4) The Darkness

Yes, this is another reminder to Shaun and Buck that they should have come to the Adelaide show last year in April. Armed with loud guitars, a great sense of humour and above all one of the few great frontmen of our generation, The Darkness briefly achieved world-wide infamy from 2003 to 2006. Their first album, Permission to Land, was a thirty-eight minute opus that had everything I love about music: energy, heart and fun. The follow up One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back was more extreme with pound for pound less rock songs, but in its place were more ballads such as the aching “Seemed Like A Good Idea At the Time”, not to mention the superior cock jokes, both in set-up and punch line, especially in "English Country Garden".

Justin Hawkins was the perfect frontman, a sublime entertainer, lyricist and songwriter. In fact he’s probably the most versatile singer since the person he’s most commonly compared to, Freddy Mercury, although even Mr Mercury stopped short of comparing a love that doesn’t make sense to pubic lice (“Growing On Me”). I’ve gone through the whole series of articles without using the word genius, but come one! A band broken way, way before its time due to said frontman's drug problem, but I predict they’ll be back by 2010 for the big comeback album.

It has very recently come to my attention that I have a habit of not finishing things that I start, which is very lame. I didn't have any real ambition to write any more blogs, but I will complete this segment, tentatively at the rate of one posting a week, as a thank you to my loyal fanbase who have consistently demanded that I finish this piece ever since I posted the first one back in August 2006. By fanbase I mean Tom and Shaun. This is for you guys. And what the hey, this is the year of the reunion after all...

PREVIOUSLY ON ANIL'S TOP TEN FAVOURITE BANDS:

10) Audioslave (RIP)

9) Rage Against The Machine (...Audiowhatnow?)

8) Led Zeppelin (Holy Shit, They're back!)

7) Ben Folds Five (Too soon for a reunion, but I predict they'll be touring come 2010)

6) AC/DC (Naaaaahhhh! Although rumours are a new album out January 2008)

And now we return you to...

My ten favourite bands! (Part 2 of 6)

5) The Beatles

Everything that can possibly be said of The Beatles has been said already, by audiophiles more intelligent and more prone to speaking in an English accent than I ever could. Everyone knows every single, but by avoiding the albums one misses out on hearing dozens of other musical pieces that shaped the 1960s zeitgeist, and to this day form the scaffolding upon which all pop music is built around. Songs such as the rockin’ “She said she said” from Revolver, which has my favourite drumming in any song (yes, even though it is Ringo playing). Or the aching “She’s Leaving Home” from Sgt Pepper with the dual lead vocals of Lennon and McCartney. Even “joke” songs such as Lennon’s insincere “Yer Blues” (from The Beatles’ White Album) have the heaviness and musicianship of the 1970s rock bands that would make a career out of exploring the 12 bar blues.

They ended up releasing twelve albums in just over seven years, which is almost one album every six months. Every album was an adventure in taking pop music to previously undiscovered sonic landscapes, and every song was unique and had its own story. Having listened to the Greatest Hits, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the self-titled “White Album” (not to mention George and Giles Martin’s sublime remix album Love), there’s still more than half of the Beatle’s output to discover. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the beast. Eventually I will take the red pill, but there’s no rush; these songs will last forever.