# Essential CDs (All Genres) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911 "2004-11-27T20:25:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/1 "2004-11-27T20:25:30Z")
After ripping my CD collection, in preparation of my iPod arrival, I’ve figured out there are some major holes in the 4000 songs I have. So I’m looking for recommendations of albums there were life-changing in their awesomeness. Most of my collection revolves around alternative music, so I’m pretty good with that. Let’s say you want to convince your friends on how good the Beatles are, what non-greatest hits album would you give them? That’s the kind of thing I’m looking for. And any hip-hop/rap CDs would really be appreciated; I’m figuring Public Enemy will pop up somewhere. Much obliged for the help… ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/2 "2004-11-27T20:45:41Z")
For the Beatles, definitely _Revolver_. As far as alternative rock goes, how familiar are you with pre-Nirvana alt rock? ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/3 "2004-11-27T21:38:03Z")
What are we talking about here? Like The Pixies/Cure/Smiths/Ramones/Clash or something a bit different? I love all of those bands but I’d be definately be interested in some other older alternative music. BTW, I love Herion by The Velvet Underground, you can’t get much older than that when talking about alt-rock. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/4 "2004-11-27T21:47:01Z")
I don’t know if college rock is your thing, but I don’t think it gets any better than **Guster: Lost and Gone Forever**. Kind of alternative and kind of not, depending on who you ask. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/5 "2004-11-27T21:51:42Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > What are we talking about here? Like The Pixies/Cure/Smiths/Ramones/Clash or something a bit different? I love all of those bands but I’d be definately be interested in some other older alternative music. Modern alt-rock didn’t really exist before punk (and you are aware of the Sex Pistols and Sonic Youth, right?), so it’s kinda hard to go back much older than that. Late-80’s college rock is definitely full of gems (They Might Be Giants, the Dead Milkmen, the Descendents, King Missile, etc.), so that’s worth checking out. And of course there are the Talking Heads, basically the greatest band of all time. The AllMusic Guide will be your friend in this endeavor. If you’re interested in metal recommendations, I can give you a few. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/6 "2004-11-27T21:53:11Z")
Mostly my thing is alternative music, but I’m hoping with this thread to listen totally different kinds of music. Prior to this, I was on a binge of albums released within the last few years, The Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, The Stills, Interpol, Modest Mouse, etc. Now I’m looking for other music, from different genres and decades. ---
**Author:** ![Aagramn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Aagramn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aagramn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/7 "2004-11-27T21:57:06Z")
How about The Cinematic Orchestra? You can have a listen here: [http://www.cinematicorchestra.com/everyday.html](http://www.cinematicorchestra.com/everyday.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/8 "2004-11-27T22:06:31Z")
I just discovered them myself so I can’t tell you much about them but have you heard Frou Frou? The songs I’m familiar with are mesmerizing and beautiful and I’ve discovered they have quite the underground fan base by mentioning them here and there and having very positive reactions. Also, Tool. You need Tool. And APC. I suggest “Undertow” and “Aenima” for the first and “Mer De Noms” for the second. Thank me later. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/9 "2004-11-27T22:10:42Z")
A very few suggestions of things that were highly alternative when they first came out and remain so today (just not in the recent alt-rock vein): Enigmatic sampled electronic whatsis: **Boards of Canada** , _Music has the Right to Children_ Alt.bluegrass, before such a thing existed: **John Hartford** , _Aereo-plain_ and/or _Morning Bugle_ American blues revival: **Ry Cooder** , _Paradise and Lunch_, **Taj Mahal** , _The Natch’l Blues_ Angular jazz variations: **Lounge Lizards** , _Voice of Chunk_ Started out country but crashed into the Beatles somewhere on the way: **Sam Phillips** , _Martinis and Bikinis_ Feel free to ignore the above if these are too far off the chosen genre. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/10 "2004-11-27T22:12:52Z")
Elvis Costello, _Armed Forces_, 'cause it’s no laughing party when you’ve been on the Murder Mile. Junior Brown, _Guit With It_: Country Blues in its purest form. Mary Chapin Carpenter, _Come On Come On_ There’s not a wasted cut on this amazing album! k.d. lang, _Shadowland: The Owen Bradley Sessions_ The torchiest voice alive sings the torchiest ballads ever composed. _Lyle Lovett and his Large Band_ marks Lovett’s transition from Country to Jazz. Garbage, _2.0_ has two really brilliant cuts, but the rest of the album isn’t half bad. Michelle Shocked, _Arkansas Traveler_ Kind of a primer on the history of Southern music. Plus, the liner photo of her at the microphone is so damn cute…! Ella Fitzgerald, _Something to Live For_ Good God what a voice! ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/11 "2004-11-27T22:18:18Z")
I was back in the U.S. on vacation a couple of months ago and one night was sitting around with a college friend - we were at school in the early to mid-'80s. As usual we spent part of the time talking music, and later that conversation inspired me to come up with a list of my own 10 favorite albums of the decade. I was thinking of starting a thread on it but haven’t got around to it, so I’ll just list them here and say I think they’re all well worth checking out. No particular order after number one. _Silvertone_, Chris Isaak _Let It Be_, the Replacements _Repercussion_, the dB’s _East Side Story_, Squeeze _Slow Turning_, John Hiatt _Seven Year Ache_, Roseanne Cash _Learning to Crawl_, the Pretenders _King of America_, the Costello Show (featuring Elvis Costello) _Guitar Beat_, the Raybeats _Violent Femmes_ ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/12 "2004-11-27T22:25:23Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Modern alt-rock didn’t really exist before punk (and you are aware of the Sex Pistols and Sonic Youth, right?), so it’s kinda hard to go back much older than that. > > If you’re interested in metal recommendations, I can give you a few. Sonic Youth, the Sex Pistols and the Talking Heads? Who? Seriously though, I should get myself some Sonic Youth and Talking Heads, they are definately missing. This is what I mean about major holes in the collection. Some metal recommendations would be awesome. Anything to expand my tastes. > [@Aesiron](#): > > I just discovered them myself so I can’t tell you much about them but have you heard Frou Frou? The songs I’m familiar with are mesmerizing and beautiful and I’ve discovered they have quite the underground fan base by mentioning them here and there and having very positive reactions. > > Also, Tool. You need Tool. And APC. I suggest “Undertow” and “Aenima” for the first and “Mer De Noms” for the second. Thank me later. I was shocked to find out I didn’t own Undertow. I was quiet dissappointed, I was sure I did. The other two I own though and they are both really good. I’ve only heard Frou Frou on the Garden State ST. I liked the song and would probably like to hear more of it. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Enigmatic sampled electronic whatsis: **Boards of Canada** , Music has the Right to Children I have Geogaddi and have listened to it once. I think it needs more than one listen to really get into. Is this album similiar? Thanks, for all the albums so far. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/13 "2004-11-27T22:35:50Z")
In terms of entire albums of greatness, **Five Days In July** by **Blue Rodeo** is one of my favorite albums, not a bad song on it. Give me that and **Violent Femmes** and I’m happy. In terms of rap, my schooling is very sparse, but beyond Public Enemy, I’m partial to Cypress Hill, Dub Pistols, and Seeed. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/14 "2004-11-27T22:47:06Z")
The Red Hot Chili Peppers - What Hits ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/15 "2004-11-27T22:48:34Z")
Supermodified, by Amon Tobin - this is to typical big-beat electronica what Miles Davis is to Kenny G. Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis - speaking of Miles Davis, if you don’t own this, there is a gigantic hole in your life. Five Leaves Left, Bryter Later, or Pink Moon, by Nick Drake - get them all. Nick Drake’s pre-mortem discography is simply flawless, and the whole shebang can be gotten for a total of under 30 bucks Canadian. I See a Darkness, by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - buy it now. Buy it now. Buy it now. [hijack]By the way, the Pixies were **incredible** live.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/16 "2004-11-27T23:10:40Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > The Red Hot Chili Peppers - What Hits That reminds me: Pick up \*By the Way \*by RHCP while you’re at it. It’s very trippy for lack of a better word. Great, great album. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/17 "2004-11-27T23:40:12Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > Sonic Youth, the Sex Pistols and the Talking Heads? Who? Seriously though, I should get > > myself some Sonic Youth and Talking Heads, they are definately missing. This is what I mean about > > major holes in the collection. Picking a Sex Pistols album is easy. For the Sonic Youth, try _Daydream Nation_. For the Talking Heads…honestly, all of their albums are damn good, so it’s hard to pick one. The first four are absolutely essential, the next two are up there, _True Stories_ is kinda weak but still good, and _Naked_ is incredibly underrated. > [@](#): > > Some metal recommendations would be awesome. Anything to expand my tastes. Here are what I consider the essential metal CDs, broken down by genre and not in any particular order. These are what most people would consider either one of the best albums by one of the most influential bands in a given genre, or at least very representative of the genre. Most of them have had some degree of commercial success (relatively speaking, anyway) and I like them. Without further ado, here’s the list: **Classic Metal** Black Sabbath, _Paranoid_ Led Zeppelin, _Led Zeppelin II_ **New Wave Of British Heavy Metal** Iron Maiden, _Number Of The Beast_ Judas Priest, _British Steel_ **Hair Metal** Guns N’ Roses, _Appetite For Destruction_ Van Halen, _1984_ **Power Metal** Helloween, _Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I_ Stratovarius, _Dreamspace_ **Thrash Metal** Metallica, _Master Of Puppets_ Slayer, _Reign In Blood_ **Industrial Thrash Metal** Ministry, _Psalm 69_ Nine Inch Nails, _The Downward Spiral_ **Punk Metal** D.R.I., _Thrash Zone_ Suicidal Tendencies, _How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today_ **Death Metal** Carcass, _Heartwork_ Morbid Angel, _Covenant_ **Grindcore** Napalm Death, _Scum_ Terrorizer, _World Downfall_ **Gothenburg Metal** At The Gates, _Slaughter Of The Soul_ In Flames, _The Jester Race_ **Doom Metal** Candlemass, _Epicus Doomicus Metallicus_ Saint Vitus, _Born Too Late_ **Stoner Metal** Kyuss, _Blues For The Red Sun_ Monster Magnet, _Powertrip_ **Goth Metal** My Dying Bride, _Turn Loose The Swans_ Theatre Of Tragedy, _Velvet Darkness They Fear_ **Sludge Metal** Corrosion Of Conformity, _Deliverance_ Crowbar, _Crowbar_ **Drone Metal** Earth, _Earth 2_ SUNN 0))), _Flight Of The Behemoth_ **Psychedelic Metal** Isis, _Oceanic_ Neurosis, _A Sun That Never Sets_ **Black Metal** Bathory, _Blood Fire Death_ Mayhem, _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ **Viking Metal** Bathory, _Hammerheart_ Falkenbach, _Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri_ **Nu Metal** Korn, _Korn_ Rage Against The Machine, _Rage Against The Machine_ **Rap Metal** Biohazard, _Urban Discipline_ Linkin Park, _Hybrid Theory_ **Funk Metal** Primus, _Sailing The Seas Of Cheese_ Red Hot Chili Peppers, _Blood Sugar Sex Magick_ **Alternative Industrial Metal** Fear Factory, _Demanufacture_ Marilyn Manson, _Antichrist Superstar_ **Metalcore** Poison The Well, _The Opposite Of December_ Vision Of Disorder, _Imprint_ **Post-Hardcore** Dillinger Escape Plan, _Calculating Infinity_ Mastodon, _Leviathan_ **New Wave Of American Heavy Metal** Killswitch Engage, _Alive Or Just Breathing_ Shadows Fall, _The Art Of Balance_ ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/18 "2004-11-27T23:42:01Z")
Er…I guess notepad auto-inserts line breaks. I previewed, but didn’t catch that. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/19 "2004-11-28T00:08:00Z")
And I forgot one… **Progressive Metal** Dream Theater, _Images And Words_ Queensrÿche, _Operation Mindcrime_ ---
**Author:** ![Elvez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@Elvez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvez)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911/20 "2004-11-28T00:19:57Z")
Well, for essential pseudo-rap, you can’t go wrong with Run DMC’s _Raising Hell_ and the Beastie Boys’ _License to Ill_ and/or _Paul’s Boutique_. I’d say Pink Floyd’s _Wish You Were Here_ is essential. So is _Animals_. Hell, even _Meddle_. Dire Straits’ self-titled album. Jimi Hendrix Experience _Electric Ladyland_ Eric Clapton _Unplugged_ and _461 Ocean Blvd._ Ween’s _The Mollusk_ Someone else mentioned Primus. I’d suggest _Suck on This_. The Black Keys _Thickfreakness_ simply rules. Anything by JJ Cale, except _Guitar Man_. Either the _Best of_ or _Any Way the Wind Blows: The Anthology_ would be a great start, but _Naturally_ and _Troubador_ are essential. If you like Mark Knopfler and/or Eric Clapton, JJ Cale will show you where they came from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-cds-all-genres/276911.md?page=2)