Which is alright by me, I personally have 4 Dylan albums in my top 20, I've just come to think of The Beatles as more of a singles band.

Hmm. I've never thought of them as a singles band and I think you'd be one of the few who have that opinion. I'm not going to say they lay claim to creating the rock album but surely they were a part of the transition in the 60's from focusing on albums above singles.

I know it's a bit of a dissenting opinion, and I have to be careful with those regarding The Beatles (we don't want those lurkers to come back and go mental again), but I feel that they don't really have any complete album. Every single one has quite a bit of fluffy filler, to quote a very old netjade post:
Hey, I agree with netjade on something!

that's alright by me too. I meant it's too much in my (new) standards. I'm not in a position to speak, as I am the guy who used to have 3 Springsteen in my top 10, 3 Beatles and 3 Brassens in my t20. Now I use Moonbeam's album ranker, I realize there are other albums that I want to place in my top 20 (mostly 70s classics).

I'm on the verge of thinking of The Beatles as a singles band as well. One big problem (in my opinion) with, for example, their four biggest albums is that they all have at least one totally ridiculous song in their midst.

Revolver - Yellow Submarine
Sgt. Pepper's - When I'm Sixty-Four
The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (CD1) / Revolution 9 (CD2)
Abbey Road - Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Maybe this has something to do with my disgust for McCartney's tendency to force some of his fiddle-faddle songs on each album, but seriously, c'mon...

I love the Beatles' childish songs. They're part of the charm of every album. My kids LOVE Ob-La-Di, and that's great. The Beatles were found of comedy records, which was George Martin's field before he met them.
They didn't take themselves seriously and that's what I love in them. John was the band's buffon (I love those spoken voices he makes) before he got intersted in modern art

You probably know that Lennon was pissed by McC's "fiddle-faddle" as much as Paul was pissed by "Revolution 9"

I'm aware a lot of people really love those songs, otherwise all those albums wouldn't be where they are now. I can imagine kids love a song like that. Well, that also counts for something, I guess.

And yes I know about the animosity during the recording of The Beatles. That album does have an interesting background.

It made a huge jump from 400+ to 130. I can see it breaking into my top 100 at some point, but it's too difficult for me to tell whether my recent love affair with it has reached its apex or not. I know it won't fall below 200 for quite some time and that's pretty amazing for a 60s pop/rock album. I really, really, REALLY love all of my top 200.

I also agree about 2010 being a fantastic year worthy of many placements in the list. I may not agree with all of the ones chosen, but I'm happy that 2010 has been recognized as a particularly strong year.

30-26

Almost done, so I'm not gonna annoy any of you anymore with those hackneyed paragraphs

I'm not the biggest fan of LZ out there (although I love "Led Zeppelin II" along with that record), but "IV" is a tour de force. It's amazing the level of perfection it reaches if you consider there are only like, what, eight tracks on it. Even if you dislike the band completely, you must at least hear to this because it is the one that pretty much sums up everything they've done. As lame as it might sound, "Black Dog" is one of those beats you can't resist headbanging to and the most exciting one possible to drag you to the universe this album creates. One "complaint" though I always had is that, in my honest opinion, the last track (and I mean the one that closes the album, that it should on the second side of it) should be "Stairway To Heaven". Unavoidably, when you include it "halfway" through and it is actually the greatest song using multiple genres of music ever written and performed, almost like translating Schubert or Strauss to rock'n'roll, the rest is gonna sound inferior, even when they are actually brilliant songs (with "Going To California" being my favorite). Whatever, it's an undeniable classic but even if it wasn't, I'd adore it anyway.

And now for something that fewer people will agree with. I love the Stones and I mentioned before how much I appreciate "Sticky Fingers", "Beggars Banquet" and "Let It Bleed" ("Out Of Our Heads" also, but it didn't even make the Top 500 so I didn't have a chance to mention it). I think that "Exile On Main St." actually gets the most of the recognition because it represents more accurately what that band really sounded like, their roots, influences and what they finally produced. I don't object that it is great, very energetic and doesn't water down a good weirdness factor in its sound at some parts. But its loud noise starts to become tiresome after 5-6 tracks and it doesn't know when to slow down. Thankfully, when it does ("Sweet Virginia") only to start after a while again ("Happy"), it gets more balanced and easy to enjoy. Favorites: "Rocks Off", "Sweet Black Angel" and "All Down The Line".

"Kid A", although definitely much better than, say, "In Rainbows" (haven't listened to "The King Of Limbs" yet), is too much whimsical for whimsicality's sake. When it gets slightly more accesible ("Everything In Its' Right Place", "How To Disappear Completely", "Kid A") it's brilliant it feels like a breath of fresh air, but unfortunately it doesn't leave many chances like that for the listener to chill. But when it pushes it to the limit ("The National Anthem", "In Limbo"), it's borderline unlistenable.

Personally I prefer "Sign 'O' The Times" as a more inventive and gently pleasing record but I can see why "Purple Rain" gains more popularity, besides being totaly awesome. It's like a chocolate too tasty to resist to, and because, you know, it's the '80s, it happens to be probably the most inspired moment for the genre of pop with dance beats, after "Thriller". What is also masterful is the playful mood which characterises all the album through, even in its' most romantic parts ("The Beautiful Ones"). And, please, find me one artist today that has such variety of emotions in his vocals like Prince had in this. It also has one of the best closing songs in the history of music and therefore it's its' biggest highlight. Other classics to me are "Take Me With U", "Computer Blue" and "When Doves Cry".

I think I also have mentioned something small before commenting on John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" but jazz is so not my kind of music and so is Miles Davis. Generally I have a very short attention span and the repetitive sounds used in jazz don't help me concentrating on the music, instead, they "lose" me pretty much soon. "Kind Of Blue" though is a good album even if it doesn't get away from the norm and is in fact at times boring ("All Blues"), but I like it. Definitely better than, say, "Bitches Brew" (which had a very cool cover though if I can recall it well) and very beautiful at times ("Freddie Freeloader", first "half" of "So What").

I try to avoid comparison with their songs before 1965 (though "Yesterday" for example definitely wouldn't fit into the "silly" category), because even beyond that, it is very realised and yes, mature (especially for its time) songwriting. "A Day In The Life", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Eleanor Rigby", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "In My Life" (many list it among the corny ones, though I believe a deep melancholy lies in it, something proven by the reason why Lennon decided to write it), "The Long And Winding Road" etc..

I am a British citizen now but I was born in South Africa and spent all my childhood there. And as much as I try to keep track of developments in African music, it's just not the same as when you live there and see how culture and natural surroundings shape the music.

Asia is a complete void on my music map.

25-21

Although he had a bucketload of classic soul singles, all of them very beloved songs and quite a few of them my favorites too, admittedly in terms of albums his career was uneven. Of course that doesn't matter because "What's Going On" is maybe the greatest confession of a single artist in one album, a chance to get to know his inner world and passions better and altogether the most important disc soul music ever created. Above everything else, the political, social and ecological statements expressed through every song (simplicity is the key word and the power of the record too, not "naive") it's the beauty of the music itself that's so breathtaking in the point of heartbreak. Gaye was without a doubt one of the greatest voices ever lived on planet Earth, and with the company of such carefully composed and beautiful melodies gives his masterpiece which I'm happy to see that high since the cynicism of nowadays doesn't leave much for appreciation. "Right On" and "Wholy Holy" are my favorites.

"Remain In Light" is one of the cases where I don't dig a genre a band represents, yet I find the album surprisingly enjoyable and with a playful tendency towards experimentation. It's just that I don't find it that good and that it lacks a certain weight in terms of importance: it never felt as groundbreaking to me as for others and it's too homogenised, making it difficult for some tracks to be separated from others as standouts. That said, it's a very interesting experience, especially when hearing to it for the first time and it's probably their finest achievement.

The biggest surprise of them all is here. An album heard by only a few people by a band considered by the most an one-hit-60's-wonder for "She's Not There". To me it's what Public Enemy had wisely said: Don't believe the hype. Way too dated, lacking a necessary sophistication in lyrics for standing the test of time and only two truly worthy tracks on the whole LP ("Maybe After He's Gone", "Time Of The Season" which I swear I had heard some time ago as a sampler in an awful contemporary song I can't remember its name right now).

I'm not the man with a taste for Neil Young either. In terms of songwriting and vocals the men for folk to me were always and will forever be Bruce and Bob. "Harvest" and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" are very good, but nothing else excites me that much, including this. Especially the way he sings in some parts as in the s/t track is unbearable. Anyway it has its moments and a gift for creating a special atmosphere.

In contrast, I always liked The Smiths and "The Queen Is Dead" is the point where they have mastered their abilities and pretty much conquer a part of their own in the history of british music. Their sinister, dark but also strangely affectionate sound had always a powerful effect on me and in here they are more confident than ever in terms of handling it. Also having a singer like Morissey couldn't be less of a tremendous benefit for any band that could have him. They dare to play blues too ("I Know It's Over") but they are better when they are improving their characteristic way of making music not leaving the fun aside ("Bigmouth Strikes Again") but also not forgetting they have some serious business to do in here, so they better compose something totally masterful and incredibly pitch-perfect ("Cemetary Gates", the legendary "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"). A fantastic British album.

I have been less than enthusiastic about many of Neil Young's recording over the years, but After the Gold Rush worked best for me. Other albums had great tracks, like Alabama and Old Man and many others. But, for consistent quality throughout the entire album After the Gold Rush is by far my favorite Neil Young effort. The most exciting song for me on the album is Southern Man. Lofgren is great on guitar in this song. I find Young's vocals on the title track work just fine for me. I wonder if you are as distracted (annoyed) by Dylan's vocals as I am on his most recent albums including: Modern Time and Love and Theft. My friends who say Dylan perform about 2-4 years ago in Austin, were thoroughly disappointed and compared his vocal efforts to that of a dying goat. I wonder whether you find Young's vocals on After the Gold Rush to be as annoying, or just annoying enough to put you off a little bit.

Sorry for not responding that long, real-life business had me going away from the forum for a while. Anyway I'm back

Well some tracks in it are really superb and you could say they make the album ("Don't Let It Bring You Down", "When You Dance, I Can Really Love", "Only Love Can Break Your Heart") but I don't think it's that consistent since often Young exaggerates ("After The Gold Rush", "Birds") or ends up being so annoyingly deadpan ("Till The Morning Comes") in his vocals, something happening in the weakest songs there, and the rest is good but not mind-blowing. That's of course only me. As a hardcore fan of the '60s era of Dylan I have to admit I'm disappointed by the weariness of his voice in the last decade (especially "Modern Times"-glad I didn't buy it). I always found his voice exciting, multi-layered and entertaining and was critical of anyone saying he "sounded funny" if we stay in the first two decades of his career. But it's all pretty much downhill from there. He still has the gift for gentle songwriting in terms of lyrics and music (the reason I actually kinda liked "Love And Theft") but you can't avoid to imagine how better it would be with a decent voice. If I had to pick between those two, yes, it would be early Young any time of the day.

Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Our view of Dylan appears to be quite similar.

I need to listen to After The Gold Rush", "Birds" and "Till The Morning Comes" again with your comments in mind. I have thorougly enjoyed each of these songs for more than three decades, but value your perspective and want to make sure that I consider it.

Although I don't see myself enjoying these songs any less in the future, it's frequently enlightening to consider the superb insights that you and others provide in this forum and keep these insights in mind as they apply to the particular songs they are initially applied to and perhaps other songs where they seem to fit in my view.

Always welcome

Well, I think that my comments won't change your way of enjoying these songs too I never have in mind changing somebody else's opinion with my writing since I don't have other purpose doing that than exposing my own taste. Anyway, thanks a lot for the consideration and the compliment in the last paragraph, even though I never thought that my insights were any good, how about superb !

I'm pretty much a noob in this forum, but the amount of knowledge (not speaking about taste because judging a thing like that is pointless in my opinion) by the members is unbelievable making it instantly a website of quality.