TheBig3

Thought of this concept today driving around and it might generate some pretty decent debate.

The premise is this:

1. List a band

2. List the last good album they released

3. Create from all subsequent albums a "Best of" (max of 10 tracks; Minimum of 5)

The point of this is to create some debate on your selection of #2 and #3. I think a lot of bands stopped killing it years before they stopped making albums, and judging from the posts I see around here - so do you. I've included a template and example below. Feel free to jump in with your thoughts and albums.

Band Name: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Last Good Album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Best of the Later Years:

1. Aeroplane
Probably one of my favorite RHCP tracks of all time. You can see the producers trying to meld styles on One Hot Minute that don't go together. Navarro's (sp?) solo on this is almost ludicrous, but Flea's makes the track. Also, the kids aren't a bad addition.

2. My Friends
Almost feels like it should have been included on BSSM. in some ways this track is the missing link between the two periods of their later music. (Those periods being the good and the mediocre)

3. Scar Tissue
Something of a return to form. Reminds me a lot of the atmosphere created on tracks like "Soul to Squeeze." That slide guitar will always be a good summer-on-the-highway sound. John throws some Mexi-Cali blues that make the Chili's return respectable rather than sad.

4. Californication
a little too sad, white-boy for me, but just haunting enough to qualify. Bonus points for references to Star Wars and Nirvana.

5. Can't Stop
I think this song has to grow on you because initially all you hear is the old trap of 40 year olds trying to recreate their 20 year old sound. In this case, that means funk-lite. But the harmonies in this track kill me. I love them.

6. By The Way
My biggest complaint on this track is that it doesn't combine that harmony in the refrain with the running base enough. If they had used the melody for more the refrain over that bass line it might be my favorite RHCP track.

7. Dani California
So much build-up my inner arena rock fan can't say no. You get the impression they were just thinking "know what? **** it, lets do our best Hendrix knock-off" You know what they say, aim for the full and falling short still lands you in the stars.

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Charlemagne

I joined this forum as a massive Tegan and Sara fan, so I figured I'd fill out this form for them because I don't listen to them anymore and feel that their best years are behind them (I think that's the point of this thread, I hope it is). They might be a little new for this though, although they've been around now for 15 years...

Band Name: Tegan and Sara

Last Good Album:The Con

Best of the Later Years:

1. Emaculation
I have to start with a really early demo, one of the first songs they ever recorded, beautiful and simple. Their voices are very young here since they are only 15 but it was definitely one of my favorite finds.
2. Hello
The last demo I'm going to include, because I want to stop myself before I include them all, really heavy emotion in this song, extremely relatable for a teenager.
3. Come On
Very folky track coming from both Under Feet Like Ours and This Business of Art, although I tend to like the early Under Feet Like Ours version better.
4. My Number
I have to include a fan favorite on this, plus it's a great song and it's the first song that I think gave them some notability since it was on the Sweet November soundtrack
5. Monday Monday Monday
If It Was You is my second favorite album of theirs and this is the best track, brings a little more of a poppy element in but still keeps the folk roots.
6. Walking With A Ghost
I really didn't want to put this song, but I feel like I should since it's the first song most people used to relate to them before The Con
7. Back In Your Head
I really don't want to put this song either, but it was a single and did get pretty popular and a best of shouldn't include just my personal favorites
8. Nineteen
But I have to put this one as a personal favorite of mine, it's also an extreme fan favorite and probably Tegan's best song she ever wrote.
9. On Directing
At first I really liked Sainthood, but after a while it just didn't grow on me like I expected it to, but this song is always a standout to me, nice driving beat behind it, should have been the first single.
10. Closer
I very begrudgingly choose this one to finish the 10, because it is their biggest hit and a greatest hits album isn't complete without the bands biggest hit

In terms of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I enjoyed them a lot when I was little, even so much to get Californication when it came out (I was admittedly too young for it) but after Californication I pretty much lost interest in them. Although I admittedly might sing along when Under The Bridge comes on just out of pure nostalgia.

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Isbjørn

Good idea! I'll choose the band I know the best:

Band Name: Queen

Last Good Album: The Game

Best of the Later Years: (in rough, not accurate order)

1. Life is Real (song for Lennon)
This song was dedicated to John Lennon, and when Mercury wrote it, he tried to mimic Lennon's melancholic piano songwriting style. I'd say he did it quite well, and that this is by far the best song from Hot Space.

2. Breakthru
My favorite song from The Miracle. A great chorus makes miracles happen.

[B]3. Under Pressure
A collaboration with David Bowie. John Deacon came up with the bass line while practicing, but forgot it while eating dinner. Luckily, he remembered it later. There is a vocal-only version out on YouTube.
WARNING: high concentration of talent!

4. One Vision
Back to their earlier, rawer rock and roll sound.

5. The Miracle
Probably one of the band's most beautiful songs, wrapped up in a hook-laden structure.

6. I Want to Break Free
A hit in Europe, but I heard in a documentary that the band lost a major part of their American audience due to the video. Only put it in here because it had to be from the 80s, though.

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Mojo

No room for these, Big 3?





I may not be a big RHCP fan, but I actually think By The Way, with its Frusciante-penned melodies and it's vocal harmonies, is a brilliant record. I'll even take it over some of the older RHCP records.

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