# My thoughts on albums everybody has already heard.(recommendations accepted) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217 "2013-08-26T17:18:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/341 "2018-04-22T23:45:57Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Listening to Kanye West’s second album. While I wasn’t blown away by the first one entirely, it was definitely startling and intriguing enough to me to continue exploring Kanye more. > > He is not what I expected at all. > > And **Jesus Walks** is on the playlist I’m making of great songs from new artists. That and **Feel** from Kendrick Lamar. There are many who say that Late Registration is the best “old kanye” album. I’m personally not one, but it’s very good and has most of his big hits. The college dropout was almost an underground album (sort of, it’s complicated). Late Registration turned him from a critical darling to the biggest star in the world. I’ll be interested to see what you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/342 "2018-04-22T23:57:24Z")
Oh, and pay attention to the features on Late Registration. Some of them like Lupe Fiasco (touch the sky) became some of the biggest names in hip hop, while others (Nas, JayZ, Common) were already legends. If you like what they are doing we can point you in the direction of some of their individual albums. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/343 "2018-04-23T02:29:42Z")
I’m partial to metal with an operatic influence. [Black Aria - Glenn Danzig](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sETxadz_p6k) As far as I know this was his only experiment with this sound. The rest of his collection doesn’t impress me as much. Also [Once - Nightwish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxeKUxeddow). I haven’t read the whole thread yet so apologies if it’s a repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/344 "2018-04-23T18:20:09Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Also [Once - Nightwish](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxeKUxeddow). I haven’t read the whole thread yet so apologies if it’s a repeat. I’m of the opinion that Nightwish improved a lot when they got rid of Tarja Turunen. Like, I was not a fan of them much. And now they are my favorite band. I think Floor is the best singer they’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/345 "2018-04-27T00:35:48Z")
Late Registration - Kanye This was less good to me than his first album, though I love Diamonds from Sierra Leonne, especially the remix included on the album. Gold Digger is obviously famous and it’s just a comedy song for me. Not all that great. Weird Al could have made it if it was more appropriate. It’s just a joke to me. Kind of funny, but not that funny. A step backward for me on this one, but Kanye is much better than I expected. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/346 "2018-04-27T00:37:26Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Nightwish - this performance of Ghost Love Score.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYjIlHWBAVo) I could recommend albums, but if you don’t like this song and performance, they won’t persuade you much. I think it is an all-time great performance. > > Nightwish is my favorite band. NAF, you listen to this yet? Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/347 "2018-04-27T02:24:26Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > NAF, you listen to this yet? Any thoughts? I have, a couple of times. It’s not what I was expecting exactly, far more operatic than I expected I guess. Took me. A couple of listens for the cognitive dissonance to go away. But I like it. The singer has a fantastic voice. I also listened to Roots. The growling is… Hard to get past. That might be something that I just don’t get. The music is solid though. I feel like I would like it a lot if the singer wasn’t quite so growly. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/348 "2018-04-27T02:44:03Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Late Registration - Kanye > > This was less good to me than his first album, though I love Diamonds from Sierra Leonne, especially the remix included on the album. > > Gold Digger is obviously famous and it’s just a comedy song for me. Not all that great. Weird Al could have made it if it was more appropriate. It’s just a joke to me. Kind of funny, but not that funny. > > A step backward for me on this one, but Kanye is much better than I expected. I feel similarly about Late Registration. I think Gold Digger actually has a lot to say and isn’t as jokey as it seems at first glance, I really like Crack Music too and Hey Mama. Still this is what made Kanye a superstar. He toured with U2 to support this album and while he was touring was impressed by their stadium anthems so on his next album he decided to make music suitable for playing in arenas. That album, Graduation, changed hip hop again and essentially created the sound of hip hop (and pop) for the next 7 years. After that Kanye goes in a totally different direction. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/349 "2018-04-27T09:59:24Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I have, a couple of times. It’s not what I was expecting exactly, far more operatic than I expected I guess. Took me. A couple of listens for the cognitive dissonance to go away. But I like it. The singer has a fantastic voice. Yeah, I don’t grok symphonic metal. I respect the talent and craft in execution a lot, but yes, it is more operatic vs rock-dangerous. Totally cool, and they’re excellent at it, but not my thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/350 "2018-04-27T13:33:41Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I can’t believe you haven’t checked out **Boston** yet! > > You’ve had _five years!_ Did it! Boston - Boston More like an (EP) than a full album, really. I was surprised how short it was. Yes, I had heard “more than a feeling”, but I had no idea who sang that. The rest of the album sounded new to me. It certainly was what I expected, even though I didn’t think I knew what Boston sounded like. I’m not a huge fan and I think it might fall into the “had to hear it when it was new” category in some ways. Nice enough music, but nothing stood out. :shrugs: ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/351 "2018-04-27T13:46:45Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I have, a couple of times. It’s not what I was expecting exactly, far more operatic than I expected I guess. Took me. A couple of listens for the cognitive dissonance to go away. But I like it. The singer has a fantastic voice. > > I also listened to Roots. The growling is… Hard to get past. That might be something that I just don’t get. The music is solid though. I feel like I would like it a lot if the singer wasn’t quite so growly. Gave Roots Bloody Roots another listen this morning. It’s growing on me. Almost ready to give Kamelot a try. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/352 "2018-04-27T14:25:55Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Gave Roots Bloody Roots another listen this morning. It’s growing on me. Almost ready to give Kamelot a try. **Roots Bloody Roots** is a great song. I also like **Dusted**. Skip the Jonathan Davis track(lookaway). It’s totally out of place and was just because Korn was becoming famous. It’s also oddly vulgar for a Sepultura song. The singer for Sepultura left after that album and he started his own band, which kind of sounds like Sepultura. (uh…a lot). [Anyway, here is his more recent live version of the song with his current band.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoi1OCBb6ak) ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/353 "2018-04-28T12:59:38Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > **Roots Bloody Roots** is a great song. I also like **Dusted**. > > Skip the Jonathan Davis track(lookaway). It’s totally out of place and was just because Korn was becoming famous. It’s also oddly vulgar for a Sepultura song. > > The singer for Sepultura left after that album and he started his own band, which kind of sounds like Sepultura. (uh…a lot). > > [Anyway, here is his more recent live version of the song with his current band.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoi1OCBb6ak) That’s awesome. I don’t know if it’s because I have listened to the song 5 or 6 times now, but seeing it live made it all make sense for me. It was a weird experience, but watching him actually sing made it stop feeling out of place and it suddenly seemed like the most logical way to sing that song. Listening to Kamelot now. It’s…almost musical theater feeling? Again, it’s not bad but I can’t quite wrap my head around it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/354 "2018-04-28T14:52:51Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Listening to Kamelot now. It’s…almost musical theater feeling? Again, it’s not bad but I can’t quite wrap my head around it. Kamelot is just a really talented group of guys in a metal band that is _not_ that heavy. Singer-focused, not “heavy beat” focused. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/355 "2018-04-29T12:28:03Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I feel similarly about Late Registration. I think Gold Digger actually has a lot to say and isn’t as jokey as it seems at first glance, I really like Crack Music too and Hey Mama. Still this is what made Kanye a superstar. > > He toured with U2 to support this album and while he was touring was impressed by their stadium anthems so on his next album he decided to make music suitable for playing in arenas. That album, Graduation, changed hip hop again and essentially created the sound of hip hop (and pop) for the next 7 years. > > After that Kanye goes in a totally different direction. I was thinking about this this morning (was reading about Kanye being… Insane I guess?). I would say that, at this point if you are interested I would skip Graduation and 808s and go straight to My Beautiful Dark and Twisted Fantasy. It’s him documenting his mental breakdown in the wake of his mother dying, followed by his fiance leaving him, followed by his blowing up his career with the VMA Taylor Swift incident. The “fantasy” in the title refers to suicide, and he spends the majority of the album weighing the pros and cons of continuing to live while piling a lot of self hatred on himself. Ultimately we chose not death and makes the album (obviously). Another key to the album though, is that at no point when he is talking about women in the album is he ever actually talking about women. Women are a metaphor for his fans/the hip hop community in the album. He also started doing a thing with auto tune (which he used extensively in his previous album) that he continues on all his next albums. Auto Tuned Kanye is an indication that he’s speaking from a place of reality and truth, while non auto tuned kanye brags and lies. Listen to it a couple of times and, if you dig it there is a cool podcast about it that WordMan linked to earlier in the thread. It’s generally considered one of the top hip hop albums of the century. After listening to this and the other two you will have all the Kanye you need to make decisions about if you want to pursue what he is doing musically. Like the thoughtful, self reflective, bombastic, storytelling Kanye? Listen to 808s and The Life of Pablo. Like the party anthem Kanye? Listen to Graduation. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/356 "2018-04-29T15:35:22Z")
_ **The Photographer** _ by Philip Glass. You’ll either love it or hate it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/357 "2018-04-29T17:45:40Z")
I will likely be going through all of Kanye. Even when I’m not liking it, he’s an interesting artist. I made playlist for hip-hop/rap. It currently looks like this: Feel - Kendrick Lamar Diamonds from Sierra Leonne(remix) - Kanye Stronger - Kanye Jesus Walks - Kanye I’ve liked Graduation quite a bit, actually. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/358 "2018-04-29T17:59:21Z")
You have an eye for picking the big hits off his albums. Stronger is a great song and also his highest charting single ever I believe. Still, I personally would jump to Dark Fantasy before listening to 808s, and would also listen to Pablo before Yeezus (which is a polarizing album. Some say it’s his best others say it’s garbage. There isn’t a lot of in between.) Dark Fantasy, 808s, Pablo, Yeezus, while not chronological, gives you the most easily accessible order to listen to his music. Nothing wrong with chronological though if you are absolutely going to listen to them all. Also, Kanye has 2 new albums coming out in a month, along with an album that he produced (did the music for) but didn’t write or rap on. All announced since you started listening to him. So, it’s an appropriate time to be doing this. Last Graduation is the last “old Kanye” album. Everything after is a concept album and much more personal music, also much more experimental. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/359 "2018-04-29T18:00:53Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > Also, Kanye has 2 new albums coming out in a month, along with an album that he produced (did the music for) but didn’t write or rap on. All announced since you started listening to him. So, it’s an appropriate time to be doing this. I heard. Looks like I’ll be familiar with him before I grab that album. I am going to go chronological on his discography. Not a huge fan, but I have liked enough to keep moving through. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217/360 "2018-04-30T15:33:52Z")
Led Zeppelin is my next group(still working on Kanye). I’ve sort of heard Stairway to Heaven, not sure if I’ve heard it all the way through. I know nothing else about them, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-thoughts-on-albums-everybody-has-already-heard-recommendations-accepted/667217.md?page=19)