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2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#35



The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ELECTRIC LADYLAND (196

Total Points = 719.55

Appeared on 16 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: BillAdama (#4), Daniel (#5), Midaso (#6)

jonmarck:
Hendrix's most ambitious album broke new ground for psychedelia. By now some parts sound as dated as its contemporaries (Jefferson Airplane anyone?) but "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)"'s wild wah modulations cannot be denied. Not every moment works but that's part of the beauty. After all, diamonds are twice as valuable when found in the rough. "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" was one such tucked-away gem, as was the now famous "All Along the Watchtower". Even Dylan prefers Hendrix's version.

Honorio:
The highest achievement of Hendrix’s short career. While he was discovering the studio trickery and expanding his limits he made the perfect druggy album. And with his usual mastery on electric guitar, showcased on the four-part solo on “All Along the Watchtower”: 1) bluesy with string bending 2) with slide and echo 3) with his landmark wah wah 4) with crazy funky rhythm.

nicolas:
A trip. No record captured the atmosphere of the late 60's better than this one. It is also the outmost of electric guitar, of course. Favorite songs: All Along the Watchtower and 1983.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#34



Led Zeppelin – LED ZEPPELIN IV (1971)

Total Points = 721.16

Appeared on 22 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Rocky Raccoon (#10)

jonmarck:
This album is so famous it's practically its own self-parody. But that only goes to show how great it is. "Rock and Roll", "Misty Mountain Hop" and "When the Levee Breaks" were instant rolling classics while "Black Dog" took blues into the heavy metal seventies. They're great, but don't let those monsters diminish the lighter tracks "The Battle of Evermore" (featuring the only guest musician ever on a Zeppelin album), "Going to California" and a tiny, oft-overlooked little piece called "Stairway to Heaven". Maybe you've heard of it?

Anthony:
A record that should be in everyone's collection, if for no other reason than the musicianship: the rhythm section (Bonham's drumming on "Levee", Jones' groove on "Black Dog"), the guitar (Page's solo on "Stairway"), and vocals (Plant's histrionics on "Rock and Roll"). And to think that the members were in their early twenties makes it even more impressive.

Honorio:
The first masterpiece of heavy-metal and, for good or bad, probably the most influential album ever, creating a style that is here to stay. It could be tagged as pretentious or show-off, but everyone must admit that is exceptionally well played. And, although punk revolution turned the virtuoso playing more a fault than a virtue, being an outstanding music player is nothing to be ashamed of.

nicolas:
After 10 years, the biggest fall of value is Led Zeppelin. Most of their albums don't do anything to me anymore, except the fourth, because Stairway to Heaven still works (if not for the lyrics), and Going to California is a very beautiful song. In fact, everything which is not only bad blues electrified and hard rock bravado.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#33

Odessey

The Zombies – ODESSEY AND ORACLE (196

Total Points = 753.68

Appeared on 17 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: dumbangel (#4), Mo (#6), Anthony (#9)

Loophole:
Could it be the British Pet Sounds? No. But still great.

Lonesome Panda:
The British "Pet Sounds"? Maybe, but this one has really aged better!

Anthony:
The most recent entry in my personal top 10. I only just discovered this album in early 2007 and it's already become one of my favorites, therefore, I feel a responsibility to convince those who've yet to hear it that it's amazing and deserving of a listen at the first opportunity.

I'll just come right out and say it: this is one of the best psychedelic pop albums of all time, bar none, with an appeal heightened slightly by its history. Firstly, the album's release in 1968 went unnoticed (Britain already had a few favorite pop bands at the time, and they didn't need another one.) The group disbanded shortly (two weeks, in fact) after Odessey & Oracle came out, and the album was forgotten. But in the last 40 years it's become hailed as something of a "lost classic" – and finally getting some of the attention it deserves. The opening track "Care of Cell 44" is pure ear candy, and the sing-along melodies continue all the way to the final song "Time of the Season" - undoubtedly, the song that most will recognize. For me, the song that really stands out lies in the middle of the record - track #6: "Hung Up On a Dream". This song encapsulates everything that makes the album great - a gorgeous melody floating over a genius composition - packaged together with a light dusting of British psychedelia. The song itself features dreamy lyrics, a brilliant minor-key vocal melody highlighted by amazing choir-like background vocals, and a key transposition thrown in for good measure. But this isn't the only track that impresses - each of the 12 songs has its own charm that make the album work. Rolling Stone called Odessey & Oracle "...a combination of the adventure of Sgt. Pepper's with British Invasion pop", while others (see above) consider it "the British Pet Sounds." So, if you have Sgt. Pepper's AND Pet Sounds on your list, but have never heard this album - GO GET IT. It's an underrated treasure, and though the price tag might be ugly, it's worth it (fwiw, the latest release features both stereo and mono mixes.)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#32



The Flaming Lips – THE SOFT BULLETIN (1999)

Total Points = 777.86

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: netjade (#1), Jacek (#4), dumbangel (#5), Mo (#6), Midaso (#7), Jonah (#7)

[no comments provided]

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#31



Beck – ODELAY (1996)

Total Points = 789.20

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Jonah (#6), Schwah (#6), SuperFurry (#6)

Schwah:
It took his next three albums to show that his range could be harnessed in the interest of more cohesive albums. But Odelay is the ur-Beck document, and probably the most fun album of all time (with the possible exception of my #63 (Junior Senior), but the artistry here is much greater).

Loophole:
At the time of its release, this record sounded like nothing else.

Toni:
Beck here is in the highest of his capacity of invention. The association of electronica, rap, rock and whatever else here leads to delightful and too funny moments.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Cool, I'm glad I got to help out with the Zombies record, which I just recently heard. It quickly made its way up to the upper levels of my all-time list.

And my second top 10 with the Soft Bulletin!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

And we're off to an great start, with some surprising entries I think. I still have to get into that Zombies album sometime soon, I only listened to it once.

Great to see LZ made it, even though they're not that appreciated on these board.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I think its great that the Zombies made the list. That album is great (and old) and it wasn't on the last top 100 list. Cool. (And I'm glad my prediction was wrong!)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

22(!) entries for LZ and only 1 top 10, and 15 for TFL and 7(!) top 10s. Whoa =)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Odessey and Oracle is my current #1 I can't believe I haven't yet heard this album.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

More top ten entries for me.

I think the Soft Bulletin and Odelay! are both examples of two bands from the early 90s alternative explosion fully realizing their potential in perfect form.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Guys, do yourself a service and get The Zombies!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I'm also really happy to see my #11 album Odelay here. Big improvement from last poll, which I wouldn't have expected since I haven't seen much Beck love around here. I absolutely played it to death when it first came out and then let it rest for about ten years. Maybe its time to get back into it.

And what's the story behind that funny album cover?

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I don't know much details about the cover Loop, but I think I remember looking at the album credits and being suprised to find out that was an actual photo of a dog. I really thought is was some toy or altered mop or something when I first saw it!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#30



Bob Dylan – BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME (1965)

Total Points = 854.45

Appeared on 16 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: jonmarck (#1), Neoptolemos (#2), David (#2), Loophole (#3)

Neoptolemos:
The conversion from folk to rock has never been portrayed so beautifully. In contrast to the famous 1966 concert he actually starts out with the rock part, almost as if to say: "This is the future.". He doesn't let down the folk-fans though, because the second side is just as brilliant as the first, if not even better.

Loophole:
The acoustic side is killer.

jonmarck:
Dylan satisfies both audiences by combining an electric first side with an acoustic second. Good thing he's great at both. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Maggie's Farm" are two of his most exhilarating rockers while "Mr. Tambourine Man", "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" show he hasn't completely forgotten his old fanbase.


#29



Bruce Springsteen – BORN TO RUN (1975)

Total Points = 876.52

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: nicolas (#5), otisredding (#6), Neoptolemos (#7), Slush (#9)

Loophole:
Thunder Road makes the record.

Slush:
What hasn't been said? Born to Run captures the frustration of being an American without a million dollars so well that it's hard to believe people had these feelings before Born to Run.

Neoptolemos:
Every song seems as appropriate and new as it must have been back in 75. One of those (very few) albums that make me wish I could have been there.

nicolas:
First, one of the best cover art of all time. Then an ode to the illusion of escape. The recurring theme of Born to Run is "we gotta get out while we're young". Then the next album, his masterpiece, is about the ones who stayed because they found there is nowhere to go.

jonmarck:
At this point Springsteen was a high profile artist but he still hadn't broke. Well this album broke him twice: once mainstream, the other the bank. But don't worry about the Boss. He's doing quite well, even if heartbreak ballads "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland" speak otherwise.

Honorio:
“Born to Run” represents the culmination of the first Springsteen, the one of the adolescent urgency (“Thunder Road” , of the street-gangs epics (“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” , of the cheaters glory (“Meeting Across the River” , of the nocturnal life agitation (“Night” , of the romanticism of the alleys (“Backstreets” , where “the girls combs their hair in rear-view mirrors / and the boys try to look so hard”.


#28



The Jimi Hendrix Experience – ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (1967)

Total Points = 903.20

Appeared on 20 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: BillAdama (#1), Rocky Raccoon (#3), Mike (#6)

jonmarck:
Many consider this to be the best debut ever and though I disagree it's easy to see where they're coming from. With such surefire hits as "The Wind Cries Mary", "Foxey Lady", "Fire", "Purple Haze" and Hendrix' version of "Hey Joe" the album sounds more like a greatest hits compilation than a debut. Too bad the album tracks aren't as exciting as the singles.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

It's a dog called a Komondor. Gotta love wikipedia.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

(release)
#29 is an excellent score !

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Very excited about "Bringing It..." (But getting worried about "Kind of Blue"

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#27



Stevie Wonder – INNERVISIONS (1973)

Total Points = 903.20

Appeared on 20 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Sonofsamiam (#2), otisredding (#3), Vgrd (#3), Honorio (#9)

jonmarck:
Innervisions plays like a sampler of Wonder's best moments. "Higher Ground" is storming gospel funk, "Living for the City" is socially-conscious R&B, "Golden Lady" is a sweet love ballad and "He's Misstra Know it All" is a no-holds-barred attack on Nixon.

Honorio:
In a word: prodigy. All in Stevie Wonder is prodigious. His prodigious mastery playing almost every instrument on the album, being a particularly gifted vocalist, keyboardist and harmonica player (not forgetting his astonishingly qualities as a drummer!). His prodigious song-writing achieves the paradox of making catchy and easy-listening his intricate and complex harmonies. And his prodigiously clear (inner) vision about social issues and human feelings. Innervisions. It’s impossible to find a more appropriate title.



#26



The Who – WHO'S NEXT (1971)

Total Points = 912.86

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Slush (#1), Neoptolemos (#3), Harold Wexler (#7)

Slush:
Pete Townshend reached absolute perfection here. The flow of the album is better than any other with a peak, valley, peak structure, the album lulls you end and takes over your life. Every listen reveals something new.

Neoptolemos:
When you've got the best intro ever on the first song and the greatest minute in rock history as the last minute on the last track, you're doing something right. And Townshend doesn't stop there, every single track is a hit.

nicolas:
How to mix power and melody, pop and rock.

jonmarck:
Townsend learns to use a synthesizer, Glyn Johns learns how to record and Daltry learns to scream like only Bono would. Half the album is a waste of time but the singles make it worthwhile.



#25



Bob Dylan – BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (1975)

Total Points = 914.33

Appeared on 22 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Snusmumrik (#7)

Snusmumrik:
For songwriting alone: Dylan's best album. But put the guy on a stage and he does them even better.

Loophole:
Overrated, but still great

nicolas:
I love this Dylan, more personal, bittersweet,, more sincere too, as if the mask had dropped for a while. But not completely, of course.



#24



Television – MARQUEE MOON (1977)

Total Points = 934.91

Appeared on 22 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Slush (#5), otisredding (#9)

Moonbeam:
Their technical proficiency and energetic rave ups carried the flag for post-punk. Marquee Moon is deliriously fun.

jonmarck:
Tom Verlaine was the one who convinced CBGB owner Hilly Crystal to let punk rockers play on Sunday nights. That alone gave them punk cred. This album, with its emphasis on texture and musicianship might not have meant much to the other first wave punkers, both in the US and UK, but its influence was hugely felt in the post-punk world. It's hard to imagine the Clash, U2 or R.E.M. without Marquee Moon. The sinewy title track should be the first stop for all newcomers, followed by "Guiding Light", "Friction" and "See No Evil". If you're not hooked by then there's no helping you.

Slush:
I've heard them described as The Grateful Dead meets the Ramones. I'd like to think it's Bach meets Jimmy Page. The title song is a symphony of urban life, not just a long punk song. The composition and musicianship on this album is so incredible, it's difficult not to respect and adore it. Plus, I, for one, love Tom Verlaine's voice.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#23



The Beatles – RUBBER SOUL (1965)

Total Points = 947.39

Appeared on 23 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: John (#1)

John:
The Beatles at their finest. A mix of the early and the late stuff to make the perfect Beatles record.

Honorio:
The perfect “bridge” album. Between the funny but slightly trivial Beatlemania and the innovations of “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper’s”, “Rubber Soul” was the turning point of a inquisitive and creative musicians who were about to break its limits. But in that exact point they were able to create songs that would serve to explain to an extraterrestrial what is pop music.

Loophole:
Has always been one of my favorite Beatles records. I like “woody” music. See “The Band” above.

nicolas:
The first modern album of the Beatles, with mutiple innovations and expansion of their talent.



#22



Marvin Gaye – WHAT'S GOING ON (1971)

Total Points = 948.52

Appeared on 20 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Vgrd (#2), Daniel (#9), Jem (#10)

Honorio:
Viewed with the incredulous and cynical eyes of the ones living in the XXI Century and knowing that after Vietnam came Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Bosnia and Iraq and the masters of war continue doing what they want, the message of “What’s Going On” reveals naïve and innocent. But this fact didn’t prove untrue that “war is not the answer / for only love can conquer hate”.

nicolas:
I love albums that can be listented to as a whole, where the music flows from song to song like this. So classious. Both mystic and sexual (not a paradox). Marvin you're still alive.



#21



R.E.M. – AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (1992)

Total Points = 957.25

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: schleuse (#2), Mo (#5), Vgrd (# , Weezy (#9), Chris (#10)

schleuse:
For people born after about 1975, this is what R.E.M. is supposed to sound like. Just a crazy diverse set of songs—rundown glam on “Drive,” quirky beauty on “Try Not to Breathe” and “Sweetness Follows,” neo-soul on “Everybody Hurts,” sleazy languor on “Star Me Kitten,” and the gorgeous ballads that close it, “Nightswimming” and “Find the River” (Stipe’s always in fine form when he goes for the water imagery). And then there’s the “archetypal” R.E.M. song (according to Peter Buck), “Man on the Moon.” Yet everything hangs together perfectly. The production manages to emphasize a consistent sense of beauty mixed with loss and resignation, but not in an arrested-adolescent sense a la Morrissey or Billy Corgan—this is a pop album by four confident adults. (And, as a relentless Zeppelin basher, I have to digress to give props to John Paul Jones’ string arrangements on several of the songs.) The greatest American band’s finest hour.

Anthony:
For me, there's always been an intangible appeal about this record - an elusive quality that I can't really put my finger on, but one that few other albums possess. When you listen to the record, you get the impression that you're listening to an album that was written and recorded during a brief window of opportunity where the perfect set of circumstances aligned. Is it the layers of strings and acoustic instrumentation? Is it Stipe's earnestness? Is it the cozy production? Maybe the balance of delicate sentimentality with haunting nostalgia? It's probably a combination of everything, and it resulted in R.E.M.'s most acclaimed and most commerical album. Unfortunately (and like U2's Achtung), it would also be the last great album from a band that went on to dabble in electronica and other strangeness before settling into pop-rock mediocrity. Fortunately though, both R.E.M. and U2 will probably be remembered for their respective masterpieces rather than the crap that followed.

Honorio:
“Berlin” in the seventies, “Nebraska” in the eighties and “Automatic for the People” in the nineties. Just when they were at the height of its popularity, R.E.M. were bold enough to release an album filled with moody and somber songs, with delicate arrangements and deeply cryptic lyrics. And, although it could be seen a commercial suicide, they succeeded again.

Mo:
This will stay a classic for a long time.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Not an album here, I don't love. Especially glad to see Zombies made it -- I only discovered that record after the '05 poll.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

i love you all AMers
even if I doubted you and thought the Boss wouldn't make it
I'm eager to listen to "odyssey"
Anthony when you said " And I'm really pleased to see the album ranked #7 high up on the list; it's something of a lost gem" back in december I immediately thought of it (ormaybe there's another one)
I only have a Zombies compilation but no albums
born to run made my day

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

You're good nicolas - yes, that "lost gem" was indeed Odessey and Oracle.

It slipped a bit, but I was pleased to see it rank where it did.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Awesome list. No real surprises but all of them great albums.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Positivity! Glad to see it. Hopefully the trend will continue into the top 20.... *fingers crossed*

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Anthony, did you get my ballot? A couple albums in my top 10 just showed up and my name isn't listed beneath. Just wondering...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Wow wow wow, I go away for 30 minutes and I miss a string of masterpieces. I'm not leaving this char from now on.

My #2, #3 and #7 just came soaring past, which makes 4 out of my top 10 in total. I doubt we'll see my #9 (Tommy), but the rest I give a good chance of showing up soon. Hopefully not too soon though!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

20 to go. This is great.

I'm pretty sure I know what the last 20 are, although not in what order. Not going to name them here. I'll only say two things: if I'm right, the most recent album in the top 20 is from 2004, and there will be one album from the 2005 top 30 that's fallen off the list altogether, which won't bring Joy to a lot of people...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I meant chair of course.

And nicolas, thanks for reminding me about that "lost gem". When Anthony mentioned that I thought to myself "must ask him that when the list is shown", but I totally forgot about it.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Interesting race between Odelay and The Soft Bulletin. They both had the same number of mentions, but Odelay only had 3 top-10 mentions (all at #6), while Soft Bulletin had twice as many (with a bunch than #6). Despite that fact, Odelay finished ahead. That tells me that Odelay must have had more top-25 and top-50 mentions than Soft Bulletin.

Obviously, given my stated position on the Flaming Lips and my #6 vote for Odelay, I'm glad it pipped it, but te voting pattern is interesting.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Aw, don't worry Anthony, it's such fun, we'll be positive al the way

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I agree this is an awesome list. It's obvious that we have all looked at the critics lists, but then we have tilted them slightly in the best possible direction. Fantastic!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Hmmm, Springsteen... yeah yeah, like it. Hendrix... yep, good pick.

Strange mop dog album? Hmmm...gotta check that one out...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Frustrating : I have to help my daughter with her dinner or she's going to repaint the kitchen
See ya

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Sorry to disrupt your flow of photos....

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Two good picks for Hendrix, actually - I was in doubt both would make it. But seems I was all out on a limb there ...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Just playin' around, Loophole.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I know. Now let's see some Miles Davis in the top 20.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Hooray, I finally made it live to one of these things. I would like to point out that I was left off the list of fans for "Who's Next." I voted it #4 overall.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#20



Arcade Fire – FUNERAL (2004)

Total Points = 966.52

Appeared on 25 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Mo (#3), pop elton (#6)

Schwah:
Perhaps time will diminish its power for me, but I still feel comfortable placing it here, right under the top-10. This is the one current band I regret not having seen live. What's amazing about this album is you can sense what must be the power of the live performance in their studio recordings.

jonmarck:
In July 2004 I saw the Arcade Fire perform at the side stage of a small Guelph, Ontario folk festival. The next spring they opened for U2. It all happened because in August 2004 they released Funeral to a glowing 97% Pitchfork review, and quickly became THE band of 2005, going from small campus pubs to international arenas in a matter of months. They deserved every bit of acclaim. With the four-part Neighborhood suite and other songs such as "Rebellion" and "Wake Up" Arcade Fire crafted a heavily rhythmic tribute to nostalgia and loss. Gang choruses, parade-style performances and string sections were used to accentuate the weepy anthems with unmatched beauty. High-brow yet blue-collar, brave yet fragile, weathered yet full of youth, the Arcade Fire showed how all it takes is one great album.

Moonbeam:
Resonating throughout is a sense of true mourning, even in the quixotic moments where the album soars to lofty heights.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Apparently, my asking if they would make the top 35 was a dumb question ...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Sorry for the oversight, R.R.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Wow, didn't expect it that high. I didn't expect it at all anymore, but I suppose it makes sense. The best album of the decade? I don't think so.. maybe.. arguably.. definitely! This is another one of those albums I could have included (very high too) if I had been in a different mood when making the list. It didn't make it in the end, but it's surely a great album.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Anthony, did you get my ballot? A couple albums in my top 10 just showed up and my name isn't listed beneath. Just wondering...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Great surprises : Innervisions : happy to see Stevie this high though I prefer key of life and Talking Book
bringing it all : curiously, a Dylan album I don't own. One of my next acquisitions
Arcade Fire this high ? Well, I'll have to give it another listen (it's my # 153)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Greg - you didn't respond to my email. Check your inbox when you get a sec.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Bringing it all is great, Nicolas, although ddin't make my list (I couldn't very well stick in 27 Dylan albums, though I felt like it at a point)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Neo, I'm with you. I get the feeling that some people around here have very precise alltime lists. Mine was very much a product of my mood on the day I made it (which was nostalgic).

After seeing the master list, I'm looking forward to doing some re-evaluating.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I would suggest you leave everything behind right now and sprint to the shop to get BIABH.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Zombies !!! Zombies !!! Fantastic. I'm so glad !

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I would suggest that there are only two more superior albums that BIABH (and one is by Dylan)!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Ah, the NFL playoffs and the AM Top 100 poll. This is a good Sunday morning. For sports fans on both sides of the pond, here's an analogy for you.
The Beatles = New England/Man U.
Bob Dylan = Indianaolis/Chelsea
The Rolling Stones = Green Bay/Liverpool

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I'd limit that to just one album Loophole, and it is indeed by Dylan.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Neo, you need to get that album you just referenced.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

IMO, the best Dylan album is Blood On The Tracks
Then Blonde, then... Nashville skyline

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I have it, but for some reason I never even considered it for the top 100. Like I mentioned in part 3, I kinda regret that now and suggest we redo this next month.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#19

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis – KIND OF BLUE (1959)

Total Points = 988.65

Appeared on 19 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Jonah (#3), Anthony (#4), Vgrd (#4), Loophole (#4), Daniel (#6), Michel (#7)

Anthony:
I was a 20 year old indie-rock snob working at a record store when a co-worker suggested one day that I pick up this album. So I did, and soon after, it became one of my favorites and it hasn't left my top 10 in six years (and most likely never will.) An extraordinary piece of art, Kind of Blue is transcendental, atmospheric, and a testament to the beauty of improvisation and to the musical genius of Miles Davis. It's the type of record that enhances almost any occasion; regardless whether you put it on in the morning and cook breakfast to it, take a drive around the city at 3am listening to it, or use it as a soundtrack to a romantic night with your lover, Kind of Blue is the type of album that works exceptionally well as either background music or a record to throw on the headphones and immerse yourself in. Either way, it doesn't demand anything from the listener other than to just enjoy its beauty - and there's plenty of it. It's simply jazz’s finest hour (yes, the entire genre.)

jonmarck:
Miles Davis had an almost effortless control over his trumpet, and it seemed like the simpler the songs grew, the more he thrived. On this seminal jazz album he uses "So What", "Freddie Freeloader" and "Flamenco Sketches" as launchpads for his tasteful flourishes. This is also the first major modal jazz album. Don't worry. It still sounds great.

Loophole:
Should be in every record collection. Vinyl is better.

Honorio:
I know that’s unfair that this album is the only representation of jazz in my list, but I’ve never liked the flourishes and pyrotechnics that dead-weights the genre. But this album is a whole other thing. It’s about mood, about atmosphere. The songs, almost completely improvised at the very moment, benefits of a terrific line-up including Bill Evans and John Coltrane besides the one and only Miles Davis.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I have a problem with this record ("Kind of Blue")
Blind spot
Nothing happens
It is not a negative post, I'm really sorry not to like it. So many people I appreciate like it...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

nicolas, like Honorio mentions in his comments, it's not an album about peaks and climaxes... it's about a consistent mood throughout. That's the beauty of it.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Wow, neat, I'm the biggest fan of Kind of Blue, and it's the only jazz on my top 100. It's the only jazz I really need. Everything within my sensory range looks, feels, sounds, and seems so much cooler when this album plays.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Last time I listened to it it was in the subway after a working day; I was tired
I'll try it again

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

the only jazz in my list is Coltrane's "Favorite things"

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Phew!!! Confidence in the system restored.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Getting worried there for a second, huh?

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Anthony,

I really liked your Kind Of Blue comment. Dead on.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Oh, thanks a lot Loophole!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

You listened to it in the subway, nicolas? That's not the proper setting for that album, especially if your trains are noisy. It needs to be quiet, some light alcohol consumption wouldn't hurt. Or while taking a light nap... the kind where you don't completely go to sleep.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#18



The Rolling Stones – EXILE ON MAIN ST. (1972)

Total Points = 998.66

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: BillAdama (#3), Jem (#7), Mike (#

jonmarck:
The Stones most difficult album is their strongest. Never an album band, it took complete detachment from the industry for the iconic rock group to turn out their most consistent effort. "Rocks Off" and "Tumbling Dice" are understated masterpieces while "Happy" slips through on a thunderous horn arrangement.

nicolas:
Every rock group had his "cellar" album. This one is a celebration of blues, rock, one of the best American records by a non-US act.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Out of convenience I listen to a lot of albums sitting in front of my computer on crummy speakers. Kind of Blue loses a lot of its punch in that atmosphere. If it's new to you, listen with your best speakers. And like I said in my comment, it sounds great on vinyl.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Great to see Odyssey and Oracles, as my comment was meant to explain, I've never been much a fan of Pet Sounds which sounds dated to me, but I find O&O much fresher.
ANd glad to see Funeral too, probably the last album in this top (except real surprises) that I really consider like one of my favourite (yeah, there are others Beatles albums that I like much and which will make the list, but I still see a gap between them and albums that I really, really, really adore, a.k.a my top 18... Sergent Pepper's being 19 ^^ )

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

and recorded in France, in a villa in the Cote d'Azur (French Riviera)
The rooster in me is proud (rooster is the French national emblem

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I was speaking of "Exile", of course

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I'll second that. My vinyl copy is one of my favorite things in this world.

Now, here's music nerdery to the extreme: I ripped my my Kind of Blue LP to a .wav file, and then put it on my iPod so that I can hear the cracks and pops of the record whenever I feel like it.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Wow! that's sophisticated, Anthony...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

In my comment about that lidtening on the subway I forgot to mention it was a crappy mp3
I'll convert it into wav

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#17



Love – FOREVER CHANGES (1967)

Total Points = 1011.33

Appeared on 19 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: otisredding (#1), EdAmes (#3), Harold Wexler (#4), Georgie (#7), Giuseppe (#10)

Honorio:
A cult album, misunderstood and ignored when it was released. At the exact time (1967) and place (California) of hippie splendour there was Arthur Lee, a man who didn’t share that cosmic happiness. “Sitting on a hillside / watching all the people die / I’ll feel much better on the other side”. And he found the right way to express it, with acoustic guitars and strings. But nobody wanted to hear it at the time…

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I might have to relisten "Kind Of Blue" as well. *adds it to his already lengthy list*

My partial description for that Stones album will (I am fairly sure) come soon when another album is revealed.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

And there we have it.. the only album I've never heard that's in the top 100 on AM. I really really have to, but somehow I never get to it. Wow, 17th!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

If I got a chance to re-do my list, I would have put "Forever Changes" in my top 100. I really don't know how I skipped it the first time around!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

*embarrassingly raises his hand*

Me too, Neo. I was turned off by the song in Bracketology, and wasn't motivated to sit through the rest of the album.

But now, I will. I can't sit here and ignore an album that's ranked so high.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

If you don't like the song from Bracketology, there's a pretty good chance you won't like the album, imo.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

"Forever Changes" was one of my last and most painful cuts, I'm surprised and happy to see it make the list. Number 17 is definitely unexpected.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Forever Changes is another album I bought since sending in my list. Unlike Village Green Preservation Society (which immediately grabbed me and would now assuredly crack my top-100), I am unsure about this album, but need to listen some more.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Same for me Loophole
i forgot (or neglected) Love
In fact I had made a list of things to listen but I didn't make it to "Forever changes"

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I've added it to my list.

Alright, moving onward...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#16



The Smiths – THE QUEEN IS DEAD (1986)

Total Points = 1071.71

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Midaso (#1), Honorio (#7), Juan (#10)

Honorio:
Morrissey is a polarizing artist, no doubt. You love him or you hate him, there’s no middle ground. And I am one of the first group, of course. All his weapons are showed to maximum impact on “The Queen Is Dead”: anger and sarcasm (“Frankly Mr. Shankly”, “The Queen Is Dead” , provocation and humour (“Vicar in a Tutu”, “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” , self-pity (“Never Had No One Ever”, “I Know It’s Over” and, of course, his very own brand of impetuous romanticism (“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” .

Loophole:
Morrissey is funny. Johnny Marr is great.

Moonbeam:
This album represents one of the definite peaks of post punk power, becoming an album of the ages. It is at once tortured, humorous, mournful, cheeky and thrilling. As such, The Queen Is Dead is the Smiths' most electrifying rollercoaster of a listen.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#15



Nirvana – NEVERMIND (1991)

Total Points = 1089.51

Appeared on 26 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Chris (#2), Stammer (#2), rendle (#9)

schleuse:
Here’s one sign of a great album: every time I listen to it, a different song is my favorite. In the last year alone, I’ve thought at different times that “Breed,” “Polly,” “Drain You,” and “Lithium” was the best thing on the record. But I was probably right every time. It’s that rich. Depending on how you count, between one-third and one-half of my top 15 is punk or post-punk. What all these albums share is, yes, aggression, but aggression built on a solid foundation of pop craftsmanship…and nobody here was craftier than Kurt.

Honorio:
The soundtrack for the generation X, filled with ferocious guitars, solid rhythms and teenage angst-charged angrily-shouted lyrics. Only this tight connection with a whole generation could explain the wide acclaim. But the album also contains an undeniable high amount of hooks and a great load of memorable melodies. Of course, nothing to be ashamed of.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

This is one I like, but don't love. I'm a little mystified by all the support. U.S. critics have decided to rate it higher in retrospect, which always drives me nuts. It was only ranked 30 in that year's Pazz & Jop and it went from 4 stars to 5 stars in the Rolling Stone guides from 1992 to 2004.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

So it looks like the Pixies will surpass Nirvana!!!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I was talking about the Smiths, not Nirvana.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Just to clarify, the "this" that Rocky refers to is THE QUEEN IS DEAD.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Sorry, RR. I should have known you would clarify it right away.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Thanks, Harold. You've got my back.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

I was floored by the amount of support this next album received...

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Neo, I'm all with you on wanting to do the whole thing over in a different mood :-)

(It was a while ago, you said that, but my son just insisted on a ghost story, so I was off a bit)

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

#14

Kid A

Radiohead – KID A (2000)

Total Points = 1177.58

Appeared on 21 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: rendle (#2), Anthony (#3), twister (#3), pop elton (#5), Stammer (#6), Juan (# , Jem (# , Chris (# , Mo (#

Anthony:
Two years ago, if someone had asked me to name my favorite Radiohead album, without hesitation my enthusiastic answer would’ve been “OK Computer”, and for good reason – it’s an absolutely stunning record; an undeniable landmark of modern music. But at some point (and it took five years from the time of its release) Kid A snuck up from behind and blindsided me with its mysterious beauty; enough so that I now consider it not only my favorite Radiohead album, but one of my favorite albums, period. Upon release, the media initially panned it off as a weak follow-up; they labelled it as an obligatory sonic detour – essentially what would be expected from a band completely disenfranchised by success (and the entire music business) and tired of the sound that made them popular. They were partly right; at first listen, Kid A doesn't seem like much more than a bunch of blips and skronks mingling with unintelligible vocals and strange instrumentation. But further listens reveal it to be much more than a band fooling around with new sounds, tinkering with new instruments, and changing roles. True, the band did grow frustrated and tired of the guitar-rock sound, but they took the opportunity to explore new musical territories and landscapes. What resulted was a deliberately crafted and executed album with many hidden layers and meanings; it's an embarrassment of riches, and the album that Radiohead needed to make. It might’ve been their hardest on every level, but it turned out to be their best.

Honorio:
Seeing legions of bands mimicking every detail of its previous production (there’s no need to name one, is there?), Radiohead were forced to find a completely new direction. And they found it in avant-garde, electronica and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), depicting a world ever weirder, stranger and more alienated than the world showed in “OK Computer”. And that’s saying a lot.

jonmarck:
There was always a lot of pressure on Radiohead. First they had to score a deal, then they had to prove that they weren't a one-hit-wonder, then they had to explain why they were abandoning commercial music and radio-rock, then, after Ok Computer, they had to follow-up one of the best albums of all-time. The quintet reacted by growing even more isolated, more mechanical. Thanks to Thom Yorke's growing disgust with organic music their three guitar line-up was disintegrated in favour of electronic gear and orchestral rrangements. Yorke was still petrified from the pressure, and he developped a nasty case of writers block, as most of his new songs were little more than a drum track and lyrical fragments drawn from a hat. The rest of the band understandably considered these sessions "larely unproductive" and came very close to splitting up. Eventually Radiohead found its footing in Krautrock and neo-jazz, adding a Mingus-inspired horn arrangement to "The National Anthem" and an Ondes Martenot to "How Disappear Completely" for esoteric effect. Though a single was never chosen from Kid A fans latched onto the representative "Everything in Its Right Place" and beat-heavy "Idioteque". Radio tried to give "Optimistic" a spot on their playlists, probably because it was the only song with electric guitars and a bpm higher than 70, but quickly realized neither Radiohead nor their audience were interested in what they had to offer. That was probably the moment that rock radio went out of business.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

SO glad to see Innervisions, Forever Changes, and Odessey and Oracle up here!

Forever Changes demands repeat listenings by the way - it tends to get under your skin. And it's pretty darn dark for a Summer of Love record.

Oh, and someone said Kind of Blue is the only jazz they need -- trust me, I thought the same once, and BOY WAS I WRONG! I could go on and on about other amazing and blindlingly brilliant (and also accessible and fun) jazz records, but I'll wait 'til Anthony posts the individual lists.

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Nice!

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Has anybody ever read Chuck Klosterman's Killing Yourself To Live?

Re: 2008 AM Forum Top 100 Albums Poll - RESULTS (Part 4)

Great to see "Kid A" so high. It's the ultimate "grower" album

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