Most Influential Albums of Your Life: V2.0
Oct 27, 2004 22:09:38 GMT -5
Post by halo19 on Oct 27, 2004 22:09:38 GMT -5
I decided to make an update on this one, since it seems I've been exposed to and have bought more music this year than any other year, and while it hasn't drastically taken any changes, it's noteworthy enough. I think I'll put 20 on here.
20. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown
I don't believe that it's questionable why this gets praise from the indie people. This is one time when I feel the hipsters are totally right. These tracks have hooks, and unlike some entries, this makes you want to dance! To me fun songs are enjoyable, and these won't insult your intellegence, either. That's what I like most in it, actually.
19. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
This may not be getting a lot of attention, but the diversity is just what I'd be looking for. It shows that even without immediacy of listeners, you can be just as much of a kick-ass band.
18. Tool - Lateralus
Indulgence is one theme highly related on here. I love it the way it's done on this album. I can't think of another band like this who just gets better and better with each album. Lyrically, this is their high. Even if not as angry as past recordings.
17. Moby - Play
It's something commonly used on the list, but if I thought of samples, it would be the awesome, near down-to-earth type samples used with this album. It's quiet, and yet there's also tracks which climax the album, such as the house-style "Machete".
16. U2 - Achtung Baby
This is much closer to what I like than their 80s albums, though I like those, too. While not as experimential, The Edge is a hard guitarist to rip off, and the emotion is well-shown.
15. Weezer - Pinkerton
It's hard not to love an album that's quirky and respectable. It isn't really like their other records, but here's where they had everything nailed down.
14. OutKast - Stankonia
This album is ideal hip-hop, and it even connects with people who aren't typical fans. There is some I love, and this album shows what most of that is. It's got many tracks, true, but it's completely enjoyable.
13. Depeche Mode - Violator
If you'll notice, there's a few entries here that were obviously influenced by this particular artist. This one does everything right, possibly the most influential synth album recorded.
12. Radiohead - OK Computer
This album has a lot that is just plain brilliant on here.
11. Gravity Kills - Gravity Kills
It's unquestionable as for what makes their music appeal to me. The music is agressive, and just listening raises the adrenaline level. This album, while dark in places, still makes me smile.
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
I mentioned last time how I wouldn't mention more than one album from the same artist. I'm sort of sticking to that, but there are exceptions. This one is such a different album from the other upcoming entry, it needs to be listed. The guitar work here is amazing, and one of the albums in which I loved learning it. Some of it you can hear Billy Corgan's pain in, and the talent is fully shown the more "Rocket" goes by. The band deservedly broke through with this release. I've never even considered foolishly classifying this album as anything.
9. Garbage - Version 2.0
This album has Garbage in a territory that they hadn't really broken in before or after the release. It's not as goth/grunge as the debut, or as new wave-y as the follow-up, but it has a little bit of both.
8. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Upon listening to this, it took a few months, but this stuff has a lot of depth and cannot be overlooked by me. Along with a later entry, this is current music that really blew me away.
7. Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
It's great to hear that Billy Corgan can make goth-influenced music, that has a lot of depth in it. His lyrical high. This is a great music to help me lighten up through "hard times". Musically, it's just as good as the lyrics, with some interesting electronics in "Pug", or the DM-style "Appels + Oranjes" (which inspired my AIM s/n), and some interesting piano-led storytelling ("Annie-Dog"). It may be 74 minutes, but it's just becuase Corgan has so much ambition.
6. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
This album perfectly shows what I think of an ideal rock 'n roll record as. Slick writing, catchy, and with some talent shown in. I can't believe no one views how awesome Dean DeLeo really is at guitar. Maybe not the best, but he could be the most underrated.
5. Beck - Odelay
Beck is perfect for fans of music that can be chaotic at times, and at others, beautiful. Each track is real diverse, and it's hard not to respect the ideas. It's very, very rare for me to say this, but I don't believe he'll do anything this good. That, however, is not to be expected once you do this.
4. Harvey Danger - King James Version
Oh, man. This is one artist who has clever lyric after another. I love hearing things that I never would have thought of ("the word freedom could make you want to lock yourself in a deep dark dungeon"). The record also pokes fun at those who are overly PC ("This Is the Thrilling Conversation..."), and the music does everything that the debut didn't do. "(theme from) Carjack Fever" shows them able to make something totally anthematic, and "Meetings" has kick-ass riffs. It's hard not to love it. Even the liner notes are amusing.
3. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
I may slightly prefer De Stijl, but this one is much more diverse. I love the mix of what is on the record. I wouldn't disagree that it isn't really innovative or even very groundbreaking, but I happen to think that this album is the dream for the lo-fi records.
2. VAST - Nude
Really, I would have each album listed, but that would almost look like how The Beatles did on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list. That aside, this album is everything I look for in music. It was heart-breaking not to include the first album, but this will do, since it's got a great diversity. I can relate to the tracks as well. It may not have been mastered and recorded how fans would've wanted, but what's included proves that you should spend time on what makes the depth of the record. I've heard nothing else like this.
1. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
As I mentioned earlier, this totally changed the direction in which I would perceive music. I never knew I really loved what people consider self-indulgent. Nothing on here really lasts too long, but both discs deserve to be heard. I love every previous NIN album, but I believe this one is the one that gives me ideas. While many hail pretty hate machine as the landmark album, that one had a couple of songs that didn't age well, despite being good. It beats the edge of VAST's just barely. Seriously I don't think I would have known about the type of music Reznor makes without having this album.
20. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown
I don't believe that it's questionable why this gets praise from the indie people. This is one time when I feel the hipsters are totally right. These tracks have hooks, and unlike some entries, this makes you want to dance! To me fun songs are enjoyable, and these won't insult your intellegence, either. That's what I like most in it, actually.
19. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
This may not be getting a lot of attention, but the diversity is just what I'd be looking for. It shows that even without immediacy of listeners, you can be just as much of a kick-ass band.
18. Tool - Lateralus
Indulgence is one theme highly related on here. I love it the way it's done on this album. I can't think of another band like this who just gets better and better with each album. Lyrically, this is their high. Even if not as angry as past recordings.
17. Moby - Play
It's something commonly used on the list, but if I thought of samples, it would be the awesome, near down-to-earth type samples used with this album. It's quiet, and yet there's also tracks which climax the album, such as the house-style "Machete".
16. U2 - Achtung Baby
This is much closer to what I like than their 80s albums, though I like those, too. While not as experimential, The Edge is a hard guitarist to rip off, and the emotion is well-shown.
15. Weezer - Pinkerton
It's hard not to love an album that's quirky and respectable. It isn't really like their other records, but here's where they had everything nailed down.
14. OutKast - Stankonia
This album is ideal hip-hop, and it even connects with people who aren't typical fans. There is some I love, and this album shows what most of that is. It's got many tracks, true, but it's completely enjoyable.
13. Depeche Mode - Violator
If you'll notice, there's a few entries here that were obviously influenced by this particular artist. This one does everything right, possibly the most influential synth album recorded.
12. Radiohead - OK Computer
This album has a lot that is just plain brilliant on here.
11. Gravity Kills - Gravity Kills
It's unquestionable as for what makes their music appeal to me. The music is agressive, and just listening raises the adrenaline level. This album, while dark in places, still makes me smile.
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
I mentioned last time how I wouldn't mention more than one album from the same artist. I'm sort of sticking to that, but there are exceptions. This one is such a different album from the other upcoming entry, it needs to be listed. The guitar work here is amazing, and one of the albums in which I loved learning it. Some of it you can hear Billy Corgan's pain in, and the talent is fully shown the more "Rocket" goes by. The band deservedly broke through with this release. I've never even considered foolishly classifying this album as anything.
9. Garbage - Version 2.0
This album has Garbage in a territory that they hadn't really broken in before or after the release. It's not as goth/grunge as the debut, or as new wave-y as the follow-up, but it has a little bit of both.
8. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Upon listening to this, it took a few months, but this stuff has a lot of depth and cannot be overlooked by me. Along with a later entry, this is current music that really blew me away.
7. Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
It's great to hear that Billy Corgan can make goth-influenced music, that has a lot of depth in it. His lyrical high. This is a great music to help me lighten up through "hard times". Musically, it's just as good as the lyrics, with some interesting electronics in "Pug", or the DM-style "Appels + Oranjes" (which inspired my AIM s/n), and some interesting piano-led storytelling ("Annie-Dog"). It may be 74 minutes, but it's just becuase Corgan has so much ambition.
6. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
This album perfectly shows what I think of an ideal rock 'n roll record as. Slick writing, catchy, and with some talent shown in. I can't believe no one views how awesome Dean DeLeo really is at guitar. Maybe not the best, but he could be the most underrated.
5. Beck - Odelay
Beck is perfect for fans of music that can be chaotic at times, and at others, beautiful. Each track is real diverse, and it's hard not to respect the ideas. It's very, very rare for me to say this, but I don't believe he'll do anything this good. That, however, is not to be expected once you do this.
4. Harvey Danger - King James Version
Oh, man. This is one artist who has clever lyric after another. I love hearing things that I never would have thought of ("the word freedom could make you want to lock yourself in a deep dark dungeon"). The record also pokes fun at those who are overly PC ("This Is the Thrilling Conversation..."), and the music does everything that the debut didn't do. "(theme from) Carjack Fever" shows them able to make something totally anthematic, and "Meetings" has kick-ass riffs. It's hard not to love it. Even the liner notes are amusing.
3. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
I may slightly prefer De Stijl, but this one is much more diverse. I love the mix of what is on the record. I wouldn't disagree that it isn't really innovative or even very groundbreaking, but I happen to think that this album is the dream for the lo-fi records.
2. VAST - Nude
Really, I would have each album listed, but that would almost look like how The Beatles did on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list. That aside, this album is everything I look for in music. It was heart-breaking not to include the first album, but this will do, since it's got a great diversity. I can relate to the tracks as well. It may not have been mastered and recorded how fans would've wanted, but what's included proves that you should spend time on what makes the depth of the record. I've heard nothing else like this.
1. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
As I mentioned earlier, this totally changed the direction in which I would perceive music. I never knew I really loved what people consider self-indulgent. Nothing on here really lasts too long, but both discs deserve to be heard. I love every previous NIN album, but I believe this one is the one that gives me ideas. While many hail pretty hate machine as the landmark album, that one had a couple of songs that didn't age well, despite being good. It beats the edge of VAST's just barely. Seriously I don't think I would have known about the type of music Reznor makes without having this album.
