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LIST YOUR "PERFECT ALBUMS!"


rushgoober
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I've gone through my entire music collection to come up with a list.

 

PERFECT ALBUM CRITERIA:

 

1. Obviously, no bad tracks. At most it can have one track or so that is a SLIGHTLY weaker, but that weakness must be pretty inconsequential to the album as a whole. Even still, this would be the exception, and there are TONS of albums I didn't include because of one or two weak tracks that kept it from perfection.

 

2. An overall extremely high quality. Again, there were tons of albums where I really like every track a LOT, and yet it just isn't QUITE perfect.

 

Obviously you don't have to use my criteria exactly, but just be judicious in what you include. It can be any genre of music.

 

 

Please feel free to comment on my list and other people's lists! Hopefully this will encourage people to check out some albums they don't know, or at least start some lively conversation!

Edited by rushgoober
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Incidentally, my list is not necessarily the same things as my list of favorite albums. There are albums I love that have one or two tracks that keep it from perfection, but even still I love those more or listen to them more than other albums that are technically perfect.

 

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Mine is nowhere near as many but here are a couple

 

Miles Davis-the Birth of Cool

Miles Davis Blue Moods

Sting-dream of the Blue Turtles

Sting - Nothing but th Sun

NIN- Pretty Hate Machine

Stone temple pilots- Core

Alice n Chains - Dirt

Moody Blues - A night at the Red Rocks

Duran Duran - Wedding Album

Dream Theater- Octavarium

Pearl Jam -Ten

Dave Weckyl- Master Plan

Rush - Moving Pictures

Rush - Power Windows

Rush - Signals

Cure- Wish

GOO GOO Dolls - Gutterflower

Coldplat X@Y

The Mavericks-Music for all occasions

Beck-Midnight Vultures

311-From Chaos

Big Blue Hearts-Here comes those Dreams Again

Eminem-Recovery

Bob Marley -Legend

Edited by tkdryan
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Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism

 

Coheed & Cambria - In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth:3

 

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

 

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

 

Yes - Relayer

 

Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory

 

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists...

 

There's others that come EXTREMELY close, but I can honestly say I find these 7 absolutely perfect and always listen to the entire things when I play them.

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QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 6 2010, 06:21 PM)
How I arrived at my list:

I went through all my CD's and made a list of all the obviously perfect albums. I made a separate list of ones I thought might be perfect, but I needed to listen to them more first to determine it. This took by far the most time as I had plenty of great albums I wasn't familiar enough with.

There are 3 or 4 albums below that are technically compilations, but I included these when they were more than just "best of's" and truly seemed to have an identity of their own.

The last time I tried to do this a couple of years ago (people have done perfect album threads before, but it's been awhile) I had almost 100 albums. This time I have a whopping 181! Not only have I obtained a lot more music, but have listened a lot more thoroughly to what I already own.

I'm really interested in a lot of the Krautrock/German stuff on your list. It's a genre I've explored only superficially with Tago Mago, Phallus Dei, Neu!, etc. and I'm really looking to dig a bit deeper. Popol Vuh, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream were on my list. Any recommendations about what I should check out next?

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Normally I'd include albums I ranked 10 out of 10, but I find some of those slightly less-than-perfect, or I feel like I haven't listened to them enough to consider them perfect.

 

Big & Rich - Comin' to Your City

Boston - Boston

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

Dr. Dre - The Chronic

Green Day - American Idiot

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Rush - Counterparts

Rush - Grace Under Pressure

Rush - Hemispheres

Rush - Permanent Waves

Rush - Power Windows

Van Halen - Van Halen

Van Halen - 1984

The Who - Who's Next

Yes - Close to the Edge

Yes - Fragile

Yes - Going for the One

Yes - Relayer

Yes - 90125

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QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 6 2010, 10:20 PM)
some of these posts (and doubtlessly some forthcoming) I'd love to respond to, and i will when i get some time.

Don't worry, I'll do a mock post of how you'd respond to my post.

 

"Tim, you have a terrible taste in music and I hope you die in a boat fire... unless you make your post completely identical to mine."

 

tongue.gif

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I have already told you in private how impressive this list is...Maybe the fact that you have been able to settle on a lot of this large size is more impressive than any of the specific titles themselves...I've said some positive words on the project, now I must inject some negativity.

 

I 've detected something which I must yell at you over...How dare you rate Joni Mitchell's Blue and Court and Spark over Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter? Hare dareth you? The LATTER TWO are obviously the vastly superior outings...So, how can these two be perfect?...Although, I would take Court and Spark and Hissing of Summer Lawns over many-to-most female singer/songwiter offerings out on the market.

 

I dunno, man...RUSH seems to be so out of place alongside the rest of yer all-time favs...I bet others would agree...Rush appears to be the anomaly with you...You betta come through with my new request and briefly describe to me those names which I didn't recognize here on the list...I might need to inquire much deeper into those particular titles...I need some new names.

 

Aside from the Rush, not many folks would have a problem accurately pinpointing your favourite era of music, kiddo...It's a dead giveaway...I don't think I'd be able to pull this task off though...And, if I did, I bet it would look much more mainstreamish than I would like it to look like...I would have to admit that Sgt Pepper is on there for a reason...But, no reason in the world could explain to me why Exile on Main Street is on anyone's top 500 list...unless it was maybe #500.

 

There would be many, many titles in common with the Rolling Stone magazine, TOP 500 albums poll though. Probably many of those, plus several of the titles occupying the middle ground of public consciousness, alongside maybe 10 to 20% of the way more obscure items that I can not believe aren't more well-known...But, mostly, I'd try to be as Objective as humanly possible in such a Subjective undertaking.

 

 

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QUOTE (Xanadu93 @ Sep 6 2010, 07:27 PM)
QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 6 2010, 10:20 PM)
some of these posts (and doubtlessly some forthcoming) I'd love to respond to, and i will when i get some time.

Don't worry, I'll do a mock post of how you'd respond to my post.

 

"Tim, you have a terrible taste in music and I hope you die in a boat fire... unless you make your post completely identical to mine."

 

tongue.gif

Dude, that's way harsh. Maybe a freak train derailment, but never a boat fire. no.gif

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Jazz:

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Billie Holiday - Solitude

Charlie Parker - The Genius of Charlie Parker

Dave Brubeck - Take Five

Joe Pass - Virtuoso

Thelonius Monk - Monk's Music

 

Classical:

Bach - Complete Suites for Solo Cello

Bach - Complete Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin

Bach - Art of the Fugue

Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Beethoven - Complete String Quartets

 

Blues:

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Soul to Soul

Robert Johnson - Complete Recordings

Howlin' Wolf - Moanin' in the Moonlight

B.B. King - Live at San Quentin

Johnny Winter - Still Alive & Well

 

Country/Acoustic/Bluegrass:

Hank Williams - The Unforgettable Hank Williams

Hank Williams Jr. - High & Pressurized

Merle Haggard - Big City

Bill Monroe - Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys

David Grisman Quintet - David Grisman Quintet

The Del McCoury Band - Cold Hard Facts

Steve Earle w/Del McCoury Band - The Mountain

 

Rock/Prog/Metal:

Van Halen - Van Halen

Van Halen - Fair Warning

Rush - Moving Pictures

Rush - Permanent Waves

Rush - Hemispheres

Rush - Signals

Rush - Grace Under Pressure

AC/DC - Back In Black

AC/DC - Highway to Hell

Led Zeppelin - IV

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy

The Police - Ghost in the Machine

 

 

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Just some that come to mind

 

AC/DC - Highway To Hell (1979)

AC/DC - Back In Black (1980)

Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley (1978)

Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova (1982)

Angels & Airwaves - We Don't Need To Whisper (2006)

Angels & Airwaves - Love (2010)

Armageddon - Armageddon (1975)

Asia - Asia (1982)

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The Beatles - The Beatles (1968)

Black Label Society - 1919 Eternal (2002)

Black Label Society - Mafia (2005)

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

Black Sabbath - Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath (1973)

Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell (1980)

Blink-182 - Blink-182 (2003)

Blue Oyster Cult - Blue Oyster Cult (1972)

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune (1976)

Blue Oyster Cult - Mirrors (1979)

Danzig - Danzig (1988)

Def Leppard - On Through The Night (1980)

Def Leppard - High 'N' Dry (1981)

The Doors - The Doors (1967)

The Doors - L.A. Woman (1971)

Dream Theater - Images And Words (1992)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus (1971)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy (1972)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973)

Green Day - Kerplunk (1992)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love (1967)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1968)

Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien (1987)

Joe Satriani - Flying In A Blue Dream (1989)

The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)

The Killers - Sam's Town (2006)

King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969)

King Crimson - In The Wake Of Poseidon (1970)

King Crimson - Red (1974)

Kiss - Kiss (1974)

Kiss - Destroyer (1976)

Kiss - Love Gun (1977)

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1972)

Matchbox Twenty - Yourself Or Someone Like You (1996)

Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)

Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)

Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction (1992)

Metallica - Kill 'Em All (1983)

Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)

Metallica - Metallica (1991)

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz (1980)

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (1990)

Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967)

Pink Floyd - Meddle (1971)

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

Queen - A Night At The Opera (1975)

Queen - Jazz (1978)

Queensryche - Rage For Order (1986)

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)

Queensryche - Empire (1990)

The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely (2008)

Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975)

Rainbow - Rising (1976)

Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (1977)

Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)

Rush - A Farewell To Kings (1977)

Rush - Hemispheres (1978)

Rush - Permanent Waves (1980)

Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)

Sammy Hagar - Standing Hampton (1981)

Tool - Undertow (1993)

Tool - Aenima (1996)

Tool - Lateralus (2001)

Tool - 10,000 Days (2006)

Triumph - Rock And Roll Machine (International Version) (1978)

Triumph - Just A Game (1979)

Triumph - Allied Forces (1981)

U2 - War (1984)

U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004)

Van Halen - Van Halen I (1978)

Van Halen - Van Halen II (1979)

Van Halen - Women And Children First (1980)

Van Halen - Fair Warning (1981)

Van Halen - 5150 (1986)

Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album) (1994)

Yes - The Yes Album (1971)

Yes - Fragile (1971)

Yes - Close To The Edge (1972)

Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973)

Yes - Relayer (1974)

Yes - Drama (1980)

Yes - 90125 (1983)

 

 

 

 

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AC/DC - Back in Black

Asia - Asia

Beatles - Abbey Road

Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

Beatles - Sgt. Pepper

Boston - Boston

Cheap Trick - Dream Police

Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water

Deep Purple - Machine Head

The Doors - The Doors

Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory

Dream Theater - Octavarium

ELP - Brain Salad Surgery

ELP - Tarkus

ELP - Trilogy

Genesis - Genesis

Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Jethro Tull - Stand Up

Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow

Jordon Rudess - Rythm of Time

Kansas - Leftoverture

Kansas - Point of Know Return

KISS - Destroyer

Led Zeppelin - Zoso

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell

Pink Floyd - Animals

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun

Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring

Rush - Grace Under Pressure

Rush - Moving Pictures

Rush - Permanent Waves

Rush - Power Windows

Rush - Signals

Rush - 2112

Styx - Crystal Ball

Styx - The Grand Illusion

Styx - Pieces of Eight

Tetrafusion - Absolute Zero

Tommy Shaw - Ambition

Van Halen - Van Halen

Van Halen - 1984

Van Halen - 5150

Van Zant - Get Right With The Man

Van Zant - Van Zant II

The Who - Who's Next

Yes - Close To The Edge

Yes - Fragile

Yes - Relayer

Yes - Tormato

Yes - The Yes Album

Yes - 90125

ZZ Top - El Loco

ZZ Top - Eliminator

 

 

 

 

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The Who - Quadrophenia, Who's Next, Live At Leeds

Yes - Close To The Edge, The Yes Album, Relayer, Fragile

Rush - Hemispheres, Moving Pictures, Grace Under Pressure

Pink Floyd - Meddle, The Dark Side Of The Moon, The Wall

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I, II, III, IV, Houses Of The Holy

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound, Foxtrot

King Crimson - Red, In The Court Of The Crimson King

The Beatles - Revolver, The White Album

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

The Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East

Van Halen - Van Halen II

Bob Dylan -Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde

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QUOTE (GrandDesigner @ Sep 6 2010, 05:08 PM)
QUOTE (rushgoober @ Sep 6 2010, 06:21 PM)
How I arrived at my list:

I went through all my CD's and made a list of all the obviously perfect albums.  I made a separate list of ones I thought might be perfect, but I needed to listen to them more first to determine it.  This took by far the most time as I had plenty of great albums I wasn't familiar enough with.

There are 3 or 4 albums below that are technically compilations, but I included these when they were more than just "best of's" and truly seemed to have an identity of their own.

The last time I tried to do this a couple of years ago (people have done perfect album threads before, but it's been awhile) I had almost 100 albums.  This time I have a whopping 181!  Not only have I obtained a lot more music, but have listened a lot more thoroughly to what I already own.

I'm really interested in a lot of the Krautrock/German stuff on your list. It's a genre I've explored only superficially with Tago Mago, Phallus Dei, Neu!, etc. and I'm really looking to dig a bit deeper. Popol Vuh, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream were on my list. Any recommendations about what I should check out next?

Some essential titles IMHO:

 

Agitation Free - Malesch

Agitation Free - Second

Amon Duul II - Phallus Dei

Amon Duul II - Yeti

Amon Duul II - Dance of the Lemmings

Ash Ra Tempel - Ash Ra Tempel

Ash Ra Tempel - Join Inn

Can - Ege Bamyasi

Can - Tago Mago

Faust - Faust

Faust - The Faust Tapes

Kraftwerk - Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk - Kraftwerk II

Kraftwerk - Rolf & Florian

Neu! - Neu!

Neu! - Neu! 2

Neu! - Neu! 75

Popol Vuh - In Den Garten Pharaos

Popol Vuh - Seligpreisung

Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra

Popol Vuh - Einsjager & Seibenjager

Popol Vuh - Aguirre

Popol Vuh - Das Hohlied Salomos

Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra

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QUOTE (thelocator @ Sep 6 2010, 07:34 PM)
I have already told you in private how impressive this list is...Maybe the fact that you have been able to settle on a lot of this large size is more impressive than any of the specific titles themselves...I've said some positive words on the project, now I must inject some negativity. 

Thanks, man! I spent a LOT of time on this project - been wanting to do this for a very long time...

 

QUOTE (thelocator @ Sep 6 2010, 07:34 PM)
I 've detected  something which I must yell at you over...How dare you rate Joni Mitchell's Blue and Court and Spark over Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter?  Hare dareth you? The LATTER TWO are obviously the vastly superior outings...So, how can these two be perfect?...Although, I would take Court and Spark and Hissing of Summer Lawns over many-to-most female singer/songwiter offerings out on the market.

I have Hejira but haven't listened to it much. Don Juan's Reckless Daughter I've yet to hear - it's on my want list.

 

QUOTE (thelocator @ Sep 6 2010, 07:34 PM)
I dunno, man...RUSH seems to be so out of place alongside the rest of yer all-time favs...I bet others would agree...Rush appears to be the anomaly with you...You betta come through with my new request and briefly describe to me those names which I didn't recognize here on the list...I might need to inquire much deeper into those particular titles...I need some new names.

Rush has always been an anomaly. Even when I was into heavy metal in the 80's Rush always stood out as something different and special.

 

QUOTE (thelocator @ Sep 6 2010, 07:34 PM)
Aside from the Rush, not many folks would have a problem accurately pinpointing your favourite era of music, kiddo...It's a dead giveaway...I don't think I'd be able to pull this task off though...And, if I did, I bet it would look much more mainstreamish than I would like it to look like...I would have to admit that Sgt Pepper is on there for a reason...But, no reason in the world could explain to me why Exile on Main Street is on anyone's top 500 list...unless it was maybe #500.

Exile is ok, but very overrated IMHO. I updated my list with years for each album. biggrin.gif

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Edited by GeddyRulz
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