The Classic Albums ThreadMusic

[Touring Mars]

​

Please highlight an album that you personally consider to be a 'classic'. Please say a little bit about it - your favourite track(s), how long you've had the album, what's so special about it.. etc. Merely naming an album is not good enough, and rubbish posts will be stricken from the record! Your album will be added to the 'Hall of Fame' so long as there is more to your post than just an album title! You can write as many reviews/recommend as many albums as you like... Feedback on any review is also welcome.

P.S. You can post about an album that has already been posted by another member... also, if you intend to link to a YouTube clip, please limit yourself to just one per album.

_________________

New Reviews

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake This Morning (2005) - Fastas

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? (1971) - Magburner

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970) - Prosthetic

The Beatles - The Beatles (1968) - Touring Mars


Hall of Fame
(in alphabetical order)

denotes previous Spotlight Review

Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1985) - slackbladder

Circle of Dust - Disengage (1998) - speedy_samurai

The Clash - London Calling (1979) - Mars

The Cure - Disintergration (1989) - speedy_samurai

Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner (2003) - Flame-returns

Dream Theater - Images And Words (1992) - GT_Jim

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975) - TM

Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection (1970) - Touring Mars

The Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999) - Max Powers

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973) - ЯebЯum!

In Flames - The Jester Race (1995) - Shannon

Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985) - daan
Additional info - GT_Jim

Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) - TM

Led Zeppelin - Early Days v Latter Days (2002) - Specialized

LFO - Frequency (1991) - Specialized

Marillion - Fugazi (1984) - -Diego-

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? (1971) - Magburner

Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991) - TheCracker

MC5 - Kick Out The Jams (1969) - Fairlady240zg

Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986) - viperpilot

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (1959) - Pupik

Nas - Stillmatic (2001) - Max Powers

Niacin - Organik (2005) - -Diego-

Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995) - a6m5

Orbital - Insides (1997) - -Diego-

Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001) - -Diego-

Pearl Jam - Ten (1991) - 03R1

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) - Ozzy.

The Pixies - Doolittle (1989) - Mars

The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation (1994) - -Diego-

Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior (1976) - -Diego-

The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969) - TM

Rush - Moving Pictures (1981) - -Diego-

Watch "Digital Peart" playing 'YYZ'

Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends (1968) - Mars

Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby (2004) - ultrabeat

Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979) - TM

Yes - Close To The Edge (1972) - A Tribute to Alan Freeman
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GTP Thread Of The Year 2006 ​

 

[Touring Mars]

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)​

Even though I'm one of the many millions of people here on Earth who shares the opinion that Bob Dylan is over-rated, and has a singing voice like a goose farting in the fog, this is one brilliant album, from beginning to end. I had this album some years ago on CD for a whole two weeks before it was borrowed for the first time, and then it was borrowed and borrowed and borrowed again until it finally disappeared and I never saw it again... only a few albums I've ever owned have had this fate - but it's truly the mark of a great album!

'Tangled Up In Blue' is one of my fav Bob Dylan song of all, a brilliant 'story' of a song, and with a full backing group, it is a far cry from the 'guitar, vocal and harmonica-only' trademark Dylan sound. 'You're A Big Girl Now' (not a song about an over-eater...) is a poignant and (amazingly for Dylan) beautifully sung song about the relationship one has with an ex-partner - particularly poignant since it was written during the breakdown on Dylan's marriage at the time. 'Idiot Wind' is an epic, with some of most fabulous lyrics, spat out with true venom in parts, and laden with subtle imagery and also humour - the first lines always raise a smile or even a laugh...

"Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press...
Whoever it is, I wish they'd cut it out quick, when they will, I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray, and took his wife to Italy.
She inherited a million bucks, and when she died, it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky..." (full lyrics)​

'Shelter From The Storm', 'Simple Twist of Fate' and 'Buckets of Rain' are all classics too, although it's hard to compete with the sheer brilliance of 'Idiot Wind'. The rest of the album is not so intense, and the whole album covers a broad range of styles and emotions - from the light nostalgia of 'Tangled...', the melancholy of 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go' to the bitterness and ironic humour of 'Idiot Wind'...

I've now bought this album again, and I am not going to lend it to anybody! But I will recommend it to everybody... as www.allmusic.com said of the album -

Dylan made albums more influential than this, but he never made one better.

​

 

[OZZYGT]

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon​

There's so much to say about this album, making it really hard to summarize it. Al I can say is that this will remain as one of the most influential albums of all time. It covers so many aspects of life using very deep lyrics; thus making millions of people familiarize with it.

Dark side of the Moon is apart from any other record, including the rest of Pink Floyd albums. Its soft touches, its focus on modern society and how it affects humanity, birth and death, etc... takes music to a whole new level. Also your mind

My favorite song would have to be "The Great Gig in the Sky". Despite the lack of worded lyrics, the meaning of the song is conveyed so well by the carried sentiment in the singer's voice, that makes me think..."wow....and I thought I knew what music was". That song, is the one who helps me reach that "dark side of the moon" that I haven't had a peek at yet. And hopefully, someday, I will; But TIME, is passing by...and...

"I'm young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day I find ten years have got behind me
No one told me when to run, I missed the starting gun"
​

​

That's bliss to me. Why would you take drugs if you can get high and relaxed with music itself?

....









Ciao!

 

[daan]

Iron Maiden - Live after Death​

Recorded at Long Beach in 1985 as part of the "World Slavery" tour, its the definitive heavy metal live album. When you go back and listen to the studio albums, you find yourself singing, "Scream for me, Long Beach" as Bruce does in this live album. Its as if its part of the lyrics!

1. Intro - Churchill's Speech (0:49)
2. Aces High (4:39)
3. 2 Minutes To Midnight (6:03)
4. The Trooper (4:31)
5. Revelations (6:11)
6. Flight Of Icarus (3:28)
7. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (13:18)
8. Powerslave (7:13)
9. The Number Of The Beast (4:53)
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name (7:21)
11. Iron Maiden (4:20)
12. Run To The Hills (3:45)
13. Running Free (8:43)
14. Wrathchild (6:36)
15. Children Of The Damned (3:30)
16. 22 Acacia Avenue (7:12)
17. Die With Your Boots On (2:36)
18. Phantom Of The Opera (7:23)

Where else can you get great music, and learn about 18th century poetry, the charge of the light brigade during the Crimean War, why sticking feathers to your arms and then flying near the sun never works and the Battle of Britain? I went and read Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner because of Iron Maiden!

The masterpiece that is "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
​

 

[a6m5]

​

oasis​

(What's the Story)Morning Glory?​

I bought this album in either late '95, or early '96. I went into the local Tower Records, looking for a CD by a punk rock band called Goldfinger. When I couldn't remember the exact name of the band and couldn't find the CD, that's when this Oasis album, "(What's the Story)Morning Glory?" caught my eye. This story has nothing to do with the album, but it makes the point of how special this album ended up being to me, that I remember exactly how I ended up getting it.

When I saw "What's the Story?", I remembered the song called "Champagne Supernova" which I really liked on the radio. I had also read something in the Japanese paper earlier about the band called Oasis that was making a huge impact over there(I think they were calling it an "effect"!). After not being able to score the CD I was originally after, I figured I had good enough reason to buy this Oasis album, try it out.........

I fell in love with this album, instantly. Now, I had purchased "What's the Story?" based on their hit, "Champagne Supernova", but almost immediately, it became one of my least favorite songs in the album, which I still thought were wonderful. I also realized that I had heard of "Wonderwall" before, but I had no idea it was by Oasis. My absolute favorite song in the album became "Don't Look Back in Anger", sung by Noel Gallagher. Big surprise. Nothing against Liam, as I really do appreciate his "stuff", but if he left the band and left the lead vocal to his older brother(Noel), I would not miss him for a single second.

I loved this album so much, that it always stayed in my CD player. I played it so much, that everyone around me started hating Oasis, as they couldn't stand hearing anymore of it. My youngest brother still suffers from this complex(slowly recovering).

Scary thing about this album was the number of quality b-sides and rare tracks it has produced on the singles:

It's Better People, Rockin' Chair, Round Are Way, The Masterplan, Underneath the Sky, Talk Tonight, Acquiesce, etc.

Much of those songs were good enough to be on most band's albums, plus the leader, Noel's use of acoustic guitar was not something that was usually seen from a mainstream rock bands. I'm pretty sure that I am one of the millions that picked up an acoustic guitar because of his solo performances.

 

[Touring Mars]

Great albums/posts so far 👍 I have heard all of them so far, although I don't own Iron Maiden - Live After Death, I used to borrow it from my local CD library in Edinburgh, and I have a tape of it somewhere! (long before the days of mp3s and CD burners...)

Scary thing about this album was the number of quality b-sides and rare tracks it has produced on the singles:

'Rockin' Chair' is probably my favourite Oasis song, and I really like 'Round Are Way' too...

___________

The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)​

At only 42 minutes long, and containing just 9 songs, this album is a concise lesson in rock and roll which includes a couple of the Stones' most classic songs. Not being a huge fan of the Stones, I tended to concentrate more on The Beatles, until I discovered this album, which changed my opinion on group radically. 'Gimme Shelter' kicks off the album in style, and sets the tone for the rest of the album - sinister, dark and raw edged. The female backing vocalist adds massive power to an already powerful track, almost screaming out the menacing lyric "Rape... Murder... it's just a shot away...". Jagger turns the lyric round by singing "Love... Sister... is just a kiss away...".

'Monkey Man' is a brilliant rock song, with sarcastic lyrics and menacing imagery - "I hope we're not too Messianic, or a trifle too Satanic"... 'Midnight Rambler' is a more bluesy number, sticking to the dark undercurrent of the album. 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' became something of a signature tune for the Stones and is a classic, although ending the album on a curiously optimistic slant, it seems strangely out of place - it's the most psychedelic track on the album too... 'Let It Bleed' (which I always thought was a pisstake of The Beatles final album, Let It Be') continues the themes of sex and drugs, with some controversial lyrics ("There will always be a space in my parking lot, when you need a little coke and sympathy...")

The rest of the album is a somewhat mixed bag, but the stand-out tracks more than make up for the weakness of the lesser tracks and elevate 'Let It Bleed' to the status of a true 'classic'. As a starting point, most people will probably have gone for a comprehesive The Rolling Stones compilation, such as 'Forty Licks', although 'Monkey Man' is worth buying this album for on it's own

​

 

[viperpilot]

for me it's Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)

i got the album about 3 years ago, and started to listen to it, nearly 1 year ago. it's full of great tracks like:

~ Orion
~ Leper Messiah
~ Disposable Heroes
~ Master of Puppets
~ .......

i got more and more into the album, the more i listened to it, i really became fond of it. and for me there is a special relation to this album, because i saw Metallica live in June in Austria, where they performed the whole Master of Puppets album because of the 20year anniversary of the release! such a great experience..... i really can only recommend the album, which is for me on of the best rock-albums ever made!!

viper

 

[Diego440]

Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)​

This album is probably what got me into Prog in the first place. I was amazed a band could be so good at all three instruments they played, make epic anthems and still not be #1 in the charts. I listened to it for the first time when I was about 10 years old and have always loved YYZ, Red Barchetta and Tom Sawyer. Since then I've listened to all other Rush works and personally, there are very few works by them that can come close to it.

EDIT: I just noticed how everyone else did a lengthy review on their chosen albums and I barely gave my personal opinion. So here goes a more lengthy one:

I'd have to say this was the peak of Rush perfection for me. As songwriters and musicians they matured to such a degree with this album that I can't find any fault in it. Many prog bands who survived punk went on to evolve their sound in ways that sometimes worked and others didn't. Genesis, for example, decided to turn their backs on rock & roll and go all pop by 1983. In the case of Rush, the evolution from Hemispheres to the present has been very smooth, and it hasn't led them to compromise their art, also known as 'selling out'.

Moving Pictures combines the traditional Rush elements: the Rickenbacker bass guitar, Neil Peart's perfect drumming and Alex Lifeson's unique guitar playing, with brighter, crisper production than on previous albums. Their earlier productions had been rather erratic, but clearly hit the jackpot with Moving Pictures, as they did with Hemispheres. The songs are more concise than in the previous three albums. In fact, Moving Pictures has one 'epic' song: 'The Camera Eye', clocking up 10 minutes, quite modest by prog standards. The driving force in Moving Pictures is the positivity and confidence it oozes from the music.

This is Rush at their most powerful and consistent best.

 

[Touring Mars]

Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)​

One of my favourite albums, I bought this album back in 1991, and still never tire of listening to it. At only 29 minutes long, it's the shortest album in my entire collection - but this album is the epitome of quality over quantity. Aside from the strange, spoken-word track 'Voices of Old People', this album is simply flawless, and for such a short album, it's packed with classics. "Mrs. Robinson", "A Hazy Shade of Winter", "Old Friends", "America" and "At The Zoo" were all hits.

On top of that are more hidden gems: "Fakin' It" is almost the album's definitive song (and my favourite!), and even just the title sums up what this album is all about. "Save The Life Of My Child" kicks the album off on a tense and slightly surreal note, which segues into the opening strains of the epic "America" (almost a precursor to their massive hit, 'The Boxer' from 'Bridge Over Troubled Water') "Punky's Dilemma" lightens the tone of the album slightly, before the final trilogy of amazing songs, "Mrs. Robinson" (written for their soundtrack to the film, 'The Graduate', the bleakly brilliant "Hazy Shade Of Winter" and the funny but slightly tense "At The Zoo"...

​

 

[Specialized]

Led Zeppelin - Early Days vs Later Days

I have just spend the past hour trying to figure out which Led Zeppelin album deserves to be in "The Classics Album Thread" and the truth is pretty much all of them do. However i have decided to put forward the Early Days vs Later Days album because its an accurate portrait of the band and just shows how astonishingly talented they were. I have many Led Zeppelin albums and alot of my favorites are included on this compilation album. I have been a Led Zeppelin fan for many years now partly influenced by my parents being fans of the band themselves.

It is impossible for me to tell you all my favorite Zeppelin song because i don't have one, but i can tell you some of my favorite songs

Good times, Bad times along with Dazed and confused (both can be found on "Led Zeppelin - I") are fantastic songs. Good time, Bad times is a perfect summary of the band with excellent, well rounded performances from the whole band. Dazed and confused pretty much blew me away the first time i heard it, with minimal vocals from Robert Plant this was the first song which i heard the rest of the band really show off just how good they are. John Bonham's effort on the drums is extraordinary, a mix of gentle, slow drumming exploding into heavy and fast bass hits backed up by Jimmy Page with possibly one of his finest guitar performance's ever , although 99% of his guitar efforts are astonishingly good.

Taken from "Led Zeppelin - II" Since ive been loving you is another great example of why the band became so famous. Stunning performances from John Paul Jones on the keyboard(album version)/bass (live version) complemented by another extraordinary performance from John Bonham and again a magnificant guitar solo from one of the best guitarists ever. I cannot describe just how good the song is.

Other greats from the album include;

Immigrant Song
Black Dog
Stairway to heaven
Kashmir
Ten Years Gone
Achilles Last Stand

Although this album isnt' actually a classic (released in 2002 i think) it does a damn good job of defining the best from such a legendary band.

Track List -

Disc 1

1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
3. Dazed And Confused
4. Communication Breakdown
5. Whole Lotta Love
6. What Is And What Should Never Be
7. Immigrant Song
8. Since I've Been Loving You
9. Black Dog
10. Rock And Roll
11. The Battle Of Evermore
12. When The Levee Breaks
13. Stairway To Heaven

Disc 2

1. The Song Remains The Same
2. No Quarter
3. Houses Of The Holy
4. Trampled Underfoot
5. Kashmir
6. Ten Years Gone
7. Achilles Last Stand
8. Nobody's Fault But Mine
9. All My Love
10. In The Evening

Live performance of Since ive been loving you
​

Thanks for reading

Spec....

 

[TheCracker]

Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)​

I first heard this album through my bedroom wall at Uni. One of my house mates played it over and over and i loved straight away. It sounded great even when muffled through a brick wall. Its an album that manages to be both uplifting and melancholy at the same time. Contains what i believe to be the greatest song ever - Unfinished Sympathy. Perfect production and great vocals by Shara Nelson on 4 of the 9 songs. 👍

1. Safe from Harm
2. One Love"
3. Blue Lines
4. Be Thankful for What You've Got
5. Five Man Army
6. Unfinished Sympathy
7. Daydreaming
8. Lately
9. Hymn of the Big Wheel

Unfinished Sympathy

​

 

[Diego440]

Marillion - Fugazi (1984)​

During the first half of the 80s, several prog rock bands started to suffer considerably due to the projection the decade to be was taking on. The musical tendencies started to drift away along the disco music vein; people started believing in some other performers, some other fashion trends, some other ways of independent thought, some other iconic platforms and a new society full of brand challenges was born. The years from 1983 to 1987 were determinant for most of the changes happening endlessly around the prog world. Pink Floyd released their last production as a band, under the name of The Final Cut. Genesis released Duke and Abacab, turning the criteria upon them as 'doubtful and unconvincing'. Dreadful productions like 90125 and Big Generator didn't give Yes much of the recognition they had had during previous years. And those to just name a few.

But not everything was lost or is considered a waste of time in the prog world. With changes and improvements comes experimentation and success. A new style was born: 'Neo Progressive Rock'. Among the most recognisable bands commanding the movement are IQ and Pendragon, and obviously the band that entirely led the true meaning out of the whole genre to be considered as precursors: Marillion.

By the time Marillion released Fugazi they had proved the band that released Script for a Jester's Tear in 1983 was here to stay. I made Fugazi my favourite album out of the entire Marillion experience because of many evidential reasons: it's got everything. The incomparable wit, the acid romance, the inscrutable morbidity and perversion, the music and the passion. There's no single track I like more than the other. It can go from provocative to intriguing in a matter of chords.

It'd be unforgivable to miss out this album, either you can relive the good old feeling by playing it right now or you can start living it by getting it as soon as possible if you haven't come across it yet. Recommendable by all means, and at all levels.

 

[Touring Mars]

The Pixies - Doolittle (1989)​

As close to a greatest hits album without actually being one, at a distance of 17 years (is it really that long?) 'Doolittle' is littered with great tracks which no self-respecting rock music fan should be without it (IMHO)... the album starts of fairly frenetically with the classic 'Debaser' and extreme 'Tame', and the pace hardly lightens until you get the pop classic, 'Here Comes Your Man', a 60's-ish melodic pop song similar in ilk to The La's collosal 1990 hit, 'There She Goes'... 'Crackity Jones', at only 84 seconds long, is classic Frank Black - a complex, tight, frantic rock number, impossibly condensed and a song of much greater stature than it's play-length suggests (much like his brilliant ''Whatever Happened To Pong?' from his 'Teenager Of The Year' album). Arguably the album's most iconic song is 'Monkey Gone To Heaven', a dark show-gazer classic - how we used to 'dance' to this is anybody's guess

​

 

[GT_Jim]

Live After Death: As the "Metal Hammer" magazine says:".....one of the most important lives of all time"
Note: that's a translation from the greek release.
Here is the front and back cover of this ultimate heavy metal album

 

[Diego440]

Live After Death: As the "Metal Hammer" magazine says:".....one of the most important lives of all time"
Note: that's a translation from the greek release.
Here is the front and back cover of this ultimate heavy metal album

Good choice. Unfortunately, it appears you didn't look through the whole thread, as daan posted it in post number 4

 

[GT_Jim]

I notice it, but i just wanted to add the magazine comment and the photo.
Sorry anyway.

 

[Speedy Samurai]

The Cure: Disintegration

​

1. Plainsong
2. Pictures Of You
3. Closedown
4. Love Song
5. Last Dance
6. Lullaby
7. Fascination Street
8. Prayers For Rain
9. The Same Deep Water As You
10. Disintegration
11. Homesick
12. Untitled

The Cure had been around for a number of years, having somewhat moderate success and gaining a devote cult following, even releasing a singles album 'Staring at the Sea'. Then came Disintegration. The Cure's gift to mark the end of the 80's (it was released in 1989)

The mood of the album is set on the first track and continues until the end. Most of the songs are lengthy, yet don't wear out their welcome. Dark, brooding, moody, intimate; Robert Smith's finest writing, and some would argue, still to be matched.

It was okay for guys to wear their hair all mussed up (I did, and dyed it black too), and sport eyeliner (I didn't). Did Disintegration start Goth? I won't argue that.

My favorite song was, and still is, Fascination Street.

Did anyone out there ever have an introverted, troubled, moody friend with whom communication was often difficult? Share the bond of Disintegration.

 

[Danny]

Love Angel Music Baby (2004)

Gwen Stefani

1. "What You Waiting For?" – 3:41
2. "Rich Girl" (featuring Eve) – 3:56
3. "Hollaback Girl" – 3:20
4. "Cool" – 3:09
5. "Bubble Pop Electric" (featuring Johnny Vulture) – 3:42
6. "Luxurious" – 4:24
7. "Harajuku Girls" – 4:51
8. "Crash" – 4:06
9. "The Real Thing" – 4:11
10. "Serious" – 4:48
11. "Danger Zone" – 3:36
12. "Long Way to Go" (performed with André 3000) – 4:34

​

I firmly believe this album is an outstanding one. All the tracks seem experimental and all are succesful in their own way. Gwen Stefani has broken many moulds with this album, and I am of the belief that we will look back on this in many years and it will be more appreciated than it currently is.

My only criticism would be that Track 7 becomes nerve-shredding after more than 3 listens. The rest of the album is superb, however, and I stand by the brilliance of What You Waiting For?

Worldwide it's gone Platinum 15 times and gone Gold in 15 other countries!

Just my 2 cents, there's no age limit for classic work.

 

[Touring Mars]

The Clash - London Calling (1979)​

The label says 'Epic' and that's exactly what this album is. The album is awash with classic rock tracks, and is head and shoulders above practically any other punk album. Where The Sex Pistols and The Ramones were producing throw-away 3 minute tracks which would later become no more than mere pop tunes, The Clash were writing some serious songs that ultimately stood the test of time far better than many of their contemporaries' best efforts...

The opening and title track kicks the album off brilliantly, and what follows is a bewildering mixture of styles and musical influences - the lyrics/themes are as varied as the musical styles, ensuring that the album is as vital today as it was back in 1979, many with political/anti-establishment overtones. Even the album cover is a sly dig at the established 'order of things'... an almost identical copy of an album cover of Elvis Presley's, except with a picture of bass player Paul Simonon smashing his guitar during a concert...

The stand out tracks include 'Spanish Bombs', the ska/reggae-influenced 'Guns Of Brixton', 'Clampdown' (a track I first heard being covered by The Strokes in concert), 'Death Or Glory', 'Hateful', 'Lost In The Supermarket' and 'Train In Vain' - 5 star-rated classics, all of them!

"In 2003, the album was ranked number 8 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Also in 2003, the TV network VH1 placed it at number 25. Pitchfork Media ranked it number two on their Top 100 Albums of the 1970s. In 2004, Entertainment Weekly named it the Greatest rock album of all-time"

​

 

[Max Powers]

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin (1999)

I was looking through my iTunes to decide which album I should write an entry for, and while looking at my top 5 most played songs, I realized that three of them come from this album. (A Spoonful Weighs a Ton, The Gash, Waiting For a Superman) This says a lot, since no other songs in the top 10 are by the same artist, let alone the same album. From beginning to end, this album is a masterpiece, and it's definitely one of those albums that gets better every time you hear it. The Flaming Lips have been around for quite a while, and have produced some great music, but I believe that this album is their best by far.

Some notable tracks on this album include 'Waiting for a Superman" which includes some great lyrics, and some beautiful piano playing, another great song is "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" which begins off with a very light melody, but soon transforms into a song full of heavy bass. This album is in my opinion, one of the best albums to come out of the 90's, and it's flawless the entire way through, without any songs that are worth skipping. I'm sure a lot of people own this already, but if you don't, do yourself a favor and get it, it's a musical experience like no other.

 

[Specialized]

LFO (Low Frequency Oscillation) –Frequency (1991) ​

This album has been with me for many years now and is one of a few albums I own where I can actually say I like every song. I was first introduced to this album, the best part of 15 years ago (wow it’s been that long) at around the age of 8. I would sit in the living room and go through my parent’s record collection. CD's had become mainstream by this time but I always thought of vinyl as a fun media for listening to music. It was also more involving having to place the record needle onto the record and the sound seemed to have warmth that CD’s hadn’t. I would sit for hours listening to all kinds of music sometime records would last for seconds others I would listen to 3 or 4 times. I noticed a record that had fallen behind all the others and reached behind the unit and picked it out. The record had seen better days to be honest with numerous scratches and a good layer of dust added for good measure. Nether the less I cued it up on the record player not knowing what to expect but what I heard was pure aural delight. There was nothing like this in the collection but I was hooked instantly. After the first track finished I was then introduced to one of my now all time favourite songs, LFO. The sound was astonishing and I was mesmerized. I was greeted by astonishingly deep bass and a sound that was not to dissimilar to that of the old Commodore 64 or Spectrum ZX loading up via tape. The album was an instant hit and I listened to it every moment I could.

Skip forward a few years, well about 10 actually and something tragic happened, the now my, copy of Frequency on vinyl broke, how it happened is still a mystery but I was genuinely upset so I set about finding another copy…………………

Everywhere I went I was met with “who” or “that’s that pop band the Lyte Funky Ones right?” which I soon became sick off. I wasn’t for another 2 years that I eventually went into a HMV, of all places, in Milton Keynes and found what according to HMV’s records was the last copy the chain of shops had in stock.

As soon as I purchased it went straight into my CD walkman and I was again greeted with such a great sound and a few extra tracks which are found on the CD verson. From hearing it again it really showed me how much LFO has influenced my music tastes. It was the start of my love for electronic music and as a fan of Drum and Bass, Garage, Dance, Chilled or House I could also see how important the band LFO were to these other genre of music. LFO were one of the first bands to use bass as a primary sound for records and were never shy of straying from the norm. It is odd however that having such a liking for the band I haven’t seeked out there other works but I have heard many tales that meeting your heroes is a bad idea so I have contently stayed away from other albums and held Frequency in high regard.

Listening to the album today is still as great (although it doesnt have all the crackles and small jumps that i had become acustomed too with the vinyl verson) as the first time I heard it and songs like “We are back” and “El Ef Of!” are notably among some of the best track on the album. “El Ef Oh!” is a more downbeat, melodic track which seems to hypnotise you and “We are Back” is one of the songs which you can really see how this pioneering band influenced the rave scene back all those years ago and helped change electronic music, very much so for the better. A pretty good achievement for a couple of university buddies, I think you will all agree

Vinyl Version

A 1. Intro
A2. Lfo
A3. Simon from sydney
A4. Nurture
A5. Freeze
A6. We are back
B1. Tan ta ha
B2. You have to understand
B3. El ef oh
B4. Love is the message
B5. Mentok
B6. Think a moment

CD Version

1. Intro
2. Lfo
3. Simon from sydney
4. Nurture
5. Freeze
6. We are back
7. Tan ta ha
8. You have to understand
9. El ef oh
10. Love is the message
11. Mentok
12. Think a moment
13. Groovy distortion
14. Track 14

LFO - LFO

​

 

[TheCracker]

The rest of the album is a somewhat mixed bag, but the stand-out tracks more than make up for the weakness of the lesser tracks and elevate 'Let It Bleed' to the status of a true 'classic'. As a starting point, most people will probably have gone for a comprehesive The Rolling Stones compilation, such as 'Forty Licks', although 'Monkey Man' is worth buying this album for on it's own

You failed to mention the fact that Delia Smith did the icing on the cake for the album cover

 

[Touring Mars]

A tribute to Alan "Fluff" Freeman - 1927-2006 ​

Former BBC Radio One DJ and host of the 'Saturday/Sunday Rock Show', which used to start at 11 pm on a Saturday night, and run until 4 am on the Sunday morning... introduced me to the world of rock, esp. prog rock, but mainly bands such as Yes, Rush, Genesis, King Crimson, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, ELP and Elton John. Unlike Tommy Vance's 'Rock Show', which was metal-oriented, "Fluff" concentrated on the 'classics' (i.e. all the stuff that was considered 'old hat' by 1988, when I discovered his show)... his 'theme' tune was a montage of clips from various rock songs, including 'Karn Evil 9' by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and the classic (and highly appropriate) 'For Those About To Rock (We Salute You!)' by AC/DC... RIP "Fluff", you'll be sadly missed

___________

Yes - Close To The Edge (1972)​

Recently remastered, expanded and reissued with all the original Roger Dean artwork, 'Close To The Edge' was Yes' finest hour. The 3 songs on this album all showcase what Yes were all about... 5 virtuoso musicians at the top of their game. To describe this album as 3 songs, however, is a bit misleading. 'Close To The Edge', originally one entire side of the album, is a sprawling epic that meanders it's way through several carnations, from the frantic opening, to the sublime 'I Get Up, I Get Down', and back to a thrilling and frenetic climax. The song may be 'only' 18 minutes long, but there is a lifetime of glorious detail contained within that I will never tire of listening to. 'And You And I' again is more a suite than a song, showcasing some brilliant 12-string guitar by Steve Howe, and has split the critics, some describing it as apocalyptic and awesome, others over-blown and pretentious. 'Siberian Khatru' is a faster-paced track with some stunning musicianship from Wakeman (on keyboards) and Howe (on guitars), although it is somewhat over-shadowed by the towering brilliance of it's stable mates.

Chris Squire pushes the limits and rewrites the book on the role of the bass-guitar in a rock ensemble, with some truly staggering feats of dexterity. Jon Anderson's vocals are in equal measure soaring, powerful, haunting and always note-perfect. His lyrics are quite barmy, (as usual), a sort of science-fiction mumbo-jumbo that Yes would call their trademark until about 1977. Bill Bruford's jazz training as a drummer pays off big-time, and the complexity of the sequences that he executes perfectly on this album throughout are breathtaking. Rick Wakeman shows his virtuousity on nearly every conceivable type of keyboard instrument, from church organ, mellotron, Hammond and even harpsichord, adding an ethereal soundscape to act as a backdrop to the machinations of the rest of the band. But highest praise is reserved for Steve Howe and his dazzling skill with a guitar. Quite simply, I don't know how he does it. His brilliance with a six (or even a 12) string is bettered only by his imagination and creative flair, and this album showcases his talent like no other.

If it wasn't for "Fluff" playing these mega-long prog rock classics on his show, I might well have never discovered Yes, or even the prog rock genre at all. My music collection at the time contained mostly Jean Michel Jarre and Dire Straits, as well as such horrors as The Pet Shop Boys and even Madonna ... Thank you "Fluff" for saving my musical life

 

[Flame-returns]

I choose to nominate the Mercury Music Award winning...

Boy in Da Corner
by Dizzee Rascal

The cover is a perfect metaphor for the album, simple, bold and incredibly cheap to produce. This was an album which came out of nowhere and achieved massive success. With most tracks recorded written and produced by Dizzee Rascal (who has a real although slightly less interesting name of Dylan Mills) in his bedroom this album relies heavily on electric guitars and computer generated backing sounds.

The flow is smooth as he raps about anything from prostitution ('Jezebel') to street violence ('2 far') even stopping off to parody the rap culture and delivering many funny and brilliantly observed lines about just about anything.

'I've heard the gossip from the street to the slammer,
They're tryin to see if Dizzee stays true to his grammer'
(Fix Up Look Sharp)

'It's an Air-Force-One,
Trainers by the truck load, trainers by the tonne'
(Fix Up Look Sharp)

'My name is Rasket listen to my flow
I socialize in Hackney or Bow
I wear my trousers ridiculously low'
(Cut 'Em Off)

No song in this album is unoriginal and I am unable to find a track I dislike. Thoroughly unpolished, gritty and industrial this is the album of the streets. I'm sure many of you will hate him but unlike most rap these days it manages to summon strong emotion from people.

Dizzee produced a second album a year later, it is by no means bad but it simply cant compete with his first.


​

 

[Pupik]

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis (1959)

​

(Original) Track Listing:
1. "So What" – 9:22
2. "Freddie Freeloader" – 9:46
3. "Blue in Green" – 5:37
4. "All Blues" – 11:33
5. "Flamenco Sketches" – 9:26 (take 2)
6. "Flamenco Sketches" – 9:32 (alternate - take 1) [on 1997 release]

I can't win on this review; it's a jazz album, not rock 'n' roll in any sense of the word. And it's an "easy" pick for jazz fans, since it's the VW Beetle of jazz albums, due to it's ubiquity and universal acceptance. But there are few, if any other albums of the genre, as accessible to the casual listener.

It starts with a gentle piano intro, some bass in the background seemly randomly selected. The elements of the piano, the trumpet, and bass are brought together nicely with a catchy pattern. And after a moment, Miles goes to work on the trumpet, with no two tones played at the same intensity or pitch. A tenor and alto saxophone take up the reigns...by none other than John Coltrane and "Cannonball" Adderley; jazz legends in thier own right. And so it goes, dwindling down with the soft piano that started "So What".

The following track, "Freddie Freeloader" wastes no time, jumps right in pattern at just the right moment. Not too abruptly, just right...setting a foundation for the entire track. The piano takes stage, then the trumpet and saxes at a gentle pace. For what seems to be a pleasantly long time (how often to you think or say that...?) it continues on.

"Blue in Green" is at a much slower pace, but not drowsy or doleful. Miles' trumpet and the wandering piano of Bill Evans' simply stroll around on this track, never making you feel the need for hard liquor or allowing for depression to set in by dulling the listener. A perfect slow-paced song of any type, in my humble opinion.

The tempo picks right back up where it left off in "All Blues", in a pattern similar to "Freddy Freeloader", but with different notes and softer intensity (Hey, I never said I was a professional album reviewer), and takes you along dreamily and easily like a bird.

I finish with "Flamenco Sketches" on Track 5, since at my first listening of this album in 1991, the 6th track wasn't available. It sort sums up the entire album in perspective, elements of the other songs are audibly present, yet it never feels like an "alternate take" of any other songs, nor a "remix" of the modern sense.

Yeah, I'll take this album to a desert island.

 

[Diego440]

Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (1973)​

In case this album needs any introduction, this is the classic of all classics. A masterpiece that showcases some of the most perfect songwriting of the 70s. It shows Genesis at the peak of their musical creativity.

Among the notable tracks are the album opener "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight", whose flute and medieval guitar notes develop into a full-fledged symphonic number, complete with mellotron, choppy beats and soaring keyboards. "Firth of Fifth" is as perfectly constructed a symphonic tune as you're likely to hear thanks to a stunning Steve Hackett guitar solo over Tony Banks' tapestry of majestic, melodic keyboards; this is the track to play if you're a prog neophyte. "The Battle of Epping Forest" is a 12-minute epic with plenty of theme and time changes; it recounts the tale of two street gangs playing at war, with very tongue-in-cheek lyrics, directed at English politicians. Finally, "The Cinema Show" is another true jewel of progressive souns and imagery. With its various musical themes, evocative lyrics and impressive instrumental build-up, this track is simply stunning.

After over 30 years, this album still delivers the goosebumps.

Track Listing
1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (8:01)
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (4:06)
3. Firth Of Fifth (9:34)
4. More Fool Me (3:09)
5. The Battle Of Epping Forest(11:43)
6. After The Ordeal (4:12)
7. The Cinema Show (11:06)
8. Aisle Of Plenty (1:31)

Line-up
- Tony Banks: keyboards, 12 String guitar
- Phil Collins: drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals (4)
- Peter Gabriel: lead vocals, percussion, flute, oboe
- Steve Hackett: electric guitar, nylon guitar
- Mike Rutherford: bass guitar, 12 string guitar, electric Sitar

 

[Diego440]

Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)​

After hearing a few comments about Opeth, I was intrigued to hear what this new hybrid form of death metal sounded like: melodic death metal. I had to know, and I didnt' have a clue what to expect, but after I got the album it simply blew me away. Never had I heard a progressive piece like this sound so well produced. The album manages to blend its mellow parts with the aggressive parts superbly, like Tool and Dream Theater, but Opeth take it to the extreme of mixing acoustic guitars with "cookie monster" growls and screams. Indeed it sounds weird, but it also sounds like it's meant to be.

Mikael Åkerfeldt voice throughout the whole album is incredible, whether he's tangled up in a brutal aggressive growl, or if he's passionately putting his heart into singing the great lyrics the band has written. Somehow the singing just seems perfect, not over the top or dull at any moment. The rest of the band plays incredibly throughout, there us multi-layered sound that weaves in and out of mellow acoustic guitar rhythms and hard hitting metal riffs. The drums can change from insane cymbal smashing to emotional backing drums.


In short, Blackwater Park is an incredible album and Opeth are an incredible band. Very unique in what they do, and I think my musical taste has been greatly enriched by this album. The whole album is worthy to lusten to and there never seems to be any inconsistency. The album often stretches to new heights, yet it has enough familiarity to keep it appealing. One of the best death metal pieces I have ever experiences and yet, able to be enjoyed by non-metal fans. The balance of the album is the key point to why it's so good. The band has created a winning formula.

Track Listing
1. The Leper Affinity (10:23)
2. Bleak (9:16)
3. Harvest (6:01)
4. The Drapery Falls (10:54)
5. Dirge For November (7:54)
6. The Funeral Portrait (8:44)
7. Patterns In The Ivy (1:53)
8. Blackwater Park (12:08)

Line-Up
- Mikael Åkerfeldt: voice, guitars
- Peter Lindgren: guitars
- Martin Lopez: drums
- Martin Mendez: bass guitar
- Steven Wilson (from Porcupine Tree): voice, guitar, piano
- Markus Lindberg: 3 eggs

 

[Fairlady240zg]

"Brothers and sisters, I want to see a sea of hands out there!
Let me see a sea of hands. I want everybody to kick up some noise!
I want to hear a little revolution, brothers, I want to hear a little revolution.
Brothers and sisters, the time has come for each and every one of you to decide whether you are going to be the problem or you are going to be the solution. You must choose, brothers, you must choose. It takes 5 seconds, 5 seconds of decision.Five seconds to realize that it's time to move.
It's time to get down with it.

Brothers, it's time to testify and I want to know, are you ready to testify?

Are you ready?

I give you a testimonial..."

This album is simply out of control..no other way to describe it. I was even more so amazed when i saw the testimonial dvd bootleg...as I really did not know much about the bands background.
I found this album in my fathers collection when I was 15 and was floored by what I heard, more so than any other album he had in his collection, which is saying ALOT. The music that these guys were putting out and the ferocity in which they played was simply was unmatched and unheard of in '69.
Im not going to sit here and type out reasons why this album should be on the list, Im sure many of you are familiar with it and know fully well it's influence on music. For those of you that do not, pick it up and find out.

 

[Shannon]

In Flames - The Jester Race (1995)
Wrong Again Records
​

Hailed as one of the pioneers of the melodic death metal sound, 'The Jester Race' is often regarded as In Flames' greatest endeavour. After a number of lineup changes the band finally settled with former Dark Tranquillity vocalist, Anders Fridén and Björn Gelotte on drums. The result? An album that combines the bands influences of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath with the aggression and speed of 80s thrash.

Despite this, the album does not feel rushed. 'The Jester Race' is an extremely melodic (and possibly even progressive) album at times that weaves in and out of mid-tempo classical guitar interludes and crunching metal riffs. The album is very riff-orientated and tries not to be too technical. Jesper Strömblad and Glenn Ljungström keep to powerful riffing and harmonies on the guitar front while Gelotte lays down simple drum beats – unlike the blazing double-kick uptempo beats of thrash.

Fridén's low-pitch gravel-throated vocals complement the laid-back, yet edgy, feel of the album excellently and help add another dimension to the sound. Overall, the band strives to keep it simple on this album and it pays off with a memorable album that has influenced many later-day melodeath bands and has helped shape the genre.

Track Listing
1. Moonshield ... (5:01)

2. The Jester's Dance ... (2:08)
3. Artifacts of the Black Rain ... (3:14)

4. Graveland ... (2:45)
5. Lord Hypnos ... (4:01)
6. Dead Eternity ... (5:01)
7. The Jester Race ... (4:50)
8. December Flower ... (4:10)

9. Wayfaerer ... (4:40)
10. Dead God in Me ... (4:15)

denots essential listening.

Line up:
Anders Fridén : Vocals
Jesper Strömblad : Electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards
Glenn Ljungström : Guitars
Johan Larsson : Bass, backing vocals
Björn Gelotte : Drums, guitars

 

[Touring Mars]

Supertramp - Breakfast In America (1979)​

Maybe not my favourite album any more, but this has to be one of the most influential albums I ever owned... I first had it as a taped copy from my friend's vinyl LP, and then I bought it on cassette myself sometime around 1986. It's weird, but I always considered it an 'oldie', even back then, but now I type this, I realise that the album had only been out for a mere 7 years at the time I bought it... I have since bought it on CD twice (another victim of an ex-girlfriend with good music taste )

Even the album sleeve is classic... the New York skyline depicted in breakfast plates and cutlery, with a waitress Statue of Liberty with pint of OJ in one hand, and a breakfast menu in the other. The reverse sleeve has a photo of the band in an NY diner, each reading a newspaper from their home towns - Glasgow, Oxford, London, Los Angeles and I forget the other one...

"Breakfast" spawned some massive FM radio hits that catapulted Supertramp from relative obscurity into Transatlantic mega-stardom. Sadly, it was also to prove to be their last great album, and soon after, co-founder Roger Hodgson (who wrote the most famous songs on the album) would leave the band for ever...

It's a little known fact, but some of these songs lay unrecorded for a long time.... Roger Hodgson actually wrote and recorded a demo (which I have) of 'Breakfast in America' as far back as 1969... I know this is genuine, because the mp3 was available (for a very short while) on Roger Hodgson's own website. Sadly, it's not available anymore, but it takes pride of place among my Supertramp collection. It's amazing to think that Hodgson sat on this song for atleast 10 years before recording it properly - but it was certainly worth the wait. His other great number on the album is 'The Logical Song', for which he was awarded the coveted Ivor Novello award for songwriting in 1979 (although ironically, that too was no doubt penned many years previously...)

The rest of the album is crafted to near perfection. Founder and erstwhile frontman of the group, Rick Davies, also makes some great contributions, and most of the songs have the trademark Supertramp 'angst' about them - the opener, 'Gone Hollywood' is a cynical look at the business that is 'Show', 'Just Another Nervous Wreck' is self-explanatory, and 'Casual Conversations' is a revealing song apparently written about the tensions between Davies and Hodgson, as their relationship started to deteriorate. Luckily, they managed to finish off this masterpiece before the band went tits up... and for that, I'm eternally grateful!

​