My Favorite Albums - A point of reference

Ok, so before I push into new albums I thought I should list some of my highest rated albums as a point of reference.

So here we go:
Face To Face - Over It - 4.71
1994

Face To Face - Don't Turn Away - 4.62
1992

The Beatles - Rubber Soul [2009 Stereo Remaster] - 4.57
Dec 3, 1965

Superchunk - On The Mouth - 4.55
1993

The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray [Collector's Edition] - 4.54
Jun 2, 1992

Superchunk - No Pocky For Kitty - 4.50
1991

Whiskeytown - Strangers Almanac [Deluxe Edition] - 4.50
Jul 29, 1997

Green Day - Dookie - 4.50
Feb 1, 1994

Ratings of 4.50 and higher mean that the album is pretty much mostly 5 star songs, with a few 4 stars mixed in.

As I put this together, I realized something. Other than of course Rubber Soul, my top stuff is from a six year period when I was going to a ton of live shows. Actually, I can remember where I saw each of these bands for the appropriate album.

For the Lemonheads, it was a weeknight show at Club Clearview in Dallas, with Juliana Hatfield opening. I went by myself and was completely immersed in the music. Face To Face was at Mad Hatters in Fort Worth. Don't Turn Away was still a Dr. Strange release and those guys blew the doors off (Over It was a continuation of the good feelings). If I'm looking to get hyped up, Face To Face still works for me. Green Day was at Deep Ellum Live and they were touring in a converted bookmobile. A guy at my comic book shop turned me on to them when Kerplunk came out and they were just straight ahead fun pop punk. Superchunk was at Deep Ellum Live too. I had picked up No Pocky a couple of months ahead of the show and On The Mouth at the show. WOW! I heard 16 Days on the TCU radio station and knew I had to see that band live. Whiskeytown played Trees two weeks later, a show where Ryan Adams was drunk off his ass and continually railed against the Old 97's. The show itself was a bit scatter shot but the music itself was incredible. Mendi came with me to this one, as well as my friend John Donovan. We all knew that Whiskeytown was something special.

So, you can see that the memories probably influence my fondness for the music, but I said from the beginning that the ratings were just my take on things.

If you haven't heard these albums, do check them out.