What are some records that are great from start-to-finish that everyone should hear, regardless of genre or era?

[REK2575]

Well, here it is in all its passionate, low-fi glory.]

This is well put. My problem with all recorded Furtwangler is that I simply cannot get past the Low-Fi to appreciate the Passionate part. Even the relatively well-engineered post-war Furtwangler recordings (like the classic Beethoven 9 w/ the Bayreuth Festspiele) are just un-listenable for me. The recording quality is often so wretched that it's hard for me to understand how anyone can really, truly enjoy it...

 

[Robin L]

This is well put. My problem with all recorded Furtwangler is that I simply cannot get past the Low-Fi to appreciate the Passionate part. Even the relatively well-engineered post-war Furtwangler recordings (like the classic Beethoven 9 w/ the Bayreuth Festspiele) are just un-listenable for me. The recording quality is often so wretched that it's hard for me to understand how anyone can really, truly enjoy it...

I've long had interest in historical recordings. Relative to Furtwangler's air checks, this is one of the good ones. Sometimes, like the 1944 Bruckner 9th, there is no substitute.

 

[Fregly]

Rush were my heroes as a kid and then I forgot about them for years, hearing what I thought of as flaws as my tastes changed. I've been watching a lot of Youtube clips of them lately, and come to reappreciate all things Rush.

Permanent Waves is great from start to finish. I remember it changed my world at the time when we need mentors.

 

[restorer-john]

Fabulous album.

Regardless of genre eh?

 

[Blake Klondike]

Fabulous album.

View attachment 33226View attachment 33227View attachment 33228View attachment 33229View attachment 33230Regardless of genre eh?

I love track 18-19: Music.

 

[restorer-john]

I love track 18-19: Music.

Yep, that record is a real hit at parties.

 

[Eirikur]

... and now for something completely different: saxophone + (church) organ
Arne Domnérus With Gustaf Sjökvist ‎– Antiphone Blues (1975 - Album)

Doesn't get boring even on multiple subsequent replays.

 

[BDWoody]

Fabulous album.

View attachment 33226View attachment 33227View attachment 33228View attachment 33229View attachment 33230Regardless of genre eh?

Good one for date night in front of the fireplace...

 

[Eirikur]

Guess I'm in that sort of a mood tonight... the great Tom Waits with Nighthawks at the Diner

Reminds me of a friend who is sadly no longer with us.

 

[LightninBoy]

Chris Whitley - Living with the Law
Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Sarah McLaughlin - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime (concept album - so you kinda have to listen to all the tracks).

 

[cshake]

I'll add a few that haven't been mentioned, in the electronic genre since it's a bit less represented so far:

Hybrid - Wide Angle (link to YouTube upload of the full album, though of questionable quality - seems to be Opus 160kbps). Electronic but with significant orchestral backing, and has a story from beginning to end (though only a few tracks have vocals). "Finished Symphony" is one of my favorite driving songs of all time, and this album is easily my #1 ever.

Propellerheads - Decksandrumsandrockandroll. Electronic again, and no story, but virtually all of the tracks are enjoyable. I'd call it a sampler of different sonic experiences, including beatboxing, a skateboard going back and forth over the stereo pan like a halfpipe and some chill grooving off to the side, to versions of James Bond songs. No need to listen in order.

Daft Punk - Discovery (in "Interstella 5555" animated movie form). I saw that Homework was mentioned, and that may be a better album to some, but the movie form of Discovery is great. It's the whole album in order and doesn't add any audio on top except a bit of rain between two tracks, but the story is told quite well. Generally available in some form or another on YouTube, but I won't link here because the latest is only 6 months old and I expect it to get pulled down in a few months and I don't like leaving dead links around.

 

[Eirikur]

Queensrÿche - Operation Mindcrime (concept album - so you kinda have to listen to all the tracks).

I somehow always liked "The Warning" better, especially No Sanctuary and the epic Roads to Madness finishing the album.

 

[Ron Party]

Well you know I gotta' chime in with some prog. Transatlantic's 2009 album,The Whirlwind. There's only one song, which is the title track, and it clocks in at 78 minutes. Some of the best musicianship one ever will find in rock and subrock genres. Saw them at The Palace Of Fine Arts in San Francisco open their show with this song. They played in straight through, no breaks. Absolutely phenomenal.

 

[Ron Party]

Also have to include IQ's 2004 album, Dark Matter. Strong influences of Pink Floyd & Genesis.

 

[Shane D]

Since the intro said regardless of era, I would like to submit my best of list:
Best of 60's - Sgt. Pepper
Best of 70's - Dark Side of the Moon
Best of 80's - The Joshua Tree
Best of 90's - Jagged Little Pill
Best of 2000's - Dave Matthews - The Best of What's Around plus several contenders
Best of 2010+ - Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials plus several contenders

All of the above start to finish hundreds and hundreds of times. With new music I most buy one or multiple singles VS the whole abum. Except with Blues or Jazz where you just feel like you have to get the whole abum when you're exploring.

 

[digicidal]

I've realized that the biggest obstacle to full-album listening (to me at least) is the presence of "hit tracks". I have several albums where I listened start-to-finish until a particular track gained widespread popularity and was heard in stores, restaurants, and on radio far too often for my taste. Now I have to skip those tracks in most cases.

 

[GrimSurfer]

So many greats listed already, so I'll add the following: (reasons in brackets)

Yes, The Yes Album (Harder then Fragile, More coherent than Close to the Edge)

Rush, Fly By Night (the most "complete and balanced" rock album ever?)

Radiohead, OK Computer (programmed? overwrought? Who cares!)

Black Sabbath, Paranoid & Heaven and Hell (Ozzy, the madman still in control. Ronnie James Dio performing CPR to save the day)

Ozzy Osborne, No More Tears (Proof that, even when out of control, a madman still rules the night)

Genesis, Duke & Invisible Touch (Genesis shines when trying not to play the hits)

Uriah Heep, Demons and Wizards (Ken Hensley showed us he had a vocal range equal to, or greater than, Freddie Mercury)

Peter Gabriel, Us (variety of musical influences from around the world, distilled into a prog rock package)

Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells (one man show, only 19 years old. Helps Virgin establish itself. Lays down the tracks when the studio closes for the day. Like, wow, man!)

Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (Floyd's most soulful. These guys were playing for themselves, allowing us to listen in as they worked through the loss of a friend)

Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (hard rock, prog rock, middle eastern influences, acoustic rock, ballads from a band so tight that they were to soon call it quits when their drummer dies)

 

[Shane D]

So many greats listed already, so I'll add the following: (reasons in brackets)

Yes, The Yes Album (Harder then Fragile, More coherent than Close to the Edge)

Rush, Fly By Night (the most "complete and balanced" rock album ever?)

Radiohead, OK Computer (programmed? overwrought? Who cares!)

Black Sabbath, Paranoid & Heaven and Hell (Ozzy, the madman still in control. Ronnie James Dio performing CPR to save the day)

Ozzy Osborne, No More Tears (Proof that, even when out of control, a madman still rules the night)

Genesis, Duke & Invisible Touch (Genesis shines when trying not to play the hits)

Uriah Heep, Demons and Wizards (Ken Hensley showed us he had a vocal range equal to, or greater than, Freddie Mercury)

Peter Gabriel, Us (variety of musical influences from around the world, distilled into a prog rock package)

Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells (one man show, only 19 years old. Helps Virgin establish itself. Lays down the tracks when the studio closes for the day. Like, wow, man!)

Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here (Floyd's most soulful. These guys were playing for themselves, allowing us to listen in as they worked through the loss of a friend)

Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (hard rock, prog rock, middle eastern influences, acoustic rock, ballads from a band so tight that they were to soon call it quits when their drummer dies)

Wow, there's a walk down memory lane! Do you regularly listen to 70's stuff repeatedly? I grew up in the 70's and Zeppelin was my favourite band, but I rarely play them anymore. Still like to dip into Pink Floyd, J Geils Band and a few others now and then but mostly I try to find new rock music every Friday. I have also gotten into Jazz and Blues the last few years.

It does seem like Classic Rock will go on forever.

 

[GrimSurfer]

Wow, there's a walk down memory lane! Do you regularly listen to 70's stuff repeatedly? I grew up in the 70's and Zeppelin was my favourite band, but I rarely play them anymore. Still like to dip into Pink Floyd, J Geils Band and a few others now and then but mostly I try to find new rock music every Friday. I have also gotten into Jazz and Blues the last few years.

It does seem like Classic Rock will go on forever.

Yeah, I seem to gravitate to the 70s. New Wave sometimes makes it into the mix when I exercise because the beat structure keeps me moving.

I listen to a complete album of that era about 3-4 times a week now that I'm retired. Before that, I'd fill Friday night's with as much music as I could.

 

[Dogen]

I’ve been enjoying Robert Wyatt’s Shleep lately. Very strong late album that’s varied in style and with some of his most incisive and delightful lyrics. The whole album’s on YouTube, but here’s a taste.