Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 58,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 1 hour ago).
"Why no-one else has seen fit to comment on this work of unmitigated genius is beyond me. I've got 3 things to say about this LP - 1. it's one of the only JA LPs you can listen to from start to finish and think "you know what, this is an album, not a collection of singles with a few fillers chucke...""Why no-one else has seen fit to comment on this work of unmitigated genius is beyond me. I've got 3 things to say about this LP - 1. it's one of the only JA LPs you can listen to from start to finish and think "you know what, this is an album, not a collection of singles with a few fillers chucked in" (Jamaican music has NEVER been album-focused, but there's some gems around if you look hard enough, this being the prime example). 2. If you ever need evidence that Lee 'Scratch' Perry is a visionary and the most important thing ever to happen to Jamaican music (bar perhaps Coxsone Dodd) here's your proof. and 3. if your knowledge of 'reggae' (horrid word) goes no further than 'Bob Marley', I strongly suggest you whack this on, pump it up, lie back and let it soak in. It will start you on a wonderful, fulfilling journey, trust me..."[+]Reply
"Sparks are not for everyone. With falsetto vocals in combination with an unpredictable, schizophrenic style, they're a tightrope act teetering on obnoxious cleverness. But I guess that's why I love them. Unlike other bands, Sparks don't play it safe. My personal fave, Kimono My House, sounds like...""Sparks are not for everyone. With falsetto vocals in combination with an unpredictable, schizophrenic style, they're a tightrope act teetering on obnoxious cleverness. But I guess that's why I love them. Unlike other bands, Sparks don't play it safe. My personal fave, Kimono My House, sounds like a marriage of showtunes, prog, and some futuristic genre not yet discovered. "[+]Reply
"I don;t think it's so much an album about the end of times as it is a study of the human soul in an enviorment without the artificial conviencies of modern society to distract us. It's a stark, thorny album that never gives you the pat on the shoulder we all seem to eventually be asking for, but ...""I don;t think it's so much an album about the end of times as it is a study of the human soul in an enviorment without the artificial conviencies of modern society to distract us. It's a stark, thorny album that never gives you the pat on the shoulder we all seem to eventually be asking for, but it says so much in so many different ways about a topic as weighty as the human condition and without any of the superficially flamboyant gothic flourishes or easy sense of closure that's often prevelant in similar, lesser albums of this ilk. Really it's Will Oldham's songwriting that makes this unforgettable, his plain reading of the oft-bleak lyrics making it all the more poignant. And terrifying. I See a Darkness is just something truly special, even if we need a giant pick-me-up after it's over."[+]Reply
"I think most people on this site will have a band that they connected with significantly more than any others in their adolescence. When you're moving from the stages of just uncritically absorbing whatever's on the radio or whatever your parents play, to a point of having your own musical tastes...""I think most people on this site will have a band that they connected with significantly more than any others in their adolescence. When you're moving from the stages of just uncritically absorbing whatever's on the radio or whatever your parents play, to a point of having your own musical tastes it's vital to have an artist like this to change your whole attitude to music. For me this band was Vampire Weekend.
This is the first Vampire Weekend album to come out since my tastes expanded out from that start point, and it follows a great string of albums culminating in their 2013 masterpiece 'Modern Vampires of the City' which managed to create an emotional connection with the listener whilst still experimenting with massive amounts of production and variation in instruments. 'Father of the Bride' isn't as good as any of those albums but it still brings a lot to the table.
There's quite a lot to set this album apart from their other projects. First off it's significantly longer than the rest of their records and I don't think it's better for it. There's a lot of variation between most of the tracks here but a few fail to establish themselves and they have counterparts on the album that make better use of the same ideas. On the other hand for an 18 track album it does a good job of remaining cohesive in spite of the range of the tracks. In general the tracks here have a bright feel to them but the lyrics are often more negative.
This is also the first album without Rostam being in the band. This puts Ezra more at the centre of the album than any previous projects. I'm not sure how songwriting was divided up between the band here (both of the other members of the band have had solo albums out in the past couple of years) but the song's feel like Ezra's, most likely because of the personal nature of the lyrics here.
The songs themselves range in quality. 'Unbearably White' is probably my favourite track here. The vivid lyrics, subtle production and great guitar work go really nicely together (not sure what the deal is with the Smash Bros sound effect that makes you jump out of your skin though). 'Big Blue' is a great short track where it feels like the guitar notes are flying all over the place. I also like 'Rich Man' but it's a bit off-putting that it sounds so similar to parts of 'Everlasting Arms'.
The first 30 seconds of 'Harmony Hall' is my favourite part of the album, the guitars especially evoke a sunrise, not sure if that's just me though. After this choral arrangements and a very bright sounding piano enter the mix and it all gets very ABBA and it's not bad but it does feel like an amazing amount of potential for the track was squandered by overproduction. This brings me to one of my gripes with the album, there are very mixed results with the maximalist production. There's great stuff like the mass of rhythms in 'Sympathy' and the brass instruments sound really good alongside the guitars at the end of 'My Mistake', but a lot of the time it can feel really lazily applied like in the distorted vocals in '2021' and the weird electronic beats that emerge at the end of 'Jerusalem, New York, Berlin'.
So, at the end of the day 'Father of the Bride' isn't extraordinary but it does have quite a lot going for it. There's such a range of sounds here that anyone can find a fair amount that they like but I don't think many people are going to love it all the way through. Although Vampire Weekend don't shape my tastes the way they once did it's still a pretty huge relief to see a band I love this much stay on form and I'm looking forward to whatever's next.
Sony Music"[+]Reply
"You’ve just had the perfect day. Sun drenched and bone tired, you gather up your things with your friends. There is sand in your hair and on your bare feet, but you don’t care. You can wash it off tomorrow. You pile into the car laughing about some inside joke that no one outside that day would e...""You’ve just had the perfect day. Sun drenched and bone tired, you gather up your things with your friends. There is sand in your hair and on your bare feet, but you don’t care. You can wash it off tomorrow. You pile into the car laughing about some inside joke that no one outside that day would ever understand. The car hits the road and everyone grows silent, lost in their own little world as they reminisce and take in the day. Sinking into their seats as the sun begins to set on the horizon. THIS is the album for that ride home. No one says a word. No one needs to say a word. There’s nothing to say. The days fond memories and the music meld perfectly together as the wind the from the half open car windows plays with your hair. And you all fall half asleep with a half smile on your face thinking the same thought - this was the greatest day.
Grade: A. Finishing perhaps one of the greatest four run album runs in indie, hell rock history, …And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is Yo La Tengo at their mellowest. They know the perfect music for the ride back from the Jersey shore, and this is it. Like all the albums in this four run stretch from Painful to ATNTIIO, this is essential indie rock. Yo La Tengo always got a bit overlooked perhaps because they never broke up or maybe because their music was always a bit more understated and less headline grabbing, but they are easily one of the greatest indie rock bands of the 90s. And you need to look no further than this (almost) seamless masterpiece to find out why.
Aside: My one (minor) quibble with this album is with “Cherry Chapstick”. It’s a great song, but breaks up the super mellow vibe of the rest of the album. It’s a song that would have fit much better on Electr-o-pura or I Am Not Afraid of You and Will Beat Your Ass. "[+]Reply
"One of the best albums in a rich Iron Maiden catalog. A lot of their 80's material is pretty underrated on BEA. Even the weakest songs on here are still pretty unique and catchy. The strongest points are the first two tracks and the closer. Some of the most epic moments in the Maiden discography....""One of the best albums in a rich Iron Maiden catalog. A lot of their 80's material is pretty underrated on BEA. Even the weakest songs on here are still pretty unique and catchy.
The strongest points are the first two tracks and the closer. Some of the most epic moments in the Maiden discography. Should be way higher on the 1983 list, let's be honest."[+]Reply
"This album is often overlooked, even in indie circles. I usually just see BTS mentioned in the context of Modest Mouse and not as their own band."Reply
"I want to say that it's better than Aja but it was such a long time since I listened to that record so I would have to give it another shot before making a determination. But. I do maintain that I believe it would have more of an emotional impact if it was less over-produced, though I do understa...""I want to say that it's better than Aja but it was such a long time since I listened to that record so I would have to give it another shot before making a determination. But. I do maintain that I believe it would have more of an emotional impact if it was less over-produced, though I do understand what people are saying about Steely Dan "doing it right". The album sounds a lot like a mix of Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder, but much more jammy than both. Kid Charlemagne is a real hit. The songs with a little more grove in them, like the fOnk on this one, serves the record well and cancels out a bit of that over-produced "esteem" that they have going on. The two following songs are also brilliant, Caves of Altamira and Don't Take Me Alive. And the album remains incredibly consistent all the way through. The mouth-guitar on Haitian Divorce is really cool. Lots of different sounds on this. Brilliant musicianship all the way through. Opened my eyes to these guys I have to say."[+]Reply