EVOL is, of course, LOVE spelled backwards. And on “Star Power” and “Green Light” we get backwards love songs that are both beautiful and nightmarish. Beneath the noise, though, are rather powerful and even sensual melodies; this is SY coming out of their artsy noise rock cocoon. Essential 3: “Expressway to Yr Skull,” “Shadow of a Doubt,” “Green Light”

Often stunning yet controversial Fall record is as bilious and misanthropic as any other (if not more so), but so musically sound and aggressive that it’s impossible to deny. No one has to like Smith, they just have to admit he’s freaking talented. Essential 3: “The Classical,” “And This Day,” “Hip Priest”

Transitional album for Talk Talk; it lacks the grandeur and focus of their upcoming masterpiece, but there’s more than enough to recommend here for fans of either phase. Essential 3: “Living in Another World,” “Happiness Is Easy,” “April 5th”

A tighter-played, more accomplished record than the Pogues’ last effort, though it’s still generally less admired than “Lash.” More varied, and the slower numbers are often spottier here than the last, but there’s no denying that galloping rockers like “Turkish Song” and “Bottle of Smoke” are fabulous. Essential 3: “Turkish Song of the Damned,” “Thousands Are Sailing,” “Bottle of Smoke”

One of the pinnacles of melodic distortion, Mudhoney was obnoxious and crass and just slammed out quick bursts of sludgy, free-basing guitar rock, but somehow it worked. Certainly not the best, but arguably THE quintessential grunge band because every element was in place. Essential 3: “You Got It,” “Flat Out F-cked,” “This Gift”

Slightly more accessible effort than “You’re Living All Over Me,” it’s still noisy and penetrating stuff. A shame that the second half can’t live up to the first three tracks, perhaps the best 1-2-3 punch Dinosaur Jr. has ever pulled out of its arsenal. Essential 3: “They Always Come,” “No Bones,” “Freak Scene”

Arguably Rush’s most complex and virtuosic album is probably their seminal release, with three big hits and very strong material beyond that. Rush fans will overhype it and dissenters will throw it out as rubbish, but it’s one of the only vital Rush discs after getting their “Chronicles” collection. Essential 3: “Red Barchetta,” “Tom Sawyer,” “YYZ”

No, this isn’t an album of Creedence covers. It’s SY doing their best work as noisy avant-garde specialists, with virtually no pop hooks or defined melodies to find. But you really have to be in the mood for this sort of thing to ever enjoy it (if enjoying it is even possible—it’s a concept album about death and madness). Essential 3: “I Love Her All the Time,” “Death Valley ’69,” “Ghost Bitch”

The debut of the Meat Puppets is far more visceral and hardcore than their next two efforts, but if it lacks maturity and bravery, it has ferocity and vigor to spare. Essential 3: “Our Friends,” “Walking Boss,” “Love Offering”

Elvis Costello worked with the Pogues and their combination of Irish folklore and spirited punk to deliver a rough, fiery and passionate album. A mix of traditional and original material, but the band makes every track their own. Essential 3: “The Sick Bed of Cuchilainn,” “Dirty Old Town,” “Wild Cats of Kilkenny”

Prince’s best double LP is, like most, a varied and often chaotic mess, but one so full of fantastic rhythms and melodies that he’s immediately forgiven for the occasional slip-up. It may not contain too many of his biggest (or best) singles, but this will always be one of his two or three best efforts. Essential 3: “Sign o’ the Times,” “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night,” “Adore”

A more traditional Irish folk rock album from Waterboys, less beguiling and adventurous, but has enough beauty and charm to give a hearty recommendation. The cover of “Sweet Thing” nearly matches Van’s original. Essential 3: “We Will Not Be Lovers,” “Fisherman’s Blues,” “World Party”

Frenetic, angry rock album pulls out all the stops with its punk/metal formula for crafting raw, blistering and sludgy hard rock. Cornell’s voice could still use a polish, but on some of the heavier ragers, the screech and raw yelp carries the visceral emotion across quite well. Essential 3: “Ugly Truth,” “Power Trip,” “Big Dumb Sex”

If “Pornography” and “Disintegration” best represented a focus on the darker side of the Cure, then “THOTD” is the clearest example of their brighter pop side (not that they ever get BRIGHT exactly, but you get it). Home to one of their most underrated tracks (“Push”) and one of their most inexplicably popular ones (the bland “Kyoto Song”). Essential 3: “Push,” “Inbetween Days,” “Sinking”

One of the originals of the speed/thrash metal era, Motorhead comes crashing out the gates with the amazing title track and doesn’t look back from there. Some won’t like Lemmy’s vocals and the lyrics are about as subtle as AC/DC at their most primal, but metal isn’t known for refinement or melodic voices. Essential 3: “Ace of Spades,” “(We Are) The Road Crew,” “Fire, Fire”

Though not as groundbreaking as “Paid in Full,” the sophomore effort from the premier MC/DJ tandem is even better, with a richer production and a better quality of tracks. The second half struggles to live up to the stellar first four tracks, but only in comparison could it be considered lesser material. Essential 3: "Follow the Leader," "Lyrics of Fury," "Eric B. Never Scared"

Bleak, aggressive and noisy industrial-ish album is full of grand and nightmarish notions and sinister music patterns. Not for all tastes, but the grind slowly creeps up on you in unexpected ways. Essential 3: “Penetralia,” “The Anal Staircase,” “Who by Fire”

The debut effort by the Beastie Boys is loud, raucous, rude, raw, messy and wild; essentially, lightning-in-a-bottle sort of stuff. While not as clever or polished as some of their later records, their brash and youthful charm is tough to resist. Still, some hip hop purists decry the album altogether. Whiners. Essential 3: “Brass Monkey,” “Rhymin’ & Stealin’,” “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn”

A reformed and revitalized band changes up their sound a bit on their first great 80s effort. At different points, Fripp comes off sounding like David Byrne, Sting and Colin Newman, which isn’t surprising since the music owes much to the new wave-ish elements of Wire, the Police and, especially, Talking Heads. Essential 3: “Elephant Talk,” “Indiscipline,” “Thela Hun Ginjeet”

Townshend’s first solo effort of the new decade while witnessing the dissolution of the Who is a personal breakdown album of the ever-reflecting and questioning songwriter. Runs out of steam in the second half but many of these songs hold up well, especially in contrast to the then-Who output. Essential 3: “I Am an Animal,” “Rough Boys,” “Let My Love Open the Door”