Fun Stuff > BAND
The one album
squawk:
i thought we already established that the best Built to Spill album is Perfect From Now On OKAY
Patrick:
Overproduceddddddddddddd
kyleg:
Needs more metal.
Judas Priest- Stained Class
If there was an album I would use to get someone to start listening to not just priest, but metal in general, it would be this one. It's not overly anthem driven, it's technical without being flashy, it's extreme without being overbearing, and is just a fun listen overall.
Iron Maiden- Fear of the dark
This combines both vintage Maiden and showing off their ability to be adventurous. Also, the title track is one of the better metal songs ever written.
Opeth- Ghost Reveries
It's tough to pick an Opeth album that best represents them, as they are all of very consistant quality, so I will go with what I feel is their best.
Faith No More- Angel Dust
The combination of funk and metal never existed before this album. FNM discovered the blueprints for not just metal, but much of modern music in general with this.
Metallica- Master of Puppets
A landmark in it's own right, and likely the best and most influential album they have released.
Dream Theater- Images and Words
Mindbogglingly technical musicianship, adventurous and disciplined songwriting, and deep and powerful lyrics. Dream Theater has been taking lots of heat for their recent albums, and no matter how much skill is used to craft them, it will be a long time before they can match the expectations their earlier albums, like Images, have caused.
billiumbean:
--- Quote from: Jackie Blue on 26 Jan 2009, 09:49 ---
--- Quote from: billiumbean on 25 Jan 2009, 23:32 ---Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
This album is something of an anomaly. First off, the request of the author of this thread was to name the best album of an artist, and though there is clearly no contest between Aeroplane and their first album, On Avery Island
--- End quote ---
Sorry, buster. I have preferred On Avery Island since I first heard both albums in '98. I almost never listen to Aeroplane anymore, at least not the whole album, but I still listen the fuck out of Avery.
To say that Aeroplane is unquestioningly "better" is a mystery to me; lyrically, I think Avery hits higher notes ("Song Against Sex", "Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone", "April 8th", "Naomi"). For me, the only song that comes close to those on Aeroplane is "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1". Other people may find more merit in the more "poetic" nature of Aeroplane, but not everyone.
Then you have the actual music. It's been said that you can play every Neutral Milk Hotel song using about five chords total, and it's true, but at least Avery has blissed-out production that somewhat obscures the fact. Somewhere around the hundredth time I listened to "Oh Comely" I just kind of got bored of E-C-E-C-E-C, and the damn thing goes on for 10 minutes. Yeah, I know there's a D chord in there eventually, but still.
Not to say I don't like Aeroplane, but it has gotten old. On Avery Island never gets old; it always makes me feel excited and sad and hopeful and suicidal all at once, without any over-obtuseness to get in the way. I'll take "I just want to dance in your tangles to give me some reason to move" over "semen stains the mountaintops" anyday.
--- End quote ---
Lol, buster.
I put "clearly no contest," because that's basically how it is in many peoples' minds. Nobody walks up to someone else and asks, "What's your favorite Neutral Milk Hotel album?" because the answer at least seems obvious and ubiquitous that it would be Aeroplane. Nobody writes an article nowadays about NMH without mentioning Jeff Mangum going AWOL and talking about how Aeroplane is about Anne Frank. It's their masterpiece, their ticket to cult status, and their trademark. It has nothing to do with preference. When it comes to preference, I agree with you on most points and do love On Avery Island immensely, except that I haven't gotten tired of Aeroplane at all.
How is "Wonderfully wet/She will get/Until she's soaked inside her clothes," not obtuse, exactly? That's something I love about Jeff Mangum, he'll make a song about World War II depressingly sexual, or he'll make a song about, say, the death of a pathetic crazy neighbor, uplifting (which is partly what Gardenhead is about).
I still contend that Aeroplane is the one album that any aspiring fan of Neutral Milk Hotel should listen to first, and I think you could agree that it would be strange to meet someone who loves On Avery Island but who's never even listened to Aeroplane. I feel like the opposite would be a bit more acceptable.
If only a bit.
McTaggart:
Can we just get over NMH already? They haven't done anything for something like ten years, surely everything that can be said has been said?
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