Ten Album Stretch

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 2:54 pm

Another update, another time to comb through the great list and answer the question, what's the first stretch of ten albums on the AM 3000 you haven't heard?

I'll start-

744. The Go-Betweens- 16 Lovers Lane
745. Tim Buckley- Starsailor
746. Midnight Oil- Diesel and Dust
747. Missy Elliott- Miss E... So Addictive
748. Tool- Aenima
749. The Dismemberment Plan- Emergency & I
750. Mogwai- Young Team
751. Otis Redding- The Dock of the Bay
752. Dr. John- Gris-Gris
753. Madness- One Step Beyond...

Anything on here that's absolute essential listening?

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:10 pm

Nick wrote:Anything on here that's absolute essential listening?

I don't know essential, but these are good albums, imo:
745. Tim Buckley- Starsailor (Amazing vocals)
746. Midnight Oil- Diesel and Dust
747. Missy Elliott- Miss E... So Addictive
748. Tool- Aenima
751. Otis Redding- The Dock of the Bay

notbrianeno · Post by **notbrianeno** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:19 pm

170 Tricky-Maxinquaye
171 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-Déjà Vu
172 Suicide-Suicide
173 Jefferson Airplane-Surrealistic Pillow
174 Cream-Disraeli Gears
175 Curtis Mayfield-Superfly
176 Bob Dylan-The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
177 Gram Parsons-Grievous Angel
178 Creedence Clearwater Revival-Cosmo's Factory
179 Janis Joplin-Pearl

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:40 pm

I'd say Starsailor, Suicide, Cosmo's Factory and Surrealistic Pillow are essential.
I really haven't listened to the albums in any order, therefore my stretch is:
From 250 to 260

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:00 pm

1495 The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
1496 Art Blakey Quintet - A Night at Birdland Vol. 1
1497 Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges - Clube da esquina
1498 Tindersticks - Tindersticks (II)
1499 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Alles ist gut
1500 Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
1501 Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
1502 A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
1503 John Zorn - Naked City
1504 DJ Shadow - The Private Press

Some pretty big holes in-between though, and other albums that I haven't listened to in years and don't really remember (even though I know I listened to them at some point).

Among the albums named by others, "Starsailor", "The Dock of the Bay", "Gris-Gris", "Maxinquaye", "Suicide", "Surrealistic Pillow", "Grievous Angel" and "Pearl" are the ones I recommend.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:19 pm

Pierre wrote:1495 The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
1496 Art Blakey Quintet - A Night at Birdland Vol. 1
1497 Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges - Clube da esquina
1498 Tindersticks - Tindersticks (II)
1499 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Alles ist gut
1500 Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
1501 Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
1502 A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
1503 John Zorn - Naked City
1504 DJ Shadow - The Private Press

The only album here I've heard is "Naked City". It's...a VERY unique album. I can't say I've ever heard any album like it before or since. I'm not sure if I really enjoy it all that much, but it's definitely worth a listen if only for the fact that it's so far out there.

The best way I could describe it would be a mix between surf rock, hardcore punk, noise music, superhero TV show themes, and avant-garde jazz.

Listyguy · Post by **Listyguy** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:29 pm

I'd definitely label "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" essential as well. Anyway, here's my 10-album stretch:

625 Soul II Soul Club Classics Vol. One/Keep On Movin'
626 Fever Ray/Karin Dreijer Fever Ray
627 Phoenix Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
628 Al Green Let's Stay Together
629 Roni Size / Reprazent New Forms
630 Oliver Nelson The Blues and the Abstract Truth
631 Mott the Hoople Mott
632 Robyn Body Talk
633 Battles Mirrored
634 Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage

I got a lot farther than expected.

acroamor · Post by **acroamor** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:34 pm

632 Robyn Body Talk
633 Battles Mirrored
634 Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage
635 Augustus Pablo King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown
636 Pixies Bossanova
637 The Kinks Face to Face
638 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes
639 Metallica Kill 'Em All
640 The Doors Strange Days
641 Motörhead No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith

BleuPanda · Post by **BleuPanda** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:03 pm

Highest I haven't listened to:
565. Sparks - Kimono My House

Highest 10+ album gap:
1286. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook
1287. Tocotronic - Digital Ist Besser
1288. The Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach
1289. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
1290. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen
1291. Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats
1292. Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog
1293. Charles Mingus - Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus
1294. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
1295. Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw
1296. James Brown - 'Live' at the Apollo, Volume II
1297. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
1298. Minor Threat - Out of Step EP

notbrianeno · Post by **notbrianeno** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:36 pm

luney6 wrote: I really haven't listened to the albums in any order, therefore my stretch is:
From 250 to 260

Silent Shout and Live Through This are highly recommended!

GucciLittlePiggy · Post by **GucciLittlePiggy** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:38 am

471. The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones/England's Newest Hit Makers
472. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
473. Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way, Baby
474. Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
475. Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
476. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
477. Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
478. XTC - Skylarking
479. Randy Newman - 12 Songs
480. The Breeders - Last Splash
(481. James Taylor - Sweet Baby James)
(482. Dire Straits - Dire Straits)
(483. Lou Reed - New York)
(484. Deep Purple - Made in Japan)
(485. Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Get Happy!!)

Highest album I haven't listened to:
46. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

Needles · Post by **Needles** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 3:00 am

Above: Skylarking is pretty darn essential, and Strange Days and Kimono My House are among the greatest albums ever.

As for me:

382) Deerhunter -- Halcyon Digest
383) LCD Soundsystem -- This is Happening
384) Talk Talk -- Spirit of Eden
385) Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul
386) The Crickets -- The Chirping Crickets
387) John Coltrane -- Giant Steps
388) Dexys Midnight Runners -- Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
389) BB King -- Live at the Regal
390) Broken Social Scene -- You Forgot It In People
391) Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head

Post by **Honorio** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 8:35 am

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 1:31 pm

notbrianeno wrote:
luney6 wrote: I really haven't listened to the albums in any order, therefore my stretch is:
From 250 to 260
Silent Shout and Live Through This are highly recommended!

I mean to listen to Silent Shout pretty soon.

Also, for later lists, from what I've heard, Strange Days, New York and Eat a Peach are among the essentials.

Nassim · Post by **Nassim** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:20 pm

Mine is :

1065) Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen
1066) Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
1067) Mission of Burma - Vs.
1068) Cream - Fresh Cream
1069) Santana - Santana
1070) Salif Keita - Soro
1071) Steve Earle - Guitar Town
1072) Miles Davis - On the Corner
1073) 808 State - 90
1074) Alexander Skip Spence - Oar

So I guess Vs. is the next step in my goal of having listened to 1000 AM albums in their entirety. My tally is now at 983 (though I might actually be at 1000 because there are about 20 albums for which I'm not sure I went through the whole record)
I have apparently only listened to 61 AM albums from the 60s but already 142 from the 2010s...

Highest ranked albums I haven't listened is Layla and other assorted love songs, but it's a choice, I stopped halfway through twice, I find this album terrible... Next is Tommy, which I haven't given a chance to yet.

Sweepstakes Ron · Post by **Sweepstakes Ron** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:26 pm

I think I have the low score:

143. Bob Marley and The Wailers - Catch a Fire
144. Blur - Parklife
145. Pink Floyd - The Wall
146. Burial - Untrue
147. The Rolling Stones - Aftermath
148. Gang of Four - Entertainment
149. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
150. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
151. T. Rex - Electric Warrior
152. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul

I have, however, listened to #153 (Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps), though I desperately need to revisit it. Too bad it's no longer on Spotify... I think somebody might need to put Ol' Neil in a home.

The highest I haven't listened to is #12 (Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols).

Setherex · Post by **Setherex** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:25 pm

Sweepstakes Ron wrote:144. Blur - Parklife
145. Pink Floyd - The Wall
148. Gang of Four - Entertainment
149. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
150. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
151. T. Rex - Electric Warrior

The highest I haven't listened to is #12 (Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols).

DocBrown · Post by **DocBrown** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:26 pm

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:
472. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
476. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
477. Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
479. Randy Newman - 12 Songs

Highest album I haven't listened to:
46. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life

All of these, GLP, all of these!

GucciLittlePiggy · Post by **GucciLittlePiggy** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:31 pm

Needles wrote:Above: Skylarking is pretty darn essential

Thanks for the heads-up. I know their style is one I'm bound to like so I don't have a good reason for not checking it out already.

Needles wrote:382) Deerhunter -- Halcyon Digest
383) LCD Soundsystem -- This is Happening

I don't know your tastes but these are without a doubt essential listening to my ears. The former is my second favorite album of all time and the latter is probably in my all-time top 50. If you've listened to Deerhunter in the past and didn't enjoy it, just know that this album is different from the rest of their catalogue.

GucciLittlePiggy · Post by **GucciLittlePiggy** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:26 pm

DocBrown wrote:
GucciLittlePiggy wrote:
477. Sinéad O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
46. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
All of these, GLP, all of these!

I've never been a big fan of "Nothing Compares 2 U" but the album is still on my list of things to listen to. Is the rest of it a lot like that song, though? And I really like Innervisions and I'm sure I'd love SitKoL but the length (80+ minutes) always deterred me. That's a bogus excuse, I know.

DocBrown · Post by **DocBrown** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:57 pm

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:Is the rest of it a lot like that song, though?

No.

While I love all of these albums, if there were one I would call indispensable it would be Tracy Chapman S/T. I once referred to it as the anti-rap album. Don't take that as a criticism.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:00 am

Needles wrote:Above: Skylarking is pretty darn essential, and Strange Days and Kimono My House are among the greatest albums ever.

As for me:

382) Deerhunter -- Halcyon Digest
383) LCD Soundsystem -- This is Happening
384) Talk Talk -- Spirit of Eden
385) Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul
386) The Crickets -- The Chirping Crickets
387) John Coltrane -- Giant Steps
388) Dexys Midnight Runners -- Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
389) BB King -- Live at the Regal
390) Broken Social Scene -- You Forgot It In People
391) Beastie Boys -- Check Your Head

Even if you're not really into jazz all that much, "Giant Steps" is absolutely essential. It's jazz for people who think jazz is stuffy boring old people music and desperately need to be convinced otherwise. Fantastic album, a top 5 jazz album for sure.

The rest of the albums here are good too, but only "This is Happening" screams "essential" to my ears.

notbrianeno · Post by **notbrianeno** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:15 am

This thread has convinced me to go on a GY!BE binge tonight, only have a limited knowledge of their discography. Hoping "Asunder, Sweet..." finally clicks with me, I know it has been greatly enjoyed on this forum.

bootsy · Post by **bootsy** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:20 pm

1118 Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis
1119 Def Leppard Pyromania
1120 Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace
1121 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Murder Ballads
1122 Genesis Foxtrot
1123 Blondie Blondie
1124 Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies
1125 Blue Cheer Vincebus Eruptum
1126 Grizzly Bear Yellow House
1127 Eno Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

Any suggestions out of this: listen to all, none, or some.

Jirin · Post by **Jirin** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:07 pm

1250 Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Worlds Volume 2
1251 Culture - Two Sevens Clash
1252 Bad Company - Bad co.
1253 Donna Summer - Bad Girls
1254 Neil Young - Weld
1255 Eurythmics - Touch
1256 Jessie Ware - Devotion
1257 Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
1258 John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
1259 The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro

Now that I think about it I might have listened to Devotion at some point.

@Bootsy

Taking Tiger Mountain is a weird, fun album. More pop structured songs than other Brian Eno albums.

Listyguy · Post by **Listyguy** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:49 pm

Jirin wrote:1250 Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Worlds Volume 2
1251 Culture - Two Sevens Clash
1252 Bad Company - Bad co.
1253 Donna Summer - Bad Girls
1254 Neil Young - Weld
1255 Eurythmics - Touch
1256 Jessie Ware - Devotion
1257 Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
1258 John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
1259 The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro

Now that I think about it I might have listened to Devotion at some point.

@Bootsy

Taking Tiger Mountain is a weird, fun album. More pop structured songs than other Brian Eno albums.

Bad Co. is better than you'd expect it to be (take that for what you will), and I prefer Touch to Sweet Dreams. The Lennon tracks on Double Fantasy are pretty good in my opinion, but Ono's are really shitty.

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:51 pm

628 Al Green - Let's Stay Together
629 Roni Size / Reprazent - New Forms
630 Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth
631 Mott the Hoople - Mott
632 Robyn - Body Talk
633 Battles - Mirrored
634 Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
635 Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown
636 Pixies - Bossanova
637 The Kinks - Face to Face

I might have heard one these but I think not.

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:52 pm

Listyguy wrote:The Lennon tracks on Double Fantasy are pretty good in my opinion, but Ono's are really shitty.

I like Hard Times Are Over though, Ono album closer.

Edit: But actually judging by RYM track ratings, I'm in the minority even with that song.

Listyguy · Post by **Listyguy** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:23 pm

PlasticRam wrote:
Listyguy wrote:The Lennon tracks on Double Fantasy are pretty good in my opinion, but Ono's are really shitty.
I like Hard Times Are Over though, Ono album closer.

Edit: But actually judging by RYM track ratings, I'm in the minority even with that song.

Is there a way to see overall ratings for each track yet? Or are you just looking at a few individual's ratings? I'm really looking forward to the track rating data.

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:35 pm

Listyguy wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:
Listyguy wrote:The Lennon tracks on Double Fantasy are pretty good in my opinion, but Ono's are really shitty.
I like Hard Times Are Over though, Ono album closer.

Edit: But actually judging by RYM track ratings, I'm in the minority even with that song.
Is there a way to see overall ratings for each track yet? Or are you just looking at a few individual's ratings? I'm really looking forward to the track rating data.

Yeah no I just looked at the first page where there's like 15 track rating sets; I think I got enough sample just from that. But I agree that it would be cool if averages were displayed.

bootsy · Post by **bootsy** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 3:41 am

Jirin wrote:1250 Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Worlds Volume 2
1251 Culture - Two Sevens Clash
1252 Bad Company - Bad co.
1253 Donna Summer - Bad Girls
1254 Neil Young - Weld
1255 Eurythmics - Touch
1256 Jessie Ware - Devotion
1257 Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
1258 John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
1259 The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro

Now that I think about it I might have listened to Devotion at some point.

@Bootsy

Taking Tiger Mountain is a weird, fun album. More pop structured songs than other Brian Eno albums.

I'm surprised I've never listened to that album. I have some of Eno's albums and enjoyed them so I'll check that one out.

Thanks

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:28 am

Nassim wrote:
Highest ranked albums I haven't listened is Layla and other assorted love songs, but it's a choice, I stopped halfway through twice, I find this album terrible... Next is Tommy, which I haven't given a chance to yet.

According to me, Tommy is the best Who album there is, and it is highly reccomended.

whuntva · Post by **whuntva** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 4:07 pm

Might as well throw my hat into the ring.

I'm afraid I don't listen to that many albums. I focus more on the Top 1000 songs. Nonetheless, I went through much of the Top 500 without having a stretch higher than 8.

Highest album I have not yet heard:

57) Sly and the Family Stone-There's a Riot Going On

First 10 album stretch:

704 King Sunny Adé-Juju Music
705 Hüsker Dü-Warehouse: Songs and Stories
706 Ghostface Killah-Fishscale
707 Massive Attack-Protection
708 Syd Barrett-The Madcap Laughs
709 Them-The Angry Young Them/Them (featuring Here Comes the Night)
710 Bo Diddley Bo Diddley
711 Japandroids-Celebration Rock
712 Manic Street Preachers-The Holy Bible
713 Gnarls Barkley-St. Elsewhere

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 10:36 pm

Nick wrote: The only album here I've heard is "Naked City". It's...a VERY unique album. I can't say I've ever heard any album like it before or since. I'm not sure if I really enjoy it all that much, but it's definitely worth a listen if only for the fact that it's so far out there.

The best way I could describe it would be a mix between surf rock, hardcore punk, noise music, superhero TV show themes, and avant-garde jazz.

After listening your review, I knew I had to listen to it, and actually I liked it

It does feature all the genres you mentioned, and I detected a few more (including swamp rock, arena rock and speed metal, yes, seriously) and although they are more juxtaposed than really blending together, I believe John Zorn does a good job holding everything together. Perhaps not essential listening, but Zorn definitely has a personal vision.

As for all the albums that have been mentioned since I came here last, I would consider essential in particular the following (quite a lot actually):
- Fever Ray's s/t (more pop than her work with the Knife, but still very peculiar)
- Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" (a fantastic and catchy pop-rock album)
- Roni Size/Reprazent's "New Forms" (although it's a difficult listen if you're not acquainted with drum'n'bass; that's two hours and some of music in there)
- Battles' "Mirrored" (a strange, somewhat experimental approach to rock music that is sometimes bloated in the middle of the album, but overall succeeds more often than it fails)
- The Kinks' "Face to Face" (Ray Davies is an underrated songwriter, and this album is the start of the Kinks' classic period)
- Metallica's "Kill 'Em All" (a perfect speed metal album, although it lacks the progressive flourishes of their next releases)
- The Doors' "Strange Days" (the same as their first, with less hits, but still strong)
- Jackson Browne's "Late for the Sky" (that's soft rock alright, but very successful. It was pretty influential on Bruce Springsteen - if you don't like Springsteen are Eagles' "Hotel California", you may pass)
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor' "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven" (one of post-rock's masterpieces, but that's a long listen as well)
- XTC's "Skylarking" (an absolutely underrated masterpiece, a 60s-pop influenced new wave record that should be all-time top 200)
- Lou Reed's "New York" (the strongest post-Berlin album by Reed, there are many strong songs on it)
- Deep Purple's "Made in Japan" (one of the greatest rock live albums ever)
- Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life" (nothing to say that hasn't been said elsewhere a million times before. 100 minutes of bliss)
- LCD Soundsystem's "This Is Happening" (the same successful brand of krautrock-turned-dance music like on his first two albums)
- Talk Talk's "Spirit of Eden" (an underrated album as well. A radical departure from Talk Talk's first releases, it was vastly influential in the development of post-rock, in its use of repressed tension, calculated silences and diluted pop melodies)
- John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" (a jazz album which packs a lot of energy. One of the jazz records that rock aficionados should absolutely listen)
- Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" (a really strong soul live album. Several songs have their definitive versions there, "Delta Lady" in particular)
- 808 State's "90" (one of house greatest albums, although like "New Forms" it might be a bit difficult to get it if you're not acquainted with electronic music)
- Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar" (one of the most ramshackle release from the San Francisco psychedelic scene, it's a grower)
- The Who's "Tommy" (it may not be the Who's greatest album ["Who's Next" holds this distinction to me] nor the first rock opera [the Moody Blues' "Days of Future Passed" and the Pretty Things' "S.F. Sorrow" both predate it] but it's the one which, for better or for worst, made this kind of ambitious record popular. I personally like "Quadrophenia" better, for some parts of "Tommy" have not aged well)
- All of the albums from Sweepstakes Ron's list. Sorry Ron!

- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Murder Ballads" (the title says it all. As essential as almost every other Nick Cave release)
- Blue Cheer's "Vincebus Eruptum" (one of the points of origin of heavy metal. Not necessarily a record that needs to come back to after one listen, but still historical for this reason alone)
- Sly and the Family Stone's "There's a Riot Going On" (a messy record, but its beauty lies in that aspect. IMO it needs more than one listen to get into)
- Massive Attack's "Protection" (others will disagree with me, but I think that Massive Attack's first three albums are just all essential, even though "Protection" is considered the inferior one)

Other comments:
- Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" is a strong jazz album, but I wouldn't call it essential unless you're a jazz head.
- Sparks' "Kimono My House" is a fun art rock record, that was influential (for better and for worse) on Queen (maybe I'm not selling it well here).
- Marshall Crenshaw and Blondie's self-titled are both fun new wave/power pop, but neither of them cries essential to me.
- The Rolling Stones' first album is also great, but there are more important albums in their discography.
- Randy Newman's "12 Songs" is good too, like nearly everything (aside from soundtracks) Newman ever released, but I believe his best period starts with his next few albums.
- The 13th Floor Elevators' "Easter Everywhere" is good, but I would only label their first album as essential.
- Sonic Youth's "Rather Ripped" is a great album but they're not as good on it as they were elsewhere.
- "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" is a peculiar case, a product of its era, where guitar heroes dominated the musical consciousness. It would probably have been labeled essential back then, but now, in our time where other musical genres that are not necessarily guitar-based dominate, it feels overrated. Still, the title track was an early favourite of mine, even though I don't come back to it as often as I used to.
- Genesis' "Foxtrot" is a great (although out of fashion) progressive rock album, but only "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is essential in the band's discography IMO. I like Peter Gabriel's solo output more.
- Brian Eno's "Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)" is fun and idiosyncrasic, but not as essential in my opinion as other albums by him.
- Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2" lives up to its name even more than the first album, but it's largely a hit-or-miss affair. Some will love it, some will be bored. I was bored the first time, now I love it.
- Bad Company's s/t was influential in the evolution of hard rock toward a radio-friendly sound, and even though I don't think it's essential, it can be of historical interest just for that reason.
- John Lennon's half of "Double Fantasy" is as great as his best releases, although the album is dragged down by Yoko Ono's contributions, as others pointed out already.
- The Teardrop Explodes' "Kilimanjaro" is a recent discovery of mine, and it sounded interesting. I don't know yet if I would label it as essential, but it's worth checking out.
- Them's first album is one of the strongest of the British invasion era, and one that rocks the hardest. There are not many British invasion records that I would consider essential, especially because I think the genre is too primitive in comparison to what came after, but among the albums of that time it's definitely a high point.

Any other album that you would think is great or essential and that I didn't talk about, you may consider that I have not yet listend to it (I'm thinking about Deerhunter in particular, who are high on my radar but whom I didn't find the time to explore yet, and also Ghostface Killah, Japandroids and Manic Street Preachers).

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 1:04 am

Great post, Pierre*.

DocBrown · Post by **DocBrown** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 1:29 am

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 5:03 am

From later posts (and earlier ones I missed), I'd say Medecine Show, the Madcap Laughs and Taking Tiger Mountain (by strategy) are pretty essential, at least according to me.

By the way, nice post, Pierre. I haven't heard all the albums in the review, but from the ones I've heard, I can't seem to like There's a Riot goin' on and This is Happening. The earlier because, well, the funk and RnB are genres that do not seem to fit with me (although I would say this is the best album I've heard of the genres), and the latter because it seems like a rather stagnant album without much to say, or at least to me.

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:05 pm

luney6 wrote: By the way, nice post, Pierre. I haven't heard all the albums in the review, but from the ones I've heard, I can't seem to like There's a Riot goin' on and This is Happening. The earlier because, well, the funk and RnB are genres that do not seem to fit with me (although I would say this is the best album I've heard of the genres), and the latter because it seems like a rather stagnant album without much to say, or at least to me.

Thanks luney6! I actually think LCD Soundsystem's output has much emotional power, but you're not the first who says he doesn't feel anything from it. I like his melancholic tales about the urban youth in the modern world, but maybe his target audience is rather limited, I think I get why some people don't feel any connection to it. As for the music, James Murphy has a very personal style, which is mostly based off krautrock to which he applies the codes of dance music. They are (just like funk) founded on a slow development or jamming around a basic melody (sometimes just a bass line) and it's not necessarily a natural listen out of the context of a live performance or party. These hypnotic sounds usually fascinate me, but it's easy to be bored by these as well. "There's a Riot Goin' On" is a strange case, since it's unfocused and messy, and not as catchy as funk usually is, but is also an intriguing work because of that. Not the best point of entry into the genre in my opinion, but essential nonetheless as I said.

As for the albums on DocBrown's list, Terry Riley's "A Rainbow in Curved Air" and Blood, Sweat & Tears' "Child Is Father to the Man" are fantastic. Terry Riley's album is absolutely beautiful experimental music, and Blood, Sweat & Tears is a great mix of rhythm'n'blues, jazz and psychedelic music. Great stuff. I listened to 2 Many DJs' "As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2" as well, a fun mashup record but by no means essential.

Maschine_Man · Post by **Maschine_Man** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:12 pm

"Embarrassingly low"

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 1:52 pm

Pierre wrote:
luney6 wrote: By the way, nice post, Pierre. I haven't heard all the albums in the review, but from the ones I've heard, I can't seem to like There's a Riot goin' on and This is Happening. The earlier because, well, the funk and RnB are genres that do not seem to fit with me (although I would say this is the best album I've heard of the genres), and the latter because it seems like a rather stagnant album without much to say, or at least to me.
Thanks luney6! I actually think LCD Soundsystem's output has much emotional power, but you're not the first who says he doesn't feel anything from it. I like his melancholic tales about the urban youth in the modern world, but maybe his target audience is rather limited, I think I get why some people don't feel any connection to it. As for the music, James Murphy has a very personal style, which is mostly based off krautrock to which he applies the codes of dance music. They are (just like funk) founded on a slow development or jamming around a basic melody (sometimes just a bass line) and it's not necessarily a natural listen out of the context of a live performance or party. These hypnotic sounds usually fascinate me, but it's easy to be bored by these as well. "There's a Riot Goin' On" is a strange case, since it's unfocused and messy, and not as catchy as funk usually is, but is also an intriguing work because of that. Not the best point of entry into the genre in my opinion, but essential nonetheless as I said.

Actually, I rather like LCD Soundsystem, especially Sound of Silver. However, on the the other hand, this is happening seems more like a conventional dance record to me, with impressive production, and a few good tracks, but more or less rather uninteresting and bland (musically and otherwise), especially in comparison to tracks like All my Friends and 45:33. And, as it happens, krautrock is one of my favorite genres, with Faust, Popol Vuh, Neu!, Can and Cluster being some of my favorite artists. However, this record seems more or less linear to me.

On the other hand, there's something about funk, RnB (and maybe soul) that seems to bother me. Perhaps, the way the vocals are delivered, or the lyrics, or maybe the instrumentation, but for some reason, quite a few, but not all, tracks seem repellent to my ears, and rather lacking in depth, and sometimes monotonous. As a result, I like a few chosen singles, but not entire albums. I've heard albums from artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson to Aretha Franklin, and none of them seem really good to me.

At any rate, There's a riot goin' on is probably the best one I've heard, along with Purple Rain, especially due to the bass, and I think the lyrics, to a large extent are pretty good. Therefore, I'd give it around a 7, or a 7.5 out of 10, which is the maximum yet. Purple rain is also a marvelous album, but I feel like it has way too much filler, so tracks like Purple Rain are good, but the others, not so much, therefore receiving the same rating.

Therefore, I feel like it is a rather overrated genre. At any rate, maybe I simply haven't heard the right records.

Thanks for your feedback Pierre

.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:07 pm

Luney6, have you heard anything from Parliament/Funkadelic? I've found even people who aren't big into funk love P-Funk. If you haven't, I'd check out the albums "Mothership Connection" and "One Nation Under a Groove". Funk classics!

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:15 pm

I've heard a few songs, but not the albums. I'll give them a listen soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

Edit: Actually, come to think of it, the songs I've heard are rather guitar driven, like Purple Rain. Is the rest of the album, One nation under a groove, like that?

Jirin · Post by **Jirin** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:27 pm

I wouldn't describe LCD Soundsystem's music as emotional, and a lot of the emotional content is sarcastic. Their lyrics appeal more to me on an intellectual level than an emotional level. The melodies and production are the larger part of the appeal.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:31 pm

Listyguy wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:
Listyguy wrote:The Lennon tracks on Double Fantasy are pretty good in my opinion, but Ono's are really shitty.
I like Hard Times Are Over though, Ono album closer.

Edit: But actually judging by RYM track ratings, I'm in the minority even with that song.
Is there a way to see overall ratings for each track yet? Or are you just looking at a few individual's ratings? I'm really looking forward to the track rating data.

Subscribe!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 4:37 pm

luney6 wrote:I've heard a few songs, but not the albums. I'll give them a listen soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

Edit: Actually, come to think of it, the songs I've heard are rather guitar driven, like Purple Rain. Is the rest of the album, One nation under a groove, like that?

You're welcome! I'd say they're pretty guitar driven, a lot more so than Sly and the Family Stone are.

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 4:44 pm

luney6 wrote:
Pierre wrote:
luney6 wrote: By the way, nice post, Pierre. I haven't heard all the albums in the review, but from the ones I've heard, I can't seem to like There's a Riot goin' on and This is Happening. The earlier because, well, the funk and RnB are genres that do not seem to fit with me (although I would say this is the best album I've heard of the genres), and the latter because it seems like a rather stagnant album without much to say, or at least to me.
Thanks luney6! I actually think LCD Soundsystem's output has much emotional power, but you're not the first who says he doesn't feel anything from it. I like his melancholic tales about the urban youth in the modern world, but maybe his target audience is rather limited, I think I get why some people don't feel any connection to it. As for the music, James Murphy has a very personal style, which is mostly based off krautrock to which he applies the codes of dance music. They are (just like funk) founded on a slow development or jamming around a basic melody (sometimes just a bass line) and it's not necessarily a natural listen out of the context of a live performance or party. These hypnotic sounds usually fascinate me, but it's easy to be bored by these as well. "There's a Riot Goin' On" is a strange case, since it's unfocused and messy, and not as catchy as funk usually is, but is also an intriguing work because of that. Not the best point of entry into the genre in my opinion, but essential nonetheless as I said.

Actually, I rather like LCD Soundsystem, especially Sound of Silver. However, on the the other hand, this is happening seems more like a conventional dance record to me, with impressive production, and a few good tracks, but more or less rather uninteresting and bland (musically and otherwise), especially in comparison to tracks like All my Friends and 45:33. And, as it happens, krautrock is one of my favorite genres, with Faust, Popol Vuh, Neu!, Can and Cluster being some of my favorite artists. However, this record seems more or less linear to me.

On the other hand, there's something about funk, RnB (and maybe soul) that seems to bother me. Perhaps, the way the vocals are delivered, or the lyrics, or maybe the instrumentation, but for some reason, quite a few, but not all, tracks seem repellent to my ears, and rather lacking in depth, and sometimes monotonous. As a result, I like a few chosen singles, but not entire albums. I've heard albums from artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson to Aretha Franklin, and none of them seem really good to me.

At any rate, There's a riot goin' on is probably the best one I've heard, along with Purple Rain, especially due to the bass, and I think the lyrics, to a large extent are pretty good. Therefore, I'd give it around a 7, or a 7.5 out of 10, which is the maximum yet. Purple rain is also a marvelous album, but I feel like it has way too much filler, so tracks like Purple Rain are good, but the others, not so much, therefore receiving the same rating.

Therefore, I feel like it is a rather overrated genre. At any rate, maybe I simply haven't heard the right records.

Thanks for your feedback Pierre .

OK, then I misunderstood the reasons why you dislike "This Is Happening". No problem

I still think it's just as great as his other releases though. I'll come back to James Murphy after.

luney6 wrote:I've heard a few songs, but not the albums. I'll give them a listen soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

Edit: Actually, come to think of it, the songs I've heard are rather guitar driven, like Purple Rain. Is the rest of the album, One nation under a groove, like that?

It depends, but overall guitar does have a very preponderant place in the Parliament-Funkadelic sound. Early Funkadelic albums, like "Maggot Brain" (the title track is one of the greatest track-long guitar solo ever) or the underrated masterpiece "Standing on the Verge of Getting It On" feature prominently Eddie Hazel, who is considered one of the greatest guitarists ever and who certainly informed Prince's style. On "One Nation Under a Groove", there are two guitarists (Mike Hampton and Gary Shider) who play an important role, so yes, I would call it guitar-based. For instance, one of the tracks is called "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!". I guess that's pretty self-explanatory

Jirin wrote:I wouldn't describe LCD Soundsystem's music as emotional, and a lot of the emotional content is sarcastic. Their lyrics appeal more to me on an intellectual level than an emotional level. The melodies and production are the larger part of the appeal.

I guess we're not listening to it the same way. In my opinion, a part of his music does feature a good amount of melancholy even when he's being sarcastic, like on "All My Friends". And "Someone Great" is genuinely heartbreaking. Of course the melodies and production are fundamental, but if there was no emotion, I believe it would feel much more dry than it actually does. The Fall, one of James Murphy's acknowledged influences, for instance, features a good amount of sarcasm and his music is less melodic, and I don't feel the same things as I do when I listen to LCD Soundsystem. Murphy's experiences and the way he conveys them are different.

spiritualized · Post by **spiritualized** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 5:13 pm

Interesting idea, here is my 10 album gap

Surprised I hadn't listened to Hold Steady or even Lindstrom, but I KNOW what I have to do now

1921 MF Doom Operation: Doomsday 1999 Abstract Hip Hop
1922 Lindstrøm Where You Go I Go Too 2008 Nu-Disco, Space Disco
1923 Bill Withers Just As I Am 1971 Soul
1924 Augustus Pablo East of the River Nile 1977 Reggae
1925 Nina Hagen Band Nina Hagen Band 1978 Deutschrock
1926 Rainbow Rising 1976 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
1927 Miles Davis Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet 1958 Hard Bop
1928 Charlie Parker Charlie Parker with Strings 1950 Cool Jazz
1929 Sting ...Nothing Like the Sun 1987 Jazz Pop, Pop Rock, Sophisti-Pop
1930 The Hold Steady Stay Positive

jonatan · Post by **jonatan** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 9:39 am

449 Small Faces Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake 1968 Mod, Psychedelic Pop, Psychedelic Rock
450 Richard and Linda Thompson Shoot Out the Lights 1982 Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
451 David Bowie Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) 1980 Art Rock, Pop Rock
452 Prince Dirty Mind 1980 Pop Rock, Synth Funk
453 The Cure Pornography 1982 Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
454 New Order Low-Life 1985 Alternative Dance, New Wave, Synthpop
455 Ryan Adams Heartbreaker 2000 Alt-Country, Americana
456 Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band Safe As Milk 1967 Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock
457 Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell 2003 Garage Rock Revival, Indie Rock
458 Jethro Tull Aqualung 1971 Progressive Rock

TimmyWing · Post by **TimmyWing** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:36 pm

Highest album I haven't heard: 38. Massive Attack - Blue Lines

First streak of 10 albums I haven't heard:

486. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
487. The Replacements - Tim
488. Chic - Risqué
489. Suede - Suede
490. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Burnin'
491. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
492. PJ Harvey - Dry
493. Sigur Rós - ( )
494. Gram Parsons - GP
495. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One

spiritualized · Post by **spiritualized** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:35 pm

Post by TimmyWing » Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:36 pm

Highest album I haven't heard: 38. Massive Attack - Blue Lines

First streak of 10 albums I haven't heard:

486. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
487. The Replacements - Tim
488. Chic - Risqué
489. Suede - Suede
490. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Burnin'
491. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
492. PJ Harvey - Dry
493. Sigur Rós - ( )
494. Gram Parsons - GP
495. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One

Hi Timmywing - My God, I almost envy you - you have yet to hear absolute classics in my little world. Start with PJ Harvey - Dry - a monumental record. Taste Bloc Party, Sigur Ros, Yo La Tengo and Bob Marley next.
Although if this is in your streak of 10, I may suspect indie rock is not a favourite genre ?