My 20 Favorite Albums of All-Time [Archive] - RedsZone.com - Cincinnati Reds Fans' Home for Baseball Discussion

camisadelgolf

10-21-2012, 05:41 AM

I'm not necessarily saying these are the best albums of all-time because these all have some sentimental value to me. This list changes pretty much daily, particularly when it comes to the order. But anyway, I hope you all free to make comments and mention some of your favorites, too. And if you have any stories to go along with them, that's great, too.

Nerf Herder - Nerf Herder
My favorite band. I always felt like a nerd at heart, even when I was getting in trouble with school and the law. This is (kind of) my song's namesake.
Nerf Herder - Golfshirt - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvm9JNq7W3M)

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
Honestly, I could probably add a couple other Dylan albums to this list, but this is definitely my favorite album of his.
Bob Dylan - One of us must know (sooner or later) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jijyp9xoVA)

Weezer - The Blue Album
This goes back to the nerd thing. I'm a sucker for catchy harmonies. I have to give a shout-out to Pinkerton, too.
Weezer - Say It Ain't So - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXvZ9YRjbo)

Frank Black - Teenager of the Year
I had to listen to this a bunch of times before I could fall in love with each song individually. It felt so great to know that there was still a rock artist that aspired to be different.
Headache - Frank Black - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zb_iZC6nI)

Leonard Cohen - Songs from a Room
I once went on a 29-hour drive from Cincinnati to Louisiana to Michigan to pick up a gal whom I'd never met and spend a week with her. We parked the car for some romantic moments and listened to a lot of Leonard Cohen. Oh, to be "young" again . . . It was only eight years ago, but it feels much longer ago. I have no way to contact her and have no idea what she's doing with her life. I wish I knew how to stay in touch.
Leonard Cohen - A bunch of lonesome heroes - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM3Me0GLhE0)

The Pixies - Doolittle
It's pop music, but it isn't. It's catchy, but it's abrasive. It's quiet, and it's loud. It has everything I like about rock music combined in one.
Here Comes Your Man - Pixies - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvi4iA3PnKE)

The Clash - Sandinista!
I know, I know. London Calling should be the pick here, but I always enjoyed Sandinista! more. I believe it was released as a triple-album (and sold for the minimum price their record company would allow), and the quantity of great songs is probably related to why I favor it more. But more to the point, I would listen to this every weekend as I would drive from Cincinnati to North Carolina and back to meet a gal I was crazy about. I drove through blizzards, had more flat tires than I can count, and spent hundreds of dollars on gas. It's crazy what hormones will make us do. She died just as it looked like we were going to live closer to each other. C'est la vie (and death).
Lose this Skin - the Clash - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJgCDs-Us7Q)

The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
After meeting him and having an extended conversation with him, I have to say that Jonathan Richman is very unique. If you're unfamiliar, he's one of the most influential musicians in rock history, and it's somewhat of a surprise that he isn't a household name.
The Modern Lovers - Girlfriend - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veNzHk-ZNEs)

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
I spent a lot of time bonding over this album with a friend of mine. Unfortunately, he killed himself a couple hours after I had a long conversation with him about life. He seemed a little off that night. By that, I mean that he was extremely upbeat, which didn't seem like him at all. I was the last person to talk to him and always think of him when I hear a song from this album.
The Beach Boys God Only Knows (Lyrics via Description) (HQ) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPy18xW1j8)

Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
I lived with a girlfriend in Covington who would listen to the same few albums ad nauseam. Her taste in music was certainly questionable (e.g. New Found Glory, Hawthorne Heights, and the like), but every once in a while, we'd fall in love with an album together. I listened to this album with her throughout many major life events such as my first pregnancy scare, celebrating holidays, and finding out about her lack of fidelity. To this day, I haven't told her that I found out what she had been up to, but I'm so glad it happened because I'd be miserable if I were still with her. To be fair, there are few people in the world I've had as much fun with, but she's a tramp. And although she's a tramp, everyone's getting my sloppy seconds while I've moved on to greener pastures.
Bright Eyes Land Locked Blues - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqlsVypKIu8)

Adrian Belew - Inner Revolution
Surprisingly, my love for this album has nothing to do with Belew's local ties nor his connection with David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Frank Zappa. The only reason I bought this album was because it was on sale for less than a dollar, so I never expected much out of it. On my first listen, I thought, "Wow, this is really cheesy." But with each listen, I was able to put that thought behind me, and now I'm able to enjoy an album no matter how many decades it hasn't aged well with.
Adrian Belew-Big Blue Sun - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYuFRO8xrl4)

The Strokes - Is This It
I got a hold of all the songs on this CD several months before it came out because I had a friend in New York who was an acquaintance of theirs. I kept thinking, "Wow, why don't more bands sound like this?" Soon after, they hit it big with one of my least favorite songs on the album, and everyone was trying to sound like them (or at least that's what the media wanted us to think). This album isn't nearly as special to me now as it was for those few months, but those were a very special few months that I had.
The Strokes - Hard To Explain - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXkm6h6uq0k)

The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground
I had read interviews of my favorite bands who cited The Velvet Underground as a huge influence, so I decided to give them a chance. My reaction was simply, "Yup. I would draw inspiration from them, too."
The Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF_CQGHqzts)

Radiohead - The Bends
When this album came out, I was an angsty teen and hated any song that wasn't metal/punk/hard rock. Of course, the first two singles from this CD were "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees". I loved their song "Creep", but these new songs were crap. Eventually I grew up and realized that soft songs can sound good, too. This album helped a lot with that.
Radiohead - High & Dry - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BciOfJsqh7M)

Arcade Fire - Funeral
This album was introduced to me by a friend to whom I no longer speak. It's a good thing, too, because I saw on the news a couple years ago that he was arrested. When this album came out, we were going through our fair share of problems (extreme alcoholism, heavy drug abuse, depression, and more), but it was nice to have a friend I could relate to. Unfortunately, we frequently got in trouble and went to jail for various offenses. His substance dragged us both down, and I told him I needed to part ways and get my life straight. He was hurt, and it's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I still listen to this album and think of the times we had fun raising hell together (getting chased around the 275 belt by the FBI, trying to be Robin Hood by extorting thousands of dollars, intense hallucinations that led to getting lost in the woods for a few days, traveling out of town to meet shady people for shady deals, and other silly stuff like that).
The Arcade Fire- "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"- Spec Video - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-WDk7Tbsc)

Nirvana - In Utero
In junior high, I didn't really have any friends. Everyone and everything seemed so stupid that I didn't see any point. No one in my neighborhood of Elmwood Place could relate to me, and they were more focused on things I didn't care about. Being a small village, everyone knew each other fairly well, but around this time, I started talking to a quiet kid who became a good friend of mine. We'd listen to Nirvana and similar bands while experimenting with green stuff that can be smoked (nothing illegal, of course ;)).
Nirvana - Radio friendly unit shifter subtitulado español - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bJ_Ytn8Krs)

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I put this one on the list reluctantly. I love everything about their debut except the fans that soon followed. It's always annoying to see something you love become embraced by a large audience incapable of knowing what it makes it special. Fortunately, I had no idea they were blowing up so big because I was in Germany with what I thought was the love of my life. I was happier than ever, and whenever a hitch came my way, I could put this album on, get cheered up, and roll through it. Eventually, my visa ran out, the woman left me, and I came back to America to find out my least favorite song of theirs ("A-Punk") had gotten them a lot of attention. I'm just now starting to not feel so bitter about it.
09. Vampire weekend - I Stand Corrected - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSDHrQWe2VA)

Beck - Odelay
I listened to this album for the first time shortly after finding out I am a type 1 diabetic. I had always been interested in Beck's sound but never got the chance to hear any of his songs except "Loser". While at diabetes camp--which was one of the worst moments of my life--one of the kids let me listen to his headphones, and I was amazed at how great it sounded. I've been a huge Beck fan ever since.
BECK Odelay Lord Only Knows by AnnD - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pizJl6ikfOY)

Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves
As a kid, I always knew I liked punk rock, but it was very difficult to get exposure to it. I knew no one who listened to it, and I rarely saw it anywhere. When "Time Bomb" hit MTV, I was blown away and needed to have it. For my birthday, I was allowed to pick out a CD as a gift from my parents, but they would never let me have the CDs I really wanted because of parental advisory stickers. When my birthday finally came, my mom was so thrilled I picked a CD without a sticker that she said I could pick out another one. I asked for Nine Inch Nails, and she quickly changed her mind. lol
Rancid - Old Friend - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X4q-PWieSk)

The Toadies - Rubberneck
Although you could argue that it's a Pixies ripoff, "Tyler" is probably my favorite song of all-time just for the feedback and catchy riff. I spent countless hours listening to this disc while playing video games, watching baseball, and going for walks along the tracks to places I had never seen before. I also fell in love with the fact that they would do interesting things like use three-bar loops, which was something I had never noticed in music before.
The Toadies - Tyler - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbk7BPXBa4)

Music is a huge passion of mine. Without it, my life would be nowhere near the same. Doing this list, I got a lot deeper than I thought I would. Music has helped me through a lot of tough times and helped shape who I am. It has also helped me build relationships with my closest friends. I'll be forever grateful.

MilotheMayor

10-21-2012, 01:31 PM

camisadelgolf

10-21-2012, 04:15 PM

Awesome list, Milo. If I were to do mine again, I'd probably include a Pavement album.

I kept trying to think of a Beastie Boys or Talking Heads album to add, but they were never what I was listening to during the more important parts of my life. I'm also glad to see you picked David Bowie's best album (a lot of people might argue with me on that one). And I knew someone would pick Husker Du, but I'm just surprised it came in the first response. Of course Loveless is amazing, too.

You have a couple albums I haven't listened to, but I'll give them a shot. The only one I've heard and am not crazy about is Turn On the Bright Lights. I like Interpol, and it's a good album, but there are a few songs that flat-out bore me. I'm more of an Antics guy, but "NYC" is one of the best songs ever written.

*BaseClogger*

10-21-2012, 11:04 PM

I'd say I'm still a lot earlier in my music-listening development than you guys. I didn't seriously start listening to a lot of music until late in high school and college, and like camisa spent a couple years thinking the only stuff I should listen to was heavy rock. It wasn't until the last couple years I've begun exploring hip-hop and the softer side of music. I still don't listen to much music that was recorded before 1980, which I know is something I should work on.

My tastes do share a lot of similarities with you two, I just think I haven't developed them enough to reach that point. Doolittle and Slanted & Enchanted just missed the cut. I could have included other Nirvana or Fugazi albums. Anyways, I haven't thought about coming up with a list like this in a while, but here's what comes to mind at this moment in time:

20)The White Stripes - De Stijl
Choosing a favorite White Stripes album was like deciding which of my six fingers to cut off. In my opinion none of them really stand out from one another, they're just all really good. Favorite song is 'Apple Blossom'.
19)The Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
I could not like ten songs on the record and still have 34 songs to like. Thankfully, I like just about all of them. Favorite song is 'West Germany'.
18)Black Sabbath - Paranoid
I wish I could see the looks on people's faces when they heard this album for the first time in 1970. It's still heavy to this day. Favorite song is 'Electric Funeral'.
17)Nas - Illmatic
This album made me realize there is some really good hip-hop I need to check out. Favorite song is 'New York State of Mind'.
16)The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
See what I said about White Stripes albums above, except this album has the namesake track's riff. Favorite song is obviously 'Thickfreakness'.
15)Weezer - The Blue Album
If only Weezer could record more songs as perfect as 'Only in Dreams'. Favorite song is 'Only in Dreams'!
14)Primus - Frizzle Fry
After RHCP, this was the next band I obsessed over (bass phase). Weird, right? Favorite song is 'Pudding Time'.
13)Superchunk - Foolish
I think this is a really underrated album and proved they weren't just products of Steve Albini's production. Solid from start to finish, and it can go fast and it can go slow. Favorite song is 'Why do You Have to Put a Date on Everything?'.
12)Death From Above 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm a Machine
It just perfectly exemplifies my tastes by my sophomore year of college. I really hope now that they've reformed they'll record something new. Favorite song is 'Romantic Rights'.
11)Rage Against the Machine - S/T
This is a good example of what kind of music I was listening to in high school. Thing is, I still go back and listen to it and never skip a track. Favorite song is 'Know Your Enemy'.
10)Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit
These guys know how to write heartbreaking music, and I prefer the production on this album to the stuff they recorded after this. Been listening to this album for years now--it's pop punk done right. Favorite song is 'Nose Over Tail'.
9)Modest Mouse - Lonesome Crowded West
Lonesome is a masterpiece. Constant style shifts and everything works. That short documentary Pitchfork released recently about the recording of this album was fantastic. Favorite song is 'Trailer Trash'.
8)Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Just released earlier this year, not only does this band's sound match a lot of the 90s alternative I love so much, but as a recent college graduate I now find myself relating more to their lyrics. Favorite song is 'Younger Us'.
7)Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
It's just so much fun. Top of Em's game. Favorite song is '***** Please II'.
6)The Strokes - Room on Fire
Yeah, Is This It is the original release and the more influential Strokes choice. But the songwriting on Room on Fire is just better, the production is better, and the content is more varied. Favorite song is 'Under Control'.
5)The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
I like to think of The Thermals as pop punk for adults. I believe this album best balances their raw sound and production values. Favorite song is 'Here's Your Future'.
4)Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
This is the album that got me into music. From here, I read Scar Tissue and wanted to hear all of their influences. Chilis truly are a great gateway band. I could have gone with Freaky Styley instead, since I listen to it more often these days, but this one's important. Favorite song is 'Under the Bridge' (sue me).
3)Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
Oh man this is a great album. The production is so unique, and the songs proved to be incredibly influential on the wave of alternative musicians to come in the next decade. J is one of my heroes. Favorite song is 'In a Jar'.
2)Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Why isn't this band more popular in the United States? I understand that they are a truly British band, but at the same time so were plenty of the British Invasion bands that sold over here, and the Arctic Monkeys have the songwriting chops to join them. Turner's lyrics are only matched by Isaac Brock IMO. Favorite song is 'Mardy Bum'.
1)Defiance, Ohio - Share What Ya Got
I've been through a lot of highs and lows emotionally with this album. It seemed like no matter the mood, there was always something I could relate with. Folk punk is such a cool movement and I think Defiance does it best. Favorite song is 'Road Signs Always Look Better Looking Over Your Shoulder'.

fearofpopvol1

10-21-2012, 11:41 PM

No Beatles albums?

*BaseClogger*

10-22-2012, 12:16 AM

No Beatles albums?

These are lists of our favorites, not best...

The DARK

10-22-2012, 01:22 AM

I love the lists so far from everybody, so I'll bite. So, so many painful cuts from this... Among the honorable mentions were Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Yes's Relayer, Roy Buchanan's Second Album, and everything by the White Stripes.

20. John Coltrane- Giant Steps- Just about the epitome of jazz albums. Nobody else sounded this far ahead of the rest of their peers.

19. Akron/Family- S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey of Shinju TNT- This band was the furthest down the rabbit hole I ever got in my musical development. I stopped listening to them for a time as my tastes became more grounded... until they came out with this trip. It's wonderfully exotic and weird.

18. Spoon- A Series of Sneaks- It's hard to pick one just Spoon album to pick here, but I'll go with the one that gets its point across in the least amount of time with the highest concentration of perfect guitar riffs.

17. Pavement- Crooked Rain Crooked Rain- Just a great album, back to front. There's not that much else to it... even the "bad" songs are memorable and entertaining.

16. Otis Redding- Otis Blue- Can you name anybody else with the audacity to cover (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction and own it better than the Stones themselves? I didn't think so.

15. Okkervil River- The Stage Names- There was a period where this was my favorite album during my formative musical years. The songwriting on here is good enough as is; how they managed to make it all sound so good is beyond me.

14. Pink Floyd- Animals- Another one from my earlier teenage years. The overall message feels ham-handed in retrospect, but damn if they didn't make it sound gripping on record.

13. Van Morrison- Astral Weeks- There's so much indescribable beauty here that I can't really do it justice. I love me some Beatles, but if you're looking for the best album of the late 60's, I'd point you here.

12. Tedeschi Trucks Band- Revelator- Who says modern blues ain't as good as the old stuff? I've never found a better album to listen to with the car windows down on a sunny day, and I've gotten more mileage out of it in the past year than any other album save #4.

11. The Black Keys- Rubber Factory- Fits in your CD player like an your best pair of jeans. Whenever I think of Ohio, I think of this album.

10. Band of Horses- Cease to Begin- This album is home for me. Simple as that. It's the pure, distilled sound of growing up in the SC Lowcountry.

9. The Smashing Pumpkins- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- One of those albums that holds nothing whatsoever back and gets away with it. The highs on this album are just so high that you can hardly force yourself to care about the lows.

8. R.E.M.- Reckoning- The one album that has never, ever left my car CD changer. There's never been a need to. It's the only album I never, ever get tired of hearing.

7. The Clash- London Calling- Can't touch this one. Iconic and unremittingly awesome from start to finish.

6. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle- This is the sound of the youth I wish I had growing up (and that everyone else probably wishes too.) Haven't we all wished at some point that life were really this romantic? Side 2 is easily one of the best halves of Vinyl ever.

5. Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues- As close to perfect of an album as I've heard in the past few years. The whole album is filled with mini-masterpieces of lush modern folk.

4. Sam Cooke- Portrait of a Legend- It's cheating to put a greatest hits compilation on here, I know. But it didn't feel quite fair to leave the best vocalist of all time off of here. His music takes you back to a more innocent and earnest time. There's always something on here to cheer you up, no matter your mood.

3. Radiohead- Kid A- I don't care about the musical influence that this album has supposedly had on the world, or any critic's list that puts it at the top. It's just the most truly immersive album ever, and remains incredibly easy to get lost in 12 years later.

2. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver- Start to finish, this album never lets up. All My Friends is just such an amazing song, so its crazy that the rest of the album manages to live up to it and keeps the energy and emotion going before and after that song. I'm not normally an electronic/dance music fan, but I make a big exception here.

1. My Morning Jacket- Z- The first album I ever fell in love with, and it's still fresh to this day. At no point has it not sounded like the best undiscovered album ever. The ethereal vocals, those classic rock-worthy guitar duels, that heartbreaking final song... it's not my most-played album, but it gives me the biggest gut reaction whenever I do.

camisadelgolf

10-22-2012, 06:43 AM

My favorite thing about this thread is that I'm learning more about you and your guys' tastes. Just kidding. Although I enjoy that, this has resulted in me revisiting some albums that I love but hadn't listened to in a while. I'm totally rocking out.

camisadelgolf

10-22-2012, 06:45 AM

I'm also thrilled that a bunch of albums that nearly made my list are on others' lists.

*BaseClogger*

10-22-2012, 08:22 AM

A Series of Sneaks is my favorite Spoon album too!

Captain13

10-22-2012, 10:09 AM

Going with the theme set above, I left off compilation albums (greatest hits and such) and I limited myself to one album per artist (I could include almost the entire discography of Metallica, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath/Ozzy). Obviously with what I have just written my list will be very different than those above.

In no particular order

1 Pearl Jam - Ten

I discovered Pearl Jam at the same time as everyone else. Like many others my age, I was in high school at the time, this quickly became my favorite album. I played it to death, and can still play it all the way through today.

2 Black Sabbath - Paranoid

My introduction into heavy metal. Best heavy metal record, ever.

3 Metallica - Ride the Lightning

My introduction to Metallica. I may be the only American who has this as the favorite Metallica album, but from beginning to end their isn't a song I don't love (Sorry Mr. Hetfield, I think Escape is a great song).

4 Don Henly - End of the Innocence

With the exception of Shangri La, I love every song on this album.

5 Sting - Ten Summoners Tales

Sting at his best. Wow!

6 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

I think the groups most complete effort.

7 Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

A piece of heavy metal beauty. Unfortunately, it may have ruined the band going forward. Seemed they were always trying to do better instead of just moving forward.

8 Neil Young - Harvest

Do I really need to add anything here?

9 Supafuzz - Supafuzz

Local band to Lexington, KY. This album, and their live shows, brought them to the cusp...bad luck, bad timing and bad management cost the world a chance to hear awesome post-grunge rock and roll.

10 Alice in Chains - Facelift

I almost had Badmotorfinger here, but decided on Facelift. This is the heaviest and darkest that grunge could be, or the grugiest that heavy metal could be. Love it.

11 Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

My introduction to Maiden.

12 Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction

Dave Mustaine's answer to Metallica's Black Album

13 BB King - Dueces Wild

A fun listen from beginning to end.

14 Alan Parsons Project - Turn of a Friendly Card

A very overlooked masterpiece. If you like prog rock or concept albums this is a must. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

15 Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker

Great classic rock album that came out at the end of classic rock. Not a miss on the album.

16 Deep Purple - Machine Head

Hard hitting heavy rock and roll. In my humble opinion, the reason that Deep Purple belongs in the RRHOF is this album.

17 Garth Brooks - Double Live

Yep. It bit me. I fell for Garth's country rock and I am not afraid to admit it.

18 Godsmack - Godsmack

I believe this is the best hard rock album since the dawn of grunge.

19 Guns-n-Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Axle has been living off of this since before 1990. I played side 1 of this tape over, and over, and over, and over. In 1991, I realized there were some good songs on side 2 as well.

20 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

Holy smokes, this album is in my top 5. Regardless of category: favorite, best rock, best heavy metal, best blues...I can make an argument that this record belongs.

Left off my list; although I love them too are Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger; AC/DC, Back in Black; Stevie Ray Vaughan, Texas Flood; Beastie Boys, License to Ill; Michael Jackson, Thriller; Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz; and The Eagles, The Long Run.

Dom Heffner

10-22-2012, 10:52 AM

Thank you, Captain, for restoring my faith in that all the best albums didn't come from the 1980s-1990s record store crowd lol...

Actually, this is favorite albums, not best, as was said earlier and this is a great thread.

Thanks for the Frank Black nod, I had forgotten how awesome "Headache" was.

Love the Pixies, too, though that era/genre is so samey...a little goes a long way. I was on the radio at a college station during most of this time period, so it brings back great memories. Except for...

Nirvana. Wow, what is wrong with me? I think their fans ruin it for me. They are so overrated, which makes me just hate them. VH1 had a special of the Greatest 100 artists of all time, and Nirvana was ahead of Bruce Springsteen. No, they weren't better than Bruce Springsteen. Yes, they ushered in one of the most depressing eras of music that gave us, what, three bands that people still listen to? They are not better than Bruce Springsteen. It isn't close. In fact, the Foo Fighters are better than Nirvana.

Anyhoo, glad to see Don Henley getting a shout.

*BaseClogger*

10-22-2012, 11:26 AM

Nirvana. Wow, what is wrong with me? I think their fans ruin it for me. They are so overrated, which makes me just hate them. VH1 had a special of the Greatest 100 artists of all time, and Nirvana was ahead of Bruce Springsteen. No, they weren't better than Bruce Springsteen. Yes, they ushered in one of the most depressing eras of music that gave us, what, three bands that people still listen to? They are not better than Bruce Springsteen. It isn't close. In fact, the Foo Fighters are better than Nirvana.

C'mon man... Foo Fighters? Once you hear one Foo Fighters song you've heard them all. You can listen to The Colour and the Shape and never have to listen to another Foo Fighers album again to know what they'll all sound like. And I *like* the Foo Fighters.

I just don't see how you can compare Nirvana to Bruce Springsteen either. They're such apples and oranges.

"Three bands that people still listen to?" I can't stand "post-grunge" (or is it post-post-post-grunge at this point?) but bands are still following the Nirvana template in 2012. If it wasn't for bands like Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers that caught my attention while I was in high school I would have never discovered bands like Dinosaur Jr. and the Minutemen that I love today...

Dom Heffner

10-22-2012, 11:32 AM

C'mon man... Foo Fighters? Once you hear one Foo Fighters song you've heard them all. You can listen to The Colour and the Shape and never have to listen to another Foo Fighers album again to know what they'll all sound like. And I *like* the Foo Fighters.

I just don't see how you can compare Nirvana to Bruce Springsteen either. They're such apples and oranges.

"Three bands that people still listen to?" I can't stand "post-grunge" (or is it post-post-post-grunge at this point?) but bands are still following the Nirvana template in 2012. If it wasn't for bands like Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers that caught my attention while I was in high school I would have never discovered bands like Dinosaur Jr. and the Minutemen that I love today...

It's all taste. That era for me is a low point in music. Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins...still good...the rest...I dunno. Not a fan.

EDavis44

10-22-2012, 11:57 AM

I love the lists so far from everybody, so I'll bite. So, so many painful cuts from this... Among the honorable mentions were Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Yes's Relayer, Roy Buchanan's Second Album, and everything by the White Stripes.

20. John Coltrane- Giant Steps- Just about the epitome of jazz albums. Nobody else sounded this far ahead of the rest of their peers.

19. Akron/Family- S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey of Shinju TNT- This band was the furthest down the rabbit hole I ever got in my musical development. I stopped listening to them for a time as my tastes became more grounded... until they came out with this trip. It's wonderfully exotic and weird.

18. Spoon- A Series of Sneaks- It's hard to pick one just Spoon album to pick here, but I'll go with the one that gets its point across in the least amount of time with the highest concentration of perfect guitar riffs.

17. Pavement- Crooked Rain Crooked Rain- Just a great album, back to front. There's not that much else to it... even the "bad" songs are memorable and entertaining.

16. Otis Redding- Otis Blue- Can you name anybody else with the audacity to cover (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction and own it better than the Stones themselves? I didn't think so.

15. Okkervil River- The Stage Names- There was a period where this was my favorite album during my formative musical years. The songwriting on here is good enough as is; how they managed to make it all sound so good is beyond me.

14. Pink Floyd- Animals- Another one from my earlier teenage years. The overall message feels ham-handed in retrospect, but damn if they didn't make it sound gripping on record.

13. Van Morrison- Astral Weeks- There's so much indescribable beauty here that I can't really do it justice. I love me some Beatles, but if you're looking for the best album of the late 60's, I'd point you here.

12. Tedeschi Trucks Band- Revelator- Who says modern blues ain't as good as the old stuff? I've never found a better album to listen to with the car windows down on a sunny day, and I've gotten more mileage out of it in the past year than any other album save #4.

11. The Black Keys- Rubber Factory- Fits in your CD player like an your best pair of jeans. Whenever I think of Ohio, I think of this album.

10. Band of Horses- Cease to Begin- This album is home for me. Simple as that. It's the pure, distilled sound of growing up in the SC Lowcountry.

9. The Smashing Pumpkins- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- One of those albums that holds nothing whatsoever back and gets away with it. The highs on this album are just so high that you can hardly force yourself to care about the lows.

8. R.E.M.- Reckoning- The one album that has never, ever left my car CD changer. There's never been a need to. It's the only album I never, ever get tired of hearing.

7. The Clash- London Calling- Can't touch this one. Iconic and unremittingly awesome from start to finish.

6. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle- This is the sound of the youth I wish I had growing up (and that everyone else probably wishes too.) Haven't we all wished at some point that life were really this romantic? Side 2 is easily one of the best halves of Vinyl ever.

5. Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues- As close to perfect of an album as I've heard in the past few years. The whole album is filled with mini-masterpieces of lush modern folk.

4. Sam Cooke- Portrait of a Legend- It's cheating to put a greatest hits compilation on here, I know. But it didn't feel quite fair to leave the best vocalist of all time off of here. His music takes you back to a more innocent and earnest time. There's always something on here to cheer you up, no matter your mood.

3. Radiohead- Kid A- I don't care about the musical influence that this album has supposedly had on the world, or any critic's list that puts it at the top. It's just the most truly immersive album ever, and remains incredibly easy to get lost in 12 years later.

2. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver- Start to finish, this album never lets up. All My Friends is just such an amazing song, so its crazy that the rest of the album manages to live up to it and keeps the energy and emotion going before and after that song. I'm not normally an electronic/dance music fan, but I make a big exception here.

1. My Morning Jacket- Z- The first album I ever fell in love with, and it's still fresh to this day. At no point has it not sounded like the best undiscovered album ever. The ethereal vocals, those classic rock-worthy guitar duels, that heartbreaking final song... it's not my most-played album, but it gives me the biggest gut reaction whenever I do.

Great call on this. My favorite band to listen to.

WildcatFan

10-22-2012, 11:59 AM

What a great thread. My leanings will probably be a little different than previous posters. In no particular order (don't make me choose!):

Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty: Paul's Boutique is probably the better album, but I remember trading for this CD in middle school and not taking it out of my Discman for probably 6 months. To this day I can still sing most of the words and I use the same garble as I did at 13 for the lyrics I'm not sure of.
Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty (1/5) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1nClHbCUqs)

Bela Fleck, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: Someone gave me this album for inspiration when I first started to learn the bass guitar, and it almost made me put the bass down forever. Victor Wooten flat wears it out on this album, and the rest of the players are elite in their own right.
Sinister Minister (Live from Bonnaroo 2011) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBoGeDf6IV4)

The Black Crowes, Shake Your Moneymaker: I'm a child of the '90s, and this was one of the first "grownup" albums I can remember hearing. I also remember how pumped I was when I learned the intro to "She Talks to Angels" on the guitar when I was learning to play.
black crowes - she talks to angels - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_5U0M9ErGA)

City and Colour, Bring Me Your Love: Here's my sentimental side coming out. This was a favorite album of a girl I was in love with in college, and we listened to it on long car rides holding hands and stopping in parks to make out a little. That's as much of a relationship as we ever had, but it was fun while it lasted.
City and Colour- The Girl (Music Video) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZqnqH9s1jk)

D'Angelo, Voodoo: I was so excited to hear he's making a comeback. This man is one of the baddest ever to do it, and if it weren't for his drug problem, i truly believe he would have 3-5 of the best neo-soul albums around. Plus, Pino is his bassist, so... This song is the funkiest thing I've ever heard.
D'Angelo - Chicken Grease (Live) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XI6LXCsH8)

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife: Not much to say about this album except that it's pretty close to perfection. These guys are getting better as they go along, but I don't know if they'll ever top this for me.
The Decemberists - The Island: Come and See (Live) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4hPaolB99c)

Jimmy Eat World, Clarity: One of my good high school friends passed away when I was in college, and listening to this record makes it feel like he's sitting next to me in the car. I have to make plans to listen, because I almost always sit through it beginning to end.
Jimmy Eat World - Lucky Denver Mint - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MhBTFlrI7c)

Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker: My favorite album of all time by my favorite artist of all time. It comes from a really down time in his life, so lots of the songs he refuses to play live anymore. There's nothing like a fall day and this record together.
Ryan Adams w. Laura Marling - Oh my sweet Carolina - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsi9ljzclc8)

Derek Webb, I See Things Upside Down: This is an interesting album by a Christian guy about life, love, God, all kinds of subjects. He used to be a folksy acoustic guitarist, which you still hear in this album, but he moves on to more electronic music after this. He has lots of good stuff, but this is tops for me.
Derek Webb - Medication - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGL0BbkCJao)

Outkast, Stankonia: Good, trunk-rattlin' fun from one of hip-hop's most innovative groups. Remember when all rap albums had three or four skit tracks? Strong list of singles, and some of the lesser tracks (Humble Mumble being my favorite) are a blast, too.
OutKast - Humble Mumble - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFIrruzYWzU)

Matchbox Twenty, Yourself or Someone Like You: I don't care what anyone thinks; I loved '90s pop/rock music. This album (and their next, Mad Season) was the soundtrack of the late '90s and had like six singles on it. Really easy to listen to.
Matchbox Twenty - Real World (Video) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJazZIWNgg)

Van Morrison, Astral Weeks: Someone else mentioned this record above, and I completely agree that it's the best one to come out of the '60s. "The Way Young Lovers Do" is certifiably brilliant, and the title track is just gorgeous. This album was WAY ahead of its time while remaining classic.
Van Morrison - The Way Young Lovers Do (live at the Hollywood Bowl, 2008) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeH4ux73fEA)

Incubus, Morning View: This is an album that changed the way I listened to music. I remember being fascinated by some of the rhythms and hooks and the way Boyd sometimes seemed only passingly interested in syncing his vocal phrasings with the track itself. "Wish You Were Here" has one of the great simple choruses.
Incubus - Nice To Know You - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf_7mEPMIAc)

Nickel Creek, Why Should the Fire Die?: This is another one of my favorite bands ever, and while their "newgrass" music has always been lovely, the rock n roll turn they took on this one really cemented their genius for me. I wore this album out in college, and even bought a mandolin to try and learn Thile's parts. I made it as far as "When In Rome" before realizing it wasn't going to happen. I'll always have that one song in my repertoire, though.
Nickel Creek - When In Rome - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vreuh-Nih_w)

Garth Brooks, Double Live: That's right--I'm putting country music on here! I've never been a big country fan, but Garth Brooks has to be one of the best songwriters in country/pop music. And I'd put his live shows up against anyone. Double Live (part of which was recorded in Rupp Arena) brings out that energy, and I've spent many a long drive belting out every word to the double album.
(Sorry, can't find a video. Some of you are probably happy about that.)

Michael Jackson, Thriller: It's really hard for me to pick one record from MJ, but I settled on Thriller because it has two of my three or four favorite MJ songs ("PYT" and "Human Nature") and includes some of the most iconic.
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-3JYuv9w4U)

Over the Rhine, Drunkard's Prayer: This is probably the slowest album on the list and my favorite from the local duo. The first band I ever played in covered "Born," and I've been hooked ever since. Her voice is just so sweet, and it's always a good pick-me-up if I'm a little down.
Over the Rhine - Born - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-UvJ4LBzVg)

Jay-Z, The Black Album: I had never been a big Jay-Z fan until this album came out, and I became a believer. When I got my first car, this is one of the albums that I played on my first drive around. It was an old, beat up Mercedes. I loved that car.
Jay - Z - Encore - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08NCZU71XzM)

Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More: I know this record got played out for a lot of people, but I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard it. I was standing in my friend's NYC apartment in December 2009, the first time I'd ever been to what became my favorite city in the world. I remember thinking it sounded like New York but also like my home in Kentucky, and Ryan Adams was the only other artist that gave me that sensation.
Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul (Live) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlVHXixAWvs)

Prince, Purple Rain: There's never been anyone like him, and there never will be again. "When Doves Cry is actually the song that I knew from dancing to it as a little kid, and years later I discovered (rediscovered) the title track, which is stunning. Between the guitar solos and the woooos, it's a transcendent song.

WildcatFan

10-22-2012, 12:01 PM

I started the list then ran off to a meeting before finishing. Captain beat me to Double Live AND Shake Your Money Maker!

757690

10-22-2012, 12:22 PM

The Ramones only released 14 studio albums, and only one live one (It's Alive) worth mentioning, so my list would only be 15 albums long. And with the Ramones, the order is meaningless.

Johnny Footstool

10-22-2012, 12:46 PM

I hardly ever keep track of entire albums anymore. I have a rock-solid list of top 10 songs, but albums are harder to rank. I'm sure I don't have 20 favorites, but here are a few.

GNR - Appetite for Destruction. This album perfectly, *perfectly* captures the '80s hair metal scene, without the lipstick and pop-friendly, sanitized sheen. It's about drugs, booze, sex, hubris, and the dirty underbelly of a subculture built on debauchery. It rocks. It. Rocks. "It's So Easy" is the best, most perfect track on the album, followed by "Rocket Queen."

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill. Yeah, Paul's Boutique was mature, artistic, and experimental, and I liked it a lot. But Licensed to Ill was the best. It was so original when it came out -- a fresh combination of punk and rap that made both feel accessible, yet still unique. "The New Style" is my favorite.

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound. "Anthem" is right in their name, and that's what they do. Every track on this record just makes your heart explode. Subsequent albums have seemed derivative, but this one seemed honest and pure. Title track, "Great Expectations," and "Casanova, Baby" are the highest of all the high points.

RichRed

10-22-2012, 12:51 PM

6. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle- This is the sound of the youth I wish I had growing up (and that everyone else probably wishes too.) Haven't we all wished at some point that life were really this romantic? Side 2 is easily one of the best halves of Vinyl ever.

I've often said that Springsteen makes me nostalgic for a youth that never actually happened. That's a real gift.

bucksfan2

10-22-2012, 01:57 PM

I am going to cheat a little here.

Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits - Puts together a good mix of his earlier stuff. I am going to try and stay away from greatest hits albums, but I could listen to that album over and over and over again.

Pearl Jam - Ten - Pearl Jams coming out album. It was the album that brought me to grunge and an album that has had staying power twenty years later. Just a pure rock/grunge album.

Metallica - Metallica - May not be their best album but it was their album at their peak. Ride the Lightening is close but the Black album is better. It was their last great album, until they went more mainstream.

Live - Throwing Copper - Lightening Crashes remains one of my favorite songs. I start to hum the next song on the album with the one begins to end.

Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound - Not a bad track on this entire album. Handwritten and American Slang have better songs but not as solid overall.

The Offspring - Smash - Back when The Offspring wasn't too fly for a white guy. Pure energy.

Zac Brown Band - Pass the Jar - Another semi cheat. One of the best live albums I have listened too.

Foo Fighters - The Colour and Shape - Put them on the map. Dave Grohl went from being a member of Nirvana to one of the lasting frontmen in Rock over the past two decades.

Thats it for now..........

Bob Sheed

10-22-2012, 02:51 PM

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Beatles - Abbey Road
Santana - Abraxas

A great 3 to start with.

Wonderful Monds

10-22-2012, 04:03 PM

This is not my all time list. I don't think I could even put together a list like that. But here's a few of my recent favorites.

Burial - Untrue
Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
Four Tet - Rounds
Jorge Ben - A Tabua de Esmeralda
SBTRKT - SBTRKT
The Antlers - Hospice
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada
Neil Young - Harvest
Radiohead - In Rainbows (could be really any of their albums from The Bends through In Rainbows)

MilotheMayor

10-22-2012, 05:09 PM

Burial - Untrue

I love you.

Dom Heffner

10-22-2012, 08:14 PM

I've often said that Springsteen makes me nostalgic for a youth that never actually happened. That's a real gift.

Perfectly described. My personal favorite, I'm biased.

MilotheMayor

10-22-2012, 08:29 PM

I've often said that Springsteen makes me nostalgic for a youth that never actually happened. That's a real gift.

That's always special when an artist can project an idyllic construction. The band M83's Saturdays = Youth is an equivalent album for me. The artist idealizing John Hughes' idealization of 80s teen life, both of which I never experienced first hand.

fearofpopvol1

10-23-2012, 12:31 AM

These are lists of our favorites, not best...

I'm well aware!!

OldRightHander

10-25-2012, 12:15 AM

Most of my favorites are a bit off the beaten path, but here goes.

1. Rich Mullins, The World as Best as I Remember It, Vol. 1

2. Alison Krauss & Union Station, the live album from about ten years ago

3. Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, Neck and Neck.

4. Moving Cloud, Foxglove (traditional Irish)

5. Celtic Fiddle Festival

6. Handel's Messiah recorded by the Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Best recording of that I've ever heard.

7. Ray Charles Genius. It's a collection.

8. Matt Molloy, Stony Steps

9. Russ Taff, Under Their Influence

10. Michael Card, Unveiled Hope

WildcatFan

10-25-2012, 09:27 AM

Most of my favorites are a bit off the beaten path, but here goes.

1. Rich Mullins, The World as Best as I Remember It, Vol. 1

2. Alison Krauss & Union Station, the live album from about ten years ago

3. Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, Neck and Neck.

Love these choices, especially Mullins. I'm a big fan of Brother's Keeper.

marcshoe

10-26-2012, 06:10 PM

6. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle- This is the sound of the youth I wish I had growing up (and that everyone else probably wishes too.) Haven't we all wished at some point that life were really this romantic? Side 2 is easily one of the best halves of Vinyl ever.

Probably a good thing that Hurricane Sandy isn't heading up the eastern seaboard on the fourth of July.

Rojo

10-26-2012, 07:51 PM

Great list Camisa. Sandanista's always been my favorite as well, even though it's not supposed to be. It's a wide array of genres and I suppose that lessens it for rock nerd types who need everything to be "authentic".

On that note, Beck's Midnight Vultures is awesome. It was dissed when it came out. It's cheesy and so groovy.

I've grown fonder of the Velvet's second album. I really can't listen to ...and Nico anymore, heard it way too much.

Will NEVER get tired of Pet Sounds. More remarkable every time I hear it, unlike anything else.

I've Jonathan Richman a few times and love the Modern Lovers first album, one of my favorites as well. Never could get into anything else.

I'll add a couple:

Galaxy 500 -- This is our Music. If you're looking for a soundtrak for you're next navel-gazing, this is it.

Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul. Go to a crap bar in the daytime, order bourbon neat, play Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic on the juke and, for a few minutes, you'll be achingly cool.

Dom Heffner

10-26-2012, 08:11 PM

If we're simply talking favorite albums, here's two of my favorites:

Hysteria- Def Leppard
Rumours-Fleetwood Mac

bigredmechanism

10-26-2012, 08:27 PM

Rumours-Fleetwood Mac

With you on that one, big time.

No order, just off the top of my head:

Paul Simon - Graceland
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese
Jay Z - Black Album
Springsteen - Born to Run
David Bowie - Station to Station
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights
Bootsy Collins - Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!
Dr Dre - The Chronic

marcshoe

10-26-2012, 08:49 PM

I've been thinking about this, and finally realized that any real list is going to reveal how old and uncool I really am. A few random choices, then.

There has to be a Beatles album. For me, it's always been a toss-up between Rubber Soul and The White Album. Surprisingly, I think Rubber Soul holds up better.

And what about Springsteen? Tough to choose. The Wild, The Inncocent, etc. and Darkness at the Edge of Town (which made me a Springsteen fan) are great albums, and Born to Run is as good as advertised--it probably really is his best. Jungleland is such a great track. For personal reasons, though, I'll go with the stepchild: The River. I was 18 when it came out and leaving home for the first time. It hit all the right melancholy chords. When the most upbeat song on an album is death (and Cadillacs), the (double) album can truly be called morose.

Okay, so I'm a huge ELO fan and have been since the local station played their version of Roll Over Beethoven between games of the Hal King HR doubleheader with the Dodgers in '73. Funny how some memories are so vivid. I later worked at the same radio station, and at that time American Pie was the standard between game filler. Anyway, I'll go with another double album here: Out of the Blue. I turned 16 when this was out. As I learned to drive, I played this repeatedly. I still like to listen to the album, except for The Whale, which doesn't hold up at all and It's Over, which was ruined for me when my mother said those words to tell me that my grandmother had died in that same time period.

Two albums from my time in Australia. The first has to be from Split Enz, and it's actually going to be the least critically acclaimed of my three favorites: Corroboree, called Waiata everywhere but Australia. Corroboree is the Aboriginal term for a singing celebration, Waiata is the Maori term. The first Australian song I heard on the radio was One Step Ahead, and it immediately struck me as being catchy and somehow different. "I don't Wanna Dance" "Ghost Girl" "Hard Act to Follow" "History Never Repeats"...just a great album.

The other is from the Enz' opposite number, Cold Chisel. When I lived in Sydney, Chisel and Enz fans were at each others' throats. Chisel represented old-style blues rock (Led Zeppelin with Springsteen-like lyrics) and Split Enz were the new wavers (really Beatlesque pop rock most often, although they had their weirder side, particularly when Tim wrote or sang.) Funny, but I ran across a cover of Split Enz' "Message to My Girl" by Chisel front man Jimmy Barnes (perhaps best known in the US for his Lost Boys collaboration with INXS or for Working Class Man). It was terrible, but my understanding is that he's had his vocal chords surgically replaced because he destroyed them drinking. Anyway, Circus Animals is, to me, a perfect album. It starts out with "Nothing I Want", a Barnes-penned tune kissing off American record companies that wanted them to change, then really kicks in with "Bow River", one of my all-time favorite rockers.

I'm writing more than anyone wants to read, but this kind of stuff gets me going. I could write a few pages about Circus Animals, but instead I'll just say that if you like bluesy hard rock, find a copy somewhere and listen.

I haven't got past 1981, even. Suffice to say that somewhere on this list, The Avett Brothers I and Love and You will just beat out Emotionalism, and Mumford and Sons will make an appearance. Also, I would be forced to choose among the first three Shins albums. Okay, it would be Chutes Too Narrow, but it would be a tough choice.

And then there are....ah, forget it. I'm too old to sort everything out. I've looked around, can't seem to find, whatever's always flowing through my mind.