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6. Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill (1992): Red House Painters' 1992 debut sounds dated and immature, the work of a nascent artist who didn't trust his own voice, didn't know his way around a studio, and wasn't entirely confident on the guitar. It contains the two most embarrassing songs of Kozelek's career: "24" and "Lord Kill The Pain." But good lord, what an album. The highlights here -- the heartbreaking "Japanese To English," the baldy confessional "Michael," the massive title track -- have almost no equals in Kozelek's oeuvre. Down Colorful Hill was a sightly remixed version of Red House Painters' demos, and that amateur quality is in evidence here (and would be gone forever by the following year). As a debut album, it's terrific. As the introduction of an artist to the world at large, it's unforgettable.