Best Ever Albums

Re: Music Suggestions

AleJohnMari — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:08:18 GMT

Author: AleJohnMari

Posted: 03/22/2009 10:08

This is not just namedropping but two real serious recommendations.
Troves of music. dEUS - The Ideal Crash and Ozark Henry - The Sailor Not The Sea. Of course I could mention more, but when I look at your list, this would definitely enrich your music collection.

Re: Music Suggestions

tgodd — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:21:19 GMT

Author: tgodd

Posted: 03/22/2009 07:21

I had these all linked to youtubes and shit but apparently i'm not allowed to link for another 3 days. I'll try to remember to edit it back then.

edit: ok here they are
Air
Klaus Schulze
Brain Eno
Stereolab
kraftwerkf
CAN

As someone else said, you should check out Neu!, who were a huge influence on Stereolab, Brian Eno, & Kraftwerk.

Their song Hallogallo is in contention for the best Krautrock song ever, and their album Neu! 75 is pretty much the best Krautrock album.

Harmonia & Cluster are two Neu! inspired Krautrock bands who went on to work with Brian Eno, although I think their best work was done before they collaborated with him, on Deluxe and Zuckerzeit, respectively. The song "Hollywood" off Zuckerzeit is breathtaking.

You didn't list them so I'm not sure if you know Klaus Schulze was a member of both Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel for a while. Tagerine Dream's Electronic Meditation is an underrated classic (and their only album with Schulze), while Phaedra is usually considered their best.

Ash Ra Tempel's, Schwingungen is my recommended release, though their only album with Klaus was their first. Any of their first 6 albums is a great listen.

Other great krautrock:

Popul Vuh - Im Den Garten Pharaos (or anything they did prior to 1978)
La Dusseldorf (formed from the ashes of Neu!) - La Dusseldorf

Julian Cope's book Krautrocksampler is a very good overview of the subject. It's long out-of-print, but you can download it as a PDF here:
http://blog.swanfungus.com/2006/10/krautrocksampler.html

If you haven't heard the Dark Side of the Moog releases by Namlook & Schulze you should check those out.

Also, you might like Oval's 94 Diskont

For more experimental stuff in the vein of CAN, try Brainticket's "Cottonwoodhill."

B-52s
Big Star
Minutemen
REM
Talking Heads
Pere Ubu

Pylon were kind of like a cross between the B-52s and Big Star. Check out Gyrate Plus

I don't see Devo on your list so they're similar to Talking Heads and Pere Ubu, if by some miracle you haven't listened to them. Specifically their first album.

REM, The Replacements, and The Smiths have all cited the Soft Boy's Underwater Moonlight as a major influence, and it is really one of the key albums in the history of alternative rock. It has been rereleased with a slew of bonus tracks attached to the end. They're pretty good, but I recommend listening to the album without them until it makes an impression on you. It's much sharper that way.

Teenage Fanclub & the Posies draw heavily from Big Star and the Flamin' Groovies; I'd recommend Bandwagonesque, and Dream All Day: the Best of the Posies (I'm a big fan of compilations, and this one is great. Try Frosting on the Beater if you aren't).

Obviously Chris Bell's solo work sounds a lot like Big Star. His posthumous album I am the Cosmos is a bit overrated, though the title track is probably the best powerpop song recorded. Here's Jon Auer of the Posies singing it in the "reunited" Big Star I Am The Cosmos.

The Records have apparently been called "the British Big Star." Their first two albums are classics. If you can't track them down, make sure you at least get "Starry Eyes," another great powerpop song.

Bram Tchaikovsky, of the Motors, had a great powerpop album in Strange Man, Changed Man which holds his best song, Girl of My Dreams

After D Boon died, Minutemen became fIREHOSE, so check them out if you haven't.

Bob Dylan
The Band
Neil Young
Grateful Dead
Syd Barret

Donovan's one of my favorite singer-songwriters of the era. "Donovan's Greatest Hits" should suffice, though you've gotta get "Sand and Foam"

Check out the Byrds if you haven't. Younger than Yesterday is my favorite, though Notorious Byrd Brothers and Sweetheart of the Rodeo are usually the ones people consider best. Have you Seen Her Face My Back Pages

Check out Gram Parsons as well.

You'd probably like Richard (& Linda) Thompson, too. I Want To See The Bright Lights and Shoot Out The Lights are their two masterpieces, with the latter being highly regarded for its depressing songs like "Wall of Death" and "Walking On a Wire" that seemed to document the end of their marriage. Although they've denied this and pointed to the fact that they'd always recorded some heavy stuff. I'm Walking On a Wire Shoot Out the Lights The Calvary Cross

Robyn Hitchcock's acoustic work draws from Syd Barret and Bob Dylan, two acknowledged influences. Check out I Often Dream of Trains, Eye and Jewels For Sophia. Although almost every Robyn Hitchcock album is great. He has a new album out with the Venus 3 (which includes Peter Buck of REM, among others)Goodnight Oslo, which is solid as usual. Their previous album, Olé! Tarantula was my favorite album of 2006.

Madonna of the Wasps
My Wife & My Dead Wife
Glass Hotel
Raymond Chandler Evening
Heaven
I Saw Nick Drake
Brenda's Iron Sledge
Sounds Great When You're Dead
Not Dark Yet

Blur
Suede
Radiohead

Bends-era Radiohead was highly influenced by Strangelove's awesome LP Time for the Rest of Your Life. Their other albums are solid as well, and Living With the Human Machines is probably their best song.

My favorite band of the britpop era is the Longpigs, whose album The Sun is Often Out is almost like the genre's swansong. It sounds more American-influenced than a lot of the ridiculous dancey stuff that was coming out. It also has a weird, twisted element to it. Check out Lost Myself and On & On. Their B-Sides are almost as good as Suede's so seek them out too. Blah Blah Blah, Vagina Song, and Amateur Dramatics are good ones. Their second and last album is decidedly less britpop, which is the reason i suspect allmusic gave it a ridiculous rating; it's actually almost as good as the first.

Company Flow

Juggaknots - Clear Blue Skies Re Release is a classic. check it out. Allmusic sucks at reviewing hip hop so no link there.
Trouble Man
I'm Gonna Kill You
Loosifa

Fugazi
Slint

You want Shellac - At Action Park (try to find the vinyl rip) and Rodan -Rusty and Tar - Jackson. The Jesus Lizard's Goat is Albini's best produced album.

Other great albums produced by him are The Wedding Present's Seamonsters and The Auteur's After Murder Park

Shellac - My Black Ass
Tar - Viaduct Removal
Jesus Lizard - Nub

Wedding Present - Dalliance
Dare
Suck

Auteurs - Married to a Lazy Lover
Fear of Flying
Unsolved Child Murder

Happy Mondays
Black Grape
Stone Roses

Try The Dylans, Mock Turtles, and Inspiral Carpets

Inspiral Carpets - This is How it Feels
Mock Turtles - Can You Dig it?
Dylans - Planet Love

Bob Marley
Burning Spear

Try Linton Kwesi Johnson, Lee Scratch Perry and Blackbeard

Catherine Wheel

Check out Ride's album "Nowhere," which is my favorite shoegaze release.

Vapour Trail

The DOC
NWA
Public Enemy
De La Soul

Try Above the Law's album Livin Like Hustlers which was produced by Dr Dre, and Uncle Sam's Curse which is usually considered their best (allmusic sucks at hip hop, did I mention that?)

Ice Cube's first two albums are classics, with Amerikkka's Most Wanted being produced by the Bomb Squad, who did It Takes A Nation of Millions.. though you've probably heard it anyway. Paris's first two albums continue in the aggresive, socially conscious them of Amerikkka's, as do The Coup's albums, the best of which being Genocide & Juice and Steal this Album.

Two of the best sample-based albums of the 80s are Ultramagnetic MCs' Critical Beatdown (which sounds like a sci-fi Bomb Squad) and the Jungle Brothers' Done By the Forces of Nature (which is more similar to 3 Feet High & Rising).

The Geto Boys and Scarface are a good place to go for NWA style hip hop, though the production is not as strong. Scarface's first album "Mr Scarface is Back" is a good one. And for the Geto Boys try the compilation "Uncut Dope."

Also check out Kool G Rap's "Wanted: Dead or Alive" and "Live and Let Die" for some of the best gangster rapping ever.

Buzzcocks
Sex Pistols
Wire
PiL
Joy Division
Echo & the Bunnymen
Suicide
U2

As far as pop-punk goes, check out the Undertones self-titled (most importantly Teenage Kicks). Also try the Only Ones' compilation Special View. Their standout song is Another Girl, Another Planet.

After leaving the Buzzcocks Howard Devoto formed Magazine, which is pretty much the missing link between Wire and Joy Division. Their album Real Life is one of the best post-punk albums ever made (and makes a strong case for being the first).

The Sound is often compared to Joy Division, though they hold their own and really deserve to be more recognized. Try Jeopardy and From the Lion's Mouth

The last great post-punk band, who bridge the gap between that genre and dreampop, were the Chameleons. Script of the Bridge is the favorite among fans, while Strange Times is the critics' pick, probably because it takes longer to sink in (check out the stunning cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows"). Also check out the songs "In Shreds," Nostalgia," and "The Healer." Some of their best work is found on "What Does Anything Mean, Basically?" though that album is too slickly-produced for some. All of their albums are great, as is there swan song the "Tony Fletcher Walked on Water" EP, released after the death of their manager.

In Shreds
Second Skin
Here Today
Monkeyland
In Answer
Paradiso
The Healer

Dinosaur Jr
Sonic Youth
Husker Du

Try Mission of Burma's Vs.. It might take a while to sink in, but when it hits you, it hits you hard.

Love
The Beatles
The Kinks
The Move

Try the Zombies "Odessey and Oracle," the Actions "Rolled Gold," and the 1969 compilation album "Best of Bee Gees" thats right I said Bee Gees.

Guided By Voices
Pavement

Grifters - Crappin You Negative
Sebadoh - III & Bakesale

Mobb Deep
Nas
Notorious BIG

Wu-Tang

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
AZ - Doe or Die
Capone N Noreaga - The War Report
GZA - Liquid Swords

The Replacements
Richard Hell
New York Dolls

The Johnny Thunders album "So Alone" was a huge influence on Paul Westerberg.

White Stripes

Early White Stripes was heavily influenced by The Gun Club's Fire of Love

The Smiths

Get The Sundays Reading Writing & Arithmetic. It's a perfect album.

Also try Gene's Olympian

The Wedding Present's George Best Plus and Bizarro are also kind of similar to the Smiths.

Re: Music Suggestions

joshls — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:19:24 GMT

Author: joshls

Posted: 02/26/2009 06:19

Check out:

Porcupine Tree
Dredg
Wintersleep
Pearl Jam ain't bad either

Re: Music Suggestions

NowhereMan — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:25:23 GMT

Author: NowhereMan

Posted: 02/21/2009 09:25

Check out the Electric Light Orchestra!

'The Son Of The Beatles'

Re: Music Suggestions

pawelzietek — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:16:15 GMT

Author: pawelzietek

Posted: 12/27/2008 16:16

1) Primus "Antipop" - very well crafted album (often overlooked even by the fans of the band)
2) Warsaw Village Band "Uprooting" and "People's Spring" - best folk music you'd possibly dream of... deep and haunting (and both asking for GOOD headphones/speakers considering its powerful sound filled with details)
3) The Music "The Music" - this and only this album - the band is one of my biggest musical disappointment - brilliant example of a hitter... very even release - not even one song's bad - with FANTASTIC ending "Too High"

I guess you know: Ane Brun, Tool, Salif Keita, The National, Muse, Radiohead, Mozdzer...

Re: Music Suggestions

ace2455 — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:09:42 GMT

Author: ace2455

Posted: 12/16/2008 03:09

Here is a couple of cool bands. Let me know what you think.

1. Wolfmother
2. Raconteurs
3. Thin Lizzy

Re: Music Suggestions

teodor_matz — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:49:45 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 12/12/2008 20:49

some great swedish music:
Familjen - Familjen (really great dance indie, a lot better than Justice and Digitalism)
Bob hund - Bob hund II
Imperiet - Greatest Hits

Re: Music Suggestions

teodor_matz — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:34:57 GMT

Author: teodor_matz

Posted: 12/12/2008 17:34

Since you have like everything i like on that list i have only a few albums i think you should check out!
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (the best album ever made)
Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar (the best hip-hop album ever made)
Chico Barque - Construcao
Fiona Apple - When the Pawn...
Santogold - Santogold (the best record of this year)
The Sundays - Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
The Jennifers - I Just Got Back Today (i'm sure you heard Supergrass, The Jennifers was the band the singer had before he started Supergrass, they only released one EP and it's really really great.... You can download it free from there myspace)

Re: Music Suggestions

Charicature — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:28:56 GMT

Author: Charicature

Posted: 12/11/2008 13:28

In case you're still watching the topic...

Lot of the music I listen to is in your list (though you've got a far more extensive list than I do).
I have CDs from the following artists:

Beastie Boys
Beatles
Blur
Catherine Wheel
The Cure
Massive Attack
Meat Puppets
New Order
Nine Inch Nails
Nirvana
Oasis
Pavement
Psychedelic Furs
Pulp
REM
Radiohead
Simon and Garfunkel
The Smiths
Suede
Talk Talk
Tricky
U2
Violent Femmes

and I also have a smattering of songs from some others, had cassettes from a couple that I never updated to CD, and otherwise am familiar with a number of others that I have no music by.

So there's my credentials for making recommendations;)

So I'd recommend:
Belly (lead singer Tanya Donnelly, formerly of Throwing Muses and featured on Catherine Wheel's Happy Days album in "Judy Staring At The Sun"). Recommend the album Star as a starting point.

In the Britpop category (Suede, Pulp, Blur):
Echobelly. Start with On.
Longpigs. Start with The Sun Is Often Out.

In the Nirvana/Meat Puppets vein, I note you lack Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. I'm sure you know of them. You also might check out Stone Temple Pilots' albums Core and Purple.

Depending upon what you like about REM, you may find Better Than Ezra, Gin Blossoms, Grant Lee Buffalo, and The Black Crowes to your liking. They've all got a southern tinge to their style. Even Hootie and the Blowfish to some extent, though I'd put that on the bottom of the list.

In the ambient Radiohead style vein I'd recommend highly checking out Keane, particularly their first album Hopes and Fears.

And other bands I like that don't necessarily fit with anything on your list but given there's so much in common, Queen, Placebo, Bad Religion, Green Day (to some extent), The Killers (though I'm not overly crazy about them), Tears For Fears, The Human League (recommend best of albums for these last two), and Jesus Jones (find most people only like Perverse these days or for nostalgic value Doubt, but their EP single Culture Vulture has at least one really good song on it, "Halfway House").

Re: Music Suggestions

The Gollux — Mon, 8 Dec 2008 18:20:23 GMT

Author: The Gollux

Posted: 12/08/2008 23:20

andrew bird
animal collective
antony and the johnsons
art brut
band of horses
be your own pet
black keys
boris
built to spill
clinic
danielson
the fall
fiery furnaces
futureheads
grizzly bear
hold steady
the liars
love is all
mercury rev
mastadon
olivia tremor control
scott walker
sebadoh
silver jews
spoon
tapes n' tapes
tv on the radio
unicorns
walkmen

Re: Music Suggestions

Mr.Music — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 19:53:43 GMT

Author: Mr.Music

Posted: 10/09/2008 23:53

Sandy Bull - Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo (1963)*

Re: Music Suggestions

Mr.Music — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 19:51:35 GMT

Author: Mr.Music

Posted: 10/09/2008 23:51

Steely Dan - Aja (1977)
Grobschnitt - Solar Music (1978)
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1969)
Silver Apples - Silver Apples (1968)
This Heat - Deceit (also the first record)
Henry Rollins - Hot Animal Machine (1999)
Sandy Bull - Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo (1966)
The Gories - House Rockin
- I Know You Fine, But How You Doin

The Sound - From the Lions Mouth
Ash Ra Tempel (selftitled)

Re: Music Suggestions

bc1991 — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:21:00 GMT

Author: bc1991

Posted: 10/09/2008 18:21

Yes exactly!!

Re: Music Suggestions

banana brother — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:17:56 GMT

Author: banana brother

Posted: 10/09/2008 18:17

Thanks again, Commercial Album sounds especially interesting. I heard their thought behind it was that the average pop song is 3 minutes, but is made up of only chorus and verse each repeated 3 times they realized that if you cut out the repetition then the song is really only 1 minute long.

Re: Music Suggestions

bc1991 — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:12:51 GMT

Author: bc1991

Posted: 10/09/2008 18:12

banana brother wrote:

Hey bc1991
I was looking in on this, and was wondering what residents albums you would recommend i already own eskimo and was considering getting a few more

IMO there are many Resident albums that are excellent and Eskimo is one of those, but is quite different to the majority of their other records.

Among their best would be:

Commercial Album (40 songs of 1 minute each, a pretty satirical album. They laugh at the idea of pop songs).
Not Available (they came with really bizarre but interesting album on this one)
Duck Stab / Buster & Glen (compilation of two excellent eps)
Meet the Residents (their debut)
The Third Reich 'n Roll (it was created using cut and paste techniques)

Re: Music Suggestions

banana brother — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 13:50:16 GMT

Author: banana brother

Posted: 10/09/2008 17:50

Hey bc1991
I was looking in on this, and was wondering what residents albums you would recommend i already own eskimo and was considering getting a few more

Re: Music Suggestions

bc1991 — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 12:01:02 GMT

Author: bc1991

Posted: 10/09/2008 16:01

Nice list, very eclectic one. Since you like many different styles/genres I'm going to try to list them for you in based on their respective style/genre, and maybe I'll try to avoid some obvious choices:

Proto/Post/Punk
The Fall
Bad Brains
Big Black
Bauhaus
The Chameleons
The Fugs
The Sound
Beat Happening
Social Distortion

Progressive
Frank Zappa
King Crimson
Magma
Ash Ra Temple
Os Mutantes
Tangerine Dream
Gentle Giant
Neu!

Post Rock
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Bark Psychosis
Gastr del Sol
Mono
Mogwai
A Silver Mt. Zion
Tortoise

Avant Rock
Faust
The Residents
Mr. Bungle
Boredoms
Ruins
Henry Cow
This Heat
The Pop Group

Hard Rock/Metal
Kiuss
Napalm Death
Corrupted
Blue Cheer
Converge
Meshugga
Electric Wizard
Boris
Sunn O)))
Earth

Rock Pop:
The Zombies
The Birds
Morphine
Elliott Smith
Super Furry Animals
Caribou
Iron & Wine
Blonde Redhead
The Shins
Broken Social Scene

Hip Hop
cLOUDDEAD
Ghostface Killah
Prefuse 73
A Tribe Called Quest
Dälek

Electronic
Autechre
Boards of Canada
Steve Roach
Stars of the Lid
Venetian Snares
The Cinematic Orchestra
Gas
Tim Hecker
Burial

Jazz
Andrew Hill
Sun Ra
Wayne Shorter
Jackie McLean
Duke Ellington
Thelonious Monk
Art Ensemble of Chicago
Django Reinhardt (jazz guitar)

If you are interested in some artist in especific and don't know where to start, I can help you there also.

Re: Music Suggestions

JohnnyRocketFingers — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 08:20:26 GMT

Author: JohnnyRocketFingers

Posted: 10/09/2008 12:20

Thanks Banana Brother and Existciel. I'm not really a fan of Genesis but thanks for the suggestion. Keep them coming![/quote]

Re: Music Suggestions

Existciel — Thu, 9 Oct 2008 05:33:57 GMT

Author: Existciel

Posted: 10/09/2008 09:33

did you try Genesis (periode 1970-74) ?

Re: Music Suggestions

banana brother — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 22:01:36 GMT

Author: banana brother

Posted: 10/09/2008 02:01

Do you think i'm worthy to recommend music to you?
Here's some artists i don't think you know about:

Pharaoh Sanders
David Murray
Arthur Blythe
Joseph Jarman
Rashaan Roland Kink
Wyton Marsalis
Steve Lacy
Don Cherry