Not One Wasted Second; The Pursuit of the Perfect Album - article discussion

Marillion - Clutching a straws is one I often play through on my my boring trips in my van.

I don't know if this is cheating but the ninth wave section of kate bush's hounds of love which is really an album within an album. Not so keen on the other side.
 
I put this list in the Thread of last week's Podcast, but here it is again - all perfect Albums IMHO.

1) Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
2) Crowded House, Woodface
3) Steely Dan, Katy Lied
4) The Black Sorrows, Beat Club
I read a book on Crowded House this year:

Amazon product ASIN 0732908868
(Look at that price! I think I paid a fiver!)

Anyway, the band themselves think that "Together Alone" was their greatest musical achievement, and I tend to agree though I can see why you chose "Woodface" as it's the one that launched them into the stratosphere.
 
Another vote for Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon.
It's the one that immediately springs to mind, and each track is a diamond on its own, but the way they blend into one album is sublime.
I'm sure I have more in my collection, and the 2 Metallica albums (RtL, MoP) are strong contenders.
Depeche Mode - Violator would make it were it not for Blue Dress that doesn't sit right in that album for me. Scanning through DMs albums there seems to be one song on each that stops them being perfect for me.
 
Love them or loathe them, I'd have to say U2's Achtung Baby! has to be up there, as there's not a duff track on there... and the best bits are true classics.
 
I'm sitting down to do some writing now (and I'm barbecuing a chilli because, despite being a man, I can multitask) and I'm going to start picking through some of these. Thanks all.
 
I don't know who started it and what the first album was, but there's now an appetite for playing X album in full live, in order and from start to finish.

I've been to quite a few gigs that do this, so I've tried to go with albums that went down incredibly well on the night, that there was no drop in energy or a rush to the bar during any of the songs!

New Order - Technique
It's their most consistent album by an absolute mile, has a coherent sound and tone throughout, and it's one you can just play from start to finish without losing interest at any point.

The Wedding Present - Bizarro
An album of some of the LOUDEST guitars you've ever heard which also happens to be full of lovelorn, heartbroken songs. Again, easily their most consistent and best album and the venue was absolutely rammed.

The Blue Nile - Hats
I've been privileged to see them live four times and they basically played all the songs from this album, and every single one was pure musical perfection. Five years in the making and not a single note wasted nor out of place, I've never witnessed such musical devotion. Apart from....

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Britain's greatest band in my eyes, this album has everything you'd ever want from music and hearing these songs live (even from a tribute band) is like being at a religious gathering. I was fortunate enough to see them live in 1986 promoting this album and it's still the greatest night of my life and the best gig I've ever been to.

The Human League - Dare
Probably still Britain's best electronic Pop album, all the tunes are magnificent and they've simply never topped it. Known obviously for its singles, it's a remarkably consistent work with groundbreaking production and a timeless sound.

Blondie - Parallel Lines + Eat To The Beat
I imagine that newcomers would likely just buy one of the many compilations instead of any of the albums as they were renowned as a singles band. But these two albums are full of short, snappy, poppy yet punky songs, Debbie Harry is simply a superstar and I'm always happy to listen to these albums in their entirety.
 
I read a book on Crowded House this year:

Amazon product ASIN 0732908868
(Look at that price! I think I paid a fiver!)

Anyway, the band themselves think that "Together Alone" was their greatest musical achievement, and I tend to agree though I can see why you chose "Woodface" as it's the one that launched them into the stratosphere.
Ouch! That book got pricey!
While liking all their work, the circumstance in which I was introduced to the music of Crowded House, & this Album in particular, could well have a lot to do with my Love for Woodface! ;)
 
Hmmm, this a tough one..

Usual suspects would be:
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew
Daftpunk: Random Access Memories
Underworld: Everything Everything
Depeche Mode: 101

I'm going to have to go Radiohead: The Bends
 
Oh - now this is interesting.
I would say:
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (though not my favourite BS album)
Pink Floyd - Animals
John Martyn -Solid Air (again, not my favourite JM album)
Rory Gallagher - Live in Europe
Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin
Jeff Beck - Wired
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue & In A Silent Way

There's probably more.
 
Having just listened through to New Order's - Technique to check, I agree, it's their best release. Hitting their peak from the early post-Joy Division, Movement, before they (in my opinion) start to depart from the sound of New Order I love and becoming a little bit middle aged pop rock. (Their last album was a welcome return to their original sound though). All great tracks on Technique, not one I wish would be over.
 
These pieces make use of stock pics listed for free use (album covers are a bit of a grey area but are tolerated for example purposes). The choices of free use for 'perfect album' and related subjects weren't that great.
I believe that this picture was designed & freely distributed by the "People's Popular Front for C.D.s" to annoy the "Popular People's Front for Vinyl".
(Neither to be confused with the ostracised "Populist People's Front for 8-track" - Splitters!)
;)
 
Excellent idea, this should be an interesting discussion. I heard the conversation on this concept on the Podcast and it got me thinking - two Albums below that for me are perfection:

Rush Moving Pictures - faultless album from start to finish, really it forms a defining moment for Rush as a band. Building on Permanent Waves change in direction.
beat me to it with this album, by far the best Rush album for several reasons, Red Barchetta and YYZ being 2 of them. But by far and away the main reason is that you can put the album on and throw the remote on the table after cranking the volume and leave it to entertain you musically and with the quality of musicianship. The anniversary remastered version was a great piece of production work
i'll reply with a couple of my own after the grand prix quali
 
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A few of my most loved albums both past and present. 🎧🎼

Past:
The Blue Nile_A Walk Across The Rooftops.
Hats.
High.

David Bowie_Ziggy Stardust
Aladdin Sane
Blackstar.

Japan_Tin Drum
David Sylvian_Brilliant Trees

Talk Talk_It's My Life
Colour Of Spring.

Prince_Sign O' The Times.

Jean Michel Jarre_Oxygene

Present:
Reid Willis_The Longing Device
Alex Banks_Beneath The Surface
Aparde_Hands Rest
Floex_A Portrait Of John Doe
Jon Hopkins_Singularity
AES DANA_Inks.
Pollen (24 Bit)

Niklas Paschburg_Svalbard
A Winged Victory For The Sullen_The Undivided Five
Hior Chronik_Blind Heaven
Rhian Sheehan_A Quite Divide
 
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OK, these maybe controversial on this list but here we go:
Renaissance The Mix Collection - Sasha & Digweed. (The original release, not the 10th anniversary one). Yes I know it's essentially a compilation of different artists, but Sasha and Digweed combine these tracks into 3CDs of progressive house perfection. I've yet to find an album like this (apart from the next one). At the time this was an instant classic and I've lost count how many times I've listened to it. Artfully mixed tracks to create a fantastic album.
Renaissance The Mix Collection - Part 2 - Digweed. For the same reasons as the first one, this is a perfect mixed album but for a more trance themed collection of tasks. Again, another album I've hammered and will continue to do so.
Hacienda - Play By 01/96 - Graeme Park. This is a full on house mix from the mega Manchester club. As well bringing me right back to those days at the Hacienda, it's a sensational collection of house tracks, again wonderfully mixed to create another perfect album for me.
 
Bowie’s Blackstar
 
My personal, listen from beginning to end, all killer no filler albums...

Violator - Depeche Mode
Disintegration - The Cure
Slowdive - Slowdive
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Reading Writing and Arithmetic - The Sundays
Meteora - Linkin Park
Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex
Trouble Will Find Me - The National
Colour of Spring - Talk Talk
Understand - Brian

and probably many more......

enjoy..
 
XTC English Settlement
 
Depeche Mode - Violator would make it were it not for Blue Dress that doesn't sit right in that album for me. Scanning through DMs albums there seems to be one song on each that stops them being perfect for me.

I like Blue Dress, that soft beat through the track does it for me. maybe it stands out as the weakest as the album is sooooooo good.
edit: plus I guess I'm getting more mellow in my old age.
 
Ryan Adams Gold
 
A few of my most loved albums both past and present. 🎧🎼

David Bowie_Ziggy Stardust
Aladdin Sane, and the amazing BLACKSTAR!!!

David Sylvian_Brilliant Trees

Talk Talk_It's My Life

Jean Michel Jarre_Oxygene

A Winged Victory For The Sullen_The Undivided Five
have to completely agree with these selections from your list.
I am a massive AWVFTS fan having seen them 4 times along with buying all their albums. I put ATOMOS ahead of the undivided five, but that is just personal preference both albums are stunners. Thoroughly recommend anyone listening to them.

To keep this post short, the other albums do speak for themselves, Nostalgia from Brilliant trees is the pinnacle on an album that works every time I listen to it. Blackstar simply blew me away when I first saw the video for it, the album went on to complete the job.

LIstening to Svalbard now, coming across as a really good album
 

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