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).
""Love at First Feel," "Problem Child," "Squealer," "Big Balls," the title track...this album is filled with fun, rocking AC/DC gems. You know their formula...and this album doesn't stray from it. I see that as a positive thing. Coca-Cola tried changing it's recipe and it ended in disaster. Not al..."""Love at First Feel," "Problem Child," "Squealer," "Big Balls," the title track...this album is filled with fun, rocking AC/DC gems. You know their formula...and this album doesn't stray from it. I see that as a positive thing. Coca-Cola tried changing it's recipe and it ended in disaster. Not all change is good. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. "[+]Reply
"The moods and feelings that the music on this album generates are cerebral in nature, akin to an outer body experience. Listening to this haunting music late a night in darkness, one can perhaps imagine levitating in a vortex of empty space in which exist ghostly figures in animated suspension be...""The moods and feelings that the music on this album generates are cerebral in nature, akin to an outer body experience. Listening to this haunting music late a night in darkness, one can perhaps imagine levitating in a vortex of empty space in which exist ghostly figures in animated suspension between the spiritual and material world, each attempting to communicate with humanity to warn it of an impending apocolypse. The soft ambient floating drones build and collapse like galactic black holes. The impression is of catastrophe more introvertly personal and profound than outwardly physical like for instance, Pere Ubu's 'The Modern Dance'. Crescendo's of organ contrast with elongated drones, eerie electronics, bells, tablas and moog sythesiser creating a metaphysical sense of forboding that's simultaneously mysterious, sacred and timeless. "[+]Reply
"A very minimalist album that does shine in places but also struggles to maintain my attention for the full run time. It has moments where it is really psychedelic and you end up getting lost in these crazy beats and rhythms which is exactly what the artist wants you to do. This is really helped b...""A very minimalist album that does shine in places but also struggles to maintain my attention for the full run time. It has moments where it is really psychedelic and you end up getting lost in these crazy beats and rhythms which is exactly what the artist wants you to do. This is really helped by the drums which are phenomenal on this album and are the real highlight for me. However, it just feels a bit to empty at times and it is so easy for me to switch off from the album. It can feel partly made at times as well and like it is missing something to complete the sound that they are trying to achieve. Overall, this album is an experience but doesn't have the quality to be amongst the greatest of all time. "[+]Reply
"85 to 95/100 (Continuing a trend of punk albums absolutely kicking my ass in 2021, this album goes ahead and kicks ((perhaps)) the very hardest. Post punk, dance punk, noisey rock, artsy heaviness, oh my! Oh and go listen to "Snow Day" if you wanna see what is so great about Shame.) This album fu...""85 to 95/100 (Continuing a trend of punk albums absolutely kicking my ass in 2021, this album goes ahead and kicks ((perhaps)) the very hardest. Post punk, dance punk, noisey rock, artsy heaviness, oh my! Oh and go listen to "Snow Day" if you wanna see what is so great about Shame.)
This album fucking rocks. It makes me wanna mosh and dance and stand still and sad whilst looking out at the city streets and go and tear shit up, all in relatively equal measure across its 42 minutes.
Its nearly relentless in its heaviness, and it IS relentless in its tension and mood. All the while Shame remain undeniably accessible and even catchy.
A few of these songs (namely, Snow Day, Harsh Degrees, Human For A Minute, Born In Luton) are next level statements and just sublime. The rest of the album and its other tracks are also excellent. The slowed down tracks are gorgeous, and manage to be manic and fragile and very tense all at once (The closer, Station Wagon and especially again Human For A Minute are excellent examples of this fine tight rope they so deftly walk.). On the great song 6/1, there is even a moment of emotional depth that rivals early Interpol (it does sound quite similar to some of those classic Turn On The Bright Lights songs).
I don't have much to say of any usefulness. I guess I will summarize in the following run-on sentence: if you love Punk rock, if you love those manic and catchy Talking Heads guitar riffs from their late 70s albums, if you love the spit and fury of John Lydon's vocals and the cooler than cool (ice cold) vocals of peak Strummer, if you love muscular and, frankly, badass Bass lines holding down the furious beast alongside some pummeling Post-Punk drum barrages, if you love albums that come fully formed and beautifully paced and come with the singular purpose of shaking you by the shoulders and giving you a swift kick in the ass, then I think you will LOVE this album and it will become a new favorite or, at the least, you will appreciate the heck out of it.
As I listen to this album more and more throughout the year (and I do think it will be one I am constantly reminded of and sticks with me) I am sure my opinion will blossom a bit. As of now I am mostly just loving that in 2021 I am listening to an album that makes me feel like a vibrant and pissed young rebel again. This album even makes Digital Marketing and IT troubleshooting seem like acts of tortured and righteous rebellion.
"I need a new solution.
I need a new resolution,
and its not even the end of the year.""[+]Reply
"One of the most disorienting albums I've ever heard. Silver Apples' debut is a genuine psychedelic experience. It was far ahead of its time and remains fresh today."Reply
"I love this album. It is the best dire straits album even though it contains none of their hits (Which were too commercial for my liking). Communique is understated but is the perfect blend of Knopfler’s guitar and vocals, and Wither’s drums. I have listened to it 100s of times and never been dis...""I love this album. It is the best dire straits album even though it contains none of their hits (Which were too commercial for my liking). Communique is understated but is the perfect blend of Knopfler’s guitar and vocals, and Wither’s drums. I have listened to it 100s of times and never been disappointed."[+]Reply
"Very good at what it is, but what it is isn't quite Lou Reed. His songs, arranged as intense stadium rock with dual dramatic virtuoso guitars. Still a worthy edition to any Lou collection, as it's an important piece of his history, a big part of what he's known for, and rather good in it's own Ro...""Very good at what it is, but what it is isn't quite Lou Reed. His songs, arranged as intense stadium rock with dual dramatic virtuoso guitars. Still a worthy edition to any Lou collection, as it's an important piece of his history, a big part of what he's known for, and rather good in it's own Rock N Roll Animal Way."[+]Reply
"Their most commercial album but none the worse for it. Every track is spot on. It starts with For Even Less - a brilliant, haunting tale of lost youth and friendship. Piano Lessons follows - for anyone who has ever taken any, it aches with memories. Slave Called Shiver and This Is No Rehearsal al...""Their most commercial album but none the worse for it. Every track is spot on. It starts with For Even Less - a brilliant, haunting tale of lost youth and friendship. Piano Lessons follows - for anyone who has ever taken any, it aches with memories. Slave Called Shiver and This Is No Rehearsal also stand out, with the final song - Stop Swimming - rounding it all out. Just wonderful."[+]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
Captain_Dude | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +14 votes (14 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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meccalecca | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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bigeyedfish | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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