Perfect Albums Thread

[Jimmy Dean Bowl]

Even China lol?

OK I'll give you that, it's the lowest point of the album.

 

[PandaChai]

Oh glad to see a fellow Barnsley Nightingale fan! Her cover of the village green preservation society is wonderful.

As it is that time of year, her best Christmas album was the first one

 

[General Patton]

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins.

For the greatness of 1979 alone and the album cover is beautiful.

It was the band in their prime and the best.

 

[Womble of Wimbledon]

This years model by Elvis Costello and the attractions is a perfect album
Ver archivo adjunto 8297362

100% agreed this album is flawless. He is pretty underrated IMO he had an amazing run of albums in his early career.

Surprised this one hasn't been mentioned, Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps

Side one is some of his best acoustic work, side two kicks fucking ass. Makes you feel every emotion possible, "Welfare Mothers" cracks me up every time.

 

[Otterly]

He is pretty underrated IMO

Costello is hugely underrated.

 

[Positron]

Little Lights - Kate Rusby

I find Little Lights is a bit twee, but her album with Kathryn Robert is high up on my list.

And her contribution to Linda Thompson's Fashionably Late album is haunting.

 

[General Patton]

A couple more.

I saw The Downward Spiral get a mention by Nine Inch Nails. Another great perfect album by Trent is The Fragile.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as successful as The Downward Spiral, so I'd say it's underrated, and honestly the best album he made.

Make Yourself by Incubus. This album was my introduction to the band. I haven't heard a bad song on it. Their best album in my opinion.

 

[Jimmy Dean Bowl]

Nine Inch Nails

Hesitation Marks is a work of art too

 

[Fishnumm]

i'd call bossanova a perfect album too the pixies are a fucking amazing band

 

[General Patton]

The Kate Rusby album has inspired me, so I'll link an album closer to that style.

Loreena McKennitt's Book of Secrets album.

Besides her beauty and otherworldly voice, all of the songs make me feel like I'm in another world. Also my introduction to the greatness that is Celtic music.

It was famous for this one song, her only hit song in her entire career.

 

[No-Eyed Square Guy]

Costello is hugely underrated.

He's become underrated lately. Us oldfags rated him correctly (fucking great) up through about Brutal Youth, his last perfect album (named after a Hitler quote btw, so it's "Emotional Fascism II," if you know the lore):

 

[Positron]

Loreena McKennitt's Book of Secrets album.

The Book of Secrets almost touches perfection. My only reservations are that the epic song "The Highwayman" is not as compelling as "The Lady of Shalott' (The Visit) or "The Two Trees" (The Mask and Mirror), and the song "Skellig" is likewise melodramatic.

I think as a total work of art, The Mask and Mirror wins by a nose, yet The Book of Secrets will always be the top in my heart, having offered solace in a difficult time of my life.

As for singers that have a similar vocal quality as Rusby, we have Cara Dillon, which you posted in the other thread. Her debute eponymous album is my fave. Karan Casey has a beautiful waif-like voice, but she'll never be my favourite because she is overtly political. Her Songlines album has a particularly strong selection of songs and, while political, is not too in-your-face.

 

[General Patton]

The Book of Secrets almost touches perfection. My only reservations are that the epic song "The Highwayman" is not as compelling as "The Lady of Shalott' (The Visit) or "The Two Trees" (The Mask and Mirror), and the song "Skellig" is likewise melodramatic.

I think as a total work of art, The Mask and Mirror wins by a nose, yet The Book of Secrets will always be the top in my heart, having offered solace in a difficult time of my life.

As for singers that have a similar vocal quality as Rusby, we have Cara Dillon, which you posted in the other thread. Her debute eponymous album is my fave. Karan Casey has a beautiful waif-like voice, but she'll never be my favourite because she is overtly political. Her Songlines album has a particularly strong selection of songs and, while political, is not too in-your-face.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=glvO4Sxdt-4

This album as well. I wish I could see her live.

If we're going to talk about great Irish Celtic albums:

Something Of Time by Nightnoise. They're one of my favorite Celtic groups.

 

[Beany Man]

A couple more.

I saw The Downward Spiral get a mention by Nine Inch Nails. Another great perfect album by Trent is The Fragile.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P3jusrZdOv8
Unfortunately, it wasn't as successful as The Downward Spiral, so I'd say it's underrated, and honestly the best album he made.

Make Yourself by Incubus. This album was my introduction to the band. I haven't heard a bad song on it. Their best album in my opinion.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=74ccolUlNHQ

This and your post about Mellon Collie got me thinking. Big fan of NIN and The Smashing Pumpkins, seen them both live. With NIN I always wish we'd get more studio demos/outtakes/alternate versions. The Pumpkins are the opposite as far as the amount of music they've put out. I remember trying to explain to my gf that "yes I'm telling you the truth they wrote like 100 songs for Mellon Collie" and she just couldn't believe it. I wish Trent would put out some old demos or unreleased stuff from the past. Hell I bought the Fragile Deviations when it came out simply because I wanted to hear more tracks from that era. At least he did just confirm he and Atticus are now working on more NIN music.

 

[Otterly]

favorite Celtic groups.

If you like Celtic stuff can I recommend ceol more by Tony macmanus? It’s just instrumental guitar, with a bit of trad accompaniment but he is incredible technically. His arrangement of ‘the maid behind McGinty’s bar’ is brilliant, it’s impossible to not stamp your feet to. It’s one of those things you have to remind yourself that this is only one guy playing, not three, he’s that good.

 

[AnOminous]

How is this not in this thread?

Boards of Canada - Geogaddi

 

[Gromit the Claymation Dog]

Cop by Swans
World Is Yours by Mass of Fermenting Dregs
New Plastic Ideas by Unwound
Everything I’ve recorded in my bedroom in my spare time
Morningside by Fazerdaze
At Carnegie Hall by the Dave Brubeck Quartet
Africa/Brass by John Coltrane
Last Splash by the Breeders

 

[General Patton]

If you like Celtic stuff can I recommend ceol more by Tony macmanus? It’s just instrumental guitar, with a bit of trad accompaniment but he is incredible technically. His arrangement of ‘the maid behind McGinty’s bar’ is brilliant, it’s impossible to not stamp your feet to. It’s one of those things you have to remind yourself that this is only one guy playing, not three, he’s that good.

I'll check it out, if it sounds anything like Nightnoise.

 

[idkcumiguess]

Loved it ever since it released and it's one of the few albums I don't skip a track.

 

[Nautilus8k]

How is this not in this thread?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vDkHR80rNtwBoards of Canada - Geogaddi

their best album imo, Music Has the Right to Children (MHTRTC) is my second pick.