Thread: Perfect Albums

Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

Wait a minute - you listen to "Feedback" when you play that album?

I do. Really. It's the interminable drums>space starting in 1978 that I skip through.

I thought of a couple more:

The Specials "The Specials"
Rod Stewart "Every Picture Tells a Story"

Originally Posted by Tippster

U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

That would have been on my list if they would have left off Pride (In The Name Of Love). Ironically, the big hit single was completely out of place on that album.

Third the 1st Stone Roses album.

Originally Posted by yogachik

Rod Stewart "Every Picture Tells a Story"

Probably heresy, but I liked his Unplugged...and Seated compilation/live album the best.

Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

Wait a minute - you listen to "Feedback" when you play that album?

Originally Posted by Sullywhacker

I do. Really. It's the interminable drums>space starting in 1978 that I skip through.

I don't know, man...

But, Live at the Apollo by James Brown. And London Calling by the Clash.

Double Nickles on the Dime - Minutemen

(Yeah, I listen to all 45 songs on road trips).

Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDA2635DAA31F4D1A

Little Feat Waiting for Columbus
Talking Heads Stop Making Sense
Grateful Dead Workingmans Dead
Allman Brothers Eat A Peach
Dire Straits first album
Doors first and second albums
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Damn The Torpedoes
Elvis Costello his first 3 albums

Originally Posted by Jer

That would have been on my list if they would have left off Pride (In The Name Of Love). Ironically, the big hit single was completely out of place on that album.

I wore my tape of the Unforgettable Fire out. Pride may not fit on the album (your opinion), but it is absolutely one of the best songs ever recorded.

Sticking with the theme ... Joshua Tree is a mindblowingly good album, start to finish.

Originally Posted by Tippster

More of an Unknown Pleasures fan m'self.

O jeez, get all snotty w/me and I'll whip out my Warsaw boots and Komakino flexi discs.

American Beauty Grateful Dead


come on 3 pages and this hasn't been discussed yet!

Kyuss - Sky Valley. No question about this one.
AC/DC - Back in Black. Thirded.
Godspeed You Black Emperor - f#a#(infinity). They really didn't need to make any more records after this IMO.

Originally Posted by boltonoutlaw

Double Nickles on the Dime - Minutemen

Seconded.

Originally Posted by Meadow Skipper

And London Calling by the Clash.

Thought about that one, but not sure it is even more perfect than The Clash by The Clash. Still, one or both of them should be on here.

Another one just occurred to me:
Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart by Camper Van Beethoven. They had some genius before and after, but that one album, they put it all together.

Booker T and the MGs - Melting Pot
Funkadelic - Funkadelic
Mos Def - The New Danger
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
I'd also put a few of The Roots albums in there, including Jon Legend's album. But no album flows from beginning to end like Dark Side

tripping daisy - i am an elastic firecracker
masters of reality - sunrise on the sufferbus

In the spirit that Iceman posted this thread, I'll stick to the last decade or so, which leaves me relatively out of touch I guess, I'm all about classic rock, but I'd say that System Of A Down's Toxicity is perfect.

BTW, how the hell does Back In Black get mentioned three times and Highway To Hell not get mentioned yet? HTH is relentless, there isn't a weak measure in the whole thing.

Originally Posted by Rasputin

BTW, how the hell does Back In Black get mentioned three times and Highway To Hell not get mentioned yet? HTH is relentless, there isn't a weak measure in the whole thing.

yeah, i'm not getting that either. nor am i getting how LZ 4 is any more perfect than any of their other albums. or pink floyd's DSOTM is any more perfect than WYWH or Animals. perfection to me means i wouldn't change a thing. there are lots of perfect albums out there. some i may like more than others but that makes the others no less perfect.

Did Iceman really nominate Eddy Grant?

Really?

WTF!

Catch A fire.

Originally Posted by F#*k You Cat

American Beauty Grateful Dead


come on 3 pages and this hasn't been discussed yet!

I think it and Working mans Dead could be both considered in the same category of perfect albums. Quintessential Dead.

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

Endtroducing - DJ Shadow

Great album!

my go-to faves that I can happily listen to everyday:


Pet Sounds -The Beach Boys (Perfection)

The Man Who Sold The World -David Bowie (imo his best, I Love "Black Country Rock")

Wake of the Flood -Greateful Dead (this is the studio sound I dig most from the GD)
-listening to this right now on Potify

Didn't see these on here yet

John Prine-John Prine
Tom Waits-Rain Dogs
Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Springsteen-Ghost of Tom Joad

And I'll second Radiohead-In Rainbows. That album is flawless.

Originally Posted by junto

And I'll second Radiohead-In Rainbows. That album is flawless.

Go to agree with you... just a brilliant album.

I guess, for me, the way to tell a perfect album is that I HAVE to listen to it straight through. I can't piece it out, it's all or nothing. And Pink Floyd was truly the master of this. Not just Dark Side, but Meddle, Wish You Were Hear, and Animals: they're all perfect. Every note thought out, not a single throw away measure anywhere, and the whole truly being greater then the sum of its parts.

The Beatles are great (duh!), but I think their only album that qualifies is Abbey Road, maybe the best rock'n'roll album ever.

I'll put in another vote for OK Computer - Radiohead. I guess I do skip through Fitter Happier, but it doesn't even matter, that album is incredible, each song building off the last, playing with the same themes throughout, complex lyrics, and beautiful music.

I love Tom Waits, but I think his albums are too much "just a bunch of songs" and not a complete perfect album.

Some other older classics which have been mentioned:

American Beauty & Workingman's Dead - GD
Hot Rats - FZ
Fillmore East - Allman Brothers, and if live albums can apply then...
Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads, although the film is the real highlight. Has any band ever had that much fun?
Aero-plane - John Hartford (not mentioned yet, come on people) The only bluegrass album I can think of that applies

And some newish ones:

Lifted (or the story's in the soil, keep your ear to the ground) - Bright Eyes
The Decline - NOFX (only one song, but it applies)
The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse
Continum - John Meyer (seriously)
Give Up - Postal Service
Rift & Billy Breathes - Phish
40oz to Freedom - Sublime
Kid A & In Rainbows - Radiohead (I think OK Comp is their finest work, but these are damn close)

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Did Iceman really nominate Eddy Grant?

Really?

WTF!

Catch A fire.

we used to listen to that album over and over man, I think we wore it out.



We also listened to this one about a thousand times: Steel Pulse True Democracy



perfect for what it is, I'd say.

And nobody mentioned Marley? I know Buster doesn't like it but there are those of us who do...

I guess I'd have to go with Babylon By Bus if I had to pick just one...

Originally Posted by iceman

We also listened to this one about a thousand times: Steel Pulse [i]True Democracy[i]

perfect for what it is, I'd say.

It's good but I prefer Handsworth Revolution myself.

Originally Posted by iceman

I guess I'd have to go with Babylon By Bus if I had to pick just one...

That'd count too. Although I think I prefer the Live at the Lyceum album over it - although it's a only single disc - I think it feels less disjointed and more vibrant than the later Babylon Paris show.s Difficult to pick a Marley album that isn't perfect or near perfect.. I went for Catch a Fire because Peter and Bunny are on that... and arguably Marley is the better for it. Difficult call though.

Originally Posted by powder_prophet

Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads, although the film is the real highlight. Has any band ever had that much fun?

Yeah, the movie is the best concert movie ever, IMO. But while the album is great, it's not perfect IMO, because it's just not as good as the movie.