Perfect Albums
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Wonderer67
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Good show coming up in a few weeks here.
Murphy’s Law
Pietasters
Hub City Stompers
the Skels
TiedbyChris
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I’m glad it’s not just my ancient iPad in that case!!
There’s definitely a place for them, as I post them myself, but video heavy pages can take forever to load and frequently get error messages.
That’s just saved me £500
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TiedbyChris
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A Thousand Suns - Linkin Park
It came out at a challenging time for me, with the impending death of my mother in law when my marriage was on the rocks. I did frequent long distance road trips to her hospital and this was on my car playlist a lot. A variety of songs but they all hit a certain note at the time and for that reason they always will. Got to see them a few months afterwards (& since). Saw Chester’s penultimate gig in London so perhaps even more meaning.
It came out at a challenging time for me, with the impending death of my mother in law when my marriage was on the rocks. I did frequent long distance road trips to her hospital and this was on my car playlist a lot. A variety of songs but they all hit a certain note at the time and for that reason they always will. Got to see them a few months afterwards (& since). Saw Chester’s penultimate gig in London so perhaps even more meaning.
Wonderer67
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Space Ritual Live (by Hawkwind) is a perfect album.
I first heard it as a teenager. My sisters boyfriend was five years older then me and lived in our house and he was really into music. He was more into heavy metal and I was more into punk but he got me into a lot of bands I had never heard of: The Stooges, The Dictators, Motörhead and Hawkwind.
After listening to this album high I was more than blown away. This was probably 1982/3.
It was recorded over several nights but the production makes it sound like it’s one continuous concert. Starting with spacey electronic sounds (earth calling) that are cool, the band launches into Born To Go, the first of several long stoner space metal jams. Down Thru The Night is a great song too.
Side 2 gets back into the stoner metal jam with Lord of Light which morphs into Spce is Deep… first a poetry reading then a spacey jam with the same lyrics. (Always made me chuckle a bit).
Side 3 is the best! It really kicks off with Orgine Accumulator which is a real bluesy rocker before disintegrating into psychedelia. Upside Down is a strong rock/metal number that I always liked… and then it fades into my fave: 10 Seconds of Forever… which had me laughing my ass off as a stoned teenager. Brainstorm is another longer psych metal jam.
The fourth side starts w the strongest song on the album, Seven By Seven, which is not about a drink and fizzles into Sonic Attack. Inwill never forget laughing my ass off listening to Lemmy yell “himself”. Time We Left This World Today and Master of the Universe are both good long and space jammy.
It’s like an orgasm as you fade into he bliss of a quieter Welcome to the Future and nod off completely…
The album is long. It’s relentless. Must be listened in a whole setting.
It’s a perfect live album.
There are some great videos of real live material and some animated stuff that people have made. Totally worth finding.
I first heard it as a teenager. My sisters boyfriend was five years older then me and lived in our house and he was really into music. He was more into heavy metal and I was more into punk but he got me into a lot of bands I had never heard of: The Stooges, The Dictators, Motörhead and Hawkwind.
After listening to this album high I was more than blown away. This was probably 1982/3.
It was recorded over several nights but the production makes it sound like it’s one continuous concert. Starting with spacey electronic sounds (earth calling) that are cool, the band launches into Born To Go, the first of several long stoner space metal jams. Down Thru The Night is a great song too.
Side 2 gets back into the stoner metal jam with Lord of Light which morphs into Spce is Deep… first a poetry reading then a spacey jam with the same lyrics. (Always made me chuckle a bit).
Side 3 is the best! It really kicks off with Orgine Accumulator which is a real bluesy rocker before disintegrating into psychedelia. Upside Down is a strong rock/metal number that I always liked… and then it fades into my fave: 10 Seconds of Forever… which had me laughing my ass off as a stoned teenager. Brainstorm is another longer psych metal jam.
The fourth side starts w the strongest song on the album, Seven By Seven, which is not about a drink and fizzles into Sonic Attack. Inwill never forget laughing my ass off listening to Lemmy yell “himself”. Time We Left This World Today and Master of the Universe are both good long and space jammy.
It’s like an orgasm as you fade into he bliss of a quieter Welcome to the Future and nod off completely…
The album is long. It’s relentless. Must be listened in a whole setting.
It’s a perfect live album.
There are some great videos of real live material and some animated stuff that people have made. Totally worth finding.
Wonderer67
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Kingdom Come by Sir Lord Baltimore is perfect and it’s amazing. Considered one of the first heavy metal albums ever made… It was recorded and released in 1970. In fact, its review in Creem magazine was the first documented use of the term “heavy metal.” (it actually wasn’t all that flattering use… but hey… it got the term!)
Black Sabbath may have been the first and best, but this album is simply a sonic attack. Sabbath was doom, slow and plodding. SLB was fast and cutting like a metallic saw.
The first three songs punch you in the face! Hard to think of three better opening tracks than Master Heartache, Hard Rain Fallin and the lightning fast Lady of Fire.
Even that one slower song, Lake Isle of Innersfree, is great. Who woulda thought medal band would use a harpsichord?
Pumped Up rounds out side, one with more metal speed freak, crunchiness, and speed.
Side two opens with the title track, a little bit slower with howling vocals from drummer, John Garner. I Got A Woman, Hell Hound, Helium Head and Ain’t Got Hung on You, all race to a metal metallic finish!
Groundbreaking!
And perfect.
I have two copies of the album, one scratched to shit, the other more of a working copy.
And maybe around 2010 I got the CD which had this album as well as their second concept album (which I previously got on cassette at the Chester flea market ages ago…)
Find it on YouTube… worth a listen for sure!
Black Sabbath may have been the first and best, but this album is simply a sonic attack. Sabbath was doom, slow and plodding. SLB was fast and cutting like a metallic saw.
The first three songs punch you in the face! Hard to think of three better opening tracks than Master Heartache, Hard Rain Fallin and the lightning fast Lady of Fire.
Even that one slower song, Lake Isle of Innersfree, is great. Who woulda thought medal band would use a harpsichord?
Pumped Up rounds out side, one with more metal speed freak, crunchiness, and speed.
Side two opens with the title track, a little bit slower with howling vocals from drummer, John Garner. I Got A Woman, Hell Hound, Helium Head and Ain’t Got Hung on You, all race to a metal metallic finish!
Groundbreaking!
And perfect.
I have two copies of the album, one scratched to shit, the other more of a working copy.
And maybe around 2010 I got the CD which had this album as well as their second concept album (which I previously got on cassette at the Chester flea market ages ago…)
Find it on YouTube… worth a listen for sure!
jsilvers
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So much good music already in this thread! And even the bands/music that isn't the stuff I listen to, I recognize that there is talent and value to them.
I have a tough time picking a favorite in pretty much any category (music, movies, food, whatever).
Here are some albums that I think are incredible.
Depeche Mode - Song of Faith and Devotion
This album I think was a pivotal point for Depeche Mode, even though many would instead point to Violator, which came out three years prior. Violator was definitely a breakout for them, but SoFaD uprooted the almost formulaic sound the band had build for over a decade and made a left turn, brining in heavy elements of blues and rock. I absolutely love Depeche Mode (and it is one of the few things I can pick as a favorite). But I'm also an amateur musician that learned guitar from a blues guitarist. When I heard that blues groove in a Depeche song, I was in love all over again.
The Cult - Electric
This was released in 1987, while I was in my last year of high school. I wanted to go see them on tour so badly, but my parents wouldn't let me go to the show on a school night (it's okay, I saw them in 2013 on the Electric '13 tour where they played their 1987 set). This album is, for me, the quintessential rock album. When it comes to 3-chord, 12-bar, blues-based ROCK, this album brings it in abundance! Duffy's guitar is on point. And with Stewart and Warner bringing the bass/drums, it locked down that rock groove so perfectly, it was air tight! And who doesn't love Astbury's voice? A lot of people would guess that their album Love would be more up my alley, considering it definitely has more of their dark rock/goth roots. And I adore that album for sure. But Electric is where it is at. When I worked for an Engineering firm, driving out of the parking lot on a Friday you would often hear me blasting this album.
The Cure - Pornography
This album is the darkest, deepest goth album ever. Robert Smith said that at that point in his life, he either had so give in to his feelings and end his own life, or make an album out of it all. I'm glad he did the latter. And despite the dark, dismal palor of this album, it remains as my favorite by The Cure. I got into the Cure in 1986 and when I discovered this album, I absorbed it all and made it part of my identity. I had finally heard music that was as dark and depressing as thoughts in my brain. I wasn't a depressed kid in high school. But I looked around at all of the stupid teenage games that my classmates played and I hated it. I felt that's what the world was all about. Outside of my direct friend group (none of whom were goth kids), I just hated everyone. This album let me express that without actually going down that dark path. And the arrangement of tracks on the album is just perfection. It takes you by the hand, holds you close, walks you down the path at night, right up to the edge of the cliff, and it dares you to jump.
Anyway, those are my additions to Perfect Albums.
I have a tough time picking a favorite in pretty much any category (music, movies, food, whatever).
Here are some albums that I think are incredible.
Depeche Mode - Song of Faith and Devotion
This album I think was a pivotal point for Depeche Mode, even though many would instead point to Violator, which came out three years prior. Violator was definitely a breakout for them, but SoFaD uprooted the almost formulaic sound the band had build for over a decade and made a left turn, brining in heavy elements of blues and rock. I absolutely love Depeche Mode (and it is one of the few things I can pick as a favorite). But I'm also an amateur musician that learned guitar from a blues guitarist. When I heard that blues groove in a Depeche song, I was in love all over again.
The Cult - Electric
This was released in 1987, while I was in my last year of high school. I wanted to go see them on tour so badly, but my parents wouldn't let me go to the show on a school night (it's okay, I saw them in 2013 on the Electric '13 tour where they played their 1987 set). This album is, for me, the quintessential rock album. When it comes to 3-chord, 12-bar, blues-based ROCK, this album brings it in abundance! Duffy's guitar is on point. And with Stewart and Warner bringing the bass/drums, it locked down that rock groove so perfectly, it was air tight! And who doesn't love Astbury's voice? A lot of people would guess that their album Love would be more up my alley, considering it definitely has more of their dark rock/goth roots. And I adore that album for sure. But Electric is where it is at. When I worked for an Engineering firm, driving out of the parking lot on a Friday you would often hear me blasting this album.
The Cure - Pornography
This album is the darkest, deepest goth album ever. Robert Smith said that at that point in his life, he either had so give in to his feelings and end his own life, or make an album out of it all. I'm glad he did the latter. And despite the dark, dismal palor of this album, it remains as my favorite by The Cure. I got into the Cure in 1986 and when I discovered this album, I absorbed it all and made it part of my identity. I had finally heard music that was as dark and depressing as thoughts in my brain. I wasn't a depressed kid in high school. But I looked around at all of the stupid teenage games that my classmates played and I hated it. I felt that's what the world was all about. Outside of my direct friend group (none of whom were goth kids), I just hated everyone. This album let me express that without actually going down that dark path. And the arrangement of tracks on the album is just perfection. It takes you by the hand, holds you close, walks you down the path at night, right up to the edge of the cliff, and it dares you to jump.
Anyway, those are my additions to Perfect Albums.
Wonderer67
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The stones amazing run:
Beggars banquet 1968
Let it bleed 1969
Sticky fingers 1971
And then exile 1972
All killer records from start to finish. Hard to imagine they could do so much great songwriting.
Let it bleed is my fave. Maybe my favorite album of all time.
Beggars banquet 1968
Let it bleed 1969
Sticky fingers 1971
And then exile 1972
All killer records from start to finish. Hard to imagine they could do so much great songwriting.
Let it bleed is my fave. Maybe my favorite album of all time.
Wonderer67
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But then The Who did it too… a crazy run of three perfect albums. Five of you include that Tommy and quad are double albums.
Tommy (1969)
Who's Next (1971)
Quadrophenia (1973)
Tommy (1969)
Who's Next (1971)
Quadrophenia (1973)
Wonderer67
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Maybe the Kinks outdid them all??
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969)
Lola Versus Powerman (1970)
Muswell Hillbillies (1971)
Everybody's in Show-Biz (1972)
Preservation Act 1 (1973)
Preservation Act 2 (1974)
These are all oerfect albums. Even their earlier ones were near perfect (some filler stuff and covers) but damn, what a run.
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (1969)
Lola Versus Powerman (1970)
Muswell Hillbillies (1971)
Everybody's in Show-Biz (1972)
Preservation Act 1 (1973)
Preservation Act 2 (1974)
These are all oerfect albums. Even their earlier ones were near perfect (some filler stuff and covers) but damn, what a run.
Wonderer67
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Thought if anyone reads my drivel, you could see how my crazy brain thinks.
I had a dream last nite about a perfect album.
I was deep in the woods in Wellsboro PA hiking with a friend of mine from lit. (Not a real litster at all, but a super music nerd). We were hiking thru the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and it was gorgeous and lush and green.
But at the same time, we were trying to get to a ferry port (Wellsboro has to be 300 miles from the ocean) but the ferry was delayed by a few hours. So we got tot talking. She told me that most people’s album version of Forever Changes (by Love) was really bad and poorly produced.
But she said there was a rare bootleg version that was really produced super well. She said it was like night and day better than the regular version. I think we were talking about LPs and not CDs or remastered versions or anything.
So now, in my dream, I am on a mission to find this album.
IRL, Such a thing doesn’t exist that I know of. I have the LP. And I have the CD and I have the CD version of the live recording… (also a great album)
But I guess this is how my crazy brain thinks.
I had a dream last nite about a perfect album.
I was deep in the woods in Wellsboro PA hiking with a friend of mine from lit. (Not a real litster at all, but a super music nerd). We were hiking thru the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and it was gorgeous and lush and green.
But at the same time, we were trying to get to a ferry port (Wellsboro has to be 300 miles from the ocean) but the ferry was delayed by a few hours. So we got tot talking. She told me that most people’s album version of Forever Changes (by Love) was really bad and poorly produced.
But she said there was a rare bootleg version that was really produced super well. She said it was like night and day better than the regular version. I think we were talking about LPs and not CDs or remastered versions or anything.
So now, in my dream, I am on a mission to find this album.
IRL, Such a thing doesn’t exist that I know of. I have the LP. And I have the CD and I have the CD version of the live recording… (also a great album)
But I guess this is how my crazy brain thinks.
Wonderer67
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Pink Flag by Wire is a perfect album.
I never really considered this album post punk. In fact, I always struggle with the term post punk. I mean this was released in 77, right in the middle of the golden age of the first wave of punk!
I didn’t care for it much at first (maybe 84ish… my sister had it.) Not punk enough, but there were a few songs I liked. So shortsighted of me!
Regardless of the definition, this album is amazing!
Reuters is slower and noisy. Discordant vocals and guitar.
Field day of Sundays is a quick blast and then a quick silence till Three Girl
Rhumba. I mean Elastica TOTALLY fuckin ripped off that riff.
And then into Ex Lion Tamer, which is my favorite and maybe most iconic Wire song.
And Pink Flag is maybe their best song. I’m ashamed to admit it, I like Die Kreuzen’s version slightly better, but this is punk rock royalty.
Mr Suit is all killer. Straight ahead punk rock. You can’t tell me this is post punk! It’s punk rock rebelliousness in all of its beauty!
Mannequin is a killer slower song. Straightforward and jangly… almost noisy. I read once that it was power pop. May be…
And of course maybe their best song, 12XU, is a straight ahead punk rocker!
All in all it’s an amazing album. And over the years I have come to appreciate it and love it more and more.
I never really considered this album post punk. In fact, I always struggle with the term post punk. I mean this was released in 77, right in the middle of the golden age of the first wave of punk!
I didn’t care for it much at first (maybe 84ish… my sister had it.) Not punk enough, but there were a few songs I liked. So shortsighted of me!
Regardless of the definition, this album is amazing!
Reuters is slower and noisy. Discordant vocals and guitar.
Field day of Sundays is a quick blast and then a quick silence till Three Girl
Rhumba. I mean Elastica TOTALLY fuckin ripped off that riff.
And then into Ex Lion Tamer, which is my favorite and maybe most iconic Wire song.
And Pink Flag is maybe their best song. I’m ashamed to admit it, I like Die Kreuzen’s version slightly better, but this is punk rock royalty.
Mr Suit is all killer. Straight ahead punk rock. You can’t tell me this is post punk! It’s punk rock rebelliousness in all of its beauty!
Mannequin is a killer slower song. Straightforward and jangly… almost noisy. I read once that it was power pop. May be…
And of course maybe their best song, 12XU, is a straight ahead punk rocker!
All in all it’s an amazing album. And over the years I have come to appreciate it and love it more and more.
Mo_Bandy
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Magnolia Electric Co released What Comes After The Blues 21 years ago today. There is not a day that goes by I dont listen to them or Songs Ohia or Jason Molina. I miss him every day and think he was probably the best songwriter of my lifetime. This was Magnolia’s first studio album after Songs Ohia even though he did release a fantastic Live album called Trials and Errors in between and some songs appear on both. Also like a lot of his albums it was recorded and produced by the great Steve Albini. Drunk rambling I think at this point but fuck it.
it broke my heart to leave the city
i mean it broke what wasn't
broken in there already
but all my great reasons
for leavin' now i can't think of any
it's true was a hard time
that i come through
and i'm still thankful for the blues
half my life spent on a highway
half my life i didn't choose
i have seen the north star
shining in the freightyard
and i knew it was a hard time
but it came through
it made him thankful for the blues
it broke my heart to know you waiting
i had so many things to do
it's true as far as a lot of stuff
you could have had a little better luck
but with you i'm not givin' up
tonight i'm not givin' up
it broke my heart to leave the city
i mean it broke what wasn't
broken in there already
but all my great reasons
for leavin' now i can't think of any
it's true was a hard time
that i come through
and i'm still thankful for the blues
half my life spent on a highway
half my life i didn't choose
i have seen the north star
shining in the freightyard
and i knew it was a hard time
but it came through
it made him thankful for the blues
it broke my heart to know you waiting
i had so many things to do
it's true as far as a lot of stuff
you could have had a little better luck
but with you i'm not givin' up
tonight i'm not givin' up
Mo_Bandy
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This is a perfect album and I cant believe I have not posted about it before.
Wonderer67
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There are metric shit tons of great albums to write about. Here’s a few I found today in our barn.
Mo_Bandy
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I still listen to a lot if new music but it usually takes years to call an album perfect. MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks is exception. Every song is absolutely killer. It is like he took best parts of Neil Young, Son Volt, Magnolia Electric Co and put them together. Lyrics are so funny and smart ass. Hard to pick one track but here you go.
Draining cum from hotel showers
Hoping for the hours to pass a little faster
Please don't laugh, only half of what I said was a joke
Every Catholic knows he could've been pope
Draining cum from hotel showers
Hoping for the hours to pass a little faster
Please don't laugh, only half of what I said was a joke
Every Catholic knows he could've been pope
Chernosoth
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I never had a vinyl record player. When I bought my first audiocassette player, CDs were becoming the more common format. My favorite music is all filtered through computer speakers and thrift store headphones.
Mo_Bandy
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Cool. If you listen to tapes, cds, or stream as long as its a full album you think is perfect from start to finish please share.
Bloodandglitter
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I thought of a few more that speak to me perfectly...
Dog Man Star by Suede
Origin Of Symmetry by Muse
Our Love To Admire by Interpol
The music and the lyrics just do it for me
Dog Man Star by Suede
Origin Of Symmetry by Muse
Our Love To Admire by Interpol
The music and the lyrics just do it for me
Chernosoth
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I have all the Nirvana albums, but MTV Unplugged is the only one I play now.
Sunny Girl was around 8 or 10 when she recorded this:
Why she left music:
Sunny Girl was around 8 or 10 when she recorded this:
Why she left music:
https://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/5471005.htm
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Mo_Bandy
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That Suede album is fucking great. I like Muse and Interpol but probably need to dig deeper into both those albums.
Chernosoth
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One way to make a perfect album is be a cover band and play all classic songs. The Detroit Cobras recorded a few albums decades ago. The lineup changed many times, but a band by that name is still around, minus this singer, Rachel Nagy, who died four years ago. I have four of their albums: Baby, Life Love and Leaving, Tied and True, and Mink Rat or Rabbit. Wiki labels them as garage rock, but this album as garage soul.
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