Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 20th, 2013, 2:01 pm
by JohnErle
The Velvet Underground and The Clash were both on my list, so I obviously approve. REM was in the running for one of those final spots as well.
Even though I consider myself a fan of Joy Division, neither of their studio albums leaps out at me as a great album. I tend to prefer the non-album singles and rarities like Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, Atmosphere, Digital, and Dead Souls. She's Lost Control is a great song though.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 20th, 2013, 6:46 pm
by transformers2
I knew my Faceless pick wouldn't be popular:lol: There's only two more crazy death metal records on my list I promise. Six did the band you saw you opening for Thurston Moore happen to be Liturgy? They are pretty awful.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 21st, 2013, 8:44 am
by silversurfer19
Still waiting on no.15 from ozzy, geez, and NSpan, obviously...
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 21st, 2013, 2:33 pm
by silversurfer19
Album No.15
englishozzy
To Be Added At A Later Date
Geezer
The Gaslight Anthem, "The '59 Sound", 2008
1.Great Expectations – 5 stars
2.The '59 Sound – 5 stars
3.Old White Lincoln – 4 stars
4.High Lonesome – 5 stars
5.Film Noir – 4 stars
6.Miles Davis & the Cool – 4 stars
7.The Patient Ferris Wheel – 5 stars
8.Cassanova Baby! - 4 stars
9.Even Cowgirls Get the Blues – 3 stars
10.Meet Me By The River's Edge – 4 stars
11.Here's Looking At You, Kid – 5 stars
12.The Backseat – 5 stars
13.Once Upon a Time – 4 stars
Man, I could just listen to this band every day of my life. And hopefully I'll be seeing them this summer if I can get tickets tomorrow for a show they just added to their tour. I've seen them once but I didn't know who they were at the time. I was impressed, but it was only after the fact that I fell in love. I honestly feel they are the only band challenging Against Me! for the best band of this era. Every one of their albums is brilliant. I just love the nostalgic, throwback feel of the music and lyrics. Just true heart and soul rock and roll in every beat. Maybe you'll recognize the title track from the top 15 of my songs countdown.
An important part of the the band's evolution, often referred to as the "acoustic album", despite kicking off with the heavy metal blast of "Immigrant Song". "Ramble On" is my favourite song from Led Zeppelin II, and I frequently forget that it didn't come from this album, considering LZ III's heavy reliance on acoustic folk, which is such an important part of my love for Led Zeppelin.
And finally we reach my all time favourite PJ Harvey record. I discovered her music in the late 90s, and pretty quickly got my paws on every release I could. This is my favourite in a list of records that are all superb in their own ways. But it’s the approach of this album that I feel suited her the best. Coming hot off her promised blues-riffing debut Dry, this record has similar tunes but all muted by Steve Albini’s masterful production. The sound is more sinister, but also more raw and intense. When she gets shrill (like on Legs) it’s almost too much power to handle, but you’re rewarded with a great, echoing lament.
There’s also a sense of humour in place, with titles like 50 Foot Queenie (featuring lyrics about her "length". In inches), Man Size, Snake, suggesting she is both bathing in her feminine wildness but also ensuring her tongue is in cheek enough for her to have plenty of fun. This album is the perfect example of a promising artist expanding on her sound in all the right ways, and for that I value it the most.
Ron Burgundy
Rage Against The Machine, "Evil Empire", 1996
My fav RATM album, when i heard they regrouped to do a few live shows in Australia i rushed to get tickets, they were sold out in 24 hours. The live show was almost certainly one of the craziest ive been to, people in the moshpit were more violent than ever and being a skinny little 18 year old i was thrown around like a rag doll. They have some great songs, like the two i show you, Down Rodeo and People of the Sun. The bass is heavy, the guitar from Tom Morello as unique and brilliant and Zach De La Rocha on vocals is a blend of Rap and his own style, and delivering the bands message on violence, class, politics and peace.
silversurfer
R.E.M, "Automatic For The People", 1992
R.E.M's mainstream breakthrough. It was my introduction to the band a good 20 years ago, and very quickly they became one of my favourites, and one of the most important and influential bands as my musical tastes developed. I was enamoured by their ability to write such viscerally emotional songs in such a subtle manner, with their jangle pop style now evolving to tackle bigger sounds. It's a devastating record really, and while it is a record that deals with the terrible realisation of death and mourning, it's how Michael Stipe manages to convey and resolve these emotions into a meditation on how to live life to its full even with an awareness of mortality, in all it's stripped back glory, that really elevates the album above so many other records which deal with similar issues.
Coupled with some of the bands most musically touching work, not to mention a fantastic transition into stadium rock through numbers that would become such a fixture of their 90s work like "Man On The Moon", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" and "Ignoreland", it's a record which leaves an impact on me with each and every listen. But it's the more tender moments where Automatic really stands out, producing some of the best of their career up until that point. "Nightswimming" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, it made my Song Countdown a couple of years ago and may have risen even higher since. But that beauty doesn't end there, with the cautiously optimistic "Find The River" the monster that is "Everybody Hurts" and a close personal favourite, "Try Not To Breathe", a song which hit a real emotional bone when I first started seeing Helena and we played the record in her bedroom, being standouts. It's such a touching record, and how it manages to be uplifting despite its subject matter, without sounding cliched or corny, is quite remarkable.
There is good reason this is regarded as one of the greatest records of all time. It really, really, is.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 21st, 2013, 10:58 pm
by Geezer
16
ozzy - Well, you're the closest so far to ranking this properly...
JE - obviously an excellent pick, though I'd say a touch overrated at this spot.
Leestu - still doesn't really drive me to buy their albums.
Six - I like the occasional Velvet Underground track (Heroin being one of them). However, I listened to those two songs in horror.
Ron - Good stuff from a great band that I need to delve further into. Hadn't heard the first song, but really liked it a lot.
Surfer - Obviously I'm a fan.
Tranny - I think I'm gonna just spare my ears and not press play.
15
JE - Not so much a fan of the Zeppelin album. 4 is definitely the best in my opinion.
Leestu - I don't know how I feel about the Smiths. I really don't. His voice is obviously brilliant, but I just feel like something is missing. Like the music is missing a hook or something. I like it, don't get me wrong, but I've never really been strongly tempted to pursue it past the point of hearing a random song every once in a while.
NSpan - You just keep dropping the ball, don't you?
Six - Another one of your picks that just doesn't sound the slightest but pleasant to these ears. I don't care how "talented" a person is said to be if they can't produce music that simply sounds good. Ok maybe that's a bit harsh, because the second song was better, but the first was another in the long line of unlistenable noise.
Ron - Nearly made my list. My second favorite from Rage, behind Battle of LA.
Surfer - Yeah... I should really get this.
Tranny - I'll let this video speak for me, because I find it fucking hilarious and I so rarely get the chance to use it:
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 22nd, 2013, 3:46 am
by silversurfer19
Album No.15
Geezer: The Gaslight Anthem, "The '59 Sound" - This certainly does have that nostalgic rock n roll sound you refer too, much like many of your other favourite bands like The Killers, Airborne Toxic Event and The Hold Steady. Indeed, I'm a little surprised to have not seen any Springsteen on your list really, considering how derivative they are from his work. Anyway, not bad, didn't really grab me as I'd like, but I can hear the appeal, and it was pleasant enough.
JohnErle: Led Zeppelin, "Led Zeppelin III" - Made my own list, so obviously I approve. And I agree, while I love their Blues influences of the first couple of records, this folkier side is still very interesting, bringing out Plant's Tolkien-esque lyrics and Page's mythical influences (I watched a documentary recently which cited a dark magic conjurer called Aleister Crowley as a major influence). Certainly a very different record from what came prior, but it contains many of the band's best works.
Leestu: The Smiths, “The Queen Is Dead” - Good choice, and excellent picks. Fantastic record.
numbersix: PJ Harvey, “Rid of Me” - Interesting. To be honest, this is probably the PJ Harvey record, along with Uh Huh Her I listen to least. I always anticipated otherwise, as it was apparently her most rock record. Not to suggest this is a bad record, yet for some reason it has never clicked with me like the others. Perhaps I'm missing something on it, as Rid Of Me is a great opener, and there are plenty of other highlights. Maybe I just got jaded a little as I listened to this album last after picking it up along with Dry, Is This Desire? and To Bring You My Love. Perhaps it's because of it's style I just don't really get the emotional attachment of her other records. Giving it another listen right now as it's been a few years, and it sounds pretty good when trying to listen to it fresh, will see how it sticks over the next couple of days.
Ron Burgundy: Rage Against The Machine, "Evil Empire" - Some good moments on this record, I do like Bulls On Parade. But overall the only RATM album I find myself returning to is their debut. Everything that followed just felt like a retread of what they had done previously.
transformers: Pantera, "Vulgar Display of Power" - I could handle the vocals this time, though it was very heavy. And very angry. I listened all the way through though, and was gratified as the guitar solo on the first song was cool. Second song reminded me of Metallica, but overall I just wouldn't ever really listen to this again.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 22nd, 2013, 7:36 am
by Geezer
Springsteen for me suffers a little bit from Greatest Hits Syndrome, in that he was before my time, I was introduced to him through his greatest hits, and then anything else I delved into didn't stand up, making it so his individual albums didn't have the same impact.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 22nd, 2013, 11:39 am
by JohnErle
I have that same syndrome when it comes to Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles. If we were looking at favourite artists they would all appear in my top 10, but none of them appear in my top 100 albums.
EDIT: I think I stuck Revolver somewhere around 75 on my unfinished list, but I'm not sure it really belongs there over other albums I've actually listened to a hell of a lot more.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 22nd, 2013, 5:21 pm
by silversurfer19
Awaiting no.14 from ozzy, Geezer, NSpan and tranny.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 23rd, 2013, 9:57 am
by englishozzy
#15
Linkin Park, "Hybrid Theory", 2000
Everyone probably knows by now this is my favourite band, they have been ever since this amazing debut. I accept they have their critics but you have to admire how they have gone about doing things. They have never rested on their laurels and continued to experiment on their music which each new album. They have turned their group into an International brand with some brilliant marketing tools. Chester has one of the most defined vocals in rock with Mike Shinoda the driving force of the band.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 23rd, 2013, 12:12 pm
by numbersix
Ozzy: Sorry, dude, but LP are probably one of my least favourite acts of all time. Every song I hear makes me dislike them even more, with their cliched lyrics, dull nu metal music and unintentionally hilarious attempts to rap in between.
Geez: Every single time I hear them I always think they're The Killer when they went through their Springsteen phase. Sure, every band steals from ones before, but in this case these guys don't do anything The Boss doesn't do better. Give me Darkness on the Edge of Town any day ahead of this. Also, I found your three songs were way too similar to each other.
John E: Good to know more about LZ and how their career progressed. I enjoyed those two songs, though not sure if I felt they deserved their individual lengths. But still good riffs going on, especially the first song.
Leetsu: Is this the first appearance of one of the most iconic records of the 80s? Anyway, it's a great record, with some of their best songs. However, there's a few that I never really loved and so Meat is Murder is my preferred album.
Ron B: Some good songs on here, but not as good as their debut.
SS: A really good record. It's been nice revisiting this, especially the less known songs which are all really solid.
Tranny: Some of it wasn't too bad.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 23rd, 2013, 1:53 pm
by silversurfer19
Album No.14
englishozzy
The Offspring, "Smash", 1994
This album was huge for me growing up and still hasn't lost it's touch. I hadn't heard of The Offspring prior to this album but with their catchy tunes and tongue-in-cheek lyrics I was instantly hooked.
1.About A Girl – 4 stars
2.Come As You Are – 5 stars
3.Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam – 4 stars
4.The Man Who Sold the World – 5 stars
5.Pennyroyal Tea – 5 stars
6.Dumb – 5 stars
7.Polly – 4 stars
8.On a Plain – 5 stars
9.Something in the Way – 4 stars
10.Plateau – 3 stars
11.Oh, Me – 4 stars
12.Lake of Fire – 4 stars
13.All Apologies – 5 stars
14.Where Did You Sleep Last Night? - 4 stars
Possibly the most iconic live performance ever. Nirvana at just the peak of their powers. Doing mostly songs that weren't hits, and plenty of covers, and owning every single song. Powerful, haunting, and magnificent. A huge part of why I love this band so much is this album. They took songs that were incredible, and some of my favories (All Apologies, On a Plain) in their album versions and made them even better, as well as taking an artist as great as David Bowie and bettering his song as well. It sucks that I'll never get to see this band live, because I don't think anyone else on the planet could ever live up to it.
Chris Issak is known primarily for his voice, or his matinee-idol looks, but I think he's a bit underrated as a songwriter. When my girlfriend at the time was trying to get me into Chris Isaak, one of the first songs she played me was “I Believe.” I remember nodding my head and playing along while thinking “What is this sugary sweet, maudlin crap?” But then Chris Isaak pulled the rug out from underneath me and my mind was blown. I'll always respect him for that. And after showing an appreciation for Chris Isaak, my mind wasn't the only thing blown that day. I'll always respect Chris Isaak for that too. PS - This is the album that gave the world “Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing” which everyone knows already, so no real need to highlight that one, as great as it is.
This was probably the first album that made me realise that the best records are the ones you gradually discover. Each week, if not month, some song suddenly clicked and became something far more transcendent than I initially imagined. At first the single Paranoid Android was already out, but the opening riff and booming drums of Airbag was a perfectly accessible entrance, with new possibilities opening up on each new listen. It’s also one of the first albums that I was desperately awaiting release, having discovered The Bends a year or so previously.
For Radiohead this was a step into rock history. They capitalised on the strength of their previous album, but tied it all together in a broad theme (fear of modernity) and delved deeper into the extremes. They went darker (Climbing up the Walls), sadder (Exit Music), heavier (Electioneering), and more cinematic (Karma Police and the accompanying video). Many write this album off as an effort of miserabilism, but it misses the irony present in a lot of the lyrics (or else misinterprets the anxiety present in the theme). This record set the bar of rock albums in the 90s, and many tried to follow and miss the mark. Even the band themselves knew they couldn’t top this album, and instead followed a different route as they merged indie music with electro for Kid A.
This alternative rap album from Gorillaz may have lost some of its gloss but the songs are imprinted in my head after listening to it so many times. Feel Good Inc was overplayed on the Radio bigtime, but the other singles werent, Kids with Guns and Dare, the latter being my fav. With pop references in music videos and guests MF Doom and De La Soul including and a narrative song by Dennis Hopper, it was something i had never heard before with cool electronic beats overlaying bizzare rap.
While I deeply adore 'Automatic For The People' and its rich sound and beautiful ballads, Lifes Rich Pageant has always been just that little bit better for me (though the margins are negligible). It was the first record I sought out after falling in love with Automatic, and I was struck by the addictive melodies, Stipe's vocals and the strength of the lyrics, which are at their most socially conscientious.
Moving up a gear from the atmospherically tender, truly southern Fables Of The Reconstruction, Pageant is a much poppier affair, moving away from stories of small town eccentric loners into a much more bold piece of work. It marks a slight veering from their infamous jangle pop into a far more lively rock sound with mainstream appeal. Not to say this affected the content as perhaps it did later in their career, its just that this work was too powerful and significant to be ignored. This is still very much an IRS years R.E.M, but a band more confident in their abilities (heck, they even found the bravado to cover "Superman"). Sonically and stylistically compared to what had come before it, this was the sound of the band embracing their new shift to the mainstream and giving something back in terms of a crystalline production. There's an urgency to the record, highlighted on the stunning rockers "These Days", "Begin The Begin" and "I Believe", while "Cuyahoga", with it's rallying cry chorus, and "Fall On Me", one of the most touching ballads of their career emphasise their more vulnerable side. And it's this more human side that comes into it's own within the lyrics. As a poetic indictment of a careless society in the mid 80s USA, it's a strong statement, but bringing all their experiences from their previous records into one, R.E.M finally had a sound which could manifest itself in the public consciousness.
It's a bold record, the sound of a band happy with where they are, and while they would emerge from the record bigger and more exposed than ever, it was a pleasure to discover the band could reach these heights while never losing touch with where they had come from.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 23rd, 2013, 3:52 pm
by Ron Burgundy
Ozzy
The offspring are i band i used to like, then slowly hated every time i heard them again. Mainly because their new stuff was on air, but not very good. Their old stuff however is something ill never get bored of, great song you chose, and great to hear it again after a lengthy absence in my life.
Geez
For F sake, i cant believe a live album has now appeared twice in the top 20s, and its the same one! However, however, after listening the all apologies, and the man who.., i have to say that Nirvana were unequal in the world of live MTV. Man what a band, what a shame. Kurt Cobain is still rated so high and sometimes i wonder why, but after hearing this stuff again i love to be reminded of his music. Top pick
Leestu
The Pogues did not click with me. Maybe another time i would like it more. Very sorry leestu.
SS
well R.E.M. What a band, I loved the song you played, and it means i need to get this. Auto 4 ppl, was on me own list so congrats for choosing that too. Cant believe how ignorant i am sometimes of past records, well done SS.
Six
Ok Computer, what a crap album, so dark and sad. PJ Harvey though, is something i secretly want to hear more of (really)
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 23rd, 2013, 4:14 pm
by Geezer
Well Ron, there's still one more live album yet to come from me, and it will be in my top 10.
Re: Fantaverse Top 100 Albums Of All Time (Thread #9) #20-#1
Posted: March 24th, 2013, 7:50 pm
by silversurfer19
Album No.14
englishozzy: The Offspring, "Smash" - Can't see myself ever investing into an Offspring record. They have the odd good song, but ultimately I dislike the vocals and many of their lesser songs I've heard just sound like a) a retread of what they have already done better, and b) album filler. As a singles band, I guess they would be ok, but anything more, I just don't have the inclination.
Geezer: Nirvana, "MTV Unplugged in New York" - Had I considered live records, this would have certainly been a contender for my list and is certainly in the upper echelons of live records, probably alongside their own Live At Reading, The Who's Live At Leeds, Radiohead's I Might Be Wrong, The Smiths' Rank and Jeff Buckley's Live at Sin-e. I mentioned previously how Helena had bought this for me on vinyl a couple of years ago, and placed and already great record onto another level. Love it. And I'm sure you're one of millions who wish they had a chance to see this band live, it would have been quite the experience I bet.
JohnErle: Chris Isaak, "Forever Blue" - I dunno. Maybe I just didn't get that same...elation you got when you listened to this. I've never really been much of a fan of country, it's always felt like the more saccharine companion to the blues, which I'm a much bigger fan of. I didn't like the guitar twang, didn't like the vocals. It felt very safe, something perfect for old ladies to dance around to. I'm not sure at what point the first song stopped being the "sugary sweet, maudlin crap" for you, it didn't really reach a moment where that could suddenly change into something wonderful. Of course this is just me, and I'm sure you have a reason for loving this other than your own happy ending. Though I suppose that's always a good enough reason, I guess!
Leestu: The Pogues, “Rum, Sodomy & the Lash” - I really want to find something I really love in this band, Leestu, after all, I've loved so much of what you've already presented and desire to discover what it is that makes The Pogues so special for you. And while the first song certainly was a little more intriguing than what I've heard before, that Celtic sound is still clamouring all over the song and distracting me from the lyrics. Second song sounded like some sort of sea shanty with lots of grog flowing a sad crooner at the piano. The epitomy of this type of music for me and totally didn't appeal.
numbersix: Radiohead, “OK Computer” - I can still recall sitting besides a pool on the Costa Brava listening to this soon after it was released while on holiday with my family. In that baking hot sun, with the sounds of The Mavericks' Dance The Night Away playing over the loud speakers, and a Nic Cage season featuring The Rock and Con Air was playing on the open air cinema, I just lay down and put this tape on (I was still divinding my collection between tape and CD at this point), placed my headphones over my ears, and dreamt I was far, far away from this stale, arid place. Exit Music and Climbing Up The Walls literally sen chills down my spine, I'd never heard anything so sobering. Still tears me up to this day do both those songs. Anyway, fantastic record, and indeed one which is just almost impossible to top.
Ron Burgundy: Gorillaz, "Demon Days" - Feel Good Inc. is probably my favourite Gorillaz song, though to be honest despite buying their first record I've never really given them much time. They have a cool aesthetic, and some of their ideas play out well, but I just don't find myself listening to that album (which I must have listened to a maximum of 3 times in over ten years), nor having the inclination to hear more. Dare was not a song I particularly like, I've never been a fan of Shaun Ryder which probably impacted my appreciation, but I could probably look into more of the songs from this album to see if there is more to it.
transformers: Alice In Chains, "Dirt" - I bought this record on the back of Rooster I believe which you featured during the song countdown. It's a good album, probably alongside the likes of Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots in that second wave of grunge acts from the early 90s. Don't listen to the record nearly as much as I probably should, as I've always enjoyed listening to it, and the songs featured are a couple of my favourites too, so good pick!
