Makes Me Sweat

#19 Kick: INXS. Yes, for real. This is one of the few radio dominating albums of the 80s that I can still listen to and enjoy. It's filled with great moments - the sweaty sensuality of Need You Tonight is the high point, but all the pop hits have an edge to them that still make them cool. In their earlier days, INXS had a mysterious, backwoods, exotic vibe to them, but on this one the sound is mature, confident, melodic rock. I'm also a sucker for a rock band with a strong sax vibe. Not a bad song in the bunch.

Hell Yes

#20 Guero: Beck. Beck is pretty cool. I've always liked him but never really enjoyed his CDs in total until this one came out. Fans will say that this was trying too hard to sound like Odelay - I actually like this better than Odelay. Strong from start to finish with enough weirdness to make it Beck and enough hooks to stay with you for a long time. By the way, the big hit from this album was that song that goes 'hey, my summer girl' - you could not get this song out of your head (or off the radio) in the summer of '05. The funny thing is, nobody knows if those are the real lyrics. I just checked three sites - one says "summer girl" one says "sun-eyed girl" and one says "cyanide girl". The song is titled "Girl" so that does not help. Anyway, it's great stuff.

Hear the Lonesome Whipporwhill

#21 The Trinity Sessions: Cowboy Junkies. Everyone has their mellow-out CDs, right? The perfect mellow - out moment comes with a beautiful sultry voice, paired with soothing melodies, and perhaps a little country twang for that front porch-and-lemonade moment. This one still sounds as good as ever. I love Margo Timmins' voice, and I love their reworkings of "Im So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Sweet Jane" - dare I say both of them are almost as great as their classic originals. These guys had a nice career, and their later CDs are pretty strong, but this was their high point.