These are the greatest albums in the era of recording technology. I don’t care what Rolling Stone or their cohorts think. Abbey Road is just too obvious. There are several other pieces not featured that exemplify superior quality music making. It wasn’t terribly easy to fine it down to five, but these are the ones.

1. BEAUTY & CRIME • Suzanne Vega is an immense talent. This album hits on every cylinder. Every word, every note is perfectly placed. A theme running throughout is the September 11 atrocity. The album also comments on derailed romance, spoken from different angles. Beauty & Crime is composed entirely by Suzanne Vega.

New York is a Woman / Suzanne Vega

2. NAKED • People think of Talking Heads as a quirky band with some guy who dances like a glove on a stick. Naked, their final album, is very dark. The rhythms are so complicated that it took me years to figure out what’s going on with the intertwining percussion parts. Chris Frantz’s drumming seems to disappear in the swirl of the rhythms. David Byrne wrote the lyrics and melodies after the music was recorded–each song could stand as an instrumental. Naked was made in Paris, where they worked with a diverse pool of musicians.

Big Daddy / Talking Heads

3. THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING • This is the only Roger Waters album that doesn’t suck. It’s just like a Pink Floyd album, with different musicians. To appreciate The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, one must pay as close attention to the story as if watching a movie. Each side is an account of different dreams. The titles of the songs are the times in the morning that each song occurred. Maybe he put a little too much thought into it. I recited “4:58AM (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin)” as a poem in tenth grade. Some people didn’t like that I said, “Christ, all those clothes.” The electric guitar is Eric Clapton.

4:58AM (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin) / Roger Waters

4. BLOOD & CHOCOLATE • This album was my introduction to Elvis Costello. I don’t listen to it much because most of the lyrics hit too close to home. Any man who has ever had romantic dealings with any woman at all can relate to every word of “I Want You.” The musicianship of the Attractions is on full display for “I Hope You’re Happy Now.” I’ve been on the other side of those lyrics. (“Like a matador with his pork sword while we all die of laughter”) Naturally, it ended in grief.

I Hope You’re Happy Now / Elvis Costello and the Attractions

5. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS • The songs on Heaven or Las Vegas have a cool groove, and there is a captivating underlying rhythm on this track. Apparently, the guitarist was a cocaine fiend, along with other drugs. This album was made just after Elizabeth Frasier had their daughter. The bass player and keyboardist, Simon Raymonde’s father died as the Cocteau Twins were making the recording. Not only did Robin Guthrie play the guitar, he’s the one who programmed the drums. Thank you, Wikipedia.

Road, River and Rail / Cocteau Twins

Honorable Mention: POWAQQATSI

Train to São Paulo / Philip Glass

I reserve the right to say that not everyone will like these albums. I made that mistake in one of my zines. I sang the praises of Double Fantasy without thinking about how much distaste emanates toward Yoko Ono’s compositions.

Be careful ordering albums off of iTunes. I bought two for $9.99 each, and when I tried to order another one, my card was blocked–apparentlhy, making two purchases for the same amount is suspicious. I’m still in the middle of trying to get things straightened out. I’ve made so many telephone calls. My only option is going to my local branch. The thing is, I’m completely snowed in right now.