Epic albums to hear before you die
Discussion
Muse, Absolution, Rock (?), 2003.
Every song is good, if not brilliant, and has its own place on the album. It is fantastically well paced and it exceeds the previous two albums, which is not often achieved by a band. They also successfully avoided the nu-metal fad of the early 2000s which has since died and so has the music with it. This album defined their sound and still feels fresh compared with current music. Plus, who else can get a crowd of teenagers and young adults going nuts for a piano solo? They have since had people going nuts for clarinet solos.
It opens with the lyric "Declare this an emergency" and ends with "No one knows who's in control." It's a masterpiece in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINsjNUZmqo
(Sorry to repeat this one, but I just had to add my thoughts on it.)
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Arcade Fire, The Suburbs, Indie Rock/Baroque, 2010
Much like Absolution this again has an extremely strong set of songs throughout and surpasses its two predecessors. I love how this album has the theme of growing up in the late 80s/early 90s; it's about the childhoods of the two brothers in the band, and growing up in the suburbs of Houston. If the albums here are to be epic, then this is it. 16 tracks that should be listened to from start to finish on one big journey. It really reminds me of growing up, even if I did it 10 years later in a different country.
It won album of the year at the 2011 Grammy's, and rightly so. I absolutely love this band, their other albums are also fantastic and it's almost time for the successor to be released
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nTjn1yJp0w
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suburbs_%28Arcade...
Every song is good, if not brilliant, and has its own place on the album. It is fantastically well paced and it exceeds the previous two albums, which is not often achieved by a band. They also successfully avoided the nu-metal fad of the early 2000s which has since died and so has the music with it. This album defined their sound and still feels fresh compared with current music. Plus, who else can get a crowd of teenagers and young adults going nuts for a piano solo? They have since had people going nuts for clarinet solos.
It opens with the lyric "Declare this an emergency" and ends with "No one knows who's in control." It's a masterpiece in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINsjNUZmqo
(Sorry to repeat this one, but I just had to add my thoughts on it.)
__________________
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs, Indie Rock/Baroque, 2010
Much like Absolution this again has an extremely strong set of songs throughout and surpasses its two predecessors. I love how this album has the theme of growing up in the late 80s/early 90s; it's about the childhoods of the two brothers in the band, and growing up in the suburbs of Houston. If the albums here are to be epic, then this is it. 16 tracks that should be listened to from start to finish on one big journey. It really reminds me of growing up, even if I did it 10 years later in a different country.
It won album of the year at the 2011 Grammy's, and rightly so. I absolutely love this band, their other albums are also fantastic and it's almost time for the successor to be released
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nTjn1yJp0w
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Suburbs_%28Arcade...
Edited by MSTRBKR on Monday 24th September 23:09
I'm just going to add a few, rather than repeat any already mentioned - lots I would agree with, except honorable mention to the OP's first post! I'm no music journalist, so won't attempt to explain why
Zero 7 - Simple Things
Supergrass - I Should Co Co
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life Vol 1&2
SOAD - Mesmerize
Paul Weller - Wild Wood
The Clash - London Calling
Van Halen - 1984
Madness - Rise and Fall
The Who - Live at Leeds
Zero 7 - Simple Things
Supergrass - I Should Co Co
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life Vol 1&2
SOAD - Mesmerize
Paul Weller - Wild Wood
The Clash - London Calling
Van Halen - 1984
Madness - Rise and Fall
The Who - Live at Leeds
Protection and/or Mezzanine - Massive Attack
In Through the Out Door - Zeppelin (Any Zep album really but this is a lesser-recognised gem)
Leftism - Leftfield
Dolittle - Pixies
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield (yep, really)
Endtroducing - DJ Shadow
Don't Give Up On Me - Solomon Burke
Back in Black - AC/DC
The Space Between Us - Craig Armstrong
The Division Bell - Pink Floyd
In Through the Out Door - Zeppelin (Any Zep album really but this is a lesser-recognised gem)
Leftism - Leftfield
Dolittle - Pixies
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield (yep, really)
Endtroducing - DJ Shadow
Don't Give Up On Me - Solomon Burke
Back in Black - AC/DC
The Space Between Us - Craig Armstrong
The Division Bell - Pink Floyd
coppice said:
Worryingly I saw a couple of nominations for dire Canadian crooner Bryan Adams; I live in hope that they were actually misprints for the sublime Ryan Adams.
Another Ryan fan here. I'd nominate Heartbreaker for anyone with an interest in alt-folk / Americana / or whatever it's labelled this month!If you've got an open mind about slightly leftfield folk-flavoured or country-tinged rock, you might also enjoy:
The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake
The Hazards of Love - The Decemberists
Chutes too Narrow - The Shins
Plans - Death Cab for Cutie
XO - Elliott Smith
Come on Feel the Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
The Queen of Denmark - John Grant
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
coppice said:
Worryingly I saw a couple of nominations for dire Canadian crooner Bryan Adams; I live in hope that they were actually misprints for the sublime Ryan Adams.
Mock not the Groover from Vancouver!Think of a proper 80's rock song. Really think about it. The stereotypical sound of the era.
Yup, it's on the Reckless album.
Personally, for me, other than BA above, i'd add
GNR - Appetite for Destruction
Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell
Dire Straits - Alchemy
Radiohead - OK Computer
Simple Minds - Live in the City of Light
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
Michael Jackson - Thriller (don't laugh, name a bad song on it...)
Stones - Exile on Main Street
Marvin Gaye - Whats goin on
Al Green - Al
ELO - Out of the Blue (Concerto for a rainy day takes me back to being about 6 or 7, Sunday morning waiting for the roast to finish cooking and making paper aeroplanes out of the Yellow Pages - who needs anything more?)
The Black Crowes - Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - bought when at uni and everyone else in the house was into dance and raving. Bit of this took the edge off when they finally turned off the turgid boom tiddy boom muck and went out...)
Plenty more in my head but time for bed!
New member, read this thread over the last couple of days....really interesting, I am going to check out The Joy Formidible very soon as I am stuck in an eighties/ nineties time lock save for the stuff my 10 and 14 year old girls are into, thank the lord the younger one got into Florence and The Machine quite a while back. Anyway, imho to be epic an album needs to have a consistent thread from start to finish and no more than one "dud" track that you usually skip. On that criteria I offer up:-
Psychedelic Furs "Mirror Moves". Shimmering production superimposed on indie rough diamonds with a singer who gargled on Jack Daniels and broken glass; great sax licks, very tight from start to finish and two stand outs in "My Time" and "High Wire Days". 1984, so ages me v. well; see below.
Tears For Fears "The Hurting". Teen self induldgent lyrics aside, great production and energy, sone really imaginative stuff going on; xylophone on "Change" for example.
Spear Of Destiny "One Eyed Jacks". Someone cited World Service earlier on this thread, which I also love, but the stand out tracks "Liberator", "Playground Of The Rich" and the beautifully soprano sax punctuated "These Days Are Gone" edge this one for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "The Good Son". Not as manic as many of NC's offerings, but great melodies and lyrics that can be beautiful and menacing simultaneously. Had it for years, still love it, especially "The Ship Song".
There's a few as suggestions. This looks like a great forum, well done to you all, hope someone foes a thread on unlikely but brilliant cover versions having just re-acquainted myself today woth Skeletal Family covering Percy E Sledge's "Stand By Me" from about 1983/4, the original I think being much earlier.
Psychedelic Furs "Mirror Moves". Shimmering production superimposed on indie rough diamonds with a singer who gargled on Jack Daniels and broken glass; great sax licks, very tight from start to finish and two stand outs in "My Time" and "High Wire Days". 1984, so ages me v. well; see below.
Tears For Fears "The Hurting". Teen self induldgent lyrics aside, great production and energy, sone really imaginative stuff going on; xylophone on "Change" for example.
Spear Of Destiny "One Eyed Jacks". Someone cited World Service earlier on this thread, which I also love, but the stand out tracks "Liberator", "Playground Of The Rich" and the beautifully soprano sax punctuated "These Days Are Gone" edge this one for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "The Good Son". Not as manic as many of NC's offerings, but great melodies and lyrics that can be beautiful and menacing simultaneously. Had it for years, still love it, especially "The Ship Song".
There's a few as suggestions. This looks like a great forum, well done to you all, hope someone foes a thread on unlikely but brilliant cover versions having just re-acquainted myself today woth Skeletal Family covering Percy E Sledge's "Stand By Me" from about 1983/4, the original I think being much earlier.
Camphill Villan said:
Psychedelic Furs "Mirror Moves". Shimmering production superimposed on indie rough diamonds with a singer who gargled on Jack Daniels and broken glass; great sax licks, very tight from start to finish and two stand outs in "My Time" and "High Wire Days". 1984, so ages me v. well; see below.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds "The Good Son". Not as manic as many of NC's offerings, but great melodies and lyrics that can be beautiful and menacing simultaneously. Had it for years, still love it, especially "The Ship Song".
couple of great shouts thereNick Cave & The Bad Seeds "The Good Son". Not as manic as many of NC's offerings, but great melodies and lyrics that can be beautiful and menacing simultaneously. Had it for years, still love it, especially "The Ship Song".
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