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About the Meat Puppet albums: "Up On The Sun" has a more laid back and melodic feel than the punkier II, and Kurt Kirkwood's voice is smoother so if these differences sound appealing you might like "Up the Sun" better. I think it's a perfect summer album.
But then again I'm one of those REM fans who think "UP" is underrated. 
according to your all time album list, Bill, you're obviously not THAT much into pop. so I'd say Taxman and Green are a pretty safe bet for you. however, Faith and Like A Prayer are at least worth giving a listen, although the consistency of LAP is quite debatable 
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Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
"Stay away from this album or you're likely to change your opinion about your brother"
Thats some of the best alum buying advice i,ve ever heard
Talking With The Taxman is Billy's best album. It's melodic, meaningful, and touching - get it. It's worth it for Levi Stubbs Tears alone.
R.E.M.'s Green is also pretty darn good. Sure, it's not Automatic For the People or Document, but is very satifying. It's got Stand, Orange Crush, Pop Song 89, and World Leader Pretend on it for Pete's sake. I just saw the boys in concert (1st date of a world tour in Burnaby BC, Canada - a suburb of Vancouver) and they played Get Up from the album and it went over well too.
*Checks timestamp*
Yeah, I thought this thread died two and a half months ago. Thanks for the belated advice though. 
I do have new questions though, so when in roam.
Tom Petty - Damn The Torpedoes
Tom Petty is the sort of guy who I don't like that much, but when he happens to come on the radio, I don't complain. He's talented, but only a few of his songs are unlame. The question is, is there a concentration of those unlame songs on Damn The Torpedoes.
ABBA - Arrival
I've hardly heard any Abba at all. It's popular enough, but I'm just skeptical of pop.
Van Halen - s/t
I think Jump is a great song but the rest of 1984 is lame.
Dire Straits - s/t
I like Brothers In Arms. But still, it's mainstream enough to make me skeptical.
Boston - s/t
I've heard like their one hit, and ditto the Dire Straits comment.
Genesis - The Lamb Lies On Broadway
I hate Phil Collins, and very few prog has ever managed not to sound indulgent to me.
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
I like Stayin Alive, but. You know.
Bob Marley - Natty Dread, Exodus
I have Catch A Fire, which I sort of like, but raggae is a sort of music I enjoy at first then dies on me, so they'd have to be better than Catch A Fire to interest me.
Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Love Fairport Convention, find Turn Out just above average.
Prince - Parade
Love 1999, Sign, Purple Rain, like Dirty Mind. The question is, how sharply does the quality decline after his absolute best?
These are all albums I think might be good enough to want to hear them. But, they'll never be as high on my list as stuff like Before And After Science, Suicide, New York Dolls, Stranded, Rock Bottom, etc.
I can speak up for Parade. It was recorded in the midst of what is mostly regarded as his classic period (80-8
. Here's my review:
Having succeeded in planting a giant question mark in the minds of the public and fans alike with Around the World in a Day, Prince once again dipped his feet into soundtracks with the follow-up, Parade. As usual, Prince was busy with his myriad side projects, but managed to deliver an album for the ages with his soundtrack to the less successful movie Under the Cherry Moon.
While Around the World in a Day came as a shock to listeners at the time with its whimsical psychedelia, Parade actually ups the ante and delivers Prince's most colorful album to date. By this point, the Revolution had become a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders, incorporating a wide assortment of influences and styles to put forth this stunning document of their prowess. Parade is also the album that sees the band distribute the roles most, as Wendy and Lisa are heard singing throughout, even carrying the vocal lead on "I Wonder U". Sadly, it would prove to be the last album released before the ugly breakup of the band.
The album greatly succeeds as a soundtrack for the film. With a seemingly limitless palate, the album boasts gleeful woodwinds (see the dreamy fog of "I Wonder U"), xylophones ("Christopher Tracy's Parade") and lush strings and horns that burst with the color absent from the movie itself. Set in the summer of the French Riviera, piano ballads such as "Under the Cherry Moon" and the gorgeous "Venus de Milo" effectively communicate the extravagance of the white aristocracy portrayed. "Do U Lie", a dainty little ditty, sounds as removed from modern rock and roll as anything in Prince's entire career, strolling on virtually bereft of percussion and guitar to set a tone of 20s glamor.
But just in case you forgot who was in command, Prince lays down some serious funk on this album. "New Position" reminds us that he's still as nasty as ever in spite of the slick guise, while "Girls and Boys" stands out as the most polished funk jam of his career with its sassy finger cymbals and greasy horns. Who knew synth strings could be so funky? The album's blockbuster single, "Kiss" bursts forth with its minimal guitar crunch and some of his very best vocals to date. Another single, "Anotherloverholenyohead" sees the bass guitar slapped to submission as Prince unveils his now trademark paranoia with a sing-along chorus practically unmatched in his repertoire.
The most noteworthy tracks, though, are those where Prince and company turn spiritual. "Mountains" sees the band at its most heavenly, its rapturous joy exuded with messages of encouragement in the wake of turbulence. "Love will conquer if you just believe", Prince affirms as Wendy and Lisa chime in for the angelic chorus. A glorious success, "Mountains" captures the ecstasy of Lovesexy in an economic 4 minutes. On the other side of the coin, the closing ballad "Sometimes It Snows in April" resonates with pain and loss as Prince's tale of the lead character's life and death isn't so specific as to diminish its effect. Anyone who has ever experienced loss should relate to this song and lines like "Love isn't love until it's past," which just aren't written anymore.
Parade suffers from little more than preceding the monumental opus Sign o' the Times, and as a result benefits from its lack of overexposure. Prince would never create an album that is more colorful (although Lovesexy makes a strong case), nor would he ever release such a great album without any grandstanding. But brilliance has its price. The Revolution yielded four astonishing albums from 1982-1986 and Parade acts as a perfect benchmark of their reign, brimming over with ideas. But alas, all good things they say never last.