Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1. Spock's Beard - The Kindness of Strangers

This is probably still my favorite Beard's album - but I have it as 1998 in my archive. Is that not correct?

Yet another misfiling by my Windows media player. Came out in 1998. Ah well, congrats to Falling Into Infinity getting bumped to number 1!

Edit: HOLD UP. Discogs says 1997 too. https://www.discogs.com/Spocks-Beard-The-Kindness-Of-Strangers/master/313361 Checked my CD copy which also says 1997. Sorry FII!

I'm about 90% certain Discogs is wrong. I have the US version from Metal Blade and it says 1998...

I have the Radiant/Metal Blade version, and my CD says 1997. I’d post a picture but I don’t know how!

Wow, you guys must really love this album to not even know when it came out.

Ha! Well, it is really great, but I didn’t hear it until 2004, so it’s not like I experienced it in 1997. But also, I was right that it was released in 1997!

it would not be surprising if the 1997 copies were advanced or promos sent to Radio Stations, Magazines, etc.

Other than the discogs listing, every other site seems to show it being released in 1998, including on the band's official website.

I suppose that’s probably it, but I’m seeing May 1998 as the release date. Would they have sent promo copies out 6 months early? I’m pretty sure I ordered my copy new from Laser CD back in the day. Would be odd for them to sell a promo copy, right?

The Giant Electric Pea version was released February 9th, 1998. Then it was re-released through Metal Blade in May, for wider distribution purposes.

[HOF]

I’m guessing there must have been a misprint on one of the Metal Blade/Radiant runs and that’s why there are CDs out there with 1997 on them.

The plot thickens though. This page on Radiant has it as 1997 as well:

https://www.nealmorse.com/js_albums/spocks-beard-the-kindness-of-strangers/

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I’m guessing there must have been a misprint on one of the Metal Blade/Radiant runs and that’s why there are CDs out there with 1997 on them.

The plot thickens though. This page on Radiant has it as 1997 as well:

https://www.nealmorse.com/js_albums/spocks-beard-the-kindness-of-strangers/

We may never know the real release date Although I am starting to wonder if those Radiant ones were promo copies.

[nick_z]

I’m guessing there must have been a misprint on one of the Metal Blade/Radiant runs and that’s why there are CDs out there with 1997 on them.

The plot thickens though. This page on Radiant has it as 1997 as well:

https://www.nealmorse.com/js_albums/spocks-beard-the-kindness-of-strangers/

We may never know the real release date Although I am starting to wonder if those Radiant ones were promo copies.

We should just ask the band, at this point  Well, as far as this thread is concerned, I'll stick to 1998 and include the album in the next round. I'll say it again - it is probably my favorite Spock's Beard...the songwriting is so good, still kind of quirky but very catchy. Fantastic songs.

[SoundscapeMN]

I’m guessing there must have been a misprint on one of the Metal Blade/Radiant runs and that’s why there are CDs out there with 1997 on them.

The plot thickens though. This page on Radiant has it as 1997 as well:

https://www.nealmorse.com/js_albums/spocks-beard-the-kindness-of-strangers/

We may never know the real release date Although I am starting to wonder if those Radiant ones were promo copies.

We should just ask the band, at this point  Well, as far as this thread is concerned, I'll stick to 1998 and include the album in the next round. I'll say it again - it is probably my favorite Spock's Beard...the songwriting is so good, still kind of quirky but very catchy. Fantastic songs.

I just went onto Facebook to the Spock's Beard forum just to see what others may say or even recall buying a copy in 1997 like HOF recalled.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/spocksbeard/posts/4277820385665811/

This reminds me of the dredg Leitmotif release year contraversy. 1998, 1999, or even 2001 (Drew posted last week on Social Media it was released 20 years ago on that date, which I believe was the Major Label date, but the original Independent release date has often been in 1999, but also some people received copies in 1998 at shows or through the band, etc).

[HOF]

Just checked Interent Archive for the old Spock's Beard website that's listed on my copy of Kindness. It looks like January 20, 1998 was the official street date, so maybe those initial copies were all just printed in 1997.

https://web.archive.org/web/19980210202347/http://www.altura.com/jordanz/spocks_beard/sb/default.htm

On the samples page the tracks are copyrighted 1997, but it would make sense if that's when everything was printed but the CD didn't come out until January.

https://web.archive.org/web/19980210202729/http://www.altura.com/jordanz/spocks_beard/sb/samples.html

[KevShmev]

I kind of wandered away from this thread, but I'll jump back in.

1997:

01 Radiohead - OK Computer
02 The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are
03 Dream Theater - Falling into Infinity
04 Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine
05 U2 - Pop
06 Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
07 Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
08 Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
09 Metallica - ReLoad
10 Sammy Hagar - Marching to Mars

Also, I am not a big live album guy, but there are probably 8-10 live albums over the years that I still listen to, and two of them are from 1997:

Styx - Return to Paradise
Fleetwood Mac - The Dance

[ReaperKK]

Fleetwood Mac - The Dance

I can't believe I forgot about this. This was on VH1 all the time back then.

[jingle.boy]

Out of curiosity, what year do albums no longer become "retro"?

[TAC]

Out of curiosity, what year do albums no longer become "retro"?

https://youtu.be/YRRTc_3PGWE?t=36

[ReaperKK]

Even though it says retro I wouldn't mind going all the way until this year, unless everyone else disagrees

[HOF]

Isn't "retro" just short for "retrospective?" As in we're looking back at prior years and giving our albums of the year for each year. It's not a period, it's just anything before this year.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Isn't "retro" just short for "retrospective?" As in we're looking back at prior years and giving our albums of the year for each year. It's not a period, it's just anything before this year.

Or retrograde, retroactive, retrofit

[SoundscapeMN]

right.

"Retro" I think of anything from before the current time.

Also the fact this forum has done Albums of the Year topics since 2008 or 2009?, so any year before that, there never was one.

Plus enough time has passed since most of those years anyway, so for those years in the recent past, it can be looked at like an Update, 2.0, etc.

I'm up for continuing this topic all the way up-to, and including 2020.

It would be nice to do some kind of list for each year of the overall Rankings for all who posted theirs.
1 challenge I see in that is some people have just replied with just a list of albums, but they're not Ranked.
So in calculating votes, I'm unclear how to include those.

Although Each year could have 2 lists:
-1 being Ranked based on Album Rankings, weighting albums based on how high they are ranked, etc.
-1 being just counting every album listed as (1), each album vote being equal

I recall someone mentioned wanting to create a Spreadsheet and tabulate many of the years already, but never got around to it. I forget who as I'd have to scan this topic back many pages to remember. If they are still up for it, please go ahead and do it.

Otherwise, perhaps once we get through 2020, I'll go ahead and try working on that myself.

[ReaperKK]

I mentioned doing a spreadsheet and started putting one together, I'll see if I can work on it some more this coming week as I'm pretty slow at work.

[Trav86]

10 Sammy Hagar - Marching to Mars

This is such a great underrated record. I don’t think he has made one since that is this good.

[SoundscapeMN]

1998

note: I have dredg's "Leitmotif" for 1998, but it has been documented to being released in 1999 and 2001 as well, so more or less any of the 3 years would qualify for it. It is well documented though it was released INDEPENDENTLY before the Major Label release in 2001.

The year 1998 was a year I was in the thick of Dream Theater fandom I suppose, as I got to see them live for the 2nd time with ELP and Deep Purple.

And of course their new side project Liquid Tension Experiment came out on the heals of Falling Into Infinity, a polarizing record for many. LTE though most loved, and I will admit I did enjoy then, but probably more now as I wasn't as into instrumental rock music up until that point.

But looking at the rankings and calendar, 1998 was quite a deep year, compared to some other years. But at the same time, there doesn't seem to be any all-time favorites.

dredg's Leitmotif is a great debut album, quite original and does not overstay its welcome. And I came to learn about its cool concept/story after enjoying it for awhile. I suppose by default, and my love of dredg, it is my favorite album from 1998. But it's interesting scanning the list, many of the other albums I could easily rank higher than it, as many are albums that are my favorites from said artists (Superior, Jeff Buckley, Chroma Key, VAST, Mansun, Platypus, Pushmonkey).

But it's splitting hairs I guess. I look at this year and calendar as having many (20-25 or more) very good, 3.5-4 star albums. With a few at least bordering on 4.5.

In other words, not Top Heavy, but DEEP and in a matter of speaking.

1. dredg - Leitmotif
2. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
3. Superior - Younique
4. Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake
5. Jeff Buckley - Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)
6. Marillion - Radiation
7. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
8. Enchant - Break
9. Angra - Fireworks
10. Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
11. Mansun - Six
12. Fates Warning - Still Life
13. Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
14. VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
15. Spock's Beard - The Kindness of Strangers
16. Poncho Sanchez - Afro Cuban Fantasy
17. Platypus - When Pus Comes to Shove
18. King's X - Tape Head
19. Valinor's Tree - Kingdom of Sadness
20. Pushmonkey - Pushmonkey
21. Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily Is Aureoled
22. The Gathering - How to Measure a Planet?
23. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
24. Ty Tabor - Moonflower Lane
25. Marillion and the Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room
26. Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes
27. Soundscape - Man and Machine [EP]
28. Rush - Different Stages
29, Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
30. White Willow - Ex Tenebris
31. Without Warning - Step Beyond
32. Power of Omens - Eyes of the Oracle
33. OHO - Ecce OHO
34. Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 Soundtrack
35. Imogen Heap - I Megaphone
36. Al Di Meola - The Infinite Desire
37, Gorguts - Obscura
38. Wondermints - Bali
39. System of a Down - System of a Down
40. sElf - Brunch [EP]
41. The Rubinoos - Paleophonic
42. Poundhound - Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
43. Dream Theater - Once in a Livetime
44. At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
45. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
46. Metropolis - Shadows of the Past
47. Lenny Kravitz - 5
48. Lorde of All Desires - The Scent of Malevolence
49. Van Halen - Van Halen III

Concerts
8/23/98 Deep Purple/Emerson Lake and Palmer/Dream Theater - Grand Casino Hinckley, MN
10/19/98 King's X/Galactic Cowboys - Ground Zero Minneapolis, MN

[Dedalus]

It had been a while since I looked at this thread. Huge lists are being posted. 

Don't people complain anymore? 

[nick_z]

1998

...had this one ready to go...

Anathema - Alternative 4 (one of my favorites from them, if not THE favorite. Sadly, the last with Duncan Patterson. There is a sense of melancholy and “unease” here that they never quite had again, despite still producing beautiful records.)
Blind Guardian – Nightfall in Middle Earth (the start of the “new”, more complex BG. I don’t love it as much as Imaginations, but there’s a ton of memorable moments here)
Bruce Dickinson – The Chemical Wedding (another brilliant “solo” effort, a little heavier this time)
Pain of Salvation – One Hour by the Concrete Lake (my first POS. Production is kinda weird, but I still love this album)
Spock’s Beard – The Kindness of Strangers (as I said before, probably my favorite of theirs)
Rush – Different Stages (I wouldn’t normally have live albums in my top list, but I went nuts over this one, as it came out at the height of my initial Rush fandom. Great selection of songs, listened to it on repeat that year)
Liquid Tension Experiment – LTE (fun and exhilarating instrumental prog-metal)
Rage – XIII (less heavy, but beautiful combo of metal and orchestra)
Eldritch - El Niño (for me, the crowning achievement for these Italian prog-metallers)
Theatre of Tragedy – Aégis (ditching the cookie monster vocals, a great album of gothic metal, with lush sound and songs)
Sentenced – Frozen (another great set of songs from the Finnish gloomsters)
System of a Down - System of a Down (they would refine their sound with Toxicity – which I personally prefer – but this is a blast)
Nightwish – Oceanborn (not into this sound as much these days, but this was a mini-masterpiece in the nascent genre of symphonic power metal, or however we want to call it)
Chroma Key – Dead Air for Radios (great mood and songs from an old friend…)
The Gathering – How to Measure a Planet (the start of a trippier sound…waaay too long, but when they nail it, it’s beautiful)

The honorable mentions:

4 Hero – Two pages
Air – Moon Safari
Tori Amos – From the Choirgirl Hotel
Angel Dust – Border of Reality
Angra – Fireworks
Arch Enemy – Stigmata
Arena – The Visitor
Ayreon – Into the Electric Castle
Black Symphony – Black Symphony
Bob Catley – The Tower
Children of Bodom – Something Wild
Dare – Calm Before the Storm
Darkane – Rusted Angel
Dave Matthews Band – Before these Crowded Streets
Enchant – Break
Evergrey – The Dark Discovery
Fear Factory – Obsolete
Garbage – Version 2.0
Godsmack – Godsmack
Goo Goo Dolls – Dizzy Up the Girl
The Haunted – The Haunted
Helloween - Better Than Raw
HIM – Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
Iced Earth – Something Wicked This Way Comes
Labyrinth – Return to Heaven Denied
Yngwie Malmsteen – Facing the Animal
The Mayfield Four - Fallout
Mindfeed – Ten Miles High
Monster Magnet – Powertrip
Movida – Frammenti Simili
Opeth – My Arms Your Hearse
Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing
Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
Spiritual Beggars – Mantra III
Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days
Dan Swano – Moontower
Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus
Therion – Vovin
Threshold – Clone
Devin Townsend - Infinity
Turbonegro – Apocalypse Dudes
Unkle – Psyence Fiction
VAST – Visual Audio Sensory Theater

And still enough to do another little batch of lesser-known prog…

Abstracta – T.R.I.P.
Cairo – Conflict and Dreams
Ivory Tower – Ivory Tower
Mind Odyssey – Nailed to the Shade (I LOVE this one, could in fact almost make the top list. Pre-Rage Victor Smolski’s band. More on the power side of things, with great songs and fantastic guitar playing)
Mind’s Eye – Into the Unknown
Power of Omens – Eyes of the Oracle
Time Machine – Eternity Ends (from Italy, a little gem of melodic power-prog)
Without Warning - Step Beyond

[jingle.boy]

Damn Nick, you poached a couple of mine - including Ivory Tower and Mind's Eye. 

Not mentioned yet:
Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans of Time
Elegy - Manifestation of Fear
Explorer's Club - Age of Impact (so disappointing given the lineup)
Firehouse - Category 5
Magnitude 9 - Chaos to Control
Phantom's Opera - Following Dreams
Sebastian Bach & Friends - Bring 'em Bach Alive
Ten - Spellbound
TSO - The Christmas Attic
Von Groove - Chameleon

Light year for me.

[Stadler]

I was listening to a lot of Rush and Dream Theater then, but that was the year I met my first wife, and if I recall, that was a light year and there was a LOT of "catalogue" listening going on.

[TAC]

I was listening to a lot of Rush and Dream Theater then, but that was the year I met my first wife, and if I recall, that was a light year and there was a LOT of "catalogue" listening going on.

I was in the same general place. We got married and bought our house in '97, and I was promoted to Store Manager in '98. It wasn't until 99 or maybe even 2000 that I started a sort of reawakening to new music.

[nick_z]

Damn Nick, you poached a couple of mine - including Ivory Tower and Mind's Eye. 

Sorry 

Not mentioned yet:

Elegy - Manifestation of Fear

Magnitude 9 - Chaos to Control

Ten - Spellbound

Manifestation of Fear might be my favorite of the post-Hovinga albums, but in general none of those really wowed me (not for the singing btw...if anything, I prefer Parry to Hovinga)

I have a vague remembrance of seeing the Magnitude 9's album back in the day...I don't think I've actually heard it...

I like Spellbound, but my CD and archive say 1999...

[MirrorMask]

1998 was such a landmark year that I have to award the quintuple - or five pointed star - joint "best album of the year" award, 'cause it's impossible to choose:

1.1 - Blind Guardian – Nightfall in Middle Earth
1.2 - Bruce Dickinson – The Chemical Wedding
1.3 - Rage – XIII
1.4 - Virgin Steele - Invictus
1.5 - Iced Earth – Something Wicked This Way Comes

All these albums are fantastic masterpieces and a high water mark in those bands, or artists, carrer. Amazing and insane how they all came out in the same year!!!

And then, just a tiny little less behind (it's impossible to pick anyway...)

2. Shadow Gallery – Tyranny
3. Helloween - Better than Raw

Then trying to go on somehow in "order".....

Therion – Vovin
Metallica - Garage INC
Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings
Kamelot - Siége Perilous
Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Edguy - Vain Glory Opera
Sentenced – Frozen
Nightwish – Oceanborn
Angra – Fireworks
Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus
Jag Panzer - Age of Mastery
Iron Maiden - Virtual XI

[nick_z]

3. Helloween - Better than Raw

I had the year wrong on this one...Now added it to the 1998 list

[ReaperKK]

1998:

1. Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets - 5/5 - My favorite DMB release, fantastic album from start to finish
2. Korn - Follow The Leader - 4/5
3. Beck - Mutations - 4/5
4. dredg - Leitmotif - 4/5 - Great debut from one of my favorite bands
5. Buckethead - Colma - 3.5/5
6. Chroma Key - Dead Air For Radios - 3/5
7. Massive Attack - Mezzanine - 3/5
8. Kid Rock - Devil Without A Cause - 3/5 - I loved this album as a kid
9. Godsmack - Godsmack - 3/5
10. Jump, Little Children - Magazine - 3/5
11. Alanis Morissette - Supposed Former Infaturation Junkie - 3/5 - Pretty good follow-up album
12. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse - 2.5/5
13. UNKLE - Psyence Fiction - 2.5/5
14. 54-40 - Since When - 2/5 - There are a handful of really fantastic songs on this album
15. Candlebox - Happy Pills - 2/5
16. Fear Factory - Obsolete - 1.5/5
17. Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up The Girl - 1.5/5
18. DMX - Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood - 1/5 - One of my favorite albums when I was a kid, not so much anymore
19. Explorers Club - Age Of Impact - 0.5/5 - A collection of great musicians get together to make an awful album
20. Porcupine Tree - Metanoia - 0.5/5

[nick_z]

I absolutely adore El Cielo and Catch Without Arms but I never quite fell for Leitmotif. Haven't listened to it in forever, though - KK's and Soundscape's lists remind me I might have to...

 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

It had been a while since I looked at this thread. Huge lists are being posted. 

Don't people complain anymore? 

I gave my opinion of people complaining about long lists in several of my long lists 

I've been restricting mine to a top 50 and linking to the full list in my posts, in case anyone is interested...

[ReaperKK]

I absolutely adore El Cielo and Catch Without Arms but I never quite fell for Leitmotif. Haven't listened to it in forever, though - KK's and Soundscape's lists remind me I might have to...

I think it's a great album that has some flaws. There is a great blend of heavy riffage and the more atmospheric art rock stuff that they explore with El Cielo. The song writing is there through, "Penguins In The Desert", "Symbol Song", and "Yatahaze" are really strong tracks; "Lechium" is in my top 5 dredg songs of all time.

[Dedalus]

It had been a while since I looked at this thread. Huge lists are being posted. 

Don't people complain anymore? 

I gave my opinion of people complaining about long lists in several of my long lists 

I've been restricting mine to a top 50 and linking to the full list in my posts, in case anyone is interested...

Nice that you persisted. I gave up because of that. 

[jingle.boy]

Damn Nick, you poached a couple of mine - including Ivory Tower and Mind's Eye. 

Sorry 

Not mentioned yet:

Elegy - Manifestation of Fear

Magnitude 9 - Chaos to Control

Ten - Spellbound

Manifestation of Fear might be my favorite of the post-Hovinga albums, but in general none of those really wowed me (not for the singing btw...if anything, I prefer Parry to Hovinga)

I have a vague remembrance of seeing the Magnitude 9's album back in the day...I don't think I've actually heard it...

I like Spellbound, but my CD and archive say 1999...

I’ll update my tags then. 

And I also prefer Parry on the Elegy albums. I wasn’t terribly enamoured with their earlier ones.

[nick_z]

And I also prefer Parry on the Elegy albums. I wasn’t terribly enamoured with their earlier ones.

For me it's the opposite. I love Elegy's first three albums, and I'm not crazy about what came after. What I meant is that this is true despite the fact that I probably like Parry more than Hovinga. I mean, Hovinga certainly has a unique style, but the fact that he goes for the stratosphere so often gets a little tiring after a while  The songs are so good, though. I have a particularly soft spot for the debut, Labyrinth of Dreams.

[SoundscapeMN]

I absolutely adore El Cielo and Catch Without Arms but I never quite fell for Leitmotif. Haven't listened to it in forever, though - KK's and Soundscape's lists remind me I might have to...

I think it's a great album that has some flaws. There is a great blend of heavy riffage and the more atmospheric art rock stuff that they explore with El Cielo. The song writing is there through, "Penguins In The Desert", "Symbol Song", and "Yatahaze" are really strong tracks; "Lechium" is in my top 5 dredg songs of all time.

I don't enjoy it quite as much as El Cielo or CWA (or Pariah), but almost as much. I think that largely has to do with it being a little shorter. But i have grown to enjoy it a lot more than when i 1st got into them. When i saw them play it live in full in 2006, it kind of won me over a bit more than it had previously. And I follow why some consider it their favorite dredg album.

[nick_z]

I absolutely adore El Cielo and Catch Without Arms but I never quite fell for Leitmotif. Haven't listened to it in forever, though - KK's and Soundscape's lists remind me I might have to...

I think it's a great album that has some flaws. There is a great blend of heavy riffage and the more atmospheric art rock stuff that they explore with El Cielo. The song writing is there through, "Penguins In The Desert", "Symbol Song", and "Yatahaze" are really strong tracks; "Lechium" is in my top 5 dredg songs of all time.

I don't enjoy it quite as much as El Cielo or CWA (or Pariah), but almost as much. I think that largely has to do with it being a little shorter. But i have grown to enjoy it a lot more than when i 1st got into them. When i saw them play it live in full in 2006, it kind of won me over a bit more than it had previously. And I follow why some consider it their favorite dredg album.

Just finished a re-listen, and my feelings are more or less as I remembered...I agree it's a cool debut, and it's interesting to hear this transitional version of dredg that still retains a good amount of heaviness and aggression. It feels a little too rough around the edges, though. In part it's the charm of a debut album, but I think Gavin's vocals don't work super well in this context. Also agree Lechium is a great track and the best on the album.

[KevShmev]

1998 was a great year for music.

01 Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets
02 Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
03 Liquid Tension Experiment - Volume 1
04 Devin Townsend - Infinity
05 Tommy Shaw - 7 Deadly Zens
06 Spock's Beard - The Kindness of Strangers
07 Blue Oyster Cult - Heaven Forbid
08 Madonna - Ray of Light
09 Alanis Morissette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
10 Walter Trout - Walter Trout
11 Roine Stolt - Hydrophonia
12 Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
13 Van Halen - III
14 Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
15 Bruce Hornsby - Spirit Trail