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: 5 hours ago).
"Quite a simple collection of songs that are trying to hook you to their choruses and make you sing them for the rest of the day. This works to a varying degree of success with the best tracks coming very early on. Almost every track on side 1 has a fantastic chorus and is so infectious to listen ...""Quite a simple collection of songs that are trying to hook you to their choruses and make you sing them for the rest of the day. This works to a varying degree of success with the best tracks coming very early on. Almost every track on side 1 has a fantastic chorus and is so infectious to listen to. I leave this album with Baby Love and Where Did Our Love Go firmly wedged inside my brain. The song that has grown on me the most though is When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes which is such an effective song and I always sing along to it whenever it comes on. However, side 2 is the complete opposite and I find no song really works on there at all. If you removed the whole of side 2 I think it would only make the album better as all the boring and dull tracks would be removed. Overall, a simple but effective release that is let down drastically by the second half in my opinion. "[+]Reply
"For those angry about our world today, Brutalism is the record we've been waiting for. Vivacious, loud and essential. Blends a phenomenal concoction of noise rock, punk and grunge and delivers it with all the sternness of a sledgehammer. The pace is fast and urgent, opening with three outstanding...""For those angry about our world today, Brutalism is the record we've been waiting for.
Vivacious, loud and essential. Blends a phenomenal concoction of noise rock, punk and grunge and delivers it with all the sternness of a sledgehammer. The pace is fast and urgent, opening with three outstanding tracks, expanding on its sound in its middle section and dragging itself to a potent and heavy finish, particularly notable on 'Exeter' which acts as the emotional centre of the album.
It's the lyrics that really impress me most; they're on point and vital, combining political themes, social issues and other observations on life in general seamlessly. Their simplicity matches the hard-edged sound of the album, conveying their meaning superbly.
This feels like the album we need right now in the UK. It captures the mood many are feeling and expresses it with anger behind such opinions. Albums this relevant to the present don't come around often, making Brutalism that bit more special.
What you have here is a moody, angry, shouty record that delivers itself with all the ferocity of a cannonball through a brick wall, captures the mood of its time with brilliant accuracy and ties itself together with great structure and a new sound that promises to age brilliantly and develop into something that will define the late 2010s. "[+]Reply
"Joni has been blowing my mind lately. I previously had only a passing knowledge of her work, and in my head I almost thought of Blue as her coming out party, her first great album. I thought of her jazz albums as her most revered albums and perhaps that is true, but I just didn't have a clear pic...""Joni has been blowing my mind lately. I previously had only a passing knowledge of her work, and in my head I almost thought of Blue as her coming out party, her first great album. I thought of her jazz albums as her most revered albums and perhaps that is true, but I just didn't have a clear picture of her capabilities as a musician or as a lyricist.
For my much more quickie 1968 list I discovered her debut and I was incredibly impressed. I was wondering why that album was not mentioned as one of the great debut albums of the 60s or even of all time. It was delicate, detailed, featured moments of intensely inventive musical expression. And it was number 4 for 68. And as I looked ahead at 69-72, my mouth watered with all the surely great albums I'd get to yap about in the future.
Which brings us to this album, 1969's sophomore album Clouds. And you know what? This is a masterpiece. It takes everything which made Song To The Seagull so vibrant and brilliant to me and turns it up even further. Joni just honed her talents to a bright, razor sharp level here. The lyrics became more personal and biting and, to me, more beautiful, the guitar playing is the same level of insane but more clear and mesmerizing, the arrangements were less busy and have more room to breathe.
And here's the thing, when I hear the songs "Chelsea Morning, "That Song About The Midway", "The Gallery", "I Think I Understand" and "Both Sides Now" I am filled up with an intense affinity for Joni. Like, I am just in love, I feel like I hearing someone I just really like, I empathize, and I just smile and say "Sing it, I feels you". That is a silly point perhaps, but I just want to say that cuz its unique. I don't have that feeling about solo artists much where I just love hearing them speak their minds like I'm hearing a peer and I am just filling up with joy. Dylan on Nashville Skyline and Blood On The Tracks and Freewheelin' and Another Side has that going for it, Townes on Live At The Old Quarter in particular, Joni on this and Ladies of the Canyon and Blue, and there may be a few other examples, but its a rare feeling is all I'm saying.
Okay, and even on the songs which are a bit darker and detached from that feeling of kinship I feel on half this album, songs like "Tin Angel", "Songs To Aging Children" etc, I feel something else almost as powerful. Its like Joni could convey a whole complete world and feeling with some perfectly chosen guitar chords or piano chords and sing out these deep lyrics with such musical prowess that I just instantly buy in.
Okay, and I'm not on my game today expressing why I love this album. Its great! Okay!?
The way she says "I am Dead!" with that strange accent or something on "The Gallery" and the whole chorus just kills me! Its just so impossibly great! The mood and the dark, hypnotic beauty of the opener "Tin Angel", and the unearthly harmonies in "Songs to Aging Children", oh my gosh oh my gosh, the sheer joyeous beauty of the entirety of "Chelsea Morning", the sweet then sad then sweet etc yo-yo of "That Song About The Midway" with its just amazing everything,, and of course the stunning and hall of fame level perspective and joy and reality of "Both Sides Now", etc etc I just love so much about this album.
Now when I laid out these ranks a few days ago, I didn't foresee my sudden upsurge in love for that Steve Young album. So maybe when I get to the rating it will seem strange that this is higher than that. But really, I stand by these rankings. Cuz the highs of this album, the happiness and empathy I feel here is much greater than for Rock Salt and Nails, even if I feel that may be a better all around album.
I will say also that the A Capella (spelling that right? doubtful ryan, doubtful) performance of "The Fiddle and the Drum" grates on me a bit. scratch that, it grates on me a lot. Just annoys me and ruins the whole momentum of the otherwise genius album. Also the song "Roses Blue" is strange and has cool and strange effects and all but it just doesn't work for me by and large. And.... those are the gripes I have.
This album is great, Joni is the greatest vocalist on this list (sorry Tim Buckley) she is one of the best guitarists here. She is top 5 lyricist probably all time. She is/was a greater songwriter with a better ear for music than almost everyone who has ever existed on earth. And she is great. There.
"Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all" - Joni Mitchell
Rating: 9.4/10"[+]Reply
"A couple of great songs on here which combine pop and punk very effectively to create a fun fusion. This is mainly due to the energy and the catchy choruses which easily get lodged in your head and I end up singing them for days. Most of the better songs are near the beginning of the release such...""A couple of great songs on here which combine pop and punk very effectively to create a fun fusion. This is mainly due to the energy and the catchy choruses which easily get lodged in your head and I end up singing them for days. Most of the better songs are near the beginning of the release such as Staring At The Sun, Have You Ever and the best song on the record which is The Kids Aren't Alright. All of these stick to the style of music they are going for perfectly and are so infectious. You do get a few good tracks near the conclusion but most of them are filler. However, the biggest downfall of this album is that it can be very cringey at times making it hard to take the music seriously. Also, it is very repetitive in its song structure and style. Overall, there is a lot of fun to be had on this album but the quality is questionable. "[+]Reply
"in 1991, my music tastes were pretty bland and top-40. i had a friend whose musical horizons were considerably broader, and he told me i should check out a band called Cocteau Twins. so i went into a record store and looked through the CT section, but i didn't know which release do try. i asked o...""in 1991, my music tastes were pretty bland and top-40. i had a friend whose musical horizons were considerably broader, and he told me i should check out a band called Cocteau Twins. so i went into a record store and looked through the CT section, but i didn't know which release do try. i asked one of the employees, and she suggested that rather than starting with their first album (Garlands), i should try Blue Bell Knoll. it was a great choice, because i loved it from the first song, and from there i went on to explore the rest of the CT catalog and a lot more 4AD bands. many of my all-time favorites are from that era."[+]Reply
"Father John Misty is the moniker for former Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman. Knowing this helps you to understand the sound of this album better as it sounds a fair bit like a Fleet Foxes album. This album, however, does not sound like an exact copy of a Fleet Foxes album, but you can hear the...""Father John Misty is the moniker for former Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman. Knowing this helps you to understand the sound of this album better as it sounds a fair bit like a Fleet Foxes album. This album, however, does not sound like an exact copy of a Fleet Foxes album, but you can hear the similarities. The loads of reverb and the sometimes minimalistic sound. Tillman does a very good job on this album both lyrically and musically. The songs are interesting and the lyrics are engaging. It’s overall a very good indie folk rock album and I would highly recommend checking it out. It’s not perfect, but it’s very good and especially if you’re a fan of Fleet Foxes, check it out."[+]Reply
"Sixteen Stone, sixteen degrees of awesomeness. As far as debut albums go this is one of the best. Sadly Bush would never came within a Bulls Roar of repeating Sixteen Stone ( though Swallowed is pretty awesome) . I’ve had a long love affair with this album and often play it to this day . All kill...""Sixteen Stone, sixteen degrees of awesomeness. As far as debut albums go this is one of the best. Sadly Bush would never came within a Bulls Roar of repeating Sixteen Stone ( though Swallowed is pretty awesome) . I’ve had a long love affair with this album and often play it to this day . All killer and no filler bar Testosterone which is easily the albums only weak link. This Album has amazing space, meaning it’s best listened to on a HIFI or car stereo, listening on head phones doesn’t do the album justice. I am proud to say Sixteen Stone sits comfortably in my top dozen favourite albums of all time ."[+]Reply
"Up until yesterday, I had avoided this album. I had done this based on numerous negative comments about the album and band at the time. It shows how important it is to form your own opinion and not be swayed by others. What I try not to do is compare later albums with earlier works or vice versa,...""Up until yesterday, I had avoided this album. I had done this based on numerous negative comments about the album and band at the time. It shows how important it is to form your own opinion and not be swayed by others. What I try not to do is compare later albums with earlier works or vice versa, this applies to all the music I listen to. So, in my opinion, this is an excellent album with great music and great production. I have bought it on vinyl and am pleased that it is still housed in the brown paper cover like the original was. The one comparison which I will make, Is that I accept that keyboards feature more on this album than previous works which I like and which suits the band development at the time. "[+]Reply
"I think it's a slight improvement over Misplaced Childhood, but by this point it was clear that the band was taking a far more "adult-oriented" and less proggy direction. The direction's certainly not a bad thing, but I think the band lost some of its energy and power along the way. The first two...""I think it's a slight improvement over Misplaced Childhood, but by this point it was clear that the band was taking a far more "adult-oriented" and less proggy direction. The direction's certainly not a bad thing, but I think the band lost some of its energy and power along the way. The first two Marillion albums are melodic, deep, yet also very powerful. This one...well, it's up and down. It's a little too soft on the whole. With that said, the opening 3 tracks are stellar, and White Russian gives me that Fugazi vibe I've been looking for."[+]Reply