The Classic Albums ThreadMusic 

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This to me would be considered a modern classic. I had it down to two choices. Pearl Jam (TEN) or Nirvana (NEVERMIND). Both from the same era, Nevermind being probably more influential on music per the transition from hard rock to alternative. That being said from top to bottom TEN has a full line-up of songs that you just don't skip over.

Once
Even Flow
Alive
Why Go
Black
Jeremy
At home
Drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
The dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn't give attention
To the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Clearly I remember
Pickin' on the boy
Seemed a harmless little ****
Oh, but we unleashed a lion
Gnashed his teeth
And bit the recess lady's breast
How could I forget
He hit me with a surprise left
My jaw left hurtin
Oh, dropped wide open
Just like the day
Like the day I heard

Daddy didn't give affection
And the boy was something mommy wouldn't wear
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Try to forget this... (try to forget this)
Try to erase this... (try to erase this)
From the blackboard

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Oceans
Porch
Garden
Deep
Release
 
I'm pretty surprised no one has posted this one (like Ben, for instance)



Orbital - In Sides (1997)​

1. The Girl With The Sun In Her Head
2. P.E.T.R.O.L.
3. The Box (Part 1)
4. The Box (Part 2)
5. Dwr Budr
6. Adnan's
7. Out There Somewhere? (Part 1)
8. Out There Somewhere? (Part 2)

This is definitely Orbital's best work and it shows. It is also their darkest album. Yet, I find it hard to explain just what it is that makes it so great. This review will look at it track by track.

The Girl With The Sun In Her Head - Oh wow. Just the way this one starts is astounding. Just don't turn the bass up to loud or it'll kill your ears. It's one of the best openings I've ever heard. This is a very relaxing song as well. Instruments are precise and they just seem in there place. I don't know, it's hard to explain. It kind of bridges the gap between In Sides and their last album Snivilization because it sounds a little similar to the work done there. Anyways on to...

P.E.T.R.O.L. - Much more aggressive and loud, complete with jungle beats. This is Orbital at their meanest for sure and it sounds great. The way this version ends is great! It like builds and builds and gets louder and louder then it just abruptly cuts off...silence...

The Box (Part 1) - and a new quieter melody kicks in. Beautiful. Just the way The Box and PETROL connect is amazing. Yet, it's so simple. Just a simple transition, but at the same time its perfect. But The song builds on top of layer as if it was nothing. The percussion kicks in and drives into...

The Box (Part 2) - Much more aggressive now I just don't get how Orbital think up of the sounds they use. They make very unique music and this track shows it. The beats are pretty much the same the whole way through, yet they continue to keep things interesting. I would also recommend listening to the 30 minute version of The Box just because.

Dwr Budr - I just don't know how to put how I feel about this track into words. This is Orbital's best song in my opinion. It's beautiful. We get a reversed sample by Auntie, whom I've never heard of, and she sounds so great even though I have no idea what she is saying. And Orbital does a fine job at the electronics. The beginning is great and we get a watery synth type sound. Then that cool beat kicks in, and Auntie does her smooth relaxing vocals. WOW! As the song progresses it gets a little faster (5:04), yet is still dark. This might be the best piece of music I've ever heard.

Adnan's - Very cool rhythm we got here. Not sure how to explain just why it's so good it just IS.

Out There Somewhere? (Part 1) - Oh...my...god. This song is so unreal and mysterious. And the whole time is interesting. I swear every time I listen to this I hear something new. I like the vocal/cooing voice at (6:12-7:50). Just gorgeous sounds they have put in here and I has a very spacey feel to it. I mean this is like something you would hear while traveling through the solar system at the speed of light. And trust me it's QUITE a trip.

Out There Somewhere? (Part 2) - Things just get better here. They continue adding strange yet awesome sounds and rhythms on top of each other to create pure... something. I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Just listen to this!

Finally, sorry for such a long review, but I think In Sides says alot. But, don't expect to like it alot the first time through, because it takes awhile for it to sink in. If you are a fan of Orbital then get off your butt and buy this. But, if you're not I would still recommend this.

Listen to this album. Nourish your soul.
 


CIRCLE OF DUST - DISENGAGE (1998)​


Klay Scott, real name Scott Albert, is as much a victim of his music's own unique qualities as he is with being badly represented. Exceptionally talented, Klay writes, performs, mixes, and produces his own work. Contracted with a Christian music label that didn't allow him his full creativity he still managed to put out good techno-industrial albums... and then put them out again. His self-titled debut was rereleased with some tweaks to the songs and some omissions. The album he had released under the moniker 'Brainchild', was reworked and rereleased as a Circle of Dust (CoD as it's now known) album. After the run-around from the record company Klay had all but given up on the band known as Circle of Dust and was busy working as a producer/remixer/songwriter. (He produced albums and remixed songs for other industrial bands such as Klank, Argyle Park (of which he did most of the writing) and wrote and remixed the song 'Controller', which appeared on Prong's Rude Awakening album.)

Luckily for everyone, Klay was yet to release his greatest accomplishment under the CoD tag with a different record company, Flying Tart Records, which gave him more time and control than ever before. The result; Disengage was released in 1998. It might not even be considered a whole album by some standards, yet it is perfection. While his first album could be considered electronic/industrial in a slower, somber sense, and his second power-metal/industrial ala Ministry, Disengage could be said to fall right in-between yet no where near the likes of the first two.

Waste Of Time - The opening track and one that lets you know that he is no longer under a tight grip from a christian music label.

Refractor - My second favourite track on the disc. Catchy chorus with enough angst and resentment that causes you to think that Klay, just like his music, has changed substantially.

Yurasuka - This is actually a play with the words 'you're a sucker' in the chorus. Here Klay brings his first attempt at rap-type vocals. (They would later show up on a demo of a song for his new band but then dropped for more conventional singing.)

Babylon - The first instrumental on the album.

Chasm - Quite possibly the greatest song ever written. The screaming angst-filled reminder 'You are fragile!' that sets off the chorus gives me goosebumps still.

Thulcandra - The next instrumental

Blindeye - Another anger-filled song and the last power song on the album

Mesmerized - Is this the ballad of the disc? Could be. The song is slow, brooding, and poignant "As time passes me by, you leave me mesmerized"

Perelandra - Instrumental number three!

The disc then concludes with six remixes of two of the previous songs which adds a twist and extends the listening enjoyment of the album.

Refractorchasm: Chasm (Version 2.1.0)
Refractorchasm: Refractor (Version 3.2.1)
Refractorchasm: Levler 1 (Easier To Hate)
Refractorchasm: Hate Opened Wide
Refractorchasm: Levler 2 (Alone To Die)
Refractorchasm: Deadly Love (Censored Version)

Sadly for some, Klay has since disbanded CoD permanently and gone on to bigger and better things. He works under the name Klayton now and puts out techo/industrial/electronica music under the tag 'Celldweller' (this was his pseudonym he used when producing.) His songs have been included in video games (EA's NHL, Enter the Matrix, Project Gotham Racing 3), as well as movie trailers (Spiderman 2, Superman Returns, Doom, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and more), on VH1 television, and he has co-written and played on three albums with world-famous illusionist Criss Angel. Truly there is no end to his talents, and that can only be a good thing for us.

YOU ARE FRAGILE!

​
 
Nas - Stillmatic (2001)​


This album is really a fresh breath of air when you compare it to most of the hip-hop that was coming out around this time. Like most successful rappers, Nas does have an ego about him, which is displayed in his absolutely brutal diss of Jay-Z on the track, "Ether", where even after lyrically destroying him, he still comes back with these great lines towards the end of the song.

What's sad is I love you 'cause you're my brother
You traded your soul for riches
My child, I've watched you grow up to be famous
And now I smile like a proud dad, watchin his only son that made it
You seem to be only concerned with dissin women
Were you abused as a child, scared to smile, they called you ugly?​

It's one of the few hip-hop albums that I can listen to from start to finish without skipping a song. Before this album came out, people had said that Nas was selling out, since he hadn't produced a solid album since his debut, Illmatic, which is described as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Both Illmatic and Stillmatic received the coveted 5 mics review from The Source magazine, which is only given to the best of the best. The reason I like this album is so much is because he doesn't boast and brag like most rappers with an ego do these days. Instead he actually has a message in his music. He grew up in the Queensbridge Projects in New York City, and instead of bragging about how the street life made him rough, he instead tries to use his music as a tool to educate the country about it. He's just as much of a storyteller as he is a musician.

Noteable tracks include the previously mentioned Ether, Rewind where he tells an entire story in reverse, it's really quite a trip to listen to, One Mic which can only be described as intense, and What Goes Aroud which I think is the best song on the whole album, the lyrics are absolutely potent.
Sisters up in my hood trying to do good given choices
When pregnant drop out of school or have abortions
Stop working hoping that they find a man that will support them
Up late night on they mothers cordless, thinking a perm or
Bleaching cream will make better when they gorgeous
White girls tanning, lypo suction
Fake titties are implanted, fake lips thats life destruction
Lightskin women, bi-racial hateful toward themselves
Denying even they blood
I don't judge Tiger Woods but I overstand the mental poison
Thats even worser than drugs​

I'll add a video for "What Goes Around" once I figure out how to.


1. Stillmatic (Intro)
2. Ether
3. Got Yourself A...
4. Smokin'
5. You're Da Man
6. Rewind
7. One Mic
8. 2nd Childhood
9. Destroy & Rebuild
10. The Flyest
11. Rule
12. My Country
13. What Goes Around
14. Every Ghetto
 
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Orbital - In Sides (1997)

This is definitely Orbital's best work and it shows...

But, don't expect to like it alot the first time through, because it takes awhile for it to sink in. If you are a fan of Orbital then get off your butt and buy this. But, if you're not I would still recommend this.
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You stole my idea for the next album review. (Fortunately, I hadn't started it yet!) Actually, I did like it the first time though, and it's pretty much my standard when changing audio equalization settings and such. First album ripped to my then-new iPod, too.

I always liked the album cover, too. It reminds me of all the plant and animal cell illustrations I've seen in biology books over the years.

I concur that people who aren't fans of the genre should give it a listen, as many people I've lent it to or was in the presence of while hearing it were suitably impressed.
 
ЯebЯum!;2512614
I'm pretty surprised no one has posted this one (like Ben, for instance)
Click to expand...

The thing is i had written the review for this album three or four times but i could never capture the words i was looking for to describe such an outstanding album.

Like you have so rightly written, it is incredibly hard to write down and describe what is so good about many of the songs. If you were to break the songs down and listen to the parts individually im pretty sure you would be listening to a horrible mess but some how when Orbital made Insides something special happened.

Out there Somewhere (parts one and two) are a clear example of this unorthodox sound. You can pick so much out of this impossibly structured so yet for all its complexity its an incredibly easy song to listen to and possibly one of the most complete pieces of music i have ever listened too. It truly is 25minutes of audio bliss

Insides is a masterpiece in its own right and should definitely be given a listen by all

Spec....
 
Isn't the 25-minute song called 'The Box'?

I was actually thinking of doing the review of another Orbital album instead of In Sides, since I found out The Middle Of Nowhere and Snivilisation both sold more copies, but I just couldn't resist the sheer virtuosity awesomeness of In Sides.
 

Dream Theater ------ Images and Words (Atco, 1992)

Tracklisting:
1. Pull me Under
2. Another Day
3. Take the Time
4. Surrounded
5. Metropolis Part I : The Miracle and the Sleeper
6. Under a Glass Moon
7. Wait for Sleep
8. Learning to Live

Line-up:
James LaBrie <-> Vocals
John Petrucci <-> Guitar
Mike Portnoy <-> Drums
Kevin Moore <-> Keyboards
John Myung <-> Bass


This album revolutionized Progressive Metal, and changed everything.
Amazing production, great cover and unbelievable performance, from the intro
of 'Pull me Under", until the anthemic finale of 'Learning to Live'.Generally, it's one of the best and most important albums of the 90's.
 
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Isn't the 25-minute song called 'The Box'?
Click to expand...

Out there somewhere part 1 = 10m.57s

Out there somewere Part 3 = 13m28s


The Box Part 1 = 6m28s

The Box Part 2 = 6m01s

However i actually have the american version of the album which came with a bonus CD. i dont think this would make a difference though.

Spec....

EDIT = After a talk with Diego we discovered we are both right. There is a rare version of the Box which is 28mins long too
 
Exactly.

It really seemed odd, to be honest, since I remember I had at one moment the 2CD edition of In Sides and I once saw a 3CD edition at a used CD store and had to buy it. The third CD has five songs, one of which is The Box, all 28 minutes of it.
 
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Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection (1970)​

Pre-dating Elton John's most well-known work, 'Tumbleweed Connection' was an early 'concept' album for Elton John and Bernie Taupin, which stands up today as a prime example of their brilliant songcraft and versatility. Despite having scored a massive hit with 'Your Song', John and Taupin embarked on this project which many people, even fans, consider to be slightly off-the-beaten-track, but song for song, is arguably one of their strongest albums in a massively prolific creative partnership that stands alongside Lennon and McCartney as one of the most successful in songwriting history.

Loosely based upon a theme of the old American West and the US Civil War, the songs are surprisingly varied and excellently crafted. 'Amoreena' is probably the most instantly accessible and familiar 'Elton John song', and is a punchy, melodic song with sweeping Hammond organ backing, and played/sung with a passion and energy that would later become Elton John's trademark. 'Come Down In Time' is a subtle, beautifully crafted song, making great use of the double bass - maybe one reason why Sting choose to cover this song on a tribute album to John and Taupin in the 1990's (a good version, but inferior to John's own rendition by quite a stretch). The central themes of the album are encapsulated by the solo and mournful 'Talking Old Soldiers', aswell as the powerful 'My Father's Gun' and the opening track 'Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun'.

'Where To Now St. Peter?' is an excellent song, verging slightly upon being a psychedelic number. I think it was a single at the time, and is certainly worth listening to if you enjoy Elton John music at all. 'Love Song' pre-dates the sort of sound Fleetwood Mac would adopt in the mid-1970's - a simple guitar song with duetted vocals (and very oddly for an Elton John, without a piano within earshot in the whole song). Other stand out songs are the opening 'Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun' - a soulful song similar to the sort of thing Gene Clark would later do on his 1974 album 'No Other', and the gospel feel of 'My Father's Gun' and 'Burn Down The Mission', which provides a slightly over-done finale to an otherwise understated and much-overlooked album.
 
the most classic album are
tupac-all eyes on me
ghostface killah-ironman
raekwon-only built for cuban linx
black moon-enta da stage
and more........
 
Nastradamus
the most classic album are
tupac-all eyes on me
ghostface killah-ironman
raekwon-only built for cuban linx
black moon-enta da stage
and more........
Click to expand...
Don't just post a list. Give us a review or tell us why they're classic.
 
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Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967)​

Most famous for the psychedelic classic 'White Rabbit' and the hit single 'Somebody To Love', 'Surrealistic Pillow' is one of the best albums to come out of the whole psychedelic era, easily holding it's own alongside it's contemporaries, such as The Doors' 'Strange Days', Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Suzie Q', or The Grateful Dead's 'Anthem Of The Sun'. Indeed, the album credits Jerry Garcia himself as 'Spiritual Advisor' (perhaps a euphamism for LSD Guru...) In lead singer Grace Slick, Jefferson Airplane had found a powerful new voice, and she comes to the fore in this album. The fact that 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody To Love' are still popular and well known to this day is a testament to her great skill and the songcraft of the band in general.

However, it's the less well-known tracks on this album that really capture my attention. My favourite track (and one of my favourite songs of all time) is the LSD-inspired 'D.C.B.A-25', a masterpiece of psychedelic pop complete with a slightly under-rehearsed (almost Syd Barrett-like) guitar solo and vague lyrics. Similarly, '3/5 Of A Mile In One Second' is a brilliant song, on the general theme of drugs and paranoia, that (rather aptly for the name of the track) instantly transports you back to 1967 San Francisco... lyrically not too dissimilar to (but nowhere near as scathing as) Frank Zappa's 'Who Needs The Peace Corps?' (from "We're Only In It For The Money" (1968)), both songs are a cynical denunciation of hippy/drug culture and '3/5' includes the lyric 'Sometimes the price is sixty-five dollars/Prices like that make a grown man holler//Especially when it's sold by a kid who's only fifteen...'

'Embryonic Journey' is a fantastic solo guitar piece that ranks alongside the likes of what Steve Howe (of Yes) or Steve Hackett (of Genesis) would later do in the 1970's. 'She Has Funny Cars', the opening track of the album, is a strong introduction and a memorable song. 'Today' and 'Coming Back To Me' are slightly mournful, yet not depressingly so. The weak point of the album is 'My Best Friend' which is soppy, twee nonsense and slightly barf-inducing, and finds itself out of place on an otherwise highly accomplished album...

All in all, this is an essential document from a key period in rock music history, and I'd recommend it as a general library purchase... indeed, it is one of my most 'borrowed' albums, esp. in my student days, when the jewel case of the album had to be replaced on more than one occasion... broken under foot, covered in candle wax, cups of tea spilt on it etc., sums up the ethos of the album perfectly :D (It's amazing that the CD has survived all this time!)


​
 


The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation (1994)​

This album is pure sonic terrorism, employing the same rave energy that abounds in their live performances. The sound is less reliant on samples than their previous work and certainly paved the way for thei later relase entitled The Fat of The Land. This album movd The Prodigy away from the American-influenced rave and acid house toward a newly-emerging wave fof British breakeat techno, allied to the creation of drum n' bass.

This album is so much darker, heavier and sinister than the previous, it makes it the most intense stuff The Prodigy has ever released... with the exception of a few songs in The Fat of The Land, this album in total is all you need from The Prodigy if you only want one album. Nearly everything here is pure greatness, and any fan of dance music needs a copy of Music For The Jilted Generation.
 


Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976)​

- Chick Corea: organ, percussion, piano, keyboards
- Al DiMeola: guitar
- Stanley Clarke: bass
- Lenny White : conga, cymbals, drums, timbales


I've wondered many times on which Return to Forever album review. Ultimately, I've opted for Romantic Warrior, because of its much wider range of textures. This was this quartet's last album, adding more to the mystiqye of one of the finest jazz-rock bands ever.

Romantic Warrior is a fusion / jazz-rock concept album around medieval fantasy. Chick Corea operates as the real leader of the project but he is formidably accompanied by a bunch of talented musicians as Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke...The music alternates fast, very technical bass / guitar sections, crossing the duet with a stunning piano touch and epic, symphonic, ironical interludes. The mood is constantly changing, turning into free improvisations and basic jazzy lines. The second track delivers a nice funky guitar set accompanied by a long jazzy, sometimes romantic piano solo of Chick Corea. The self titled track is incredible. After a rising introduction into a deep, fantastic atmosphere (with piano scales and acoustic guitar) we have breaks mixing duets between bass / guitar / piano chords, always returning to the initial rhythmical accompaniment after each interplay. The guitar style of Al DiMeola is always very personal, orientated to speed accuracy, palm mute technique alternative picking (up & down stroke). The alchemy is sensational. "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant" begins with a strange, amazing and grandiose synth introduction. After that we have a beautiful, relaxing keyboard / piano lines punctuated by technical, fast, "heavy" guitar solos, some humorous passages are added to mark the transition before slapping bass solos or speed, "shred" guitar solos. The duel is clearly assumed between the two guitarists. A landmark of technical fusion / jazz. A perfect association of instrumental, various suites for soloing musicians. An album that made the band unique.
 
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Hounds of Love - Kate Bush (1985)​

So, only the second female artist to feature in the Classic Albums. But what an artist and what an album.
I won't pretend in thinking lots of people like her but as a piece of work I rate Hounds of Love up there with my favourites like Dark Side of the Moon. There are hit songs on there, noticeably Running Up That Hill and Cloudbusting and there are songs of strangeness such as Under Ice and Waking the Witch as well as the simple beauty of Hello Earth.
An album split in two with the second side a conceptual piece somewhat oblique, referring to drowning, near death and return, you can hear the influences of Floyd and Peter Gabriel throughout (the helicopter from Floyds The Wall is used and even receives a credit). Yet ultimately it's uniquely her sound. Her voice alone is a pleasure, possibly not to everyone's taste, but as musical as the music itself. You really can not have one without the other.
From the swelling and crashing and drama of Running Up That Hill to the sweet and sweeping Cloudbusting Bush displays range in writing and production. More so on The Ninth Wave, the conceptual side. I can't say I'm a fan of Irish jigs, but The Jig of Life is so much fun to listen to, bursting with energy and vitality like life itself. And that is followed by the mesmerising Hello Earth, quite possibly one of the best songs I've ever heard. Delicate yet dramatic, intelligent yet emotional. This pretty much sums up the album. I will admit this is not for everyone, but for those looking for something remarkable try Hounds of Love.

​
 
I was kind of doubtful as to which Kate Bush album to post, hence I didn't post any... but I was leaning more towards Aerial... but Hounds of Love is good too 👍
 
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Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (1976)​

For once, the good people at www.allmusic.com have got it wrong, rating this album a mere 3.5/5. It's rare to find such a solid album with such a mediocre rating, especially from a group who are largely considered to be among the most critically acclaimed in rock history. To the Steely Dan purist, perhaps this album is not the 'great leap forward', but it still stands out for being strong throughout. Indeed, allmusic.com describes the album as 'the weakest collection of songs since 'Can't Buy A Thrill' (1972), which is about the best back-handed compliment I've ever heard (that's another great Steely Dan album, btw!)

To those of you not familiar with Steely Dan (as I was this time last year), they were a very unusual 'band', since they weren't really a band at all... they only recorded one album as an actual group, and from then on, all of their recorded material was performed by the two principal songwriters, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, and some of the finest session musicians in the world at the time, including some legendary jazz musicians, hence why Steely Dan's recorded output was so highly regarded. That said, Steely Dan are about the most acquired of acquired-tastes that I've ever heard, and friends have attempted (without success) to turn me on to them for years. My mate Pete even made me a 'Best Of' tape which I am ashamed to admit that I never properly listened to. I'm now making up for lost time! One reason they are quite difficult to get into is that they do sound very '70's' indeed... similar in some respects to 10CC or Supertramp. If that's you're sort of thing, then you'd definitely get into Steely Dan eventually...

1976's 'The Royal Scam' is a superb collection of songs, with meaningful, intelligent and creative lyrics, interesting in their own right, but are sometimes easily over-looked in favour of some great musicianship. Lyrically, this album is as rich and varied as you'd expect from Steely Dan, with some dark, adult themes throughout, interspered with obscure references and witty humour. ("Turn up The Eagles, the neighbours are listening.") Another thing that this collection of songs has in common is their musical individuality and character. Each song is unique and has a strong signature, either in the chorus ('Don't Take Me Alive'), instrumental riff ('Sign In Stranger') or lyric.

"Kid Charlemagne" contains a famous guitar solo by jazz musician Larry Carlton, and is a semi-biographical tale about LSD-guru Stanley Owsley. One of my favourite Steely Dan songs is up next, the superb "The Caves Of Altamira", an autobiographical tale of childhood adventures into the local hills. With a brilliant signature brass section which ends the song superbly, this is one of the single most flawless pieces of music I've ever heard from beginning to end... "Sign In Stranger" is another 5-star rated song, and almost (if not equally) flawless as 'Altamira', it is a cryptic tale of identity-change... Containing a killer riff and some great lyrics, this song is recognisable from 100 miles away ("You zombie! Be born again, my friend. Won't you sign in, stranger?") "Everything You Did" is a pleasant song with some sinister overtones, with Donald Fagen's angsty vocal implying revenge on an unfaithful lover. ("Now you're gotta tell me everything you did, baby...") "Haitian Divorce" is a reggae-influenced epic, not as bad as it sounds, but a melodic masterpiece that is one of the best songs on the album. "Don't Take Me Alive" is another strong song, where the hero of the story is another doomed-to-failure desperado. Ironically, two of the more acclaimed songs from this album are my least favourite by some way. 'The Fez' is almost a joke song poking fun at fetishism, and 'Green Earrings' is slightly too jazz-oriented for my liking (more similar to something that may have been more at home on 1977's 'Aja'., but they do little to water down what is otherwise a fabulous album. The final track, 'The Royal Scam', is reminiscent of Supertramp's 'Crime Of The Century' and is a plodding, meandering song with some great backing vocals that wouldn't be out of place on 'Dark Side Of The Moon' by Pink Floyd.
 
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Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)​

The original inspiration behind this thread was a television series called 'Classic Albums', and this was the first installment that I saw. It inspired me to buy the album, despite not being a fan of Stevie Wonder at all. This album was not only a radical departure from anything I had in my collection up until that point, but would also spark a one-year long 'Stevie Wonder Phase' that would see me purchase a further four albums. For 4 months, however, this album, "Songs In The Key Of Life" would dominate my listening, and to this day it remains one of my most highly rated albums. Some albums have quality, some albums have quantity, but very few have such quality in such quantity. Awash with creativity and littered with a variety of musical styles, the album almost goes too far and almost loses it's focus from what is a very broadly themed album. However, the positivity of Stevie Wonder's music is a common thread throughout the album, despite the fact that a couple of tracks deal with some controversial issues.

There are many famous and instantly recognisable tunes on this album, whether or not you recognise the names. Arguably the most famous of all are the number one hit singles, "Sir Duke" and "I Wish"... "Sir Duke" is a masterpiece - an ensemble of some great musicians and a fitting tribute to "some of music's pioneers/that time won't allow us to forget" like "Basie, Miller, Satchmo and the king of all, Sir Duke (Ellington)". "I Wish" is an amazing (mostly solo) effort from Wonder, as he laid down most of the track in the studio himself, including one of the funkiest drum tracks he ever produced (alongside 'Superstition') and is an autobiographical tale of his earliest days. "Isn't She Lovely" is a brilliant song, a tribute to the birth of his daughter, Aisha, and despite the slightly saccharin sentiments, is an effective song nevertheless. "Pastime Paradise" is most famous as the original version of the number one cover version "Gangsta's Paradise" and highlights Stevie Wonder's wishes to focus on the positive aspects of spirituality rather than issues which are divisive, such as racism etc. It is a particularly brilliant song, and there is even a Hare Krishna choir in there too. On a similar note is the controversial solo effort, "Village Ghetto Land", which was banned at the time for a particularly controversial lyric referring to "people eating dog food now", which was infact based on a true account of inner city poverty at the time. Continuing a theme of social and political awareness, the song "Black Man" is a magnum opus, an 8.5 minute long song detailing the achievements of people of all different races - a remarkable song which stands the test of time.

And that's just for starters... if anything, the less well known tracks are even better than these famous ones. The album starts with an absolutely superb track, "Love's In Need Of Love Today". Lyrically, it sums up the notion behind the album in a nutshell. The song is effortlessly cool from beginning to end, all 7 minutes of it, and is curiously understated. One reason for this, I suspect, is to ease the listener into their seats before hitting them with such a dazzling torrent of amazing songs. The song even starts with an almost spoken-word "Good morn or evening, friends... here's your friendly announcer...". "As" is another 7-minute plus song, and builds up to create one of R&B's all-time classic songs. Stevie Wonder experiments with his amazing vocal range throughout the album, and even reverts to a deep 'BB King'-like growl in one verse in the centre of this epic song. "Summer Soft" sees Wonder push his vocal talent to the limit, raising the register by another key in each subsequent verse until you simply can sing along no further, without risking blowing your own kidneys out your mouth :crazy: "Ordinary Pain" is a two-part R&B masterpiece... starting off in a laid-back manner, with Stevie providing a narrative of a relationship breakdown in resigned tones... the song bursts to life in the second half, however, which acts like an angry riposte from the female half of the story. Brilliant.

A couple of songs that are quite unlike anything else on the album are the instrumental funk track, "Contusion" and the strangely psychedelic, laid-back "Joy Inside My Tears". Almost lethargic in it's pace, the latter is a powerful song brought to life by the passion with which Stevie Wonder builds up the vocal part of the song.

A common feature of many of the great songs on this album is that they are slow burners, or take a while to develop... such is the variety and range of the album, however, it is not uncommon to find more than one thing about any one particular track that you like. The songcraft and musicianship throughout are such that even the most mediocre of tracks still sounds head and shoulders above what the R&B genre is churning out today. Of all Stevie Wonder's self-produced albums of his great creative phase (from 1972-1976), this is arguably the best example of his genius.
 


Niacin - Organik (2005)​

This is an astonishingly good album by one of the premier jazz fusion trios of recent years. John Novello on Hammon organ, ex-metal god Billy Sheehan on bass, and who is perhaps the best drummer in jazz rock: Dennis Chambers.

This album is full of mind-boggling rhythms, with a deft cojoining of modern jazz, R&B, hard rock, classical Bach-like tunes and classic progressive fusion.

From the opening 'Barbarian at the Gate' you know you're in for a special ride and in good hands as the band punches you into a stupor with lighting moves and tumbling action, stops on a dime and then explodes again. 'Nemesis' grooves right into place and builds into a jam to die for, each player giving more than their all and playing as if they had an hour before the world came crashing down around them, a feeling maintained for 'Blisterine', a title that speaks for itself ('I've got blisters on me fingers!!'). The easier, jazz club sounds of 'King Kong' provide a nice rest while still bubbling away, resurrecting the Hammond sounds of the great Jimmy Smith with joy and some cool improv. The semi-tango 'Super Grande' becomes a hardrocker with swells of organ, 'Magnetic Mood' drags a bit but is saved by a speedy rollercoaster mid-section, and 'Hair of the Dog' is a classy fusion bopper reminding of Chambers' other group CAB with some nice modern jazz and bottomy bass. '4`5 3' is a fascinating slice of fugue-rock battered by rhythm`n blues and angular twists and turns, while cuts like 'Club Soda' and 'No Shame' let in some funk but never enough to spoil this jazzical feast. The album closes with the rich and pretty 'Footprints in the Sand'.

Niacin (named for vitamin B3, also the type of organ used) is a true unit; all three members at once leading and following, always giving but never hogging, forward moving, not to be denied. One of the best releases of 2005. Man, what a band.

​
 
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)​

It's not often that an album can drag you through a seamless emotional journey from beginning to end. Pink Floyd's The Wall managed it, and so does this. The songs themselves stand out less than the album as a whole, and when heard in isolation, they almost feel incomplete. But it's hard to listen to the whole thing without experiencing some emotional journey, perhaps that of an individual being swept away by society before feeling a hopeless resignation to the way things are and becoming a desensitized cog in a big machine.

Well, that's what it does for me, anyway..

ALERT!!!! Work in progress...
 
Why don't you make a separate post for each album, with a pic of the cover and bit of bio on it... mebbe even a youtube video? It would look much better 👍
 
I'll add your collection to the front page, but -Diego-'s right, the idea is more to highlight just one album at a time (see Post #1) - saying that, I have double-posted in this thread myself, so I can hardly talk! :D
 
In that case, I'll be brave and double post! I've updated my list to only be OK computer... please be patient, this is a work in progress - I only get an hour a day to do all my surfing AND eat my lunch, so these things can take time..
 

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