Chase & Status - More Than A Lot
I first heard Chase & Status on the radio the summer before I went to university. I still remember the exact moment, on the swimming pool side as a lifeguard on my gap year, coming back from Camp America. It was Heartbeat, and instantly I was blown away by the unique sound. Immediately I searched on Google to find out who on earth this band Chase & Status were and, in a stroke of luck, it turned out they were playing my Student Union on Freshers Week. On my first induction day of university, I met a guy in my tour group who I got chatting to. It turns out he was also a big music fan and loved Chase & Status, and was excited to join me and my new-found friends for the gig (with my mate Dave, obviously.) They were incredible and blew us away. More Than A Lot then became a bit of an anthem for our time at university, both for pre-drinking and continuing after the night out. We ended up seeing them about six times, both live shows and DJ sets. Now, thirteen years later, that guy I met, Tom, is one of my best mates, represents them and, with him putting me on guest lists, thankfully, I've been to lots of festivals they've played and met them a few times. Obviously it helps that it's a banging multi genre album that still sounds fresh all these years later. Recently one of my friends asked me to recommend a ‘different’ album – I chose this and got to relive all those fantastic memories again.
IDLES - Joy as an Act of Resistance
When was the last time a non-comedy song made you laugh? IDLES manage to achieve this multiple times in Joy but, more than that, when did that same band make you feel anger, support, sadness and jubilation? Well, Joy, and IDLES, do that and so much more. I remember the first listen on a rainy journey back home from my parents and at the end of the first listen, I immediately played it again. This album led to an obsession with IDLES, non-stop listening, the band t-shirts, the records, recommending this to ALL of my friends, and probably helped confirm my political views more than any other aspect of my life. It helps that they’re also incredible live. I still can't stop listening, even if that obsession with the band has eased, and it always sounds as good. I would say that this is my most loved album of all time. The slow build of Colossus, chaotic and delightful nature of ...Never Fight A Man With A Perm, the uniting of Danny Nedelko, and the support of Samaritans. The irony of listening to Gram Rock upon the passing of my Grandad and, my word, would he appreciate a lovely spread. Joy takes you on a ride through modern Britain - it's not pretty but it's what we got, but if we lived by the messages of Joy, it would be a better place.
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
"Beyonce got the best of all time". A simple phrase that made Kanye West public enemy number one. His fight back against this is nothing short of spectacular. MBDTF has Nicki Minaj opening the album with a fairy-tale introduction, which is fitting for the perfect magic that is upon us. Every song goes so hard, and Kanye is at his peak both lyrically and with his performance. There's no chance of any skipping. POWER, All of the Lights, and Monster is a trilogy that rivals any album ever and I wouldn't put more than one of them in my top three songs. Nicki Minaj then steals the show with ‘that verse’ on Monster. Runaway is a minimal showstopper that, at over nine minutes, still doesn’t feel long enough. Yes, obviously I would get rid of Blame Game but that can't damage everything else. Luckily, it's all forgotten when the album continues towards its finale with Lost in the World and WWSIA - a stunning closing performance to a modern masterpiece. Seeing Kanye live around this time was always a risk to whether he was going to rant for hours on end but, when seeing him at Glastonbury he declared himself ‘The Best Rock Star in the world’, this album more than backed him up. This album never tires and will forever be on repeat. He still wasn't perfect as a person then but, my word, I miss the old Kanye.
"The rite of passage
is passing down music"
Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts
The rite of passage in passing down music is at the forefront of mine, and my dad’s, undying love of Placebo. I remember around '04 when I started to take a proper interest in music and looking though his CD collection (remember those?!), taking a particular interest in the strange album cover of a topless man being stood/led with a ghost. He handed me the CD and said enjoy. I ran to my top bunk bed (with the classic pull out sofa underneath) and stuck it straight on my Walkman. I was blown away by the aggression in Bulletproof Cupid, the power of English Summer Rain and the emotion of Sleeping With Ghost. All these years later, my music taste has more variety, but Placebo have always, and always will be, the constant. I could have chosen any of about four albums for this list: the raw anger of their self-titled debut, the consistency of Without You I’m Nothing, or the experimental nature of Black Market Music. We adore Brain and Stefan, even when their output isn’t of the same quality, it still gives me the night before Christmas vibes before a new release. I’m seeing them with my dad for the 11th time (we think) in December. Sure, we'll moan about the set list, but we'll also be first in line for their next tour. We love Placebo.
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
We’re going back to Year 9 maths, Mr Tomes lesson, and I was introduced to The Streets. One of my classmates who is a distant memory in my life, started going on about this band who were ‘the shit’, or as the kids would say previously ‘sick’ and nowadays ‘lit.’ This raised alarms with me as he was very vocal about his love of happy hardcore which rightly so, apart from the DJ Rankin’ remixes, I despised. Although my interest was there, I let them pass by and then a couple of weeks later Fit but You Know It became a mainstay on radio, the playground, and perhaps most importantly my polyphonic ringtone which had cost me 12p! Then Dry Your Eyes came as a follow-up which meant I was fully in – and the Limewire download of the album was imminent. So, why have I got Original Pirate Material on this list? As I got slightly older and The Streets back catalogue grew, I realised that A Grand Don’t Come For Free is decent enough but a little forced, their debut Original Pirate Material is the true gem of The Streets discography. Once the beats on Turn The Page hit, I know I’m gripped, it’s an uneasy start that is building to what’s ahead. There’s no duff track throughout the visitors guide to Birmingham and your early 20s. I’m going to see Kendrick Lamar in Birmingham this weekend, I know this will be the soundtrack for my travels. Closing the album with The Weak Become Heroes and Stay Positive is a brave but one that clearly marks Mike Skinner as a quality writer rather than the ‘laddy chappy’ people suggested of him. My ultimate listening experience of this was post lockdown after a 3-hour bottomless brunch, getting a lift home shouting every word and in-between every song declaring to my poor sober driver friend that “THIS IS THE BEST ALBUM EVER.” Original Pirate Material is a modern classic that I love and rightly deserves its place on this list, which initially was going to The Smiths – The Queen is Dead. However, upon writing that review I had no experience from that album nor a relevant story other than it being one of the best albums ever made. Plus, picking this album gives me an excuse to share one of my weirdest experiences at a gig, being bitten on my back. I’m unsure why, or who by, but I’ve put it down to the excitement of being in the mosh pit for Don’t Mug Yourself. So, whether I would have got to this album by myself eventually, or Aaron T helped me along the way, all I have to say is cheers.
"We're going back to
Year 9 maths"
"Sometimes those earlier
musical interests fade
into embarrassment"
Craig David - Born to Do It
Sometimes those early musical interests fade into embarrassment (5ive, Busted, and Spice Girls - less so.) However, Craig David seems more relevant in the '20s than at any time since the summer of Born To Do It after his late career revival. Yes, it's slightly cheesy and he's a naughty boy but there are mostly absolute bangers on there. To me, there's no better album to put on at a summer BBQ. My friends have always been subjected to this down the years. Everyone will roll their eyes until they remember how good Feel Me In, Walking Away and Rendez-vous sound in the sunshine, beer in hand. 7 Days is just part of British dating culture and will always perk everyone's ears up. I've always stayed on Team Craig David.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Hands up, I've deliberately been trying to avoid the early/mid noughty indie rock bands. This is the genre that made me fall in love with music and would be (alongside Friends and wrestling) my Mastermind subject. My Eight Albums could easily be: Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Maccabees, Foals, Libertines, Arcade Fire, Long Blondes, The Enemy, and The Klaxons (note the deliberate use of nine albums and not mentioning Interpol.) But for me, Silent Alarm is the best album of all these. I actually rejected Arctic Monkeys for their first two albums out of protest that Bloc Party weren't THE BAND! Just play me the drum beat intro of Like Eating Glass and I'm teleported to being 16 again at the front of a mosh pit, screaming every word along with Kele, Russell, and co (I'm not screaming the correct words but words nonetheless.) This Modern Love is a modern classic that should be played at every indie disco and never tires. Nothing hits as hard as Helicopter. Having seen Bloc Party many a time, and them forever touring Silent Alarm I’ve seen the album played fully and it sounds just as fantastic. Unfortunately, Bloc Party weren't able to keep up the magic, despite A Weekend in the City being a great album, but we'll always have Silent Alarm to worship as the peak of indie rock.
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814
During the pandemic, listening to music podcast casts reviewing albums, I had a lightning bolt moment - I could do this! A week, with my Dad and sister, The Perry Review Show started. Taking it in turns to pick each week, we review a recent album (released this year) and a classic album (any respected album or act), scoring them out of 10, choose our top 3 tracks and one to delete. Most importantly we meet every week to discuss the albums (unfortunately, mum's not invited to this one.) Obviously, the whole podcast vibe never got set up but I did create a constant highlight of my week. We're currently on Week 109 and some of my friends have created spin off concepts. So why Janet Jackson?! Well, for me, this is the greatest find I've had on the PRS (Suede - Dog Man Star is also in the argument.) Who knew Michael's sister was an absolute star! Rhythm Nation is your social conscience mixed in with pop bangers, her being Kendrick Lamar before he was out of high school. A beautiful album that has me dancing and in tears in the matter of a few tracks – I want to be part of the Rhythm Nation! Janet is stunning and it seems that should have cemented her on the Mt Rushmore of pop artists but seemingly she's better remembered for hey halftime show, a travesty. She is however on my Mt Rushmore of The Perry Review Show. Check out this album - you won't regret it!
Bio
Aaron Perry is 32 and lives in Newmarket, Suffolk (by Cambridge.) Originally from Salisbury but moved around for university and job. A secondary PE teacher and Head of Year 11 (for his sins), currently in the 9th year of teaching at the same school, despite saying it’ll only be for ‘a couple of years.’ In his spare time, he plays for two football teams, is an avid user of the Untapped beer app (AP__Music) and likes to travel (41 countries visited and counting.) He thoroughly enjoyed making this list during his half term spent in North Norfolk (Holt) – the picture included – and visiting his girlfriend’s family in the golden city of Dublin.
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