Best Ever Albums

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Robert Anton Wilson — Fri, 3 May 2013 11:23:36 GMT

Author: Robert Anton Wilson

Posted: 05/03/2013 15:23

It may be true for me in regards to some years chart when there are nearly no albums from that year and none of which are my favorites. Then I may include a highly praised album that I haven't had time to get into or properly rate yet just to give my chart some meat and where it falls in the rank is basically random for me so the claim accompanying it may make it bubble at the surface.

But it definitely does not happen on my overall chart, custom charts, or in those year charts of mine that you can see are well populated because these are years I am familiar with.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

paladisiac — Fri, 3 May 2013 09:29:23 GMT

Author: paladisiac

Posted: 05/03/2013 13:29

My overall chart (and other charts) reflects my true all-time favorites. That doesn't mean i listen to them often. I have so much music and am constantly listening to so much new-to-my-ears music that i don't have much time to reach back to many albums, let alone my all-time favorites. However, my all-time favorites, especially those closer to #1, have earned that distinction. I listened to "the lamb" quite often about 3 years straight from when i first purchased it. I'd say the duration was 2 years from initial purchase of "mellon collie". i didn't even need my own copy of "thriller" as that album was *everywhere* for a few years (and i loved every minute).

The only way that i could focus on listening to my all-time favorites is to sacrifice hearing new music and music that's new to me. I'd miss out on discovering new sounds and possible new gems and i'm currently unwilling to make that sacrifice.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

meccalecca — Fri, 3 May 2013 07:58:27 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/03/2013 11:58

an_outlaw wrote:

The line I highlighted is one I felt to be wrong to myself. The user is saying there are albums we want to love or appreciate so much that we rank them higher. Along with "the albums we truly love" before, the bolded part is implying that people find albums they want to like or appreciate and failing to have them in the former category (of loving them) rate them highly anyway. While I don't know if the person who started the topic intended to imply such things, it is simply a view I can not agree with. 😕

Are people putting more than there favorites in the chart? 🤔 Well it looks as though people can give legitimate reasons for doing so.

Oh, I wasn't trying to criticize anyone. Really. I was more or less attempting to raise the idea of consciously and subconsciously liking something.

For example, if your favorite band releases an album, you'll likely put more effort into listening to it than many other albums. You want that album to be just as good as past releases. Anything less is disappointment.

On the other hand, there may be a random record that you have no real personal attachments to, but for some reason beyond your understanding, you keep going back to it and listening over and over again.

Because this desire to listen to said album is on such a subconscious level you may not realize just how much you love it.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ButterThumbz — Thu, 2 May 2013 19:18:52 GMT

Author: ButterThumbz

Posted: 05/02/2013 23:18

an_outlaw wrote:

I fully understand that you do not agree with the OP but surely the discussion it has sparked is along the same lines as a few recent threads you posted.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Anonymous — Thu, 2 May 2013 18:32:02 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/02/2013 22:32

ButterThumbz wrote:

I was surprised by that response too. This strikes me as exactly the kind of discussion you have been trying to instigate, in your own twisted way.

As for my take on this, certainly with regard to my top twenty odd, they are albums which I return to again and again. Music Has The Right To Children is at my number one spot because it's an album the I return to more than any other. It was love at first listen.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ButterThumbz — Thu, 2 May 2013 18:05:22 GMT

Author: ButterThumbz

Posted: 05/02/2013 22:05

Mother Nature's Son wrote:

I've placed an album by a band called Oasis on my overall chart today. The name of the album is (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. I decided to place it there because I relistened to it today and realized that I have listened to it many times and because I have such an nostalgic feeling about most of the tracks. I'm also considering putting their Standing on the Shoulder of Giants there. Again, nostalgia! I'm the biggest Oasis fan on these forums, am I right? 8)Abbey Road.

Well, Oasis are one of those bands that were easy to bash, ripping off whoever they saw fit and strutting around like they were the best thing since sliced heroin. Having said that, Some Might Say is possibly one of the greatest EPs in existence.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ButterThumbz — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:54:31 GMT

Author: ButterThumbz

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:54

meccalecca wrote:

I was more referring to threads criticising people for making extra effort to get into critically acclaimed albums and their supposed offhand dismissal of mainstream artists.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ShaneSpear — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:33:41 GMT

Author: ShaneSpear

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:33

meccalecca wrote:

But, objectively speaking, we an still all agree that Crazytown was a horrible band, right?

YES

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

meccalecca — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:27:53 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:27

ButterThumbz wrote:

Ha. I hope I didn't give the impression that I was trying to instigate something in the way some people post threads about how a specific popular bands sucks. I was just bored and looking to start an intellectual music discussion about our approaches to our charts.

Fortunately, everyone who responded did so with insight.

But, objectively speaking, we an still all agree that Crazytown was a horrible band, right?

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Mother Nature's Son — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:18:33 GMT

Author: Mother Nature's Son

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:18

I've placed an album by a band called Oasis on my overall chart today. The name of the album is (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. I decided to place it there because I relistened to it today and realized that I have listened to it many times and because I have such an nostalgic feeling about most of the tracks. I'm also considering putting their Standing on the Shoulder of Giants there. Again, nostalgia! I'm the biggest Oasis fan on these forums, am I right? 😎

What was the question again? I'm trying to be honest and the "perfect" albums are often inferior to the most-listened albums, though I try not to wear out Abbey Road.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Jasonconfused — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:17:50 GMT

Author: Jasonconfused

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:17

meccalecca wrote:

Well said. Even proposing that some "objectively best art" exists is absurd.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

meccalecca — Thu, 2 May 2013 17:16:03 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/02/2013 21:16

yourself wrote:

A lot of the "impersonal" charts come across as the most naive about music history, or the complexities of how taste works. Though thats certainly not universally true. People generally write the most interesting/informative things about the music they are most passionate about anyways.

Absolutely. It's the same reason I've long been opposed to "objective" art criticism. We all perceive things differently due to context. An machismo frat boy will usually have a much harder time relating to the fragile manic depression of Fiona Apple than a self-loathing girl.

I have a very hard time connecting to a lot of metal, but have plenty of respect for it. That said. You won't find a ton of Norwegian Black Metal on my charts. But it doesn't mean I don't think it's "great"

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ButterThumbz — Thu, 2 May 2013 16:36:47 GMT

Author: ButterThumbz

Posted: 05/02/2013 20:36

an_outlaw wrote:

My first post may have been a little harsh. To answer what else was said, I'll say the top of my chart is a lot more set the higher it goes. Near the bottom albums could jump 30-40 places if I find something new on a later listen.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Anonymous — Thu, 2 May 2013 16:35:09 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/02/2013 20:35

meccalecca wrote:

First of all. holy crap your avatar is Fitzcarraldo. That's great.

I totally agree. Impersonal charts provide nothing for anyone. I concept of giving an album credit because you think you should like it is totally ridiculous.

ahahha thanks its like my favourite film.

A lot of the "impersonal" charts come across as the most naive about music history, or the complexities of how taste works. Though thats certainly not universally true. People generally write the most interesting/informative things about the music they are most passionate about anyways.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

ShaneSpear — Thu, 2 May 2013 16:34:35 GMT

Author: ShaneSpear

Posted: 05/02/2013 20:34

I have albums that I go back to a number of times, and yet would never place them at the tippy top of my chart.

A good example of this would be Das Racist's Shut Up, Dude. It's not anywhere near a great album, and probably not even the best mixtape they produced that year, but I really dig the front half of the album and it cheers me up, so I probably have listened to it more than say, The Suburbs, over the last couple of years.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Anonymous — Thu, 2 May 2013 16:20:37 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/02/2013 20:20

I actually don't listen to my #1 album much these days because I've heard it a million times and I consider it a better investment of my time to listen to new music or re-listen to some stuff that I maybe haven't heard quite as much. However, as far as albums that I listen to when I'm just looking for an enjoyable experience and not trying to get to know a certain album better, my #1 is probably the one I put in the most.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

meccalecca — Thu, 2 May 2013 16:05:15 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/02/2013 20:05

yourself wrote:

I think most charts that claim to judge music in a detached/objective/impersonal way really just end up being "here are some personal favourites with some obligatory classics thrown about on the condition that they don't offend my music sensibilities too much". I really hope people don't put experimental/avante-garde albums on their charts when they don't have any personal connection to them. I love that stuff and a lot of it is among my absolute favourites, but I want people to truly understand and enjoy it, not simply put it on their charts because of its "objective" brilliance or anything like that (I do think given the time effort and patience most people could learn to enjoy some form of experimental music, or any unfamiliar genre, but I don't think it would or should be the obvious choices by default).

I think being "impressed" by an album is a legitimate form of enjoying an album, but meaningless if you don't listen to said album with any frequency. My chart is at least somewhat aligned with what I have been listening to a lot in the last few months, with a few old favourites that I don't hear quite as much thrown in. I would feel uncomfortable having it any other way.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

Anonymous — Thu, 2 May 2013 15:37:42 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/02/2013 19:37

I think most charts that claim to judge music in a detached/objective/impersonal way really just end up being "here are some personal favourites with some obligatory classics thrown about on the condition that they don't offend my music sensibilities too much". I really hope people don't put experimental/avante-garde albums on their charts when they don't have any personal connection to them. I love that stuff and a lot of it is among my absolute favourites, but I want people to truly understand and enjoy it, not simply put it on their charts because of its "objective" brilliance or anything like that (I do think given the time effort and patience most people could learn to enjoy some form of experimental music, or any unfamiliar genre, but I don't think it would or should be the obvious choices by default).

I think being "impressed" by an album is a legitimate form of enjoying an album, but meaningless if you don't listen to said album with any frequency. My chart is at least somewhat aligned with what I have been listening to a lot in the last few months, with a few old favourites that I don't hear quite as much thrown in. I would feel uncomfortable having it any other way.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You List

meccalecca — Thu, 2 May 2013 15:02:25 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/02/2013 19:02

Jasonconfused wrote:

There are MUCH better Zappa albums than Apostrophe.. just sayin :P

hahaha. I know. I honestly just typed the first one that came to mind.

Re: Perception:Your "Best" Album vs Album You Listen T

meccalecca — Thu, 2 May 2013 14:59:45 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 05/02/2013 18:59

BrandonMeow wrote:

I think those who only listen to music to respect it and examine its influence and so on, are definitely missing something. And the two can certainly coalesce, respectable albums and albums you love on a personal level.

Yes. And I think that's exactly why "greatness" is impossible to rate. That whole scientific approach lacks soul. I think the listening experience requires a chemistry between the listener and the music. There needs to be something to connect and relate to.

also, Vashti Bunyan is incredible!