Perfect albums
I know we're entering the age of the End of the Album, yadda yadda singles, yadda yadda Itunes. But I still love me a good album, something that holds together start to finish. It doesn't have to be a concept album, or a something completely overblown - frequently it's just an album that does a good job of covering a dynamic range with no songs that stand out as clunkers. Sometimes they're important for me because of the time-period I was listening, but they still have to be solid albums from start to finish to make the list. Here are a few of my favorite albums. Tell me about yours.
Paul Simon, Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. (My first Paul Simon album, Negotiations and Love Songs doesn't really count, being one of his several greatest hits albums. I'm a Paul Simon fan for lo these many years, but these are the two I return to over and over again.
King's X, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Power, harmony, great lyrics, lots of meaning. Again, I'm a fan of the band in general (and dear lord, are they a ton of fun live) but I don't know if they have another album as perfect from start to finish as this one. Please Come Home, Mr. Bulbous and Ogre Tones are other favorites, but I'm odd in that I got into the band at a late date, and don't love a couple of songs on the well-regarded albums Faith Hope Love and Out of the Silent Planet.
Saigon Kick, Water. My sister turned me on to this album, and I love it so very hard.
John Hiatt, Perfectly Good Guitar and Slow Turning. There probably would be more, but after getting Perfectly Good Guitar from a boyfriend I found Hiatt in bits and pieces. There are very few songs of his I don't enjoy, just ones that I listen to more or less frequently.
Marc Cohn, Marc Cohn. Another album from the same boyfriend mentioned above. I haven't listened to this in a while, but for a period of time I wore this cd down to a thin sliver.
Manhattan Transfer, Offbeat of Avenues for teenage nostalgia, Vocalese for sheer vocal bravado, Bop Do Wop as the first MT album I imprinted on and can pretty much sing completely from memory.
David Bowie, Labyrinth Movie Soundtrack. Yes, it's still awesome, even if I am not as fixated on Jareth the Goblin King and his tight pearl grey pants as I used to be. Ok, I am totally lying. I'm still mesmerized.
Paul Simon, Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. (My first Paul Simon album, Negotiations and Love Songs doesn't really count, being one of his several greatest hits albums. I'm a Paul Simon fan for lo these many years, but these are the two I return to over and over again.
King's X, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. Power, harmony, great lyrics, lots of meaning. Again, I'm a fan of the band in general (and dear lord, are they a ton of fun live) but I don't know if they have another album as perfect from start to finish as this one. Please Come Home, Mr. Bulbous and Ogre Tones are other favorites, but I'm odd in that I got into the band at a late date, and don't love a couple of songs on the well-regarded albums Faith Hope Love and Out of the Silent Planet.
Saigon Kick, Water. My sister turned me on to this album, and I love it so very hard.
John Hiatt, Perfectly Good Guitar and Slow Turning. There probably would be more, but after getting Perfectly Good Guitar from a boyfriend I found Hiatt in bits and pieces. There are very few songs of his I don't enjoy, just ones that I listen to more or less frequently.
Marc Cohn, Marc Cohn. Another album from the same boyfriend mentioned above. I haven't listened to this in a while, but for a period of time I wore this cd down to a thin sliver.
Manhattan Transfer, Offbeat of Avenues for teenage nostalgia, Vocalese for sheer vocal bravado, Bop Do Wop as the first MT album I imprinted on and can pretty much sing completely from memory.
David Bowie, Labyrinth Movie Soundtrack. Yes, it's still awesome, even if I am not as fixated on Jareth the Goblin King and his tight pearl grey pants as I used to be. Ok, I am totally lying. I'm still mesmerized.