What's new

Greatest Albums Of All Time

Kebab

Giga Poster
I was reading upon 'this' before the idea of this topic came to mind. Choosing a favourite album is a very personal decision, and varies radically from person to person. So I'm asking you now, what do you believe are the greatest albums you've listened to and more importantly why? I've got a few, although narrowing it down to just one album is a difficult decision. But I just knew it had to be this.

The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me - Brand New
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MydtWDQYHJ8[/youtube]

How this album hasn't got as famous as 'OK Computer' I'll never know, because to me, this is the modern 'OK Computer', but by all means executed extremely well. It's almost as if they didn't try with this album, it's so raw yet flawless, and the only single they released off it became an unreleased music video? Which is actually one of the most haunting videos I've seen, probably because of this matter (I only found out about the video recently yet had the album years). The album packs so much emotion, at times very contrevercial subjects (one song was about the death of 7-year old Katie Flynn who died in a car crash), it really pushes the boundaries for me, but they pull it off so bravely and is a relentless success. Why do I think this deserves the 'greatest album of all time'? Well thats for you to listen to it and find out for yourself, however, it's like a fine wine, gets better and better with age.

Next! :)
 
For me, there is really only one contender for this, and that's Performance and Cocktails by the Stereophonics.

'Twas their "difficult second album", yet ignored all known traditions, cliches and stereotypes to become their best album (and one even those who are none-too-fond of Kelly Jones and his raw alterna-rock-come-heavy-britpop band seem to rave and love too). The combination of rasping choruses tuned with meaningful and deep lyrics are literally music to my ears (and that's before we get onto by far and away the best vocals of any popular artist in the last generation)!

From start to finish it's full of both massive hits - Bartender and the Thief (UK#3), Hurry Up and Wait (#11), Pick a Part That's New (#4), Just Looking (#4) and I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio (#11) - to "filler" defying album songs such as Roll Up and Shine, Half the Lies You Tell Ain't True, T-Shirt Sun Tan and Plastic California.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rzD52hOChs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy3T8FmyeE8[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f13jrjaekY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si9FLVOK8nQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV0IJjp9YBs[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x80PBPyXmA[/youtube]

In its entirety Performance and Cocktails just flows spectacularly from song to song. There's no concept to it, it's just a fantastic baker's dozen of musical delights sung to you by Kelly and his simply perfect voice. Beautiful.

But it's always going to be the final song which makes this album the best ever, either in studio or live form the Roald Dahl inspired "I Stopped To Fill My Car Up" is such a clever and moving ballad. Chilling, upsetting, desperate, deep and full of moments that induce shivers.... <3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKz9HgsJ_Ww[/youtube]

That was ENTIRELY Kebab's fault! :p
 
^
I know it all goes tits up for the last 3 1/2 minutes or so, Neal, but I still contend that Word Gets Around is better :p
And if Roll Up and Shine is filler, it's some of the best filler to ever happen - I'm going to be bold and call it far and away the best of their opening tracks - but I just don't get on with She Takes Her Clothes Off or Plastic California, though T-Shirt Suntan goes someway to redeeming that :) Either way, both are fantastic driving albums...

Anyway, I'm afraid I'm going to have to throw two obvious choices into the mix, before I go unleash my fanboy favourite...
Pink+Floyd+-+The+Wall.jpg

a-night-at-the-opera.jpg


DT-Scenes-Memory.jpg


And let's be honest - would the third even exist without stealing ideas from the first two left, right and centre? :p Nevertheless, off the back of a lacklustre Falling Into Infinity and changing keyboard player for the third time in as many albums, DT set the bar so ridiculously high with SFaM that they've never come close to it since, and probably never will...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtnz2O4Chfw[/youtube]
That's why JP is God.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UPxNEbabe4[/youtube]
And that's why I sometimes wonder if I really do prefer Kevin Moore to Jordan Rudess...
 
nealbie said:
....to "filler" defying album songs
If only you read what I posted, Will. :p

And yes, Word Gets Around is also very VERY good, but for completeness Performance and Cocktails (as you've said) doesn't have Billy Daveys daughter. Check My Eyelids is pretty meh too. Personally, I get on with all of P&C spectacularly and prefer the more polished raw sound (as opposed to WGA's out of control one).
 
Metallica Black album. You can't really get any better than that. Pink Floyd's The Wall is also one that instantly came into mind.

Those two, when talking greatest of all time, not personal favorite of all time, really are in their own league.
 
sugar - copper blue, if anyone has any taste,

faith no more - angel dust,

therapy - troublegum,

daft punk - discovery,

air - moon safari.

that is all.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2
 
tomahawKSU said:
Metallica Black album. You can't really get any better than that.
:shock: :shock: :shock:
No, Metallica themselves (not to mention a whole host of other metal bands) did better than that at least 4 times - the black album was the beginning of the end and full of skippable tracks! Much as I like Nothing Else Matters, it's not a patch on most of Master of Puppets, and likewise, put against the likes of Fade to Black, Enter Sandman sounds like a band going throwing the motions and cashing in on it... :?

I like this topic, I see scope for disagreeing with a lot of people :)

Furthermore, while it may not be an all-time great as such, this deserves a mention in terms of being one of the best all out metal assaults of the last few decades; and apparently my 18th most played album.
Machine_Head_-_The_Blackening.jpg
 
Since people have already brought Pink Floyd up, I'd have to disagree with the two votes for The Wall and say Dark Side of the Moon for their greatest album. There's not a single song I don't like on DSotM, where there's a lot of filler on The Wall. It still has that 'epic Floyd' feel.

Kid A by Radiohead is worth a mention. They released OK Computer which was lauded as a masterpiece and catapulted Radiohead to superstardom. Instead of going for more of the same and playing to their fans, they completely changed their style to skittery electronica and very alternative rock, alienating half of their fans but it's still a fantastic album.

The National Anthem - Radiohead
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-7MeqSIj4E[/youtube]

If we're going for my favourite album, it's either Helpnessness Blues (Fleet Foxes)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHgedNNQco[/youtube]

or On An Island (David Gilmour)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN8q4Yt9BbU[/youtube]
 
Well Neal, I'm not a particular fan of Maroon Five, but there is this one other band that begins with M and ends in E that I quite like :p . I considered Absolution on the list, but I put it in the category of "it's awesome music to listen to, but not an all time great."
 
^ Agreed.

Also:

Madonna - Like a Prayer, Ray of Light

Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love, Aerial

Janelle Monae - The Archandroid

P. J. Harvey - Let England Shake

Fiona Apple - When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king. What he knows throws the blows when he goes to the fight. And he'll win the whole thing 'fore he enters the ring. There's no body to batter when your mind is your might. So when you go solo, you hold your own hand. And remember that depth is the greatest of heights. And if you know where you stand, then you know where to land. And if you fall it won't matter, cuz you'll know that you're right

Lil' Kim - The Notorious K.I.M

Paula Cole - This Fire

Abba - Arrival

Bjork - Debut

Jewel - Pieces of You

Trina - Diamond Princess

Eminem - The Slim Shady LP

Grace Jones - Island Life

Ani DiFranco - Little Plastic Castle

Imani Copola - Chupacabra

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
 
I guess this is the awkward moment when I name American Idiot in my top albums then :p

220px-Green_Day_-_American_Idiot_cover.jpg


The album's awesome :p It's just an amazing rock opera, and I think almost every song appeals to me in some way or another. I love Green Day and although each album has it's pitfalls, I struggle to find many with American Idiot.

I'll throw a weird one in here, and I'll probably be the only person to do this but me: Face: The OST.

41FQZVQ417L._SL500_AA300_.jpg


The film was pretty much a flop, although it wasn't too bad by any standards, but the soundtrack is phenomenal. There's such a mix of genre on the CD, everything from Paul Weller (with his almost forgotten about B-Side "Everything has a Price to Pay" which SHOULD have been an A-side) through to The Clash. It's fab <3

I'll probably post some more at another time, just listen to this as I'm sure most of you'll never have heard it before and it's amazing (no copies of the studio version on Youtube - if anybody wants it, PM me and I'll send it) <3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtUQTOUK2OM[/youtube]
 
Top