Your greatest albums

Satanfriendly

Supporter
Supporter
LeJog 2022 Finisher
Messages
6,619
Location
Liverpool
So what are your own personal best albums of all time?

No top 10 or anything like that just anything which got to your musical soul. In my case my top album will always be my top album and everything else changes more regularly than my blades.

If this has been done before I do apologise

1. Never Mind the Bollocks - Sex Pistols

A reflection of the angst and anger of the time and if ever the nation needed a kick up the posterior then this album delivered. Poorly recorded, poorly performed, but it is what it is warts and all. Gritty, grimy, filthy and furious, it couldn't be anything else

2. The Clash - The Clash

For much the same as my No.1 except it dived it from a slightly different angle. Short fast and manic songs which were more adrenaline inducing than NMTB but equal in their message. What happened to The Clash after this great album I have no idea but they lost the plot and I Don't have much time for what followed.

3. The Art of Falling Apart - Soft Cell

A sudden change of direction here but an album I have always had time for. More sexy, more dirty and more seedy than Non-stop Erotic Cabaret and with some quite cynical and weird songs in the mix.

4. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedy's

I was never that keen on American punk (The Ramones and The Avengers aside) as it was all too avant garde for me. The DK's though struck a chord with me and it doesn't get much better than this album. It delivers at break neck speed. Terribly bright recording but so What? A band more talented than most will give credit. East Bay Ray, what a guitarist

5. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

What more can one say? For me a far better offering than DSOTM with more musicality about it. Whereas I always think DSOTM is trying too hard, Wish You Were Here delivers with more natural musical fluidity. A first class recording if ever.

6. Peer Gynt Suite Greig - Decca Jubilee

My earliest musical memory. They used to play 'morning at every junior school assembly. As a consequence I became very attached to the suite as a whole and love the moods and shifts in directions it takes. It is like a complete musical journey.

7. Tocatta - Michael Schnider- Eros records

A mind boggling recording of Tocatta played by the exceptionally talented organist Michael Schnider. A piece you can feel the musical expression pouring through to the point you can touch the music. A sublime recording. Best 50p spent in a charity shop

8. Singles Going Steady - The Buzzcocks

It is strange to place a compilation album in a best list but it just has everything. Pure power pop stripped back to the basics and delivered in an energetic orgasm of music. Very formulated but delivered with gusto and honesty. Harmonies in my head is one of the best ever songs written in my opinion.

9. Jumpin' Jive - Joe Jackson

If anyone says 'Show me your system' it is inevitable this will be first album the stylus hits. Powerful, involving and incredibly stylish. An exceptional recording which makes bad systems sound terrific. Great songs played with great enthusiasm and Joe Jackson is more than just a great talent

10. Xeno - Cross Faith

When I first saw this band walk on stage we were 'WTF is this?'. Japanese chaps in slick shiny suits? But when the music started it was mind blowing. This album continues from their concert. A very imaganitive and different Nu-Metal album which pumps out energetic and powerfully strong songs. Very nicely recorded vinyl LP which makes a welcome change to many of the usual modern pressings.

Probably gone on a bit here but music is such an important part of my life.

Be interesting to hear what albums others have in among their favorites
 
I'll give it a go;

Without a doubt my favorite album is "Pet Sounds" by The Beach Boys. Although not a particular fan of their's - this album is something else. Brian Wilson's approach to it's production and trying to emulate Phil Spectre's wall of sound is beautiful. Aided by a jobbing lyricist in Tony Asher; there are some moving moments. Also happens to contain my favorite song of all time. This song gets me every time:


Second up, "The Stone Roses" by the The Stone Roses. Bloody marvelous. A rattling good album from start to finish. Some really clever lyrics and amazing guitar work. To this day "I'm the resurrection" must stand up as one of the greatest songs written?

.

The Last Broadcast by Doves. Now this band are my favorite EVER! Each of their tracks, on each of their albums has a particularly meaning for me. This album, their second is a work of art. Beautiful and moving. Check out There Goes the Fear. Not too shabby for a group of hairy blokes from Manchester! This is my top moment:


"Hinterland" - Strabge Cargo - is actually William Orbit. A lovely and smooth offering. A proper chill out album. Takes me back to the summer of 1995. I love to sit and sound bathe to this album. Good for destressing:


Honorable mentions:

"Breakfast in America" - Supertramp
"Murmur" - REM
"Up to our hips" - The Charlatans
"Summer Camp" - Summer Camp
"Holes in the wall" - Electric Soft Parade
"His n Hers" - Pulp
 
Last edited:
I started to appreciate the Beach Boy thing after seeing Brian Wilson live. Then some bloke sold me the complete collection of their albums for £1 each. All first pressings. I pointed out the value of Pet Sounds alone but he insisted £1 It was to be. I was a happy man if ever. But I don't sell albums as it is all about collecting to me and I feel as if I am selling a soul.
 
Excellent thread. Several of my favourite bands, and a couple of my personal favourite albums have already been mentioned. Music has been a massive part of my life for as long as I can remember, and certain albums over the years have stood out and indeed 'got to my musical soul'. Here are a few of mine:

1) Rum Sodomy & The Lash - The Pogues

By this album, they'd perfected their distillation of raw punk energy and traditional Irish folk. Shane Magowan's poignant and evocative lyrics ("A Pair Of Brown Eyes" especially) are masterful. The band had one decent album left in them (If I Should Fall From Grace With God) before inevitably imploding.

2) Blue - Joni Mitchell

More mature and original than her earlier work, yet more accessible and heartfelt than the avant-garde jazzy meanderings of her later work. This is Joni at the peak of her powers.

3) Who's Next - The Who

When it was released, Pete Townshend was frustrated that this album was a compromise - 'merely' a collection of songs from his grandiose failed 'Lifehouse' project. In fact I think it is actually the most cohesive album The Who ever made. Epic and ambitious, with a timeless quality that makes it hard to believe it was released in 1971.

There are others I can add, but it's tough narrowing them down to just a few.

Of those already mentioned by @Satanfriendly: I have very similar thoughts to yours on 1, 4 and 5. Although I did (and still do) enjoy a lot of US punk/hardcore, and for me the DKs finest work was the more adventurous yet still ferocious Plastic Surgery Disasters.

And finally, yes @Glen_Lee - The Stone Roses. Utter Perfection. A solid contender for greatest ever debut album. Such a shame that everything the band did after that merely tarnished their reputation.
 
Last edited:
Peter Kruder - Peace Orchestra
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life
DJ Shadow - Entroducing
Diplo & Tripledouble - AEIOU volume 2
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
The Velvet Underground - 1969: The Velvet Underground Live volume 1
The Chemical Brothers - Singles 93-03
Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert
Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variations
Herbie Hancock - Takin' off
 
Last edited:
Three albums would be the ones I would keep above others.
Broken English by Marianne Faithful. Gritty songs by a classy lady.if you get the chance to see her concerts grab the tickets.Nothing like she was in the 1960s.
Rumble doll by Patti scialfa. Mrs Bruce Springsteen, say no more.
Leaving the Land by Jean Redpath. A Scottish singer. This album has contemporary folk songs which paint wonderful pictures and stories.
 
Still thinking about this. I'm trying to consider albums that I'd still want to listen to in their entirety rather than just 'in the mix' and I have a couple for you:

Hawkwind: Live '79 Is just a classic festival album with some rip roaring tracks but for an album as a journey I'd go for Hawkwind: Hawkwind

OMD whilst I love all the first 4 albums I think, as a journey, Architecture and Morality is the winner just beating Dazzle Ships which is very much a concept album and so as much noises as music.

Kraftwerk: The Man Machine classic sparse electronic gorgeousness! Trans-Europe Express or Radioactivity would do as well.

Beatles: White an excellent 'trip' of an album, a nice meandering journey to get to Number 9....number 9....

David Grey: White Ladders a modern blues trip which I still play as a full album on a regular basis, worth a listen if only for the Soft Cell cover.

Gong: The Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy - Flying Teapot; Angel's Egg; You
Make a pot of mushroom tea and settle in for the journey - what a long strange trip it's been. I'd very rarely listen to them all back to back these days but I'd rarely listen to any part not in it's entirety.

Repo Man Soundtrack, just works nicely as an album with some great tracks. Let's have a WAR!!

Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene or Equinoxe I got the tapes of these given at about the same time as I got a 'Walkman'. Listening to these on headphones gave me a whole different appreciation of music and sound leading eventually to my first separates HiFi, Tangerine Dream lead to the first proper speakers.

The Waterboys: Fisherman's Blues - one of those albums that speaks of a specific time in all it's complexity and reflects the passing of the years since that time. Fortunately it's an excellent album in it's own right.


Not a list that represents my musical taste in its entirety or even at all. I usually listen to swathes of rock and roll, Blues, Punk, Reggae. Folk, Dance, Dub and so on in a mix or on random but tracks from these albums finish and I'm already singing/humming the next track.
 
Gong: The Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy - Flying Teapot; Angel's Egg; You
Make a pot of mushroom tea and settle in for the journey - what a long strange trip it's been. I'd very rarely listen to them all back to back these days but I'd rarely listen to any part not in it's entirety.

Wow! A long time since I heard the trilogy mentioned. Rarely gets a listen these days (25 years or so back?), but always a pleasure to do so. Daevid and Gilli were certainly two people who saw the world from some strange musical angles and yet so talented with their ability and approach. Great to see a mention.

Musical tastes are one of those things which changes with life's journey and the moods it sets. Mine changes daily but I am open to just about every genre there is but my soul always remains attached to punk and especially the early material. It was where I realised what music was and how it connects with us in life.

The fact that I am now an non-rebellious-in-a-way, well shaven and well scented old man is neither here nor there and I remain punk at heart
 
Last edited:
Hawkwind
Gong: The Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy - Flying Teapot; Angel's Egg; You
Jean Michel Jarre: Oxygene or Equinoxe

Those were all in regular rotation for me during the 1980s.

Oxygene and Equinoxe (on cassette too) often soundtracked my sessions of text adventure games (remember them?) on the Sinclair Spectrum.

Hawkwind and Gong (and Steve Hillage) inevitably coincided with my discovery of mind-altering substances. I haven't listened to any Gong/Hillage in years, but Hawkwind still occasionally get airtime in my house. The Robert Calvert-era ('76-'79) is my favourite. I reckon their output from that time had quite an influence on many post-punk bands. Calvert was a total maverick, space-rock poet and performance artist. Hawkwind managed one more good studio album after he left (Levitation), but were never as interesting without Calvert.
 
Last edited:
Naturally, once I had started listing my favourite albums, the list grew ... and it grew ... and it grew ...

Distilled:

The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
Big Black - Songs About F***ing
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
Evanescence - Fallen
Faithless - Sunday 9PM
Nailbomb - Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide
Sigur Ros - ( )
Virgin Prunes - If I Die, I Die
Cream - Cream (Live)
Faith No More - The Real Thing
 
@Francorelli @Satanfriendly Hawkwind 76-79 definitely the best years and I have the albums mentioned in the mix on the SD card in the car, 32Gb of music is a bit mind boggling when remembering tapes. Gong, Hillage still take me away though I reach for them less and less.
I like a bit of Punk as well but again hard to pick specific albums these days. Here's a few more I still listen to as albums I'm trying to not just say all the things I listened to a decade or two ago but no longer reach for.

Tracy Chapman: Tracy Chapman &/or Crossroads - The Police, always come late, if they come at all...
Pixies: Surfa Rosa
Silly Wizard: Live Wizardry
 
Naturally, once I had started listing my favourite albums, the list grew ... and it grew ... and it grew ...

Distilled:

The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
...

I don't think I ever had an album of theirs the first few EPs and a single or two though, New Model Army, Killing Joke come to mind as well.
 
Back
Top Bottom