What are your ‘perfect’ albums? Albums that could not be improved by adding tracks to or removing tracks from, and for which the artists involved are in your opinion playing at their best. Give reasons for your choices if you want
Perfect
Dark Side of the Moon : Pink Floyd
For me the perfect concept album, every track is individually brilliant, and they all fit together into a coherent whole.
Drama : Yes
I was never a fan of Jon Anderson’s singing, so this is for me the best of the Yes albums.
B’Boom : King Crimson
The best live album
Jazz at the Pawn Shop : Various
An audiophile CD I bought for my audiophile brother. Not just perfect recording, but perfect musicianship as well.
Brubeck Quartet: Live at Carnegie Hall (60s). These guys hit a groove that is seldom heard in live performances and Joe Morello’s extended drum solo on “Castillian Drums” is one of the all-time jazz highlights, IMHO.
Eagles: “Greatest Hits” (well, okay, it’s a greatest hits album, but not all hits albums have no losers)
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra: the Duke Ellington album
The White Album - The Beatles (I would like to have included Revolver and Abbey Road, but they could both be improved by removing Ringo’s renditions of Yellow Submarine and Octopus’s Garden).
“John Barleycorn Must Die” – Traffic
“Who’s Next” and “Who Are You” – The Who
“Abbey Road”
“Atom Heart Mother” – Pink Floyd
“Led Zeppelin” and “Led Zeppelin IV”
“The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus” – Spirit
“Workingman’s Dead” – Grateful Dead
“Moondance” – Van Morrison
“Lights in the Night” – Flash and the Pan
“Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround” – Kinks
“The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle” – Bruce Springsteen
“Full House” – J. Geils Band
“Allman Brothers Band Live at Fillmore East”
Gotta second At Fillmore East by the Allmans, and I’d take the Dead’s American Beauty. Radiohead’s OK Computer really does strike me as a perfect record. Something about it just makes it a really complete listen.
Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
Hysteria - Def Leppard
Chicago II - Chicago
Chicago IX - Chicago
90125 - Yes
Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
Devil’s Dance - Gil Shaham
Look of Love - Diana Krall
And, really, I always liked Porgy and Bess - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald
I’ll second Workingman’s Dead and American Beatry
and add:
Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter - The Incredibie String Band
Ladies of the Canyon and Blue - Joni Mitchell
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
The Lady and the Unicorn - John Renbourn
Benefit - Jethro Tull
Liege & Lief - Fairport Convention
Days of Future Past - The Moody Blues
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
Living with Ghosts - Patty Griffin