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).
"A work of utter genius. This album always seemed to me to be an extremely determined Curtis attempting to prove to the world that he was more than just a great pop songwriter (which he certainly was, and The Impressions are probably my favourite singles band of all-time), but also a Curtis overco...""A work of utter genius. This album always seemed to me to be an extremely determined Curtis attempting to prove to the world that he was more than just a great pop songwriter (which he certainly was, and The Impressions are probably my favourite singles band of all-time), but also a Curtis overcome by both anger at the way society worked, and total and irrefutable faith in humanity to do right in the end. Honestly, this album is just perfect from start to finish, filled to the brim with stunning and sincere lyrics and even more impressive musicianship and composing. My favourite soul album."[+]Reply
"Interesting that this guy sounds obviously very influenced by Dylan and yr a big Dylan fan.... The title track reminds of something on Blood on the Tracks... "Buckets of Rain" a bit, maybe... The picking, some phrasing, and overall vibe on third track "Troubles..." is total Dylan... reminds of "B...""Interesting that this guy sounds obviously very influenced by Dylan and yr a big Dylan fan.... The title track reminds of something on Blood on the Tracks... "Buckets of Rain" a bit, maybe... The picking, some phrasing, and overall vibe on third track "Troubles..." is total Dylan... reminds of "Boots of Spanish Leather" among many others... I'm a new comer to this guy... Obviously very talented but not really overly impressed...especially vocals seem too forced with contrived emotion and constant clever little entertaining flourishes I find distracting and tedious... comes across as sounding a little too desperate to be hip and it clashes with attempt to sound oh so laid back and relaxed, Dylanesque... Obviously he's young and a bit green... Might learn to chill out and just play and let it flow as he gets older and develops his chops... Anyway, sometimes it takes a few listens to hook me... I'll give it more time... "[+]Reply
"Finest example of the importance of creative freedom. When Stax broke with Atlantic Records in 1968 and lost her entire back catalogue, Hayes was compelled to make a studio album. He wasn't very happy to; his debut album "Presenting Isaac Hayes" failed to chart and Hayes had decided to stay in th...""Finest example of the importance of creative freedom. When Stax broke with Atlantic Records in 1968 and lost her entire back catalogue, Hayes was compelled to make a studio album. He wasn't very happy to; his debut album "Presenting Isaac Hayes" failed to chart and Hayes had decided to stay in the background as a songwriter and session musician. When Al Bell, record executive for Stax, persuaded Hayes to record a new album, Hayes demanded total creative freedom. The result: a groundbreaking soul record, consisting of only four tracks that changed the entire future for soul music. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" aren't likely to have existed if it weren't for this album."[+]Reply
"Definitely Nick Cave's best album. Chock full of brilliant songs. Somewhat inconsistent as most double albums are - would have made a killer single album. Here's my imaginary track-listing: 1) Nature Boy 2) There She Goes 3) Abattoir Blues 4) Let the Bells Ring 5) Messiah Ward 6) Breathless 7) Ea...""Definitely Nick Cave's best album. Chock full of brilliant songs. Somewhat inconsistent as most double albums are - would have made a killer single album. Here's my imaginary track-listing:
1) Nature Boy
2) There She Goes
3) Abattoir Blues
4) Let the Bells Ring
5) Messiah Ward
6) Breathless
7) Easy Money
8) Supernaturally
9) Carry Me
10) O Children"[+]Reply
"Nominally, Joni Mitchell is Folk. This is really only true insofar as it indicates where she began as a songwriter. Mitchell's career quickly evolved into something far greater, and progressively harder to define. The Hissing of Summer Lawns is not only the greatest example of Joni Mitchell's cre...""Nominally, Joni Mitchell is Folk. This is really only true insofar as it indicates where she began as a songwriter. Mitchell's career quickly evolved into something far greater, and progressively harder to define. The Hissing of Summer Lawns is not only the greatest example of Joni Mitchell's creative individuality as a musician, but is also arguably the point at which all of the disparate pieces that comprise the woman who is "Joni Mitchell" came together in perfect harmony. Her impeccable skill as a songwriter, her unique guitar style, her jazz influence; on the Hissing of Summer Lawns, all of these pieces come together into a whole that is far greater than its individual parts. These “parts” have all been around Joni Mitchell at various points in her career; her songwriting and guitar skill were there from the start, but even from her beginnings of a masterful folk storyteller, she was to go in a slightly different direction with each coming album; toying with and sometimes fully implementing, at various points in her career, everything from pop-melodicism to African rhythmic structures. But the most important influence that hovered around Mitchell’s work, (and which had been since the early 70s) was that of jazz. By the time her massive commercial breakthrough came 1974’s “Court and Spark”, her folk origins were all but absent. In their place stood melodic and thoughtful pop-influenced ballads of the kind of self-expression that we had seen in her confessional masterpiece “Blue”. It would appear that no matter what kind of music Mitchell is delving into at any given time, her songwriting skill (which, by the way, easily matches if not trumps the likes of fellow lyrical geniuses Bob Dylan and Neil Young) is always present, but with every new album, there is always a twist in the way with which her words are displayed. Mitchell’s lyrical prowess, along with her mature vision of pop song construction, may have taken the forefront of Court and Spark, what is often overlooked is what may have been the beginning of what was to define Joni Mitchell’s most ambitious and most artistically rewording period as a musician, and that is that “Court and Spark”, behind it’s romantic orchestration, actually exhibited a substantial jazz influence. Of course, that did nothing to prepare Mitchell’s fan base for what was to come. In 1975, Joni Mitchell releases “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”, an album where the jazz that was hinted at in its predecessor takes full form, just as the folk that defined her early career makes a reappearance, and fuses itself with her love for the likes of Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius into an album that can only be loosely defined as “Jazz-folk”, but that contains a degree of ambition and sheer unexpectedness far greater than such a narrow genre pigeonholing would suggest. In the end, The Hissing of Summer Lawns exists outside of the realm of normal classification or judgment. Further description would do this album no justice. Joni has crafted a world that is entirely her own, and to which no parallels can or should be drawn.
That was too analytical.
I want to give this album a hug."[+]Reply
"This is one of the best Queen albums. It shows that the band was much better when they took risks. The theatrical progressive rock here blows away any tame classic rock sounds this album has to offer. Procession is a decent intro, but also aids well in allowing the album to flow with how it seaml...""This is one of the best Queen albums. It shows that the band was much better when they took risks. The theatrical progressive rock here blows away any tame classic rock sounds this album has to offer.
Procession is a decent intro, but also aids well in allowing the album to flow with how it seamlessly ties into Father & Son. Both Father & Son and White Queen are highlights, the former showing a bit of Queen's heavier side. From there the next two songs are by far the worst for me. Not at all into Brian May's Some Day One Day, and Roger Taylor's The Loser In The End is highly forgettable to me other than the cool percussive intro. This part of the album just suffers from Lack-of-Freddie-itis.
Ogre Battle picks the album right back up again and begins a string of great and eclectic Queen compositions that doesn't let up until the album is over.
Maybe my 2nd favorite Queen album."[+]Reply
"Can't really bring much new to say, yes she benefited greatly from being born into a hollywood family and her preternal social-media savviness and heaps of self-confidence definitely helped hype her music to the extreme. And yes she is a precociously deft songwriter with striking, crinkly-voiced ...""Can't really bring much new to say, yes she benefited greatly from being born into a hollywood family and her preternal social-media savviness and heaps of self-confidence definitely helped hype her music to the extreme. And yes she is a precociously deft songwriter with striking, crinkly-voiced R&B-style vocals who has a knack for making a catchy, moody modern pop song as her singles attest (particurally the digital-finger-snap paranoia of "Bury a Friend") who can occasionally open up to something more geniunely vulnerable and confrontational ("I Love You"). WWAFAWDWG also constantly reminds of you every other 21st century slightly left-of-center pop star, with elements of The Weeknd, Melanie Martinez, Sky Ferreira, Imogen Heap, (dear god) Halsey and espcially Lorde strewn throughout and which can occasionally lead into straight-faced impressionism. And "My Strange Addiction" is one of the more risible tracks I've heard recently (ESPECIALLY because of the samples), but that should've been obvious from the title alone. Again, like a lot of pop albums it would still keep the momentum and be far more effective if it cut the song length in half.
So yes I think this album is getting greatly overpraised for critics who want to latch themselves on to the next big thing and avoid Getting It Wrong-tm. I also do think she has a lot of potential if she can use her influences more as seasoning than ingredients, and if she stops thinking she's the edgiest teen in the world and just allows her so-far overprocessed and somewhat stifled compositions to reveal their rawer side and eventually grow into their fullest capabilities. "[+]Reply
"An incredibly creative effort leading to their most successful album to date,"Fear of a Blank Planet";moreover,Wilson has an astonishing haunting voice and he is likewise a great lyricist."Deadwing" is full of magnificent songs.Don't underestimate it!"Reply
"nursery cryme was the first very good genesis album. The prior two albums were not as good -- 1969 debut from genesis to revelation was carved in a generic 60s-music template mold and follow-up trespass didn't yet carve out a unique identity for genesis yet (although sporting one of their better ...""nursery cryme was the first very good genesis album. The prior two albums were not as good -- 1969 debut from genesis to revelation was carved in a generic 60s-music template mold and follow-up trespass didn't yet carve out a unique identity for genesis yet (although sporting one of their better songs, "the knife") -- and will not be covered in following, previous-year music posts. nursery cryme was also the first album to show off the talents of phil collins and steve hackett. Highlights are "the musical box", "the return of the giant hogweed" (which takes on more significance in my current fight against a takeover of dandelions) and "the fountain of salmacis", all of which run about 8 minutes or more each. Hackett and collins shine on "hogweed", probably the best track of the bunch, an escalating war march sung savagely by gabriel. (i love his lines like "botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge!" and how he even identifies it by its latin name, "heracleum mantegazzianii" which makes it sound even more menacing, like a vampiric race that has been around for millenia.) "seven stories" is sadly poetic ruminating on a life focused on the wrong things ("despair that tires the world brings the old man laughter") underpinned by the darkly ominous moog (via tony banks). "harold the barrel" is the first really good "cornball" genesis song in a long line of really good cornball songs from "cuckoo cocoon" and "i know what i like" to "illegal alien" and "i can't dance". You can hear Phil's lead vocals in "for absent friends". "fountain of salmacis" closes the album leaving me question "hogweed"'s self-proclaimed title as album-best as it sounds as epic (catch that hackett guitar tear dueling with Phil's drums near-midway through or tony banks dueling with Phil nearer the end) and is more humanly-touching."[+]Reply
"In general "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (hereafter abbreviated to "SBS") was released in December 1973 and, with music history as the ultimate judge, the fifth masterpiece in four years. It was the first Black Sabbath album I heard and its music irresistibly became the soundtrack to my pretty carefre...""In general
"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (hereafter abbreviated to "SBS") was released in December 1973 and, with music history as the ultimate judge, the fifth masterpiece in four years. It was the first Black Sabbath album I heard and its music irresistibly became the soundtrack to my pretty carefree adolescence.
I remember as yesterday how musical preferences determined which group of young people you belonged to: the alternatives that principally opposed everything that was commercial (quite a naive division, but hardly discussed) or the large group of young people who were satisfied with transparent and commercial Glam Rock or the ubiquitous progressive rock, and who generally didn't care for loud music, daring vocals, and visuals associated with the occult, the devil's adoration, and other obscure ideas. At that time, the Catholic Church was perfectly able to preach the dualism between good and evil in order to keep the mass of believers on the good, Catholic path. "Good" and "Evil" did not need to be further defined, but let's be honest: the religious history of the West (think about the Crusades) mainly illustrates how many people were killed in the name of God (Killing people in the name of the Devil should make more sense, no?). "Good" and "Evil", "Light and Dark": in a worldview that was full of political tensions, those categories needed representatives. Black Sabbath built up a questionable image with dark, threatening and explicit songs on the first 3 albums (the track "Black Sabbath" was very explicit and not really susceptible to interpretation). On the one hand, Sabbath could benefit from it, because it gave the fame of the group a boost in those early years. On the other hand, the effect very quickly lost its charm and the image even turned against the band.
Cover
But allow me to return to the album and all those magical times that I listened to it and dreamed away with what may easily be declared the best cover of 1973. No, just say "of all times". Covers had started to grow into artistic gems at the time, and the SBS cover work of the highly regarded Drew Struzan belongs in a museum. Front and back seemed to be opponents. The main character on the front dies a horrific death and everything looks like he is about to be included in a group of demons floating around the bed. The skull and the explicit reference to the devil in the number 666 now seem a bit outdated and somewhat cheap. At the time it became part of the cover however, it all added up perfectly. On the back we see a man on his deathbed, surrounded by family members in a human form. Most of them regret his imminent death. Both illustrations are loaded with symbolism and religious inspiration, and the band (especially Ozzy) loved what Struzan produced. Everything here is right. That certainly also applies to the Gothic font used: Struzan has refined it and applies a precise spacing. This is art. The refined finish through the use of threatening red on the front and calming blue on the back will hardly ever be matched later on. Think of "Born Again" or Iron Maiden's "Eddie the Head" and note the remarkable differences. Art and kitsch are indeed opponents of each other.
Progrock?
Another conclusion is that the sound of Sabbath is closer to the Progrock of that time. Especially the arrangements with piano, flute, strings, acoustic guitar and synthesizer (undoubtedly a Minimoog) testify of a different musical approach. The indispensable and sophisticated riffs of Iommi (beautifully balanced between menacing and melodic) are still the backbone, but they are no longer the only driving force. It is clear that SBS is the result of maturity. Thanks to the fact that the band was given more time in the sound studio, Iommi's solos are often a dueling game of question and answer, and the sound image becomes richer because of what Rick Wakeman of Yes contributes on the piano (It was only late that I learned that Wakeman had an active role in the production of SBS). That Sabbath went in a different direction in terms of timbre was welcomed by the sympathy of the specialized press. And it has to be said: every song has its own vibe and atmosphere, and yet the record remains very consistent. Production here is particularly strong.
Lyrics
Just like the sound, the lyrics (the majority were contributed by Geezer Butler) have undergone a transformation. Explicit themes (the witch sabbath of "Black Sabbath" or the devil as true ruler of the world in the text of "Lord of This World") are exchanged for suggestive and more closed lyrics. In a song like "Who are You?" The hostile identity no longer has a name. Geezer leaves the interpretation to the listener, who gets sucked into the song in such a way that the doom and the darkness fall heavily upon his shoulders. It’s a real shame how the lyrics of "Killing Yourself to Live" had to be adjusted by law. Whoever does not get further in the texts, is insensitive to the many metaphors and, for the sake of convenience, only takes the lyrics very literally has no contact with the world, and certainly not with the artistic value that SBS has to offer. It’s crystal clear the lyrics are not inviting to commit suicide but telling how very hard and uncertain a musicians life could be.
Drugs
But the rapid growth of the band was accompanied by more and more drugs and alcohol. Sabbath was undermined by its success. Of course, Bill Ward's drinking was particularly problematic and the frictions between the members of the band became ever greater and more problematic. In fact, it was already a special achievement that the first 4 albums were made. After all, Ozzy was often an unguided projectile, Iommi felt obliged to come up with strong riffs faster and faster, and Geezer Butler was a melancholic who struggled with himself and everyday life (he makes that clear in the lyrics of SBS). However, it must also be said that during the 1970s many musicians were keen to let their audience know how dangerous and excessive their lives were. This was even a part of the image. David Bowie also claims that he does not remember anything about the recordings for "Station to Station" due to an excessive use of Coke. I have my questions about this. It is very exceptional that drugs help to stimulate and improve a creative flow. Cocaine in particular. Coke gives you the feeling that you are unique, but in reality does not make you better or sharper.
The tracks
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” leans on one of Iommi's greatest riffs, one of Ozzy's best vocal performances (he sounds both more powerful and more confident than ever before) and the beautifully sounding bass of Geezer. For quite a lot reviewers this track is simply one of the greatest metal songs that has ever been made. During some earlier listening I did indeed notice how heavy the riffs are, and how high-contrasted the high pitched vocals of Ozzy hit the dark and brooding, growling riff. It is also striking how Iommi starts making his riffs and the structure of the songs more complex than ever. The outro is, as usual, doom and terror, but in itself sufficient to be elevated to a form of art. 5/5
After the intensity of the title track, the listener is once again served with one of Iommi's great riffs. The melody that drives “A National Acrobat” is simple but effortlessly sustained throughout the first part of the song. The bass is absolutely top here and again there is another masterful vocal performance by Osbourne. The spaciousness that creeps into the sound image sometimes reminds me of Gothic. Ok, "proto-gothic" if you want. For some reviewers, this is even one of Sabbath's best tracks and I can very well get into that. The second part of the track is in my opinion a bit less as this song does not need a light-hearted outro. But who am I to complain about this? 5/5
"Fluff" is beautiful but not extraordinary and especially particularly innocent. When this record became the best in my collection, I gladly added a track like "Fluff". That is no longer the case. For me this musical excursion from Iommi and - at least according to the credits - Wakeman does not belong on this album. Again, before shooting at the pianist: technically and in terms of arrangements there is little to criticize. Iommi plays the acoustic guitar in a masterly way. But "Fluff" is not representative of the entire album and it does ruin the atmosphere a bit. It hardly fits with anything else on this album. Give me a second “Planet Caravan” instead. Dark, sultry and sensual. Unfortunately. "Fluff" is possibly the reason why I rate "Sabotage" a little higher. (2/5)
Sabbra Cadabra is daring because it occupies a unique place in Sabbath's oeuvre. The brutality of the first albums, far ahead of what would become known as “Stoner rock”, seems far away, but this unusual love song once again starts with a great and very catchy riff. Furthermore there are excellent drums and Ozzy also performs unusually strong. The bluesy drums of Ward and the piano work of Rick Wakeman (of progressive Rock band Yes) give the song a nice, optimistic vibe (boogie-woogie!). Complex instrumental sections take over the second half of the song and the outro also has the character of a weathered jam session that goes on just long enough. Too bad that the lyrics here - exceptionally - are a bit weaker. (5/5)
Killing Yourself to Live again has a strong guitar performance of Iommi (a recurring pattern it seems) and this prevents that the song, composed of three different parts, does not suddenly implode. The tempo changes are beautiful and magically executed. Iommi effortlessly takes his colleagues in tow and shows how close and tight Sabbath was. Extremely powerful song that never ceases to amaze and entertain despite the somewhat daring structure. (5/5)
I do not understand the annoyance regarding "Who Are You?" that is voiced by many other reviewers. Well, Black Sabbath has now come closer to progressive rock and gets help from Rick Wakeman and a Minimoog, but I can only applaud this. In this unusual track the typical Iommi riff on guitar is traded in for a great and sinister melody line that - especially when that melody line gets doubled - is fascinating enough in terms of timbre (The Moog filters are definitely among the best) to successfully carry the Ozzy vocals. According to the literature, the most important part of the composition was delivered by Ozzy. I may never find out the truth, but I am inclined to believe that Wakeman has translated the Ozzy's riff into an exceptionally beautiful "programming" of the Moog. The comparison with prog rock is not entirely right. Sabbath maintained its identity. Admittedly, the synthesizer solo in the break is quite the same as the traditional progrock use of the minimoog. But is this song too slow? Maybe so, but in its slowness this track remains fascinating. Geezer's lyrics have also undergone a transformation. Whoever tries to find out what this song is about does not pass a closed, dense and highly suggestive text. Geezer has grown enormously as a writer. He is less pronounced and wraps up the occult themes in alienating darkness. In the past, evil was called by name ("Satan sitting there, he's smiling") or the text was a bit too literal and somewhat banal ("The pope at the end of a rope"). With "Who are you", the listener is given the freedom to create his own image of the dangerous identity that Ozzy addresses. Oh, and while listening, don’t forget the high pitched vocals of Ozzy are also doubled perfectly. Some flaws here and there are not bothering. The spaciousness that remains in the overall sound image makes this song very digestible. The progrock level increases during the break. Not the most thundering piano part and as mentioned before, the sound of the Moog in the break is a bit disappointing, but the outro is of an exceptionally high level. Just like the lyrics, the bizarre sounds become very suggestive and create a self-contained universe. For fans of Heavy Metal and / or Hardrock this is understandably a strange thing to do, but I gladly admit that I think the song is fantastic. Other bands would not venture into this experiment and that is exactly what Sabbath does. More, more! (5/5)
"Looking for Today" is one of Sabbath's poppier songs, but I have absolutely no objection to that. It is exceptionally radio - friendly and could well have been a single. The structure is predictable and a bit too repetitive, but again the song is effortlessly maintained by four musicians who give the best of themselves. The lyrics criticize the type of bands and musicians who are already happy to be and stay a one-hit wonder or just populate the scene to grab some easy, quickly earned money. The arrangement with flutes in the bridges is nice: it brings light into the darkness and secures a well-defined sophisticated balance. (5/5)
"Spiral Architect" - less Hard Rock and due to the many strings and the orchestra most closely related to Progressive rock - closes the album very nicely. Iommi is doing great guitar work and Ozzy is at his best. Although the bass has been pushed back too much in the mix, the lyrics of Geezer Butler are among the best that was written together in 1973. The song is about DNA but at the same time touches on multiple themes. According to the literature, the suggestive and philosophically tinted lyrics were ready in an instant. It is the merit of the craftsmanship of the literary learned Geezer's that the song got a theme so quickly. (5/5)
Conclusion (4,6 /5)
Depending on the source being consulted, "SBS" would be considered the high point of the career of Black Sabbath (and therefore the high point of the so-called Ozzy-Era) and some reviewers even dare call it one of the best Hard Rock albums of all time . I will probably never get out of it because, although almost unthinkable, on "Sabotage" there may be even better songs. Allow me to stick to a status quo. Both albums are stuck together as an iconic duo. It must be clear however that on "SBS" all four musicians prove that their critics were wrong by increasing the creative effort, giving unprecedented attention to production standards and arrangements and not to forget the sublime cover paintings.
"[+]Reply
flamingyesdept | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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AAL2014 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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cestuneblague | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (10 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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Omid | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (12 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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