The Search for the Perfect Record

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schlanky
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by schlanky »

Great thread! Most of mine have been mentioned---Rumours, Blue, Blood on the Tracks, Born to Run, Who's Next.

I agree with "Bat Out of Hell."

It may be discounted by some because it was an an all-star album, but "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" makes the list for me.

For live albums, I'd throw in John Prine Live.
Let the outside air in

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whatwouldcooleydo?
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by whatwouldcooleydo? »

for live albums gotta have Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out and Live at Leeds
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Zip City »

Okonokos for the win
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by John A Arkansawyer »

Metal Machine Music proves it doesn't have to be good to be perfect. If there's a perfect Lou record, it'sBerlin.

Yes, Gaucho and Aja both. It took decades for me to come around.

For Rundgren, I'd go A Wizard, A True Star. It's hard to say aboutCourt and Spark, her best record, 'cause some days "Raised on Robbery" just rubs me the wrong damn way. And Illmatic really is something special. Sail Away. Exile in Guyville. Little Earthquakes. So many Miles and Trane. Those Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven compilation records. Horses. We're Only In It For The Money. Tomorrow the Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall.
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Smitty
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Smitty »

Flea wrote:
whatwouldcooleydo? wrote:I know I am way in the minority here, but I find Car Wheels to be vastly overrated. I don't think it's anywhere near as good as Sweet Old World and the eponymous, much less being at the masterpiece level it is generally given. Not saying it isn't a great record, I just don't think it's her best/my favorite
I'll go far beyond and say that World Without Tears is better than any of those 3.
W w/o T is my favorite by far, but the more perfect record is Car Wheels.
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.

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Rocky
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Rocky »

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tinnitus photography
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by tinnitus photography »

sactochris wrote:Metal Machine Music
it's actually pretty good!

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tinnitus photography
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by tinnitus photography »

beantownbubba wrote:Do you guys actually listen to MMM?
i haven't in a while, but i'm doing so right now. i've got plenty of noise records in my collection. they don't get a lot of play, but they do have their place.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Smitty »

If it wasn't for that godawful white noise at the end of "Less than You Think", A Ghost is Born would be perfect.

I know some folks who would swear there's a perfect Modest Mouse album, but I wouldn't know where to start.

I think Love is Hell comes close.

I'm a huge Slobberbone fan, but I think Barrel Chested blows EYTWRWWT away, but I wouldn't call either perfect. I think Vultures Await is closer to perfect than Love You the Same.

Kathleen Edwards Asking for Flowers is perfect, now that I think about it. So is Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold, Dead Place.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Zip City »

Kendrick Lamar - good kid/m.A.A.d. City
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Tequila Cowboy
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

beantownbubba wrote:Doesn't "great," "exceptional, "essential" or words to that effect have to fit in there somewhere? Though I'm sure you don't mean it that way, as stated that sounds as much like a definition of mediocrity as it does of perfection.
I used the rather linguistically clunky "un-flawed" in my description but if I had worded it differently I could have used "flawless" which I think is more objective that "great" or "exceptional". In any case perfect is hard to define but fun to try.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by dogstar »

Image
"Guitars talk. If you really want to write a song, ask a guitar." Neil Young

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Iowan »

Sticky Fingers
Muswell Hillbillies
Live at Leeds
Decoration Day
Boys and Girls in America

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by beantownbubba »

Clams wrote:
beantownbubba wrote: Born to Run, maybe Darkness, definitely not The River
.
How about Nebraska?
As this thread has evolved, I think Nebraska fits comfortably among the elect so I'm calling this one in favor of the Boss.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by dogstar »

Some recent'ish records that might make it in the fullness of time

Phospherescent - Here's to taking it easy
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise
"Guitars talk. If you really want to write a song, ask a guitar." Neil Young

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dime in the gutter
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by dime in the gutter »

shotgun willie
phases and stages
red headed stranger

dreaming my dreams/waylon
honky tonk heroes/waylon

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ramonz
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by ramonz »

dime in the gutter wrote:shotgun willie
phases and stages
red headed stranger

dreaming my dreams/waylon
honky tonk heroes/waylon
Hellz yes to all of these.

And going in a different direction: The Cars debut.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by jr29 »

McMurtry- Childish Things
Marty Robbins- Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

The self titled Bobby Charles album certainly approaches perfection, too.

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4sooner
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by 4sooner »

LZ II

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Clams
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Clams »

4sooner wrote:LZ II
Goes without saying
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tinnitus photography
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by tinnitus photography »

i think that Mogwai's _Come On Die Young_ qualifies.

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bathmalts
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by bathmalts »

Willie Nelson - Yesterday's Wine
Hank WIlliams III - Straight to Hell
The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East

Weird, because these aren't my absolute favorite albums, but they come to mind when thinking about the perfect album

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dime in the gutter
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by dime in the gutter »

has this thread been re-named or some shit?

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sactochris
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by sactochris »

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cortez the killer
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by cortez the killer »

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by John A Arkansawyer »

cortez the killer wrote:Image
Can't argue with that! The first two LPs and first two EPs are right there, and the third one is very close.
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worrierking
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by worrierking »

Smitty wrote:If it wasn't for that godawful white noise at the end of "Less than You Think", A Ghost is Born would be perfect.
This is good posting right here.

Someone mentioned The Cars debut. It's pretty nearly perfect for what it was attempting to be. I think you could make that same point with any number of other albums with pop or mainstream goals rather than attempting artistic statements. Boston's debut is about perfect as a work of mainstream hard rock craftsmanship, for instance. Artistically, meh, but as studio craft it's impeccable.

Thriller too, from an R & B pop standpoint.

Anybody mention Trout Mask Replica?
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Cole Younger
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Cole Younger »

beantownbubba wrote:
Clams wrote:
beantownbubba wrote: Born to Run, maybe Darkness, definitely not The River
.
How about Nebraska?
This falls into that space between "great" and "perfect" for me. Nebraska, and The River for that matter, are great albums by my standards. The River is not perfect because there are too many songs that don't quite measure up (the usual problem w/ double albums anyway). Nebraska, OTOH, might well be a perfect album or it might fall a little short but since I can't really say what a perfect album is I can't really say why I'm not sure about Nebraska.
I had to run to the store last night and listened to Nebraska for the first time in a while. I don't know if it's perfect or not but it sure is...something. I have a hard time explaining what it is I like about Nebraska so much beyond the obvious. I like the whole thing but Last night and today I keep coming back to Used Cars.
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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by Flea »

worrierking wrote: Boston's debut is about perfect as a work of mainstream hard rock craftsmanship, for instance. Artistically, meh, but as studio craft it's impeccable.
It is also one of the only two albums i can remember where every single track received radio airplay during the heyday of FM rock radio. The other is Led Zep 4.
Now it's dark.

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Re: The Search for the Perfect Record

Post by tinnitus photography »

Flea wrote:
worrierking wrote: Boston's debut is about perfect as a work of mainstream hard rock craftsmanship, for instance. Artistically, meh, but as studio craft it's impeccable.
It is also one of the only two albums i can remember where every single track received radio airplay during the heyday of FM rock radio. The other is Led Zep 4.
Born In The USA had something like 8 of its 12 tracks hit #1.

"Working On The Highway" might be the only i don't think i heard on radio but i'm sure someone played it somewhere.

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