Author Topic: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #1: love is the dance of eternity  (Read 46867 times)

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Offline Sacul

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #210 on: April 08, 2016, 10:58:55 AM »
I'm ok with its position, and definitely agree with the first paragraph  :tup

Offline Zantera

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #211 on: April 08, 2016, 11:10:00 AM »
Didn't even appreciate Ayreon at the peak of my prog fanboyness, but I expect a lot of prog in this list so not surprised.. :P

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #212 on: April 08, 2016, 11:17:14 AM »
Didn't even appreciate Ayreon at the peak of my prog fanboyness, but I expect a lot of prog in this list so not surprised.. :P

There is some more prog coming, yeah.
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Offline Train of Naught

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #213 on: April 08, 2016, 11:17:30 AM »
I guess Ayreon is not for me, listened to THE three times but still.. nothing. And I'm a pretty big prog fan overall.
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Online Evermind

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #214 on: April 08, 2016, 11:21:21 AM »
I'm ok with its position, and definitely agree with the first paragraph  :tup

Quote
but I have kind-of grown out of progressive metal album, especially long-winded concept albums like this one.

I don't think you can call it "growth". I mean, you started to like an excellent album less and less, it's not growth. :biggrin:
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #215 on: April 08, 2016, 11:41:01 AM »
I don't known then; my tastes changed I guess :biggrin:
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Offline Tomislav95

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #216 on: April 08, 2016, 11:56:14 AM »
I used to like THE more... but it is still decent, especially first part.
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Offline Onno

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #217 on: April 08, 2016, 02:50:55 PM »
Of all the Ayreon albums, I've only heard THE, 01011001 and The Theory of Everything. THE is the only one I own and really like. Haven't heard the rest but 01011001 was cool but not really my style and pretty cheesy and I just never got into TToE. I have to say, although the lyrics are pretty bad the story as a whole is really cool.

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #35: cold, but wonderful
« Reply #218 on: April 08, 2016, 03:34:58 PM »
number 35 is incoming..

---

35. Flaming Row – Elinoire (2011)



Two concept albums in a row!? Yes, we have reached the short prog corner of my top 50 and a brilliant one at that. ‘Elinoire’ is one of the better discoveries I had in 2013 (thanks a bunch, Chad! Don’t be mad at the ‘low’ placement) and an awesome album overall. Flaming Row is the brainchild of guitarist and all-round multi-instrumentalist Martin Schnella, who we know of.. nothing else entirely, but he manages to bring along a bunch of awesome people on this almost 80-minute, 17-track record. Among the people playing on this record are the amazing Gary Wehrkamp and Brendt Allman from Shadow Gallery and a bunch of people you have likely never heard of.

Similarly to the Ayreon album, this album features a ton of vocalists who all portray a different character. Where the singers on the Ayreon album all depicted a certain emotion, on ‘Elinoire’ the singers portray more abstract concepts, such as Spirit, Past, Liberty and Time, among some key characters in the storyline. There is a story to this album, but the lyrics leave it rather vague what actually happens, but it has something to do with infidelity, a mother dying at the birth of her daughter Elinoire and some background with a grandfather – I simply do not know.

That said, even though the lyrics are probably important to the story, in some cases they are unintelligible, because there are multiple vocalists singing at the same time (Initiation Fugato) and there’s a couple of screams here and there on the album. Also, this album features some very bad English, which I won’t share here (‘my camouflage is uncovered now’, sorry I did it anyway, but there’s more than just this line), so let’s just assume that the lyrics are not the focal point of the album.

On the music itself then! Yes, this is what we’re here for, because all of it is gorgeous. Featuring an abundance of different music styles, ranging from heavy metal, to rock, to jazzy parts and even funk and country, this album goes a lot of different directions without ever losing track of its core sound; a rather dark blend of relatively low-pitched vocals and clearly audible guitars. Among the album’s 17 tracks there’s so many highlights, that my picks for songs down here could differ the next day, because there’s much different stuff on there. Tracks like the brooding Lea’s Delivery or the powerful prog-tune Unearth the Truth didn’t even get a mention, but the truth of it is really that all of it is amazing. True to form, the album is held together by recurring musical themes, as well as the odd lyrics here and there. The highlight of this album’s music for me will have to be the amazing guitar playing throughout though; there’s not a bad note to be found and the sounds are huge. Massive props to Brendt Allman’s closing guitar solo on the album’s final song, my favourite song on the record as well, but Mr. Schnella knows his way around the instrument too. And he shows it. Looking for some very interesting, contemporary progressive metal that goes some unexpected places without losing its catchiness and likeability? Check this one out.

Favourite song: A Place to Review Your Soul
Other songs worth checking out: Time Mirror, Elinoire, Rage of Despair
Other stuff by this band: Flaming Row released ‘Mirage – A Portrayal of Figures’ in 2014, which is awesome as well. It’s got some songs on it that are better than some moments on ‘Elinoire’ (Journey to the Afterlife may well be my favourite Flaming Row song), but overall, it’s a little less consistent. Both albums are amazing though.
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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #35: cold, but wonderful
« Reply #220 on: April 08, 2016, 05:19:01 PM »
Yes... WAY too low.  35 spots too low.  While THE is my #2 album of ALL-TIME, Elinoire (which is the name of my iPhone, btw  :lol), is my #1 album discovery of the last 15 years, and topped my Top 50v2.  I get what you say about the lyrics, and there's a 1/2 dozen or so of those moments, but I chalk it up to weak German:English translation skills.

Flawless album.  Now I know what I'm listening to on my flight home tonight.
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Offline 425

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #36: emotions. I remember..
« Reply #222 on: April 08, 2016, 07:38:17 PM »
And Pain is a nice song, definitely not my favourite though. Verses are great, but the chorus is one of those rare things I'm not too fond of on this album. I've got to say it was killer in a live setting though, with both growls and Mike Mills belting out those shrill incredible high notes.

Really? That's quite interesting. The chorus to Pain is one of my favorite parts of the whole album. And I would absolutely pick it out as one of the top songs.
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Offline Crow

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #35: cold, but wonderful
« Reply #223 on: April 08, 2016, 07:38:54 PM »
evermind doesn't like it because of the growls  :lol

Offline Sacul

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #35: cold, but wonderful
« Reply #224 on: April 08, 2016, 07:43:29 PM »
I think it doesn't fit with the dark atmosphere of the song.


Online Evermind

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #35: cold, but wonderful
« Reply #226 on: April 09, 2016, 03:59:07 AM »
Elinoire is great. :tup
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #227 on: April 09, 2016, 05:22:24 AM »
This album needs no intriduction.

---

34. Yes – Close to the Edge (1972)



What can I say that has not yet been written on this album? This is one of the shortest albums on the entire list as it runs at under 40 minutes. With just three tracks on here, this is surely a progressive rock record, and a damn fine one at that. The album’s three songs are pretty similar in style and feature some of Yes’ finest moments. Often regarded as one of their best efforts, it’s certainly an album to be reckoned with.

Starting off the album is the centrepiece and by far the longest track on the album, the title track. Close to the Edge is probably my favourite Yes song and due to its length it contains this album’s finest moments. After a very weird intro of which I still sometimes wonder how the hell they composed that, the proper track begins, a very melodic and progressive masterpiece featuring outstanding performances from all band members. The second track, And You And I is another classic by Yes and is a little slower than the title track. The album closer is probably among the most under-appreciated songs in Yes’ catalogue. Siberian Kathru is a rather funky song, based on a couple of repeating riffs. It’s a very nice upbeat closer to the album,but considering the strength of the first two tracks, it’s easy to see how this track receives less praise.

So, that’s that. It’s undeniable that Yes had a great impact as a band on the progressive rock scene and this album is a great example of that. From the blistering bass lines by Chris Squire (RIP), to the fantastic guitar playing by Steven Howe, Rick Wakeman’s keyboard wizardry and Bill Bruford’s tight drums to Jon Anderson’s characteristic vocal lines, this is an album that will go down as one of the most important in the history of progressive rock, and rightfully so.

Favourite song: Close to the Edge
Other songs worth checking out: And You And I, Siberian Kathru
Other stuff by this band: While this one is my favourite, the band released other great stuff in their ‘classic’ period. I can definitely recommend ‘Fragile’ (my second favourite by them) and if you’re more into prog-wankery go for ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’ or ‘Relayer’.
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Offline jakepriest

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #228 on: April 09, 2016, 05:23:34 AM »
 :corn


Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #230 on: April 09, 2016, 05:26:22 AM »
Oh my god stop it :lol
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Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #231 on: April 09, 2016, 05:33:40 AM »
Yeah, this album's kind of one of the best ever made.

I don't really see how Tales is "wankery" though. To me, that suggests shredding solos, in which case it's about the least wanky of Yes' albums. Tales is all "how about keyboard soundscapes or tribal drumming and chanting for the next 5 minutes".

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #232 on: April 09, 2016, 05:36:00 AM »
You had this one in your top 10 right?

I said that about Tales mainly because it's so much less accessible and will probably be seen as 'wankery' or 'going nowhere' by both prog-fans and people not interested in the genre alike. I read that Yes got a huge backlash after Tales, just because the music was so outlandish for that time.
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Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #233 on: April 09, 2016, 05:55:27 AM »
Close To The Edge is a masterpiece, nothing more needs to be said.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #234 on: April 09, 2016, 06:35:37 AM »
Yeah, I think CTTE was Top 10. If not, about there somewhere.

We're probably on the same wavelength with Tales. I like the idea of recommending people check out both a more accessible work of theirs, and one of their more out there experimental albums to get a taste of both. I just associate the word wankery with virtuosic shreddy solo sections, which are pretty much completely absent on Tales.

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #235 on: April 09, 2016, 07:26:11 AM »
Perfection. Top 10 material for me.

Offline senecadawg2

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #236 on: April 09, 2016, 08:35:14 AM »
Top 5 for me.

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #237 on: April 09, 2016, 08:40:27 AM »
Really, really good. I'm becoming quite a big Yes fan, don't think Tales is that good either, I love The Gates Of Delirium, which doesn't seem to be a popular opinion, and I really love Close To The Edge, which is.
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Offline Crow

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #238 on: April 09, 2016, 09:35:30 AM »
i'm familiar with about 75% of this album and the title track is definitely fantastic

Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #239 on: April 09, 2016, 10:51:27 AM »
This one's about 34 places too low.

Offline Elite

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #240 on: April 09, 2016, 11:01:23 AM »
I can't please everybody I guess, sorry :/
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Offline Crow

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #241 on: April 09, 2016, 11:35:04 AM »
saying something is "X places too low" where X is its ranking implies that you want it to be #0 on the list btw, it's really getting on my nerves

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #242 on: April 09, 2016, 11:36:03 AM »
I can't please everybody I guess, sorry :/

It's all good bro.  We all know that Overhaul will be #1.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #34: seasons will pass you by
« Reply #243 on: April 09, 2016, 11:37:35 AM »
I can't please everybody I guess, sorry :/

It's all good bro.  We all know that Overhaul will be #1.

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Offline Elite

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Elite's top 50 albums v. - 3 Years Older: #33: is there life on mars?
« Reply #244 on: April 09, 2016, 03:22:58 PM »
I don't usually wear that though :lol

---

33. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)



I was truly shocked when the news hit that David Bowie had died at the beginning of this year. I can’t really say that I’m huge fan of his, considering I haven’t heard all his records, nor did I know what the guys was up to lately, but there’s a couple of his albums that I really like and this is one of them.

Certainly one of the more ‘unique’ albums on my list, at least in the sense that stylistically this is rather different from all albums thus far, nor does anything from the remainder of this list sound alike. David Bowie proves on this album that he is a very good songwriter, as shown in the differences between the album’s 11 tracks. Featuring the great late Mick Ronson on guitar, Bowie’s go-to axeman, as well as Yes pianist Rick Wakeman behind the keys and David Bowie himself on lots of different instruments, including the saxophone, this album surely has some great musicianship.

Every track here is good, but my favourite track has to be Life on Mars?, in my opinion one of the better songs ever written. The chorus to Quicksand is also a highlight of the album, featuring a bunch of diminished chords that left young guitarists in the 70’s wondering what the hell happened when they tried to figure out the chords by ear. Furthermore, the album is quite diverse, with for instance the rocking Queen Bitch, but  also containing the far more laid-back ballad Eight Line Poem.

While I would like to say that this is David Bowie’s masterpiece, that would not be fair, as I haven’t heard all of his material. Of the stuff I have heard though, the songs on ‘Hunky Dory’ are among my favourites. The album has great flow, though it might sound dated due to its oldness. Give it a chance though, the song-writer is nothing short of superb,

Favourite song: Life on Mars?
Other songs worth checking out: Quicksand, Song for Bob Dylan, Changes
Other stuff by this band: If you want stuff similar in style, go for either ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ or ‘Aladdin Sane’. Both are great records in every way. Later on in his career, Bowie released records in very different styles as well. I’m not the greatest Bowie connoisseur, but the chart on this page gives a good example of what to expect.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2016, 03:04:19 AM by Elite »
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