My daughter gave me an ipod for my birthday and I have been loading music to it slowly. As a perxon who listens to albums start to finish I have been loading albums I consider high quality beginning to end. Makes me wonder how many perfect albums there are out there. Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" is to me perfect. What I mean by perfect is not one sound needs to be added or subtracted to make it better. Funny thing is, "Pretzel Logic" is not my favorite Steely Dan album, but its sound is perfect. I can only come up with a few. Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here" Tears For Fears, "Songs From The Big Chair"
After reading this thread I went back and listened to Sowing the Seeds... and liked it a lot more that I did when it orignally came out. Very nice recording and songwriting. It can be a little preachy but overall a good work. My favorite album by TFF is still Everybody wants to Rule the World but Sowing the Seeds I think has the potential to grow beyond my recent favorable impression of it.
OK...after reading this thread I went and bought a used copy of Tears For Fears "The Seeds of Love" and all I have to say is that you guys are 100% right--it is fantastic--the whole thing. It also sounds incredible! Great call!
Tord Gustavsen Trio - Changing Places - this jazz trio from Norway is spectacular. This is their first album. All three of their records are absolutely outstanding. It's hard to put one above the others, but if I was to choose, it would be "Changing Places". Not only is the music excellent, but so is the sound quality.
Robin Zander and the boys?? Who doesn't?? I think I'm going to toss Live at Budukan on the turntable right now. Played hookey today, daughters othrodontist appointment.
Eagle- Hell Freezes Over John Mellenkamp- Scarecrow Brad Gillis- Gilrock Ranch Cheap Trick- Cheap Trick Cheap Trick- Cheap Trick (this is not a typo-they have 2 self titled LP's) Cheap Trick- Heaven Tonight Cheap Trick- Special One Cheap Trick- Budokan City Boy- Book Early CCR- Cosmos Factory
Peter Gabriel - Security Boomtown Rats - Fine Art of Surfacing Dimeola, et al - Friday Night in San Francisco Yes - 90125 REM - Out of Time Talking Heads - Little Creatures Paul Simon - Graceland Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine Tragically Hip - Fully Completely
Didn't one of the men's magazine's (Stuff, FHM, or Maxim) pick ELP as the worst major rock band of all time?
I grew up listening to ELP because my stoner brother loved them. If I heard "Karnevil 9" or "In the Beginning" one more time I was going to kill myself. I hated those guys as a kid. I liked Queen, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, 10cc, hell I liked everything but Prog Rock.
So recently I thought my tastes have changed as I have gotten older, so I would toss some Prog Rock on the old turntable and see if I had gained an appreciation for it.
Well, I liked the albums by Yes, and early Genesis, but I still agree that ELP sucked. Great musicians, but man they took themselves way too seriously.
I have to agree with Macdadtexas; Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a treasure from start to finish. It is without question, one of Elton's finest albums. He continues to impress after 40 plus years!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Audiogon forum for those of you good people who like a bit of difference, and like to think outside of the box to the usual norm posted on here, and have a passion to indulge a in bit of Indie/gothy/Grebo type music, may I very humbly present to you;
Tull's first album "This Was" is the closest to perfect IMHO, but Aqualung might qualify also.
"A Salty Dog" and "Broken Barricades" by Procol Harum are worth consideration as perfect also.
Also I'd have no qualms nominating "Magician's Birthday" - Uriah Heep and the 4 disc Steve Hackett Live 70s/80s/90s set (Hackett's live stuff is light years better overall than his often inconsistent studio versions of the same material.
I remember playing my older brothers 8-track copy of "Aqualung" by Jethro Tull over and over when it first came out. I don't know about it being perfect, but it doesn't feel right if I don't play the whole lp. Same goes for Led Zep II.
>>"I'll never forget the beatdown ELP took when I saw them at the Fillmore East back in the day."<<
I am sure that could happen in some circumstances. They could hardly be termed "traditional" rockers in _any_ sense of the word and I am sure could seem lame in relief of heavy blues hitters like the Winters band.
However, I still catch my breath when I recall standing with similarly awestruck fans after ELP's rendition of Pictures At An Exhibition followed by the no less intense Hoedown. The speed, syncopation and skill on their respective instruments was like nothing I nor friends had seen or heard before--and we were a concert veteran group. Then there was the Palmer kit solo after which some sat in stunned silence while I muttered under my breath, "Holy shit". Talk about raw hand speed. Bruford from Yes and Gadd were all the talk back then. Palmer came in and just _ripped_. That guy is a legend.
I've been to more concerts than I can count in every genre from Itzak Perlman, Parkening and Stern to JMaclaughlin the Dead and Tull. I still think of that ELP concert as an awakening. Three guys that could light it up in terms of musicianship and sound like an orchestra. I started listening to classical music seriously after that and have been a nightly music fiend ever since. In their prime, they were a sight to behold.
I've picked up some good ideas and will be ordering them. The one album listed above that I might go along with as perfect is "The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists. It flows so well from start to finish which is difficult at it's length. I suppose perfection is relevant to the time and place as much as the particular music set. On my honorable mention list is: The Counting Crows, "August And Everything After" Joni Mitchell, "Blue" REM, "Document," no wait, that one is perfect.
I'll never forget the beatdown ELP took when I saw them at the Fillmore East back in the day. I was a huge fan, excited that we scored tickets. Wasn't aware that Edgar Winter's White Trash was 2nd billing. Well, being the era that it was, I think the whole audience was trippin' on acid, expecting a psychedelic ELP roller coaster. Out comes Edgar & the boys, basically performing their whole 'Roadwork Live' record. Poor ELP had to follow FOUR sweaty encores! 1st song was 'Barbarian' followed by the side-long tune from Tarkus. People were walking out in droves! Ah, the good ol' days!;)
'Lucky man' good song, ruined for me at end by the twonky tonk high pitched needless meanderings on the synths/keyboards. Now where is that 'Trilogy' cd? for a bit of 'Hoedown!
The 2 best things about Brain Salad Surgery, the artwork, and the track Benny the Bouncer!, it probably is a more meaningful song, for those living and being dragged up by their doc Martin boot laces in our ill gotten teen days in the UK around that time of the albums release, hooligans working ie as night club bouncers keeping in 'fighting' shape for kicking butts at 3pm every Saturday come rain or shine from Aug/May. That's my personal understanding of the song, whether or not Lake(?) wrote it with football and general hooliganism in mind very prevalent in those crazy times, who knows?, if ya kno' wha' i mean gov'ner.
"Yeah, I love "Brain Salad Surgery", but Benny the Bouncer blows it for me. Otherwise, it's a perfect LP, IMO."
Point taken, but even BTB is fine in the context of the rest of the album.
ELP liked to lighten up most of their albums with at least one lighter cut like BTB, FBOFW. I think their producers made them do it so to show that they had a sense of humor and lightness to go along with the rest of the stuff often criticized as "pretentious" by the pop/rock media.
Then again I loved "Cie La Vie" when it used to be played on the radio (and still like it) so you have to take my opinions with a grain of salt. IS there any song more schmaltzy and over the top than that?
I think also their are a couple of major groups whose primary albums as a group together are close enough to perfect to acknowledge as a whole:
The BEatles The Moody Blues The Doors
The Moody Blues in particular deserve credit in that they have been around for so long compared to the other two and I cannot think of any Moodies album is not near completely enjoyable for me.
Tvad, you reminded me that I might add "Deadwing" by Porcupine Tree to the list. I know that's not your Fav PT album though. Musically, I might also consider FOABP in the list, but the thematic material covered there is so bleak that it makes me think twice.
All Bon Scott AC/DC LP's Aerosmith- Rocks Saga- Worlds Apart Billy Squire- Don't Say No Rush- Moving Pictures Dido- No Angle Bruce Springsteen- The Rising Journey- Look Into The Future Sweet- Desolation Boulevard
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