The Old Acclaimed Music Forum
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#100
Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)
1118.42 points
AM 3000 rank : 89
Appeared on 20 ballots / 68
Fans: Toni # 7, Paul # 20
BillAdama:
Some of the catchiest, most energetic songs ever written.
Jonmarck:
Sometimes I find it strange that people consider this a "punk" debut. For one thing, Costello's backing band isn't the Attractions, it's the group that went on to become Huey Lewis and the News. Another thing is that his lyrics aren't half as nihilistic as his UK punk contemporaries. Sure they cut with carefully crafted cynicism, but it's way too playful to be taken seriously. There's no desperation here. Just a smartass rocker having fun with some snappy tunes. "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives" are the obvious standouts.
#99
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures (1979)
1126.33 points
AM 3000 rank : 71
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: Chevi # 24, Chris # 29
Moderator:
This album got a lot of votes but nobody put it very high on their list.
Jackson:
It's rare that I'm in the mood for this album, but when I am, there's an odd appeal in the fact that the instruments seemingly don't go together whatsoever. There's always some sort of interesting riff or drum beat going on, but sometimes it sounds like musicians from separate bands playing together. Ian Curtis isn't as emotionally desolate here as he is on Closer, but that is made up for by the album's genuinely catchy songs.
Moonbeam:
Posthumously revered as the blueprint from which so much post-punk was mapped out, Joy Division's first album casts a huge shadow over rock music- its insular, twisted lyrics and innovative, crisp instrumentation paving the way for legions of followers.
#98
Ramones – Ramones (1976)
1129.02 points
AM 3000 rank : 35
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: lagire # 5, Ramone666 # 13 (normal), Mitchell Stirling # 17
Moderator:
It's late seventies time ! Is that the 70s poll ? .
#97
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
1133.23 points
AM 3000 rank : 117
Appeared on 19 ballots / 68
Fans: Jacek # 10, Jonmarck # 13, Snusmumrik # 17
Moderator:
Same as above .
Jonmarck:
Neil Young avoided conventions like haircuts. Everyone was expecting a career-capping tour that would see the sensitive songman revisiting hits of yester-year. Instead he rounded up Crazyhorse, some massive amps and wrote a new setlist of pre-grunge anthems. The acoustic half is beautiful, particularly "Thrasher" and "Sail Away" but the real goods are on the electric side. "Hey Hey, My My" with its never-too-early Johnny Rotten reference is the big hit but all four thrashers became legendary in their own right.
#96
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones (1983)
1170.63 points
AM 3000 rank : 98
Appeared on 18 ballots / 68
Fans: Honorio # 6, Henrik # 11, Paul # 14
Moderator:
Swordfishtrombones seem to be a favourite for "senior" voters.
Honorio:
Instead of the jazzy piano-based sound of his previous efforts Tom Waits chose to produce shocking contrapositions of instruments, some coming from jazz (upright bass, brass or piano), some coming from different musical traditions (marimba, electric guitar, pipes, Hammond organ, glass harmonica) and some coming from the twisted Waits mind (personally modified instruments as chromelodeon or weird percussion effects as bell plate, parade drum, bass drum with rice or a chair pulled along the studio floor).
Nicolas:
A transition album for Tom Waits. He had just found a new label and a new wife and the results were striking : Tom definitely gave up his old jazzy style to invent a new form of music mixing all elements of popular music from the XXth century with Captain Beefhar or Moondog weirdness. The first of a fabulous trilogy that encompasses Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years.
#95
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love (1995)
1178.04 points
AM 3000 rank : 140
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: Henrik # 6, David # 16, Snusmumrik # 21
Moderator:
Good performance for PJ regarding her AM rank.
Rocky Racoon:
To me, this is Harvey’s embrace of womanhood. Gone are a lot of the insecurities of her first two albums as she definitely has her “voodoo working” over the course of 10 brooding rock and blues numbers that embody her unique style.
Honorio:
Polly Jean diminished a little the rawness and directness of her previous works and transformed herself into a glamorous, oblique, theatrical and sophisticated diva. And not losing the edge along the way, replacing the explicit representation of female sexual desires by no less disturbing tales of twisted loves and unsettling religious imagery.
Mmm, fantastic selections so far. One of the "seniors" is satisfied.
#94
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
1193,71 points
AM 3000 rank : 161
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: Ramone666 # 12, Peewee # 18, Beans # 19
Jonmarck:
Neil Young was high octane from day one. He just needed a pit crew. This sophomore effort teamed him with Crazyhorse for a light-hearted jam of some of Young's best country-rock tunes. "Cinnamon Girl", "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand", all written while Young was down with the flu, immediately stand out for their heavy riffs and improvisation. The Young/Crazyhorse team was at the beginning of a partnership that would yield some of the wildest rock music ever heard.
Nicolas:
The first Crazy Horse album, a monument of rock, and the first of the hard rocking Neil Young albums, with long playing songs and guitar solos, and of course Neil Young's unique sense of melody and songwriting.
#93
The Clash – The Clash - (1977)
1197,06 points
AM 3000 rank : 52
Appeared on 23 ballots / 68
Fans: Rocky Racoon #26, Mitchell Stirling # 27
Moderator:
First effort of the punk heroes was on nobody’s top 20 but it made 23 lists.
Maybe that’s why it didn’t get as high as on AM 3000.
Jonmarck:
Never had punk stabs and slashes cut so deep as when Joe Strummer and Mick Jones spat "I'm So Bored with the USA", "London's Burning", "Career Opportunities" and "White Riot". (...)It remains one of the best UK punk albums of all time, even better than the later Pistols album, which got more air-time but didn't last half as long. The Clash really were the only band that mattered.
Honorio:
Combat rock. A band of politically conscious punk-rockers turning upside down the music world with ferocious and energetic sounds. The sounds of the white riot, of the burning London, of the lack of career opportunities, of the Brits bored with the USA, of “police and thieves in the street / scaring the nation”, of hate and war. The sounds from Garageland.
#92
The Band – The Band - (1969)
1213.6 points
AM 3000 rank : 38
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: Paul #7, Greg # 14, Jonathon # 18
Jonmarck:
This no-nonsense sophomore placed the Band even deeper in their own mythology. References to moonshine, barn dances and the Old South float through on a sea of mandolins, piano and upper register harmonies. In the rock and roll world The Band stood out like Martians. So technologically-averse were they that they had trouble even organizing themselves into a suitable pose for the cover photo. Good thing Robertson was savvy enough to recognize the appeal of songs like "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up on Cripple Creek", "Across the Great Divide", "Unfaithful Servant", "Across the Great Divide" and "King Harvest Has Surely Come". Helm, on the other hand, was so entrenched in the 1850's that he considered "Rag Mama Rag" the best choice for a lead single because it was danceable.
#91
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours - (1977)
1235.25 points
AM 3000 rank : 54
Appeared on 18 ballots / 68
Fans: Henrik #5, VanillaFire1000 # 12, pmickey # 18
SR, you just HAVE to listen to Everybody knows...
You won't regret it...
Ok, just one more and then I'm going to bed
I can only give you the albums one by one like this cause i don't have much time at night. I acn't leave my wife alone all night..
But that leaves you time for discussion !
#90
Lou Reed – Transformer - (1972)
1237.52 points
AM 3000 rank : 76
Appeared on 23 ballots / 68
Fans: Miguel #22, Honorio # 25
Jackson:
Though at times inconsistent, Transformer's peaks are high enough to make up for some awkward lyrics and cringe-worthy moments. Few albums can match the one-two punch of "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day," which coexist alongside some less serious (but still enjoyable) anthemic rock songs.
Nicolas:
Lou Reed + Bowie, a great producer and two great songwriters, what are you asking for ? I love this album, provocative, playful, not only the big songs but also the les serious ones like “Hanging round”, “I’m so free” or the hilarious “NY conversation”
Honorio:
Lou Reed wasn’t merely a guest in English glam-rock party, in fact he was one of its main influences. Anyway he created the most definitive statement of the style (well, with valuable help from Bowie & Ronson). He came to England with his baggage full of memories of New York, of stories of transvestites and hustlers, of tales of NYC wild nightlife.
What constitutes a senior? I think i might be border-line
a senior ?
I don't know... a guy older than me ?
No, on the forum community standards, I would say somebody born in the 70s and before, which makes you absolutely borderline, Beans
I'd like to think we're in our prime.
Hey now! I was born 12/8/71 (prolly still need my info nicolas)...but don't feel old at all. (At work everyone still thinks I'm a young-un.)
#89
Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory? - (1995)
1240.35 points
AM 3000 rank : 79
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: Nick # 10, Peter # 12, Tim E # 16
Moderator:
Just like its big brother Definitely Maybe, this Britpop icon is moving down in comparison to the last 2 polls (#53 in 2005, # 67 two years ago). But it seems to stand the test of time a little better than its predecessor, which was higher in 2008's poll (#57).
Wes:
Of all the oasis songs I consider good, this album probably contains at least half of them
#88
Beck – Sea Change - (2002)
1242.63 points
AM 3000 rank : 674
Appeared on 18 ballots / 68
Fans: Steven # 5, Chris # 12, Harold Wexler # 14
Moderator:
IMO it is one of the big surprises of this poll. I really didn't expect this album in the top 100. Present in only 18 ballots, but mostly in the first half. Makes me want to hear it again.
Sorry, no comments available, but I'm sure there will be !
#87
The Stooges – Fun House - (1970)
1243.36 points
AM 3000 rank : 88
Appeared on 23 ballots / 68
Fans: Mitchell Stirling # 12, John # 13, otisredding # 18
Jackson:
This album accomplishes everything people want Exile on Main St. to in about 1/3 of the time. Dark, nasty, noisy, and proud of it, Fun House doesn't feature either of the Stooges' best two songs ("I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Search and Destroy"), but it more than makes up for it by producing their most consistently frightening atmosphere.
Honorio:
This album is the most perfect definition of rock & roll that one can dream, energetic, furious, sweaty and raw. It’s the cornerstone of a style with its roots in ancient blues and so many branches that extends till the current times, with legions of garage and rock bands with obvious debts to Iggy Pop. Rock & roll should always be like that: wild, dirty, loud and dangerous.
#96
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water - (1970)
1142.46 points
AM 3000 rank : 99
Appeared on 19 ballots / 68
Fans: Miguel # 2, Marc # 8, Henry # 10, Stephan # 12
Moderator:
Another album from 1970, but who could think of a more different record from Fun House than this one ? A good performance for a mainstream record in a poll that mathematically tends to penalize both middle of the road and extreme acts. And it is the first time a record gets 5 scores above 100 points (100 is #22).
This is what happened : I realized that I had given "Bridge Over Troubled Water" 102 points from Honorio's list that were due to "Bookends".
My apologies.
ok, I have time to post a few albums (just a few)
”New” #100
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground (1969)
1109.84 points
AM 3000 rank : 200
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: EdAmes # 4, Jackson # 15
Moderator:
Passing White Light/White Heat, the third VU album is 100 ranks ahead of its AM 3000 position
Nicolas:
Less, far less hype than the VU & Nico, but very charming album, more peaceful, closer to what lou reed would do in the 70's, now that Cale is gone.
Jackson:
I cite this album as proof that the Velvet Underground were one of the most versatile bands of all time. A complete departure from the artsy, avante-garde sound they pioneered on their first two albums, this self-titled effort is basically an acoustic singer-songwriter album. It might not reach the highs of its more-acclaimed big brother, but I actually find it to be more consistent, with self-reflective, religiously influenced lyrics. "The Murder Mystery" proves the VU could still do effective experiments, but songs like "After Hours" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are the heart of the album: mellow, well-written, and above all else, sincere.
"New" #89
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left - (1969)
1230.53 points
AM 3000 rank : 159
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: popelton # 4, Henrik # 12, Nassim # 18
Moderator:
Nick Drake is definitively a favourite of this forum. Each one of his three albums made the top 200 with a position higher than on AM 3000. Like Björk he hasn't got ONE unanimously acclaimed album. Hence this little spreading effect that stopped him from being higher than 85.
Nicolas:
A very special record, a very special singer for sure. Hugely influential (from Elliot Smith to The Tallest Man On Earth), he created his own brand of recognizable folk pop, using weird guitar tunings to craft magnificent melodies. On this album he's backed by strings, flutes and horns that provide a perfect setting for his beautiful (and very lonely) songs.
#84
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells - (2001)
1267.99 points
AM 3000 rank : 156
Appeared on 26 ballots / 68
Fans: Wes #22
Moderator:
Another album from the present decade. Jack and Meg appear on an impressive number of list without ever scoring high.
Jonmarck:
This is what I hate about mainstream audiences. Put out two decent blues/country/garage rock albums and no one cares. Hire someone to make a music video out of Lego and all of a sudden you're hot shit. It's a great album, particularly the sweetheart ditties "Hotel Yorba" and "We're Going to be Friends" but it makes you wonder what they'd be like if they just hired Michel Gondry at the start.
I hope all the guy who have vote for "Sea Change" have also vote for "Histoire de melody Nelson".
The model for Sea Change according to Beck himself. 
#83
Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted - (1992)
1320.57 points
AM 3000 rank : 123
Appeared on 21 ballots / 68
Fans: EdAmes #1, Brad # 2, beefsupreme # 7
Moderator:
This album was the victim of my first mistake: I had erased half of its points ! As you can see above, it has its devoted fans but only appear in 21 ballots. Pavement is another favorite among many visitors of this forum and beats his AM score by 50 ranks.
beefsupreme:
Sloppy fuzzed out instrument playing and a singer who’s rambling about a bunch of nonsense. Every once in a while he'll drop a line or two that hits like a ton of bricks ("In the Mouth of a Desert", "Here"). S&E sounds like it was good on accident.
jackson:
It's not the landmark album that followed, but Slanted and Enchanted does appeal with its pure eccentricity. Featuring some of the strangest song titles on any non-Sufjan Stevens or Of Montreal album, Pavement managed to create a consistently catchy brand of indie-rock that's lo-fi without being annoying.
#82
Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
1347.27 points
AM 3000 rank : 87
Appeared on 23 ballots / 68
Fans: VanillaFire1000 #4, Midaso # 24
nicolas:
I remember when this record came out (Iwas 24) my girlfriend fell immediately in love with the singer, but I didn't blame her. I found on the contrary that she had lots of taste, and Buckley was not a big threat. I remember when we parted, I cried alone in my dark room and I listened to Lilac Wine and Hallelujah. And I saw his famous Olympia concert.
jackson:
Unfortunately this would be Jeff Buckley's only studio album, making him one of the greatest 'what-ifs?' in music history. But he put out a record befitting his immense talent, both vocally and musically. His "Hallelujah" cover is without a doubt the definitive version of that standard, but several other songs are just as good: "Grace," "Last Goodbye," and "Lover, You Should've Come Over" in particular. Buckley's voice manages to be moving with virtually every note he hits, and combining this with his unique guitar tone and composition, this record maintains a hauntingly emotional mood throughout.
REM - Life's Rich Pageant
Gorillaz - Demon Days
in the new top 200 :
AC/DC - Back in Black
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Boo!
#81
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes - 2008
1353.69 points
AM 3000 rank : unranked
Appeared on 22 ballots / 68
Fans: pop elton # 5, Wes # 8, nicolas # 19
Wes:
otherworldly
nicolas:
You could mistake this record for some lost gem recorded in 1969, but no, this is 2008 and these guys are just KIDS. Kids who spent a lot of time listening to their parents’ record collection : CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel, the Beach Boys and Zombies, but also Gregorian chants and Sacred Harp singers. This album celebrates the pleasure of harmony singing, with beautiful, incredible melodies and sounds. And the band is great on stage. By far my favorite 2000s album.
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