Perfect Albums
 

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.

I was also thinking about Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow and I think that album is also perfect, I also think JA never did anything again as good as that and I'd say they are a one album wonder. Mainly because that was their first effort and they blew it after that. Roxy, on the other hand made their perfect album at the end of their career.

Another nominee is Neil Young's Everybody knows this is nowhere.

I have not really decided on a definition of Perfect,as it relates to perfect albums.

I'm open to your ideas about the concept and the choices I've offered. I'll try to give examples of why I think the way I do about the albums I've mentioned when I have more time.

In the meantime, let's hear from all y'all.

What do you think of the albums that are almost perfect, but then have the one shit song on them, like Sgt. Pepper including Within You Without You? Is that shit song a beauty mark? Or a nasty mole with a hair growing out of it?

(You may disagree that Sgt. Pepper is great, because it is so mainstream, and has been overexposed, but I think it is nearly perfect.)

Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys.

I'm not being even slightly original: many have called it one of the best albums of all time. It was innovative. No one was doing anything like it.

God Only Knows is one of the most beautiful songs of modern times. IMHO.

I think you could put Dark Side of the Moon on that list, probably The Wall, too. Floyd had great album cohesion. OF course, you know I'll say all 10 Original Led Zeppelin albums are perfect....

others for consideration:
Blind Melon's original album
Pearl Jam Ten
4Non Blondes: Bigger Better Faster More
Guns N Roses: Appetite

maybe I'm being too loose with the word perfect.... these are just albums that I can listen to straight through without finding myself waiting for this song to end because there's a better one coming.

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.

That's what separates Zeppelin from most others. There was no bad album. No forced offering. Possibly because they stole most of the stuff on the first two albums...and then created their own Label, and were not pressured.

Superbands like Traveling Wilburys, where you can just hear them having so much fun. And it sounds good too.

I was thinking about Floyd too, Jim. They had some amazing albums.

That would be my #1 choice.

I also think The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was pretty damn cohesive. That was probably my favorite road trip album ever.

Nicky Six was talking about that album drop-off phenomenon. He had the same take as you but took it out further to people getting overly fascinated with production and then women ruining bands. ;) I think he also used Led Zep as the example of the only band that continued to be damn near perfect every time.

Dark Side of the Moon. Of course.

Aja by Steely Dan.

I'm an unapologetic Steely Dan freak, of course, but that album is so jazzy wonderful it's not like the songs are even separate: they all meld and melt together so beautifully.

I was going to say Aja! So now I'll remind us old people of OK Computer.

Also, the perfect live album is Stop Making Sense.

I'm now 22 minutes in... still perfect.

Yes, but isn't the chances of finding a track that's not perfect dependent on your mood/state of mind? I mean, say you recently lost a cherished pet and a song about kicking a dog comes on? It might be a comedy bit, but you'd not be in the mood for that.
Just one example of why you have to listen many times, in many situations,
to declare an album perfect.

That's why I used the word cohesive. If the album is all tied together it plays like the chapters of a book. People used to build albums with intentionality because they were trying to move vinyl rather than one cut. I don't know if you'll get many more attempts at an "album." Foo Fighters Wasting Light takes a shot at it and is a great collection of songs but doesn't quite have it.

I doubt that an album that contains a comedy song about kicking a dog would be in my running for 'perfect album.' No matter what the state of my real or imagined dog.

OK, good point. There was once a whole demographic for albums, and separate market for singles. The internet, downloading, ipods, have changed that quite a bit.
Back in my day, ya had to work making mixed tapes, eliminating the clinkers, and create something to make her swoon. :haha:

Queen's got a nearly perfect album with A Night at the Opera, and it contains the joke song "I'm in Love With My Car."

You have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy that song.