Favorite Albums

Hey guys, I'm really into music, and am always looking for new bands, albums, and songs to get into. There's really no genre I hate or won't listen too as long as the music's good. So I'll just talk a little about some albums I really like and you guys can join in. I picked albums because I think they really embody the essence of a work of art, as well as not being too broad like a band or too specific such as a song.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head - Coldplay
AROBTTH is my favorite album from Coldplay, and with them being my favorite band, it's definitely my favorite album ever. The sense of yearning, longing, and melancholy that can be found in it are almost overwhelming, but requires of lot of digging to find. With Chris's vocals being so happy and joyful, it's hard to remember sometimes the weight of the lyrics, and when you finally have that moment of truly hearing them, you wonder how he can sound as optimistic as he does. The music is also superb, with the piano especially being a strong point. This album is what inspired me to pursue music in a personal way, and completely changed how I viewed playing the piano. For that I'm eternally grateful to Coldplay for creating this album. Every instrument helps build an atmosphere that drags you deeper and deeper into feeling the melancholy, with the military-like drumbeats, shimmering guitar, and some of the most intricate basslines I've heard (also an inspiration for my bass playing). Every song on the album is stunning and thoughtfully crafted in its own right, but 'Warning Sign' and 'Amsterdam' have to be my favorite tracks, and really drive home those feelings of loss and earnestness that are so prevalent in the album.

Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
If you had told me that Jagged Little Pill would be one of my favorite albums ever when I first listened to it, I would have told you you're crazy. But Ms. Morissette has crafted one of the most addicting albums I've ever heard, and the amount that this album grows on you is simply put, insane. I went from liking one song, to three, then to seven, until I'd listen to it all the way through without skipping. The music is amazing, with the bass in particular being played mostly my Flea. Needless to say, he's incredible, with his work here being the best I've heard him. However, all the instruments pale in comparison to Alanis Morissette's vocals, who has probably the most powerful, unique, and expressive voice I've had the privilege of listening to. Her range is amazing, and she constantly slips in and out of tune, but it sounds perfect no matter what she does. Her lyrics are blunt, forward, and can even sting with pain and irony. Her wordplay is better than any hip-hop artist, and when she wants, she can wail better than any soul singer. 'You Learn' is quickly becoming my favorite track, but 'You Oughta Know' and 'All I Really Want' show off just how awesome her voice and her backing band are.

Well, those are just two of my long list of albums I love. I might post some more later after everyone else has had a turn, but for right now I'd love to hear what you guys are listening to.

You've set the bar high Homura-Chan. I know you really do love that music and have dug deep into each bit of those albums. I wish I was more into music but it comes with time and I think slowly learning the guitar will help. So here are a few of my favorites:

El Camino - Black Keys
Their latest album is a lot cleaner than their earlier stuff. In fact I do like a lot of their earlier, more raw songs better, but I picked them up one by one and never got to experience the songs all together as an album. Being the only full Black Keys album that I own I have to say this is my favorite I've ever heard. In case you didn't know the Black Keys are my all time favorite band. Their raw, delta blues inspired, funky style is just beautiful to me. Dan and Pat are some of the only modern musicians I know anything about and there is a reason for that. Though listening to any Black Keys is likely to make me speed a little nothing beats driving down the highway with El Camino blasting through the speakers.

Fantasies and Synthetica - Both by Metric
Two more of the alarmingly few complete albums I own, these two have quickly risen to the top of my favorite songs. Me and Homura-Chan stumbled upon Fantasies in a Barnes and Nobles in Baltimore I think, and we both liked what we heard. It was listening to it on my amp at night in the basement that made me love the music. It just pulses through you with every beat. There is a quality to it that just makes your body move and pulls your attention. If I had a better understanding of music I could describe it better but I simply know that I like what I hear. While both albums have their own distinct feeling both get me lost in the sound of each instrument and I suggest listening to them at full volume to get the full experience if you check them out.

I really should start buying albums instead of getting single songs because there is something different about having the whole thing and listening through it all together. I'll try to dig into my music a little more and come back with more albums and better ways of explaining why they are great. I'm definitely going to check out Jagged Little Pill too, sounds quite interesting.

Yeah, I think having an ability in music definitely helps me get more immersed into the albums. As a musician I not only look for enjoyment in the music, but inspiration; especially from the piano and bass. These are also albums that I've listened to well over 50 times, some more than 100, so I know my way around them. I don't want to be intimidating though. It's always been a little hobby of mine to dissect songs and albums, just sitting around thinking about them and what makes them so engaging for me to hear. I guess if my psychology career falls through I could always be a music reviewer/journalist.

Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
Shoegaze is one of my favorite genres of music solely because of this album; My Bloody Valentine's magnum opus. To say this is the epitome of Shoegaze would be an understatement; Loveless IS shoegaze, and at its core is something that all other shoegaze bands tired for and failed to achieve, including My Bloody Valentine themselves. Upon first listen, Loveless sounds like a bunch of random noise. Guitars so loud they drown out the bass, vocals so low they are comparable to ethereal whispers, and drums that beat with such intensity that they stand out like whiteheads on the ocean of sounds created. But soon you realize that the point of Loveless isn't understanding, it's feeling. The emotions created by the band are indescribable; an orgasmic explosion of noise filled with love, sexual energy, longing, tension, and mystery. Decipherable vocals are nearly nonexistent, with Bilinda's voice sounding like a ghost lost in the maze of guitar reverb, yet it's hauntingly beautiful. But you don't need the vocals to understand what's going on; the instruments create meaning and expression that only they could have provided. Each songs is incredibly guitar-heavy, with waves of tremolo distortion crashing all around the listener without ceasing. The imagery created has to be experienced, and my words cannot fully capture the textures and swirling drones that are present at every turn. As for standout tracks, all 11 are masterpieces in their own right, but 'I Only Said' and 'Come In Alone' I feel truly embody those feelings of love and passion, where as 'Soon' provides a dark, mysterious end to this wonderful work of art.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
As a lover of alternative and pop rock, you'd be hard-pressed to find a rap artist that I genuinely enjoy listening to. However, because of circumstances even I don't fully understand, Kanye West has had me hooked on his music ever since I heard 'Stronger.' A little while after, he released MBDTF, which I felt almost obligated to get. Similar to Jagged Little Pill, I had a slow start getting into this album, but as I played it over and over, I began to see what a sprawling, huge album it truly was. Kanye's on top of his game when it comes to production value, and every song on here sounds so, so good. The beats are thick and heavy, and the inspirations from classic rock, pop, and even classical music that he stitched together makes every song sound uniquely different. But it's the lyrics that really make this album what it is. West has always been egotistical, and nothing's changed here. This is West rapping about West, and to say he's being honest doesn't even begin to cut it. He sings that he's so low that things can only get higher from now on, that he's such a monster he's afraid of being shot during his shows, and asks to give a toast to the douchebags and asshole (himself included). This is a concept album if there ever was one, and with every verse he raps you can feel the pride, self-loathing, and vulnerability he's experienced first-hand. Along with West, a cast of characters join him in many songs, each finding their own voice in the chaos. Kanye knows how to use his collaborators like no one else, and every guest appearance is perfectly managed and fitted into the already bulging songs. 'Runway' is definitely my favorite track here, and quite possibly might be my favorite song period. The anguish in West's voice as the song continues is all too real, with the vocoder solo at the end particularly moving. 'Monster' shows off just how great West's friends can be, with Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj giving stunning performances, while 'Power' is all Kanye, and is just as amazing.

These albums aren't in any particular order by the way, I'm just writing about what I'm listening to right now or feel like sharing about. Granted, they may be a bit wordy, but these 'confessions' per say are pretty cathartic for me, and personally give me a better understanding of why I love the music I do. Also, thanks for sharing Crow, I remember how random finding Metric was; now they're a standard for good music to me.

You're not intimidating at all. Your analysis of the albums is just the type of awesome content I wanted to see spring up from the roots of this forum. I feel like there is so much to say about the things that move us and yet it is so seldom spoken about or communicated in the refined form that you posted.

I think you gave me Loveless didn't you? I'll listen through it a few times and try to pay attention to what they've done and why. I'd love to add more full albums to my collection of music and from the few songs I've heard My Bloody Valentine is going to be another one of my favorites. What was your take on El Camino? I know I have a much more significant affinity for The Black Keys than you but I would like to hear what you have to say about that album as well.

Thanks; I just feel a slight hint of pretentiousness when I go back over what I wrote, like it's a review or something. But it is from the heart, and with music taking up such a large part of my heart, I can say that I'm being as genuine as I can. Opening up feels really good. And yes, I did give you Loveless, along with Isn't Anything, their first album, which I plan on talking about later as it's another one of my favorites. Sorry to say it, but I don't own El Camino, only Brothers from the Black Keys. I'm not nearly as deep into it as most of the albums I'm intending on writing about, but I definitely enjoy their sound and raw energy. Maybe when I've listened to it a bit more I'll write about it. They're one of the few current bands out there that I respect.

OK Computer - Radiohead
If AROBTTH is the yin, then OK Computer is the yang of my all time favorite albums, as well as Coldplay and Radiohead when it comes to favorite bands. OK Computer is one of those albums that floored me when I first listened to it. The perfection that this album holds is unspeakable, and every time I hear it I find something new that makes me fall in love with it even more (which is nearing 100 times; by far my most played album along with Loveless). Radiohead has made a scary, dark, sad album. Melancholy is too gentle a word to use; OK Computer is a downer. Loss and loneliness are constant themes that persist throughout the album, and you can feel it in your bones if you listen hard enough. 'Subterranean Homesick Alien' tells of a man shown the meaning a life by an alien race, only to have his friends lock him away in an asylum because they doubt his sanity. The weakness of humanity is also on display, with songs about how even the strongest man in the universe can ultimately die in a car crash, and how a superhero must be helped out of a burning plane wreck. Thom Yorke is a lyrical genius, and his singing isn't far behind. His falsetto could very well be one of the most wonderful sounds to experience, but even with his strength, he doesn't overpower the rest of the band; they are far too good to let that happen. The guitar work is phenomenal, with solos so fierce that Jonny needed to play most songs with a wrist braise, to melodies played so softly by Ed that you'd think he was on a celesta. The bass doesn't falter either, with 'Airbag' having one of the most memorable basslines in music history. The drums shine in many songs, and their importance to the album cannot be understated. Much of the later half of the album contains just insane technical drumming, and listening to OK Computer has been one of the only times that I've wished I was a drummer myself. This is a truly wonderful album, and not much can compare to listening through it in its entirety. More than any other album I share, every track on OK Computer is a winner, with none having a dull moment. 'Airbag' is personally my favorite, but 'Paranoid Android' is considered one of the best songs in Radiohead's catalog, and 'The Tourist' has incredible guitar work and is a fitting end to the album as a whole.

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
AROBTTH was the Coldplay album that reignited the flame of my music playing; and similarly, Viva La Vida was the album that kindled the fire for my music listening. Every album I talk about I've experienced because I first listened to Viva La Vida. This album is where my love for music truly began, and it'll always hold a special place in my heart for doing so. When I first heard it, it's like I was hearing music for the first time. Nothing I had listened to previously could compare to the amazing work that Coldplay did with this album. The lyrics were deep, abstract, and thoughtful. Chris sings of love, war, and the hardships of fighting the good fight when death and sin and constantly tempting you. It's encouraging and uplifting at times, with 'Lost!' especially giving hope that even when down, you definitely don't have to be out. It's also dark and mysterious, with more than a few songs about ghosts and how a hardened heart can separate one from God. There are a lot of religious themes that are at work in the album, but they're as hard to find the answers to as they are to make out in the noise. The instruments are Coldplay's harshest to date, with Viva La Vida nullifying their claim that they're a soft rock band. The guitar is loud and thick, with '42' and 'Violet Hill' being incredible to blast at high volumes. Shoegaze and metal are definite inspirations, and the changes between soft and full on make for very interesting dynamics, which the bass helps with a lot. Will does an excellent job on the drums, especially when he brings out the church bell and timpani; one of the few instances where I'll ever air-drum. Strings are a major part of Viva La Vida, but they don't feel shoehorned in, and fit perfectly that the classical feel of the songs. The entire album flows from one song to the next, so listening without skipping is a treat and shows how creatively the tracks are strung together to make a fully formed story. While not a concept album, the French Revolution feel gives way to a lot of stunning imagery that not many other albums can form. 'Yes' and '42' are awesome tracks, with strings and guitar being a joy to listen to on each respectively, but 'Viva La Vida' is the standout song here, with it's story about a king who lost his crown to Revolutionaries, and the fear that heaven might be too far away for him to reach. No other album I've experiences is as accessible to get into, yet has so much to offer if dissected.

Okay, so My Bloody Valentine is a little hard for me to delve deep into now, but three albums that I will do a nice long description of when I rack up more play-throughs are Heligoland, Mezzanine, and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. I gave Massive attack and Flaming Lips a listen and they just get stuck in my head. Yoshimi Battles Pt. 1 has been sung many a times already and the others were very interesting to listen too. Like I said, I will try to dissect them more later but from the initial impressions, I know I really like these guys.

Isn't Yoshimi amazing? I absolutely love that album, and consider it one of my favorites; which means I'll be writing about it too. I should really get some more Flaming Lips albums seeing as how much I love that one. I thought you'd like Massive Attack. Both of those albums are a little abstract and distant (even for me), so it's been hard for me to get deeper, although 'Dissolved Girl' really opened my eyes to how great Mezzanine is. But knowing what you listen to, I can see how they'd be right up your alley. As for MBV, they are definitely an acquired taste, and I know plenty of people who just simply don't like shoegaze in general, so not finding them inaccessible isn't uncommon. Loveless is pretty much the antithesis of the raw, garage rock/blues of bands like the White Stripes and Black Eyes.

Low - David Bowie
I'm not too keen on classic rock, and there's little music I can say I genuinely like from before the 90s. David Bowie however is a god among older acts, and is basically the only "classic" artist that I've taken the time to understand inside and out. Of all his great albums (more of which I'll talk about later), Low blows every one of them out of the water, and it's very close to the top of my all-time favorite records. Strangely, Low is one of the weirdest, most inaccessible albums I've ever heard, and the sense of confusion is what stuck in my head more than anything the first time I heard it. But like a siren calling me to sea, Bowie's crafted world brought me back again and again to experience all that it had to offer. Bowie is known for his incredible voice, and Low is no exception. But it's a different kind of singing; he sounds weary, withdrawn, and distant. There's no campy, happy lyrics from his earlier day here, only hollow, almost empty words that make you feel his pain (Low was written at the height of his cocaine addiction). Bowie sings of making the same mistakes over and over, yet not having the foresight and control to stop himself, and how he wishes he could stop people from seeing him tear himself apart. However, what makes Low so strange is that more than half the album is instrumental. But even without his voice, Bowie creates some of the greatest music I've heard. It's in these soundscapes that Low truly shines, and the abstract, avant-garde atmospheres of swirling noise will leave you breathless with emotion. I must say that although I might sound like I'm talking about Loveless, Low's imagery is starkly different than shoegaze, but my words can't really make them out to be so. Bowie creates minimal, sparse, and eerie landscapes that are scary and mysterious; most of the instrumental music was written about the horror and sadness Bowie saw in Berlin and the Wall during his time there. He uses his voice as an instrument, whispering and mumbling incoherently on some tracks, which only add to the sorrow they create. Many songs don't have anything but keyboards playing, their dark, brooding tones echoing endlessly through the mountains and valleys of sound. It's credit to Bowie as a composer more than a musician that he's able to express so much emotion so unconventionally. 'Speed Of Life' is my favorite track, being one of the few upbeat songs on the album, along with 'What In The World.' 'Warszawa' is however the standout track, with melancholic, abstract, and sorrowful noise all coming to a head in his beautiful depiction of post-WWII Warsaw.

I've been sad that the activity on the forum has pretty much ceased, but I thought I'd continue talking about some albums because I genuinely enjoyed posting my past 'dissections' and I don't want to work on homework anymore tonight.

Echoes - The Rapture
My newest favorite album, I've had Echoes for maybe 2 months now, and every time I listen to it I find it more addicting. The Rapture is a weird band; and one genre can't really pin them down, but the closest thing I'd say they are is dance-punk. A strange genre for a strange group, Echoes makes me want to get up and dance. I could imagine spending a night on the dance floor with this album on repeat for hours; it's so fun and groovy in the best sense of the word. Instrumentally The Rapture is perfect. Drums have never sounded so good as they do here, and the liberal use of cowbell is so cool. The guitar is high-pitched and shrieky, blaring at almost cut-out volumes. The bass is so dirty and steely; I'd be hard-pressed to find a sexier sounding rhythm section. The vocals though will be the breaking point for most people. Luke Jenner sings with one of the most shrill, off tune voices I've hear, and unlike Alanis Morissette it can sometimes sound terrible. But in a good way. The dancy, upbeat songs on Echoes create a perfect space for his vocals to fit, yelling blindly into the mic as hip-hop-esque beats and sleazy basslines whirl around him. And on their softer songs, his dying cat yelps become beautiful swooning falsettos. The only really weak point of the album is the lyrics, which on most of the dance songs aren't remarkable or even worth listening to, but on the handful of ballads the words really start to dig deep. "Love Is All" and "Open Up Your Heart" are slow, moving love songs that wouldn't look out of place on a Coldplay record, and show a much more mature side to this otherwise fun-loving band. I've just begun to sink the time into Echoes that it deserves, and I already in love with it; which shows just how great it is. For standout songs, Echoes has a lot of them, with "House Of Jealous Lovers" and "Olio" being some of the most rockin' tracks I've heard, and "Love Is All" being the quiet, passionate love song that with stick with you after the partying is over.

Kid A - Radiohead
It figures that my first Radiohead album I got my hands on almost 4 years ago would be the weirdest one in their catalog. Weirdest album probably ever if I'm being honest. Kid A was a revelation to me; a window into how abstract and mysterious music can sound. How strange lyrics and randomly spliced mumblings can have such profound meaning. How dark and brooding instrumentation can pull at your strings of your soul. Radiohead's first electronic album is scary, bleak, and perfectly minimalist. They went from thrashing guitars to bleeping keyboards, and intense drums became robotic taps. Yorke beautiful falsetto changed into insane babblings and electronic moans. You can feel the eerie emptiness in his voice as he sings about... well, that's where Kid A shines. You don't know what is being sung about. Created during the darker days of Radiohead, when the band was constantly being threatened with splitting up, Yorke was suffering from intense writers' block. Many of the songs were written by cutting up pieces of paper with random ideas and phrases on them and dropping them in a hat, then drawing them out of making lyrics out of what was in his hand. It shows, with not one of the songs having understandable lyrics or coherent thoughts. But the magic of Kid A is putting your own meanings to them. For me, "Everything In Its Right Place" is about completely the opposite, "Optimistic" is about dinosaurs roaming the earth, and "Idioteque" always makes me think of Evangelion. Is this what Radiohead had in mind when they made these song? I have no idea, but to me they mean so much, and shows just how deep the album is. The imagery that Kid A architects is endless in its possibilities; the end of the world, ever-growing roots of ancient trees, falling through your own dreams, the list can go on and on. This album need to be experienced to understand fully the effect that it can have on how you view music and yourself. "Idioteque" is my favorite song off Kid A, with it being the epitome of the dadaist lyrics and having wonderful instrumental work. "How To Disappear Completely" also is one of the more traditional songs, with lovely acoustic guitars and some of the most bittersweet lyrics about dissolving into the void of the unknown; much like the place this album will take you, and place that you'll want to return too again and again.