Red

Now see, this is what gets me. Obviously the guy CAN make a decent rock album if he tries. So why does he choose to release albums of he and his bandmates farting into tubas and scraping violins against each others' codpieces? Red is a powerful, heavy blast of melodic, creepy, mean '70s hard rock. Five songs, only ONE of which is avant-penis-caressing, and even THAT one is pretty eerie. The others darn near sting your bumblebee in the honeycomb with their midtempo anger and distortion (even the BASS is distorted!!! And this was 1974, all you Cows fans!!!!). And "Starless" has this totally killer middle part that begins with a paranoid bass line, continues with two thwicky-thwicky-thwicky guitar notes and then builds and contorts and smacks into a fiery leftwing explosion of R.O.C.K. on my T.U.R.N.T.A.(ble), much like Yes' astonishing "Awaken" would a few years later.

Yes rule, by the way. As opposed to King Crimson, who only rule once per decade if that.

Having said that, Red rules. For once (and only once) in his career, the ultimate snob afficionado bangs his head. Metal health will drive him mad.