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Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Fri February 27, 2026 11:59 pm
by Birds in Hell
liebzz wrote:Added! Some familiar faces there.
Since you've done their catalogue so far, you may as well add:
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Through the Looking Glass
It's a covers album, their next album of original material won't be til '88.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 2:28 am
by Jorge
liebzz wrote:We got maybe 8 more albums from ‘86, so on to ‘87 we go, where we know we got some good ones. That said, your suggestions to complete the list are always encouraged!
Grateful Dead - In the Dark
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust
Ten Years After - Universal
Warren Zevon - Sentimental Hygiene
The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me
Sonic Youth - Sister
10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
Sinead O’Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)
R.E.M. - Document
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Michael Jackson - Bad
Prince - Sign O’ the Times
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show
Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
Faster Pussycat
Whitesnake
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Motley Crue - Girls, Girls, Girls
Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Green River - Dry As a Bone/Rehab Doll
Soundgarden - Screaming Life/Fopp
1987! Just a few suggestions
Swans - Children of God
Philip Glass - Akhnaten
Jane Siberry - The Walking
Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Descendents - All
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 5:21 am
by Kalevi
Cloud 9
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 2:16 pm
by liebzz
The Saints - All Fools Day
This was a really good last minute addition, and it ends up being well placed with albums that will follow. The immediate reaction was that this seemed very reminiscent of the Rolling Stones, and I think much of that has to do with vocal delivery (in some spots it’s eerily similar). Add to that the single and really outstanding Just Like Fire Would, to be later covered by Springsteen. I also really enjoyed See You in Paradise and Temple of the Lord, but all of this is just really solid rock music front to back.
The Essential Track: Just Like Fire Would
Up Next: Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 2:52 pm
by Higgs
Glad you enjoyed it. I honestly think Chris Bailey may be my favourite vocalist. Not sure what it is about him but I love his delivery.
My personal fave track is All Fools Day - a great closer.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 5:34 pm
by liebzz
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
I have heard this album more than my fair share of times for an album I have just never fully gotten behind. Bruce largely eschewed the E Street Band for this, and I still get bothered that Bruce’s voice doesn’t fit with synthetic drums or this kind of hollow sounding music. Are there great songs on here that deserve recognition? Absolutely. Spare Parts, Two Faces, Brilliant Disguise, One Step Up and Valentine’s Day are all great, but this one where the individual tracks are better than the full product.
The Essential Track: One Step Up
Up Next: Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 6:53 pm
by liebzz
Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Their best album since Tusk, this one is extremely front loaded. Big Love, Seven Wonders, Everywhere, Little Lies and the title track (which rips) are all in the first seven songs, and basically the most essential part of this. The remainder is pretty good, but it doesn’t quite live up to that fire. They still definitely had something left for this one.
The Essential Track: Tango in the Night
Up Next - Sting - …Nothing Like the Sun
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 10:47 pm
by wease
What? Not Big Love?!?
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 11:16 pm
by liebzz
wease wrote:What? Not Big Love?!?
I actually like Big Love live much better, though yes it is quite good. Tango in the Night is fantastic though.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sat February 28, 2026 11:23 pm
by liebzz
Sting - …Nothing Like the Sun
So Sting said to himself that if he slows things down, adds some slow horns, and some percussion, it’ll be classy. In case you couldn’t tell, not a fan of this one. He seemed to go full on background on the elevator music. The kind of stuff that you might jam out to whilst yelling “REPRESENTATIVE!!” Somewhere in there he had a full on uptempo pop song but I can’t care to remember which it was. I was just not into this at all despite a long history of positivity the Police and I think even the first solo album.
The Essential Track: Englishman in New York
Up Next: George Harrison - Cloud 9
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 2:23 am
by liebzz
George Harrison - Cloud 9
This was a very enjoyable pop album, and you can sense working with Jeff Lynne that it’s part Beatles fan service (When We Was Fab which also includes Ringo), and in parts it reminded me of Tom Petty, which makes perfect sense since the three of them would soon be part of the Traveling Wilburys. Wreck of the Hesperus was excellent as was Devil’s Radio, and you can’t get through this one without talking about the pop candy that is Got My Mind Set on You. He also made good use of Eric Clapton in his spots here.
The Essential Track: When We Was Fab
Up Next: Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 2:51 am
by Higgs
Got My Mind Set on You is indeed 'pop candy'. Might throw that on right now, perfect happy Sunday morning tune.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 3:27 am
by wease
Higgs wrote:Got My Mind Set on You is indeed 'pop candy'. Might throw that on right now, perfect happy Sunday morning tune.
The last time a Beatle had a number one single.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 11:58 am
by liebzz
Higgs wrote:Got My Mind Set on You is indeed 'pop candy'. Might throw that on right now, perfect happy Sunday morning tune.
It’s gonna take time, a whole lotta precious time.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 7:55 pm
by liebzz
Rick Astley - Whenever You Need Somebody
The Essential Track: Never Gonna Give You Up
Up Next: Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 11:38 pm
by wease
Did you actually listen to it?
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 11:47 pm
by LoathedVermin72
That album is genuinely good. NGGYU isn’t even my favorite track.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Sun March 01, 2026 11:50 pm
by liebzz
Yes. I 100% listened to it today.
Together Forever is one of those songs etched in my nightmares of what 80s music was, as is It Would Take a Strong Strong Man. It’s pretty much a collective of half-assed love songs and that play into the cliche of the time. There are plenty of great pop albums from this era, many of which we’ve discussed, but this ain’t one for me.
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Mon March 02, 2026 12:48 pm
by liebzz
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
This at once feels like a continuation of the folk rock tradition from the 60s and 70s, and also a preview of the folk pop of the modern day. To be standing at those crossroads seems like a worthy compliment for a strong album here of songs that display a decent amount of range yet are also cohesive on this album. Tom’s Diner sandwiches the album nicely, first only Vega, then instrumental. Ironbound/Fancy Poultry was one that really hit the mark well. Nearly everything here is very good - certainly something that could have easily existed in the Albums of 2026 thread as naturally as this one.
The Essential Track: Ironbound/Fancy Poultry
Up Next: Whitney Houston - Whitney
Re: Essential Studio Albums
Posted: Mon March 02, 2026 2:30 pm
by liebzz
Whitney Houston - Whitney
As a pure musical instrument, Whitney Houston’s singing voice is truly remarkable - not since at least Aretha Franklin do I think we’ve covered a vocalist this purely outstanding. That talent certainly made her a commercial icon, with legions of fans. For me, the voice is spectacular but the songs ring hollow, in not a dissimilar way to the Rick Astley’s songs also don’t register. For all the notes she hits, I never once felt moved here - as if it all is just studio musicians simply playing their notes, Whitney included.
The Essential Track: Didn’t We Almost Have It All
Up Next: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris - Trio