# Introduce a noob to your favorite music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195 "2008-03-13T00:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/21 "2008-03-13T05:19:30Z")
Let’s pretend I didn’t have my mind somewhere completely else and screw up the coding. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/22 "2008-03-13T06:06:12Z")
Opera. \*Rigoletto \*or _Carmen._ ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/23 "2008-03-13T09:41:37Z")
**Elliott Smith** - I guess I would choose _XO_, as it is simultaneously his best and most accessible album, even though my favorite songs are spread out amongst his other albums. **Nellie McKay** - All of her three albums are a mix of great, good, and so-so, but I would start with her first (_Get Away From Me_), which showcases her extremes pretty well, including her delving into rap. **Radiohead** - _OK Computer_ FTW. No question, one of the greatest albums ever, was great to hear the first time, and great to hear the 500th time. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/24 "2008-03-13T10:25:37Z")
If I wanted to introduce someone to [The Brilliant Green](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_brilliant_green), with only one disk, I’d be VERY torn as to what to do it with. Obvious choices, as broad overviews of the band, would be the Complete Single Collection (which I don’t have, and don’t intend to get, since Ash Like Snow is the only single I don’t have, yet), or the Super Terra 2000 DVD. Unfortunately, the Single Collection only has the title track from each single, and for most of them, I think the ‘b’ track is better. And Super Terra 2000 is a live performance, so many of the tracks sound noticeably different than the studio versions - for instance, Tomoko does a screamy thing on Bye! My Boy! and Baby London Star, which, while having some charm in the live setting, she doesn’t usually do, and doesn’t show off her voice well. Discarding those, I think, the best bet would be Terra 2001. Not only does it have more of my favourite songs than any of the other albums, it’s the strongest AS an album. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/25 "2008-03-13T10:46:38Z")
**The Soft Boys** _Underwater Moonlight_ I prefer _A Can of Bees_ but Moonlight is easier on the ear. **Steely Dan** NOT Aja, lets go with _The Royal Scam_. **The Beatles** (this is hypothetical I hope) _Hard Day’s Night_ not Sgt Pepper. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/26 "2008-03-13T10:58:49Z")
**NightWish** – “_[Century Child](http://www.nightwish.com/en/band/releases/details?id=5)_” ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/27 "2008-03-13T11:59:16Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Led Zeppelin: Zep IV [/QUOTE] Arrrrrgh, I am seriously torn. IV is great, but I (for Your Time is Gonna Come / Black Mountainside) or II (Ramble On and the Lemon Song) would also be great introductions. I have a seven-month-old boy now, and someday I’m going to have to choose which Zeppelin album to put on for him first… and I think it’s going to be I or II. Stairway is a symbol because people know it, but if you’re truly introducing a stranger to a song, I don’t think it holds up as well as Ramble On. Of course that means he would have to wait until I put on IV to hear When the Levee Breaks… which would be a crime. ---
**Author:** ![pprgrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f6c823/32.png) [@pprgrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pprgrl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/28 "2008-03-13T12:06:28Z")
**Jurph** , if he’s seven months old, shouldn’t you have had him listening to Zep for like, almost 16 months already? My dad had me listening to Yes, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull when I was still in the womb. Thanks for the rec, **Equipoise**. I’ll definitely give her a listen. 🆒 ---
**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:** [March 13, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/29 "2008-03-13T12:07:29Z")
**Guster** _Lost and Gone Forever_ is my favorite CD from the band, but I think _Keep It Together_ is the most accessible to new listeners. Although I did use _Ganging Up on the Sun_ to get someone into them just the other day because it was what I had around. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/30 "2008-03-13T12:32:01Z")
Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Akira Their other music is all very good as well (except some pop-chorus stuff), but Akira really is the one with the most range and overall skill put into it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/31 "2008-03-13T12:37:10Z")
[QUOTE=Jurph] Arrrrrgh, I am seriously torn. IV is great, but I (for Your Time is Gonna Come / Black Mountainside) or II (Ramble On and the Lemon Song) would also be great introductions. I have a seven-month-old boy now, and someday I’m going to have to choose which Zeppelin album to put on for him first… and I think it’s going to be I or II. Stairway is a symbol because people know it, but if you’re truly introducing a stranger to a song, I don’t think it holds up as well as Ramble On. Of course that means he would have to wait until I put on IV to hear When the Levee Breaks… which would be a crime. [/QUOTE] Well for a kid, I would go with the Rain Song. In fact for the Beatles, I accidental made both kids Beatles fans by playing the Yellow Submarine movie as often as they wanted, which was very. 😉 They both recognize Beatles and one even mistook a Monkey song for Beatles. Neither of them like Led Zeppelin yet, but my son already loves Queen. Peter, Paul & Mary are popular and my daughter likes the Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman and similar female folk rockers. I know for Zep, I started with Zep I as my older sister had bought it when I was only six. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/32 "2008-03-13T13:17:26Z")
**DJ Shadow** - _The Private Press_ for sure, it’s the most consistently approachable of his three albums (and my favourite if I’m listening all the way through, rather than to select track). The real gems live on _…Endtroducing_, though. **Death Cab for Cutie** - _Transatlanticism_ is my favourite, by far, but I generally start people off with _Plans_, since it has a bit more major label polish. **Elliott Smith** would definitely be _XO_, as Windwalker already mentions below, though I tend to introduce newbies to Elliott by giving them a track or two at a time instead of a whole album. ---
**Author:** ![lunar\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lunar\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lunar_elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/33 "2008-03-13T13:23:24Z")
\*\*[BT](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BT_(musician)) \*\* ([Brian Transeau](http://btmusic.com/)) Primarily electronic dance music, but works with or has worked with other artists, such as Tori Amos, Britney Spears and [Tiesto](http://www.tiesto.com/). This CD is a bit more mainstream, but it is my favorite so I’d have to go with _“Emotional Technology”_. Every song on the CD is great, but my favs from it are: Force of Gravity, Superfabulous (w/Rose McGowan), and Somnambulist. If you’re looking for some other [samples of his music](http://www.amazon.com/Bt/dp/B000QKJA5A/ref=sr_f1_0?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1205414291&sr=101-0), another of his CDs \*Movement in Still Life \* is really good as well. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/34 "2008-03-13T13:32:06Z")
Hm. REM’s probably my favorite band–or up there–and **Document** is my favorite album of theirs. But if I’m going to introduce someone to the music, I’m more likely to show them **Automatic for the People**. Likewise, I love Gogol Bordello. My favorite song by them is “Not a Crime.” If, however, I’m introducing someone to them, I show them “Start Wearing Purple” first. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/35 "2008-03-13T14:12:21Z")
**Dead Can Dance** - have to go with _Aion_ - the most balanced combo of instrumental, Brendan and Lisa songs, with my absolute favourites _Saltarello_, _Fortune Presents…_ and _Song of the Sybil_. Misses some greats like \*Cantara \*or _Ulysses_, but can’t have everything, now can we? **Joy Division** - damn, hard to choose, but I think _Unknown Pleasures_ has it over _Closer_, even if it’s not my favourite of the two. It is the less personal of the two, and for introducing someone to the band, I think it’s the more accessible (it was for me) **The Smiths** - my fave’s _The Smiths_ but I think _The Queen is Dead_ is the best intro to the band - mature, not as angry as _Strangeways…_ This all assumes compilations are out otherwise we’re looking at \*A Passage In Time \*, _Substance_ and _Louder Than Bombs,_ respectively. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/36 "2008-03-13T14:33:06Z")
I don’t have a favorite band, but I can toss off (not what you think, you kinky brits)a few classics for the heck of it. In no particular order: **Cheap Trick** - _Cheap Trick_ **The Jam** - _All Mod Cons_, _Setting Sons_, or _Sound Affects_ **Loud Family** - _Interbabe Concern_ **Starz** - _Starz_ **Bram Tchaikovsky** - _Strange Man, Changed Man_ **Buzzcocks** - _Singles Going Steady_ **Undertones** - _Undertones_ or _Hypnotised_ **Plimsouls** - _Plimsouls_ (hard to find) **Silos** - _Cuba_ **The La’s** - _The La’s_ **The Kinks** - …_are the Village Green Preservation Society_ **The Psychedelic Furs** - _Talk Talk Talk_ **Thin Lizzy** - _Jailbreak_ **Midnight Oil** - _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1_ **AC/DC** - _Let There Be Rock_ **Rose Tattoo** - _Rose Tattoo_ I’m sure I forgot more than I remembered… :o ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/37 "2008-03-13T14:53:39Z")
[**The Tragically Hip**](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll) - Most people prefer [Day for Night](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fwxq9hld6e) (which isn’t even in my top 4), but I’d start someone with my favorite, [Fully Completely](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jbftxqy5ldte), as it’s a good idea of their rock sound. After that, I’d suggest the blusey/rock of the album prior, [Road Apples](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hpfoxq95ldke). Their signature song is “New Orleans is Sinking” which is on their first full-length album, [Up to Here](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gpfoxq95ldke), which is raw, unpolished rock. I would \*highly \* recommend catching a show since a lot of their songs sound even better live. They are easily the best live band I’ve seen and lead singer Gordon Downie is fantastic to watch. He’s absolutely batshit insane on stage. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/38 "2008-03-13T15:15:40Z")
My Top 10 “must have” albums: (limiting this to 1 per artist) The Clash - London Calling The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead Radiohead - OK Computer New Order - Substance Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes Stone Roses - Second Coming Clinic - Internal Wrangler REM - Eponymous Depeche Mode - Violator U2 - Achtung Baby Sunstance and Eponymous are kind of like “greatest hits” albums, but they’re really good. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/39 "2008-03-13T15:38:11Z")
**The Alan Parsons Project** : _Ammonia Avenue_ **Rush** : _Moving Pictures_ **Assemblage 23** : _Defiance_ or _Storm_ **Alice Cooper** : _Brutal Planet_ **Pink Floyd** : _Dark Side of the Moon_ ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195/40 "2008-03-13T15:43:58Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] woodstockbirdybird, Refer to my location for another good album 🙂 But I digress. I must admit that I am again going through my yearly Flogging Molly and Pogues jag kicks in. March seems to be a good month for hard rocking Irish drinking music. [/QUOTE] Yeah, _Zen Arcade_’s the one that’s my favorite the other half of the time. I don’t think it’s a good one to introduce the uninitiated to, though, if only because of “Reoccurring Dreams” (which I do love). Don’t really know Flogging Molly, but I hope for the Pogues you’d pick _Rum, Sodomy & The Lash_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/introduce-a-noob-to-your-favorite-music/441195.md?page=3)