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General => Archive => General Music Archives => Topic started by: Big Hath on November 03, 2012, 10:59:54 PM
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Ok folks, this is my list. I've had to force myself to a max of 3 albums per band as it not only gives you a bit more variety, but it probably helps me get a truer list out there since I tend to obsess over certain bands. However, there is absolutely no way I could name less than 3 albums for some bands and say this is my top 50. I'm sure a lot of the albums on my list are pretty well known by many here, so for some I may just talk more about my experience with the album rather than give a "review".
And I also should state that previous to getting into hard rock/prog/metal/etc, I was likely coming from a very different background than most here. I mostly just listened to what was popular at the time up through high school, and living in the rural south US, I probably had more country albums than anything else as I started college. Then my experiences playing trumpet and bass led me through some funk, soul, R&B and jazz phases. Some of that influence you will see throughout my list.
Anyway I hope you enjoy this journey. I hope to have the first entry or two posted by Monday. But first I want to talk about a couple of items.
To start off, I want to list two works of distinction that really don't fit anywhere else. These are not part of my top 50 proper, however I would be remiss if I did not talk about them at the outset. Both works are very special to me and were both introduced to me as a vocalist performing them as part of a chorus/choir. And both are by contemporary classical composers.
The first is an a capella composition by Morten Lauridsen entitled "O Magnum Mysterium". I have such a deep connection with this song having performed it a few times in college, but it is not the performances I remember, it is the hundreds of times rehearsing it with 12-15 other people that are also enjoying it and as invested in making great music just as much as I am. I still get goose bumps listening to it. This is what will be played at my funeral (if I get goose bumps then - watch out!).
Get relaxed, empty your mind, and take 7 minutes out of your day and listen to this. Pay attention to the dissonance introduced by the altos around 3:17 and that great crescendo into the 4 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZxRnG6XvZo
The Bay Brass also has recorded a most awesome version for a brass choir.
The second is an extended work by John Rutter for choir and orchestra entitled Requiem. In high school I was named to a national select choir that was to perform this song, conducted by Rutter himself. And I also had the good fortune that our performance took place in none other than Carnegie Hall. This was quite an experience! The work has seven movements and each of them is awesome in their own way. This has been recorded several times and can be found on CD, usually coupled with other works.
Probably not the start you were expecting, but these two works are so ingrained in my soul that I can't not bring them up.
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Bring on the 'don!
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Following.
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SO following.
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I follow alot of top 50 lists, I love reading the mini-reviews :3
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Just don't forget to write the year after each album.
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Just don't forget to write the year after each album.
:clap:
Well played
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The listmaster himself will do his top 50? Definitely following.
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The listmaster himself will do his top 50? Definitely following.
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following
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Bring on the 'don!
they will definitely make an appearance or two. Although you are probably not going to be satisfied with the selections.
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Just don't forget to write the year after each album.
YES!!!
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Le'go!!!
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Just don't forget to write the year after each album.
:rollin :clap:
SO following, btw.
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I'm in.
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Let's get it on!!
#50 - Tower of Power - Tower of Power (1973)
(https://img856.imageshack.us/img856/3391/topyjb.jpg)
For those not familiar, TOP is a soul/funk band from the Bay Area in California. Their heyday was the early to mid-70's, then they made a comeback in the late-80's and the band has continued strong on through today. They have gone through numerous lineup changes (60 individuals have toured or recorded with them over their 40+ years), most notably at vocals, but the bedrock is awesome musicianship and pinpoint precision against impossibly complex and funky arrangements. I would say this is the tightest band I have ever heard, quite a feat when you consider it consists of 10 to 13 or so members. They are also known for lending their horn section out to artists including Santana, Heart, Huey Lewis, Poison, Toto, Aerosmith and many more.
While they found some success with their first two albums East Bay Grease ("Knock Yourself Out", "Sparkling in the Sand") and Bump City ("You're Still A Young Man", "Down to the Nightclub", etc), for me the classic TOP period began in 1973 with their self-titled album. This album marked the debut of vocalist Lenny Williams who would sing on the next two TOP albums and go on to have a notable solo career. It was also the debut of current Saturday Night Live band leader and saxaphone badass Lenny Pickett. This self-titled album reached #15 on the US charts.
The album kicks off with possibly Tower's best known song, "What Is Hip?" and you immediately know what this band is all about - Garibaldi laying down a funky beat, horn hits, awesome guitar licks flowing in and out, smooth vocals, and Rocco knocking out a constant stream of 16th notes on the bass. The other classic song included here is a real cooker, "Soul Vaccination". The breakdown section from 2:28 to 3:15 in that song is musical perfection. Other standouts include "So Very Hard To Go" and "Just Another Day".
"Soul vaccination, all across the nation, people been catchin' honkypox"
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Following!
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Tower of Power was going to come to my town, but the show never happened.... :P
I don't have the album, but what I have heard from them, epic funkyness!
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Tower of Power was going to come to my town, but the show never happened.... :P
I don't have the album, but what I have heard from them, epic funkyness!
if I remember, you play trumpet right? I can't express how awesome the TOP horns are/have been for the past 40 years.
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Tower of Power was going to come to my town, but the show never happened.... :P
I don't have the album, but what I have heard from them, epic funkyness!
if I remember, you play trumpet right? I can't express how awesome the TOP horns are/have been for the past 40 years.
Yeah dude! Some great Horn Sections emerged in the 70's, Chicago, Earth, Wind and Fire, and naturally Tower of Power. The list could go on endlessly.
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most definitely. EWF and Chicago are great.
Have you heard of Chase? They're another jazz-rock group from the 70's led by trumpeter Bill Chase. They had four(!) trumpets that could absolutely wail.
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Haven't but I'll check 'em out!
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I heard Tower of Power used performance enhancing suppliments.
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I'm a fan of Tower of Power and those true Funk, R&B, Soul bands of that era. Great stuff :tup
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I heard Tower of Power used performance enhancing suppliments.
ha, can you imagine the amount of "substance" they went through? That is the primary reason they pretty much disappeared as a band in the late-70's/early-80's. Of course, I'm sure you're referring to Victor Conte (BALCO) who played bass in the band in the late-70's. His cousin, Bruce Conte, was a long time guitarist in TOP and actually played on the album above.
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Following!
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#49 - Dan Swano - Moontower (1999)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51coZwfBBVL._SL500_SS500_.jpg)
After the good Dr. DTVT posted this entry in his under-appreciated thread, I listened to it on constant loop for about a week straight. This album is right in my wheelhouse. I love the progressive nature Mr. Swano injects into this Death Metal album. But that may be a misnomer - you hear the growling and immediately think death metal, but it is so much more. This album is as much progressive rock as it is death metal. The keyboards up front in the mix are awesome and Swano uses some really great sounds on this album. And the production is top notch. The growling vocals set against the keyboard heavy instrumental mix really works. There are only certain growling vocals I can listen to; Swano and Akerfeldt are right at the top of the list. Aside from his production on Opeth's Morningrise, I had never heard any of his work. But this album has led me to explore Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, and his Odyssey project.
Some of my favorite songs: The opening track "Sun of the Night" has great keyboards and crunching guitars but also some acoustic guitar and piano emerging later in the song. After a brief atmospheric keyboard intro, "Patchworks" continues the energetic keyboard/guitar assault before moving into a mid-tempo section that leads into a great groove over which Swano releases some machine-gun growling lines which is probably my favorite moment on the album. "Uncreation" has perhaps the most depressing lyrics on the albums that contrasts with an almost uplifting guitar solo.
It's amazing to think that one guy did pretty much everything on this project from the writing, instrumentation, arranging, production, etc. I just wish he would do more like this.
"I will have to confess, the music you listen to now is pretty damn far from the truth. In league with machines, that help me to play all of the harmonies born in my head"
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I love what Arjen did with Swano on the two Star One albums. I tried some of Nightingale... didn't work for me. I'm not much of a growlie/death metal guy (as Mason knows full well), although a couple things recently have grown on me.
Nice writeup though.
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I've never heard that album before, but it sounds really interesting. Will give it a listen soon.
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That album is the cat's pajamas! I love it. Will definitely be in my top 50 as well.
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Time to finally start listening to this one. I found it on Spotify after having tried (and failed) to download it multiple times in the past.
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Moontower is incredible, quite similar to his Edge of Sanity project which are some of the best progressive death metal I've ever heard.
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I've never heard that album before, but it sounds really interesting. Will give it a listen soon.
Time to finally start listening to this one. I found it on Spotify after having tried (and failed) to download it multiple times in the past.
yes, definitely check it out, but it can be quite difficult to find.
should have mentioned this in the write-up, but you can tell he put his heart and soul into this album. He pours his insecurities about his dreams, death, songwriting, etc into the lyrics. And the cover is as if you are peering right into his soul.
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Moontower is incredible, quite similar to his Edge of Sanity project which are some of the best progressive death metal I've ever heard.
yep, both of those are awesome, however I would note that Edge of Sanity is coming from a definite death metal stance whereas the solo album is much more in the progressive rock/metal vein albeit with death vocals. Just making that distinction so someone isn't expecting the Moontower sound from EoS.
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Holy shit, this album is fucking amazing. Why haven't I tried hearing it before? :metal
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For a long name I thought your name is "Big Bath"
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just call me William Howard Taft
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Holy shit, this album is fucking amazing. Why haven't I tried hearing it before? :metal
For the billionth time, the answer is, "Because you are not elite" :biggrin:
ANd thanks for the shout-out in the write up. And I have Ravenheart to thank, so in reality we should all be lining up to suck Zander's dick.
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Listening to that TOP album, it's apparent where Banda Black Rio got a good deal of its influence, although I prefer Maria Fumaça since it has no vocals. (Not bagging on the vocalist, who has a good voice, just don't like that R&B style.)
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just call me William Howard Taft
:rollin
That's possibly my favorite bit of presidential trivia ever.
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just call me William Howard Taft
Outstanding. :lol
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#48 - Metallica - . . . And Justice For All (1988)
(https://media.fanfire.com/images/product/large/MET/METCD011.jpg)
This was my entry into heavy metal and really anything that even remotely resembled "prog". I had previously known of Metallica since Master of Puppets because my friend had the cassette, but I never really listened to them until "One" hit, and man did it hit me hard. The video for "One" debuted in January of 1989, when I was 11 years old. I remember staring at the TV wondering what it was I was watching - there was NOTHING else like this. The stark black and white images of the band furiously playing interspersed with scenes from a movie I had never heard of plus the dark lyrical content really made an impression. "One" quickly became a favorite song of mine and still is to this day.
Favored tracks: "Blackened" (Newsted's first writing credit with the band) is simply a great intro song with that backwards guitar building into that riff that always makes you feel slightly off balance. AJFA, wow, almost 10 minutes of thrashy, sorta proggy awesomeness and intensity. If not for "One", "Dyers Eve" would probably be my favorite track on the album. It takes on the mantle of Damage Inc as a terrifyingly aggressive closing song.
Yes, I understand all the problems with this album - the bass is pretty much left out of the mix (and being a bass player, that one stings), the stark, dry and razor thin production, and the album does have moments where the song structures tend to sprawl out a bit. It's not an easy album by any stretch with the controversial production, depressing lyrical themes, and angry moods. But this is Metallica's darkest, most complex work coming from a mega-band at or just off of their creative peak. The production along with the lyrical content and Hetfield's biting delivery make for an utterly depressing and brutal album, but one that I immediately connected with.
"To see into my eyes, you'll find where murder lies"
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Never got into Metallica, but I'm told this is one of their best.
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AJFA :2metal:
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Never got into Metallica, but I'm told this is one of their best.
that it is, however I would say it is tied with Kill 'em All as the toughest album to start out with from their "classic" period
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Yeah - Ride The Lightning or Master of Puppets is a much better starting point.
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AJFA :2metal:
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I think Justice is a fine album to venture into the pre-Load era. Aside from the black album, it was my first exposure to to any of their first 5 albums whatsoever. As in, I'd never even heard a note of any of KeA, RtL, MoP, or AJFA (except for One) before buying Justice. My brother had bought the black album around that same time (late '96) but I really didn't take all that well to the 7 non-single tracks initially yet Blackened, Harvester, and To Live is To Die instantly hooked me. So enahjee! POWAH!!! as the kids like to say. I think if things like dark lyrics, cold production, dreary vibes, and bass MIA production are issues for someone, then I'm not sure any legitimate metal will be ideal to start with.
I think the stark "grey" atmosphere drew me in immensely at first especially since I bought it for One anyway so it was really just a case of me getting more of what I came for in the first place. Another factor that helped it was that the vocals (as well as other parts to lesser extents) were a bit more "up close" sounding and less dripping with that stereotypical 80s reverb thing going on with KeA and RtL.
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Yeah, AJFA! :metal :metal
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Great choices so far! TOP, man what a great band. True story: I was in this funk-soulband once, a nine-piece band with hornsection and the horn guys were pretty much TOP addicts! I guess they wanted us to sound just like them. Which is a bit weird with a white, longhaired singer who couldn't dance for shit....we did mostly James Browns stuff, and such.
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I think Justice is a fine album to venture into the pre-Load era. Aside from the black album, it was my first exposure to to any of their first 5 albums whatsoever. As in, I'd never even heard a note of any of KeA, RtL, MoP, or AJFA (except for One) before buying Justice. My brother had bought the black album around that same time (late '96) but I really didn't take all that well to the 7 non-single tracks initially yet Blackened, Harvester, and To Live is To Die instantly hooked me. So enahjee! POWAH!!! as the kids like to say. I think if things like dark lyrics, cold production, dreary vibes, and bass MIA production are issues for someone, then I'm not sure any legitimate metal will be ideal to start with.
I think the stark "grey" atmosphere drew me in immensely at first especially since I bought it for One anyway so it was really just a case of me getting more of what I came for in the first place. Another factor that helped it was that the vocals (as well as other parts to lesser extents) were a bit more "up close" sounding and less dripping with that stereotypical 80s reverb thing going on with KeA and RtL.
oh sure, I agree with what you are saying. "One" gave them their initial commercial success for heaven's sake! I was talking about it more in comparison with the others. For someone totally new I would send them to Ride, Puppets, or the Black Album first.
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AJFA :2metal:
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Great choices so far! TOP, man what a great band. True story: I was in this funk-soulband once, a nine-piece band with hornsection and the horn guys were pretty much TOP addicts! I guess they wanted us to sound just like them. Which is a bit weird with a white, longhaired singer who couldn't dance for shit....we did mostly James Browns stuff, and such.
ha, cool stuff! Well, Tower of Power actually recorded their two early-90's albums Monster on a Leash and T.O.P. with a white, longhaired singer, Tom Bowes. And based on some videos I've seen, he couldn't dance either!
That early 90's lineup on T.O.P. might actually be my favorite with Greg Adams and Lee Thornburg on trumpet and a reunion with Lenny Pickett. There are some great songs on that album: "Soul With A Capital 'S'", "I Like Your Style", and two cool instrumentals "Cruise Control" and "South Of The Boulevard".
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Awesome album is awesome.
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#47 - Dixie Dregs - What If (1978)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lOmxgso_R8E/T-fj8ULKZaI/AAAAAAAABSE/dQx-0d_9cFA/s1600/Folder.jpg)
In the mid-70's, Steve Morse formed what would become the Dixie Dregs at the University of Miami School of Music (home of other musicians coming out of the 70’s such as Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Bruce Hornsby, etc.). After graduation, the band signed to the southern rock label Capricorn Records (Allman Bros, Marshall Tucker Band, Captain Beyond) which released their first album Free Fall to critical acclaim but not much in the way of record sales (the “Cruise Control” section of the Big Medley from ACOS is from this album). With Free Fall, Steve Morse was immediately recognized for his composing skills as well as his deft guitar work.
The following year, the Dregs released What If, a prog-rock/Jazz-fusion instrumental album. You will find a great deal of classical, prog, bluegrass, hard rock and funk leanings and influences in this album, but housed in a classic southern rock package. You'll probably be reminded of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, or possibly even King Crimson in many places. The Dregs weave in and out of the many genres and influences effortlessly and their fine musicianship is on full display here.
“Take it off the Top” and “Travel Tunes” are great southern-twinged funky rockers. “Odyssey” has some cool prog moments and incredibly beautiful violin-led sections mixed with jazz fusion (covered by DT on BC&SL). But the real star of this album is “Ice Cakes” with its great funk guitar and bouncy, bubbling bass and drums. The album closes with a beautifully uplifting track entitled “Night Meets Light” that has some great unison parts between guitar and bass and ends with a soaring extended solo from Morse.
"(various grunts, ah's, and yeah's at the beginning of Ice Cakes)"
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Only Dreg's album I owned Dregs of the Earth but that was 20 + years ago...didn't really get into it, but than again this is a band I've been meaning to go back to as my tastes have broaden since
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yeah I remember trying that one but it just didn't seem as inspired as What If or even Free Fall. Some of the songs seemed a bit too derivative of what had come before.
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There was so much discussion for the Dregs! Can't wait to see what discourse this next entry inspires!
#46 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)
(https://cdn.head-fi.org/9/94/1000x500px-LL-9474c328_51L7hKubyfL._SS500_.jpg)
Okay, time for a bit of a u-turn! Yes, it's the soul/R&B classic, What's Going On. This album served as Gaye's move from the traditional R&B hit-maker to a true soulful artist. Gaye had been feeling trapped in the Motown hit-machine for a few years and desperately wanted to do his own thing. He had written the single "What's Going On" (originally offered to the Four Tops, then to Joan Baez), but Berry Gordy (founder of Motwon Records) thought it wasn't commercial enough to release so Gaye told him he wouldn't record anything else until Motown released it. Even after it was recorded, Gordy and the Motown brass still didn't want to release the album. But it slipped through, became a hit, and the album went on to be perhaps the most important soul album of all time.
The whole vibe of this album sounds like there is a jam/party going on. It is a very cool atmosphere. But lyrically, there is a much darker tone. The story concept is of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he has been fighting for, but finding injustice and hatred. The socially-concious songs tackle drug use, poverty, and the Vietnam War. The songs just kind of flow into each other and you are on track 6 or 7 before you even know it. Great musicians are on this recording, including the Funk Brothers who played on just about every Motown hit in those days. Cool story about bassist James Jamerson playing on this album: Legend has it that Gaye wanted him to play on the record so bad he went searching for him in the local Detroit bars during one of the recording sessions. He was found but was so inebreated that he had to lay flat on his back to record. He was unfamiliar with the song, drunk and lying on his back and they took his first take for the album!
Standouts include the title track, "Mercy, Mercy Me", and "Inner City Blues".
"And I go to the place where the good feelin' awaits me, self-destruction in my hand."
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I need to get that album - Marvin was SUCH a talented individual.
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yes, this album and the follow-up Let's Get It On (take a guess at what the concept for that one is about) are stellar
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It's not rocket science, bud. :lol
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One of the cornerstones of my musical education, that album.
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yeah, and I realize it's not going to be for everyone, particularly on this forum, but it's an absolute classic.
I may have lost some people with this one, but I guarantee the next several are well known by many 'round these parts.
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yeah, and I realize it's not going to be for everyone, particularly on this forum, but it's an absolute classic.
I may have lost some people with this one, but I guarantee the next several are well known by many 'round these parts.
I own this album. A mate decided I needed this album in my life and gave it to me. I'm ashamed to say I've never listened to it. If I can find it I will.
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yeah, and I realize it's not going to be for everyone, particularly on this forum, but it's an absolute classic.
I may have lost some people with this one, but I guarantee the next several are well known by many 'round these parts.
Woah just saw this thread and jumped in. And yes,this album rules.
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in lieu of another entry (I hope to continue on Monday), I want to list a few quasi-honorable mentions. As you might know, I have discovered a boatload of new music this year thanks to you fine folks. So this list will be a few of those albums that didn't quite make the top 50 but blew me away none the less and might be on this list eventually. This is not all of the great stuff you have helped me discover this year - so I will probably have another one or two of these. Thank you to the people that have mentioned these in the respective band threads or in your top 50 lists!
No particular order:
Karnivool - Sound Awake - Awesome stuff. Love the seemingly Tool-insipred sound. This is also one of my wife's favorites.
(https://black-design.be/images/soundtrack/Karnivool_Sound_Awake.jpg)
Star One - Space Metal and Victims of the Modern Age - The Star One project is unbelievable!
(https://www.starfarer.net/galleryq/starone.jpg) (https://www.arjenlucassen.com/content/wp-content/uploads/StarOne_Victims_Cover1-250x250.jpg)
Frost* - Milliontown - this is some great poppy sounding progressive rock.
(https://www.disagreement.net/reviews/frost_milliontown.jpg)
Edge Of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow, Crimson, and Crimson II - holy cow, this is awesome death metal.
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZlZiBRi3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (https://www.spirit-of-metal.com/les%20goupes/E/Edge%20Of%20Sanity/Crimson/Crimson.jpg) (https://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/9/3/0/19302.jpg)
Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls and The Great Escape - I don't know what else to say except both are crazy, crazy good. The title track on TGE is amazing.
(https://www.nightmarerecords.com/NMR/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/SeventhWonder.jpg) (https://www.nightmarerecords.com/NMR/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/SeventhWonderGE.jpg)
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I may have to try out Seventh Wonder's The Great Escape for the combination of how well I liked Mercy Falls (concept album with a good storyline that holds up in spite of some very shaky voice acting on interludes with dialog interspersed amongst the regular tracks) as well as the fact that The Great Escape was the headline I envisioned seeing on the front page of the newspaper when I cut class for the first time at age 8 and thought it was some kind of big accomplishment.
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ack, forgot to put Mercy Falls up there too. Will have to fix that. Goodness, the acting on that album is brutal. The woman is not great, but she wins the academy award compared to the guy playing the doctor.
was this the music playing in your head as you ditched class? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8
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Agreed on the spoken parts of Mercy Falls. Thankfully, the rest of the album is so superior that the "acting" doesn't leave any stench. B_F, get TGE, it's excellent. Not on par with MF, but it's like what Empire is to O:M.
:tup :tup on Star One. Have you picked up the DVD Live on Earth (it's hard to find since they aren't in print anymore)? That's pretty sweet too. Even if you don't have the DVD, most (all) the songs have been put up on YT. I'm particularly fond of Intergalactic Space Crusaders... the interaction between Wilson and Allen is a Mastercard moment.
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Seventh Wonder :hefdaddy
I've got to give Karnivool a try...
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Seventh Wonder :hefdaddy
I've got to give Karnivool a try...
MERCY FALLS :heart
Also, yes. Sound Awake is an amazing album.
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Sound Awake is brilliant. Still need to listen to Seventh Wonder.
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:tup :tup on Star One. Have you picked up the DVD Live on Earth (it's hard to find since they aren't in print anymore)? That's pretty sweet too. Even if you don't have the DVD, most (all) the songs have been put up on YT. I'm particularly fond of Intergalactic Space Crusaders... the interaction between Wilson and Allen is a Mastercard moment.
I've seen a few of the YT clips. Looks great.
It's too bad scheduling those live shows is such a nightmare with trying to coordinate the the schedules and pay all the different guest musicians.
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that tour was (unfortunately) a one-shot deal. Unlikely to ever be repeated again. However, if it was, it would be compelling enough for me to book my airfare.
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MERCY FALLS MERCY FALLS. I don't even have beef with the spoken-word bits. Seriously. You guys are overblowing it a bit :)
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This was what I wrote about Mercy Falls in the SW thread.. "the spoken dialogue portions dealing with heavy topics in Mercy Falls are delivered with the emotional depth of a kiddie pool, almost no variation or inflection in their voices, making it come off very robotic. I had a hard time getting past that, but the music, my god, the music is SOOOO awesome, it's easy to get an acquired taste for. I couldn't stop listening to Mercy Falls and I still give it regular spins"
I love SW, I would put both MF and TGE in my top 50.
Guess I should check out Karnivool since it is getting so much praise here. These threads have been exposing me to a lot of new music too.
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The Great Escape was the headline I envisioned seeing on the front page of the newspaper when I cut class for the first time at age 8 and thought it was some kind of big accomplishment.
was this the music playing in your head as you ditched class? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8)
Nice call, Hath :lol :tup
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You guys are overblowing it a bit :)
No, we're not. It's just a good thing the music is exponentially more 'good' than the spoken parts are 'bad'.
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was this the music playing in your head as you ditched class? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8
Considering I lived five blocks from school at the time, it would've been a very appropriate track length :tup I thought it kinda sounded like the theme from the glory scene in Stripes where they're emerging from Russia but I guess I was wrong.
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:omg:
You've NEVER seen The Great Escape?!
:omg:
You should fix that ASAP - damn fine movie.
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The Great Escape was the headline I envisioned seeing on the front page of the newspaper when I cut class for the first time at age 8 and thought it was some kind of big accomplishment.
was this the music playing in your head as you ditched class? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbsuAbTTsV8)
Nice call, Hath :lol :tup
I tried to find the Simpsons clip where they used it while Maggie was escaping from preschool.
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:lol
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HECK YES to The Great Escape and Sound Awake. You're right in saying that TGE's title track is like the best thing ever.
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:omg:
You've NEVER seen The Great Escape?!
:omg:
You should fix that ASAP - damn fine movie.
Incredibly, it was just on TV around these here parts last night. Don't feel to bad Josh, I haven't seen it either. :blush
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No, we're not. It's just a good thing the music is exponentially more 'good' than the spoken parts are 'bad'.
Sure, they're not good at all, but I never cringed or anything.
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Incredibly, it was just on TV around these here parts last night. Don't feel to bad Josh, I haven't seen it either. :blush
:omg:
Both of you, bant.
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Alrighty, I'll go haul ass out to Ye Olde Theatre in a stolen Ford Escape while blasting Metallica's Escape.
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#45 - Mastodon - The Hunter (2011)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrunvrb4qf1qdqjus_1316569983_cover.jpg)
Of the many bands I have gotten into this past year, Mastodon is one of my favorites, and is quickly becoming one of my (and my wife’s) favorite bands of all time. I purchased Leviathan almost a year ago, loved it, and bought the latest three albums a few months later in preparation for the Mastodon/Opeth tour that came through Dallas in April. (That’s also approximately the time I joined DTF, hence the avatar.) I rate each of those albums pretty closely even though they have very different feels, but I put The Hunter just ahead of Leviathan and Blood Mountain primarily because of seeing most of the songs live (I think they played 12 of the 13 songs live at the show I attended). The Hunter has much of the signature Mastodon sound; sludgy mix and guitar riffs, rough vocals (for the most part), insane drums, and that distinctive Mastodon tone. It does take a step back from the prog nature of Skye - but what seems to stick out most about this album is the hook-laden nature of the tracks, leading to a very catchy album.
All the songs seem quite different from each other, but rather than feeling like a mixed bag or randomness, the contrast works well for the album. And the quality is very consistent throughout. Standouts include "Dry Bone Valley" (a top 5 Mastadon song for me), "Stargasm" (Sex in space? SEX IN SPACE!), "Octopus Has No Friends" (great anthemic chorus, and frantic guitars during the verses) and the haunting title track (written in memory of guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds' brother who died during the making of the album).
"I killed a man 'cause he killed my goat, I put my hands around his throat.
He tried to reason with the sky and the clouds, but it didn't matter, 'cause they can't hear a sound."
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I was wondering when this one would show up, though I expected it later. Very good album though, one of the best of last year.
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I like the irony of you posting the regular version when you could've just self-avatar quoted in enlarged fashion. It's a shame I don't get a hardon for this album because I find the special edition's entire packaging to be jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
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That's a damn good album. :tup
I started my Mastodon journey this year. Having started with Remission, I was disappointed, its extremeness wasn't really my cup of tea. Then somebody suggested that The Hunter is very heavy as well, but it's much more accessible and melodic. And man, they were right, it's a very cool album, my second favorite Mastodon record only next to Crack the Skye - after all, I can't not love prog. ;D
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Really cool album.
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I like the irony of you posting the regular version when you could've just self-avatar quoted in enlarged fashion. It's a shame I don't get a hardon for this album because I find the special edition's entire packaging to be jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
the special edition is the one I have actually, but my purpose is to cater more to those that may not already know the album so if they are interested in picking it up, this is the cover they will likely see.
Yeah, I knew you wouldn't be all that crazy about the ones I chose for the list, but as I mentioned I think they are all great.
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I've never really been able to get into Mastodon, just not my cup of tea I guess. Although another try wouldn't hurt. What album would you guys suggest?
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what kind of music are you into at the moment? and what Mastodon songs or albums have you already heard?
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I've only listened to a little bit of Leviathan. At the moment, I'm into just almost everything. Tallest Man on Earth, Agalloch, Opeth, Tool, I could go on but I don't think that's going to help :P
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If Leviathan wasn't quite your thing, try Crack the Skye which is much more on the progressive side of things or The Hunter which I mentioned is much more catchy with all the hooks. For songs, try Dry Bone Valley, Oblivion, Stargasm, The Last Baron, etc.
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The Hunter is a great album, but Crack the Skye is still my favorite from them.
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Second weakest Mastodon album. It's better than Crack the Skye though.
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Second weakest Mastodon album. It's better than Crack the Skye though.
It's a good thing this isn't wolfking's list then! :biggrin:
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At the moment, I'm into just almost everything. Tallest Man on Earth, Agalloch, Opeth, Tool, I could go on but I don't think that's going to help :P
Crack the Skye. :smiley:
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Second weakest Mastodon album. It's better than Crack the Skye though.
It's a good thing this isn't wolfking's list then! :biggrin:
hey, I did have Leviathan at 14 or something like that. ;D
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#44 - Ayreon - 01011001 (2008)
(https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v700/rdyfrde/Ayreon%20Damian/e8706c2e.jpg)
01011001 is my favorite Ayreon album (at the moment, at least). Although I really dig The Human Equation (which seems to be the favorite of most around here), I feel the story is somewhat cumbersome and a bit too tightly interlaced into the songs which leads to it getting in the way of the music at times. With the follow-up album 01011001, to me the story is more loosely woven into the songs and each song has room to breath on its own merit.
As with most of Arjen's projects, I absolutely love his choice of synthesizer sounds. And he uses them to great effect here, creating a very sci-fi, spacey atmosphere. This double album is just an absolute beast of prog-metal goodness which shows his continuing development throughout the string of Ayreon projects. There is something here for pretty much everybody with touches of ambient, folk, hard-hitting metal, classic rock, symphonic, electronic and many other influences. And as always, the selection of vocalists is top notch - Lande, Kursch, Gildenlow, Jansen, Anneke, etc, etc, etc.
It's almost impossible for me to pick favorite tracks because 1) there are so many and 2) almost all of them are so good. I will say that it was a genius selection to use Jonas Renske on "Waking Dreams". His melancholy voice and delivery really sets a great tone. It also inspired me to look deeper into the Katatonia discography for which I am very grateful.
"Fire, inspiration, missing branch on the tree
We are your roots, we are your blood
Come to you in waking dreams"
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Again, not one of my favs from Ayreon. The list of guests is wonderful, but it just never really grabbed me.
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Fantastic album, really enjoy it. I'd give Human Equation the edge though.
JLB, Mike Baker, Akerfeldt and Devin Townsend just make it a godly cast of vocalists.
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I'll give a virtual tie between T.H.E and 01011001 on the vocalists. But the writing and music on THE gets a significant nod from me (#2 on my list). 01011001 suffers from some really, REALLY bad lyrics in a few spots. Some songs are fantastic, while some are incredibly cringe-worthy.
Good album though. There isn't anything by Arjen that I don't love (yes, that includes Guilt Machine).
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no doubt, THE is excellent. I hold all the Ayreon albums from Into The Electric Castle on in high regard.
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Fantastic album, but for the same reasons jingle stated, THE is a whole lot better even, for me at least.
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#43 - Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
(https://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/13/56/94/45/dream-11.jpg)
Although this was the first Dream Theater album I ever owned, I never really gave it or the band a shot until I had heard Scenes From A Memory. I ordered this through either BMG or Columbia House by accident and just stuck it on the shelf, not really giving it a second thought. I didn't really know what I had even though I had heard of the band. I eventually purchased Scenes From A Memory and really liked that, so I decided I needed to give this album a shot as well. And it became one of the reasons Dream Theater went on to be one of my favorite bands.
This is a DT classic. I like both discs about equally although I preferred the first disc over the second disc initially. Disappear is really the only weak-ish song to me. And the ending of Misunderstood can get a little grating. Other than that, the rest of the songs are awesome. Some favorite moments include the build-up during the opening of "The Glass Prison" with the band exploding in just after one of those bell strikes; the laid back, atmospheric feel at the beginning of "Blind Faith" and James' great vocals throughout the song; the heaviness of the "Misunderstood" chorus; the gradual build underneath the clips, Petrucci's stoccato riffing during the verse, and the resolves during the pre-choruses in "The Great Debate"; the piano opening to "About to Crash" then the band exploding in (kind of similar to Glass Prison); the tenderness of "Goodnight Kiss" and transition into "Solitary Shell".
The album is full of great moments from each of the band members (as per usual) and a great mix of songs that are heavy, light, aggressive, and laid back.
"We've been waiting for you my friend
The writing's been on the wall
All it takes is a little faith
You know you're the same as us all"
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SDOIT is alright...
and I agree with the others, THE is my favorite Ayreon album, but they are all great.
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Love 6DOIT, it is a true gem and the only true experimental album in the DT catalog. Gets a polar reaction from many fans, but it is very underrated IMO. I'd probably put it in my Top 50 too. Great choice :tup
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between SFAM and 6DOIT, the band really took some chances, and they connected on almost all of them for me.
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Great pick with 6DOIT
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jjrock88, everytime you post, I always imagine it ends with a WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
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:lol
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jjrock88, everytime you post, I always imagine it ends with a WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
No it ends with me giving somebody a chop to their chest via the computer screen.
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I'm a limousine ridin', jet flyin', kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin' son of a gun. WOOOO!!
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^ so sig worthy for jj
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I'm a limousine ridin', jet flyin', kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin' son of a gun. WOOOO!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Great pick with 6DOIT
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between SFAM and 6DOIT, the band really took some chances, and they connected on almost all of them for me.
^ ditto :heart
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Great pick with 6DOIT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Great call on the Ayreon. Count me as one of the few that prefers 01011001 over THE. It might even rival ITEC.
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Great call on the Ayreon. Count me as one of the few that prefers 01011001 over THE.
yay, someone agrees with me! I'm not alone is this cold, dark world!
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I only have The Human Equation. If the other Ayreon albums are half that good, I'll have to pick them up at some point.
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I only have The Human Equation. If the other Ayreon albums are half that good, I'll have to pick them up at some point.
I only acquired T.H.E. in the last 2 weeks. Since then I've ordered the rest of them :)
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I only have The Human Equation. If the other Ayreon albums are half that good, I'll have to pick them up at some point.
Go with Into The Electric Castle next. 0101001 after that. Then Universal Migrator. And don't forget to check out Star One as well - that's Arjen's 'heavy' outlet.
Sorry for the derail.
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And if you liked all of that, there's this solo album he released earlier this year which is pretty cool too.
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Sorry for the derail.
No, I think it's great. I view these threads as a vehicle for people to be exposed to stuff they otherwise might not have listened to, so I welcome this type of discussion.
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I think those of us who've posted ITT have gone on some pretty crazy tangents so far. :lol
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And not only in this thread.
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#42 - Symphony X - The Odyssey (2002)
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/7/9/0/1/7901.jpg)
Epic.
I will admit that it took a bit of time for this album to grow on me as I didn't listen to the title track all the way through for quite a while. But once I did and followed along with the story, I was immediately hooked. But this album is much more than the title track, with standouts such as Inferno, Wicked, and The Accolade II. We get a mix of Symphony X's "old" sound and some of the newer direction with some rougher vocals from Russell Allen and a generally more heavy sound all around, which has been met with some mixed reviews especially on Paradise Lost and Iconoclast.
"Inferno" has a great opening with some of that signature Romeo guitar work in the intro that descends into a great riff and eventually the classic soaring Allen vocals for a bit during the refrains. "Wicked" is a heavy stomper that contains one of my favorite Symphony X sections from from roughly 2:53 to 3:55 (Romeo and Pinnella trading solos leading into a breakdown over which Allen provides some of his "soft" vocals before heading back into that heavy riff). Then we get to the callback to an earlier Symphony X song in "The Accolade II". I'll admit I am a sucker for these types of songs that quote earlier work, but this is just an awesome song that contains Allen's best vocals on the album to this point, great atmospheric acoustic work, and heavy awesome chugging riffs that are too numerous to count.
But of course the primary reason for this album being here is the title track, the epic, "The Odyssey". A beast of a song that turns what would have been a good album into a fantastic one. It was just an absolute stroke of genius to use Homer's tale as the thematic content for this song. Symphony X provides perhaps the perfect vehicle to pull it off with their highly orchestral sound and Allen's bravado rich delivery. This is a top 5 song of all time for me and a great display of the potential for this type of power-prog/heavy metal.
"My veil of silence lifted
All is revealed
Revenge burns in my heart
Thrashing and slashing down all my foes...to claim the throne."
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I'm late to the party. Six degrees should be a lot higher.
That Ayreon album doesn't get the love it deserves. IMO it's a lot better that THE
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The Odyssey is my fav S-X album fo sho. Great write up. Couldn't have said it any better. To see them pull that out live earlier this year was pretty fuckin epic - that word is over used. Just because a song is over 10, 15, or 20 minutes doesn't automatically make it epic. It make's it long. The Odyssey is Epic. Capital E.
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To see them pull that out live earlier this year was pretty fuckin epic
yeah, no kidding. I would LOVE to see that. Still have never seen them live unfortunately. They were supposed to play at the first Gigantour in Atlanta, but their bus driver or somebody on the crew had a medical emergency and they didn't make it.
The Odyssey is Epic. Capital E.
this this this this this
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The Odyssey is my fav S-X album fo sho. Great write up. Couldn't have said it any better. To see them pull that out live earlier this year was pretty fuckin epic - that word is over used. Just because a song is over 10, 15, or 20 minutes doesn't automatically make it epic. It make's it long. The Odyssey is Epic. Capital E.
This this this this this. Though my favourite on the album is still Awakenings.
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Second favourite album from the band after Paradise Lost. The title-track is what makes the album though, some of the other tracks feel like filler to me.
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Great point about The Odyssey being a mixture of old and new Symphony X sound, I see it as a transitional album as well. It's pretty damn awesome. :smiley:
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Great write up. My favourite Symphony X disc as well. The title track just blows me away
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Great point about The Odyssey being a mixture of old and new Symphony X sound, I see it as a transitional album as well. It's pretty damn awesome. :smiley:
Too bad it was a transition from great to not-so-good. S-X peaked with V and The Odyssey. It was all downhill after that IMO.
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Great write up. My favourite Symphony X disc as well.
well, I didn't say it was my favorite (although jingle did) . . .
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Great point about The Odyssey being a mixture of old and new Symphony X sound, I see it as a transitional album as well. It's pretty damn awesome. :smiley:
Too bad it was a transition from great to not-so-good. S-X peaked with V and The Odyssey. It was all downhill after that IMO.
I can definitely see why people say that, especially seeing where the band was coming from. However, I think I've said this before here, even though I don't reach for Paradise Lost first in their discography, when I do it blows me away with how good it actually is.
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I love the ending so much, it gives me goosebumps before the vocals even kick it.
Triiiiiiiiiiiiumphant! Champion of Ithacaaa!
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...even though I don't reach for Paradise Lost first in their discography, when I do it blows me away with how good it actually is.
Same here!
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#41 - Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy (1977)
(https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6123/5970317364_a093b6a0c9.jpg)
Di Meola is one of the founding fathers of shred guitar and a paragon of fusion and Latin jazz guitar virtuosity. Also, he's the king of the awkward looking album covers of the late-70's/early-80's (take a look at Casino and Splendido Hotel, sheesh!). After attending Berklee, he was invited by Chick Corea to join the hugely influential fusion group Return To Forever at the age of 19. Following an overhaul of the band's lineup a couple years later, Al set off on his own solo career. In 1976, he released Land of the Midnight Sun and was immediately recognized for his extremely fast playing style coupled with a technical mastery of the instrument few had displayed before. (Please check out the song "Suite Golden Dawn" from that album, an absolutely amazing song that also features Jaco Pastorius on bass.)
The following year, Di Meola released what I feel is his best album, Elegant Gypsy. Please don't read this as simply a guitar dominated solo album. Although the guitar certainly does take centerstage (rightfully so), the other instrumentalists are top notch and all get several opportunities to shine. Supporting Di Meola, we have Paco de Lucia, Jan Hammer, Anthony Jackson, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, and others - all of which can more than hold their own. The defining characteristics of the album are incredibly fast and technical fusion as well as a good dose of Latin inspired passages and even some flamenco guitar. But not only do we get incredible technical mastery, we also get some pretty awesome compositions to boot. Each track does a great job of creating a soundscape in the mind, seemingly transporting you to a different locale for each song.
“Flight Over Rio” opens with a short intro consisting of a simple bass line over some atmospheric synths, then we hear some faster paced congas before Al and the band rip in with some great Latin-tinged fusion. The tone Di Meola uses is very raw and in your face. There are some great guitar synth solo tradeoffs throughout. “Midnight Tango” opens with a very romantic melody showing off the more delicate side to Al’s playing, but again we get a transition this time to a short “heavy” section led by the bass playing chords before giving way to a mysterious piano solo. “Mediterranean Sundance” is an acoustic duet with the famous flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia. The speed and precision of both players has to be heard to be believed as both play very long melodic phrases, insanely complex unison passages, and use an abundance of fingerstyles and techniques. The title track “Elegant Gypsy” has some great progish elements, but as with most of the album it is also deeply rooted in jazz fusion.
I would recommend this or any of his other first four or five albums to get a taste of his music. After that he really went into more a world music direction which loses me a bit, although I understand some of his more recent work is more in line with his fusion and latin jazz roots.
"hoi" (or whatever he says during "Mediterranean Sundance")
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Never heard of this. I will take a shot in the dark and say that I like Symphony X better.
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Al Di Meola kicks ass, but for some reason I've never heard this album. I should probably remedy that.
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yeah, if you like him at all, this a must listen.
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Never heard of this. I will take a shot in the dark and say that I like Symphony X better.
yeah, that's probably a safe bet. They are quite a bit different. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try it though.
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How can you not have heard this? This album is fantastic and amazing and includes some of the most awesome guitar playing ever. Great pick!
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for those that don't know, when Petrucci talks about his inspirations and influences, he often mentions "the Steves and the Als". One of the "Steves" is Steve Morse whom I mentioned earlier in the Dixie Dregs post. Al Di Meola is obviously one of the Al's.
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ok, so I'm going to do another weekend update on the new (to me) stuff that has really made an impression on me. Once again, thanks to all that mentioned these albums in their lists and in the band threads.
Myrath - Tales of the Sands - Great progressive metal with a good dose of middle-eastern flair.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Myrath_tales_of_the_sands.jpg)
Iced Earth - Horror Show and Something Wicked This Way Comes - great modern thrash and I love Barlow's vocals, especially the screaming layered with the lower singing.
(https://en.metalship.org/archives/albums/album9609.jpg) (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/SomethingWickedThisWayComes.jpg/220px-SomethingWickedThisWayComes.jpg)
Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man and The Spirit - this one has been talked about a lot here. With good reason. It is awesome.
(https://f0.bcbits.com/z/24/51/2451423774-1.jpg)
Theocracy - Mirror of Souls - great power metal with a progressive edge and Christian lyrics.
(https://i38.tinypic.com/jpc479.png)
Eumeria - Rebel Mind - another great new progressive metal band. Seems to have a lot of Symphony X influences.
(https://c3.cduniverse.ws/resized/250x500/music/423/8561423.jpg)
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I concur on the Myrath, I discovered them earlier this year. Really good stuff.
I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy
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I concur on the Myrath, I discovered them earlier this year. Really good stuff.
I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy
Some great albums on this page.
Elegant Gypsy is a great album.
Love Myrath and Iced Earth.
I initially loved the Eumeria but returned to it recently and wondered why. It just seemed like the average DT wannabe prog metal where they totally forget to write any songs.
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I've seen enough folks mention Beyond the Bridge now that I'm going to have to go out and buy
You should most definately do that.
Also, I think a snail would finish a marathon before this list is over, because we all know lists go slower and s l o w e r and s l o w e r a s t h e y m o v e a l o n g
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Geezuz mang! It's only been 2 weeks since he started. 10 albums in 14 days is a pretty respectable pace.
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my plan is to do an album each weekday so I have time to collect my thoughts on each one and then do honorable mention types on the weekends when I'm spending most of my time with the family. Do I need to speed it up?
Also, I should point out the criticism is coming from someone that started a list in March and still has 11 more entries to go. :laugh:
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I stepped aside though because I was in full on job hunt mode, and now I'm in full on work mode.
And it's just some friendly chop busting.
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hah, yeah same here. It's all good in the 'hood.
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I'm going to get that Al Di Meola album. I love his stuff with Return To Forever and I have Casino which is also great.
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#40 - Neal Morse - One (2004)
(https://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120913110758/lyricwiki/images/f/f1/Neal_Morse_-_One.jpg)
I don't remember exactly how I came across Neal Morse, but I'm almost certain it was from hearing that Portnoy played drums on his solo albums. At the time I also understood that he had recently become a Christian and was using that as inspiration for his music, and since I am a Christian as well I was really intrigued to hear what his this was all about. All I had to listen to was the first track of this album and I was completely floored. Christian progressive rock. And it was GOOD! Growing up, the Christian music I listened to was typical stuff like Truth, Michael W Smith, Newsboys, and then DC Talk, Third Day, Audio Adrenaline and others when I got into high school/college. And while there is some decent to good stuff in there, it's not going to blow anybody's socks off musically. But this, this was something completely different.
"The Creation" opens with a section that seems like it could be on a Symphony X multi-part song, but then it gets into great keyboard and guitar-led prog rock sections before going off in many different directions with great melodies, harmonies, pretty much everything. Portnoy really stands out in many parts of this song. It is one of my favorite performances by him on any recording. This is just a majestic song but also very emotional, especially during the "Where are you?" section. I also love, love, love the introduction of the "Reaching from the Heart" theme that comes back later in a much more powerful way during "Help Me / The Spirit and the Flesh". "Cradle to the Grave" is an extremely touching duet between Morse and Christian artist Phil Keaggy (for those that don't know, this guy absolutely rips on guitar) that represents man's struggle to find God and meaning in life, and God's waiting for man to simply come to home to Him. In "Help Me / The Spirit and the Flesh" the first half works a great latin jazz beat in the rhythm section against gospel influences in the organ and backing vocals. Then in the second half, we get the return of the "Reaching from the Heart" theme and you can tell that Neal almost can't contain himself while singing those lyrics of reconciliation.
The concept for this album is the story of Christian salvation, from the creation of the world and mankind, to the introduction of sin and separation, and finally to the ultimate sacrifice and reconciliation. The music and lyrics speak directly to me in a way that most other music never has. This album is deeply personal to me and I get chills everytime I hear it. While Neal probably has more musically diverse and interesting albums in his solo discography (?, Solo Scriptura, both of which are awesome), I always reach for this one first.
"Though the soul had died
It can be made alive
The holy place was closed
'Til Jesus rose!"
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I've always loved Neal's solo work. My (and I stress this is *my*) issue with it is that I just discovered it about a year ago. So, with 10 or so albums under his belt already, I haven't been able to digest them all to decide which I like best. And the recurring Christianity theme is tiresome to me, hence I don't come back to his solo work very often. I live my life by Christian beliefs, but am by no means a devoutly religious person. I've said it before... it's not the fact that it's a Christian theme that gets tiresome, just that it's the same theme. I get tired of Rhapsody's albums too! :lol Musically and vocally, love his discog. Lyrically, too 'samey'.
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yeah, I can definitely see that when comparing albums throughout his solo work. He does tend to recycle a lot of musical ideas (although to great effect within each album). But while the lyrics all do focus on Christian spirituality to some degree, the actual content and story being told, especially on my three favorites One, ?, and Solo Scriptura, are quite different.
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#39 - Dave Weckl - Transition (2000)
(https://image.betamonline.com/sdimages/disk18/338011.jpg)
Soon after I was introduced to Rush and Neal Peart, I was inspired to seek out and hear some of the best and most virtuosic drummers in the world. My journey eventually led me to a jazz/fusion drummer named Dave Weckl. Dave Weckl is one of the most acclaimed drummers in the world of jazz and fusion. He made a name for himself as the drummer for Chick Corea's elektric and akoustic bands before venturing out with his own band in the early 90s. I didn't know him or his music from a hole in the wall, so I picked up his latest CD on a whim and it immediately become one of the coolest albums I had ever heard. I had already been into jazz and had dabbled a bit in fusion, so this was right up my alley.
Aside from the jaw droppingly great drumming, what makes this album so great for me is that almost every track has a great hook that sticks with you and makes you want to hear it again. After listening to this album, I always find the great melodic lines stuck in my head for days. Another thing I find interesting in these compositions is that they don't follow the traditional jazz structure of the melody being announced at the opening of the track before being washed away in a sea of improvisation. Here usually, we find some nice intros, soloing, and jamming before the band crescendos into the theme of the song. One exception, fittingly, is the opening track "Wake Up" where the melody kicks in near the beginning of the song to be reprised at the end. A great deal of this music calls back to his days with the Elektric Band, but we also hear a strong influence from an earlier fusion band, Weather Report. This is particularly evident in tracks like "Braziluba" and "Like That".
Weckl has assembled a cast of lesser known but still great musicians for this project. Bassist Tom Kennedy shines on almost every track (bass players, you don't want to miss this). Brandon Fields (formerly of The Rippingtons) falls somewhere in the Michael Brecker/David Sanborn area of smooth sax sounds. And keyboardist Steve Weingart uses a vast array of keyboard sounds to great effect (love his use of the B3).
This is great contemporary jazz with liberal doses of funk and offbeat rhythmic structures to keep things interesting.
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One is awesome. Neal sure knows how to write an emotional song, like Cradle to the Grave and The Separated Man.
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One is awesome. Neal sure knows how to write an emotional song, like Cradle to the Grave and The Separated Man.
yes, yes. That duet in Cradle to the Grave is really well done.
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#38 - Gustav Holst - The Planets (1918)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lc64gmov2j1qc65n4o1_1290235015_cover.jpg)
This work has almost become a cliché in the classical music world based on how often it is performed and referenced. It is hugely popular and has been extremely influential in movie scores, progressive, metal and various other genres. If you are not familiar, Holst wrote these pieces between 1914 and 1916 about the 7 known planets in our solar system (Earth excluded and Pluto wasn't discovered yet, but was eventually deemed to not be a planet anyway). Each movement was intended to express the emotions and ideas that each planet invoked - their astrological alter egos, so to speak.
Some highlights: Mars, The Bringer of War gives the listener visions of a war-planet with its strident, pounding march-like rhythms and ominous horn tri-tone. Symphony X quotes Mars in the opening of The Divine Wings of Tragedy and it is also thought to be the basis for the tri-tone Tony Iommi used for the opening of "Black Sabbath", perhaps the very first heavy metal song. Venus is a much more serene piece that seems to have inspired John Williams during his Star Wars days, particularly with the "Binary Sunset" theme. Jupiter, The Bringer of Jolity begins extremely joyful and happy which eventually gives way to perhaps the most beautiful and sweeping melody I have ever heard. Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age is haunting with very heavy and plodding passages but also contains some extremely chaotic moments that invoke images of an elderly person giving way to dementia. And the closer, Neptune, The Mystic, barely rises above a whisper as it blends into the voices of a distant female choir as you begin a million light year journey into the vast reaches of outer space.
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YES! Amazing pick. Mars and Jupiter especially are two of the greatest and most influential pieces of music ever. The raw crushing power of Mars is almost like metal in orchestral form, and Jupiter is exceptionally beautiful.
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YAY, The Planets!!!! :heart
I will say that, while I agree with Venus inspiring John Williams, you can hear the influence of Mars in the Star Wars orchestral scores too (especially the battle scenes in the original trilogy). Not that I have a problem with that, but the first time I listened to Mars the similarity was striking.
My brother turned me on to The Planets, for which I am grateful as the entire piece is just phenomenal.
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You're list has a lot of unique stuff on it. It's not the same old stuff that turns up in list after list. :tup
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Word, Doc :tup
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You're list has a lot of unique stuff on it. It's not the same old stuff that turns up in list after list. :tup
Word, Doc :tup
:tup :tup
I have been through many different musical phases over the years, and playing instruments and singing has exposed me to a lot of different things. And much of it has stuck with me.
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I'm hoping that mine (including honorable mentions) will show at least some of the diversity your list is showing.
It's gotten to the point where I can't post in the "What full-length album did you just listen to" thread anymore, as I'm verifying the candidates for my list. :lol
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ha, definitely know what you're talking about!
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:tup
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YES! Amazing pick. Mars and Jupiter especially are two of the greatest and most influential pieces of music ever. The raw crushing power of Mars is almost like metal in orchestral form, and Jupiter is exceptionally beautiful.
definitely. Mars is HEAVY.
I actually had the opportunity to play Jupiter (among several other great pieces) as part of my church's orchestra a couple years back. Awesome experience. We were going to try Mars as well, but couldn't fit it in the rehearsal schedule enough to do it justice.
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Fucking auto-correct...I do know how to use your and you're correctly.
It's gotten to the point where I can't post in the "What full-length album did you just listen to" thread anymore, as I'm verifying the candidates for my list. :lol
Go ahead, I stay out of spam threads like that one. I like my posts to be meaningful :biggrin: You won't spoil your list for me.
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Fucking auto-correct...I do know how to use your and you're correctly.
It's gotten to the point where I can't post in the "What full-length album did you just listen to" thread anymore, as I'm verifying the candidates for my list. :lol
Go ahead, I stay out of spam threads like that one. I like my posts to be meaningful :biggrin: You won't spoil your list for me.
How awfully egotistical of you to think her comment was for you! :biggrin:
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I do know how to use your and you're correctly.
ha, I didn't even catch that earlier. Usually it sticks out to me like a sore thumb. It's to the point now where I feel like giving out prizes to people who use them correctly.
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#37 - Extreme - Pornograffitti (1990)
(https://www.droptheleash.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/extreme_pornograffitti.jpg)
This is possibly the most fun album I've ever heard. It is also one of the most diverse albums out there. It is obviously well known for the two major hits "Hole Hearted" and "More Than Words", and while those are good songs in their own right, they were totally unrepresentative of the rest of the album which runs the gamut from pop-folk, acoustic ballad, and vocal crooning to funk-metal, power ballad, and all-out guitar shredding. Extreme, like Winger, was unfortunately lumped in with hair metal back in the early-90's, but, also like Winger, they were clearly skilled musicians that had musical ambitions that were much more than the run of the mill hair metal band, or even their own top 40 hits.
This album is also one of my favorite guitar performances of all-time. Nuno Bettencourt is at the top of his game on this album with inventive riffing and insane fills he throws in all over the place. Stop reading now and go listen to the first track "Decadence Dance", he throws just about everything into that song including the kitchen sink. But it's not all flash and shred, he makes it work and it sounds great. His playing displays a looseness and originality that fits perfectly with Cherone’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics and delivery which goes right along with the funness (if that's even a word) of the album. Every track on this album has something great to offer so I'm not going to bother naming them all - just go check it out!
I often wonder what it was like at the time for someone to buy this record based on the two hits expecting more of the same or maybe some other tame hard rock, I always wanted to see their faces as they were slammed in the face with the pyrotechnic guitars and sleaziness of songs such as “Suzi”, “Li’l Jack Horny”, “It’s a Monster”.
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Fucking auto-correct...I do know how to use your and you're correctly.
It's gotten to the point where I can't post in the "What full-length album did you just listen to" thread anymore, as I'm verifying the candidates for my list. :lol
Go ahead, I stay out of spam threads like that one. I like my posts to be meaningful :biggrin: You won't spoil your list for me.
How awfully egotistical of you to think her comment was for you! :biggrin:
LOL, nice comeback! ;)
Doc - even though it's considered a spam thread, I'd rather not take a chance and have part/all of my list spoilered. That could just be me and Hath, though.
Oh, and Hath - GOOD call on Extreme. :tup
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thanks. This was also my first of the "clever thread subject changes". What better way to sell the new post than with sex!
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My dad has a copy of this album, I'll have to check it out.
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Porno! Nuno is my favorite guitar player, and this album is truly a great.
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thanks. This was also my first of the "clever thread subject changes". What better way to sell the new post than with sex!
Another good call. :lol
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Pornografitti made my top 50 (#43). Except for maybe Vito Brata, Bettencourt was the most under-rated axeman of that era/genre - and killer head of hair too! Top to bottom, I love this album. My writeup was pretty similar too, regarding how diverse, and how shocking it would be for radio-hit fans to listen to this album based on those two tracks. He-Man, Woman Hater is probably my fav, but they're all awesome. Nuno puts on quite an auditory show.
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Great album. A classic. I got into Extreme with the first album, which I liked- but this just blew it out of the water- along with just about every 80s US hard rock album.
Features in my top 50 too.
And Nuno wasn't overrated. All the guitar mags kissed his ass back in the day. He spent the last 20 years trying to get rid of the guitar hero tag and he's been pretty successful at it.
This list is picking up nicely.
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Pornografitti was good but Extreme III was their best album by far IMO.
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No complaints with III Sides, but I will respectfully disagree.
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No complaints with III Sides, but I will respectfully disagree.
yeah, that was always my feeling. Good, but not their best.
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#36 - Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
(https://image.listen.com/img/500x500/3/4/7/2/1792743_500x500.jpg)
Before the power-ballad/pop-single 80's, and even before the 70's hit-machine the band would become, this was their first album and for me it is the pinnacle of jazz-rock. It was originally released as a self-titled album when the band was known as Chicago Transit Authority or CTA. However, when the band went on the road to tour the album, they received a threat of legal action from the actual Chicago Transit Authority so they shortened their name simply to Chicago. The band was born out of the jazz fusion movement that began in the 60's led by Miles Davis, and the experimentations of Cream and the Grateful Dead with extended free-form improv using traditional rock and roll instrumentation. Chicago joined jazzy instrumentals, latin percussion and extended jams with heavy guitar distortion and a soulful/R&B rock feel. Another hallmark for the band was the number of capable lead vocalists they could pull from within the group as keyboardist Robert Lamm (rich baritone), guitarist Terry Kath (rough, raspy vocals), and bassist Peter Cetera (syrupy sweet tenor) shared the duties.
The album opens, naturally, with "Introduction" and a great organ/horn call and response. The song does serve as a great intro as many of the band members get to solo at some point. Next comes "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is" which didn't become a hit until after they had released their SECOND album. The third song, "Beginnings", is one of my favorite Chicago songs - nice acoustic strumming, cool brass chords and licks. Guitarist Terry Kath shines on "Poem" with an extended solo which really shows off his bluesy lead sound. Then things take a very (VERY!) experimental turn with "Free Form Guitar". It's 7 minutes of Kath basically coaxing every type of sound he can get out of his guitar which apparantly had a broken neck and was held together with a radiator hose clamp. "South California Purples" is a really great blues number that gets the typical Chicago treatment with the horns accentuating the rythmic pulse and Hammond B3 providing the counterpoint.
Because of what the band would later become (which now basically a cover band of themselves), I don't feel like they ever really get properly remembered for how cutting edge and experimental they were at the time. It's not going to be for everybody here, but give it a listen, you might be surprised.
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Extreme was a great live club band. Unfortunately, I never thought their energy translated to their studio albums. Very similar to Armored Saint in that regard.
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I just recently discovered this Chicago album and I was surprised how much I liked it. It was way better than I was expecting it to be.
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I don't know too much about early Chicago, but songs like 25 or 6 to 4 and Saturday in the Park are great jazz rock tunes. The horn section was epic as well! I didn't enjoy the power ballad period as much, but that era contains some great tunes.
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I don't know too much about early Chicago, but songs like 25 or 6 to 4 and Saturday in the Park are great jazz rock tunes. The horn section was epic as well! I didn't enjoy the power ballad period as much, but that era contains some great tunes.
You should really check this one out then. Other ones I would recommend are Chicago (aka Chicago II) which contains "25 or 6 to 4", Chicago III, Chicago V ("Saturday In The Park"), and Chicago VII.
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Awesome pick! :tup
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checking out a few chicago transit authority tracks. i must be baked; i cant even count this song, time sig's got me all fucked up.
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Cool stuff. The more well known songs are my faves: Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?, Beginnings, and Questions 67 and 68. I find the first half of the album noticeably better than the second. Free Form Guitar is just...uh...
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Free Form Guitar is just...uh...
Yeah, it really is just a lot of noise. I'm pretty sure he was channeling Hendrix on that one.
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OMG, YES!!! I love that album, including Free Form Guitar. South California Purples is the shizz. I will forever love my Dad for playing this album for me and making me listen to it. Old Chicago is AWESOME! :millahhhh
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Terry Kath is so underrated as a guitarist, but than again, he didn't want the spotlight he was more a team player
Interesting tidbit...take it for what its worth
Did Jimi Hendrix like Kath?
Hendrix once told Chicago saxophonist Walter Parazaider "Your guitar player is better than me." The two guitarists knew each other, and when Hendrix took Chicago on tour, he reportedly jammed with Kath on stage.
A long-time Chicago fan has reported that at one Hendrix concert, Jimi made a reference to Kath out of the blue, saying something to the effect, "You gotta check out this guy Terry Kath. His band is CTA. He's the best guitar player in the universe."
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I'm listening to The Planets now, damn; this is some awesome stuff! :D
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I'm listening to The Planets now, damn; this is some awesome stuff! :D
very nice! Your first exposure to it?
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No complaints with III Sides, but I will respectfully disagree.
yeah, that was always my feeling. Good, but not their best.
II wins over III for me, but both are top drawer stuff. Let's not t alk about WFTP...
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I've always loved III Sides.
Old Chicago is the bomb. Big Hath, do you have the Rhino, 4 disk Carnegie Hall set?! It is killer.
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Big Hath, do you have the Rhino, 4 disk Carnegie Hall set?! It is killer.
Unfortunately I never did get that one. I was in high school when I was doing my deep dive into older Chicago and never did have enough money at one shot to buy the CD boxed set that was out at the time. I'll need to track down a copy of the Rhino reissue.
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I'm listening to The Planets now, damn; this is some awesome stuff! :D
very nice! Your first exposure to it?
Yes, it was :)
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Big Hath, do you have the Rhino, 4 disk Carnegie Hall set?! It is killer.
Unfortunately I never did get that one. I was in high school when I was doing my deep dive into older Chicago and never did have enough money at one shot to buy the CD boxed set that was out at the time. I'll need to track down a copy of the Rhino reissue.
Yeah, I need to get that one too - 15 minute version of South California Purples OMG :caffeine:
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Deb, I will put that version on a playlist when I'm outside tomorrow winterizing the yard tomorrow.
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I'm loving the amount of variety in your list! Definitely some stuff on here that I'm going to have to check out once I have some time off.
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ok kids, it's classical corner time! Here are my classical music honorable mentions. (leaving out Beethoven because I don't want this list to be a complete cliche)
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 and 1812 Overture - 5th Symphony: The transformation of the main theme throughout the four movements from funereal to triumphant march is breathtaking. 1812 Overture: Do I really need to say anything about how awesome this is?
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEF4kK25Upw/T1ceTfN5zfI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/LqYCmK-V0cA/s1600/JaquetteMravinsky.jpg) (https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51yXXd8dP+L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Dvorak - Symphony No. 9 (aka New World Symphony) - You now know where the Jaws theme came from (fourth movement). The second, third, and fourth movements are in a league of their own.
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qYQfyxReL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Brahms - Ein deutsches Requiem and Symphony No. 4 - The Requiem's fourth movement (which translates into "How lovely is thy dwelling place") is spectacular.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3lUp-SpFck/T8UCGECQDjI/AAAAAAAAHQg/wi5ySL3T3g0/s1600/5bff182930dafd11504718e4846ddd66.jpg) (https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/002/MI0001002038.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5 - Dat opening.
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DviBmj4pL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4 - One of his most popular works.
(https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/015/MI0001015044.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Mahler - Symphony 3/Bach Suite - while the 3rd Symphony is no slouch, this disc is primarily here due to the Bach Suite which is just gorgeous.
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/616CQ4DQRSL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
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Ein deutsches Requiem! :hefdaddy
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1812 Overture may be my favourite classical piece of all time... :hefdaddy
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All of those are outstanding.
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While I have nothing against classical music, I don't have any in my library. :dunno:
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Buckner is a beast. I love his symphonies.
Dvorak's 9th is great, but I have a soft spot for his 7th
I love all 4 of Brahms' symphonies.
And there's nothing cliche about Beethoven! :)
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Tchaikovsky is excellent. 1812 is almost unsurpassable.
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Deb, I will put that version on a playlist when I'm outside tomorrow winterizing the yard tomorrow.
:tup
Nice classical selections, Hath. :)
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Tchaikovsky is excellent. 1812 is almost unsurpassable.
the version I posted the cover of has actual cannons going off during the finale. And they are LOUD!
All the covers I posted are of my preferred versions, although there are many more great recordings of all these.
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#35 - Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)
(https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/2536138943/f6djqb8tkm00e83iqb18.jpeg)
After gaining modest success with Badmotorfinger (which was slightly overshadowed by an album called Nevermind from some other Seattle-based band), Soundgarden opened for G'n'R on the Use Your Illusion tour and then did the same for Skid Row's Slave to the Grind tour before eventually becoming one of the headliners of the 2nd Lollapalooza Festival alongside Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers among others. Two months after Lollapalooza, they entered the studio to record what would become their breakthrough album. This is "grunge" only because it came from Soundgarden. To me it is just a great heavy, hard rock album. It's dark and gloomy in many places, with a great Sabbath-vibe.
Many of the songs feature odd time signatures, although the band states that this was an accident. "My Wave" uses 5/4, "Fell On Black Days" is in 6/4, "Limo Wreck" is played in 15/8, "The Day I Tried To Live" and "Spoonman" both alternate between 7/4 and 4/4, and "Black Hole Sun" is in 4/4 and 9/8. They also dropped a good bit of their earlier punk-like sound (other than "Kickstand") and greatly improved their song-writing skills during the writing sessions. Although the hits "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun" initially drew me into the album, my favorite tracks would be"Fell On Black Days", "My Wave" which starts with a bit of a Led Zeppelin vibe then sort of merges into a Beatlesesqe mini-chorus and outro, "Head Down" and "Fresh Tendrils" (probably my favorite from this album).
And one note about the vocals - Chris Cornell has a phenomenal voice and it really shows on this album. His stellar performance behind the mic is likely the greatest of his career. He seems to be channeling Robert Plant with his many banshee-like screems, but he also shows great range vocally and emotionally.
"Cry, if you want to cry, if it helps you see, if it clears your eyes"
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#35 - Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)
(https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net/profile_images/2536138943/f6djqb8tkm00e83iqb18.jpeg)
After gaining modest success with Badmotorfinger (which was slightly overshadowed by an album called Nevermind from some other Seattle-based band), Soundgarden opened for G'n'R on the Use Your Illusion tour and then did the same for Skid Row's Slave to the Grind tour before eventually becoming one of the headliners of the 2nd Lollapalooza Festival alongside Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers among others. Two months after Lollapalooza, they entered the studio to record what would become their breakthrough album. This is "grunge" only because it came from Soundgarden. To me it is just a great heavy, hard rock album. It's dark and gloomy in many places, with a great Sabbath-vibe.
Many of the songs feature odd time signatures, although the band states that this was an accident. "My Wave" uses 5/4, "Fell On Black Days" is in 6/4, "Limo Wreck" is played in 15/8, "The Day I Tried To Live" and "Spoonman" both alternate between 7/4 and 4/4, and "Black Hole Sun" is in 4/4 and 9/8. They also dropped a good bit of their earlier punk-like sound (other than "Kickstand") and greatly improved their song-writing skills during the writing sessions. Although the hits "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun" initially drew me into the album, my favorite tracks would be"Fell On Black Days", "My Wave" which starts with a bit of a Led Zeppelin vibe then sort of merges into a Beatlesesqe mini-chorus and outro, "Head Down" and "Fresh Tendrils" (probably my favorite from this album).
And one note about the vocals - Chris Cornell has a phenomenal voice and it really shows on this album. His stellar performance behind the mic is likely the greatest of his career. He seems to be channeling Robert Plant with his many banshee-like screems, but he also shows great range vocally and emotionally.
"Cry, if you want to cry, if it helps you see, if it clears your eyes"
Top 10 album for me. Just so many great songs on here.
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Great call. 4th of July is so underappreciated and I adore the bleak beauty of The Day I Tried to Live and Fell on Black Days.
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Great call. 4th of July is so underappreciated and I adore the bleak beauty of The Day I Tried to Live and Fell on Black Days.
yep, very consistent album, full of great songs.
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#34 - Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition (2009)
(https://www.nuclearblast.de/static/articles/161/161088.jpg/1000x1000.jpg)
Of all the albums on my list, I think this is the most recent one I have purchased. Around the same time I got ADHD (earlier this year), I had also listened to a few tracks from each of their first three albums (each of which I highly recommend), and I was immediately struck by how much more energy was contained in their latest output. But in between all the heavy guitar and keyboard riffs there is a clear melodic direction and plenty of great vocals that transition from calm to screaming with ease throughout. Another thing that sticks out in contrast to the "trilogy" albums is that the keyboards take the lead a bit more rather simply providing atmosphere. And there is a good bit of Hammond B3 in this album, which I love. The only downside I have with this album is that I wish it were longer, but at just under 45 minutes it is quite an easy listen.
After a piano intro to "Hyperactive", we get a pretty frantic riff sequence before Mariusz Duda breaks in with his vocals and we get a glimpse of what the lyrical content will be for the songs - the relatively new problems that have been introduced in modern life of constant motion (nugget!) and overbearing stress leading to depression and confusion. "Egoist/Hedonist" is my favorite ADHD track at the moment. It has a great atmospheric opening with a good emotional vocal performance before breaking into another great heavy riff. Then in the middle section of the song we get . . . HORNS, which are accompanied with an almost scratch guitar riff. "Left Out" provides a brief respite from the high energy, however it still contains a certain intensity and eventually slides into a jam that sounds like it could have come off Boston's debut album. The piano intro makes its return in "Hybrid Times" which is mostly a 12 minute instrumental with some intense lyrics here and there.
This is exquisite, aggressive progressive metal and the band has a great modern sound. If this is the future direction of Riverside, I welcome it whole-heartedly.
"In pursuit of uniqueness and individuality
We must be unlike anyone else
To survive
But in the mass of different runners, different lies
We can't make time to realize
How the same we are"
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I really like that Riverside album. And Superunknown is full of music win.
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At one point in time, 1994 to be exact, Soundgarden was my favorite band and this was my favorite album. Of course back then I only had about 30 cassette tapes, but this one was one of my morning favorites when I was a paperboy.
And Riverside belongs in that "bands that have done no wrong" thread, however I don't think this is my favorite Riverside album, but they're all damn good and very close so it is essentially splitting hairs IMO.
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That's my favorite Riverside album. Great stuff!
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Superunknown :2metal:
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I've tried Riverside too, but to no avail. SLS and OoM did nothing for me. Soundgarden... I wasn't into that kinda genre back then.
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I've tried Riverside too, but to no avail. SLS and OoM did nothing for me.
Have you tried ADHD? Like I mentioned, the energy level is quite different.
Soundgarden... I wasn't into that kinda genre back then.
You mean grunge? Again, that label is in only because the album came from a 90s Seattle band that had some grunge elements in their music. I would say this is not really close to being "grunge".
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No, just music that heavy in general. I was a glam/classic rock guy up to that point, was in Uni from 92-96, and not discovering much music. By the time I did start discovering music again (97ish), I had just found DT.
I'll give the Riverside a try, but if it doesn't stick, then 3 strikes and their out.
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sounds like it was kind of a timing thing I guess
Yeah, give ADHD a shot. Almost sounds like a different band.
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That Riverside album :hat I like all their stuff, but they were right about switching their genre a bit, since Rapid Eye Movement was a bit weaker from the first two and that trend of declination would have likely continued.
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Yeah... I tried. Wasn't bad, just not my cup of tea.
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#33 - Bill Evans Trio - The Village Vanguard Recordings (Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz For Debby) (1961)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8oi74uRZl1qdii6xo1_cover.png) (https://www.record-collecting.org/Records-E-F/images/Bill%20Evans%20-%20Waltz%20For%20Debby.jpg)
This is technically a bit of a cheat since these were released as two albums, but they are from the same venue and date and probably should have been released as a double album. And I just noticed this, but I am going from an album by the band Riverside to one that was originally released on the Riverside label. Complete coincidence.
This is perhaps the best live jazz recording of all time. The interplay between Evans (piano), LaFaro (bass), and Motian (drums) is masterful as they effortlessly slide around, under, and through the others' playing to create a single homogeneous musical thought. This was a fairly new idea at the time because up to this point, trios of this instrumentation served as a vehicle to showcase the pianist as soloist, with the rhythm section providing accompaniment. Here we have a truly democratic and interactive collaboration among the trio. The song selections are inspired, from Miles Davis, to Cole Porter, Sammy Fain's "Alice In Wonderland" to Young/Washington's "My Foolish Heart". Throw in Gershwin, Bernstein, and some originals (one of which would become Evans' signature song), and you've got a killer set.
For the Sunday At The Village Vanguard disc, "Glorias Step" sets the tone here as we get that great thematic intro followed by an almost conversation between bass and piano. "My Man's Gone Now", from Porgy and Bess is hauntingly mournful. The pace and playfulness pick up a bit with the post-boppish "Solar". Then we get the sentimental opening to "Alice In Wonderland" (the same tune is used for the main theme in the 1951 Disney movie). Evans' emotional and romantic playing is on display on the Waltz For Debby disc, particularly on "My Foolish Heart" and "Detour Ahead".
However what makes these recordings truly magical for me is the atmosphere captured that early summer afternoon in an early-1960's New York jazz club. You hear conversation in the background, the clinking of glasses and silverware . . . and Motian's brushes and light cymbal work round out a delicate backdrop for the fragile music that is presented.
Sadly, this would be the last performance for this iteration of the Bill Evans Group. Budding superstar bassist Scott LaFaro was killed in a car accident a mere 10 days after this recording. He was 25.
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ADHD is amazing, great pick, My favourite Riverside album :)
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Need to listen to that Bill Evans album, I think I'll love it.
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it is my go to music for something light playing in the background. But it also works to just relax and let your mind immerse itself in the music.
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Saw Riverside open for DT once, never heard of them until then. Didn't think too much of it and I've never heard listened to one of their albums. Is ADHD a good one to get what they are all about?
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it's kind of a new direction for the band. I would say if you are more a fan of laid back, slightly atmospheric stuff, go with one of the first three albums like Second Life Syndrome. But if you are looking for a more in your face, aggressive sound, this is the one.
oh, and I just got back from the Rush concert and I'm worn out. Update postponed until tomorrow.
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#32 - Mastodon - Crack The Skye (2009)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_makn78zWcN1qe3yq8o1_1348015322_cover.jpg)
As I mentioned in my post about The Hunter (#45), I rate the latest four Mastodon releases very highly and all pretty close to each other. But I do have Crack The Skye just ahead of the others, even if only slightly. This album takes what was started in Blood Mountain as far as experimentation and adds in a great deal of spaciness and psychedelics, but it still remains fairly heavy and progressive - you know you are listening to Mastodon. The vocals are cleaned up a bit and quite melodic sounding with less shouting and screaming. And I feel like they do quite a good job of balancing out the intellectual/progressive and metal sides of their sound without going too soft or too extreme.
"Oblivion" announces with a great opening riff before we get a great sense of the atmospheric spacey sound we will hear throughout the album. "Divinations" is a short bit of heaviness that hilariously begins with a banjo, which reminds me of the country guitar lick from "Megalodon" (Leviathan). I love the fact that they are willing to take chances like this and inject a bit of humor in their music. "Quintessesnce" is a bit all over the place. There are some very ambient vocals, but then we get a very melodic section before the band goes into full out punk mode during the chorus. All the while we still have that twangy Mastodon guitar sound. "The Czar" begins very relaxed, very laid back, but with an ominous feeling of dread. And my favorite Mastodon song at the moment is "The Last Baron" - great eerie opening that drags you in, multiple layers of sounds, and nice psychedelic grooviness that is a good contrast to the more progressive intricate sections. There are even some awesome Rush-like moments about halfway through the song.
Mastodon are one of the most consistent bands out there at the moment, and I feel this is at the top of their output.
"I was standing staring at the world
And I still can't see it"
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Oh, very nice, my favorite Mastodon album. :tup
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Phenomenal album. Great pick :tup
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Great pick, my first and favorite Mastodon album. Definitely on my Top 50 too :metal
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My favourite Mastodon album, one of my favourite albums of all time, and probably my favourite album from 2009 :metal
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My favourite Mastodon album, one of my favourite albums of all time, and probably my favourite album from 2009 :metal
and 2009 was a pretty good year.
In fact . . .
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#31 - Redemption - Snowfall On Judgement Day (2009)
(https://www.boomerangshop.com/dvdcover/Imagecd111/RedemptionSnowfallonJudgm2273_f.jpg)
My first encounter with Redemption was as the opening act on the Chaos In Motion tour stop in Baltimore. But I admit, they must not have left much of an impression since I don't remember a single thing about their performance (which apparently featured songs from The Origins of Ruin, another great album). This is the 4th of 5 albums on this list that I have been introduced to by you fine folks this year. This album contains crushing guitar tones and riffs, moving melodies, and great leads - both from the guitar and keys. The heaviness of the guitar sounds and speed of the riffs give an indication that Nick van Dyk probably has some thrash and NWOBHM roots. And as a lyricist, he certainly wears his heart on his sleeve. There is so much emotion - pain, regret, love, longing. This album has a great deal of heart.
I think I first recognized this album was going to make my top 50 list when I was listening to "Walls" and I realized it may only be my 5th or so favorite song on the album, as good as the song is. It is just an absolute killer track musically and lyrically. Such a great groove, too. "Keep Breathing" is a song about Nick's daughter who has had multiple medical issues (as he has also had himself). It's a terrifically emotional song with huge melodies. With "Another Day Dies" (sounds like it should be the next James Bond title), we get an awesome James LaBrie/Ray Alder duet. With JLB singing, the verses sound a bit like Dream Theater on speed and the chorus sounds like it could have come straight off ADTOE. "What Will You Say", wow, this is another great track - HUGE chorus. Finally, "Love Kills Us All/Life In One Day". This song has become a top 15 or 20 song for me. As the title suggests, it is a two-part song, but it really has three sections as there is a moody atmospheric opening (with great fretless bass work), a middle instrumental section led by piano and bass then heavy guitars, and finally the grand Life In One Day theme. I'm picking up lots of Genesis influence, particularly in the first section of this song. The track just continues to build throughout and it leaves a powerful impression.
"We only had a moment
But this I know is true:
If you close your eyes - remember it
I'll be there with you"
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Absolutely fantastic album, in my top 60.
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Great album, but I don't regard it as highly as some people here do.
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I don't always listen to DT-style prog metal (besides DT), but when I do, this is one of the albums I reach for. :tup
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I don't always listen to DT-style prog metal (besides DT), but when I do, this is one of the albums I reach for. :tup
(https://stealthisfirst.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dos-equis-guy.jpg)
FTFY
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Haha
stay thirsty my friends
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(Not my fave Redemption, but pretty close to it. I too don't remember anything about them from the CiM tour... Took a long while for Redemption to 'click' for me - which they did earlier this year.
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I like your choice of Superunknown, it's a classic album that has held up impressively well in my opinion. :tup Always makes me feel nostalgic when I listen to it.
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My first encounter with Redemption was as the opening act on the Chaos In Motion tour stop in Baltimore.
That was also my first encounter with Redemption. Same show and all. Their performance wasn't as good as it could have been, but it was enough to alert me that this was a band that I had to check out. I saw three shows during that leg. At the Homdel show, I bought Fullness and Origins from their merch stand. I think by the time I was leaving the Philly show on Sunday night, I had a new band in my top 5-10.
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#30 - Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here (2010)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md1q9dw9271rwt9eu_1352171617_cover.jpg)
This is the last of the albums on this list that I purchased this year based directly on comments from the board. But it was also the very first album I purchased based on those comments. The reviews sounded great and the cover looked cool, plus The End Records/Omega Order had that crazy April 1st sale (which turned out to be an error) making the deluxe edition ridiculously cheap, so I decided to take a shot. This was my first encounter with the band, obviously, so I had no idea what had come before in their discography.
This album has been discussed quite a bit on these pages, so I don't think there is much more that I can add. This music is absolutely stunning in its beauty. The lyrics are so rich with emotion, floating on very atmospheric but completely lucid melodies. The interplay between the vocalists is also essential to the magic contained in these tracks. The harmonies they've chosen are the perfect compliments to the wonderful lead vocals. Another aspect that really stuck with me is their ability to have a full-song crescendo of intensity on many of the tracks.
This album is stocked with brilliant songs. With the exception of "Presence" which seems to be more or a transitional track and "Get Off Get Out" which never really clicked with me, every song is simply awesome. But my favorite would have to be "Everything". It has simple lyrics but a powerful message and just amazing synergy from the vocalists. It has become one of my favorite songs of all-time. Every time I hear it, I immediately think of my wife and family and thank God that the choices I've made have led me to where I am now with them as a part of life. When Lee jumps to the high harmony during the last go of the chorus, it's stunning.
"I used to keep my heart in jail
But the choice was love or fear of pain and
I chose love"
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Nice choice. WHBWH is one of my all time favorite albums. It would probably be in my top 10.
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Gorgeous album, great band :tup
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#29 - Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lYmjHA_FAUo/TXFDVCuXAuI/AAAAAAAABNQ/Ba4_ZHT1oH8/Pink_Floyd_-_Animals.jpg)
Of the "classic" Pink Floyd period (for me that is the big four of Dark Side, Wish, Animals, and Wall), this was the last album I listened to. And of those albums, it took the longest time to really click for me. I think it's not quite as accessible as the others. It doesn't have tracks like "Money", "Comfortably Numb", or "Wish You Were Here" that make perfect classic rock singles; it doesn't have the universal concept of Dark or the sprawling life-story of Wall; nor does it have quite the swirling psychedelia of Wish and Dark. But what it does have is depth - musically, lyrically, and conceptually. This album might also serve as David Gilmour's best work.
The bookends of "Pigs on the Wing" are quite simple little numbers with mild acoustic guitars and vocals that serve as a stark contrast to the complexity that is found within. It is a small bit of happiness before we delve into the cynicism and anger. "Dogs", wow . . . This song hits pretty close to home for me as I am right in the middle of the back-stabbing, competitive corporate world. Gilmore has a wonderful slow but intense solo almost a third of the way through (just before and after the barking). And he also delivers terrific vocals during the first half of the track. "Pigs" is my least favorite of the three primary tracks, but it is still a great number. It has some haunting sections as well as very expressive vocals. And it has more great guitar work, with a talkbox section and then a ripping solo at the end. We are treated to a great Rhodes sound in the introduction to "Sheep", and also a galloping bass lines that reminds me of an understated "One of these Days". I've always loved the effect of the vocals dissolving into the synth on this song.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you view it), this seems to be the album that introduced a major rift between Waters and the rest of the band that fully manifested during the Wall recording and tour and ultimately led to the split after The Final Cut.
"You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to,
So that when they turn their backs on you,
You'll get the chance to put the knife in."
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ANIMALS OH HELLZ YUSSS :2metal:
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I fucking love Dogs but, I gotta admit, when I realized they ripped off Time Flies, it took a little bit of the shine off of it.
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Another excellent addition to your list :tup
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I'm still surprise (not in a bad way) that WYWH and Animals regularly show up as the choice PF albums.
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I'm not. Gilmourites, like myself, aren't particularly warm toward The Wall and DSotM is a prime target for "you're the popular album, so you can't be my fave" rebellion.
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Animals is a great album from beginning to end.
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I'm still surprise (not in a bad way) that WYWH and Animals regularly show up as the choice PF albums.
I think they are quite a step ahead of the other two. But DSOTM and Wall are still great in my book.
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You just made me play this album. Damn, it's brilliant. :heart
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Animals is epic!
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Animals is great. I think I ranked it similarly high.
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I fucking love Dogs but, I gotta admit, when I realized they ripped off Time Flies, it took a little bit of the shine off of it.
:jets:
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#28 - John Coltrane - Blue Train (1957)
(https://dkpresents.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/blue-train.jpg?w=500&h=500)
John Coltrane's big break came in 1955 when trumpeter Miles Davis called on him to join a new quintet he was forming. At the time, Davis was trying to mount a comeback after heroin use had diminished his output and reputation. This group would come to be known as the "First Great (Davis) Quintet" and record standout albums such as 'Round About Midnight and the four stellar outputs of the legendary Prestige marathon recording session - Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'. Unfortunately this group disbanded, in part due to a heroin addiction Coltrane had lived with for almost a decade at that time. During this break from Miles, Coltrane recorded with Thelonius Monk, but he also formed his own sextet to record his first album as leader, Blue Train.
This is an absolute classic jazz album and is essential for anyone interested in the Hard Bop movement. But this was before Coltrane would go on to be an innovator with new melodic and harmonic ideas and make a huge splash in the jazz world with hugely popular and critically acclaimed records. And because of that, I feel Blue Train tends to get overlooked a bit. With this album we do see the first of the "Coltrane Changes" whereby he created new harmonic progressions through the use of substitute chords over the more commonly used jazz chords. The personnel and instrumentation is Coltrane on tenor sax, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, and the great rhythm section of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones on bass and drums. Killer lineup.
Classic opening on the title track (my favorite). It starts out so smooth then introduces some great harmonization among the horns before Coltrane lets out a dynamic solo. The subtle rhythmic changes from Chambers and Jones are genius, particularly during the solos as they move into a faster shuffle feel then back again to the laid back groove. "Moment's Notice" is a bit more uptempo, yet retains great harmonization and a great hook. Fuller shows off with a tremendous solo, not easy to do on such a fast piece with the trombone. The tempo picks up yet again with the classic "Locomotion". On "Lazy Bird", following a piano introduction, we get the memorable melody played by Mr. Morgan on trumpet.
If you are interested in jazz, this is a great place to start.
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MILLAHHHH :millahhhh
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Yeah, Blue Train! Fantastic album!
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A truly classic jazz album. Love it.
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it's amazing how young some of these guys were. Fuller and Chambers were both 22. Morgan was 19!
Unfortunately Chambers and Morgan both died at age 33. Chambers from TB and Morgan was murdered onstage by his common-law wife.
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#27 - Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (2007)
(https://i44.tinypic.com/25k4yo7.jpg)
I got into Porcupine Tree some time just after Deadwing was released, so FOABP was my first anticipated "real time" album from them and it did not disappoint. I am much more a fan of the later, hard-edged sound than the earlier output from the band, so I was relieved to hear they had continued in that direction. And it has such a dark and contemplative message contained in the lyrics, I think much more so than Deadwing which has a sort of quasi-romantic or nostalgic feel to it. Steven Wilson's melancholy vocal delivery is perfect for this type of lyrical content that describes a detached generation. I don't have to say it here, but the musicianship on this album is excellent. Every riff, fill, run, lead, etc is perfectly placed and right on the money.
We open with the title track which in many cases is a continuation of the sound from the prior album - great track. Then one of my favorite PT tracks lyrically in "My Ashes", which slows the place and really takes room to breath. But again, powerful lyrics about someone that is either grown up or has passed on without much of a joyous childhood and is looking back with tremendous remorse and a sort of unconnected accusation against his parents which had a hand in him losing his inner child too early. "Anesthetize" is my second favorite Porcupine Tree song and definite favorite on this album. That middle section just slays. And the lyrics in the third section bring about thoughts of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". There is a great deal of angst in "Way Out of Here" and it is such a depressing song. I love the opening to "Sleep Together" so much I cut out the initial synth part and made it my windows opening sound each time I fire up the pc which is a bit ironic now that I think about it. But again, the lyrics are very dark. A perfectly disturbing end to a disturbing album.
"And my ashes find a way beyond the fog
And return to save the child that I forgot."
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FOaBP :heart :heart :heart
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Also one of my all time Faves. So far 5 of your picks would be in my top 50.
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Great record. :tup
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#26 - Opeth - Watershed (2008)
(https://img32.picoodle.com/img/img32/3/12/31/f_OpethWatersm_fb7e797.jpg)
Much like the last entry, I started my musical journey with Opeth pretty soon after Ghost Reveries was released, so this was the first time I was looking forward to a new Opeth album. Truly an amazing album from one of my favorite bands. In many ways I feel this album is an amalgamation of the many disparate sounds they have explored on prior albums, but it also introduces many things that up to this point had been totally absent. There is wonderful light proggyness, and bone crushing death metal, sometimes within the same song. All told, the album may not be quite as heavy as past efforts, but when the heaviness does come in, it is usually so well placed that the overall effect is quite satisfying.
Leading of is a song that is a bit out of place in the Opeth discography in "Coil" - female vocals? english horn and oboe (awesome sounding instruments for this song by the way)? Well, this is the calm before the storm, the graceful acoustic guitar and melodic clean vocals provide quite an intro for the opening chord of "Heir Apparent" which hits you like a ton of bricks. This song is one of the heaviest and most fearsome they have recorded. The "Lotus Eater" continues with a very thick and heavy sound, this time with clean and growling vocals alternating over the chaos. This song is one of Per Wiberg's shining moments with the band I feel - great effects flash throughout and he provides some awesome keyboard work, particularly with the descent into chaos and the resulting funky section he leads. "Burden" is simply a beautiful song that highlights the soulful quality in Mikael's clean vocals and contains an awesome keyboard solo. The woodwinds make a return on "Hessian Peel" to great effect. This song is just a mixed bag of almost everything the band has to offer.
I typically don't say much about bonus tracks, but the three included in the special edition are worth checking out if you haven't already.
"You are stuck in a route of confusion
Changing and waiting and seeking the truth of it all"
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Fantastic record, definitely one of their more underrated albums. :tup
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"You are stuck in a route of confusion
Changing and waiting and seeking the truth of it all"
Yuuuuussssssssssss :2metal:
Watershed is VERY close to my Opeth Top 3, but it's kind of hard to compete with Blackwater Park, Still Life and Ghost Reveries. :)
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Fantastic record, definitely one of their more underrated albums. :tup
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Epic! One of my favourite Opeth albums.
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Sorry to be a combo breaker, but I just can't get in to Opeth. Tried, but it ain't for me.
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Also the first Opeth album I waited for. Good stuff, but I think they've made at least 4 better albums.
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That's one fine Opeth album. Hessian peel is one of their best songs - its heavy bits are great, but I adore the mellower sections, they pretty much indicate an album like Heritage is coming up. Another favorite of mine in there is The Lotus eater, especially with that jazz fusion instrumental break prior to the last verses. I have to mention Hex Omega, it's been growing on me recently, the outro riff in particular has been stuck in my head for days now.
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Ok, it's halftime. Here is the damage so far:
50 - Tower Of Power - Tower Of Power
49 - Dan Swano - Moontower
48 - Metallica - ...And Justice For All
47 - Dixie Dregs - What If
46 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
45 - Mastodon - The Hunter
44 - Ayreon - 01011001
43 - Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
42 - Symphony X - The Odyssey
41 - Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy
40 - Neal Morse - One
39 - Dave Weckl - Transition
38 - Holst - The Planets
37 - Extreme - Pornograffiti
36 - Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
35 - Soundgarden - Superunknown
34 - Riverside - ADHD
33 - Bill Evans Trio - Village Vanguard Recordings
32 - Mastodon - Crack The Skye
31 - Redemption - Snowfall On Judgement Day
30 - Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
29 - Pink Floyd - Animals
28 - John Coltrane - Blue Train
27 - Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
26 - Opeth - Watershed
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26 - Opeth - Damnation
Watershed. :police:
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26 - Opeth - Damnation
Watershed. :police:
Spoiler?
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26 - Opeth - Damnation
Watershed. :police:
Spoiler?
Mistake.
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it was a mistake.
this was the first time my self imposed 3 album limit per band was giving me problems. I kept going back and forth on those two and went with Watershed in the end. Must have copied the list from an old version.
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I was just listening to Watershed last night. Its a great album and The Lotus Eater is awesome.
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That means there's 2 more Opeth albums coming, which is good.
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This has been a really cool and diverse list so far. Liking it a lot :)
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Time for jazz honorable mentions (part 1)!
Clifford Brown - At Basin Street (w/ Max Roach) and Study In Brown - Guys, there is no other early death of a musician that I lament more than Clifford Brown. He passed away at 25 in an automobile accident, becoming one of the great tragedies in jazz history. Brown's technique on the trumpet was amazing. He had a warm, full sound across the range of the instrument yet could articulate even the fastest of runs with ease. It pains me to think about what more he could have accomplished with a few more years on the earth.
(https://i45.tinypic.com/2jfmw0k.jpg) (https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mde838e3yB1qcpthoo1_400.jpg)
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme and Giant Steps - sheer brilliance
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9f30r3DGd1rzlrwpo1_500.jpg) (https://i48.tinypic.com/opxmk0.jpg)
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else - Rare occurrence of Miles Davis as a sideman post-1955. The title track has a great "hot" opening.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/Somethin'_Else-jpg.jpg/220px-Somethin'_Else-jpg.jpg)
Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery - So, so smooth.
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/66310170/The+Incredible+Jazz+Guitar+of+Wes+Montgomery+1asdfasdf.jpg)
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus - Wild, raucous music.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/Mingus_Ah_Um_-_Charles_Mingus.jpg) (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Charles_Mingus_Mingus_Mingus_Mingus_Mingus_Mingus.jpg)
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#25 - Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (1976)
(https://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004VWA7.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
I took up playing bass guitar in a band in high school/college and since I was completely new to the instrument, one of the first things I did was try to immerse myself in the history of the instrument and learn as much about the great electric bassists as I could. I read every Bass Player magazine or article about bass playing I could get my hands on. It turns out there was this guy called Jaco Pastorius that was pretty influential (understatement). He was mentioned by virtually every bass player as being one of their primary inspirations or influences. From that, I decided to pick up this little gem and WOW, I was immediately in awe of his chops. His inventiveness with the instrument brought it out from the traditional backbeat role and gave everyone the thought that it could be used as a lead or solo instrument. But even when he is laying down a beat, it is totally unique as he bounces all over the place. Another thing that jumps out at you is his tone, which is unreal. He played a homemade fretless bass that was originally fretted and coated with marine epoxy.
As for this album, it has a wide variety of songs that go off into their own directions. I guess you could call this fusion or jazz mostly, but there are elements of soul, funk, world music, etc. Each composition is totally fresh, especially for bass as the lead instrument - and this was his debut album! My favorites are the funky soul of "Come On, Come Over" (with Sam & Dave on vocals), the haunting "Continuum", and "Portrait of Tracy", where he plays almost the entire song using harmonics. Has to be heard to be believed!
Sadly, the promise of this debut was never quite fulfilled as Pastorius gradually gave way to mental issues as well as drug and alcohol abuse and eventually died at age 35 as the result of injuries sustained in a fight outside a club in Miami.
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#24 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70kq44sEZ1qz5xnao1_1342040111_cover.jpg)
Before I really got into hard and classic rock, I knew very little about Led Zeppelin. Wayne's World taught me there was a song called "Stairway to Heaven" that was kind of popular (though it wasn't even in the movie), but that was about it. Early in college as I became a bit more curious about classic rock, I decided I should listen to some Led Zeppelin because I'd heard about them fairly often and how great they were supposed to be. I bought II and IV, and the rest, they say, is history. These songs are so ubiquitous. As I played each track, a lightbulb went on for me because I was recognizing I'd heard almost all of them at some time or another - I just didn't know who the band was. Now I can look back on the album with a bit of perspective and more knowledge of their total output. II seems heavier than their other albums while retaining the connection to their signature blues-based sound, and it is also the point where Plant begins to stretch out both creatively and vocally. It also edges IV by a hair as my favorite Zeppelin album.
The opening riff to "Whole Lotta Love" just sets the tone for the album. Heavy, full of attitude, awesome. And we get a swirling psychedelic percussion/drum solo/sound effect/moaning section about a minute into the album. How's that for balls! "What Is . . ." is a great vehicle for Plant's many vocal styles. But it, along with "The Lemon Song", are where John Paul Jones really shines on the low end. Just listen how he and Bonham drive "Lemon" during Page's guitar break/solo and then JPJ's bass work underneath Plant's vocal break (a lot of funk influence here). At one point early on, "Ramble On" and "Heartbreaker" rotated as my favorite Zeppelin songs, however my favorite is, and has been for quite a while now, "Bring It On Home". The down home blues opening is so great, complete with harmonica and traditional vocal delivery. And that transition . . . just blows me away every time. II is often cited as one of the most influential albums of all time, and with good reason.
"Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg
The way you squeeze my lemon
I swear I'm gonna fall right out of bed."
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Oh hells yea! Although, Ramble On is my fave.
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That's a damn good Zeppelin record. Especially the B side. :metal
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Great pick with Zep!
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Oh hells yea! Although, Ramble On is my fave.
Ramble On is still probably my second favorite on the album and top 5 of all LZ songs. It and "Bring It On Home" have those great light/heavy transitions.
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I just never liked Zep. Mainly because of Plant's voice and mannerisms, but apart from the odd song it just didn't do it for me.
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I just never liked Zep. Mainly because of Plant's voice and mannerisms, but apart from the odd song it just didn't do it for me.
It's a Fredo day for you my friend.
:curtains:
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I just never liked Zep. Mainly because of Plant's voice and mannerisms, but apart from the odd song it just didn't do it for me.
It's a Fredo day for you my friend.
:curtains:
What can I say? The folk music didn't help either ;D
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Sorry for my tardiness, I just found this thread.
I am thrilled to see Redemption on your list (if you couldn't tell by my avatar). I would be inclined to move it much higher on the list than #31. To me, the raw emotion of the album is mindblowing. I would definitely rank this in my Top 10-15 of all time.
But to each his own. Can't wait to see what's next! Great list thus far!
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I think I mentioned it in the write-up, but I actually haven't had that Redemption album very long. It is definitely awesome and has the chance to move up if I ever update the list.
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It definitely grows on you. If you like "Love/Life", I would imagine that "Black & White World" is close behind. Those two songs are amazing. Very deep, profound lyrics. Very touching.
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#23 - U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
(https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7141/6634104191_573be87ff5.jpg)
Of the four or five "mainstream" albums on my list, this may be the most widely accepted. This album contains some of the biggest and most recognizable hits in popular rock history, yet they retain a soul of their own which makes this hugely popular and hugely mainstream album stand out to me. One of my best friends in high school was a huge U2 nut. He happened to be in 12th grade when I was in 9th, and I rode to school with him my freshman year. Needless to say this album and Achtung Baby were in heavy rotation. (He also played a lot of the B-52's and REM, but neither of those really stuck with me.) I don't consider myself to be a fan of U2 at all - in fact the only albums I have of theirs are this one and Achtung. But this album has a great raw, emotional sound with roots in both Irish and American folk.
You know the hits: "Where The Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found . . .", and "With Or Without You". Those are all awesome pop-rock tracks. But for me it is the strength of the lesser-known songs that gives this album a bit of magic. I love that pounding rhythm of "Bullet The Blue Sky" and Edge's sound effects on using the slide on the guitar. "In God's Country" has a great acoustic opening followed by Edge's signature textured guitar work. It's quite short at just under three minutes, but it is one of my favorites. "With "Trip Through Your Wires" we hear quite a bluesy song that is a bit reminiscent of Dylan. "One Tree Hill" is another of my favorite songs on this album. It is a bit understated with a relaxed beat and cycling guitar pattern. "Exit" is an experimental track that works to create a scary, haunting atmosphere that evokes the mind of a killer.
"You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice"
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Yeah!
Those first three tracks are an amazing combination, although the rest are great too.
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The Joshua Tree is a very good album. I absolutely adore 'Running to Stand Still' from which the lyrics you posted were taken. Such a dark and moving song.
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Sweet! I love U2 :tup
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Classic Rock staple. Definitely a top 10 classic rock album of all time... worthy of mention in the league with Abbey Road, Sticky Fingers, IV, Who's Next, Dark Side of the Moon, Closer to the Edge and Hotel California. One of the few (perhaps the only) 80s album in that league.
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#22 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/BeastieBoysPaul%27sBoutique.jpg)
Ok, after Pornograffitti (#37) this may be the next most fun album I've ever heard. Following Licensed To Ill, The Beastie Boys were on their own as they had left Def Jam and Rick Rubin, and critics had basically labelled the band as one hit wonders. They sought to make an album that might have less commercial appeal but with greater depth and maturity. They signed with Capitol and recorded this album, however the label saw it as a failure because it failed to reach the sales success of Ill. But slowly over the years it has become recognized for what it is, a landmark album in the hip-hop genre due to the use of a myriad of samples throughout and the complex layering that also pervades each track. While popular belief is that they made this album without paying for the samples, they actually cleared all of them, but at much lower costs than what it would have been later on, particularly after the Biz Markie case just a couple of years later.
This album is crammed full of great beats, awesome transitions, and incredibly funny lyrics. I've had a lot of great times while listening to these jams and I've probably quoted these lyrics with my friends more times than anything else. My favorites are the funky soul of "Car Thief", the heavy metal-ish "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun", the elephant walk of "The Sounds of Science" which eventually kick into an upbeat groove, and the insanity of "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" (samples from Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Tower of Power, and Johnny Cash among others!).
"Girl you should be with me you should drop that bum
Cause I got more flavor than Fruit Striped Gum"
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:tup My favorite Beastie's album right there!
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LZ II: My favorite track on the album always has been and always will be "What Is... ". That's not to say that the rest of the album is crap - far from it. VERY solid album, and a hell of a good one at that.
Joshua Tree: GOOD album. Really good album. Favorite is definitely "Bullet The Blue Sky".
BEASTIE BOYS!!!!!! :biggrin:
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#21 - Opeth - Ghost Reveries (2005)
(https://www.opeth.com/home/media/k2/items/cache/c82cc4e14a1d2c8c8ffff9840d24b558_XL.jpg)
My initial encounter with Opeth was pretty soon after Ghost Reveries was released however the first album I listened to from them was Damnation. I had never been into bands with growling vocals, but I kept hearing how awesome this band was. I remember getting Damnation at a steep discount at a CD/movie store that was going out of business. The first time I played this album was on a rainy Sunday afternoon and the mood completely swept me away. That album got me curious into what they really sounded like because I knew it would be quite a different experience. So I went looking for recommendations of where to go next and almost everyone mentioned either Blackwater Park or their latest album at the time, Ghost Reveries. I got both at the same time and that was a great decision.
I feel this album is a beautiful blend of the best parts of the preceding two albums, Deliverance and Damnation. It also marks the introduction of Per Wiberg to the band, and his work on the keys is quite a shot in the arm for the band. Much like "The Leper Affinity", "Ghost Of Perdition" opens the album with a soft sort of atmospheric passage that makes you almost strain to hear it before you are pummeled with the brutality of the song's true nature. Martin Lopez has always been a drummer with great feel, and it is on full display here. Great singing by Mikael, awesome heavy to light transitions, a great groove back into the heavy section, wow this song is awesome and we've just begun. "Beneath The Mire" is another great track with plenty of heaviness, but with its share of softer passages. Per takes the lead at the beginning of "Beneath The Mire" playing over a great riff by the guitars. The song fades away into the laid back "Atonement" which then leads into one of the best song transitions on any album as it abruptly stops and "Reverie/Harlequin Forest" begins with its distant riffing guitar and Mendez's sliding bass. This is my favorite track on the album. I love that wordless growl about 2:30 into the song. "Hours of Wealth" is a vast departure from the heaviness, but it does have a great moment at 1:35 with that key change. Next comes "The Grand Conjuration" (great live song) and the spookiness that comes with the lyrics and the whispering voices. I LOVE the offbeat chorus riff. The closer, "Isolation Years" is a touching little song that sort of floats by and then off into the darkness.
This album is an absolute masterpiece of progressive death metal. But it does serve as a bit of a bookend on this version of the band as both Lopez and Peter Lindgren would depart soon thereafter.
"There's a certain detail seen here
The pen must have slipped to the side"
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Another masterpiece. You and I share a lot of musical tastes, I've lost count now but it's well over 10 albums that I would also have on my top 50 and you're barely half done.
I also had a hard time getting into the harsh vocals. It took me years to gain an appreciation for it and even then, it was only Opeth that I could tolerate, mainly because the music was so good and after enough time I couldn't imagine the songs without the harsh vocals. It took me probably 4-5 years before I liked the growling and it was the best thing I ever did since it greatly opened my musical options with other bands.
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:metal :metal :metal
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Ghost Reveries :metal
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Yeahhh! Flawless!
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:2metal: GHOST REVERIES :2metal:
Dig the wordless growl that you speak of quite a lot, and Hours of Wealth is just :heart :heart :heart . I think my favorites are Ghost of Perdition and The Baying of the Hounds, though. There's a damn good reason why GR is in my Opeth Top 3. :biggrin:
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Epic!
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4th favourite Opeth album, good call.
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BEST OPETH ALBUM.
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BEST OPETH ALBUM.
Yup.
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#20 - Tower of Power - Urban Renewal (1975)
(https://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110608153432/lyricwiki/images/a/a7/Tower_Of_Power_-_Urban_Renewal.jpg)
This is largely the same classic Tower of Power lineup that initially recorded my number 50 album Tower of Power. But they are two albums and two years removed from that effort and displaying an even more cohesive and matured sound this time around. Lenny Williams displays great passion in his gospel-influenced delivery. The rhythm section is a bouncing, ever changing machine. And the horns are as tight as they've ever been. And if you are looking for the funk, this album has it in spades. They also found a bit of an activist voice in the lyrics of at least a couple of tunes.
The album kicks off with the energetic "Only So Much Oil in the Ground", a funky track about the mid-70's energy crisis. Lenny Pickett rips of a terrific sax solo in this one. The interplay between the bass and hammond are awesome. "Come Back, Baby" is a mid-tempo ballad accentuated with some great chord voicings from the horns. STOP READING NOW and go listen to "It's Not The Crime" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV__IK4h0ao). This is 1:47 of the dirtiest, greasiest funk you can imagine. But be forewarned, you might need to see a chiropractor afterward if your neck hasn't been exposed to this level of funky music before. The lyrics are an absolute blast as well, sung by band leader and saxophonist Emilio Castillo. "I Won't Leave . . ." is a sappy ballad, but my goodness does it have an outstanding horn arrangement particularly in a bridge section about halfway through the song. "Maybe it Will Rub Off" and "Give Me the Proof" are great upbeat funky songs. Tight arrangements, amazing solos from the organ and sax, just amazing musicianship in both. "Willing To Learn" is a tremendous ballad that hearkens back to earlier TOP songs such as "Sparkling In The Sand" and "You're Still a Young Man". Finally, "Walkin' Up Hip Street" is an instrumental that is simply amazing. It's like a great gumbo that keeps getting more and more ingredients added to the pot.
This was the last in a string of albums for the classic Tower of Power. It was the last album fronted by vocalist Lenny Williams, which would begin a revolving door at that position for the band. And with the next few albums, the band's sound was increasingly influenced by the disco movement in the mid to late 70's.
"I broke the law last night,
commited a criminal and sexual act.
She was on top,
and in this state, that's an immediate pop."
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#19 - Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/1/9/9/3199.jpg)
When I first heard this album, it absolutely blew me away (and it still does). It was HUGE. Symphonic progressive metal in its purest form. Similar to The Odyssey, the themes of this album (wars/alliances among long forgotten mythological civilizations and ancient cosmological deities) fit perfectly with symphony X's sound. Russell Allen's vocals are phenomenal here. And this album also contains some of my favorite riffing ever. I am a huge fan of that insanely fast riffing that sounds like a train barreling down the tracks seemingly about to derail at any moment. That's about the best way I can describe what I hear in several spots throughout this album.
It's funny, I was all fired up to participate in the survivor for this album, but when it comes down to actually picking songs, I find it really difficult. I think I've always viewed this as one work and not really separate songs. But here are a couple of comments anyway on my favorite songs/moments. "Evolution" contains some of those great riffs I mentioned earlier. And I love that build up to the main theme in "Fallen". Allen's vocals are off the charts good here. "Communion" contains one of many great Romeo solos and the second half of that song is simply magic. If I had to choose, I think "Egypt" might be my favorite track. It's the little things I love about it, it has those great chugging riffs, and awesome vocals, but I love the acoustic in the intro, that guitar slide around 0:23, the descending riff into "Gaze in these eyes . . ." - it's such a powerful song.
By the way, what is up with the similarities between this album and that of Spock's Beard's V. Both were released in the second half of 2000. Both covers are remarkably similar (desert scene, blood red sky). Both bands are progressive in nature and were both signed to Inside Out at the time, which makes it even doubly weird - you would think the label would have wanted to avoid people possibly confusing the albums. Both albums are the fifth by each band and the total lengths of the albums differ by a mere 11 seconds. Strange Kennedy/Lincoln thing going on here.
"Night and Day will find a way
to keep the balance true.
Let the sky and stars be your guide -
the destination is up to you."
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Nice Symphony X!
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Fantastic album. I first heard it after gorging myself on awesome sushi with friends when a friend passed me a burned copy of it. I threw it on in the car on the drive home from the restaurant and, as soon as Evolution's fast riff kicked in, I chuckled to myself and thought "Sea of Lies Part II, nice to meet you." That aside, the songs don't disappoint at all and the album is sensational. You have traditional asskickers like Evolution and Bird Serpent, new territory like Egypt, and Rediscovery Part II is intense as all hell. I really just wish that they'd worked the interludes into the songs or only kept R (Segue) since I've always had trouble enjoying interlude-saturated albums as much as ones with only (or mostly) full tracks. Must be some neurotic flow thing in my brain.
Great selection nevertheless :tup
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i can see people liking the odyssey more, but theres some kinda magic goin on with V.
...also digging the recent opeth selection. :metal
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Great album. I knew that it would be this one from the title. :laugh:
My favourite has to be A Fool's Paradise, though. The chorus melody is Russell at his absolute best and the way that Verdi's "Dies irae" is worked into it is nothing short of amazing. Still, you can't go wrong with any song off this album, except maybe for The Bird-Serpent War.
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That's one fine Symphony X album. I prefer the two albums that preceded it and The Odyssey, though. :smiley:
As far as the similarities between the two V albums go, both bands said the similarities were 100% coincidental, which I find very interesting. Very interesting indeed. :smiley:
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Darkness doesnt really exist. "dark" is just a lack of light.
Therefore, darkness cannot "shadow" the light.
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:hefdaddy that is all
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It's a great album, but not nearly my favourite of theirs.
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Grand album is grand. Virtually flawless. Not my fave by S-X, but I do rank it ahead of TiO. That four album run from Divine Wings to Odyssey is as good as any four-album run in prog-metal. Period.
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Awesomeness abound. Allen soars on this one Oooooohhhho ooooh....!!!!
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I remember pissing my neighbor off in college because I played this album CRANKED when I first got it. Nice choice, my favorite SyX album.
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I tried listening to Symphony X for a while, but it couldn't really spark my interest... lots of riffs sound the same IMO.
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My first SX album and my favourite. Good call.
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ha, lots more comments on prog metal than R&B/soul/funk - imagine that!
Darkness doesnt really exist. "dark" is just a lack of light.
Therefore, darkness cannot "shadow" the light.
ok
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ha, lots more comments on prog metal than R&B/soul/funk - imagine that!
Tower of Power needed more songs about Poseidon fighting Ra and stuff.
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checked out a tower of power track. might consider exploring further.
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cool, what did you end up listening to?
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Love that SX album.
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Never got into that SX album.
Keep 'em coming!
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cool, what did you end up listening to?
just the opening track. your "The rhythm section is a bouncing, ever changing machine." was A. much of what intrigued me and B. spot on.
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My first SX album :heart, Communion and the Oracle is still probably my favorite track.
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Darkness doesnt really exist. "dark" is just a lack of light.
Therefore, darkness cannot "shadow" the light.
So you could say that it's basically just absence of light? :neverusethis:
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guys, sorry for the lack of an update last night. I think I have the flu or something like it. I'll try to catch up by the end of the week.
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*chicken soup vibes to Hath*
Seriously, I hope you feel better - I'm only just now feeling better and I've been sick since the 9th/10th.
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Just started following this list since I just started coming to the site again. Most interesting Top 50 I've seen so far and the one I've enjoyed the most. Really looking forward to following this till the end. :tup
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thanks for the kind words, glad you are enjoying the list!
And thanks to Deb's chicken soup (and some antibiotics and steroids from the doc) I am feeling better.
List to continue very shortly . . .
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#18 - Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/71277966/Bitches+Brew+Miles+Davis.png)
Having already spearheaded two major movements in the jazz world, cool jazz and modal jazz, Miles Davis was introduced to some of the major players in psychedelic rock and funk such as Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown in the late-60's. And he began incorporating those electric sounds and instruments in his live shows as well as in the studio, beginning with 1969's In A Slient Way. While earlier Davis albums had indicated a shift to a more fusion sound, he really went feet first with In A Slient Way regarding the electric instruments and utilizing the editing techniques of Teo Macero (which were basically early forms of loops and sequences). Then not even a year later he recruited even more electric musicians to record Bitches Brew. Check out these names - Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette . . . This is basically the nursery for fusion as these giants would soon go on to found bands such as Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Return To Forever.
At first glance, this album seems to be random rhythms, runs, licks, and patterns. While it does have a very chaotic atmosphere, it is actually very coherent harmonically and rhythmically. The dynamic approach to the album is impecable as there are plenty of soft ambient sections that gradually build into louder sections that create and release tension with great success. The album is also very psychedelic and trance inducing as the tracks stretch out over 14 minutes save for one which is almost 11 minutes and another which is 4 and a half. I love the addition of bass clarinet to the mix as well. Its timbre cuts through on the low end with a very distinctive growl. Disc 1, containing "Pharaoh's Dance" and the title track is a bit more ambient while most of disc 2, save for "Sanctuary" has more of a rock feel to it. My guess is that some of the folks here that are into the post-rock, art-rock, ambient and experimental stuff may find something they like in this album.
The music on this album bubbles and boils just to the surface, never quite letting you get a glimpse of what it truly is unless you dive into the pot and lose yourself in the voodoo that is being created.
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Great album, but I prefer Kind of Blue.
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#17 - Rush - Hemispheres (1978)
(https://cdn.head-fi.org/9/98/1000x500px-LL-9889a2d7_Rush-Hemispheres1978.jpg)
Four tracks, four classics - including their last epic and their first instrumental. This album ends their first 6 albums in 4 years run, is right in the middle of their legendary 2112 to Moving Pictures run, and is the crowning achievement of their 70's sound and output. It's a landmark album in Rush's career but also for the genre.
With Book II, it's ingenious how both the lyrics and the music tell the story of what is going on. This is simply classic progressive hard rock. "Circumstances" is a great deep cut, often forgotten in Rush's discography. Ged's voice sounds great on this entire album but particularly in the chorus. "The Trees" is basically the perfect Rush song. The multi-part instrumental "La Villa Strangiato" is one of my favorite Rush tunes. It strongly evokes the sense that you've just stepped into someone's dream. I love how they incorporated Raymond Scott's tune "Powerhouse" (remember that from the cartoons) into the fabric of the insanity.
"And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw."
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Classic Rush!
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Bitches Brew is amazing. Hemispheres is good,but not the best by Rush.
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Rush! :metal :metal :metal
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Can't go wrong with Rush :tup
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Great call with Hemispheres. That album is the fastest 36 minutes outside of my first time. I really lose myself in it in a way few albums can do.
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Hemispheres :hefdaddy
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Definitely worthy of anyone's Top 50. Great pic
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Love Rush and love half of this album. Controversially it's the 2nd half for me. The first half is only ok.
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Nice call on Hemispheres. :hefdaddy
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My favorite jazz album of all time, followed by my second favorite Rush. Awesome choices!
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Hemispheres! Never Turn Your Back On a Monster! is maybe my favourite part in entire Rush discography.
And yes, Circumstances is a gem.
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I haven't been following the top 50 lists in a while. I like the diversity.
Following. By the way. It's good to see another list with Neal Morse - One on it.
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#16 - Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4uqksC8xY1qcxc3ro1_cover.jpg)
This album probably holds the record for most plays while Big Hath plays Nintendo games on the NES. Instant classic thrash album. After the rough-around-the-edges debut of Kill 'em All, I doubt many expected the band to come out with a sophomore effort that that sounded quite like this. The songwriting is improved, with better lyrics and more complex harmonic structures and arrangements. The production is slicker. Hetfield still sounds young, but he is actually singing a bit more this time and starting to find his voice. Gone are the songs about the culture surrounding the thrash scene to be replaced with more socially conscious tracks.
The acoustic opening to "Fight Fire With Fire" is nice and serene, sounding almost like a Renaissance harpsichord. It hides the raging beast that eventually spews forth however. Awesome riffing here and pretty much throughout the album. The solos in "Ride The Lightning" are awesome. "For Whom" is such a classic with great mid-tempo doomy riffing, and that great opening by Burton. "Fade To Black" was their first try at a ballad and it really delivers for me. It was one of my favorite songs at one point. "Trapped Under Ice" is another great thrasher. I never quite understood all the hate for "Escape" - I guess people just wanted balls to the wall thrash the entire way or something, I don't know. I quite enjoy the song. "Creeping Death" is another absolute classic. I can remember telling my mom it was ok to listen to Metallica because "this is a song about Moses and the plagues", heh. Finally, the great instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". What a masterpiece. I love the mood of this track and the great dynamics. The guitar "sound effects" in this song always stood out to me as being particularly awesome.
"Take a look to the sky just before you die
It is the last time you will."
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:tup
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Metallica have such an uncreative name....
its like "hehe look at us we are Metallica and we play metal"
Great album though
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Yet at the same time, it's also Spanish slang for metalhead and probably helped them really dig into the latin rocker crowd much more easily than any other name would have.
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Classic Metallica album. :tup
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I haven't got any Metallica yet, but I've always thought that if I did, either this or Master of Puppets would be where I would start.
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I was waiting for Signals because the headline.
I'm not really a fan of RTL. But The Call of Ktulu is majestetic, especially on S&M. Ride the Lightning is also a kickass tune.
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Ride the Lightning is my second favorite Metallica album. Good pick!
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I was waiting for Signals because the headline.
Exactly. disappointed. oh well, RTL is a decent choice.
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I was waiting for Signals because the headline.
Exactly. disappointed. oh well, RTL is a decent choice.
oooo, sorry to disappoint. Signals is great but didn't quite make the list (it was very, very, very close).
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#15 - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (1959)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mekioa3DqC1qzxazyo1_1354727935_cover.jpg)
The cornerstone of pretty much any jazz collection (if not the first jazz album many people start with). And an exercise in time signatures that turned the jazz world upside down and took the rest of the world by storm. The music is quirky, happy and joyful and the quartet seems to really enjoy what they are doing. For some background, the Dave Brubeck Quartet was touring Europe and Asia when they heard some Turkish street musicians playing folk music in odd meters not often used in western music. This inspired them to compose music using interesting time signatures and the rest is history. Up until this point, almost all jazz was composed in 4/4 or maybe a waltz in 3.
This is obviously one of my favorite jazz albums of all-time and it is my wife's favorite. We've listened to it together many times over the years. Lots of great memories. What strikes me the most about it is just how joyful and happy it is. It's just like someone stuffed a bright spring day onto the pages of music. The interplay between Brubeck and Desmond is quite a thing to behold as well. But we can't forget the perfect complimentary rhythm section or Wright and Morello. They take dynamics and subtlety to a new level. The hit "Take Five" is essentially a vehicle for drummer Morello as he gives a masterful performance. "Blue Rondo" is a classic. I love the half-quote of "Frosty the Snowman" that shows up in "Strange Meadow Lark". "Everybody's Jumpin'" is also a favorite of mine.
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Listening to it right now, actually. :tup Great choice.
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It's a classic. Love that album to pieces.
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Coincidentally, I was listening to A Love Supreme after that. (jsem's avatar)
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Time Out is excellent. Not a fan of Metallica.
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Never heard of them! Gonna have to check this out.
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:tup
Take Five is probably the album's biggest "Classic". Very experimental at the time, and completely in 5/4.
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Never heard of them! Gonna have to check this out.
go for it! Probably the defining album of "cool jazz".
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#14 - Boston - Boston (1976)
(https://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww150/yellowmoose/ldb6671.jpg)
This is one of the first rock albums I ever got. One of the best debut albums of all time. Every track absolutely cooks and all are mainstays on classic rock radio. In fact, the songs are so familiar that these days this sounds more like a greatest hits album than a debut. This is one of those albums where everything is pretty much perfectly placed, the sounds are all spot on. The multi-layered guitars give everything depth. And the vocals are phenomenal. Brad Delp is in a class by himself here. The whole album gives off a great positive energy. It is iconic. Pretty much the definition of classic rock. "Foreplay/Long Time" is a masterpiece - my favorite track here but they are all awesome.
"Well everybody's got advice they just keep on givin'
Dosen't mean to much to me"
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I never heard it.
I liked those space-jellyfish thingys though
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I love Boston! ;D
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Great band!
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Epic album is epic. Pound for pound, one of (if not) the greatest rock album ever. More Than A Feeling has the best scream in rock, ever (although I know Lonestar will dispute it). This is pretty much the same spot I had it ranked (*checks... 15th for me*)
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That's one fine rock album. I prefer Don't look back, though. :tup
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Not bad for a demo!
I never really loved this album but I loved the follow up, Don't Look Back. It is one of the albums that magically appeared in our house when I was a kid. No one admits to getting it yet there it was, along with Genesis' And Then There Were Three.
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Boston's debut is a miracle of rock. Definitely top 20 of all time. Great job including it. Foreplay/Longtime is indeed the best track.
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I never heard it.
I liked those space-jellyfish thingys though
heh, they are actually guitars. Spaceship guitars (with domed cities on top).
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I never heard it.
I liked those space-jellyfish thingys though
heh, they are actually guitars. Spaceship guitars (with domed cities on top).
You are right :O haven't noticed their neck
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#13 - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41jPjoSnd7L._SS500_.jpg)
How do you follow up one of the most successful progressive rock albums of all-time? How about by writing one that is even better? That is what I feel Pink Floyd did with Wish You Were Here. The pacing of the album is spectacular. The musicality is a bit more coherent in structure and tone. And the lyrics have a bit more sophistication. It's such a personal album - very angry and confused, but also with a twinge of hope.
The long instrumental intro to "Shine On" is simply majestic and heavy on suspense as the vocals don't kick in until nearly 9 minutes into the song. Great bluesy playing from Gilmour, naturally. "Welcome To The Machine" is very haunting, very atmospheric. I love that building acoustic guitar part that precedes the exploding synths. "Cigar" is the band at their most biting and venomously sarcastic. But is also has a great blues groove. I love the radio dial transition between "Cigar" and the title track. Speaking of which, "Wish" is simply a magical song, a great amalgamation of poetry and melody.
The 5.1 SACD version that was released last year is near-heavenly. Gave me an even greater appreciation for the album.
"And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?"
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A+ album, top to bottom. Virtually flawless. Welcome to the Machine was always my favorite for some reason.
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Amazing album, what more can be said?
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One of my Floyd top 3. It's just a personal bummer for me that the album shares its name with what is unquestionably my least favorite track on it.
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My second favourite PF album, excellent!
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My 5th favourite Floyd album, though still excellent!
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My second favourite PF album, excellent!
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The debut is Boston's pinnacle IMO - they could never really match what came together on the first album for subsequent efforts. It's a classic rock staple too, but it still takes me back to when Dad first played the 8-track (shut up, I'm a fogey dammit :jets: ). Very good record.
Same with WYWH, but it's not my favorite PF record from that era. Good stuff though.
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#12 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mamx40ICX01qll7eq_1348122455_cover.png)
The ubiquitous jazz album - on top (or at least in the top 5) of most any jazz album ranking you will see. Up until the mid-50's or so, the jazz scene had come to be dominated by bebop and hard-bop artists and musical ideas that relied on chord progressions to drive the music. The idea of modal jazz, whereby musical modes provide the harmonic framework, was just beginning to take root when Miles Davis was inspired to explore it by the music of a dance troupe from New Guinea which stayed on single chords for long periods of time, constantly weaving in and out of dissonance. These modal ideas where first recorded by Davis on the album Milestones. Following a retooling of his band, he entered the studio with an awesome lineup - Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane on alto and tenor sax, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb as the rhythm section, and the newest member, Bill Evans on piano. Evans' delicate playing style served as inspiration for Davis as much of the music that became known as Kind of Blue was conceived with Evans in mind. This album, almost entirely based on modality, is extremely influential and is the best selling jazz album of all-time.
The songs are able to spread out and they really have room to breathe and become their own entities as four of the five tracks clock in at 9:24 or more. The opener, "So What" has such a great understated intro with bass and piano before Chambers leads the group with that great bass lick while the horns provide a great hook with their harmonics. I've never been a huge fan of Davis' actual trumpet playing as I find his tone a bit thin and shrill, but he gives a good solo here, just before the saxophones come in and steal the show. The horn section's harmonic accents make a return as Evans solos later on. Perfect example of modal jazz. "Freddie Freeloader" takes on a bit more of a traditional feel, with a bit more of a swing in the bass. The shortest track, "Blue in Green" is a very subdued ballad. "All Blues" is an awesome 12 bar blues in 6/4 and entirely in 7th chords. And finally we have the great "Flamenco Sketches", another ballad featuring Davis' trademark harmon-muted trumpet in the first solo.
This album paved the way for other landmark modal jazz albums such as Coltrane's My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme, but its influence was felt throughout the music world. Duane Allman has stated it was heavily influential in many of his recorded solos and Richard Wright has given credit to the album for inspiring portions of "Breathe" from Dark Side of the Moon. Chick Corea summed it up with this quote, "It's one thing to just play a tune, or play a program of music, but it's another thing to practically create a new language of music, which is what Kind of Blue did."
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Time for more jazz honorable mentions!
Brian Bromberg - Jaco and Various Artists - Who Loves You? - Two great Pastorius tributes. Bromberg is phenomenal on both acoustic and electric bass. And Who Loves You? has one of my favorite versions of "Continuum".
(https://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n198/Vlamyst/jaco.jpg) (https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/503/MI0001503464.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Dexter Gordon - Go! - lot's of fun on this album.
(https://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/22/albumcoverDexterGordon-Go.jpg?1198318317)
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage - my favorite from the long-time jazz keyboard virtuoso. Great modal jazz.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7a/Maiden_Voyage_%28Hancock%29.jpg)
Jimmy Smith - Back at the Chicken Shack - Incredible, organ led jazz.
(https://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/23/albumcoverJimmySmith-BackAtTheChickenShack.jpg?1198369094)
Sonny Rollins - Sonny Rollins Plus 4, Saxophone Collossus and Tenor Madness - Three paragon's of the saxophone led hard-bop scene.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Sonny-Rollins-Plus-Four-Posters.jpg) (https://www.jazz.com/assets/2007/12/20/albumcoverSaxophoneColossus.jpg?1198120225) (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Sonny_Rollins_Tenor_Madness.jpg)
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners and Monk's Music - the genius and uniqueness of Monk's improvisations cannot be overstated.
(https://bilborecords.be/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Thelonious%20Monk%20-%20Brilliant%20Corners.jpg) (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/Monkmusic.jpg)
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My favorite Miles Davis' album.
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All kinds of great jazz there.
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Maiden Voyage was my number 51. Oh and Kind Of Blue is awesome. Even though I find it overrated and prefer Bitches Brew,I enjoy it. Boston's debut is awesome and WYWH is a classic. Loving your choices.
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Ooo, wow - Jimmy Smith is quite boss. You should give The Sermon! a try if you haven't yet. Dad introduced me to Jimmy back in the day, which was around the same time my brother went through a major Ray Charles phase. Good times.
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Sweet! That hammond sound is awesome. No, I haven't heard The Sermon, but goodness gracious I just looked at the personnel - Smith, Morgan, Blakey, Brooks, Donaldson and Burrell? Sign me up!
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OH yeah - it's all it's cracked up to be and then some. :tup
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#11 - Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (2005)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/77774622/Deadwing.png)
I first heard about Porcupine Tree over on the Rush Counterparts message boards, sometime in 2005. Lots of people were giving them high praise so I decided to check them out. I was very big into the ROIO/bootleg scene at the time so I found a recent PT show on DIME to give a spin. First song on the setlist was "Blackest Eyes" which I thought was a great track, such a breath of fresh air as I had been in a Rush/Dream Theater/Symphony X album cycle for a few years by then - it was time for some new music and this was exactly what the doctor ordered. After a few more bootleg listens (none of which contained any Deadwing songs), I decided to take the plunge into their studio albums. I got both In Absentia and Deadwing at roughly the same time and I found both of them to be awesome albums, but Deadwing absolutely blew me away.
Much of the early songs such as "Deadwing", "Shallow", and "Halo" take the harder rocking vibe of "Blackest Eyes" and the second half of "Gravity Eyelids" and makes it a bit more in your face. "Lazarus" is an absolutely beautiful song. My favorite PT song of all-time is "Arriving Somewhere", just ahead of "Anesthetize". Such a great song that covers a whole bunch of different genres and sounds. It's also in my top 10 songs from any band. This album is full of songs that show great contrast between the bands soft side and their harder edge, the combo of "Mellotron Scratch" and "Open Car" is a perfect example. Once again, the 5.1 DVDA mix gives this album an even better listen, so awesome.
"Did you see the red mist block your path?
Did the scissors cut a way to your heart?
Did you feel the envy for the sons of mothers tearing you apart?"
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Deadwing :hefdaddy
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Never could really get into Deadwing. It's just so-so for me.
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Deadwing :hefdaddy
Oh yeah. :hefdaddy
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Brilliant record. :tup
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recap of what has come before as we head into the top 10
50 - Tower Of Power - Tower Of Power
49 - Dan Swano - Moontower
48 - Metallica - ...And Justice For All
47 - Dixie Dregs - What If
46 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
45 - Mastodon - The Hunter
44 - Ayreon - 01011001
43 - Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
42 - Symphony X - The Odyssey
41 - Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy
40 - Neal Morse - One
39 - Dave Weckl - Transition
38 - Holst - The Planets
37 - Extreme - Pornograffiti
36 - Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
35 - Soundgarden - Superunknown
34 - Riverside - ADHD
33 - Bill Evans Trio - Village Vanguard Recordings
32 - Mastodon - Crack The Skye
31 - Redemption - Snowfall On Judgement Day
30 - Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
29 - Pink Floyd - Animals
28 - John Coltrane - Blue Train
27 - Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
26 - Opeth - Watershed
25 - Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
24 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
23 - U2 - The Joshua Tree
22 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
21 - Opeth - Ghost Reveries
20 - Tower Of Power - Urban Renewal
19 - Symphony X - V
18 - Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
17 - Rush - Hemispheres
16 - Metallica - Ride The Lightning
15 - Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
14 - Boston - Boston
13 - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
12 - Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
11 - Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
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#10 - Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
(https://www.steffmetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/20090425040008Blackwaterpark.jpg)
I mentioned in the previous Opeth entry that after Damnation, I got both Ghost Reveries and Blackwater Park at roughly the same time. While Ghost Reveries hit me almost immediately, it took a bit longer for me to appreciate this album. It was definitely a grower for me. Growls were not my thing at all. AT ALL. I used to laugh everytime I would hear a song with growled vocals as it sounded just so absurd to me. Ghost Reveries started me on the path to acceptance, but it was this album that drew me in completely, particularly the song "Bleak". The album is so dynamic, and I'm not really talking about the volume. I mean the riffs, the quiet acoustic passages, the vocal changes - the entire scope of this masterpiece is dynamic. The album is loaded with great transitions and harmonic tension. On their earlier albums, the transitions between hard and heavy sections and lighter softer parts were very much a weakness, but here they have raised it to high art.
As far as the songs go, what can I say? They are all great. The songwriting on this album is incredible. The production and mix are excellent. Such a powerful album.
"Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark
THE SUN SETS FOREVER OVER BLACKWATER PARK!"
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One of the best albums of all time. :metal
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You won't hear any complaint from me about this one. Except that it's too low :P
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You won't hear any complaint from me about this one. Except that it's too low :P
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"but it was this album that drew me in completely, particularly the song "Bleak"."
I have the same opinion :tup
The Leper Affinity also drew me in because of the guitar solo and the great clean section.
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Great album. I like it better than I did back in the summer when I discovered it, mostly because Dirge for November and The Funeral portrait grew on me quite a bit. And The Drapery falls is one of my favorite Opeth songs. :smiley:
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Great album. I like it better than I did back in the summer when I discovered it, mostly because Dirge for November and The Funeral portrait grew on me quite a bit. And The Drapery falls is one of my favorite Opeth songs. :smiley:
The Drapery Falls IS my favorite Opeth song.
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You really can't go wrong with Blackwater Park.
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You know... I recognize that these are two behemoth's when it comes to prog metal albums, but these are two bands I just can't get in to no matter how much I try. :dunno:
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Great album. Death growls aren't really my thing, but these are done with such passion that I can live with that. Bleak is one of my favorites.
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You know... I recognize that these are two behemoth's when it comes to prog metal albums, but these are two bands I just can't get in to no matter how much I try. :dunno:
jingle, you're just doing it wrong. ;)
Those two albums are almost perfect in their execution, so much so that I feel like trying to explain why would be like describing colors to a blind man.
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You know... I recognize that these are two behemoth's when it comes to prog metal albums, but these are two bands I just can't get in to no matter how much I try. :dunno:
I'm with you. These names pop up all the time on DTF and I have tried on a number of occasions to listen to different songs from them on YouTube. Doesn't do anything for me.
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I can understand not getting Opeth but come on, Porcupine Tree? That's just... I don't know how you couldn't love them :P
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"Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark
THE SUN SETS FOREVER OVER BLACKWATER PARK!"
:letam: :2metal: :metal
When we did the Opeth album rankings, I had BWP as my top song. Honestly? BWP, Bleak, and The Funeral Portrait place themselves at the top constantly. There's a DAMN good reason this album is probably my favorite of my Top 3 Opeth albums (this, Still Life and Ghost Reveries) - I've posted this before, and imma post it again...
BWP is a STELLAR album.
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Fantastic album, defnitely Top 10 worthy.
I don't know what jingle is doing wrong, but he clearly isn't doing it right.
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:rollin
Oh, and Hath should've made the version "DEADLY BADGERS". :jets:
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Really never could get into Opeth. Tried multiple times. Just don't like it.
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:rollin
Oh, and Hath should've made the version "DEADLY BADGERS". :jets:
Already done. By me. :hat
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BWP was my first foray into the greatness that is Opeth. I still remember it clearly, it was so incredible.
When The Leper Affinity first came on I was like, :eek. Then when I heard the first section of Bleak I was like :\, but when the 2nd section started with the clean vocal's I went to :o, and when it went to the bridge instrumental/solo and built to the end I was like :omg:. At that point, I knew I didn't like growls, but I still loved what I heard and I was hooked. From then on it's been nothing but :hefdaddy
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I bought Blackwater Park but it took me a long time to finally listen to it. I hated the idea of death growls, and I must have had the album for at least a month before I finally put it on. I was stunned on first listen. Its a great album and Bleak is one of my favorite songs.
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I have mixed feelings about this album. It has glimmers of potential here and there but ultimately is quite far from what I generally like. Given your superb taste in genres across the board, however, I'm willing to try it out again just to see if it'll finally click.
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:notsureifsrs:
;) :jets:
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I have mixed feelings about this album. It has glimmers of potential here and there but ultimately is quite far from what I generally like. Given your superb taste in genres across the board, however, I'm willing to try it out again just to see if it'll finally click.
Are you sure blackwater_floyd? Are you really sure, given that your avatar is the Album Art? Are you really sure?
:neverusethis:
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:jets: :rollin :jets:
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(https://fuzzrug.com/uploaded/smileys/tard.jpg)
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Whoa, black_floyd just broke :neverusethis:
:dangerwillrobinson:
:vomitard:
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BWP was my first foray into the greatness that is Opeth. I still remember it clearly, it was so incredible.
When The Leper Affinity first came on I was like, :eek. Then when I heard the first section of Bleak I was like :\, but when the 2nd section started with the clean vocal's I went to :o, and when it went to the bridge instrumental/solo and built to the end I was like :omg:. At that point, I knew I didn't like growls, but I still loved what I heard and I was hooked. From then on it's been nothing but :hefdaddy
heh.
All you guys are silly.
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#9 - Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1997)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhv6n667Df1qhfikzo1_500.jpg)
This was my introduction to Symphony X. I still remember the day it came in the mail from Amazon. I opened the case and looked at the picture of the band in the liner notes and thought, "oh my, what have I gotten myself into". They were dressed in kind of medieval/renaissance clothing and I thought there was NO WAY a band that looked like this would interest me.
Then that awesome riff from "Of Sins And Shadows" came pouring out of the speakers. Good lord, who is this guitarist? Then came those awesome vocals. Holy crap, who is this singer? Allen's vocals on this album were far more theatrical than any I had heard before in the rock/metal world. The galloping riff in the first couple of verses is great, and I love the harmonized vocals trading with the band in the bridge section - those little chugging licks are awesome. And that solo section is completely out of this world. Being a bass player, that opening line to "Sea of Lies" was right up my alley and it completely drew me in. I think I replayed that opening section about five times before I listened to the rest of the song. I love that quiet part at the beginning of the second verse in "Sea of Lies". Another completely awesome solo section here. "The Accolade" instantly became one of my favorite songs - so many great things about it. Great melodies, great riffs, great vocals, great solos . . . I could go on and on. Eventually we get to the title track - and in the extended intro, ye gods, we get a quote from freaking "Mars" of Holt's Planets. 20 minutes of awesome. And the closer is one of my favorite Symphony X songs, "Candlelight Fantasia". The verse just before the first chorus has a relatively clean-tone picked guitar underneath the vocal melody, which grabs me every time. Then just after the solo section, the song jumps from good to great with Allen's ethereal vocals and a return of the picked guitar part on the next verse.
After my first listen, I knew this band, and this album in particular, was going to be one of my favorites.
"Across the seas through sands of time
Knight of the Templar
A charging steed through lands unkind
A legend forever."
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Verrrry good. The Accolade is beyond awesome.
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My 2nd favorite SX album right behind The Odyssey.
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Favourite SX album, and my introduction to the band :tup
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SX is beyond awesome!
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My third favourite SX album. Some weaker songs in the middle keep it from ascending ever further, but the highs that this album reaches are stellar.
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Beauty album right there. Not my favorite S-X disc... you'll have to tune in to my top 50 list to find out where it sits.
What inspired you to buy it ... given your trepidation on the 'appearance' of the band in the liner notes?
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Beauty album right there. Not my favorite S-X disc... you'll have to tune in to my top 50 list to find out where it sits.
What inspired you to buy it ... given your trepidation on the 'appearance' of the band in the liner notes?
I had seen mentions of the band in passing on various Rush and Dream Theater related message boards, but I think the main thing was Amazon had the album on my recommendations list. They were spot on with that one!
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Another great album, Big Hath! :tup
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Easily my fav S-X album. Another match with my Top 50.
Accolade and the title track are the best in their catalog for me.
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Great album. One of their best.
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#8 - Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth (1961)
(https://i2.listal.com/image/3578140/479full.jpg)
My favorite "traditional" jazz album. Released in 1961, it has a leg in both the hard-bop and post-bop genres. It is an exploration of the structure and disposition of the blues, but it is also a continuation of the subtle modal harmonic ideas pushed forward by Kind of Blue. We have a stellar cast of musicians: Nelson on sax, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Eric Dolphy on flute and sax, Bill Evans on piano, George Barrow on bari sax (yes!), and Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes on bass and drums. Both Chambers and Evans also played on Kind of Blue. Hubbard's solos are not to be missed on this album. Barrow's baritone sax pretty much makes this album for me in many instances. It provides such depth and texture in the harmonies.
As soon as "Stolen Moments" starts you hear the immediate influence of Miles Davis in the harmonic introduction. Freddie Hubbard stars in both the intro and as the first soloist. Flawless tone and awe inspiring dexterity. Then, JAZZ FLUTE! Dolphy rips out a great solo next, followed by a one of my favorite all-time tenor solos by Nelson which is one of the more famous uses of the augmented scale in jazz. "Hoe Down" is a happy upbeat number that is reminiscent of Charles Mingus' music in many ways. A little rough and raucous and your never quite sure where they are going next. "Cascades" opens up directly with a rousing sax solo with the other horns providing a great harmonic counterpoint. The last three songs follow the 12 -bar blues structure fairly closely. "Yearnin'" has some really great harmonic interplay between the horns. "Butch and Butch" is where Barrow really shines. There is also a bit of a Glenn Miller-esque/WWII horn part in this one. The closing track "Teenie's Blues" makes great use of dissonance before Dolphy lets loose with a very squawkish, angular solo on alto sax. The contrast with Nelson's smooth tone and lyricism is striking.
This is a must have album for anyone interested in jazz as far as I'm concerned.
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Lights-out choice with TDWoT. There ain't a bad song on it and, like you, it was my first exposure to Symphony X. People can say what they wanna about the less-liked tracks on it but this album's power hitters are as good as their music gets bar none.
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yeah, I had never heard a single note from the band before I popped that CD in. Totally blown away.
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A few more points I want to make on The Blues and the Abstract Truth before I move on:
- I mentioned that one of the songs has some passages that bring thoughts of Glenn Miller, but there are actually big band sensibilities sprinkled throughout the album. Neat to hear in 60's classic jazz. When you've got four horns, one of which is a bari sax, the sound fills out nicely.
- I also mentioned the differences in sound both Dolphy and Nelson get from the sax. At times it's hard to believe they are playing the same instrument.
- This is a very diverse album. From hard-bop blues to post-bop. Upbeat wildly entertaining romps to slow, introspective almost ballad-like modality. Many songs have classic jazz hooks in the intros and closing moments.
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#7 - Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt II: Scenes From A Memory (1999)
(https://www.head-fi.org/content/type/61/id/686758/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL)
This is the album that started my Dream Theater journey. I had heard of the band and was curious to see what they were like. If my memory is right, it was the high rating at progarchives that led me to this one. I must admit, it was different than anything I had heard or expected. I knew there was a "story" told through this album, but this was the first time I listened to something that was considered a concept album. From the opening ticks of the clock to the surprise ending, this was quite a ride. Creatively, I would say this is probably the band at the top of their game. The album has it all from the band, every sound, mood, and genre they cover seems to be here.
The songs here are brilliant. The split-second railroad track pause before the main melody in "Overture 1928" is epic. And like any good overture, it does an awesome job of introducing us to many of the familiar themes and melodies we will hear later on. The guitar riffs and drums on "Strange Deja Vu" are some of my favorite in the DT discography. And "Home" has been and probably always will be one of my favorite DT songs ever. The build up with the sitar sound is great and once it finally hits the main riff it is practically orgasmic (especially considering what happens later in the song ;) ).
After FII, the band could have gone in many different directions I suppose. They just happened to land on the perfect one.
"If I die tomorrow
I`d be alright
Because I believe
That after we`re gone
The spirit carries on."
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Fantastic album, sure to get high praises here. Definitely Top 10 worthy. This was the first album I was patiently waiting for as a new fan. It far exceeded my expectations after the mediocre FII (which I didn't like much at the time, like it much better now).
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Near flawless album. Should be in everyone's Top 50 here at DTF.
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Probably next on my Dream Theater list of albums to get.
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Probably next on my Dream Theater list of albums to get.
:omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: WAT!?!?!! How do you not have this yet! Must get NOW!
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I'd put it one place above. ;D
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Can't get more epic than SFAM :metal
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Should be in everyone's Top 50 here at DTF.
I disagree, though it's still very good.
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I like that album a lot, but it would be nowhere near my Top 50, even if I hadn't limited myself to 2 albums/band. The songs are good throughout, but the concept is rather contrived, in my opinion.
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#6 - Weather Report - Heavy Weather (1977)
(https://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/1696/cover_91344102009.jpg)
This was my first "jazz" album, and to be honest, I'm not sure I would have ever explored the more traditional aspects of jazz (at least as early as I did) if I had heard something like Kind of Blue or A Love Supreme first. I picked this album up for the sole reason that Jaco Pastorius played bass on it, and I was completely entranced by the awesomeness of the Jazz-Fusion it contained. Pastorius was the bass player in the band from 1977 to 1982 and this album is the peak of their production.
This jazz fusion group served as my gateway into jazz as it incorporates not only Jaco's otherwordly playing, but elements of semi-proginess with Joe Zawinul's synthesizers and Wayne Shorter's masterful playing. Every cut is a standout, save for the live, percussion-only "Rumba Mamá" that serves as the transition into the second half of the album. "Birdland" is a classic upbeat fusion track with great playing from everyone. More and more layers are added to the mix until the ending is sheer joyous pandemonium. The pace slows with the introspective track "A Remark You Made" which displays great lyrical playing and trademark fretless tone from Pastorius. Lot's of great sentimental melodies in this song. "Teen Town" is a short track, but also one of my all-time favorite songs and serves as my demo for someone that wants to hear bass virtuosity. "Harlequin", "Palladium", "The Juggler", and "Havona" are all masterfully crafted pieces of fusion as well.
If you think you might at all be interested in trying jazz or fusion, give this a shot by all means.
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Brilliant album.
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Never heard it but sounds very interesting. I'll definitely add it to my list!
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#5 - Rush - Permanent Waves (1980)
(https://bullmurph.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pw.jpg)
I don't really remember the exact order in which I got my Rush albums. I do know that the two Retrospective compilations were the first two so I could sample music from most of their albums, followed closely by Vapor Trails which was the first album they released since I became curious about their music. I also know that Different Stages came early on as I would buy one or two of their albums here or there. I was already familiar with "The Spirit of Radio" and "Freewill" from Retrospective I, but there was a song buried on disc 2 of Different Stages that I could not get enough of called "Natural Science". Such a magical song for me and I knew I had to get whatever album it was on next. I love the dual nature of the song - the calm serene opening and the chaos of the rest.
"The Spirit of Radio", "Freewill", and "Natural Science" are all Rush classics, but it is the beauty of the other three that make this album stand out in their catalog for me. "Jacob's Ladder" is a great ominous, plodding track. Lots of dark passages and some crazy time signature changes. The way they build that instrumental section (the one after the synth solo) in the last third of the song is so awesome as it becomes almost triumphant, mirroring the sun breaking through the clouds. I love the lyrics to "Entre Nous" so much. And Alex throws in some pretty cool licks here and there. His playing (12-string, riffs and picked parts during the verses, etc) really make the song. And "Different Strings" is just a beautiful song all around. Very moody for this band.
The album marks quite a change for the band as they were feeling a bit tied down to the longer multi-part songs that had become their trademark. The change to shorter, more concise songwriting was surely off-putting to some hardcore fans I'm sure, but for me this is where they hit their stride. With its release on January 1, 1980, I couldn't imagine much better ways to bring in the new decade.
"Wheels within wheels in a spiral array,
A pattern so grand and complex,
Time after time we lose sight of the way,
Our causes can't see their effects."
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Good album. I first heard them in '95 when I was 14 and loved Freewill from the getgo. It's weird too since unusual vocals were an immediate dealbreaker for me back then to the extent that even bands like Silverchair and Tool were severe labors of love for me, vocally speaking, back then. I guess DT changed all that for me since I still don't quite like JLB's vox unconditionally yet I've been a fan since '99.
As for the songs (like I said before), Freewill was an instant success and The Spirit of Radio had immediate success when I heard it too. Entre Nous and Different Strings never did much for me but I like 'em both a little more each time I hear them. Jacob's Ladder is pretty damn good imo and Natural Science may be tied with Hemispheres for being my alltime Rush fave.
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It's the best Rush album.
Almost every time I pick up a guitar, Jacob's Ladder starts playing.
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Heard that. I was playing a few minutes of Natural Science an hour before seeing Hath's latest writeup. I don't know if it's the new guitar I've got or what but I was playing those verse arpeggios at the beginning more easily than ever tonight.
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It's the best Rush album.
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My favorite Rush album so far - will definitely appear on my list.
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Permawaves! :omg:
I have never listened to this one, how does it compare to Moving Pictures for you? :)
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Not my favourite but definitely in the Top 5 of Rush albums. Natural Science is probably my favourite here, with Freewill, The Spirit Of Radio and Different Strings as strong tracks as well.
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Natural Science on tour in '96 with Different Stages was unbelievable. Breaking that out after 16 years, and the lyrics... how appropriately they fit the times in '96. Jacob's Ladder... I'll always remember DT covering that for the Toronto crowd on the Score tour.
Another album that should be in every top 50.
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Permawaves! :omg:
I have never listened to this one, how does it compare to Moving Pictures for you? :)
Well, for starters, it's better :lol
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Permawaves! :omg:
I have never listened to this one, how does it compare to Moving Pictures for you? :)
Well, for starters, it's better :lol
And It doesn't bore me to tears. Yes. Moving Pictures is a boring album. Come at me. :coolio
Oh and that Weather Report album kicks ass. I'm not that into them but I still love Heavy Weather.
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Favorite Rush album and probably somewhere around #5 for me as well. This album only has two kinds of songs: freaking great songs and songs in which the term "freaking great" is such an understatement that it would be insulting.
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It's the best Rush album.
OH yeah. :2metal:
PW is my favorite Rush album (don't get me wrong, I dig the shit out of Moving Pictures but PW just hit it out of the ball park IMO).
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OH yeah. :2metal:
PW is my favorite Rush album (don't get me wrong, I dig the shit out of Moving Pictures but PW just hit it out of the ball park IMO).
Am I the only Rush fan who doesn't really like Moving Pictures? I like Tom Sawyer, YYZ and Limelight, that's it.
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Maybe the only one here at DTF, but I'm sure that there's people IRL who don't dig on it.
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Two great albums but PW pips MP for me. Not that there's alot in it.
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#4 - Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)
(https://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lss8x0Fy2g1r09ef6o1_1318137128_cover.jpg)
Short write-up since everyone knows this one. Around 1993 or 1994, I remember seeing an short blurb/article about John Myung in Bass Player magazine which was touting his work on Images and Words. I went to the local Blockbuster Music store (remember those?) to give it a try. It didn't hit me. For whatever reason, I was just not getting it at the time. Several years later I decide to give the band another try with Scenes From A Memory and A Change of Seasons and they finally clicked. I finally went back to I&W and found what I had been missing for nearly a decade.
I can't even imagine how those young guys came up with this stuff. The songs, arrangements, vocals, instrumental sections, solos . . . everything is out of this world (UAGM solo ftw!). Perfect synergy from five guys that are masters of their craft. The cornerstone of the genre.
"Metropolis watches and thoughtfully smiles
She's taken you to your home"
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Images and Words :heart
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Images and Words :heart
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Sure ain't no When Dream and Day Unite.
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You know, I had EXACT the same experience! A collegue of mine was playing a tape of I&W at work, and although I liked what I heard, it didn't hit me.
Then I got a short relationship with a gf who introduced met to bands like DT, Savatage and Psychotic Waltz. She played WDADU and I&W like mad, and still, it didn't completely did it for me.
Years later, after hearing Pull me under and Another Day, I went out and bought I&W, SFAM and Awake. BAM!! SFAM hit me first, though. Never looked back since.
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Sure ain't no When Dream and Day Unite.
::) :P
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It's my #1 of all time, so clearly I approve .
:floydapproves:
He does too.
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I do too.
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Greatest album of all time? Could be.
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Greatest album of all time? Could be.
Definitely in my Top 5.
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If I&W is #4, it better also be #'s 3, 2, and 1.
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hah! That is why we all get a chance to do our own.
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Greatest album of all time? Could be.
Definitely in my Top 5.
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OH yeah. :2metal:
PW is my favorite Rush album (don't get me wrong, I dig the shit out of Moving Pictures but PW just hit it out of the ball park IMO).
Am I the only Rush fan who doesn't really like Moving Pictures? I like Tom Sawyer, YYZ and Limelight, that's it.
Late to the party on this one, but Vital Signs is one of my absolute least favorite Rush songs. ugh. so you're not alone at least on that count. Witch Hunt is a good song but I never look forward to listening to it. The live version on A Show of Hands is quite good though.
Images and Words though, you can't argue with that. Listening to this when it came out when I was 16 changed the course of my musical taste. What a transformative experience...
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Album is okay in my opinion.... I never understood the hype towards it though.
I actually bought it because of all the hype and got hugely disappointed
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Classic. Easy choice!
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I&W is a very special album. Not only was it my first DT album, but it was my first exposure to Prog. Wow, what a roller coaster it was. I couldn't even process what I heard the first few spins, but I knew I loved it and it started a musical journey of incredible discovery. Good times. :hefdaddy
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#3 - Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
(https://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/UhVxo0RU85iSuxOkhuSlNA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/https://mit.zenfs.com/882/2012/01/master-of-puppets.jpg)
Metallica's greatest achievement and the best heavy metal album ever made in my opinion. I actually don't think this album was a huge jump from Ride the Lightning (especially considering RTL's improvements over Kill Em All) and it is actually interesting to compare the two albums song for song as there are a lot of similarities. However, it takes the Lightning formula and improves it in almost every way. Better songs, better production, better/more mature singing from Hetfield, and a darker atmosphere. Pretty soon after Metallica hooked me with "One", I got this album and RTL. RTL was an immediate success for me, but this one took its time to grow and eventually become my favorite album for several years before my musical palate expanded.
The bookends of "Battery" and "Damage, Inc" are pure thrash mayhem. The title track is simply a great thrash metal anthem. "The Thing That Should Not Be" is a great brooding monster story. Then we get to the patented Metallica ballad "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" with its instantly recognizable opening notes. "Disposable Heroes" and "Leper Messiah" are brilliant angry diatribes against hypocritical authority. With the penultimate track, we get a bright shining star of "Orion" that seems almost optimistic and positive amidst the sea of brash, aggressive malevolence that has come before and will come after. Alas, this was also the last album on which Cliff Burton would appear. Great bassist, and a creative force for the band which drew on a wide array of inspirations. Those "Orion" solos are superb. He was, and is, truly missed.
"Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you"
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Another solid addition. Love MoP. With the exception of the Jazz albums, our Top 50's are nearly identical, it's kinda scary.
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sounds like you need to get on board with the jazz then! ;)
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Great album! :tup
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I got that on cassette for my 16th birthday from a good buddy of mine down in Houston. Ah... those were the days... :metal
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Metallica :metal
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My all-time favourite. Great choice to top 3 :tup.
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My favorite Metallica disc!!
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Never could get in to this album. Too trashy for me.
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trashy or thrashy?
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trashy or thrashy?
Yeah, the latter. Missed a letter - or Apple auto-correct unfixed it for me.
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You blindman!
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jingle.boy, you just failed more than a 5 year old with a concussion taking a quantum mechanics exam.
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Metallica nailed this album. I have to say, they haven't come close since. Clearly it was the influence of Rush that made it so great, as noted in the liner notes :P
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the riff underneath "Fear of living on, natives getting restless now . . ." in "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" mirrors the Tom Sawyer riff
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That it does. I think that was Cliff's deal, he was the big Rush fan if I recall correctly. But yeah, great album obviously. Got it when I was 12, changed my life. What more can be said that hasn't been said.
Never could get in to this album. Too trashy for me.
:|
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jingle.boy, you just failed more than a 5 year old with a concussion taking a quantum mechanics exam.
Never could get in to this album. Too trashy for me.
:|
Knew I was gonna get flamed for the comment. Sorry, wasn't my thing in the 80s, and not really my thing in the mid 00s when I went back into musical discovery mode. If I'm being honest, 80s Metallica was kind of hit-and-miss ... FOR ME.
Musical tastes: Goddamn why does everyone have to have their own!!!! You should all just love what I love!! :lol
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Tastes are tastes, it's all good my brother from another mother. I don't think :| is flaming, it was more my reaction to a comment that I could not comprehend. Like if you'd said "I am Klytos from the planet Zarton, my mother is a tree and my father is a horse" my reaction would be the same: :|
Actually, I guess it would be more like: :|.....that's cool man :tup so I'll fix it:
Never could get in to this album. Too trashy for me.
:|.....that's cool man :tup
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It's all good Ryzee. Perhaps I used the term 'flamed' inappropriately. I interpreted it the way you intended. And I know Mason still envies my musical tastes, even though Bat Out Of Hell wasn't his thing. :biggrin:
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You coward!
You servant!
You blindman!
FTFY ;)
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BACK TO THE FRONT!!!
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:letam: :2metal: :metal
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It's all good Ryzee. Perhaps I used the term 'flamed' inappropriately. I interpreted it the way you intended. And I know Mason still envies my musical tastes, even though Bat Out Of Hell wasn't his thing. :biggrin:
:huh: Who can't dig Meatloaf? And I'm talking about the singer AND the food.
You coward!
You servant!
You blindman!
FTFY ;)
BACK TO THE FRONT!!!
:metal :metal :metal
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When did I say I didn't like the album? It's not my favorite thing ever, but its certainly not bad. It's more interesting than that Soul Secret album, just not something I'm going to reach for often. I got my $7 worth from it.
/cross-thread arguement
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When did I say I didn't like the album? It's not my favorite thing ever, but its certainly not bad. It's more interesting than that Soul Secret album, just not something I'm going to reach for often. I got my $7 worth from it.
/cross-thread arguement
Ok, fair enough.
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the riff underneath "Fear of living on, natives getting restless now . . ." in "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" mirrors the Tom Sawyer riff
good call, I can't believe I never picked up on that.
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#2 - Tower of Power - Back To Oakland (1974)
(https://www.deepoakland.org/~deepoak/files/images/back%20to%20oakland.jpg)
This was my introduction to Tower and the album still holds a special place for me as evidenced by its placement at #2. This is the middle album, between Tower of Power (#50) and Urban Renewal (#20), of what I consider to be the classic TOP triumvirate. I played this album pretty much on a continuous loop around 1997-98 and I never got tired of it. I can't stress enough about how tight this band sounds. The arrangements are fun and always interesting. The funky rhythms, hooks, solos and soulfulness just ooze out of every second of this album.
The album is bookended by a hot little number called "Oakland Stroke". And as always, the horn arrangements are top notch and played to perfection on songs like "Don't Change Horses" and "I Got the Chop". Lenny Williams really gets to show off his voice on "Just When We Start Makin It" and the stunningly beautiful and romantic "Below Us, All The City Lights". "Squib Cakes" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvJH0x1CTho) is an almost 8 minute instrumental where pretty much everyone gets to solo a bit, and every one of them is a treat to hear. Chester Thompson (not the Genesis one) plays the funkiest hammond B3 this side of Jimmy Smith. And that opening drum groove is amazing. Speaking of drums, David Garibaldi is one of the most inventive drummers you will ever hear. He has a unique ability to play a groove and make practically every beat sound fresh and exciting.
"There must be somthin' I can do
To get this message through to you
Sometimes I think you're on my side
Girl, you be changin' with the evening tide"
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Well, I listened to ToP for the first time today and I was pleasantly surprised. Not really my kind of music, but I'll probably come back to it when I'm in the mood for something like this.
Now get to #1 already! :P
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Well, I listened to ToP for the first time today and I was pleasantly surprised. Not really my kind of music, but I'll probably come back to it when I'm in the mood for something like this.
Now get to #1 already! :P
Sweet!!
Ok, I will try, try, try to get to #1 tonight. Most of the write-up is done.
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My guess:
(https://www.vibe.com/sites/vibe.com/files/images/LifeIsToShortTooShort.jpg)
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My guess:
(https://www.coverbrowser.com/image/worst-album-covers/42-1.jpg)
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dang it
/thread
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#1 - Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
(https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzd4kbikEy1qlo2mmo1_1329188816_cover.jpg)
Prior to 2001, I had no real musical (listening) direction. Before Rush, I really can't even remember what I valued when listening to music. It was primarily popular stuff I guess, with some country mixed in. I did like Metallica, but that was about it as far as metal or anything remotely progressive went. And Chicago was (and still is) a favorite of mine, from their early jazz-rock all the way through their sappy 80's love ballads. I had discovered Tower of Power, Jaco, and Weather Report a few years earlier, so they were in the mix - but as far as world class musicianship, that was it.
That all changed in 2001, when my brother made a CD-R for me that had a whole bunch of different music on it. Three tracks right in the middle of the disc happened to be "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta", and "YYZ". As soon as I heard them, I was like "holy crap, this drummer is awesome." Then I was like "holy crap, this is ALL awesome!" Those three songs were my musical awakening. Then "Limelight" became one of my favorite songs from Retrospective II (I mentioned in a previous entry that the two Retrospective compilations were my first Rush albums), and I noticed it was from the same album as the other three songs. Are you kidding me, this album has four of the greatest things I've ever heard? Then I got the album and after I heard those four, a song that would go on to surpass even those came on - "The Camera Eye" - a top 5 Rush song for me.
The songs are awesome, the playing superb, the production is excellent. The intros and outros are simply stunning. "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight", and "YYZ" have instantly recognizable opening moments. The intro to "The Camera Eye" is possible my favorite 3 and a half minutes in music. The outros to "Red Barchetta" and "Tom Sawyer" are gems as well. Ok, so "Vital Signs" is fairly pedestrian amongst the Rush song catalog, but even that track gave me a mind-blowing experience. Not long after I had purchased the album, I was listening through it late one night liying on the floor with my headphones on. As I was drifting in and out of sleep during the closing moments of the final song, the famous "everybody got to 'evelate' from the norm" line came on and provided me with quite the surreal experience.
Discovering Rush led me to Dream Theater and Symphony X, which led me to Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Discovering Neal Peart led me to Dave Weckl, Chick Corea, etc. and a renewed interest in jazz, both modern and traditional. All told, approximately 33 of the 50 albums on this list are here because Moving Pictures opened my eyes to a music world beyond what was directly in front of me and I am forever grateful. So in a way, you could say that the album title even has another meaning in that it moved me to another stage in my music listening experience.
"All the world's indeed a stage,
And we are merely players,
Performers and portrayers,
Each another's audience
Outside the gilded cage."
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:tup :tup :tup
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Can't argue with that. A true masterpiece :hefdaddy
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My first Rush album. Total classic :tup
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Excellent album! :tup
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Worthy number one! Great list overall. :tup
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I prefer Permanent Waves by the slightest of margins, but I can't really argue with it being someone's favorite. It's still a top 5 album for me.
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1. Tom Boner
2. Red Rocketta
3. YY-ZING!
4. Vinelike
5. The One Eye
6. Bitch Hunt
7. Penile Sins
That dicking around aside, I'll say it's a pretty enjoyable album. Folks can worship the front end of the album and call the last 3 subpar by comparison all they want but TCE is way epic in the way it feels like it's taking you on a journey once that choppy chord riff kicks in at 2:22. Witch Hunt may plod about but is way heavy and brooding in a way not often explored by Rush and it comes off well. VS is just plain awesome as well.
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Great write up, great number #1. Good job!
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Great write up, great number #1. Good job!
What he said. My 2nd fave rush, and it did make my top 10. Great list big boy.
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My favourite Rush album, and I totally agree with you on The Camera Eye :tup
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I still need to get into Rush.
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Great album and very deserving of #1, but I've always preferred Permanent Waves.
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I've tried time and again getting into Rush and they just don't do it for me. Musically nice, but completely, utterly boring to listen to.
I did enjoy reading your writeup though and it was a very cool list overall. :tup
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Nick is going to kill you.
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There are about five Rush albums I like better than Moving pictures, but it's still an absolute classic. Great pick. :tup
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Also, nice thing with the Morse code :tup
Moving Pictures is great, just listening to it now :)
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Also, nice thing with the Morse code :tup
Moving Pictures is great, just listening to it now :)
:tup
So yeah, I was trying to come up with a way to reference the album directly without completely giving it away.
thanks for the kind words, everyone!
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There is something magic about the sound of this album, even though it's not my favorite. The sound is so full and vivid. It is always a pleasure to listen to (although I usually skip Vital Signs.)
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There is something magic about the sound of this album, even though it's not my favorite. The sound is so full and vivid. It is always a pleasure to listen to (although I usually skip Vital Signs.)
definitely. That's kind of what I had in mind with the comment about the production. It's almost as if the music is there in front of you and could be touched.
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Nick is going to kill you.
I believe a line is forming now :lol
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It's a great album. No doubt about that. Worthy of being a number 1. It's not mine but for many years it was up there.
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I've always loved the first four songs of Moving Pictures, but could never get into the second half.
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I had a blast putting this together. Thanks to everyone who followed and commented. We laughed, we cried, we detonated a few warheads . . .
Here is the final list.
1 - Rush - Moving Pictures
2 - Tower Of Power - Back To Oakland
3 - Metallica - Master of Puppets
4 - Dream Theater - Images and Words
5 - Rush - Permanent Waves
6 - Weather Report - Heavy Weather
7 - Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
8 - Oliver Nelson - The Blues And The Abstract Truth
9 - Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
10 - Opeth - Blackwater Park
11 - Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
12 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
13 - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
14 - Boston - Boston
15 - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
16 - Metallica - Ride the Lightning
17 - Rush - Hemispheres
18 - Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
19 - Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
20 - Tower Of Power - Urban Renewal
21 - Opeth - Ghost Reveries
22 - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
23 - U2 - The Joshua Tree
24 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
25 - Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
26 - Opeth - Watershed
27 - Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
28 - John Coltrane - Blue Train
29 - Pink Floyd - Animals
30 - Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
31 - Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day
32 - Mastodon - Crack the Skye
33 - Bill Evans Trio - Village Vanguard Recordings
34 - Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
35 - Soundgarden - Superunknown
36 - Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
37 - Extreme - Pornograffitti
38 - Holst - The Planets
39 - Dave Weckl - Transition
40 - Neal Morse - One
41 - Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy
42 - Symphony X - The Odyssey
43 - Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
44 - Ayreon - 01011001
45 - Mastodon - The Hunter
46 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
47 - Dixie Dregs - What If
48 - Metallica - …And Justice For All
49 - Dan Swano - Moontower
50 - Tower of Power - Tower of Power
Later this week I'll throw in a few more honorable mentions.
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Very cool list! I enjoy pretty much everything on it :tup
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IMO Permanent Waves is much better than Moving Pictures, but that's not a knock on Moving Pictures at all. The Camera Eye is probably my favorite song from that album, and I remember my brother played MP to DEATH back then. :jets:
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Fantastic list.
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Apparently I'm some sort of prog nerd, because I guessed the album from the title. No, I'm not fluent on Morse code.
Moving Pictures is somewhere in the middle in my Rush albums. Witch Hunt and Vital Signs are a great one-two punch.
I remember my brother played MP to DEATH back then. :jets:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Individual_Thought_patterns.jpg)
amidoinitrite?
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(https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/Smileys/default/headbang.gif)
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I remember my brother played MP to DEATH back then. :lol
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Individual_Thought_patterns.jpg)
amidoinitrite?
:lol :lol :lol
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Here are some kitchen sink honorable mentions. Tried to pick out a few that get little to no play here.
Helmet - Meantime - pretty good groove metal here, also serves as proto-nu-metal, but is also considered one of the founding albums of post-metal.
(https://www.vvinyl.com/vvlibrary_images/6020_helmet_meantime.jpg)
Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese - quirky, experimental, funky (and funny) metal.
(https://www.musicdirect.com/images/product/medium/LDP132.jpg)
3 - The End Is Begun - A lot of you know this one. This is a very diverse album, as is most of their music.
(https://www.metalunderground.com/images/covers/3_-_The_End_is_Begun_cover.jpg)
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I loved that Helmet album when I was in high school. I'd break it out and listen to it, but I only have it on cassette tape :lol
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StSoC was my first Primus album. Good indeed. Jerry hooked me immediately and there are a lot of bass riffs on that album that are flat-out fun to play.
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Primus sucks ;)
I saw Primus in 2004, when they were playing Sailing the Seas of Cheese live in its entirety. Damn fine show that was. :metal