Perfect Albums

[Ski to Be]

Demon Days is an amazing one though a few of the tracks I don't care for. If an album has five strong tracks nowadays it is a standout.

[boltonoutlaw]

I don't recall seeing FZ's Apostrophe on this list.

[DaveTV]

For an album to be perfect, I think it not only has to have a perfect collection of songs without any notably weak tracks, but the tracks need to fit together well and the album as a whole needs to present as a cohesive unit. I also think that, to really attain "perfect" status, the album should be remarkable in some way (i.e. noteworthy from a technical standpoint, or progressive in some particular way). Out of the listed albums that I'm fairly familiar with, I don't see many that are really perfect. To be sure, lots of my favorite albums are listed here, but just because I like them a lot doesn't mean they're perfect. Otherwise this just turns into a list of favorite albums.

I am impressed by the collective's musicology here indeed! But what really separates "great" from "perfect"? Ones that flow together from beginning to end? I think Pink Floyd DSOTM still tops the list, and Beatles Abbey Road second.

[The AD]

Here's one that just came to mind: The La's. Made even more perfect because it's the only album they ever released.

[The Suit]

Might catch shit for this, but I really like The Crystal Method's Vegas and Gorillaz' Demon Days. Really good albums.

I almost added Demon Days to my list. Made better because I didn't expect to like it.

[Tippster]

Dire Straits' self-titled first album is pretty fucking close to perfect, IMHO.

[huckbucket]

edit:
oh and Blood on the Tracks may be the perfectest album ever

I tried sooo hard to like this album. Just can't do it. I think Dylan is revered not because of his music, but because of his message. And today, the message just doesn't hold the same weight.

[spook]

Dire Straits' self-titled first album is pretty fucking close to perfect, IMHO.

totally agree. though i like the first 5 songs better than the last 4. i remember listening to it for the first time and knowing it was their first album and wondering when they ever sucked.

[spook]

I tried sooo hard to like this album. Just can't do it. I think Dylan is revered not because of his music, but because of his message. And today, the message just doesn't hold the same weight.

could be because he's whored himself out for some creepy shit in his later years. i mean seriously, how could anybody conceive of putting these two together unless it's beauty and the beast.

[Chugachjed]

I think the Cowboy Junkies, trinity sessions fits the bill. not my favorite album ever but as close to perfect as an album can be.

[Flounder]

I almost added Demon Days to my list. Made better because I didn't expect to like it.

It's even better with the full video effects. Caught a concert on Palladia and it was pretty cool.

[birdman829]

I tried sooo hard to like this album. Just can't do it. I think Dylan is revered not because of his music, but because of his message. And today, the message just doesn't hold the same weight.

I don't understand this sentiment for Blood on the Tracks. Makes sense if you're talking abour Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, but Blood on the Tracks is mostly love songs and is overall one of his less political "message-based" albums.

[BigDaddy]

YES!

Surrealistic Pillow, Jefferson Airplane

Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral.

Beatles "Sgt Peppers"
Nirvana "Nevermind"
Allman Brothers "Eat a Peach"

Allmans - At Fillmore East
Zeppelin IV
Pink Floyd - Dark Side
The Stones - Let it bleed

Joni Mitchell "Blue"
Led Zeppelin "Physical Graffiti"
Radiohead "In Rainbows"
Prince "Purple Rain"

Workingman's Dead, GD
Loaded, Velvet Underground

Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus

The Specials "The Specials"

London Calling by the Clash.

American Beauty Grateful Dead

The Band's Last Waltz into the mix.
Santana - Abraxas
Hendrix - Are You Experienced?

Bridge Of Sighs - Robin Trower
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Made In Japan - Deep Purple

Great choices... definitely on my list. I need to listen to lots I don't know, too, but other "classics" I can think of:

Beck, Odelay
Garbage, Absolute Garbage
Jimmy Cliff, Harder They Come
Aerosmith, 1st album
Sugar Twins, Patio-A-Go-Go

[Jer]

I forgot Reign In Blood by Slayer.

Also Refinement Of The Decline by Stars Of The Lid. That thing is one long melencholy dream from start to finish.

[Tippster]

No love for Master of Puppets or "...And Justice for All," Jer?

[stuckathuntermtn]

Anyone who insists on spewing Dark Side of the Moon can go get fucked.
That is music to hang yourself by.

Let's see:
Whatever People Say That's What I'm Not and Favorite Worst Nightmare both by Arctic Monkeys
Funeral by Arcade Fire
Eliminator by ZZ Top
Buckcherry's first album (Self titled)
Pretty much anything by Jack Johnson (before the last one)
Grand National by John Butler Trio
Both Raconteurs albums


And that's without delving to deep into the past.

I will never understand the attraction to the Grateful Dead. It's always seemed rather boring to me.

Classics?

Abbey Road, Sgt Peppers, White Album (cept for that weird Number 9, lol), Revolver
Tommy, by The Who
Exile on Main St. by The Rolling Stones
I, II, III, IV, and Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin


Oh, and listen to the Black Keys.


PS: First two Gorrillaz Albums are good. Pinkerton and the Blue Album by Weezer, Rage Against the Machine's self titled album and Battle of Los Angels.
Get Yer Ya Ya's Out, live album by the Stones.
Live's Throwing Copper is actually really good.
Kinda maybe 40oz to Freedom by Sublime and Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins. Appetite for Destruction by GnR. And the last two Arcade Fire albums are soooo close. And there's a couple, or three more good Weezer Albums. Jimi Hendrix BBC Sessions. Disraeli Gears by Cream.



Pink Floyd is over rated.
Pink Floyd is over rated
Pink Floyd sucks.

Wilco sucks. Dave Mathews Band sucks. Modest Mouse is fucking painfully bad. And so is Phish.

I will also add (in the awesome catagory) Pawn Shoppe Heart by The Von Bondies and quite possibly The Big Lebowski Soundtrack if that exists as an album. And oh yeah. Spinal Tap. Yeah. I said Spinal Tap. Suck it.

[Supermoon]

Sublime - self titled
Nirvana - Unplugged
Clapton - Unplugged
Kanye- College Dropout
Deftones - Adrenaline
and I've always thought Rubber Soul was better than Revolver, but maybe that's just me.

[Jer]

No love for Master of Puppets or "...And Justice for All," Jer?

Master was good, but not as good as Ride The Lightening. Except for the first and last songs, I thought Justice was horrible. The production was sterile and most of the songs just sucked. especially One. It's like Cliff Burton got squished and sucked the soul out of the rest of the band.

Reign In Blood was just insane from start to finish. Remember - that was released in (I think) 1986. Nobody played anything even remotely like that back then. i remember buying that album, listening to it twice and then actually getting scared. I didn't listen to it again until like three months later.


Here's one for you off of Refinement Of The Decline:

[Danno]

bunch of gibberish

Hey dip shit, this isn't the "here's what music I like and what music I don't like thread".

[stuckathuntermtn]

"Nowadays everybody wanna talk like they got somethin to say
But nothin comes out when they move their lips; just a bunch of gibberish
And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre"

Wasn't that that Dre album from about 10 years ago? That was a good one. Sorta.

Still rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease.

EDIT: wikipedia says 1999. wow. I'm getting old!
And I was mostly naming albums I can listen to without skipping one. d00d.

[Viva]

And motherfuckers act like they forgot about Dre"

Wasn't that that Dre album from about 10 years ago? That was a good one. Sorta.

Still rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease.

Gee, I dunno, whenever I hear his "music" I have the urge to strip down to my underwear, stick a bone in my nose and dance around a fire. Weird, huh?

[stuckathuntermtn]

not really. You're a naughty rodent.

[dookeyXXX]

For me the whole gist of a perfect and/or great album is definitely one that flows from beginning to end. It's also gotta be an album with staying power; one that I find myself reaching for time and time again over the years. It's also gotta be road trip worthy, as in I could listen to it for several hours non-stop.

I already threw out Gang Starr - Step In The Arena, Yo La Tengo - Painful, and a few others, but yesterday I was reminded of:

Kevn Kinney - MacDougal Blues
This is a great neo-folk, semi-acoustic solo album from the frontman of Drivin' N Cryin'. Start to finish it flows with poignancy, intensity, and just solid songwriting and musicality.

[mmmm...pow!]

^^^If you're gonna mention Step in the Arena, then you might as well add Hard to Earn, though not sure I'd call either perfect. Adding to the list:
Buckethead - Peppers Ghost
Praxis - Transmutaion (live)
Galactic - Crazyhorse Mongoose
Blackalicious - Blazing arrow
Enter the Wu-Tang
Clutch - Pure Rock Fury
Michael Franti - Stay Human
Widespread Panic - Til the Medicine Takes

[DaveTV]

Hey dip shit, this isn't the "here's what music I like and what music I don't like thread".

It appears to have morphed into that..