Are there any albums you consider perfect?

Timrhu,

Forgot to mention...

Slayer's Regina In Blood really has to be listened to entirely to really understand why it's perfect (IMO). The first and last tracks definitely hold up on their own ("Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood") quite well though, if you're into thrash metal anyway. Metallica's Ride the Lightning should be heard throughout too. It's also more easily accessible than Reign In Blood.

Another album I forgot to mention...

Rage Against The Machine - Self titled; Full of politically charged rage and angst. A great album from start to finish with no fillers. It took me a while to appreciate the entire album, rather than just around half the tracks. It's a shame they only made 3 studio albums (not including a covers album).

"I think Kbarkamian thought his thread was being sent to Audiobong?"

What's that supposed to mean? No offense taken. ...or should I?

Timrhu,

Everyone's idea of perfect is different. I'm a big fan of the bands mentioned. Not many Slayer fans here, I assume, but there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not the biggest Slayer fan overall, but Reign In Blood is considered by many to be the best thrash metal album of all time. It's an album I've owned since I was about 13, and still haven't lost a bit of interest in it at 35.

Ride The Lightning was from the era when Metallica had an edge and played like they were waving a big middle finger to everyone who didn't like what they were doing. Times have changed, people get older and grow up.

A lot of people consider Metallica's Master Of Puppets to be a perfect album, or at least their best. I think it has several songs on it that are better than anything on Ride The Lightning, but it's got a song I can't stand ("The Thing That Should Not Be"), and 2 others that I skip frequently. But Master Of Puppets' best songs may be Metallica's best songs. Kind of odd.

If you're looking to see what I'm talking about with these albums, I'm sure YouTube has songs from them. No cost to hear something new. That's becoming my new way of hearing new stuff. Saved me some cash and aggravation by not buying stuff I thought was going to be good, but ended up being awful.

1. Jazz in a R&B groove vol 1 various artists
2. Dis Dat or da udda Dr John
3. wynton marsalis & eric clapton play the blues
4. Beethoven's Ninth sym Vienna - karl Bohm
5. Beethoven sym nos. 5 & 7 Vienna - Kleiber

Catch A fire - Bob Marley

I think Kbarkamian thought his thread was being sent to Audiobong?

I find it odd because I have heard of all these groups and am of an age where I could easily have listened to them. That being said, I never made an attempt to listen to them. Would say it's not my type of music but if it's good enough for Kbarkamian to rate as perfect, not good but perfect, I might give it a quick try.

I read your post and found that very odd.

What do you find odd about someone liking something you haven't heard? Just curious.

Kbarkamian, other than the Led Zeppelin you mention, I have not heard any of those albums. I read your post and found that very odd.

I think there are a lot of albums that come very close to perfection, but they usually have one song that disqualifies it for me. Foe example, Metallica's ...And Justice For All would be perfect if they dropped "Eye of the Beholder."

I view an album as perfect if there's not a single song that I skip. That doesn't mean it's my favorite album (there's too many to call one my favorite), nor does it mean that the band doesn't have better songs on another album. So...

Metallica - Ride The Lightning... Apparently the band hates "Escape" as they've never played it live. I like it enough to never skip it.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid... The only 'filler' in this one ended up being perhaps their most famous song - Paranoid

Slayer - Reign In Blood... It's about 26 minutes long. No redundancy or fillers. Rick Rubin asked them if they realized it was only 26 minutes long and maybe they should add a track or two. The band said they said everything they needed to say, and the cool thing was you could listen to it all the way through without a break, then flip it over and listen to it all over again (the entire album fit on one side of a cassette).

Stone Remple Pilots - Core... Not a single weak track.

I'd love to include Led Zepplin II, but I really, really hate "Thank You."

Nine Horses (a David Sylvian project), "Snow Borne Sorrow". Perfect for what it is. Very well recorded. Perfect in its music and flow. And I really dig the music. (Warning: trippy, not rocking.)

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Borne-Sorrow-Nine-Horses/dp/B000B8GUGO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1317587298&sr=8-2

Delbert McClinton Live comes pretty darn close for me.

Nirvana Nevermind
Beatles (pick one)
Van Morrison Moondance
Led Zeppelin 1-4

Pehare,I have owned 4 copies of Caravanserai over the years,have 2 copies now!Love this LP since I was a teen!Also, Welcome is pretty good

For me, it starts here;

The Beatles- Sgt Pepper
Moody Blues- Days of future Passed
Beach Boys- Pet Sounds
The Rolling Stones- Hot Rocks
Pink Floyd- Dark side of the Moon
Eagles- Hotel California

this afternoon once again confirmed Santana, Caravanserai.

Just finished listening to Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. Forgot just how much I enjoyed this one. It's on my list of perfect albums.

Perhaps, I may have missed it... :-)

I would add: Stevie Wonder -- Talking Book and Innervisions, Curtis Mayfield -- Superfly, and War -- The World is a Ghetto.

Vbr,
Sam

Abbey Road
Wish You Were Here
Aja
Gaucho
Tea For The Tillerman
Madman Across The Water
Led Zeppelin 2
Quadrophenia
Blow By Blow
The Captain And Me
Abraxas
OK Computer
Nevermind
Imaginary Day
Court And Spark
Trilogy
Revolver
Selling England By The Pound
Aqualung
Are You Experienced
Synchronicity
Future Games
Crime Of The Century
Close To The Edge
Let It Bleed
The Fragile
Agents Of Fortune
Texas Flood
Viva La Vita: Death And All His Friends
Transatlanticism
Highway 61 Revisited
Bookends

Great thread -- I would add The Smiths, The Queen is Dead

Geoff,

Good choices.

Rolling Stones' Let it Bleed and Clash's London Calling.

I'm surprised at how many audiophiles "max. out" with three chord rock and fake jazz. What's up with that? I like to rock out and bang head once in a while, but geezeeeee! why?

I like Stevie Ray Vaughn, and find his guitar parts somewhat hard to play. But, someone will probably blast me for not knowing about Jimi and Albert King?

And to that one guy above that had a negitive response. Give me your address, and I will send you a free recorder (if you know what a recorder is). Maybe you could start there and work up. ! :)

I will avoid the obvious selections since most on Audiogon already have these recordings.
Kate Wolf-Safe at Anchor
Gerry Rafferty-North and South
Marianne Faithfull-Blazing Away(live recording)
Peter Himmelman-From Strength to Strength
Anne Bisson-Blue Mind

Dreamboat Annie,,,,Love that LP,,every song!!!Still have the copy I bought when it came out! I must have been 15 ,And it still sounds great!!!

Agree c several on this list- add
R.E.M.- Murmur, Automatic For The People
Radiohead- In Rainbows
Joni Mitchell- Court and Spark
Dave Brubeck- Take Five
Back to LA vs Dallas

Enjoyed the thread.
Many, many great suggestions.
For me, additional "perfect" LPs I did not think I saw listed...

Bruce Springsteen "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
Fairport Convention "Liege & Lief"
Genesis "A Trick of the Tail"
Jethro Tull "Benefit"
Joe Jackson "Night & Day"

Apologies for any of these already mentioned.

MacDad you shoulda' started a new thread. You have a great idea. I'll do it!

Oohhh a new thread, or should we hijack this one with:

Best Debut Albums, here are my favs:

The Beatles - Please, Please Me

Stone Temple Pilots - Core

Led Zeppelin

Sade - Diamond Life

Nora Jones - Come Away with Me

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill

Bad Co

Elvis Costello - My Aim is True'

Jet - Get Born (ahh so much promise, then nothing)

Audiofeil

Hi. I own and really like a good deal of the ones you've listed but IMHO have some flaws. My list isn't necessarily my list of favorite albums. It's just a list of some I considered flawless.

Supertramp - Crime of the Century...absolutely perfect, imo

>>03-31-11: Baka1969
Boston: Boston - The best debut album I've heard<<

Have you heard these?

The Doors
Are You Experienced
Child Is Father To The Man
Crosby Stills And Nash
Dreamboat Annie
In The Court Of The Crimson King
Led Zeppelin
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
Can't Buy A Thrill

This isn't as easy a choice as you might think. I will try to list them the best I can. They might be flawless but they're not necessarily my favorites. Here's mine:

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue - I believe to be the most flawless album of all time

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here - Simply a masterpiece of prog music

Pink Floyd: The Wall - The most cohesive concept album ever made

Pink Floyd: Meddle - Echoes itself makes this perfect

Boston: Boston - The best debut album I've heard The

Eagles: Hotel California - Where's the filler?

The Sex Pistols: Nevermind the Bollocks - 39 minutes of pure unadulterated punk

The Beatles: Sgt Pepper - I think the best of the Beatles output

Jethro Tull: Aqualung - Simply brilliant

Tool: Lateralus - This is what metal is all about

Joni Mitchell: Blue - Soulful and heartfelt

Bob Marley: Legend - I know it's a compilation but it's essential

Led Zeppelin: Zoso - Needs no explanation

Chicago Transit Authority: Chicago Transit Authority - Perfect blend of rock/jazz

Roy Hargrove's "Habana"

Hyaena by the siouxsie and the banshees.

Blind Faith
ChicagoII

Stooges "Funhouse"
Blue Oyster Cult "Secret Treaties"
Aerosmith "Rocks"

If soundtracks are allowed, "West Side Story” - original movie soundtrack.

I get dazzled now by great production values more than in the past, now that I can actually hear what is going on by having a quality system.

For instance I picked up an old Doobie Brothers album "Takin it to the Streets".

The album has immaculate production and is much more interesting to listen to than it was before hearing the recording on cheap stereos and radios.

The artists making music go through great lengths at times to bring you something special.. and now I really "get" what they were trying to do.. where as before I just heard the snapshot melodies.

I haven't read through this thread so this one may already have been mentioned: Close to the Edge by Yes is the best example I can think of as a "perfect" album. Phenomenal playing/musciainship and singing, complex arrangements, excellent compositions and not a lame "cut" on the album. Fragile is close but there are a filler or two on that album that make it less than perfect for me. Same for Selling England by the Pound by Genesis.

Just saw Steve Hackett (and Renaissance) live here in Albany. Hackett had a great band that could turn on a dime, but I felt they had too much PA for the room (The Egg). I generally don't require earplugs at this venue, but now I know...Beyond that, a mostly fine evening of prog.

Kindergarten Khords composed by a Kindergarten Komposer.
How funny.

I'm not even sure who that barb was aimed at...Steve Hackett? The first album that I listed(Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea) is nothing but open chords and barre chords but to me it is inspired and perfect. The musicians must know music theory to make a perfect album?

I understand what 6550c is getting at...but, it also takes imagination and creativity to put some of those simple notes/chords together to make "music".

I am continually in awe of good musicians regardless of their instruments or type of music. I wish I had a fraction of the talent that even average musicians that write their own music have....I guess that's why I spend so much time listening and not playing!

With that being said I am really liking Mary Chapin Carpenter's latest release...simple music yes, but well put together and well recorded.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung

Learn to play an instrument- even a little music theory- and it will become readily apparent how cheesy some (but not all) of the aforementioned selections really are. Kindergarten chords, as they say –lololol!

Pompous @s*

My first reply to this post did not fly so I'll try this one.

Ok, here's one for jazz lovers;

Stephane Grappelli 'Live in Dublin, Ohio',
on the TKOMagnum label #CDSB1014.

It rocks!, or should that be jazzes?lol

Learn to play an instrument- even a little music theory- and it will become readily apparent how cheesy some (but not all) of the aforementioned selections really are. Kindergarten chords, as they say –lololol!

thanks
Al

i also forgot about "Once Above a Time" hackett DVD and "Wild Orchids" and "To Watch the Storms" CDs are also worth while.

Just realized Hackett is currently on a US tour, which does not happen often. I'd love to see him live!

"Highly Strung" is another worthwhile Hackett album.