Slog - Comments on Top Gay Albums: "USA! USA!" Edition http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u Last week, I Slogged about Attitude magazine's well-hyped list of the Top 50 Gay Albums of All Time. "I think this list is interesting, but it has more of UK spin on things," wrote Impossible Prince in the comments section of the post. "Perhaps Mr. Schmader could come up with a US version." One week later, Impossible Prince's wish is my command. Having carefully weeded out the work of those great gay-music-making Brits (Pet Shop Boys, Smiths, Bowie), I compiled my list of America's Greatest Gay Albums, which you'll find, complete with dashed-off commentary, after the jump.... Copyright 2007 Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:52:13 -0800 Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:07:23 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by slim shady What, no Eminem?

]]> slim shady http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443150 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443150 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:01:12 -0800 Comment by David Schmader I considered including The Marshall Mathers LP, because it was so significantly divisive--gay men fought over whether it was okay to like this record. But then I thought, the bitch has enough accolades.

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443157 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443157 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:08:44 -0800 Comment by riz and if there's no sylvester then there is no goddess..

]]> riz http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443229 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443229 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:24:56 -0800 Comment by Enigma No Melissa Etheridge? 'Yes I Am' was a great album, besides being the anthem to so many lesbians in the 90's.

]]> Enigma http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443240 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443240 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:35:43 -0800 Comment by David Schmader Riz, you're right. Upon finding myself stumped by how to represent disco--which is all about singles rather than albums--I ended up just giving up and hitting post...

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443243 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443243 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:37:10 -0800 Comment by Geni I sense a decided lack of lesbianness on this list. Where are the Indigo Girls?

]]> Geni http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443245 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443245 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:38:34 -0800 Comment by David Schmader No Melissa Etheridge, no Indigo Girls.

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443246 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443246 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:38:43 -0800 Comment by David Schmader I love the lesbians, but I also love good music. Sapphically, for me, that means the well-applied voice of k.d lang, the wit of early Phranc, and...am I allowed to count Janis?

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443249 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443249 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:41:01 -0800 Comment by David Schmader Also: there's the matter of Sleater-Kinney and Team Dresch.

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443252 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443252 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:42:41 -0800 Comment by Kurt B. Reighley I'm with Riz—Sylvester was one of the only openly gay music icons during a critical period in U.S. pop history. That said, his best-selling album (1978's Step II, featuring "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real") ain't nearly as compelling as his 1979 double live LP, Living Proof.

Apropos of representing disco on your list, I'd suggest Diana Ross' 1980 offering Diana. Her pairing with R&B innovators Chic brought out the best in both parties, and spawned the monster gay classic "I'm Coming Out" as well as "Upside Down."

]]> Kurt B. Reighley http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443287 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443287 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 14:25:25 -0800 Comment by Kurt B. Reighley And what about Lou Reed's Transformer? "Walk on the Wild Side"? "Makeup"? That one Big Gay Album.

]]> Kurt B. Reighley http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443352 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443352 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:42:47 -0800 Comment by David Schmader It made the honorable mention list--is that not good enough?

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443414 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443414 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:30:49 -0800 Comment by David Schmader P.S. "Big Gay Album" is hilarious.

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443415 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443415 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:31:25 -0800 Comment by terry miller where is the disco dave?

the 69 love songs is soooooo "you". but how could you not put in the classic gay disco album, " I Was Born This Way" by Rev. Carl Bean?

No Antony And The Johnsons?

Village People? Weather Girls? These may be artist you despise, but there's no discounting their popularity and impact CANNOT be overstated.

and yes i'm being serious. i concur, no Sylvester? "Do You Want To Funk"...Indeed!

very disappointed dave.

]]> terry miller http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443468 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443468 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:33:43 -0800 Comment by terry miller Dave i just looked at the list again. it's wayyyyyyy to personal. Phranc? hasn't been like 15 years since she's been relevant?

we want a redo. get more of the music staff involved.

doesn't sondheims follies deserve a place too? what self respecting gay man can't recite that whole musical!

]]> terry miller http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443476 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443476 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:37:20 -0800 Comment by David Schmader Terry:

Antony won the Mercury prize, which means he's technically a Brit.

The absence of disco is problematic, but this is about ALBUMS...and i don't have a single American disco album I listen to all the way through, except K-Tel singles collections.

Also, I cannot recite a word of "Follies," and I'm super gay.

And of course this list is personal! That's the only way these kind of bullshit arbitrary lists have any value! If you want a roundup of "popular" and "influential" gay acts, such as the Village People and Weather Girls, make your own goddamn list!

Love, Dave

]]> David Schmader http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443494 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443494 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 18:06:18 -0800 Comment by terry miller then the list should be called:

"Super Gay Dave's Top Ten Gay USA Albums!"

just so we knew it was going to be all lesbian folk music sung by men. or women who look like men, or men who sound like women... so hard to get a name for the oeuvre you enjoy Dave. Does "whiney white people music" cut it? (yes i realize prince is there, but he is not gay, as mentioned before. neither is madonna, for all her synchophancy to the gay community.)

any suggestions anyone?

kisses, terry

]]> terry miller http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443580 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c443580 Music Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:33:04 -0800 Comment by Brian I know the Scissor Sisters is an American group but from the story I herd they could not get a record deal in the US so they went to the UK to record and receive 3 brit pop awards. I know many American artists do record elsewhere but they were not really supported by record companies in the US. But then I guess it is all based upon your citizenship. So people like John Lennon should not be over looked as a US artist anymore because he was a US citizen. I guess what I am getting at is when do you classify a US artist. Is is citizenship or record contract that makes the artist US.
Also KD Lang and Rufus Weinright are Canadian. Only the Brits lump Canada and the US into one label called "Americans" (as in North Americans) but they are Canadian.

If this posts twice then I apologize (damn computers)

]]> Brian http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c444019 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/08/top_gay_albums_usa_u#c444019 Music Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:07:23 -0800