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[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

I know the title sounds as just another topic of favorite albums, and in part it is. But this is not about making a ranking of records, the idea is to name immaculate albums that rubs perfection, according to each one's opinion. Personal taste will always be there, but I'm taking into account quality, originality and historical relevance.

This is my list, made in chronological order:

Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)
Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
The Beatles: Rubber Soul (1965)
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beatles: Revolver (1966)
The Doors: The Doors (1967)
Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
The Byrds: Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced (1967)
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Doors: Strange Days (1967)
Love: Forever Changes (1967)
The Zombies: Odessey And Oracle (1968)
The Kinks: The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet (1968)
The Who: Tommy (1969)
The Beatles: Abbey Road (1969)
The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed (1969)
The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (1971)
The Who: Who's Next (1971)

Of course, there are other essential albums that were not included (Blonde On Blonde, The Who Sell Out, Electric Ladyland, The White Album, Exile On Main Street, etc.) because minor details let them out of this exclusive list.

I'd like reading others' lists.

[tkitna]

I'll add a few-

Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed (1967)
Pretty Things - SF Sorrow (1968)
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Yes - Fragile (1971)
The Who - Quadrophenia (1973)

A few arguments can be made for SF Sorrow and Tumbleweed, but here's my defense - SF Sorrow was a precursor to other actual concept albums (Quadrophenia).  Made in Abbey Road  and produced by the Beatles own Norman Hand.  Highly regarded by other artists such as David Gilmour and Arthur Lee.  Lastly, its my favorite album so get over it.  Tumbleweed Connection didn't see the commercial success that Madman Across The Water did, but its better.  As a matter of fact, Madman was already being made at this time and the original version of the song (added as an extra to later CD's) sh*ts all over the actual album version.  Choose for yourself.

Original Tumbleweed Version

! No longer available

Radio and album version

! No longer available

Davey Johnstones guitar makes all the difference in the world.  The radio version has no edge to it. 

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Thanks for your contribution, tkitna. I'm not particularly a fan of S.F. Sorrow, but its inclusion is as fair as Forever Changes or Odessey And Oracle: albums that were ignored when they were released and gained recognition with time. Moreover, S.F. Sorrow is probably the first rock opera ever, so it also gets points for originality.

[Moogmodule]

Id probably be inclined to add Blonde on Blonde. I think any double album is problematic. Most can do with pruning of the more indulgent tracks. I think of all double albums though Blonde on Blonde is closest to deserving inclusion. I cant think of a weak track, although Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat sounds the most fillerish. The only quibble is that, for a double album it still has only 14 songs. With one track taking up a whole side.  But I think it deserves a place.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Id probably be inclined to add Blonde on Blonde. I think any double album is problematic. Most can do with pruning of the more indulgent tracks. I think of all double albums though Blonde on Blonde is closest to deserving inclusion. I cant think of a weak track, although Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat sounds the most fillerish. The only quibble is that, for a double album it still has only 14 songs. With one track taking up a whole side.  But I think it deserves a place.

Casually I've listened (again) to Blonde On Blonde last Sunday. It's indeed a great collection of songs. But I think the songwriting is not as good as, say, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan; and the sound didn't mean an advance from Highway 61 Revisited. Moreover, as you've said, being a double-album attempts a bit against constancy. But it surely is one of the most glaring absences in my list.

Actually the only double-album that I included in my list was Tommy, which certainly suffers from the long format disease, but I consider it as the definitive rock opera so I think it deserves a place.

[Fab4Fan]

Ah, nice topic and nice lists. I'll have to ponder over this but I'm not sure I can add much if we're just staying with the '60s/early '70s.

[tkitna]

I'm not particularly a fan of S.F. Sorrow,

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Ah, nice topic and nice lists. I'll have to ponder over this but I'm not sure I can add much if we're just staying with the '60s/early '70s.

Thank you. It's not an obligation to put only 60's/early 70's albums; there are other important albums released in other times but I didn't consider them because it's not the music I usually like.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Hey, I'm not a fan but I don't think it's a bad album! 

[Bobber]

Isn't it still a matter of taste?

I'd say that OK Computer and The Bends by Radiohead are excellent albums. And Grace by Jeff Buckley. But I can understand that a lot of people don't regard them as such.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Isn't it still a matter of taste?

Of course it is. But there are albums that were good, original and influential at the same time. Surely each one's selections will be linked to the personal taste, but within that subjective world one could try to do an objective selection of the best records. For example, I may consider that Blonde On Blonde is as good as Highway 61 Revisited; but I think the latter album has more merits because it was released before.

Putting the things in a different perspective, I tried to make a list of albums that everyone should take note of, not only the fans. This could also be done with other artists that were not considered by myself.

[tkitna]

Hey, I'm not a fan but I don't think it's a bad album! 

I was just joking.  Everybody has different tastes and that's fine by me.   

[oldbrownshoe]

I don't trust perfection and I'm very sceptical about relevance and influence!

David Bowie is said to have influenced millions but if Woody Guthrie had only influenced Bob Dylan, he'd be the more influential artist by a country mile.
It's not how many got influenced, it's 'who' got influenced.

My favourite Dylan LP is 'Nashville Skyline' but it has more flaws in it than the Empire State.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

I don't trust perfection and I'm very sceptical about relevance and influence!

David Bowie is said to have influenced millions but if Woody Guthrie had only influenced Bob Dylan, he'd be the more influential artist by a country mile.
It's not how many got influenced, it's 'who' got influenced.

My favourite Dylan LP is 'Nashville Skyline' but it has more flaws in it than the Empire State.

Yes, you got a point there. Maybe my list should be seen just as the most representative albums of the music I like.

I'm not a fan of country music, but Nashville Skyline is an exception; I really like that album.

But the word "perfection", in the way I used it, shouldn't be taken as a technical issue. Actually I love 60's rock music in part because of all those little mistakes in the recordings. They give certain uncontrolled randomness that makes the music more natural and unrepeatable.

[nimrod]

Isn't it still a matter of taste?

I'd say that OK Computer and The Bends by Radiohead are excellent albums. And Grace by Jeff Buckley. But I can understand that a lot of people don't regard them as such.

Yes Cor, thats the trouble, everybody just picks their favourite artists

I knew hombre would pick Dylan, The Stones & The Who and Todd would pick SF Sorrow 

If were talking importance then Sgt Pepper is way ahead of the rest, it was monumentally important, it basically gave all other artists carte blanche to experiment in the studio

others Id pick;

Heavy Weather - Weather Report (perfect blending of Jazz & Rock and Jaco's finest moments)
Close To The Edge - Yes
Low - David Bowie
In The Court Of The Crimson King - King Crimson (the first full blown progressive rock album)
Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd (monumentally brilliant)
Revolver - Beatles (truly great songwriting and very influential)
Whats The Story - Oasis (started Britpop, a return to guitars and drums and pure songs after years of synth oriented rock) stacked with great songs
Selling England By The Pound - Genesis (incredibly influential)
After The Goldrush - Neil Young
LA Woman - The Doors
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac (superb faultless songwriting - timeless)

[oldbrownshoe]

Influential.....hmmm.
Oasis. Yikes.
Genesis.....hmmm.
The only influential thing about Genesis was a glut of people getting their ears pierced and joining punk groups, just to get away from things like Genesis!!!

The one LP mentioned so far that I regularly play, indeed I play it more than any other album, is 'Pet Sounds'. Oh, and 'Strange Days' by The Doors.

[tkitna]

This album needs to be mentioned before we get ahead of ourselves.



The start of a juggernaut.

[Klang]

This album needs to be mentioned before we get ahead of ourselves.



The start of a juggernaut.

Hear! Hear!

 

[nimrod]

Influential.....hmmm.
Oasis. Yikes.
Genesis.....hmmm.
The only influential thing about Genesis was a glut of people getting their ears pierced and joining punk groups, just to get away from things like Genesis!!!

The one LP mentioned so far that I regularly play, indeed I play it more than any other album, is 'Pet Sounds'. Oh, and 'Strange Days' by The Doors.

Dont confuse gabriel era Genesis to the later Phil Collins Genesis but Im guessing (and probably correctly) youve never even listened to a Peter Gabriel era Genesis LP due to your bias against anything from the 70's, I know that you think anything made after the 60's is 'rubbish'........your word.

The fact that people are still buying these albums remastered 45 years later means they're idiots Im guessing   

[nimrod]

Hear! Hear!

 

Hear Hear Hear