Album Perfect From Now On
posted by on December 20 at 16:40 PM
So my friend Jasen says to me: “You should take a poll on Line Out about records people think are perfect. Mine’s Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection.”
He said that album is 100% perfect, everything about it is exactly as it should be.
Unlike Jasen, I couldn’t think of a perfect record. Records I love, even records I listen to constantly, always have something that keeps me from thinking they’re perfect—one track that’s just not as strong as the others, one goofy lyric that I wish weren’t written, or even just bad art.
Without giving it too much thought (because I’m busy), there doesn’t appear to be a perfect record in my life. Then again, I always have been more of a song girl. I’ll attach myself to a song, and all the others (even if they’re fucking great) will pale in comparison. But I really wish I had a perfect record. I wish I had a record I can sit and listen to all the time and just really love, really cherish the whole way through.
Do you have a perfect record?
Wire - Pink Flag
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
obvious choice:
radiohead 'ok computer'
relatively unknown choice:
bows 'blush'
(this album is seamless, from the fantastic packaging to an unfolding series of concepts that aren't apparent upon the first listen. it's available at pretty much every used cd store - though it took me over a year to find it originally.)
does it count?:
coldcut 'journeys by dj'
(best dj mix ever period.)
'pink flag' is a REALLY good pick, i was thinking about it myself. is anyone else really not feeling the rest of the wire catalog though? i think i have given up on trying to understand "smart music" - i'd much rather listen to 'pink flag' a million times rather than 'chairs missing' once again.
'Buhloone Mindstate', 'Angeldust', 'Tago Mago', 'Bone Machine'
A-ha - Hunting High And Low
not a single bad song on the whole album. It got me through junior high/high school.
@4 "Buhloone Mindstate" is pretty damn amazing. I never understood why people would want to listen to Quest when you could listen to De La.
pink moon by nick drake
ys by joanna newsom
until your heart stops by cave in
Nevermind (not being ironic), Ten (repeat, not being ironic), Surfer Rosa, Hatful of Hollow (I don't care, it's hardly a compilation).
Ys, What's Going On
Wish You Were Here.
Rebecca St. James -- "God"
(Being Ironic)
(Still though, that was the first cd I ever owned. I'm positive I could still sing along to every single Christian Alt Rock song on that album. As far as 11 yr old Katelyn was concerned, it was perfect.)
First ones that come to mind for me:
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Spiderland - Slint
Repeater - Fugazi
You Forgot It In People - BSS
Pinback - 1st album
Tortoise - 1st album
...I'd probably add more than a couple Radiohead albums, maybe Weezer's Blue album even.
I like the Bows 'Blush' pick by Cosby too-- that record IS way overlooked.
Ys, I See a Darkness, Rain Dogs. And I really wanted to pick any one of Springsteen's first four records, but I can't quite justify it.
@2 Chairs Missing has some great songs on it, "Outdoor Miner" is a great abbreviated pop song and there's something about the droning "I am the Fly," that I am really taken by. I can totally understand why someone who liked Pink Flag would hate any of the albums that came afterwards. I really like the atmosphere and (relative) minimalism of Chairs Missing and 154-- and taken as a clump, in the span of a few years Wire were ahead of the curve, making really excellent post-punk and new wave-ish records before they were genres unto themselves. After 154 though, I've largely ignored the rest of the catalog. When I was first getting into them I mistakenly bought an industrial-ish noise thing by them from the '90s that was pretty bad.
I also may change my vote for perfect David Bowie album to 'Hunky Dory."
There Will Be Blood Tonight - The Divorce
There's Nothing Wrong With Love - Built To Spill
LCD - Sound of Silver
HaloBenders - God Don't Make No Junk
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
Caustic Resin - Fly Me to the Moon
Can - Soundtracks
Yo La Tengo - Electro-pura
Miles Davis - On the Corner
Kraftwerk - Computer World
Et Cetera - Et Cetera
Can - Future Days
Funkadelic - Funkadelic
Terry Riley - In C
a few more:
portishead 'portishead'
public enemy 'fear of a black planet'
this mortal coil 'it'll end in tears'
+ it doesn't count because it's a compilation:
the buzzcocks 'singles going steady'
@ 17:
'maggot brain' by funkadelic is a must have if you've not heard it. this would be an applicable perfect / near perfect album as well.
Getz/Gilberto
Sigur Ros - (), Takk
Pearl Jam - VS, Ten
Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells
Radiohead - The Bends
The Beatles - Let It Be
Pink Floyd - Darkside, WYWH, Animals
Led Zeppelin - I, IV
Elliott Smith - Any Album
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Nirvana - Nevermind, Unplugged
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
Tool - Lateralus
Wolfmother - Wolmother
Alice In Chains - Unplugged
Muse - Absolution
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
APC - Mer De Noms
Weezer - Album
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Built To Spill - You In Reverse
DCFC - Transatlanticism
wolf parade - apologies for the queen mary
#7 - I feel you on Until Your Heart Stops. I would also include Jupiter on my list.
stereolab 'dots and loops'
tortoise 'tnt'
um, no you guys are all wrong. The perfect records are as follows...
Fleetwood Mac, Rumors
Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska
Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger
Daft Punk, Homework
...and more recently
LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
Duh.
Theres a few elvis costello records but "Get Happy!" is way way up there for me
There are some close calls but no perfect albums for me.
Near-misses:
OK Computer except for the annoying spoken-word bit.
London Calling except for a couple songs.
Can's say I love all of Pink Flag, but "Reuters" is so great that it smoothes over other imperfections. Same rule applies for "Cold, Cold Ground" from Frank's Wild Years.
Televison "Marquee Moon"
Misfits "Walk Among Us"
AND, one that probably no one will agree with me on:
Midnight Oil "Head Injuries"
outkast, aquemini
flaming lips, the soft bulletin
public enemy, fear of a black planet
wilco, yhf
pearl jam, vs
de la soul, stakes is high
tribe called quest, low end theory
led zeppelin, houses of the holy
@23 Jupiter is a great sounding album, but has some silly ass lyrics, "Hey candycane brain?"
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Smog - Knock Knock
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
In the "it doesn't count b/c it's a comp" category: Mice - For Almost Ever Scooter
Fela Kuti - Best Best of Fela Kuti
@29:
not that this is the comment string to post this, but:
'midnight marauders' is a better album than 'low end theory'. both are great, but 'midnight marauders' has slightly better production and is much more cohesive as one piece of work; at points 'low end' feels a little disjointed.
@30:
'best of fela kuti' is solid. for my own personal taste, i would say 'shakara' is his best single album. it's an unbelievably sexist album, but is as heavy as any funk album from the same mid-70's time period. 'shakara' is like kuti's 'the payback'.
Bauhaus- In the Flat Field
The Cure- Disintegration
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists- Hearts of Oak
Fuck, I'm sorry this list is SO exhaustive, but I CAN be a lover not a griper!!! Sometimes that is!
Electric Music For The Mind & Body - Country Joe & The Fish
SF Sorrow - Pretty Things
Tomorrow - Tomorrow
Skip Bifferty - Skip Bifferty
Vincebus Eruptum - Blue Cheer
Forever Changes - Love
Mad River - Mad River
The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Arthur Brown
Rolling Stones - Rolling Stones/Englands Newest
Odessey & Oracle - Zombies
Bee Gees First - Bee Gees
The Pink Floyd - Piper @ Gates (UK vers)
Outside The Law - Epitaph
Mercator Projected - East Of Eden
S/T - The Gun
S/T - New York Dolls
Backdoor Men - Shadows Of Knight
The Psych Sound Of The...- 13th Floor Elevators
Star Booty - Bitch Magnet
Rites Of Spring - Rites Of Spring
In This Life - Articles Of Faith
Eye For An Eye - COC
S/T - Die Kreuzen
Dial 'M' for Motherfucker - Pussy Galore
Damned Damned Damned - Damned
Milo Goes To College - The Descendents
The Real Kids - Real Kids
Play Their Own Records - The Mummies
cosby--you may be right. but i like low end theory better. its all about ron carter on the bass.
#14 - agree with your assessment of Wire.
I was thinking just the other day "this is a record that is completely perfect", but I totally forget what I was listening to now damnit, so off the top of my head...
The Scruffs - Meet the Scruffs
The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society and ALMOST Victoria as well
Also, what Nipper said (mostly)
yeah, no kidding Nipper. Interesting how 3 Can albums were named but not Ege Bamyasi, I remember a High Fidelity-esque conversation between record store clerks saying "that's all you need to listen to from Can". I wouldn't mind adding "Soon Over Babaluma" to the list. Where there any live albums up there? How about NOFX "I Heard They Suck Live"? Seriously.
Chris - Well done with Born to run.
Segal - I just picked up On the Corner last week. Brilliant!
Abby - I absolutely love TL/RX, but Hearts of Oak is taken out of the running due to the sonic abomination that kicks the album off. So close, Ted. So close.
Weezer, Pinkerton
Several Beatles albums, but I'll go with Abbey Road
U2, Achtung Baby
Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
The Clash (US version)
Black Sabbath - Born Again
JZ - Never really felt Quest. They just seemed so repetitive and monotonous. Especially when contrasted with Prince Paul's everything-including-the-kitchen-sink production on Bulhoone, I never found a reason to listen to them.
OK Computer is a perfect album.
Dial 'M' for Motherfucker - Pussy Galore
My respect for you just skyrocketed, Nipper.
But as much as I love Forever Changes, that damned "Old Man" mars it. Not perfect.
I should've included SF Sorrow, too. Flawless.
B1000 by guided by voices.
1) bruce springsteen- "nebraska"
2) radiohead- "kid a"
3) reindeer section- "son of an evil reindeer"
4) talk talk- "laughing stock"
5) wilco- "being there" (flaws and all)
CAN - Soon over Babaluma
Radiohead - Kid A; OK Computer
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient works II
Henryk Gorecki - Symphony No. 3
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Steve Reich - Drumming
Fugazi - Red Medicine
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Brian Eno - Music for Airports
The Books - The Lemon of Pink
GOD. WEEN. SATAN.
Comments Closed
In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).