once more with feeling

The CD I've listened to the most in recent days has been Once More With Feeling. Placebo have always rocked my socks, but up until recently I had only owned a legit copy of Meds and that was it. Now I have this, which is effectively their greatest hits before the release of Meds, my collection is strengthened and those dirty digital copies can get the ass.

I have been able to listen on my super bitchin' Sony Walkman and Sony headphones. It is possibly the only CD I have that sounds better with the super bass turned off.

The only real issue I have with this CD is that every time I turn it over to check the track numbers, I cop an eye full of that nasty tit shot. Could do without that :P

I know that for a song to be categorised as a 'hit', it means that the song is a commercial release. This can mean for some artists, their greatest 'hits' albums are chock full of shit while all their best offerings lie in the higher numbers on their albums. However for Placebo, all songs are of similar excellent quality, with their commercial releases being the cream of a very creamy crop.

Everyone's favourite Every you, Every Me and other songs met with a warm reception in Australia such as Special K, Special Needs, The Bitter End and English Summer Rain make welcome appearances, surrounded by other tracks we've come to love over the years.

It's an all-round magical journey though the years of marvellous music this trio have given us over the years, evoking many memories and ensuring that listening to this greatest hits ensemble is one of the more pleasant experiences in life.

the race for number 10: the shortlist.

I've put this off for a number of weeks due to major essays getting in the way. Now I have a week off before exams start, I thought I may as well drag this out of the draft pile, dust it off and then finish it off.

The criteria to get into my list of kickass albums is that every single track has to be amazing, and have no filler. I have a lot of good albums which have a handful of fabulous songs but there is still filler in there, and some that I am just indifferent towards.

These are a few good albums I have in a shortlist for spot number 10 in my list of kickass albums. After talking with a few people about what they think could be considered, I've managed to pick a few out of the box.

The first cab off the rank is Wreckage by Overseer. It was doomed from the start, when I went to search for the British DJ Rob Overseer's music, I'd always misspell it as Oversteer. Only when a certain New Zealander pointed me in the right direction, did I finally get the album, and fell in love almost instantly.

I can bank on the fact that you have heard one of these songs before. If you've seen the movie Daredevil, played Stuntman, Gran Turismo 3 or Need For Speed Underground or watched TV for a portion of your life, one of Rob Overseer's songs would have slipped in there somewhere. Gems like Supermoves rock the skull and make you feel like you are travelling a million miles an hour while seated. Doomsday draws you in with enticing lyrics which flow like the hands of BT in the videoclip for Somnambulist. Stompbox confuses and entertains. Sparks, Never and Meteorology sooth as they dance on your mind. A well rounded, multi-gender encompassing display which is the forerunner for position 10.

Next one, out of left field, is the classic late 90's big ball of awesomeness that is Enema of the State by blink-182. Shortly after buying this album when I was still in primary school (due in part to the hypnotic alluring gaze directed at you by a mysterious yet delightful model known as 'Janine' on the cover) I discovered that all the songs were as good as each other, no filler. Fitting a massive chunk of the criteria I laid out for this album collection, it is hard to go past.

Even if I don't necessarily listen to it that often, album or artist, it still deserves a mention. The live tracks were a laugh, at least the first time, and absolute classics such as All The Small Things and What's My Age Again? blend well with striking and thought provoking numbers such as Adam's Song. Such genuine compassion in an otherwise dilute and transparent mainstream onslaught from that era was refreshing at the time, I just didn't realise it.

Third and last mention for this shortlist is the first real electronica album which I legitimately bought. It was after this crazy cat from Finland (known to his buddies as Ville "crazy cat from Finland" Virtanen) secured international distribution on a little track called "Sandstorm" which captivated my young mind previously only exposed to vile mainstream crap. I'm talking about the beautiful work of Before the Storm by Darude.

Of course, the commercial successes of Feel the Beat and Sandstorm were never lost on me, but the "play anytime, love anytime" feel of every song on this album gives you a nice warm feeling inside. Tracks of interest are Drums of New York, Out of Control and Calm Before The Storm. All tracks are easy to bop to and once again it is completely devoid of filler. Classy.

I'd put a poll or some shit in, but this is my list, not yours. Punk.