The Beatles thread was actually a tangent – what I was originally thinking about, as I was blasting down the interstate passing far more powerful cars, was, “What are the five quintessential rock albums?” And I’m defining rock as I did in the OP of the other thread – it makes you turn up the volume, press down on the gas, and sing at the top of your lungs. (Playing drums on the steering wheel is, I think, optional.)
My nominees:
[ul]
[li]Who’s Next – The Who[/li][li]Sticky Fingers – the Stones. For the first few chords of “Bitch,” if for no other reason.[/li][li]Live at the Fillmore – The Allman Brothers. Forget Clapton, Duane Allman is God.[/li][li]The Pretenders – The Pretenders[/li][li]Santana – Santana[/ul][/li]
First alternate: Exile in Guyville – Liz Phair. Just because Rock and Roll Will Never Die.
*Who’s Next * - The Who. Yep. My first choice too.
*Born To Run * - Bruce Springsteen. Cars, girls, choices…it doesn’t get any better than this.
*Led Zeppelin IV * - Overblown and pretentious…and harder rocking than you can believe.
Too many early Stones albums to count…
other powerful rock albums (not necessarily top 5 but top 5 that I have):
30º Everywhere - The Promise Ring
This Year’s Model - Elvis Costello
Do Or Die - Dropkick Murphys
Ramones Mania (can we do best of’s?)
It’s on III. But II had “Whole Lotta Love.” I struggled with which of the first four Led Zep albums to put on my list, and already regret not just putting I.
Physical Graffeti
Hot Rocks
Decade
Legend
Abbey Road
If Hot Rocks and Decade don’t fit your definition of an album, then I’ll substitute Let It Bleed and Harvest.
Harvest? On the liner notes for “Decade,” Young points out that “With ‘Harvest’ I headed for the middle of the road, but grew tired of it quickly and headed back to the ditch. You meet more interesting people there.” How 'bout Rust Never Sleeps instead?
My list:
Who’s Next
Let It Bleed
White Album
Live at the Fillmore
A disc to be named later
Hey Hey, My My was the only one off RNS that really spoke to me. With Harvest I think Old Man alone makes it a classic. Then you add The Needle and the Damage Done, Harvest, A Man Needs a Maid and Heart of Gold. That’s pretty stout.
As mentioned though with Decade you also get Cinnamon Girl, Down By The River, Mr. Soul, I Am A Child, Broken Arrow, Sugar Mountain, The Loner, Cowgirl In The Sand, After The Gold Rush, Southern Man, Walk On, Long May You Run and Ohio and dang… I’m happy for hours on end with this’n.
I’ve got to say, I’m tickled to death to see so many votes for Who’s Next.
I know I’ve mentioned this way too many times in one thread or another – but the first rock concert I ever saw, when I was just a wee twickster, was the Who, the Who’s Next tour, in San Diego, when I was in high school.
Black Sabbath and Paranoid are arguably the two most essential early 70s rock recordings, and no list of the best rock albums is complete without at least one of those.
My five in random order…
Lady in Waiting…The Outlaws
Glass Houses…Billy Joel
Eat a Peach…The Allman Brothers
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs…Derek and the Dominoes
tie…
Funkadelic…Free your mind and your ass will follow…Maggot Brain.
IMHO…Just the best black rock ever done. Hendrix not withstanding.
