OT: Your List of Perfect Albums
Good Evening My Fellow MGoBloggers,
In an effort to distract us from The Michigan Football Soap Opera, and the disappointing Michigan Mens Hoops season, I thought we could talk Music
Give me your list of Perfect Albums.
- Hallelujah the Hills - I'm You
- The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
- Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
- Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
- The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
- The Taxpayers - To Risk so Much for One Damn Meal
So what a out y'all? Give me new albums to listen to.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:21 PM ^
Dead's American Beauty is damn close (Operator kinda prevents perfection).
February 7th, 2022 at 6:18 PM ^
Good call - forgot all about this album
February 7th, 2022 at 5:21 PM ^
Yes: Fragile (Close to the Edge is even better but less accessible)
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Led Zeppelin: IV (aka Zoso)
U2: Achtung Baby
Steely Dan: Aja
XTC: Oranges & Lemons (English Settlemet and Black Sea and Nonsuch also great)
The Beatles: Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (along with most of the others)
Van Morrison: Moondance
Joni Mitchell: Court & Spark (Blue is also great)
KT Tunstall: Invisible Empire
Genesis: Selling England by the Pound
The Who: Who's Next
The Police: Synchronicity
REM: Green
King Crimson: Discipline
Peter Gabriel: So (Us and Up and III are also fantastic)
February 7th, 2022 at 5:36 PM ^
Glad to see great XTC choices. I am partial to Skylarking and The Big Express albums.
Also, would add Tears For Fears - The Hurting and Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:27 PM ^
I’d argue Andy Partridge was one of the best song writers of his generation. Really from Drums and Wires through to Apple Venus they are just varying degrees of good (and Yes Colin Moulding wrote some great songs too) including the Dukes of Stratosphere stuff. But I highlighted the ones above because I felt like they were the most complete albums though Skylarking is really solid too. They could have been massive if not for some stage fright….
February 7th, 2022 at 6:26 PM ^
Strong list @Chaco though I think REM's "Automatic for the People" was their best album. I agree that Close to the Edge is better than Fragile but both are outstanding.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:50 PM ^
I thought Green was stronger overall than Automatic for the People and kept a little more of their early sound. But you seem like a man of exceptional taste and panache
February 7th, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
February 7th, 2022 at 9:04 PM ^
I am a hip hop head, and MBDFT is not my favorite album of all time, or even my favorite Kanye album, but objectively it is absolute perfection. More perfect than Illmatic.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
Beastie boys licensed to ill.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:25 PM ^
Television - Marquee Moon
Built to Spill - Perfect from Now On
Chameleons UK - Strange Times (or any of their first 3 albums, really)
Stooges - Fun House
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Antlers - Familiars
Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
Iron Maiden - Live After Death
John Cale - Paris 1919
February 7th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
+1 for the Chameleons. Script of the Bridge is definitely my favorite, though the A -side of Strange Times is incredible. "Second Skin" is a post-punk gem.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^
*Awesome* song and the one that made me a lifelong fan - I actually did a road trip out west with my fiancee last year and did a top 1000 songs countdown. "Second Skin" was top 100 (and "View from a Hill" top 10).
Chameleons are my all time favorite band so I love all their stuff - but I truly love the kitchen sink approach they had at the end ... Strange Times front to back is exhilarating - and almost exhausting - in its intensity. "In Answer" in particular is just so gripping
Oh and I can't leave off my favorite EP of all time (Tony Fletcher Walked on Water)
February 7th, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
Indie music fans are almost more insufferable than Michigan fans, so this is a perfect post.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:35 PM ^
I completely agree
February 7th, 2022 at 6:18 PM ^
Right?? Who knew DB is a hipster?
February 7th, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
Lou Reed-Street Hassle
Queens of the Stone Age-Songs for the Deaf
Can-Soundtracks
Captain Beefheart-Trout Mask Replica
Chet Baker-Chet
February 7th, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
The Joshua Tree - U2
Appetite for Destruction - G'N'R
Sonic Temple - The Cult
While there have surely been hundreds of great songs since 1988, that's around the last time I can remember listening to an entire album soup to nuts.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:42 PM ^
Can’t believe I forgot Appetite
February 7th, 2022 at 5:44 PM ^
Oh Vlad! Not Back in the USSR?
February 7th, 2022 at 5:29 PM ^
Herbert von Karajan - Berliner Philharmoniker - Beethoven’s Symphonies 1-3, 5-9- *
Herb Alpert - Whipped Cream & Other Delights
The Best of Peaches and Herb
I love me some good Herb
* (Symp. #4 has a scratch in it.)
February 7th, 2022 at 6:07 PM ^
Well, Herb is legal now in Michigan.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:01 PM ^
Now we know why you always have what used to be called "an illegal smile". I think it was John Prine who sang about it.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:30 PM ^
This one just came out last month:
Stavros Hughes: "Entropia."
February 7th, 2022 at 5:34 PM ^
I rarely listen to albums anymore - too much music out there to consume and not enough time to listen to full albums unless I really love the artist.
Here's a list of all my favorite songs from 2021. It goes from worst to first - my top song being at the bottom of the list. Lots of current indie artists on here that you might not be familiar with now - but will be in the next 6-18 months. I'm a big indie/indiepop/britpop/britrock kind of guy. Basically the taste of a 12 year old girl...
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Ma77z6525lUJGgebeCciY?si=3bc63bb7d53a4cc2
These are my favorite albums since 2010:
MGMT – Congratulations (2010)
Jungle – Jungle (2014)
Spector – Enjoy It While It Lasts (2012)
The Struts - Everybody Wants (2016)
Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life (2017)
February 7th, 2022 at 5:38 PM ^
Led Zeppelin - 4, but they're all good enough to listen through
Simon and Garfunkel - Greatest Hits
Pearl Jam - 10
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
Enigma - MCMXC
February 7th, 2022 at 5:39 PM ^
A little all over the place, but these are my comfort albums. They remind me of someone/someplace/something that hits home...
1) August and Everything After - Counting Crows
2) The Joshua Tree - U2
3) A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio
4) The Chopin Collection: The Nocturnes - Arthur Rubinstein
5) Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
February 7th, 2022 at 5:44 PM ^
For classical piano I highly recommend:
Martha Argerich: Debut Recital, Chopin - The Legendary 1965 Recordings
Maurizio Pollini: Beethoven - The Late Piano Sonatas
February 7th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^
My absolute favorite classical song of all time is The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II.
Note: probably because Kubrick used it.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:53 PM ^
Good call on the Rubenstein/Chopin collection. I'm no classical music expert, but I love that compilation and Rubenstein's playing.
If I were to include classical music, I would probably also have Schubert's Winterreise (Hans Hotter) on my list as well.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
Thanks - specifically Rubinstein's interpretations of the songs are masterful. They almost become like stories with his structure and phrasing. Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9 No. 3 is probably my favorite.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:56 PM ^
Agree on his interpretations. My favorite is Nocturne in E flat Op. 9, No. 2. Damn near brings a tear to my eyes every time.
Also a fan of Dinu Lipatti playing Bach.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:40 PM ^
Pearl Jam - Ten
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Metallica - And Justice For All
Rise Against - The Sufferer & The Witness
Taylor Swift - Folklore
February 7th, 2022 at 5:40 PM ^
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Stones - Sticky Fingers
Led Zeppelin II
Yes - Close to the Edge
The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely
February 7th, 2022 at 8:44 PM ^
Love seeing the Hip on the list. Hard for me to pick a favorite. Because of things going on in my life at the time, Music @ Work has the deepest impact.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:41 PM ^
This is how old I am (and these are in no particular order)
1. Harvest: Neil Young
2. Born to Run: The Boss
3. Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd
4. Rain Dogs: Tom Waits
5. U2: The Joshua Tree
6. Who's Next
7. Hunky Dory: David Bowie
8. Purple Rain: Prince
9. OK Computer: Radiohead
10. Exile on Main Street
February 7th, 2022 at 5:43 PM ^
I would just like to add Batmotorfinger by Soundgarden to any list please.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:35 PM ^
Before Badmotorfinger there was this show at the Blind Pig. That was a fun night!
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/soundgarden/1989/blind-pig-ann-arbor-mi-53fc87d5.html
February 7th, 2022 at 9:45 PM ^
Freshman year of H.S. bought Badmotorfinger with the bonus disc. Def top Soundgarden album and an all-timer!
February 7th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
Rubber Soul—Beatles
Beggar's Banquet—Rolling Stones
Fresh Cream—Cream
Bitches Brew—Miles Davis
Memphis Underground—Herbie Mann
Swiss Movement—Les McCann
Nevertheless—Avenue A
Dummy—Portishead
Cup of Loneliness: The Mercury Years—George Jones
Odelay—Beck
Robbie Fulks—South Mouth
Where's the Money—Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks
Rocket to Russia—Ramones
This Was—Jethro Tull
East-West—Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Sailor—Steve Miller Band
Good For Your Soul—Oingo Boingo
Dressing for Pleasure—Jon Hassel and Blue Screen
February 7th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
February 7th, 2022 at 5:46 PM ^
Radiohead - OK Computer
Radiohead - Kid A
A bunch of others that I don't have time to add.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:06 PM ^
The Pixies - everything from 80's and 90's
Sonic Youth - Dirty
February 7th, 2022 at 5:47 PM ^
To start with...
Stooges - Funhouse (can't believe I left it off the first draft of this post)
Wire - 154
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Various - The Harder They Come Soundtrack
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Mott The Hoople - Brain Capers
Ramones - s/t
Captain Beefheart - Clear Spot
Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine
The Minutemen - What Makes a Man Start Fires?
Husker Du - Zen Arcade
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
February 7th, 2022 at 7:19 PM ^
Interesting choice of 'Brain Capers' as your favorite Mott the Hoople album. It became somewhat a forgotten album once MTH changed their musical direction with 'All the Young Dudes'.
While Mott the Hoople had several good songs along the way, their first few albums were very uneven until Brain Capers, which is full of good rockers.
February 8th, 2022 at 4:07 PM ^
I like Brain Capers but All The Young Dudes is my favorite Mott album
February 7th, 2022 at 5:50 PM ^
Thank you for this distraction. Lots of new music to check out in this thread.
BNL - Gordon
The New Pornographers - take your pick, but you can't go wrong with Twin Cinema.
The Essex Green - Cannibal Sea
Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
Power pop specific:
Cheap Trick - In Color
Tinted Windows - Tinted Windows
Silver Sun - Silver Sun
February 7th, 2022 at 5:51 PM ^
Bop (Harvey) - Bread and Circuses
BR5-49 - BR5-49
The Byrds - Sweethearts of the Rodeo
The Equators - Hot … either or both versions
Mano Negra - Puta’s Fever
The Mavericks - Trampoline
Nick Lowe - Pure Pop for Now People
The Ojays - Ship Ahoy
Parliament - Chocolate City
February 7th, 2022 at 5:55 PM ^
Toxicity - System of a Down.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:56 PM ^
The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
J Roddy Walston & The Business - Essential Tremors
Sam Coffey and The Iron Lungs - Real One
The Glorious Sons - A War on Everything