I got a late start on this section, so I decided to just compile a "best of '99". So, here are my favorites, in no particular order...

The Muffs, "Alert Today Alive Tomorrow" & "Hamburger"
What can I say? Two albums with roughly 43 songs by the punk rock Kinks of the 90's! Easily the best of 1999. Too bad their drummer just quit...hopefully this isn't their swan song.

Double Eclipse,"Have It Your Way"
THE hard rock album of 1999. Reminds me of the days when Aerosmith and Def Leppard used to make great albums! Powerful, flawless hard rock. Plus a powerhouse lead player who wails like a cross between Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenker!

Stretford, "Long Distance"
No sophomore slump here! That little old punk band from Austin serves up punk precision that has you hitting repeat over and over (a true sign of a good record). Better production, better horns and better songs than the first album (if that is possible). Gotta give Stretford one better than the Buzzcocks' Modern...simply consistently better songs.

Julian Lennon, "Photograph Smile"
I knew Jules had a good album left in him, and damn if he didn't do the best album of his career! ALL of his previous albums have been plagued by having a couple of good songs surrounded by mediocre crap. But this time around Julian gives us a whole album of great songs! Not a single "throwaway". And, some great lyrics this time around (finally seeing some of his dad's lyrical genes?). Sure, he sounds like the Beatles (how could he NOT?), but hell, he's entitled.

Buzzcocks, "Modern"
I admire these guys. It would be so easy to just produce a 'cash-in" album like so many of the old punk bands of the 70's (Television, the Sex Pistols). But, they are actually forging ahead, trying new things. Sometimes the new stuff works, sometimes not.

Paul McCartney, "Run Devil Run"
Macca's still got the voice and the chops. But, he did his best "rock and roll" album back in 1988 (his Russian Rock and Roll album). Plus, Lennon's rock and roll album from 1975 is still the best. Sure there are a couple of McCartney originals, but I wanna hear a whole album of his songs delivered with this kind of passion!

Mad Margritt, "In the Name of Rock"
Sorry, but the best hard rock album goes to Double Eclipse. For the simple fact that Mad Margritt's new offering contains 5 songs from their 1997 CD (Cold Sweat). I was just a little pissed when I played their new CD to find more than half the songs I had heard before! Only the new song, In the Name of Rock rocks like their old stuff. Its inclusion more than makes up for the lack of new material.

Asylum Street Spankers, "Hot Lunch"
"Music a la natural" The Spankers blend of old-style country, jazz, delta blues, Tin Pan Alley, Vaudeville, Latin, Hawaiin and ragtime was my suprise discovery of 1999. They are even more entertaining live!

Amanda Green, "the Nineteen Hundreds"
Total pretentious b*ll sh*t!!! Artsy, fartsy crap. This Alanis-Fiona wannabe is simply worthless. I think I'm gonna play catch with my dog with this CD. I'm sure not gonna sell it to some used-CD store and possibly subject someone else to its oozingly-cool tracks! What really pisses me off is the extravagance put into the packaging: gatefold, with lots of artsy pictures, poster complete with lyrics on one side. I know of a ton of bands that wish they had this budget (and would put it to better use!). Probably just some debutante that is playing "alternative-artiste" with Daddy's inheritance...

Our rating system:

Flawless...
Almost perfect...
Moments of brilliance...
Slightly redeamiing...
Worthless piece of $#%@...