So ... what's your favourite ever album?

axisus · April 2022

Just pick one! Please don't post lists, lets keep it simple.

Ideally post a pic and say something about it.

axisus · April 2022

For me it is Genesis Selling England by the pound. An amazing album of inspired music from 1973.

Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/GenesisSellingEngland.jpg

This was Genesis at their peak for me, and has two of my very favourite songs ever (Cinema show and Firth of Fifth). I love every song though.

Cinema show is a beautiful song, and the keyboard solo almost brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. There is something emotional about it, something that tugs at the heart strings. The wonderful combination of keyboard playing and drumming gets me every time. It also has my favourite song ending ever, the way that the song gradually winds down then segues into the curious little album ender, Aisle of plenty. Firth of Fifth has a wonderful keyboard intro, and Steve Hackett's guitar solo is amazing, possibly my fave solo ever. Once again it is so incredibly emotive.

I never liked the cover - weird painting surrounded by a horrible creamy yellow border, but I wouldn't want a copy with any other artwork.

Reverend · April 2022

Iron Maiden - Killers

The perfect blend of early 80s metal aggression ands 70s metal swing.

Gassage · April 2022

Image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/718UqqIPsGL._SL1426_.jpg

Grumpyrocker · April 2022

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

First metal album I bought. I vividly remember getting the bus into town to go buy it at Woolworths. I was 15 and the album had been out for a few weeks. I was big into drawing at the time and the album art was more of a draw for me at first, and fitting in with some friends at school who were getting into metal.

But getting home and putting that vinyl on the player. Oh my. Life was never the same again.

A week later I was back in Woolies buying Somewhere in Time on vinyl. I still have those vinyls I bought in 1988 and are treasured.

Seventh Son is still my favourite album, not through any kind of nostalgia, I genuinely believe it's the best heavy metal album ever recorded. A fabulous collection of songs tied into the story of a prophet and his downfall. The melodic guitar work by Murray and Smith is some of their very best. Many of the solos feel like important musical pieces that drive the songs on, rather than a chance for a widdle.

Bruce sounds immense. Back when I bought the album it was the vocals that drew me in, Bruce sounded malevolent and evil in Moonchild in a way none of the music I owned did. He is after all playing the part of the devil trying to get the "hero's" mother to give up her child.

I wasn't playing guitar yet. And it's funny how little I knew about music back in 1988. Didn't know what twin guitar harmony bands were all about. I thought one of the guitarists played all the rhythm, the other all the solos. And looking at the picture of the band I thought Adrian looked cooler, so he probably played all the leads!

In recent years I've listened to more new music than ever before. Most of the music I listened to these days is metal recorded in the last few years. But Seventh Son is something I always return to and always find something new in. During lockdown Seventh Son and Paradise Lost's Oblivion were the albums I would listen to on my allowed walk every day.

Standout songs for me initially were The Evil That Men Do and The Clairvoyant. The bass intro to the latter is something special and always great live. The former is a song I remember hearing a lot on the Top 40 on my walkman as I'd walk around not going to church when I told my mum I had!

As the years have rolled by it's Infinite Dreams with its wonderful flowing lyrics, and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son with it's amazing guitar duel and atmospheric downtime that are my firm favourites.

That's not to say Seventh Son is a perfect album. I agree with Bruce when he said he wished they'd tied the songs together more strongly with some voices and narrative, as Queensryche had done on Operation Mindcrime. I also wish the rhythm guitars were louder in the mix to make the album a bit heavier. And while I would argue there isn't a bad song on the album, Can I Play With Madness is far from my favourite Maiden track.

Writing this post now I'm listening to the album again, and like every time it's as fresh and exciting as ever. This is the album that really cemented my love of hard rock and metal, and ultimately led me on the path to taking up guitar. Funnily enough I've never seriously attempted to play the songs on the album - I prefer to think of it all as magic, rather some numbers on a page of tab.

Philly_Q · April 2022

Robin Trower - Live!

Robin Trower Live - Wikipedia

I'm not always a big fan of live albums, especially if I was very familiar with the studio versions of the songs before hearing the live ones. In this case, it was the second or third Trower album I bought, probably in 1980, so to me these are the definitive versions of the songs.

Trower is one of "my" artists, in the sense that I still buy every album, 40-odd years on, even if they're not so great any more, but he was absolutely at his peak in the 1970s. Yes there's the Hendrix influence, but Robin Trower - and "Robin Trower" was a band in those days - had their own style as well, with the wonderful vocals and bass playing of Jimmy Dewar (RIP) and not forgetting the drums of Bill Lordan (and his predecessor Reg Isidore).

I don't play this album constantly, sometimes it might be years between plays, but it never fails to make me happy (and I'm not an overly happy person). It's just a single album, 40 minutes or so, but it's got a great mix of short, to the point rockers (Alethea, Lady Love) and longer, moodier tracks (Daydream, I Can't Wait Much Longer).

There's a wonderful bit at the end of the closing track, Little Bit of Sympathy, where Trower half says, half sings "thank you very much, goodnight!" and it always brings a smile to my face.

Reverend · April 2022

Grumpyrocker said:

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

First metal album I bought. I vividly remember getting the bus into town to go buy it at Woolworths. I was 15 and the album had been out for a few weeks. I was big into drawing at the time and the album art was more of a draw for me at first, and fitting in with some friends at school who were getting into metal.

But getting home and putting that vinyl on the player. Oh my. Life was never the same again.

A week later I was back in Woolies buying Somewhere in Time on vinyl. I still have those vinyls I bought in 1988 and are treasured.

Seventh Son is still my favourite album, not through any kind of nostalgia, I genuinely believe it's the best heavy metal album ever recorded. A fabulous collection of songs tied into the story of a prophet and his downfall. The melodic guitar work by Murray and Smith is some of their very best. Many of the solos feel like important musical pieces that drive the songs on, rather than a chance for a widdle.

Bruce sounds immense. Back when I bought the album it was the vocals that drew me in, Bruce sounded malevolent and evil in Moonchild in a way none of the music I owned did. He is after all playing the part of the devil trying to get the "hero's" mother to give up her child.

I wasn't playing guitar yet. And it's funny how little I knew about music back in 1988. Didn't know what twin guitar harmony bands were all about. I thought one of the guitarists played all the rhythm, the other all the solos. And looking at the picture of the band I thought Adrian looked cooler, so he probably played all the leads!

In recent years I've listened to more new music than ever before. Most of the music I listened to these days is metal recorded in the last few years. But Seventh Son is something I always return to and always find something new in. During lockdown Seventh Son and Paradise Lost's Oblivion were the albums I would listen to on my allowed walk every day.

Standout songs for me initially were The Evil That Men Do and The Clairvoyant. The bass intro to the latter is something special and always great live. The former is a song I remember hearing a lot on the Top 40 on my walkman as I'd walk around not going to church when I told my mum I had!

As the years have rolled by it's Infinite Dreams with its wonderful flowing lyrics, and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son with it's amazing guitar duel and atmospheric downtime that are my firm favourites.

That's not to say Seventh Son is a perfect album. I agree with Bruce when he said he wished they'd tied the songs together more strongly with some voices and narrative, as Queensryche had done on Operation Mindcrime. I also wish the rhythm guitars were louder in the mix to make the album a bit heavier. And while I would argue there isn't a bad song on the album, Can I Play With Madness is far from my favourite Maiden track.

Writing this post now I'm listening to the album again, and like every time it's as fresh and exciting as ever. This is the album that really cemented my love of hard rock and metal, and ultimately led me on the path to taking up guitar. Funnily enough I've never seriously attempted to play the songs on the album - I prefer to think of it all as magic, rather some numbers on a page of tab.

To be honest I haven't listened to this in about 15 hours.

My only real criticism is that they downgraded their amp/pedal sets ups for SIT and used the same GK solid state amps for this as well. the 2204s would have given more bite.

bloodandtears · April 2022

Marillion - Clutching At Straws

Such great story telling and imagery.. the musical dynamics are epic.

munckee · April 2022

Too hard to isolate one.

First album I became totally obsessed with The Stone Roses

Album I’ve listened to the most probably Doolittle, the Pixies

Best album musically, for me Takk, Sigur Ros.

PhilW1 · April 2022

'Quo Live'
The one that got me started into rock

CE1 · April 2022

I could do about 20! But I keep coming back to three over time, Never mind the Bollocks - first realisation there was a reason I didn’t like the crap in the charts and there was music for me. Never bettered in terms of raw gnarly power in my opinion. Bleach by Nirvana comes close to NMTB, it’s just a visceral scream of songs, But I think Gish by the smashing pumpkins may be favourite of all, it has that raw energy, but it’s lifted even higher by the quieter moments building the tension.

Probably change my mind in an hour……

BillDL · April 2022

Status Quo - On The Level. One of the first albums I had and received it as a Christmas present from my Mum and Dad. I played it until it had almost worn out. It sounds a wee bit corny going back and listening to it now, but at the time it was brilliant to turn it up loud and rock out. Even my Mum liked most of the songs.

lustycourtier · April 2022

The Queen is dead

viz · April 2022

Seeing as we have 2 Iron Maiden albums, I’ll go for Number of the Beast. Stil got Burr who was such an artist, unfortunately lose Diano’s amazing metal growl, but wow was Bruce incredible on that 1st album!

TheBigDipper · April 2022

I've been buying singles and albums since 1970, but my favourite-ever album (at this moment) is a bit later than that.

It's Radiohead - "In Rainbows". An aural delight from start to finish, wonderful atmospheric and evocative songs (eve though many of the lyrics are obtuse), beautifully recorded and definitely in need of a decent hifi to listen to it on.

I know many people don't like Thom Yorkes voice, or even the idea of his voice, but I think he's possibly the best "recorded singing into a microphone" singer I've heard. This album really shows him off. It's not just about capturing the voice in a room. It's also about using the studio to really turn that voice into an instrument.

The rest of the band play their socks off, too.

MagicPigDetective · April 2022

Soundgarden - Superunkown

Winny_Pooh · April 2022

Just one? Even 5 would be tough...

Lhasa de Sela - Lhasa
Or
Joanna Newsom - Ys

Close 2nds:

Tom Waits - Rain dogs
Bob Dylan - Love and Theft
Talk Talk- Laughing Stock

CHRISB50 · April 2022

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

It's the only perfect album I've ever heard. I can't think of any way that it could be made better.

It seems to get some love on here which says a lot for an album made totally of samples taken from vinyl.

ICBM · April 2022

Almost impossible to pick just one, but if I have to it's going to be a bit of a cheat, because it’s a compilation - although it does have tracks on it which are not on any of the band’s studio albums.

The Beatles - 1967-1970

punchesjudy · April 2022

This is too difficult but I guess I have a top five or ten albums so today I'm going with ..
Nirvana - In Utero.
Ask again in a month or week or even a few days and it'll probably be a different answer.

Philtre · April 2022

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So ... what's your favourite ever album?

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