Essential Studio Albums

[liebzz]

Vs. made for #1,400 covered in this thread. And now this updated list is showing just how much the 90s have (and will) invade the top of my list, including the first album to break into the top 10 since a 1977 album. Probably that all tracks with my existing taste before all this started:

100. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
99. Dr. John - Dr. John’s Gumbo
98. Dr. John - In the Right Place
97. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
96. Fugazi - Repeater
95. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
94. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
93. Jerry Garcia - Garcia
92. Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
91. Tom Waits - Frank’s Wild Years
90. U2 - War
89. Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
88. Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
87. Television - Adventure
86. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open
85. U2 - The Joshua Tree
84. Thelonious Monk - The Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1
83. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
82. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
81. R.E.M. - Murmur
80. Bruce Springsteen - The River
79. Pink Floyd - The Wall
78. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
77. Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
76. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
75. Pixies - Doolittle
74. R.E.M. - Document
73. Nirvana - In Utero
72. Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
71. The Who - Who’s Next
70. The Kinks - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround
69. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
68. Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
67. Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
66. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
65. Van Halen
64. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
63. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
62. Uncle Tupelo - No Depression
61. The Allman Brothers Band
60. The Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
59. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
58. The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
57. The Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach
56. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea
55. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
54. Credence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo’s Factory
53. Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
52. The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire
51. The Stone Roses
50. Tom Waits - Closing Time
49. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
48. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
47. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
46. Neil Young - After the Goldrush
45. Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On
44. Mission of Burma - Vs.
43. Metallica - Master of Puppets
42. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
41. Television - Marquee Moon
40. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
39. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
38. Grateful Dead - American Beauty
37. Neil Young - Harvest
36. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes
35. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
34. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
33. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
32. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
31. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
30. Led Zeppelin IV
29. The Who - Quadrophenia
28. Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner
27. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
26. Temple of the Dog
25. Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
24. Thelonious Monk - The Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2
23. Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
22. John Coltrane - Blue Train
21. The Clash - London Calling
20. U2 - Achtung Baby
19. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
18. The Beatles - Abbey Road
17. Pink Floyd - Animals
16. Nirvana - Nevermind
15. Pearl Jam - Ten
14. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
13. The Beatles - Revolver
12. The Beatles
11. Neil Young - On the Beach
10. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
9. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
6. Pearl Jam - Vs.
5. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
4. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
3. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
2. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
1. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

[liebzz]

Dinosaur Jr. - Where You Been

This album is pure Dinosaur Jr. just being themselves and rocking out. This is consistently great, as in it’s hard to pick one track from the lot when they are basically all really good. I may have had a little more attention focused on Start Choppin’, What Else Is New, Drawerings, and I Ain’t Sayin’, but more by happenstance than them being appreciably better than the other songs. Solid constant quality here.

The Essential Track: What Else Is New

Up Next: Brad - Shame

[liebzz]

Brad - Shame

It took me a long time to get into Brad. Frankly, when I had first bought the album as a teenager, I didn’t really get past Buttercup. Mostly, I was a kid and a huge fan of Pearl Jam, and this was not Pearl Jam. As an adult, having a band member with a side band that sounds nothing like the bread and butter band is a welcome entry. As a teenager, not so much. It’s a shame too because had I really listened further, My Fingers, Nadine, Raise Love, Bad for the Soul, and We would all have been fantastic, even then. The sense of funk and blues and rock on this mellower disc are all worth the listen.

The Essential Track: Bad for the Soul

Up Next: Porno for Pyros

[VinylGuy]

Shame is a fav from the 90s;
Amazing debut. Stone is so good here; so different.

[liebzz]

Shame is a fav from the 90s;
Amazing debut. Stone is so good here; so different.

Yeah, there’s a lot of nice grooves in here that wouldn’t have fit on a Pearl Jam album. Probably a theme in its own right for many of the side projects.

[Higgs]

Vs. made for #1,400 covered in this thread. And now this updated list is showing just how much the 90s have (and will) invade the top of my list, including the first album to break into the top 10 since a 1977 album. Probably that all tracks with my existing taste before all this started:

100. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
99. Dr. John - Dr. John’s Gumbo
98. Dr. John - In the Right Place
97. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
96. Fugazi - Repeater
95. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
94. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
93. Jerry Garcia - Garcia
92. Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
91. Tom Waits - Frank’s Wild Years
90. U2 - War
89. Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
88. Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
87. Television - Adventure
86. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Into the Great Wide Open
85. U2 - The Joshua Tree
84. Thelonious Monk - The Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1
83. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
82. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
81. R.E.M. - Murmur
80. Bruce Springsteen - The River
79. Pink Floyd - The Wall
78. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
77. Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
76. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
75. Pixies - Doolittle
74. R.E.M. - Document
73. Nirvana - In Utero
72. Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
71. The Who - Who’s Next
70. The Kinks - Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround
69. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
68. Jane’s Addiction - Nothing’s Shocking
67. Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
66. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
65. Van Halen
64. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
63. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
62. Uncle Tupelo - No Depression
61. The Allman Brothers Band
60. The Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
59. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
58. The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
57. The Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach
56. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea
55. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
54. Credence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo’s Factory
53. Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
52. The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire
51. The Stone Roses
50. Tom Waits - Closing Time
49. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
48. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
47. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
46. Neil Young - After the Goldrush
45. Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On
44. Mission of Burma - Vs.
43. Metallica - Master of Puppets
42. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
41. Television - Marquee Moon
40. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
39. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
38. Grateful Dead - American Beauty
37. Neil Young - Harvest
36. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes
35. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
34. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
33. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
32. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
31. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
30. Led Zeppelin IV
29. The Who - Quadrophenia
28. Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner
27. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
26. Temple of the Dog
25. Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle
24. Thelonious Monk - The Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2
23. Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
22. John Coltrane - Blue Train
21. The Clash - London Calling
20. U2 - Achtung Baby
19. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
18. The Beatles - Abbey Road
17. Pink Floyd - Animals
16. Nirvana - Nevermind
15. Pearl Jam - Ten
14. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
13. The Beatles - Revolver
12. The Beatles
11. Neil Young - On the Beach
10. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
9. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
6. Pearl Jam - Vs.
5. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
4. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
3. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
2. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
1. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Apologies if you've gone over this before, but what's your process for ranking the albums as you go? Do you have some sort of scoring system or do you solely keep it to the top 100 (and ignore everything over that), or is it just a feel thing?

I ask as the feat alone you are undertaking is ridiculously impressive, as is writing concise, well-thought out comments of your own opinion after each album. 1,400 albums - fucking hell man! ("1,400 albums...so far!" says liebzz). And I know that listening to the albums is one thing, but the thought of ranking them so precisely sends me into a mild panic. And I say this as a RMer - we are known for our love of ranking. But I suspect if I had to rank, say, Blood on the Tracks vs Darkness on the Edge of Town vs Marquee Moon I would spend so much time re-listenning, I wouldn't move on to album 1,401 until 3 days later, once I was satisfied I could argue my stand.

I know I'm over-thinking it and I'm sure your process is fairly organic, but I'm interested. And your thread and undertaking here is a bright light in these dark days. Thanks for your efforts - truly appreciated.

[liebzz]

Fully organic and frankly 100% feel. I have actually ranked all 1402 albums thus far and there’s certainly some level of inaccuracy. I try to avoid things like ranking with the album’s legacy in mind, or even the bias I would have brought with an album that’s been central to me for 30+ years. For instance, ranking Vs. was hard as hell because of my history with the album, and particularly because it still in many ways represents the center point of my music taste 33 years almost after having heard it for the first time. I had to listen to it twice to get what I needed out of it because I know I place it above Ten and always have and still do, but then there are moments in Siamese Dream where I think that should supplant, but it’s lower than Ten and Nevermind. Those are the toughest.

As a process for initial thoughts on ranking, I usually contextualize it in my head with how the same artist’s other albums made me feel, as well as the albums I had just recently heard. It gives me a range, like is this album in the 200s, the 500s, etc. - then I get to that range and think about it against the albums it will be ranked with a make a decision on feel.

At the end of the day, I want the list to reflect how this thread has impacted the way I think about music (it’s had a big impact), and not what would be perceived as best or greatest outside my own head. It’s a hard task because I see a seminal album title and I look forward to hearing it, be it the first or hundredth time, and that inevitably has some sway on how I consume it. But my wish is to straight report on what exactly hits me on each album, and catalogue where that album fits for me. And in turn, I hope that all of you participating can feel the joy and excitement and discovery or rediscovery in many of the same ways I am.

[VinylGuy]

Shame is a fav from the 90s;
Amazing debut. Stone is so good here; so different.

Yeah, there’s a lot of nice grooves in here that wouldn’t have fit on a Pearl Jam album. Probably a theme in its own right for many of the side projects.

yeah, thats a constant for Brad i guess. I havent really felt like a song from these dudes could have been for Pearl Jam. They were their own thing which is frustrating because they really should have been bigger but PJ shadow ( among other stuff) kept them at ¨side project¨ for most people.

[liebzz]

It’s certainly worthy of more than tossed off as a side project. However, at the time the band was active, there would be zero circumstances where I’d take them over Pearl Jam.

[liebzz]

Porno for Pyros

I had this album for years, one of those Columbia House specials, but I was just dumb and never fully explored it despite absolutely loving Pets. It was as if I was so impatient for that song I skipped ahead and then moved on. The age old problem with CDs. Granted, since then some songs, like the title track, Sadness, and Meiji, were somehow burned into my unconscious brain, but largely I should have paid more attention. I still absolutely love Pets, such a fun song, but I’d happily revisit nearly all of this album moving forward, with Cursed Female and Cursed Male, Bad Shit, and Blood Rag added to the highlights list. It’s not Jane’s but is anything really if it’s not the four of them? This is still a damn good album.

The Essential Track: Pets

Up Next: Phish - Rift

[VinylGuy]

ah yeah Porno for Pyros....i remember being a kid and not understanding what the fuck this band was...Perry was there, Perkins was there...was this a JA album? granted all i saw was the video.

I love this album and the next one.

[liebzz]

Phish - Rift

Amongst the early Phish album, sandwiched between A Picture of Nectar and Hoist, this always seemed like a more minor release of an album. It is a concept album about a relationship, and revisiting it now, especially after having recently seen Phish for the first time live a week and a half ago that was focused on 1993, this appears much more in the foreground. There’s a few songs here that I feel, perhaps based on that show and the live recordings I have heard over the years, that are pretty central - Maze, Sparkle, Weigh, Mound, and It’s Ice come to mind - and each of them really has an anchor-like sense of importance on this album, where the songs all pretty much transition into each other. I still wouldn’t put this on the level of their albums between ‘89-‘98 or so, but it is an otherwise more than solid addition to the canon. Another reminder that I think Phish’s studio output is entirely underrated.

The Essential Track: Maze

Up Next: Primus - Pork Soda

[liebzz]

Primus - Pork Soda

It’s been quite a few years since I properly listened to this album, and coming back to it now I have a much fonder appreciation than I have had in many years. In my head, I remember this album being very odd, but when I looked at the tracklist and I see My Name Is Mud, Welcome to This World, Bob, DMV, Nature Boy, and The Pressman, I realize my memory is a bit foggy - these are all great tracks. Perhaps it is the bizarre Mr. Krinkle (which I like) and The Air Is Getting Slippery (which I also like) that left the impression, but this is an album that innovates even Primus’s sound into Wild and fun places.

The Essential Track: My Name Is Mud

Up Next: Tool - Undertow

[wease]

Pork Soda. Hell yeah

[liebzz]

Tool - Undertow

This is one of those bands that has always escaped my grasp. I could hear that they were talented and passionate, and obviously the talent of Danny Carey needs no introduction, but the totality of the band just sort of escaped me. The music, particularly on the albums that follow this one, made me almost queasy. It’s also a band I keep trying with. I’m happy to report the needle has moved some. Prison Sex and Sober are the known quantities here, but what really made the difference for me was Swamp Song, whose cutting guitars actually make a big difference as a counterpoint to the heavy riffing, and 4 degrees. I can’t say I am fully converted but it’s a start.

The Essential Track: Swamp Song

Up Next: Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

[Kalevi]

Recipe for hate

[Kalevi]

I don't listen to tool too much, they probably make me quesy too. I suppose sometimes that's good. I would still say I'm a fan.

[liebzz]

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

I’d say in the first 10 minutes of this album, I had the distinct sense I was going to hate this album. This kind of dark and gothy metal is hard for me to get into to begin with, and there’s an energy or really sense of humor to this that really kind of annoyed me. Add to that this vibe like I was stuck in a campy horror movie, and I wasn’t really sold at first. Admittedly, as the album progressed and I got to Black No. 1, Set Me on Fire, Bloody Kisses, and Blood & Fire, I warmed up a bit, and I didn’t walk away hating this as much, but I would surprise myself if I really ever went back.

The Essential Track: Blood & Fire

Up Next: Morphine - Cure For Pain

[liebzz]

Morphine - Cure for Pain

I will have to admit that I knew absolutely nothing about out this band when I started this album. One can make assumptions about what you’re getting on band name alone, and I guess I sort of expected a natural progression away from what we have been listening to. Nope. This is a whole other beast I don’t think i would have seen coming. It’s sort of a rock framework, but with jazz instruments (it never really feels like it’s a jazz album or even fusion). The first half is good here, but the second half is really great. The run from Thursday to Sheila in particular, which comprises at least a third of the album is just one great song after the next - and that first half does boast Buena, which is also great. This was a really pleasant surprise.

The Essential Track: Thursday

Up Next: The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Extra Width

[liebzz]

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Extra Width

This is a sort of very raw mix of blues, rock, and rock-a-billy, something I’d very much say is up my alley. There may be some piece of this that is too raw, possibly the vocals, but that is easily forgiven by the ramshackle band that keeps you sucked in - and comparisons to eventual kings of this format is the early aughts may be inevitable. I don’t think they quite measure up to that, but they are impressive in their own light. Afro, Backslider, Soul Typecase, Hey Mom, Big Road, and the wild Inside the World of the Blues Explosion are all worth checking out here.

The Essential Track: Afro

Up Next: Reverend Horton Heat - The Full Custom Gospel Sounds of the Revered Horton Heat