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The Beatles "White Album", because it makes a nice change from listening to turnips whispering about you in the long grass.
Posts: 85 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I second Narnia's suggestion of the Corrs. They're great.
My next CD purchase is going to be Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This. I really like the title track, If You're Not the One makes me tear up every time, and I like several other tracks as well -- all the ones I've heard so far.
But my I-can-listen-to-this-over-and-over CD is The Best of Dan Fogelberg. I bought it even though I have the cassette from years ago, which has most of the same songs.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Well, when I saw the thread title I had a huge list of albums to name, but since you are going more for recommendations I will be more judicious in my picking from those albums. But, keep in mind that most of my musical choices are along the lines of progressive rock/metal.
First I have to second Caleb Varn's inlcusion of Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory-Metropolis Part 2. From beautiful accoustic guitar and crystal clear tenor vocals to middle eastern sounds to thunderous metal to incredibly intricate and technical playing. It is really just a fantastic album with an interesting story tying it all together.
Moving Pictures by Rush is, in my opinion, the single greatest rock album ever recorded. Yes, it is that good. Rush never ceases to amaze and ever album of theirs is a triumph, but this is just one of those occasions in which everything came together perfectly. Simply a masterpiece, and one of the most important rock albums ever if you ask me (and I suppose you sort of did).
Disconnected by Fates Warning is the one album that very possibly could give Moving Pictures a run for its money. More of an edge than some of their previous works, Fates Warning just simply tore things wide open with this album. Sort of a concept album dealing with the demise of relationships, I get chills every time I hear Jim Matheos' guitar start the album off. Great lyrics, superb musicianship (anyone who likes rock/metal really, really owes it to themselves to explore Mark Zonder's drumming) and perfect production all come together to also elevate this album to the level of masterpiece.
The last one I will suggest (and I am really, really reigning myself in here) is one for when you are feeling adventerous. Opeth simply amazes me, and any one of their albums could be recommended, but I absolutely cannot get enough of Blackwater Park. Be warned, there is some pretty heavy stuff on this one, but there is a wonderful balance of bone crushing metal combined with haunting acoustic guitar, near demonic growls with beautiful and soothing vocals. This one is a metal album that has it all. Of course, if you aren't into the heavy stuff then Opeth's latest release, Damnation is the ticket. Nearly all acoustic, no growls, and simply haunting, beautiful music. Another great choice.
Thank you! for introducing me here to the Delgados. What a world we live in - a mere notion - a contintent away - phosphorescing on my CRT - moments later I am listening to a track on headphones....
Lots of other suggestions I'm eager to check out.
Most recently, in my player:
- Springsteen The Rising, which gains importance over time, to me, rather than lessening, even though its proximate inspiration was 9/11. Springsteen at his most lyrical; haunting without being maudlin; an authentic artist's response to the local (not global) phenomenon.
- Van Morrison Astral Weeks (thanks to my 14-yr-old daughter, Emma) - not his latest, but soulful and just varied enough to listen through (once only ).
- Warren Zevon The Wind - I can't yet vouch for this as a listen-all-the-way-through-without-skipping (LATWTWS) album, since I just got it, but I had forgotten Zevon's bluesy/ballad influences. It's nice.
- My all-time favorite LATWTWS album: Jeff Buckley Grace - a vocalist with a magical falsetto. Like Zevon, he died too young.
Posts: 431 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Funny...I was talking about this very same subject last night with a friend.
It started as a "guilty pleasures" chat, which brought up Hootie & the Blowfish: Fairweather Johnson. I'm almost positive that Darius Rucker's voice has trance-inducing qualities.
Then we went on to name some not-so-guilty pleasures, like Cake: Prolonging the Magic(just a fun, fun album), Dark Side of the Moon(duh), and O.A.R: Any Time Now(Upbeat, uplifting, folk roots reggae rock).
And the new Johnny Cash album is a no-skipper, too. Unless you despise country.
I have the attention span of a fruit fly on crack, so for me to listen to an entire album says something about said album.
Posts: 5264 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Simon and Garfunkel was what induced me to buy my guitar...I'm still working on that whole "playing" thing.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Waiting for My Rocket to Come by Jason Mraz surprised me because I never skip a song, not one! I am a confirmed song-skipper, so that surprised me. Also, I listen to it over and over and over (surely there is a program for cd addicts!). Every song is different, but not jarringly so, so you are not bored. I find Dave Matthews' "Everyday" very boring (even though I will listen to it for background noise) because every song has the same feel.
Besides, Jason Mraz has a cocky lil' guy thing going. He's a little braggy, and his lyrics are funny, and his voice has a comfortable range to it. The music doesn't overwhelm his voice, or vice versa. It'll never be what music snobs will speak of in ten years as "greatest album ever", but I will still be listening to it then.
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I listen to the Smallville soundtrack without skipping. It's mostly pop/rock. The coolest thing is that the tempo goes from fast to slow though the entire cd. So the songs at the beginning are faster than the later ones. It has songs by Phantom Planet, Weezer, Lifehouse, Five for Fighting, and Eva Cassidy. It has a good mix, kinda like the 'best of' albums.
Posts: 1056 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Ah, just cued up Pain of Salvation's epic The Perfect Element Part 1. Another true progressive metal masterpiece. Not really that heavy, with an awful lot of variation in the songs. And there is just so much emotion that comes seeping through the speakers. Both soothing and energizing in turns. I occasionally listen to just a couple songs on it, but it works so much better if you listen from start to finish.
And I can't talk about concept albums without mentioning Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime. IMO this is the concept album by which all can be measured. Very accessible songs when taken alone (Eyes of a Stranger, I Don't Believe in Love, Breaking the Silence) and still a very coherent story when listened to from start to finish.
Okay, I will stop with the rock/metal, probably more than you wanted.
Posts: 240 | Registered: Jun 2003
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U2 - Joshua Tree U2 - Unforgettable Fire Beatles - Abbey Road Doors - Morrison Hotel Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream Gordon Lightfoot - Gord's Gold Journey - Trial By Fire Gary Moore - Wild Frontier
I can't describe why I can listen to these albums/tapes/CDs all the way through. I just love and appreciate them, for various reasons.
I've listened to "Morrison Hotel" so many times (I've owned it on vinyl, cassette, and CD - in one form or another ever since it was released when I was in junior high) that when I hear a song from it on the radio, I automatically start hearing the music for the next track in my head when it ends. This can be a little disorienting when another song comes on instead.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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oh kat i am such a jerk, i promised you a mix cd like two years ago! *pounds head into desk*
okay, here are a few (some already mentioned) that i really think you'll like. you strike me as the song-driven type.
rush of blood to the head by coldplay. beautifuly vocals, very rich, very sweet without being saccharine.
the bends and ok computer by radiohead. everytime i listen to radiohead i go "hot damn! i love this band!" thom yorke's voice tugs at my heart. their music is...intelligent, but emotional as well. a blue chrome robot with a small pink neon heart, blinking in the night.
poses by rufus wainwright. nice lyrics, popera voice. piano. he is the young man that did the cover of "across the universe" on the i am sam soundtrack. i bet his hair smells of peaches and cinnamon.
the i am sam soundtrack is really good, too! various artists cover beatles songs.
they usually play a nice variety of decent music on smallville, so i second that nomination. it might clue you in to some artists that you hadn't heard without having to buy twenty albums.
the first a perfect circle almum. la mer de noms? it's like tool, but on prom night. (lavender dress, switchblade corsage!)
jimi hendrix, the experience. classic and innovative. jimi wasn't comfortable with his voice, but i sure am. how can you not rock out to this album?
weezer, same as suggested. play by moby is super happy fun. puts the dance back in your pants.
i do not suggest steve reich. i love steve reich, but he's not someone i would pop into the stereo and blast all day, every day. his music is beautiful, but it's not what i would classify as "road trip" material.
i suggest hanging out for a day in planet music, tower, wherever. listen to artists you've heard snippets about or review albums that simply grab your eye without actually having to buy anything unless you really like it.
Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Why? Well, APC shares a singer with Tool – namely, Maynard James Keenan. He is capable of both some of the most guttural screams in rock and some of its most melodic and haunting vocal lines. To generalize, Tool is all about the former while APC is all about the latter. Thirteen Step also features multiple uses of the word "precious," which I always enjoy. ...and there are some marvellous lines ("'Clever' got me this far, then 'tricky' got me in"). The album actually contains a fairly wide variety of styles and textures, from the nu-metal D-flat tuned Pet to the melted-jazz tone of The Nurse Who Loved Me. I also thoroughly enjoyed their first album, Mer de Noms, but I think I like this one more (though I must admit, my favourite APC song is still Orestes from the first record). Thirteen Step has found a semi-permanent home in my CD player of late. I rarely leave home without it.
David Usher - Morning Orbit
David Usher used to sing for the Canadian rock band Moist, who now appear to be defunct since their dummer can't play anymore (due to a back injury). Morning Orbit was his second solo album and contains some solid light rock efforts. I've always been partial to his singing voice; in some respects it's similar to Maynard Keenan's when the latter is singing with APC and not Tool. Very strong in the upper register. There's an awesome cover of Fast Car on the record, and the second single, Black Black Heart, is a real stand-out track.
Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor - Yngwie Malmsteen
I happen to think that Yngwie is the most talented guitarist ever to walk this earth. Too bad he's a bit of a dick, but you can't have it all. Concerto Suite was composed and arranged by Malmsteen, and the orchestra doesn't so much take a back seat to the guitar as just defer to it. The melodies jump from instrument to instrument, but always wind their way back to the guitar. What I like so much about this record is that there's fire in it. Oomph. It's very baroque, but there are hints of flamenco in the mellower sections. Really just remarkable.
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Other standouts:
Tool – Lateralus
I plug this CD all the time. It's 79 minutes of hard, hard rock. Danny Carey is the best drummer in the history of the universe, and he really shows it here. Maynard shows off his range and his lung capacity with a 24-second scream midway through the opening track. The album closes with a suite of three songs that mesh together on one 20-minute opus of melody. This one's on my all-time Top Five.
The Music (self-titled)
This is the best debut album I've heard since Pearl Jam's Ten. It's utterly groovalicious. The one problem is that it blends together a bit at the tail end, but nonetheless every single song is excellent.
Wide Mouth Mason (self-titled)
WMM are a Canadian band from out west. This was their first (and IMO best) effort. They play very bluesy rock, and wow do they ever do it well. They have a groove a mile wide.
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If I had to choose just one of these records to suggest to you, though, it would probably be Thirteen Step.
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Okay, I'll start with the obvious one. The best full single non-skipping album of all time is Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. I'm sure no one has mentioned it so far because it's so obvious. But if you don't have it already, get it. There's not a foul note on the album.
Rock
Someone mentioned Rush. I think 2112 is a better album than Moving Pictures, and I say that as someone who has owned all of their albums since the late '80s, and knows them inside and out. But it's all personal preference, so take my opinion for what it's worth.
I don't even know how to classify Chris Isaak. I'd call him country-rock, but the music that most people currently think of as country is an insult to the genre, and the title would therefore be misleading. Anyway, on the pop end of the scale, Forever Blue is an amazing album without a weak track. However, I prefer Baja Sessions. It's a great set of accoustic classics that will make you feel like you're on a beach in Mexico. Wonderful mood music.
Remain In Light by Talking Heads is one of the greatest experimental fusions of pop and 20th century classical you'll ever hear. You'll love it start to finish.
Rockin' the Suburbs by Ben Folds is probably the best new album I've heard in years. It's dynamic, theatrical, varied in tone, and incredibly intelligent.
Cosmo's Factory is my personal favorite Creedence album. Some of the best southern/ bayou rock ever recorded. And it came from California. Irony, anyone?
Superfly by Curtis Mayfield. If you're into funk/soul and you don't have this album, it's the one. You won't know how you lived without it.
Dire Straits self title album. It's not as hit-filled as Brothers In Arms, but it's much better. Any Dire Straits album is a winner, but this is the must-have.
Apostrophe by Frank Zappa. Not only is this one of the smartest albums, musically, ever to come from the rock genre, but it's also perhaps the funniest. You'll never be more impressed and entertained at the same time. Such a genius with such a sense of humor about his talent is a rare combination. You can't miss this.
Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull. You'd think you'd get bored by a 45-minute rock album with one track, but you won't. Not only is the gimmick interesting, but it's pulled off so incredibly well that you won't believe it. Not to mention the hard-rock flute solos. It's a one-of-a-kind album.
Led Zeppelin IV. This is a no-brainer. I won't even explain it.
A Picture of Nectar by Phish. These guys can be a little bombastic and pretentious, but this album actually lived up to the hype. If you've ever heard a Phish song that you liked, you'll love every track on this album.
Stronger Than Pride by Sade. Okay, all of her albums are great (except maybe Lovers' Rock). I had a hard time picking one to recommend. I almost copped out and just suggested the Greatest Hits, which might not be a bad idea if you just have to get one. But she's one of those people that has too many good songs to fit on one Greatest Hits album. And if you had to choose one album to start a collection with, this one has some of her funkiest grooves, and would be an excellent choice.
Innervisions by Stevie Wonder. He's a genius, and I think this album has the highest concentration of classics.
Ghost in the Machine by The Police. Again, not as hit-packed as Synchronicity, but a more varied selection of world-music based rock. Stewart Copeland lays down some of the best drums you'll ever hear on a rock album, and it's just about the best composing that any of them will ever do in their lives. Not a bad track on the album.
These aren't necessarily my favorite albums. But they're the albums that I can't imagine anyone wanting to skip a track on. I was going to continue with my picks in other genres (sountracks, jazz, classical, new age, techno, etc.), but this post is long enough, and I think you're just fishing for rock albums anyway. Good luck, and choose wisely.
Posts: 2804 | Registered: May 2003
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wow. you mean you can skip over songs you don't like? just kidding. it could be that i'm just too easily amused, but i rarely skip over songs on any cd i listen to, and i have definitely bought cds based on a single song. after skimming through this thread, i see that my tastes are way out there compared to everyone else's, although i have actually heard of a few of the mentioned artists. anyway, my suggestions (even though i can't figure out what your tastes are):
Alicia Keys--Songs in A minor Fiona Apple--When the Pawn
as for why i like them, first of all, i like stuff i can sing along with, and also, both of these albums are amazing musically.
Posts: 1090 | Registered: Oct 2003
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A lot like Counting Crows - the same sort of raw, unproduced, acoustic feel that their best stuff on August and Everything After and Recovering the Satellites has (don't much care for their more recent stuff, but those two, by the way, are great albums - others I can go right through on). It plays like he's sitting on a stool in the corner of a coffee shop.
Also U2, The Joshua Tree.
And if you're feeling lucky, Metallica's S&M is a "best of" compilation done live with the San Francisco Symphony. It works surprisingly well.
Also, Speed quite rightly emphasizes the importance of Dire Straits.
Posts: 794 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Thank you! for introducing me here to the Delgados. What a world we live in - a mere notion - a contintent away - phosphorescing on my CRT - moments later I am listening to a track on headphones....
My work here is done.
Posts: 2443 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Okay, my list of the "no clunkers, clinkers or dinkers" albums:
Van Morrison's Veedon Fleece Beauty at 33 rpms (or many many more rpms in CD form).
Rush's Signals Everything you went through as a youth in suburbia. One of a handful of masterpiece albums this band has made. They truly deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Paul Kelly and the Messengers: Under the Sun Probably the greatest Australian singer/songwriter of all time. Wondrous, the album touches lives and shows the chords that wind us all together.
Peter Mulvey: Rapture Fabulous song-writing and the most intricate acoustic guitar work you'll find anywhere. This guy is one of the greatest undiscovereds.
Bare Naked Ladies: Gordon Their first and best album. Hilarious and touching, it was a piece of sarcastic magic.
U2: The Joshua Tree Never has there been a more perfectly crafted album. Wow. 100 years from now, this will be what music history teachers will play for their students.
Lastly, just about anything by Yes will get played straight through on my CD player.
Posts: 2848 | Registered: Feb 2003
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rivka: I have never met another human being who even knew who Dan Fogelberg was.
And while I don't particularly care for his music NOW, he was one of my favorites way back when. . .
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Twinky, I couldn't agree with you more about APC - I wasn't sure that they would be more than just a 1 album band, but Thirteen Step has disabused me of that!
Posts: 753 | Registered: Mar 2001
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GAAAA! For me, the title song is more of a "dive for the stereo and rip out the CD, or alternatively poke out my ears with knitting needles" type song. Consequently I've never heard any of this other stuff. Given that, you may want to take my suggestions with a grain of salt, but here goes:
I'll second whoever said "Rush of Blood to the Head". I don't care so much for the first song, but the rest of that album is absolutely fantastic, in a haunting sort of way.
If you like Talking Heads, I'd highly recommend their live album, "Stop Making Sense". Every song on it is performed extremely well, and there is an energy to this album that none of their studio recordings even begin to approach.
The two They Might Be Giants albums that I find myself putting in most frequently are "Flood" and "John Henry". I like all of their albums (well, up to John Henry, anyway; I'm sadly unaquainted with anything they've done since 1994), but these two are to me among their most consistently musically interesting, catchy, and fun. "Lincoln" and "Apollo 18" tie for 3rd place.
I love the Beatles. If you do too, I'm sure you already know all you need to about which albums of theirs you like. The only Beatles songs I skip are Revolution 9 (because come on!), Yellow Submarine, and Octapus's Garden.
I never skip any of the songs on George Harrison's swan song album "Brainwashed". There are bits of it that sound a little bit ELOish, but for the most part George's genius burns bright throughout the album. On "All Things Must Pass" I only skip the "Johnny's Birthday" song (I don't remember the actual title there), which isn't bad for an album that size. "George Harrison" and "33&1/3" are pretty solid also.
As long as we're on former Beatles, I can say that I never skip through anything on either "McCartney" or "Ram". If you like Paul, these are definitely his best albums (although certainly not his only good ones).
Do you like Luna? If so, I'd highly recommend their 1994 album "Bewitched". I haven't heard all of their stuff, but of the albums I've heard, "Bewitched" has captivated my attention more than any other. It's a haunting and somewhat depressing album, but it's one of those that draws my attention so completely that when it's on I tend to stop whatever else I'm doing and just listen to it.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:I have never met another human being who even knew who Dan Fogelberg was.
I know who Dan Fogelberg is. "Twin Sons of Different Mothers" is a good album. Also, his song, "Leader of the Band" always makes me cry. Always. This was rather inconvenient when I worked in a store where the satellite music system they subscribed to played it fairly often.
I don't listen to Fogelberg often these days, but I still like his music.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I like Dan Fogelberg, too, but in characteristically schizy fashion, I can also laugh uproariously at Denis Leary when he riffs that Fogelberg was responsible for turning us into wusses (or some word like that) in the 70's.....
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Let me see if I can rank the Radiohead albums according to my own tastes:
1. The Bends: If only for Fake Plastic Trees, but this album has so many other good songs. 2. OK Computer: Paranoid Android was the first song I ever heard by Radiohead (I was serving a mission when Creep came out). Needless to say, I fell in love with the band immediately. I must confess that I often skip Fitter Happier. 3. Hail to the Thief: Maybe because it's still so new. But it's just full of great stuff, and it's so varied. 4. Kid A: I still have a hard time with some of the sounds on this one, but the album as a whole gels so well. 5. Amnesiac: I love a few of the songs, like Pyramid Song and I Might Be Wrong, but this one's too experimental and doesn't have the masterpiece feel of Kid A. 6. Pablo Honey: Lots of energy, but Radiohead just hadn't hit their stride yet.
I think my absolute favorite Radiohead song is one of their b-sides, Cuttooth. Other b-side favorites are Talk Show Host, India Rubber, Lift, and Banana Co.
Pink Floyd made a few albums that you absolutely listen to the whole way through. Animals is some of the best music ever made. I love that little album. Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon are unbelievable. The 70s was a good decade for Floyd.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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ahahahaa, so much talk about a perfect circle made me go and dream about maynard last night. not that i'm complaining or anything
Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I have never had the urge to skip during any album. Run, screaming into the night with my hands covering my ears, but not sissy skipping around like a little girl.
I mean--never, and I've listened to "Skipperella and Music to Skip To", by Skip Skipperson and the Skipperettes.
Not a single skipping incident.
Oh, wait, you meant skipping over a song, not prancing around like a show horse in heat.
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I've been looking up some of these albums at the library, but I can't find Carbon Leaf by Echo Echo and my library has a huuuuuuuge collection!
I second all the Rush noms. Just don't try to get into Vapor Trails as your first album. It might turn you off.
I have the SR-71 album (which was shockingly good - I was expecting super poppy, and it's only mid way poppy). I also have The Rising by the Boss, which was pretty good.
I second the DMB noms as well. thank gawd he gave up being a bartender! second the Counting Crows. second Coldplay. Thx for mentioning Moby, I'm getting him from the library now....
Blue Sky Mining, by Midnight Oil is pretty good.
One, by the Beatles (all their number one hits).
greatest hits of a lot of people...Elton John, Lionel Richie, the Boss, Journey (must have for every classic rock fan), Foreigner...
there's a great album by a group called samiam, I'm looking it up now...You are freaking me out, it's called. It is awesome fast driving music!
No Angel by Dido will be good in about 10 years when we all forget how much it was overplayed...
Women of the World: Celtic Music is a pretty good album for some not like the rest of the stuff music...
Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Hobbes, you forgot 'Songs from Liquid Days'. Vocals by various performers. Music by Philip Glass. Really good.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Actually Storm, I own Liquid Days but it is one of my least favorite Glass CDs (that I own that is, but I own aroung 50 Glass). Besides which, there's a lot of other Glass music I like more, but I wouldn't necessarily normally listen to the album all the way thorugh (Koyaanisqatsi being my favorite CD, but I hardley ever listen to Tracks 1,2,3 and 8 for instance).
posted
Slow Motion Daydream by Everclear. Just a really HEAVY album. Solos are really tight and melodic, never the masturbatory twiddling of many other bands...
Out of the Vein by Third Eye Blind. Pretty rockin', but more artsy than most. Awesome lyrics, awesome singing, awesome guitars.
That Audioslave album people have been talking about(what is the name? Argh!) Chris Cornel (I *think* that's his name) has an incredible voice.
South by Heather Nova. A rootsy, country-pop thing with haunting vocals and slowly grooving melodies.
Grace by Jeff Buckley. Weird guitars, weird vocals, weird lyrics, AWESOME album.
...erm, I'm not sure if our musical tastes really match, but ya never know...
*looks for thesaurus to replace "awesome" with better adjectives*
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Gladiator Sdtrk (love it!) Fellowship of the Ring Sdtrk (really good!) The Two Towers Sdtrk (better that FotR, Rohan theme is awesome!) Faire Celts (this is extremely cool)
Posts: 4174 | Registered: Sep 2003
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