So why is Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
A long time ago, during an early and more innocent era in the History of the Internet (2006 or so!), I started a podcast.
Yeah, I got in really early. So early that hardly anyone knew what podcasts were back then. Adam Curry was known as the innovator in the space in those days, and it was before celebrities and media companies had gotten in the game.
I had a ton of fun with it. I played music (thinking not at all about whether I had the “digital rights” to do so), interviewed people, added reviews and commentary about politics and pop culture, and even produced some “original” comedy bits, if you can believe it!*
* I’m SO happy that these digital units of Audio Gold are no longer available on the interwebs.
I mention all of this because I modeled/borrowed/stole a lot of the ideas for this podcast on one that my friend Aaron McMullan, an Irish dude I had befriended through my association with helping to run a blogging community called Blogcritics*, was producing at the time.
* I’ve mentioned this before, but it was cool as all get out that I got to meet Aaron, his fiancé at the time, and her daughter in person north of Belfast when my wife and I got over to Ireland in 2019.
It was via Aaron’s (much better than my) podcast that I was first introduced to the Kaiser Chiefs. And to this day, whenever I think about the Kaiser Chiefs, I immediately think about the incredible way that Aaron pronounced the song title, “I Predict a Riot.”
Which, as it turns out, is the best song on Employment. “I Predict a Riot” still sounds fresh as hell today, fun and urgent and rocking and catchy all at once, with a great hook and vocals, all culminating in the ebullient chorus.
“Everyday I Love You Less and Less” is the first track on the album, and it’s perfectly placed, emphasizing the band’s energy and snarky edge, but at the same time it’s a great rock song that also cleverly mixes in some electronic flourishes.
“Na Na Na Na Naa” is a flat out fun rocker that also happens to showcase lead singer Ricky Wilson and the rest of the Kaiser Chiefs’ vocal chops.
Some stats & info about Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, British Bands, Alternative Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was Employment released? 2005
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #579 out of 1,000
Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Kaiser Chiefs’ Employment that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Watching the people get lairy, it’s not very pretty I tell thee – walking through town is quite scary.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.