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: 3 hours ago).
"This was supposed to be a B-Sides or EP. The album didn't even want to release it. It is subdued, varied, and less accessible than Odelay. It is a preview of the melancholy of Sea Change, and the funk of Midnight Vultures. An underrated album in a brilliant catelogue."Reply
"My favorite female record ever. A singer songwriter record, with softly spoken words about loving someone till it hurt them, with bitter sweet pain, songs about feeling solitude, about being in a violent relationship."Reply
"This album is one my top 100 albums you can check out here. I think the Stranglers were the first punk band we heard of in Belgium, not because we heard the music but because there were a lot of scandal press messages that songs of the Stranglers were banned from the BBC, of course with "Peaches"...""This album is one my top 100 albums you can check out here.
I think the Stranglers were the first punk band we heard of in Belgium, not because we heard the music but because there were a lot of scandal press messages that songs of the Stranglers were banned from the BBC, of course with "Peaches" at the top of that (later on the intro of "Peaches" became the intro of a famous Belgian sports program on national television).
I think the first time, the Stranglers were actually played on the Belgian radio was "Something Better Change" and "No More Heroes", both from their second album which I bought in an earlier stage than their first album.
But in a way I like "Rattus Norvegicus" better with one important reason: "Down in the Sewer", a sort of screwed up mini-opera but an incredibly good song. And there are many other good ones like "London Lady", "Hanging Around" and of course "Peaches" on this album.
Then there came a period when I didn't like them as much with their slower songs like "Golden Brown" and "Always the Sun" but recently they again issued some very good albums like "Norfolk Coast" and "Suite XVI".
Recently I saw them live on the Reorock festival in Roeselare Belgium (together with the Undertones) and they still rocked and most importantly: the pumping bass played by JJ Burnell you can recognize from a mile away was still there."[+]Reply
"WINTER THAWS Something happened. What is not clear. But something happened in between Treasure and Victorialand. Some of my sources (& I have many) tell me that Guthrie & Frasier rekindled their love. Others tell me that bassist Simon Raymonde, who was absent for this session & not missed in the ...""WINTER THAWS
Something happened. What is not clear. But something happened in between Treasure and Victorialand. Some of my sources (& I have many) tell me that Guthrie & Frasier rekindled their love. Others tell me that bassist Simon Raymonde, who was absent for this session & not missed in the slightest, is simply a mega downer. But whatever the cause, whatever the reason, their is a warmth to this album that was not present on their three previous releases. The iciness that used to cover their songs like the morning frost is gone. Winter has thawed and the pearly dewdrops of a new spring shimmer & bask in the rays of the early rising Summer sun. It’s like the black & white world that dominated Cocteau Twins world for so long has been colored in with a super deluxe Crayola crayon set. A softness and gentleness is present. Instead of a cold shoulder, we are given a warm, much needed hug.
Whereas on Treasure, Fraser sounded in pain. Tormented. Like she was exorcising some demons deep inside her. Here, those demons are long gone. Newly saved by the Lord, she’s turned into a loving Pentecostal preacher. A channeler. Taken over by the Holy Spirit and singing in tongues. She is not in control. She is simply a conduit letting the higher forces of goodness work their magic through her. Delivering holy radiance to the masses to heal us. Save us. To let us know that the universe is a divine and wondrous place. That the Gods still exists and are taking care of us. She’s certainly not speaking in English or any other language decipherable by mere human ears. No, she speaks in an ancient tongue long forgotten. A remnant from when the Gods still roamed the the Earth and mated with mortals. And perhaps that was what actually happened. For if any mortal could lure one of the Gods back down to earth for a toss in the hay with just her voice, it is certainly Elizabeth.
Grade: A+. It’s funny. Back in my teens and twenties this was (by far) my least favorite Cocteau Twins album. (Well, except for Four Calendar Cafe which I don’t even count and quickly gave to my Mom. What can I say. My Mom loves Enya. Give her a break. She’s a Mom.) Anyways, back then I loved the dark goth of their early albums and the shoe gaze wonders of Heaven or Las Vegas, but I could never quite get into Victorialand. It was too mellow. Too “nice”. It was missing the bleak drum machine and bass lines that belted out on their early releases. I wanted to be consumed by their dark power. Now, I have embraced the light. The warmth. The sunshine. And you know what? Warmth & sunshine suits them. And this is unquestionably their best. The fullest fruition & distillation of the magic of their inimitable sound. And my chart gives it a big warm hug and channels it all the way to number four. "[+]Reply
"My 3rd favorite album is a actually punk rock trilogy spanning several decades if that is allowed - The Clash "London Calling" (1979) which inspired Rancid's "...And Out Come the Wolves" (1995) which inspired Agent 51's "Red Alert" (1998). Each stands as a monument in time. The name Wolves seems ...""My 3rd favorite album is a actually punk rock trilogy spanning several decades if that is allowed - The Clash "London Calling" (1979) which inspired Rancid's "...And Out Come the Wolves" (1995) which inspired Agent 51's "Red Alert" (1998). Each stands as a monument in time.
The name Wolves seems like a reference to the line in London Calling. All three albums are 19 songs and all three are solid all the way through. While both London Calling and Wolves dabble in ska, Red Alert stays true to punk and heavy metal with topics like aliens, conspiracy, and government. All are great and I think they belong together."[+]Reply
""Ewww, this album is so /simple/ and /country/! Gross!" Ugh. That irritates me so much. BEA's typical bias against anything that sounds remotely southern and simple. This is a fantastic album that has many moments of brilliance. Sure, it's not the typical proggy Decemberists sound, but it is uniq..."""Ewww, this album is so /simple/ and /country/! Gross!"
Ugh. That irritates me so much. BEA's typical bias against anything that sounds remotely southern and simple. This is a fantastic album that has many moments of brilliance. Sure, it's not the typical proggy Decemberists sound, but it is unique and heartfelt. "[+]Reply
"Very underrated album. It is very comparable to "So". I think it's actually better, and second only to PG III. Much of it is more creative than "So" although Steam really is a sequel to Sledgehammer. There is nothing on "So" as dark and nasty as Digging in the Dirt or as clever and slimy as Kiss ...""Very underrated album. It is very comparable to "So". I think it's actually better, and second only to PG III. Much of it is more creative than "So" although Steam really is a sequel to Sledgehammer. There is nothing on "So" as dark and nasty as Digging in the Dirt or as clever and slimy as Kiss that Frog. I think Secret World and Blood of Eden are two of his very best songs ever and remind me of his best work with Genesis, re: Carpet Crawler and Cinema Show, without being sequels to them. Washing of the Water is the culmination of his lyrical obsession with water (think Here Comes the Flood, Family and the Fishing Net, I Go Swimming, Across the River) and it strikes me as cathartic - like he knows that he has now got the obsession beaten... Come Talk to Me is brilliant and very creative musically (bagpipes!). The only song I don't like much is Love To Be Loved, but I like it better than Big Time from "So"... There is no question that this album is virtually as good as "So" and if it had been released in 1987, a year after "So" would have been much more popular than it was in 1992, by which time many fans of "So" had moved on and forgotten about PG..."[+]Reply
"You can't expect anything conventional from one of the most distinctive personalities in experimental rock in recent years. In The New Sound, we dive deep into Geordie Greep's creative arsenal, shedding more light on what he brings (or brought?) to the table as part of black midi. Greep has much ...""You can't expect anything conventional from one of the most distinctive personalities in experimental rock in recent years. In The New Sound, we dive deep into Geordie Greep's creative arsenal, shedding more light on what he brings (or brought?) to the table as part of black midi.
Greep has much to say, often delving into uncomfortable territory, yet he delivers every line with total confidence, forging the bizarre character that only he can portray. Lyrically, he takes us across a spectrum that ranges from sweet romanticism to unhinged libido.
This is backed up by quite the handful of session musicians, blending symphonic grandeur with tropical getaway vibes (Tristan Bongos!) and occasional cacophonies, all of which parallel the lyrical themes. Throughout the runtime, the chemistry among the musicians is flawlessly maintained.
With all this said, this project is one that black midi fans simply can't (and won't) miss."[+]Reply
"Architecture and morality, OMD's second album, is by far their best. It's a stunning electro pop record that still sounds absolutely fantastic today. The beautiful, souvenir, and, Joan of arc, are the most famous and accessible tracks, but there is a lot more interesting and challenging music to ...""Architecture and morality, OMD's second album, is by far their best. It's a stunning electro pop record that still sounds absolutely fantastic today. The beautiful, souvenir, and, Joan of arc, are the most famous and accessible tracks, but there is a lot more interesting and challenging music to be found here. Opener, the new stone age, is excellent, as is, she's leaving, a superb track. Sealand, is another strong cut, and the album comes to a close with, the beginning and the end. One of the best albums from the early eighties, and my favourite album of 1981. "[+]Reply
"(Dense, knotty, complex, scatter-brained, grief-filled, lost, anguished, layered Experimental Hip Hop record with lots of noisy blasts of strange random beats, glitching disorientation, fabulous and varied vocal performances and just generally a frightening and inspired and inspiring new musical ...""(Dense, knotty, complex, scatter-brained, grief-filled, lost, anguished, layered Experimental Hip Hop record with lots of noisy blasts of strange random beats, glitching disorientation, fabulous and varied vocal performances and just generally a frightening and inspired and inspiring new musical realm in album form. Give it 2 or 3 spins before writing it off.)
My prior experience with really experimental or unorthodox hip hop was very limited. I love Atrocity Exhibition, enjoy some Death Grips and clipping and Dalek, never could get into Some Rap Songs or Lil Ugly Main or Coin Locker Kid. And I suppose I did also really like that Moor Mother + Billy Woods album last year…. The point is, I am not familiar with this genre, this sort of amorphous, boundary-pushing, strange, experimental side of hip hop. 90% of my favorites in the genre are from the mid 90s. Needless to say, this doesn’t bear any resemblance to Liquid Swords.
On first listen I was confused. I thought the album was equal parts dense/hard to follow as well as beautiful/intriguing/weirdly addictive. After I heard it once and was sort of dumb struck, I felt a compulsion to push play and try again to unravel what the fuck this is. Now, after 3 full listens and the 4th in progress, I am getting more and more familiar with it without losing that wonder at the density of the noises and elements and soundscapes created.
There are parts of this album that are sad and beautiful (“Knees”, “Top Picks for You, “Postpostpartum”). There are frightening and mentally ravaged moments (“Outside”, “Footwork in a Forest Fire”, “Wild Wild West”). There are glitchy, seemingly random noisy bits (“Superman That”, Ground Zero”) and there are even a couple honest-to-goodness songs that I can follow along with in almost traditional music listening ways (again, “Knees”). And perhaps most importantly, there aren’t clear distinctions between these sounds and emotions. Within one song there is a mixing and melding and an almost infinite variety of potential emotional responses. As a cohesive album, this succeeds in never fully showing or making clear what is the appropriate take-away from the track, whatever track you are hearing at the moment.
By The Time I Get To Phoenix album is a journey, a fucked up, lost, aimless voyage through some grimy and miserable world. I keep hearing in comments from fans of IR that this album is deeply rooted in grief and loss. And that would make sense considering the death of founding member of the group Stepa J. Groggs in June of last year. However, either I just haven’t fully unpacked the lyricism here or perhaps its people projecting the emotions onto the album that aren’t fully or exclusively here. There are no on-the-nose and obvious odes or ballads or laments clearly about the loss of Groggs. There IS a distinct hazy, disorienting, vibe throughout this whole project. It feels like the mental state of the members of Injury Reserve are constantly on the edge of fully splintering and breaking apart. This head space is expressed throughout here masterfully. It feels uncomfortable being in these guys’ heads and they fully flesh out the beats and sonic spaces so that you are thrown fully into this state-of-mind. Fabulous and, yes I’ll say it, genius brilliant amazing production now that I have gotten used to it.
And listening now to the closing track “Bye Storm” and I am getting emotional. It feels like the slight twinkle of light through the oppressive smoky sky, with that weird and exultant guitar sound. This closer along with the pained grief and apathy of the penultimate track “Knees”, make for a perfect and all-time classic closer to this album. Okay, maybe that is a bit hyperbolic. It is just a truly moving way to cap off this experimental and crushing album is what I’ll say.
The production of Parker Corey is going to get most of the ink and praise, understandably. As, despite beats of sounds like this being around in Hip Hop for 15 years, somehow he took the level of detail and wooziness and expansiveness and just expanded it exponentially. Perhaps this isn’t a completely brand new never been remotely heard sound (nothing like that ever drops and comes out of the blue) – but it is, to these admittedly not fully educated ears, a new bar set in terms of detail and expansiveness and layered noisy experimentation.
Moving to the vocal performances here, they are similarly impressive. Schizophrenic, sad and lost, slurred and drunken and in pain, cutting and fully embodying the words and living in the soundscapes. Especially the varied vocal sounds in “SS San Francisco (feat. Zelooperz)”. The deep grumbling vocal and the weird high-pitched singing set the table for some playful, sardonic, griefy bars. But its not just here, wherever the rap verses come in (and that is strangely rare, this seems to be an album where the rapping is somewhat sparse and instead there are long stretches of instrumental table-setting before Ritchie with a T comes in with the perfect vocal intonation and flow to complement the beat and sinic space.
Random, fly-by thoughts:
-The Yeezus-esque screams on “Footwork in a Forest Fire” is awesome and really the whole track and every phase of it is cool, but for some reason those screams got me.
-Smoke Don’t Clear” is, as of now, one of the few tracks here that I don’t fully like. But I will say it works well in the context of the album more than its own noisy mess of a thing.
-The way “Top Picks for You” with that dramatic melody on that… whatever sound that is… with the whispery singing and the sadness of the verses, its incredible. The whole song is great. One of my faves.
-“Knees” was weird and fabulous in isolation as a single, but it feels so much deeper and more moving and beautiful within the context of the LP. One of the best tracks here, or perhaps the best.
In closing, I am listening a 5th time, and it grows and grows on me. This is a dense and brilliant experimental and emotionally gripping and profound album. I recommend a couple listens or 3 before making final judgement. I had a similar arc with Atrocity Exhibition, where I was very VERY disoriented and kind of unimpressed on first listens and then over time I understood its dense complicated and knotty brilliance with further listens. Recommend the same for this.
Note: This is an album that I am sure I am only scratching the surface with. I hope I listen enough to unravel it more. This comment ain't final. This 5th listen is making me hear other details and that is just really exciting."[+]Reply
junodog4 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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dihansse | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Repo | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Cargusbralem | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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