The Great Al***s
Posted by: Guido Fawkes on 13 April 2007
We are often inundated with programmes on CH4 that do top 100s. Wondered if anybody would like to contribute to a list of truly great albums - no restrictions: if you think it's truly great then it should be in the list. Describing it's content and saying why you think it is truly great would be helpful.
Sometimes even great album are Garbage and here's one
Now being lost in a world of folk, psych, prog, HMHB and forays in to classical is where I am at, but during the 90s I heard this album and thought it was superb.
I would now class it as a great album because it stands the test of time (10 years) and because it is just fully loaded with really excellent distinctive songs. It may be a bit pretentious in places, but what's wrong with that I'd like to know.
Super Vixen - Queer – Only Happy When It Rains – As Heaven Is Wide – Not My Idea – A Stroke Of Luck – Vow – Stupid Girl – Dog New Tricks - My Lover's Box – Fix Me Now - Milk
This album is full ideas - perhaps its folk album in disguise, as it has such fine songs.
There is a highly cohesive feel to the album; everything seems to fit in place, but there is no sense of monotony. In fact 6 of the tracks made it in to various hit-parades.
Surely one of the best albums of the 90s: Garbage by name is not Garbage by content, it is a great album.
Now being lost in a world of folk, psych, prog, HMHB and forays in to classical is where I am at, but during the 90s I heard this album and thought it was superb.
I would now class it as a great album because it stands the test of time (10 years) and because it is just fully loaded with really excellent distinctive songs. It may be a bit pretentious in places, but what's wrong with that I'd like to know.
Super Vixen - Queer – Only Happy When It Rains – As Heaven Is Wide – Not My Idea – A Stroke Of Luck – Vow – Stupid Girl – Dog New Tricks - My Lover's Box – Fix Me Now - Milk
This album is full ideas - perhaps its folk album in disguise, as it has such fine songs.
There is a highly cohesive feel to the album; everything seems to fit in place, but there is no sense of monotony. In fact 6 of the tracks made it in to various hit-parades.
Surely one of the best albums of the 90s: Garbage by name is not Garbage by content, it is a great album.
quote:Sgt Pepper is vastly over-rated.
Let me see. Bought by millions, influenced hundreds of artists. Yes, very over rated.
What utter cobblers. What you mean is you don't like it - that's an entirely different thing.
Steve
I’m fortunate to have a copy of This is the Ice Age, the third album by Martha and the Muffins. To my knowledge, there has been no CD release in Europe, but it can be imported. There is no question in my mind that this is a great album.
The track "Women Around the World at Work" was released as a single in the UK and Canada and is the best known track on the album. If I tell it you it is a greatest song and yet still the weakest number on this oral masterpiece then you'll appreciate just how good this album is.
The cover image was taken by Muffins' guitarist Mark Gane from an apartment he was living in on Bloor Street in Toronto. It depicts the Bank of Montreal tower over a building in poor repair.
This is the Ice Age was their first collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois, Martha and the Muffins' backgrounds in experimental and pop music are in full play on This is the Ice Age. It’s rich textures and complex arrangement make this set the finest hour (40 minutes) for a truly superb band. Just listen to the opening track Swimming and it is one of the most beautiful, moody introduction you’ll hear and the title track is masterful.
If you have any liking for New Wave music then this is essential listening. It is not only a brilliant musical work but stands on par with the music of Barrett, Lennon & McCartney, Ray Davies, Christy Moore and Jake Thackery - and praise doesn’t come much higher. To go through life without ever hearing This Is The Ice Age is to risk living without knowing how truly wonderful pop music can be.
The track "Women Around the World at Work" was released as a single in the UK and Canada and is the best known track on the album. If I tell it you it is a greatest song and yet still the weakest number on this oral masterpiece then you'll appreciate just how good this album is.
The cover image was taken by Muffins' guitarist Mark Gane from an apartment he was living in on Bloor Street in Toronto. It depicts the Bank of Montreal tower over a building in poor repair.
This is the Ice Age was their first collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois, Martha and the Muffins' backgrounds in experimental and pop music are in full play on This is the Ice Age. It’s rich textures and complex arrangement make this set the finest hour (40 minutes) for a truly superb band. Just listen to the opening track Swimming and it is one of the most beautiful, moody introduction you’ll hear and the title track is masterful.
If you have any liking for New Wave music then this is essential listening. It is not only a brilliant musical work but stands on par with the music of Barrett, Lennon & McCartney, Ray Davies, Christy Moore and Jake Thackery - and praise doesn’t come much higher. To go through life without ever hearing This Is The Ice Age is to risk living without knowing how truly wonderful pop music can be.
This is a wonderful thread and has the capacity to become a tremendous source of information for album purchases.
I've often thought, that as good as the "what are you listening to" thread is, that sometimes I would like to shout a little bit louder from the rooftops about some albums I am listening to.
So every time I'm listening to an album that I believe is "great" - I'll bore you a little about in on this thread.
Elvis Costello - King of America
Elvis was gong nowhere with Goodbye Cruel World being about his worst release, was doing solo gigs and writing tracks on acoustic guitar that were less designed to be rocked up by the Attractions. Also He is producing "The Pogues- Rum Sodomy and the lash" and ends up marrying the bass player.
The songs were recorded with some of the best American session men around including some of Elvis Presley's backing band.
The result is a wonderful album with a mix of straight ahead rock n roll, country, folk and ballads.
Lyrically Elvis can be like "a chain saw running through a dictionary" as he describes himself in "our little angel" but this album is the strongest lyrically of any of his work.
I've always thought it strange for someone who writes his own songs that sometimes he writes out of his range and Elvis straining for notes is enough even to have my Spendors crying for mercy. There is none of that here. His voice complements the songs, is harsh on the scathing "little palaces", and tender and loving on "Indoor Fireworks" and "I'll wear it proudly"
It truly is one of those albums where it all came together perfectly and time diminishes it not a whit. - a great album
SJB
I've often thought, that as good as the "what are you listening to" thread is, that sometimes I would like to shout a little bit louder from the rooftops about some albums I am listening to.
So every time I'm listening to an album that I believe is "great" - I'll bore you a little about in on this thread.
Elvis Costello - King of America
Elvis was gong nowhere with Goodbye Cruel World being about his worst release, was doing solo gigs and writing tracks on acoustic guitar that were less designed to be rocked up by the Attractions. Also He is producing "The Pogues- Rum Sodomy and the lash" and ends up marrying the bass player.
The songs were recorded with some of the best American session men around including some of Elvis Presley's backing band.
The result is a wonderful album with a mix of straight ahead rock n roll, country, folk and ballads.
Lyrically Elvis can be like "a chain saw running through a dictionary" as he describes himself in "our little angel" but this album is the strongest lyrically of any of his work.
I've always thought it strange for someone who writes his own songs that sometimes he writes out of his range and Elvis straining for notes is enough even to have my Spendors crying for mercy. There is none of that here. His voice complements the songs, is harsh on the scathing "little palaces", and tender and loving on "Indoor Fireworks" and "I'll wear it proudly"
It truly is one of those albums where it all came together perfectly and time diminishes it not a whit. - a great album
SJB
In 1969 Shirley and Dolly Collins collaborated on Anthems in Eden. The sisters worked with the Early Music Consort of London and David Munrow and Christopher Hogwood.
Remember this is 1969 and everybody’s gone electric and what did they do: some folk songs with early music instruments: viols, recorders, sackbuts and crumhorns.
The music is so strikingly original, and I can think of nothing like it before or since. Sure albums like Trout Mask Replica broke the mould, but this was even more away from the norm However, not only was it different, it was a work of sheer beauty. Of course having the greatest singer of the 20th century on it sure helped (my completely unbiased view, of course), but it transcends even that fact - musically it is superb.
The original album has eight tracks that form the Anthems in Eden Suite - a story set to music, which lasts just over 28 minutes. The subsequent re-release of the album in 1976 saw six extra tracks added with the Albion Band.
The suite depicts the changes in rural England brought about by the First World War and the disconnection that this created with folk traditions - a completely fresh approach to recording English folk music.
This is certainly a great album - every bit as influential as Sgt Pepper (which I don’t find in the least overrated) or the Velvet Underground & Nico (which I thought was great when I was at school in the 60s and first bought it, but quite frankly doesn’t get near my turntable these days - perhaps I should listen to it again). But Anthems In Eden gets regular plays and along with Folk Roots, New Roots is one of the two essential folk albums. If you like Liege and Lief then be grateful that Shirley made this, because if the Fairports hadn’t of heard Shirley than that masterful work would never had emerged.
The thanks James - I think I'll give the first album a go.
The heavy Led Zep vibe has made wary of the second (unless its Led Zep III, of course)
All the best, Rotf
The heavy Led Zep vibe has made wary of the second (unless its Led Zep III, of course)
All the best, Rotf