Outcrier's Top 50 - The Song is Over (50/50)

[Outcrier]

I find it a shame that no-one ever mentions My Last Words, which is one my favourite Megadeth songs ever.

Their best closer imo, constantly epic from the menacing intro to the awesome ending solo.

Pornography is great, though, personally, in terms of depressive The Cure, I prefer Disintegration, but not by a whole lot.

I prefer Disintegration as well.

I agree with this, but I've always found the rest of the album hard to get into, which is a shame, because Who's Next was so high on my top 50 list.  The Real Me shows their song writing is in top form, but I don't think the rest of the songs are nearly as good as Who's Next, imo.

Different from Sell Out and Who's Next, Quadrophenia was a grower for me. First times i listened to it, only thing i could remember was The Real Me and the four themes, the rest of the album leaving me (i couldn't even decide if i was liking what i was hearing or not). Eventually, after some insistence, it clicked 

[Outcrier]

Metal, electronic and rock at their finest:

Megadeth - Rust in Peace (1990)

Genre: Thrash Metal/F*ck Metallica 

If Peace Sells was Dave Mustaine at the height of his rage, Rust in Peace is him just chilling out, throwing his best songs ever (Holy Wars, Hangar 18 and Tornado of Souls being metal hymns) in your faces like it was easy to equal/surpass Peace Sells or make something with the same level of reception in the metal community as any early Black Sabbath, Metallica (Ride/Master) and Reign in Blood.
Remember what i've said about Mustaine being surrounded by great players? With Marty Friedman and Nick Menza this time around, they make Megadeth sound more technical than ever. Marty Friedman is just an awesome metal guitarist, with a unique style of playing that is instantly recognizable. There's a nice contrast between him and Mustaine different ways of playing guitar during the solo trade-offs, Friedman being very technical due to being classical trained. The guitar solos here are some of the best in all metal, especially Tornado of Souls solo and Hangar 18 trade-offs.
Do yourself a favor and seek the original RIP instead of the remaster due to the dynamic range and original recorded vocals (as Mustaine re-recorded them for some songs).

Favorite songs: Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, Tornado of Souls, Poison Was the Cure, Five Magics


Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)

Genre: IDM/Ambient Techno/ music

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 features a collection of songs written by a young Richard D. James AKA Aphex Twin during 1985-1992 (o rly?), which is an amazing feat as the guy was only at the age of 14-20+ and already creating a iconic work for the genre. SAW 85-92 contains some of the best music electronic has to offer, very beat-driven but incorporating ambient minimalism as well, making for a pretty chill and relaxing experience. Contrary to the latter albums, where Aphex Twin started to experiment more and make some complex stuff, the songs here are pretty acessible, simple ("less is more" case) and effective, in a way that most of them are memorable from the get to.

Favorite songs: Ptolemy, Green Calx, Ageispolis, Heliosphan, Pulsewidth, Xtal


The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Genre: Psychedelic Pop/Pop Rock

One of the most important albums ever, introducing stuff like concept albums in popular music, diverse influences from music all over the world (avant-agarde, classical music and circus per example ) and studio as an instrument more than ever. Putting all the status aside, Sgt. Pepper's is great even today. It's not everyday you have a collection of great songs like With a Little Help From My Friends, LSD, A Day in the Life and others. My favorite is the beautiful string arranged She's Leaving Home though (MONO version, much better than the slower Stereo one... that said, the whole album is better MONO imo).
Ah, i just realized they released Magical Mistery Tour (my fav from them) in the same year... F*cking Beatles.

Favorite songs: She's Leaving Home, With a Little Help From My Friends, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, A Day in the Life, Getting Better

[Lolzeez]

Aphex Twin's ambient albums rule. Especially volume 1.

[Zantera]

Aphex Twin and Sgt Pepper! 

[Outcrier]

Hey Lolzeez, i ripped of that "custom genres" thing you do

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Two great Megadeth albums and Sgt. Peppers.

[Accelerando]

Magical Mystery Tour is also my favorite from them, and I also love me some Sgt. Peppers!

[Outcrier]

Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill 2: Original Soundtrack (2001)/Silent Hill 3: Original Soundtrack (2003)

Genre: Alternative Rock/Dark Ambient/Industrial/Trip Hop/Yeah

If you pick some acclaimed videogame OSTs, they are quality music but generally, it's not a thing you wanna listen outside of it or in the place of artists/bands during the day. Silent Hill soundtracks are different. This is not highly acclaimed only in the videogame  realm but as general music as well.
Akira Yamaoka surely can write songs from all types of genres with mastery. I mean, when not doing his alternative rock numbers (tastefully played by the way), Mr. Yamaoka sort of channels the likes of Boards of Canada/Nine Inch Nails/Portishead and throw some Dark Ambient stuff in it too.
While Silent Hill 2 OST is the most acclaimed of the two, i prefer Silent Hill 3 over it due to being less drony-ambient stuff like the first half of SH2 OST.
There's the nice addition of vocalist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who does monologues and sings some alternative rock/trip hop songs which, at first, sounded a bit cheesy but turned out fine imo. Also, i think this works better as an full album experience because the way the tracks are ordered plus how they sound (more akin to a regular album instead of a video game OST).

Favorite songs: A Stray Child, Terror in the Depths of the Fog, The Reverse Will, Theme of Laura, Breeze in Monochrome Night, Love Psalm, True, Please Love Me... Once More, You're Not Here, Sickness Unto Foolish Death


Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)

Genre: Progressive Metal

The best thing Dream Theater could have done after SFAM. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the close DT got at doing their own "OK Computer - Kid A" move (radical changes in sound). They experiment like never before here, he hear things like rapping, scratching, rock, snippets of noisy and ambient stuff and their take at a symphonic prog epic, a 40 minutes monster which is one of their career highlights imo. Great prog metal.

Favorite songs: The Glass Prison, About to Crash Reprise, The Great Debate, Solitary Shell, Blind Faith, About To Crash

[Scorpion]

Awesome! The Silent Hill soundtracks are great, and SDOIT is my favourite DT album. Great choices!

[Outcrier]

Short and quick:

Khan - Space Shanty (1972)

Genre: Canterbury Scene/Progressive Rock

Khan was a supergroup consisting mainly of Dave Stewart and Steve Hillage, some of the biggest names of the Canterbury Scene. Space Shanty is the only album they ever released and, certainly, a classic of the genre. Basically, the music played here is Canterbury with Psych/Space Rock influences. Some nice compositions, not just stuff throw randomly (as this is a side project). Pretty good stuff.

Favorite songs: Space Shanty, Mixed Up Man of the Mountains, Driving to Amsterdam


Metal Fingers (AKA MF DOOM) - Special Herbs: The Box Set Vol. 0–9 (2006)

Genre: Abstract Hip Hop/Instrumental Hip Hop

The Special Herbs releases by MF DOOM consist of used/unused hip hop instrumentals produced by him. In this case, the box set contains all the volumes so, i'm kind of cheating. Anyway, to describe this compilation, i will quote a review i read some time ago: "Probably the greatest collection of music in the world".
Some of the best intrumentals i've heard from this genre, a gold mine filled with mindblowing samples. The world would be a better place if people knew about this stuff.

Favorite songs (random order this time): Sumac Berries, Shallots, Charnsuka, Eucalyptus, Agrimony, Arabic Gum, Bergamot Wild, Styrax Gum, Four Thieves Vinegar, Spikenard, Pennyroyal, Valerian Root, High John, Bergamont, Orris Root Powder


Exodus - Tempo of the Damned (2004)

Genre: Thrash Metal

Impressive comeback by Exodus, a band that was more than ten years without releasing great albums/any album at all. An instant trash metal classic, Tempo of the Damned sees the band returning to their top form (long gone after Fabulous Disaster), which means great riff after great riff, simple as that.

Favorite songs: War Is My Shepherd, Forward March, Scar Spangled Banner, Impaler, Tempo of the Damned

[Lowdz]

Just listening to that Exodus album. I was never a thrash fan back in the day but don't mind some now, if I'm in the mood. I hhave heard them before but maybe sampled the wrong tracks as I'm really impressed by this. Nice 
Just moving on to the rerecorded Bonded By Blood and enjoying that too.

[GentlemanofDread]

I swear Khan has received more love on this board than they ever had before.

[Outcrier]

Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase (2005)

Genre: Ambient Techno/Downtempo/IDM/

Same Boards of Canada as always but not so great as Music Has the Right imo. The way i view it, the problem with The Campfire Headphase is that the strongest songs are all in the 1st half, leaving the rest of the album a bit weak in comparison (still, a great listen). A notably difference from Campfire to their other works is the use of acoustic guitars, which i was skeptical beforehand but it turned out fine.

Favorite songs: Dayvan Cowboy, Hey Saturday Sun, Satellite Anthem Icarus, Peacock Tail, Chromakey Dreamcoat, Tears From the Compound Eye, '84 Pontiac Dream


Radiohead - The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement (2011)

Genre: Radiohead

Radiohead...In the past, even though i already knew some of their songs like Karma Police and Paranoid Android, i was oblivious to the later experimental/electronic stuff. After hearing all the talk and praises about them in music forums, i did some searching on YouTube and found this live performance, which i greatly enjoyed (i remember that "Staircase" totally blowed me away at the time).  It was the start of an obsession.
In the present day, while very acquainted with their main discography, TKOL: Live From the Basement remains a favorite and, to people who didn't enjoy the studio TKOL, i recommend this.
Maybe it change your view due to the differences and additions of the piano/rock Daily Mail and the bass/synth driven Staircase, which are considered two of the best songs of these sessions (and yeah, the bastards did leave them off the studio release).

Favorite songs: Staircase, Lotus Flower, Little by Little, Codex, Bloom


Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)

Genre: Indie Rock

This is the album that, in my opinion, propelled Arcade Fire more than ever into being the best modern rock band, given their consistency. While other bands live in the shadow of the "viewed as a masterpiece" debut, Arcade Fire continued to release strong material and this is no exception. While i agree The Suburbs isn't epic as their first two albums, it still display their songwriting capabilities with songs like The Suburbs (love how the song progresses, especially the additions of other instruments such as violins throughout) or Sprawl II (the electronic vibe hinting at what they would do later in Reflektor). I always liked the flow of it too, more than Neon Bible, even enjoying the (admitelly) little fillers.
Ah, for once, a good album won a Grammy

Favorite songs: Suburban War, The Suburbs, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Modern Man, Month of May, We Used to Wait, Ready to Start


The Smiths - The Very Best of The Smiths (2001)

Genre: Jangle Pop/Marr and Morrissey owning/WTF album covers 

Most of the best Smiths songs, all reunited in a compilation, what's not to like? Only the cover i guess

Favorite songs: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, William It Was Really Nothing, Bigmouth Strikes Again, How Soon Is Now?, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, This Charming Man, The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, What Difference Does It Make?

[Scorpion]

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

[Zydar]

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Beautiful song

The Smiths are alright in my book. Lots of great songs/singles.

[Outcrier]

We reach the end. I would like to thank everyone who commented, it was nice sharing music with the forum 

The Who - The Who Sell Out (1967)

Genre: Psychedelic Pop/Psychedelic Rock

Sell Out, while being a classic, often gets overlooked due to been overshadowed by the later albums. It is a conceptual work where the music is broadcasted by a pirate radio station. There is commercial interludes between the tracks, like the funny Heinz Baked Beans commercial which displays one of the reasons i like Sell Out so much, the humour and the sillyness of it, both in skits and lyrics. I Can See for Miles, one of the highlights here, leaves the sillyness behind though, one of the most heavy songs at the time, which inspired Beatles to do Helter Skelter.
Another element that makes this a unique listen in their catalog is the psychedelic element. The Who almost sounds like a different band here compared to the band who did Tommy afterwards.

Favorite songs: Silas Stingy, Sunrise, Odorono, I Can See for Miles, Tattoo, Armenia City in the Sky


Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest (2013)

Genre: Ambient Techno/Downtempo/IDM

It was during 2012-2013 that i discovered Boards of Canada and got acquainted with their music so, when they released this last year after a long time without releasing nothing, it was a really awesome surprise. What was cool is that, while nowadays i'm more skeptical before listening to new albums, i went to this feeling that i would love it and it totally happened. The post apocalyptic vibe, the atmosphere, even the interludes that i never was too fond of through their catalog, everything clicked for me instantly.
Another great album from these guys.

Favorite songs: Nothing is Real, Cold Earth, New Seeds, Come to Dust, Reach for the Dead, Split Your Infinities, White Cyclosa, Sundown


|The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

Genre: Indie Rock

When i made my top 2013 albums list here in DTF, Trouble Will Find Me wasn't there, mostly because i was new to The National sound and expected them to be a band similar to Interpol (my favorite song was the upbeat Mistaken For Strangers, where The National sounds like Interpol). That changed after i understood their sound.
Although i don't think any song in Trouble Will Find Me reaches the level of Fake Empire/Mistaken For Strangers from Boxer or Bloodbuzz Ohio/Conversation 16 from High Violet, it still is a consistent collection of good songs by the band nonetheless. Particularly, the stretch from I Should Live in Salt to This is the Last Time is amazing, maybe the best in their career.

Favorite songs: This Is the Last Time, Don't Swallow the Cap, I Should Live in Salt, Heavenfaced, Fireproof, Pink Rabbits


The Who - Who's Next (1971)

Genre: Hard Rock/Roger Daltrey unleashed 

In my journey through The Who discography, i was starting to turn into a fan after listening to Sell Out and Tommy (i was going in chronological order).
Who's Next was the next and final step in cementing them as one of my favorite rock bands.  While already knowing some of the songs here (the iconics Baba, Fooled and Behind Blue Eyes), i was positively surprised by Bargain and the awesome Song is Over-Going Mobile stretch. Definitely, one of the greatest rock albums ever. 

Favorite songs: Behind Blue Eyes, Bargain, Going Mobile, Getting in Tune, Song Is Over (yeah, no Baba or Fooled Again)

[Accelerando]

Great album to tap off your list with Who's Next!!! I love that album as well

[Outcrier]

Ah, i near forgot it, my top 10:

1 - Radiohead - In Rainbows
2 - Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill 3
3 - Madvillain - Madvillainy
4 - The Cure - Disintegration
5 - Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
6 - Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
7 - Daft Punk - Discovery
8 - Radiohead - The King of Limbs Live
9 - My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
10 - The Smiths - The Very Best of the Smiths