OT: Your List of Perfect Albums
Good Evening My Fellow MGoBloggers,
In an effort to distract us from The Michigan Football Soap Opera, and the disappointing Michigan Mens Hoops season, I thought we could talk Music
Give me your list of Perfect Albums.
- Hallelujah the Hills - I'm You
- The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
- Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
- Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
- The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
- The Taxpayers - To Risk so Much for One Damn Meal
So what a out y'all? Give me new albums to listen to.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:42 PM ^
I obviously need to expand my music listening. Never heard of even a single one of these. Good for you!
February 7th, 2022 at 4:57 PM ^
Same here, never heard of any of these
February 7th, 2022 at 5:09 PM ^
I don't even know if the band names or the album names are listed first.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:13 PM ^
/\ I laughed.
Although I think I have heard of the Weakerthans.
February 8th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
I've heard of Neutral Milk Hotel. I think someone on here has their album cover as a profile pic.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:26 PM ^
I’m with you rob f. I feel like I am from another planet.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:00 PM ^
I sincerely thought Neutral Milk Hotel was a made-up band from the episode of Parks and Rec where April picks it as her favorite band and Andy gets jealous.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:41 PM ^
The Clash - London Calling
Prince - 1999
February 7th, 2022 at 6:04 PM ^
Wondering if it means I'm too old or too young. Do they even make albums anymore?
February 7th, 2022 at 6:09 PM ^
Neither, really the bands are awesome but not huge. I say anyone that is into indie/Americana type stuff or things like The Shins for lack of a bigger name comparison should check out Neutral Milk Hotel.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:15 PM ^
Lol same here. I thought I was going to see back in black, appetite for destruction etc
February 7th, 2022 at 6:17 PM ^
Glad you hadn't heard of them either @slblue. How about these:
Beatles - Abbey Road
Yes - Close to the Edge
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
U2 - Joshua Tree
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
February 7th, 2022 at 6:29 PM ^
Substitute "Darkness on the Edge of Town" for "Born to Run" and that's a damn good list.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:42 PM ^
No argument from me. While it is maybe a little less accessible than BTR, "Darkness" is also edgier in a good way. It is a superb album; many of the Boss' fans consider it his best ... with good reason.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:00 PM ^
Rubber Soul was better than Abbey Road.....*ducks*
I think they were already struggling by Abbey Road and it was starting to show. Rubber Soul was sheer brilliance, IMHO...
But I loved every one of their albums.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:00 PM ^
I like Rubber Soul, a lot. But it is really tough for me to put it above Abbey Road on my list. Song for song, there are more masterpieces on Abbey Road than Rubber Soul. But to each their own.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:51 PM ^
I'm with you Durham Blue. I would put the 2nd side of Abbey Road up against any album side of rock music, and that's saying something.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
My parents are Beatles fans, and bought me the red and blue greatest hits albums when i turned 10. When i was in college, I got a folder of beatles mp3s that had been ripped off of someones CDs.
(for the younguns, for years the Beatles werent on any legal streaming or download service, so pirated mp3s were the only way to listen to them)
Anyways, yada yada, i made it to a few years ago, despite being a moderate beatles fan, without EVER hearing the medley on the B side of Abbey Road.
When I finally discovered it on spotify, it was new to fucking me. And it was so so so so so so good. I cannot overstate how good the B side of abbey road is if you hear it with clean ears, even in 2018. Blew me away
Abbey Road is the benchmark. It's been equalled, sure, but it's never been exceeded.
February 8th, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
I had a very similar experience. Since none of the songs on the B-side of Abbey Road were No. 1 hits or released as singles, I discovered them last. I had been a Beatles fan a fairly long time and when I first heard "You Never Give Me Your Money," I couldn't believe that I wasn't aware of that great song. Just kept listening and listening and, yup, best side to an album ever. Amazing.
February 8th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
That is however one of the weaknesses of Abbey Road, the songs have to be listened together, you've never hear She Came Into the Bathroom Window say by itself.
Revolver is considered the Beatles' masterpiece in terms of songs and studio work. I would give the slight edge to Rubber Soul because I do think songs from that album will be played a long time from now.
February 8th, 2022 at 10:56 AM ^
Yeah, B-side of Abbey Road, and how "You Never Give Me Your Money" comes back as a reprise, was sheer brilliance. They had developed beyond the stuff on Rubber Soul. Now I find myself conflicted. I hate this blog!!! But Norwegian Wood was so good..... It's like arguing about which time we beat Ohio State was most enjoyable....
February 8th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
Polythene Pam is (1) the last really good pure Lennon rocker and (2) the Beatles casually throwing down a great heavy rock / swamp rock sound, just because why not. Man were they good.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:07 PM ^
No list is complete without the Eagles Hotel California Also Boston’s first
February 7th, 2022 at 11:59 PM ^
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is an amazing album. It's largely about Anne Frank. The singer wrote it after reading her diary and it apparently sent him into some sort of existential crisis (maybe an overstatement). He said he cried a lot for days. But it's also weird and dreamy. I think I've read he had a friend who died of an overdose or suicide around the same time as well, but now I forget. It also has one of my favorite lines, not just the words but the way it's sung and how it fits in the album and all, "God is a place where some holy spectacle lies" and I don't even believe in God lol.
February 8th, 2022 at 7:38 AM ^
Logged in to post the same. Was going to as OP’s age…
In the words of Joe Piscopo playing Frank Sinatra recording a duet album on SNL (back in the day), “Never heard of him, next!”
February 7th, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
Never heard of any of those bands.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:47 PM ^
You have a fantastic user name
February 7th, 2022 at 5:56 PM ^
Thought it was a town in Northern Pennsylvania for a second.
February 8th, 2022 at 7:28 AM ^
I was guessing a town in New Jersey - like Hackensack, but more to-the-point.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:47 PM ^
Sorry friends
I'm an indie rock whore
Id highly recommend checking out everything i listed.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:53 PM ^
I lived in Athens, GA in the 90's and was able to see NMH several times in small venues. My brother was a bassist with a less popular band and was friends with Jeff Mangum. I know only NMH and the Hold Steady on your list. Life intervened and I wasn't able to keep up with new music after about 2005. I will check out the rest of your list based on The Aeroplane Over the Sea being on your list.
I would offer Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
The Silver Jews - The Natural Bridge
Guided by Voices - Alien Lanes
As albums where I tend not to skip any songs.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
If you haven't checked out Nana Grizol, they're from Athens GA. Similar in a lot of ways to NMH, in fact I believe several of their members were involved with the Elephant 6 Collective.
Love It Love it is almost a perfect album.
I will definitely check out your list. Thanks for the recommendations!
February 7th, 2022 at 5:04 PM ^
The Elephant 6 guys were mainly from Ruston, LA and relocated to Athens. It was sort of like chain immigration, they in pairs or small groups over a couple of years. Scott Spillane who played the horns for NML and wrote The Fool on Aeroplane was the frontman for the Gerbils. There were still some live shows on YouTube last I checked. Scott resembled a former King of Sweden so much that he was popular over there. People would turn out to his shows in Sweden just to get a look at him.
I will check out Nana Grizol.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
+1 for Tom Waits
February 7th, 2022 at 5:14 PM ^
What is your favorite Waits album? Oddly, my introduction was The Black Rider and I will also have a soft spot for that album. Frank's Wild Years and Bone Machine are in my rotation.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:34 PM ^
Probably cliche, but Heartattack and Vine is awesome. I still cry when I hear On The Nickel.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:25 PM ^
I started listening to his Early Years albums and loved his sound. Apart from that, Closing Time and Rain Dogs are probably what I would go to the most.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
My roommate at Michigan was a big Tom Waits fan circa 1976-78. I loved that Waits was a regular in our apartment. I salute you all.
February 7th, 2022 at 4:57 PM ^
If you're not familiar with the Neutral Milk Hotel album, start with a song King of Carrot Flowers Part 1. If that appeals to you, then start to look to branch out from there. The titular In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is also very good, but it has a late-90's whiney pre-emo obscurity that may not be the best entry point, even though it's the most listened song on Spotify.
The Hold Steady had a song on Rock Band I think 10+ years ago. That may be where some have heard them. Also, Game of Thrones soundtrack?
I like a few The Taxpayers singles. But can't say that I've gotten too deep into them.
But yes, this definitely feels like an indie rock fan's personal favorites list, maybe not "perfect albums" but I guess perfection is subjective?
February 7th, 2022 at 5:02 PM ^
I never played Rock Band so I don't know but The Hold Steady did have a song on the GOT soundtrack called The Bear and the Madden Fair and it rocks.
Is agree that perfection is subjective, but I'm always interested in hearing other folks opinions
February 7th, 2022 at 5:07 PM ^
Yeah, I Googled it. I was wrong. Apparently there was a DLC song for Rockband 4 in 2019??? So many of these things are confusing to me, that they're still making Rockbands and producing DLC as recently as a couple years ago is staggeringly surprising to me. But original didn't exist. Maybe I always just thought they'd be good for that.
It's a popular thread in a pretty short time. So, nice work.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:17 PM ^
Try the Gerbils if you have not, another Elephant 6 band.
February 7th, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
So I'm 2 songs into a The Gerbils Playlist on Spotify and I'm sold.
Thank you, I'm very particular about what I listen to, and its hard for me to find new bands that I like.
The Gerbils will be in the rotation from now on
February 7th, 2022 at 5:29 PM ^
Awesome!
February 7th, 2022 at 6:15 PM ^
Dis you ever dive into Olivia Tremor Control? I forget if they were a side project, before, or after NMH but they are like an obscure cousin. Man Elephant 6 had such a cool line up for a while there.
February 7th, 2022 at 6:31 PM ^
Several years ago I made an effort to get into both The Olivia Tremor Control and Of Montreal. I didn't succeed with either but my tastes in music have changed pretty substantially over the last few years.
I'll give them a shot again.
February 8th, 2022 at 2:14 AM ^
Love all your picks, and NMH fan myself. Old friends with Jeremy Barnes, who was drummer on Aeroplane... Amazing album.
Since you said it's hard to find new bands, I wonder if you know Okkervil River. Way underknown. Their album BLACK SHEEP BOY is their magnum opus, but all of their albums are awesome. Definite NMH vibes, but with intricate, vivid lyrics that are somehow less abstract than NMH. Right up there with Aeroplane for me... Cheers & great thread!
February 7th, 2022 at 6:58 PM ^
Kinda surprised at the lack of AJJ considering your account picture.
My choices, in keeping with the theme of indie rockness and general hipsterdom (with a little hip hop added in for good measure):
- LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (S/T and This is Happening are also both close to perfect)
- The Microphones - Mount Eerie ('The Glow Pt 2' is also a almost perfect album, but i very slightly prefer Mount Eerie. The Glow pt 2 is better for getting into to the Microphones though)
- Animal Collective - Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished ('Sung Tongs' and MPP are close too. If people interested in listening to Animal collective start with MPP or Sung Tongs, probably listen to everything before Spirit. It's a amazing album, but its super grating on first listen)
- Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly.
- Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
- The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1
- Madvillain - Madvillainy
February 7th, 2022 at 7:16 PM ^
I am still a humongous ajj fan, but I haven't liked anything they've released sine The Bible 2.
I think Can't Maintain and The People who can Eat People are The Luckiest People In The World are so good that it hurts.
February 7th, 2022 at 7:21 PM ^
For some reason, Can't Maintain never clicked with me as much as People Who Can Eat People and Knife Man did. It's still a good album, don't get me wrong, but when i go back to AJJ its usually one of those two.
But yeah, everything after Knife Man for me has been pretty meh. The Bible 2 was okay, but nothing close to their old form.