Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Album-by-Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Jmac1979, Sep 19, 2021.

  1. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    If I try and make statements like this I use the term, indifferent...
     
  2. danasgoodstuff

    danasgoodstuff Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    If I'm genuinely indifferent, I just don't bother saying anything. I actively dislike S-K, they just rub me the wrong way in a big way, all kinds of ways.
     
  3. EyeSock

    EyeSock Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    188. T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971)
    Producer: Tony Visconti

    Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, their sixth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band's sound, moving away from the folk-oriented sound of the group's previous albums and pioneering a more flamboyant, pop-friendly glam rock style.

    The album reached number one on the UK charts and became the best selling album of 1971. Specifically the single "Get It On" helped promote the album's success and reached the top ten in the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" by the US record company, it also became the band's only North American hit.

    Electric Warrior has since received acclaim as a pivotal release of the glam rock movement. It had a profound influence on later musicians of different genres.

    Promotion
    Marc Bolan, in a 1971 interview contained on the Rhino Records reissue, said of the album, "I think Electric Warrior, for me, is the first album which is a statement of 1971 for us in England. I mean that's... If anyone ever wanted to know why we were big in the other part of the world, that album says it, for me."[2]

    Bolan was a guest on the BBC Television show, Cilla, in January 1973. He and Cilla Black sang an acoustic version of "Life's a Gas".

    Critical Reception
    AllMusic 5/5
    Christgau's Record Guide B
    Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5
    Q 4/5
    MusicOMH 4.5/5
    Pitchfork 9.5/10
    Uncut 5/5
    Record Collector 5/5

    Audience Reception
    84/100 from 307 users, #32 for 1971 - AlbumOfTheYear.org
    9/10 from 2,499 users - AllMusic
    4.2/5 from 73 users - Musicboard
    3.92/5 from 10,546 users, #23 for 1971, #452 overall - RateYourMusic.com

     
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  4. Alf.

    Alf. Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Electric Warrior T.Rex were a superb singles band whose albums were all rather mediocre. Here, Bolan either trots out the sub-Berry riffs again, or tries to sculpt one of his portentous 'epics'. It doesn't work. We've heard the former, in better shape, on the 45s, whilst the latter ends up as a plodding dirge. Miss.
     
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  5. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    This really is a superb album but it does land in second place to Slider as my favorite T.Rex album...

    188. T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971) 5/5
     
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  6. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    T. Rex - Electric Warrior

    This is one of first pop/rock albums I consciously listened to when I was little, my older brother having bought it and playing it incessantly. So there is certainly a nostalgia factor for me. But besides that, it's a great album and I would actually give it the edge over The Slider as "Jeepster" is my favorite T. Rex song.
     
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  7. EyeSock

    EyeSock Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    187. Ice Cube - Amerikkka’s Most Wanted (1990)
    Producer: The Bomb Squad, Da Lench Mob

    AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is the debut studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released on May 16, 1990, by Priority Records.[5][6] It was his first solo album, after an acrimonious split from his former group N.W.A. The album was primarily produced by Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad. A critical and commercial success, it remains one of the defining hip hop albums of the 1990s.

    Content
    With socio-political conscious and gangsta rapcontent, its songs delve into the issues of ghetto life, drug addiction, racism and poverty. Throughout the album, Ice Cube incessantly attacks institutional racism, as well as social norms which directly or indirectly allowed the oppression of those living in the ghettos of Los Angeles to continue. On "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)," he predicts that his neighborhood would become a flash point for violence before 1992's scandal over the beating of Rodney King,[14] and takes police to task for the policies that would later lead to the L.A. riots that resulted.

    Throughout the album, Cube takes some controversial stands, referring to certain types of African-Americans as "Oreo cookies", an epithetimplying that they appear black on the outside, but have, internally, negative white tendencies. Arsenio Hall is specifically mentioned as being a "sell-out." Cube also heavily criticizes R&B and hip hop radio stations for watered-down broadcasting. The title song directly parodies the television show, America's Most Wanted, alleging bias and denouncing the glee the program displays in arresting African-American men.

    A later skit, "The Drive By," returns to the same theme at the end, with newscaster Tom Brokawreporting on rioting, stating: "Outside the south central area, few cared about the violence because it didn't affect them." He also addressed gender relations on "It's a Man's World", a duet between Cube and rapper Yo-Yo. Cube and Yo-Yo verbally spar and trade sexist barbs back and forth in an exposé of sexism between men and women.

    Critical Reception
    AllMusic 5/5
    The Austin Chronicle 5/5
    Chicago Tribune 3/4
    Entertainment Weekly B−
    Orlando Sentinel 4/5
    Rolling Stone 2.5/5
    The Rolling Stone Album Guide 5/5
    The Source 5/5
    Uncut 4/5
    The Village Voice B−

    Audience Reception
    81/100 from 319 users, #41 for 1990 - AlbumOfTheYear.org
    8.9/10 from 661 users - AllMusic
    3.9/5 from 141 users - Musicboard
    3.75/5 from 5,658 users, #29 for 1990, #2,329 overall - RateYourMusic.com

     
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  8. Alf.

    Alf. Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted What was he wanted for? Certainly not talent or originality. And definitely not for solidarity with his metaphorical sisters. Nope, Ice Cube's album is awash with all the usual lazy rap tropes of niggas, gangstas, guns, and - of course - bitches. And don't give me any of that 'parody' or 'righteous anger' excuse. It's another load of music biz $$$ewage.
     
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  9. EyeSock

    EyeSock Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    186. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
    Producer: Rick Rubin

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991, by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, its musical style differed notably from the band's previous album Mother's Milk (1989), reducing the use of heavy metal guitar riffs and accentuating the melodic songwriting contributions of guitarist John Frusciante. The album's subject matter incorporates sexual innuendos and references to drugs and death, as well as themes of lust and exuberance.

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and produced the hit singles "Under the Bridge", "Give It Away", "Suck My Kiss", "Breaking the Girl", and "If You Have to Ask". The album propelled the Red Hot Chili Peppers into worldwide popularity and critical acclaim. Frusciante quit the band during the 1992 tour, uncomfortable with fame; he rejoined in 1998.

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik is recognized as an influential and seminal component of the alternative rock explosion of the early 1990s, with Steve Huey of AllMusic calling it "probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make".

    Background
    The band's previous album, 1989's Mother's Milk, became the band's second album to enter in the Billboard 200, peaking at number 52 and at the time the biggest of their career.[7] Although the album was mildly successful, production was weighed down by producer Michael Beinhorn. He convinced Frusciante to play with an overall heavier tone, and instructed Anthony Kiedis to write lyrics that would be more radio-viable, thus causing the band to feel restricted creatively.[8][9]

    As the band's contract with EMI came to an end, they began looking for another record label. The group reached a consensus to go with Sony BMG/Epic, with the proviso that they buy out their last album from EMI.[10] Though the label promised it would take only a few days, the process stretched out into several months.[10] Although a deal had been made with Sony/Epic, Mo Ostin of Warner Bros. Records called Kiedis to congratulate him on the successful deal, and complimented the rival record label.[11] Kiedis recalled of the situation: "The coolest, most real person we had met during all these negotiations had just personally called to encourage me to make a great record for a rival company. That was the kind of guy I'd want to be working for."[12] The group pursued the idea, and eventually dropped the contract with Sony in favor of a deal with Warner Bros. Ostin called an old friend at EMI, who immediately allowed for the label transfer.

    Recording and Production
    Now settled into Warner Bros. Records, the Chili Peppers began looking for a suitable producer. One in particular, Rick Rubin, stood out, as he was more broadminded than people the band had worked with in the past, even though Rubin had turned down the chance to produce their 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan due to the drug problems of Kiedis and guitarist Hillel Slovak (who would die of a heroinoverdose a year later).[13] Unlike the Peppers' previous producers, Rubin was someone the band felt confident in to ask for guidance and input during times of difficulty. He would often help arrange drum beats, guitar melodies and lyrics.[8][14]

    The band sought to record the album in an unconventional setting, believing it would enhance their creative output. Rubin suggested the mansionmagician Harry Houdini allegedly once lived in, to which they agreed. A crew was hired to set up a recording studio and other equipment required for production in the house in Los Angeles. The Peppers decided they would remain inside the mansion for the duration of recording, though according to Kiedis, Smith was convinced the location was haunted, and refused to stay.[15] He would, instead, come each day by motorcycle.[15][16] Smith himself disputes this account, and instead claims the real reason he did not stay at The Mansion was because he wanted to be with his wife.[17] Frusciante, however, disagreed with Smith, and said "There are definitely ghosts in the house," but he felt they were "very friendly. We [the band] have nothing but warm vibes and happiness everywhere we go in this house."[18]

    Frusciante, Kiedis and Flea each had their own rooms in the house. When not recording with the band, Frusciante would spend his time painting, listening to music, reading and recording songs he had written.[15] Due to the seclusion, Kiedis ended up recording all his vocals in his room, as it was large enough to accommodate the recording equipment.[15] For more than 30 days, the Chili Peppers worked inside the house; Kiedis felt it was an accommodating and resourceful environment which allowed him to complete the rest of the lyrics.[16] During production, the band agreed to let Flea's brother-in-law document the creative process on film.[15] When the album's recording was complete, the Chili Peppers released the film, titled Funky Monks.

    Music
    Blood Sugar Sex Magik was written at a more rapid pace than the band's previous album.[19] Before the Chili Peppers relocated into the mansion, Frusciante and Kiedis collaborated at each other's homes, in order to arrange song structures and guitar riffs.[20]Then they presented ideas to Flea and Smith, and as a whole, they decided on what they would use for the bass, guitar, vocal and percussion ensembles.

    Kiedis focused lyrically on sexual references and innuendos, as they were frequently on his mind.[21]Songs such as "Suck My Kiss", "If You Have to Ask", "Sir Psycho Sexy", "Give It Away" and "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" all contained various sexual links, with lyrics like "A state of sexual light / Kissing her virginity / My affinity" and "Glorious euphoria / Is my must / Erotic shock / Is a function of lust."[22] The concept behind "The Greeting Song" was a request that Rubin had made. Rubin asked Kiedis to write a song solely about girls and cars. Although Kiedis disliked the concept, he wrote the song as Rubin requested and ended up disliking almost every one of the lyrics' aspects.[19] Kiedis also began writing songs about anguish, and the self mutilating thoughts he experienced thanks to his addiction to both heroin and cocaine; he believed that his life had come to its lowest point under a bridge in downtown Los Angeles.[23][24] Over a month later, Rubin stumbled upon a poem that eventually become the lyrics to "Under the Bridge". Also, he suggested that Kiedis would show it to the band's other members. However, Kiedis was apprehensive because he thought the lyrics were "too soft" and different from the band's style. After singing the verse to Frusciante and Smith, the band started working on the song's structure the next day.[25] Both Rubin and Kiedis worked several hours on arranging the song's chords and melodies until they both accepted it as complete.[25] Frusciante ultimately chose the chords he played in the intro so it could balance out the song's depressing atmosphere: "my brain interpreted it as being a really sad song so I thought if the lyrics are really sad like that I should write some chords that are happier."[26] "Naked in the Rain" was among the first songs that the band wrote for the album. The Red Hot Chili Peppers even played once at the end of the Mother's Milk Tour in 1990, while the intros for "The Greeting Song" and "Sir Psycho Sexy" were also teased during the end of that tour; however, neither song was completed or had lyrics.

    Blood Sugar Sex Magik integrated the band's typical punk and funk style, but moved away from that with more melodically driven songs.[6] Tracks like "The Righteous and the Wicked", "Suck My Kiss", "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "Give it Away", and "Funky Monks" still incorporated the use of heavy metal guitar riffs, but they differed from Mother's Milksince they contained less distortion.[27] Flea, who had centered his bass playing around the slappingtechnique, downplayed this, favoring more traditional and melodic bass lines.[28] He even adopted a minimalist, "less is more" philosophy, saying, "I was trying to play simply on Blood Sugar Sex Magik because I had been playing too much prior to that, so I thought, 'I've really got to chill out and play half as many notes'. When you play less, it's more exciting—there's more room for everything. If I do play something busy, it stands out, instead of the bass being a constant onslaught of notes. Space is good."[28] Kiedis thought that the album had expanded the Red Hot Chili Peppers' musical horizons and served as a departure from their previous material.[29] One of Blood Sugar Sex Magik's more melodic tracks, "Breaking the Girl", was written about Kiedis' constantly shifting relationships. He feared that he was following in his father's footsteps and simply becoming a womanizer, rather than establishing stable and long-term relationships:[23] "As exciting and temporarily fulfilling as this constant influx of interesting and beautiful girls can be, at the end of the day, that **** is lonely and you're left with nothing."[29] The track also featured a bridge in the middle, consisting of percussion instruments salvaged from a garbage dump.[30]

    Although jams had always served as an integral aspect of song creation for the Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik saw songs containing more structure. One specific jam caused the breakout song on the album: Frusciante, Flea, and Smith were all playing together—with Kiedis at another part of the room watching—when "Flea started playing this insane bass line, and Chad cracked up and played along ... I always had fragments of song ideas or even specific isolated phrases in my mind. I (Kiedis) took the mic and belted out 'Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now."[30] The philosophy behind the lyrics came from a conversation that Kiedis had with Nina Hagen, regarding selflessness and how insignificant material possessions were in his life. It, thus, gave developed the song "Give It Away".[30] He also reminisced about late Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, composing "My Lovely Man" in his memory.[23][31]Kiedis wrote "Sir Psycho Sexy" as an over-zealous and exaggerated version of himself; a figure that could get any woman, and do anything he pleased to them.[31] "The Power of Equality" confronted topics concerning racial equality, prejudice, and sexism.[32]Kiedis wrote "I Could Have Lied" to document the brief relationship he had with Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor.

    Critical Reception
    AllMusic 5/5
    Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5
    Entertainment Weekly B−
    Los Angeles Times 3/4
    Mojo 5/5
    Pitchfork 7.1/10
    Q 4/5
    Rolling Stone 4/5
    Select 4/5
    Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10

    Audience Reception
    79/100 from 719 users, #76 for 1991 - AlbumOfTheYear.org
    8.8/10 from 3,521 users - AllMusic
    4.1/5 from 357 users, #7 for 1991 - Musicboard
    3.60/5 from 16,366 users, #85 for 1991, #5,341 overall - RateYourMusic.com

     
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  10. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

    Their best album imo, containing their best song "Under The Bridge". Would easily make my top 500.
     
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  11. Alf.

    Alf. Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Blood Sugar Red Hot Chili Peppers? Maybe lukewarm.
     
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  12. Brian Kelly

    Brian Kelly 1964-73 rock's best decade

    Catching Up:

    DIG ME OUT (Sleater-Kinney)
    I had heard of Sleater-Kinney and knew some people loved them and some couldn't stand them. Put me on the side that finds the vocals terrible, which really hurts my ability to enjoy the album. Musically this just isn't strong or original enough to compensate for the poor vocals.
    GRADE: C

    ELECTRIC WARRIOR (T-Rex)
    I agree with the first responder to this album that T-Rex was mainly a singles band. That said, this is their best album and I can sneak it into my top 100 for a bit, but it will surely get cut as we get deeper into this countdown.
    GRADE: B

    AMERIKKKAS MOST WANTED (Ice Cube)
    Some good beats, but the lyrics are just too offensive and off putting for me to want to listen to this.
    GRADE: C-

    BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
    "Under The Bridge" is a great song. "Give It Away" is horrible. That pair kind of summarizes this uneven album. Red Hot Chili Peppers would do better than this. The best of this is an A-/B+, but the weaker parts are in the D range.
    GRADE: C+

    My Current Top 95+ Albums:
    1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
    2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
    3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
    4. TOMMY (The Who)
    5. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
    6. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
    7. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
    8. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
    9. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
    10. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
    11. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
    12. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
    13. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
    14. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
    15. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
    16. THE CARS (The Cars)
    17. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
    18. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
    19. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
    20. ODELAY (Beck)
    21. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
    22. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
    23. MEET THE BEATLES (The Beatles)
    24. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
    25. DOOKIE (Green Day)
    26. THE B 52'S (The B 52's)
    28. HELP )The Beatles)
    29. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
    30. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
    31. WEEZER (Weezer)
    32. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
    33. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
    34. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
    35. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
    36. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
    37. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
    38. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
    39. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
    40. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
    41. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
    42. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
    43. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
    44. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
    45. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
    46. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
    47. PINK MOON (Nick Drake)
    48. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
    49. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
    50. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
    51. ABRAXAS (Santana)
    52. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
    53. WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
    54. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
    55. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
    56. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
    57. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
    58. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
    59. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
    60. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
    61. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
    62. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
    63. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
    64. PARKLIFE (Blur)
    65. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
    66. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
    67. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
    68. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
    69. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
    70. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
    71. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
    72, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
    73. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
    74. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
    75. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
    76. SO (Peter Gabriel)
    77. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
    78. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
    79. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
    80. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
    81. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
    82. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
    83. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
    84. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
    85. THE BIRTH OF SOUL (Ray Charles)
    86. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
    87. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
    88. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
    89. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
    90. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
    91. METALLICA (Metallica)
    92. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
    93. TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (Cat Stevens)
    94. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
    95. ELECTRIC WARRIOR (T-Rex)
    96. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)
     
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  13. morettiB

    morettiB Active Member

    Location:
    united kingdom
    T. Rex - Electric Warrior
    This is a great pop album. Some timeless tracks. I prefer The Slider and partial to some of the more psychedlic/folk output they released as tyrannosaurus rex but nevertheless, happy with the placement of this album and makes my top 25 of those albums mentioned thus far.

    BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC

    Red Hot Chilli Peppers are very hit and miss for me and this album is no different. An album full of so much filler should not be 17 songs long (almost 75 minutes).

    1)David Bowie- Low

    2) Charles Mingus- Mingus ah um

    3) The Kinks- The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society

    4) Joy Division- Unknown pleasures

    5) Herbie Hancock- Headhunters

    6) Wire- Pink Flag

    7) Daft Punk- Discovery

    8) George Harrison- All things Must Pass

    9) Bob Dylan- The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

    10) Cat Stevens- Tea for the tillerman

    11) CSN+ young- Déjà vu

    12) The Zombies- Odyssey and Oracle

    13) Janis Joplin- Pearl

    14) Elvis Presley- S/T

    15) John Lennon- Imagine

    16) Radiohead- The Bends

    17) Parliament- Mothership Connection

    18) Ornette Coleman- The Shape of Jazz to come

    19) Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

    20) Pink Floyd- Wish you were here

    21) T-Rex- Electric Warrior

    22) Elliot Smith- Either/Or

    23) Gang of Four- Entertainment!

    24) Santana- Abraxas

    25) The Slits- Cut
     
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  14. Flaevius

    Flaevius Left of the dial

    Location:
    Newcastle, UK
    #189 Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
    I have not knowingly heard a Sleater-Kinney song. Recognise the name but they are a band that have fallen through the cracks here over the pond. I enjoyed everything about the musicianship on this album, tight guitar melodies aplenty. However, I cannot abide the vocals. The one-note yelping across the entire album is fatiguing in the extreme. I enjoy strident vocalists, but honestly for me these are plain bad. Shame, as Dig Me Out held a lot of promise.

    #188 T.Rex - Electric Warrior
    An album that falls a touch short of greatness. Sleazy, infectious, with a couple of strong hip-shakers in Jeepster and Get It On. However, my favourite song is the one we have already reviewed, Cosmic Dancer. Tender and cinematic, lovely song.

    #187 Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
    As per N.W.A.'s albums, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted continues the trajectory of reinforcing what would swiftly become the cliches of hip-hop. However, again as per N.W.A.'s albums, it doesn't particularly bother me here. That is both because I enjoy many of the raps on this album and also think it has an interesting funk-based production. The Bomb Squad do an excellent job here, somewhat mediating the inherent threat and violence. Then there's the Cube factor; for me, simply a very gifted rapper whose delivery - whether you like the content or not - is exceptional.

    If assessing my favourite albums in this genre, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted wouldn't immediately come to mind. But I enjoyed listening to it again today.

    #186 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
    The Chilis' best album. Also a frustrating album where less would certainly be more. Still, there are highlights here: Suck My Kiss, Give It Away, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Under The Bridge. The musicianship is of quality and funky as anything. Overall, it ain't a Trinidad Scorpion, perhaps a Habanero.
     
  15. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    Electric Warrior
    B+
    I very much like this album and The Slider. If I didn't know that others consider them to be great albums, I'd feel pretty comfortable with my assessment of them. However, I feel like there's something I'm not getting here that others are.
     
  16. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
    A
    IMO one of the great 90s hip-hop albums. Insightful, witty, nuanced, and of course ace sampling and the legendary Ice Cube delivery.
     
  17. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    Blood Sugar Sex Magik
    B

    Probably the best RHCP album, IMO. But it's top-heavy and too long.

    Obviously, I'm not a big fan.
     
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  18. EyeSock

    EyeSock Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    185. The Rolling Stones - Beggars’ Banquet (1968)
    Producer: Jimmy Miller

    Beggars Banquet is the 7th British and 9th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album produced by Jimmy Miller, whose production work formed a key aspect of the group's sound throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.

    Brian Jones, the band's founder and early leader, had become increasingly unreliable in the studio due to his drug use, and it was the last Rolling Stones album to be released during his lifetime, though he also contributed to two songs on their next album Let It Bleed, which was released after his death. (Jones did, however, contribute to the group's hit song "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which was part of the same sessions, and released in May 1968.) Nearly all rhythm and lead guitar parts were recorded by Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones' other guitarist and the primary songwriting partner of their lead singer Mick Jagger; together the two wrote all but one of the tracks on the album. Rounding out the instrumentation were bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts, though all members contributed on a variety of instruments. As with most albums of the period, frequent collaborator Nicky Hopkins played piano on many of the tracks.

    Beggars Banquet marked a change in direction for the band following the psychedelic pop of their previous two albums, Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request.[2] Styles such as roots rock and a return to the blues rock sound that had marked early Stones recordings dominate the record, and the album is among the most instrumentally experimental of the band's career, as they use Latin beats and instruments like the clavesalongside South Asian sounds from the tanpura, tabla and shehnai, and African music-influenced conga rhythms.

    Beggars Banquet was a top-ten album in many markets, including a number 5 position in the US—where it has been certified platinum—and a number 3 position in the band's native UK. It received a highly favourable response from music critics, who deemed it a return to the band's best sound. While the album lacked a "hit single" at the time of its release, songs such as "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" became rock radio staples for decades to come. One of their most acclaimed albums, it is considered the beginning of the band's enduring reputation as the "Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". The album has appeared on many lists of the greatest albums of all time, including by Rolling Stone, and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

    Recording and Production
    Glyn Johns, the album's recording engineer and a longtime collaborator of the band, said that Beggars Banquet signalled "the Rolling Stones' coming of age. ... I think that the material was far better than anything they'd ever done before. The whole mood of the record was far stronger to me musically."[5]Producer Jimmy Miller described guitarist Keith Richards as "a real workhorse" while recording the album, mostly due to the infrequent presence of Brian Jones. When he did show up at the sessions, Jones behaved erratically due to his drug use and emotional problems.[5] Miller said that Jones would "show up occasionally when he was in the mood to play, and he could never really be relied on:

    “When he would show up at a session—let's say he had just bought a sitar that day, he'd feel like playing it, so he'd look in his calendar to see if the Stones were in. Now he may have missed the previous four sessions. We'd be doing let's say, a blues thing. He'd walk in with a sitar, which was totally irrelevant to what we were doing, and want to play it. I used to try to accommodate him. I would isolate him, put him in a booth and not record him onto any track that we really needed. And the others, particularly Mick and Keith, would often say to me, 'Just tell him to piss off and get the hell out of here.’”

    Even given this, Jones contributes to every track on the album except the final two, playing sitar[6][7] and tanpura on "Street Fighting Man",[8] slide guitar on "No Expectations", acoustic guitar on "Parachute Woman",[9] harmonica on "Parachute Woman", "Dear Doctor" and "Prodigal Son",[10] and Mellotronon "Jigsaw Puzzle" and "Stray Cat Blues".[11] In a television interview, Jagger recalled that Jones' slide guitar performance on "No Expectations" was the last time he contributed something with care. Other than Jones, the principal band members appeared extensively, with Richards providing nearly all of the lead and rhythm guitar work, as well as playing bass on two others, in the place of Bill Wyman, who appears on the rest. Drummer Charlie Watts plays the drum kit on all but two tracks, as well as other percussion on the tracks that do not feature a full drum kit. Additional parts were played by keyboardist and frequent Rolling Stones collaborator Nicky Hopkins and percussionist Rocky Dijon, among others.

    The basic track of "Street Fighting Man" was recorded on an early Philips cassette deck at London's Olympic Sound Studios, where Richards played a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar, and Watts played on an antique, portable practice drum kit.[12] Richards and Jagger were mistakenly credited as writers on "Prodigal Son", a cover of Robert Wilkins's Biblical blues song.

    Title and Packaging
    According to Keith Richards, the album's title was thought up by British art dealer Christopher Gibbs.[13] The album's original front and back cover art, photographs by Barry Feinstein depicting a bathroom wall covered with graffiti, was rejected by the band's record company,[14][15] which delayed the album's release for months.[5] Feinstein's photographs were later featured though on most vinyl, compact disc and cassette tape reissues of the album.[5][16] On 7 June 1968, a photoshoot for the album's gatefold, with photographer Michael Joseph, was held at Sarum Chase, a mansion in Hampstead, London.[17] Previously unseen images from the shoot were exhibited at the Blink Gallery in London in November and December 2008.

    Critical Reception
    AllMusic 5/5
    And It Don't Stop A
    Boston Herald 4/4
    Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5
    Entertainment Weekly A
    The Great Rock Discography 10/10
    MusicHound Rock 4.5/5
    NME 8/10
    Rolling Stone 5/5
    The Rolling Stone Album Guide 5/5

    Audience Reception
    83/100 from 495 users, #18 for 1968 - AlbumOfTheYear.org
    9.2/10 from 3,824 users - AllMusic
    4.1/5 from 226 users - Musicboard
    3.95/5 from 13,992 users, #7 for 1968, #310 overall - RateYourMusic.com

     
    bekayne, ARK and highway like this.
  19. Alf.

    Alf. Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Beggars Banquet After the laughably woeful, bandwagon jumping, Satanic Majesties, The Stones go back to basics, with a (mostly) downbeat blues & country organic groove of a record. Yes, there's some badass 'up', with Sympathy For The Devil, and pumped protest fists for Street Fighting Man, but they're outliers here - excellent ones at that - on an album that accentuates the contemplative over the confrontational. Stray Cat Blues, of course, exhibits Jagger's pathetic leering re a young teenage girl. Nevertheless, musically, this was the band's great leap forward. Hit.

    My own updated list. Top Thirty:


    1. Little Richard - Here's Little Richard
    2. Velvet Underground - White Light White Heat
    3. Suicide - s/t
    4. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
    5. Bob Dylan - Freewheelin'
    6. Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
    7. New York Dolls - s/t
    8. Ramones - Rocket To Russia
    9. Joy Division - Closer
    10 Elvis Presley - s/t
    11 Black Sabbath - s/t
    12 Sam Cooke - Live At The Harlem Square Club
    13 Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
    14 Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
    15 Beatles - Hard Day's Night
    16 Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
    17 Stooges - s/t
    18 Bowie - Low
    19 Stones - Aftermath
    20 Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
    21 Stone Roses -s/t
    22 Dylan - John Wesley Harding
    23 Pink Floyd - Piper At the Gates Of Dawn
    24 Tracy Chapman - s/t
    25 Who - Live At Leeds
    26 Roberta Flack - First Take
    27 Sonic Youth - Goo
    28 Kraftwerk - Autobahn
    29 Kanye West - Yeezus
    30 Various - Nuggets
     
    Yam Graham and troggy like this.
  20. Jamsterdammer

    Jamsterdammer The Great CD in the Sky

    Location:
    Málaga, Spain
    Rolling Stones - Beggars' Banquet

    The first of their four peak albums and from 1968 to 1972 they could do no wrong imo. Why this album is only at 185 is baffling to me.
     
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  21. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    One of the core albums of any Rolling Stones collections...

    185. The Rolling Stones - Beggars’ Banquet (1968) 5/5
     
    ARK likes this.
  22. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    I think I will give a go at trimming my list to a running Top 50 from the list in the order they were introduced in this thread instead of everything I have from the list...
    1. 490. Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (1975) 5/5
    2. 471. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) 5/5
    3. 468. Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978) 5/5
    4. 445. Yes - Close to the Edge (1972) 4/5
    5. 426. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (1988) 5/5
    6. 422. Marvin Gaye - Let’s Get it On (1973) 4/5
    7. 418. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985) 5/5
    8. 413. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo’s Factory (1970) 5/5
    9. 411. Bob Dylan - “Love and Theft” (2001) 4/5
    10. 409. Grateful Dead - Workingman’s Dead (1970) 5/5
    11. 407. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969) 5/5
    12. 396. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972) 5/5
    13. 380. Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (1959) 5/5
    14. 368. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970) 5/5
    15. 364. Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978) 4/5
    16. 353. The Cars - The Cars (1978) 4/5
    17. 348. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) (2001) 5/5
    18. 342. The Beatles - Let it Be (1970) 5/5
    19. 336. Roxy Music - Avalon (1982) 4/5
    20. 334. Santana - Abraxas (1970) 5/5
    21. 333. Bill Withers - Still Bill (1972) 4/5
    22. 330. The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (1966) 5/5
    23. 311. Neil Young - On the Beach (1974) 4/5
    24. 299. B.B. King - Live at the Regal (1965) 4/5
    25. 298. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (1989) 5/5
    26. 297. Peter Gabriel - So (1986) 5/5
    27. 287. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) 4/5
    28. 282. Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours (1955) 5/5
    29. 278. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973) 5/5
    30. 268. Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972) 5/5
    31. 264. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) 5/5
    32. 259. Janis Joplin - Pearl (1971) 5/5
    33. 258. Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) 5/5
    34. 256. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988) 5/5
    35. 255. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) 4/5
    36. 251. Elton John - Honky Château (1972) 5/5
    37. 242. The Velvet Underground - Loaded (1970) 4/5
    38. 232. John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960) 5/5
    39. 231. Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes (1979) 5/5
    40. 226. Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) 5/5
    41. 223. John Lennon - Imagine (1971) 4/5
    42. 220. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - Déjà Vu (1970) 5/5
    43. 215. Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970) 5/5
    44. 214. Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994) 4/5
    45. 205. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970) 5/5
    46. 200. Sade - Diamond Life (1984) 5/5
    47. 195. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) 5/5
    48. 190. The Who - Tommy (1969) 5/5
    49. 188. T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971) 5/5
    50. 185. The Rolling Stones - Beggars’ Banquet (1968) 5/5
     
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  23. NettleBed

    NettleBed Forum Transient

    Location:
    new york city
    Beggars Banquet
    A
    The "lesser" of their immortal four-album stretch from 1968-1972, IMO, but a great one nonetheless.
     
    ARK likes this.
  24. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus

    Blood Sugar Sex Magick rocks -- the only Red Hot Chili Peppers I can listen to. A great, rocking album all the way through. Maybe a little bloated, 90s style, but I didn't think so at the time.

    5/5



      1. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea
      2. Third/Sister Lovers
      3. Pink Moon
      4. The B-52's
      5. All Things Must Pass
      6. Odyssey And Oracle
      7. #1 Record
      8. Modern Lovers
      9. I Do Not Want What I haven't Got
      10. Either/Or
      11. Weezer
      12. If You're Feeling Sinister
      13. Brian Wilson Presents "SMiLE"
      14. Homogenic
      15. Nirvana MTV Unplugged In New York
      16. Radio City
      17. Blood Sugar Sex Magick
      18. Tea For The Tillerman
      19. Post
      20. Paul Simon
      21. My Aim Is True
      22. Meet The Beatles
      23. Mr. Tambourine Man
      24. Ram
      25. Dirty Mind
      26. Wild Honey
      27. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
      28. Wish You Were Here
      29. The Wild The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle
      30. Pink Flag
      31. Imagine
      32. So
      33. Loaded
      34. The Basement Tapes
      35. John Wesley Harding
      36. Surfer Rosa
      37. Aftermath
      38. Everyone Thinks This Is Nowhere
      39. Full Moon Fever
      40. Village Green Preservation Society
      41. Something Else
      42. Gilded Palace Of Sin
      43. The Bends
      44. Sweethearts Of The Rodeo
      45. Deja Vu
      46. Today!
      47. Let It Be
      48. Siamese Dream
      49. Parklife
      50. Village Green Preservation Society
      51. Houses of the Holy
      52. A Hard Day's Night
      53. Golden Hour
      54. Dookie
      55. Odelay!
      56. Help!
      57. Music Of My Mind
      58. Sheryl Crow
      59. White Light/White Heat
      60. Sandinista!
      61. Goo
      62. Let's Get It On
      63. Slanted And Enchanted
    [/QUOTE]
     
  25. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus

    Beggar's Banquet also rocks. It kicks ass, in fact, as Brian Wilson said of it. However, I do agree that of the four great albums (though I would include their 66 and 67 albums -- yes, including Their Satanic Majesties Request, a true psychedelic rock album, where they really were pushing the envelope of who they were -- in the run of greatness. IN fact, between Aftermath and Exile, this is probably my least favorite, but it is a great meat-and-potatoes rock album -- which is what they became after Brian Jones adventurous psychedelia was left at the bottom of the pool.

    5/5


      1. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea
      2. Third/Sister Lovers
      3. Pink Moon
      4. The B-52's
      5. All Things Must Pass
      6. Odyssey And Oracle
      7. #1 Record
      8. Modern Lovers
      9. I Do Not Want What I haven't Got
      10. Either/Or
      11. Weezer
      12. If You're Feeling Sinister
      13. Brian Wilson Presents "SMiLE"
      14. Homogenic
      15. Nirvana MTV Unplugged In New York
      16. Radio City
      17. Blood Sugar Sex Magick
      18. Tea For The Tillerman
      19. Post
      20. Paul Simon
      21. My Aim Is True
      22. Meet The Beatles
      23. Mr. Tambourine Man
      24. Ram
      25. Beggar's Banquet
      26. Dirty Mind
      27. Wild Honey
      28. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
      29. Wish You Were Here
      30. The Wild The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle
      31. Pink Flag
      32. Imagine
      33. So
      34. Loaded
      35. The Basement Tapes
      36. John Wesley Harding
      37. Surfer Rosa
      38. Aftermath
      39. Everyone Thinks This Is Nowhere
      40. Full Moon Fever
      41. Village Green Preservation Society
      42. Something Else
      43. Gilded Palace Of Sin
      44. The Bends
      45. Sweethearts Of The Rodeo
      46. Deja Vu
      47. Today!
      48. Let It Be
      49. Siamese Dream
      50. Parklife
      51. Village Green Preservation Society
      52. Houses of the Holy
      53. A Hard Day's Night
      54. Golden Hour
      55. Dookie
      56. Odelay!
      57. Help!
      58. Music Of My Mind
      59. Sheryl Crow
      60. White Light/White Heat
      61. Sandinista!
      62. Goo
      63. Let's Get It On
      64. Slanted And Enchanted
     
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