Music
Discussion about all things music, music production, and the music industry. Your own music is also acceptable here.
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David Bowie's Low and Talking Heads' Remain In Light are the platonic ideal of what an album should be
A few that I don't see mentioned ...
- Carol King - Tapestry
- Pearl Jam - Yield
- Van Morrison - Moondance
- Fountains of Wayne - self titled
A New World Record by ELO.
Styx's most recent album Crash of the Crown (2021) is a masterpiece and easily one of their best 3; I'd also include their 2017 album The Mission in their top 3 as well. So so good.
Kansas' Point of Know Return (1977) is iconic for a lot of reasons ("Dust in the Wind", that gorgeous cover) but is phenomenal and peak Kansas (though Masque (1975) just beats it out as my personal favorite).
Brothers in Arms (1985) by Dire Straits is a magnificent one to just put on and get lost in.
I love the Eagles, but I can't say they ever put out a perfect album. Desperado (1973) is the closest I'd pick. It may be sacrilegious, but I really don't care for Hotel California (1976); the title track is spectacular, but I don't really vibe with anything else on there.
And as @_[email protected] mentioned, Boston (1976) is a perfect ride start to finish.
"Tales of Mystery and Imagination," by the Alan Parsons Project, is a near-perfect concept album in my mind. It's cross-genre while still feeling being interconnected.
I also love John Mellencamp's "Mr. Happy Go Lucky." To my frustration, though, the version of it on the streaming services I know of is missing the interstitial tracks on the CD. I think that actually takes a lot away from it as they had provided transitions that made it feel more like a complete work.
"Glaciers," Blue Sky Black Death, follows the annoying trend of titling tracks with roman numerals but feels like an hour-long DJ set that flows very naturally. A very different album with a similar trait in my mind is F#A#Infinity, Godspeed(!) You(!) Black Emperor(!).
A more ambient choice, Jon Hopkins "Immunity." "Psychic" from Darkside (Nicolaas Jaar with Dave Harrington) also comes to mind.
I'm having trouble thinking of really new examples right now... I kind of feel like the album has faded out as an art form and a lot more releases today seem more like just grab-bags of tracks, probably because of the streaming delivery model. There's definitely some counterexamples out there, though.
I agree with a lot of what people have already mentioned, so I'll add a few I haven't seen yet
- Turnstile - Step 2 Rhythm
- Signs of the Swarm - The Disfigurement of Existence
- Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
- Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
- Meshuggah - Obzen
- Panic at the Disco - Pretty Odd
- Fall Out Boy - Take This to Your Grave
- Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated
- Oso Oso - Sore Thumb
- Polyphia - New Levels New Devils
Rumours, Ziggy Stardust
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Twin Fantasy - Car Seat Headrest
Perfect from Now On - Built to Spill
+1 for Twin Fantasy. I haven't listened to a lot of CSH's discography but man that album... every time I hear a song I'm pulled back in and end up listening to the whole thing. It's amazing how quickly those 15 minute songs seem to end.
i listen to a lot of songs from albums that have a lot of filler on them, but the one i always listen to straight through is born to run. thunder road is how every album should start, every side flip should be rewarded with born to run, and every album should end with jungleland.
throw-in: the sound of three fans clapping to welcome thunder road was also the perfect way to start the live set.
Nirvana - Nevermind
Weird suggestion, but I really like Montero by Lil Nas X
in rap, since i haven't seen that genre come up much in this thread yet: Run the Jewels is a rare band which i think has an essentially perfect discography. when their "worst" album is a joke-y remix album that's still pretty good, you know you have something special going on
My favorite album is The Stranger by Billy Joel, love all tracks there! Close seconds are Glass Houses by Billy Joel, Rubber Soul and Revolver by The Beatles.
But I think those are pretty popular already, so gonna throw out some other ones in case you wanna check out new things :)
- Man Up by The Blue Van
- Costello Music by The Fratellis
And if you wanna try some Brazilian music:
- Frejat Ao Vivo No Rock In Rio by Frejat
- O Baile do Nego Véio Ao Vivo Em Jurerê Internacional by Alexandre Pires
- Ao Vivo No Olimpo by Grupo Revelação
- Monobloco Ao Vivo by Monobloco
Huh, didn't expect to see The Blue Van in this thread.
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan or anything, but I remember enjoying their album 'Dear Independence'.
And while we're talking about Danish musicians, do you also know of Tim Christensen by any chance?
I think one of their songs played in an ipad ad, then I looked up this album and thought it was great! I'll admit that I haven't listened more from them (besides Independence that was the theme song from a TV show I used to watch).
I don't think I've heard from Tim Christensen, but I'll check him out!
One record I will regularly play from start to finish is Alt-J - An Awesome Wave.
Sufjan Stevens' Illinois is a masterpiece.
Others have already listed some of my favourites, but top of my list would have to be Kate Bush - Hounds of Love. Not only is every track perfect, but there are so many layers and nuance and mystery to the tracks that you can (I have!) listen to it regularly for nearly 38 years, and still never tire of it.
There's even a still more perfect album within that album: The Ninth Wave.
Seconded enthusiastically!
To pimp a butterfly