Best Ever Albums

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

gussteivi — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:25:44 GMT

Author: gussteivi

Posted: 07/22/2012 22:25

Jhereko wrote:

Though I still don't think Complexity > Simplicity as a rule. As Tchaikovsky's work would attest.

Wait, are you saying that Tchaikovsky's music isn't complex, or that you prefer his music as simple as possible?

Because either way it belongs in the controversial music opinions thread.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 15:13:02 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 19:13

Jhereko wrote:

Okay, I get you now. Though I still don't think Complexity > Simplicity as a rule. As Tchaikovsky's work would attest.

OH of course not as a universal rule.... I'm not allowed to say that, I listen to punk and other primitive stuff far too much to be able to 🤣

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

monosyllables — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:31:13 GMT

Author: monosyllables

Posted: 07/22/2012 16:31

Anything twee, really. It's difficult to make something with so few notes and parts, all packaged into a conventional time signature, interesting.
Just look at all those Beat Happening songs where it's literally essentially just Calvin Johnson talking to a beat with occasional vocal-ish intonations to his voice.
Manages to be experimental AND simple.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

CellarDoor — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:22:45 GMT

Author: CellarDoor

Posted: 07/22/2012 16:22

Jhereko wrote:

Okay, I get you now. Though I still don't think Complexity > Simplicity as a rule. As Tchaikovsky's work would attest.

or Young Marble Giants.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

monosyllables — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:14:31 GMT

Author: monosyllables

Posted: 07/22/2012 16:14

Another lovely Mountain Goats album, not that it's at all relevant to the conversation anymore, can be found on my chart, "Full Force Galesburg." In fact, it may just be because in my formative music years, I happened upon a massive torrent of MG albums, but it seems to me like John Darnielle is actually fairly adept at putting together an album. Despite the insanely simple format of his band, they never lack variety.
And anyone who doesn't think that "You're Living All over Me" is a great album can just jump off a cliff.
Also, since I just spent most of this post in a thread about good artists with no great albums defending great artists with great albums, I will, in the vein of titans from the singles era of the early 60's, throw in my... whatever people throw in, for Aretha Franklin. A fan of non-comp. studio albums myself, I have listened to many Aretha Franklin albums only to come away with the conclusion that she probably should have made fewer of them. Luckily, I can hold her largely blameless for this, because it just seems that the studios couldn't go very long without giving her a real dud of a song to sing.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 09:37:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 13:37

Okay, I get you now. Though I still don't think Complexity > Simplicity as a rule. As Tchaikovsky's work would attest.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 08:46:22 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 12:46

Yeah, Gussteivi's on the right track, I'm not asking for experimental music at all, neither of the songs I mentioned originally are experimental, just creative, interestingly structured, and more complex. If I like it when Andrew Bird does that, whats wrong with wishing he would break out of his formula and do it more often? In a sense what I am talking about are still pop songs, just with some more unique additions make his music stand out. Is not part of writing good music (pop songs included) doing something which will stand out? Does not a more complex well arranged song with all the things I mentioned before stand out more than Andrew making a verse chorus song with a melody that rips of the Shins? Anyways, I don't mean to deny talent in writing pop music! If I thought that I wouldn't have eels, TVOTR, the clash, Low, Nick Drake or anyone else on my chart, just free jazz and sound collages everywhere!

The point is he's doing the same thing over again when he clearly has shown the ability to make something different, a different which I think is really cool. I just think he seems to timid to try and achieve that different, and only lets it show occasionally.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

gussteivi — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 06:26:43 GMT

Author: gussteivi

Posted: 07/22/2012 10:26

I have little to spare for the Scaruffian approach, I think you know that by now.

But Yourselfisntsteam wasn't talking about avant-garde or experimentality, but complexity, which is something else.

So on the topic of Andrew Bird I agree with him, that his intricate arrangements and occasional really cool chord progressions are what makes him stand out from the myriads of generic indie artists.

Without that he's just plain boring, because the man couldn't write a good melody to save his life.

Edit: those things are very much compatible with the "pop-song format" though, so I'm not sure if I agree with mr Steam on that.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:26:30 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 06:26

Not all people who like Avant-Garde music (I like quite a bit of avant-garde music) but the people who tend to have charts that focus on it...yeah, I do. Purely based on the way a hairymarx or even how Yourselfisntsteam (Who I have great respect for, I might add) just argued music making - it seems fairly evident.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Facetious — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:17:05 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 07/22/2012 06:17

Jhereko wrote:

I would argue that is just as (if not often more) hard to write a good pop song than a good 'experimental' one - and I guess that's one of the biggest problems I have with people who only focus on avant-garde albums. They have this misconception that experimental music is somehow more difficult to make 😲 and it's just bullshit.

Are you saying that the people who like avant-garde like it because they think it's more difficult to make than pop? If so, then you've got it all wrong there.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:57:12 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 05:57

That picture...is broken!

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

SquishypuffDave — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:52:41 GMT

Author: SquishypuffDave

Posted: 07/22/2012 05:52

Jhereko wrote:

But I would argue that is just as (if not often more) hard to write a good pop song than a good 'experimental' one - and I guess that's one of the biggest problems I have with people who only focus on avant-garde albums. They have this misconception that experimental music is somehow more difficult to make 😲 and it's just bullshit.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:44:08 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 05:44

Yourselfisntsteam wrote:

Not that it would be bad, you just know the person is capable of even more.

See this is my problem, why is it "more"? I used to prefer Milk-Eyed Mender and I know some people still do. If your point is about an Artist varying up their style just because there's no point to doing the same thing over and over again, then I am in full agreeance with you. But I would argue that is just as (if not often more) hard to write a good pop song than a good 'experimental' one - and I guess that's one of the biggest problems I have with people who only focus on avant-garde albums. They have this misconception that experimental music is somehow more difficult to make 😲 and it's just bullshit.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 00:17:42 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 04:17

Well, they can be 🤣 But when he is more than capable of writing really cool songs with weird structures, crazy violin playing, multiple key changes, complex melodies (but still melodic), why keep repeating the indie-pop formula on every album? Like, wouldn't it be annoying if Joanna Newsom kept writing The Milk Eyed Mender over and over again, but always throwing in one Ys style song at the end? Not that it would be bad, you just know the person is capable of even more.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:55:32 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 03:55

are pop songs...not ambitious?

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:20:41 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2012 03:20

Doesn't quite fit the mould because I do love Mysterious Production of Eggs and it is on my chart....but am I the only one who sometimes sees some wasted potential in Andrew Bird? He is capable of writing some very ambitious music, but always sticks to the pop song format. I can't help but wonder, if he let his ambitious side take over and made an album of songs like Masterswarm or Hole in the Ocean Floor, it could probably be top 10 all time for me....

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

btener11 — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:32:11 GMT

Author: btener11

Posted: 07/20/2012 21:32

Buzzcocks.

Great singles band but they didn't release one cohesive album that stands on its own as a work of art. This is so true that fans desperately try to convince themselves that Singles Going Steady somehow isnt a true compilation do they can rank it on BEA.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Hayden — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:40:14 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 07/20/2012 17:40

Polythene Pam wrote:

Hayden Who :o

I would say portishead. Ya know, if they were great in the first place. 🙄

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

hairymarx1 — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:31:44 GMT

Author: hairymarx1

Posted: 07/20/2012 17:31

I can't think of anybody who I regard as a great artist not having a made at least one great album.

Re: Great Artists Lacking Great Albums

Xavygravy — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 04:09:58 GMT

Author: Xavygravy

Posted: 07/20/2012 08:09

junodog4 wrote:

Since this has been bumped, I'm going back to my original thoughts...

Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding were all titans of music. All had influential, creative, groundbreaking and beautiful music. Sadly, all three are from the singles era, so apart from the odd album squeaking in, they are underrepresented on a 'best of albums' site.

Except.. they did have great albums (just not very popular on this site).

"Buddy Holly" and "The Chirping Crickets" for Buddy Holly; "Otis Blue" and "The Dock Of The Bay" for Otis Redding; "Night Beat" and "Ain't That Good News" for Sam Cooke.