Re: Your ten favorite albums of all time
here's a facebook note I wrote 3 years ago with 5 albums I like
and here are ten albums off the top of my head. will probably repost later after doing more thinking. no particular order.
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
The Strokes - Is This It
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen
Four Tet - There Is Love in You
Enter Shikari - Common Dreads
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Tokyo Police Club - Champ
Crime in Stereo - I Was Trying To Describe You to Someone
here's a facebook note I wrote 3 years ago with 5 albums I like
[#5]: System of a Down - Steal This Album!
A lot of System fans would probably have issues with my choice here, as Steal This Album! is pretty much a compilation of songs that didn't make the cut for their prior album, Toxicity. The band claims these tracks are equally high quality, though, and I totally agree. The lead singer and the lead guitarist (who does backup vocals) harmonize beautifully. A lot of the lyrics are really political, so in terms of their message you can take it or leave it. The lyrics are thought-provoking at worst, though, so no harm done there. As with the rest of the albums on this list, there's not a song on Steal This Album! I don't enjoy, and that's the biggest reason why it made my top 5.
"Highway Song"
[#4]: Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
If you had told me a couple years ago that this album would be in my top 5 now, I would have laughed. What, Nine Inch Nails? It's all so dark; it's just not me. Well, that was my impression then, but I hadn't actually experienced much of it for myself. I'm not sure how many people have the same kind of misguided notion as I did, but I'd like to try to clear things up. First, a little tidbit: Trent Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails. He had a band for live shows, and I'm sure he had some help in the studio, but the writing and everything is all him. Despite what I had previously believed, Reznor's music (especially his newer stuff) is quite melodic and suits plenty of different tastes. This album in particular has a lot of electronic elements, but that doesn't mean you can't understand it if you're used to a more typical sound. For a concept album that depicts a bleak future for humanity, the tunes on Year Zero put me in a pretty damn good mood.
"The Great Destroyer"
[#3]: The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
This one's largely about the songwriting and the singing. A few of the songs tell stories, which provides a nice folksy twist to their brand of music. Every single track on Consolers grabs me. There are some really upbeat songs that provide a nice contrast to Jack White's usual slower, blues-based rock. The difficulty in the instrumentation certainly isn't out of this world, but the band is skilled enough to play everything they need to. Perhaps out of all my favorite albums, Consolers of the Lonely could reach the widest audience.
"The Switch and the Spur"
[#2]: El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
I couldn't believe what I was hearing the first time I listened to this. El-P's style is extremely far from mainstream rap and hip-hop. A lot of the focus is on the production. Instead of a simple drum loop running throughout entire tracks, you're hit with complex rhythms and plenty of variety within each song. It's not just the percussion, either - moody sounds and synths give each song a completely different atmosphere. Looking at the lyrics while listening adds a whole new dimension to this album, as each line is loaded with wordplay and double meanings. I pick up something new every time I sit down and focus on one of the songs. I'll Sleep When You're Dead comes with my highest recommendation to anyone who isn't satisfied with the level of depth in today's most prominent rap/hip-hop acts.
"The League of Extraordinary Nobodies"
[#1]: Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
I'm almost always in favor of artists and bands changing their sound. However, Bloc Party are a major exception. I enjoy Silent Alarm so much that I actually DID want more of the same. The vocals are energetic, yet precisely controlled. Guitar riffs are simple and usually not very technically impressive, but they fit the songs really well. The drums are quick and spastic, but like the vocals, they're kept under enough control for the music to retain its focus. Finally, the bass meshes with the rest of the music in a way I haven't heard from anyone else. Check out the outro of "Like Eating Glass," and crank up the bass if you can. "Price of Gas" is another good example, as the use of bass is very inventive. To decide on my favorite album, I didn't listen to everything in my collection and weigh each one against the rest, or anything intense like that. I just know I'm drawn to Silent Alarm more than any other album I've listened through thus far.
"Like Eating Glass"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kZf1madaVU
A lot of System fans would probably have issues with my choice here, as Steal This Album! is pretty much a compilation of songs that didn't make the cut for their prior album, Toxicity. The band claims these tracks are equally high quality, though, and I totally agree. The lead singer and the lead guitarist (who does backup vocals) harmonize beautifully. A lot of the lyrics are really political, so in terms of their message you can take it or leave it. The lyrics are thought-provoking at worst, though, so no harm done there. As with the rest of the albums on this list, there's not a song on Steal This Album! I don't enjoy, and that's the biggest reason why it made my top 5.
"Highway Song"
[#4]: Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
If you had told me a couple years ago that this album would be in my top 5 now, I would have laughed. What, Nine Inch Nails? It's all so dark; it's just not me. Well, that was my impression then, but I hadn't actually experienced much of it for myself. I'm not sure how many people have the same kind of misguided notion as I did, but I'd like to try to clear things up. First, a little tidbit: Trent Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails. He had a band for live shows, and I'm sure he had some help in the studio, but the writing and everything is all him. Despite what I had previously believed, Reznor's music (especially his newer stuff) is quite melodic and suits plenty of different tastes. This album in particular has a lot of electronic elements, but that doesn't mean you can't understand it if you're used to a more typical sound. For a concept album that depicts a bleak future for humanity, the tunes on Year Zero put me in a pretty damn good mood.
"The Great Destroyer"
[#3]: The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
This one's largely about the songwriting and the singing. A few of the songs tell stories, which provides a nice folksy twist to their brand of music. Every single track on Consolers grabs me. There are some really upbeat songs that provide a nice contrast to Jack White's usual slower, blues-based rock. The difficulty in the instrumentation certainly isn't out of this world, but the band is skilled enough to play everything they need to. Perhaps out of all my favorite albums, Consolers of the Lonely could reach the widest audience.
"The Switch and the Spur"
[#2]: El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
I couldn't believe what I was hearing the first time I listened to this. El-P's style is extremely far from mainstream rap and hip-hop. A lot of the focus is on the production. Instead of a simple drum loop running throughout entire tracks, you're hit with complex rhythms and plenty of variety within each song. It's not just the percussion, either - moody sounds and synths give each song a completely different atmosphere. Looking at the lyrics while listening adds a whole new dimension to this album, as each line is loaded with wordplay and double meanings. I pick up something new every time I sit down and focus on one of the songs. I'll Sleep When You're Dead comes with my highest recommendation to anyone who isn't satisfied with the level of depth in today's most prominent rap/hip-hop acts.
"The League of Extraordinary Nobodies"
[#1]: Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
I'm almost always in favor of artists and bands changing their sound. However, Bloc Party are a major exception. I enjoy Silent Alarm so much that I actually DID want more of the same. The vocals are energetic, yet precisely controlled. Guitar riffs are simple and usually not very technically impressive, but they fit the songs really well. The drums are quick and spastic, but like the vocals, they're kept under enough control for the music to retain its focus. Finally, the bass meshes with the rest of the music in a way I haven't heard from anyone else. Check out the outro of "Like Eating Glass," and crank up the bass if you can. "Price of Gas" is another good example, as the use of bass is very inventive. To decide on my favorite album, I didn't listen to everything in my collection and weigh each one against the rest, or anything intense like that. I just know I'm drawn to Silent Alarm more than any other album I've listened through thus far.
"Like Eating Glass"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kZf1madaVU
and here are ten albums off the top of my head. will probably repost later after doing more thinking. no particular order.
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
The Strokes - Is This It
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen
Four Tet - There Is Love in You
Enter Shikari - Common Dreads
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Tokyo Police Club - Champ
Crime in Stereo - I Was Trying To Describe You to Someone
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