The Cellar - Perfect Albums

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If I could take elements of Don Henley's The End of the Innocence:

1."The End of the Innocence" (Henley, Bruce Hornsby) – 5:16
2."How Bad Do You Want It?" (Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Stan Lynch) – 3:47
3."I Will Not Go Quietly" featuring Axl Rose (Henley, Kortchmar) – 5:43
4."The Last Worthless Evening" (John Corey, Henley, Lynch) – 6:03
5."New York Minute" (Henley, Kortchmar, Jai Winding) – 6:37
6."Shangri-La" (Henley, Steve Jordan, Kortchmar) – 4:55
7."Little Tin God" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther) – 4:42
8."Gimme What You Got" (Corey, Henley, Lynch) – 6:10
9."If Dirt Were Dollars" (Henley, Kortchmar, Souther) – 4:34
10."The Heart of the Matter" (Mike Campbell, Henley, Souther) – 5:24

and Building the Perfect Beast:

1."The Boys of Summer" (Don Henley, Mike Campbell) – 4:45
2."You Can't Make Love" (Henley, Danny Kortchmar) – 3:34
3."Man With a Mission" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther) – 2:43
4."You're Not Drinking Enough" (Kortchmar) – 4:40
5."Not Enough Love in the World" (Henley, Kortchmar, Benmont Tench) – 3:54
6."Building the Perfect Beast" (Henley, Kortchmar) – 4:59
7."All She Wants to Do Is Dance" (Kortchmar) – 4:28
8."A Month of Sundays" (Henley, introduction composed by Maren Jensen) – 4:31 (cassette and CD only)
9."Sunset Grill" (Henley, Kortchmar, Tench) – 6:22
10."Drivin' With Your Eyes Closed" (Henley, Kortchmar, Stan Lynch) – 3:41
11."Land of the Living" (Henley, Kortchmar) – 3:24

And add in Dirty Laundry from I Can't Stand Still.

But I've digressed way beyond the OP.

bold: qualifying songs
blue bold: kickin' assiest song of all

13 cuts in Stop Making Sense fails, but then gets back on track. Nice run for a live lp, still no SRV Live at Montreux.

Queensrÿche - 'Operation: Mindcrime'.

Every song is just top-notch on this rock-opera-type concept album.

On the great-album-with-a-beauty-mark/mole front, Kid Rock's 'Rock & Roll Jesus' is a fantastic album with the moles-with-a-hair-growing-out-of-them being "New Orleans", and the live version of "Jackson, Mississippi".

I'll third 'Dark Side of the Moon'. The fact that it's still going is a testament to it's status.

Gosh. There are a few truly perfect albums.

Avalon was awesome. I had that album as a kid and loved it.

OK Computer, also, one of my favourite ever albums.

I'd add Leftfield's Leftism to my list, along with Moby's Play

I've listened to both so often they are in my blood and bones now.

I like most of Leftfield's albums, but with Leftism they hit something marvellous.

Moby's Play sends shivers down my spine. Another album I listened to obsessively for a couple of years. Still dig out from time to time.

Considering adding Zooropa and Leonard Cohen's The Future.

I'll have to give Leftism a listen

Oh, and whilst we're at it:

Tom Waits, Blue Valentine. A sublime album.

And, The Smiths, The Queen is Dead, all excellent tracks and Strangeways, Here We Come. Their last album. Just full of brilliance.

Funny. I'm at Steak N Shake and they're playing Boys of Summer. This is my summer anthem: convertible top down, wayfarers (or a reasonable facsimile) on, brown skin shining in the sun...

I can't wait for spring. (/threadjack) 

Who's Next
Dark Side, Wish you were here
Zep IV
Tea for the Tillerman

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjim (Post 888480)

I've long held the theory that most bands have that great first album chock full of hits because they have all that time before they get signed to develop a repertoire of their best stuff(almost like a pre best of), but then for the 2nd album there's this push from the Label to get another one out... and the quality drops off markedly. See Pearl Jam vs, Blind Melon Soup, GnR Lies.

Yes.

I've noticed that if a group's first album is a huge popular success, the artist is typically not long lived. Fourth albums seem to be the most popular or biggest selling or break out album.

Bowie - Ziggy
Billy Joel - Stranger
Led Zep - IV
Yes - Fragile
Elvis Costello - Get Happy

Live - Viva Roxy Music

That's a yes also for 'Dark Side' and 'Wish You Were Here'. Peter Gabriel's 'Shaking The Tree' also has something going for it.

Definitely one of the most perfect albums ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by footfootfoot (Post 888471)

I was listening to Roxy Music's Avalon the other day and considered that after thousands of listenings, it remains an amazing album. I'd go as far as to say perfect.

Dark Side, of course.

The White Album.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Close to the Edge

There's more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spexxvet (Post 888681)

Who's Next.....

Bowie - Ziggy
Yes - Fragile

All the above plus Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans

Plus Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Uriah Heep -Salisbury
Mike Oldfield -two albums, Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge
and for the perfect album with one shit track:
Mott The Hoople - Brain Capers and the shit track is 'Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception'