Greatest Album from Front to Back?

suziko
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 10:19 am

It's been such a long time since I started a thread! But a recent discussion with Jason (Music Junkie) about Boston's first album got me thinking about this subject.

Like many of you, I'm a child of the 70s and grew up listening to my dad's vinyl record collection. I loved the ritual of putting on a record and even through college I regularly still played music on vinyl. But time passed and we entered the digital age. My record player broke and I started feeling like those records were taking up a lot of room in our tiny apartment. So I grudgingly got rid of my records and kept all of my musical in digital form. But though there is a benefit to having more space, over time I missed more and more the physicality and the ritual that comes with playing vinyl records. I missed putting on a record, flipping it, looking through liner notes, and checking out the awesome facial hair on the musicians.

So, for my 40th birthday I got a record player and started re-buying all of my favorite records on vinyl. My dad and my sister also passed their collections on to me, since they no longer played them, and at this point I've got a sizable collection again. In fact, it's gotten to where I can't think of many more albums that I "have to" have. However, recently I was at a store and found a used copy of Boston's first album on vinyl. Of course I'd had this on cassette as a teen and loved it but I hadn't listened to it (besides More than a Feeling) in years and had forgotten how solid the entire album is.

When you play records on vinyl you really notice which albums are solid from front to back and which albums have dud songs- or which albums are great on side one but tank out on side two (I'm looking at you, Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits!).

I can think of a few albums that, for me, are completely solid. No dud songs + side two rocks = bliss. I'll keep those to myself for now because I want to hear from you this:

Name an album that is perfect from beginning to end!

Cheers,

Suzi


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Music Junkie
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:01 am

Suzi:

This topic should generate tons of fine responses, as we have such a diverse group here, and musical tastes are sure to run the gambit. Being born in 1970, and listening to my parents' music and then graduating into my own tastes has given me a huge amount to choose from. My dad had old reel-to-reel tapes of the early Beatles (still have them in a cool dry place - keep meaning to bust them out for my boys someday so they can laugh at me). :woohoo:

Pulling from my influential years (Junior High and High School), I would have to list AC/DC - Back in Black, another album that I wore out several times over. Also, from the HS era, I would throw in Def Leppard's "Hysteria". From my college days, I could mention Hootie & The Blowfish - "Cracked Rear View". Maybe not "CLASSIC", but certainly solid albums in their own right.

Thanks to Neil, I am now a huge fan of Neil Young (somehow just never got into him in my younger days). I am truly enjoying the albums "Live at Massey Hall" and "Live at the Canterbury House".

I am sure more will come to me as I think back a bit further. B)

Jason


TGNesh
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:21 am

Quick answer: Deja Vu and Jesus Christ Superstar!!!!! :woohoo:


BobR
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:33 am

Suzi,
Well for me it has to be Jethro Tull Aqualung. I liked all but locomotive breath is a winner IMHO :P
Bob


Max
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:40 am

Nice Topic...
There are so many, but here's a few of my favorites.

I'll start with the #1 selling album of all time:
Pink Floyd.............Dark Side of the Moon

And in no particular order:
Beatles..................Sargent Pepper's and Abby Road
Micael Jackson......Thriller
Fleetwood Mac......Rumours
Led Zeppelin.........IV and Houses Of The Holy
Beach Boy's...........Pet Sounds
Bob Dylan.............Blood on the Tracks
The Doors............The Doors
The Who...............Tommy
Miles Davis...........Kind Of Blue
Van Morrison........Moondance
Rollin Stones.........Sticky Fingers
Neil Young............After the Gold Rush

Also one of my favorites and I'm gonna guess it's one of your favorites is:
Joni Mitchell..........Blue


BigBear
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 11:56 am

Great question!! For me, Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull closely followed by The Wall by Pink Floyd (I know, Dark Side of the Moon is the easy choice!). TAAB because it was the consummate "concept album". Not a collection of songs but one song done brilliantly. :cheer:


suziko
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:04 pm

Good choices so far! A couple that were named I definitely would pick because I like every song on them: Rumours, Dark Side of the Moon, Abbey Road.

Max- I do like Blue but it's not an album I would have picked for this list because there are a couple of songs that are, for me, kinda "meh." However, "All I Want" and "California" are two of my favorite songs ever.

Bear- good point about TAAB being a concept album. That's the kind of thing that is way more enjoyable on vinyl than when it comes up on shuffle on your iPod!! One I'd pick in that category would be Rush's Hemispheres. I love that album on vinyl. Not so much (excluding maybe "Circumstances" and "The Trees") on my iPod!!

Suzi


willem
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:35 pm

I can't come up with album names but I listen to many,,

Rolling stones
Neil young
Crosby,Still,,Nash & Young
The who
Deep Purple
ThE Doors
Bob Dylan
Jimmy Hendrix

A lot of blues........................

pffff etc etc

Willem


sbutler
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:27 pm

Suzi, its interesting that you are reviving the "OLD VINYL". I think that's a neat hobby, and one that I hadn't thought of. Like most everyone else, my last record player disappeared a long time ago. I do have a few albums left. Judging by the fact that of the 8 that I still have, 4 of them are Kenny Loggins, I would have to say that was my favorite artist of the 80's. I have Dan Fogelberg's Netherlands, two Steve Winwood albums, Chronicles & Back in the High Life. Also, I have one Steely Dan, Greatest Hits album. I don't have any use for them at this time, and if you would like any of them for your collection, let me know. I know you won't be able to beat the price. :)

One a side note, I do have one record player (and it does work) but its older than all of us put together. Of the 70 or so grand-kids that my grandparents had, some how I was the one that ended up with my Grandpa's old Victor Victrola. The only date that I can find on it is 1906. It truly is on of my most prized possessions, and I'm very pleased that it survived the move from Alaska to Central Missouri just fine.

Scott


kanefsky
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Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:44 pm

Aqualung, Dark Side of the Moon, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (not necessarily in that order :) )

--
Steve


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