I wasn't going to do this, because listing albums has always seemed boring to me. So what I'm going to do is list my favourites, but include
why they're my favourites. Also limiting myself to the one-artist-only deal. And no U2, because as far as I'm concerned, this part of the forum has nothing to do with U2.
No order of preference, because ranking albums is like a mother trying to rank her children. I'll go alphabetically. Also, only doing 10 because this could get lengthy.
01. Queen - A Night At The Opera
Without a doubt, my favourite Queen album of all time. It's strong from start to finish, combining all of (I feel) the best elements of this band. You've got the hard rock, the prog rock, and that little bit of zaniness that can be summed up by no other word than "Queen." Really, every song (other than Sweet Lady and Good Company) is top class stuff. I love the little piano-orientated pieces. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon is so
fun. Love Of My Life is absolutely beautiful. Nice to see the other guys taking the microphone stand as well. Brian May is great in '39 and Roger Taylor shines in I'm In Love With My Car. And man, what would Wayne's World have been without the guys headbanging to Bohemian Rhapsody?
02. Pink Floyd - Animals
It's hard for me to choose my favourite Pink Floyd album. Some days it's Dark Side, some days it's The Wall, other days it's Obscured By Clouds. But the one album I've always come back to throughout the years is Animals. The concept, the songs, hell, even the
album cover...all great. Not a weak track on this album. True, there are only five, but the three in the middle are so long they could be several songs. Both parts of Pigs On The Wing are nice enough, but the real meat is in Dogs, Pigs (Three Different Ones) and Sheep, the latter being my favourite song by the Floyd. Dogs is just like one long Gilmour solo. Also has my favourite outro of all time. Pigs 3DO has my favourite intro. And Sheep is just awesome the whole way through. The album isn't Roger Waters' greatest, lyrically, but that's irrelevant when held up to the music. I can't praise this one enough.
03. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
It took me a while to warm up to Brothers In Arms. I always preferred the more stripped down, decidedly
1970s self-titled debut album. But I've since seen the error of my ways.
Brothers is a great collection of music. The only thing that turns me off about it is the overblown "80s sound" on some of the tracks. It's what kills songs like Your Latest Trick and Walk Of Life. Now, the more stripped down stuff with less-cheesy synth is just great. I'm talking Why Worry, Brothers In Arms, The Man's Too Strong, and So Far Away. Oh, and who could ever forget Mark Knopfler's amazing technicolour headband from the Money For Nothing video?
04. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
One of the greatest albums to come out from 2000 and onwards. I cannot tell you how much I love Win Butler's voice. That aside, this is another one of those strong-the-whole-way-through kind of albums. It's just got a great feel about it. The lyrics are very desolate. Lots of yearning. And yet, there's a positive undertone beneath all of it. I can't think of a single song I don't like. Even harder is trying to select a favourite song. I guess for me, it would boil down to Tunnels, 7 Kettles, Crown Of Love, Rebellion, and In The Backseat (the latter's so emotional.) Can't wait for the next one.
05. Echo And The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
This album's depressing as hell, but I feel it's post-punk at its greatest. The only song on it I don't like is The Disease. I think it's Ian McCulloch's strongest album by far. Will Sergeant's guitar isn't as prominent in this one as it is on albums like Crocodiles or Porcupine, but it's still very good. Les Pattinson and Pete de Freitas are strong in the rhythm department. They all come together to make one hell of a tight album. The best example of this, I think, would be Over The Wall. What a fucking song. That outro always gives me chills. Other great ones include Show Of Strength, All My Colours, Heaven Up Here, and Turquoise Days. One of the things I love about the latter is the way the music builds up and builds up until you think it's going to explode...only to have it quieten down again without any climax. It confused me at first - a giant musical
bang at that point, I felt, was more than appropriate and needed, even. But now, the very fact that the song doesn't behave how I imagined it would makes me love it even more.
06. Radiohead - Kid A
Man oh man, Kid A. Like with Pink Floyd, it's terribly difficult for me to pick my favourite Radiohead album. I love all of their work. Yes...even Pablo Honey to some extent (this is the only time you'll ever hear me admit that
). Kid A's on another planet, though. It took me forever to warm up to it, what with all the weird boops and beeps. When I
did warm up to it, well, that was it. Yeah, Jonny Greenwood doesn't rock out with his cock out. Yeah, Colin Greenwood has come up with better bass lines. But I cannot fully express how amazing I think this album sounds. The only song I could sort of deal without is the title track. Other than that, pure perfection. It's beautiful and jarring at the same time. How To Disappear Completely, Optimistic, In Limbo, Everything In Its Right Place, Idioteque, The National Anthem...all great. It's the perfect album to just shut your eyes and drift away to Cloud Cuckoo Land with.
07. Nick Drake - Pink Moon
This is a recent musical love of mine, recommended to me by a friend. After a few listens to it, I couldn't help but adore it. This is as stripped down as stripped down gets - nothing but Nick Drake, his guitar, and the odd piano bit here and there. Yet, Nick Drake was so good at what he did that it feels like there's more to the music than what there actually is. It's a beautiful album. Very gloomy (obviously, as Nick Drake wasn't in the greatest frame of mind when he recorded this.) The gloominess of 99% of the tracks is what actually makes the final song, From The Morning, stand out so much. It's a little package of positivity amongst all the negativity. It's one of the best tracks, along with Parasite, Things Behind The Sun, Horn, Road, and Which Will. Lovely album.
08. Modest Mouse - The Moon And Antarctica
I struggled to choose my favourite Modest Mouse album as well, because The Lonesome Crowded West is brilliant. The Moon And Antarctica has just a slight advantage over it. It's an example of the kind of song writing Isaac Brock is capable of doing. I love the whole concept of it, the uncertainty of death and the uncertainty of God. Musically, it's a nice expansion of that lonely trailer park-ish sound they had on their earlier albums. Not to mention the "more danceable" stuff, like Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes and Paper Thin Walls. I just love it.
09. Don McLean - Tapestry
Most people pass off Don McLean as just another shitty 70s folk singer. Folk he may be, but hell, was he good at it. And unlike most folk artists, he didn't deal with mundane topics, especially not on Tapestry. His lyrics were phenomenal. The title song is quite possibly one of his greatest...despite it having the potential to be Greenpeace's national anthem.
Really, it's beautiful.
Check the lyrics outhttp://www.don-mclean.com/guitars/preview.asp?id=95200381419AM if you don't believe me. Orphans of Wealth is another great one, dealing with, well, the orphans of wealth. The poor. And, of course, there's Vincent, written about Vincent van Gogh. All in all, just a great album.
10. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Another recent love. I got into Interpol sometime last year, I think, and this album has got to be one of the best I've heard over the past few years. It's hardly original, but that doesn't stop it from being a great piece of work. One of the best album openers of recent times. Great bass and drums, great singing. Only thing I'm not too impressed with is the guitar, as the style's starting to become a little overused. My favourites would be Untitled, Hands Away, NYC, Roland, Leif Erikson, and Obstacle 2. Don't care much for Obstacle 1.
I could keep going, but I think I've waffled on for long enough.
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