Good down home southern rock. All ya need is some Skynyrd and a Miller Lite and you're set, bud.
In all seriousness, I think Lynyrd Skynyrd is a criminally underrated band. Though they come off as stereotypical southern racists, they are actually very intelligent. Take for instance, Sweet Home Alabama, the national anthem for people who use the phrase "the south will rise again" and "it's not racist its heritage." It's actually a pointed commentary on 70s politics, as well as a big "fuck you" to Neil Young, who assumed everybody from the south was a racist idiot. In fact, you could argue that Sweet Home Alabama is the first ever diss track.
But that's not important because that song isn't even on this album.
Like REM's Murmur, Skynyrd's first album in emblematic of everything they are, and is the perfect representation of them as a group.
Skynyrd hit the ground at 100 miles an hour and they didn't stop for nuthin' at all. Whether they were musing about lost time or being free as a bird, their sound was delicate and massive simultaneously. I love this album because it's an extremely fun album to just throw on and jam to in the blistering heat.
I went to college in South Carolina, and boy, let me tell you, the southerners love them some Skynyrd, man. I started playing this album in my room one time and my roommate came in to discuss the amazingness of Skynyrd, and he stopped dead in his tracks once Tuesday's Gone came on. He then told me that he gets pretty emotional at that song because it was his uncle's favorite song and he was super close with his uncle. His uncle lived and died with Skynyrd, so I guess it makes sense he should too.
Skynyrd is highly underrated as a serious group of musicians, and they need to be given a bit more respect when discussed in the annals of music history.
I kinda get why Martin Scorcese crams 9 Rolling Stones songs into every movie he makes.
I've always casually enjoyed the Rolling Stones. I had never really listened to any of their albums, and just kind of based my opinion of them off of their radio songs. It wasn't until I started paying attention to Scorcese movies that I realized that their must be something special about this group if he keeps using their music.
I think the turning point was when I was watching Goodfellas for the 1000th time and was paying particularly close attention to the music selections. The Stones song 'Monkey Man' stood out to me as the perfect song for Henry Hill's demise into the drug industry. Monkey Man fits Henry's personality a wreckless and brash coke fiend because the song sounds like a coke fiend with a particular obsession with primates.
So, over analyzation aside, I finally decided to get into the Stones after I found a cheap copy of Let it Bleed on vinyl. I then worked my way to Sticky Fingers (which should be higher on my list) and eventually made my way here.
Hot damn, nothing like some good ol' fashioned rock n' roll. Over an hour of fantastic tunes that have come to define one of the top groups of the latter half of the 20th century. Exile is the Stones getting coming back to what they love the most, and is essentially a love letter to their influences.
I love this album for its fun and loose feeling, and how they never take themselves too seriously and just remember to have a good time making music. And sometimes, that's all it takes to make a great album.
Man, I really could've used this album in high school.
Styx's breakout 1977 album was an album that I should've known about much, much earlier than I found it. I had heard Come Sail Away and Fooling Yourself and a couple other Styx songs on the radio but had never dove deep into anything by them.
Summer 2017 I happened to be listening to XM radio on a long car trip and Styx was on the station to play some hits live and play a song from their new album. They crushed their entire set and told some great stories about great songs and the inspiration for their music. This was the seed planted in my head for my curiosity in this album.
Cut to college, and I'm dating a lovely lady (still) who loves her some classic rock. One day driving in the car, she puts on this album on her iPod, but we have to turn it off because the CD she burned it from was skipping and sounded awful. The little we listened to piqued my interest. Found myself in a local record store and saw a copy for $5, figured why not, and bought it.
I was immediately blown away with the Grand Illusion. Tight compositions with a progressive edge make the music irresistible. But what really caught my ear were the lyrics. While not necessarily a concept album, all of the songs harp on the same subjects other bands have covered before: disillusionment with lifestyles, the treachery of fame, loneliness, and dissatisfaction with life.
However, what is different about this album is how genuine and earnest the vocals sound as compared to previous similar songs. Other iterations of these themes have been cynical, depressing, alienating and downright dull. The Grand Illusion never falls to these levels, instead having a dejected tone that earnestly expresses the discontent with life and newfound fame. The evocation relates the listener to what's being spoken, rather than creating a distinct dividing line between music and listener.
I would've loved this album in high school because I was unsure of who I was in high school. I assume most people felt this way, but I didn't really feel like anything gave me any sort of indication of what I was. I was cynical about others intentions and was convinced my friends really didn't like me, and this messed with me for a while. Slowly but surely, those feelings faded, but the idea persisted. This album would've calmed my weary mind, and reassured me that everything is alright. This mostly refers to the song "Angry Young Man" and how it speaks of deluding oneself into thinking everything is awful, but the entire album is a commentary on everything that can warp your perception of life and society.
During my foray into jazz over the past year, one of my favorite finds has been that of Thelonious Monk. Whilst perusing my local record store with my most musically inclined cousin, I stumbled upon a box set of 8 Monk albums. Seeing they were a decent price, I purchased them and anticipated an interesting journey down jazz boulevard.
Nothing extraordinary about this journey, but it was indeed a fun one. This album stood above the rest of the albums, and I was taken by Mulligan's and Monk's delicate interplay with one another. Despite their dominating nature there is quite is a balance to the album. Despite the co-starring, both manage to shine on their respective instruments.
I love this album for all of these reasons and more. It's a really fun album and a great introduction to both Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk. I highly recommend this album to everybody, especially if you any to get into more jazz music.
So take some time today and groove to some Mulligan and Monk.
Well, first, thanks for continuing to read my ramblings on my favorite albums to ever hit my ears. It's really nice to see the views go up with every post and know that 6, maybe 7 people are actually reading this.
In all seriousness, I'm really glad I started this thread. A lot of the things that come out on these posts I don't really consciously realize until I sit down and think about them in depth, which is really incredible because I discover new meanings to these wonderful albums.
I can't wait to continue this thread and hopefully I'll go forever and ever and nobody ever stops me.
Animals is Pink Floyd's most overlooked album of their peak period. Released between Wish You Were Here and The Wall, Animals is Roger Waters taking complete control of the group. Waters had always floated in the background of the group, never really exerting extreme influence over the other members.
Starting with Animals and going through his expulsion from the group, Waters took an authoritarian position over the rest of the group which left him in charge of the bulk of the music. A allegorical spin on Orwell's Animal Farm Waters wanted to follow up Wish You Were Here with something as ambitious and artistic. Bookended by a two part song (much like WYWH (Waters only did this to get more royalties)) and filled with 3 lengthy songs, Animals was and still is an extremely unique album.
I love this album because, like every other Pink Floyd album, it sounds nothing like what they released before or after this album. Animals is a very synth heavy album, and it pairs very well with Gilmour's soaring guitar. The monumental tracks leave plenty of space for the group to flex their musical chops and create a hellish soundscape of a dystopian animal society.
Converteth yourself to lamb cutlets and give this behemoth a listen.
What can I say about Zeppelin that hasn't already been said by somebody on drugs? They kick ass, all their albums kick ass (even Presence), and I just wish I could afford the 4 LP How the West Was Won live album.
II is probably the "correct" answer when someone posits what their best album is, but we all know that Physical Graffiti is the correct answer. Best album aside, II is still an amazing album. Their first effort at all "original" material, this album top to bottom does not hit one bad note.
Though the songs on here are great, what's even better are the live versions of these songs. I much prefer the live version of Bring it on Home and Whole Lotta Love, and especially Moby Dick. But, II is still a great listen.
There's not much to say, other than listen to this album!
Animals is Pink Floyd's most overlooked album of their peak period.
Hmm yeah, I’d say that’s on the money. Although I’ve seen a lot love being vocalised for this record in particular nowadays, with some going as far as to say that it’s the best out of their four big albums. But I’m still stuck on the dark side, baby. _________________ Some RYM paraphernalia:
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