100 Albums to Which You Have to Listen, or All Y'all Need to Hear This!!!

[LucasM]

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

[For 'full disclosure': all these details were added after Asbestos Bill's 'Like'ing this post.]
This beats out AXIS for my favorite Hendrix album, despite how superb AXIS is (this is my favorite album of all time).  Hendrix raised the bar on what constituted a superb album with AXIS, then topped it with this just 11 months later.  A large majority of the songs on this album - when I am listening to them exclusively (i.e. 'not doing anything else at the same time') - can bring me to tears just from the beauty of the music, as well as much of it giving me head-to-toe goosebumps.

This album is not - by any means - 'background music'.  It fits with Hendrix's statement that [paraphrasing, because I can't remember which of the numerous things I've read about him it came from to find exact wording], "the listener of a particular piece of music should put as much effort into the listening as the artist did in the creation of that piece of music."

This album shows Hendrix's versatility as a composer and musician.  He plays 'space music' (...And the Gods Made Love), beautiful 'orchestral' music without a hint of standard orchestral instruments (1983, A Merman I Should Turn to Be [into] Moon Turn the Tides, Gently, Gently Away [first clip, below]), straight-ahead [well, as 'straight-ahead' as he ever got ] rock (Crosstown Traffic), a driving 'field holler'-style tune (Gypsy Eyes), 'classic' blues (Voodoo Chile [with an amazing 17 year old Steve Winwood actually keeping up with him in possibly the best keyboard playing of Steve's career], one of the most gut-wrenching odes to lonliness which he does in a sort-of neo-Victorian style (Burning of the Midnight Lamp [lyrics below]),  potentially the start of Jazz-Rock fusion (Rainy Day, Dream Away/Still Raining, Still Dreaming), and to my knowledge, the only cover of a Dylan song that Dylan thought was better than his own version (All Along the Watchtower).  [[Sorry I couldn't link all the tunes to YouTube cuts, but the second flash insert below has the full album, and, if you click the 'YouTube' button on it, it will take you to YouTube, where the uploader indexed where each tune begins.]]

On Electric Ladyland each vinyl 'album side' had a kind-of 'tone' to it, and yet, with all the variety of songs, it still works well as a single album... much like the movements of a symphony work together.

And this album - more than any other I can think of - shows just exactly how much music can possibly 'fit' into the tiny number of minutes each tune lasts [listen to Burning of the Midnight Lamp with eyes closed and try to guess how long it is: Hendrix 'expands time' with his music because there is so much depth to it].


Now for the 'samples':
One of the most incredible tunes he ever recorded (shows him 'playing the studio' every bit as well as the guitar):
<a href="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/z_D6qU525MY" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/z_D6qU525MY</a>

And, if you like, [which you should ], the full album, with time stamps listed in its written intro on the YouTube site so you can jump to any tune on it:
<a href="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/dAmvgGZkIL0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/dAmvgGZkIL0</a>

Burning of the Midnight Lamp.  Lyrics are below so you can read them afterwards, but listen with eyes closed to get the depth of the music first, OK?
<a href="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/smNJQZxZMeA" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/smNJQZxZMeA</a>

Burning of the Midnight Lamp lyrics [spoiled for size]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The morning is dead
And the day is too
There's nothing left here to greet me
But the velvet moon
All my loneliness
I have felt today
It's a little: more than enough
To make a man throw himself away
I continue
To burn the midnight lamp
Alone

Now the smiling portrait of you
Is still hangin' on my frowning wall
It really doesn't, really doesn't bother me too much at all
It's just the, uh, ever falling dust
That makes it so hard for me to see
That forgotten ear-ring laying on the floor
Facing coldly toward the door
And I continue
To burn the midnight lamp
Aaaalone

Burn
Yeah yeah
Lonely lonely lonely
Loneliness is such a, drag

So here I sit to face
That same old fire place
Gettin' ready for the same old explosions
Goin' through my mind
And soon enough time will tell
About the circus and the wishing well
And someone who will buy and sell for me
Someone who will toll my bell
And I continue to burn the same old lamp
Alone

Yeah, ahhh yeah
Can you hear me callin' you - so lonely
Gotta blow my mind
Yeah yeah
Lonely lonely
Blow my mind

[ScottotD]

The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

[goflyblind]

jean leloup - le dôme.

[will add samples here later.]

[Asbestos Bill]

Okay. So, I did listen to most of the albums last round.

I really liked the new Duran Duran album, but not enough to vote for it. They've kept their funk and updated it well. I liked Before the Rain best.

Abraxas was a good jam album, (which gives me an idea for my next nomination). I remembered Oye Como Va from Donkey Conga, so Santana wasn't entirely foreign to me, as I thought. Voted for it.

Moving Pictures requires further listening to form an opinion. I don't remember if I voted for it or not, but I listened to it two or three times, and I don't remember anything about it.

Jay Z's Black Album was alright, but I'm just not that into hip-hop of this style. I prefer it to be more fun, or, if it's going to be serious, I'd rather listen to Saul Williams, who has usually very thoughtful lyrics and is much more complicated musically (based solely on The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust).

The others I either had already heard, or failed to find/download.

As for this one, I have several Talking Heads and several U2 albums, but neither of these. I do have Close to the Edge, but it's very hard to judge, because I really have to be in the right mood to enjoy Yes. I do enjoy them, just...on occasion.

So far, I voted for Nevermind (even though I like In Utero far more), and Axis: Bold as Love (even though I prefer Electric Ladyland). And of course Parallel Lines, my own submission.

Time to download some albums. Unfortunately, I can't listen to music while I edit audio...


[edit} My submission: Phish—Billy Breathes

[Johnny Unusual]

I got to hurry up with listening to the album.

So far I've listened up to Nevermind, but I don't really want to put the first three albums on my must listen.  Achtung Baby has a couple great songs, but overall, I can't get into it.  I like Close to the Edge, but it doesn't stick with me.  Nirvana... well, I definitely appreciate it's importance, but I just could never get into it.  Even the beloved great songs.  I believe they are great but... well... different strokes for different folks.  Still, it's a fun journey to experience these albums.

[edit} My submission: Phish—Billy Breathes

Curious if you've listened to the Podcast "Analyze Phish".  The premise is Parks and Rec writer Harris Whittles tries to convince Scott Aukerman that Phish is a good band.  Scott will not budge.  Once Scott is convinced, the show will end.  The show has yet to end.

[Mrs. Dick Courier]

For the next go round I nomitate Ziggy Stardust by the man himself...David Bowie

[Johnny Unusual]

Funny, I was going to do the same.

But I think you mean to say: "I nominate David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust"

I was actually torn between that and Hunky Dory.  Maybe I'll nominate that one at a future date.

[Mrs. Dick Courier]

What can I say?  I'm lazy.

[Starman!]

I nominate The Joshua Tree

[Asbestos Bill]

Curious if you've listened to the Podcast "Analyze Phish".  The premise is Parks and Rec writer Harris Whittles tries to convince Scott Aukerman that Phish is a good band.  Scott will not budge.  Once Scott is convinced, the show will end.  The show has yet to end.

Never heard of it. That's an odd concept. For some reason I can't get into podcasts, but I'll give the first episode a listen.

[LucasM]

To those who go directly to the most recent posts in threads, please note I've now expanded the 'Hendrix - Electric Ladyland entry with samples and more: http://forum.rifftrax.com/index.php?topic=25448.msg737986#msg737986

[Johnny Unusual]

Yeah, well, EarWolf stuff can get pretty weird.  I also recommend Affirmation Nation, in which recurring Comedy Bang Bang character Bob Ducca talks about various alternative (and ineffective) therapies, poems and countless maladies and mental issues.

Half of the episodes (like his Comedy Bang Bang appearances) ends up being a funny list of things.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/oIu5wD1zf8o" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/oIu5wD1zf8o</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/X3tGG18DwDw" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/X3tGG18DwDw</a>

A Vow of Sexual Undesirability is one of my favourite turns of phrase ever.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/5F1Ax51UdZE" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/5F1Ax51UdZE</a>

[Asbestos Bill]

I'm listening to Analyze Phish now and am enjoying it a lot. It's both entertaining and a good way to get what they're about. Personally, I have no experience with their live music, but I kind of really want to see a show now.

[Starman!]

That sounds like a good pod, even though I'm not a phan of Phish.

[Asbestos Bill]

Billy Breathes is probably the most coherent of the five studio albums I have from them. It's a smooth ride that pulls you through from "Free":

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/y5HNCw3VLB0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/y5HNCw3VLB0</a>

to the more mellow, but still definitely driven "Talk":

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Tup9pD0Fps" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/8Tup9pD0Fps</a>

which leads into "Theme From the Bottom":

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/y7BOr-h95FE" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/y7BOr-h95FE</a>

and from there, the last half of the album really functions as one unit, building up to the trio of "Swept Away," "Steep," and "Prince Caspian":

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/aNBY2kxMTLU" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/aNBY2kxMTLU</a>


This is, of course, no substitute for listening to the whole album straight through, so go torrent it. This is one of the few bands who would probably not even care.