Favourite 10 albums (outside of The Cure)

Started by tigermilk, April 03, 2008, 03:47:48

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tigermilk

Quote from: revolt on July 30, 2008, 15:39:56
Cocteau Twins: Victorialand

Nice! This has recently become my favourite Cocteau Twins album. It keeps changing normally between Treasure and Blue Bell Knoll, but I think Victorialand is breathtaking. I even picked it up on Vinyl even though I don't have a record player, haha. Whales Tails hypnotizes me!! Great album, I really want to get a record player because apparently it's really good when you play it at a different speed, of 33rpm and not 45rpm. Would be an interesting listen!

revolt

Quote from: tigermilk on July 30, 2008, 17:07:30
Quote from: revolt on July 30, 2008, 15:39:56
Cocteau Twins: Victorialand

Nice! This has recently become my favourite Cocteau Twins album. It keeps changing normally between Treasure and Blue Bell Knoll, but I think Victorialand is breathtaking. I even picked it up on Vinyl even though I don't have a record player, haha. Whales Tails hypnotizes me!! Great album, I really want to get a record player because apparently it's really good when you play it at a different speed, of 33rpm and not 45rpm. Would be an interesting listen!

I have it on vinyl too! It is really worthwhile, because the magnificent 23 Envelope artwork really shines... Curiously enough, I think I remember that the first time I played the record it was at wrong speed. I only noticed it when Liz Fraser's voice came in - it sounded kind of weird.... (  :-D )

revolt

Quote from: ~*CherryRed*~ on May 15, 2008, 00:13:45
Looking through others lists, I notice that Kate Bush appears a fair bit!!! Nice to see! I'm doing another list!!

1.  The Dissociatives - Self Titled (Daniel Johns from Silverchair fame)
2.  A-ha - Hunting High and Low
3.  Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
4.  Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack (Danny Elfman composer, I'm such a kid!)
5.  Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
6.  Eurythmics - Touch
7.  Sioux. & The Banshees - Superstition
8.  Adam Ant - Wonderful
9.  Dropkick Murphy's - Do Or Die
10. Rammstein - Sehnsucht
11. NOFX - Heavy Petting Zoo
12. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
13. The Beatles - Revolver
14. Micheal jackson - Thriller
15. Suggs - Three Pyramids Club
16. Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
17. Operation Ivy - Energy
18. Kate Bush - The Dreaming (suspended in gaffa.... LOVE IT!)
19. Nirvana - Nevermind
20. Ozzy - No More Tears


Nice to see "Revolver" in there. One of the Beatles' best albums, although "Rubber Soul" might be just as good or even better... the same for Kate Bush, great album, probably her most creative, although "Hounds of Love" might beat it on a purely emotional level.

The Banshees and Zep selections are kind of strange, though...
"Superstition" is clearly the worst Banshees album, for me. Too commercial, too many keyboards, too many "easy melodies", it lacks the intensity and depth of their best works.
And "Houses of the Holy" has good songs ("No Quarter" is magical...) but it feels somewhat inconsistent, as an album. I really think that their first 2 albums are the best...

revolt

It's kind of strange seeing many people here chose 'Head over Heals" as the Twins best record... I mean, it's a transition album, it lacks the overall darkness and intensity of their debut "Garlands" and it still doesn't show the original beauty they would display in "Treasure" and "Victorialand". And as a collection of songs, surely they have made better? There's 2 or 3 songs in there that sound like filler to me...

revolt

Quote from: scatcat on April 10, 2008, 04:30:27
5. Van Morrison - Moondance

Nice to see Van Morrison on a "best of" list, but "Moondance" doesn't strike me as being one of his best albums... I mean, there's 2 songs that go "la-la-la" and another song with a chorus that is just "everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone". Not particularly inspired, is it?

I would guess you know "Astral Weeks"? That would be the most obvious choice for best album. But also albums like "Veedon Fleece" and "Saint Dominic's Preview" show Van Morrison at his deepest, down-to-earth and transcendental at the same time...


revolt

Quote from: Hero on April 25, 2008, 18:32:09
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig

Do you really think that is his best album?  :shock: Nick Cave has such a vast and great discography to chose from... What about "Tender Prey"? "Your Funeral My Trial"? "Let Love In"? "From Her to Eternity"?

revolt

Quote from: KingOfSomeIsland on May 11, 2008, 02:13:09
[
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
This one gets a hands down victory. No matter how many half-assed reunion albums these guys put out this will always be their masterwork.



Agreed, there. If paired down to a single CD, "Mellon Collie" could have been a great contender, but since it was not, "Siamese Dream" wins easily. I also really like their first album and think that the often underrated "Adore" is their "Disintegration" (that is, it's the Pumpkins most beautiful album although not their very best)...

tigermilk

OK, so my list has changed since last time  :roll:

Ride - Nowhere
Lush - Lovelife
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Juju
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Slowdive - Just For A Day
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Cocteau Twins - Victorialand
Bjork - Post
The Magnetic Fields - Get Lost
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love

japanesebaby

Quote from: revolt on July 30, 2008, 15:39:56
Simple Minds: Empires and Dance

glad to see someone mentioning this, i'd surely include that too (should i made such list from the 80s).
early simple minds was truly a great band.

Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

revolt

Quote from: japanesebaby on September 20, 2008, 15:18:05
Quote from: revolt on July 30, 2008, 15:39:56
Simple Minds: Empires and Dance

glad to see someone mentioning this, i'd surely include that too (should i made such list from the 80s).
early simple minds was truly a great band.




Now, that is a good surprise...  :smth001

People into Simple Minds usually like them starting from "New Gold Dream" (a very good album) or even later albums, the earlier stuff gets forgotten. Then there is a minority who likes them until NGD (which really seems to be the landamark album that devides the bands's career between the "underground"/"experimental"/"alternative" era and the "huge mainstream success" era) and more or less hate everything after that.

I suppose I am of the real-small-minority that truly likes everything they did until "Street Fighting Years" (a very mainstream album but sometimes really beautiful), with the exception of "Once Upon a Time".
But 1980-81 Minds was about as great as The Cure of the same period for me. They are groundbreaking, intense and great at creating atmospheres. They would only lose to The Cure by a narrow margin, and that's because for me "Seventeen Seconds" beats every other 80's album with the possible exception of "Closer" and "Pornography".

tigermilk

I could be wrong, but didn't the Cocteau Twins get their name from a Simple Minds song? A song which was originally called 'A Cure'. Interesting little fact!

japanesebaby

Quote from: tigermilk on September 22, 2008, 17:36:44
I could be wrong, but didn't the Cocteau Twins get their name from a Simple Minds song? A song which was originally called 'A Cure'. Interesting little fact!

There is no cure
Youre so blind cant you see?
There is no cure
Cant buy immunity
There is no cure
So keep your evil from me
There is no cure...


http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/simple+minds/cocteau+twins_20124998.html
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

japanesebaby

Quote from: revolt on September 22, 2008, 11:05:37
Quote from: japanesebaby on September 20, 2008, 15:18:05
Quote from: revolt on July 30, 2008, 15:39:56
Simple Minds: Empires and Dance

glad to see someone mentioning this, i'd surely include that too (should i made such list from the 80s).
early simple minds was truly a great band.




Now, that is a good surprise...  :smth001

People into Simple Minds usually like them starting from "New Gold Dream" (a very good album) or even later albums, the earlier stuff gets forgotten. Then there is a minority who likes them until NGD (which really seems to be the landamark album that devides the bands's career between the "underground"/"experimental"/"alternative" era and the "huge mainstream success" era) and more or less hate everything after that.

I suppose I am of the real-small-minority that truly likes everything they did until "Street Fighting Years" (a very mainstream album but sometimes really beautiful), with the exception of "Once Upon a Time".
But 1980-81 Minds was about as great as The Cure of the same period for me. They are groundbreaking, intense and great at creating atmospheres. They would only lose to The Cure by a narrow margin, and that's because for me "Seventeen Seconds" beats every other 80's album with the possible exception of "Closer" and "Pornography".

well, all i can say that in this case your post could have been written by me - so haha finally we agree about something. ;P

the early minds are were truly remarkable band, personally i rate them higher than even joy division (not to mention something like the banshees etc.). the cure only wins by a narrow margin, that's true.
i don't dislike everything they did after 'new gold dream', a good part of that album is still pretty good (although i think the best part of it is stuff like 'colours fly and catherine wheel' and not the singles). and like you said, i do admit that they somehow maintained a capability for creating genuinely impressive glimpses of beauty  and power long after they became otherwise overly pompous in the late 80s. anyway, i'm just repeating what you said...

i do find it a real pity that their early output still remains so overlooked today. their early works, they experimental era from 'reel to real cacophony' to 'sister feelings call', would surely be worth rediscovering for many!


Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

tigermilk

Thanks for confirming the Simple Minds 'Cocteau Twins' song JB. I've never listened to Simple Minds other than their more popular songs, but after I've seen what you and others have said I will have to check them out!

revolt

Quote from: japanesebaby on September 22, 2008, 18:45:39

well, all i can say that in this case your post could have been written by me - so haha finally we agree about something. ;P


I new the day would come, I just had no idea that Simple Minds would be responsible for it... ;)