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).
"Just in time before the end of the decade, Michael Kiwanuka provides us with one of the most culturally aware records that we've been gifted. No doubt the message may take a few listens to permeate but when it does you really begin to understand just how important this album will be for years to ...""Just in time before the end of the decade, Michael Kiwanuka provides us with one of the most culturally aware records that we've been gifted. No doubt the message may take a few listens to permeate but when it does you really begin to understand just how important this album will be for years to come. The blend of psych and blues is a difficult task to perfect in this era, but in this album Kiwanuka at least makes it his own. Just like many other great albums of times past, I think this will be one that we look back on and appreciate the fearlessness to address topics of tense societal conflicts within the framework of cross-generational genres."[+]Reply
"i love paul's storytelling ability. A lot of the tales he sings going back to his time in simon & garfunkel sound like they're happening down the block or on his way cross-town to the park. i guess this is his break-up album, but it doesn't sound like it. His higher-pitched vocals carry a breezy ...""i love paul's storytelling ability. A lot of the tales he sings going back to his time in simon & garfunkel sound like they're happening down the block or on his way cross-town to the park. i guess this is his break-up album, but it doesn't sound like it. His higher-pitched vocals carry a breezy air that's light and sunny. You know the hits -- "still crazy after all of these years" and "50 ways to leave your lover" -- does this guy sound down in the dumps to you? "50 ways" sounds fun and detached at the chorus and not bitter at all. The beginning instrumental part of "gone at last" sounds like incidental music a studio would play to a live audience while cutting to commercial, and the whole energy has that offbeat-southern humor energy of the movie "o brother, where art thou?" His pop craft is subtle and precious yet has a gritty wisdom, like character Tom Sawyer entering his late 30s."[+]Reply
"Not only do I need this in my collection, I really need to listen to Grouper. Beautiful music. Will be in my top 10 of 2011 and hopefully be in my decade chart. Can't believe we are almost done with this decade."Reply
"Didn't pay that much attention to the lyrics (the first time I listened to it), but the production is great... I much prefer this kind of hip hop (indie, as Hayden calls it; Madvillain also fall into this category) than the pop rap of Drake, Kanye, Jay-Z, ..."Reply
"*Not really a review but more a summary of my thoughts on this album. Well its kinda a review but I aint gonna bother to fix every little mistake so its more just some paragraphs i wrote making me feel like an edgy critic. Also remember that all this is just my opinion so dont get butthurt, well ...""*Not really a review but more a summary of my thoughts on this album. Well its kinda a review but I aint gonna bother to fix every little mistake so
its more just some paragraphs i wrote making me feel like an edgy critic. Also remember that all this is just my opinion so dont get butthurt, well
except for the objective things i wrote before "Does it live up to the hype?"
Source Tags & Codes, I am reviewing the international version which features the tracks "Invocation" and "Life is elsewhere"
3rd studio album + major label debut
Post-Hardcore/Indie Rock/Art rock band from texas ...Trail of dead were infamous for their explosive live shows.
They had released to albums prior to source tags & codes, the self titled one in 98 and "Madonna" in 99.
Together with bands like Modest Mouse and At the Drive-In they were hailed as "saviors of rock from the evils of nu-metal".
Released to critical acclaim in 2002, and pitchfork giving it a rare perfect 10. Does it live up to the hype?
Well the first 10 minutes definetely made me think so. The tracks "Invocation", "It Was There That I Saw You" and "Another Morning Stoner" add upp
to probably my favorite opening 10 minutes of any album ever, and I beg you, listen to those three tracks before reading this review because
I dont want to spoil it for you. I will explain in detail what makes me think those three tracks are absolute perfection.
The album opens with cold static and noise in the track "Invocation, then in comes a gorgeous piano piece and warming strings.
The song sums up the major feel of the album with no clear words being heard, and that feeling is, at the same time, the harsch coldness of a snowstorm
being neutralized by the warming of a volcano. The static noise is the ice, and the piano and strings is the fire and together they become
pure musical bliss. However, the major theme of the album has not yet been revealed...
The question is answered in the proper opener "It was there that i saw you", it reveals that the major theme of the album is the pain of longing,
of loss and heartbreaking nostalgia, just look at the song title. "It WAS there that I SAW you". Keywords: WAS and SAW.
The sentence is written in past tense, its something that has BEEN and it is tearing him apart, just listen to his pained voice.
The song instrumentally is flawless. Beginning with a subtle guitar line and then breaking into an explosion of volcanic guitars and
freezing cymbals. Then goes into this simple yet effective guitar trade-off then building up tension to a hypnotizing crescendo only Post-Rock legends
like Godspeed You! Black Emperor can rival. Then back into the vortex of noise for an explosive finish and what we have left are just guitar feedback
and the static the album began with.
Segwaying to the next track and possibly Trail of Deads most famous song: "Another Morning Stoner". This song is again, a perfectly crafted song:
Gracefully structured as it rises and falls, deeply layered lyrics and gorgeously textured music with strings and guitar noise etc. and thats not even
talking about the explosive and passionate performances. Finishing with a hard hitting mantra of "What is forgiveness? its just a dream. What is forgiveness? its everything."
And then we get the answers why this album is labeled as Art Rock: all these field recordings and static in between tracks. They definetely add a lot of
depth and personality to the album but sacrifices a better album flow sadly.
And then we get to the part where the album falls of its majestic throne and into a more inconsistant ride.
The next two tracks "Baudelaire" and "Homage" are not bad but they feel a little out of place aswell as does not live up to the standard set by
the preceding tracks. They feel out of place because they both dont feature the main singer instead the Bassist and Drummer sings respectively.
None of them are bad singers at all but their voices and emotional resonance does not fit the overall sad and melancolic theme of the album IMO.
But main vocalist Conrad Keely is definetely my favorite of the three.
"Baudelaire" is a groove heavy track and possibly the "happiest" sounding song on the album. Not because it really is a happy track but more a "rocking" song.
The bassist does have a great voice and a strong personality but again, does not fit the album that well. The song does also drag a little too much
as it just rides the same groove throughout almost the whole thing. However there is a great brass solo at the end that makes me not click the skip button.
"Homage" is the grimmest and most aggressive song on the album.
Drastically changing in mood and quality comes "How Near, How Far". The song title gives you the perfect impression of what this song is about, it is a question
without the questionmark. Not wanting the answer, but knowing it deep down. Its not far away, its not near, its gone, its lost. And the defining moment of the song,
the "how near, how far, how lost they are." part is just so perfect and here is why. It builds and builds but never reaching a climax, a conclusion, it just leaves you
hanging so by the time of the next words come in you are just left in space, you are one step away from the truth you know at the bottom of your heart, but your heart
wont let you reach it. Its just such a defining moment in the album and requires the listeners full undivided attention.
"Life is elsewhere", one of three interludes, not really much here, it just sounds like a scene from a classic Chambara movie.
The defing lyrics of next track "Heart in the hand of the matter" are "ride the apocalypse" and it literally feels like you are riding the apocalypse.
The song is very, well, apocalyptic and the groove is so "ridy" if that makes sense.
"Monsoon" is an even more apocalyptic track. Groove heavy too. It builds and builds and builds tension throughout leaving with a breathtaking climax of
chaos and noise before breaking into a new, more melancholic finish. Easily my favorite among the more out of place tracks.
"Days of Being Wild" is a good song. Hard hitting and explosive, but for some reason is it probably the least memorable song on
the album for me. Also the "middle finger to the instutution" part is sooo cringy.
And so as the album begins in a perfect manner, the album closes aswell. A three track combo, adding upp to 11 and a half minutes, finishes off this
album perfectly.
"Relative Ways" is part 1 of the finale and a damn great start. A passionate and hard hitting song with a very strong melody.
"After the Laughter" are one of the most genius segway/interlude/skit tracks I've ever heard and here's why: It ties the preceding and next track
together so perfectly as it begins with the previous song "Relative Ways" main melody then in the very same song foreshadowing one of the key
moments of the next song "Source Tags & Codes". Its just so tactfully done and subtle details like these blow me away. Also that sample of the
woman singing is just perfect.
And so the finale, one of the most sad and melancholic ballads ever written. Sums up the whole theme of longing in such a beautiful way. Its about
a boy leaving his home on a farm to go on a quest for answers. This song is progressive and textured and very moving. And leaves you hanging on
such a sad note. However, after a few seconds of silence, this uplifting string section comes and closes this album gracefully.
Thankfully these final 11 minutes carry the main theme of the album that captivates me the most and does not reach a weak moment at all.
Even though the first 10 minutes and the final 11 minutes are in my opinion perfection, is this album as a whole not, because its so inconsistant in
between. With the mood, themes and the quality of the music.
Score: 4.5/5
*Side notes.
Since this album often gets critized for being unoriginal lets talk influences for a second. Here are some connections I made to other bands when
listening to this album.
- Invocation & After the Laughter sounds like "Fitter Happier" and "Providence" respectevely were written in major.
- Baudelaire sounds like Josh Homme joined Drive Like Jehu.
- Homage sounds like Unwound was more "Post-Hardcore" than "Indie Rock"
- Relative Ways reminds me of Sonic Youth and Nirvana.
- Source Tags & Codes remind me of Oasis and Coldplay.
Fun facts:
- The string part at the end of the title track is actually a reprise of "How Near, How Far".
- Look closely at the album art, you can see for yourself... (damn does that album art sum up this album well)
Track rankings:
1. Another Morning Stoner 5/5
2. Invocation/It Was There That I Saw You 5/5
3. How Near, How Far 5/5
4. After the Laughter/Source Tags & Codes 5/5
5. Relative Ways 5/5
6. Monsoon 4.5/5
7. Heart In The Hand of the Matter 4/5
8. Baudelaire 3.5/5
9. Homage 3/5
10. Days of Being Wild 3/5
11. Life is Elsewhere 2.5/5
"[+]Reply
"Bob Dylan's first album is often overlooked, probably because it only contains two originals and the rest are covers of old folk and blues tracks. No, it isn't essential compared with later Dylan records, but it is a very enjoyable one. It starts with the giddy, you're no good. The first thing yo...""Bob Dylan's first album is often overlooked, probably because it only contains two originals and the rest are covers of old folk and blues tracks. No, it isn't essential compared with later Dylan records, but it is a very enjoyable one. It starts with the giddy, you're no good. The first thing you notice is how youthful and energetic Dylan's voice is, it never quite sounded like this again. Of the two originals, talkin' new York, and, song to woody, are very derivative of Bob's idol, Woody Guthrie, but they're fine. Elsewhere, house of the rising sun, is done in a style that The Animals would base their version upon a few years down the line. The same can also be said of, in my time of dyin', which would inspire Led Zeppelin. Other tracks include the breezy, baby, let me follow you down, and the frantic, gospel plow. As I said, it's all enjoyable. A good start. "[+]Reply
"Too much water. Never enough. Except on the tracks that don't quite have as much water, but Ichiko probably has the best vocal chops for 2020 singer/songwriters, by an ocean-wide margin."Reply
"This is really a surprisingly solid album. On first listen, I was a bit turned off by how heavyhanded the references were in the album to older Pink Floyd songs, and I also wasn't in the mood for Roger's politics. My opinion started to change when I saw Roger's Us + Them show in Houston this past...""This is really a surprisingly solid album. On first listen, I was a bit turned off by how heavyhanded the references were in the album to older Pink Floyd songs, and I also wasn't in the mood for Roger's politics. My opinion started to change when I saw Roger's Us + Them show in Houston this past week. About five or six songs into his set, he launched into a small block of songs from this new album. Instantly, a solid quarter of the audience got up to get drinks and use the restroom. I was absolutely appalled by this. Yeah, I get that people are here to hear the classics and that these songs are inevitably not going to be up to par to those old albums, but this was obviously a work that Mr. Waters put a lot of heart and soul into, and I found the audience's behavior to be grossly disrespectful of a brilliant artist. This made me listen to the songs more intently, and to my pleasant surprise, I dug them quite a bit. Yes, Deja Vu sounds like Wish You Were Here, and the whole album starts with the same kind of heartbeat sound collage as Dark Side, but it's important to note that Mr. Waters is simply looking back at his youth and playing to his strengths. This album isn't supposed to supersede his previous works. No, it's more of an epic epiloque, a summary of everything that came before as he molds his old sounds to today's world. I thought that the Division Bell was a good way to cap Pink Floyd's catalog, with the Endless River just acting as an unnecessarily long and boring coda to the band's career. That's why, in a way, I hope this is Mr. Waters' last record. If it is, he sure will have gone out in style. "[+]Reply
"Can't Feel My Face is one of the catchiest tunes of the year. The rest of the album is decent but the subject matter of the songs gets repetitive real quick"Reply
"Wonderful performances, but somehow it was a fleeting thing and I didn't feel it had staying power with me, probably didn't connect as well because I don't speak French... then again, I connect just fine with Sigor Ros."Reply
paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
RoundTheBend | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
