My daughter gave me an ipod for my birthday and I have been loading music to it slowly. As a perxon who listens to albums start to finish I have been loading albums I consider high quality beginning to end. Makes me wonder how many perfect albums there are out there. Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" is to me perfect. What I mean by perfect is not one sound needs to be added or subtracted to make it better. Funny thing is, "Pretzel Logic" is not my favorite Steely Dan album, but its sound is perfect. I can only come up with a few. Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here" Tears For Fears, "Songs From The Big Chair"
For me it is "The Captain and me" and "What were once vices are now habits" by the Doobie Brothers that are two nearly perfect albums back to back that show a band at its writing and performing peak.
Marvin Gaye "What's Going On", Tears for Fears "The Seeds of Love", Kinks "Something Else by the Kinks", Badi Assad "Chameleon", Ben Harper "Welcome to the Cruel World", Radiohead "In Rainbows", Calexico "Carried to Dust", Los Lobos "Kiko", Masters of Reality "Sunrise on the Sufferbus", Tom Waits "Swordfishtrombones", Rush "Exit...Stage Left", Leonard Cohen "Live in London", Miles Davis "Someday my Prince Will Come", Andrew Bird "Nobel Beast", Mozart "Le nozze di Figaro"
Alternative: Dave Mathews "Busted Stuff", Liz Phair "Exile in Guyville", Pavement "Crooked Rain", R.E.M. "Life's Rich Pageant", The Replacements "Let It Be", Americana: Calexico "Feast of Wire", Dave Alvin "Ashgrove", Willie Nelson "Teatro" Aussie: Paul Kelly "May 1992" British: Radiohead "Amnesiac", The Who "Sells Out" Canadian: Rufus Wainwright "Poses" Hardcore: Fugazi "13 Songs" Indie: Anthony and the Johnsons "I am a Bird now", Cat Power "Jukebox" Irish: The Pogues: "Rum Sodomy & The Lash" Punk: The Clash "London Calling" R & B: Aretha Franklin "Young, Gifted, Black". Steve Wonder "Songs in the key in life" Reggae: Bob Marley: "Songs of Freedom" Rock: Steely Dan "Countdown to Ecstacy" Ska: The Specials "The Specials"
No album is perfect of course but these just seem to flow so well from beginning to end IMO.
In no particular order:
Abbey Road Hero and Heroine Kind of Blue Ten Song Demo Thick as a Brick The Royal Scam Fragile In Rainbows Exile on Main Street Bookends Heart Like a Wheel Moondance Songs For Distingue' Lovers Brandenburg Concertos Desperado Bare Trees Swings Schubert Alley In the Wee Small Hours
ZZ TOP Trez Hombres... MOODY BLUES Days of Future Past..... LED ZEPPELIN Houses of the Holy.... THE DOORS 1st LP....... JOE JACKSON Night and Day.... HEART Dreamboat Annie........ DAVID BOWIE Ziggy Stardust... WILLIE NELSON Stardust....... PINK FLOYD Animals.... BB KING Live in Cook County Jail.... STEVE MILLER Fly Like an Eagle... FLASH AND THE PAN 1st .. IAN HUNTER Never Alone with a Schizaphrenic..................... SPIRIT Twelve Dreams of DR Sardonicus.......................... ROLLING STONES Goats Head Soup.... Queen 1st LP............ ALAN PARSONS Tales of Mystery and Imagination.............. BEATLES Rubber Soul.... CHRIS ISAAK Heart Shaped World.... DIRE STRAIGHTS Brother in Arms.... THE WHO Who's Next..... SUPERTRAMP Crime of the Century... CSN+Y Dejavu ...... ELVIS COSTELLO My Aim is True.... LOWEST OF THE LOW Shakespere My Butt......Thats a few off the top of my head that well maybe not perfect but one can easily listen to the entire album versus 1 or 2 songs .
The answer is "probably not" (at least for pop/rock). A couple of Beatles records (add Revolver to the list) come close, but I can't think of any other band that matches their track to track consistency. I guess that there's always a track or two that I tend to skip. Graham Parker's "Squeezing Out Sparks" and "Who's Next" might deserve some consideration.
If we're allowed to cheat, a couple of "Live" albums come to mind, but that's like picking a Greatest Hits compilation.
For Jazz, Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite" and "Intimacy of The Blues" get awfully close, as do a few others (Body&Soul, Nancy Wilson w/ Cannonball Adderly, Kind of Blue).
Marvin Gaye "What's Going On The Beatles "Abby Road" Hotel California by the Eagles Willie Nelson "Stardust"
Here's a few more:
Allman Brothers "Live at Filmore East" R.E.M. Automatic for the People Guns and Roses "Apetite for Destruction" Nirvana "Never Mind" Bob Marley 'Exodus" Bruce Springsteen "Born To Run" Derick and the Dominoes "Layla"
The Yes Album Stop Making Sense Who's Next Led Zep II Steely Dan -Do it Again The Band Allman Brothers -Eat a Peach SRV -Couldn't Stop the Weather A Hard Days Night Rubber Soul Bonnie Raitt Give it up Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms Grateful Dead -American Beauty Grateful Dead -Europe 72 Jackson Browne -Running on Empty Joni Mitchell -Court and Spark Little Feat- Waiting for Columbus Pink Floyd -DSOTM Quincy Jones - The Dude Sanatana- Abraxas Sheryl Crow -Tuesday Night Music Club
If you're into some acoustic guitar- Craig Chaquiso - Acoustic Highway
if you don't have, find a copy of a 12inch single for "I believe" , it was recorded live studio and the audio is incredible. I second the Seeds of Love, especially if you can find a Japanese CD release
afghan whigs "gentleman" mark lanegan "bubblegum" bob dylan "time out of mind" joni mitchell "hejira" laurie abderson "life on a string" peter gabriel "us" shirley horn "may the music never end" emmylou harris "wrecking ball" paul simon "surprise" and "your the one"
i'm sure i am leaving out a few...maybe the twilight singers "blackberry belle" or the gutter twins "saturnela"...
I think there are lots. A few are: Led Zep-I, II and III Beatles-Rubber Soul, Revolver, St Peppers, Abby Road Van Morrison-Moondance, Asteral Weeks Who-Who's Next Queen-Night at the Opera Rolling Stones-Let it Bleed Roxy Music-Avalon
Yes, but that doesn't make it perfect. It only makes it perfect to me.
"The Hermit of Mink Hollow" by Todd Rundgren won't make too many lists of "great" or "perfect" albums, but that record has a certain magic for me that few other records have. The "magic" I refer to goes way beyond the music itself, which I would simply categorize as "quite good". It has a "sound", and a "feel" to it that have a profound effect on me. It's like the difference between hearing an old record and thinking "That's an old song." and hearing a record and really feeling like it's 1975 again and the music is brand new.
But, you see, I had as much a part in making it perfect as Todd did. Because it isn't just the music. It is the music, and my reaction to it, that creates "perfection".
Boy, my standards seem to be doing me no favors. Love many tracks on nearly all of the albums suggested, but I don't think there's a single one (save maybe Abbey Road) I'd listen to straight through. I'll just go ahead and say it: don't think I've encountered an album I'd consider perfect. Not by a very, very long shot.
Now that you've got an ipod, you may well realize that the only thing close to a "perfect" album is the playlist that suits your fancy, stringing the high points together just so from many, many albums.
Near-complete non sequiter -- reminds me of a Danish fellow named Donald I met on a train when I was but a wee lad who explained that, as swell as it was living all over the world, in the end it renders you somewhat of a permanent nomad. Comes the point where no one country is "home" save the pastiche compiled of the best parts of many places within the four walls of your house. There's a lot of truth in that. And, have to say, feel much the same way about music. The only approximation of perfect is borrowed bits from all over. The real value of the ipod is making that whole process fantastically easy. Or, maybe it's just me.
Your point is taken , but I would argue that you didn't have quite as much a part as Todd did because that record IS nearly perfect (as in the absolute truth dictated by the supreme being). However, IMHO, "Nearly Human" comes even closer to that ideal.
Yes, I drink the cool aid and am a charter member of the Todd is God club. (A fair number of reasonably prominent musicians are members, as well). The lack of recognition in the "mainstream" music press for Rundgren's best work says (again IMO) more about the critics than the music. In my book, you never need apologize for choosing Todd above all others.
Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn Yes - Relayer The Yes Album and Close to the Edge Savoy Brown - Jack The Toad Who's Next and Tommy - The Who Hope - Klaatu In The Court Of the Crimson King - King Crimson Moonmadness, Breathless, and Stationary Traveler - Camel In The Land Of Grey and Pink - Caravan Love and Theft - Bob Dylan Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John Band On The Run - McCartney Foxtrot and Selling ENgland By The Pound - Genesis Tab in the Ocean - Nektar Darkness on the Edge of Town - Springsteen Grand Illusion - Styx Machine Head - Deep Purple Paranoid - Black Sabbath Let It Bleed - The Stones American Beauty - Grateful Dead Moving Waves - Focus John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic The Stranger - Billy Joel The Cars THe B52s Abba Greatest Hits Electric Nights - Jim Capaldi Brothers and Sisters - Allman Brothers Aja - Steely Dan Meddle and Animals - Pink Floyd The Doors and LA Woman Rubber Soul and Hard Day's Nght - The BEatles Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison and "The Sun Years"
Lindsay Buckingham. Out of the Cradle. Awesome from the first note to the last. No filler. After hearing this, there is no doubt Buckingham was the engine that powered Fleetwood Mac at it's peak. I agree on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Other contenders: Tommy Bolin, Private Eyes. Tasty rock and roll from a little appreciated artist. Sonically well recorded.Very dynamic. Todd Rundgren's Nearly Human has great energy and excellent sonic qualities. Recorded live in studio. Elvis Costello, My Aim is True. Punky perfection.
Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea Built To Spill-Keep It Like A Secret Global Communication-76:14 Steve Roach-The Magnificent Void Nick Drake-Pink Moon Miles Davis-In A Silent Way Pink Floyd-DSOTM
Although I don't think there is a "perfect album" there are several that I consider near perfect in the fact that I can listen to the first song thru until the last with no thought of skipping one:
Roxy Music Avalon Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls Moody Blues First 7 albums Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Aftermath (US pressing) Beggars Banquet Boston Boston Cars Cars Kitaro Silk Road Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries Eric Johnson Tones
All Bon Scott AC/DC LP's Aerosmith- Rocks Saga- Worlds Apart Billy Squire- Don't Say No Rush- Moving Pictures Dido- No Angle Bruce Springsteen- The Rising Journey- Look Into The Future Sweet- Desolation Boulevard
Tvad, you reminded me that I might add "Deadwing" by Porcupine Tree to the list. I know that's not your Fav PT album though. Musically, I might also consider FOABP in the list, but the thematic material covered there is so bleak that it makes me think twice.
I think also their are a couple of major groups whose primary albums as a group together are close enough to perfect to acknowledge as a whole:
The BEatles The Moody Blues The Doors
The Moody Blues in particular deserve credit in that they have been around for so long compared to the other two and I cannot think of any Moodies album is not near completely enjoyable for me.
"Yeah, I love "Brain Salad Surgery", but Benny the Bouncer blows it for me. Otherwise, it's a perfect LP, IMO."
Point taken, but even BTB is fine in the context of the rest of the album.
ELP liked to lighten up most of their albums with at least one lighter cut like BTB, FBOFW. I think their producers made them do it so to show that they had a sense of humor and lightness to go along with the rest of the stuff often criticized as "pretentious" by the pop/rock media.
Then again I loved "Cie La Vie" when it used to be played on the radio (and still like it) so you have to take my opinions with a grain of salt. IS there any song more schmaltzy and over the top than that?
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