Your absolute favorite albums
Aug 6, 2007 at 6:29 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17

shplorgh

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I thought it would be interesting to see people post their absolute favorite albums of all time. Your desert island albums, albums with huge personal significance to you, whatever. Those albums that you know note for note and can always listen to and be blown away by. I thought by doing this we could all expand our own musical horizons, or something.

This is in no order (well I guess it has to be in an order, but it's of no significance):

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John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

IMO this is the greatest single musical statement ever. People usually recommend My Favorite Things as a first Coltrane album, but I got this instead. If I remember right it was the second pure "jazz" album I ever bought, after Kind Of Blue. Right away here I knew something was different from anything I'd ever heard. Coltrane wanted to make this album his gift to god, and it's definitely worthy of a deity. Everyone on it is just perfect. I listened to the whole album at least once a day for months after I got it. I don't listen to it as much anymore, but every time I do I'm still blown away.

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Miles Davis - A Tribute To Jack Johnson

The fusion album. The perfect mix of rock, funk, soul, jazz, and whatever else got thrown in there. You might know the story of the first track, "Right Off", where John McLaughlin was riffing around with the band and Miles ran in and played one of his best solos ever. Not to mention later on Herbie Hancock popped in with a bag of groceries and Miles forced him to play the malfunctioning Farfisa organ in the room. Having former Stevie Wonder bassist Michael Henderson provides a funkalicious backbone that most jazz bassist couldn't dream of. This album, more than anything, is the epitome of fun. You can just feel the fun they're having as they jam away while crafting a near-perfect album. I also listened to this a million billion times after I got it.

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The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

I bought this because I liked the cover and my friend said I should get it. There is nothing else like this album. Every single note is perfectly woven together. Wayne Coyne has more emotion in one syllable than most do in the course of an album combined. The amount of psychedelicia is perfect, instead of distracting from the emotion it creates a dreamy soundscape from which the band funnels their emotions right into you. There was a period where this was basically the only thing I could listen to, over and over. And honestly, I still don't know what it's about. I've read it's a parallel to the Iraq war, but I'm not convinced. It's not really important to me anyway, because the music itself sounds like something from beyond the earth.

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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

The pinnacle of soul music! Gaye put his immense songwriting and singing talents towards a social protest, and in the process created a musical statement almost unparalleled in his genre. While Marvin Gaye is one of the greatest singers ever, quite a bit of credit should go to bassist James Jamerson (credited as "bass (personified)" in the album notes). One of, if not the, best bassists ever, his godly lines control and compliment the songs perfectly. I know I've used that word a lot, but this time I mean it literally: perfectly. Marvin Gaye and the Funk Brothers combined to make this the magnum opus of soul, and I don't know how it could be better. The fact that Motown owner Berry Gordy initially didn't want to release the eponymous single is one of the biggest musical travesties ever.

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Jimi Hendrix - Live At Woodstock

I know this version of the album has tracks out of order, bad mixing, and fake crowd noise. But it was the first real rock album I ever bought. From the opening guitar ferocity of "Fire" (which of course was not the actual opening song) I was blown away. This album helped open the floodgates of my love for music, which since has been a huge part of my life. I probably overrate this album, or at least this version, because of the sentimental value to me, but Jimi is absolutely electric throughout the show.

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The Who - Live At Leeds

I think this was the second real rock album I ever bought. Between their amazing tightness, the greatest rock rythm section, bassist, and drummer of all time, awesome vocals, and brilliant songwriting, I think The Who are the greatest rock band ever. Could the Beatles or Stones ever rock this hard for a whole show? I don't think so. Keith Moon's drumming is explosive and the first time a drummer ever stood out to me. Ditto for John Entwistle, the whole show is like one giant bass solo that happens to go perfectly with the rest of the music. This was a tough choice as now I actually kind of prefer Live At The Isle Of Wight because it's both longer and the playing is a little looser. But I don't have the deluxe edition of Leeds which makes up for the first issue, and the latter is less about which is better and more about just being different.

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Dangerdoom - The Mouse And The Mask

This might seem like an odd choice. But I would not be listening to any rap/hip-hop if it wasn't for this album, which I first downloaded because of the Adult Swim connection. While those parts are great, the combination of Dangermouse's production and MF Doom's crazy delivery and bizzaro lyrics instantly won me over. I've listened to this album so many times that I can remember some pretty strange lines, but there's just so much amazingness packed in here it's hard for my brain to hold it all in! "Old School" featuring Talib Kweli is one of the tightest rap songs ever.

One more, that I can't really count because I haven't had it long enough or heard it enough times, but still blows me away:

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Jimi Hendrix & Otis Redding - Live At The Monterey Pop Festival

Most people know about Jimi's historic performance (and one of his best, the version of "Like A Rolling Stone" is transcendent) at Monterey. But somehow able to match it and possibly surpass was Otis Redding. Backed by Booker T & The MG's, Redding pours his soul out to thousands of unsuspecting hippies, who respond raucously, both awed and whipped into a frezy. Otis Redding is imo the most emotional and talented singer in the history of music. Every time I hear the finale of "Try A Little Tenderness" I get goosebumps all over. People talk about the early deaths of Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Dolphy, and LaFarro, but who knows what Otis Redding could have accomplished in the What's Going On and Innervisions led era of soul advancement in the 70's.

That's about it, I'd love to see what all you guys come up with!
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 1:03 PM Post #2 of 17
Wow, I have the Hendrix/Redding on vinyl - hafta go dig that out!
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 6:48 PM Post #3 of 17
Its a tall order to ask me to pick out my favorite albums of all time, because they seem to change depending on the week you ask. However, here are the albums I've been digging particularly in the past few weeks.

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Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being there
The music on this album is haunting and beautiful. A mix of classical and jazz. I've been captivated by the loneliness on the first few tracks, and the emotional ride this album takes on is simply awesome.

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Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
Such a calm, mellow album. The songs range from peaceful to melancholic, its such a good album that it's been a favorite consistently for over a year.

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Gary Jules - Gary Jules
I've been into Singer/Songwriter music for a long time, and I've been into Gary Jules since I heard his version of Mad World. I was pleasantly surprised that I like most of his music, though it is strange at times: "eagle in the dark/feathers in the pages/monkeys in my heart/rattling their cages"

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Varg - Wolfzeit
I'm a big fan of Viking metal, and this full length debut from Germany's Varg is amazing. Intense, and full of history. Excellent.
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 7:17 PM Post #4 of 17
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Radiohead - Kid A
What can I say that hasn't already been said about a million times. Every time I listen to this I hear something new; it just grew with me, speaking truth to my life experiences.

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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Worth it for the titular song alone, but Shine On You Crazy Diamond moves me every time I listen to it. I think this is PF's best album.

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Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Everyone says Blonde on Blonde is Dylan's magnum opus, but Blood on the Tracks moves me so much more than all his other albums.

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Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 6
This to me captures the entirety of the human condition in music.

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Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
This album has it all: dense lyrics with depths to plumb, humor, tragedy, artwork, unique instrumentation, but it is also greater than the sum of its parts. This is one of those albums that once I start, I have to listen to it all the way through. It's like a musical event.

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The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Again, just one of those albums that speaks powerfully to me about what it is to live and be human.

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John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
If you are not moved by this album, then you have no feelings.

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Nas - Illmatic
This album represents all that is good about rap: gritty subject matter painted in cinematic grandeur, mixed with verbal virtuosity that shows the power and flexibility of language.

The common theme, if there is one, that runs through my personal albums is that of the human condition, i.e., what it is and is like to be a human being. All of my favorite albums tackle this big question in different ways, and I have always felt that it is a role of great art to reveal the human experience.
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 7:22 PM Post #5 of 17
Just wanted to say nice post, hungrych! Something we don't get enough of around here, discussion about how music touches us personally, and the why behind our favorites. Better than a book full of top 10 lists and survey polls, at least for me
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Some of my favorites go way back, and even then change all of the time, so I tend to post about current favorites. Sometimes too much, but we all have a few of those records that just seem like everyone should love, even though we know they won't.

One of my current favorites is by Shearwater, which used to be thought of as a side project of Will Sheff's Okkervil River, but the emergence of Jonathan Meiburg as the true frontman, minus the shadow of Sheff, really brought forth the beauty of Palo Santo, and the signing to big time indie Matador earlier this year, and the opportunity afforded them to re-record some of the songs and reissue it in a truly deluxe 2-CD (or LP) package, has brought some big time recognition as well. This is such a good record, probably will sit atop my best of 2007, if it counts. Gorgeous from start to finish, emotional, urgent, sad, touching, vibrant, hard, angry, it's all here. Epic in scope, yet one listen to a song like "Johnny Viola", followed by "Failed Queen", and I knew this was a very special record. Every year there are maybe a handful of records that truly standout, without support from manufactured buzz and hype, and this is one of them.
 
Aug 6, 2007 at 7:48 PM Post #6 of 17
Here's a few of mine in no particular order:

Children of Bodom - Follow the Reaper
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Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
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Bathory - Nordland II
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Summoning - Oathbound
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Satyricon - The Shadowthrone
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In Flames - Whoracle
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Wintersun - s/t
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All amazing stuff in its own way. Check them out if you like metal.
 
Aug 8, 2007 at 2:45 AM Post #9 of 17
Let's see. This'll be a long list, I imagine.

Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley
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Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
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J.S. Bach - Lute Works [Stephan Schmidt w/ 10 string guitar]
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Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R AND s/t
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Sleep - Sleep's Holy Mountain
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Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
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The Desert Sessions Vols. 1 & 2
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Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerti Nos. 2 & 3 [Berezovsky w/ Liss, Ural PHO]
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Sunn O))) - 00 Void
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Earth - Earth 2
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Basilisk - A Joyless March Through the Cold-Lands
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Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - La Novia
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Bathory - Blood, Fire, Death
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Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer
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Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 4
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The Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival
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Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth
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Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy
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Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
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Red Sparowes - At the Soundless Dawn
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Aidan Baker - Broken & Remade
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I think I'll stop for now. There are lots more jazz albums and other stuff like Boris I'd include.
 
Aug 8, 2007 at 3:37 AM Post #10 of 17
A few of many -

Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within
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Cynic - Focus
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Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I
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Hammers of Misfortune - The Locust Years
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Isis - Panopticon
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Behold... the Arctopus - Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning
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Murcof - Martes
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Thinking Plague - In Extremis
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Estradasphere - Palace of Mirrors
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Aug 8, 2007 at 3:38 AM Post #11 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by asmox /img/forum/go_quote.gif
A few of many -

Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within
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Cynic - Focus
19503.jpg


Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I
13841.jpg


Hammers of Misfortune - The Locust Years
594884.jpg


Isis - Panopticon
175797.jpg


Behold... the Arctopus - Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning
256440.jpg


Murcof - Martes
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Thinking Plague - In Extremis
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Estradasphere - Palace of Mirrors
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You've made me feel bad about forgetting Cynic.
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Oh, and do you really prefer Panopticon to Celestial?
 
Aug 8, 2007 at 3:55 AM Post #13 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by asmox /img/forum/go_quote.gif
By a mile.


Crazy. I find Celestial *enormously* better than anything they've ever done before or since. The rest is great, don't get me wrong, but Celestial is a masterpiece. Odd.
 
Aug 8, 2007 at 5:16 AM Post #14 of 17
Here's a few of the rare albums that I like to listen to in their entirety.

The Beatles - Revolver

IMO the best all-around Beatles album, and possibly the best album from the 1960s. It doesn't get as much respect as Sgt. Pepper, but I think it's the only album that shows off all the Beatles' strengths and none of their weaknesses. It has hard rock (Taxman), pop (Good Day Sunshine), soul (Got to Get You into My Life), psychedelic pop (I'm Only Sleeping), psychedelic rock (She Said She Said), and psychedelic freak out (Tomorrow Never Knows). It also has what I believe is George Harrison's best song (I Want to Tell You).

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

I feel a little guilty for loving this album as much as I do, since it doesn't seem like authentic hip hop, but I can't help feeling that it's a masterpiece. It was one of the last hip hop albums recorded before strict rules were imposed on sampling, and it samples everything from Abby Road to the Eagles to the Ramones. And few hip hop albums are as lyrically rich, with dizzying references to pop culture (at one point they name-check Charles Dickens and Kentucky Fried Chicken in the same breath) as well as stories with fleshed out characters (Johnny Ryall). And though the Beasties have never been the best rappers in the world, I love the way they are constantly trading the microphone and finishing each others lines on this album. I don't think any other rap group ever really duplicated that technique, which is so perfect for the cut and paste style of the music.

Neil Young - Tonight's the Night

The first time I heard this album, I thought Neil Young and his bandmates were drunk throughout the recording session, and maybe they were. The playing is sloppy and Young sings out of key in a few places. But somehow the sloppiness works. It was apparently inspired by the death of one of his bandmates, but it's not like it's full of weepy ballads. It feels more like staying up late after the funeral of a good friend, getting loaded and cracking jokes, only to remember periodically why you're there.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

I thought this album was too willfully artsy when I first heard it, but now I love every last tap on the xylophone. I haven't liked much of what Wilco have done since.

Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again

I have no idea why this band never got much recognition, whereas their sister-band, !!!, is more well-known. IMO, Out Hud is head and shoulders a better band than !!!, and this album is some of the best dance/rock/pop recorded in the last decade. And even though their first album was instrumental, this one has some great lyrics. One of my favorite songs begins, "If I had back all the time I've lost, I'd spend it with me again."
 

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