Every year around this time (actually, it's usually later than this, but it's been unseasonably cool and dreary for the last month) there are a few albums that I break out and rediscover. They completely capture the feel of the sights and sounds of autumn. The smell and the crispness of the air, and the melancholy of the sun setting earlier and earlier.

Anyway, those albums are:

Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs
Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory
Me'shell Ndegeocello - Bitter


Those are some of mine. What are yours?

David Bowie - Heathen


this also reminds me of fall, but it's not one i strongly tie to the season or automatically put into rotation at the time.

I think in these terms quite often myself.

Right off the top of my head I think of Bjork's "Homogenic" during this time of year (late summer) and "Medulla" right in the heart of Fall.

Definitely Tori's "From the Choirgirl Hotel"

GangstaFam said:

There's something moving under
Under the ice
Moving under ice – through water
Trying to get out of the cold water
"It's me"
Something, someone – help them
"It's meeeee"

(Kate Bush)

And The Sensual World too

Secrets of the Beehive by David Sylvian.....or any other of his solo-albums

Around the World in a Day

Purple Rain

Sezen Aksu´s " Yaz Bitmeden " ( " Before the Summer is Over" )

Sezen Aksu´s " Adi Bende Sakli "

Lots and lots of Zeki Müren stuff...the sun, the master...may he rest in peace

Maxwell´s Embrya and Urban Hang Suite

Erykah Badu´s Mama´s Gun

...and lots of old school soul, RnB and Funk....especially in the morning.

PANDURITO said:

Actually, I think of Gil Scott-Heron's "Pieces of a man" as the sound of someone wandering through New York's side streets in autumn.
And of course Marvin Gaye's "What's going on?" because of its sound and artwork.

Tessa said:

Bitter without fail it seems like.
LoversRock - Sade
Revelling/Reckoning - Ani DiFranco
The Downward Spiral - NIN
Musicology - Prince
Sweetback
[Edited 9/15/06 5:52am]

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left. This album even sounds like autumn.
[Edited 9/15/06 8:29am]

Well . . .

1. Fiona Apple's Tidal

One of the best debut albums ever, imho. It's so moody and rich with the perfect tinge of sadness for a lonely fall day.

2. Joni Mitchell's Blue

I'm relatively new to all things Joni, but I listened to this a lot last fall.

3. Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes

It's old-school, brilliant Tori that's so achingly good.

4. Radiohead's The Bends

Thom Yorke has an outstanding, haunting voice. Just beautiful.

5. Sinead O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Nobody sings like her. This is one of my favorite albums.

6. Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head

This is their best album to date imo. It's got very good, simple piano work and a gorgeous somber quaity to it.

7. Counting Crow's August and Everything After.

Produced by the supremely talented T-Bone Burnett, this is my perfect fall album. It's title even suggests that this is exactly what it is. In any case, this is one of my favorite albums of all time.

8. Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut.

This album is a treasure trove of little acoustic gems that sparkling with Tracy's unique voice. It's powerful and understated. Just fantastic really.

Well, obviously, I like the sad stuff. The fall and winter are my favorite times of year. Go figure.

I don't think of albums in terms of seasons (except for Christmas records naturally). I do however see albums as night vs. day listening. New wave sounds good to me early in the morning. Mellow stuff like Feist or Mazzy Star is great for driving late at night. Unless I'm going to a club, then give me something loud. But driving back home afterward, it's back to mellow.

REM - Automatic For the People

..."September's coming soon..."

Probably my #1 autumn album ever.

JackieBlue said:

Good one. Definitely.

GangstaFam said:

Oh YES! And the live DVD for they eye!

Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream.
Smashing Pumpkins-Adore(thought this album is more of a winter album)
Nico-every album.

I agree ~ David Sylvian's Secrets Of The Beehive ~ was just listening to this tonight.
Nick Drake is a great choice and Joni ~ ALWAYS!!!!
Dead Can Dance ~ Aion is wonderful for autumn
I also have a Hearts of Space show called Gothica that is sublime for this time of year.

madonna ~ "bedtime stories"
kylie minogue ~ "impossible princess"
sade ~ "lover's rock"
morrissey ~ "viva hate"
björk ~ "homogenic"
5 ~ "luxury of life"
billie holiday ~ anything and everything
ella fitzgerald ~ anything and everything
nat king cole ~ anything and everything
george michæl ~ "listen without pejudice vol 1."
lisa stansfield ~ "lisa stansfield"
terence trent d'arby ~ "symphony or damn"
the doors ~ "best of..."
lisa loeb & nine stories ~ "tails"
britney spears ~ "britney"
sting ~ "nothing like the sun"
cyndi lauper ~ "a night to remember" & hat full of stars"



¤
[Edited 9/15/06 23:18pm]

nearly all my favorit albums are autumnal albums!





Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - "Out of Season"




Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "The Boatman's Call"




Marianne Faithfull - "Before the Poison"




Tori Amos - "From The Choirgirl Hotel"




Miles Davis - "Nefertiti"




Emiliana Torrini - "Fisherman's Wife"




Björk - "Vespertine"




PJ Harvey - "Is This Desire?"




Martina Topley Bird - "Quixotic"




Beck - "Sea Change"




Sybille Bayer - "Color Green"




Bruce Springsteen - "Nebraska"




Antony & The Johnsons - "I am a Bird Now"




Tricky - "Maxinquaye"




Damien Rice - "O"




Ryan Adams - "Cold Roses"




Arcade Fire - "Funeral"




Björk - "Vespertine (Live)"




Joni Mitchell - "Blue"




Nick Drake - "Pink Moon"


they vary from late summer/beginning autumn to the more darker and desolate
late autumn/early winter moods. i love reflective, snoring music.

in fact, some of them may be straight up winter albums for you, but over here
the autumns can get so dark and bleak that they probably are more like winter
in other places of the world. lol.

CHIC0 said:

I can see that. "Erotica" even more.

IstenSzek said:

That's always the first album I think of as being Winter.

hmmm good topic

a lot of Tori Amos music
Bjork - Vespertine
The Beatles
Radiohead
Prince- Rave
coldplay parachutes
wilco - yankee hotel foxtrot
john mayer - heavier things, continuum
beck stuff

David Sylvian - 'Secrets Of The Beehive'


Beck - 'Sea Change'


Duncan Sheik - 'Duncan Sheik'


Branford Marsalis - 'Requiem'


The Cranberries - 'No Need To Argue'


Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - 'Duke Ellington & John Coltrane'


Lizz Fields - 'By Day By Night'


Nick Drake - 'Five Leaves Left'


Tears For Fears - 'The Hurting'


The Vince Guaraldi Trio - 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'

I start pulling out all kinds of goth, industrial, and neo-folk stuff. Fall is my favorite time of year and when I feel the most creative.

Interesting article...

http://www.allmusic.com/c...l=61::69VP

the Nightmare Before Christmas.

nice article

Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson
Radiohead - Kid A
Sigur Ros - Aegaetis Byrjun
Mansun - Six
James Blackshaw - Sunshrine
Can - Tago Mago

amongst others

Yes, Sea Change, absolutely! It has that sad feeling about it.
And the las couple of days I've been listening a lot of Radiohead and Bjork and Miles' In A Silent Way and the new Nouvelle Vague album.