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[De_El]

Are we thinking of the same Zeppelin II? Black Dog, Rock & Roll and Stairway to Heaven are on Zep IV, and Immigrant Song is on Zep III.

[MrBlu]

"Black Sheep Boy"- Okkervil River

"The Low End Theory"- A Tribe Called Quest

[Zingoleb]

Heartbreaker = good riff, flubbed solo.

Nyeh.

I take back my earlier comments about Pink Floyd - as a starter album, you would most definitely have to go with Dark Side...it's what I did. I actually more or less refuse to listen to that album anymore.

[MadassAlex]

Are we thinking of the same Zeppelin II? Black Dog, Rock & Roll and Stairway to Heaven are on Zep IV, and Immigrant Song is on Zep III.

Oh man, you're right, my bad.

I don't know where I got II from.

As for the Heartbreaker solo, I think it's quite appropriate. I just can't imagine that song without the solitary sound of the first part of the solo, then the other instruments coming when the solo enters a kind of Act 2.

[Sox]

Les Savy Fav came on shuffle today.
Inches is the one worth buying, if you didn't know.

[tuna ketchup x]

Pavement -- Wowee Zowee

This schizophrenic album incorporates all of Pavement's many influences: the early noise, a little bit of twang, some big rocking out, some quiet. Everything that Pavement was is documented in this sprawling album. This is basically the Rosetta Stone of Pavement albums, if you can get into this, you will like all their stuff.

The Mountain Goats -- Tallahassee

The turning point album, this is the recording where JD straddled both his lo-fi boombox past and his full-band future. He hadn't worked out the kinks just right, but if you want an album that incorporates both phases of the Goats' history, this is the one.

[Catacombs]

As for the Heartbreaker solo, I remember the live version of the song off How the West Was Won being a lot better than the studio one.

[michaelicious]

Les Savy Fav came on shuffle today.
Inches is the one worth buying, if you didn't know.

+ rome

[runinit]

I'm disagreeing with Paul here. Let It Be, over Revolver? *sigh*

hah i would say the white album...

[runinit]

For the record, The Beatles top album is Abbey Road for me. Revolver is a close second.

Geez...Pink Floyd is a hard one to pick, but I'm going to say...

Pink Floyd ~ The Division Bell

The other possible ones on the list are Wish You Were Here or Animals. The Division Bell was Pink Floyd's last album, from 1994, and it shows what happens when the rest of the band finally takes hold of the sound and edges away from Roger Waters' influence. Good, solid songs that come together to make an album that's more than the sum of its parts.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Pink Floyd is nothing without....

ATOM HEART MOTHER

period, no exceptions (maybe one for Ummagumma, the second disc is geniusss)

[boneykingofnowhere]

hah i would say the white album...

I'd have too agree. It has the most even mix between weird experimentation and poppy tunes.

[pwhodges]

Given the sub-theme of arguing about the best place to start with The Beatles (did I mean "most representative"? - that's not what I said!), I am just a little surprised that there has been not one mention of Sgt Pepper, which is widely said to be the most influential.  And indeed, there are those who think Rubber Soul is their most perfect album...

[runinit]

hah i would say the white album...

I'd have too agree. It has the most even mix between weird experimentation and poppy tunes.
[/quote]

This actually inspired me to listen to all those albums. Beatles day!

i think that all the albums have their ups and downs though


atleast no one said "yellow submarine"


I'm adding another opinion to this thread..

Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett

Probably one of the best breakcore albums of all time, made by one Canadian in Winnipeg!

Two favourite songs from the album, i'll upload it to mediaf!re (V0 quality) if there is interest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PBeKzVhWHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QAqJAfBjN8

[snakes]

aw man, that's not the album to introduce someone to Radiohead!

great album, of course, and maybe it's your favourite, but maybe you should revisit the conversation about Pink Floyd above.

Okay, okay. aside from personal favoritism, i would choose Kid A as the Radiohead album.

But also, how could there be a Pink Floyd discussion without the mention of Meddle?

[runinit]

Because its not my favourite

aw man, that's not the album to introduce someone to Radiohead!

great album, of course, and maybe it's your favourite, but maybe you should revisit the conversation about Pink Floyd above.

Okay, okay. aside from personal favoritism, i would choose Kid A as the Radiohead album.

But also, how could there be a Pink Floyd discussion without the mention of Meddle?

[Thrillho]

ATOM HEART MOTHER

period, no exceptions (maybe one for Ummagumma, the second disc is geniusss)

...

...

...

HUH?

[the_pied_piper]

The Mountain Goats -- Tallahassee

The turning point album, this is the recording where JD straddled both his lo-fi boombox past and his full-band future. He hadn't worked out the kinks just right, but if you want an album that incorporates both phases of the Goats' history, this is the one.

As great as this album is i don't think it beats out The Sunset Tree. I agree its a fantastic transition but The Sunset Tree surely wins on lyrical genius. I mean, it has You or Your Memory, Dilaudid, Lion's Teeth, Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod,... There isn't a single average song on that album, its everything good about the Mountain Goats in 13 tracks.

[David_Dovey]

To weigh in on the Beatles debate, I would say Sgt. Peppers' is great, mostly because it is where I started, and that seemed to work.

The White Album is a big no, in my opinion. Sure it balances the pop and the experimenting well, but-
a) double albums are not good to start off with, full stop
b) A lot of the experimental things fall flat on their face. Do you really want a person's first Beatles experience to involve Revolution 9?

[michaelicious]

I'd be more concerned about "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". The White Album is pretty consistent though. 27 out of the 30 songs are good, 19 of the 30 songs are brilliant, and 2 out of the 3 bad songs are the last two, so you can just close things out with a little "Cry Baby Cry".

[Dazed]

Led Zeppelin — Houses of the Holy

I think this is absolutely their most complete and perfect studio album. The songs have a huge range, from beautiful and soft on The Rain Song; to the loud and popped out Dancing Days; to the dark, riff-driven proto-metal of No Quarter. Also, the riffs are great. The Ocean is still *the* classic rock riff in my opinion, and I get a huge kick out of the James Brown tribute that is The Crunge. Fantastic album, all the way through.

Yes — Close to the Edge

I could talk for hours about this album, but I'm being merciful, so I won't. Basically, this album is extremely ambitious, beautiful, fantastically complex, and technically proficient. Unlike a lot of prog rock, old and new (I'm looking at you, D, Yes' technical ability and complicated arrangements don't inhibit the beauty and harmony of their music. If you dig classic rock, prog rock, or just great music in general, you need to have this album.

Mahavishnu Orchestra — Birds of Fire

Totally instrumental, basically just 5 ludicrously talented jazz musicians getting together to play some kickass jazz-rock. Birds of Fire is tragically lacking their best song (Meeting of the Spirits imo), but it's made up for by other standouts like One Word, Miles Beyond, and Open Country Joy. Billy Cobham and John McLaughlin are absolute monsters on their instruments, some of the best all-time.

Mk, think I'm done for now. Oh, and I'll toss my vote in for Sgt. Pepper's as the Beatles album.

[De_El]

I'm gonna weigh in on the Pink Floyd thing and say...

A Saucerful of Secrets
 It is the only album by Pink Floyd album to feature both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, and as such shows the whimsical nuttery way they were under Barrett's direction while still having some serious space rock and shades of prog to come. It by no means shows all the polish and poppier sensibilities they would eventually employ in their music, but srsly. "Jugband Blues" is Barrett's swansong.  "Let There Be More Light" follows, to a certain extent, "Interstellar Overdrive" (they can't all invent space rock). "A Saucerful of Secrets" hints at "Echoes." "Set the Controls" kind of hints at "Time."  "See-Saw" is shades of Wright's input on DSOTM, and at points even reminds me of "Wish You Were Here," not to mention providing precedent for some more acousticky numbers on future Floyd.  The album has, all mixed up and in elemental form, the roots of pretty much everything Pink Floyd will do.

[snakes]

I'm gonna weigh in on the Pink Floyd thing and say...

A Saucerful of Secrets
 It is the only album by Pink Floyd album to feature both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, and as such shows the whimsical nuttery way they were under Barrett's direction while still having some serious space rock and shades of prog to come. It by no means shows all the polish and poppier sensibilities they would eventually employ in their music, but srsly. "Jugband Blues" is Barrett's swansong.  "Let There Be More Light" follows, to a certain extent, "Interstellar Overdrive" (they can't all invent space rock). "A Saucerful of Secrets" hints at "Echoes." "Set the Controls" kind of hints at "Time."  "See-Saw" is shades of Wright's input on DSOTM, and at points even reminds me of "Wish You Were Here," not to mention providing precedent for some more acousticky numbers on future Floyd.  The album has, all mixed up and in elemental form, the roots of pretty much everything Pink Floyd will do.

I have to agree with this. anything syd barrett touched was golden. however, it does not encapsulate pink floyd for the newcomer. it would for a open-minded listener, but a pink floyd introduction has to grab and pull in the listener. this album (believe me, i love it so much) does not clearly present all that pink floyd has to offer. i would say to start with dark side and go from there. animals or wish you were here is a good place to take off from there (fucking shine on you crazy diamond) but all the early material is brilliant. piper at the gates of dawn is an excellent album, and you should get it even if you think that i and what i say sucks, but early pink floyd is ridiculous and worth the listen. under any circumstance though, pink floyd comes in many varieties and is applicable to all. get meddle.

i think i might post the two barrett albums in the mediafire thread.

[Patrick]

Runrig - The Cutter and the Clan

The final track on this album remains the only Gaelic-language track to ever make it above the 20th spot on Britain's pop charts.

The White Stripes - De Stijl

Rough, hot, and full of character. I like albums to sound like a good fuck, and this delivers.

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

Dime out every single knob on that Fender amp. Same goes for that Les Paul you're using. What do you get? The perfection that is this album.

RX Bandits - ...And The Battle Begun!

Consistently fantastic album. Tasteful allusions to the stunning untitled vocal track that makes up the intro. Just because it doesn't have the band's single most amazing track ("Decrescendo") on it doesn't mean shit, this is a solid album. Not only that, but this band records everything they do with minimal overdubs, this album being no exception.

Ted Leo + Pharmacists - The Tyranny of Distance

I've said it before in response to what already amounted to high praise, and will say it again until proven wrong: "God himself has yet to surpass this album."

[spoon_of_grimbo]

RX Bandits - ...And The Battle Begun!

Consistently fantastic album. Tasteful allusions to the stunning untitled vocal track that makes up the intro. Just because it doesn't have the band's single most amazing track ("Decrescendo") on it doesn't mean shit, this is a solid album. Not only that, but this band records everything they do with minimal overdubs, this album being no exception.

amazing album.  and is it just my ears playing tricks, or does matt embree have an almost jeff buckley-esque quality to his voice in some parts of the album?

[TheFuriousWombat]

Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West

This album never fails to blow me away, whether I'm listening to it four times in a row for the third day in a row or coming back to it for the first time after months without listening to it. It has this insane, raw energy to it that explodes from each track. A devastating, mature angst is always present in this world of trailer parks and drug addicts whose world as they know it is crumbling, eroding, a dead end. Brock's vocals, the dizzying, ragged instrumentals and the lyrics telling tales of hopelessness offer up a stunningly good whole and sets this one miles ahead of MM largely impressive oeuvre.

Eluvium - Talk Amongst the Trees

I struggled to settle on which I thought was better, this or Copia. Ultimately I chose TAtT b/c, after giving both albums a listen, I remembered how much it effected me when I first heard it and how it continues to move me to this day. The album is the soundtrack for the deepest sleeps. I can't help but drifting into a world where I'm wandering the ocean floors and ejecting slowly from a space station into an utter void when I listen to it. Which is odd b/c the music on this album strikes me as anything but empty. It's subtle, a smoldering haze of buoy bells and looping, droning, humming guitar. The first track alone makes this a worthwhile listen. I'm convinced that Matthew Cooper is making some of the best ambient music out there and it's largely b/c of what he accomplishes with this album. Listening now, it reminds me of a glimmering bubble of warmth with all the darkness of the world outside. It feels safe. Embryonic at times. It's wonderful stuff.

[billiumbean]

The White Stripes - De Stijl

Rough, hot, and full of character. I like albums to sound like a good fuck, and this delivers.

I loved that album as much as the next White Stripes fan, but their discography is nothing without Elephant no matter what your personal favorite is.

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, it feels a lot more fitting to say that this album was a lot better than most other records put out in the later ninties than saying it was simply the best thing they'd released.  Also, there is nothing very central about Aeroplane that is truly great; it's a collaborative effort, really, between his simple-but-fitting guitar chord progressions, brutally honest-but-beautiful lyrics about Anne Frank and the world she lived in, experimental song structures, and the unwavering gale-force voice of one desperately expressive Jeff Mangum.

[jimbunny]

Ocean Machine: Biomech - The Devin Townsend Band

Barring all of the Strapping Young Lad material, which I've never listened to, I'd call this Devin Townsend's best album - his first with what would be called The Devin Townsend Band (to differentiate from the SYL project). After this, his albums with this lineup fall into a kind of groove; it's a good groove, perhaps, but Ocean Machine foreshadows the sound to come while remaining his most diverse musical effort.

[RedLion]

Led Zeppelin — Houses of the Holy

I think this is absolutely their most complete and perfect studio album. The songs have a huge range, from beautiful and soft on The Rain Song; to the loud and popped out Dancing Days; to the dark, riff-driven proto-metal of No Quarter. Also, the riffs are great. The Ocean is still *the* classic rock riff in my opinion, and I get a huge kick out of the James Brown tribute that is The Crunge. Fantastic album, all the way through.

It might be their most well-rounded in terms of incorporating all the many different styles of music they played, but I don't think it's either their best or the most representative of what they were really about (which, when it comes down to it, was just loud, hard, dirty blues rock.) For instance, I tend to think that Physical Graffiti and Led Zeppelin III are their best albums, but they're not their most essential or the best to be introduced to the band on. Albums I, II, or IV are all up there as competing for the "one."

[valley_parade]

To weigh in on the Beatles debate, I would say Sgt. Peppers' is great, mostly because it is where I started, and that seemed to work.

The White Album is a big no, in my opinion. Sure it balances the pop and the experimenting well, but-
a) double albums are not good to start off with, full stop
b) A lot of the experimental things fall flat on their face. Do you really want a person's first Beatles experience to involve Revolution 9?

There was a thread last year (I think) where we cut the White Album down to a single disc. It was strange.

[tuna ketchup x]

I might be the only person in the world who prefers On Avery Island to Aeroplane. I recognize that Aeroplane is the superior album and an important influence and all of that, but I LIKE On Avery Island more. Maybe because it's not even trying to be an important album.

TPP: The Sunset Tree is my favorite Goats album too, and if I were trying to get someone into JD I'd probably play that one. I just think Tally is more representative as a whole.

[Jackie Blue]

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

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.

[the_pied_piper]

The Decemberists - Castaways & Cutouts

Although i'm a bit of a fanatic for all things Decemberists i would put this album over the rest just for the seamlessness between each song. Its a great album without a poor track and was actually the last Decemberists album i heard.

Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

The most recent of Sam Beam's band's albums and slightly more upbeat than the others. It also has less bluegrass than the others and a more prominent backing from the band.

TPP: The Sunset Tree is my favorite Goats album too, and if I were trying to get someone into JD I'd probably play that one. I just think Tally is more representative as a whole.

I see what you're getting at, it was the first album where he dropped the lo-fi appeal yet carried the same lyrical style over before changing slightly for We Shall All Be Healed.


On the NMH debate, i prefer ITAOTS. The instrumentals on On Avery Island grate a bit too much though i do love Song Against Sex and Gardenhead-Leave Me Alone.

[spoon_of_grimbo]

Ocean Machine: Biomech - The Devin Townsend Band

Barring all of the Strapping Young Lad material, which I've never listened to, I'd call this Devin Townsend's best album - his first with what would be called The Devin Townsend Band (to differentiate from the SYL project). After this, his albums with this lineup fall into a kind of groove; it's a good groove, perhaps, but Ocean Machine foreshadows the sound to come while remaining his most diverse musical effort.

amazing album!  you seriously need to check out SYL though - City and Alien being the best of the bunch.

[Thrillho]

To weigh in on the Beatles debate, I would say Sgt. Peppers' is great, mostly because it is where I started, and that seemed to work.

The White Album is a big no, in my opinion. Sure it balances the pop and the experimenting well, but-
a) double albums are not good to start off with, full stop
b) A lot of the experimental things fall flat on their face. Do you really want a person's first Beatles experience to involve Revolution 9?

There was a thread last year (I think) where we cut the White Album down to a single disc. It was strange.

It was when I realised my cut of the White Album was only about 25 minutes long.

[Patrick]

Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love

There is some pretty supreme songwriting in here. Also, I am pretty sure nobody in this band has ever gone more than an hour without at least two hits from the bong.

[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]

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

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.

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?

[billiumbean]

Not for me.  I've only discovered them recently.  In a way, I'm just trying to get as tired of them as you seem to be.

[David_Dovey]

Nobody walks up to someone else and asks, "What's your favorite Neutral Milk Hotel album?" because NOBODY FUCKING CARES

[Spluff]

If somebody walked up to me in the street and asked that I would be so stunned I wouldn't be able to say anything for at least five minutes.

[spoon_of_grimbo]

Giant Metal-Themed Post

Cracking post, although I'd disagree on the Maiden and Priest albums.  Best Priest is between Painkiller or (the one I feel is probably the best to start with), Screaming for Vengeance.  And although I couldn't really decide on a best Maiden one, I'd argue that one or two tracks aside, FOTD is the worst Maiden album.

Good call on Angel Dust though, that's a batshit-crazy-awesome album!

[imapiratearg]

Re: Neutral Milk Hotel Discussion

On Avery Island, while fantastic, is not the one I would play for someone trying to get into them.  At least, if I did, I would skip over the noise experiments, or whatever.  I find it hard to imagine anyone who wasn't predisposed to enjoy that kind of thing would get pretty much loathe "Pree-Sisters Swallowing a Donkey's Eye."  I usually don't even listen to it.

The thing, I think, that makes In the Aeroplane Over the Sea superior to the majority is the oneness of it.  It's got this feeling of unity and wholeness that makes all the songs come together and form this piece of art that even if it is a portrait of the life of Anne Frank, the lyrics are obtuse enough that you can miss it entirely.

[Kyros]

The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
- Self explanatory.  This will probably always be my favorite album of all time.  It shows off the D-Plan at their most manic and crazy on songs like "8.5 Minutes" or "What Do you Want me to Say?" and offered glimpses of what was to come a few years later on Change with songs like "The City" or "Spider in the Snow."


The Thermals - More Parts Per Million
- If you claim to be a fan of any of the myriad forms of "punk" or "lo-fi" but have never heard the Thermals' magnificent debut then you should stop reading this RIGHT NOW and get on that. 

Silkworm - Italian Platinum
- Many would say it's a travesty not to list Firewater as SKWM's ONE Album, but I'll always prefer this over it.  I think maybe the drinking motif of Firewater drags on a bit too long.

[Thrillho]

Nobody walks up to someone else and asks, "What's your favorite Neutral Milk Hotel album?"

No, because I'm willing to bet most people would say 'who the fuck are they?'

[Jackie Blue]

On Avery Island, while fantastic, is not the one I would play for someone trying to get into them.

Except that I didn't even like Aeroplane the first few times I listened to it (in fact, I hated it) but the first time I heard "Song Against Sex" I was all ffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Also I don't know how lyrics about a girl getting wet are obtuse.

[billiumbean]

Nobody walks up to someone else and asks, "What's your favorite Neutral Milk Hotel album?"

No, because I'm willing to bet most people would say 'who the fuck are they?'

This is very true.

On Avery Island, while fantastic, is not the one I would play for someone trying to get into them.

Also I don't know how lyrics about a girl getting wet are obtuse.

Depends on your perspective, I guess.  I just threw that in there because I thought both albums were pretty... honest, for lack of a better word.

[Jackie Blue]

I think a lot of NMH fans are in denial about how creepy some of Jeff's lyrics are.