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).
"This was an unexpected joy. Even though there's nothing that really makes it different or musically perfect, it just hits all the marks. I love this album and rate it as their best. It's loaded with great tracks right through. Massively under rated in my opinion"Reply
"Proper proper old school hip hop. RIP Prodigy. This is something that's a little bit more unrefined compared to it's successor but there's still some hard hitters. Shook Ones pt.1 might be as good as pt.2 if not on the same level - as ever, the grimy, dark beats created by Havoc (what a master cr...""Proper proper old school hip hop. RIP Prodigy. This is something that's a little bit more unrefined compared to it's successor but there's still some hard hitters. Shook Ones pt.1 might be as good as pt.2 if not on the same level - as ever, the grimy, dark beats created by Havoc (what a master creator) really set the tone and everything P spits seems so natural. It gives a humbling, terrifying, incredible insight into the wild life of African Americans, and the Mobb members in NYC in the 90s, a life revolving around crime. I think creatively and sonically it is a little more simplistic but remains rather enjoyable."[+]Reply
"And here it is. My number 1 album on this limited list. Also my number 1 fave singer songwriter album, 1969 album, and number one of 1960s. Hell, it may very well be my favorite album period. Its incredibly intense, the feelings I have for the record. I will explain some of what makes this album ...""And here it is. My number 1 album on this limited list. Also my number 1 fave singer songwriter album, 1969 album, and number one of 1960s. Hell, it may very well be my favorite album period.
Its incredibly intense, the feelings I have for the record. I will explain some of what makes this album so special here. I could write a book, a short and probably quite bad book about this album.
Mickey Newbury released this, his second solo album, in 1969. There were no clear cut hits on it, no catchy tunes, no songs under 6 minutes and which have clear cut beginnings and endings (there are a few shorter songs but they segue right into other parts of a song cycle of sorts) , the songs were almost all interlocked with the previous songs on the album. It's genre is hard to place my finger on. I suppose its country, yet there is very little twang here. Its folk, but there are elements of full choirs and little details all over the album which seem to fly in the face of the idea I have of a bare bones Folk album. There are no moments which really rock, or get stuck in your head. Instead this album is one 40 minute piece of interconnected stories of love and leaving, being left and looking for someone.
The album starts off and you seem to be in a room with Mickey. You're in his head and seeing and feeling what he is seeing and feeling and thinking. He is struggling with the decision before him of stayting or going. His mate is laying in bed asleep next to you. The album within a minute has fully in Mickey's headpsace. The opening track is a series of distinct musical segments. And you hear how all these parts logically go from one to the next, until the inevitable conclusion comes. And the fact that you are following along with this story and know in your heart where it must end doesn't make it any less sobering or heartbreaking. Then the thunder claps, the rains fall, and you are ushered into the next song. This song "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye" is the reverse angle of what you just heard in the previous song. You are now hearing and feeling the other end of the leaving. I am not doing great describing how stunning this all is. But it sure is stunning.
The first half of the album is distinctly connected by the sound of rain, its very clearly a theme and it is suitably dreary and sad and introspective. The lyrics are full of deeper meanings, and metaphors and similes to die for. Newbury conveys all the small details of loss without using too many words. He just gets you there and fully immersed in this world of contradictions and indecisions, and its all so seamlessly executed.
Another peerless aspect of this album is how much it uses the studio. For many of these country or folk albums people will use the oft repeated idea of "You know, its like you're right next to this person and he's there playing these songs from his heart and its like you're there in the same room or around the fire with him just listening." I often say that as well. But the thing with this album is that is not at all the idea I get. Instead Mickey Newbury uses the studio to put you in his head, he uses the far off sounds to convey where he is at exactly. The brilliantly recorded choirs which seem to come from the far off distance, the sound of rain and thunder to accentuate some low down feeling, the way the bass lines don't sound like they are next to you or even in the "room" but instead sound like they are raining down on the whole world around you, the way the orchestra flourishes and the sounds drop out at perfect moments, the way Mickey whistles at some points here and how that goes along with the far off train whistle, the whole sonic world is so clear and unique, its really unlike any album I've heard.
Now that is all about how the structure of the album amazes me. The themes, the landscape, the flow. This is the base of the album, but it would be merely really cool and ambitious if it wasn't for the songwriting. Mickey Newbury was one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. His long narrative about the star crossed lovers in "San Francisco Mabel Joy" is perhaps the best example of this. That song has to be heard to be understoof how cool it is. And the songs which make up the first half are full of stunning insights and turns of phrase. Newbury was clicking on all cylinders here.
And as far as Mickey's vocals, wow. He didn't have some rangey pitch perfect voice like Joni, some otherworldly voice like Buckley or Morrison. His voice is most similar to John Prine at times, and Guy Clark at other times, and there is a bit of Cash at times, etc. But that was the thing, he switched up his voice from matter of fact country boy, to that of a moaning, pain-ridden lost soul, to that of a deadened soul, back and forth all over, depending on where the song took him. He gets so much emotion out of every line. Yeah, I love his vocals here.
As far as a break up album, sure this is the best ever. But it goes above that. It hits at some themes which transcend breakups or love lost. Or maybe it doesn't. Maybe it just depends on from where you are coming to this album. I don't know. All I know is there is not a false note here in my opinion. The album is seamless studio masterpiece. Its also a poetic singer/songwriter album which will make TVZ fans swoon. It is many things. One of the most fully realized long players I have ever heard. And I think its the greatest thing I've heard in a long long time.
"Lord, his daddy was an honest man, just a red dirt Georgia farmer
His momma lived her short life having kids and baling hay
He had fifteen years and an ache inside to wander
So he hopped a freight at Waycross and wound up in L.A.
Well the cold nights had no pity on that Waycross Georgia farm boy
Most days he went hungry, then the summer came
He met a girl known on the strip as San Francisco's Mabel Joy
Destitution's child, born on an L.A. street called 'Shame'"
Rating: 10/10"[+]Reply
"Superlative alt rock. In same league as The World As It Is Today, but slightly less socio-political. Challenging, difficult music, sparse and beautiful, terrifying. Listen to Rats And Monkeys for a psychedelic thrill someday."Reply
"You know what I like? When the personality of a music artist shines as a bright as their music. Larger than life characters who write music and tackle subjects that you would have never guessed someone would have taken on. I'm still searching for these artists. No matter how many I have in my col...""You know what I like? When the personality of a music artist shines as a bright as their music. Larger than life characters who write music and tackle subjects that you would have never guessed someone would have taken on. I'm still searching for these artists. No matter how many I have in my collection any more would be great. Sparks are one of these gems of mine. A diamond on the production line of this great lead mine we call stardom. This album... was released before they became famous. And where the Sparks were zany up the ceiling in their heyday... things are much stranger here. Like Goldilocks eaten by 3 bears for her protection strange. 5 members no less here. 'Girl From Germany', 'Underground' and 'Whippings and Apologies' are churned out like The Troggs in a dark room with Happy the Helium Clown. Sparks prove they are off their cake in 'Beaver O'Lindey' with Russell doing his best home from work furry animal impression... WITH MAKEUP! And damn! It is good! The guitars out here as much as they are on Sparks later release 'Big Beat' while keyboards take back seat. The aliens coming to get the local folk is explored in the somber 'Moon Over Kentucky' while happy gibberish is the order of the day for 'Do-Re-Mi' cover. Ron's writing is still in developing stages here but he pulls out the puppets to great surprise while Russell's hop scotch high as the skies own aims vocals are appearing on 'Here Comes Bob' among others. Hear the start of that track? That is a little care to the rules this band is giving. This is a rock album and were sprinkling those old as old violins on it. Enjoy it. Get the lot and take it all. This fun put to music."[+]Reply
ramthecowy | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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sszwalbenest | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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