Finest Worksongs

88. Elvis Presley – From Elvis in Memphis

First, let's get something out of the way. This is an album podcast. It always will be, first and foremost. Therein lies some limitations around how to talk about some of the early pioneers of rock and roll and pop music. Many of them "released" albums that were nothing more than a collection of disparate singles. Or they loosely put together a collection of songs, threw a cover on it and called in an "album." Elvis Presley was no different. However, with "From Elvis in Memphis," The King had an opportunity to present a new version of himself -- one buoyed by his recent comeback TV success. And instead of crooning for screaming fans, Elvis instead sang for himself, eschewing soundtracks and going back, in many ways, to his roots. This "Memphis sound" Elvis is full of soul, country, gospel and blues -- all the things that made him HIM. The results are a gutsy album of perhaps Elvis at his best. And the last song on the original release was a heartfelt ode to the disenfranchised that was – and still is – perhaps his greatest song: "In the Ghetto." 

 

You can listen to From Elvis in Memphis on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, and Amazon. 

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87. Pulp Fiction: Music From the Motion Picture

"Hooray for Hollywood / That screwy ballyhooey Hollywood ..."
Just in time for this year's Academy Awards, Finest Worksongs is offering up our first-ever Oscars Edition where we feature a movie soundtrack. And what a doozy. The &#%!@ album we chose is so &#%!@ good, so innovative and clever, that we just had to &#%!@ talk about it. "Pulp Fiction" was such a game-changer of a film; however, you can't talk about the movie without talking about how methodical the song choices were for the soundtrack. Quentin Tarantino's choice of surf music, funk, country, love songs and more – not to mention the decision to include dialogue from the movie itself on the soundtrack album – not only extended the lasting power of the movie, but also ingrained so many of the lines, scenes and characters into our psyche some three decades later. It is, as is said in the movie, some serious gourmet &#%!@.

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86. Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory

No one knows you quite like a sibling. That can result in a familiarity and a closeness that results in beautiful things. It can also result in sibling rivalries and infighting -- as in the case of the Gallagher brothers in Oasis. Noel and Liam, the creative centers of the British band, aren't exactly the closest of brothers these days. But back in their peak, they created some music magic that still resonates to this day -- even if their relationship doesn't. On "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?," Oasis took over the pop world with an album full of sonic, bombastic, pop-laden hits like "Wonderwall," "Champagne Supernova" and "Don't Look Back in Anger." And in the process, they introduced a whole new generation to British power pop -- and laid an uppercut to anyone who stood in their way -- including each other.

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85. Tracy Chapman – self-titled debut

Smack dab in the middle of the decline of hard rock and the rise of grunge (and in the rising tide of hip hop), Tracy Chapman threw a folk music haymaker on mainstream music beginning in 1988. And boy did she land the punch. Chapman burst on the scene with her huge hit single, "Fast Car," which painted a picture of desperation, of longing for more from a world of loss, darkness and despair. (Spoiler alert: We never really find out if the protagonist gets to experience anything more in life.) With really just a guitar and a voice that spoke for millions, Chapman's debut album, "Tracy Chapman," enjoys the ethos of 1960s folks rock with the burdens of 1980s America factored in. But this isn't just "Blowin' in the Wind"; Chapman pulls no punches, which is impressive for a relative newcomer -- particularly a female African-American folks singer in the mid-80s. Think about "Talkin' About A Revolution," the title track from the album: "Poor people gonna rise up / And get their share \ Poor people gonna rise up \ And take what's theirs." She then warms those in power: "You better run."

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84. Listener’s Choice – Dave Matthews Band

Once again, we close out our season with the “Listener’s Choice” epipod. And once again, Finest Workfan Kyle Hipp comes out on top with this year’s submission of Dave Matthews Band’s “Busted Stuff.” This album rose from the ashes of the now legendary “Lillywhite Sessions,” of which the band was not happy. So Dave and his band regrouped and re-recorded the tunes (and added a couple others), resulting in “Busted Stuff,” the stripped-down 2002 album that spawned the hit “Where Are You Going?” and a number of other fan faves like “Bartender,” “Grey Street” and “Grace Is Gone.” Despite being something of a “throwaway” offering, “Busted Stuff” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, speaking to the power of the DMB. But what do Matt & Matt think about this album? Listen to our “Listener’s Choice” epipod to find out.

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83. Christmas 2022

It’s our fourth annual Christmas epipod!  And we’re getting mellow this year with two beautiful albums. The syrupy soft rock of The Caepenters’ “Christmas Portrait” has become holiday radio staples thanks to Karen Carpenter’s voice and brother Richard’s orchestral arrangements. Equally poignant is Hiss Golden Messenger’s 2021 “O Come All Ye Faithful,” which is almost like a non-traditional prayer for the lost and seeking. The album is a mix of standards, traditional songs and even holiday-esque covers … including CCR. All in all, these are two albums that could tug at the holiday heartstrings.

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82. Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse

With his band Frightened Rabbit, Scottish songwriter Scott Hutchison created anthems for the lonely and the cynical -- yet they were songs of hope. Hutchison took his own life in May 2018, yet his legacy -- and impact -- lives on. The band's 2013 album, "Pedestrian Verse," captures the essence of what made the group so spectacular. (It was also the first offering by the band to include songwriting efforts by all of its members.) Songs like "Backyard Skulls" and "Late March, Death March" continue to tackle darker themes -- but with Hutchison's knack for cheekiness and cleverness, while "Nitrous Oxide" and "State Hospital" (among others) speak to the pervasive darkness and escapism that seemed to envelope him. "How can I talk of life and warmth?" Hutchinson sings on the final track, "The Oil Slick." He adds: "I've got a voice like a gutter in a toxic storm." That's a tad harsh, but that's how self-deprecating he was. Hutchison's voice gave hope -- and community -- to many.

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81. Radiohead – OK Computer

It's exceedingly rare to enjoy the 1-2-punch of creating an album that is instantaneously both a critical and commercial success, but in 1997 Radiohead accomplished such a feat with OK Computer. To create something so different, so .... "odd" yet so beautiful -- especially in the midst of such chart-topping offerings as the Spice Girls, LeAnn Rimes and Mariah Carey -- speaks to what a pivot OK Computer truly was. The album has remained a critical favorite -- and even one that seemed to predict a future of humans beholden to technology while drifting away from one another. The songs are weird; the videos were weirder, but it all worked -- and still does today. Wrote one reviewer after having a couple decades of reflection: "Each decade has its own 'Sgt. Pepper'; a record that comes along and breaks with tradition to change the trajectory of music entirely and OK Computer was it for the 90s."

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80. Tina Turner – Private Dancer

For decades people have debated over who had the best crossover. While Allen Iverson's NBA crossover may have been lethal, it was nothing compared to Tina Turner's iconic crossover into the pop mainstream. After years in partnership with an abusive and overbearing Ike Turner, Tina stepped out on her own to find her own voice. And boy, did she ever. Ike could only sit back and watch Tina step right over him as she created some of the most monstrous hits of the 1980's. And like Tyronn Lue, Ike never saw it coming. And we're still talking about it to this day.

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79. Fleetwood Mac –Rumours

For as famous as Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" is -- and it IS -- just as famous was the drama and infighting that was going on between band members when it was recorded. The inter-band dynamics were insane at the time: band members divorcing and breaking up from one another, "diss" track after diss track recorded -- and directed at one another, and drugs. SO many drugs. For better or worse, the result is one of the most widely revered albums of all time. The 1975 album boasts Mac classics like "Dreams," "Go Your Own Way," "Don't Stop," "The Chain" and even "Second Hand News."

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