It’s almost the end of the year and it’s about time to start making these “top of the year” lists, as usual. Here are my choices of the top 5 music albums that came out this year. I will start backwards with no. 1 being the best one.

5. Eminem’s “Relapse” – Some may laugh at this choice but honestly, I was really impressed by this album. I think it’s Em’s best album in a long time. It’s very intense, tight, and unique. It’s been bashed by the critics and music fans, but hey, that’s their opinion. This is mine. I think it’s an excellent fuckin’ album. It definitely makes the list.

4. Bruce Springsteen “Working On a Dream” – This one is better than his previous new album, “Magic”. I think the song “Outlaw Pete” is such an incredible song, one of his best new singles written in years. Other than that, the rest of this album is killer.

3. Megadeth “Endgame” – Dave Mustaine and the boys are back, and badder than ever. Heavier than ever, if I must say. In this album, they went back to their roots of what they used to sound like in their earlier years. This album is ten times better than their previous record, “United Abominations”. Both albums are totally different.

2. Phish “Joy” – Trey Anastasio and the original members of Phish are back with another killer album. I’ve heard most of Phish’s albums, but this one is really their best in a long time. Reading the lyrics in the booklet, these songs are very personal for Trey. I’m sure he wrote these songs while he was stuck in Saratoga Springs during his drug rehab here and pretty much most of these songs on this disc were his troubles in life around this time. This is a beautiful album.

1. (Two way tie) Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer” and Nirvana’s “Live at Reading” – I love these two albums too much that I had to put them both in one. Pearl Jam’s new record, “Backspacer” floored me so hard that I think it’s their best record since their first one, “Ten”. I can’t stop listening to “Backspacer”, very tight album all the way through. As for Nirvana’s “Live at Reading”, I think it’s a really good live album, one of my favorite live albums that I also can’t stop listening to. It’s hard to believe that it’s just three guys playing such an incredible concert. “Live at Reading” is better than listening to Nirvana’s studio albums, that’s how good it really is. Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer” and Nirvana’s “Live at Reading” are both incredible records. I’ll never get tired of listening to them over and over again.

Kev