[ghiberti]

best buy of the year (till now).

Rameau / Une Symphonie imaginaire - M. Minkowski / LML

http://www.towerrecords.com/product....nie+imaginaire

 

[Pibborando]

I'm going to say Hybrid - Morning Sci-Fi as the newest one. This is really my kind of music, and it's done so well I gets me everytime I listen to it.

 

[mektarus]

Steve Tibbetts - Yr
Poe - Haunted
The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
(heck, anything by The Pixies is a masterpiece, except maybe "Doolittle")
Dead can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
(heck, every DCD album is a also masterpiece, their works are like soundtracks just waiting for someone to write a worthy film)
This Mortal Coil - It'll End in Tears
(heck, every TMC album is a masterpiece as well)
(can you tell I'm a big 4AD fan?)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing Shocking
VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Shpongle - Tales of the Inexpressible
Elbow - Asleep in the Back
(again, you really can't go wrong with any of their stuff. If you haven't heard them, do yourself a favor and check them out)
Carbon Leaf - Echo Echo
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Soul Coughing - Irresistible Bliss

 

[digihead]

Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun. Incredible music.

 

[minimus]

"post-rock" masterpieces:

Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

 

[Former_iBud_User]

Masterpieces I recenty bought...

Megadeth - Rust In Peace and Peace Sells

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (i've yet to buy Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Killers, or s/t.)

Slayer - South of Heaven

Kreator - Coma of Souls

Sepultura - Beneath the Remains

 

[Xakepa]

It might not be called "masterpiece" but new Placebo CD, Meds is very very good. Refined, coherent, simple...maybe their best ever.

However, sound is horribly compressed (I have the official UK CD). I can't imagine what kind of addiction it would be with better engineering.

Again: Placebo - Meds

 

[Sladeophile]

Phish - New Years Eve 1995

This is Phish in their creative hayday and it is truly incredible. While it's not perfect by any means, it is a great example of what a Phish concert was all about and their incredible musicianship! I have thoroughly enjoyed this 3 disc set!

 

[Inter]

Sylvan - Posthumous Silence.

Probably album of the year 2006, although I will reserve it for the Top 5 until the year is over so I can recap.

It's a fantastic concept album from the relatively unknown german prog rockers Sylvan. Lots of raw power and emotion in this piece. Well worth every penny.

 

[MacGyver]

The Flashbulb - Red Extensions of Me
The Flashbulb - Kirlian Selections

These albums, in my opinion, are some of the most amazing IDM/Electronic stuff I've ever heard. When I listened to each album from front to back, I was completely blown away by the music. The scope is insane - the albums range from extremely intense and agressive breakcore/drill & bass to more chilled out tracks with some nice instrumental work thrown in here and there.

 

[jonnyhambone]

probably already mentioned cuz' it's crazy incredible and embodies the very definition of Masterpiece...
'Sonic Youth' - Sonic Youth (remastered, rereleased in 2006)
...incredible sound-quality from 1982 (!) and songs that truly herald the sound of things to come. IMO, best re-release of 2006 so far...

 

[luckybaer]

I feel a little uncomfortable making a list like this, because I am not the most critical listener around here. Do we consider the word "masterpiece" as something that applies across a musical genre, or is it something just specific to an artist? I'm a little fuzzy, so I'm going to try to stick to albums that would be considered the artist's masterpiece AND something that would be considered a top album in a particular genre.

1. Steely Dan - Aja - One of the best Jazzy Rock albums I've ever heard. Catchy songs and well-engineered.

2. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark - Lots of good songs on this one, and it is a nice engineering job, too. I really enjoy Joni's voice - it is extremely versatile, and she makes it sound different from song to song.

3. Pearl Jam - Ten - How many other artists/groups have had their first album be their best? I mean, Vs. is a really close second, but IMHO, Ten and Vs. rate 5 Stars for PJ, while everything else is a 4 Star or below.

4. Beck - Odelay - The more and more I listen to this album, the more I like it. A variety of sounds and experiences, and probably the most solid effort track to track in Beck's discography. Guero is REAL close, and, quite frankly, I find Mellow Gold somewhat over-rated (I like it, but I don't think it beats Odelay) Sea Change is totally different, and I haven't explored it as much, but it is so different from the other stuff... That might end up making this list later. Ha-ha!

5. Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left to Lose - Another close call, but I think this is an outstanding album with catchy riffs, lyrics, and the whole shebang. Like many rock albums, unfortunately, it is pretty poorly mastered. Everything is freaking loud!!

6. Grateful Dead - American Beauty - Starting with "Box of Rain" and ending with "Truckin'"... can't say much more than that. Those two bookends sandwich other awesome songs like "Sugar Magnolia", "Friend of the Devil", "Brokedown Palace", and "Till the Morning Comes." WOW! Sounds really well done, too (refers to the remastered CD that has DVD stuff on the flip side).

 

[SAP7]

Masterpieces?!

Some of these read like "what I bought last month".

I was hoping this thread would be far more selective and discerning. In my 100's of cd's, maybe 10 are even close to being masterpieces!

 

[luckybaer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAP7 Masterpieces?! Some of these read like "what I bought last month". I was hoping this thread would be far more selective and discerning. In my 100's of cd's, maybe 10 are even close to being masterpieces!

It goes back to how we define masterpiece. Is it an artist's/group's best work, or is it one of the best works across a genre, or is it one of the best works in the entire history of recorded music?

 

[SAP7]

Whatever you pick out of that, there is still far too many so called masterpiece albums being bandied about.
Change the title to "what I just bought and am enjoying", maybe?

come on, let's be a bit more selective. I think also you have to live with a materpiece for a while to know it is one. My last one, from memory, was maybe a massive attack one.And thats a while back!