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Continuing my trip up Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time...

#49 : Aquemini - Outkast (1998)

The title of OutKast’s third album is a made-up word that combines the star signs of Big Boi (Aquarius) and André 3000 (Gemini). Their music is about duality too, matching Big Boi’s imperative to “make the club get crunk” with André’s determination to “activate the left and right brain.” André was the virtuoso, clipping off compound rhymes with grace, while Big Boi’s more grounded flow and clear diction rooted their songs. Hits like “Rosa Parks” put the duo’s hometown “Hotlanta” on the rap map, and at a time when formulaic albums by Master P and Puff Daddy topped the charts, OutKast unleashed an explosive sound that used live musicianship, social commentary, and a heavy dose of deep funk to create the greatest record ever to come out of the Dirty South.

So, immediately after Jay-Z went "three and out", will Outkast do the same?  I can appreciate that at least they are trying to do something different, but unfortunately so far I haven't managed to appreciate the different thing they are trying to do.  And I considered it very unlikely this was going to change that.  And no, it doesn't.  I did at least like "Skew It On The Bar-B" enough to make a note of this unusual state of affairs, but apart from that it was the same as the previous two, although slightly more accessible to one with delicate ears such as myself.  I'd listen to their stuff before I listened to Jay-Z again, but that's hardly a glowing recommendation.  And at 75 minutes long - well, you can probably guess my thoughts on that...

Wikipedia tells me "no, THIS is the greatest hip-hop album ever" - I've lost count how many of them we've had now.  It's given an extensive write-up indeed - people REALLY like this album.  It sold well in the US - peaking at #2 (kept off the top by Jay-Z) but, somewhat bizarrely, didn't even chart in the UK (despite their next two albums being top 10).  Maybe the record company didn't bother promoting it over here - although this wasn't their breakout album in the US, so that seems unlikely.  Either way we had to wait a few more years to develop a taste for Outkast - and unfortunately some of us still aren't there yet.  I've already covered most of the interesting stuff from their Wikipedia entry - they come across as nice enough guys who have an interesting working relationship and seem to be mostly about the music.  Which makes a pleasant change from some of the nonsense I've had to wade through (about Kanye and Jay-Z in particular).

"Customers also listened to" a load of them hippy-hoppy types, most of whom I can tell you absolutely nothing about.  Regarding this album, I don't want to say Outkast have gone "three and out" - I'm not mystified by their appeal in the way I am with Jay-Z, but I'm left thinking there's something there that I just don't get (although I appreciate that lots of people do get it though).

#48 : Legend - Bob Marley And The Wailers (1984)

Bob Marley said, “Reggae music too simple for [American musicians]. You must be inside of it, know what’s happening, and why you want to play this music. You don’t just run to play this music because you think you can make a million off it.” Ironically, this set of the late reggae idol’s greatest hits has sold in the millions. On a single disc, it captures everything that made him an international icon: his nuanced songcraft, his political message, and — of course — the universal soul he brought to Jamaican rhythm and Rastafarian spirituality in the gunfighter ballad “I Shot the Sheriff,” the comforting swing of “No Woman, No Cry,” and the holy promise of “Redemption Song.”

Now, when I looked at the three records in this round, I thought Bob was in for an easy win.  But that was because I was so ignorant about his output that I never knew this was a greatest hits album.  Oh dear.  I listened to it anyway and enjoyed it - but, if I'm being honest, not as much as I was expecting to.  I liked the message he was delivering and the way in which he was delivering it - right up until the point that I wanted something a bit more and it just all got a bit dull.  Having got all my meanness out of the way, I'm actually a bit forgiving about this greatest hits album being on the list, even though it can't play the "there weren't albums in the 50s" card which has generally been the sympathy vote so far - this album did more than any other album to bring "reggae to the masses" so it's certainly played a bigger role than a lot of other greatest hits albums.  BUT - if you start making exceptions for one person, then you're just going to get all the rabble at your door claiming their greatest hits album should be included and let me tell you I'm not having that.  REJECTED!

"Wikipedia" tells me this album has been slightly successful - "As of January 2020, it has spent a total of 609 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard album chart—the second longest run in history".  And how much longer would it have to be in the charts to overtake the album with the most weeks (assuming that dropped out of existence)?  Why, only another 6 years or so - which feels somewhat unlikely, but you never know.  However, hang on there Wikipedia, this is an interesting sentence - "Despite its generally positive reception, Legend has been criticized for being a deliberately inoffensive selection of Marley's less political music, shorn of any radicalism that might damage sales."  I guess there is an argument that if you're trying to compile a greatest hits album that you want people to buy, then you're going to include the stuff that people like - but part of me is hoping that maybe the other stuff isn't so dull.  Maybe one day I might even listen to some of it and find out - but not today.  I think I've covered the interesting points around Bob and his Wailers already on previous entries - again, he seems to have been a nice enough guy (what a nice round this is so far!)

"Customers also listened to" all the names you'd expect.  Our third and final trip with Bob and his Wailers, I was fully expecting this to be my favourite reggae album on this list (there haven't exactly been loads) but actually found it a bit disappointing - some great tracks, but just not enough variety to hold my interest.  If I had to pick a favourite reggae album, I think I'd probably give it to this, which wouldn't have been at all where I would have expected to end up.

#47 : Ramones - Ramones (1976)

“Our early songs came out of our real feelings of alienation, isolation, frustration — the feelings everybody feels between 17 and 75,” said singer Joey Ramone. Clocking in at just 29 minutes, Ramones is a complete rejection of the spangled artifice of 1970s rock. The songs were fast and anti-social, just like the band: “Beat on the Brat,” “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.” Guitarist Johnny Ramone refused to play solos — his jackhammer chords became the lingua franca of punk — and the whole record cost just more than $600 to make. But Joey’s leather-tender plea “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” showed that even punks need love.

We ran into the Ramones at #385 (338 albums and almost 4 months ago!) and I learned that I actually liked them a lot more than I thought I did - so was looking forward to seeing if that lesson would be continued here.  And it does, up to a point - I thought it was quite sharp and to the point, but I just didn't enjoy this as much as Rocket To Russia on first listen.  No tracks particularly jumped out at me, but it was all pretty skilfully done - however, I think we really need to consider context here.  This is a full year before Never Mind The Bollocks and I really don't see how this album isn't viewed to be as culturally significant as that one - my guess is that the Ramone brothers just weren't quite as obnoxious, or maybe didn't run into a Bill Grundy character at the perfect time.  History is made up of chancers and lucky gits, after all (I'm pretty certain that's an important quote from someone).  So whilst it wasn't exactly my musical cup of tea, I was really pleased to listen to it and unlike the vast majority of acts I've been forced to endure on this list, I'm going to make an effort to find out more about Ramones.

Wikipedia tells me the album wasn't at all successful upon initial release, despite the critics loving it.  Unusually for a less successful album though, it gets the full track-by-track treatment giving amusingly pointless or random detailed facts - the one that jumped out at me was that "Now I Want To Sniff Some Glue" served as inspiration for Sniffin' Glue, one of punk's earliest fanzine which featured the first journalistic efforts of Danny Baker - and if you ever feel the need to read about someone who has had an extremely interesting life, I can wholeheartedly recommend his autobiographies.  That man has more happen to him on a wet Wednesday afternoon than most of us manage in a lifetime.  Anyway, back to Ramones - basically everyone agrees it's extremely influential and has been given the full album cover tribute treatment - by Screeching Weasel, whoever they are.  It also, for no obvious reason, has been released 15 times - bizarre.

The bands Wikipedia entry is to say the least, lengthy and an interesting read.  All the original members have died (and the ones that are left don't exactly appear to get on) but everyone agrees their legacy lives on.  It also makes the point that they played live a lot - "They performed 2,263 concerts over the course of 22 years" - which has resulted in someone spending a lot of time producing this, which has to be one of the most impressive but pointless Wikipedia pages out there.

"Customers also listened to" Dead Kennedys, New York Dolls and Black Flag - three groups I have no intention of ever listening to again.  But Ramones have impressed me much more than I was expecting - this album didn't quite hit the spot like Rocket To Russia did, but I'm left feeling it's probably a "greater" effort given the time of release.

If it wasn't completely invalid for consideration, I might have given this round to Legend for its services to reggae, despite my disappointment with it.  But seeing as how it is, then the round has to go to Ramones, which gives them 1.5 wins out of 2 which is a very unexpected state of affairs.

#52-50 - Three very different men for your consideration
#46-44 - Three more men for your consideration