Most Enjoyable Albums


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Omphalos
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Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Omphalos »

Ive been thinking on his a lot. Here's what I've come up with. What are the albums you like the most, and what is it about them you love?

1. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead. Varied influences behind this album, but most heavily by Americana and British folk music. Its beautiful and harsh at the same time. I find it inspiring. There is a theme of seasonal change that makes me think a lot and takes my mind to different times of year every time I listen to it. 

2. Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe. The best bluegrass album. Ever. Period. Impeccable country sounds. Bakers fiddling is so perfect it defies belief. Monroe's mandolin sounds not world-weary but wise.

3. Dave Matthews Band - Crash. Never fails to take me back to college. Great rock grooves. Somewhat derivative though, but with high production values, it surpasses all the previous rhythm-and-groove.  

4. Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 String Guitar. Fantastic three finger picking, only the way this guy can deliver. Or rather, could deliver, before he literally wore his fingers out doing it. Great recording, but terrible editing and cutting. Still one of my favorite instrumental guitar albums ever.

5. Green Day - American Idiot. Innovative and unconventional for its time. Structured as driving modern pop but thematically true to concepts that are all punk at heart. The Jesus of Suburbia character is one of my favorite in modern story-centric music.

6. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ah. Excellent Celtic music blended with Philadelphia soul without all of Van Morrison's annoying mooning and spirit worship. 

7. Noel Gallagher - The Dreams We Have As Children. Live album. True evidece that an incredible song writer with a chaotic past has made it to maturity. Makes me wonder what's next. 

8. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Brilliant and subtle. Something new at every listen.  

Honorable mentions: 9) Arcade Fire - Funeral, 10) The Killers - Hot Fuss, and 11) In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Ampoliros »

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Sorry, I get that way when people mention either of the G-bros and 'relevant to music in this decade'.

You're just lucky you didn't mention his tw@t of a brother with ok-seriously-we-get-it Lennon fetish.

rage subsiding.


crap, now i need to be constructive....

Lia Ices - Grown Unknown.

Tom Waits - Glitter & Doom Live. (the NPR podcast version is even better.)

The "Drive" soundtrack!


...


I can't believe you have Green Day and Nerhh Garrrahgrrr over Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel! And it's not even Dookiee!
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Omphalos
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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Shit! I forgot about Tom Waits. I should have put one of his drunken-piano-man albums on there, like Closing Time, or The Heart of Saturday Night.

Have you heard Noel Gallagher's live album? I got completely sick of Oasis' derivitive Brit-pop avalanche of albums and even sicker of those two brothers catty bitching, but I really like that album, and that guy can write a tune.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Ampoliros »

I'm not gonna look back in anger, I'm gonna keep it right here.

Its hard to pick a single Tom Waits album but the Glitter & Doom live encompasses most of what those who love Waits love about Waits.
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Robspierre
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Robspierre »

Rum, Sodomy, & the Lash - The Pogues. Their second album produced by Elvis Costello. This was the album that unleashed the full throttle capabilities of McGowan and the band upon the world. Both traditional songs and new material highlight the quality and craft of all involved.

O -Damien Rice. Damien has the ability to get the sensation of emotions across to the listener and taps into deep emotional veins with his music.

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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Hunchback Jack »

So my musical tastes are pretty mainstream.

* Genesis: Seconds Out. Double live album, and the last that Steve Hackett performed on. Lots of Gabriel-era stuff, but sung by Collins (who is the better singer. Sorry). The other musicians perform brilliantly. If you like this stuff, this is a magnificent album.

* Peter Gabriel: Passion. This is the soundtrack from The Last Temptation of Christ, but stands on its own. It's completely instrumental, and takes some listening to get into it. It's "world music", and is not completely unpretentious, truth be told. But it's also utter musical genius.

* Rebecca's Empire - Way of All Things. Just a really good basic rock and roll album from a mainstream alternative Australian band of the 90s. A little like Garbage's 2.0 in tone. (That album probably belongs on here as well, btw).

* R.E.M.: Monster. Yeah, I know; utterly commercial mainstream stuff. But I can't help but like this album. Guitars and more guitars, and these guys can write songs. Bill Berry was still with the band at this stage, too.

* Kate Bush: Hounds of Love. Dated considerably - too much keyboard and drum machine; it was 1985 - but still musically her best work. Bush spawned so many imitators and wannabes, it's hard to remember how blindingly original she was at the time just from listening to it now.

HBJ,
not listened to any music made this century :)
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by lotek »

Clockwork Angels by Rush.


:mrgreen:
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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lotek wrote:Clockwork Angels by Rush.


:mrgreen:
I am not impressed by the song from it they've been playing on the radio. :snooty:
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by lotek »

I must confess I haven't listened to it.
I just knew it was ultra kewl.

Recently, I've been listening a lot to the guy that did the Amélie Poulain soundtrack, Yann Tiersen.

I was lucky enough to see him live (with the latest album at the time "Dust Lane").
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Lawliet »

Yes - Close to the Edge. Simply brilliant.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin 2. Maybe my favourite album of all time. I like it even better than the untitled fourth album. It perfectly defines their sound.

Pink Floyd - The piper at the gates of dawn, Dark side of the moon, and The Wall. Yes, i can´t just pick one Pink Floyd album.

Rush - 2112. Fuckin awesome. Never gets old.

I would like to add that Clockwork Angels is an amazing album. Hard to believe these guys are pushing 60. Their best since Counterparts, and that´s from 1993. I
can´t get the song The Wreckers out of my head. But of course, KJA has to ruin everything for me, Dune wasn´t enough.

While we´re at it, i love Oasis, but i like their music as a whole, there´s no one particular album that really resonates over the others. I can´t believe The Masterplan was once just a B side though.

Also, i´m not an Elton John fan at all, but The Union, the album that he and Leon Russell did togheter, is great. Just great.
Last edited by Lawliet on 15 Nov 2012 12:11, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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I think the last albumn I listened to was Revolver.

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The kids dig it.

Before that, Nothing's Shocking.

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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by inhuien »

Lawliet wrote:Yes - Close to the Edge. Simply brilliant.

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin 2. Maybe my favourite album of all time. I like it even better than the untitled fourth album. It perfectly defines their sound.

Pink Floyd - The piper at the gates of dawn, Dark side of the moon, and The Wall. Yes, i can´t just pick one Pink Floyd album.

Rush - 2112. Fuckin awesome. Never gets old.
That saved me some typing:)
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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Ampoliros wrote:I can't believe you have Green Day and Nerhh Garrrahgrrr over Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel! And it's not even Dookiee!
Im a bit of a traditionalist at heart. Shit, I have a bluegrass album up there, where the star of the album is playing songs by another guy.

But I am asking about what the most enjoyable albums are. Not the most technically perfect or innovative. And that Green Day album comes off to me like on e loooooong single. Its pretty much the only album I own that I can still, years and years after I first heard it, listen through entirely without getting bored by anything. Well, maybe two songs on it bore me, but the rest is great. I just enjoy it more.

Plus the recoding of the Neutral Milk Hotel album is so shitty it's difficult for me to listen to it. I think I'm on record around here somewhere about how low musical production standards often turn me off. This is a good example.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by DuneFishUK »

Best album is difficult. Most enjoyable is easy:

Two Man Gentlemen Band: Live in New York - I had these guys in my car CD player all summer, the other albums are great, but this is the crown jewels: Great band, great audience, pure enjoyment. :)

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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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I can't choose. What I find most enjoyable depends too greatly on what I feel like listening to, and despite listening to mainly metal, I feel there is an enormous diversity in genre, so it's relatively easy to switch between two metal bands for different moods i.e. I don't have to go running to another genre to find, say, relaxing music, as opposed to energetic or dark music. If I think about it a bit more I might be able to narrow down the selection.

I find the mention of Green Day rather surprising, as I'd assumed from what I'd heard played popularly that they were yet another 'pretend to be heavy to appeal to this generation's teenagers' kind of band*.






*I hate to sound so pretentious since I'm part of that group... :oops:
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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DuneFishUK wrote:Two Man Gentlemen Band: Live in New York
I like swing stuff like that a lot. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you like Squirrel Nut Zippers?

SadisticCynic wrote:I find the mention of Green Day rather surprising, as I'd assumed from what I'd heard played popularly that they were yet another 'pretend to be heavy to appeal to this generation's teenagers' kind of band*.
I have a great love for punk, which they are influenced by (their early albums are pure punk). They are commercial, but they came up the right way (non-commerical, non-packaged by a record company) can write good songs and blend two genres (pop and punk) better than anybody else. I think American Idiot was a LOT more popular then they thought it would be, because now they are pretty lame, what with selling rights for punk-rock-operas and whatnot. But I love a lot of their stuff.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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Lawliet wrote:I can´t get the song The Wreckers out of my head.
Side 1 of Power Windows was like that for me. I heard it and just could not thinking of it for the longest time.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Robspierre »

Rolling Stones - Exile on Mainstreet. The pinnacle of the Stones swagger, this album has it all.

The Clash - London Calling. A wakeup for a generation.

The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks. A great big two fingered salute aimed at society all while being integrated into said society.

My students wonder why I do not have the pop and rap shit they listen to on my ipod and they have to listen to old people music.

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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Sandwurm88 »

Wow, some people here have pretty similar musical tastes to mine. I don't know, I just got the impression that everyone here like experimental metal or 17th century Baroque music.

The last three albums i listened to were:

Revolver by the Beatles ( I think it's better than Sgt. Pepper, what do you think, Freakzilla?)

Abbey Road by the Beatles

American Idiot by Green Day

I guess I'll have to conform to that "typical teenager" stereotype and say that I love Green Day. Them and the Beatles are the only bands where I listened to their complete discography, B-sides and all. I'm also a fan of a lot of old punk like The Misfits, Ramones, Clash etc. Modern bands like Blink 182, Sum 41, and Weezer are also good. And I definitely also enjoy artsy rock like Radiohead, Oasis and Coldplay.

Omphalos, I'd agree that AI has a lot to offer, with, IMO, maybe one sub-par song on it. But I'd take Dookie over it by a fraction. Probably just sentimental value, because that album got me into them, but its still really good. AI is probably more slick in the writing and recording, but Dookie is just raw and awesome. Also, Warning is really underrated IMO. Have you listened to the new "trilogy" albums? Uno! is decent, but Dos! kind of disappointed me, besides the song Stray Heart...
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by ULFsurfer »

Ok, I'm cheating a little bit and just say that "Kent" is the best band ever. All their albums are equally great. Don't worry if you don't understand the lyrics (in Swedish) because I don't either.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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Sandwurm88 wrote:Revolver by the Beatles ( I think it's better than Sgt. Pepper, what do you think, Freakzilla?)
Man, asking me to pick a favorite Beatles album is like asking me to pick a favorite child. SPLHCB is more played out than Revolver, so I like to listen to it more.
Abbey Road by the Beatles
Another great.

My and my boy listened to most of Mother's Milk by the RHCPs today, I think he was kind of impressed.

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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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I think that album art would impress me as well.

I'll try and mention some of the records I like.

Opeth. All ten albums are amazing to me. I feel the same way Freak does about the Beatles; I can't choose a favourite

Tool - Lateralus. I really enjoy the progression in this album. Especially tracks like The Patient, the title track, and Disposition.

Death - Symbolic. Catchy death metal. I didn't know there could be such a thing. Gene Hoglan is a beast on the drums too.

Most of Porcupine Tree, but especially In Absentia. PT focus a lot on nostalgia as the emotional theme for their songs, and I enjoy that alot. Strangely I don't get nostalgia much from songs associated with memories, but rather from songs that are designed to evoke that feeling.

Steven Wilson (front man of PT) - Insugentes. This one was quite strange to me when I first heard it, in the dark, at night and feeling that nice weariness just before you go to bed. I love it.

Storm Corrosion (SW from PT and M. Akerfeldt from Opeth). I've never heard anything like this before. Almost no percussion, sort of ambient, but managing to sound very dark and threatening at the same time. Awesome.

Ulver - Bergtatt. Norwegian black metal. Runs the gamut from beautiful vocals and relaxing music to full on black metal aggression and blends them both in the final track. Makes me feel like I'm lost in a coniferous forest. Love it.

Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse. Brilliant piece of black metal, demonstrating how to use keyboards in this setting correctly.

Ihsahn (former frontman of Emperor) - Angl. This album is a fantastic example of how to blend black metal's coldness with progressive metal's style.

Mitochondrion - Parasignosis. Some of the scariest music I've come across. I love the tortured atmosphere this album produces.

Edge of Sanity - Crimson I & II. Concept albums, each consisting of one 40 min song. So good. The climax of I gets me every time.

Blotted Science - The Animation of Entomology. An EP full of instrumental technical/progressive sounding death metal. Listened to this many times, in a short period of time. Mindblowing musicianship.

Gustav Holst - The Planets. This is just incredible, and I get the feeling it inspired quite a lot of film scores over the years. John Williams in particular sounds like he took a lot from it.

Dvorak - From The New World. I was introduced to the 4th movement of this through the game Asura's Wrath. I'm so glad I came across it.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out. I don't listen to this one nearly as much as I should, because I always really enjoy it. I never seem to have the urge to go put it on though.

There are more, and I keep discovering new bands, but I tried to somehow pick the best of the best, so to speak.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

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SadisticCynic wrote:I think that album art would impress me as well.
I didn't show him that! :oops:
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by inhuien »

Freakzilla wrote:
SadisticCynic wrote:I think that album art would impress me as well.
I didn't show him that! :oops:
Poor lad, I used to sneak a peak at my older brothers copy of Roxy Music's Country Life when ever the opportunity presented it's self. I'd link to it gladly but it comes close to breaking Rule # 3. Ah but they're a pair of beauties.
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Re: Most Enjoyable Albums

Post by Omphalos »

Roxy Music had several good wood-producing covers.
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