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).
"A very fresh and active sounding album. The guitar work is fantastic, the singing is emotional and powerful and the songwriting is extremely original. Only complaints being it gets a bit samey, but we'll see if it gets better with each listen."Reply
"This is Zappa and the original Mothers' last album (recorded over the same period of Weasels Ripped My Flesh). This masterpiece is a long instrumental ride through the lands of fantasy that does not attempt a definitive system, but finds instead spontaneity and grace of true genius. The centerpie...""This is Zappa and the original Mothers' last album (recorded over the same period of Weasels Ripped My Flesh). This masterpiece is a long instrumental ride through the lands of fantasy that does not attempt a definitive system, but finds instead spontaneity and grace of true genius. The centerpiece of the album is the twenty-two minutes of 'Little House I Used to Live In' featuring some stunning violin playing from Don Sugarcane Harris. 'Burnt Weeny' is a tour de force of four great soloists (Harris, Preston, Underwood, Zappa) and the rhythm section (the dual battery and Tripp Black). This album is a stylistic masterpiece and ranks as one of Zappas's greatest achievements.
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"I absolutely adore the production on this album; the industrial noise has very limited variety in terms of tone but is incredibly hard hitting. There are tracks where it drags on a little too long, but for me the noise never overstays it's welcome. The rapping is a little underwhelming and the ly...""I absolutely adore the production on this album; the industrial noise has very limited variety in terms of tone but is incredibly hard hitting. There are tracks where it drags on a little too long, but for me the noise never overstays it's welcome. The rapping is a little underwhelming and the lyrics could have been written by a high school philosophy student, but since the noise is way more powerful it doesn't drag the album down too much."[+]Reply
"(Really cool mix of Soul, R&B, Gospel, Blues, Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Jazz etc etc. And maybe most remarkable is how Batiste and Co. are able to make these varied sounds and textures meld into a coherent album. Not just a coherent album, but a joyous, celebratory, powerful, bright, inspiring album. On...""(Really cool mix of Soul, R&B, Gospel, Blues, Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Jazz etc etc. And maybe most remarkable is how Batiste and Co. are able to make these varied sounds and textures meld into a coherent album. Not just a coherent album, but a joyous, celebratory, powerful, bright, inspiring album. One of my favorite listens recently and highly recommended.)
Right from the jump, with the absolute stunner that is the opening track "WE ARE", this album treats us to such euphoric, spiritual joy, its hard for me to imagine anyone who enjoys soul/gospel/R&B/Blues or the rich history of Black American music NOT at least liking this. That opening track sets the mood so high and does so so forcefully it's truly impressive.
From there the album takes on a historical tour of some of the greatest musicians and movements of the last hundred years. One song sounds like some Sly and the Family Stone jam, then the next sounds like the modern Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye, then you'll be hearing some D'Angelo or Duke Ellington vibes, then some soulful blues of Albert King, and on it goes. The Neo-Soul and Conscious Hip Hop thrown in and done quite well and ably as well just adds yet another layer to this buffett of truly great and enriching music.
If the album has a major flaw, or flaws, its that the whiplash created by switching up with such dexterity between so many different genres and tempos can be I bit discombobulating. The other flaw is the well-worn go to critique of "iT's sO dErIvAtive!". And, jokes aside, I can hear where this make-believe person is talking about. Most of these sounds and styles are so FULLY embraced and integrated by Batiste that it really does feel like he is pouring himself and what makes him unique into the influences. On occasion I also feel like the sounds are a bit derivative. These moments are rare and even when that feeling of unoriginality comes in, the songs and the performances are so strong I find this critique fade away behind my bobbing head and stupid grin.
This is a refreshingly alive, vital, joyous and optimistic sounding album. It has a brightness and a hope that is infectious. The way the album starts is stunningly great. Track 1 "WE ARE", track 2 "TELL THE TRUTH", track 3 "CRY" (another song of the year candidate), track 4 "I NEED YOU", and track 6 "BOY HOOD" are each flawless. Its rare an album comes out the gates THIS. FREAKING. HAAARD.
Of course with such a beginning its likely to fall off a little in the second half lest it be one of the 20 best songs ever made. And fall off a bit it does. Still some of the songs on side 2 are quite stunning. The D'Angelo-ish jam "ADULTHOOD", and the anthemic Sly-esque "FREEDOM" being a couple examples of latter half gems.
Of course it would be silly to end a comment on this album without remarking on Jon Batiste as a vocalist and a musician. He is a great, personable, almost effervescent force as a vocalist. He radiates some kind of warmth and relatability that I love to hear and is what has been the main driving force behind me listening to this album for hours today. And as a musician, well, he got this band together, arranged these songs, assembled this album and made this music - I think he is a world-class musician and artist. Glad I found this and heard it. It really has brightened up my day."[+]Reply
"An overlooked great album by Bolan better than *The Slider" and lies 2nd to Electric Warrior for consistency . None of the tracks were released as singles an unusual event back then. Overall the album holds together as a complete unit with Bolan introducing a more soulful sound."Reply
""I Know I'm Funny Haha" shows Faye Webster solidifying her sound. Faye has created this blend of country guitars and light R&B vocals that set her apart from the indistinct singer song writer norm. "Cheers" in particular has a fantastic guitar breakdown at the end. The contrast is the song writin..."""I Know I'm Funny Haha" shows Faye Webster solidifying her sound. Faye has created this blend of country guitars and light R&B vocals that set her apart from the indistinct singer song writer norm. "Cheers" in particular has a fantastic guitar breakdown at the end. The contrast is the song writing. Webster will introduce an intriguing idea and it will be stopped after two of three lines. Greater exploration is needed for the audience to really connect with feelings. Webster has her sound, now she needs to deepen it. "[+]Reply