Do you own/have you heard a perfect album?

[cobl04]

What I'm talking about here is an album that you cannot fault. An album that is a joy to listen to every time you throw it on. An album on which you rate every track a 5/5, 10/10, 5 stars, A+, whatever.

Cos I am yet to find one. The closest I have come so far is Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, which I rate:
Shine on You Crazy Diamond parts I - V 10
Welcome to the Machine 8
Have a Cigar 9
wish you Were Here 10
Shine on You Crazy Diamond parts VI - IX 10

So is there an perfect album for you? If there isn't list what comes closest. I'd like to see what people think

 

[bono_212]

5/5 EVERY track? I can't think of one at the moment. The only album that's jumping to mind for me is War. By no means is it my favorite album, but I rate every track on it at least 4/5 maybe one track is a 3 1/2 of five, i'll have to think a little more on ti

 

[cobl04]

I thought maybe you'd mention a Springsteen album in honour of your relocation news

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Man. Michael Jackson's 'Bad' comes close - only 'Dirty Diana' and 'Liberian Girl' stop it from being a 100% winner. Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' comes close - only 'Love Song' ruins it for me.

The one album I keep coming back to though... hmmm... one that I love very single track... 'Behaviour' by the Pet Shop Boys comes close.

 

[the tourist]

Probably the only album that's there for me is by a band no one has ever heard of on this forum called Loudermilk. But that's probably because it's a grower and it was my favourite album for 4 years, and they were my favourite band for those same 4 years. Over four years, with an album that hits home like that, it must be something special. That said, no one else on here would rate it that way. It's a very personal thing.

 

[LemonMelon]

U2 - Joshua Tree (I prefer Zooropa, but it's not flawless)
Radiohead - OK Computer
Beck - Sea Change
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (not a top 10 favorite or anything, but it still has no flaws)
Steely Dan - Aja
Led Zeppelin - IV

 

[bono_212]

I thought maybe you'd mention a Springsteen album in honour of your relocation news

Oh how I wanted to. I was gonna say Born to Run, but there's Meeting to contend with, and then I was going to say Darkness, but there's Racing in the Street, then I was oging to say Born in the USA, but there's Bobby Jean. I was trying to pick an album that I skip no songs on, and while I may in fact find those three albums to be amongst my favorites of all time, there's those tracks that I skip.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I've never heard a perfect album all the way through. There are a lot that come close, but there are always dud tracks.

Axver is bound to disagree, but I think MBV's Loveless is solid all the way though, and I think it's because I treat it as a single, continuing song with a lot of good bits. It's not my favourite album, not even my favourite shoegaze album, but I think it's very consistent.

edit: Actually, I did think of one! Pet Sounds! Cliche answer, but it's more or less true.

 

[phillyfan26]

Born to Run: It has no low points.

 

[cobl04]

Is Pet Sounds really that good?

Nick Drake - Pink Moon (not a top 10 favorite or anything, but it still has no flaws)

Know is the only song which annoys me. The guitar is like the old fingernails on a blackboard to me. Do you rate all those albums 100% though?

Oh how I wanted to. I was gonna say Born to Run, but there's Meeting to contend with,

I'm quite liking Meeting at the moment, defintely up there for me with Born to Run and Tenth Avenoo Freeze Out. She's The One and Night are the ones I'm not crazy about so far.

 

[bono_212]

COBL! She's the One?!?!?!

 

[gareth brown]

Loveless is fucking fantastic - possibly a perfect album in my opinion. Same for Isn't Anything which doesn't get the recognition it deserves in my opinion.

 

[If you shout...]

Not even close, no. I'd love to be able to say otherwise, but I can't. Kinda depressing, but more realistic, ultimately. Nobody's/nothing's perfect!

 

[intedomine]

I'd love to hear a perfect album. There are some that have come very close, namely Stone Roses self-titled, Travis' Man Who and Joshua Tree.....

The Queen Is Dead

The Queen Is Dead- 5/5
Frankly Mr Shankly - 5/5
I Know It's Over - 5/5
Never Had No One Ever - 5/5
Cemetry Gates - 5/5
Big Mouth Strikes Again - 4.5/5
Boy With Thorn In His Side - 5/5
Vicar In A Tutu - 4.5/5
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - 5/5
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others - 5/5


So close......49/50.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Loveless is fucking fantastic - possibly a perfect album in my opinion. Same for Isn't Anything which doesn't get the recognition it deserves in my opinion.

Isn't Anything is great too, and I agree it doesn't get the deserved attention, but that's probably because it didn't cost a bazillion trillion dollars to make. I do prefer it to Loveless in some degree, but I don't think it's as seamlessly consistent.

And yes, Dan - Pet Sounds is amazing. I'm not sure if it's what you're after right now, and it can be a grower - but it's still worth looking at. As is a lot of Beach Boys stuff.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Nirvana --- Never mind

 

[Irishteen]

Don't think so, if you exclude flow and atmosphere and all that my ratings would be (Pitchfork style) for some of my favourite albums would be

Funeral - 9.4
Neon Bible - 9.1
Disintegration - 9.5
Yes, Virginia... - 9.1
Kid A - 9.0
OK Computer - 9.2
( ) - 9.5
The Queen is Dead - 9.2
Urban Hymns - 9.1
The Unforgettable Fire - 9.0 (my favourite album)

 

[PRoMenADeZoO]

Radiohead - In Rainbows
U2 - Achtung Baby
The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium
The Mars Volta - Francis The Mute
Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

( ) - 9.5

I've always had a hard time with this one, I found Takk... to be a better album, imo of course...

 

[u2popmofo]

I've always had a hard time with this one, I found Takk... to be a better album, imo of course...

You're not alone, I prefer Takk and Agaetis Byrjun to () as well. I've noticed that () is one of those records that people either fanatically love and think is their best, or they think it's their worst (not counting Von). To each their own. () 1, 3, 4, and 8 are all amazing tracks, I think we can all agree with that.

 

[gvox]

This would take me forever to compile, because pretty much every artist I like has one album that I consider perfect..and I like way to many different styles of music too...but here's a small sample of about 20 years of the more popular stuff..


U2 - The Joshua Tree
U2 - October
New Order - Substance, Low-Life
Bob Marley - Uprising, Rastaman Vibration, Exodus
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights
The Cure - Disintegration
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward, Black Celebration, Music For The Masses (Violator and Songs come verrrry close)
Bruce Springsteen - Born in The USA
Peter Gabriel - So
Phil Collins - Face Value, Hello I Must Be Going
Rush - Farewell to Kings, Moving Pictures, Hold Your Fire
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow, Louder Than Bombs (which are comps, true, but track for track my favorites)
The Police - Reggatta de Blanc, Zenyatta Mondata
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
David Bowie - Best of Bowie (2002)
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Boyz II Men - Christmas Interpretations, II
Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
K-OS - Joyful Rebellion, Atlantis
Buju Banton - Til Shiloh
Barrington Levy - Broader Than Broadway
Half Pint - 20 Super Hits
Ten City - Foundation
Various - The House Sound of Chicago


holy fuck. I just hit house music. ok must. stop. now.

I really like ALOT of music.

 

[dsmith2904]

Abbey Road

 

[Irishteen]

I've always had a hard time with this one, I found Takk... to be a better album, imo of course...

It's actually the only one of their albums I've heard in full, so maybe Takk... is even more amazing

But I just love ( ), great album to listen to while going asleep

 

[LemonMelon]

Is Pet Sounds really that good?

No.

 

[Needle_Chill]

The Verve - Urban Hymns

I figure some of the songs are 6/5 (The Drugs Don't Work, Bittersweet Symphony, Lucky Man), and a few are 4/5 (Neon Wilderness), so that evens itself out...

 

[Screwtape2]

Don't think so, if you exclude flow and atmosphere and all that my ratings would be (Pitchfork style) for some of my favourite albums would be

Funeral - 9.4
Neon Bible - 9.1
Disintegration - 9.5
Yes, Virginia... - 9.1
Kid A - 9.0
OK Computer - 9.2
( ) - 9.5
The Queen is Dead - 9.2
Urban Hymns - 9.1
The Unforgettable Fire - 9.0 (my favourite album)

I'm surprised you rate Yes, Virginia over the self-titled album. Are you excited for No, Virginia?

 

[Irishteen]

Louder Than Bombs

I really can't agree with this, I think it has some of the band's weakest singles on it, but it's a great album balanced out with some of the band's best Half a Person, William, it was really nothing, Oscillate Wildly, Rubber Ring, Asleep etc.

 

[Irishteen]

I'm surprised you rate Yes, Virginia over the self-titled album. Are you excited for No, Virginia?

Song for song I do but if I was to take into account other things I'd probably rate it well above 9. That's the thing with most albums, there's very few that are perfect if you take just the sum of their parts, but a lot of albums are greater than the sum of their parts. So if I guess a 10.0 album with amazing flow and atmosphere and all that would just cause all rating systems to explode

I am, I've heard the leak but nothing compares to blasting a CD for the first time on a stereo, except if the album grows on you I suppose...

 

[pgv]

Morrissey's 'Ringleader of the tormentors' - the very first time I heard it I was blown away, and that still happens to me everytime I listen to it now two years later. I only bought it for the one song 'You Have Killed Me' and to my suprise ended up liking every other song on it just as much.

And the Joshua Tree, ofcourse.

 

[Zoots]

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing