THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: pwhodges on 21 Jan 2009, 04:28
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To help moderate the enthusiasm for the uncritical dumping and downloading of complete discographies on the mediaf!re thread, perhaps we should tell people what we think is the one album that they should get to hear for any particular artist/group. Of course, different people will have different choices, but that's OK so long as there is an explanation and some real attempt at discernment. I'll start the ball rolling with a couple...
The Beatles - Let it Be
There is an argument for choosing at least half of their albums as "the one". I select this because, as the one they recorded when they were trying (and failing) to stop it all falling apart, it is in some ways the most human and emotional - and, as always, there are some bloody good songs on it.
Jamie Cullum - Pointless Nostalgic
His first published album is the least affected. While his subsequent ones show development, they haven't yet reached a mature style. It will be interesting to watch his progress, of course.
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
Why not The Joshua Tree? Well, I just prefer the earlier album which marked their change of direction. But then, you can probably see that I like work-in-progress possibly more than arrival.
And because you wouldn't expect me to ignore the classics:
Britten - War Requiem
All of Britten's art is contained in this work somewhere; and it is one of the great musical creations of the twentieth century.
Your turn now. You don't have to give more than one suggestion, of course - just continue the theme as you think it will work and benefit other people.
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Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
The last record to be recorded with the original line-up for nearly ten years. It is arguably one of the finest collection of Dinosaur Jr. songs, including some of the most memorable tunes they've recorded. The cover of Peter Frampton's "Show Me the Way" at the end is also awesome.
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I'm disagreeing with Paul here. Let It Be, over Revolver? *sigh*
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I'm still counting on someone coming in and saying Abbey Road, but I more or less agree with Paul.
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The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (1969)
When I tell people this is my favourite Velvet Underground record they usually try to convince me how wrong I am. They usually give me a well-reasoned argument about the merits of White Light/White Heat or say "I like the one with Andy Warhol best".
I love the honesty of this record. It seems more like the collaborative effort of a band than their other records. The songs seem more personal, and while the subject matter is often the same as previous records, it seems to be explored with more depth and humanity (I guess, I probably could have picked a better word). While I'll never turn down an opportunity to blast "Sister Ray", I find myself becoming more an appreciator of the quiet moments. Plus I just about lose it at the end of "Beginning to See the Light" when they are all "How does it feel, to be looooooooved?"
It feels damn good.
Television - Live at the Old Waldorf (2003)
Being a pretty avid Television fan, I was surprised that I was unaware of the existence of this album until about two months ago. I mentioned my love for The Blow-Up on the Electrical Audio forums and someone suggested I listen to this.
Television were pretty much an entirely different band on-stage than they were in the studio. If any dick tries to tell you that Television wasn't a punk band, just play them any song from this record (I would pick "Foxhole"). The songs are looser, louder, and about one hundred times more badass. The live environment offers an entirely new urgency to Television's songs, especially the songs from Adventure. The first time I listened to this, it gave me goosebumps when "The Dream's Dream" finally picks up at around the 1.18 mark.
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Oh phew. I always felt weird because I enjoy Loaded and The Velvet Underground more than the other two.
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Although I personally like Abbey Road the best, i think I'd pick Revolver over Let It Be.
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Although I personally like Abbey Road the best, i think I'd pick Revolver over Let It Be.
^This.
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
Words like "epic masterpiece" should do justice to this album but they're so overused and misapplied that they end up slightly failing to cut the mustard. "Welcome to Sky Valley" is the sound of a thousand-foot bass amplifier made of stone, reverberating across an endless desert underneath an infinite sky. It's my immediate and unhesitating pick for best rock album of the 1990's. It founded a legion of imitators that, despite falling short, still managed to sound fucking great. On a personal note, it has had a greater influence on my own taste in music than any other musical work I've ever listened to, and I credit it with an indispensable role in shaping my relationship with sound in general. I love this album. Listen Without Distraction.
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Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Last album released by the folk greats as a duo before their official breakup (after a 'separation' in 1965) and the first folk album i ever heard. Containing the tracks 'El Condor Pasa', 'Cecilia' and 'The Boxer' as well as title track 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' to me its an outstanding contribution to the progress of folk music, if not the most outstanding of all. Obviously, the duo have gone on to influence so many more artists after them but i believe this is their greatest moment.
Tarkio - Sea Songs For Landlocked Sailors
As a huge Decemberists fan i couldn't believe i hadn't heard of Tarkio until about 1 year ago and since then this has been my favourite EP of all time. Only 6 songs long but with 'Devil's Elbow', 'Tristan and Iseult', 'Mountains Of Mourne' and other great songs i believe it is an unrecognised great. Not really influential in any major way but criminally unknown and underappreciated.
Slightly Off Topic: After reading the threads about changes to the music forum i can only agree that it is a good thing. I have been guilty recently of dumping albums into the MF thread but i've always looked for someone to start discussion threads aswell. I didn't do it myself because being a relative newbie and lurking a while i saw how many threads get shot down straight away but certainly this should start to help.
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The Beatles - Let it Be
There is an argument for choosing at least half of their albums as "the one". I select this because, as the one they recorded when they were trying (and failing) to stop it all falling apart, it is in some ways the most human and emotional - and, as always, there are some bloody good songs on it.
Say what now?
Okay, mine:
Weezer - Weezer (1994)
Their first, greatest album - and even if you disagree on that score, you've got to accept it's far more accessible than Pinkerton, so if you're potentially only buying one, this is the one to go for.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus (2004)
A double CD that shows his two sides; Elvis filtered through Satan on Abattoir Blues, a doom-laden balladeer on Lyre.
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Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Wild, The Innocent and E Street Shuffle is really the apex of Springsteen's early work, and one could argue that Born to Run isn't really representative of the rest of his discography, since after that album his work became much darker and more depressing. However, to understand the full, rich sound that is his hallmark, to grasp the sense of longing for purpose, the desire to find that ever-fleeting "freedom" that is the consistent theme among all of The Boss's work, Born to Run can't be beaten. And it contains a huge number of his best songs. Every single track is a masterpiece.
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U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
Could only disagree more if you actually had said The Joshua Tree. My vote would be either Achtung Baby or Zooropa, no question. To me they are miles and far away the most interesting and well-written of their catalogue.
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Spiderland - Slint
Is there anything else I really need to say? Such simple written songs with enough meaning to make your head spin.
Art Of Motion - Andy McKee
One of my favorite acoustic albums, Andy McKee blindsides you with an amazing display of not only world champion finger picking, but also manages to encompass many emotions through a display of unique songs.
Continuum - John Mayer
Probably the most well written out of all of his albums (at least, that's how I feel seeing as I have his discography). Though many songs maintain the general primitive emotions many people write, he still captivates me as a person who can use blues-rock to influence modern music (of course pop and soul make a big part of the album too).
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Spiderland - Slint
Is there anything else I really need to say?
Well, you might add that they only have two albums anyway and the other one sucks so what's the point of saying this?
OK, on-topic:
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
The tail end of their drug-soaked, guitar-heavy, acid-washed glory days, before Wayne grew a beard and they got more interested in furry suits and pop orchestration than blistering sonic psychedelia. A perfect 10.
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I really need to give that one a shot. Would you really say it's more quintessential than Transmissions from the Satellite Heart?
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Well, I would probably, if pressed, have a hard time saying that Hit to Death in the Future Head, Transmissions or Clouds are better than each other, but I do think Clouds has the best production and lyrics of the three, and that nothing on the prior two rocks nearly as hard as "Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus With Needles" or "Lightning Strikes the Postman".
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The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (1969)
When I tell people this is my favourite Velvet Underground record they usually try to convince me how wrong I am.
... and I was starting to think I was the only one! Always get the same reaction, mostly people try
to convince me that "...with Nico" is better.
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Guys I do not know where you get off snubbing The Soft Bulletin like that but it is one of the greatest albums in history.
I mean, I love Transmissions from the Satellite Heart AND Clouds Taste Metallic, but The Soft Bulletin is perfect.
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I honestly do not much care for The Soft Bulletin. I hated it the day it came out; since then I've mellowed and consider it a "good" record but still nowhere near their earlier work.
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But the joy! The pure joy! It's so beautiful!
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June of 44- Tropics and Meridians
This one was actually a hard one for me to decide on, since all of their albums (excepting the comparatively lacklustre Anahata) are all quality. I don't think T&M is my favorite Jo44 album (which would be Four Great Points), but this one is probably the most engaging and immediate of their albums. The balance between all-out rawk and quieter, sparkly guitar parts is more towards the former, but Lawn Bowler is seven minutes, thirty-nine seconds worth of the latter.
Elliott Smith- XO
Smith's first album on Dreamworks, it is essentially the turning point between his more lo-fi work on his first three albums and the more densely layered, produced sound on the following Figure 8. Some of the dude's best songs (Pitseleh, Waltz #1, Waltz #2) are on this album. I don't know if I still think it's his best album but by far it's probably the best introduction to his body of work.
Jawbox- For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Lots of the band's fans shitcanned this one because it was their first after jumping the good ship Dischord for the majors, but damned if they didn't turn their back on the band right when they released probably their best album (I haven't heard their last one yet). It's full of smartly-applied punk aggression tossed into the washing machine of angular guitar lines and odd time signatures and fuck, I can't even describe this one anymore. It's just so good.
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Ben Folds - Rockin' The Suburbs.
Ben Folds at his best, an album full of piano pop that hits all kinds of emotions and nails all of them. Not a single bad song.
Blink 182 - Enema Of The State
Although I personally prefer Take Off Your Pants And Jacket, this album has to be the definitive blink. The catchy choruses, the simple chords, awesome drumming, teenage angst. It shows the bands move away from their earlier potty humor, and where they will go with a more produced sound and songs that might mean something to them. Mutt and Adam's Song are both examples of this. They still haven't lost their sense of humor though, and it makes a perfect album.
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Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
Xiu xiu at the peak of their creativity. The albums starts with pop-oriented gems to descend into weirdness. If I'm not mistaken, it's their last "weird albums by Xiu xiu standard", La For๊t being more minimalist while The Air Force and Women as Lovers were considered poppy. If you want only one of their albums, you should buy/download Fabulous Muscles.
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The Offspring - Americana
Perhaps it had something to do with the number of times I listened to this album in my youth, but this belongs in everyone's collection, even if you're not big into punk. I have come to appreciate the songs I used to hate (Pay The Man) as I got older.
Barenaked Ladies - Stunt
If Americana wasn't in my CD player, it was Stunt. This classic is fun, fast paced, and offers a good variety of tunes.
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The Replacements- Let It Be
The apex of The Replacements' career, the point where their scrappy punk roots collided head on with Paul Westerberg's commercial aspirations, achingly melodic pop sensibilities, and burgeoning songwriting skills. Was there a better document of teenage angst in the 80's than the forlorn strains of "Sixteen Blue"? Methinks not.
Minutemen- Double Nickels On The Dime
Ambitious, sprawling, but locked into a furiously consistent groove, the band from Pedro proved definitively that they were the punk rock band of their generation, simultaneously subverting and reiterating the movement's core foundations (As the band put it, "We said to the punk kids, 'You want no rules? Well, here's what no rules sounds like!'"). Even besides that, it's a fucking barnstormer of an album.
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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.
Anoushka Shankar ~ Rise
A very eclectic album of world music. There's a lot of sitar on this album, seeing as she *is* the daughter of Ravi Shankar, but it also deals with a lot of different sorts of cultural sounds, from Indian raga to Australian didgeridoo. Very atypical vocals.
Enya ~ The Celts
Her other albums I've listened to seem a bit hit and miss, or even a bit boring, but this one is different. Mostly simply songs, but they stay with you after they're finished and leave an impression with you. I'm trying to avoid using the word 'haunting'...damn.
Melanie ~ Freedom Knows My Name
While she has other great albums, this is the one that feels consistently good with each song, and wildly varied on each one. Morbid humour of "Estate Sale" to the strong choir on "I Will Get Over" to the complex guitar on "Arrow" to the folk rendition of "Purple Haze," each song is strong on its own and come together to make a great album. (The 'special release' version has an extra song that I don't like, though)
Penny Whiskey ~ Half-Corked
Superbly done Irish folk music. Alternates between strong lyrics and off-the-wall humour. A decent album altogether, but each song stands out individually.
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Here's somma mine! It's all pretty modern, but that's just a general trend in some of my music I suppose.
Sigur Ros - Takk...
Some might disagree, but in my opinion Takk... is hands-down the BEST album Sigur Ros has put out. There is not a single song on there that is anything less than heart-meltingly tear-inducingly beautiful. The mood is there, the weird atmosphere, and the songwriting is just impeccable. One of my favorite albums of all time.
The Sound of Animals Fighting - The Ocean and the Sun
A perfect mash-up of the mathy guitar work of their first record and the atmospheric experimentalism of their second. What may be their final record is also their best.
Clutch - Robot Hive / Exodus
Some of the best blues-tinged stoner rock out there. Neil Fallon's bellow is fantastically fitting, and the rest of the band is just pulls some air-tight solid grooves.
Torche - Meanderthal
Okay, I know this is only their second album but HOLY SHIT GUYS. It's fucking amazing. A stellar combination of doom metal and pop, of all things. Loud, heavy, fast, bonecrushing triumphant guitar songs.
Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss
Yes, again, this is their first album. When I was first about to listen to it, I was a bit leery of it sounding like generic post-rock, as many reviewers had indicated. However, once the LA LA LA's of Dash & Blast kicked in, I was hooked. Enjoy Eternal Bliss almost sounds like a Godspeed record, only a little more focused and with less ambient noise passages (not that there was anything wrong with them). Also, the inclusion of clarinet, of all things, really sticks out in the mix and really nails the mood.
Sunn O))) - Black One
This album is fucking TERRIFYING. I first listened to it past midnight with good headphones. When I was done, I was actually shaking a little. The pure musical embodiment of dread and terror. In short, a masterpiece of doom.
Meshuggah - ObZen
Another one of those NEWEST AND BEST albums. Their old thrashier days run headfirst into their more technical work like I, resulting in the PERFECT Meshuggah record. Jaw-dropping-through-the-center-of-the-earth instrumental work, with Tomas Haake once again proving that he is the product of an angel fucking a demon-possessed robot. If you don't shit yourself from the bass drum in Bleed, your bowels are not properly functioning.
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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.
As much as I love that record, you'd struggle to find anyone else of this opinion. I'd definitely say WYWH.
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The Division Bell is fine and all but is it seriously the one album you would choose to represent Pink Floyd above all others? And can we keep in mind that is what we are trying to do here? Not just say "hai guyz this is my fave album."
I feel like I may be stepping on toes by doing this because I am by no means not even the tenth best person on this forum to make this judgement but
Fugazi- Repeater
Not the band's best but I feel that Fugazi's career can be viewed much as a linear progression from one style to another, so in that way it would make sense to go from the start. Obviously there was 13 Songs that came before this but I feel that, despite containing some of the band's most iconic songs, was a bit of a false-start, the band finding it's feet. On Repeater the band achieve exactly what they set out to do at that time. It is cohesive, instantly catching (important if you are trying to introduce someone to a band) emotional, political and good fun at the same time. Repeater was my favourite Fugazi album for a fair while but that is because it takes a few listens for the other records to catch up.
The Stooges- The Stooges
"but dude, what about Funhouse? Funhouse, dude"
Once again, the self-titled album is not their best, but I feel that the production on Funhouse and the shambolic nature of the songs could be an impediment to someone who isn't already used to The Stooges. The self-titled also has all of their most obvious "hits" (1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog, No Fun). Just noisy and chaotic enough to let you know what the Stooges are about, without being off-puttingly abrasive.
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The Division Bell is fine and all but is it seriously the one album you would choose to represent Pink Floyd above all others? And can we keep in mind that is what we are trying to do here? Not just say "hai guyz this is my fave album."
Exactly. In which case, I changed my answer to DSOTM. As much as I'm sick of that record, it's pretty much the best entry point or representative. Wish You Were Here is the better album but isn't the best starting point.
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If I had to start someone on Pink Floyd, it'd absolutely be Dark Side of the Moon. It sums up their sound and presence the best, and is more accessible than Wish You Were Here. The Division Bell is too late in their career.
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I'd have to go with "Caution" by Hot Water Music.
A brilliant combination of melodic, gritty rock, post-hardcore, and punk. Seriously, everything about this record is perfect, the lyrics, the way the two vocalists interact, the way they manage to make seemingly the most obtuse and angular guitar parts mesh together perfectly and smoothy, the almost jazzy approach of the rhythm section, and the overall mood of the album. Amazing, and topped off with some really nice artwork too.
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June of 44- Tropics and Meridians
This one was actually a hard one for me to decide on, since all of their albums (excepting the comparatively lacklustre Anahata) are all quality. I don't think T&M is my favorite Jo44 album (which would be Four Great Points), but this one is probably the most engaging and immediate of their albums. The balance between all-out rawk and quieter, sparkly guitar parts is more towards the former, but Lawn Bowler is seven minutes, thirty-nine seconds worth of the latter.
I would have picked this too. I am kind of a fickle June of 44 fan though. I kind of can't stand Engine Takes to the Water and I never really got what the big deal about Four Great Points was. I think they hit their peak with Tropics and The Anatomy of Sharks.
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Boris - Amplifier Worship
Why? It's not my favorite Boris album (that's Akuma No Uta). I think Amplifer Worship captures pretty much every angle of what Boris do as a band. There's droney bits, there's balls-out rock, twinges of the hardcore punk scene they started off in (see the beginning of "Hama"), and even the quieter side that emerged on Mabuta No Ura. This was also the album that started their switch from more noisey drone (see Absolutego) to the heavier rock that's on Heavy Rocks, Akuma No Uta, Pink, and Smile.
Also, the bit in "Huge" when the drums kick in and they start screaming (4:49) is SO rad.
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The Jester Race - In Flames
An album that displays the mastery this band had over the Gothenburg metal sound. Lots of Swedish folk influences, beautiful melodies, guitar harmonies and solos galore, solid drumming, and excellent songwriting - something you don't hear very often in this genre today.
Sweet Vengeance - Nightrage
Another Gothenburg metal band, but this one is more recent, having been made a couple years ago. It's one of the most solid albums I've ever heard, and there are absolutely no filler songs. Considered a supergroup, this album contained Thomas Lindberg of At the Gates fame and Tom Englund of Evergrey on vocals. The hilariously ironic thing about this album was that both of the guitarists are from Greek power metal bands, but managed to create one of the greatest recent Gothenburg metal albums in memory.
A Diamond For Disease - Arsis
The guitarist in the band, James Malone, is one of the greatest guitarists I've ever heard. Not just in his technical prowess, but in his songwriting, and his ability to utilize these incredibly beautiful overlapping melodies that no other band can replicate. The title track of this particular album (EP rather), is almost thirteen minutes in length, and was actually written for Ballet Deviare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_Deviare). It's one of the most incredible songs I've ever heard, and it's one of those songs where you can listen to it and discover new things because it's so beautifully complex. There's also an awesome cover of an Alice Cooper song.
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The Offspring - Americana
Perhaps it had something to do with the number of times I listened to this album in my youth, but this belongs in everyone's collection, even if you're not big into punk. I have come to appreciate the songs I used to hate (Pay The Man) as I got older.
Americana is a fun record to listen to, but it's by no means the Offspring's best, quality-wise. I would say that would be Smash.
Then again, I haven't listened to that band since the end of my teenage rage days, so maybe my opinion isn't well-founded enough.
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The Offspring - Americana
Perhaps it had something to do with the number of times I listened to this album in my youth, but this belongs in everyone's collection, even if you're not big into punk. I have come to appreciate the songs I used to hate (Pay The Man) as I got older.
Americana is a fun record to listen to, but it's by no means the Offspring's best, quality-wise. I would say that would be Smash.
Then again, I haven't listened to that band since the end of my teenage rage days, so maybe my opinion isn't well-founded enough.
Ixnay on the Hombre's probably their best overall, but I'd agree with him on Americana simply because it was the record that got me into music.
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Okay, but see, this isn't about "I prefer this album." It's what is the most representative of the band's work as a whole? Americana was a red herring. They didn't do many songs like Pretty Fly or Why Don't You Get a Job on their other albums.
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Okay, but see, this isn't about "I prefer this album." It's what is the most representative of the band's work as a whole? Americana was a red herring. They didn't do many songs like Pretty Fly or Why Don't You Get a Job on their other albums.
they did, just not as well. i still maintain that Pretty Fly is a pretty damning and spot-on satire of it's subject matter. but yeah, as far as "most representative," that'd still be Ixnay. There's hints on the first album of what they'd acheive with Ixnay, and there's several songs that came after it which reference it sonically.
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The thing to remember about the Offspring is they are boring as all hell.
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The thing to remember about the Offspring is they are boring as all hell, WUH-HOOOOO
fix'd.
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YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH
*plays some Crazy Taxi*
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I'd disagree with You're Living All Over Me. While that's a great album, I still think Where You Been does a better job of putting everything they're good at into one cohesive whole.
Built To Spill -Keep it Like a Secret
This is the album that perfected the three-guitar attack that BTS is so well known for. They took all the great angular riffs from Perfect From Now on and added all the extended jams and improvisation that Martsch is so awesome at.
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I had a tough time choosing between the two. Where You Been is certainly J at the apex of his songcrafting abilities, but You're Living All Over Me is the most impressive collection of the whole group's work. It's does everything every other Dinosaur Jr. album does but better.
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I think Where You Been is my personal favorite.
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Sigur Ros - Takk...
Some might disagree, but in my opinion Takk... is hands-down the BEST album Sigur Ros has put out. There is not a single song on there that is anything less than heart-meltingly tear-inducingly beautiful. The mood is there, the weird atmosphere, and the songwriting is just impeccable. One of my favorite albums of all time.
Sorry, have to disagree. The first Sigur Ros album I listened to was ( ), and I enjoyed it, though I still can't really sit through it. Then I got Agaetis Byrjun, and I literally had my ears opened to good music. Looking back now, I no longer worship it like I did, but Agaetis Byrjun is by far the best album Sigur Ros has ever put out, and has their best songwriting and timbre experimentation. The darkly atmospheric blues of Flugufrelsarinn and Hjartad hamast (bamm bamm bamm), the sunny orchestral dreamy pop of Svefn-g-englar and Staralfur, the absolutely epic introspection (paradox? perhaps) of Vidrar vel til loftarasa, and the simplicity of the title track...there is not a bad song on this album, with the exception of the intro track and the final track, which serve as effective bookends to a dreamy whirlwind of emotion and sensation.
Fugazi- Repeater
It is ridiculously difficult to pick one Fugazi album, but I think Repeater is the correct choice to document their musical and ethical origins. However, one of my favorite things about Fugazi is that they so visibly challenged themselves to grow and evolve as artists, and their later albums are so interesting and engaging. I think End Hits is my absolute favorite Fugazi album.
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Neil young - on the beach
If you haven't heard this, hear it. please. at some point in my life, this fit perfectly with the way that i felt because of the gritty, raw, hopelessness that it presented to me. i could relate to it. i though that it was beautiful. i still do. absolutely perfect. it begins with a song saying "fuck it" to any quarrels that may have once been, and continues on with a batch of tracks infected with loneliness, paranoia, disdain, and an immediate loss of innocence. neil young is able to create a complete masterpiece with his despair on this record, and for a time this was the only album i cared about.
arcade fire - neon bible
when this first came out i sort of just cast it off, thinking that it was not as good as funeral. i probably only listened to it entirely two times before about three months ago. i randomly turned it on one day, and since then, it has been one of the only albums i have listened to. i have become very aware of religion in the past year (something i disregarded for my entire life until now), and this album is something that i can really relate to now. great example of religious angst and, really, a loss of faith in society as a whole. a very effective album.
can - tago mago
just listen to it if you haven't.
radiohead - amnesiac
at first i was completely obsessed with kid a. i'm sure many people were. i love them both, but after years of them both, amnesiac has to be my favorite. it is the first album that i decided not to listed to while on drugs because it was too fucking much.
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radiohead - amnesiac
at first i was completely obsessed with kid a. i'm sure many people were. i love them both, but after years of them both, amnesiac has to be my favorite. it is the first album that i decided not to listed to while on drugs because it was too fucking much.
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.
I guess it's OK Computer, much as it isn't my favourite album of theirs (Kid A FTW)
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can - tago mago
just listen to it if you haven't.
Also, this.
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Imaginations From The Other Side - Blind Guardian
Thrash-influenced power metal in all its angry, intense, yet deliciously melodic glory. This album isn't just everything that's good about Blind Guardian - it's everything that's good about melodic metal. Deliberate, well-measured riffs, soaring, full-bodied vocals and relevant, attention-grabbing solos make this an album (and band, really) to remember.
This album marked the point where Blind Guardian really stepped up their album production, but were still holding on to the heavy thrash influences in their music. Basically, this album isn't just one of their very best, but an excellent median between their earlier, thrashier work and their later, more melodic music.
Highly recommended to anyone who digs melodic metal, or who likes intense, driving hard rock but is put off by elements of extreme metal.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
This is a necessity, not only because of the way this defined Sabbath's sound, but because of this album's worth in any study of the development of rock and heavy metal music. The songwriting on this is magnificent, especially considering this album acts more like a high distorted blues record than a rock record at the time. Plus, the riffage here is just amazing. Black Sabbath wrote the best doom-metal riff before doom metal was a goddamned term. Tony Iommi is irrefutably one of the alpha gods of rock guitar, crafting rhythm and lead sections with equal deftness and quality.
Led Zeppelin I - Led Zeppelin
*I had a large paragraph here, but I was wrong about song placement.
So I'll just say that people should start with the first one. And witness the progression for themselves.
Any Album From '69 to '75 - Deep Purple
Seriously, so many great songs here. Purple are basically the rock band as far as I'm concerned. Black Night, Highway Star, Speed King, Stormbringer, Burn, Soldier of Fortune, Strange Kind of Woman, Space Truckin', the list does not stop for a long time. Any album within this time frame paints a good picture. I'm a bit tempted to err towards In Rock. But really, any album within the time frame will do here.
The rock band.
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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.
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"Black Sheep Boy"- Okkervil River
"The Low End Theory"- A Tribe Called Quest
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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.
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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.
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Les Savy Fav came on shuffle today.
Inches is the one worth buying, if you didn't know.
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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.
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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.
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Les Savy Fav came on shuffle today.
Inches is the one worth buying, if you didn't know.
+ rome
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I'm disagreeing with Paul here. Let It Be, over Revolver? *sigh*
hah i would say the white album...
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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)
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hah i would say the white album...
I'd have too agree. It has the most even mix between weird experimentation and poppy tunes.
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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...
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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
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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?
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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?
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ATOM HEART MOTHER
period, no exceptions (maybe one for Ummagumma, the second disc is geniusss)
...
...
...
HUH?
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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.
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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?
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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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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i thought we already established that the best Built to Spill album is Perfect From Now On OKAY
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Overproduceddddddddddddd
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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Nobody walks up to someone else and asks, "What's your favorite Neutral Milk Hotel album?" because NOBODY FUCKING CARES
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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?'
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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.
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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.
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I think a lot of NMH fans are in denial about how creepy some of Jeff's lyrics are.
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I think a lot of NMH fans are in denial about how creepy some of Jeff's lyrics are.
or how much his music flat out sucks.
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Sublime - Sublime
Has two good songs on it.
Yup, that's their best album.
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Winter in June by Project
Though it's a few years old by now I still turn to this album when I get bored of everything else.
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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!
For Iron Maiden, worst is a term that's more or less out of place. In the thirty or so years they have been at it, they've only put out one album (the one with Blayze Bailey instead of Bruce) I'd consider bad. FOTD I definetly don't think is as good as, say Number of the Beast or Killers, but I do consider it a very good album. In retrospect, NOTB is probably best fits the spirit of the thread, though. I'll have to agree with you, that in terms of what Maiden's "one" album is, it's not FOTD.
There must be more metal heads than just myself on this forum. I'll post some more a little later.
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I'm looking at Sonic Youth and am wondering which of their albums I would pick over the rest, and realizing how hard it is to choose from a band that practically reinvents their sound every half-a-dozen years or so...
My personal preference goes to Washing Machine, but Sister and of course Daydream Nation would be up there.
But I really would take Washing Machine over anything else for it's long, meandering, beautiful songs that I think is what SY is about. Or it could be "The Diamond Sea" is just really good :-D
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I would go so far as saying it would either be Sister or EVOL. Though, I am sure if you asked a lot of Sonic Youth fans, it would almost certainly be Daydream Nation.
However, if I were trying to introduce someone onto Sonic Youth, I would probably have them listen to either Sonic Nurse or Murray Street.
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R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
This album is just absurdly fantastic even though it veers into sappy more than once. It's amazing though, some of the songs - in particular, Find The River is a haunting masterpiece - just blow my mind in a way no other music really does. Considering my short attention span for music (changing mid-song, etc.) this is one of the few albums I can listen to straight through. It has its share of classic R.E.M. on it too, like Nightswimming and Everybody Hurts. Their sound changed a lot over their long career so it's hard to fully represent it in one album, but I think Automatic for the People is a good start.
To sum up, if you listen to one R.E.M. album ever, listen to this one. If you think R.E.M. sucks, if you listen to one R.E.M. song ever, make it Find the River and you will not regret it.
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Ok I'm sorry but here are some CD's that I have actually heard of: (I know I do not have Correct Musical Taste)
Motion City Soundtrack -- Commit This to Memmory
Their sophomore CD, I have a tough time choosing between this and I Am The Movie. But in the end, I go with Commit because, well... it blends better. Sure, I Am the Movie has a few amazing pieces on it that you can't help rock out to. But at the same time, it has a few that just fall flat, and so you end up enjoying individual pieces. Now not all of CTtM is amazing. But it all has a mood, a feeling that you can get a hold of much more easily. And to be honest, it would probably win on the merits of LGfuad alone.
Brand New -- Deja Entendu
Once again an extremely tough one. This time because, well... each of their CD's marks a very specific time in the band's development, and to be honest they barely sound as though they were created by the same group of people. This is especially obvious in the newest release. But once again, I have to choice the middle CD. To me it captures the most of the youthful energy from when they first formed, as well as incorporating some of the more lyrical maturity they grew into. Not to mention their talent for lyrical allegory.
And I have to address the (much) earlier review of blink-182. Yes, Enema of the State was arguable the CD that defined them. But to me it's still a stage in their development. It is certainly their most well-known CD. But it's still a tad too immature for me. I'd definitely go with Untitled, or maybe Take Off Your Pants. Not to say Enema isn't fun... dang it now I need to go listen to all of those again.
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Rosie Thomas - If Songs Could Be Held
Almost the definition of a female folk singer Rosie Thomas produces beautiful melodies and lyrics on her albums. This is to me the pinnacle of them with it's slow-paced, brilliant folk lyrics and simple acoustic guitar melodies.
Brand New -- Deja Entendu
Once again an extremely tough one. This time because, well... each of their CD's marks a very specific time in the band's development, and to be honest they barely sound as though they were created by the same group of people. This is especially obvious in the newest release. But once again, I have to choice the middle CD. To me it captures the most of the youthful energy from when they first formed, as well as incorporating some of the more lyrical maturity they grew into. Not to mention their talent for lyrical allegory.
I agree with the summary of their work, i.e. each album is quite a big change from the previous one but to me, Deja Entendu is the weakest. Not to say that its a weak album because it certainly isn't but for the youthful energy songs like Seventy Times 7 and Jude Law and A Semester Abroad from Your Favourite Weapon are surely more apparent?
My personal favourite is the newest album TDAGARIOM (abbreviated) whereby they seem to have matured a lot while keeping the same lyrical emotion from the earlier albums.
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Hm. Good points. Actually, upon listening to them again for the first time in a while after writing my post, I have to change my choice over to Your Favorite Weapon. Stuff like Sudden Death In Carolina and Soco Amaretto Lime are the real reasons I love them. I can understand what you mean, Devil and God is an amazing album lyrically. But I can't bring myself to fully appreciate all the subtle, sweeping tones in the newer stuff. I know they're more mature and dark and elevated musically and emotionally, but the pop-punk lover in me needs something more accessible (for lack of a better term).
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I don't know, Deja Entendu would win for me on the basis that it ends with "Play Crack the Sky," which is a fucking fantastic song and Jesse will never write anything quite like it.
Each of their albums possess a different kind of charm. Your Favorite Weapon has a youthful energy and some really great hooks, Deja Entendu has got some great catchy pieces and a real bleeding-heart romanticism to it and is more subdued sound, whereas The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me is more bitter and dark and at times is loud and chaotic ("Welcome to Bangkok"). I haven't listened to these albums in forever, though, so I am going from memory.
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I've never listened to their first album, and the last album starts off well but by half way thru I usually lose interest and go with something else. So I'd have to go with Deja Entendu being my favorite.
EDIT for stupid typos.
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Less known metal acts:
Amorphis- Tales of The Thousand Lakes
Amorphis has done albums of differing styles over the years before settling on a more HIMesque brand of music starting with the album Am Universum. Tales is far from this. Amorphis was put on the map of the metal world with this album with its blend of folk music, doom metal with alternating death growls and "clean" vocals.
Katatonia- Last Fair Deal Gone Down
This is very gloomy music. The album is very simple and well arranged. The lyrics are very soulful while not over the top(bottom?). If I was to pick 3 metal albums for the indy rock fan to listen to, this would be one of them. The others include Neurosis' A Sun that Never Sets and...
The Gathering- Mandylion
Very moody and atmospheric. The singer's vocals are stunning and awe inspiring. Some tracks are heavier than others, but in a very pleasant way. This is one of the few bands that have been able to take dissonance and spin it in a way that is beyond novelty. Highest of accolades to the Gathering for this album especially.
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Katatonia
Didn't these guys cover Jeff Buckley's Nightmares by the Sea? Sounded like a pretty solid band. I shall proceed to "check out" this band yes.
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Skinny Puppy - Last Rights
This was a tough one because the album is so difficult to begin with. A better starting out choice would probably be Too Dark Park, but this one means more. It's just so dense And scary. There's a quality here to the music that is not found in any other Skinny Puppy disc, one of depseration, I suppose. THis is the end and they're really going to be taking everyone with them....violently, but oddly quietly. I mean that because it's a very intimate album. Key keeps that steady by being a madman on what has been termed "drumosaurus", a gigantic mishmash kit of analog and triggered drums that's been built and re-built many times over. His programming and mixing are top notch as well, but I think a lot of the credit for the overall denseness, the mass of sound, goes do Goettel, who joined the band with Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate and his touch is so apparent here you immediately notice his absence now that he's sadly passed on.
Ogre's lyrics are particulary inward, which is odd for him. He's usually more politacal in his mindset as he's prone to tackle issues of animal rights or ecological abuses. This was also one of the few albums where he refused to have the lyrics printed in the tray insert, which only added to the mystiqe.
This is sort of the height of the Key/Goettel/Ogre days of excessive drug use and it definitely shows throughout. There is a story that follows that on the track Knowhere?, Ogre fell into an drug enduced seizure that was later processed through filters and kept in the track.
Tracks to hear at least once would be Love in Vein, Killing Game, Knowhere?, Mirrorsaw, Scrapyard (probably my favourite track), Lustchance and Dowload but I encourage just a dark room and a rainy night and some headphones to enjoy the hole thing. Mutiple listens will be rewarded.