There Ain't Half Been Some Great Albums: X,Y&Z Quiz

Answer: Primal Scream

"XTRMNTR" was Primal Scream's sixth studio album. What has always made Primal Scream so intriguing has been their ability to pick a sub-genre of popular music and to make an album in that vein. Such adept eclecticism has produced the dance-psychedelic-rock of "Screamadelica" which captured the zeitgeist of early 1990s Britain, the bluesy-rock of "Give Out But Don't Give Up" (1994) which was practically a homage to the Stones, the electronica/rock potpourri of "Vanishing Point" and its dub counterpart "Echo Dek" (both 1997), and then the shockingly aggressive "XTRMNTR". To some listeners, such a multifarious approach means "jack-of-all-trades, master of none", while to others it is an admirable trait. I'm in the second camp.

I reckon "XTRMNTR" worked since all of the musical influences were present, but the album had an overall feel (albeit a hostile one) which bound together the electronica, punk, dub, and good old rock 'n' roll. Right from the off on the brilliantly antagonistic "Kill All Hippies", Primal Scream were in your face in a way they had never really been before. Another stand-out track was the equally provocative "Swastika Eyes", of which there were actually two versions on the album.

Answer: Crass

"Yes Sir, I Will" was the fifth studio album by anarcho-punk group Crass and their last before splitting up in 1984. It's incredible to think how successful such a radical, both musically and politically, group had managed to become. Indeed, "Yes Sir, I Will" got to number one on the UK Indie Chart, as had the previous four album releases.

"Yes Sir, I Will" was essentially all about the Falklands War and lyrically it was a tirade against UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A lot of what Crass were about was vitriolic ranting over abrasive guitars and military-sounding drums, and here they took the abrasion to another level. At the time, many said "Yes Sir, I Will" was so demanding to listen to that it became redundant, but I think it has aged well. In 2002, Crass drummer/lyricist Penny Rimbaud remixed the album so as to include fresh recordings by two jazz musicians, Ingrid Laubrock and Julian Siegel. The result was released alongside the original album on CD as part of the wonderful "Crassical Collection", and to my mind makes more sense than the original.

Answer: Kevin Ayers

"Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)" was Kevin Ayers seventh solo studio album. Taken in the context of Ayers' varied career, it ranked amongst the most accessible and verged on pop music. Just like Ayers' previous album "Sweet Deceiver", this album was a million miles from 1974's weird, and also wonderful, "Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy", or the live album "June 1, 1974". Ayers had always had that pop sensibility, but while some encouraged his eccentric side, producer Muff Winwood (Steve's brother) reined him in on this album.

Although nobody could ever steal the show from our Kevin, guitarist Ollie Halsall almost did. Despite being highly-regarded amongst musicians, Halsall has always been criminally under-celebrated. What I like about his playing is that he didn't ram his virtuosity down your throat on every track, but when he did let rip, he could out-shred many a bigger name. He was fantastic on all the albums he recorded with Ayers, but on this one he was matchless. Just have a listen to "Blue" if you don't believe me.

Answer: Public Enemy

"Yo! Bum Rush the Show" was Public Enemy's debut studio album. At that point, and even afterwards, Public Enemy were genuine pioneers and their debut album was a trailblazer. Despite being sample heavy compared to other outfits of the era, it was much more of a spartan affair than their later multi-faceted sounds. That sparse sound gave the urban rage expressed an even harder edge, and, quite understandably, that frightened a lot of people. Others who might not have usually been attracted to hip-hop, such as punks and metalheads, tuned into that and took the group on board.

"Yo! Bum Rush the Show" also gained the approval of many critics and its reputation has done nothing but grow over the years. It has become one of the most influential rap/hip-hop albums of all time and I daresay it will be continue to be listened to long into the future.

Answer: Amon Düül II

"Yeti" was Amon Düül II's second studio album. It was a double album and suffered the main drawbacks of many double albums recorded by rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s: lack of quality control. What that meant in practical terms was three lengthy improvised tracks, including the title track, taking up two whole sides of vinyl, i.e. almost forty minutes. It was a shame that Amon Düül II opted for such longueurs since there were some good bits in "Yeti (Improvisation)", "Yeti Talks to Yogi (Improvisation)" and "Sandoz in the Rain (Improvisation)" and I'm sure hearing them in the right circumstances back in 1970 was quite an experience, but they have dated considerably.

Having said all that, the album's first two sides were a wonderful example of the group's potpourri of space rock, progressive rock and esoteric imagery.

Answer: Dead Boys

If ever there was an album title which described a group exactly, it must have been the Dead Boys' debut album "Young Loud and Snotty". Furthermore, no album summed up everything that was great about the punk rock of the late 1970s better than the tracks therein.

It was all much more universal than the rather provincial Sex Pistols, and the Ohioan origin of the group made them less arty than the native New Yorkers who appeared around the same time at the infamous New York club CBGB. Indeed, footage of them playing there proves their shows were noticeably more animated than performances by bands like Talking Heads or Suicide, as great as those bands might have been.

The record itself kicked off with one of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs of its era, "Sonic Reducer". A few great tracks later you got straight ahead bad attitude expressed in a way I'm not sure anybody has ever surpassed in "Ain't Got Nothing to Do". The closer, "Not Anymore/Ain't Nothin' to Do", hinted at emotional depth in the first part, and then spat on it with a reprise of the previous virulence. Genius.

The whole band had it, but as with all great rock 'n' roll bands, the frontman means a lot and Dead Boys had the greatest frontman of them all: Stiv Bators.

Answer: Morrissey

"Your Arsenal" was Morrissey's third studio solo album, and the first to boast a backing group who would help him develop a real style of music. Indeed, right from the opening track "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side" it was obvious that this was a group rather than a star backed up by session musicians.

What was also immediately apparent was that the so-called indie pop sound, whatever that was, had been discarded in favour of something really rock 'n' roll. In fact, "Your Arsenal" wore Morrissey and company's love of glam rock proudly on its sleeve. And glam rock had never sounded so relevant since its glory days on tracks like the aforementioned opener, "Glamorous Glue", and the T-Rex-esque "Certain People I Know". Without a doubt, having veteran Spider From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson at the mixing desk was a smart move.

It wasn't just about the sound though and the songs on "Your Arsenal" were of the highest calibre. My personal favourite was the controversial "The National Front Disco" which was classic Morrissey doing classic pop rock. Morrissey's infamous wit could also be enjoyed on the marvelous "You're the One for Me, Fatty".

Answer: Tangerine Dream

"Zeit" was Tangerine Dream's third album, and was a double to boot. Each side of vinyl was taken up by a separate piece ("Birth of Liquid Plejades", "Nebulous Dawn", "Origin of Supernatural Probabilities" and "Zeit") that made a whole. Within each track, Tangerine Dream led us through a labyrinth which easily shifted from soothing to terrifying with very little warning yet seamlessly in much the same way as a dream can.

At this point, Tangerine Dream was made up of founding member Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke and new recruit Peter Baumann, all playing a variety of instruments. Florian Fricke from fellow Krautrock group Popol Vuh played some moog, and the The Cologne Cello Quartet played some cellos, both on ""Birth of Liquid Plejades".

For anybody unfamiliar with Tangerine Dream, "Zeit" might be a good place to start as it really saw them at the height of their powers. If you don't like this, you can probably cross the group off your list.

Answer: Cluster

"Zuckerzeit" was Cluster's third studio album release. The group at that point was basically Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. They had recently moved from hectic Berlin to the peaceful countryside, and it showed: the album was a much mellower affair than their first two.

There were ten tracks on the album, five credited to Moebius and five to Roedelius. The two musicians created very different atmospheres, the former coming up with quite friendly sounds, the latter something much more hostile. However, what they did have in common was a really wobbly sound. You have to hear it to believe it. The essential book "Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and its Legacy" published by Black Dog Publishing described the album thus: "Erupting with wonky electronic grooves and ecstatic melodies, it's the seeding ground for myriad future musics." How right they were.

Answer: Neil Young with Crazy Horse

"Zuma" was Neil Young's seventh album, and the second credited as Neil Young with Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse had also played on two other Neil Young albums but the name hadn't appeared on the cover. Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten had died in 1972, and Frank "Poncho" Sampedro took on his duties.

"Zuma" was classic Neil Young with Crazy Horse and featured the whole range of music the outfit had to offer from straight-forward country rock songs like the brilliant opener "Don't Cry No Tears" to the great, long, guitar classic "Cortez the Killer".

Throughout the album, we got examples of Neil Young's penchant for saying a heck of a lot in simple words, and even more through his distinctive guitar playing. As far as the former skill goes, my personal favourite on this album was "Barstool Blues": "If I could hold on to just one thought for long enough to know why my mind is moving so fast and the conversation is slow", and then the height of Youngian insight: "I saw you in my nightmares but I'll see you in my dreams and I might live a thousand years before I know what that means."

The latter skill has never been bettered than on "Cortez the Killer". Superb.