My thoughts on albums everybody has already heard.(recommendations accepted)

Cafe Society
201

I’m going to chime in, given the tastes mentioned in the OP, and also suggest a Pixies and Sonic Youth record. The ones mentioned are indeed the most acclaimed ones: Doolittle and Daydream Nation. But I came to the Pixies and Sonic Youth from a little different direction, with similar tastes to yours in the early mid-90s: I liked most Seattle bands, wasn’t big on U2, loved Guns N Roses. I’m going to suggest trying Trompe Le Monde by the Pixies and Dirty by Sonic Youth. For me, those were a little easier to get my ears around before delving into the more classic albums of their catalog. That said, I probably would’ve done okay if Doolittle was my Pixies introduction, but I think Daydream Nation would’ve been a little too different for me to appreciate. Dirty has all the hallmarks of Sonic Youth, but with a more pop-oriented songwriting approach, for lack of better description.

One caveat is that these are not the “definitive” albums of the respective bands, and probably doesn’t fit the criteria of “albums that everyone has heard.” They are, however, bands that any music aficionado would have heard of, so worth exploring just for the band.

A couple more of my suggestions of “important bands” but not necessarily “stuff everyone has heard” would be XTC and Big Star. For XTC, I would recommend English Settlement, and for Big Star, well, just get the #1 Record/Radio City albums, which are often sold together.

I was going to mention Smashing Pumpkins as well, but I see that’s covered. There’s not a bad song on Siamese Dream, IMHO.

202

They’ve actually done two albums of mostly classic rock covers (Cover Up (2008) and Undercover (2010)). And Change of Luck from the new album goes very classic rock around the 5 minute mark.

203

I don’t disagree with any of your post but I prefer Doolittle and Goo when it comes to The Pixies and Sonic Youth. :slight_smile:
Skylarking is also a great XTC album. It’s probably best known because of the song “Dear God” but the whole thing is really good. XTC’s “alter ego”, Dukes of Stratosphear, is also good.

204

Mahaloth - Given that you seem to like G&R, early 90s grunge, some Metallica and Jet but not The Clash or Talking heads, I think classic rock, metal and industrial might be more your speed and punk, modern rock and non garage indie rock isn’t.

Some bands I’d recommend for you:
Led Zeppelin
Rush
Van Halen (Lee Roth era)
Motley Crue
Ministry
Ramstein
Prodigy
Rage Against the Machine
The Black Keys
The Strokes
Kings of Leon

205

Well, I think Doolittle is the best Pixies album, myself. Trompe Le Monde doesn’t get a lot of love, but I think it works as a reasonable introduction for somebody coming from a more the radio rock end of things.

And I love Goo. Love it. My suggestion of Dirty is more a cautious approach–it’s got cleaner production and the songwriting is a bit poppier. It’s the gentlest introduction to Sonic Youth, I think.

Yeah, this one was a hard one for me. I originally wanted to suggest Drums and Wires. Skylarking is probably their best overall. But “Senses Working Overtime” is one of my favorite pop songs, period, so English Settlement won out, although as an album, I think the other two are better choices. With XTC especially, it’s like trying to pick your favorite child. Hell, I’d say just go for Fossil Fuel:The XTC Singles for a great overview of the band.

206

Trompe Le Monde is ok, but I think Doolittle is pretty user friendly and just a better work. If you only listed to one Pixies album it should be Doolittle. (but Surfer Rosa is clearly their best album ;):p. ) There is also little chance Maha will like it if he goes there first.) I agree that Dirty is the way to go if you want to get into Sonic Youth, but for the purposes of this thread I think it has to be Daydream Nation. It’s their iconic album which is what the OP wants. It’s not a good first album to listen to though and has turned a lot of people off to Sonic Youth, so…I dunno.

207

Again, the updates will tend to come on weekends, but I am listening and re-listening to things during the work week.

**Update

Eagles - Greatest hits 1971-75**

The only greatest hits album I have selected so far. I picked it because it is one of the top selling albums of all time, just like Rumors from Fleetwood Mac.

Anyway, I only knew one thing about the Eagles:

Hotel California.

:slight_smile:

I knew that song because when I lived in China(10 years ago), it was everywhere. I assume that it had not been a big song in the 70’s/80’s due to suppression, but it was a huge thing when I lived there 2003-2005. I heard it in the taxis, in the stores, and it played at nearly every drinking location we went to.

I assumed it was on this album, but I see it came out after it.

OK, the review and a side observation.

It is, indeed, a good album, though as a greatest hits album, it is kind of a cheat. I don’t see what makes it such a high-selling album, as it does not make me want to run and check out their individual albums all that much.

I found that for the first 6 songs or so, I was very impressed, but I began to grow weary of, what I’m calling, the “light guitar soft rock” sound they keep repeating. While I enjoyed the heck out of Take it Easy, Already Gone, and Lyin Eyes, I found that by the time I was listening to Take it to the Limit, it was getting to…bleh.

Anyway, I do see why people like the Eagles, especially in the 70’s. The production values of the songs are great and I like the overall sound of the band. However, I think the Eagles are way less rocky than I pictured and ended up sounding too much like cheesey soft-rock.

This review sounds more negative than I mean it to. I like the album and will keep most of the tracks on the Ipod for awhile.

Side note: I’ve seen the Seinfeld episode where Elaine’s boyfriend zones out when he hears Desperado. I had no idea that was the Eagles. Additionally, when she tries to make “Witchy Woman” their song, I had no idea that was Eagles as well. I assumed she found a silly song from someone else to make their song. This album made me understand the episode more. Did they license the actual recordings for that episode, or were those imitation/cover versions in the episode?

208

You’re probably right, but I’m just trying to retrace my steps and see what worked for me. I got into the Pixies via “Alec Eiffel” and Trompe Le Monde. I think Trompe Le Monde gets overlooked in the catalog and, coming from a point where I loved Nirvana and Pearl Jam, it just seems closer in feel to what was going on at that time. Doolittle has better songs, overall.

209

Do I think our OP/Listener Mahaloth should listen to the Pixies and Sonic Youth? Absolutely. Will he like them, based on what I’ve seen of his preferences? No. He’ll like the Pixies more than SY, and of SY, might prefer their more commercial stuff, like Rather Ripped. Totally IMHO, but that’s my read.

Mahaloth it will be interesting if you get to these. And some Ministry! - at least Just One Fix and Thieves :wink:

210

I think you are probably right, but if he likes the Seattle Sound at all he should give its forerunners a shot and The Replacements and Husker Du have already been recommended.

Dinosaur Jr. (the album you want is You’re Living All Over Me) and **Mission of Burma **(you want to listen to Vs.) are probably good choices in that vein.

He might not like em, but he should know em. I also stand by my earlier recommendations of Black Sabbath, Ozzie, Led Zeplin, Motorhead, Iggy Pop (both with and without the Stooges) Alice Cooper, and the MC5. He might actually like those more.

Ministry is a good choice Word Man.

211

Here is where I’m at so far, folks. I’ve listened to:

Metallica - Ride the Lightning
U2 - Joshua Tree
The Clash - London Calling
Jet - Get Born
Prince - Purple Rain
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Queen - Night at the Opera
Queen - A Kind of Magic
NIN - Hesitation Marks
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
The Eagles - Greatest hits 71-75
My likes of the above are: Ride the Lightning, Get Born, Appetite for Destruction, Kind of Magic, Hesitation Marks.

My “OK” albums are: Joshua Tree(though I love tracks 1-3), Rumors, and the Eagles one.

My dislikes are, so far: London Calling and Remain in Light, both of which I have re-listened and give negative reviews.

Next up is, I think, Siamese Dream(though I am somewhat familiar with Smashing Pumpkins).

212

Oh jeez, Cherub Rock for the win; lord what a great song. So - why the heck is it called that anyway? I’ve never parsed the lyrics - or rather, did once but they didn’t jump out to me…

213

According to iTunes, Sonic Youth is my most owned, most listened-to band…and for the record, Dirty is my favorite album of theirs. All that said, I think you might not clearly remember how difficult that album can be. Songs like “swimsuit issue” and "Nic Fit"are probably not in the OP’s wheelhouse…at a minimum, you might warn the OP not to listen to any song with Kim Gordon on vocals. :wink:

214

The song is supposed to be about his relationship to the indie rock community and music industry. It appears to me to be a general kind of “be true to yourself” warning against the pressures to conform, that sort of angsty thing. As for why it’s called “Cherub Rock,” I’m sure you can probably find an evocative symbolic connection between the name and the lyrical/emotional content of the song, but with Smashing Pumpkins song titles, I don’t really try too hard to find anything but the vaguest connection. (I mean, “Rhinoceros,” “Mayonaise [sic],” “Jellybelly,” etc.)

However, I only just found out that Cherub Rock was supposedly influenced by a Cheap Trick song, according to Billy Corgan. And it’s this song, “Oo la la la.” That certainly is the chorus. And the opening riff of “Cherub Rock” sounds a lot like Neu!'s “Hallogallo”, although I don’t know if Corgan every mentioned it being an influence or not.

215

Not to beat this to death, though I do think they are an essential piece of genre to explore for anyone understanding the 90s alternative scene breakout. Goo has been my long-term desert island disc and my favorite from them as a complete album (major label sellout controversy be damned), as a whole album piece it just flows perfectly. Dirty has equally great single pieces within (Purr is the lead track on my “Music to Trash Hotel Rooms To” playlist), but there’s a bunch of throwaway filler and less accessible tracks that are more for dedicated fans rather than new listeners.

216

Actually, relistening to Goo and Dirty, I guess they’re about equal in terms of production and poppiness. Dirty was my way in to Sonic Youth…I don’t find anything on that album particularly inaccessible and, once again, coming from a 90s grunge listening background, it was easy for me to get into. Goo may have worked just as well, though.

217

**Update

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
**
Little bit of a cheat here. Because I caught on to 89x(which reaches here in Michigan), I was aware of Smashing Pumpkins and some of the songs of this album, but had not heard the whole thing.

It’s a great album and, as I expected, I should have checked it out back when I was in high school.

I actually listened to Smashing Pumpkins new album and wasn’t impressed, but this one is a classic. Cherub Rock, Disarm, Mayonaisse are all great tracks and it will find a way into my regular rotation.

218

Another gold star for you ;).

219

Gish, the album that preceded Siamese Dream is also excellent. You should really add it to your list.

220

Seconded. I was disappointed by Siamese Dream in comparison go Gish.