40 Most Essential Albums (Part 2: Let the Controversy Begin) (1301 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicLabels: ETS_Essays
Rating: 1.26 on 67 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (View user info) at 2005-10-21 11:38:26 EDT
Continued from here: http://www.ubersite.com/m/77026
Here is the second half of my 40 most essential albums. In this half, I have included some of the old standards as well as some of the more recent albums I think will eventually prove to stand the test of time. There is a virtually endless list of honorable mentions that could have just as easily made this list, but in the end, I've tried to provide a cross section of those albums that have touched me personally as well as those that acheived great commercial and critical success.
*****
Jeremy Enigk
Return of the Frog Queen
1996
"Who?" you say? Yeah, I know what you're thinkin', "This guy has no idea what he's talking about." I beg to differ. I also beg your pardon. I'm just an all-around begging type of guy. The former frontman of the band Sunny Day Real Estate, this is Enigk's first and only solo effort...but quantity is not nearly as important as a sterling level of quality, and Enigk proves that by churning out an album that's as uplifting as it is plaintive. The stellar production and songwriting is made all the more amazing by the fact that Enigk played every instrument on the recordings, whose arrangements are orchestral and lush, to say the least. The vocals are evocative, unabashedly passionate, and imbued with urgency. Clocking in at under 30 minutes, Frog Queen is a short album - but much like a compressed nugget of aphorismic wisdom, it says exactly what it needs to say...no more...no less. This album feels like something that Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen might have written had they joined forces with Pink Floyd. I truly hope that those of you who have not yet heard of this album at least try to download a few tracks from it, but I recommend listening to it as one complete piece of music instead of a collection of songs. There are many words that spring to mind in describing this album, but none I can think of are any more appropriate than 'gorgeous'.
*****
John Prine
Anthology: Great Days
1993
John Prine might be best known for his song "Sam Stone", about a Vietnam war vet who returns home and proceeds to waste away his life with a heroin addiction - but to say that his talent as a songwriter ends there would mean that you'd never owned this album, which chronicles much of his best work over the course of his long career. One part folk, one part country, one part rockabilly, with a little bluegrass thrown in for good measure, John Prine's music is not about prettiness. It's not about impeccable taste or style or all the pretentiousness that leads men of great ambition to lose themselves and their roots. It's about the closeness of family, the beauty in the eyes of the old, the playfulness of children, and the heartbreak of lost love. John Prine is like a grandpa you always wanted - opinionated, witty, sophisticated, and yet simple. No frills, no punches pulled...just good songs that are thoughtful and perceptive. With lyrics like "there's a rainbow of babies draped over the graveyard", and "the whole town saw Jimmy on the six o'clock news. his brains were on the sidewalk and blood was on his shoes" and irreverent tunes about such diverse subject matter as space monkeys and Jesus' missing years, John Prine refuses to be pigeonholed as just another honky-tonk singer/songwriter. Nay, John Prine is the poet laureate of the 20th century working man, and this collection proves that without a doubt.
*****
Belle & Sebastian
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
2003
Nothing I can say in words about this album can ever do it the justice it deserves, but here goes nothin'... I would venture to argue that this is the single best-sounding album of all time, bar none. Period. End of story. This album is amazing in every possible way. I said before that I thought Nirvana's Nevermind album was as close to perfection our generation had...well, that was until this album. This is the culmination of everything The Beatles were striving for in their effort for pristine musical perfection. Words again fail me as I attempt to relate the heavenly lushness of the flawless arrangements and the utterly pin-drop transparency of the production and the thickness of the rhythm section and the understated, masterful, in-the-pocket playing of every instrument and every Simon & Garfunkel-inflected harmony. Every instrument, every minute nuance is distinguishable. This album is like a 50 minute musical cum-shot...all liquidy and pure and viscous. The songs are a musical revelation, and their melodies go on for days and days in this way that make you say, "My God, my God...will this beauty ever end?" And since you can't resist putting the record on repeat and listening through again, the answer is an emphatic "NO".
*****
Incubus
S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
1997
Their later work as successful Gap Jeans pushers aside, this band was onto something special with this little gem. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is one of the most successful and seamless integrations of metal and hip-hop ever devised, in terms of its natural feel. While not without flaws, this album stands as a stern, time-resistant reminder of a movement that could have been, but never was. Like some sort of oasis on the desert side-road of modern rock, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. unites tribal beats with hip-hop scratches, sampling, crushing guitars, and tight, funky, booming bottoms. Part Primus, part Mr. Bungle, part Chili Peppers, this is like a rap/funk album for lovers of hard rock and metal. The track "New Skin" was the first track I ever heard of Incubus. I was coming out of the concert at Lollapalooza '97 in St. Louis after seeing Tool tear the faces off the entire audience, and was handed this sampler CD with the song on it, among others. I think I went out and bought the album the next week and was floored. After that I had to show it to all my friends because discovering new bands is like some sort of badge of virtue, and it gives one bragging rights to that band for having 'discovered them first' forever...at least to your friends. This release from Incubus, which was mixed by Terry Date of Pantera fame, was not only one of the best rock records of the 90's, but it was the first time I'd ever personally seen an Enhanced CD. This one came with a video and some other stuff on it that I can't recall at the moment.
*****
The Shins
Chutes Too Narrow
2003
Bollocks to appearances...this is a great fucking album. I know it's not quite what one might define as 'essential listening', only time will tell that, but as it stands, Chutes Too Narrow is one of the best records I've heard since the turn of the century. Every track is pure pop ear candy. Sounds like the Eels got together and decided to focus their direction and make an album without fluff - just delicately written pop songs. James Mercer, the principle songwriter and force behind the group, has managed to raise the bar on his songwriting from their first album and has woven some of the most sophisticated and finely tuned pop melodies I've ever heard. With a sort of tasteful abandon, he pushes his voice soaring into the upper registers of his range, teetering on the verge of collapse, but somehow he manages to keep it all together and bring down a melody before it flies away into the heavens from which it came.
*****
W.A.S.P.
The Crimson Idol
1992
In 1992 with the heyday of hair over and the onslaught of grunge nipping at his heels, Blackie Lawless, the mastermind behind the band W.A.S.P., set out undaunted to create one of the most ambitious concept albums in rock history. Like a leather-clad Shakespeare, Blackie relates to us the debatably semi-autobiographical passion play of Jonathan, a young man whose struggle for the acceptance and love of his parents leaves him turning to drugs, sex, booze, and rock stardom to fill the void inside himself. This album is more than just a collection of disparate songs; it is one coherent whole wherein the songs serve as acts to the play, and themes both musical and lyrical in nature can be found throughout, but the main theme of the album is the ongoing search for love, and the lengths we'll sometimes go to supplement not having it. In the first track on the album "The Titanic Overture", the album begins by introducing us to just some of the many musical themes that will be found throughout the album, and, at the end of the track, the main theme of the story itself: "Is there a love to shelter me? Only love...love set me free." The next appearance of this line is a slight variant, and comes after our main character Jonathan has achieved his wildest dreams of success, but still longs for the love he is missing in his life. "Where's the love to shelter me?" Now we see the doubt sinking into the main character as his world begins to spiral out of control. The album's epic closing track sees most of the musical and lyrical themes tied together as the main character comes to a tragic conclusion: "There IS no love to shelter me." This album should be taken in as, not a rock and roll album, but a rock and roll drama. Blackie Lawless's vocals are among the most gut-wrenching, visceral, and emotive in all of rock music. When he sings, you can truly feel his pain. In all, this album does not have a single bad track, and it's a triumph of a genre at the end of its reign. It is the "The Wall" of it's time. (Note: The reissue of the album features a second CD with many live tracks and a spoken word track recounting, in straight prose with acoustic background music, of the narrative of The Crimson Idol.)
*****
Def Leppard
Hysteria
1987
OOOOO, I can feel the controversy brewing... At the time of Hysteria, what we now refer to as the 'hair band' movement was in full swing, and Def Leppard was selling more albums than any of them. I remember when it came out, it was like the band was following you around wherever you went. My mom would play it in the house while cleaning. You'd hear it in the grocery store while shopping. It was everywhere. Behind regimental slave driving of producer Mutt Lange, Def Leppard had produced an album with an unheard of 7 hit singles. The album went on to sell diamond+ (12 million copies), helped secure the dominance of heavy rock on commercial radio in the late 80s, and stands as the preeminent example of the hair band era - and while it might sound a bit dated in the present musical climate, it's still a pretty rockin' album to clean house to. (Major breakthrough: they perfected the singalong, fist-pumping, rock chorus.)
*****
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits
1989
I don't really like to include box sets or greatest hits CDs on this list because it makes it difficult to put into perspective the effect that an individual album had on the time period of when it was created, but I consider this album essential for anyone looking to understand American country, rockabilly, blues, soul, R&B, and gospel in the late 60's and early 70's as a retrospective. The fact that John Fogerty is a white man has had no bearing on the level of his influence on the typically black genres. In fact, CCR is one of the most covered bands of all time, with over 100 covers of "Proud Mary" know to exist, alone! The songs are simple, raspy, dirty, and mean. John Fogerty was a master of simplicity and minimalism, and he had a voice that could pull it off without sounding empty. With that trademark bayou sound, CCR crept up and sideswiped the San Francisco sound in 1967 like the tail of an 18 ft. alligator. They broke up in 1972 and Fogerty went on to a semi-successful solo career, but arguably his best work is contained here in this collection.
*****
Smashing Pumpkins
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
1995
The Smashing Pumpkins are sometimes lumped, perhaps unfairly, into the whole Seattle sound and grunge movement of the early 90's, and while there might exist some similarities as evidenced in their debut album 'Gish' and the follow up 'Siamese Dream', The Smashing Pumpkins were more than that, and their principle songwriter Billy Corgan set out to prove that with 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'. Delving beyond the radio hits, deep into the second disc, the listener discovers a bevy of musical riches, both of a grungy nature and of a softer one as well. This album is a sprawling effort, and goes well beyond anything their contemporaries in the Seattle movement were doing.
*****
System of a Down
Steal This Album
2002
Following on the heels of their highly engaging and successful 'Toxicity', SOAD turned their attention toward an even more political vein. Coming out right before the invasion of Iraq, this album was prophetic. With a distinctively Slavic and middle eastern tinge to their high energy, shifty riffs, and wholly unique sense of melody, SOAD urge the listener to wake up and smell the napalm. They are one of the few rock bands out there right now that are openly tackling issues such as war and abuse of political authority, and 'Steal This Album' in my opinion is their best, most timely album to date. In a way that seems to openly advocate the progression of the digital age of music, the album doesn't waste money on even bothering with cover art. Instead, they just put the CD, cleverly disguised as a CD-R (recordable CD), in a plain, clear jewel case, with a handwritten 'Steal This Album' scrawled on it. Indeed, it looks like a straight up burn job where one of your friends bought the album, and now the whole neighborhood has it from that one copy - a fitting commentary on the current state of the music market. Where most bands try to up their extra content, or make their covers increasingly flashy to encourage buyers, not stealers, SOAD just says, "you know what...fuck it! We know you're gonna just rip it or download it anyway, so here you go. Prepare to have your mind blown by what's too often overlooked in today's musical market...MUSIC! Watch this band, they will be long remembered.
*****
Weezer
Pinkerton
1996
From the opening fizzy-fuzzy notes "Tired of Sex", you know that this isn't simply going to be a remake of the Blue Album (the Weezer debut). This is altogether different. This is Weezer as they might sound if they fired their manager, their attorney, their roadies, their producer, kept the groupies, and decided to get drunk and make an entire album in one, heady, whirlwind day. The drums sound overloaded, like they have nothing artificial applied to them at all. They are just hard pounding and naked against the barely controlled feedback and disintegrating fuzz of the guitars and the distorted, blubbering of the bass. The vocals sound like Rivers Cuomo, the bands singer and songwriter, reached over, punched the 'record' button, and recorded his vocals through a crappy $20 microphone right there in the engineering booth in one take. The complete chaos that might have resulted if lesser bands took this haphazard approach to recording is somehow avoided by Weezer. Maybe it's the brilliance of the songs themselves. Maybe it's the sheer passion that's poured into them. But maybe it just is what it is...sheer magic.
*****
Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard of Ozz
1980
When Ozzy Osbourne left Black Sabbath in the late 70's, he could have rested on his laurels and been recognized as one of the godfathers of heavy metal music and perhaps its most recognizable voice for all time. But when he teamed with with 22 year old guitar phenom Randy Rhoads in 1979, he embarked on a solo career that in many ways rivals that of his days with Sabbath. This album would help set the tone as well as the bar of heavy music for the decade to come, and Randy Rhoads masterful, classically influenced guitar work remains etched in the vinyl of that album as a monolithic moment in rock. Listen particularly to the tracks "Revelation: Mother Earth", "Mr. Crowley", and the ever-recognizable "Crazy Train" and hear the way Rhoad's guitar feels like it's just on the verge of flying off the track and into the stratosphere. There is a certain unbridled element to it...like the tempo can't be fast enough to keep up with his passion. Then listen to the instrumental track "Dee", which is just Rhoads with a nylon string classical acoustic playing a tune he wrote for his mother, and you get a sense of the range of this musician who, like so many others in his line of high-octane work, died before his time.
*****
Sam Cooke
Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964
2005
My first exposure to Sam Cooke that I really remember was from the movie 'Innerspace'. I remember wondering at the time "who is that!?!?" I'd heard him before, but I think that's the first time it really hit me to ask. I had to know. Even then, I recognized something special in his voice that, to this day, eludes proper description. Sam Cooke's was a voice of pure liquid silk - like some preternatural, heavenly river in which you wash off all the grime of your cares. From his early days in gospel, through his R&B hit-making days of the late 50's and early 60's, all the way to his tragic murder in 1964, Sam Cooke weaved his musical legacy like a fine tapestry for the entire world to enjoy. His influence on virtually all soul and R&B artists to come after him including the Motown sound coming out of Detroit in the late 60's cannot be understated, and as long as human beings have a heart, there will be a place in them for a little Sam Cooke.
*****
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground and Nico
1967
Here is yet another album that came out in the year of the summer of love, but this wasn't about all the love. This was about something else - a darker kind of undercurrent. This album wasn't fields and flowers and hippies; this was droning and pulsing with heroin-splattered brown noise. Produced by Andy Warhol, this album had a modern art edge to it that sounded very 'New York' - too New York for the audience at the time whose attentions were swept up in the free love and Beatlemania. I have to admit, I'm not exactly a huge fan, but knowing the influence they had on later movements, I felt I should include them.
*****
Prince
Purple Rain
1984
When I was a little kid in the second grade, there were two pop stars in the known universe - Michael Jackson and Prince. I had a Purple Rain cassette, and, as was common practice at the time if you wanted to look cool, I would carry a boom box on my shoulder at recess - walking back and forth jamming this album as loud as it would go. To the other frolicking children at the time, this was a surefire message that I, indeed, had the hookup...that I was the MAN! It was the early equivalent of what would later become cruising the strip with the radio blasting out of the speakers of my car. (I wish I could have all that fucking gasoline back!) One day while jamming away on the song "Darling Nikki", the one about the masturbating chick, I was accosted by one of the recess monitors. "Hey, come here," they said. "Play that song for me. Rewind it and let's hear it." At the time, I had no idea what masturbation was. I wasn't so much paying attention to the lyrics as I was the coolness factor that seemed to emanate from the speakers as I carried that jam box. Upon playing the song again for him, the recess monitor's eyes got real wide and he seized the tape immediately and told me I could only have it back at the end of the day and was banned from bringing it back to school. I guess he thought that he was in some way protecting me from the evils of sex, but all he really succeeded in doing was causing me to listen even closer to the lyrics when I got home - not to mention the buzz he created by taking my tape. That made me like the celebrity of the day and shit with the other kids. I didn't stop bringing the tape to school, I just didn't play it as loud from then on. I think that had a big effect on who I would later become. Fuck authority! Especially 2nd grade recess monitors!
*****
Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
1966
Obsessed with the Ronettes song "Be My Baby" and the Beatles' Revolver album from the same year, Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' mastermind set out to shatter and redefine the Beach Boys with this album. It was a critical an commercial success, and a friendly 'race' of sorts had begun with The Beatles over who would produce the most revolutionary work. The 'race', as it's been described, was mutually beneficial, and the two bands were essentially in a league of their own in that respect. In terms of production and song structure in pop music, The Beach Boys and The Beatles were head and shoulders above the rest. As the consummate genius behind the Beach Boys, Wilson had developed a method of recording which involved recording songs in pieces as short vignettes, then through a process of editing and layering, splicing all the various parts together to form a final song. With Pet Sounds, Wilson had gained the experience and confidence to declare that their next album that was to be titled "Smile" would be even better. The recording of the follow up, which was supposed to revolutionize popular music forever dragged on for months until finally, because of dissent in the band and disputes with the record label, Wilson was forced to scrap his grand concept for "Smile", and instead had to release another kind of album than the one he had envisioned. In the meantime, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band had come out and was hailed as the revolution it was. Soon after, Wilson began his slow decline into madness. Who knows what kind of twisted masterpiece Wilson could have produced if given the opportunity... From what fragments of music exist from the Smile sessions, and from the songs intended to appear on the album that instead appeared on 'Smiley Smile' in 1967, including the classic "Good Vibrations", the album could have done exactly what Wilson said it would do...change the face of music forever. As it is, what we DO have is Pet Sounds, and that ain't too shabby!
******
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced?
1967
Jimi Hendrix wasn't a man. Jimi Hendrix was a voodoo witch doctor with an electric guitar, a wah pedal, a Marshall amp, and a lot of soul. Jimi's music wasn't a frolic into a pretty poppy field like much of the music of the day; it was raw, it was confrontational, it was in your face. At this point, in the year 2005, the influence of Jimi Hendrix is taken well for granted, and is universally recognized as not only obvious but highly profound. With his wild onstage antics and his virtuoso playing, Jimi was the rock and roll guitar God to which all others would come to be compared. When Jimi Hendrix played guitar, he was making love to it like it was a woman. Jimi Hendrix did not play with his fingers, he played with the psychedelic fires of his very soul...(and sometimes even his teeth). If you wanna really get right down to it, Jimi Hendrix did not play the guitar period...rather, the guitar was an extension of his own body, like a lustful, pulsating, black cock, and when he caressed it, it was sexual, and suggestive, and powerful. People were in awe then, and we are still in awe now. You watch him in concert footage onstage, he's not just up there playing songs, he's summoning the gods of rock to bring their hammers down, crushing the minds and the ears of the audience. With a superb rhythm section, and a lot of good songs, including many of Jimi's classics, Are You Experienced? rolls comfortably into my top 40.
*****
Elvis Presley
The Sun Sessions
1976
"The King of Rock and Roll"...what else can you really say? That pretty much sums it up. No analysis of modern Western music would be complete without him. In an age of segregation, Elvis was a white boy who brought the black man's heart and soul to a mainstream audience and turned the world of the 1950's and 60's on its head. A soft-spoken momma's boy, Elvis' saucy swiveling hips gyrated their way into the American and world consciousness, and helped pave the way for a social and sexual revolution. There are a few defining moments and men in the history of the 20th Century that will be remembered for as long as people live on this planet, and Elvis Presley and his music are one of them.
*****
Michael Jackson
Thriller
1982
Before deciding that he was really a white man, that children could fly, and that he might look better if he shaved all the flesh off his nose and eyelids, Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, and the King of Cool. Shit, Cat, when I was in grade school, if you didn't own this album, you were a bum. You were less than a bum. You wouldn't know cool if it came every month with a book of food stamps...(whatever that means). Man, I must have listened to that album at least a million times! I had the jacket and everything. I was a groovy little bitch. A regular 5 year-old badass! Image and hype aside, the production on the album is tip top. The bass on that record had some serious funk slapped on it, and the guitar solo in "Beat It" is legendary - but one of my favorite parts of the whole album is the narrative at the end of "Thriller". That was pretty spooky, and kinda freaked me out as a kid, but I couldn't help but listen to the song over and over again with the lights out. The horn work throughout is just awesome. All his recent craziness aside, we musn't forget that at one time, Michael Jackson was IT! Poor feller now is just misunderstood... But we here at ubersite know better. We know that Michael shamowns us all, and not matter how Bart Bart might try to hinder his legacy, Michael will live on as long as we believe! Don't be ignorant, listen to Thriller!
*****
Pink Floyd
The Wall
1979
I can feel it coming. "But, DSOTM!!! What about DSOTM?!?!?!" Yea...shut up! Dark Side has the advantage of coming first, and was a groundbreaking album in rock, to be sure, and is well worth owning - but for my money, give me The Wall. To me, that was where the Floyd hit their 'high water' mark. Excuse the pun. The album, under the direction of producer Bob Ezrin and principle writer Roger Waters is a sprawling concept album that tells the tragic story of Pink, a rock star whose memories of childhood and subsequent drug use have caused him to build this metaphorical wall around himself to shut out the world and any kind of love that might be there waiting for him. We follow his upbringing through post war Britain, through cleverly crafted songs about his abusive schoolmasters "Another Brick in the Wall 1,2, and 3", and through his overprotective mother "Mother". Then we follow our hero into young adulthood, and we see him begin to rebel and reject all that the hypocritical world has told him he should become, even going so far as to become the very kind of fascist that he rebelled against to begin with. Every emotional or psychological trouble gets added to his ever-growing wall. The absolute climax, and most brilliant piece of work on the album is probably "The Trial", where all the demons from his past come to testify against him or on his behalf. Closing your eyes, you can see the characters as they play out this judicial psychic drama. The monumental album comes to a close around a soft little tune called "Outside the Wall", where we get the sense that Pink, although having escaped from his own wall, has an uncertain future in his new humanity and connection to the world outside. There is a definite bitter-sweetness to it as the album comes to a close, and the listener is left uncertain as to the final fate of our hero. But as the album runs out, we hear the words, "Isn't this where..." Then if we flip the album over and start again, or if we had our CD on repeat, the beginning of track 1 finishes the sentence: "...we came in?" Maybe what Pink Floyd are trying to tell us is that the walls will always be rebuilt. Maybe they are telling us that every generation has their own wall to contend with. Maybe they're saying all these things. But mainly I think that the final and central message to this great piece of art is that life is precious, and as humans we should remain vigilant and not let it all pass by lest we unknowingly build a wall around ourselves.
For further reading on what I consider Pink Floyd's magnum opus, go here: http://home.mchsi.com/~ttint/Intro.html
User Reviews
Submitted by Metalliman98 (user info) at 2005-10-24 23:17:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ah, so System DID make the list..........though you picked the shittiest album they've put out. Toxicity and self-titled are their best. Steal This Album is just their Toxicity leftovers. The only reason they put it out was because it got leaked out onto the internet and they didn't want to lose the profits on it. It has some good songs, like "Mr. Jack", "BOOM!" and "Chic 'N Stu", but its not up to par with the rest of their work.
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2005-10-24 22:19:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It is great to see John Prine make a list like this. My dad is a 'folky', I saw JP in concert as a kid, and while I don't listen to him all that much, he is an amazing songwriter and isn't nearly as recognized as he should be for that.
And I listen to 'Chutes Too Narrow' nearly every day.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-10-24 11:26:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
11.5 out of 15.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-10-24 01:40:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-22 23:16:42 (#)
Ranking: 0
I hate you. :(
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yeah I know...sorry.....I broke a rule
the secret is to hide the components in another room and put the woofers/horns/ring tweeters
in 30"w x 60"h Bose cabinets with coleus plants draped across each speaker grill......
and then Not talk about it!
Submitted by HighFructoseCornSyrup (user info) at 2005-10-24 01:17:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
GAY!
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-24 00:56:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:30:02 (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh, actually, I think you'll appreciate this:
www.dimeadozen.org
www.thetradersden.org
bootlegs. 1,000's of em. unreleased albums by hendrix, beach boys, beatles, etc. free. no lossy audio. free.
why the hell would anyone rip old records to flac, they start out with crappy quality that can't be improved
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2005-10-24 00:38:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
SOAD?
Come on.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-24 00:27:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by YELLOW-MAN (user info) at 2005-10-23 20:21:46 (#)
Ranking: 1
no Megadeth = no plus 2, but you included the ozz man and some floyd so plus one it is.
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The were on my preliminary list with Rust in Peace, but I took them out in the name of diversity.
Submitted by malefic (user info) at 2005-10-23 20:42:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Your taste and my are very different. There are only 4 or 5 albums in your entire list of 40 that I would even consider as potential candidates in coming up with my own top 40 list.
Submitted by YELLOW-MAN (user info) at 2005-10-23 20:21:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
no Megadeth = no plus 2, but you included the ozz man and some floyd so plus one it is.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-22 23:16:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I just pissed off everyone within 2 miles of my neighborhood playing this @ 9, [through
my Quad JBL SR-1 studio monitors which are 'pushed' by dual(1 for each set) McIntosh
MC 602 power amps], with most of my windows up.
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I hate you. :(
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-10-22 00:33:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Blow up your TV throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an find Jesus on your own
(Spanish Pipedream)
I just pissed off everyone within 2 miles of my neighborhood playing this @ 9, [through
my Quad JBL SR-1 studio monitors which are 'pushed' by dual(1 for each set) McIntosh
MC 602 power amps], with most of my windows up.
If your hair and clothes aren't moving and you can still breathe...................
IT AIN'T LOUD ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by sublime (user info) at 2005-10-22 00:07:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
CCR
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-10-21 23:45:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 19:23:22 (#)
Ranking: 0
Chinaski: Let's hear somethin'. Also, if you're that good, I think Morontian was thinking about setting up an uber guitar battle sometime. Might be fun. Might get yo heeeeaaad cut! ;)
--------------
Actually, I was thinking more of a general musician's battle. I like the idea of someone playing a cello beating the shit out of someone playing a Malmsteen tribute. I'm still thinking about how and when I want to set it up, so give me a second, 'kay?
Submitted by shitfuck (user info) at 2005-10-21 21:54:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Sounds about right.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 19:23:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Chinaski: Let's hear somethin'. Also, if you're that good, I think Morontian was thinking about setting up an uber guitar battle sometime. Might be fun. Might get yo heeeeaaad cut! ;)
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:38:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No controversy here.
these are essential albums. Not the end all be all, but essential nonetheless.
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:30:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh, actually, I think you'll appreciate this:
www.dimeadozen.org
www.thetradersden.org
bootlegs. 1,000's of em. unreleased albums by hendrix, beach boys, beatles, etc. free. no lossy audio. free.
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:29:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just trying to tick you off there, l'il fella : )
Submitted by Chinaski (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:28:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't agree with everything you like by any means, but most of it is good, or great.
I'm a guitarist too. I'm much better than you... well, ok, probably just a level or two more advanced... but we should jam sometime. Let me know when you'll be in California.
(Also, my song-writing skills are INIFINITELY more refined than yours).
Submitted by DarthAwesome (user info) at 2005-10-21 18:05:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You are experienced!
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-10-21 16:34:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I agree with you on the Pink Floyd issue, though Wish You Were is a close second to The Wall. In fact, if you really wanted to nit-pick, you could say that they were sister albums all along. You still missed Iron Maiden's Somewhere in Time, but hey, you've only got so much room here...
Submitted by Yams (user info) at 2005-10-21 15:42:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Surprisingly tasty!
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-10-21 15:20:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
cash rules everything around me, Cream get the money....dolla dolla bills y'all.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 14:07:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think I may have just figured out why you call yourself 'fudgepacker'.
I'll check it out...
...but I won't liiiiike iiit.
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 14:04:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No, no no ETS...you wouldn't want to regurgitate you last meal. That would be no good. Calm yourself a bit, find a happy place and repeat the following in a soft whisper: "wu-tang clan aint nothing to fuck with." you'll feel much better.
And badass...you got the time, i got the KY.
ew
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:49:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:39:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
Wu Tang Clan: Enter the 36 Chambers
Buy it, listen to it, love it.
-----------------------------------
How 'bout I download it, make sure I don't regurgitate my latest meal, then think about possibly buying it?
Submitted by Whiplash (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:48:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:51:36 (#)
Ranking: 1
wish you were here > dsotm > the wall
------
my thoughts exactly
Welcome to the machine is better than any song on the Wall by far.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:45:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:39:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
Wu Tang Clan: Enter the 36 Chambers
Buy it, listen to it, love it.
==============
Fudge, I think we shoud like 'do it' ya know?
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:39:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wu Tang Clan: Enter the 36 Chambers
Buy it, listen to it, love it.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:37:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Joedaddy: Yea, John Prine is underrated as a singer/songwriter. He's one of the most honest artists I've ever heard. There is not a pretentious bone in John Prine's body. He's a MAJOR influence on my own music as well.
forthewin: Based on your responses to all these music posts, I think we'd like a lot of the same things, so if you say it's good, I gotta check it out. Thanks.
Drone: Do you have that 'Smile' album? Is it released? If you own it, bring it down with you Thanksgiving. I'd really like to hear that. But I'm with you, I think it would be difficult for him to recapture the magic that might have been if he'd recorded that album when he wanted to back in '66. I am gonna have to stop and pick that 2 for 1 'Smiley Smile' and 'Wild Honey' up. I downloaded some of it, and my jaw hit the floor. I couldn't believe I'd never heard any of that before! I guess it just goes back to you can't count on radio to hand you the best stuff on a silver platter.
Yea, whoever said Enigk had another album, what's it called?
Submitted by congo (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:32:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I warned you last time.
Chipmunks. Christmas. Album.
You've ignored me for the last time, and now you will pay.
Submitted by Drone_of_Industry (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:26:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
whoa there is another Enigk album?
Yeh ETS, that Smiley Smile/WIld Honey mix is what I got too. Brian Wilson actually re did Smile the way he wanted to and just finished it like last year. It didn't seem half bad, but I'd rather buy something that was made fresh than preserved for 40 years.
Submitted by forthewin (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:19:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ETS: It was one of those albums where you listen to the first song and don't expect the rest of the songs to live up, but the whole thing ends up being great.
As for the album itself, a lot of up tempo piano, and Sean Nelson's voice a little less crazy than his earlier stuff, but still as powerful.
You may remember them as being responsible for Flagpole Sitta, but it doesn't do them justice. I definately reccomend giving their latest album a listen.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:14:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Start your list with John Prine and you're a friend of mine
Marc Cohn
John Hiatt
and my personal favorite: Ry Cooter
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 13:06:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by johnhutch (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:53:08 (#)
Ranking: 1
Again, Drone_of_Industry hits the nail on the head. Some of the non-mainstream hip hop and it's derivatives are the most cutting edge,
musical and amazing stuff out there right now.
GO download Dizzee Rascal's first album. NOW.
Anyway, your picks were decent, if not a bit over "safe" and less diverse than rolling stone. +1 overall, I think, but there are some
issues that can't be overlooked:
1.) Incubus? How can you pick Incubus and not even MENTION Faith No More in the byline? Cmon, man. Science was totally stolen from
King for a Day... and Angel Dust. Give them a list some time.
2.) Steal This AlbuM? You're joking, right? It was a throwaway album! All the songs they recorded during toxicity that they didn't
think were good enough to make the album. Their first album was great and Toxicity was almost as good, but really, man. How can you
put this album next to the likes of Pet SOunds??
3.) Ozzy fucking sucks. How you gonna put Ozzy here and ignore Paranoid? Or is Paranoid on the previos 20. My apologies if it is.
Also: Enigk has more than one solo album.
-------------------------------------------------
Lots to reply to here...
I'll check out that rap artist you mentioned ASAP. Thanks for that.
Now, Incubus: I didn't mention Faith No More in the byline, but I did mention Mr. Bungle, who they've often cited as a major influence. Either way, you still go Mike Patton in there. I stand behind this pick. When this album came out, I was literally blown away by it. I went out and got their first EP as well and absolutely LOVED it too, although in a different way. I don't see how this album was 'stolen' from FNM at all. While I see the influence there, Incubus managed to melt in a lot of other influences that were not present in the FNM sound.
Steal This ALbum: Again, these songs were not throwaways. Jesus, LISTEN to them! The album is fucking awesome! I picked this one over their others because, not only is it my personal favorite, but the timing of it, right BEFORE the Iraq war, was nothing short of prophetic to me. Listen to the album all the way through with that in mind, and you'll see what I mean.
Ozzy: I am inclined to agree with you on this, although the influence this album had on the sound of the 80s cannot be denied. I personally prefer 'Diary of a Madman' out of his solo work.
Enigk: I thought that too, but I was only able to find this one album listed on his discography.
Submitted by johnhutch (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:53:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Again, Drone_of_Industry hits the nail on the head. Some of the non-mainstream hip hop and it's derivatives are the most cutting edge,
musical and amazing stuff out there right now.
GO download Dizzee Rascal's first album. NOW.
Anyway, your picks were decent, if not a bit over "safe" and less diverse than rolling stone. +1 overall, I think, but there are some
issues that can't be overlooked:
1.) Incubus? How can you pick Incubus and not even MENTION Faith No More in the byline? Cmon, man. Science was totally stolen from
King for a Day... and Angel Dust. Give them a list some time.
2.) Steal This AlbuM? You're joking, right? It was a throwaway album! All the songs they recorded during toxicity that they didn't
think were good enough to make the album. Their first album was great and Toxicity was almost as good, but really, man. How can you
put this album next to the likes of Pet SOunds??
3.) Ozzy fucking sucks. How you gonna put Ozzy here and ignore Paranoid? Or is Paranoid on the previos 20. My apologies if it is.
Also: Enigk has more than one solo album.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:50:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Jeannee: I disagree. I think they are the best songwriters of our era.
Forthewin: Haven't heard it. What's it like?
DroneofIndustry: Yea, I checked out a couple things from that album, and it sounded fucking awesome. I may go get that today. It comes packaged WITH Wild Honey now as a 2 for 1 deal. They just don't make music like they used to, it seems. I think as far as the Beatles and Beach Boys, Belle & Sebastian are about the closest thing we have that I've heard. And you're right about having to find the music. It's certainly not coming over commercial radio.
Yellow_Dart: You could be right, but I do recall reading some interviews where Darin Malaikin (or however you spell it) said that the songs were not throwaways from the Toxicity sessions. They just utilized the momentum they had to record more songs than they had to for the album. It makes sense when you think about it both in budget and in freshness. This is a method they've continued for their latest twin album affair Mezmerize and Hypnotize, which I have yet to get. (I'm behind in my music buying of late. Been doing too much traveling and the like.)
Submitted by Drone_of_Industry (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:37:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
yeh i would NOT say rap is a dead genre at all. I think just like the rest of pop music these days, all these guys are singing about is big money, fast women, and power... capitalist propoganda... the American dream. But there is a thriving hip hop scene, much of it political, psychedelic, and MUSICAL! Fantastic Energy! And yeh, just like anything you gotta sort thru the shit for it. Don't count on the radio to bring it to you. You have to make the effort. Get connected DAWG!
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:27:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:12:03 (#)
Ranking: 0
Steal This Album is on the list because of its musical merits and it's association with the times. The only reason I mentioned the cover art, or lack thereof, is to illustrate that this album is really ALL ABOUT the music and that there are no frills there. No fluff.
I know it was recorded at the same time as Toxicity, but it was NOT LEFTOVERS. They recorded all these songs and then knew they were going to put out two albums. They separtated the songs according to what they felt made a more cohesive whole for BOTH projects, not just shoving all the good songs on Toxicity. There are interviews I've read that address that. You can probably find them online.
Again, you're right about jazz. Its absence is more a product of my inexperience than its lack of essence.
I will remedy that at some point.
____________________
I could swear that they recorded some 45 tracks during the Toxicity session and cut them down, just like any band would do. Steal this album had a quick release date because the B songs were leaked onto the internet in a made up album called "Toxicity 2". The band quickly found out and didn't want their fans to have to hear the crappy versions online so they re-recorded them and put out an album shortly after called "steal this album". This would suggest that NO they didn't plan on recording songs for 2 albums at once during the Toxicity sessions.
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:26:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Judoka (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:18:50 (#)
Ranking: 2
I was going to blast you for leaving out hip-hop/rap, but I read the comments. I have to agree with you, rap is in a musical cul de sac. It started running in circles in about '92.
-------
awesome term.....'musical cul de sac.' I'm going to steal that one.
and ok, the product nowadays sucks something terrible. the fitty cents and ludacris' and missy elliots and fat joes of the world are turning this genre into a big pile of blinged out shit.
HOWEVER....finding good hip-hop is like shopping at Marshall's: you have to sift through a lot of crap before you find something good. And there actually is some good stuff out there.
Submitted by Drone_of_Industry (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:23:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I can't believe you had a Michael Jackson jacket! And your prince story is excellent! I'm gonna go rent a video of Jimi Live tonight! Get Pink Floyd's first album titled "Pink Floyd" before Syd Barret took a permanet vacation and moved back in with his parents. Jeremy Enigk always brings we to tears, but oddly enough Sunny Day Real Estate is boring. Smiley Smile is still a great album in the way that it is sparse and kind of creepy. Wild Honey is a great motown influenced Beach Boys album too. And I still think that Incubus album is mediocre.
Submitted by forthewin (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:19:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I was hoping this list would include The Shins, and holy crap, it did.
ETS, Have you heard Harvey Danger's latest album, Little by Little? Definately a new favorite of mine.
Submitted by Judoka (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:18:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I was going to blast you for leaving out hip-hop/rap, but I read the comments. I have to agree with you, rap is in a musical cul de sac. It started running in circles in about '92.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:16:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good list. Except for Belle & Sebastian, they fucking suck.
Submitted by Ducky (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:13:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
All in all, a very nice list...and I'm with you on the rap issue.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:12:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:12 (#)
Ranking: 0
So steal this album is on this list because of its packaging?
You do know that the ENTIRE album is just LEFTOVERS from the recording sessions when they made Toxicity, right? These are the shittier songs that DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT. I like all SOAD albums, but this is by no means one of the best of all time.
As for the rest of this list... you have listed some really great albums, but like someone else already said, you're being way to narrow. Where's the Jazz?
------------------------
Steal This Album is on the list because of its musical merits and it's association with the times. The only reason I mentioned the cover art, or lack thereof, is to illustrate that this album is really ALL ABOUT the music and that there are no frills there. No fluff.
I know it was recorded at the same time as Toxicity, but it was NOT LEFTOVERS. They recorded all these songs and then knew they were going to put out two albums. They separtated the songs according to what they felt made a more cohesive whole for BOTH projects, not just shoving all the good songs on Toxicity. There are interviews I've read that address that. You can probably find them online.
Again, you're right about jazz. Its absence is more a product of my inexperience than its lack of essence.
I will remedy that at some point.
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:11:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:06:22 (#)
Ranking: 0
Fudgepacker et al...
I agree with you on the rap thing. It should be represented. The problem is, while I was into Run DMC and The Beastie Boys back in the day, rap has become, to me, a dead genre. At this point, it's being annually beaten like the dead horse it is. It has completely taken over MTV to the point that even those rappers who might have something to say sell themselves like whores, show off their cribs and their bling.
Sorry, but I just don't get it.
I thought about Tupac. I thought about Run DMC. But in the end, I'd rather put albums on here that I believe in than something that I see as the bottom rung of the musical ladder.
The problem with rap is this: it's not evolving. Over the years there have been several breakthroughs where people have attempted to create something different in the genre, but it always comes back to the same, tired, 4/4 beat with the gangsta drivel over it. I mean, at least someone could try to fuck with the time signature!!! You'd think that something that obvious would have been attempted by now. But no.
If I want to listen to rap, I'll stick to Beck's 'Odelay', thanks. That's not to say I'm unwilling to give it a chance. I am. But I won't be surprised when I am disappointed.
__________________________
What
About
Jazz
???
Where's Charlie Parker?
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:07:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Still a decent list though ETS.
Sorry for sounding grouchy fartsmeller. You raise good points.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:06:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Fudgepacker et al...
I agree with you on the rap thing. It should be represented. The problem is, while I was into Run DMC and The Beastie Boys back in the day, rap has become, to me, a dead genre. At this point, it's being annually beaten like the dead horse it is. It has completely taken over MTV to the point that even those rappers who might have something to say sell themselves like whores, show off their cribs and their bling.
Sorry, but I just don't get it.
I thought about Tupac. I thought about Run DMC. But in the end, I'd rather put albums on here that I believe in than something that I see as the bottom rung of the musical ladder.
The problem with rap is this: it's not evolving. Over the years there have been several breakthroughs where people have attempted to create something different in the genre, but it always comes back to the same, tired, 4/4 beat with the gangsta drivel over it. I mean, at least someone could try to fuck with the time signature!!! You'd think that something that obvious would have been attempted by now. But no.
If I want to listen to rap, I'll stick to Beck's 'Odelay', thanks. That's not to say I'm unwilling to give it a chance. I am. But I won't be surprised when I am disappointed.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:05:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:50:58 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:43:07 (#)
Ranking: 2
I love that Shins album, but I would have chosen Neutral Milk Hotel/In the Aeroplane over the Sea in its place instead.
-------------------------------
Guys, this is only half the list. Click the link at the top for the other half. Aeroplane over the Sea is ON that list.
=============================================
Oops.
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:04:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:03:34 (#)
Ranking: -2
Sorry. I hereby vow from this day forward that I will rate opinionated bullshit posts like this how they should be rated.
"Um, I like X-band so I will make a post saying I like them".
-2
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:04:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:01 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:51:36 (#)
Ranking: 1
wish you were here > dsotm > the wall
-----------------
Sorry, but you're wrong. The Wall is a masterpiece. Period. It is THE definition of a concept album.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ETS, no one is right or wrong. These are all opinions and if DMD thinks that 'wish you were here' is superior to the wall....then that's cool. i personally think that dark side and saucerful of secrets are their best works.
the problem with lists like these is that while people try to make all encompassing 'essential lists' it all comes down to personal taste.
from these 40 albums, i can tell that you certainly love rock n' roll and the roots thereof. You enjoy blues rock and hard rock and classsic rock and some country at the same time. you don't however, enjoy heavy beats and thumping noises....ie Rap/hip-hop/techno.
And that's cool too. Music is about finding what you love and sticking to it. But unless you entertain every facet of the music industry, it'll always be difficult to make an 'essential' list that pleases everyone.
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:04:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by FartSmeller (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:59:50 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:12 (#)
Ranking: 0
So steal this album is on this list because of its packaging?
You do know that the ENTIRE album is just LEFTOVERS from the recording sessions when they made Toxicity, right? These are the shittier songs that DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.
------------------
I didn't know that. I like Steal this album way better, too. Strange...
__________________
I think the band's opinion may have a little more weight than yours.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2005-10-21 12:02:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Again, you and I would do fine in a transcontinental car ride. Good stuff.
Submitted by FartSmeller (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:59:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:12 (#)
Ranking: 0
So steal this album is on this list because of its packaging?
You do know that the ENTIRE album is just LEFTOVERS from the recording sessions when they made Toxicity, right? These are the shittier songs that DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.
------------------
I didn't know that. I like Steal this album way better, too. Strange...
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
So steal this album is on this list because of its packaging?
You do know that the ENTIRE album is just LEFTOVERS from the recording sessions when they made Toxicity, right? These are the shittier songs that DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT. I like all SOAD albums, but this is by no means one of the best of all time.
As for the rest of this list... you have listed some really great albums, but like someone else already said, you're being way to narrow. Where's the Jazz?
Submitted by Drone_of_Industry (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
hehe... I was about to put Incubus SCIENCE on my unessential list. I never understood yooz guyzes infatuation with that album. Although their first album RAWKED!
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:57:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:51:36 (#)
Ranking: 1
wish you were here > dsotm > the wall
-----------------
Sorry, but you're wrong. The Wall is a masterpiece. Period. It is THE definition of a concept album.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:56:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I think you are missing a few things.
Rap - Public Enemy or NWA or Ice-T I mean these groups brought a whole genre to the forefront. Did you even have a Beastie Boys release on either of these lists.
Jam - No Dead, No Allman Brothers? YOu may not like Jam Band style of music but if you are calling the list 'essential' then that genre needs to be represented.
+1 for the effort and a many of your picks but seriously...no Legend?
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:51:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
wish you were here > dsotm > the wall
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:50:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:43:07 (#)
Ranking: 2
I love that Shins album, but I would have chosen Neutral Milk Hotel/In the Aeroplane over the Sea in its place instead.
-------------------------------
Guys, this is only half the list. Click the link at the top for the other half. Aeroplane over the Sea is ON that list.
Submitted by fudgepacker (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:48:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No rap/hip-hop anywhere to be found. Not to knock your choices, they are all fine and dandy.
But you put the superlative 'most' in your title and I have to judge it accordingly.
Certainly a Run-DMC or Furious Five or NWA or Roots album could be in the top 40 over....excuse me.....the shins???? and pinkerton????? System of a fucking down??????? c'mon man.
I know you know music and I respect your opinions. But if you're going to cover the ENTIRE scope of music here, you need to get a braoder range of artists.
Submitted by hairycoo (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:48:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
right Im going to steal all of these albums now
Submitted by Rope (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:46:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
YES to the shins
NO to belle and sebastian
HMMMMM to the rest.
waaaaa, waaaaaa, why didn't you pick MY favourite albums?
*sobs*
*wanks*
Submitted by FartSmeller (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:43:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Badass. FUcking NICO??? Good picks all around.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-10-21 11:43:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love that Shins album, but I would have chosen Neutral Milk Hotel/In the Aeroplane over the Sea in its place instead.