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: 49 minutes ago).
"My personal AOTY. I also think that this has been the best year for Damon ALbarn. I feel like everything that he did with all of his projects this decade were buildups to The Now Now and this album. Everyday Robots was pretty substantive. Filled with political, personal, and emotional themes. How...""My personal AOTY. I also think that this has been the best year for Damon ALbarn. I feel like everything that he did with all of his projects this decade were buildups to The Now Now and this album. Everyday Robots was pretty substantive. Filled with political, personal, and emotional themes. However, even though the themes were strong and distinct and the album was consistent, was it really that memorable, unique, or interesting? I don't think so. That album had a very dull aesthetic, and the musical style was clear but it was so BORING and didn't have any replay value. The Magic Whip felt more emotional, memorable, and catchy, but it was still more of an album focused on themes and lyrics rather than creativity. It had a nice aesthetic, but the songs were quite plain at times. Lots of emotional tracks, though, and some of them were absolutely beautiful. Then there was Humanz. Extremely catchy, energetic, lots of replay value, blending of genres, and it felt like the songs had more character and emotion than the other projects. But the themes and lyrics were WEAK. The album wasn't musically coherent. It barely had a direction. It's OK to experiment, but Humanz REALLY had no fully realised elements to it even if it had more standout tracks. Also, the production was really simplistic and it sounded to basic and bare than the eccentric and intricate instrumentals on Plastic Beach. The Now Now. A stronger direction, more intricate instrumentals, strong and direct lyrical themes, some of Damon's most genuine and heartfelt lyrics, a really authentic yet creative and fun project that has tons of replay value. It's such a great blend of what Damon had done in the 2010's. The strongest tracks are easily the last four, being some of Damon's most beautiful, moving, and emotional tracks that summarize his career as a musician and he really reflects on his whole life in such an outstanding way. This album feels like those four tracks brought into the length of a full album. It's so seamlessly incredible and it has Damon ALbarn's most well-written instrumentals ever. This band seem like the best musicians to bring out the best of Damon ALbarn's vocals. The best songs are by far the more emotional/political/personal tracks such as Merrie Land, Lady Boston, Ribbons, and The Poison Tree, which is a BEAUTIFUL track that feels like it's dedicated to everyone that Damon Albarn has lost in his musical career. I know why ALbarn thinks this is some of his best music ever, because it truly is incredible. Lyrically and musically it's a flawless project. It has such distinct themes yet it experiments in different genres. It's like Everyday Robots but this time around it's truly Damon ALbarn doing everything that he does best as a songwriter. "[+]Reply
"Basically a re-release of the, remasters, album from 1990, with an almost identical track list, repackaged with new cover artwork. You can't argue about the quality of songs though. I don't personally like to rate and comment on compilations, but I need to bump my points up to get to level seven."Reply
"Good rock and roll/hard rock/punk rock album. Best 10 songs average is 79,7/100 and the album can get good 80/100. Album has some lows, especially in the middle. Best songs are "Candy" and "Pussy power" both 85/100, followed by "Home" and "Livin' on the edge..." both 80/100."Reply
"This is a massive work - clocking around 6.5 hours! - by improvisation master Jarrett. It is hard listening to it in one go due to its enormous length but the music in it is all worth it, so go for it. I've been listening to this throughout the week - one or two tracks per day - usually at nightt...""This is a massive work - clocking around 6.5 hours! - by improvisation master Jarrett. It is hard listening to it in one go due to its enormous length but the music in it is all worth it, so go for it. I've been listening to this throughout the week - one or two tracks per day - usually at nighttime and I found the work pretty impressive. One of the best 1978 releases (record in 1976)."[+]Reply
"There is something just really mesmerizing about this album. It has moments of being pretty straight forward rock. There are also a lot of really emotional and gorgeous atmospheric parts. There is something so gorgeously sincere about Jenn Wasner's vocals. I just feel like I know and understand h...""There is something just really mesmerizing about this album. It has moments of being pretty straight forward rock. There are also a lot of really emotional and gorgeous atmospheric parts. There is something so gorgeously sincere about Jenn Wasner's vocals. I just feel like I know and understand her when she sings so plainly and beautifully and naturally. This is just a record I really love and relate to. Nothing about it seems overly conceptualized, nor does anything here seem superficial. It's just the perfect balance of the elements of the upfront and the introspective.
Highly recommended. "[+]Reply
"Unlikely to be the AnCo album to convince non-fans, and probably won't be a personal favourite for many fans either, but it contains loads of what the band had done well in the past. How much you will enjoy it, probably depends on a few things. One, what you think of that recurring vocal trick th...""Unlikely to be the AnCo album to convince non-fans, and probably won't be a personal favourite for many fans either, but it contains loads of what the band had done well in the past. How much you will enjoy it, probably depends on a few things. One, what you think of that recurring vocal trick that's used on several tracks. Two, what side of the band you preferred in the past. If you like the band for the energy, melody, playfullness, there's plenty to go around here. What this album's lacking in is the experimentation, or any longer instrumental buildups and passages. Those final 30 seconds on Lying in the Grass are already a step away from the norm, while most songs keep it pretty tight. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you may find yourself thinking that there is just something missing from a lot of these tracks which don't really expand on any ideas that may be present, and even these ideas aren't necessarily anything that the band wouldn't toy with since at least Strawberry Jam. I suppose this is why Painting With was met with pretty mixed reviews - while every album of theirs had a pretty distinct sound, Painting With mostly seems to distinguish itself from others only by how its songs maintain a pretty basic structure and don't exactly explore any previously untapped territories.
But, as I said, this is still an album that's brimming with that AnCo energy and is most of all FUN. One thing they haven't forgotten is how to write a goddamn tune, and this results in some wonderful moments across the 12 tracks here. Golden Gal may be one of their finest pop songs yet, On Delay has also become another personal favourite, particularly love how it utilizes the piano. Other highlights (for me at least) include the bouncy lead single FloriDada, and the more peculiar choice for the second single, Lying in the Grass, which is one of those tracks where you'd hope they would expand their ideas a little bit, but still manages to work in its short running time - featuring a nice cameo from Colin Stetson, and is a good example of that "hocketing" vocal trick they do throughout on the album, with its 30 second instrumental release at the end being one of the rare moments like that on the album. All the better for it..."[+]Reply
"(A formidable, beautiful alt-country/chamber folk-type album that, while quite pretty can leave me feeling like its a bit empty of real grit and meaning.) My relationship with this album has developed and shifted several times over the last couple months. When I first heard it, I admit I was kind...""(A formidable, beautiful alt-country/chamber folk-type album that, while quite pretty can leave me feeling like its a bit empty of real grit and meaning.)
My relationship with this album has developed and shifted several times over the last couple months. When I first heard it, I admit I was kind of in love. On second and third and now fourth listen, there is a diminishing return. Each time I hear it I am always impressed by the scale and beauty of the album. There is clearly a person who has a good familiarity and understanding of country and folk making this. The strings, while sometimes overbearing and sappy, generally create a larger-than-life romantic atmosphere especially when paired with the somewhat gritty tales of woe and loss and the twangy vocal and guitar parts. The production is pretty solid, pristine and generally un-ear-catching. And really the indicidual parts seem to be pretty well placed and well done. But... there is something missing that would make this a true gem. I like it but that ain't much of a benchmark considering my general love of this genre and aesthetic.
There is a cleanness and detached lack of passion here that can be a bit irksome. The vocals sound like someone playing the part of a sad, wandering country troubadour but it also does feel like an act or veneer. The calculated placement of strings to induce swoons and feeling sound, well, just like that - calculated plays for that lonesome lostness that is so incredible when truly pulled off.
The little snippets of old TV shows wear out their welcome almost instantly and when ythey come in, it does 2 things: 1. makes me roll my eyes and 2. kind of breaks immersion and makes the whole flow of the record experience some turbulence. Not a fan of that schtick and choice. Also I feel this album isn't varied enough or doesn't have enough of an arc or a cohesive stitching to justify an hour run time.
Okay, so, yeah I don't love this album. I do like it. I may sound like I really dislike it, but I assure you that is not the case. It should also be noted that today I am in a bit of a sour and cantankerous mood and this album's pitch for my heart strings is being faced with cold, unsympathetic, grouchy old me and so yeah, tough crowd. But the truth is somewhere between my initial lovey-dovey response and today's grouchy curmudgeon response.
Even now I can say some of the songs here are quite great and if the tracks "Not Dead Yet" with its old rock and roll swagger and its hand claps, "Mine Forever" which plays as a near-perfect introduction to the swooning, string-laden lost troubadour vibe this album is trying to pull off, "I Lied" with its truly moving and mournful duet and soulful sadness and regret and self-loathing/disappointment, "Long Lost" with its melodramatic production and that early 60s girl group rhythm and that weak piano adding that sweet touch, made up half of this album instead of 1/4th this album i'd say this was a triumph. But the album is weighed down by filler skits and TV bits and songs that are generally not memorable for me.
Overall, I like this style and some of the songs hereare stellar. And I like the record but don't, like, REALLY like it and certainly don't love it. It's a solid and pretty little Americana/Country/Indie Folk album with lots of Chamber folk and some alt-country thrown in for some variety. If you are into that, check it out."[+]Reply
"Many fans of metal, myself included, see an obvious connection between metal and orchestral music. This is a great experiment in actually merging the two. It doesn't always work, but when it does it's fantastic. "Outlaw Torn" and "Bleeding Me" are two that standout as working especially well. The...""Many fans of metal, myself included, see an obvious connection between metal and orchestral music. This is a great experiment in actually merging the two. It doesn't always work, but when it does it's fantastic. "Outlaw Torn" and "Bleeding Me" are two that standout as working especially well. The highlight for me is "No Leaf Clover," which was written for the show and accordingly has the best interplay between the symphonic and the rock."[+]Reply