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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: I Am Not Amused on 14 Apr 2005, 00:11
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So I compile and recompile this list every once in awhile, when I'm feeling up to the sometimes monumental task. This time it took me a little over two weeks to compile the list itself and write down all my reasonings. Since I am bored and this is a music forum, I shall post it here for your insulting pleasure.
Without further ado..
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My Top 25 Albums Of All Time
Number Twenty-Five is The Postal Service's Give Up
Why? Because sure, it's been namedropped on the O.C. Sure, snippets are used for MTV commercials or programs all the freaking time. None of that changes the fact that Jimmy Tamberello's beats and programming here are gorgeous and flawless, from the keyboard drone that opens the album to the dense, Aphex Twin-esque beats and soundscapes that close it. Oh yeah, there's that Ben Gibbard guy, too, who sings beautifully on top of it all with a poignancy and honesty that you'll never find in Orange County.
Favorite Tracks: "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," "This Place Is A Prison," "Brand New Colony"
Number Twenty-Four is Green Day's American Idiot
Why? Because it show's Billy Joe Armstrong's coming of age, by weaving a 57 minute tale of personality changes, found and lost love, and reluctant acceptance. Do you remember this band's previous opus? It had two songs about masturbation on it! This shows the band in full control of their sound, with a perfectly clear vision of what they want out of an album. There are so many affecting moments on this album, and it's so strong and consistent throughout the whole album. It's hard to believe this band went from "Longview" to this, but they did. And it's utterly brilliant.
Favorite Tracks: "Jesus of Suburbia," "Letterbomb," "Whatsername"
Number Twenty-Three is Radiohead's The Bends
Why? Because it shows that Radiohead were once upon a time a rock band and a damn good one at that. Not to discredit their later achievement (they'll show up twice more on this list) but The Bends will always be special and unique in Radiohead's collection. Before they became obsessed with keyboards, electronics and the Warp Records catalouge, they used their three guitar attack in a brilliant, beautiful way. Many people will always remember "Fake Plastic Trees" but for me, it's more about the eastern style guitars with the cathartic freakout in "My Iron Lung" or the initial moments of "Just" that make this album. While Radiohead would move on and be better, they showed the world that they would be just as amazing as a straight ahead rock band.
Favorite Tracks: "Just," "My Iron Lung," "Street Spirit (Fade Out)"
Number Twenty-Two is Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Why? Because it is a stark, open and honest portrayal of Jeff Tweedy and his life at the time. Forget the delays. Forget the stories. Forget the movie, and please just listen to the record. Disjointed, beautiful, sullen and interior. It's like looking in on someone's private journal and feeling distinctly touched at being allowed to do so. After listening, you feel strangely haunted, as if Tweedy's cigarette stained voice will follow you into your dreams.
Favorite Tracks: "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," "Radio Cure," "Pot Kettle Black"
Number Twenty-One is Built To Spill's There Is Nothing Wrong With Love
Why? Because of guitar heroics, weird vocal harmonies, lyrics about everything from elementary school romances to stepfathers who look like David Bowie, hooks coming at you every fifteen seconds. This album has everything a great pop record should, so much so that you don't even feel silly singing about 'popping off three times a week.' Doug Martsch managed to throw just about every topic in life into sharp relief, taking things seriously while still having a wry sense of humor about it.
Favorite Tracks: "Car," "Fling," "Stab"
Number Twenty is The Arcade Fire's Funeral
Why? Because it is a passionate, intense experience. Win Butler howls and caterwauls, Regine Chassagne flirts with Bjork and Mary Hansen of Stereolab with her vocal stylings. Every song is an anthem, a call to arms, a coming of age all rolled into one. Strings and bells sit comfortably with angry, buzzing guitars and driven rhythm sections. Hidden amongst the energetic brilliance are quiet, reflective tracks that throw the rest of the album into stark contrast. An album to make your voice hoarse, to take you through the entire emotional gauntlet and make you feel at home.
Favorite Tracks: "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)," "Wake Up"
Number Nineteen is The Notwist's Neon Golden
Why? Because it is subdued, beautiful and affecting. The mood is immediatly set by plucked violin strings, but the insturmentation and beauty of the entire work comes at you from all directions. One can never really tell what's going to happen next, but it's easy to tell that it's going to be delicate, hushed and gorgeous. Markus Acher's tenor is soft, fragile and the German evident in his voice just makes the English seem all the more beautiful.
Favorite Tracks: "One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand," "One With The Freaks," "Consequence"
Number Eighteen is Built To Spill's Perfect From Now On
Why? Because, after being signed to a major label, most bands cut back on the experimentation. Strip away some of the more unpalatable aspects of their music. It would have been incredibly easy for Built To Spill to do this. There were an Avril Lavigne production team away from being pop darlings. What did they do instead? They made dense, guitar crafted symphonies, bordering on shoegaze at times. Still they kept their pop sensibilities and their songwriting craft intact, and ended up making the best album of their careers.
Favorite Tracks: "I Would Hurt A Fly," "Velvet Waltz," "Untrustable, Pt. 2"
Number Seventeen is Modest Mouse's Building Nothing Out Of Something
Why? Because, despite the fact that this album is a b-sides and rarities compilation, it still managed to be a coherant and truly Modest Mouse album. "Neverending Math Equation," "Interstate 8," and "A Life Of Arctic Sounds" are still live staples and are better than some album tracks. Modest Mouse always had a penchant for epic tracks ("The Stars Are Projectors," "Trucker's Atlas") but none were as catchy and as able to hold their length as "Other People's Lives." The reason this album is so good is because, though it could have been a throw-away, scattershot recording, they made it into another brilliant Modest Mouse album.
Favorite Tracks: "Neverending Math Equation," "Interstate 8," "A Life Of Arctic Sounds"
Number Sixteen is Boom Bip and Doseone's Circle
Why? Because it is the single most confounding, confusing, difficult album I've ever heard in my entire life. Entirely unlike anything I've heard before or since, this album takes snippets from just about every type of music imaginable and combines them all into a startling cohesive masterpiece. Over this, Doseone raps, speaks, sings and narrates in jarring, broken mirror poetry. His voice, somewhere between Eminem and a nerdy AP English student, matches perfectly with the patchwork production. It took me about six or seven listens to be able to sit through this entire album as a whole. But once I did, I knew I would never forget a single moment of it.
Favorite Tracks: "Dead Man's Teal," "Questions Over Coffee," "The Birdcatcher's Return"
Number Fifteen is Modest Mouse's Lonesome Crowded West
Why? Because of the sheer visceral quality of watching Modest Mouse mature as a band. More coherant and mature than their debut album (which appears later in this list) it showed Modest Mouse gaining musical ideas and gaining confidence in their abilities. "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine" and "Heart Cooks Brain" with a one-two punch of classic Mouse - frenetic energy and quiet contemplation, but both are more ambitious, and better concieved than any songs on their predecessor. Overall the album is a wonderful statement of Modest Mouse's ability to experiment and grow as musicians.
Favorite Tracks: "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine," "Heart Cooks Brain," "Trailer Trash"
Number Fourteen is The Wrens' Meadowlands
Why? Because it showed me a whole different side of life. Tackling relationships, love and life from a completely different perspective than I was used to, the Wrens did it with the patience and honesty that only comes from age. Whether it be tackling infidelity, letting love slip through your fingers, or the thrill of your life that only comes with being on stage and performing, the Wrens did it all without hiding behind metaphors or their music. They put it all forward, for everyone to see. It makes me hope I'll be able to do the same when I'm forty-something.
Favorite Tracks: "Happy," "She Sends Kisses," "Ex-Girl Collection"
Number Thirteen is Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream
Why? Because of Billy Corgan, while never more anal retentive than on this album, was also never more genius. He recorded most of the guitars, including the bass, all by himself in the studio. While some might take this, along with his obvious pretentiousness, as a sign of doom for this album, it actually produced the Pumpkins' most amazing album of their careers. The album was an excersive in duality, both honest and self-decieving, both angry and resigned. It somehow managed to portray every human emotion, all in 13 all-too-short songs.
Favorite Tracks: "Disarm," "Soma," "Mayonaise"
Number Twelve is The Dismemberment Plan's Emergency & I
Why? Because it can make me feel everything I've ever felt in my entire life in its twelve too short tracks of pure genius. Between manic, crazed blasts of pure energy like "Girl O'Clock" or "I Love A Magician," amazing reflective tracks like "The Jitters" and "Spider In The Snow," and beautifully constructed tunes like "What Do You Want Me To Say?" and "The City," this album encapsulates what indie rock is all about, and does so in a way that touches my heart every single time I listen.
Favorite Tracks: "What Do You Want Me To Say?," "Gyroscope," "The City"
Number Eleven is Elliott Smith's XO
Why? Because, while not as brutally telling as his two albums previous (which show up later in this list), it was a beautiful, majestic retelling of Elliott's music. Taking George Harrison inspired melodies and insturmentation and adding them to his close-to-the-bone lyrics and his ghostly whisper of a voice, Elliott simaltaneously brought us closer and pushed us farther away. His lyrics were still as honest as ever, but the insturmentation distracted us from listening at times, and just allowed us to bask in the glory of its melodies.
Favorite Tracks: "Waltz #2 (XO)," "Pitselah," "I Didn't Understand"
Number Ten is Modest Mouse's This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Why? Because it is the story of a band just having so much fucking fun making music. Taking apart their infulences and recombining them in a type of indie rock that was distinctly unique to Modest Mouse, they screamed, sang and lisped songs about the cities that were encroaching their homelands, and the people they encountered during this suburban sprawl. While later albums would show them reigning themselves in to a tigther sound, this barely contained little ball of rage and sadness is the perfect catharsis for any rage or sadness that may be in your life.
Favorite Tracks: "Beach Side Property," "Ohio," "Space Travel Is Boring"
Number Nine is At The Drive-In's In/Casino/Out
Why? Because of every time I am disenchanted. Whenever I feel like I can see exactly how the world around me is working, and I don't like the vision, I put on this record. It somehow both throws this vision into sharp focus and relieves me from it as well. From the anthmatic cries from "Napoleon Solo" to the Bowie-esque piano driven "Hourglass," this album tackles ideas from friends dying to who knows what in their thesarus required lyrics. Somehow, the music makes you not care one damn wit about what 'syntax error' means, and transforms it to the most important sentiment in the world.
Favorite Tracks: "Hulahoop Wounds," "Lopsided," "Transatlantic Foe"
Number Eight is Elliott Smith's Elliott Smith
Why? Because if you ever have wondered what a ghost sounds like, you'd know by listening to this album. Hushed, quiet and haunting, Elliott's delicate guitar pieces sit quietly beneath his diary entries about drugs, alcohol and personal relationships. You can almost hear his resigned sighs as he turns once again to drugs in "The White Lady Loves You More," you can almost hear his heart breaking on "The Biggest Lie." It was these not quite auditory sounds that made Elliott so touching, they were the way he touched the hearts of everyone who listened.
Favorite Tracks: "Needle In The Hay," "Clementine," "The Biggest Lie"
Number Seven is Weezer's Weezer (Blue Album)
Why? Because it is the catchiest album of all time. Disagree? Pull out your copy - I know you have one, or at least had one, no matter who you are or were - and listen to it. Hah! You still remember all the words, don't you? How could you forget? From the opening cry of "My Name Is Jonas," to the final sighing of "Only In Dreams," you can still recall every single world. Just look at you, trying to pass yourself off as the new indie. It's okay, just submit. I did. You'll feel a whole lot better.
Favorite Tracks: "No One Else," "Say It Ain't So," "In The Garage"
Number Six is Elliott Smith's Either/Or
Why? Because it is Elliott's definitive statement. The poetry of his self-titled album had settled into brutal honesty and unforgiving character sketches, of others and of himself. The insturmentation wasn't anywhere near the grandiose string sections and piano pieces of XO, but still was beginning to move away from simple acoustic guitar meanderings. Sonically, it sounds like Elliott is caught in the middle of his too musical extremes, but it works the best somehow. Maybe because it always seemed like Elliot was caught in the middle when you listened to him, never knowing which direction he was being pulled in.
Favorite Tracks: "Between The Bars," "Angeles," "Say Yes"
Number Five is Radiohead's OK Computer
Why? Because it shows a band that knows what it wanted to do and knew exactly how to do it. Being tired of confined by the label of guitar rock, Radiohead created this album as a way of breaking out of that shell. It still had it's moments of guitar heroics (see: "Paranoid Android") but also had it's moments of perfectly sculpted atmospherics ("Let Down") and brilliant songcrafting ("Exit Music (For A Film)"). It was the sound of a band tired of what they had already done as well as they possibly could, and finding a way to move on. In the wake of their attempt, they left an utterly brilliant album that no other band in transition could have accomplished.
Favorite Tracks: "Paranoid Android," "Exit Music (For A Film)," "Lucky"
Number Four is ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's Source Tags & Codes
Why? Because it is the ultimate in catharsis. I know that I have thrown that term around a lot here in this list, but if you want an album that will purge you of all the frustrations of daily living, than this is it. Try to deny the manic-depressive screams of "Homage," try to be unmoved by the longing of "How Near, How Far." Whenever I feel frustrated, I put this on at full volume and thrash just about everything that is unbreakable in reach. All of this culminates in the message of hope in the final title track: "I don't know what in this world is trying to save me/But I can feel its hand and it's guiding me in sign"
Favorite Tracks: "Homage," "Days Of Being Wild," "Source Tags & Codes"
Number Three is Everclear's So Much For The Afterglow
Why? Because it is quite possibly the most perfect pop record I have ever heard. I know that this pick will certainly get a lot of indie kids riled up, surprised or confused. But I just can't help it. Art Alexakis throws out some of the most honest, brightest lyrics without even really trying on this album. It's the sound of a band absolutely comfortable with themselves, absolutely convinced that they are making something great. While nothing on this disc is as infectiously catchy as "Santa Monica," everything on this disc is tighter, more fleshed out and just plain better than anything off of their previous effort. Crucify me if you must, indie kids, but when you do I'll just be singing "This is a song about Susan..."
Favorite Tracks: "Everything To Everyone," "Amphetamine," "Sunflowers"
Number Two is Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica
Why? Because of the very first time I heard it. I remember listening to this album for the very first time, in my computer room in the summer of 2001. Every single song, every single second of every single song, was instantly etched into my head and into my heart from then on out. It was amazing. It was as if Isaac Brock and company had made this record just to speak with me. As if it was telling the story of my life, and not Brock's. Broken into three sections, an opening section of classic Modest Mouse, a spacey, desolate second movement that breaks your heart every time you listen, and a experimental, frenetic tail end, it sounded like a person on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Confused, lonely, convinced that "Everything that keeps me together is fallin' apart," Isaac Brock took off the philosophical gas station attendant cap for the first time and made something wholly beautiful. Every time I listen, I find something new to marvel at. And of course, in true Modest Mouse fashion, the only way to end an album this contemplative and restrained is with a burst of manic energy and frustration. The closing scream summing up everything the past 16 tracks said in just a second and a half.
Favorite Tracks: "Paper Thin Walls," "Life Like Weeds," "What People Are Made Of"
Number One is Radiohead's Kid A
Why? Because it made me into the music fan I am today. Before this album, I was your typical, uninformed high school kid. I liked my radio rock, and even the occassional pop song, if it struck my fancy. I bought this album on a whim, having heard it mentioned by someone, though not knowing anything about Radiohead, or of what this album was supposed to be like. I took one listen. And I was utterly blown away. From the humming keyboard drones of "Everything In Its Right Place," I knew I had just stepped over a line that I could never go back across, especially because everything I was hearing sounded so natural, so right. It was beautiful, to quote A Clockwork Orange, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousosity made flesh. Just as classical music sounded to Alex's ears, Kid A made it's way into my brain synapses and made a home there, expanding and growing until it changed me into the musician I am today. Fifty plus minutes of absolute perfection, I can hardly wait until I play it again. In fact, you know what, maybe I should put it on right now.
Favorite Tracks: "Everything In Its Right Place," "How To Disappear Completely," "Idioteque"
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I love making lists... But making a top 25 was a real challenge...
Here is a quick and dirty one from me:
25 Led Zeppelin - II
24 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the pink robots
23 The Jam - All Mod Cons
22 Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
21 Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
20 Nirvana - Nevermind
19 Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
18 The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
17 Sentridoh - Free Sentridoh Songs From Loobiecore
16 The Beatles - White Album
15 Led Zeppelin - IV
14 Sex Pistols - Never mind the Bollocks
13 The Decemberists - Her Majesty
12 Elliot Smith - Elliot Smith
11 Sebadoh - Bakesale
10 Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
9 Arcade Fire - Funeral
8 The Clash - London Calling
7 Marvin Gaye - Lets Get it On
6 The Apples In Stereo - The Discovery of a world inside the Moone
5 Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
4 Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane over The Sea
3 Nick Drake - Pink Moon
2 Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
1 The Who - Who's Next
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I liked yours Banana Hamock, well, apart from the Nirvana
good call with NMH and Decemberists
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I liked yours Banana Hamock, well, apart from the Nirvana
good call with NMH and Decemberists
I wasn't quite sure about that one myself, but I thought they maybe deserved a mentioning... I used to love them when I was younger, I don't as much anymore since my knowledge of music increased at least a bit (partly thanks to this site :))
Only NMH and the Decemberists ? :)
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Mine changes on a weekly basis, when I keep finding new and old stuff that maes me go 'OMG this is the best thing I've ever heard!' in a lame fashion, but for now:
Bright Eyes - Fevers and Mirrors
Radiohead - OK Computer
Mansun - Six (don't laugh, I like them, damnit, and this was good)
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Tilly and the Wall - Wild Like Children
Willy Mason - Where the Humans Eat
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Easyworld - Better Ways to Self Destruct
Pixies - Doolittle
2manyDjs - as heard on Radio Soulwax
The Faint - Danse Macabre
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead
Suede - Suede
Jeff Buckley - (Sketches for) My Sweetheart The Drunk
Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova - One jug of wine, two vessels
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Son, Ambulance- Key
Magazine - Where the power is
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Hefner - The Fidelity Wars
Felix Da Housecat - Kittenz and Thee Glitz
Azure Ray - Hold on Love
Muse - Showbiz
The Good Life - Album of the Year
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning
There's so much else, but these are just the albums I can listen to on repeat and not get bored of, I don't mind that they're all pretty recent..
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The Flaming Lips get a big thumbs up too, as do Iron Wine and Arcade Fire but no broken social scene?. they'd definatly make mine.
Another thing,just becasue you've got 'older' doesnt mean that you should stop liking NMH. they are teh aceness
ps. id do a list if i wasnt so damned lazy
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The Flaming Lips get a big thumbs up too, as do Iron Wine and Arcade Fire but no broken social scene?. they'd definatly make mine.
Another thing,just becasue you've got 'older' doesnt mean that you should stop liking NMH. they are teh aceness
ps. id do a list if i wasnt so damned lazy
I meant i don't like NIRVANA as much anymore... I LOVE NMH, they're one of my all time favourite groups, as my list reflects...
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aha, silly me.
Nirvana sets me off balance it seems....
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i just decided not to make a list like that, because there would be at least 3 nirvana albums in it. ;)
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Yeah, that's a big 'shut up' right there...
I would do one.... but I have to go home, and go into town to meet one of my women(Hannah, before you ask Sturge)
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Well I've donned the rope and the safety equipment and dived into my C.D. collection, and after a lot of hard graft I've managed to come up with a top 25. I had to start off with a short-list of 53, then to narrow that down I decided to only have one album from each artist . . . And after that it got difficult! That left me with 32, and it hurt me so to cut out the final seven - but here it goes, in alphabetical order:
Louis Armstrong: Plays W.C. Handy
If it's high summer, and you're outside on the back verandah sharing a meal and a bottle of wine with some good friends, put this album on. The mood is complete.
Count Basie: The Original American Decca Recordings
'30s swing at its peak - big band doesn't get any better than this.
Cat Power: Moon Pix
A divisive one, but listening to it in the shop to decide whether or not to buy it, an idea for a story suddenly popped into my head - that prompted me to buy the album, and for the next fortnight I listened to nothing else. Thus did this album become part of me.
The Clash: London Calling
Do I really have to explain? The presence of "Rudy Can't Fail" alone would make this one of the greatest albums ever.
Sam Cooke: Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
It's not often that an album goes straight into your list of favourites the minute you buy it. This is one of those records that divides your life into "before" and "after".
Miles Davis: Round About Midnight
Not one of his most famous recordings - many would say not even one of his best. But for me this is the greatest band Davis ever led - the legendary first quintet - at the height of its powers. If you're going to listen to one jazz performance in your life, make it "Bye Bye Blackbird" from this album - especially for the stunning piano solo by Red Garland.
Herb Ellis: Nothing But the Blues
More jazz - though, obviously, of a blues bent. Although, as is the way with jazz reissues, the album has been supplemented with additional tracks, on the original 8 tunes there is literally not a bum note. And for me, jazz guitar starts and ends here.
Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby
The finest 11 p.m. music ever created. This is one of those recordings that re-sets the bar as far as its particular genre - in this case, the jazz piano trio - is concerned. Recorded live in 1961, this is all the more significant - and more tragic - for the fact that the brilliant bassist in the group, Scott LaFaro, died in a car accident only 10 days later.
Ella Fitzgerald: Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book
Well, what can I say? In 1959 Fitzgerald's voice was simply the most beautiful thing you'll ever hear - and Fitzgerald and the Gershwins deserved each other. As a writer, I'm especially fond of this album because it allows me to wallow in Ira Gershwin's lyrics - there's never been a better lyricist, in my opinion, and listening through the four C.D.s that make up this album is just to live in a world of sheer joy.
The Four Tops: Four Tops
For my money, the Tops were the best of Motown. Levi Stubbs' voice is the very definition of soul, and this album is vintage Motown right through - but particularly the classic opening track, "Baby I Need Your Loving".
Billie Holiday: The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Volume V
Though it's since been supplanted in my collection by the 10 (yes, 10) C.D. set of the complete Billie Holiday recordings of 1933-44, this was the first Holiday album I bought and even though the remastering is rough by later standards, it still holds a special place in my heart. It includes "On the Sentimental Side", which must be my favourite of all the Holiday recordings of the '30s and '40s.
Massive Attack: Blue Lines
Another instant classic. No matter how many times I hear songs such as "Safe From Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", they always sound fresh.
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um
For most people, myself included, the best album Mingus ever recorded. Aw, screw that, it's probably the best jazz album ever, full stop. Don't believe me? Just listen to "Better Git It in Your Soul".
Palace Music: Lost Blues and Other Songs
The beginning of my wonderful Will Oldham adventure. In Australia we have a weekly music show called "Rage" - every Saturday it's guest programmed by a touring band, either oversease or local, who play their favourite songs. When I was in my late teens "Ohio River Boat Song" popped up again and again. This album also includes possibly my favourite Oldham song (and that's a BIG call!), "Gulf Shores".
Charlie Parker: The Complete Dial Sessions
Another 4-C.D. set, though truth be told you could settle for just the master takes on 2 C.D.s. A Charlie Parker performance is a complete entity: you can't listen to just a snippet or it'll just sound like noise. But listen to one of the tunes off the last two C.D.s in this set, and you'll be hearing musical perfection. In particular I love the way he redefined jazz ballad playing: listening to Parker play a ballad is like listening to an inarticulate man trying to spurt out just how much he loves you. There are notes everywhere, but at heart it makes sense and it's beautiful.
Dolly Parton: The Grass is Blue
Yes, Dolly Parton. I am not ashamed! If you only buy one bluegrass album in your life, make it this one. Just listen to "Cash on the Barrelhead", or "Steady as the Rain", or "Will He Be Waiting For Me", or . . . Or just listen to the whole damn thing.
The Pixies: Doolittle
I know some people who look down on this album a little because they see it as the Pixies' "pop" album. Well fuck 'em, this is the one for me.
The Pogues: If I Should Fall From Grace With God
I had THREE Pogues albums in my shortlist. I went for this one because it combines everything that made the Pogues great when they were in their prime. And because it has "Fairytale of New York" on it.
The Sundays: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Long before the Shins, the Sundays were writing gorgeous pop songs with bitter, cynical lyrics. Just about every time I listen to this album I have a different favourite song, but I think all things considered the best would have to be "Can't Be Sure" - the point where the drums kick in and the whole song blossoms open is a weak-at-the-knees moment.
The Tea Party: Splendor Solis
Everybody has a favourite band that they worshipped in High School, and then grew out of. Before they disappeared up their own arses, the Tea Party released one brilliant album. Forget The Edges of Twilight - this is it.
The Waterboys: Fisherman's Blues
It's not often that you get an album that is not just a collection of songs, but a seamless whole from beginning to end. This is Mike Scott's most consistent album, and with songs such as the title track, "And a Bang on the Ear", and a classic cover of Van Morrisson's "Sweet Thing", it's also his best.
Ben Webster: Meets Oscar Peterson
Swoon! Arguably the most gorgeous tenor saxophone player the jazz world has ever produced, and this is his best. 38 minutes of heaven.
X: Los Angeles
Back when they made REAL punks on the West Coast. John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Billy Zoom, D.J. Bonebrake - is this the coolest band ever? Probably, but honestly who cares about cool when the music's this good. One of the great punk albums.
Lester Young and Teddy Wilson: Pres and Teddy
Lester Young - "Pres" - is probably the greatest tenor saxophone player ever. And yes, I'm including Coltrane in that. Truth be told, though, this album isn't his best - though it's still miles ahead of what most musicians could achieve - but it gets into the list because of Teddy Wilson, one of the absolute greats of jazz piano. Just listen to his solos on this album - the man had a gorgeous tone on the piano, unlike any jazz pianist who came before him.
Various artists: The Harder They Come Soundtrack
The ultimate reggae album - and there's not a Bob Marley track in sight! Though it's often remembered for Jimmy Cliff, who also starred in the film, some of the best songs on this album are the non-Cliff ones. This album was wildly influential on a generation of musicians when it came out (the Clash covered "Pressure Drop" - and on a rather less exalted level, Boney M covered "Rivers of Babylon, and (ugh) Tony Childes covered "Many Rivers to Cross"). Basically, this album comes down to one thing: you have one C.D. with Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, AND Toots and the Maytals, all at their peak. What more could you ask for?
(Honourable mentions: Duke Ellington, the Magnetic Fields, Uncle Tupelo, Jackie Leven, Darren Hanlon, the Violent Femmes, Coleman Hawkins . . . etc, etc.)
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Number One: Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning This album is a cursed painting of a horrible, frightening existance one man lives. A wrist-slitting suicidal classic, don't listen if you're depressed and have weapons nearby. Malefic's howls sound like the despair-filled cries of a phantom wandering aimlessly for centuries.
Number Two: Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath Quite the polar opposite from my first album, though it is fucking incredible in a different way. Melodic leads and a heavy-metal style to instrumentation put together with King Diamonds crazed falsetto voice yields a rocking, head-banging, yet evil as fuck album.
Number Three: Nokturnal Mortum - Goat Horns Epic. This album's intro uses a classical-music approach, tieing together themes from all of the other tracks to make the entire thing feel like one lengthy piece of music. Two keyboardists were used on this album, and it is really keyboard dominated yet folky at the same time.
Number Four: Burzum - Hvist Lyset Tar Oss There isn't much that needs to be said about this album. It's a masterpiece. Varg is a genius. My favorite of everything Burzum released.
Number Five: Sargeist - Satanic Black Devotion Incredibly cold and emotion-filled riffing. Simplistic in technique, very deep in feel. Hate just seeps from this album, yet some riffs do not fail to be quite catchy. You can definitely hear the influence from Behexen and Horna (in which members of Sargeist are also in)
Number Six: Judas Iscariot - Heaven In Flames Another album of very simple riffing, and yet with a touch of keyboard, it becomes epic, triumphant, and hateful at the same time. Displays the majestic hatred that a lot of BM bands shoot for but never manage to quite achieve.
Number Seven: Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve Large and frequent doses of DXM (A dissociative drug found in cough syrups) inspired this album heavily. The members remarked that a listener on a DXM "trip" would make more sense of this album. Even though I'm not a DXM user, this album is incredible. It sounds as if it was written in the darkness beneath thousands of feet of ocean. Sparse vocals and wandering guitars make this a really "hypnotic" listen.
Number Eight: Abyssic Hate - Suicidal Emotions Another "suicidal" (as the name implies) album. Whereas Xasthur's depressing is filled with the feeling of an alienated attachment to the supernatural and occult, this one gives off more of a pure depression and hopelessness often found in doom metal.
Number Nine: Absu - Tara Absu describes themselves as "mythological black/thrash metal" Proscriptors insane drumming sets this albums tempo at about a thousand fucking miles per hour, and the guitars keep the pace quite nicely. The riffs are very thrash-influenced, and jet this album doesn't lack it's epicness which the lyrics depict. Such tracks as "Stone Of Destiny" (in which Proscriptor showcases some clean vocals) are masterpieces that are hundreds of times better than your average dumb thrash metal song.
Number Ten: Mütiilation - Remains Of A Ruined, Dead, Curse Soul Meyna'ch strikes me as very mentally unstable. The best release from the infamous French Black Legions (or if you prefer, Les Legions Noire) this is truly a strain of detatched, ugly, raw, evil, painful, and horrible black metal not very friendly to the ear. Probably a pinnacle of raw and ugly black metal.
Maybe I'll post some more later. These are always subject to change of course.
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Number Two: Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
I'm going to see King Diamond next week. It's going to be really, really, awesome.
As for albums, shit, I can't think of a true top 25, but here's a good list anyway.
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Misfits - Legacy of Brutality
Effigies - Remains Nonviewable (it's a best of, but I'm still counting it)
Motorhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
Sheer Terror - Just Can't Hate Enough
Negative Approach - Tied Down
Slapshot - Step On It
Life of Agony - River Runs Red
Amazing Royal Crowns - Amazing Royal Crowns
Bruisers - Singles Collection (I know, another best of, sue me)
Cock Sparrer - Shock Troops
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Cro-Mags - Age of Quarrel
Judas Priest - Painkiller (or Screaming For Vengeance, tough call)
Skrewdriver - All Skrewed Up
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
Darkbuster - 22 Songs You'll Never Want to Hear Again
Black Flag - Damaged
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Who - Who's Next
Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
The Business - Suburban Rebels
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oh, alright. No Order
Kinks-Village Green Preservation Society
Neil Young-Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Can-Tago Mago
Big Black-Atomizer
Slowdive-Souvlaki
Polvo-Cor Crane Secret
Sonic Youth-EVOL
Fire Show-Saint the Fire Show
Comsat Angels-Waiting for a Miracle
Wire-Pink Flag
My Bloody Valentine-Isn't Anything
Growing-The Skies Run Into the Sea
Swell Maps-A Trip To Marineville
Swans-Great Anhilator
Slint-Spiderland
Charalambides-Market Square
Jack Rose-Opium Musick
PIL-Second Edition
Yellow Swans-Dreamed Yellow Swans
Skullflower-Exquisite Fucking Boredom
edit: Slowdive-Souvlaki (why did I forget the soundtrack to my nothing years).
Not quite sure if thats 25 more or less. Some of it reflects my current taste more then others.
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Ok, here goes. Every time I write this, it will probably be different, but this is what I'm thinking right now:
1. The Secret Stars - Genealogies: Geoff Farina and Jodi Buonanno (with help from Ted Leo, Ida and others) made the perfect album. The style varies drastically from song to song, jumping from sincere, confessional pop songs stripped down to the minimum number of sounds to walls of static. There are constant themes throughout it, though. It's too bad that it's been out of print for so long.
2. The Lucksmiths - Happy Secret: So much of my life is tied up in this album, I can't really judge it anymore. All I know is that "Untidy Towns" is one of the best pop songs ever written.
3. The Secret Stars - s/t: Much like the other Secret Stars album, with a softer feel to it. "Eyelashes" is the only song I still remember how to play on guitar, and I don't feel like I really need to learn anything else at this point.
4. Ted Leo/Rx - The Tyranny of Distance: This was the album that made me realize how much of a genius Ted Leo is. I liked his previous solo album quite a bit (much unlike probably everybody else in the world), but this album is unbelievably solid.
5. The Holy Childhood - Up With What I'm Down With: Cacophony with a purpose.
6. Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk: One of the prettiest things I've ever heard. Also one of the few indie albums that lives up to its legendary status (which has of course faded now that people other than wealthy hipsters can get their hands on it)
7. Heavenly - Operation Heavenly: Being simultaneously manic and beautiful is pretty hard to pull off, but Amelia Fletcher always seems to pull it off. There should probably be more of her stuff on this list, but this is the one I like the best.
8. eric Metronome - Lime Green: A three dollar cassette-only release that completely changed my taste in music back in high school. A lot of people say he sounds like Elliot Smith, which is pretty true, but also... not.
9. The Lucksmiths - A Good Kind of Nervous: Is it possible for an album to be more clever than this? That is a rhetorical question. The literal answer is "no".
10. Of Montreal - The Gay Parade: The happiest album about isolation ever written.
11. Ida - Ten Small Paces
12. Brittle Stars - s/t
13. Life Without Buildings - Any Other City
14. Karate - In Place of Real Insight
15. Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman
16. The Monorchid - Who Put Out the Fire?
17. Sarge - The Glass Intact
18. Yesteryear - Under the Rug
19. Belle and Sebatian - If You're Feeling Sinister
20. In My Living Room (compilation)
21. Beulah - Handsome Western States
22. Darren Hanlon - Hello Stranger
23. Hefner - The Fidelity Wars
24. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
25. From Bubblegum to Sky - Me and Amy and the Two French Boys
(I tried to write descriptions for everything, but I'm getting restless so I stopped at the top ten).
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I have a feeling mine shall be somewhat different to most of the others on this forum. The only rule I made myself is that I can't pick any band twice.
25: Ministry - Psalm 69
Yes, it is a fact. Ministry can only make truly awesome records when a Republican named Bush sits in the white-house. From the vast, beautifully blasphemic sample-fest of the title track to the 500 mph industrial speed metal of 'Jesus Built My Hotrod', this album shows the range and scope of the band in a way none of their albums even approached matching until 'Houses of the Mole' (which deserves an honourable mention).
24: Jack Off Jill - Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers
From their debut 'Sexless Demons and Scars', to this release JoJ made huge progress in song-writing and sophistication. Gone are the mono-textural, two chord songs, and in are a perfect synthesis of hard-rocking and the 'cutesy goth' aesthetic. Jessickas voice is in perfect form, switching from ennui-ridden disinterest to prepubescent innocence to riot grrl screams at the flick of a button.
23: Therion - Lemuria/Sirius B
Therions most ambitious project to date. Though nothing quite reaches up to the standard of the apocalyptic 'To Mega Therion' from their opus Theli the sheer scale and ambition of the album, which features performances by over 350 musicians, is staggering. Therions dense, unappolagetically occultic lyrics, delivered in a bizarre and wonderful mix of operatic and heavy metal styles, are once again the perfect complement for the immense, unique scale of the music. This album once and for all proves that extreme metal is firmly rooted in the structures of classical music. And in immense style too. I mean, a balalaika solo? Genius!
22: Nightwish - Once
With this release, Nightwish finally reconcile their metal half and their symphonic half, cutting a path between the keyboard overload of Angels Fall First and reconciling the influences of Oceanborn and Wishmaster to create a brilliantly satisfying album bereft of filler: a real doozie from the epic 'Ghost Love Score' to the satisfyingly heavy 'Romanticide'.
21: Inkubus Sukkubus - Vampyre Erotica
Inkubus Sukkubus' unique brand of 'Pagan Rock' blends eighties new wave and goth rock with a hefty dollop of celtic folk and classic 70's metal to create a wonderful blend, with 80's keyboards soaring over mechanical folk drums and twisting guitar riffs surmounted by Candia's beautiful vocals. Vampre Erotica is if not the bands best, then certainly my favourite of their works to date (Supernature deserving an honourable mention). The song-writing is brilliant and, unlike most of their other works, it keeps up it's pace and quality without wavering to a substandard song or a dash of ill-thought out experimentation.
20: Immortal - Damned in Black
Really, several Immortal albums could have gone here. However, Damned in Black was the first of their works I ever purchased and listened to in it's entirety, and I fell in love with it instantly. The production is slightly changed from Immortals normal, crisp high end buzz-saw of icy guitar to a more murky, menacing mix that perfectly compliments tracks like 'Damned in Black' and 'Against the Tide (In the Arctic World)'. Won a close race with 'Battles in the North'.
19: Venom - Black Metal
Do I even have to explain this one? Venoms 1982 Meisterwerk was a kick in the balls to the stagnating European metal scene, in which they can probably claim to have pretty much invented the european mode of extreme metal. It's also a motherfucker of a record. I have the re-released version with Venom's Peel sessions. At the insanely low price of £10.99 it's probably the best value music purchase I've ever bought.
18: Count Nosferatu Kommando - Ultraviolence Uber Alles
This record is silly and over the top, as befits anything involving the notorious Hreidmarr of Anorexia Nervosa. This record bolts anarchistic French black metal to a solid industrial base and then goes on a drunken killing spree. If the media or your average depressed teen ever latched on to this record, then tracks like 'Get a Gun, Shoot at Random' would take a hell of a lot of explaining.
17: Forefather - Ours is the Kingdom
Man, this CD makes me feel good. It's viking metal at it's most anthemic, but unlike the stirring but somewhat removed musings of other viking bands, this CD is about the bloody Anglo Saxons. This album actually has a song praising someone who is supposedly one of my direct ancestors (Hereward the Wake). Awesomely brilliant, and, like Ancient Rites, very much on the 'fuck it' side of politically correct. I could imagine horrific racist misinterpretations of the title track (which is in fact anti-religious).
16: Danzig - Danzig II: Lucifuge
This album is like a vampire on a huge motorbike, riding through the American deep south listening to rock and roll, stopping briefly every so often to seduce, corrupt and consume innocent maidens. That's pretty much the best way I can describe it. And oh man, can Glenn Danzig sing.
15: Crotchduster - Big Fat Box of Shit
Supposedly a concept album (about smuggling the mysterious 'Mammal Sauce' to the dimension known as Williamsburgland in an interdimensional pickup truck in order to avoid taxes). Crotchduster casually sweep up and flatten every other Avant-Garde band in the world with what is categorically the most insane (and possibly obscene) record ever. Deathgrind meets rap, jazz, black metal, music hall, new wave, power metal, country, thrash, funk, blues, hard rock and everything in-between in this insane rollercoaster of parody and immature comedy. This album is pretty much a metal in-joke: no-one who hasn't heard a live death metal concert will quite grasp 'Stars Ingenious Cooter [live]', and you have to actually be able to pick out grindy death metal vocals to realise that at one point the singer is screaming 'I love rainbows, I love balloons, I cried at Forest Gump and Disney cartoons' (this comes after a light funk passage about analingus). Sheer brilliance.
14: Edge of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow
Crimson and Crimson II are technically better records, but imo Purgatory Afterglow is the closest EoS ever came to their unfulfilled promise of producing the best MDM record ever (they are superior, imo, to popular favourites like In Flames and At The Gates). This album isn't truly impressive until you realise that it was made in 1994. Then it suddenly sinks in just how far ahead of the game the unstable writing team of Dan Swano and Andreas Axellson really was. Purgatory Afterglow is simply too dischordant in the nature of it's songs to be a true masterpiece, sounding somewhat like a compilation (a curse that would afflict all of EoS' later works) but some of the cuts on here are sheer genius: from the sheer brutality of 'Enter Chaos' to the epic 'Twilight' and the beautiful 'Blood-Coloured' the album shows that there really was something special happening here, despite filler tracks like 'Song of the Sirens' and 'Black Tears'. If only the band hadn't got mired into the combat between Swano's love of progressive rock and Axellson's affinity for first wave black metal...
13: Pink Floyd - The Wall
This is, quite literally, the album that got me in to music. Though my tastes have come on a long way since then, I still look back on it with great fondness and rightfully acknowledge it's place as probably one of the best concept albums ever put out, certainly one of the best if not the best to gain true mainstream appeal. Though 'Dark Side of the Moon' is another brilliant offering from Floyd The Wall has always captivated me with it's diverse influences and sheer intricacy of detail.
12: Bathory - Blood on Ice
Another record startlingly ahead of it's time, Quorthon kept this album back for almost eight years, fearing that it would be ridiculed and misunderstood by his audience. It showcases more than any other album Quorthon's gift for both story-telling and evoking a sense of truly epic scale with the simplest of means (parts of this album were recorded in his flats toilet). Great music compliments a great story well told.
11: Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tactics
Acid Bath is a brilliant career cut tragically short. Their unique brand of hallucinogen-influenced sludge metal, veering wildly between grind and bluegrass, delivers along with excellent vocals and lyrics a perfect musical approximation of their name: slowly drowning in a bath of Acid. What type of Acid is not always clear...
10: Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd
Probably one of the most goddamn impressive albums I own guitar-wise, Wuthering Heights fourth offering (and still the only one I have been able to track down) is totally blistering speed/power metal with a hefty dollop of folk and beautifully bereft of a good deal of the flowery bollocks (well, as much as you can realistically expect for the genre) that marr a lot of power metal. Cuts like 'Bad Hobbits Die Hard' and 'Land of Olden Glory' leave DragonForce and Rhapsody coughing dust in their wake.
9: My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans
TLtS is the soundtrack to depression. Forget all that emo bollocks: MDB albums are atom bombs of gloom each capable of vapourising a whole legion of foppy-fringed crybabies, leaving behind nothing but a thousand smoking pairs of converse. This is the gloomiest of them all: a slow, apocalyptic symphony of utter despair. Great fun.
8: Ewigkeit - Radio Ixtlan
The solo project of Tom Fogarty (aka Mr. Fog), former Meads of Asphodel keyboarder, Ewigkeit is an insanely individual mix of everything from electronica to thrash to folk to black metal. Fogarty gave his entire music collection away to Oxfam several years ago, simply to be free of influences. His latest offering is truly spectacular, and word about it MUST be spread. To give you an idea how underground Ewigkeit is, Fogarty is offering the original cover art to several of his albums and the sound card on which this album was recorded for sale on his website. I am seriously, seriously tempted.
7: Waylander - Reawakening Pride Once Lost
Folk metal comes in two general varieties. Either the folk melodies are played using traditional metal instrumentation or they are played over the top on an additional instrument. Waylander is of the second type, and this, their first and most acclaimed album, passes it's ultimate test, in that the removal of the folk instruments would still leave a pretty good album of black metal (and probably quite a nice album of celtic folk too). This album never flags, with it's greatest tracks only standing out from a very prominent crowd: 'Born to the Fight' is an unarguable blast of furore Celtica, and the version of the traditional song 'King of the Fairi' contained on this album is simply jaw-dropping.
6: 3 Inches of Blood - Advance and Vanquish
3 Inches of Blood's sophomore effort is an unrelenting barrage of the kind of heavy metal that should, by all rights have died with the eighties. And it proves, categorically, that there's no school like Old School. Stupidly metal in the best sense of the word, 3 Inches of Blood are a band to be enjoyed best whilst drunk or in a fast moving vehicle. The crisp production and brilliant song-writing of this album drives home the promise of Battlecry Under a Winter Sun with a massive axe blow to the face. No respite, no ballads, no remorse. Beautiful.
5: Rammstein - Mutter
The first hard rock album I ever bought, and still one of my all time favourites. Every track is like an old friend to me, and it's one of the first I put on when I need to rock out a bit.
4: Cradle of Filth - Vempire (Dark Faerytales in Phallustein)
Cradle were my favourite band for ages. Coming in the middle of their career, Vempire is simply the best thing they ever did. Tracks like 'Queen of Winter, Throned' and 'The Rape and Ruin of Angels (Hosanna in Extremis)' can compete with the best, and it also includes the categorically finest version of 'The Forest Whispers My Name'.
3: Skyclad - Folkémon
Skyclad's unbeatable Martin Walkyier era burned brightest as it was extinguished. Folkemon adds a heaviness Skyclad hadn't known since Prince of the Poverty Line with pure folk brilliance to create an unbeatable end to an era. Strongly contested it's spot with The Answer Machine? and Wayward Sons of Mother Earth.
2: Finntroll - Visor Om Slutet
Damn, this record is hard to describe. It's an acoustic concept album, recorded in the middle of a forest, lasting just over half an hour. It has very little in the way of vocals. It achieves a transition of scale that is almost un-matched on any other record I've heard: from close, intimate fireside songs and new-agey-but-more-evil nature sounds tracks to vast musical passages that evoke massive sweeps of Scandinavian wilderness. It also has my absolutely favourite dancing track ever: 'Forsvinn Du Som Lyser', a fucking insane, raw finnish polka track full of wild cries of joy from the backgground, hand-clapping, thigh-slapping and chants of 'humpaa humpaa humpaa'. It also happens. when you translate it, to be about the destruction of the human race. Despite tough competition, I chose this offering over Finntroll's 'proper' albums, all of which deserve honourable mentions (but for the one album per band rule I enforced upon myself, one or two others would be in this list)
1: Ancient Rites - Dim Carcosa
This album is, literally, flawless. An utterly perfect fusion of several types of extreme metal with classical, chamber and folk music and even spoken word poetry. A formula almost everyone's tried, but no-one sounds like this. The lyrical theme of this album is insane: AR are European nationalists. Though they disavow nazism (In a musical scene where extreme right wing politics can gain you fans) their lyrics cut a razor-blade edge straight through self-effacing political correctness and say: well, Europe is, actually, one of the best places in the world. And man, have we kicked some asses. Ballsy and brilliant.
Other honourable mentions: Electric Wizard - Dopethrone, Iron Maiden - Powerslave, Burzum - Burzum, KMFDM - Angst, Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges, Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal, Crown of Autumn - The Treasures Arcane, Cruachan - Pagan, Orange Goblin - Frequencies From Planet Ten, Carpathian Forest - Strange Old Brew / Morbid Fascination of Death , Entombed - Sons of Satan Praise the Lord and loads more.
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16: Danzig - Danzig II: Lucifuge
This album is like a vampire on a huge motorbike, riding through the American deep south listening to rock and roll, stopping briefly every so often to seduce, corrupt and consume innocent maidens. That's pretty much the best way I can describe it. And oh man, can Glenn Danzig sing.
Fuckin' a. My favorite Danzig album is III though, just my opinion.
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22. Darren Hanlon - Hello Stranger
Little Chills is even better. (Can't remember if I've said that to you in another thread or not!)
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I love your list, El Opium. Here's mine in no real order:
Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
Can - Tago Mago
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation
Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance
Neu! - Neu!
The Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk at Cubist Castle
Flipper - Album: Generic Flipper
Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
Pixies - Doolittle
Sebadoh - Bakesale
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra
Wire - Chairs Missing
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
Glenn Branca - The Ascension
Chrome - Half-Machine Lip Moves
The Stooges - Fun House
Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
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I can't wait to find the time to do this.
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An extremely approximate list:
01 XTC — Apple Venus
02 Beatles, The — Revolver
03 King Crimson — Larks' Tongues in Aspic
04 And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead — Source Tags & Codes
05 Beach Boys, The — Pet Sounds
06 Dismemberment Plan, The — Emergency & I
07 Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplane over the Sea
08 Radiohead — OK Computer
09 Eno, Brian — Before & After Science
10 Gentle Giant — Octopus
11 Wrens, The — The Meadowlands
12 They Might Be Giants — Lincoln
13 Super Furry Animals — Guerrilla
14 Talking Heads — Remain in Light
15 Velvet Underground, The — s/t
16 Yes — Close to the Edge
17 Dylan, Bob — Blonde on Blonde
18 Arcade Fire, The — Funeral
19 Magma — Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh
20 Wonder, Stevie — Songs in the Key of Life
21 Anderson, Laurie — Big Science
22 Genesis — Foxtrot
23 Antipop Consortium — Arrhythmia
24 Decemberists, The — Castaways & Cutouts
25 Animal Collective, The — Here Comes the Indian
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Number Seven is Weezer's Weezer (Blue Album)
Why? Because it is the catchiest album of all time. Disagree? Pull out your copy - I know you have one, or at least had one, no matter who you are or were - and listen to it. Hah! You still remember all the words, don't you?
Hmmm... sorta...
My name is Jonas
I'm carrying the whale
Thanks for all you've shown us
This is how we feel
Come sit next to me
Pour yourself some tea
Something something something
And you know what else!
Something something something
Something something for my little brother
The choo choo train left right on time
The ticket costs only your mind
The driver says "hey man we go all the way"
"As long as you're willing to pay"
My name is Wakefield
Got a box full of your toys
We're fresh out of batteries
But we still make good noise, make good no-o-oise
etc.
It also has the only song I know of to reference a roleplaying game (call of cthulhu doesn't count), "I've got dungeonmaster's guide..."
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Number Seven is Weezer's Weezer (Blue Album)
Why? Because it is the catchiest album of all time. Disagree? Pull out your copy - I know you have one, or at least had one, no matter who you are or were - and listen to it. Hah! You still remember all the words, don't you?
Don't have one. Never did. Hopefully, if my sanity remains, never will.
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Well, with you, it goes without saying...do you like anything that isn't metal or prog? ;)
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Might as well throw in my lot. Dunno how well it'll turn out with all the crap I listen to but still.
In no order other than the randomness of my mind:
Dream Theater - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory
Because I'm a major Prog fan and this is one of the great modern works.
October Tide - Rain Without End
A Katatonia side project and one of the greatness Doom albums ever. Also the last time Renske ever used his Death/Doom vox on cd.
Thou Shalt Suffer - Somnium
Ihsahn proving he's still a musical great and making some beautiful Classical music on his way as well.
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
Greatest Thrash album ever. All there is to it really.
Iron Maiden - Live After Death
Just because of the amazing show they put on for this and combing some of the best from the first 5 albums.
Cynic - Focus
Blending two seemingly unmixable genres into something new and amazing for the Metal music world.
Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
I love my Doom, but this was the first album that made me like anything Stoner based and it owns while it's at it.
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
Another bit of classic thrash that I'll always love.
Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
I dunno, I like this best out of all the Black Metal stuff and it's what go me into Black Metal so it'll always have a place.
Sauron - Thrash Assault
Probably the best independent label release of 04, bringing back the greatness of old school German Thrash and Blackend Thrash.
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
My favourate album from this classic band that did so much for Death Metal. RIP Chuck.
Pig Destroyer - Prowler In The Yard
Just a jaw dropping slab of Grindcore combing those strange, dark and poetic lyrics with great playing.
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Another fantastic live album, mixing some great tracks and just going off on one with the extended stuff.
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
Say what you will, has always caught me as being damn good, just brings so much great stuff and atmosphere really.
Decapitated - Winds of Creation
Just a stunningly brutal album form a band that's so young. I just have to love something that nails me to the wall like that.
Edge of Sanity - Crimson
I know, shock. I do think it's a great show of how you can craft one huge track that should be one song, yet make it so interesting and listenable.
Sunn O))) - Flight of the Behemoth
Anything that makes my windows shake like that and just creates such rolling noise is awesome to me.
Opeth - Still Life
Again, just my favourate work from these guys. Just crafting Death and Prog together so well and creating a great noise in total.
Without Face - Astronomicon
Best damn Goth Metal album I've ever heard.
Fall of The Grey-Winged One - Death Time Emptiness
Just one massive slab of crushing drone noise that creates a bleak and empty sound scape. Also my funeral song.
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
I've already said about their frontman so it's no shock. One of those common "best ever" Black Metal albums, doesn't stop be loving it.
Rush - 2112
I know, another one that gets marked out a lot. But again, one of those albums that just has a place in my heart so thats why it goes in here.
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
I mean, how could any Metal Head from Brum not have this. Looking past the title track that's played to death, it owns and I always feel more for the classics.
John Zorn - Naked City
I like Jazz...or rather I like crazy stuff like this. Introduced to me as "think of Napalm Death playing Jazz" and it didn't let me down.
Cave In - Until Your Heart Stops
Back in their Hardcore days you know. This album just down right impressed me when it came to Hardcore, just it's chaotic and aggressive nature.
So yeah, basically loads of popular and well known stuff, but oh well.
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@ Psiogen: I like folk music and industrial. I even like some punk. And classical!
Now that's what I call open minded.
@Robbo: Massive respect for choosing Dopethrone. That one very nearly made it on mine,
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Folk....only way I can handle Folk is in Folk Metal, or nice atmospheric stuff like Ulver's Kveldssanger.
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I used to only be able to take the folk metal as well (and folk metal still remains a great love of mine, I think seven or eight of my 25 are folk metal or folk rock of some sort) but Skyclad in particular softened me up to the more 'Hey Nonny No' side of folk, and now I love stuff like Blackmore's Night and The Whisky Priests. If you're a fan of the relaxing stuff you should try some Lothlorien. It's like Enya. But better.
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I've heard Blackmore's Night, damn that was something different. Shall have to check out Lothlorien, but I generally go for Experimental/Ambient Electronica of all things for relaxing music. Just trippy keyboard and synth soundscapes like Snowsleep.
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I have to make an addition to mine. I couldn't forgive myself if I did not recognize:
S.O.D. - Speak English or Die
I bought the album when I was 12 or 13 and it melted my brain.
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25. Primus - Pork Soda. Simply because it was the first album I bought and sent me spiraling into the music geekdom that nobody here in Kansas likes.
24.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Best Sabbath album EVER.
23.Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Uphoric Misanthropia
22.Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
21. The Residents - Animal Lover
20. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
19. Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese
18. Pink Floyd - The Wall
17. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
16. Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage, Acts I, II, and III
15. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
14. The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out
13. The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free
12. The Residents - Not Available
11. The Residents - Duck Stab
10. Frank Zappa - Apostrophe
09. Captain Beefheart - Doc at the Radar Station
08. The Mothers of Invention - We're Only in it for the Money
07. Frank Zappa/The Mothers/Beefheart - Bongo Fury
06. The Residents - The Third Reich N' Roll
05. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
04. King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King
03. Captain Beefheart - Trout Fish Replica
02. Captain Beefheart - Lick My Decals Off, Baby
01. Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy
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Little Chills is even better. (Can't remember if I've said that to you in another thread or not!)
Yep, I have that one, too. It's only been out in the US for a few weeks, though. I like it a lot, but I can't really put something on my all time list until I've gotten to know it though and through, I think... Darren certainly does know how to put words together, though.
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Beck? Anyone? No? Okay.
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Futurama said it that needs to be for Beck really.
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22.Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
21. The Residents - Animal Lover
20. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
19. Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese
18. Pink Floyd - The Wall
HOW can you choose The Wall over Dark Side? The Wall is eeeeevil Pink Floyd. Can you not see that the overall quality and musicianship in DSOTM is thoroughly missing in The Wall? The Wall is basically a Roger Waters solo album and in my opinion he is entitled to it. WORST. GILMOUR/MASON/WATERS/WRIGHT. PINK. FLOYD. ALBUM. EVER.[/rant]
Good choice on 4. though.
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There's better KC than the first LP... I actually dont like it that much after hearing the rest of their stuff.
Maybe you can blame DSOTM being more over played than The Wall for his pick. And at least it's not The Final Cut.
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Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2 got to #1 in 1979/1980 and that song annoys the fucking hell out of me. How can you say that DSOTM is more overplayed than The Wall other than the fact that it is 6 years older than The Wall. At least it wasn't The Final Cut.
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Ok, fair point. But to a lot of newer fans, specially with the 30 years and all, DSOTM feels over played as it where. That's the way it feels to me and other people I know.
But yes, very fair point about part 2.
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A lot
Good taste. I'm impressed.
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The Wall's on my list as well. I just love it for nostalgia reasons mainly. Also I think it's very, very good at the storytelling aspect of it all.
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DSOTM was my first Floyd album. Granted I am only 15 but I have been listening to Dark Side since I was 7. It still has pride of place at the front of my CD wallet. I love it.
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Fair enough man, fair enough.
I've always wonder about those Tool DSOTM bootleg rumours. Probably just rumours, but still.
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Say... WHA!?!?!
You mean Tool as in, industro-gay Tool?!?
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Tool as in love 'em or hate 'em sludgy wank band, yes.
There have been rumours that Tool did a full live cover of DSOTM but then couldn't get rights to release it as an offical bootleg.
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Tool = Teh suck.
The Wall ranks higher for me simply because the first time I heard them was when someone gave me a tape copy of The Wall in like, 6th grade. Nostalgic reasons, as Khar put it.
EDIT: I personally prefer KC's first album rather than their rest, which seemed to be sorta repetitive to me.
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I see. Fair enough.
I would really like to hear this Tool bootleg if it exists. Then, I'll send a copy to Dave Gilmour and hopefully he'll find some way to have Tool arrested, or put in stocks or something like that.
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Man, feel the Tool hate. Like I said, it was a rumour. And even if it is true, it was never released, so yeah.
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Neat. My boredom turned inadvertantly into a list thread. I thought everyone was just going to make fun of my picks. Maybe I was just too tired to think straight.
Anyway, I think Khar is the first person I've ever even heard of that has anything even remotely negative to say about the Blue Album. My theory on that album is that it is the most universally liked album ever. Notice I didn't say most popular, I said most universally liked. Meaning that you can put it on in just about any setting imaginable and people will enjoy it.
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He didn't even say anything negative, other than imply that it takes an insane person to buy a copy.
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I dunno, let's see if we can change that
*checks to make sure that it's the band he's thinking of and he's not making a hideous mistake*
Ah, I actually was. I don't loathe them. Not sure I've even ever heard them actually.
Gotta say though, they look like geek rock, and as a rule I don't like geek rock.
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I guess I percieve "it takes an insane person to buy a copy" as somewhat kind maybe remotely negative.
Anyway, Khar, that's cool if you don't like geek rock. I still suggest giving Blue Album-era Weezer a try just for shits and giggles. Even if you don't like it, at least you can comment from experience, no?
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1: the Pixies - Surfer Rosa
2: HUM - Downward is Heavenward
3: the Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dreams
4: Helmet - Meantime
5: Sonic Youth - A Thousand Leaves
6: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
7: Nirvana - In Utero
8: Fugazi - End Hits
9: PJ Harvey - Rid of Me
10: Reflector - Where Has All the Melody Gone?
11: Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
12: Jawbreaker - Dear You
13: The Crystal Method - Vegas
14: Postishead - Portishead
15: the Amps - Pacer
16: Barkmarket - L Ron
17: Juno - This Is The Way It Goes & Goes & Goes...
18: Built to Spill - The Normal Years
19: Stereolab - ABC Music: Radio 1 Sessions
20: The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon
21: Sunny Day Real Estate - LP2
22: Mogwai - Mogwai [EP + 6]
23: PJ Harvey - Stories of the City; Stories of the Sea
24: Financial Panther - Heart Sparks Arson
25: F-Minus - F-Minus
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I like Tool. :( Why do people think they're wank?
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EDIT: I personally prefer KC's first album rather than their rest, which seemed to be sorta repetitive to me.
Eh? Which others have you heard? I've never ever heard that criticism of the band before. I love their debut, but Larks and Red are both miles better.
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Ok, in no particular order, my top 25 based on what's in my iPod at the moment:
Air - Premiers Symptomes
Air - Moon Safari
Dmitri From Paris - Sacrebleu
Grateful Dead - Dead Set
Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Portishead - Dummy
The Postal Service - Give Up
Soulive - Next
St. Germain - Tourist
Weezer - Weezer
Green Day - Dookie
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
Nightmares On Wax - Smoker's Delight
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
G. Love and Special Sauce - G. Love and Special Sauce
Erykah Badu - Baduizm
DJ Cam - Mad Blunted Jazz
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Ok, 20. This is hard.
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i couldnt give you a top 25, but here's a top 5.
5.Colin Meloy, Live at Schubas- Colin Meloy (its bootleg but i love it)
4.The 3 EP's - The Beta Band
3.Ignition - The Offspring (can't beat a little old school punk)
2.In the Aeroplane over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
1.Castaways and Cutouts - The Decemberists
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Portishead - Dummy
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
Nightmares On Wax - Smoker's Delight
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
DJ Cam - Mad Blunted Jazz
Yes.
The other ones, no.
I'll get round to doing my own one of these soon, but until then, I'll just sit around critising other peoples.
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My current top 25:
1 Tangerine Dream Zeit (1972)
1972 was the year that many people would remember for Exile On Main Street and Ziggy Stardust alone. Those looking slightly outside the range of Anglo-American rock music might also recall how strange Neu!'s self-titled debut must have sounded to the uninitiated masses. However, this album shocked and horrified as many people as it impressed because unlike Neu! this album lacked any similarity to rock music whatsoever. It lacked any discernible structure, familiar tune, rhythm, or percussion of any form. This is a precursor to ambient music.
The long-winded guitar solos of Electronic Meditation are by now long gone (perhaps for the better), and the mellotron of Atem is also not yet present. The only way the development up until this could possibly be discerned would be by noting the drone of the organ that goes through much of Alpha Centauri and starts to dominate towards the end. In this sense Zeit very much picks up from where Alpha Centauri left off, but this time delving into much less familiar territory.
Surely this album still has its share of nods to classical composers, but by this stage in their careers Tangerine Dream were buried in a niche that people did not yet know much about. It has not dated much, either - put on "Birth of Liquid Plejades" and your reaction might be similar to that of hundreds of critics worldwide who had to get around to actually reviewing this thing. No, these songs do not have the same noise all the way through - in fact while "Birth of Liquid Plejades" starts off with a string quartet building up a scale it blends in cleverly and almost seamlessly with the sound of a moog.
Many of the songs stop suddenly, much like waking up from a dream - at times the organ or strings seem like they could go on forever. This is how the album works: as its name suggests, Zeit is about time, and here time stands still. Most effective of all in achieving this aim is the title track, implementing a very much cold and bleak-sounding drone which proves hypnotic as fifteen minutes pass like seconds. However, the other tracks clearly demonstrate other ideas which the band had at the time - "Origin of Supernatural Probabilities" in particular does not evoke utter stillness, but rather the silent observation of something else: the sound of a clear, almost rhythmic series of thuds against the wall of sound that Tangerine Dream's drones create.
Unlike Alpha Centauri this album is not a journey through space, but rather the sound of aimless drifting between planets in complete desolation. Unlike popular music of the time and of our time, it is not a pleasant and "safe" escape from reality but rather it deliberately confronts and agitates the listener. The fact that it has infuriated so many people is almost indicative of its success - after all, not everyone would want to listen to an album like this - but unlike the "high-concept joke" that was Metal Machine Music this took skill and a lot of collaborations and puts forth a good few ideas (albeit at a snail's pace). All this time, one thing is clear: space, the stars and planets, and Tangerine Dream's Zeit are all an awful lot bigger than you are.
2 The Avalanches Since I Left You (2000)
After several years in the making and the use of over 900 samples, Since I Left You was unleashed at the turn of the century upon a largely unsuspecting public. Even though the album itself hasn't had quite the cult success (outside of The Avalanches' native Australia) as DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... or even The Go! Team's Thunder Lightning Strike, the album's first couple of singles "Since I Left You" and "Frontier Psychiatrist" came to public notice as elaborate party anthems to light up the dance floor with cleverly-conceived and well-crafted music videos.
In my mind at least, one thing in particular is certain: if this album was all about party music and well-conceived music videos (as many people have apparently perceived it to be), I wouldn't be holding it in such high regard. On the contrary, Since I Left You is so much more than a singles album: it is a cleverly-devised portrayal of perfect summers which have long since passed, consisting of eighteen elaborately-arranged tracks devoted entirely to the use of samples. Starting with the extended rave of the first few tracks, moving steadily onwards to the naive reflections of "A Different Feeling", then cruising through a sea of comic relief to the summer's saddening and inevitable close.
The album's first few tracks are to some dance-oriented, but to me are somewhat different in that they encapsulate the "feel" of a dance, so as to keep with the "past summers" theme of the album. By using such obscure samples as the whinnying of a horse and even a sample from Madonna's "Holiday", the basic dance beat is given an unprecedented level of elaboration and sonic colour.
This album is not only danceable in places, it's atmospheric and has a sense of humour which is maintained with the artful use of samples throughout. "Frontier Psychiatrist" is the most obvious instance of samples being used adventurously in that it is a successful attempt at a hit single with a discernible song structure with the delicate craft of sampling, however also notable are the little interludes, such as the "Pablo's Cruise" and "Little Journey" which allow the album to have shape and form rather than just be a stiff collection of tracks. Whether it is in the solace of "Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life" or in the reckless last dance of "Live At Dominoes", one may find that each track on Since I Left You has its own place and context.
Some will say that this is not music with a tune, this is just a bunch of samples. This does not do justice for the wonderful ear for melody that is demonstrated here and the harmonies that are made from such samples - hear it and find out for yourself. Speaking from my own personal experience, having had this since I began to develop a serious interest in music in 2001 the album has not stagnated in any way. In fact, due to the elaborate use of samples rather than instruments there are several background noises which may remain unnoticed even after years of playing, making each listen a comparatively fresh experience.
3 Einstürzende Neubauten Zeichnungen Des Patienten O.T. (1983)
In the early 80s Einstürzende Neubauten had come across a great resource of tools and fresh ideas in their quest for alternative forms of percussion - the results of which gave their early work a timelessness which bands using actual drumkits in the 80s generally did not obtain. However, in their first couple of albums there was also a sense of purpose - sure they could get the noise they wanted with a cement mixer or a pneumatic drill, but they also realised just how violent and destructive it was and wrote their songs around that theme accordingly. The result is an incredibly confrontational and involving album that transcends rhythm and tonality for the sake of intensity and inventiveness. Blixa's vocals are seething with vitriol, building up to the immense climax of "Armenia" and the chilling epilogue that follows.
4 Pan Sonic Kesto (234.48:4) (2004)
As its very name may suggest, Kesto (234.48:4) is absurdly long and is spread out over four CDs. And this is four CDs of noisy music of all kinds with many sources of inspiration (mentioned on the back of the cover of CD 4) including Suicide and Throbbing Gristle. When listened to in one go it is apparent that as time passes by the tracks gradually become formless and drone-like, in contrast to the electro-bounciness of the pulsating static rhythms of CD 1. What has come out of this project is sometimes relaxing, more often scary and brooding, but always hard to fault. If a seething drone sound from CD 3 annoys you, that's probably because it's meant to. What is of value to Pan Sonic is making synthetic noise at the kind of frequencies that would confront the listener and get a physical reaction. Listen with an open mind.
5 Current 93 Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)
Simple yet elegant and contrived but with purpose, this is an album that at first was something of a guilty pleasure when I had pretensions for preferring more elaborate music - most of the tracks are simple yet effective apocalyptic folk pieces, with David Tibet's unique crazed vocal style at its most powerful. From a lyrical standpoint David Tibet surely sets the bar for interpretation and representation of ideas and feelings, and also for seeing out an admirably cohesive album - unfolding beautifully over a length of time approaching the maximum capacity of a single compact disc. The sheer amount of collaborations that went on in the making of this album put David Tibet in a better position than he ever had been in before or since for writing music, and they pay off in spades with a wide variety of sounds covered to make this album the masterpiece that it is.
6 Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger (1994)
The subtle, minimal touch is one that has been largely rejected or ignored in metal music, with the exception of pure black metal classics such as this one. Complaining about the murky production/mixing involved would be missing the point entirely - this is grim music, as raw in sound as it is in attitude. Haunting, hypnotic riffs dominate proceedings, relentlessly repeated throughout each song with twisted yet unrivalled textural qualities - this is the definitive "shoegaze" album of metal music, but for my money largely beating shoegaze bands at their own game. The result is a singularly admirable defining moment of Darkthrone's career and of pure black metal in general.
7 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
OK so it's really obvious, but there is a lot more cohesion and even variety to this than any Beatles album I've heard. John Cale's noisy viola playing (among other instruments) gave Lou Reed's songwriting an edge that I feel I lacked after having to make music without him, and Nico's sultry yet oddly frightening vocals set the scene whenever they are called into play. Classic confrontational pieces such as "Heroin" and "European Son" still sound fresh and visceral to the modern listener today, and even then Lou Reed could evoke a powerful atmosphere with his edgy lyrics alone.
8 Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1979)
The heartless and very recognisable post-punk beat, the atmospheric effects, and the desolate vocals and lyrics of Ian Curtis gave this the reputation of being a very dark and gloomy album. This much is true enough, but it also rocks - the angular yet catchy riffs and the supreme song-writing winning me over with every listen. The lyrics are also obscure and yet captivating, suiting the unfamiliar-sounding effects and lo-fi sound well. With such a dark atmosphere and yet such well-written catchy tracks, I believe that the appropriate word to use here is "cool".
9 Yes Tales From Topographic Oceans (1974)
This epic progressive rock album is very messed-up and bizarre, and made all the better for it. What some will tell you is self-indulgent instrumental wank just appears to me to be a very concentrated effort to maintain a changing atmosphere over more than eighty minutes. Consistently alternating between themes as in the "struggle between good and evil" of side four, the band also play in a disharmonious yet energetic and captivating fashion - reminding me somewhat of Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica in its attempt to dodge familiarity and expectation. The themes of this album are explored by the shifting moods of the music, but also by the sombre vocals and surreal faith-driven lyrics of Anderson which are by far my favourites from the band.
10 Can Tago Mago (1971)
In my view this is undoubtedly Can's masterpiece, a wonderful accomplishment of five musicians brimming with ideas. It has often been said that the simple yet addictive funky beats of Jaki Liebezeit make the first side the pleasure trip that it is, and while this is indeed so saying such things does little justice to the very clever studio manipulations and effects that are taking place. The notorious experimentation of the second side of the album makes for a truly unique listening experience that make this even more the classic krautrock album that it is - being both supremely inventive and very atmospheric.
11 Leonard Cohen Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1967)
A cohesive and powerful collection of early Leonard Cohen material. The lyrics are eloquent and gripping enough to keep me captivated throughout, while the acoustic arrangements are top-notch with the band deserving much more credit than they actually get - this is song-writing fleshed out, as well as written, with great flair. Unlike the generally gloomy Songs Of Love And Hate, this debut album is quite well-balanced between moods - although ending powerfully with the "la la laaaarrggh"s of the final track which really took me by surprise.
12 Current 93 Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre (1994)
Once Thunder Perfect Mind had been released, it was clear that finally David Tibet had discovered a niche that had a potentially widespread appeal. Largely ignoring but not completely disregarding the obsessive nursery rhyme style and repetition that had marked releases such as Earth Covers Earth, it was clear that David Tibet was becoming a lot more confident and fluent as a songwriter in this folk style. Michael Cashmore's guitar playing had added a previously untouched depth and clarity to the proceedings, and Steven Stapleton's noisy contribution had gained a true sense of purpose to make for a truly fresh new sound. The following album Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre is in many ways a continuation of the progression that had been made obvious with Thunder Perfect Mind, as the central focus turns to a trio of Tibet, Cashmore and Stapleton who perform their songs in an even tighter fashion than before. This is notable for being ultimately one of the most optimistic Current 93 albums, a fresh outlook in contrast to the doom and gloom usually associated with the music of the industrial and post-industrial scene in general.
13 Carcass Reek of Putrefaction (1988)
I love Carcass, but Heartwork struck me as being quite a dull album (never mind Swansong). Why resort to actual riffs when one could be making strangely catchy wails of down-tuned guitar noise as found in "Genital Grinder"? The guitarist, bassist, drummer, and even the voices all sound utterly inhuman - not in technical ability, but in the perverse and gross way they sound. Everything that might have creeped you out about lo-fi underground 80s extreme metal is here in spades - unlike the comedy that is much of modern gore-grind, this album is incredibly dark and atmospheric. The songwriting is as always cleverly conceived, and the use of low bassy sounds from all areas is unique and effective - particularly that of the strangely funky bass drum, which sets the tempo of each musical regurgitation. Based on what I have heard this is grind at its most effective - if this music makes you sick, then mission accomplished.
14 Tindersticks Tindersticks (1993)
I must admit that I don't often get the urge to sit down and listen to seventy-seven minutes of chamber music, but when I do I really can't fault this album. The melancholy atmosphere of this album sets the scene with fresh compositions and beautiful arrangements to boot. Attention-drawing and slurred vocals deliver the powerful lyrics to make for my favourite album to play when I'm feeling rather empty. If you have any level of tolerance for moody symphonic pieces, then this one is an absolute must-have - even if you wind up not playing it much, the band are still mature and level-headed enough to ensure that this one is a real keeper.
15 Slayer Reign In Blood (1986)
The album that got me and many other people into metal music is a glorious testament to pure, timeless thrash metal. Araya's monotonous and threatening speed-vocals follow a rhythm section which by today's standards is rather simplistic but still does the trick - but what is most notable here is the guitars, which provide heavy and scary riffs and solos that scream along at a breakneck pace without regard to harmony. Controversial themes such as Christianity and the Holocaust at first scared me a bit when listening but at the end of the day this is just music, a portrayal of vicious atrocities and one's own fears and a rather fitting one at that.
16 Black Flag Damaged (1981)
What first comes to mind when I think of Black Flag's Damaged is Henry Rollins and his harsh spitting vocals, and they really do define the tone of this great hardcore album. The first side may have all the catchier individual gems ("Rise Above", "Six Pack", "TV Party"), but it is the second side which defines this album - all overwhelmingly bleak journeys through violently depressed minds delivered quite fittingly by the vein-bursting vocal delivery of Mr. Rollins himself. Brilliant guitar noise creates a bizarre texture and atmosphere that add to the overall effect of a very much intense yet heartless record without the romantic slant of more political "punk rock".
17 Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica (1969)
As far as I'm concerned, if you haven't heard this album you haven't lived. This album more often than not defies harmony, instead focusing on the unfamiliar sounds made by each individual instrument within the notably elaborate framework set by the fantastic drumming. Vocals are off-tune and neglect the idea of following any particular key, instead representing the mainly incoherent ramblings of a madman. These twenty-eight tracks are at once humorous and strangely profound while maintaining this perverse yet surely difficult to perform (it allegedly took nine months for them to rehearse this) approach to music. Unlistenable? It just sounds cool to me.
18 Tears For Fears The Hurting (1983)
The investigation of controversial ideas in modern psychology lead up to a very intense and emotional synth-pop album that like so many debut albums is vastly superior to whatever came later. The inventive and somewhat industrial sound crafted for the sake of the very bleak song-writing is not nearly as dated as that of many of the contemporaries of Tears For Fears or even of their own later albums. Sure it has "Mad World" on it (a version that for me betters the by now more famous cover), but it also features such pleasant ditties as "Watch Me Bleed" and "Suffer The Children". Watch out for the vocals - somewhat buried within the mix, they can often be mistaken for a heartless synth or wailing horn.
19 Neu! Neu! (1972)
On a personal level, this is one of the albums that proved to be most important in shaping my musical tastes. Unlike Kraftwerk's famous motorik beat that was suited for travelling down a highway or taking the "Trans-Europe Express", this particular static beat may lead the listener into a much darker realm as evoked by the album's avant-garde second track. Creepy build-ups and steady beats are key to the very cold first side, but the second side is a maddening journey through mysterious samples and unfamiliar-sounding effects - finally ending with a bizarrely delivered, totally off-key vocal track. There is a movement that appeared recently called "post-rock" which to the most of my knowledge has not advanced further than this album did in 1972 - if you like Mogwai, Tortoise or Silver Mt. Zion, check this one out.
20 Depeche Mode Violator (1990)
Violator, as a name, eloquently summarises the at once sexy and threatening attitude evoked by the vocals and lyrics of this very album - the nine songs work as portrayals of a dangerous yet wonderful lover, with an eerily twisted charm. The "perfect" production and well-crafted song-writing compliments the ideas on display in a more than adequate fashion. For a clever yet mechanical synth-pop group this in 1990 finally transcends the dated sounds of the 80s, and hence freeing it of any trace of cheesiness that it may otherwise have had. If you have developed a bad taste for Depeche Mode, give this one a few spins and see if it changes your mind...
21 Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)
This album reeks of the attractive odour of attitude - what do you expect, it's Bob Dylan at his best. Clear vocals and clever lyrics are the standard with a consistent level of songwriting held throughout the album. Sure it is acoustic Dylan, but there are more ideas here than in many of the classic releases that were to follow - just look at the number of short songs for evidence of this! Arrangements are pretty sparse even though the simple guitar playing can at times be memorable - this is a clever album of social commentary, lyrics first and music second!
22 Slint Spiderland (1991)
The atmospheric yet sloppy nature of this album may not appeal to some (vocals don't get more affected than this) but for those who want a very depressed noise-rock experience this is one of the best albums that money can buy. Guitar lines are noisy (duh) and very unpredictable, and the tempo of the band changes enough to induce motion sickness on this lonely voyage out to sea. Legend has it that a few of the band members were in therapy during the recording of this album. It hurt them as much as it will hurt you.
23 Cave In Until Your Heart Stops (1998)
As far as I can tell, there has been a recent trend covering a lot of North American heavy music that favours multifaceted chaos over consistent throbbing blastbeats. This is for me one of the most impressive conceptions of this movement with original and progressive music, and lyrics that are in actual fact reasonably mature and perceptive in contrast to many of Cave In's contemporaries. The album owes a lot to brilliant production values as well as impressive musicianship and songwriting ability on behalf of the band: the drums, which as always are elaborate and define the sound, are very present and the loud and heavy bass helps to make this a very intense as well as inventive metal album.
24 Coil Horse Rotorvator (1986)
Coil's mysterious masterpiece was conceived along the lines of death, fear and negativity. Surely these themes were popular with many in the English industrial/post-industrial scene of the 80s, but I have not yet heard an interpretation of these themes as intense as this one. A wide variety of styles are explored here by the means of tape loops and experimentation, and nineteen years after its conception the music still sounds fresh. From the undeniably cool interludes to the creepy symphonic pieces to the catchy electronic songs that for some bands would be big singles, this is an album of many sides and much importance. Essential for any fans of NIN in particular despite its out of print status.
25 Bathory The Return... (1985)
A sorely overlooked album that has not dated at all in contrast to Bathory's own self-titled debut album or the music of Venom - unlike either of them, there are no present and somewhat cheesy vocals to contrast with the wall of noise guitar style that defined black metal. In the place of these rather camp yet threatening vocals are harsh and bitter growls, setting an atmosphere that can make this album very hard going but equally worthwhile. The music is heavy and frequently changes tempo from a slow, plodding trip through dense sludge to a pace that almost rivalled that of the second-generation black metal that would take about five years to completely materialise. R.I.P. Quorthon.
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Nice mixed up list there.
Did you know Tangerine Dream (well an member of them anyway) are the infleunce for Neptune Towers, Fenriz's (Darkthrone's drummer) Ambient Noise solo project. I'm just shocked he'd like someone like or and make a project so un like Black Metal, but it's interesting.
Couldn't ever call Cave In metal (but if that doesn't matter to you, ignore that), but anyway, certain is something powerful, the way Hardcore plays can give it that no stop driving force you can't always do it Metal, it's something refreshing at times.
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Nice mixed up list there.
Did you know Tangerine Dream (well an member of them anyway) are the infleunce for Neptune Towers, Fenriz's (Darkthrone's drummer) Ambient Noise solo project. I'm just shocked he'd like someone like or and make a project so un like Black Metal, but it's interesting.
Couldn't ever call Cave In metal (but if that doesn't matter to you, ignore that), but anyway, certain is something powerful, the way Hardcore plays can give it that no stop driving force you can't always do it Metal, it's something refreshing at times.
I must get a Neptune Towers album post haste then, I'm still pretty new to Darkthrone and Fenriz (only heard Darkthrone and bits of Isengard so far). I'm really only a fan of Tangerine Dream's most inventive early material (Zeit, Alpha Centauri, and their major label debut Phaedra) but whatever I like I absolutely love.
As for whether Cave In were metal or hardcore or "metalcore", I suppose that the jury is still out. When I compare them to The Dillinger Escape Plan or even Converge I can definitely hear more elements of thrash metal. Then again thrash metal had some hardcore roots as well, didn't it? It's a bit of a shame how they ended up, although I'm still interested to hear what they're up to now that they are going to change labels (I think?).
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There are two Neptune Tower's ablums...other with the same sort of space theme. If you want to sample, I think there's short clips on the label's page (Candlelight IIRC) but can be found on P2P if you want to list first.
I reviewed Transilvanian Hunger, made me feel so fucking tripped out at the end of it, it was great.
To me, Cave In certainly where Hardcore, though you'r right, they did use a lot of Thrash like riffs, certainl on the first album, they're very like Regin In Blood. Defatinly NOT Metalcore though, because they dont suck.
A term some Hardcore fans use is Metallic Hardcore. Eg, Hardcore with a Metal edge, but not a Core/Metal blend that is Metalcore. If that makes sense. Or if you care, if not, sorry.
But yes, Punk Rock/Hardcore Punk was what crossed with Heavy Metal to make Thrash. Bringing the faster, more aggresive style, but keeping the more complex parts of Metal playing.
Yeah, the mellow out wasn't a good thing, but I know a few of their old school fans that have seen them live in recent year. All the NME fans had the shit scared out of them when two dozen hardcore kicks tour the venue apart when they played all their old stuff.
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Okay, I'll give this a go, but it really is impossible. The top 2 I know, but there are loads of other albums I could have included, and the rest aren't in any kind of order
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - OK Computer
Idlewild - 100 broken windows
Eels - Electro-shock Blues
The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn
Thursday - Full Collapse
The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
They Might Be Giants - Flood
R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
Radiohead - Amnesiac
Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
The Clash - The Clash
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate
Joni Mitchell - Hejira
Air - The Virgin Suicides
Mad Caddies - Duck and Cover
Muse - Showbiz
Capdown - Pound For The Sound
Fugees - The Score
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
The Wedding Present - Take Fountain
Bad Religion - No Control
Blur - Leisure
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Your mention of Captain Beefheart brings tears of joy to my eyes.
And to whoever was asking about King Crimson, I have their debut, Islands, and I swiped from a friend of mine both the single Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With and The Power to Believe and thought they were lackluster. Islands is really good though.
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And to whoever was asking about King Crimson, I have their debut, Islands, and I swiped from a friend of mine both the single Happy with What You Have to Be Happy With and The Power to Believe and thought they were lackluster. Islands is really good though.
The new material isn't too great IMO, but from essentially a completely different band other than Fripp. They shouldn't even be King Crimson by name anymore, not since Red/USA.
Larks Tongues In Aspic is a safe bet for your next purchase, mainly instrumental but rather edgy and cool and also marking the start of their most famous and respected era (Larks/Starless/Red).
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Ah, I actually was. I don't loathe them. Not sure I've even ever heard them actually.
Gotta say though, they look like geek rock, and as a rule I don't like geek rock.
1) You've never heard Weezer. That's, uh... how old are you again?
2) Well, they're geek rock, but their older stuff (Blue Album, Pinkerton) is geek rock before geek rock was stupid.
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1) You've never heard Weezer. That's, uh... how old are you again?
17.
More importantly to this matter, Is that I'm British, and that I have never made listening to popular music much of a mission of mine. It's a possibility I've been unknowingly exposed, what were their big hits?
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It's a possibility I've been unknowingly exposed
You see, that's why you have to go to your doctor and get tested for "indie" at least once a year.
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MilkmanDan
Och how can you dig le DJ Cam but not Dmitri From Paris? Or St. Germain? St. Germain... Mmmm... Jazz + House = sweet aural goodness.
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More importantly to this matter, Is that I'm British, and that I have never made listening to popular music much of a mission of mine. It's a possibility I've been unknowingly exposed, what were their big hits?
The biggest was probably Buddy Holly, off the aforementioned album. The one with the video that looks like Happy Days (or something).
They had a recent hit called Gone Fishing, which had muppets (real ones, not idiots) in the video.
I don't know if that helps at all... (I don't watch any TV involving music videos myself these days).
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And speaking of Buddy Holly (the man, not the song): another honourable mention for my list. Fists raised for the thinking person's Elvis Presley!
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pink floyd - wish you were here
tom waits - alice
pink floyd - dark side of the moon
beatles - sgt peppers lonely hearts club band
the arcade fire - funeral
jeff buckley - grace
modest mouse - good news for people who like bad news
ani difranco - dilate
godspeed you! black emperor - lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven
a silver mount zion - he has left us alone but shafts of light sometimes grace the corners of our rooms
radiohead - kid a
radiohead - hail to the thief
david bowie - changes one bowie
satie - piano works
aphex twin - drukqs
the music - the music
augie march - sunset studies
the flaming lips - soft bulletin
ani difranco - educated guess
lamb - what sound
nick warren - reykjavik
queens of the stone age - songs for the deaf
catpower - you are free
mum - yesterday was dramatic today is ok
bjork - post
phew!
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i'll try this. in no order:
his hero is gone - monuments to thieves
born against - battle hymns for the race war
miles davis - kind of blue
ornette coleman - free jazz
ornette coleman - the shape of jazz to come
jerry's kids - is this my world?
six organs of admittance - for octavio paz
sonic youth - daydream nation
crass - best before 1984
mogwai - come on die young
songs: ohia - ghost tropic
gauze - 4th lp
bjork - vespertine
bjork - post
infest - slave
john fahey - god, time, and causality
low - things we lost in the fire
kepler - fuck. fight. fail.
swans - children of god
opto - second
boards of canada - geodadi
pelt - pearls from the river
public enemy - fear of a black planet
red house painters - songs for a blue guitar
tom waits - bone machine
that's just my current list. it'll probably change tomorrow.
no top 25 can truly encapsulate anything. i'd have to do a top 25 from each genre i listen to a lot of... sucks.
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Bonus points for having Born Against next to Kind of Blue
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Seems like an interesting place to make my 1st post...
1. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
2. Radiohead - OK Computer
3. Joy Division - Closer
4. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
5. British Sea Power - The Decline Of
6. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
7. Slint - Spiderland
8. Can - Tago Mago
9. Blur - 13
10. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
11. Mogwai - Come On Die Young
12. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
13. Super Furry Animals - Guerrilla
14. New Order - Power Corruption & Lies
15. Pulp - We Love Life
16. Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico
17. Brian Wilson - SMiLE
18. Pink Floyd - Animals
19. Mogwai - Rock Action
20. Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
21. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
22. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn
23. Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
24. Radiohead - Amnesiac
25. Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
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Ok - let me try my hand at this - namedropping is fun :)
Honorable Mentions:
Gomez - Split The Difference
Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
R.E.M. - Up
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Postal Service - Give Up
Johnny Cash - Man Comes Around
Franz Ferdinand - S/T
Counting Crows - August and Everything After
The Stone Roses - S/T
Black Keys – Thickfreakness
Velvet Underground & Nico – S/T
25. Skunk Anansie – Post Orgasmic Chill
24. Joy Division - Closer
23. Mogwai - Young Team
22. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
21. Tool - AEnima
20. Cure - Desintigration
19. David Gray - A Century Ends
18. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in the People
17. Arcade Fire - Funeral
16. Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
15. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven
14. Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
15. The Decemberists - Picaresque
12. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
11. Pearl Jam - Live at Benaroya Hall
10. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
9. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
8. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
7. Gomez - Bring It On
6. David Gray - White Ladder
5. Four Tet – Rounds
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the infinite sadness
3. Mogwai - Rock Action
2. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
1. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dreams
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Seems like an interesting place to make my 1st post...
1. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
2. Radiohead - OK Computer
3. Joy Division - Closer
4. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
5. British Sea Power - The Decline Of
6. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
7. Slint - Spiderland
8. Can - Tago Mago
9. Blur - 13
10. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
11. Mogwai - Come On Die Young
12. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
13. Super Furry Animals - Guerrilla
14. New Order - Power Corruption & Lies
15. Pulp - We Love Life
16. Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground & Nico
17. Brian Wilson - SMiLE
18. Pink Floyd - Animals
19. Mogwai - Rock Action
20. Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
21. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
22. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn, Country Hymn, Secret Hymn
23. Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
24. Radiohead - Amnesiac
25. Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
Neutral Milk Hotel- fucking yes
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i have no top 25 yet, not even a top 5 but my favourite album so far is Neutral Milk Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (thank you sturge, thank you thank you thank you)
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Weezer - Pinkerton
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antartica
Her Space Holiday - The Young Machines
Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Bad Religion - Generator
Greg Graffin - American Lesion
Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth
Beatles, The - Revolver
Arcade Fire, The - Funeral
Postal Service, The - Give Up
Eels, The - Daisies of the Galaxy
Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle
Garbage - Version 2.0
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
Flaming Lips, The - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
Eve 6 - Horrorscope
Abandoned Pools - Humanistic
Shins, The - Oh Inverted World
Mars Volta, The - De-Loused in the Comatorium
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Sonic Youth - Nurse
Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends[/list:u]
[list=][/list:u][/list]
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Eels, The? I think they're just called "Eels". Novelty points for "Pablo Honey" being the sole Radiohead album on your list.
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I thought it was the Eels, I suppose I'm wrong.
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(http://www.eelstheband.com/discography/images/beautifulfreakdsc.jpg)(http://www.eelstheband.com/discography/images/electroshopdsc.jpg)(http://www.eelstheband.com/discography/images/daisiesdsc.jpg)(http://www.eelstheband.com/discography/images/souljackerdsc.gif)(http://www.eelstheband.com/discography/images/shootdscdsc.gif)
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You make a good point :) I wish I could edit my original post. I feel silly now.
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You can! By the power of the internet!
(Press the "Edit" button at the top right hand corner of the post)
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1: the Pixies - Surfer Rosa
I am stunned that this is the only mention of surfer rosa, and only the second or third inclusion of a pixies album (I think I saw a couple of Doolittles on the first page). Not stunned in the sense that people have different taste than I, but stunned at all the lists that include bands with heavy Pixies influence without propping the Boston rockers who were way ahead of their time.
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In random, 'off the top of my head' order:
1. Radiohead - OK Computer
2. The Smashing Pumpkins - MCIS
3. Suede - Coming Out
4. NIN - The Downward Spiral
5. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
6. Pixies - Bossanova
7. Radiohead - The Bends
8. Bjork - Debut
9. Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World
10. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
11. Pixies - Surfer Rosa and Come on Pilgrim (it counts as one! :P)
12. Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
13. Supergrass - Supergrass
14. Aphex Twin - Richard D. James
15. The Dears - No Cities Left
16. Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
17. Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish?
18. Outkast - Stankonia
19. Eels - Beautiful Freak
20. Jeff Buckley - Grace
21. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up The Breakdown
22. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From the Sea
23. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
24. Badly Drawn Boy - Hour Of The Bewilderbeast
25. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
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Suede - Coming Out
isn't it called Coming up? Anyway I couldn't possibly make a list like that, it would be completely random and differ from time to time. Maybe when I get geld enough to actually buy cds ;)
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25. Circle Takes The Square - As The Roots Undo
24. Moss Icon - Lyburnum
23. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
22. Talking Heads - Remain In Light
21. The Pietasters - Oolooloo
20. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
19. The Magnetic Fields - Get Lost
18. Rancid - Life Won't Wait
17. X (Japan) - Jealousy
16. Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose
15. Apoptygma Berzerk - Harmonizer
14. Link 80 - The Struggle Continues...
13. Daft Punk - Discovery
12. Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Tyranny of Distance
11. The Lawrence Arms - Ghost Stories
10. Fairweather - Lusitania
9. Majority Rule - Interviews with David Frost
8. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
7. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
6. Chisel - Set You Free
5. Billy Bragg - Back To Basics (I know its a compilation...so sue me)
4. pg99 - Document #8
3. The Pillows - Little Busters
2. The Pogues - Red Roses For Me
1. The Clash - Sandinista!
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Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
AC Newman - The Slow Wonder
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Bright Eyes - Fevers and Mirrors
The Faint - Wet From Birth
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Ratatat - Ratatat
Rilo Kiley - More adventurous
Broken Social Scene - You forgot it in people
American Analog Set - Know by Heart
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Elliot Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Action Action - Don't Cut Your Fabric to This Year's Fashion
The Postal Service - Give Up
Faraquet- The View From This Tower
In Flames - Whoracle
Judas Priest - Ram it Down
Converge - Jane Doe
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
The Stockholme Syndrome - Self Titled
Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance
I think that's 25......
I kind of drift from my usually indie/emo/pop references to go to harder stuff towards the end. I love it all.
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Righto, let's see if I can manage this without losing what little credibility I have... Afraid I only have time to think of 10, in no particular order, and they'll be accompanied by five word explanations and a highlight.
Weezer - Pinkerton
Raw, sensitive, complex, what happened??
Highlight: "Falling for You" Solo - scratchy and noisey but beautiful.
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Sorry, obvious, awesome, groundbreaking, heroin?
Highlight: "Venus in Furs" 1:33 as the Viola comes to the front of the chorus briefly before the whole thing drifts back into it's droning march.
The Beatles - Revolver
Best Beatles Album, band maturing.
Highlight: "Tommorow Never Knows" The whole thing, I still can't imagine how this would have sounded back in 1966, you could have told me this was recorded last week and I'd believe you.
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Angry, Bewildering Guitar, Incredible Debut.
Highlight: "You've got a Bullet in your F*cking Heeaaaad!!!"
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Fuzz, Saws, Annoyingly Good Lyrics.
Highlight: "King of Carrot Flowers Parts 2 & 3" 1:17 - We're introduced to the brass section, taken spiralling up and then by 1:36 we're thrown face first back into the mud wondering what's going on.
Jeff Wayne - War of the Worlds (aah, THERE goes my credibility)
My Childhood, Martians, OOOOLAAA!
Highlight: "The Chances of Anything Coming from Mars..." You can't really pick a highlight out of this.
Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Overbearing, Pretentious, Ambitious, Fantastic! Long!
Highlight: "Zero" 1:15 - Whammy! good stuff!
The Rentals - Seven More Minutes
Diverse, Thick, Layered, Insightful, Harmonies.
Highlight: "Overlee" second chorus. Just such a rich, layered texture to the sound. Synths, guitars, male and female vocals all harmonising. Beautiful stuff.
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
It's been said... dark etc.
Highlight: Showing the album to people who've only heard "love will tear us apart" and think they like Joy Division
The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage Animation Music Vol. 1
Should hate this. Schizophrenic, interesting!
Highlight: "I Have been Floated" and every other time you start to grow tired of the bleeps and noise and out of nowhere some catchy pop jumps out at you.
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14. Link 80 - The Struggle Continues...
Awesome!
5. Billy Bragg - Back To Basics (I know its a compilation...so sue me)
Forgiven, especially as Spy vs. Spy is only 7 tracks long. Also, awesome!
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Yeah, Link 80 is fucking great and it was awesome that they were able to bounce back from Nick's suicide with an album like The Struggle Continues. That album just oozes hardcore/ska goodness...shit like Unbroken, Peril After Peril, and Right Hook. Throw in a Madness cover for good measure, and the re-recording of Nowhere Fast and Nothing New (from Ryan's band Blast Bandits) and you've got a fucking solid release in my opinion. I wish they would come back from "hiatus" and finish the album they were working on. Also I wish they'd do one last tour for old time's sake.
And what can I say about Billy? He and Ted Leo are my heroes/role models/etc.
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Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
It's been said... dark etc.
Highlight: Showing the album to people who've only heard "love will tear us apart" and think they like Joy Division.
I've only got Substance - is Unkown Pleasures the first one, or was that Closer?
Either way, yeah, they were a lot different in the beginning. "Warsaw" is a far cry from "Love Will Tear Us Apart."
3 5 0 2 1 5 GO
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isn't it called Coming up?
Gaa! Yaar, it is. Hmm..that's a very strange typo for me..
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5. Billy Bragg - Back To Basics (I know its a compilation...so sue me)
Forgiven, especially as Spy vs. Spy is only 7 tracks long. Also, awesome!
Agreed, agreed . . . And agreed! I can't believe I left Spy vs. Spy off my list. Am I allowed to make another "top" 25?
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Here's my Top 25 at the moment. I'll finish the reasons later.
25 - Billy Bragg - Back to Basics
I know it's a collection but it's brilliant.
24 - The Toy Dolls - Absurd Ditties
The Toy Dolls had been putting out music for a decade when they recorded their best album with Absurd Ditties. It was filled with brilliantly catchy songs featuring cheesy yet hilarious lyrics, Olga's distinctive vocals and mammoth solos as Toy Dolls songs always were but on Ditties there were differences with the acoustic intro to My Wife's A Psychopath, the redneck jaunt in Drooling Banjos and the hard rocking, pseudo-classical Toccata in Dm sitting comfortably alongside more traditional TOy Dolls songs like the dual-solo Sod The Neighbours or Alec's Gone. Absurd Ditties showed that The Toy Dolls were, and are, one of the most under-rated punk bands around.
23 - The Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
22 - Steel Pulse - Handsworth Revolution
21 - Chris Murray - The 4 Track Adventures Of Venice Shoreline Chris
20 - Defiance Ohio - Share What Ya' Got
19 - The Rudiments - Circle Our Empire
18 - The Undertones - The Undertones
The Undertones self-titled debut album is 100% pure pop-punk. Ignoring
the sectarian troubles that surrounded them they instead focused on a
subject that was very close to their hearts: girls. A vast majority of
the 23 songs on this album (none of which exceed 3 minutes) deal with
the bands teenage loves and lusts which are perfectly articulated by
Feargal Sharkey's distinctive lead vocals which fit perfectly over the
simple pop-punk music and airy background vocals, The Undertones
created a classic album featuring many classic songs such as Here
Comes The Summer, Jimmy Jimmy and the eternal Teenage Kicks. This
album proved that teenage dreams really are hard to beat.
17 - Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are DEVO!
16 - Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
"Inflammable Material planted in my head, It's a suspect device that's left 2000 dead". So starts Stiff Little Fingers classic debut album. The 'Irish Clash' summed up what it was like to be young in Northern Ireland during the troubles. With killer riffs, great basslines and socially conscious lyrics that attacked the IRA and the army (Wasted Life), record labels (Rough Trade) and displayed a witty bitter humor (Barbed Wire Love). The first independent album to breach the UK Top 20 this album is a both an important landmark in music history, a great record and gave a whole generation new hope for an Alternative Ulster.
15 - Mojo Nixon - Whereabouts Unknown
14 - The Dead Milkmen - Beezlebubba
13 - World/Inferno Friendship Society - East Coast Supersound Punk Of Today
12 - Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
11 - Bad Brains - Bad Brains
10 - Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty Eight
9 - Curtis Mayfield - Superfly
8 - Cock Sparrer - Shock Troops
7 - Propagandhi - Today's Empires, Tommorrow's Ashes
6 - Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
This album always sounds like the soundtrack to a Raymond Chandler novel to me. Waits' underworld stories and nonsensical lyrics combined with brilliant music that sounds like a carnival gone mad make this a great album.
5 - The Clash - London Calling
The Clash's greatest album. This album combines more genres than I care to mention and blends them all together into one great album.
4 - Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
The ultimate break-up record of all time. Dylan has a lot of great songs and albums but this is his best in my opinion. Every song on this album is brilliant.
3 - Johnny Cash - American IV (The Man Comes around)
Johnny Cash's last proper album. This is possibly the saddest album in existence. You can hear Cash's life story in his voice in every song. From great covers like Hurt and I Hung My Head to original songs like the title track. This album is one of the few that can make me cry repeatedly. It finishes with an incredibly meaningful version of We'll Meet Again.
2 - Bill Hicks - Arizona Bay
Bill Hicks is the funniest and most insightful man who ever existed and this is his crowning glory. Filled to he brim with amazingly funny routines like Officer Nigger Hater and Pussy-Whipped Satan backed-up by music that fits in perfectly. Bill ruthlessly skewers any and all people that deserve it.This album makes me think what could have been if Bill had lived any longer.
1 - Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
When Jello Biafra answered East Bay Ray's advert in a local music paper few could have predicted the outcome would be the greatest punk album of all time. Fresh Fruit is a half-hour minute rollercoaster ride through the harsh underbelly of the american dream. From the bouncy Let's Lynch The Landlord, to the barely controlled chaos of Chemical Warfare, from the classic Faux-fascist anthem California Uber Alles to the haunting screech of the timeless Holiday In Cambodia, this album delivers. The songs are often gloriously offensive such as I Kill Children and Kill The Poor but all contain the bitter sarcastic edge of Jello's lyrics which are perfectly complimented by Ray and Klaus' guitar work. This is an album that sounds like it was written for a forthcoming apocalypse or mental breakdown, the perfect mix between the minimalism of In God We Trust Inc and the expansiveness of Frankenchrist where all the songs can provoke, educate and make you want to rock out like a crazy fool. My favourite album of all time, the best punk album of all time and definitely not one for the idiots.
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This was harder than I thought, actually. Mostly since it's really hard not to include all albums of some of your favourite artists, etc.
I don't think I'll post all 25 at once, or in any particular order, but here are the ones I spontaneously came to think of when seeing this thread:
Therapy? - Troublegum
Monster - A Brief History Of
Marit Bergman - Dry Your Eye
At The Gates - Slaughter of the Soul
In Flames - Colony
Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog
Håkan Hellström - Det Är Så Jag Säger Det
Neil Young - Harvest
The Hellacopters - Payin' The Dues
MC5 - Back In the USA
Bad Brains - Soul Brains (A reuinion/live record; I havn't managed to get hold of any of their other albums)
Slayer - Decade of Aggression (One of the best live albums I've heard. At least the first cd)
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I've only got Substance - is Unkown Pleasures the first one, or was that Closer?
Either way, yeah, they were a lot different in the beginning. "Warsaw" is a far cry from "Love Will Tear Us Apart."
I think Unknown Pleasures was their first, yeah. Or at least I'm sure it was before Closer, which I'm quite sure was their last. I have a hard time picking between the two, but there are just a few more tracks I prefer on Unknown Pleasures.
Listening to Pleasures after only hearing Love Will Tear Us Apart was quite a scary experience, but thankfully I grew to love it.
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(no order)
1 the shins- chutes too narrow
2 metric- old world underground, where are you now?
3 new pornographers- mass romantic
4 foo fighters- there is nothing left to lose
5 nirvana- incesticide
6 the pixies- doolittle
7 breaker! breaker!- where all the birds yell
8 ac newman- the slow wonder
9 reel big fish- turn the radio off!
10 the raincoats- the raincoats
11 the reunion show- kill your television
12 harvey danger- where have all the merrymakers gone?
13 mates of state- team boo
14 saves the day- stay what you are
15 veruca salt- eight arms to hold you
16 the agenda- start the panic
17 catch 22- keasbey nights
18 beck- odelay!
19 incubus- make yourself
20 modest mouse- the moon and antarctica
21 broken social scene- you forgot it in people
22 dead kennedys- plastic surgery disasters
23 the life aquatic soundtrack
24 get up kids- four minute mile
25 mclusky- mclusky do dallas
that was hard.
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20 - Defiance Ohio - Share What Ya' Got
19 - The Rudiments - Circle Our Empire
Those two just missed being on my list. I think Defiance, Ohio is the best punk band in America. Period.
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Ack, sketchyjoe, thanks for reminding me, how could I not have had a Dead Kennedys album on my list? Damnation, I tell you!
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My friends and I actually take about an hour out of our schedules every day for a month to discuss these things together. We start with just about every album we've ever liked, whittling down the list to however many albums we feel we don't want to part with.
Listening sessions where albums that are close in position are listened to back to back are numerous and are actually the most helpful bit of the entire process.
I am as completely confident in my list right now as I was when I posted it. These were the top five 'not quite' albums.
Microphones, The Glow, Pt. 2
Manic Street Preachers, This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours
Death Cab For Cutie, The Photo Album
Modest Mouse, Good News For People That Love Bad News
Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks
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25. Bad Religion-Suffer
The first new school punk rock record. Great melodies, and wonderful lyrics. Too bad most of their ilk were just trash. *Dirty looks at Social Distortion.*
24. Modest Mouse- The Moon and Antartica
One of the first non punk rock albums I listened too in the 21st century. Great music, very obtuse, but strangely accessable. Recommended to anyone who wonders about all these bands Jeph keeps talking about.
23. Bouncing Souls- Tie One On.
The only way to hear this band. The Live records format comes off better than most punk rock bands. The standout track is chunksong.
22. Q and Not U- No Kill No Beep Beep
Very accessable, tight melodies, wonderfully textured rhythms, and very smart (assed?) lyrics.
21. Dead Kennedys- Frankenchrist
This is the paradigmatic punk record. Jello Biafra showed his true genius, too bad due to the trials relating to the art of this record it soon turned to insanity.
20. KMFDM- UAIOE
Before they were a cleshea of goth teen angst. Before the played shitty techno-metal. Before Sasha K lost his goddamn mind and kicked out everyone and reformed the "band" with all new members. There were keyboards, clever lyrics, sparse guitars, and a great sense of humor. This record is the height of 80'sindustrial.
19. Big Black- Bulldozer EP
Steve Albini, young, pissed, and at the helm. Really just get the fuck out of the way, your stereo may try and kill you.
18. Pegboy-Strong Reaction/Three Chord Monte
Former members of Naked Raygun and Big Black formed this Chicago rock supergroup. a very good departure form the hard/agressive edge of their former bands, but it does keep good rock beat, and awesome guitars.
17. Nine Inch Nails- Broken EP.
Ministry takes over the musicianship here. Shortly after hus callaboraton with Pigface, he asked Al jorgenson, and Martin Atkins to play drums, it left Reznor to scream like the angsty bitch he is. Great stuff. (on a sidenote, due to the label on Suck being by T. Reznor/Pigface, Trent was subject to many a humilating remix at the hands of Pigface's rather inevntive crew.
16. Ministry-In Case you Didn't feel like showing up
Ministry live, has every good track they every did. This is really all you need of their catalouge.
15. Neil Young- After The Gold Rush
FeaturesSouthern Man, the inspiration for Lynyrd Skynard's retarded ass "Sweet Home Albama". As for Mr. Young's record, this is him at his peak. Awesome song writing, and even better melodies to back it up. Recommended for newbies to classic rock.
14. Misfits- Evilive
Worth Henry Rollins doing guest vocals on We are 138, the rest is forgetable, but that moment is fucking priceless.
13.Circle Jerks- Group Sex
Keith Morris is Mr. FUCKING PUNK ROCK. Listen to this records, words cannot describe how hard this rocks.
12. Boris the Sprinkler- Saucer to Saturn
Green Bay punk rock. Sorry just needed a localish band on here.
11. Subhumans- 29:29 split vision
They showed they were more than another shitty english hardcore band here. Great powerful political lyrics.
10. 999- Seperates
Awesome records, highlight track, Let's face It.
9. Buzzcocks-Singles Going Steady
This is a classic. If you don't have it get it.
8. The Specials-S/t.
This was what ska is supposed to sound like.
7. Built to Spill-Keep it like a Secret
Everyone knows these guys so I don't have to say much. Spacy rock and roll. Stand out track "You were right"
6. Beatles-Revolver
Really I don't have to decribe this here. This and Rubber soul are the only Beatles records I still get down with. Definitly their peak period.
5. Cake- Fashion Nugget
I know every word and I never get sick of this, almost 10 years and counting of sevral palys a week.
4. Shellac- At Action Park
This record is one of the best I have ever heard, you can taste the bile, and the drums can cause your flat to shake like an earthquake.
3. Fifteen- Lucky
Jeff Ott is one the best political song writers of the berkley scene. As Mitch Clem said, he said that this guy lived in avan in the woods for a year. Amazingly poppy punk without beign childish.
2. Fugazi-Repeater
This record changed everything about music for me. I love the fact it's punk but no where near anything I'd ever heard before. I've been obsessed with this band ever since.
1. The Clash- London Calling
The swan song of english punk rock. It was never the same after this, but it was never done so well. What a great close to their era.
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Oh man, how could you have all that cool industriual stuff and decent pnk, then have all that fucing cack? Like the clash, i mean, man, everyone was going like 'the clash and the sex pistols' so I downloaded some and I thought they sucked ass, give me some anti-nowhere leaguoe or something as far as pun k goes,.
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Dude I'll give you the Sex Pistols as novelty. Listen to White Riot or Safe European Home. They may be up your alley as far as the Clash is concerned.
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Based on your name, I don't think I can forgive you for not putting Jawbreaker on that list.
Also, the Sex Pistols are musically worthless.
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what does fucking musically worthless mean snob-ass?
Not that I really like the pistols much, tbh, neyond a few songs. As I said, fucking Anti-Nowhere League.
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Honestly that would make me the guy in the t-shirt at the show.
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DONT IGNOER ME! Even if I do not comprehend you now, I will be able to read your postins in the morning when I have made my genre progression from drunk to post-drunk.
hehe, thats funny because people say that post just means you take the fun out and the morning afters never fun.
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Top 25 is difficult for me, as I can't rate albums, and I don't have 25 anyway.
But, here's a list of albums I like/want. There may be more than 25, I don't know, and 2am is not counting time for me.
Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists
The Cure - The Cure
Placebo - Placebo
Placebo - Once More With Feeling (Singles 1996-2004)
BRMC - Take Them on on Your Own
BRMC - B.R.M.C.
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
The Virgin Radio Album
Radiohead - OK Computer
Razorlight - Up All Night
Embrace - Out Of Nothing
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
Stereophonics - Word Gets Around
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Athlete - Tourist
Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby
Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
The Bravery - The Bravery
The Futureheads - The Futureheads
The Libertines - The Libertines
Kasabian - Kasabian
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Manic Street Preachers - Forever Delayed
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Iron & Wine- Woman King
Iron & Wine- Our Endless Numbered Days
The Postal Service- Give Up
Ratatat- Ratatat
The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos - Under the Pink
Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel
Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls
Tori Amos - To Venus and Back
Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
Tori Amos - Tales of a Librarian
Tori Amos - Welcome to Sunny Florida
Tori Amos - The Beekeeper
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All the Sex Pistols were were forebearers of the Punk movement. Pretty Vacant's the only song I can stomach, I think the rest is pretty crappy. But then again, I also think Crass sucks, so my opinion shouldn't count for much.
I don't get the guy in the t-shirt at the show comment. Are you saying that because your name references Jawbreaker, you're not allowed to like Jawbreaker? It may've gone over my head, sorry.
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I fucking hate the Sex Pistols. They brought in everything I hate about punk rock and became wash-up assholes before the 80s even got here. I know punk isn't renowned for its musicianship, but that doesn't give you the write to make shit up on a bass. Bah. Enough, I just hate them, as for Jawbreaker, Dear You would be on my top 25 list for sure.
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Because it's Friday the 13th, I give you my top 13. (That and I'm terribly indecisive, and this was just too hard after a while!)
It's not what most would consider the top album of all times, but they're my current favorites. I have to warn you all that I'm not very familiar with a lot of indie music, so I anticipate few will agree with my opinions. Think my list is shameful and needs improvement? Introduce me to something, and maybe it will make the next list. I'll definitely give anything a try! Curious about something you're unfamiliar with? Let me know.
13. They Might Be Giants -- Flood
Still know every word. Still makes me happy. In exchange for introducing me to Rasputina, I shared with Jesse the joy of TMBG. He still loves me for it.
Picks: "Birdhouse In Your Soul" and "Whistling In The Dark"
12. The Flaming Lips -- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
This infectious happiness was given to me to keep me from dying while studying for finals, and I became hooked.
Picks: "Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell" and "Do You Realize?"
11. Rent Original Broadway Cast -- The Best of Rent
What?! Another musical? Yes indeed. I love Rent. It never ceases to make me smile and sing along. And it was especially applicable for me a little while ago when I was hunting for a job and a place to live....
Picks: "Rent" and "La Vie Boheme"
10. Ani DiFranco -- Imperfectly
This took a while to grow on me, but now that is has, it's sticking. Maybe it was all the gender inequality classes.... Seems to be pretty love or hate though....
Picks: "What If No One's Watching" and "If It Isn't Her"
9. Rasputina -- Cabin Fever!
Thanks go to Jesse for turning me on to Rasputina! Prague would not have been the same without the great music exchange. Good stuff, but I'm uncertain how to describe it.
Picks: "Rats" and "My Orphanage"
8. Frank Wildhorn -- Jekyl and Hyde
Nope. Not kidding at all. Better than the Broadway version, this two disc set contains some of the best stuff, which was cut from the show. Maybe it's sentimental reasons that keep me listening because I've got some great memories to go with these, but I'm still listening, and I still love it. Good vocals.
Picks: "The World Has Gone Insane" and "Girls of the Night"
7. Nightwish -- Over the Hills and Far Away
Again, it was an epic battle betwee this, Angels Fall First, and Once, but this one wins. Perhaps I'm just not used to Once yet, but I've been listening to this longer and stuck with it faithfully. Also, you have to admit, when it comes to music videos, "Over the Hills and Far Away" was an awesome video where the "Wish I Had an Angel" video on the cd made me cry. In the bad way.
Picks: "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "10th Man Down"
6. Dir en grey -- Withering to Death
Kyo gets credit for being the first singer I could tolerate while he's screaming, and now I just scream along. The lyrics are dense, like confessional poetry cut apart so that only the imagery and hints of the true story remain, and I appreciate that. And for this one, it might be a plus if no one around you can understand the lyrics ^_~
Picks: "The Final" and "Itoshisa ha Fuhai ni Tsuki"
5. Alkaline Trio -- Goddammit
Too much fun was had with this album, and I still enjoy it, so it had to appear on the list as well. Not much more to say here.
Picks: "Sorry About That" and "Enjoy Your Day"
4. Alkaline Trio -- Alkaline Trio
It was a toss up between this one, From Here to Infirmary, and Maybe I'll Catch Fire, and Goddammit, but this one has stayed in rotation on my playlist longer and stronger so it won out. Fond memories of my freshmen year of college here.
Picks: "Cooking Wine" and "Sundials"
3. Gackt -- The Seventh Night
What? Isn't this album just a compilation of songs from previous albums in their accoustic versions? Yes, it is, and I adore it. I am a sucker for accoustic versions to begin with, but here, every song is re-arranged to work in this entirely unplugged, highly intimate feeling album. There's a sense of just sitting around a stage in a small joint listening to Gackt and JOB. And somehow, Gackt's voice, which is already compelling and gorgeous, becomes its own instrument here. I love that man, and this album has every one of my favorite songs. Can't lose there, if you like Japanese ^_~
Picks: "Last Song" and "Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto"
2. Athenaeum -- Radiance
This album was just the protective voice I needed after a serious romantic mauling. But you know what? Years later, I still love it. It's no longer my emotional medicine; now it's just one of my favorites. Not particularly musically complex or impressive, but I'm more into lyrics and the sense I get from songs anyway.
Picks: "Different Situation" and "Lifeline"
1. Frou Frou -- Details
I bought this album on impulse after hearing the song "Must Be Dreaming," and I have never regretted it. In fact, other songs from the album quickly shot up higher on my list of favorites, which for me is always a good sign. It's a rare thing for me to love every song on an album. Also, Imogen is equipped with amazing vocals and the ability to make light of subject matter such as disillusionment and disappointment in love without ever sounding whiny.
Picks: "It's Good to Be in Love" and "Must Be Dreaming"
*edited because I was dead wrong about something. meep.
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5. Alkaline Trio -- Goddammit
Too much fun was had with this album, and I still enjoy it, so it had to appear on the list as well. Not much more to say here.
Picks: "Sorry About That" and "Radio"
I don't mean to nitpick, but Radio wasn't on Goddamnit, great song though. It first appeared on Maybe I'll Catch Fire, quite possibley the darkest record, proving to be my favourite. I think I'll go listen to it now!
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Ack! Well, can't call it nitpicking when I'm wrong. That's what I get for burning everything to my computer and then not double checking the actual cd cases!
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This isn't in any order, and I'll probably change my mind about these right after I post it but it'll do. I've also limited myself to one album per band, since otherwise this would have been really dull.
1. Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters
I would go for Frankenchrist, but sadly 'Hellnation' makes it fall just below the mark of their second album. Jello's bitter, paranoid, world-weary and often very funny rants are in their prime here even stepping into the territory of his personal life ('Dead End') which he normally left alone.
2. Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come
When I first heard this it didn't sound like anything I'd ever come across. Not always successful but stupendous, intelligent hardcore which was unafraid to experiment. And it has such damn good style.
3. Submission Hold - Waiting For Another Monkey To Throw The First Brick
Flutes and folk mixing smoothly with politically-charged, angry hardcore. Worth inclusion for the epic statement 'Source Of Fuck', possibly the finest feminist song ever written.
4. Shellac - At Action Park
No-one does hate like Albini, and it drips from his stabbing guitar here while Trainer and Weston batter away behind him.
5. Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker
Not their greatest achievement, but my favourite album of theirs (today, anyway). 'Great Cop' sounds like Mackaye proving he can still front the best straight-up hardcore band in the world if he damn well feels like it and 'Returning The Screw' is a whole other kind of vicious.
6. Rites of Spring - Rites of Spring
Overwrought and maybe even cheesy. But I don't care, Picciotto becomes more and more distraught as the songs go on making them painfully honest emotional gasps. Also merits inclusion for the fact that in my opinion emo saved hardcore from becoming moronic and uninventive.
7. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
The greatest live album of all time. Pure rock power and swaggering sexuality with fiery politics.
8. Orchid - Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow!
Some of the best guitars I've ever heard, excellent drumming and I love their lyrics.
9. Imbalance - Wreaks Havoc With The Inner Ear
Okay, Imbalance never really recorded anything to match up to their live shows and this feels somewhat like a stepping stone to somewhere else which they sadly didn't reach. But this is nevertheless a great piece of intelligent hardcore.
10. Black Flag - Damaged
Unlike some people I really like their later stuff, but this is just such a perfect hardcore album I had to go for it. Abrasive, bleak, excellent.
11. Captain Beefheart - Clear Spot
Trout Mask Replica is a better album, but much as I love it I don't love it as much as I do this. I couldn't even begin to try and describe the mighty Captain though.
12. The Delgados - Peloton
It's such a shame that they fell off after this album, since it's superb. Beautiful songs that make you want to fall in love with someone Scottish.
13. Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime
Sheer class, and contains 'History Lesson - Part II' which for my money is a contendor for the title of 'greatest song ever written'.
14. Minor Threat - Discography
I know a discography is cheating a bit, but this is all I have and when listening I've never thought about which release the track playing comes from. Copied by thousands, surpassed by none.
15. Dicks - 1980-1986
Bluesy, soulful hardcore and yet another collection rather than an album proper. This band deserve more mentions than they get.
16. Circle Jerks - Group Sex
Snotty as hell, the musical equivalent of flipping someone off.
17. Stalingrad - Stalingrad CD
Hate-filled and probably the most downright nasty record I own. Metalcore meets noise, with guest vocals from the late General Leigh of Doom and Ian Leck of Voorhees this is completely unrelenting and a staggering achievement.
18. Arab Strap - Mad For Sadness
Filthy melancholy. All that needs to be said really.
19. Melt-Banana - Cell-Scape
Japanese mentalists annihilate pop. I'll never really understand this record, and that's no bad thing.
20. Ramones - Leave Home
Bubblegum rock and roll supremacy.
21. Kerosene 454 - Race
Not really a proper album since it's a collection of material, but it works very well as a complete record. A dense, powerful sound there are numerous moments of tension and resolution, and the way the songs move from mood to mood several times within just a few minutes is superb.
22. Lucero - That Much Further West
A country record that punks like basically. Not massively innovative, this is just great songwriting.
23. Tom Waits - Bone Machine
The one record that can make me well up a little. Waits has a great sense of humour too when he's not trying to break your heart.
24. Leadbelly - In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down
The record from this list I've been listening to the longest. A blues classic.
25. The Velvet Underground - The Best of The Velvet Underground Featuring Nico
Yes, I know, 'best of' records suck and all that. But this is a fantastic double-vinyl collection and has a lot of sentimental value for me since it belonged to my Mum and my sister and I used to play it together. It really does have all their best songs on it and nothing from Loaded, which though good isn't in the same class as this stuff, and I'd much rather play this than any of their individual records.
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No but posting that I like Jawbreaker would be redundant. It's exactly like wearing a t-shirt to a show. You liek the band we know you liek the band. You don;t need to broadcast it twice as hard.
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15. Dicks - 1980-1986
Bluesy, soulful hardcore and yet another collection rather than an album proper. This band deserve more mentions than they get.
The Dicks are seriously underrated.
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I know, people always seem to skip over them when talking about 80s hardcore but for my money they're much superior to, say, Faith or MDC (who I do like) and really ought to get at least as much recognition as those guys.
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It's all about Void when you're talking about 80's hardcore. Well GI too.
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Void do kick a lot of ass. But GI are annihilated by the might of tracks like 'Dicks Hate The Police', 'I Hope You Get Drafted' and 'Dead In A Motel Room'.
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Revenge Therapist
You're from Milwaukee? Small world, I am from Sturgeon Bay, about three hours north.
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No WI pride on the locale marker though. Only joking. Well we midwesterns need to band together. I am recieving my mic CD from a MI person.
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I know, people always seem to skip over them when talking about 80s hardcore but for my money they're much superior to, say, Faith or MDC (who I do like) and really ought to get at least as much recognition as those guys.
The Dicks, The Big Boys, Black Market Baby and The Fearless Iranians From Hell deserve a lot more attention than they get.
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I don't even recognise the names Black Market Baby and The Fearless Iranians From Hell. Who were they?
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The Fearless Iranians From Hell are another Texas 80s hardcore band. They wore ski masks and sang songs about being fundamentalist muslim terrorists with songs like Die For Allah and Dog Sperm.
Black Market Baby are a great band from DC. They're probably my favourite DC band after Bad Brains. Their music is 80s hardcore influenced by english punk.
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Hmm, I'll have to do a little investigating on those guys. They sound interesting, and I've always been a sucker for DC bands (as my list above shows).
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Check out:
http://www.30underdc.com/
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/mainpage.html
http://www.dementlieu.com/~obik/arc/
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Gwen Stefani?
The Killers?
Snow Patrol?
The Libertines?
....I want to burn you...
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You needed to qoute that whole thing for that? Burn yourself as well and I'll lend you the napalm.
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Sorted, and also.
Go burn yourself! I'll lend you the flamethrower.
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Hmmmm, that's a fair trade off. Clearly such an event needs to be filmed for the intraweb to enjoy for all time.
*Sets up video camera and takes the flamethrower*
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6. Dir en grey -- Withering to Death
3. Gackt -- The Seventh Night
Man, I appreciate J-Rock, went though a phase for it years back, but my oh my oh my, do Gackt and DeG have the scariest fangirls in the world.
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Gwen Stefani?
The Killers?
Snow Patrol?
The Libertines?
....I want to burn you...
Since you listed the Offspring in your top 5 along with the words 'can't beat a little old school punk' I don't think you should be getting too militant there :)
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Man, I appreciate J-Rock, went though a phase for it years back, but my oh my oh my, do Gackt and DeG have the scariest fangirls in the world.
Agreed. I propose that the Gackt fangirls are just a bit scarier though. There are women living in Japan right now just "to support [their] Gackt habit."
Although, tied for most scary in my mind are the hard core Mana fans that are still pissed that Malice Mizer is gone.
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Although, tied for most scary in my mind are the hard core Mana fans that are still pissed that Malice Mizer is gone.
How about the people who write ManaxGacktxKaoru homoerotic fanfiction? I met oneof those once. She was a small slightly chubby goth from Liverpool, and she had a big handbag. Full of photos and writings. Including a hand-annotated scrap-book of images that proved Dire En Greys various loves for each other.
Man, she was a scary lady.
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How about the people who write ManaxGacktxKaoru homoerotic fanfiction?
Those people scare me. Of course, all slash fiction scares me. Or maybe fanfiction as a whole scares me....
edit: sucky slashfic to make your eyes bleed, along with snarky commentary to justify reading (http://smartania.com/badfic/index.html)
Some of these hackings are quite amusing....
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Check out:
http://www.30underdc.com/
http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/mainpage.html
http://www.dementlieu.com/~obik/arc/
Thanks! That 30 Under DC site's really interesting, I wish I knew more of the history of that town. Most of the stuff I've read, like American Hardcore, focuses on the big names with little more than lists for the others. I've sadly never been able to afford Dance of Days, although I did make a couple of the dates they did over here on the book tour. The riot grrrl documentary they screened was amazing.
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So, I´m new to the forum and this is my musical taste. I´m just discovering the beauty of good pop music, so in a year there will be more pop records in it, I think. For now, it´s a nice mixture of metal, punk and other indie stuff. A lot of them is German, which is quite weird, for I hate this fucking country where unfortunately I was born. Nice music scene, though.
Here goes the list, in no particular order:
Katatonia – Last Fair Deal Gone Down
One of the most emotional albums of all times, a true masterpiece of that blistful type of melancholy that reveals so much hope in the end; Independent Rock far from all standards.
Empyrium – Songs Of Moors & Misty Fields
The definite Empyrium album; made in 1997, this German three-piece shows us how dark romanticism must sound like; romantic and beautiful metal music.
In The Woods... – Omnio
The masterpiece of these Norwegian really deserves the term “progressive”, for it progresses the standards of dark metal to a more avantgarde approach.
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tralala Band – Horses In The Sky
I love that singing! I love those melodies! Someone heard my prayers for a more catchy version of Mt. Zion, and there it is. So beautiful, so heartwarming music.
The Decemberists – Picaresque
Simply the best pop album I ever listened to. That mixture of folk and pop music feels like coming home to me, like I finally found what I was looking for. Their other albums, of course, are great as well.
Turbostaat – Schwan
Now I have this passion for melancholic punk rock (or, if you like, “emo-punk”) and Turbostaat are definetely the best band from that genre nowadays. I think this could be the most passionate music to listen to.
Pain Of Salvation – Remedy Lane
This might be the best “progressive” album I know. Pop, metal and folk meet and create something very beautiful and deep. You should even listen to it if you don´t like Dream Theater or other so called “prog”-bands ´cause it sounds very different from that; Pain Of Salvation is unique.
Chefdenker – Eine von hundert Mikrowellen
This is punk rock´n´roll the way it is meant to be – ironic and ass-kicking. Music that makes you laugh and cry and definitely drink. The best lyrics ever.
Dackelblut – Schützen und fordern
Jens Rachut´s lyrics are even better than the best lyrics ever. Punk, intelligent and witty. Guitarwork has been inspired by the Wipers.
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Soft & Stronger
Metal Will Never Die! This weird mixture of grindcore, death metal and the catchiest, most hymnal parts you´ve ever heard in a metal record is therefore the best metal record ever. And yes, I know fucking “Reign In Blood”!
World/Inferno Friendship Society – Just The Best Party
Just the best party. Punk rock in a circus, makes you wanna shout, dance, scream and live.
Borknagar – Borknagar
My favourite black metal album; it´s one of the two I know without a fucking satanist or nazi background; just a true musical version of nature´s wildness. The other one is Ulver´s “Bergtatt”, which is quite good as well, but Borknagar are rougher and have better songs, simply the best I heard from that genre.
Dornenreich – Her von welken Nächten
Although it´s often categorized as black metal, I think this is not a black metal record, for it lacks the typical blast beats and this ice-cold atmosphere most of the time. “Her von welken Nächten” is some kind of ingenious avantgarde metal album, very catchy and sophisticated at one time.
Opeth – My Arms Your Hearse
Much has been said about Opeth, but noone mentions this album, their third effort. It´s a bit faster than the others, and the lyrics are in epic prosa, telling a story. What a great band.
Summoning – Dol Guldur
If you like Tolkien, you have to listen to this. It´s the best soundtrack of Lord Of The Rings ever. Very long, minimalistic soundscapes created with a computer, a guitar and a shrieking black metal voice.
Against Me! – Reinventing Axl Rose
Great punkrock. You all know them, I hope.
Pascow – Richard Nixon Discopistole
Another German punk record, these guys kick ass.
Amanda Woodward – La decadence de la decadence
My favourite mid-90ies-emocore-album, made 2004. They are from France, they rock AND they are desperate.
Autumnblaze – Bleak
Music to bury yourself. Comes from very deep in the artist´s heart. So beautiful music.
Paragon Of Beauty – Comfort Me, Infinity
This record sounds like Sunny Day Real Estate meet Katatonia. Very emotional music far from any genre.
At The Drive-In – The Relationship Of Command
Well... great.
La Quiete – La fine non e la fine
Another fine “screamo”-record, this time from Italy. They are the most melodic band from that genre, at times getting very bombastic and hymnal, all mixed with warm, maybe “Italian”, melancholy.
Lattekohlertor – Lattekohlertor
The solo-project of Turbostaat-guitarist Marten is a masterpiece of emotional music. Home-recording to the max.
The Notwist – Neon Golden
Well, I love this record for obvious reasons. Everyone loves it.
The Pogues – If I Should Fall From Grace With God
Oh, yeah. Shane MacGowan is the man. I love his voice, I love his songs, and I love the way he´s conserved in whiskey.
Wipers – Over The Edge
No comment. It´s a MUST to know this, no ecuse!
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Since you listed the Offspring in your top 5 along with the words 'can't beat a little old school punk' I don't think you should be getting too militant there :)
That's fair enough, I honestly don't know very much about punk music at all.
I was very much a Pop Punker kiddie a few years back. (Had a hoodie and everything!!!!!!)
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No order, and no explainations because I'm sure no one will read it anyway.
Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
Oceansize - Effloresce
Pest - Necessary Measures
µ-Ziq - Lunatic Harness
Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Alatt Született
Way Out West - Way Out West
Squarepusher - Feed Me Weird Things
Squarepusher - Ultravisitor
Quantic - Apricot Morning
Plaid - Rest Proof Clockwork
Hybrid - Wide Angle
OOO - Upon Cycles
Boards of Canada - Twoism
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
Boards of Canada - Geogaddi... And Hi Scores, and In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country... Do EPs count? Probably not.
Autechre - Chiastic Slide
Biosphere - Substrata
Autechre - Amber
Amon Tobin - Permutation
4Hero - Creating Patterns
DJ Tiesto - Just Be
Chicane - Far from the Maddening Crowd
Linkin Park - Meteora (Shoot me)
Chris Clark - Clarence Park
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That's a kick ass list!
Except for DJ Tiesto and Linkin Park. They are less impressive. Also, Chicane. I'm pretty sure I don't like them either.
But the rest are awesome. I'm now going to go and acquire copies of:
Hybrid - Wide Angle
OOO - Upon Cycles
Biosphere - Substrata
Oceansize - Effloresce
because I can only assume they also rock, given the albums they are hanging out with.
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I like the Oceansize album (scary isn't it?)..I need to go listen to it again.
Man that's a really unkvlt post for my 666 post. *Blasts 30 seconds of Mayhem to make up for it*
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here is mine, though i'm sure no one will agree :-)
i got bored after 12, so here it is
1. Elliott Smith - Either/Or
2. Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank The Cradle
3. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
4. Guster - Live from Portland, Maine
5. Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith
6. Elliott Smith - From A Basement On The Hill
7. Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
8. Elliott Smith - Figure 8
9. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
10. Iron & Wine - The Sea & The Rhythm
11. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
12. Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
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La Quiete – La fine non e la fine
Another fine “screamo”-record, this time from Italy. They are the most melodic band from that genre, at times getting very bombastic and hymnal, all mixed with warm, maybe “Italian”, melancholy.
La Quiete are fucking awesome. Hopefully, I'll be making my way to Summerslam to see them again.
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I got really... REALLY lazy, so there's only 10 albums on here... also, I only included FAIRLY new albums (like, within the past 10 years, say) cause otherwise there'd be too much Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush... etc.
10. The Brat Attack -- From this Beauty Comes Chaos and Mayhem
So hard, so political, and kick-ass live... bonus points for having a super-good chick lead-singer.
9. The Mars Volta -- Frances the Mute
Best Volta there is... although Inertiatic on Deloused was awesome too.
8. Alexisonfire -- Alexisonfire
Way more of George in this one than in Watch Out... and that's a good thing, cause I don't like Dallas as much as George.
7. Flashligh Brown -- My Degeneration
I don't know... it's just fun and FUNNY to listen to... the lyrics are awesome
6. Coheed and Cambria -- The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Claudio's crazy high-pitch vocals - especially given that he looks as though such sounds shouldn't be able to come out of him - is what makes this album... I like Rush, so
5. The Fiery Furnaces -- EP
This is the first Fiery Furnaces I bought, and it's just so crazy that I couldn't NOT put it so high on the list. Makes me want to dance
4. Modest Mouse -- The Moon and Antarctica
I liked this one better than Good News, not sure why... it's just better to listen to all at once
3. Iron And Wine -- Woman King EP
Just... just so awesome
2. Death From Above 1979 -- You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
So much energy, and such an awesome sound, made all the more awesome by the fact that this band consists of only two guys... plus they're Canadian
1. Arcade Fire -- Funeral
Awesome Canadian Indie, in bothe french and english, with a big variety of instruments... I love this album religiously, and am in danger of wearing it out.
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This is going to be a mind-bender....
1. Emergency & I (The Dismemberment Plan) - Besides the fact that I'm a Plan fan, this is a fantastic and influential album. The Plan took everything laying around and mixed it into their sound, creating a firecracker of an album, spanning rock's history as well as making their own. As Pitchfork said in their review "This has everything in your CD collection, but sounds nothing like it."
2. The Bends (Radiohead) - I had to choose between the revolutionizing of arena/explosive rock, the revolutionizing of psychadelic space-rock, and the revolutionizing of electronica, and by a hair, I chose the first option. Every song is perfect. There's nothing wrong with this album.
3. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Pavement) - A messy masterpiece. This is the perfect mixture of Pavement's playful nature and their ability to write good songs.
4. The Moon & Antarctica (Modest Mouse) - Holy bejesus! This is a briliant piece of music right here. It encompasses everything Modest Mouse had ever done up until that point, makes it dark and atmospheric, and still manages to make an EXPERIENCE of an album.
5. Source Tags & Codes (And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead) - Trail of Dead has made one of Indie Rock's true masterpieces with this work. This is in the classic way, where everything is based on pure energy and mood, letting loose a mixture of hardcore and beauty.
6. Keep it Like a Secret (Built to Spill) - The songs are tight, yet have that dense Built to Spill sound. The songs are perfectly-crafted, and Built to Spill get to do the most effective thing you can do with a dense, powerful sound; strip it down. The best moment of the album is, hands-down, the drum and tight riff section of "Temporarily Blind."
7. We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (Death Cab for Cutie) - I can listen to this album repeatedly for days. It flows beautifully, and not a note is out of place. The mood IS actually enough to carry the album, but after a listen or two, you'll notice the well-written lyrics and great songcraft.
8. Turn on the Bright Lights (Interpol) - It's dark, it's gloomy, and it's beautiful. It's like Joy Division with texture, Ocean Rain-era Echo and the Bunnymen on Prozac. When you listen to the album, it's amazing how well the name "Interpol" works for the band.
9. Things Fall Apart (The Roots) - Yeah, that's right. I listen to rap. So what? The Roots got jazz, the got intelligence, and they play their own instruments. Pure intelligence and soul rule this album. Besides, there's a Radiohead reference in there somewhere. XP
10. No Cities Left (The Dears) - Wow. This album is beautiful. It's like Dark Side of the Moon with different subject matter and more powerful guitars in some places. It's an adventure.
Those are my first ten, in no particular order.
EDIT:
OMG MORES LOL
11. Mind is Not Brain (Mock Orange) - It's not everyday you see an emo band for people who hate emo, and it's not everyday you see them morph into a mutant Modest Mouse/Pavement/Built to Spill monster, either. They really transformed, and it sounds natural. Every song has multiple twists and the lead singer sticks to a high, moderately nasal tone quality. It's just great. The riff in the song "This Nation" is like this generation's Black Dog (at least in the catchy/boogy-down style of it).
12. Make Up the Breakdown (Hot Hot Heat) - BOOGIE DOWN, BABEH! Hot Hot Heat's debut manages to be danceable without being too poppy or happy (Ugh to Elevator). The songs never stay on one idea for too long, and always lead to something even better than the last.
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Psychadelic space-rock?!
In fact, come to think of it, Anthem rock?!?
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At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
Say what you will, has always caught me as being damn good, just brings so much great stuff and atmosphere really.
It took that many posts for someone to mention 'Slaughter of the Soul'? Come on, kids, we all know how good and important that album was.
Here's mine, in no particular order and subject to change at a whim:
American Nightmare/Give Up the Ghost - Background Music
The perfect specimen when it comes to modern hardcore that still plays on older influences. Balls-to-the-wall without obsessing about br00tality, emotional without being emo. Closer 'Farewell' touches me like few other songs.
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
After they broke up, everyone seemed to forget about CoFlow, and few indie hipsters who today lay claim to artists like Aesop Rock, Atmosphere and the Anticon collective even know this album exists. Well, kids, were it not for Company Flow, your beloved Aesops and Atmospheres wouldn't even be around. Which leads us to...
El-P - Fantastic Damage
...The epitome of fucked up, noisy crypto-rap. El-P is so divorced from traditional hip-hop mindsets that he barely even feels forced to rhyme, landing somewhere in between agressive spoken word and crazy word-twistery. Add to this the near-apocalyptic blaring behind him, and it's like all fucking hell broke loose.
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Mos has always been one of the most intelligent rappers out there. Always. Too bad his last album doesn't live up to the expectations. But when I need cerebral hip-hop, 'Black On Both Sides' is always a given.
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Do I even need to comment on this? This album is goddamn legendary, and for good reason.
At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul
Yeah, they inspired every other band that's hot in the American underground right now. Yet this album is still better than 90% of what actually comes out there.
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Well, duh. RIP Dimebag and all the other obligatory things that go there. Either way, Pantera really came into their own with this one. This album is the biggest reason why they're just so legendary.
Sepultura - Roots
My friend and I always get into heated debate about whether 'Roots' or 'Chaos AD' is better. I root for 'Roots' (ha ha), simply because it is more of a memorable record for me.
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Okay, I'm three in a row on obvious albums. But come on, "six! Six six! The nuuuuumber of the beeeeast!" No one can keep themselves from singing along to that. Except my friend, but I think he's a zombie.
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...
This is one of the few electronically made albums that I can still make myself listen to every now and then, and certainly the one that has lasted me the longest. In fact, so to the point where I sometimes feel inspired to have a stab at doing something like this myself. Few other albums have had that impact on me just by themselves.
Shai Hulud - That Within Blood Ill-Tempered
The album that proved that hardcore doesn't have to be in the hands of the Dillinger Escape Plan to be more complex than simple power chords strung together. Intelligently written, emotionally visceral, insanely complex, yet straightforward and easy to understand.
Converge - When Forever Comes Crashing
Some say that Converge's 'Jane Doe' is a better album. However, I've always liked Converge when they were short and to the point rather than the times they try to rip off Neurosis. 'When Forever Comes Crashing' is the epitome of that part of Converge; spawning live classics like 'Conduit' and 'Love As Arson'.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
I'm not saying I don't like the strange, almost pop experimentation of 'Miss Machine', but 'Calculating Infinity' will always be the record that defined the Dillinger Escape Plan's modus operandi: messed-up jazz-meets-almost-grind blasts of holy-fuck-how-do-they-do-that.
Integrity - Seasons In the Size of Days
If it weren't for Integrity, most of today's metalcore bands (and I mean of all kinds) would have one band less to thank for their sound. Dwid may not have always been the most agreeable person to grace the world of hardcore, but it is hard to deny that Integrity was always something more, as undefinable as that may be. I mean, what other -core band that doesn't do the joke title thing would name songs things like 'Candra Nama Vijayasya Stri Pums' Calayasti'?
Botch - We Are the Romans
Botch were the goddamn originators. If it wasn't for Botch and their brand of weird, semi-progressive hardcore, a whole bunch of bands just wouldn't exist at all.
Sick of It All - Blood, Sweat and No Tears
Practically the definition of NY-styled hardcore, and a band that has meant lots not just for hardcore, but punk at all, that have reached greatness beyond the small crowds that gather in basements and bars for a half-hour dose of mosh everytime a band passes through time. It's clobberin' time!
Uh, okay, it's 11:30 PM, and I'm too tired to think of more. Watch this space.
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Eh, when you have people that think sodding Black Dahlia Murder are a good MDM band or even a fair representation of the genre, you know there's a problem.
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Psychadelic space-rock?!
In fact, come to think of it, Anthem rock?!?
The former was the only term I could think of, but it does seem to fit the album at least somewhat. One person said "Hm, they sound like Pink Floyd" and I was like "FUCK YOU MAN!" and I blasted some Sonic Youth at his face.
Good times. XP
Anthem rock is big, explosive rock with heavy guitars.
Anthem rock =/= U2 or 80's metal bands
It's just another way of saying "BIG".
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Okay, I'll let you off just this once
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Heh. Don't worry, I won't be making obtuse comparisons like that one very often.
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In no praticular order (if you please):
the Bouncing Souls- How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Anchors Aweigh, Hopeless Romantic
Bane-Give Blood
A New Found Glory-Nothing Gold Can Stay, S/T
Minor Threat-Complete Discography
Less Than Jake-Hello Rockview, Losing Streak
Alkaline Trio- Maybe I'll Catch Fire, Goddamnit
Kid Dynamite-S/T
Millencolin-Pennybridge Pioneers, Life on Plate, Home From Home
Midtown-Save the World, Lose the Girl , Living Well is the Best Revenge
H2O-FTTW
Shai Hulud-That Within Blood Ill-Tempered
Kill Hannah-For Never and Ever
Rise Against-Revolutions Per Minute
Lifetime-Jersey's Best Dancers
the Lawrence Arms-Apathy and Exhaustion
Raised Fist-Dedication
Zombie Apocalypse-This Day is a Spark of Life EP
Bad Religion- Against the Grain, Suffer
I should note that this a list of the most influential CDs on me. My top 25 best CDs would make me jump out of the building from the complexity and anxiety of choosing.
Important CDs I "should" have on here but didn't make much of a change on me as other groups:
the Clash-London Calling (3 CD set)
Refused-the Shape of Punk to Come
Gorilla Biscuits-Start Today (hell, i got it a week ago)
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Anthem rock
I know exactly what you mean, but the more normal term is 'Stadium Rock' or 'Arena Rock'.
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Zombie Apocalypse-This Day is a Spark of Life EP
Have you ever heard Send More Paramedics? They're in a similar vein to Zombie Apocalypse, in fact I think ZA were formed a little while after they supported Shai Hulud.
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Eh, when you have people that think sodding Black Dahlia Murder are a good MDM band or even a fair representation of the genre, you know there's a problem.
Uh, I think they're pretty good.
Have you ever heard Send More Paramedics? They're in a similar vein to Zombie Apocalypse, in fact I think ZA were formed a little while after they supported Shai Hulud.
Zombie Apocalypse pretty much are Shai Hulud. It's still a Matt Fox/Matt Fletcher band, only with two vocalists, new drummer and new bass player. That EP/album kicks some serious ass, though. Oh, and what's funny is that ZA and SMP are putting out a split this month.
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Damn, SMP are really getting into the splits thing. They've only just had that one with The Nothing out. I've never really bothered much with ZA though, I just don't think I need more than one zombie hardcore band in my life. And even SMP's starting to get a little tired, it must be close to 4 years since their first gig now.
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Eh, when you have people that think sodding Black Dahlia Murder are a good MDM band or even a fair representation of the genre, you know there's a problem.
Uh, I think they're pretty good.
That cover of 'Paint it, Black' was pretty nice.
My mate who I normally respect likes them, along with stuff like Shadows Fall. His excuse is something like he's so goddamn obsessed with MDM that he likes anything MDM influenced. He has the complete discographies of something like 40 MDM bands, everyone from the biggies like In Flames, At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity to unknowns like Insomnium, Gardenian and Lothlorien.
It is a very scary amount of MDM.
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I know exactly what you mean, but the more normal term is 'Stadium Rock' or 'Arena Rock'.
Noooo! The point is, that's not what he meant. Or at least I hope it wasn't
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You're hoping he didn't just call a Radiohead album "stadium rock"?
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Yes, very much so.
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Here's my 25 in random order:
Cradle of Filth - Midian
CMX - Cloaca Maxima II
Zen Café - Jättiläinen
Cradle of Filth - Cruelty and the beast
Children of Bodom - Tokyo Warhearts
Viikate - Vuoden synkin juhla
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Impaled Nazarene - Absence of war does not mean peace
Marilyn Manson - Portrait of an american family
Cradle of Filth - Nymphetamine
Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
Korn - Issues
Juicy Panic - Otarie
Kemopetrol - Play for me
New York Dolls - In too much too soon
The Best of Os Mutantes - Everything is Possible
Aavikko - Multi Muysic
Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute
Bob Marley & the Wailers - The very best of early years 1968 - 74
Rob Dougan - Furious Angels
CMX - Aion
Children of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll
Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper
Y.U.P. 1990 - 1992
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Wait, he was talking about RADIOHEAD?
^Kudos on the Impaled Nazarene, less kudos on choice of CoF albums.
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Anthem rock
I know exactly what you mean, but the more normal term is 'Stadium Rock' or 'Arena Rock'.
That's what I mean! Sorry, I didn't realize I made the typo. I was skimming through and "Anthem" and "Arena" look very simmilar to the weery mind. :P
And guys, please understand. I wasn't calling Radiohead's carreer "anthem/arena rock", just The Bends. If you've actually listened to the album, you could probably see where that description came from. I'm not describing Radiohead as arena rock, just The Bends. It's just the type of word that comes to mind.
It's kind of hard to describe the band's entire carreer when they constantly reinvent themselves, you know.
So, don't think of U2 or 80's heavy metal when reading "arena/anthem".
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God, this just gets worse, doesn't it?
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Everyone forget about it. God, I thought you people didn't care about labeling. I'm just putting some words together to at least SEMI describe the sound. Let's try and avoid an "I'm Indier than you" argument, k?
Anyway, I added 2 more albums to my list.
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My mate who I normally respect likes them, along with stuff like Shadows Fall. His excuse is something like he's so goddamn obsessed with MDM that he likes anything MDM influenced. He has the complete discographies of something like 40 MDM bands, everyone from the biggies like In Flames, At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity to unknowns like Insomnium, Gardenian and Lothlorien.
It is a very scary amount of MDM.
Wow, and I thought I liked MDM a lot.
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I've never seen anything to touch this guy. Especially when you consider that by complete discographies I also mean he's downloaded or traded every bootleg, demo, japanese bonus track etc. he can find for a lot of them.
I mean, he can listen or watch to Dark Tranquillity for something like 12 hours non-stop without repeating a track.
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I don't think I could ever do a top twenty-five. But I'll give you a top five, because just thinking of twenty-five albums would probably hurt my brain. I don't own a lot of music.
Rubber Soul by the Beatles
Wowee Zowee by Pavement
Surfer Rosa by the Pixies
California by Mr. Bungle
Harvest by Neil Young
These'll probably be somewhat different within the next month or two.
Please, get indier-than-thou on me.
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12 hours? Pfft. I can listen to Slug for nearly 3 and a half days without repeating a track. Then again, Slug isn't MDM, so I imagine it's a much less gruelling experience.
And with that totally uncalled-for interlude, back on topic.
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I think it's more impressive because they only have seven full-length albums, at an average length of about 40 minutes each. He has maybe 3 hours of bootlegs?
I mean, it makes me cold thinking how long I could listen to say, Hawkwind for if I had all their stuff, they have something like 36 official live and studio albums, plus at least 10 collections of radio sessions and demos, 7 EP's with original material that were issued on the front of sci-fi magazines, and about 13 compilations with remixes and such that can't be found elsewhere.
That doesn't even count the bootlegs...
Anyway, yeah, is there anyone who hasn't posted their top 25 yet?
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Rubber Soul by the Beatles
Wowee Zowee by Pavement
Surfer Rosa by the Pixies
California by Mr. Bungle
Harvest by Neil Young
These'll probably be somewhat different within the next month or two.
Please, get indier-than-thou on me.
As requested: 'Revolver' and 'After the Goldrush' are better :). I don't relly know much about the other 3 bands (although I really should)
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Damn, SMP are really getting into the splits thing. They've only just had that one with The Nothing out. I've never really bothered much with ZA though, I just don't think I need more than one zombie hardcore band in my life. And even SMP's starting to get a little tired, it must be close to 4 years since their first gig now.
Zombie Apocalypse is a grind band, and let me say that they kick ass. I saw their first show. (Seriously, it was Hellfest 2004, and for those 10 minutes, I was in nirvana.)
So go listen to them at www.moritiviventi.com
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I never realised they were grind, I have that cover they did so I thought it was all roughly in that vein, and from what I heard pretty similar to SMP. I'll go take a look at what else they have, I do like a bit of grind.
Edit: Aww, I was expecting grind, but it is just hardcore. They're alright though, but like I said the zombie thang is starting to wear a little thin by now. I haven't even picked up the second SMP album yet and it's been out for a long time now. 'Zombie Crew' is a fun song though, and the video's pretty mint. But I just don't feel like I need ZA as well.
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As requested: 'Revolver' and 'After the Goldrush' are better :). I don't relly know much about the other 3 bands (although I really should)
As for Rubber Soul vs. Revolver, Rubber Soul always just fit a style I was more comfortable with. It always stood out to me more than Revolver, even though Revolver is also phenomenally good. Now, After the Goldrush vs. Harvest was a very difficult choice. I know After the Goldrush is probably the better album, but I find myeslf listening to Harvest more. I guess I felt the need to stand up for it, really, because the other album gets more hype, and I find Harvest to be quite nearly as good.
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If Send More Paramedics are hardcore, what other hardcore bands sound like them? I think SMP are pretty rad, but have loathed or at least been disinterested in most of the hardcore/metalcore stuff friends have played to me. I just always thought SMP were crossover or something. They call themselves 'zombiecore' don't they?
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I imagine they call themselves something like that. Hmm... ever heard Municipal Waste Khar?
Municipal Waste - Drunk As Shit (http://s27.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=02GEPPU6JMT2H3R3F6OD2XYMMF)
Maybe worth a go, seems kind of similar to some of SMP's stuff to me, although not to songs like 'Zombie Crew'. I'm a bit rubbish at comparing bands though.
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To be honest, I don't think SMP is much of a 'core band at all. They have that same raw, unpolished sound, both playing- and production-wise of early Bay Area thrash to me.
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^ Kinda what I thought tbh. They're even on the Metal Archives, and they get crazy elitist about 'core.
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Rubber Soul by the Beatles
Wowee Zowee by Pavement
Surfer Rosa by the Pixies
California by Mr. Bungle
Harvest by Neil Young
These'll probably be somewhat different within the next month or two.
Please, get indier-than-thou on me.
As requested: 'Revolver' and 'After the Goldrush' are better :). I don't relly know much about the other 3 bands (although I really should)
Well, for The Pixies, Surfer Rosa and Doolittle are the only really good albums. For Pavement, you can choose any, because all of them have something to make them your favorite album.
Rubber Soul has Norweigen Wood, I believe, so that alone makes the album worth a top album list. XP
I agree with you on Neil Young, though. After the Goldrush may be his best.
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Yeah, you have a point. It is very thrash. I guess one reason I always think of them as a hardcore band is just from the shows they play and the people that are in them. And a song like 'Zombie Crew' is just cheesy mosh hardcore.