The Search for the Perfect Record

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Tequila Cowboy
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The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

So over in the 2017 thread Son Volt Trace came up. With the exception of Zip most of us pointed to Trace as a perfect record which gave me the idea for this thread. List those records that you think are nearly flawless in their execution. They could be, but don't necessarily have to be, your favorites. Here are a few:


London Calling- the Clash
Trace- Son Volt
Blood on the Tracks- Bob Dylan
Abbey Road- the Beatles
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Flea »

Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell

(ducking to avoid incoming rotten vegetables)
Now it's dark.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Daddy_played_poker »

Flea wrote:Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell

(ducking to avoid incoming rotten vegetables)

I think many folks would agree with that one, though I'm not one of them. :D
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Clams »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:So over in the 2017 thread Son Volt Trace came up. With the exception of Zip most of us pointed to Trace as a perfect record which gave me the idea for this thread.
I'm with zip. I wouldn't include Trace in my list of perfect records. Parts of it are amazing (Windfall and Tear Stained Eye) but I never understood all the fawning over the rest of it. Just my opinion.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Shakespeare »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:So over in the 2017 thread Son Volt Trace came up. With the exception of Zip most of us pointed to Trace as a perfect record which gave me the idea for this thread. List those records that you think are nearly flawless in their execution. They could be, but don't necessarily have to be, your favorites. Here are a few:

Exile on Main Street- Rolling Stones
London Calling- the Clash
Trace- Son Volt
Blood on the Tracks- Bob Dylan
Abbey Road- the Beatles
sorry but no way. son volt sticks out like a sore thumb on that list :lol:

jay's a great songwriter but i just cant take him for more than a few songs per album. uncle tupelo yes, son volt nope. trace might have more perfect songs than windfall but hes one of those songwriters for whom the very best material is all i need.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by dogstar »

Talking Heads - Remain in Light
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Sticky Fingers is the Stones' perfect record. Exile is a masterpiece in a very imperfect way.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by 211poundsofpork »

Flea wrote:Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell

(ducking to avoid incoming rotten vegetables)
that's ok, I've got fresh brussel sprouts (absolutely loathe them!) headed your way! :D

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by John A Arkansawyer »

Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, Aja, and Gaucho, by Steely Dan.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Zip City »

I can probably give you a list of my Top 25 albums of all time, and maybe 1 would be what I consider "perfect". Of course perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and I guess my standard is very high. I don't think any of DBT's albums are "perfect", though I'd list a few among my all time favorite records
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by roland »

I was a big 'ol nerd in middle school, and They Might Be Giants' self-titled debut encapsulated my 7th grade self.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Smitty »

Zip City wrote:I can probably give you a list of my Top 25 albums of all time, and maybe 1 would be what I consider "perfect". Of course perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and I guess my standard is very high. I don't think any of DBT's albums are "perfect", though I'd list a few among my all time favorite records
I think objectively "Decoration Day" is perfect in every way; musically, thematically, lyrically, sequence, all killer no filler :twisted: even the artwork/packaging is flawless.

At first I agreed with you, then I thought personal bias prevents me from accurately judging... but then I did anyway, and objectively that's one record I believe is perfect in every way.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
Kind of Blue- Miles Davis
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Smitty »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
Kind of Blue- Miles Davis
Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours
Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Smitty »

I think the only Boss record that is perfect is Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Here's my list of perfect records off the top of my head:

Darkness
Sticky
Blood on the Tracks
Kind of Blue
A Love Supreme
Red Headed Stranger
Wee Small Hours
Rumours
Astral Weeks
Magnolia Electric Co.
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Decoration Day
Ghosts of the Great Highway

Despite having great albums and even greater songs, so many great artists, particularly country artists but also ones like Tom Waits and Wilco never come close to a "perfect" record.*

I guess YHF and Raindogs come close, but still, no cigar
Last edited by Smitty on Fri Nov 25, 2016 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by 4sooner »

Who's Next

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by linkous »

The Fall - Dragnet, Grotesque, Hex Enduction Hour, Perverted By Language.
PIL - Metal Box
Joy Division - Closer
Bowie - Low
Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
VU and Nico
Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
King Tubby - Meets The Rockers Uptown
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
REM - Murmur
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Radiohead - Kid A
Wire - Chairs Missing
Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by tinnitus photography »

The contentious and very subjective criterion here is what constitutes a dud. Exile has Ventilator Blues, Alien Lanes has Ex-Supermodel, and I'm sure if I spent more time thinking about it I could find others.

That said, here are some of my picks:

Robyn Hitchcock - I often dream of trains (one could argue that the two a capella songs are out of place but I think they fit nicely)

Mogwai - Come on Die Young
Dinosaur Jr - Your Living All Over Me (Poledo is a valid argument against)
The Stooges - Funhouse and Raw Power
Black Sabbath - Paranoid through SBS (discounted the first one due to the cover of The Wizard)
Ty Segall - Manipulator

I'll think of more later.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by scotto »

Richard and Linda Thompson, Shoot Out the Lights
Dylan, Blonde on Blonde
The Band, Big Pink
Joni Mitchell, Blue
Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch
Miles, Kind of Blue
Marvin Gaye, What's Goin' On
Neil Young, After the Goldrush
Mingus, Mingus Ah Um
The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by ramonz »

Damn the Torpedoes

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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ramonz wrote:Damn the Torpedoes
Good call.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by beantownbubba »

I'm not sure I could verbalize what a perfect record is but here are some that immediately come to mind in response to the question anyway:

The Band - s/t
Abbey Road
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Astral Weeks
Moondance
Nick Drake - Bryter Later
Decoration Day
Who's Next
Blood on the Tracks
Howard Tate - s/t (the first one)
Dark Side of the Moon - the oddest of ducks - not even in my personal top 50 favorites but the things is pretty much perfect
Born to Run, maybe Darkness, definitely not The River

A couple of Steely Dan albums come close but really JohnA. Gaucho???!!! That's not even a good album.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

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