#282 - Meddle, Pink Floyd

"Released in 1971, Meddle stands as one of Floyd's most satisfying records, the first to combine truly spaced-out rock with strong commercial appeal. Highlights are the horror-comic opening cut; a 20-minute excursion into "Across the Universe" titled "Echoes"; and what is perhaps the band's finest moment, "Fearless."" (real music guide)


#281 - Time (The Revelator), Gillian Welch

"Gillian Welch dresses up her third album with hooks reminiscent of an everyday pop/rock song, but she does it in a sublime way that doesn't sacrifice the tone of her craft. Welch still sounds musically outlandish and pastoral, though the old-timey approximations are nearly gone from her songwriting. Fans will be glad to know that she still pens a perfect tear-jerker." (real music guide)

#280 - Rainy Day Music, The Jayhawks

"Rainy Day Music goes back even further than the band's first albums, channeling the ghosts of the Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Buffalo Springfield, and interpreting their '60s folk jangle and lazy, sunny harmonies through the Jayhawks' own sweetly awkward formula. "Madman," in particular, gives the listener a sense of Déjà Vu, sounding like a long lost CSNY demo, and the chiming Rickenbacker 12-string guitar of the leadoff track, "Stumbling Through the Dark," could've been lifted right from the master tapes of "Mr. Tambourine Man."" (allmusic guide)

#279 - Foxtrot, Genesis

"This was the point where all of the talent simmering and occasionally boiling up out of Genesis blew the lid off the pot. There isn't a weak song here, and the two showpieces, "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready," presented the group at its strongest in medium-length and extended-length songs. The lyrical complexities of the latter were not easily sorted out, but they were clever enough and inviting enough not to put off any potential fans, and as handled by Peter Gabriel, they demanded attention." (allmusic guide)

#278 - Pirates, Rickie Lee Jones

"From the opening track, "We Belong Together," Jones served notice that she was willing to challenge herself and experiment with more unusual, complex song structures. Her unique phrasing and style reflect her interest in beat poets and the bohemian lifestyle, and on this album she relies on more obscure imagery than the direct, detailed observations on comrades used on her first album. There are a wide range of musical influences represented (rock, jazz, soul), but the acoustic arrangements are more piano-based than most of her other albums." (allmusic guide)

#277 - Small Change, Tom Waits

"It's as if Waits were determined to combine the Humphrey Bogart and Dooley Wilson characters from Casablanca with a dash of On the Road's Dean Moriarty to illuminate a dark world of bars and all-night diners. Of course, he'd been in that world before, but in songs like "The Piano Has Been Drinking" and "Bad Liver and a Broken Heart," Waits gives it its clearest expression." (allmusic guide)

#276 - Sounds Of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel

"The title track was buried on their first album, but it became a hit when it was refurbished here with a Folk Rock beat. That same Byrds-style guitar jangle is featured on half of this winning album, but Simon's excellent songs are still the foundation. "I Am a Rock" is the ultimate teen angst tune, while "April Comes She Will" could be the duo's most beautiful song." (real music guide)