Essential Studio Albums

[VinylGuy]

Back In Black, the songs, is one of my most played songs since 2020.

Every time it appears on some list, im just ready for some fucking trouble.

[liebzz]

AC/DC - Back in Black

Unbeknownst to me, this is apparently the second best selling album (Michael Jackson’s Thriller being #1) of all time. I was mildly shocked by this. Yes, the title track, You Shook Me All Nighy Long, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution are iconic, but the rest of this is kind of light. Full of the sophomoric rock tropes that follow AC/DC, this is a good album and fun. Brian Johnson is eerily similar sounding to Bon Scott, though maybe Bon Scott is his nuts were tied to a running car battery. It’s all in good fun though and I still took a lot of enjoyment out of this.

The Essential Track: You Shook Me All Night Long

Up Next: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

No, no, no. Ain’t Noise Pollution is fucking fire. Back In Black rocks the roll. Shook Me is lame.

There's a standing order in my house that whenever Rock and Roll ain't Noise Pollution comes on I'm allowed to play it at max volume regardless of time of night or who happens to be there. Love that song.

I went with most iconic but you’re really right.

[wease]

AC/DC - Back in Black

Unbeknownst to me, this is apparently the second best selling album (Michael Jackson’s Thriller being #1) of all time. I was mildly shocked by this. Yes, the title track, You Shook Me All Nighy Long, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution are iconic, but the rest of this is kind of light. Full of the sophomoric rock tropes that follow AC/DC, this is a good album and fun. Brian Johnson is eerily similar sounding to Bon Scott, though maybe Bon Scott is his nuts were tied to a running car battery. It’s all in good fun though and I still took a lot of enjoyment out of this.

The Essential Track: You Shook Me All Night Long

Up Next: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

No, no, no. Ain’t Noise Pollution is fucking fire. Back In Black rocks the roll. Shook Me is lame.

There's a standing order in my house that whenever Rock and Roll ain't Noise Pollution comes on I'm allowed to play it at max volume regardless of time of night or who happens to be there. Love that song.

As it should be played

[wease]

AC/DC - Back in Black

Unbeknownst to me, this is apparently the second best selling album (Michael Jackson’s Thriller being #1) of all time. I was mildly shocked by this. Yes, the title track, You Shook Me All Nighy Long, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution are iconic, but the rest of this is kind of light. Full of the sophomoric rock tropes that follow AC/DC, this is a good album and fun. Brian Johnson is eerily similar sounding to Bon Scott, though maybe Bon Scott is his nuts were tied to a running car battery. It’s all in good fun though and I still took a lot of enjoyment out of this.

The Essential Track: You Shook Me All Night Long

Up Next: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

No, no, no. Ain’t Noise Pollution is fucking fire. Back In Black rocks the roll. Shook Me is lame.

There's a standing order in my house that whenever Rock and Roll ain't Noise Pollution comes on I'm allowed to play it at max volume regardless of time of night or who happens to be there. Love that song.

I went with most iconic but you’re really right.

Shook Me is an AC/DC song for ladies

[liebzz]

Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Trust

I recall when I did a Costello deep dive I was excited about this album. In this context maybe a little less so. Granted, I really enjoyed Strict Time and From A Whisper to a Scream on this listen, and Luxembourg as well - and I enjoyed the album certainly well enough, but I didn’t feel that same enthusiasm as the last time. Could be a one off, and I certainly enjoy his music. Hopefully next time.

The Essential Track: Strict Time

Up Next: Genesis - Duke

[wease]

Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Trust

I recall when I did a Costello deep dive I was excited about this album. In this context maybe a little less so. Granted, I really enjoyed Strict Time and From A Whisper to a Scream on this listen, and Luxembourg as well - and I enjoyed the album certainly well enough, but I didn’t feel that same enthusiasm as the last time. Could be a one off, and I certainly enjoy his music. Hopefully next time.

The Essential Track: Strict Time

Up Next: Genesis - Duke

Duke contains my favorite Genesis tune. Indeed, one of my favorite ever tracks!

[liebzz]

Genesis - Duke

Seems like a long time since we’ve covered a Genesis album, and Duke sort of seems like a transition from prog to pop rock, with the prog largely intact. Misunderstanding is really the clue here that the prog days are numbered, and one of Genesis’s big hits. For me, I think what stuck was Cul-De-Sac and Duke’s Travels/Duke’s End, both showing off the Genesis chops without that convoluted and overly cluttered sound that often ends up turning me off their music - and I like layers of sound and jams! Turn It On Again was another I enjoyed quite a bit here. This ended up on the high end of Genesis albums for me.

The Essential Track: Duke’s Travels

Up Next: The Doobie Brothers - One Step Closer

[liebzz]

The Doobie Brothers - One Step Closer

This album represents the end of the Michael
McDonald era with the Doobie Brothers. It also feels almost fully engrossed in his signature sound, with No Stoppin’ Us Now as the track that harkens back to those early 70s albums. The rest is an assortment of soft/yacht rock with flecks of jazz influence.

The Essential Track: No Stoppin’ Is Now

Up Next: Steely Dan - Gaucho

[wease]

Genesis - Duke

Seems like a long time since we’ve covered a Genesis album, and Duke sort of seems like a transition from prog to pop rock, with the prog largely intact. Misunderstanding is really the clue here that the prog days are numbered, and one of Genesis’s big hits. For me, I think what stuck was Cul-De-Sac and Duke’s Travels/Duke’s End, both showing off the Genesis chops without that convoluted and overly cluttered sound that often ends up turning me off their music - and I like layers of sound and jams! Turn It On Again was another I enjoyed quite a bit here. This ended up on the high end of Genesis albums for me.

The Essential Track: Duke’s Travels

Up Next: The Doobie Brothers - One Step Closer

Turn It On Again is one of the best tracks ever.

[liebzz]

It is really good. Kind of surprised you’d take it over Cul-De-Sac and Duke’s Travels.

[liebzz]

Steely Dan - Gaucho

I really quite love it when you can really hear the jazz influence in their work. Yacht or soft rock as it may be, it’s those elements that keep me excited about this band. Babylon Sisters and Hey Nineteen are great pop songs, but Gaucho and My Rival feel a bit more on the jazzy side, even if it is a smoother jazz. Even still, this is a band that can be surprising even if at this point you should know what’s coming. Another really excellent album from these guys.

The Essential Track: Gaucho

Up Next: Bob Seger - Against the Wind

[liebzz]

There’s about 8 albums left for 1980, so time to take suggestions on what’s missing for ‘81:

Phil Collins - Face Value
The Who - Face Dances
Iron Maiden - Killers
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
Van Halen - Fair Warning
Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love (yup, we’re going there)
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
Bad Brains
Go-Go’s - Beauty and the Beat
Kraftwerk - Computer World
Rush - Moving Pictures
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Foreigner - 4
Genesis - Abacab
Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
Joan Jett and the Black Hawks - Bad Reputation
Joan Jett and the Black Hawks - I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
Squeeze - East Side Story
The Cure - Faith
New Order - Movement
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Neil Young - Re-Ac-Tor
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises
U2 - October
Muddy Waters - King Bee

[liebzz]

Bob Seger - Against the Wind

Bob Seger is another at this point where you kind of get what you expected - old school classic rock. Not too hard, not too fast, this album is a breeze, and I was stunned when it was already over. The title track is a Seger classic, the Horizontal Bop, You’ll Accomp’ny Me, Her Strut, Betty Lou’s Gettin’ Out Tonight, and Shinin’ Brightly also stuck out a bit in a quick easy album.

The Essential Track: Against the Wind

Up Next: Talking Heads - Remain in Light

[coptheriotact]

These albums are excellent from simple minds

Sons and fascination 1981
New gold dream 1982
Sparkle in the rain 1984

[LoathedVermin72]

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju
Au Pairs - Playing with a Different Sex

[wease]

It is really good. Kind of surprised you’d take it over Cul-De-Sac and Duke’s Travels.

It’s one of those that hit me just right the first time I heard it.

[wease]

Steely Dan - Gaucho

I really quite love it when you can really hear the jazz influence in their work. Yacht or soft rock as it may be, it’s those elements that keep me excited about this band. Babylon Sisters and Hey Nineteen are great pop songs, but Gaucho and My Rival feel a bit more on the jazzy side, even if it is a smoother jazz. Even still, this is a band that can be surprising even if at this point you should know what’s coming. Another really excellent album from these guys.

The Essential Track: Gaucho

Up Next: Bob Seger - Against the Wind

Time Out Of Mind for me. Has there ever been such a groovy song about heroin?

[Birds in Hell]

... time to take suggestions on what’s missing for ‘81:

Is 1981 the greatest year for music ever?

Man, it's good:

Bill Evans - You Must Believe in Spring
Harold Budd - The Serpent in Quicksilver
King Crimson - Discipline
Nick Mason - Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports
Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju
Tom Tom Club
Wipers - Youth of America
Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

[wease]

There’s about 8 albums left for 1980, so time to take suggestions on what’s missing for ‘81:

Phil Collins - Face Value
The Who - Face Dances
Iron Maiden - Killers
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
Van Halen - Fair Warning
Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love (yup, we’re going there)
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
Bad Brains
Go-Go’s - Beauty and the Beat
Kraftwerk - Computer World
Rush - Moving Pictures
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Foreigner - 4
Genesis - Abacab
Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
Joan Jett and the Black Hawks - Bad Reputation
Joan Jett and the Black Hawks - I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
Squeeze - East Side Story
The Cure - Faith
New Order - Movement
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Neil Young - Re-Ac-Tor
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises
U2 - October
Muddy Waters - King Bee

Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks
Damaged - Black Flag
Controversy - Prince
Street Songs - Rick James

[wease]

Bob Seger - Against the Wind

Bob Seger is another at this point where you kind of get what you expected - old school classic rock. Not too hard, not too fast, this album is a breeze, and I was stunned when it was already over. The title track is a Seger classic, the Horizontal Bop, You’ll Accomp’ny Me, Her Strut, Betty Lou’s Gettin’ Out Tonight, and Shinin’ Brightly also stuck out a bit in a quick easy album.

The Essential Track: Against the Wind

Up Next: Talking Heads - Remain in Light

Her Strut is just a down ‘n’ dirty groove. One of my favorites of his.