The Sane Psycho

Here's a project that I thought would be fun. I have no doubt that some of you have read or at least heard of the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Now, it is an enjoyable book, but it still has it's flaws. After all, no albums have appeared from the likes of Chuck Berry, Weezer, or Sunny Day Real Estate, but the likes of Britney Spears and Limp Bizkit have appeared.

I think we can do better. Music Banter as a whole has an incredibly eclectic and varied taste in music, and I have no doubt that we could do a far better job than the actual book.

Now, this won't be a numbered countdown of the all time greatest albums, but rather a general, unordered list of 1001 great albums worth listening to.

How it works is, you post an album, and you must explain why you feel it deserves the inclusion. You must also provide the year it was released. Also, it's not required, but an image of the album is preferred. Then the poster after you posts their album.

I figured this would be a great way to get all of us collaborating together and participating on a project together, and maybe provide us with some new music to listen to.

http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...bum-index.html

The Sane Psycho

Since I created this thread, I'll start.



1. Nirvana- In Utero (1993)

It's true that Nevermind is the Nirvana album that everyone talks about, and rightfully so. And yes, Nevermind is perhaps the more important album as well. But, In Utero, Nirvana's third and final studio album, is perhaps their finest work.

Musically, it combines the rawness and noisiness of Bleach with the Pop stylings of Nevermind. You have songs that are noisy and generally about as non commercial as any platinum selling album has the right to be (Scentless Apprentice, Milk It, Tourettes), as well as more radio friendly, glossy, and more accessible songs (Dumb, Heart Shaped Box, Apologies). You even have songs that offer a mix of both styles (Serve The Servants). And amazingly, all of those styles mesh well together. The noisy songs pummel you with their rawness and aggression, while the poppier efforts provide sweet relief from the onslaught of noise. The songs that fuse both styles give you that perfect mix of tension and calm.

The songwriting was also improved. The songs this time were more personal, and contained lyrics about anything from inner pain to boredom. Rape Me was a very blunt anti rape song that received quite a bit of controversy in its day. Serve The Servants, on the other hand, with it's opening lyric "Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old" forces you to feel Kurt's disillusionment with the music industry. Nirvana has never sounded as potent as they do on this album.

Simply put, Nevermind IS the album that gets all the attention. And Nevermind IS a great album. But In Utero is superior in every way. Though it doesn't receive the same hype and glory, In Utero is Nirvana's true masterpiece.

The Sane Psycho

2. Sunny Day Real Estate- Diary (1994)

One can not talk about this album without stating it's importance in Emo music. And indeed, this is a landmark Emo album. You know, back when Emo was a legitimate genre of music with heartfelt, emotional songs rather than commercialized Mall Punk about high school crushes. More importantly, it's a great album.

I don't know too much about music composition aside from playing cool riffs with power chords, but since Emo was at that time a subgenre of Post-Hardcore, I'm sure the music on hand is technical and complex. It's also beautiful. You can feel the emotion coming through their instrument and in the singing. They're songs that stay inside your head because even if it didn't have any lyrics, the music drips emotion. It's truly powerful stuff.

Admittedly, you can't always understand what the singer is saying, and the lyrics are fairly abstract. Still, that doesn't mean it has bad songwriting. In fact, it's quite the opposite. These are songs about heartbreak, about loss, about pain, about sadness. And you can really feel that on this album, as it burns into your very soul. It's also easily relatable to a lot of people, which is why Emo had a dedicated following in the '80s and '90s.

Though the band swears up and down that they're not an Emo band, it's hard to overstate their influence and impact on the genre. This is truly a groundbreaking album, and one that spoke to an entire generation of disenfranchised youth. Moreover, it's a truly great album to listen to. It's no wonder I selected it for Music Banter's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Zombeels

3. Heartless Bastards - Arrow (2012)

Often compared to the Black Keys only because they hail from the same state, Ohio. The Heartless Bastards borrow a lot of the favouable qualities from the 70's rock and roll which can be heard throughout this album. Tinges of T. Rex, Steely Dan and Black Sabbath can be heard on certain songs but the real hilight is the powerful and raspy voice of Erika Wennerstrom. The album Arrow is laid back but pulls you in.

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What It Is

Janszoon

Woah, long time no see Zombeels!

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A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

The Sane Psycho

I'm currently listening to this album. I have a feeling this will also double as The Thread In Which The Sane Psycho Greatly Expands His Musical Taste With The Help Of His Fellow Forumers. I'll post an album sometime today.

bob.

4. Nico - Chelsea Girl

i'm sure the VU and Nico will end up here at some point....and it should be on a list like this....but i think Nico's first solo effort is as important and in many ways better

this entire album is oozing with emotion and despair.....in many ways this is the first lofi indie rock album while at the same time being a true gothic rock album and a pure musical experiment

ironically Nico herself hated this album.....the production team completely ruined her original concept by adding flute and string arrangements....it has been said that she wanted a simple rock album

but me personally?....fuck that....these arrangements are a huge part of the appeal of this album.....the contrast between her cold as ice voice and these almost flowery arrangements often works....especially when put next to her despondent rock songs....

in my opinion this is an album that should be heard at least once by everyone

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A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism.

Reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.

Zombeels

I have not heard this album. I will be listening to it later today.

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What It Is

Zombeels

Yes, it's been awhile.

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What It Is

Soulflower

5. WAR-The World is a Ghetto (1972)

WAR is one of my all time favorite bands who I feel are very underappreciated. For this album, they fused many genres that reflected the bands multicultural backgrounds such as latin music, salsa, funk,jazz, folk, progressive rock and many more.

By the early 1970s, urban communities and the urban experience in America was at its darkest. The culture of minorities (African Americans, Latinos, Hispanics etc) were deeply affected by racial tensions, socioeconomic status, class and discrimination. However, this period also sparked great inspiration and music material for bands during this period who dare to showcase these experiences in their music. WAR was without a doubt a very important band that discussed social issues, racism and poverty that minorities experienced.

Many of the songs are just long jam sessions that are beautiful instrumentals of eclectic genres and music.

The lyricism of the overall album is very daring for its time. It discusses many social issues that greatly affected minorities in America during this period. I love the poetic nature of the lyrics and the abtract meaning behind the way certain phrases were made. It allows listeners to not only be mesmerized by the great production but also the lyrics that really make you critically think about social problems others have to endure.

The band really captures the essence of urban life with their instrumentals even the ones without lyrics which I thought was pretty interesting and creative.

Some of the highlights on the album are "The World is a Ghetto", City, Country, City and Cisco Kid.

I thought it was pretty cool that the concept behind "The Cisco Kid" was influenced by a Latino TV show from the 50's that was "The Cisco Kid"


My personal favorite is "The World is a Ghetto". I think its one of the greatest songs ever created. Its a very eerie sober reflection of inner city life and what the "ghetto" expereince may "look like" and feel like for certain minorities. The lead singer's voice really captures the emotion behind the meaning of the song. The album is important because it would go on to inspire other jam session type of albums. It also covers a wide range of genres and covers political social issues. I think the album is ahead of its time.

Some of the lyrics:
Walkin' down the street, smoggy-eyed
Looking at the sky, starry-eyed
Searchin' for the place, weary-eyed
Crying in the night, teary-eyed

Classic album, must listen for sure