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Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Ugh. Loaded is a pretty terrible album and it disgusts me that it outperformed White Light/White Heat.

Also, the order of the Kraftwerk albums seems wrong. Trans Europe Express may have taken Kraftwerk toward a synth pop sound, but The Man Machine and Computer World saw them perfect it, and they are far superior albums, in my book.

There are many artists on this list that I despise (The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.), but those are easy to pick given my taste. Instead, I'll express my puzzlement about Vampire Weekend. Just what the heck is so special about them? I haven't heard the album, but I've heard a good 5 songs from it and nothing sounds anything more than halfway decent.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nj

when i did the movie poll, i had to endure American Beauty in the t10. welcome to the physics of the AMF zone, son.


That movie would likely be in my personal top 10. Can we still be friends?

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam
Ugh. Loaded is a pretty terrible album and it disgusts me that it outperformed White Light/White Heat.

Can we still be friends?


^hell, yeah!

which reminds me of my old whine and gasp routine - no Echo n Bunnymen, Associates, Magazine, Comateens, Poly Styrene, Gap Band... burppphhh..

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Happy to see "Born in the USA" ranked so well (and almost beat out "Nebraksa").
But even more exciting than that is the "Stand!" has beaten "There's a Riot Goin' On" and will take it's rightful place as Sly's best album! I'm extremely excited for this!

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nj
Moonbeam
Ugh. Loaded is a pretty terrible album and it disgusts me that it outperformed White Light/White Heat.

Can we still be friends?


^hell, yeah!

which reminds me of my old whine and gasp routine - no Echo n Bunnymen, Associates, Magazine, Comateens, Poly Styrene, Gap Band... burppphhh..


Indeed. All of those acts had at least one album in my T200 except for Poly Styrene, who I must check out with a quickness.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henry
Schwah
3) Houses of the Holy is a recent rediscovery, and a new entry on my list. I probably placed it too high at 67, but I have been replaying it a ton, because it's so much fun. It's hard to find music that my whole family can get into when it's playing around the house, and Houses of the Holy would up fitting the bill surprisingly well. It's super-tuneful hard rock.

4) Deja Vu is another climber for me (sitting at 61). I've been trying for a while to figure out how to state why the harmonies of the Beach Boys fail to move me, but those of the Band, CSNY, and even the Grateful Dead do. There is possibly a greater messiness, less blend in vocals of the latter bands. (Although maybe the problem with Beach Boys is how nasally their blend can be.) But there is also a greater directness. On most of the songs on Deja Vu, the harmonic vocals are not mere sonic wallpaper. They are strong, forceful, and out-front. The vocals thrill rather than soothe. (Well, maybe not so on "Our House.")


I am always surprised at the lack of affection for some of the albums that I grew to love in my teens. It is especially surprising to see all this lack of affection in view of the high rating of albums such as Big Star #1 Record which had almost no impact on me or any of my friends when it was released in 1972. What is so wonderful about this album compared to Deja Vu or Houses of the Holy? In my view, the Big Star album has three notable songs: September Gurls, In The Street, and Watch the Sunrise. Other decent songs include: The Ballad of El Goodo and Give Me Another Chance. But, none of these songs engage me nearly as much as the best tracks on Deja Vu or Houses of the Holy. Yet it appears that many others prefer Big Star over either of Deja Vu or Houses of the Holy. It's always interesting to determine why there are such preferences. So, please inform me as to why Big Star's album is so well loved.


Well, all three of those albums (Deja Vu, Houses of the Holy, and #1 Record) are bunched up together in the 60's on my list. But I'm curious as to why you are comparing them. Aside from their all being early 70's rock albums, they are coming from very different places. CSNY spring from a folk rock base, LZ from a blues rock base, BS from a pop rock base. Each album is kinda doing different things.

Houses of the Holy and Deja Vu, I have known for a very long time, #1 Record is a relatively recent discovery (only in the past couple of years). But none of them were real favorites of mine in my teens. That said, I know what you're talking about when it comes to an out of hand rejection of the albums you loved when you were younger and less mature. I have tried to be both clear eyed about those albums (for me, most of the Beatles catalog, Tommy, and Bookends, among others) and still remember what made them so vital and important to me.

For me, #1 Record would probably drop fifty places if not for "The Ballad of El Goodo." I can't tell you how much I adore that song and it keeps growing on me. And I've got an embarrassing sweet spot for teen dramedies when it comes to films and movies. Between "In the Street," "Thirteen," and "When My Baby's Beside Me," the album is like a teen dramedy all unto itself.

But mostly, I just feel like they got the balance right: The sweet songs are really, really sweet. The rock songs actually rock. And all of the songs have at least a little bit of both to them.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

"I never knew this could happen to me"






[130] The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
Points: 1159 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 310 | 2009 Poll Rank: 172 (+42)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (7)



"Your madness fits in nicely with my own"




[129] Robert Wyatt | Rock Bottom | 1974

Points: 1175 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 196 | 2009 Poll Rank: 144 (+15)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (2)



"Working for the church while your family dies"




[128] Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007

Points: 1182 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 371 | 2009 Poll Rank: 187 (+59)
Biggest Fan:: Daniel (15)



"I've seen your picture
Your name in lights above it"





[127] Steely Dan | Aja | 1977

Points: 1188 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 320 | 2009 Poll Rank: 146 (+19)
Biggest Fans:: Georgie, Henrik (1)



"My own beliefs are in my song"




[126] Sly and the Family Stone | Stand! | 1969

Points: 1192 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 167 | 2009 Poll Rank: 167 (+41)
Biggest Fans:: Henrik, Listguy (6)



"Love in the 90s is paranoid"




[125] Blur | Parklife | 1994

Points: 1201 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 164 | 2009 Poll Rank: 120 (-5)
Biggest Fan:: Toni (2)



"When I live
I'll give it all I got"





[124] Sufjan Stevens | The Age of Adz | 2010

Points: 1207 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: N/A
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (1)



"May it be filled with the pleasure principle in circumference to my voice"




[123] De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | 1989

Points: 1210 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 77 | 2009 Poll Rank: 101 (-22)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (19)



"They're taking her children away"




[122] Lou Reed | Berlin | 1973

Points: 1216 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 188 | 2009 Poll Rank: 134 (+12)
Biggest Fan:: Antonius (7)



"My love is growing stronger
As you become a habit to me"





[121] Otis Redding | Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | 1965

Points: 1217 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 61 | 2009 Poll Rank: 105 (-16)
Biggest Fan:: Otisredding (24)

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam

There are many artists on this list that I despise (The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.), but those are easy to pick given my taste. Instead, I'll express my puzzlement about Vampire Weekend. Just what the heck is so special about them? I haven't heard the album, but I've heard a good 5 songs from it and nothing sounds anything more than halfway decent.


I have the first Vampire Weekend record in my top 20, so I will try to answer this. First of all, you need to understand the psychology of making lists and how things get critical acclaim. It adds up from more than just the music itself, even though everything in the top 500 is all great stuff. Its about time and place just as much.

1. In the "indie" music world, if Arcade Fire is the biggest band in the world, than Vampire Weekend is probably number 2. In terms of pure commercial power, only Arcade Fire and The Black Keys (who are on a major label indie subsidiary) can touch them. Their two records went gold in the US and platinum in the UK. If they moved to a major label and got real money and influence behind them, they would probably take Coldplay's mantle as the Biggest Rock Band in the World, and I do not mean that to be disparaging in any way. Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, The National, LCD, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, cannot hold a candle to the numbers they pull.

2. The first Vampire Weekend album was definitively a "new" sound in a decade where it was alot harder to find something in rock sounding original. The music is Orange Juice post-punk/twee meets afropop, two great tastes that go great together.

3. Their album is seen as a cornerstone(s) of New York's new rock "sound" for the late 2000s/early 2010s. It may have been Clap Your Hands Say Yeah who started that turn with their excellent debut, but Vampire Weekend took it to the next step: light, dainty pop hooks with a super clean sound, fanciful lyric. The Strokes made rock snarl, LCD gave it ironic quips on the side. Vampire Weekend is not as tongue-in-cheek as LCD was, and it sounded so happy. Coming out with a fully formed look, they, along with (surprisingly) Kanye West, are the musical artists that brought in the new wave of college prep fashion.

4. White people. A common joke is that Vampire Weekend is the whitest band on Earth. It is music made by upper middle class/upper class liberal professionals for upper middle class/upper class liberal professionals. Guess what 99% of the music critics in the world are?

All of those points explain why the album became popular while barely scratching the surface of the music itself. Its a new generation of simple-sounding pop melodies. You have catchy hooks without being soul-suckingly stupid like most club records. It sounds good on a movie or television soundtrack.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

"The Age of Adz" didn't make the top 100. I can sleep well tonight.

P.S. It's not that I dislike the album, (I think it's number 21 on my top albums of 2010) it's just that there's no way it should have beaten excellent 2010 albums such as LCD Soundsystem's, Beach House's, Janelle Monae's, and many others in this poll by such a large margin.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Disagree. The Age of Adz is the first perfect record of the new decade. The Suburbs and MBDTF get all the acclaim, but its the Adz that truly represents our broken times. Sufjan is leading us boldly into un-chartered musical and production territories. If Sufjan aims even higher on his next album, who knows what he'll accomplish.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Nick
"The Age of Adz" didn't make the top 100. I can sleep well tonight.

P.S. It's not that I dislike the album, (I think it's number 21 on my top albums of 2010) it's just that there's no way it should have beaten excellent 2010 albums such as LCD Soundsystem's, Beach House's, Janelle Monae's, and many others in this poll by such a large margin.


Why take aim at such a bold, colorful album when the positively bloated and dull The Suburbs has the audacity to rank so high?

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Vanillafire1000
Moonbeam

There are many artists on this list that I despise (The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.), but those are easy to pick given my taste. Instead, I'll express my puzzlement about Vampire Weekend. Just what the heck is so special about them? I haven't heard the album, but I've heard a good 5 songs from it and nothing sounds anything more than halfway decent.


I have the first Vampire Weekend record in my top 20, so I will try to answer this. First of all, you need to understand the psychology of making lists and how things get critical acclaim. It adds up from more than just the music itself, even though everything in the top 500 is all great stuff. Its about time and place just as much.

1. In the "indie" music world, if Arcade Fire is the biggest band in the world, than Vampire Weekend is probably number 2. In terms of pure commercial power, only Arcade Fire and The Black Keys (who are on a major label indie subsidiary) can touch them. Their two records went gold in the US and platinum in the UK. If they moved to a major label and got real money and influence behind them, they would probably take Coldplay's mantle as the Biggest Rock Band in the World, and I do not mean that to be disparaging in any way. Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, The National, LCD, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, cannot hold a candle to the numbers they pull.

2. The first Vampire Weekend album was definitively a "new" sound in a decade where it was alot harder to find something in rock sounding original. The music is Orange Juice post-punk/twee meets afropop, two great tastes that go great together.

3. Their album is seen as a cornerstone(s) of New York's new rock "sound" for the late 2000s/early 2010s. It may have been Clap Your Hands Say Yeah who started that turn with their excellent debut, but Vampire Weekend took it to the next step: light, dainty pop hooks with a super clean sound, fanciful lyric. The Strokes made rock snarl, LCD gave it ironic quips on the side. Vampire Weekend is not as tongue-in-cheek as LCD was, and it sounded so happy. Coming out with a fully formed look, they, along with (surprisingly) Kanye West, are the musical artists that brought in the new wave of college prep fashion.

4. White people. A common joke is that Vampire Weekend is the whitest band on Earth. It is music made by upper middle class/upper class liberal professionals for upper middle class/upper class liberal professionals. Guess what 99% of the music critics in the world are?

All of those points explain why the album became popular while barely scratching the surface of the music itself. Its a new generation of simple-sounding pop melodies. You have catchy hooks without being soul-suckingly stupid like most club records. It sounds good on a movie or television soundtrack.


Thanks for the in-depth explanation. I'll give the album a spin.

And can anybody tell me whether Aja is substantially different to the songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament? I've been meaning to seek it out, but the whitewashed dullness of those songs scared me off.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nicolas

About Antony, I really like his warmth and generosity in a decade where these qualities are not often showed on acclaimed records. And this is a very original record; i hated it at first listen in 2004-05, thought he was a Bryan Ferry imitator, but after a few years came back to it and it was a shock. Anther record where the whole (or the memory) is better than the sum of its parts.


MuCh ToOoOoOoOOoO MaNy ViBrAtOoOoOoOs AnD TrEmOlOoOoOoOoOoOs MaAaAaAaKe IiIiIiIiIiIt UnLiStEnAbLe To MeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeE

Lethem
Disagree. The Age of Adz is the first perfect record of the new decade. The Suburbs and MBDTF get all the acclaim, but its the Adz that truly represents our broken times. Sufjan is leading us boldly into un-chartered musical and production territories. If Sufjan aims even higher on his next album, who knows what he'll accomplish.


I rank the Age of Adz and Kanye West about the same, anyway I won't call any of them perfect. The Age of Adz is my #50 but if its peak are astonishing, it still has some lesser songs
And for me what really makes it great is its melodies and harmonies, the production is not that new (see Max Tundra as nj would probably suggest).

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

"The Devil's on the loose"





[120] Creedence Clearwater Revival | Cosmo's Factory | 1970

Points: 1228 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 195 | 2009 Poll Rank: 152 (+32)
Biggest Fan:: Gillingham (9)



"Every time I turn around I find I'm shot"




[119] Pavement | Slanted and Enchanted | 1992

Points: 1259 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 124 | 2009 Poll Rank: 83 (-36)
Biggest Fan:: Brad (4)



"Power music electric revival"




[118] OutKast | Stankonia | 2000

Points: 1261 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 168 | 2009 Poll Rank: 195 (+77)
Biggest Fan:: Beefsupreme (8)



"I feel the sky tumbling down"




[117] Carole King | Tapestry | 1971

Points: 1268 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 66 | 2009 Poll Rank: 183 (+66)
Biggest Fan:: Henry (8)


"I caught you knocking at my cellar door"




[116] Neil Young | Harvest | 1972

Points: 1278 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 97 | 2009 Poll Rank: 130 (+14)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (25)



"We don't notice any time pass"




[115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001

Points: 1294 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 197 | 2009 Poll Rank: 84 (-31)
Biggest Fan:: Dan M (24)



"Hello woman of my dreams"





[114] Neil Young | Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 1969

Points: 1302 | Votes: 17 | AM Rank: 180 | 2009 Poll Rank: 94 (-20)
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (23)



"This love becomes my torture"





[113] PJ Harvey | To Bring You My Love | 1995

Points: 1306 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 175 | 2009 Poll Rank: 92 (-21)
Biggest Fan:: David M (8)



"Part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time"






[112] Joni Mitchell | Court and Spark | 1974

Points: 1312 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 156 | 2009 Poll Rank: 148 (+36)
Biggest Fan:: Fred (14)



"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"




[111] Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1978

Points: 1321 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 112 | 2009 Poll Rank: 74 (-37)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (1)

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

I think the "other" new entry is The College Dropout. I can't see it being anything else.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Jackson

[131] Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols | 1977




Quite a shock for one of my absolutely all-time favorites. Hell, words certainly are not enough for this. At least it invented a whole music genre, influenced hundreds, sounds still fresh after 34 years, created a bunch of true anti-establishment 20th century modern anthems and is considered a classic by almost everyone, even the ones who despise it. I think I'll overcome this, but then again I'm not that mature.

To the rest now... I always thought "Born In The U.S.A." as the greatest '80s work of The Boss, so I am a bit surprised seeing it below inferior albums like "Nebraska" (uneven, some great songs in it, like the Dylanesque "Atlantic City", others are incredibly pretentious low-profile ballads like the title track) and, yeah, "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" ("Born To Run"-the more folky remake). "Reckoning" is good, but that's it. My favorite R.E.M. '80S record is "Document".
I'm happy to see "Stand!" above "There's A Riot Goin' On"; justice done.
Also two pleasant surprises on the high ranking of "Parklife" and "Stankonia, especially the second one considering hip-hop as an unpopular genre here.
And since "Cosmo's Factory" entered the Top 200 why not "Green River"? I always thought of them as almost equally splendid, the latter one a little more.
My all time favorite is a Velvet Underground collaboration album, but nothing else by them has really amazed me, "Loaded" is a really very strong album but the rest is at the best just good.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam
Nick
"The Age of Adz" didn't make the top 100. I can sleep well tonight.

P.S. It's not that I dislike the album, (I think it's number 21 on my top albums of 2010) it's just that there's no way it should have beaten excellent 2010 albums such as LCD Soundsystem's, Beach House's, Janelle Monae's, and many others in this poll by such a large margin.


Why take aim at such a bold, colorful album when the positively bloated and dull The Suburbs has the audacity to rank so high?


Is it bold? Yeah. Is it colorful? Yeah, but I think the word I'd use is "garish". My main gripe with "The Age of Adz" is it's way too crowded. The massive amount of sounds just distracts from the (oftentimes superb) lyrics. Also, "Impossible Soul" could be the textbook definition of masturbatory excess in music, and I once had to listen to a couple Emerson Lake and Palmer songs for a music class.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

2 sections late, and my numbers 1 and 2 are out !!

"Rock Bottom" is moving up. Goood. It takes a long time to get into that otherwordly record. Listening to it is like taking a walk under the sea and realizing you can breathe. Jackson, you didn't pick the original 1974 cover ! (kidding)

"Darkness On The Edge Of Town", on the contrary, lost some support (Beans why did you want to be a doctor ). Too bad but I'm happy it's still in the top 150. I understand that people can prefer Born To Run, my #5 , with all its arrangements and all, but Darkness is more mature. Bruce has finished playing Phil Spector. the sound is more simple, compact, live. The lyrics don't only deal with people who want to escape, but also with those who realized there was nowhere to go.

they made my list :

"Berlin" (126), "The Kids" is very very scary especially when you have kids, Berlin reads like novel but I prefer "Transformer" because you don't want to commit suicide after hearing it lol (ain't no sin to be glad you're alive)

Cosmo's Factory (24) : what a great rnr album in one of the ugliest covers ever printed ! You're almost in the studio with them when you hear that great record. A fantastic tribute to the 50s and 60s

Harvest (25) :enough said about that one. A masterpiece of mainstream country rock. I'm happy it is so high, feel less lonely (you could have helped me with the discussion you f...ers ). I thought it was outside the top 500 !!

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (60). Another great NY record, live and raw.

They almost made my list :

Stand ! (227). I only discovered that album last year, and it was a very exciting encounter. I need to give it more spins to tell if it's better than Riot

3 Feet High (262). Il est midi. C'est l'heure de déjeuner.


Otis Blue (234) because The Dock Of the Bay is my heart choice

I prefer Speakerboxx to Stankonia and Elephant to White Blood Cells (but no huge fan of the Stripes anyway)


I'm incompatiblewith The Knife (no shit), Slanted and Enchanted, Tapestry (for opposite reasons), PJ Harvey and... Joni Mitchell (Those two are cool but their music doesn't do it for me, Joni's voice and egocentrism irritate me).

I'd love to hear Aja and The Adge of Adz, especially the latter. Hope I'll get past my synth allergy because I think Sufjan is one of the greatest songwriters of the past 10 years, but as you say Nick, sometimes he has this tendancy to overload his arrangements. Apparently this is a love it or hate it album. Mmmmmmm...

@Nassim : we have our allergies to certain types of vocals. Me it's the way some indie rockers whisper with a faint voice as if singing normally with a clear voice was absolutely has-been or painful

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Looks like there's only one rap album left that was made for rap fans. And a few that were made for indie fans. The real versus the synthetic.

Glad to see Joni Mitchell jump spots, disappointed Silent Shout fell short of the top 100.

Sex Pistols may have been first, but they were far from best. I find their vocal embellishment really annoying. (GOD SAVE THE QUEEENNNNNNAAHHH!)

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Great discussions guys! I only have time for a short post and I'm sorry but it is a negative one. I have no idea what Adz is doing here. More is not more! It's an album I avoid because I fear I will lose my love for Sufjan's earlier albums. I am trying it again now but only get headache.

Stephan, great to hear about your love for "Aja"! Moonbeam, I'll answer you later if no one else does (if we still can be friends).

Ah, "I Walked" came on. What a relief.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Perhaps I don't understand the purpose of the quotations, but why have you quoted Joni Mitchell's song "A Case of You" bearing in mind that's from her Blue album?

As you might guess, I'm a big Joni Mitchell fan! I'm not disappointed by Court and Spark's ranking in particular, but Joni's "For the Roses" is really underappreciated and I think the AM score ranks outside the top 1000 which is ridiculous! I think female artists in general should be fairly represented in these all-time lists. Seriously, what is Carole King's Tapestry doing outside the top 100?

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

I'll echo Henrik's comment on Age of Adz. I've always liked him, but I felt Adz was a failed experiment... well obviously not a failure since it was well received, but to me it sounds like a mess minus a couple decent songs.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Stephen
Seriously, what is Carole King's Tapestry doing outside the top 100?


My 8th favorite. Not nearly edgy enough and too straightforward for the AM Poll Voters I would imagine.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Tapestry does not get much love here because its most beloved outside this forum's demographic. Carole King is considered "uncool" compared to Joni. It led to the 70s singer-songwriter schlock. I appreciate the songwriting she does, but I feel the most famous songs on the album were done better by other artists.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henry
Stephen
Seriously, what is Carole King's Tapestry doing outside the top 100?


My 8th favorite. Not nearly edgy enough and too straightforward for the AM Poll Voters I would imagine.


My two cents: Considering how many thousands upon thousands of albums have been released in the history of ever, all these debates this far into the poll results about, for example, an album that we've voted the 117th greatest of all time being somehow "undervalued" by the voters here seem a little...I don't know what. To quote a line from Inglourious Basterds: "I grow weary of these monkeyshines."

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

I don't like "Tapestry" not because it is soft rock (I love Harvest) but because like Vanilla said, she's not a great performer. To sing on these kind of mellow melodies and arrangements, you've got to have a voice. Carole King was a fantastic songwriter as soon as the early eighties but her solo records lack personality IMO.
It's not necessarily a question of demographics, as the AMer's birthdates spread from the 60's to the 90's : four decades !! Something Henrik should be very proud of.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Vanillafire1000
Tapestry does not get much love here because its most beloved outside this forum's demographic. Carole King is considered "uncool" compared to Joni. It led to the 70s singer-songwriter schlock. I appreciate the songwriting she does, but I feel the most famous songs on the album were done better by other artists.


Very good point.

I prefer Aretha's Natural Woman and Taylor's You've Got A Friend.

But, King's version of It's Too Late and I Feel The Earth Move are the best as far as I can tell.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nicolas

I'd love to hear The Adge of Adz. Hope I'll get past my synth allergy because I think Sufjan is one of the greatest songwriters of the past 10 years, but as you say Nick, sometimes he has this tendancy to overload his arrangements. Apparently this is a love it or hate it album. Mmmmmmm...


I think it will give you even a bigger headache than it gives Henrik, so take some paracetamol before listening to it. Most of the album’s potentially beautiful melodies are suffocated by excessive and unnecessary noise. I’d be surprised if you are anything but disappointed, but do let us know.

Jackson

[115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001

Points: 1294 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 197 | 2009 Poll Rank: 84 (-31)
Biggest Fan:: Dan M (24)


Then again, it appears that I’m the biggest fan of White Blood Cells, and I’m sure plenty of people find that album noisy and grating. But to my ears there are few things more pleasing than the album’s stripped-down, elemental rock and blues. It sends the happy hormones raging through me every time I listen to it.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henrik
Stephan, great to hear about your love for "Aja"!
Wasn't me who said that. We have a Stephen on the forums now, which I'll admit can be confusing. I even thought "Hey, I didn't write that!" a few times. I do love me some Aja though.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Let me join in on the "I don't get the Age of Adz" parade... I didn't realize how much this forum liked the album. To me, it doesn't come close to Sufjan's other materials. In this case, being experimental didn't play to his strengths.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Good point Harold, these are some of the best albums ever released that we are discussing (though I am sure some of the recent albums will drop in future polls, it takes a couple of years for really great albums to establish themselves).

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Not only do I not like Age of Adz, I think it is unequivocally the worst album I've ever listened to. Front to back, I have never actually heard a worse album.

A few surprises in that last section, I certainly didn't expect Tapestry and Harvest so high. And I really didn't expect Slanted and Enchanted out of the T100. Then again, the lion's share of the Pavement love on this board is directed to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, so I guess it's not a shock. For the record, I have CRCR above S&E.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Well, I 'm not sure i want to hear Age of adz anymore
I already had to take paracetamol after listening to Merriweather Post Pavillion !!
I think it's cool that we have Crooked Rain, Age of ADz AND Tapestry or Harvest. It reflects the diversity of this poll -and of the musical spectrum.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

So "Different Class" is making it to the 100 I suppose?

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Age of Adz needs a little support, so let me attempt to provide it.

1) It sounds great. Overlayered? Nah. To me all the weird little bits merge seamlessly into one, but every time you listen to it, there's another little bit to gaze upon. It's very warm and squidgy.

2) Heart and Balls. Even more so than Illinois, which to me is one of the most heartfelt and ballsiest albums of the last ten years (only The College Dropout and one Age of Adz comes to mind). It's not arrogance, it's Sufjan using the instruments that he has to tell us what he wishes to say in as beautiful a way as possible.

3) Impossible Soul. An extravaganza like few extravaganzas. Masturbatory? Only on my side.

I can't remember where I put it on my list, but I really think that over time as the 2010 albums fade away, this one will rise to the top.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

So far we have albums in the Top 200 from 1963 (Bob Dylan) to 2011 (P J Harvey). The peak year is 1969 with7 albums. The next biggest are 1970, 1971 and 1977 all with 5 albums each.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

This forum just ripped my heart out with all of that Adz hate and the fact that The Dullards has yet to appear.

As for The Age of Adz, all of those wacky embellishments have a purpose. That album is a war, with every fiery synth, volcanic beat and shrieking horn wielded as a weapon against his personal demons as well as mental illness. The dedication to Royal Robertson makes the mental illness angle clear, and the crazy instrumentation constantly demands the attention of the listener so that his main message don't fall on deaf ears - don't be distracted by the sundry everyday pitfalls and get well mentally, physically and spiritually. It was a powerful, powerful wakeup call for me - one that I desperately needed and one that I cherish greatly. I can concede that it is a challenging album to listen to because of its titanic production, but it makes Illinois (another album that I love) sound like absolute child's play in comparison.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

I'm not surprised in the least that Adz is divisive. That's kind of the point.

And to everyone surprised that Adz is so beloved by this forum, remember that only nine people voted for it.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

David M
So far we have albums in the Top 200 from 1963 (Bob Dylan) to 2011 (P J Harvey).

Yes, I was expecting some other album from the 1950s (apart of the album everyone is thinking of) getting into the Top 200 after the 50s poll. The ones in the Top 500 are:
[221] Dave Brubeck Quartet | Time Out | 1959 (#8 in the 1950s poll)
[234] Charles Mingus | Mingus Ah Um | 1959 (#2 in the 1950s poll)
[392] Howlin' Wolf | Moanin' in the Moonlight | 1959 (#5 in the 1950s poll)
[406] Chet Baker | Chet Baker Sings | 1954 (#3 in the 1950s poll)
[422] Elvis Presley | Elvis Presley | 1956 (#9 in the 1950s poll)
[466] The Crickets | The "Chirping" Crickets | 1957 (#20 in the 1950s poll)

The most notable absence in our list is the album that ended at #4 on the 1950s poll, Nina Simone's "Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club".


About "The Age of Adz", Sufjan's universe was rich enough to need to approach (to appropiate?) to the universe of Animal Collective. Why this "The Age of AC"?

Jackson, sorry to be picky but probably you don’t want to put :: after Biggest Fan but only :

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Just because I was bored I decided to go along and list all of the 2000-2009 albums that have appeared so far. I think that it should be pretty interesting to compare this list with the ongoing decade poll's results.


74. [498] Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | 2006
73. [494] The Shins | Wincing the Night Away | 2007
72. [493] Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | 2007
71. [486] Camera Obscura | Let's Get Out Of This Country | 2006
70. [480] The Streets | A Grand Don't Come for Free | 2004
69. [477] Bloc Party | Silent Alarm | 2005
68. [464] Animal Collective | Feels | 2005
67. [458] The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | 2009
66. [449] Joanna Newsom | The Milk-Eyed Mender | 2004
65. [443] The Tallest Man on Earth | Shallow Grave | 2008
64. [441] Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | 2002
63. [436] PJ Harvey | White Chalk | 2007
62. [428] The Shins | Oh, Inverted World | 2001
61. [427] Madvillain | Madvillainy | 2004
60. [426] Godspeed You Black Emperor! | Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | 2000
59. [419] Johnny Cash | American III: Solitary Man | 2000
58. [418] Deerhunter | Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. | 2008
57. [412] Boards of Canada | Geogaddi | 2002
56. [405] Coldplay | Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends | 2008
55. [399] Wilco | Sky Blue Sky | 2007
54. [398] Burial | Untrue | 2007
53. [395] Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000
52. [391] Animal Collective | Sung Tongs | 2004
51. [386] Brian Wilson | SMiLE | 2004
50. [385] Morrissey | You Are the Quarry | 2004
49. [384] Cannibal Ox | The Cold Vein | 2001
48. [358] Sigur Rós | ( ) | 2002
47. [353] Sleater-Kinney | One Beat | 2002
46. [351] Animal Collective | Strawberry Jam | 2007
45. [348] Belle and Sebastian | The Life Pursuit | 2006
44. [347] Sigur Rós | Takk... | 2005
43. [338] Sufjan Stevens | Michigan | 2003
42. [334] Sleater-Kinney | The Woods | 2005
41. [332] The Antlers | Hospice | 2009
40. [330] Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 2006
39. [326] Gorillaz | Demon Days | 2005
38. [325] Damien Rice | O | 2002
37. [320] Primal Scream | XTRMNTR | 2000
36. [315] Radiohead | Hail to the Thief | 2003
35. [314] Modest Mouse | The Moon & Antarctica | 2000
34. [307] Coldplay | Parachutes | 2000
33. [306] Super Furry Animals | Rings Around the World | 2001
32. [300] Elliott Smith | From a Basement on the Hill | 2004
31. [293] Kanye West | Late Registration | 2005
30. [279] The Wrens | The Meadowlands | 2003
29. [267] The Streets | Original Pirate Material | 2002
28. [264] Jay-Z | The Blueprint | 2001
27. [263] Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf | 2002
26. [261] OutKast | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | 2003
25. [260] LCD Soundsystem | LCD Soundsystem | 2005
24. [248] Fever Ray | Fever Ray | 2009
23. [242] Björk | Vespertine | 2001
22. [240] Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago | 2007
21. [236] The XX | XX | 2009
20. [232] M.I.A. | Kala | 2007
19. [220] The Shins | Chutes Too Narrow | 2003
18. [219] Radiohead | Amnesiac | 2001
17. [218] Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
16. [215] Joanna Newsom | Ys | 2006
15. [214] Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | 2004
14. [200] The National | Alligator | 2005
13. [181] The Avalanches | Since I Left You | 2000
12. [178] Portishead | Third | 2008
11. [171] Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001
10. [168] TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain | 2006
9. [166] PJ Harvey | Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea | 2000
8. [160] Interpol | Turn On the Bright Lights | 2002
7. [154] The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002
6. [153] Antony and The Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | 2005
5. [137] Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend | 2008
4. [130] The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
3. [128] Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007
2. [118] OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
1. [115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001

By my estimation, these are the 2000's albums left to appear in the top 110.

"Sound of Silver"
"Is This It"
"Funeral"
"The College Dropout"
"Illinois"
"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
"Elephant"
"Kid A"
"Boxer"
"In Rainbows"
"Merriweather Post Pavilion"
"Fleet Foxes"
"Person Pitch"
"Dear Science"

I'm pretty surprised that "Oracular Spectacular" hasn't shown up yet, but I highly doubt it will be in the top 110. Same goes for "Arular".

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Nick
I'm pretty surprised that "Oracular Spectacular" hasn't shown up yet, but I highly doubt it will be in the top 110. Same goes for "Arular".


Same goes for Person Pitch, too, I think - it didn't make the top 200 in 2009, and I doubt that it's going to be one of the three new entries yet to appear. Two of those will be The Suburbs and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, as has been noted ad nauseam - or, for Moonbeam and Bill Adama respectively, ad nauseated - and I'm predicting that the other one will be The College Dropout. I realize that will mean Person Pitch missed the top 500 entirely, but I can see that more easily than with TCD.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nicolas

"Darkness On The Edge Of Town", on the contrary, lost some support (Beans why did you want to be a doctor )


Haha Nicolas brilliant. Ya feel bad that I couldn't get a list in on time. Meant to get to work on it and but lifes been a bit hectic lately. Darkness and Rock Bottom would definitely have been comfortably top 100 albums for me.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

"I rock a house party at the drop of a hat"




[110] Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique | 1989

Points: 1325 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 119 | 2009 Poll Rank: 133 (+23)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (2)



"This could be such a beautiful world"





[109] Curtis Mayfield | Superfly | 1972

Points: 1342 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 145 | 2009 Poll Rank: 104 (-5)
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam (8)



"I don't mean to seem like I care about material things"




[108] Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion | 2009

Points: 1344 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 128 | 2009 Poll Rank: 106 (-2)
Biggest Fan:: Chris K (24)



"You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends"





[107] The National | Boxer | 2007

Points: 1352 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 346 | 2009 Poll Rank: 197 (+90)
Biggest Fan:: Penguin (2)



"This town is crazy
Nobody cares"





[106] Beck | Sea Change | 2002

Points: 1353 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 405 | 2009 Poll Rank: 85 (-21)
Biggest Fan:: Harold Wexler (10)



"I was swimming in the Caribbean"




[105] Pixies | Surfer Rosa | 1988

Points: 1357 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 96 | 2009 Poll Rank: 58 (-47)
Biggest Fan:: Toni (24)



"Let this take away from my spins"




[104] Kanye West | The College Dropout | 2004

Points: 1372 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 217
Biggest Fan:: Nassim (5)



"Thirteen month old baby broke the looking glass"




[103] Stevie Wonder | Talking Book | 1972

Points: 1403 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 111 | 2009 Poll Rank: 115 (+12)
Biggest Fan:: Henry (5)



"And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do"






[102] The White Stripes | Elephant | 2003

Points: 1406 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 101 | 2009 Poll Rank: 80 (-22)
Biggest Fan:: Billadama (5)






[101] Charles Mingus | The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | 1963

Points: 1412 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 418 | 2009 Poll Rank: 135 (+34)
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam (3)

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

And there we are. We now know what the top 100 albums are going to be, we just don't know the order. One artist has three albums in the top 100, three have four, one has six. Looking forward to seeing it unfold.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

I may complain about many of these rankings, but there's one thing I support: the number 101 album is better than every album below it. Awesome improvement for an album that just missed the top 100 by 0.7 points.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Wow, I never realized that "Dear Science" was so beloved in this forum. It looks like it just made the top 100.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

So many incredible albums in that stretch. Absolutely loaded. Surfer Rosa outside the T100 is a surprise indeed. Seeing Paul's Boutique and Supafly out is painful though.

Also, Suburbs in the T100 :(

Edit: Is seems morel ikely to me that Dear Science missed the T500 rather than it being in the T100.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

SR


Edit: Is seems morel ikely to me that Dear Science missed the T500 rather than it being in the T100.


I wouldn't count on it. Last poll, "Dear Science" cracked the top 200.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

How did Surfer Rosa and Elephant fall so far? Great run, 101-110.

I think I can stomach MBDTF being in the top 100, so long as It Takes A Nation Of Millions does better. If it doesn't, you guys are seriously insane.

I don't have anything against The Suburbs, it's just kind of 'unspecial'.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Love the placement of "Boxer" this time -- it really is a subtle masterpiece. I also like that its stature is rising each year; it's great that more and more people are starting to appreciate it.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Penguin
Love the placement of "Boxer" this time -- it really is a subtle masterpiece. I also like that its stature is rising each year; it's great that more and more people are starting to appreciate it.
Our incessant fan boy antics are paying off!

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Rap is one of the few genres that I can't seem to enjoy, and I've really tried with it. Seriously, I wouldn't even be able to suggest even a single rap album which I've enjoyed, and that concerns me for some reason.

I've noticed that it's not uncommon to meet people who find the Rap genre distasteful in the UK. I think critics are usually more positive with Rap records in the US than they are over here (not that Rap records never get positive reviews in the UK), so I was wondering whether that it's just a coincidence or whether it's just a culture thing? Perhaps could you can suggest a Rap record which you think I'll find accessible?

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

You could check out some A Tribe Called Quest or maybe The Roots.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Stephen
Perhaps could you can suggest a Rap record which you think I'll find accessible?


Well if you enjoy neither It Takes a Nation of Millions, the College Dropout, Original Pirate Material, Enter the Wu-Tang, Paul's Boutique, Stankonia and 3 Feet High and Rising, you should probably give up ^^
(It Takes a Nation... is, by far, the album I like the least in this list, looks like I'm insane)

I would have liked to see Paul's Boutique and College Dropout in the top 100, but those are already very good results for hip-hop albums.
I think College Dropout remains Kanye's best album, but if MBDTF's acclaim helps put more lights on his previous albums it's fine with me.

I will join the ""the Suburbs" and "Dear Science" are good but no top 100 material" club

Anyway, best news : 2 Elliott Smith albums in the top 100 !

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

110-101

First impressions : many records from the 00's ! Too much ? Maybe. May I call that a lack of perspective ?

I agree with Harold : what the fuck if one album is 110th and not 90th. Better discuss albums that numbers.

Now Negative Nancy, go home to your garden gnomes !

I'm happy to see Super Fly and Talking Book (respectively my #76 and 66): still some great soul classics left to come (2 Stevie, 1 Marvin, and I got no hope for On Nation Under A Groove anymore). I have a special love for Talking Book. Heart factor places it slightly above Innervision;

I should try Merriweather once again, but I'm afraid (I should rename this album "Fear Of Music"). "My girls" irritates me because of the high pitched synths. I remember some good melodic moments though, but kind of wasted by that production. Genetically modified music is not my cup of tea;

Boxer was a good discovery of the 00s poll : great , deep album indeed, but to soon to make my top 200. As I said before, I don't know "Se"Lost Cause" is a fantastic songa Change" well enough, but it sounds great too. Beck obviously listened to some Gainsbourg, the British Gainsbourg of the seventies.

Happy to see a jazz album like "The Black Saint" so high, even if I prefer the rootsier "Ah Hum". I should give Black Saint a couple more listens. That is the big problem of the Internet era : so many records are available that you don't spend enough time listening to one album, and sometimes you miss the most challenging ones.

And Stephen, I support Stephan's rap recommendations. Try these groups if you haven't heard them yet. About rap in the UK there's a British rap scene, right ? I didn't know that rap didn't get good critics there. Here in France we have a lively -if not always talented- rap scene and rap records get good critics sometimes.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Nassim
Anyway, best news : 2 Elliott Smith albums in the top 100 !

I find it amazing that everyone seems to know what albums are coming,just not in what order. I try not to think about what albums haven't come yet so I can be surprised by the appearance of something I hadn't expected

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Midaso

I find it amazing that everyone seems to know what albums are coming,just not in what order. I try not to think about what albums haven't come yet so I can be surprised by the appearance of something I hadn't expected


Midaso, I'm like you ! Like watching a magician do his tricks without trying to figure out how he does.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nicolas
Midaso

I find it amazing that everyone seems to know what albums are coming,just not in what order. I try not to think about what albums haven't come yet so I can be surprised by the appearance of something I hadn't expected


Midaso, I'm like you ! Like watching a magician do his tricks without trying to figure out how he does.

Same here. I love to be surprised now and then.

Looking forward to the top 100!

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Gillingham
nicolas
Midaso

I find it amazing that everyone seems to know what albums are coming,just not in what order. I try not to think about what albums haven't come yet so I can be surprised by the appearance of something I hadn't expected


Midaso, I'm like you ! Like watching a magician do his tricks without trying to figure out how he does.

Same here. I love to be surprised now and then.

Looking forward to the top 100!


I don't keep track of the 100 albums, it just happens that one of the 2 Elliott Smith albums is my all time #1, so I'm keeping a close eye on this one ! (and the other contains my favorite song ever).

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Just to keep the Age of Adz debate alive, one of the interesting things about its high score is how few voters listed the album, just 9 voters and it made 124. The other Top 200 albums with 9 votes all sit in the 180 to 200 zone. So it has a few fans that like it a lot. Will it fall from grace in the next poll or rise to sit alongside Illinoise as a second masterwork?
I saw Sufjan perform the album live earlier this year and still can't decide what I think of it. An amazing live concert, though that's different from an amazing album.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

That's it; seems our agony is coming to an end . I like White Stripes but not to a great extent- in a way, it's better they are off the Top 100. However I think " Talking Book" should be in as Wonder's greatest achievement- seriously, is "Songs In The Key Of Life" that better? I still wonder though about "Different Class" and if, along with the traditional and righteous inclusion of the usual suspects called Dylan and Beatles in the top 10 will be also Radiohead. I also think that " Funeral" will be in the Top 20 though not deserving it if you ask me ( not that I do not like it at all of course).

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

David M
Just to keep the Age of Adz debate alive, one of the interesting things about its high score is how few voters listed the album, just 9 voters and it made 124. The other Top 200 albums with 9 votes all sit in the 180 to 200 zone. So it has a few fans that like it a lot. Will it fall from grace in the next poll or rise to sit alongside Illinoise as a second masterwork?
I saw Sufjan perform the album live earlier this year and still can't decide what I think of it. An amazing live concert, though that's different from an amazing album.


Well, I'll do my part to keep its ranking lofty! I ranked it #15, and I don't see it falling as time goes on.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Particle Analyst
That's it; seems our agony is coming to an end . I like White Stripes but not to a great extent- in a way, it's better they are off the Top 100. However I think " Talking Book" should be in as Wonder's greatest achievement- seriously, is "Songs In The Key Of Life" that better?


I'm probably not the biggest Stevie Wonder fan here, but he is in my top 20. Songs in the Key of Life is my favorite album from the 70s. It contains everything I love about Stevie. I enjoy every song and feel enriched whenever I listen to it. Talking Book is good and Innervisions is great, but neither one matches up with the wall-to-wall excellence of Songs in the Key of Life for me.

along with the traditional and righteous inclusion of the usual suspects called Dylan and Beatles in the top 10


There goes my lunch.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Zorg
Age of Adz needs a little support, so let me attempt to provide it.

1) It sounds great. Overlayered? Nah. To me all the weird little bits merge seamlessly into one, but every time you listen to it, there's another little bit to gaze upon. It's very warm and squidgy.

2) Heart and Balls. Even more so than Illinois, which to me is one of the most heartfelt and ballsiest albums of the last ten years (only The College Dropout and one Age of Adz comes to mind). It's not arrogance, it's Sufjan using the instruments that he has to tell us what he wishes to say in as beautiful a way as possible.

3) Impossible Soul. An extravaganza like few extravaganzas. Masturbatory? Only on my side.

I can't remember where I put it on my list, but I really think that over time as the 2010 albums fade away, this one will rise to the top.


LONG LIVE THE AGE OF ADZ

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam

I'm probably not the biggest Stevie Wonder fan here, but he is in my top 20. Songs in the Key of Life is my favorite album from the 70s. It contains everything I love about Stevie. I enjoy every song and feel enriched whenever I listen to it. Talking Book is good and Innervisions is great, but neither one matches up with the wall-to-wall excellence of Songs in the Key of Life for me.




See, there's a common ground between Moonbeam and me !!!

Songs In The Key is top 10 for me. It's better than Talking Book because it is... longer

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam


along with the traditional and righteous inclusion of the usual suspects called Dylan and Beatles in the top 10


There goes my lunch.


Haters gonna hate

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Particle Analyst
Moonbeam


along with the traditional and righteous inclusion of the usual suspects called Dylan and Beatles in the top 10


There goes my lunch.


Haters gonna hate


I don't have a problem with people enjoying The Beatles and Bob Dylan. I just don't think there's such a thing as a "righteous" inclusion.










Other than 1999, of course.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

nicolas
Moonbeam

I'm probably not the biggest Stevie Wonder fan here, but he is in my top 20. Songs in the Key of Life is my favorite album from the 70s. It contains everything I love about Stevie. I enjoy every song and feel enriched whenever I listen to it. Talking Book is good and Innervisions is great, but neither one matches up with the wall-to-wall excellence of Songs in the Key of Life for me.




See, there's a common ground between Moonbeam and me !!!

Songs In The Key is top 10 for me. It's better than Talking Book because it is... longer


Hark! Common ground!

Despite your allergy to synths and mine to roots music, I think we approach music in somewhat of a similar way.

As for Songs in the Key of Life, its length does indeed work in its favor, but I also think it is stunningly even more consistent than Talking Book and Innervisions despite its length.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Lethem
Zorg
Age of Adz needs a little support, so let me attempt to provide it.

1) It sounds great. Overlayered? Nah. To me all the weird little bits merge seamlessly into one, but every time you listen to it, there's another little bit to gaze upon. It's very warm and squidgy.

2) Heart and Balls. Even more so than Illinois, which to me is one of the most heartfelt and ballsiest albums of the last ten years (only The College Dropout and one Age of Adz comes to mind). It's not arrogance, it's Sufjan using the instruments that he has to tell us what he wishes to say in as beautiful a way as possible.

3) Impossible Soul. An extravaganza like few extravaganzas. Masturbatory? Only on my side.

I can't remember where I put it on my list, but I really think that over time as the 2010 albums fade away, this one will rise to the top.


LONG LIVE THE AGE OF ADZ


ETERNAL LIVING!

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam
Vanillafire1000
Moonbeam

There are many artists on this list that I despise (The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.), but those are easy to pick given my taste. Instead, I'll express my puzzlement about Vampire Weekend. Just what the heck is so special about them? I haven't heard the album, but I've heard a good 5 songs from it and nothing sounds anything more than halfway decent.


And can anybody tell me whether Aja is substantially different to the songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament? I've been meaning to seek it out, but the whitewashed dullness of those songs scared me off.


Perhaps someone might bother to answer your question if you provided a musically understandable description of what you believe is lacking from the Steely Dan songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament.

I would suggest that you express your lack of affection in terms that are more musically descriptive than "whitewashed dullness." Perhaps then someone could reasonably answer your question. After all whatever meaning you intended for rather vague "whitewashed dullness," the reader needs to interpret the expression in the context of your rather contrarian and strident distaste for such marvelous musical performers such as: The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Vampire Weekend.

I should note that the song Aja was included in the World Cup Tournament, so it is likely that whatever your distaste is for Steely Dan it was not particularly ameliorated on the Aja album. There is no reason that I am aware of to believe that Fagen and Becker had a major transformation after the release of Katy Lied and then changed dramatically again after the release of Aja.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henry

Perhaps someone might bother to answer your question if you provided a musically understandable description of what you believe is lacking from the Steely Dan songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament.

I would suggest that you express your lack of affection in terms that are more musically descriptive than "whitewashed dullness." Perhaps then someone could reasonably answer your question. After all whatever meaning you intended for rather vague "whitewashed dullness," the reader needs to interpret the expression in the context of your rather contrarian and strident distaste for such marvelous musical performers such as: The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Vampire Weekend.

I should note that the song Aja was included in the World Cup Tournament, so it is likely that whatever your distaste is for Steely Dan it was not particularly ameliorated on the Aja album. There is no reason that I am aware of to believe that Fagen and Becker had a major transformation after the release of Katy Lied and then changed dramatically again after the release of Aja.


My distaste for The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, et al is not contrarian. I just don't like them.

Steely Dan, on the other hand, I don't dislike. There are elements in their music that I can appreciate, and even a song that I can enjoy ("Reelin' in the Years").

What I mean by the whitewashed sound is that it sounds like they could be performing in any lounge in any restaurant in any place in the world, and the vocals are generally without much feeling in my view. They could be the house band for SNL for all I know.

Come to think of it, I do remember "Aja" being part of the World Cup, and there was a weird little synth that came in toward the end that I wished was around a bit longer. It was one of their songs I found the most interesting.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Moonbeam
Henry

Perhaps someone might bother to answer your question if you provided a musically understandable description of what you believe is lacking from the Steely Dan songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament.

I would suggest that you express your lack of affection in terms that are more musically descriptive than "whitewashed dullness." Perhaps then someone could reasonably answer your question. After all whatever meaning you intended for rather vague "whitewashed dullness," the reader needs to interpret the expression in the context of your rather contrarian and strident distaste for such marvelous musical performers such as: The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Vampire Weekend.

I should note that the song Aja was included in the World Cup Tournament, so it is likely that whatever your distaste is for Steely Dan it was not particularly ameliorated on the Aja album. There is no reason that I am aware of to believe that Fagen and Becker had a major transformation after the release of Katy Lied and then changed dramatically again after the release of Aja.


My distaste for The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, et al is not contrarian. I just don't like them.

Steely Dan, on the other hand, I don't dislike. There are elements in their music that I can appreciate, and even a song that I can enjoy ("Reelin' in the Years").

What I mean by the whitewashed sound is that it sounds like they could be performing in any lounge in any restaurant in any place in the world, and the vocals are generally without much feeling in my view. They could be the house band for SNL for all I know.

Come to think of it, I do remember "Aja" being part of the World Cup, and there was a weird little synth that came in toward the end that I wished was around a bit longer. It was one of their songs I found the most interesting.


Thanks for the clarification. The vocals on Reelin' in the Years were done by someone other than Fagen (the voalist was David Palmer - Palmer quietly left the group during the recording of the second album, soon hooking up with Carole King, with whom he wrote the 1974 #2 hit "Jazzman". So, Can't By A Thrill (1972) may be the only album on which you can avoid the Fagen vocal stylings.

In my view, the vocals are not any more emphatic on Aja than SD's other albums. Quite the contrary, the Aja persona is more laid back, more jazzy than some of the other albums where SD rocks out a bit more. As usual there is an exception and that is the song "Peg" in which Michael McDonald's vocals should be more to your liking than Fagan's.

Even though Aja is more consistently solid (each and every song) than other SD offerings it is not my favorite. Others (especially Henrik) clearly prefer Aja to SD's other offerings, and with good reason I am sure.

Besides Peg, other singles from Aja were Josie and Deacon Blues. You might find the lyrics in Deacon Blues a bit fun as Fagen wants a name when he loses to contrast Alabama's Crimson Tide and their winning ways.

While I enjoy Black Cow and Home At Last, I am not confident that you will find them particularly appealing. While I consider I Got the News to be the weakest track on the Album, it is still worth a listen (for most folks).

I would like to know how you rate the Aja offerings compared to the songs I used in the World Cup, perhaps I could change things up if I get to manage SD again.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henry
Moonbeam
Henry

Perhaps someone might bother to answer your question if you provided a musically understandable description of what you believe is lacking from the Steely Dan songs that were chosen in the World Cup tournament.

I would suggest that you express your lack of affection in terms that are more musically descriptive than "whitewashed dullness." Perhaps then someone could reasonably answer your question. After all whatever meaning you intended for rather vague "whitewashed dullness," the reader needs to interpret the expression in the context of your rather contrarian and strident distaste for such marvelous musical performers such as: The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Vampire Weekend.

I should note that the song Aja was included in the World Cup Tournament, so it is likely that whatever your distaste is for Steely Dan it was not particularly ameliorated on the Aja album. There is no reason that I am aware of to believe that Fagen and Becker had a major transformation after the release of Katy Lied and then changed dramatically again after the release of Aja.


My distaste for The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, et al is not contrarian. I just don't like them.

Steely Dan, on the other hand, I don't dislike. There are elements in their music that I can appreciate, and even a song that I can enjoy ("Reelin' in the Years").

What I mean by the whitewashed sound is that it sounds like they could be performing in any lounge in any restaurant in any place in the world, and the vocals are generally without much feeling in my view. They could be the house band for SNL for all I know.

Come to think of it, I do remember "Aja" being part of the World Cup, and there was a weird little synth that came in toward the end that I wished was around a bit longer. It was one of their songs I found the most interesting.


Thanks for the clarification. The vocals on Reelin' in the Years were done by someone other than Fagen (the voalist was David Palmer - Palmer quietly left the group during the recording of the second album, soon hooking up with Carole King, with whom he wrote the 1974 #2 hit "Jazzman". So, Can't By A Thrill (1972) may be the only album on which you can avoid the Fagen vocal stylings.

In my view, the vocals are not any more emphatic on Aja than SD's other albums. Quite the contrary, the Aja persona is more laid back, more jazzy than some of the other albums where SD rocks out a bit more. As usual there is an exception and that is the song "Peg" in which Michael McDonald's vocals should be more to your liking than Fagan's.

Even though Aja is more consistently solid (each and every song) than other SD offerings it is not my favorite. Others (especially Henrik) clearly prefer Aja to SD's other offerings, and with good reason I am sure.

Besides Peg, other singles from Aja were Josie and Deacon Blues. You might find the lyrics in Deacon Blues a bit fun as Fagen wants a name when he loses to contrast Alabama's Crimson Tide and their winning ways.

While I enjoy Black Cow and Home At Last, I am not confident that you will find them particularly appealing. While I consider I Got the News to be the weakest track on the Album, it is still worth a listen (for most folks).

I would like to know how you rate the Aja offerings compared to the songs I used in the World Cup, perhaps I could change things up if I get to manage SD again.


Thanks for the description! I think you hit on something with the vocals. "Laid back" is really not my thing vocally or musically.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

l've never thought of Steely Dan's 70s music as laid back. I say its their balanced style that turns off the kind of music listeners that are mostly staying in their corner expecting for everything to be like what they're used to. I frequently see others mention Prince & Steely Dan as their favorite artists. I grew up with a lot of Prince and I like a lot of his songs. I had his debut as the only Prince LP in my top 500, but he would peak later on inconsistent albums (1979-1984).

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Georgie
l've never thought of Steely Dan's 70s music as laid back. I say its their balanced style that turns off the kind of music listeners that are mostly staying in their corner expecting for everything to be like what they're used to. I frequently see others mention Prince & Steely Dan as their favorite artists. I grew up with a lot of Prince and I like a lot of his songs. I had his debut as the only Prince LP in my top 500, but he would peak later on inconsistent albums (1979-1984).


I am not in a position to speak for Moonbeam. But, the laid back vocals are relative to the pop vocalists that I hear Moonbeam rave about, e.g., Madonna and Annie Lennox. I appreciate Prince but Steely Dan has been one of my faves since 1972 and Prince was never close to being one of my favorites. Steely Dan provided great music with exquisite composition, production, and instrumental virtuosity - especially with their horns and guitars. But, in my view what makes Prince special is his creative rhythms and use of percussion. As much as I love Steely Dan, I do not remember their percussion and rhythms as the strength of their creativity and virtuosity. I also vaguely remember others disagreeing with me on this point.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Henry, how can you say that David Palmer does the singing on Reeling In The Years? He only sings 2 songs on that album and clearly that's not one of them. I also disagree about the rhythm. They don't rely on it, but there's still a lot of it. I still don't understand why some describe them as complex/difficult and others say stiff/predictable. An example of the balance that I'm talking about.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Georgie
Henry, how can you say that David Palmer does the singing on Reeling In The Years? He only sings 2 songs on that album and clearly that's not one of them. I also disagree about the rhythm. They don't rely on it, but there's still a lot of it. I still don't understand why some describe them as complex/difficult and others say stiff/predictable. An example of the balance that I'm talking about.


Mea Culpa on the Reelin' in the Years vocal.

As I noticed a few minutes ago, Palmer does vocals on Brooklyn and Dirty Work (as I recall SD's first single).

While I don't find any innovative percussion in SD's works, they were remarkably precise and tight. They weren't straightforward or predictable in my view, and they worked magic with whatever complexity they brought to their songs.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Steely Dan's first single was Dallas/Sail the Waterway in '72. Dlrty Work was never a single or b-side.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Georgie
l've never thought of Steely Dan's 70s music as laid back. I say its their balanced style that turns off the kind of music listeners that are mostly staying in their corner expecting for everything to be like what they're used to. I frequently see others mention Prince & Steely Dan as their favorite artists. I grew up with a lot of Prince and I like a lot of his songs. I had his debut as the only Prince LP in my top 500, but he would peak later on inconsistent albums (1979-1984).


Props to For You! I certainly find it to be weaker than his celebrated stuff, but it definitely has its charm. "Just As Long As We're Together", "Soft and Wet" and "In Love" are firm favorites.

As a Prince fan, I also come across many fellow fans who also list Steely Dan as a favorite, and Aja in particular. I never really sought them out and was hoping this AM World Cup would give me the impetus I needed to explore them more. While I wouldn't say the music itself is laid back (I'd say it's more sophisticated than laid back), the vocals do seem rather sterile. I guess I was hoping for something with a bit more teeth. Perhaps I need to listen to them outside of the context of a song here and there.

Re: 2011 AMF All-Time Albums Poll Results Thread

Georgie
Steely Dan's first single was Dallas/Sail the Waterway in '72. Dlrty Work was never a single or b-side.


I thought is was Do It Again. Thanks for the info.

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