The staff of the College Football America Yearbook is on the road every weekend of the college football season, shooting games and gathering information for the following year’s book. That means a lot of driving and listening to a lot of music.
Earlier this year our College Football America Yearbook publisher Kendall Webb and our director of editorial content Chuck Cox put together ‘The Coronavirus Countdown – 100 Days of Great Music.’ Each of them sat down and compiled a list of 100 great albums. Their goal was not to select the ‘100 greatest albums of all time.’ It was simply to select 100 great albums to write about as they passed the time during quarantine and shelter-at-home orders.
This 2020 college football season will be unprecedented in so many ways. It’s very likely none of us will be on the road for games because, like most people, we’re trying to stay healthy. And we hope you are too.
So, for the next 100 days, we’re going to publish their countdown here at CollegeFootballAmericaPR.com (the list was originally published on Webb’s personal site, kendallwebb.net). Consider it the ultimate playlist for the ultimate college road trip — music for every taste, from every genre and from every decade of the modern era of music. When the staff of the College Football America Yearbook is back on the road, you can bet these will be some of the tunes we’re listening to.
Here’s Day 2. Let’s turn it over to Kendall …
Chuck Cox and I are sharing 100 of our favorite albums here on my website over the coming days and weeks to help you pass the time during the quarantines and lockdowns. We’re determined to make the most of this time catching up with friends and family where we can, but also catching up on a little bit of music.
We wish you and your loved ones the best during this difficult time. And we hope you’ll enjoy some of the albums we share and have a little fun with us here each day with The Coronavirus Countdown. – Chuck Cox and Kendall Webb
CHUCK’S ALBUM OF THE DAY
Why I Love It
This album is one of the biggest no-brainers on my list. I have loved The Who for as long as I can remember. The band took rock and roll to another level with this amazing effort that features some of the biggest tracks in the history of the genre. There might not be a better one-two punch of album opener (“Baba O’Riley”) and closer (“Won’t Get Fooled Again”).
Album Highlights
“Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
Kendall on Chuck’s Album of the Day
Considered a pioneering record for its inventive use of synthesizers, the album puts them to good use immediately on “Baba O’Riley” with an entrancing loop setting the pace and creating the mood. About 40 seconds in, a rock piano propels the song forward with the power of a 1-5-4 progression. Who’s next? Well, who really cares when the music’s this good.
KENDALL’S ALBUM OF THE DAY
Why I Love It
If you’re a band that I don’t know well, then you’d better grab me right out of the gate with the first track. And that’s what happened here when I first heard the Arcade Fire.
“Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” has a combination of melodic progression and lyrics that will make the hair stand up on your arms, and by the time track four — the stomping “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) — wraps up, they’ve got you hooked. Powerful yet somehow understated, this is one of the most consistently engaging debut albums by an alternative rock band from the past 15-20 years.
Album Highlights
“Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels),” “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” and “Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
Chuck on Kendall’s Album of the Day
O, Canada. What a tremendous way for a band to introduce itself to the world. Such a beautiful record that never gets old or fails to induce chills. If you aren’t familiar with this one, change that soon. Love it.
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