carlo
Founder of 5 in heavy rotation
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2001
- Posts
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oh man, talk about a topic i was just thinking about.
incidentally, as a music snob the only guy's list i think is even remotely acceptable is bravers
the top five (jazz excluded, since i hope BenG and coolvij come in to bust some knowledge that i simply do not have):
1) otis redding - otis blue: you poor, poor bastards who have never head this album should either a)go out and buy it now or b)consider your music collection completely invalid. qualifies as a first album even though volt released a bunch of other redding material at the same time. soul and r&b without the ******** and its horns over stuttered beats and non-factory songwritting (redding has got to be the most underrated songwritter of all time) made motown look like a joke.
2) velvet underground and nico (aka the andy warhol cd): completely changed music forever with their art pop meets punk sound. i'd rate the album as vu's third best of their four major releases, but christ, simply brilliant. also opened the door for their very anti-warhol and best release, white light/white heat. pretty much the quintesential album, with heroin, waiting for the man, femme fatale... hell the whole tracklist is worthy of mention.
3) tom waits - closing time: one of the first albums that simply had to be listened to from beginning to end. "i hope that i don't fall in love with you" is maybe the most underrated waits song of all time. song writting and musical experimentation that knocked the world on its ass.
4) ramblin' jack elliot - talking miner blues/pretty boy floyd: the original pressing of the album is major collector's material and near impossible to get, but there have been enough rereleases to warrant the recommendation with hope that some can pick it up. heavily, heavily influenced dylan, traditional folk at its finest and original material as well.
5) the stooges - before iggy became iggy pop (or iggy stooge as i still like to call him). power rock meets punk meets a big giant **** you to the establishment. interestingly the album, on absolute terms, was heavily influenced by a lot of other artists at the time, but its melding of different styles was the outline for raw power, which of course was a masterpiece.
top debut of the last 25 years: elvis costello - my aim is true: i'm weeping that this (along with ramones - ramones) didn't make my list, and i could have easily put in anywhere from #2-#5, so ****ing good that it blows the mind. i created this category to sneak it in
top debut of the last 20 years: the smiths - the smiths: morrisey gets on my nerves, and their subsequent releases (outside of meat is murder) mever did it for me. the themework of this album isn't something i could relate to, but the sense of social disconnection and the album's strength as a whole simply makes it the best of the 80s. on an absolute scale probably wouldn't make my top twenty five though, and i think its outclassed in some senses by the following albums.
top debut of the last 10 years: tricky - maxinquaye, dr dre - the chronic, deftones - adrenaline (tie): i'd place them in that order if i had to.
top debut of the past 5 years: lauryn hill - the miseducation of lauryn hill.
top debut of last year: the avalanches - since i left you: yeah, the strokes are damn good and if garage catches on (as it seems it is, the ****ing white stripes and countless others are actually on the radio... i still haven't gotten over my shock) they'll be my generation's nirvanna. but still the avalanches, while heavily influenced by de la soul, is the more original release.
best,
carlo.
incidentally, as a music snob the only guy's list i think is even remotely acceptable is bravers
the top five (jazz excluded, since i hope BenG and coolvij come in to bust some knowledge that i simply do not have):
1) otis redding - otis blue: you poor, poor bastards who have never head this album should either a)go out and buy it now or b)consider your music collection completely invalid. qualifies as a first album even though volt released a bunch of other redding material at the same time. soul and r&b without the ******** and its horns over stuttered beats and non-factory songwritting (redding has got to be the most underrated songwritter of all time) made motown look like a joke.
2) velvet underground and nico (aka the andy warhol cd): completely changed music forever with their art pop meets punk sound. i'd rate the album as vu's third best of their four major releases, but christ, simply brilliant. also opened the door for their very anti-warhol and best release, white light/white heat. pretty much the quintesential album, with heroin, waiting for the man, femme fatale... hell the whole tracklist is worthy of mention.
3) tom waits - closing time: one of the first albums that simply had to be listened to from beginning to end. "i hope that i don't fall in love with you" is maybe the most underrated waits song of all time. song writting and musical experimentation that knocked the world on its ass.
4) ramblin' jack elliot - talking miner blues/pretty boy floyd: the original pressing of the album is major collector's material and near impossible to get, but there have been enough rereleases to warrant the recommendation with hope that some can pick it up. heavily, heavily influenced dylan, traditional folk at its finest and original material as well.
5) the stooges - before iggy became iggy pop (or iggy stooge as i still like to call him). power rock meets punk meets a big giant **** you to the establishment. interestingly the album, on absolute terms, was heavily influenced by a lot of other artists at the time, but its melding of different styles was the outline for raw power, which of course was a masterpiece.
top debut of the last 25 years: elvis costello - my aim is true: i'm weeping that this (along with ramones - ramones) didn't make my list, and i could have easily put in anywhere from #2-#5, so ****ing good that it blows the mind. i created this category to sneak it in
top debut of the last 20 years: the smiths - the smiths: morrisey gets on my nerves, and their subsequent releases (outside of meat is murder) mever did it for me. the themework of this album isn't something i could relate to, but the sense of social disconnection and the album's strength as a whole simply makes it the best of the 80s. on an absolute scale probably wouldn't make my top twenty five though, and i think its outclassed in some senses by the following albums.
top debut of the last 10 years: tricky - maxinquaye, dr dre - the chronic, deftones - adrenaline (tie): i'd place them in that order if i had to.
top debut of the past 5 years: lauryn hill - the miseducation of lauryn hill.
top debut of last year: the avalanches - since i left you: yeah, the strokes are damn good and if garage catches on (as it seems it is, the ****ing white stripes and countless others are actually on the radio... i still haven't gotten over my shock) they'll be my generation's nirvanna. but still the avalanches, while heavily influenced by de la soul, is the more original release.
best,
carlo.
