The Album Thread: Deep Dives into a Lost Art

jjstraka34

So....I have had this idea for a thread for a long-time. There are plenty of threads about sharing Youtube videos about songs, and this isn't what I am envisioning here. I'm interested in a discussion about the long-lost art of discussing the merits of full albums. As recently as the early-2000s, a long-player was a still a significant event in the music industry, and putting together a great one from front to back was still something to be celebrated. From the early-60s to at least the late-90s, this remained the case. Somewhere along the line, not only did great albums seem to disappear, but the very idea that they mattered did as well.

So my intent here is to discuss the music in the context of full-length records. They don't HAVE to be from this long-gone era (indeed, I would love to find new ones that still matter), but I suspect most of them will be. It would be great if people included a photo of the album cover in their posts (as this is also something that matter ALOT back in the day) and would take the time to write at least a couple of paragraphs about why the album speaks to them, but I'm not going to place any requirements. Of course people should feel free to opine in response to any long-posts, but if introducing a new one to the discussion, it would be awesome if everyone gave it some loving treatment, as no doubt the record has provided you much joy and solace over the years. I have no idea if this will go anywhere, but we'll see.

jjstraka34

Prince and the Revolution: Purple Rain



Prince had already made a name for himself long before 1984. A musical prodigy hailing from Minneapolis, his first couple of albums were by no means masterpieces, but contained individual songs that hinted at absolute brilliance. By the time 1980's insanely risque (even by modern standards) "Dirty Mind" came out, it was clear that the music world was looking at a once in a generation musical tour de force. 1982's "1999" propelled him into the mainstream of popular music with two hit singles, but nothing could have prepared for the multimedia blockbuster that was 1984's "Purple Rain".

In retrospect, the album looms far larger than the movie, since the film is nothing but an 80s time capsule that is a delivery method for the songs (though it's worth noting that Eminem's "8 Mile" is essentially a carbon copy of "Purple Rain" plot-wise). The album and the movie made Prince a star on the level of Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna, and along with "Thriller", "Born in the USA" and "Like a Virgin", it defined the decade it belonged to.

Few will ever forget the opening words of "Let's Go Crazy", where Prince tells us that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life, before exploding into a Stones/James Brown amalgamation, ending in a scream of "take me away!" It immediately transitions into a psychedelic pop-duet with his movie co-star Apollonia in "Take Me With You". It is then followed by two of the most wonderfully weird songs ever put on a massively popular album with "The Beautiful Ones" and "Computer Blue". The what should have been only mildly controversial "Darling Nikki" (which was nowhere near the level of the tales of threesomes and incest on "Dirty Mind") was still enough to (supposedly) have convinced Tipper Gore to start the PMRC when she heard her daughter listening to it. "When Doves Cry" remains by far the strangest #1 hit in history, a song with absolutely no bass line and cryptic imagery that is still a shock to the system to this day. Two party anthems ready made for Minneapolis clubs follow ("I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm A Star") follow before we get to the towering title track. An 8 minute epic that can only be experienced in full. Led Zeppelin sang about a Stairway to Heaven, but in the closing 3 minutes, Prince uses his guitar to actually climb that stairway and reach the gates.

Prince, despite his greatness, to this day remains woefully UNDERRATED. He was every bit the equal of musical giants like James Brown, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and Mick Jagger on the terms of those artist's greatest strengths, but he was able to combine ALL of them, sometimes into a single song. Prince absorded every bit of influence from the beginning of the rock era (it would be impossible to list just how many) yet combined them with a composing genius of someone like Bach or Mozart with a showmanship on stage that honestly put even contemporaries like Michael Jackson or Springsteen to shame. It's debatable whether "Purple Rain" is even his best work (I think it probably is, but there are strong cases to be made for both "Dirty Mind" and 1987's "Sign of the Times"). But what can hardly be denied is that there has never been a blockbuster, massively popular album quite as musically ambitious and experimental (yet completely accessible) as "Purple Rain".

LadyRhian

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" from the Beatles.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cbnv6

jjstraka34

Thanks for participating. In that spirit, let's talk about.....

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band:



It's pretty much impossible to talk about great albums without mentioning "Sgt. Pepper", mostly because even if you asked someone who was only casually interested in rock music history what the best album of all-time is, they'd probably assume it was by the Beatles, and this would likely be the default choice. Because few albums have this kind of myth surrounding them.

Sgt. Pepper was released at the height of the psychedelic-era in 1967, and Paul McCartney himself has said that it was their response to "Pet Sounds" by the Beach Boys. It is often viewed as one of the first concept albums, though I've never figured out what the concept is. But when I talk about album art being important to the idea of full records, Sgt. Pepper is where that idea really takes shape. The image of The Beatles as a military/circus band flanked by famous figures ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Aleister Crowley goes well beyond iconic. It was so influential that The Rolling Stones ripped it off wholesale when they did the cover to "Their Satanic Majesties Request" later that year.

The music. It's obviously great, even though I think The Beatles likely made at least 3 albums that are better. Harrison is still in his Ravi Shankar phase, but the real meat here is the bookends. The title track which goes right into Ringo's "With a Little Help From My Friends", and the reprise at the end, which morphs into Lennon's magnum opus, "A Day in the Life". This still creepy slice of life fever dream contains one of the most famous lines in all of rock music, "I read the news today, oh boy" and McCartney's brief slightly sunny interlude into Lennon's hazy nightmare is both the end and highlight of the album.

In the end, I don't think "Sgt. Pepper" is the best album of all-time, but it is certainly likely the most important one. It defined the idea that albums could be viewed as art in totality. It's cultural impact in the late '60s was gigantic. And even the 3rd or 4th best Beatles album is still a candidate for any top 10 list. Though I think both "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" are better, neither has nearly the cache that this one does.

Balrog99

Alice in Chains - Dirt

My favorite album from my favorite band. This album pretty much sums up the grunge era. It's impossible to listen to without feeling like you've been punched in the gut. I've never 'felt' a singer like I feel Layne Staley when he's singing here. The ups and downs of the drug culture are painfully woven into almost every song. Cantrell's masterpiece 'Would' is my favorite song and is the last song on the album. Truly memorable...

jjstraka34

Most people like Alice in Chains far more than I do. I agree that "Would" is an absolute masterpiece of a song. I think ALOT of grunge albums from the 90s were at least full of 50-75% good songs, but even something like Pearl Jam's "Ten" is half-filler. The albums were still worth buying because they were mostly all filled with 4 or 5 legitimate hit singles or potentially successful radio fare, but I found once the era was over that I was often much better served buying Greatest Hits albums.

The main exceptions to this rule (imo) are ones like Nirvana's "Nevermind", Pearl Jam's "Vs.", Stone Temple Pilot's "Purple", your selection of "Dirt" and Rage Against the Machine's debut. There was always a justification for buying albums back then, because you were at least guaranteed to have half of the songs be home runs, but there were very few of them I ever listened to front to back. I mean, I owned the Temple of the Dog album, but I never listened to anything but "Hunger Strike", but that song still gives me chills to this day. I also had "Superunknown", which is pretty much recognized as a classic in retrospect, but I generally found the best stuff on that album was what was on the radio at the time.

I also have to add The Smashing Pumpkin's "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" to the list of albums (and this one was a MASSIVE double album) that were worth listening to all the way, but that album will surely get it's own write-up if I continue doing this thread and people like it.