Moonbeam said:

No such thing.

"Thriller" the best of all time, are you fucking kidding me? Its not even MJ's best album (Off the Wall is WAY better). There are some incredibly shitty songs on there (the girl is mine? )

Best of all time huh?

The Beatles - Revolver

An album that never ages. It sounds better with each listen. The top group of the rock era at the top of their game. Each members contribution is as necessary as the other's. It doesn't get better than this.

Close follow up for me is The Band's - Music from Big Pink. A totally orginal album about realtionships, roots, and family being performed by a bunch of very talented musicians. Richard Manuels voice is just simply beautiful on here. This is another album that gets better with each listen. I discovered this about 10 years ago (I liked "The Weight")...and I STILL find new things on it when I listen to it.

Finally these are both albums, that when put in the CD player, I don't hit stop until they are finished.

The Clash: first album (self titled) UK version



The Ramones: first album (self titled)




[This message was edited Thu Jan 23 16:10:53 PST 2003 by DrEverythingWillBeAlright]

tori amos: boys for pele.

no question. i've yet to hear an album with that much focus and that much passion. every song is a gem, and she never loses her focus on it. musically, it was a departure from her other records. she radically changed her sound, but kept her overall "tori-ness," if that makes any sense.

DavidEye said:

"the Lady in My Life" is a Jam.

DavidEye said:

I can Relate.

this is so tough but 3 I have too have near the top are:"What's going On" Marvin Gaye,"Off The Wall" Michael Jackson&"Sketches of Spain" Miles Davis with Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions"&Earth,Wind&Fire's "All -N-All'just outside of those 3 IMHO.too hard for me because I dig so many Albums.

thechronic said:

nobody should ever have too explain "Thriller" it forever changed the way Pop Music was seen&Heard in the MTV Era IMHO.it broke down Barriers&Doors.on Impact alone nothing has matched what did for Race&the Business.

nas3110 said:

A fair comment.

I guess this thread should have been called "What's your favourite album of all time?"

My favorites are Prince's Sign of the Times, Stevie's Songs in the Key of Life, Elton John's Blue Moves, Billy Joel's River of Dreams, Ben Folds Five (self titled debut), and Steely Dan's Aja.

All of those are pretty much tied for favorites all because there's not a bad song on any of these albums and they all flow together so beautifully and each album has a common theme within the album (though different emotions are expressed throughout).

I almost wanted to add Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" to that list, but damn, I just have to skip over Heal the World everytime!

single favorite album- I'd have to say Sign of the Times- It's the one album that represents everything I love about music (every style is displayed, every emotion is expressed, part uplifting, part sad, all thought-provoking).

But mostly it just kicks my ass.

This is an easy one for me. I will go with the already mentioned 1999 by Prince.

Why? Just listen to this album and then remind yourself it was 1983. Nothing around at the time sounded anything like 1999. The album was full of some of the funkiest cuts ever recorded. DMSR and Lady Cab Driver are just in your face funk but filled with twists and turns you wouldn't get out of any "normal" funk jam. Some of the cuts (All the Critics, Free and Let's Pretend We're Married) I didn't get right away. They were too different and my ears were,'t ready to hear them. It took 6-10 listens with head phones before I could truely "tune in" to what Prince was doing. That is a real sign that somoene is creating something totally different than what has come before it. This album also had a huge effect on black music of the 80's. Shortly after this Ready for the World and others, used the "sound" of 1999 as a blueprint for their own shit. This is also the album where I feel Prince became the "Classic" Prince that will be remembered 50 years from now. 1999 was the middle between what P started with Dirty Mind and finished with Purple Rain. It falls right in the middle of Prince's most creative period (IMO) This was the album that turned me from a Prince fan to a Prince fanatic (musically that is) While many non or casual Prince fans think of Purple Rain as classic Prince, many of us know the purple "reign" started a year earlier. So mark me down for 1999 as the best album of all time.

thechronic said:

"The Girl Is Mine" is gr8! But u're right about The Lady In My Life", that song SUCKS.

Oooppps...wrong quote.

DavidEye said:

vespertine said:

Wow. That's my favorite album by her too. Not many people rate it as one of her best. Glad to see it get some recognition.

I would probably have to choose Innervisions by Stevie Wonder -- just a flawless project.

As for the Thriller discussion, I love that album too (but I think I actually prefer Off The Wall). "Lady In My Life" is actually my favorite song on Thriller.

PJ Harvey-Is this desire

The electronic and organic musical elements come together in a tidal wave of depth as PJ adds her beautiful breath to create a truly moving experience. I love this album to death!

todd305 said:

great pick on "Thriller" only folks that don't have MJ Bias can Hear a Great Song there IMHO.

Here is my explanation for 1999.

There is no point arguing why 1999 is my favorite album as taste is entirely suggestive. This is going to be more of a reflection of why I think it is THE greatest album ever.

"1999" was incredibly relevant at the time and its messages loom large today as well. In 1982, the world was in a mess. AIDS was festering in Africa. The Soviet Union and the USA were entrenched in the frigid Cold War. The tension in the Middle East was augmented. The world's economy experienced an enormous crash, rendering several countries in South America and Africa paupers in the world market (many of which have not recovered). Who wasn't worried about the troubled times? "1999" tunes in perfectly to those fears. The title track is a viciously funky premonition of not only the current state of affairs, but things to come. Prince really tapped into his view of the future with this album. The forboding messages of the title track are echoed in future classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Crystal Ball," but none are as timely nor as timeless as "1999," which is funny as "1999" is tied to a specific date.

"1999" also reigns supreme due to its paradoxes. Whether it be Prince clamoring, "I'm in love with God, he's the only way" in juxtaposition with "I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth" in "Let's Pretend We're Married," the dedication of a sexual thrust to "love without sex" in the midst of the passion of "Lady Cab Driver" or the sonic paradox of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)," a song literally being torn apart by the opposing forces of order in the form of the computerized synth and turbulence in the passion of Prince's guttural screams and the beat which is systematically chaotic, Prince was clearly functioning on a new level with this album, not just personally, but in music as a whole. Nothing previous to this had been as irreverant as "Let's Pretend We're Married," only to turn a complete 180 and declare love of God. Nothing prior to this had seen a song effortlessly blend the primitive outburst of screaming and the forward-looking sound of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)." What was this guy thinking?

"1999" also earns the award because it breaks so many formats. The smash singles are all placed at the beginning of the album, after which it meanders into much darker, experimental territory. The outburst of raging, swaggering funk in "Let's Pretend We're Married," "DMSR," "Automatic," "Lady Cab Driver" and "All the Critics Love U in New York" are stunning not because they are so drawn out (all but "All the Critics" are over 7 minutes in length), but because they still seem concise. Not a beat was misused, not a measure was misplaced. Speaking of "All the Critics Love U in New York," this song stands out not only as the most experimental song in Prince's career, but among the most experimental music of the modern era. Supremely funky, Prince turns a swipe at critics and hippies alike into a nasty, frenetic, rhythmic explosion over seemingly disinterested, lazy half-rapping.

"1999" has a distinct sound. The entire album is tied together by a common sound, with instantly recognizable beats, synths and attitude. Despite this bond, the songs are easily distinguishable from each other. Regardless, no song on "1999" can be mistaken for being on any other album. I believe that albums work best that stretch the palate of one sound as far as it can go. "1999" is arguably Prince's most minimalist work, employing few instruments in the mix, yet it propogates a dense fog of funk that sounds both sparse and forbodingly full. Prince pushed himself to his creative limit with this album and the outtakes most associated with it. Prince incorporates inexplicable gurgling sounds, elephant noises, soldier footsteps and city noises into the mix and they perfectly fit the scheme of the music, sounding as if they were recorded for the sole purpose of inclusion on this album. Other albums also are deeply rooted with a single sound, but none, with perhaps the exception of David Bowie's "Low," Prince's "Lovesexy" and Bjork's "Vespertine," involve as much creativity. "1999" is a black beacon of forboding funk.

"1999" also rules the rest because it was recorded by an incredibly gifted artist on the brink of superstardom. This was the LAST music Prince recorded before becoming a bonafide mega-star. It exhibits all of the hunger, drive and determination of the first four releases, but it adds a confident swagger and a new maturity as well. This was Prince's rite of passage into manhood. Prince KNEW this music was legendary and stood out on its own. It didn't need any gimmicks- it didn't need Prince to grace the cover in some provocative pose. The music spoke for itself. Anything recorded after "1999" was created by someone who was already a household name. "1999" came from a relative unknown, making it all the more surprising.

Lastly, "1999" is so stunning because it is entirely the work of one man. Certainly, studio engineers were involved in the mix. Prince even includes "the Revolution" for the first time on this album. However, Dez Dickerson's influence is nowhere on this record. It's not Matt Fink's vision. This album is 100% Prince himself. Not only does Prince unveil all of his cards in this release, he turns them over in your face, making them impossible to ignore. This album is the culmination of his genius, the pinnacle of an artist whose talent is unrivaled by anyone of the modern era.

I rest my case.

Pink Floyd's THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.

What i feel makes it the greatest album of all time,besides the fact that it remained in the Billboard Top 200 album charts for 14 years and its creepy and amazing symmetric connections to THE WIZARD OF OZ, is that the entire album is like a musical journey from the beginning of your life till your death.

When the first heartbeat kicks in,its like the beginning of life and u r exposed to all the problems that plague life: money(the sound of the ka-ching),time(the sound of clocks)and madness(the excerpt from The Great Gig In The Sky).

When it hits the climax,the song BREATHE begins. A slow,moving ballad with its immortal line: "All u touch and all u see,is all your life will ever be." Simply beautiful.

ON THE RUN was the beginning of the synth revolution. That song wouldnt sound out of place on a trance record. Nick Mason's drumming is superb and the explosion at the end is earth-shattering.

TIME...another classic song...meaningful lyrics:"And then one day u'll find...ten years have got behind you..." Its how much we take time in our life for granted that we do not have time for the essential things in life...then it kicks back to BREATHE again...before it heads to a masterpiece...

THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY...this song always brings me to tears... Clare Torrys vocals r amazing...when she starts screaming...i like this track because of its connections with death...and how the music gently begins and ends...just like life and death.

MONEY...great jam...and the 7/12 to 4/4 timing gives the song an edge...great solos from Dave Gilmour not forgetting to mention the solo from TIME...that guitar sound kicks ass...

US AND THEM...beautiful song...love the attacks on the chorus...another favourite of mine...the sax by Dick Parry sounds crisp...

ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE...great jam with synths...its sounds colourful...pretty soon many bands started using synths in their music much to this extent in this 3-minute instumental...

BRAIN DAMAGE...possibly an ode to Syd Barrett...a creepy song with the laughter from BREATHE...which leads on to the greatest finale in any album...

ECLIPSE...the most down-to-earth and powerful finale ever...everything in your life that you do will have its ups but more importantly,theres gonna be downs..."Everything under the sun is in tune,but the sun is eclipsed by the moon." And the heartbeats fades away,signalling the end of life.

Ecnirp84

todd305 said:

I was gonna choose 'Innervsions' too but I just had to go with 'Songs In The Key Of Life'.It was a difficult decision because ALL of Stevie's 70s albums are incredible.

Moonbeam said:

Now we see why you said your reasons would have to wait until you had more time to post lol. Great review and examination of a great album.

I think I might have answered this question incorrectly. I listed my top 3 favorite albums. It seems what we're going for here is the 'greatest' album which is entirely different. I need to learn how to follow directions.

TRON said:

Yeah

Your 3 albums certainly deserve consideration though.

just one?? well fer fucks sake. moonbeam, your great at lists, and number ones i on the other hand...am not lol
in fact i cant even answer the question lol

Moonbeam said:

Yeah, but in terms of greatness, I don't even think those would be the ones I'd pick for each of those artists. I'll have to rethink this. Interesting how all 3 got a mention in your post as well.

TRON said:

All good choices. Especially Low. What a fuckin' great album!

Thanks. But I might be changing my answer.

violett said:

Vi!

Not everyone can be as psychotic as me about lists. It's probably good that most people aren't- there'd only be constant debating!

I love YOU!