Best final album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Blastproof, Apr 5, 2019.

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  1. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    Did the Beach Boys actually confirm that's their final album?
     
  2. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    No. And neither did the Stones but, as of now, the statement is true for both.
     
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  3. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    Calling “Come Together” a ripoff because Lennon took one line from a Chuck Berry song? Even Chuck didn’t have a problem with it. Levy’s legal action was bullsh*t.

    YYMV on the other songs you mentioned. I like “Octopus” fine, and find it good fun. “Maxwell” is not my favorite, but I see it in the mode of the Bonzo Dog Band, who The Beatles were friendly with. I think they rubbed off on McCartney a bit there (He’d produced their big UK hit “I’m the Urban Spaceman”). Take it or leave it, IMO.

    It was the final album The Beatles recorded and how they intended more or less intended it. It should count. Regardless, great album.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  4. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    Most people here who like Billy Joel tend to go for his earlier works, it seems, but I tend to like the latter half of his years as an active recording artist (Roughly 1982-1993) better than the first.

    River of Dreams is, IMO, one of the best albums of the 90s, one of Billy’s very best, and really one of my favorite albums by anyone. He certainly went on top (It debuted at #1), but in spite of selling several million copies it seems to be a forgotten album now.

    Maybe that’s because apart from the title song — Which has a great, classic Joel melody along with his barrel house piano licks, doo-wop inspired vocals, and great lyrics — the rest of the album wasn’t all that commercial or radio friendly? Not compared to many of his older albums, at least. Some hard rock, some Beatlesque trippiness, Cream-like blues-rock, baroque and orchestral pop. It covers a lot of ground (A bit of everything he’d done throughout his career). little of which was going to get Top 40 play in 1993.

    The album is, I’d say, a loose concept album with angrier, harder edged rockers on side 1, and mellower, more optimistic fare on side 2. It’s the “angry young man” getting older and learning to let go of his demons, played out across 10 songs. It was also very much a farewell. He leaves the door open for “other words, some other day” in the final song (“Famous Last Words”) but I think he knew he was done.

    That was almost 26 years ago, and I would be shocked if he ever makes another album (Though I’d like it if he did).

     
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  5. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    Here’s another lesser-known gem from River of Dreams. Wearing his Beatles influences here. Equal parts Lennon and McCartney, I’d say. Especially gets a bit trippy and weird near the end. Nice guitar solo from Leslie West (of Mountain) too:

     
  6. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    Another vote for Rush - Clockwork Angels.
     
  7. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    While I’d hoped they’d had another album in them, the Allman Brothers Band’s Hittin’ the Note was a fine album and, although they continued to tour for a number of years (And had a few new songs they never recorded), it was a good one to go out on.

    By contrast, I’d had high hopes for Gregg Allman’s Southern Blood but it fell a bit short.

    Parts of it really great, and some excellent song choices too. Gregg still had that great voice. But I felt the album was badly produced. I expected better from Don Was. Seemed far removed from Gregg’s blues/Southern R&B strengths.

    Sounded more like a modern pop-country album, in places at least, to me? Not sure if that’s the right description. I just feel the production was too slick and heavy-handed. For a Gregg Allman album, that is. Certainly for Gregg’s final statement.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  8. Graham 12" Remix

    Graham 12" Remix Graham Sylvian, Graham Gedge or Graham from Felt

    Strangeways Here We Come will always win for me.

    Blackstar, Avalon and Closer are also great, while Bridge Over Troubled Water and Back to Black are probably the one I have played most.

    I wish that Technique had been the last New Order album - just think what a career that would have been!

    Asobi Seksu finished too soon. This is perfection:
    [​IMG]
     
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  9. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    The smiths “Strangeways , Here we come”
     
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  10. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    If we don’t count last year’s Xmas album, I’ll offer up this gem from 2016 too. Even amongst Monkees fans who expected an album as good as Good Times! is? Helluva (non-holiday) album to go out on. Perfect little 60s power-pop/rock album:

    Here’s one of my favorites, voted Coolest Song In the Universe for all of 2016 on Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel (Written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller!):

     
  11. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    New Order Music Complete
     
  12. Freek999

    Freek999 Forum Resident

    Prince's last album "Hit 'n' Run - Phase II" is a great album, much better than you'd expect if listening to other recent albums like 2010, Plectrum Electrum or H'N'R Phase I.
    However his last recorded album that got released (until now) is also a great album, Art Official Age. These 2 albums are his best since The Gold Experience from 1995
     
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  13. Mickey2

    Mickey2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bronx, NY, USA
    I think there's only a few cases where the "last" album is actually arguably the best. Some listed in the thread are very good, but not the best. I'd agree with the following contributed by others, but even these are somewhat controversial for those who like to split hairs:

    Abbey Road (although arguably not "technically" their last release)
    Pearl
    Bridge Over Troubled Water (technically not last because of reunion live releases, but last studio while together)
    LA Woman (technically not group's last, but last with full original lineup)
     
  14. Guy Smiley

    Guy Smiley America’s Favorite Game Show Host

    Location:
    Sesame Street
    I am still not clear if the thread is for “last album is the artist’s best” or “Best final albums” in general. I am treating it as the latter.

    So, if it were “artist’s best” I probably wouldn’t go with LA Woman (I like the first Doors album best).. But it’s a good one for sure, so I would include it on a list of “Best final albums.”

    Abbey Road, or Pearl, or certainly Bridge, could apply for either depending on one’s taste. For me, choosing a favorite Beatles album is an impossible task.
     
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  15. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    His last album was the stone cold brilliant Pictures And Paintings from 1992. It definitely belongs on this list.
     
  16. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Hard to top Bowie's Blackstar.
     
  17. Davey

    Davey NP: Portishead ~ Portishead (1997)

    Location:
    SF Bay Area, USA
    Another big favorite of mine from the beginning of this century is the final Sixteen Horsepower record in 2002, Folklore. Very dark and brooding, steeped in more traditional folk music, they were masters of that Southern gothic-folk sound, full of harrowing soundscapes built of fire and brimstone. Great record, got a reissue for RSD 2015 on Volkoren in the Netherlands under license from Glitterhouse, wanted it for a long time but didn't want to pay the crazy money for an original, so it was another no-brainer, something like $20, highly recommended if you like some of the same dark stuff as me...


    [​IMG]
     
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  18. charlie W

    charlie W EMA Level 10

    Location:
    Area Code 254
    Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
     
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  19. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    I agree. Those are terrific albums, and are actually among his best.
     
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  20. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Tompall & The Glaser Brothers' 2 Elektra albums are their final albums and are both great. They were a great trio from beginning to end.

    Paul Davis' Cool Night turned out to be the final album released in his career and is a smooth pop classic.
     
  21. Jim N

    Jim N Forum Resident

    Street survivors
     
  22. ReggieNJ

    ReggieNJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    REM - Collapse Into Now
    Soundgarden - King Animal
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2019
  23. shutdown66

    shutdown66 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Athens, Greece
    You are right. My mistake.
     
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  24. Osato

    Osato Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    HitnRun 2 was released in his lifetime, so it's his last album. Art Official Age was a couple years before.
     
  25. Oingo Boingo - Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre, Halloween 1995

    Final concert performance and the band went out on a high note!
     
    Instant Dharma likes this.
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