unfairly being billed as the next Bob Marley.

Both of these albums are excellent, but Juju Music is the best pick.

Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.