I have thought a lot about this thread and what album would be my first post. It's not my all-time favorite album, but it's probably in my top 10 and would definitely be amongst the ones I would take with me to that desert island we all fantasize about...
Eels-'Electro Shock Blues' (1997). The band are perhaps more popular in Europe than America, however, they scored big several years later with their addition of a track for the 1st 'Shrek' film ('My Beloved Monster'). That track, however, is not on this album.
Be forewarned, this is NOT an easy listen so, please tread carefully if you decide to dive in. The record was composed after the band leader's sister committed suicide and whilst his mother was dying of cancer. This is a definite candidate for the most emotionally draining and depressing album EVER recorded. Ironically, it is also one of the most beautiful albums that I know. It is high art at its best. A poignant, vulnerable and cathartic record that speaks openly & honestly about the human condition, crippling mental health issues, drug addiction, cancer, pain & suffering, healthcare in America and a dysfunctional & broken society. However, amongst all of its darkness there is actually a shining light of hope offered at the end.
This album also took on a whole new life when I lost my own sister and it was an emotional crutch on many long flights/waiting in airports on my visits during her final months. I can't believe that in May she will have been gone 10 years...
Here are two tracks from the album that summarize the experience you will have if you decide to explore the album in its entirety. Again, not an easy listen, but in my mind, the best art isn't always the prettiest nor the easiest to look at/listen to.
Enjoy, but get the tissues ready as you will definitely need them...
Most musicians and bands are categorized by genre rock, jazz, R&B, country, etc.
I can not think of anyone who has crossed over all the musical borders like Ray Charles. When you look at his legacy and the music it covers it is astounding.
When I get my Ray Charles mode; I listen for weeks.
Linda Ronstandt won awards in country, pop, Latin music. She was in Broadway and was Tony nominated. Her list of hits she’s been a part of is insane. Her list of awards in equally insane. Check out her wiki page. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Ronstadt Here’s just a snippet...
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American popular music singer known for singing in a wide range of genres including rock, country, light opera, and Latin. She has earned 10 Grammy Awards[4], three American Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, and an ALMA Award, and many of her albums have been certified gold, platinum or multiplatinum in the United States and internationally. She has also earned nominations for a Tony Award and a Golden Globe award. She was awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Latin Recording Academy in 2011 and also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy in 2016. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014.[5] On July 28, 2014, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts and Humanities.[6][17] In 2019, she will receive a joint star with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work as the group Trio.[18][19]
Oh! And I did forget to mention that Aerosmith invented Rap music with the song Walk This Way. And that they brought it to the world stage by working with Run DMC in the video of the same name.
To rap and hip hop fans, you're welcome!
Released in 1975
Released in 1986
So 11 years after Aerosmith invented rap they helped bring it to the rest of the world.
Once again, you're welcome.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Oh! And I did forget to mention that Aerosmith invented Rap music with the song Walk This Way. And that they brought it to the world stage by working with Run DMC in the video of the same name.
I beg to differ. Aerosmith didn't invent rap, what they did do, and I acknowledge their offering, is they helped bring rap to a white, suburban audience. Rap, however, goes back to the early 70s and sprang out of the streets of the inner city (NYC/Bronx). You can also hear rap in some soul and funk from the 60s/70s. But, you can even hear its roots in Jamaican and African music.
You dipped back into the well a couple too many times in your post. Really drilling down on the ‘invented rap’ thing. I knew you were either being tongue in cheek or you were stupid. I know you well enough to know you’re not stupid.... at least on this topic.
I like & respect EARLY Aerosmith, and that 'Get Your Wings' album you mentioned above is a pretty decent rocker. You also cited a couple great tunes from it, which are definite highlights as is 'Same Old Song & Dance' & 'SOS'. The album of theirs I like the most, however, is 'Rocks'. I think it's one of the best examples of mid-70s American hard rock. It's another record that kicked my head in when I first heard it and that I still play to this day.
Sadly though, I think they have since become a caricature of themselves. That said, I haven't heard anything from them since their 'Rock In A Hard Place' record.
Johnny Cash At San Quentin George Jones 50 Years of Hits Loretta Lynn Greatest Hits Garth Brooks Ultimate Hits Chris Stapleton Traveller (Pronounced 'Leh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd Blackfoot Greatest Hits Brantley Gilbert Read Me My Rights
I need to correct my Brantly Gilbert to read
Brantley Gilbert Half Way To Heaven Brantley Gilbert Just as I Am Brantley Gilbert The Devil Don't Sleep
I have been a huge fan of Ry Cooder for many years.
Love his music and believe him to be an exceptional musician. He has always gone for that authentic sound of various cultures and has played with tons of different people.
This Buena Vista Social Club was his tribute. Buena Vista Social Club is an ensemble of Cuban musicians established in 1996 to revive the music of pre-revolutionary Cuba. The project was organized by World Circuit executive Nick Gold, produced by American guitarist Ry Cooder and directed by Juan de Marcos González.
Speaking of Ry Cooder - one of my fave albums was Sticky Fingers by the Stones, and as much as I liked Brown Sugar, B*tch, Can't You Hear Me Knockin', et al, the song that really kicked this album over into my all-time list was "Sister Morphine", featuring the king of slide guitar his ownself, Ry Cooder.
I have a question. Are we talking about the Greatest Albums of All-Time or do we have to exclude them and just name albums we like that aren't rated as high in mainstream society?
Very broad and I'm having a hard time compartmentalizing what is truly great and what is simply a claim of being "different."
I mean............we are bypassing a ton of truly great albums and throwing out things that kinda make us sound "cool."
While I prefer ignoring mainstream popularity in favor of finding more obscure albums, I also think it is wrong to ignore mainstream popular albums and posting inferior albums.
In my opinion....and I don't expect anyone to agree....but automatically including--or excluding popular mainstream albums is wrong.
In our particular case, there are so many popular albums that are being ignored while some suspect more obscure albums are being brought to the forefront.
Well, in light of that............I was going to post an album that every time I hear it, takes me back to riding to school with my older brothers. I'm glad I didn't post it. It wasn't cool, although way back then it was kind of popular I enjoyed the music, and still do for 1 simple reason: I can see me sitting in the back of a 1970 something, green Dodge Monaco, being force fed the music.
I think a lot of different albums, as with any art, is going to appeal to a variety of people. There is nothing wrong with highlighting the lesser knowns who may also have recorded (or painted) a thing of beauty that was sadly and tragically overlooked by the mainstream. I don't think it's people striving to be cool...I just think it's people highlighting music/art that has spoken to them. At least that is what I did with the album I wrote about.
But, art is subjective...I'm not a fan of Claude Monet, nor am I a fan of Queen. But, I respect both of them for their artistry and their place in the history of art/music. I just choose not to go to a Monet Retrospective (seen plenty of Monet's in my life) or buy/play Queen's albums (I've heard plenty of Queen records in my life).
Personally, I love this thread and thank you bonefish for starting it and moderating it!
Eh, it wasn't a 'great' album. (8 track really). It doesn't fit hardly any of the criteria put out for "music albums". It - the songs, just make me remember stuff from my younger, much younger days. Brothers were/are 5 and 6 years older than me.
But, this thread brought back those memories. Listened to much of that 'album' last night.
Just post it arch. I despise snobbery. This thread has went to the means of personal preference rather than what are truly great albums..........so don't be shy. Believe me, there are already some doozies out there.
I played one of Ray's last concerts, just months before he passed away. He was the special guest on our Pops series that year. I think we had him in the Fall: he was gone the next Summer.
It was a classy, rollicking, fun-filled evening for everyone.
One of the coolest, most impressive things about that gig:
Ray never stopped playing the piano. Never. The whole night. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
Between songs, most Pop performers do a running patter where they talk to the audience. Tell an interesting story, thank a sponsor/benefactor, etc. It humanizes them to the crowd, creates an intimate relationship, and also serves as a segue into the next piece. Ray did this witty, spontaneous, 'stream of consciousness' thing while accompanying himself with little figures on the piano. All his musical gestures mirrored whatever he was saying. All night long.
It was narrative. It flowed like poetry. It was improvisation. It was almost a dialogue.
I sat there, and watched a performer communicate to an audience on 2 different levels at the same time. That night, I was envious of the folks in the seats. I just wanted to sit and enjoy, like them.
I said I was going to leave the thread, but your damn old ass dragged me back in.
I loved/love Ray Charles. My son and I were talking about him and others blacks of his generation this afternoon while watching the NCAA tourney. They had it so damn hard. They didn't even complain much. They just did their stuff and put in subtle stuff that only some of us got.
Aja, is the sixth studio album by the jazz rock band Steely Dan. Originally released in 1977 on ABC Records, the album peaked at number three on the US charts and number five in the UK. It was the band's first platinum album and ultimately became their best-selling studio release, eventually selling over 5 million copies.[2] It spawned a number of hit singles, including "Peg", "Deacon Blues", and "Josie". In July 1978, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. The credits for Aja list nearly 40 musicians, as band leaders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker pushed Steely Dan further into experimenting with different combinations of session players.
In 2003, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and ranked number 145 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.[3] The album is often cited as one of the best test recordings for audiophiles, due to its high production standards.
I have no clue how I forgot to mention this album! A lot of my friends thought I had a pretty strange taste in music. At my house you would hear "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" followed Leon Russell Willow of the Wisp, which could be followed by Elton john Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
One man who formed something that was very different for R&R at the time was Jeff Lynne. The band The Electric Light Orchestra. Ole ELO was a great album!
I'm quite happy to say that Jeff Lynde and ELO will be playing in Nashville July 3rd and you can bet I'll be there.
It's not a concert. It's not a show. It's an extravaganza!
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Van Morrison has been a musical force since he began his career.
Moondance was an immediate critical and commercial success. It helped establish Morrison as a major artist in popular music, while several of its songs became staples on FM radio in the early 1970s. Moondance has since been cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2013, the album's remastered deluxe edition was released to similar acclaim.
Van Morrison has been a musical force since he began his career.
Moondance was an immediate critical and commercial success. It helped establish Morrison as a major artist in popular music, while several of its songs became staples on FM radio in the early 1970s. Moondance has since been cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2013, the album's remastered deluxe edition was released to similar acclaim.
I fell in love with this album my freshman year of college. About 30 years ago. My roommate had it and played it regularly. My ex wife was a huge Van fan. She had his entire discography. I really came to like his album’s Back on Top, and What’s Wrong with this Picture?. The guy has put out a huge volume of music over his career.
Another artist that I feel similarly about is Lyle Lovett. Much like Van, his sound is distinctly his. When you put on one of his albums you know what you’re in for. My favorite album of his is Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. While it isn’t a ‘greatest album of all time’ type of album it’s a really enjoyable listen. A ‘big band’ feel album with a little touch of Lyle’s unique western swing style.
One of my favorite jazz pianists is Horace Silver.
His horn arrangements and rythyms have always knocked me out.
His album Song for My Father is a jazz classic. the title cut was involved in a copyright dispute with Steely Dan over the song "rikki don't lose that number".
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