Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 4 hours ago).
"After having listened to this 6+ times over the past couple of days I can firmly say that this is one of the best records The National has ever produced. I loved every second of this from the very beginning, and every time I've listened to it my love has only grown. Although it isn't necessary, o...""After having listened to this 6+ times over the past couple of days I can firmly say that this is one of the best records The National has ever produced. I loved every second of this from the very beginning, and every time I've listened to it my love has only grown.
Although it isn't necessary, one can better understand I Am Easy To Find if seen as a companion to the short film and vice-versa. They compliment each other in a magnificent way. Providing not only imagery but context for the lyrics, which are some of the best the band has ever written. In "Quiet Light", the first verse struck a chord with me as few other songs in their catalogue have done.
This album shows us that The National can still evolve as a band, incorporating new elements into their songwriting but still maintaining their own style.
The guest vocals don't feel alien, but compliment Matt's voice in the best way possible. The contrast between high and low tones makes every song reach deeper into the soul. This synergy is best heard in "Where Is Her Head", an extremely energetic song about parent paranoia.
I Am Easy To Find is a record about marriage (oh, surprise) and about being a parent. The tracklist follows a narrative; it has a three-act structure that shows us the evolution of the narrator through all of his dilemmas, and when you realize you've reached "Light Years", you can contemplate what a beautiful experience you just had.
The strings, the arrengements, everything in here is extremely well done. It may feel somehow long at first, but the more you listen to it, the more it grows on you and it's when you can start dissecting the songs at a deeper level.
I Am Easy To Find is my favorite record of 2019 and it may become one of my all-time favorites this decade. In my opinion, it doesn't top Boxer or High Violet, but it's still an almost-perfect album. A very beautiful experience that only gets better with time. I may raise my 90 to a 95 soon."[+]Reply
"For my money, this is QOTSA's best album. They went on to make more diverse albums, but they never made anything as slick as this awesome debut. As cool as the otherside of the pillow..."Reply
"Jeff Lynne was a popmeister. Confusion and Don't Bring Me Down were brilliant in that right but tracks like Midnight Blue cemented this as another solid outing by a band that was unabashedly Beatles-esque... yet not."Reply
"This is where metal was born. You have to thank these guys for Led Zep, Black Sabbath, AC/DC. Listen to Clapton's version of SPOONFUL. They broke away from the standard that was introduced by the Beatles, and emulated by so many in the British Invasion of the 60's"Reply
"Rattle and hum, is U2 taking us on a journey of the history of rock. There's covers of The Beatles and Dylan, Hendrix appears on the record, and the band record a handful of songs at sun studios where Elvis recorded his earliest songs. Elsewhere, there's songs about Billie Holiday, references to ...""Rattle and hum, is U2 taking us on a journey of the history of rock. There's covers of The Beatles and Dylan, Hendrix appears on the record, and the band record a handful of songs at sun studios where Elvis recorded his earliest songs. Elsewhere, there's songs about Billie Holiday, references to John Coltrane, Miles Davis and a dedication to John Lennon. It's as if U2 are inducting themselves into the rock and roll hall of fame, as if they are saying, hey, we belong here too. As for the music itself, it's really a two part album, live songs and new studio tracks. Off the studio jobs, desire, Angel of Harlem, and, all I want is you, are the best of 'em, van diemens land is a good protest number, the others so-so. Off the live tracks, included is an absolutely dreadful version of Dylan's, all along the watchtower, did the band know the song? Does the edge know what key they're in? Oh well, I still haven't found what I'm looking for, is enjoyable, but by the time we get to, silver and gold? Yes, Bono, you are starting to bug me. Rattle and hum, is hubristic, pompous and overblown, but some of it's okay, it would have been better and more dignified if they had just released an e.p of new songs. Having said all that, it can be an enjoyable listen. "[+]Reply
"The Smile return with a second offering that's even more interesting than "A Light for Attracting Attention". I was a very big fan of their debut. After all, Radiohead is my favorite band, so I was naturally drawn to this side project. Many people have argued that The Smile sounds exactly like Ra...""The Smile return with a second offering that's even more interesting than "A Light for Attracting Attention". I was a very big fan of their debut. After all, Radiohead is my favorite band, so I was naturally drawn to this side project. Many people have argued that The Smile sounds exactly like Radiohead, while others haven't been able to get too much into this band. What I'm going to say is that, while it obviously has many similarities, because Thom Yorke is the lyricist and together with Jonny Greenwood they compose the music (with Skinner, alright), this band is able to create and get deep into another sound *just* because they *are* another band with another name.
I loved every single song in "A Light for Attracting Attention", because, yes, they sound a lot like Radiohead (mainly, my favorite cut from that record: "Speech Bubbles"), and even, many could pass off as Thom Yorke solo creations (such as with "The Same"). Having said that, I can't imagine some of those cuts having been able to be recorded by Radiohead as an entity, such as "We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings" or "Waving a White Flag"; I think they would've been too much out of the equation with the band's history, even taking into account the countless times they've hit a left turn in terms of what people expect from them. Just starting from "zero" with a flagship that doesn't have to specifically adhere to anything prior, can loosen up what they can do, not having to respect any history or live up to any expectations. If something goes bad, well, it was just a side project! With songs like "Thin Thing" or "The Opposite", the third element from The Smile comes to life. Tom Skinner is a perfect way to round up a project that delves, even slightly, into jazz and prog territory.
Coming into "Wall of Eyes" I wasn't too sure what to expect. I saw the band live last year, and I was amazed at the way they are able to almost seeminly, communicate with their instruments. These musicians have reached a level of artistry that is hardly comparable to other rock acts. They are very technical, and also, you can feel a lot of energy and freedom in this sound. I was a pretty big fan of songs such as "Just Eyes and Mouth", that promised an even more radical direction and departure from Radiohead.
When "Bending Hectic" dropped, though, it wasn't what I was expecting. It's a hypnotizing journey that takes you into a very low point, before coming right back at you and ending on a very high note. I loved the song, but I was taken off by it at the same time. When "Wall of Eyes" was released as a single, I had a very similar reaction to it. It was good, though it mainly grew over time. My thought was "Well, I think they're going for a calmer sound and songs that take some time to get to you". And even though that's not a bad thing, I wasn't expecting too much from this album.
I was wrong!
This might be even better than "A Light For Attracting Attention". In retrospect, after talking with other fans of the band, it's true that their debut was somewhat all over the place (something I'm personally fond of). What remains in an album where 3 core members of Radiohead are absent? Some people have said it was lacking in some areas, and that it was too similar to that other main band we are all pretending doesn't exist. But "Wall of Eyes" isn't just a statement that it can do whatever it wants to, but that it can be *as* good as a Radiohead LP, *as* consistent, and even, the right amount of *different* to justify not being a Radiohead album.
"Teleharmonic" is a profoundly amazing song, that goes pretty deep into an electronic sound that doesn't sound nothing like Radiohead's past electronic endeavors, or even Thom Yorke's. "Read the Room" is a more raw and rock-ish cut that strays into post-rock, while keeping a stretched arm that manages to cohesively tie together an album that also features more calm songs such as "I Quit" or "You Know Me!".
Even though I've spent a lot of paragraph trying to argue that The Smile isn't anything like Radiohead, and I still stand by that, at the same time, I incorporate The Smile as part of the bigger Radiohead canon by saying that this might be one of the best albums ever put out by these group of people, in general. The way things blend together sonically and spiritually is *almost* as great as albums like "In Rainbows" or even "Kid A", and not because they sound the same; it's because this feels like an album that's more focused in what it's trying to do. "A Light For Attracting Attention" was testing the waters; it was a singles compilations, even, or just a traditional album in that sense. "Wall of Eyes", however, *is* more akin to what we think about as the *concept* album, or, at least, what Radiohead has delivered time and again.
The atmosphere here is dense, but at the same time, it breathes. An interesting emotion that may be derived from the fact, that for the first time in forever, Nigel Godrich isn't behind a Yorke-led project. This results in a sound that's obviously familiar, from the musicians at play, but feels somewhat different, thanks to a more "natural-sounding production".
In summary, "Wall of Eyes" is another great album from the gang, and I'm pretty excited for their unevitable third album, that's already shaping to be amazing (please, just let me listen to that studio version of "Just Eyes and Mouth"!). I talked about this on my review for the first album, but if Radiohead doesn't return with a tenth album, I'm pretty comfortable with having more albums by The Smile, even if they are the same... even if they *aren't* the same!
Favorite tracks: "Wall of Eyes", "Teleharmonic", "Read the Room", "Friend of a Friend", "I Quit", "Bending Hectic""[+]Reply
"This album is immense. An absolute powerhouse. Yes, it does meander in places, but for me it's perhaps the perfect headphones album. Despite not being particularly blessed technically, both rappers hold it down supremely with some fantastic imagery and strange non-sequiturs. And production-wise, ...""This album is immense. An absolute powerhouse. Yes, it does meander in places, but for me it's perhaps the perfect headphones album. Despite not being particularly blessed technically, both rappers hold it down supremely with some fantastic imagery and strange non-sequiturs. And production-wise, it's El-P's best."[+]Reply
"“Wetleg” tries a bit too hard to be clever. Songs attempt to have this wry sense of humor about them, but it rarely hits the mark. This produces groaner lyrics such as “To tell me if I'm thin or fat, to tell me should I shave my rat”. The focus on wordplay also comes at the cost of thematic meani...""“Wetleg” tries a bit too hard to be clever. Songs attempt to have this wry sense of humor about them, but it rarely hits the mark. This produces groaner lyrics such as “To tell me if I'm thin or fat, to tell me should I shave my rat”. The focus on wordplay also comes at the cost of thematic meaning. They will jump from innuendo to innuendo without building a foundation of feeling. This is most apparent on the break-up tracks, which all together only amount to only “Piss off, loser”. Instrumentally, there is competent jangle pop, but with the exception of “Wet Dream” no stand-out guitar lines. If you put your tongue too far into your cheek, no one will know what you are saying."[+]Reply