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5. Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape
J.D. McNamara: Unofficially their first album as a band, The Colour and the Shape still remains the best effort from the Foo Fighters. With chart-toppers like “Monkey Wrench”, “My Hero” and “Everlong” the disc propelled the early success of the band, and more importantly, it cast Dave Grohl out from the shadows of Nirvana for good. Not that being in Nirvana was a negative, but if the Foos hadn’t debuted with such a unique sounding and successful album, they’d no doubt be forever referred to as “that other guy from Nirvana’s band.” Aside from the three singles, I have great affection for “Hey, Johnny Park!”, “Walking After You” and “February Stars”, which fuse a crisp heaviness with raw energy and a slow but steady tempo. Despite straying from traditional grunge and coming after the golden years of the era, Dave Grohl is truly grunge at heart and The Colour and the Shape is definitely deserving of its spot on our top five!
Mack Rawden: In between the gentile whispers of “Doll” and the screeching, climaxing guitars of “New Way Home”, Dave Grohl proved to the world that their were two geniuses in Nirvana. Largely relegated to support work in the latter band, the Foo Fighters frontman shined in his new, resized role. The magic of The Colour And The Shape comes from its incredible depth. I pretty much have a man crush on every song. You really can’t go wrong with any of the five Foo-related releases, but this album, without question, is the magnum opus. You probably already own this album (if you have a soul...or taste), but if you don’t, get your ass in gear and go purchase it. Now.
4. Nirvana - Nevermind
Amy Novak: Experiencing the birth, life and death of a band like Nirvana created such a powerful comradary amongst hungry, awkward 14 year-olds from all walks of life that their influence was not only immeasurable, but also undeniable. Growing up with these guys was like having a hanger-on friendship with the popular kid in school; you genuinely feel like his existence somehow enhances yours, even though you don’t really know him all that well. What Nirvana was all about underneath it all will never fully be understood by those most affected by their music, but when they were making albums like Nevermind, who gives a shit? In an era of monumental grunge releases, Nevermind was far and away the stand out. Hits like “Come as you are”, “Smells like Teen Spirit”, and “Stay Away” will forever hold their place in time. It’s still heartbreaking that Hurricane Kurt ended up destroying the raw and staggering talent of Nirvana, but their exit from the scene was very similar to their entrance: sudden, unexpected and loud.
Mack Rawden: Let’s get something out of the way right now: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” blows. Yeah, I said it. The entire song is unintelligible and the video can only be described as above average. I’ll never understand how that song single handedly took down the “Girls Girls Girls” juggernaut of glam-metal, but that’s neither here nor there. Everything else on Nevermind is furious, balls-to-the-wall angst with a few slower, reflective tracks interspersed (see “Polly”). The real beauty of this album lies in its unassuming genius. Neither the record company nor the band expected a hit, and as a result, they just played for themselves. There’s also a naked dude on the front. You can never go wrong with that.
3. Pearl Jam - Ten
J.D. McNamara: Many aspects of the grunge era are extremely debatable. Which band was the best? Most successful? Truest to their fans? Biggest “sell-outs”? The list and the arguments go on and on. But one thing cannot be debated: after all the years following the disintegration of many grunge era bands, Pearl Jam still stands. They’re making music today, and it’s still damn good. The fact that they’ve been a remarkably successful band for almost twenty years, and their debut effort Ten is widely considered their best album is a true testament to its quality and longevity. Along with smash hits “Even Flow”, “Alive”, and “Jeremy”, the underrated “Garden” and “Porch” solidify Pearl Jam’s Ten as not only one of the greatest Grunge discs, but one of the best Rock albums of all time.
Mack Rawden: There’s enough sadness on Pearl Jam’s Ten to make Laci Peterson’s family look on the bright side. Everything on this disc is a tragedy. Themes of mistaken paternity tests, incest, sexual abuse, lies, deceit, murder, jealousy, hatred, and imprisonment are all screamed ad nauseum throughout. The entire thing is like a Jerry Springer Uncensored Episode. I normally rally against whining, but this morbid subject matter proves to be perfect fodder for progressive, straight-ahead, angst-ridden Grunge. Arguably the only surviving influential member of the movement, Pearl Jam continues to rock on, but they’ve never eclipsed the power of this debut disc.
2. Alice In Chains - Unplugged
J.D. McNamara: The Alice in Chains MTV Unplugged album is an extremely special recording for a variety of reasons; most of them revolving around troubled frontman Layne Staley. For starters, the MTV show was the first time they’d appeared live in nearly two and a half years, and also one of the last times they would ever perform with Layne. Secondly, the companion DVD of the actual performance only needed one viewing before it became permanently entrenched in my mind; every time I hear a song off the disc I can envision a fragile Layne belting out some of those tracks one final time. Even though MTV Unplugged was taped in 1996 and Layne didn’t pass until 2002, it’s shocking to watch because he already seems so painfully close to his deathbed. And finally, let’s not forget the most important part – the music. Alice in Chains could’ve had a number of albums on this list (Dirt made my top 5), and they’re undoubtedly one of the greatest bands to emerge from the grunge era. With haunting versions of “Nutshell”, “Down in A Hole”, “Rooster” and “Would?”, the Alice in Chains MTV Unplugged disc will forever remain a last ode to one of music’s most powerful and revered voices. R.I.P. Layne.
Karl Spork: Get a serrated blade. Something that would tear the shit outta some bread. Jagged, unrelenting, violent. Take it outside and saw some bricks in half and wear the points off. The next part is the most difficult. Find a miraculous whetstone that will not only repair your blade, but hone it to a remarkable degree. So sharp you could perform a bris on a tsetse fly. That’s what the shift of somber acoustic tones did to Alice in Chains’ sound. Layne Staley’s voice crafted melodies never as pronounced as they were on this album, while vocal counterpoints and finely constructed harmonies met the opened layers of acoustic guitar. A surprising album, a beautiful album, and a landmark album. RIP Layne Staley.
1. Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Karl Spork: Top 5 reasons Core is the number one:
1. The original band name was Shirley Temple’s Pussy.
2. It was the first cassette tape I ever purchased.
3. It expanded the artificial borders from solely Seattle to a slightly more-inclusive West Coast, and I’m all for inclusion…,unless it’s a round of Ookie Cookie.
4. This debut album coming out in the peak of the grunge scene is an aggressive testosterone fest laden with tension, existentialism and rebellion, key buzzwords used for description by later eras, but words that my early teenage mind never concerned themselves with because of the depth of the music.
5. These were the glory years when Scott Weiland was verschnigget on coke/heroin…and not only did it cause him to put his best foot forward lyrically, it also did not affect their touring schedule, and, in fact, made them a glorious spectacle to behold live. Also, throughout the liner notes, he is referred to as the mononomed “Weiland”. Noice.
Amy Novak: At the time of its release in 1992, Stone Temple Pilots’ Core was thought of as pretentious, corporate, arena grunge for kids who bought their flannel shirts at the mall. But over the next few years, the followers got wise to the fact that NONE of their Seattle superheroes were keeping it in the garage anymore and it suddenly became ok to embrace Core as one of the greatest grunge albums ever made. Not only was it a mini “fuck you” to the every self-proclaimed grunge expert who could never get past the Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam comparisions, but it was also just a flat-out brilliantly–written album. Hits like “Dead and Bloated” and “Creep” simply refused to vacate your memory and that can only happen when a song has something more than just a catchy chord progression. Over the next decade or so as Scott Weiland literally became half the man he used to be, STP went in a different direction with their sound, but at least they can still put that Core trophy up on their mantle.
