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"
Let me add, that there are very many modern, contemporary, atonal, and avant-garde classical pieces that I consider near perfect, but on recording, they are often paired up with music that I do not.
I consider quite a few pieces by: Elliott Carter, Bruno Maderna, Joan Tower, Charles Wuorinen, Gyorgi Ligeti, Milton Babbitt, Magnus Lindberg, Penderecki, Ernst Krenek, and others, to be perfect.
But it is beyond the choice of the composer to choose any other pieces on the same recording.
The Everest SDBR LP with iconic album art work by Steinwitz of Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements coupled with Ebony Concerto played by Woody Herman and his band for whom it was dedicated. The dynamics and performance of the symphony by LSO and Goossens (who premiered The Rite of Spring in England) is still reference and believe me I have heard them all! Recorded in three track half inch tape in the first class acoustics of Walthamstow Assembly Hall it is a great listening comparison to the Ebony recorded in 35mm three track magnetic film at the Belock Record Studio in Bayside New York. This one LP, loaned from the local public record library around 1969 in the inferior Transatlantic UK pressing, has cost me thousands in record collecting and Hi Fi equipment. Today the album cover is framed and hanging in my music room.... I'm still married and solvent.
Alan Parson "I Robot" Black Sabbath "Paranoid" Simon & Garfunkel "Bookends" Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" Neil Young "Massey Hall 1971" Lucinda Williams "Live at Filmore West" Graham Nash "Songs For Beginners" Traveling Wilburys "Vol. 1" Richard Thompson "Pour Down Like Silver" ZZ Top "Tres Hombres" Manfred Mann "The Roaring Silence" Family Band "Grace & Lies" Van Morrison "Moondance" Jackson Browne "The Pretender" America "S/T" Dire Straits "Communique" Shawn Colvin "Steady On" Mary Gauthier "Trouble & Love" Heart "Dog & Butterfly" Mazzy Star "Seasons Of Your Day" Bob Seger "Beautiful Loser" Matthew Sweet "Girlfriend" Tracy Chapman "S/T" The Jayhawks "Rainy Day Music" Chris Isaak "San Francisco Days" Blood Sweat & Tears "S/T" Chicago "Transit Authority"
Just seeing this thread for the first time, and it’s a great subject! Off the top of my head I’d say:
The Band: Music From Big Pink; s/t (the "brown" album)
Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home; Highway 61 Revisited; Blonde On Blonde; John Wesley Harding; Nashville Skyline; New Morning; Planet Waves; Shot Of Love
Dave Edmunds: Rockpile (album title, not the Group he was in with Nick Lowe); Subtle As A Flying Mallet; Get It; Tracks On Wax 4; Repeat When Necessary; Twangin’; D.E. 7
The Flamin’ Groovies: Shake Some Action
Nick Lowe: Labour Of Lust
Rockpile: Seconds Of Pleasure
Carlene Carter: Musical Shapes
Rodney Crowell: The Houston Kid
The Notorious Cherry Bombs: s/t
John Hiatt: Bring The Family; Slow Turning
Iris Dement: Infamous Angel; My Life; The Way I Should
Buddy Miller: Your Love And Other Lies; Cruel Moon
Kevin Gordon: Down To The Well
Lucinda Williams: s/t (Rough Trade)
Jim Lauderdale: Through It All
Loudon Wainwright III: Last Man On Earth
AC/DC: Back In Black
Weezer: s/t (the "green" album)
The Dwight Twilley Band: Sincerely
Emitt Rhodes: s/t
Van Dyke Parks: Song Cycle
The Beach Boys: All Summer Long; Pet Sounds; Smiley Smile; Wild Honey; Sunflower; Love You. And of course what would have been the pinnacle of Pop perfection had it been completed and released, Smile.
For that I value Depeche Mode; Yello; Kraftwerk especially Trans Europe Express album; ... None I've known ever covered these bands. The music is so perfect, you can't add or subtract anything from there
i always though that if you replaced "going mobile" (which i never much cared for on who's next with "pure and easy", it would be perfect record. that said, i wouldn't change a note on blonde on blonde or astral weeks, although there's a lot less venerable stuff i listen to more.
The most interesting thread so far here... my two cents...
The 1st Symphony from Jean Sibelius Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian Ennio Morricone most of Take Five Some Miles Davis Some Simon & Gartfunkel Electric Ladyland In the Court of the Crimson King + a couple of live recordings Valentyne Suite & Colosseum Live To Our Children´s Children´s Children Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Grand Hotel Yes 1st album, Fragile, Yessongs 3LP, Tales from Topographic Oceans 2LP, Tormato, & Keys to Ascension live Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, GENESIS LIVE & BBC Crymes (from 1972, live in studio) + many live recordings from their pinnacle All classic Barclay James Harvest albums with Stuart Wolstenholme Abraxas & Santana III Meddle & The Dark Side of the Moon Salisbury & Look at Yourself Aqualung Led Zeppelin IV 666 Quella Vecchia Locanda´s 2 first albums Smokin´ Machine Head ELP, Brain Salad Surgery & Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends 3LP Blue Öyster Cult´s 2 first & On Your Feet or on Your Knees 2LP The Captain and Me & What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (cheers entrope, you ´ve got taste :) Banco del Mutuo Soccorso all they recorded work in the 70´s Le Orme´s Collage & Uomo di pezza Museo Rosenbach Alphataurus & Live in Bloom 2010 DVD Arti + Mestieri´s 2 first albums Sun Supreme Mountain Twin Peaks Live 2LP Harakka Bialoipokku Scheherazade and Other Stories & Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall Apoteosi Next & Impossible Dream Maxophone Celeste Boston & Don´t Look Back Point of Know Return Infinity & Captured Hemispheres & Moving Pictures Obsession & Strangers in the Night 2LP I Robot Elegant Gypsy Friday Night in San Francisco Asia´s 2 first PROG EXHIBITION 4 DVD set GENESIS LIVE revisited, both DVD releases
The actual sound quality/balance may not be perfect in some cases and is partly a matter of taste but the contend in question is perfect in its context.
Supertramp "Crime of the Century" and "Breakfast in America" Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" U2 "Achtung Baby" and "Joshua Tree" Peter Gabriel "So" The Decemberists "The Hazards of Love" Fleetwood Mac "Rumours" Kate Bush "Sensual World" and "Hounds of Love"
Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" Cannoball Adderley "Something Else" Bill Evans "Waltz for Debby"
Seeds of Love is my preference too. Woman in Chains is wonderful as is the title track which can be checked out on DVD in Vol. 4 of Night of Proms which I had to buy from a London supplier. It has a number of highlights including Alan Parsons Silence and I, John Miles doing Stairway to Heaven, the 1812 overture and the biggest surprise for me - CU When You Get There by Coolio. Quite a collection.
I certainly second the motion by Whart on Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. Simply outstanding music and production. One of my top ten albums of all time. Enjoy!
"Quicksand/Cradlesnake," by Caliphone. I'll bet no one has heard of this album. I wouldn't have if I didn't stumble over it on CD at the library. It looked eccentric.
This album is beyond eccentric. As well as conventional rock instruments, a number of sound props are used. It sounds sometimes like dials being tuned. But the singing is mysterious, refering to coyotes, boxers and vampires.
I play it more, I think, than anything else, though I've had it for many years. I think it came out in 2003.
Anybody mention 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus? Spirit was at their pinnacle, and very, very capable, not only at hard rock, but at a fusion of jazz style (think the older track, not on this album,- 'Fresh Garbage') and catchy pop. Throw in the great variations in song writing style-- from Nature's Way to 'Street Worm,' and a dose of psychedelic 'mood' (probably the stuff that least stands the test of time, but it is truly of the period) and it's a wonderful listen.
Counting Crows August and Everything After SImon and Garfunkel Bookends The Smiths The Queen is Dead Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea Steely Dan The Royal Scam Velvet Underground and Nico John Coltrane A Love Supreme Genesis Foxtrot
Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like A Wheel, just finished listening to this beautiful album. Haven't heard it in a while and had forgotten how good it is. The production is perfect as well as the song selection.
Not sure if this is perfection lists or lists of favorite albums. I will say it a little different, in that what albums are worth multiple times you listen to. I say this because i am one of those "audiophools" that own 3500 vinyl records and have listened to most of them over the 40 years i have been collecting. However, there are a few that despite the years, i find i listen to the entire album 5 to 10 times a year (if not more). I consider these collections of great songs that are well recorded and flow together well (audiofeil mentioned that aspect early in this thread). Sorry to explain my list but i wanted you to understand why these are on my list Buckingham/Nicks first album--Heavy acoustic but every song is a keeper that flows very well together Little Feat-- One of the best live albums of all time PinkFloyd--Wish you were here, Dark Side and Division bell--yeah i am a floydfreak Steely Dan--Cant buy a thrill Neil Young--Live Rust--Nother fine live album MoodyBlues--To your children's children,children alan Parsons--I Robot, Tales of Imagination/mystery Fleetwood Mac--Bare trees Dan Fogleberg/Tim Weissberg--Twin sons of different Mothers
Better stop but lots of great albums but these are as close to perfect (my definition) that i have come across and find myself listening over and over
Madfloyd, just out of curiosity what haven't you heard on that list? Every album is very well-known in my eyes. I usually get irritated when artists aren't listed with songs/albums but in this case there was no need.
yep...shiloh town, shanty mans life and manny more...album is full of covers that mark sings and plays perfect...i dont need heroin...just put some of dope LPs...thats all...
Off the cuff and top of my head with a variety of genre...
The Ghost of Tom Joad & Nebraska Sticky Fingers & Let It Bleed Abbey Road & Let it Be Electric Warrior Harvest Enter the 36 Chambers Paul's Boutique Nevermind Dirt And Justice For All Thickfreakness In Session (SRV/Albert King)
Here's another, the Tchaikovsky 5th on the Everest re-issue with Sargent conducting. Not only does the performance sound great but so does the LP. In fact most of the the Everest series is worth getting as well.
Other standouts from the series: Sargent Pictures almost as good as Reiner Everest Sibelius Violin Concerto
Tigerlily - Natalie Merchant Mr A to Z - Jason Mraz Surfacing - Sarah Mclaughlin Life in Slow Motion - David Grey The Innocents - Erasure Famous Blue Raincoat - Jennifer Warnes
And for you Tears for Fears fans, there is: Rites of Passage - Vitamin Z
Srwooten....I was shocked anyone owned Cityboy besides me! lol
I went back to Amazon again, and tried the 'early years vols 1&2' Much, Much different. I see it now. The first time I sampled the cd, 'bad me' I think it was. Maybe it was just the shock of hearing his voice the first time. As far as my previous comments, Never Mind :)
Some guys were talking about Tom Waits, I never heard of him, so I went to Amazon to hear some samples of his stuff. WOW!!! Thats not even music, let alone bad music. Do you really need high-end gear to listen to stuff like this??? Just asking. No offense. Rok2id
Never heard of Tom Waits? Really? He gets plenty of mention on this site. If you listen to a few of his more popular albums I believe you'll be surprised at the number of songs you're familiar with through covers.
Good grief!! If this is a representative sample of what you listen to, why not just get yourselves a Sony Boombox and be done. Some guys were talking about Tom Waits, I never heard of him, so I went to Amazon to hear some samples of his stuff. WOW!!! Thats not even music, let alone bad music. Do you really need high-end gear to listen to stuff like this??? Just asking. No offense.
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