# Required listening. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372 "2004-08-31T04:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/21 "2004-08-31T12:14:54Z")
The Cure, **Disintegration** Liz Phair, **Exile in Guyville** Elvis Costello and the Attractions, **This Year’s Model** Beastie Boys, **Paul’s Boutique** Weezer, **Weezer** (The Blue Album) ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/22 "2004-08-31T12:21:09Z")
OK here goes… Fleetwood Mac - Rumours David Bowie - Diamond Dogs Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (Stark - agree about Requiem too) and gotta be said Oasis - Whats the Story Morning Glory (I think they’re twats, but talented twats 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/23 "2004-08-31T13:51:05Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > Ah, five is cheating! A real man would only pick one and stick with it. Agreed, so here’s my one: **Truth** by Jeff Beck It’s got Rod Stewart when he was humble and insecure and Ron Wood of the Stones on bass. Plus, it has the remarkable instrumental, “Beck’s Bolero,” featuring (get this!) Beck and Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Nicky Hopkins on keyboard and Keith Moon on drums. Maybe the most amazing lineup in the history of rock 'n roll! ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/24 "2004-08-31T14:03:49Z")
> [@SPOOFE](#): > > Talking Heads - _Remain in Light_ > David Byrne - _Look Into The Eyeball_ > Roger Waters - _The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking_ > Pink Floyd - _Animals_ > Air - _Moon Safari_ Marry me! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/25 "2004-08-31T14:06:13Z")
Genesis - _Selling England by the Pound_. Some may disagree and suggest the \*Lamb Lies Down on Broadway \* or _Foxtrot_ from the Gabriel years. But, since is there is no filler (well, maybe _More Fool Me_) on _Selling England_, I will suggest that is the defining album from the Gabriel years. The Phil Collins years are a bit tougher. I think I’ll go out on a limb and say _We_ _Can’t Dance_. \*Fading Lights \* and \*Driving the Last Spike \* are amazing songs which shows the “old” Genesis. There is some of the pop which the band was harshly criticized for, but except for \*Hold on my Heart \* it is far better than the \*Invisible Touch \* era. \*No Son of Mine \* is a much better song than any of their pop hits. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/26 "2004-08-31T15:06:38Z")
Pink Floyd – Welcome to the Machine ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/27 "2004-08-31T15:42:38Z")
Non-metal: The Beatles, _Revolver_ Radiohead, _OK Computer_ Opeth, _Damnation_ Ulver, _Kveldssanger_ Jack Off Jill, _Clear Hearts Grey Flowers_ Metal: Isis, _Oceanic_ Emperor, _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ Death, _Sound of Perseverance_ Opeth, _Blackwater Park_ Ulver, _Nattens Madrigal_ ---
**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:** [August 31, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/28 "2004-08-31T15:45:45Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Pink Floyd – Welcome to the Machine Not only a brave single entry, but a single song! One y’all gotta listen to: The Soft Boys - **Underwater Moonlight** I used to prefer **Can of Bees** but I’ve changed my mind over the centuries^M^M^M^M^M^M^M decades. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/29 "2004-08-31T15:54:22Z")
The One™: The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs And to a lesser (but not much lesser) extent: Sloan - Twice Removed Gene - Drawn To The Deep End Aimee Mann - Lost In Space Better Than Ezra - Closer ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/30 "2004-08-31T21:07:54Z")
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks The Replacements - Let It Be Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/31 "2004-08-31T21:31:01Z")
\*\*Richard & Linda Thompson \*\* - _Shoot Out The Lights_ \*\*Wilco \*\* - _Yankee Hotel Foxtrot_ \*\*Camel \*\* - _[Music Inspired by] The Snow Goose_ \*\*Frank Zappa \*\* - I’ll think I’ll go with _Zoot Allures_ here And of course the IT geek in me has to pick a \*\*Rush \*\* album - _2112_ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/32 "2004-08-31T21:46:41Z")
Jimmy Scott - “All The Way” Ali Farka Toure - “Talking Timbuktu” Clifford Brown - pick any album Miles Davis - “Birth Of The Cool” Sergio Mendes - “Braziliero” Stan Getz - “Getz & Gilberto” ---
**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:** [August 31, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/33 "2004-08-31T21:50:33Z")
The Clash - London Calling (If I was only allowed to pick one, this would be it) Radiohead - OK Computer Radiohead - The Bends The Smiths - The Queen is Dead The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs The Smiths - Meat Is Murder The Lightning Seeds - Cloudcuckooland The Sundays - Blind ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/34 "2004-08-31T21:58:58Z")
**Joe’s Garage**. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/35 "2004-08-31T22:11:18Z")
**Mars Volta** De-Loused in the Comatorium **Philip Glass** Akhnaten **Boris Kovac** Ballads at the End of Time **Hawkwind** The Chronicles of the Black Sword (Live version) **Marcus Shelby & Marcus Poston** Intimate Strangers A set of 5 that you probably have not heard, but should. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/36 "2004-08-31T22:31:30Z")
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (because I think it’s everything an album should be) Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water The Doors - The Soft Parade Fats Waller - [The Very Best of…](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004X0AT/qid=1093990758/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/104-7347716-4739110) Louis Armstrong - plays W.C. Handy It’s hard to pick just one album off any of these artists. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/37 "2004-08-31T22:57:44Z")
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry’s Dream The Who - Tommy Beethoven - Ninth Symphony Butthole Surfers - Rembrandt Pussyhorse Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/38 "2004-08-31T23:09:55Z")
Okay, only five. _sigh_… Rush- Permanent Waves Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here Metallica- Ride the Lightning Joe Satriani-Surfing With the Alien Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/39 "2004-08-31T23:35:07Z")
**Patty Griffin** -“Living With Ghosts”. The power, emotion, and simple complexity of a guitar and voice. rounding out the quintet: 2) **Joni Mitchell** -“Blue” 3) **Tom Waits** - “Nighthawks at the Diner” 4) **John Wesley Harding** -“It Happened One Night” (which was just re-re-released with an extra CD called [“It Never Happened At All”)](http://johnwesleyharding.com/rspcjwh.html) 5) **Cheryl Wheeler** - “Sylvia Hotel” ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372/40 "2004-08-31T23:36:06Z")
I’ll follow the majority and go with five, 'cause one is just too hard: Murmur - R.E.M. Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon Martinis and Bikinis - Sam Philips Summerteeth - Wilco Security - Peter Gabriel I would have gone with YHF for Wilco, but the criteria stated albums that people should hear at least once; IMHO, appreciating YHF takes more than one (or a dozen) listens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/required-listening/262372.md?page=3)