[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF]
I’m actually pretty fond of Aerosmith’s Nine Lives.
[/QUOTE]
Hell yes!
The Cure’s album Pornography is IMO, 10X better than anything else they’ve ever done, but I seem to be nearly alone on that.
*Sergeant Pepper * was a superb album, but it dates badly. Too much of it’s era. I also prefer Abbey Road.
Pink Floyd’s best is Atom Heart Mother, followed by Meddle and *Wish You Were Here. Dark Side of the Moon * is acceptable, but watered down Pink Floyd.
Most people will pick Who’s Next or Tommy as the top album by the Who, but I prefer Who Are You?.
[QUOTE=mr. jp]
Oh, man.
-No way Ixnay is the best
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A hard days night? I really don’t get people who like the earliest stuff the best. Do you even like the late beatles then? Its totally different. Wouldnt it be better to find some music similar to the early Beatles?
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Well, the best is Ride the Lightning. And reload is the second/third worst.
[/QUOTE]
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Ixnay got me into the Offspring, it’s the first album of theirs I ever owned, I love the music on it (I love all of their music) and I have a lot of fond memories attached to it. Specifically, I like the message in the song “I Choose.”
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You don’t get people who like the earliest stuff best? Whatever. I love the Beatles, ALL of the Beatles’ music, I just like the earliest stuff best.
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I like Ride the Lightning. I just like Load better. Once again, memories of what was going on in my life when it came out. I’ve never been a big thrash-metal type of person, which is why I’m not as fond of the early stuff as I am of the more melodic stuff that came out Black Album and later (although St. Anger sucks ass).
[QUOTE=Marley23]
“Everyone loves the Black Album?” It was really popular, but my experience is that older Metallica fans hate it. If you were saying the Black Album beat out Master of Puppets as your favorite, that’d be more daring.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not talking about “older Metallica fans,” I’m talking about the general public that likes Metallica. That, unfortunately, includes the 14 year olds on Myspace (insert sigh here). Also, the Black Album outsold Master of Puppets (at first, I’m not sure what it looks like now…the Black Album brought Metallica’s name and sound to the public and not just thrash metal fans). I know I, personally, owned about four copies of the Black Album because I wore the CD’s out so fast. My mom owned three.
~Tasha
[QUOTE=Nurobath]
…snip…
Rush - I was going to say Hemispheres or Permanent Waves but **yBeayf **got me thinkin and now I can’t decide. Signals or Power Windows would be good choices. Rush is one of those bands (like the Beatles) who’s sound has changed so much over the years that it’s difficult to pick an overall best album.
…snip…
Yes - Relayer
I think The Yes Album or Fragile would be the consensus album for them.
Metallica - I like And Justice for All
[/QUOTE]
See below for Rush
Relayer is probably my second favorite Yes album but I love all of them except Drama anyway so it is by slim degrees of difference. Close to the edge wins out if for nothing else but these wonderful lyrics:
I agree on Metallica, it is the only CD I own by them.
[QUOTE=yBeayf]
While I think Signals is far and away the best album Rush ever put out, Presto rates a close second (and Power Windows comes in third).
[/QUOTE]
I must be old, I thought Hemispheres and 2112 were the two everyone liked best. They are my two favorites.
Jim
[QUOTE=levdrakon]
The Cure’s album Pornography is IMO, 10X better than anything else they’ve ever done, but I seem to be nearly alone on that.
[/QUOTE]
Really? That seems to be the prevailing critical opinion at this point in their career - or at least that those early, Factory Records-esque Cure records are easily the only worthwhile thing that they did.
[QUOTE=VCO3]
Really? That seems to be the prevailing critical opinion at this point in their career - or at least that those early, Factory Records-esque Cure records are easily the only worthwhile thing that they did.
[/QUOTE]
Serious? Tell me more. I really thought I was alone on that. Who are these critical opinion holders?
Count me in for Abbey Road, Bookends and Wish You Were Here as well.
I don’t know what REM’s best album is considered to be, because I don’t like a single other thing I’ve ever heard by them that wasn’t Fables Of The Reconstruction. That would have to be a desert island disc for me.
And I have a soft spot for The Monkees’ Headquarters, not entirely because it was the first album I owned. Their first album is probably better, HQ has a surfeit of good songs, nice production and playing (by the group with only a little outside help), and it sounds like they were having fun making it. The Rhino 3 disc set of the sessions bears that out. After all, they didn’t put out a 3CD of “Changes” or anything else.
My favorite Billy Joel Album would have to be An Innocent Man. I definitely consider that to be his peak. My second favorite would be Storm Front. Favorite Bruce Springsteen album would have to be his post 9/11 album, the Rising. My fave Zep album is the fourth one, commonly known as Zoso.
A Hard Day’s Night is my favorite Beatles’ album as well, and I love and own all their albums. Revolver is a close second.
However, I’m really here to admit that I like Interpol’s Antics better than their acclaimed debut Turn on the Bright Lights. I know that makes me a bad person, but…
Most people would probably say that either Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash or If I Should Fall from Grace with God are the best albums The Pogues ever put out. And I don’t know that I could say that they’re wrong. But Peace and Love is still my favorite.
Nothing new here for the biggies.
Revolver – I love all the stacked harmonies, they seemed to stop doing that after this album
Animals
Physical Graffitti
These possibly because I overplayed the more obvious albums in my youth, but that can’t be the whole story since I’ve played these over and over too.
Who’s Next (or Live at Leeds) definitely not Tommy which is too wimpy.
Rolling Stones, can I have an early B52s album instead please?
Steely Dan, not Aja, The Royal Scam or Pretzel Logic maybe. Aja is just so slick.
Zappa, the critics always seem to go for an early album (Hot Rats? Only in it for the Money?) I’d go for Sheik Yerbouti, it’s more fun.
I prefer Can of Bees to Underwater Moonlight (angrier guitars) but I don’t suppose that means much to anyone.
For me, the best Beatles album is Rubber Soul. This album seems to capture the beginning of their transition from pop musicians to the artists they became.
I think that Tunnel of Love is Bruce Springsteen’s best album, despite my love for much of his other work, and my belief that Born to Run and The Rising are both major achievements. Tunnel of Love is thematically unified, looking at love and relationships from many angles. This was the first time he had approached this subject directly, and came at a time when he was struggling with his own first marriage. The result is an album that still evokes strong emotions when I listen to it.
Pink Floyd: Saucerful of Secrets - so wistful, so adventurous
count me in for A Momentary Lapse of Reason, too
Animals - mean, nasty, great guitar
DSOTM is just too safe, too middle of the road
Who: definitely Who Sell Out - Rael, I Can See For Miles, Armenia - great album
Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour - *really *psychedelic, plus all their summer of love singles
Oops, forgot to throw in my two cents on Frank Zappa. For me, it’s Joe’s Garage Act One.
I prefer The Clash’s *Give 'Em Enough Rope * to *London Calling * or The Clash.
Dressed to Kill is my favorite KISS album.
I prefer MC5’s *Back in the USA * (albeit almost solely on the strength of The American Ruse) to Kick Out The Jams.
I think Midnight Oil’s 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is way better than Diesel and Dust.
My favorite Ramones album is Leave Home.
*Let There Be Rock * and Powerage are my favorite AC/DC albums.
13 by Blur. I don’t even like Parklife.
[QUOTE=Small Clanger]
I prefer Can of Bees to Underwater Moonlight (angrier guitars) but I don’t suppose that means much to anyone.
[/QUOTE]
The one I’ve probably listened to more than any other is Live at the Portland Arms, to be honest, which is admittedly pretty goofy. And this is The Soft Boys, just to let ya’ll know. And I like angrier guitars more under most circumstances. That record just charms me, though.
For The Who, I’ve listened to Quadrophenia and Sell Out and By Numbers 20 times for every time I’ve listened to Tommy or Who’s Next.
I like Syd’s Pink Floyd much more than the later one – RIP Mr. Barrett – and Obscured by Clouds and Meddle more than all the later post-Syd ones. I’ve never even heard the post-Roger ones 'cause I’ve been to busy organizing my Gentle Giant 8-tracks.
Shoot Out the Lights is always touted as the supremo Richard & Linda Thompson album, but I like I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight and Pour Down Like Silver more.
I like Joni Mithcell’s odd jazzy albums (Mingus, Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Hejira) a lot more than her earnest folky ones.
With my other big faves (Beatles, Stones, The Clash, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Big Star, Willie Nelson) I pretty much fall right in line.
Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album, with Abbey Road a close second. I’ve seen both Sgt. Pepper and Revolver at the top of “Greatest Albums” lists.
On the Border is my favorite Eagles album (actually the only one I like), not Hotel California.
Wish You Were Here is my favorite Pink Floyd album also. “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is spectacular.
1999 is my favorite Prince album, not Purple Rain.
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist]
With my other big faves (Beatles, Stones, The Clash, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Big Star, Willie Nelson) I pretty much fall right in line.
[/QUOTE]
Is there any critical consensus on the best Big Star album? I’ve seen people argue for all three (let’s just pretend In Space doesn’t exist). Radio City is about the best rock album yet made by Americans IMHO.