Favourite albums
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:12 am
To try and spice things up and add some variety from the artist threads, here's a bit of fun (possibly).
What are your top all-time most favouritest favourite albums of all time ever ever? Try not to list more than 20 otherwise things get complicated. And maybe some reasons why... would be interesting to see how tastes vary between members of the board.
Here are mine, in vague order (the top five are, after that it gets hazy)
The Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
Perhaps unsurprising. I rate this on a whole different level to other albums, nothing is quite so visual in its atmosphere, no album takes me away from the real world quite as much as Lifeforms. I've had it for fourteen years and don't tire of a second of it yet. Other than Elaborate Burn, never got that one...
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
My favourite set of songs ever. There's something beautifully... Scottish about Idlewild. They seem to sum up the cold, bleak landscape in their music. Retains the punk roots of their early stuff but hints at the folk leanings of their later material, and contains Roddy's best lyrics to date.
Million Dead - A Song to Ruin
I don't listen to anywhere near as much hardcore punk as I used to, but this album will always stay with me. Frank Turner has such a brilliant turn of phrase that he manages to deconstruct so many of the social ills within the world while keeping the whole experience personal. The music's melodic enough to seem as relevant as the words, which is a rarity in decent politial punk.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol. II
On the whole, I'm not such a big fan of traditional synthy sounding ambient, but RDJ has such an ear for melody and atmosphere that he pulls this off brilliantly. The soundtrack to a night in the countryside, sinister goings on somewhere out of sight and moments of beautiful pause. Rhubarb is about as good as music gets.
Blur - Parklife
Britpop was something I grew up with, and while in hindsight much of it was poor, shallow crap, the odd band remains vital to this day. Parklife's seemingly endless twists and turns throughout the history of popular song, from 30s style lounge to disco, post-punk and muzak, combined with some of the most beautiful songs in the band's repertoire - To the End and This is a Low in particular - give it the edge over similar classics by Pulp and Suede.
Deaf Center - Pale Ravine
Phenomenal electro-acoustic modern classical ambience, combining strings, piano, synths and samples into a soundscape almost unmatched in its convincingness (that's not a word, I know). Erik Skodvin classes FSOL among his influences and it's easy to see why - this music is positively alive and dripping in atmosphere. A darker version of the classical ends of FSOL's Environments series and some of the most haunting compositions ever put to tape.
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
There's something about excessively 80s sounding production that I love, which I think stems from childhood memory, so anything that sounds like this is good with me. However, it's the fact that Roland Orzabal has such a good way with a tune that puts this so high on my list. The Working Hour is haunting, while Listen, with its layers of vocal chants and synths, shows they were more than just a pop band.
Current Ninety Three - Soft Black Stars
Beautiful, melancholic piano work is the only music behind David Tibet's voice here, as he comes to terms with having to throw off his, hmm, 'less than Christian' past and move forward to his new life and his wife. Utterly heartbreaking. Tibet's voice is an acquired taste, but, being a fan, I find this one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded.
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Without his FSOL collaborations, I'm not sure I'd have paid Richter as much attention as I have - which would be shameful, as anybody who hasn't heard this collection of beautiful miniatures for string quartet, piano, organ and electronics is really missing out. On some of his later albums, Richter has begun to repeat himself a little, but at this point every idea is so fresh that there is little criticism to put upon such a beautiful album.
The Divine Comedy - Promenade
Baroque pop in all its glory. A small string section, piano and guitar, Neil Hannon's spectacularly dense songwriting and a tale about a day in the life of two young lovers. A beautiful, romantic little record, bursting with wonderful melodies.
Underworld - Oblivion With Bells
Not their most popular album, hated by some in fact, but - perhaps unsurprisingly - its ambience and soundtrack leanings make it my favourite. From the laid back dance tracks of the first half to the more acoustic stylings of Good Morning Cockerel, things here are uniformly beautiful. My love for this direction made Barking's dance pop tedium even harder to take...
Wire - A Bell is a Cup Until it is Struck
Wire's poppiest record, but certainly my favourite. The icy detachment of their earlier works is equally on display here, just through a catchy chorus-filled, melodic filter. Kidney Bingos is possibly their career highlight, while the surreal lyrics keep the music from ever becoming too commercial sounding.
Autechre - Amber
More cool, glacial sounds, this time from Autechre whose career I tend to enjoy, but never as much as this. Their most ambient record, this is far from the traditional definition of the word - clattering beats are still in play and sometimes to the fore, but the overall vibe is one of atmosphere. Piezo and Nine are both masterpieces.
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs
What amazes me most about Deserter's Songs is that no orchestra was present in the recording of it, just a couple of string, brass and wind players, a mellotron and some samples, yet together they manage to suggest the presence of a full ensemble, which orchestrates this beautiful lush album. The album's sweeping melodies and evocative lyrics manage to match the sounds, and it's not hard to see how Gaz rates the record among his favourites of modern psychedelia.
The Future Sound of London - Environments II
I love this album. Every track sounds like it was written intentionally for the record, yet we know that the tracks date from the ISDN era, the 1997 era and even some new tracks. A soundtrack to an icy wilderness (yes, I like 'icy' music) which flows superbly from one piece to the next, eventually exploding (in a subtle way) during the album's centerpiece run of three - North Arctic, Factories & Assembly, Ice Formed - before fading away again. The mixture of ambience and modern classical sounds was a surprise, and one I hope they continue with long into the future. Magnificent.
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
I do love this record. The pastoral, acoustic sound is marvellous and lends a stillness to the mood; the oboe and acoustic guitar section in part one is so evocative of being entirely cut off from the modern world. Some of his other albums are good too (many are awful), but this is his masterpiece and makes up for the awfulness of his 80s pop songs.
What are your top all-time most favouritest favourite albums of all time ever ever? Try not to list more than 20 otherwise things get complicated. And maybe some reasons why... would be interesting to see how tastes vary between members of the board.
Here are mine, in vague order (the top five are, after that it gets hazy)
The Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
Perhaps unsurprising. I rate this on a whole different level to other albums, nothing is quite so visual in its atmosphere, no album takes me away from the real world quite as much as Lifeforms. I've had it for fourteen years and don't tire of a second of it yet. Other than Elaborate Burn, never got that one...
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
My favourite set of songs ever. There's something beautifully... Scottish about Idlewild. They seem to sum up the cold, bleak landscape in their music. Retains the punk roots of their early stuff but hints at the folk leanings of their later material, and contains Roddy's best lyrics to date.
Million Dead - A Song to Ruin
I don't listen to anywhere near as much hardcore punk as I used to, but this album will always stay with me. Frank Turner has such a brilliant turn of phrase that he manages to deconstruct so many of the social ills within the world while keeping the whole experience personal. The music's melodic enough to seem as relevant as the words, which is a rarity in decent politial punk.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol. II
On the whole, I'm not such a big fan of traditional synthy sounding ambient, but RDJ has such an ear for melody and atmosphere that he pulls this off brilliantly. The soundtrack to a night in the countryside, sinister goings on somewhere out of sight and moments of beautiful pause. Rhubarb is about as good as music gets.
Blur - Parklife
Britpop was something I grew up with, and while in hindsight much of it was poor, shallow crap, the odd band remains vital to this day. Parklife's seemingly endless twists and turns throughout the history of popular song, from 30s style lounge to disco, post-punk and muzak, combined with some of the most beautiful songs in the band's repertoire - To the End and This is a Low in particular - give it the edge over similar classics by Pulp and Suede.
Deaf Center - Pale Ravine
Phenomenal electro-acoustic modern classical ambience, combining strings, piano, synths and samples into a soundscape almost unmatched in its convincingness (that's not a word, I know). Erik Skodvin classes FSOL among his influences and it's easy to see why - this music is positively alive and dripping in atmosphere. A darker version of the classical ends of FSOL's Environments series and some of the most haunting compositions ever put to tape.
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
There's something about excessively 80s sounding production that I love, which I think stems from childhood memory, so anything that sounds like this is good with me. However, it's the fact that Roland Orzabal has such a good way with a tune that puts this so high on my list. The Working Hour is haunting, while Listen, with its layers of vocal chants and synths, shows they were more than just a pop band.
Current Ninety Three - Soft Black Stars
Beautiful, melancholic piano work is the only music behind David Tibet's voice here, as he comes to terms with having to throw off his, hmm, 'less than Christian' past and move forward to his new life and his wife. Utterly heartbreaking. Tibet's voice is an acquired taste, but, being a fan, I find this one of the most beautiful albums ever recorded.
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks
Without his FSOL collaborations, I'm not sure I'd have paid Richter as much attention as I have - which would be shameful, as anybody who hasn't heard this collection of beautiful miniatures for string quartet, piano, organ and electronics is really missing out. On some of his later albums, Richter has begun to repeat himself a little, but at this point every idea is so fresh that there is little criticism to put upon such a beautiful album.
The Divine Comedy - Promenade
Baroque pop in all its glory. A small string section, piano and guitar, Neil Hannon's spectacularly dense songwriting and a tale about a day in the life of two young lovers. A beautiful, romantic little record, bursting with wonderful melodies.
Underworld - Oblivion With Bells
Not their most popular album, hated by some in fact, but - perhaps unsurprisingly - its ambience and soundtrack leanings make it my favourite. From the laid back dance tracks of the first half to the more acoustic stylings of Good Morning Cockerel, things here are uniformly beautiful. My love for this direction made Barking's dance pop tedium even harder to take...
Wire - A Bell is a Cup Until it is Struck
Wire's poppiest record, but certainly my favourite. The icy detachment of their earlier works is equally on display here, just through a catchy chorus-filled, melodic filter. Kidney Bingos is possibly their career highlight, while the surreal lyrics keep the music from ever becoming too commercial sounding.
Autechre - Amber
More cool, glacial sounds, this time from Autechre whose career I tend to enjoy, but never as much as this. Their most ambient record, this is far from the traditional definition of the word - clattering beats are still in play and sometimes to the fore, but the overall vibe is one of atmosphere. Piezo and Nine are both masterpieces.
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs
What amazes me most about Deserter's Songs is that no orchestra was present in the recording of it, just a couple of string, brass and wind players, a mellotron and some samples, yet together they manage to suggest the presence of a full ensemble, which orchestrates this beautiful lush album. The album's sweeping melodies and evocative lyrics manage to match the sounds, and it's not hard to see how Gaz rates the record among his favourites of modern psychedelia.
The Future Sound of London - Environments II
I love this album. Every track sounds like it was written intentionally for the record, yet we know that the tracks date from the ISDN era, the 1997 era and even some new tracks. A soundtrack to an icy wilderness (yes, I like 'icy' music) which flows superbly from one piece to the next, eventually exploding (in a subtle way) during the album's centerpiece run of three - North Arctic, Factories & Assembly, Ice Formed - before fading away again. The mixture of ambience and modern classical sounds was a surprise, and one I hope they continue with long into the future. Magnificent.
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
I do love this record. The pastoral, acoustic sound is marvellous and lends a stillness to the mood; the oboe and acoustic guitar section in part one is so evocative of being entirely cut off from the modern world. Some of his other albums are good too (many are awful), but this is his masterpiece and makes up for the awfulness of his 80s pop songs.