Blurrhead listens to the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time"

Originally Posted by Dark Wyrm

Please explain to me how its just a filler album. Personally, I think of Superunknown to be a bit weak and Ten is defiantly not Pearl Jam's best work. And while Nirvana isn't the best band out there, they get a lot more ♥♥♥♥ than they deserve.

What has Pearl Jam released that was more consistently great than Ten? Nothing comes to mind. Even Flow, Alive, Black, Jeremy, Garden, Release... Almost every song is a classic.

Superunknown... No comment. I find every track to stellar, with the exception of the two filler tracks.

Nevermind is definitely good. Great, even, but only about half the album is really great. I've always had an issue with Nevermind in particular, because Badmotorfinger (classic Soundgarden album) was released on like the same day, and which one gets stupidly popular?

That's my Soundgarden fanboy talking though.

Originally Posted by Alex

What has Pearl Jam released that was more consistently great than Ten? Nothing comes to mind. Even Flow, Alive, Black, Jeremy, Garden, Release... Almost every song is a classic.

Superunknown... No comment. I find every track to stellar, with the exception of the two filler tracks.

Nevermind is definitely good. Great, even, but only about half the album is really great. I've always had an issue with Nevermind in particular, because Badmotorfinger (classic Soundgarden album) was released on like the same day, and which one gets stupidly popular?

That's my Soundgarden fanboy talking though.

I've just...never been too big on soundgarden. I just find their style to be a bit bland. When I think of grunge, I think of the stuff that came before the huge explosion of 1992. Very punkish, harsh sounding fast beats and grungy singers. Like early Nirvana, some of The Pixies, that kinda thing. So when my friend back in the day started talking about grunge and played like STP I was pretty much dumbfounded.

I find Yield to be better than Ten. And so do most of the people I know. Sorry.

Honestly, I wish Nirvana would have never gotten as big as they did. Or have Butch Vig produce Nevermind. Not that he is a bad producer, he has done a lot of classic albums, but I think Nevermind would have been such a better album if it was dirtier sounding.

Originally Posted by Dark Wyrm

I've just...never been too big on soundgarden. I just find their style to be a bit bland. When I think of grunge, I think of the stuff that came before the huge explosion of 1992. Very punkish, harsh sounding fast beats and grungy singers. Like early Nirvana, some of The Pixies, that kinda thing. So when my friend back in the day started talking about grunge and played like STP I was pretty much dumbfounded.

I find Yield to be better than Ten. And so do most of the people I know. Sorry.

Honestly, I wish Nirvana would have never gotten as big as they did. Or have Butch Vig produce Nevermind. Not that he is a bad producer, he has done a lot of classic albums, but I think Nevermind would have been such a better album if it was dirtier sounding.

It's just rock and roll, man. "Grunge" is like a ♥♥♥♥ing fashion thing. It doesn't mean anything. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana sound like... nothing alike. If you heard 10 songs from each, not knowing who was who, and just the instrumentals, you could easily tell the difference on every single track. Within 5 seconds, on most.

Also, notice Ten with the 4.3, and Yield with the 3.7. Several hundred votes for each album, as well.

I don't know, I don't judge a band based on their genre, or other bands they are associated with. All I know is that Chris Cornell sings like a god, and Soundgarden are one hell of a talented band.

One of the better live performances I've heard. Especially considering how ridiculous those vocals are. Another.

Also, Blurrhead, very sorry for derailing this thread. Hope you don't mind too much?

Originally Posted by Alex

It's just rock and roll, man.

I used to think that. But I came to the conclusion rock has come such a long way from the 50's and 60's that subgenres and whole new genres even are really need to describe the music.

I'm a stuck up music nerd and I can admit it.

next alex is gonna tell us that pearl jam and stone temple pilots sound totally different

Well, no. Stone Temple Pilots basically got famous ripping off better bands. They're still alright.

By "sound nothing alike" I meant that you could easily tell the bands apart, even if it was just the instrumentals. Their singers are also pretty different.

I'm pretty sure Nevermind is ranked so high because of impact. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the stepping stone of Generation X? Nevertheless, it definitely is worth some mention, Smells Like Teen Spirit is sort of a song equivilant on other lists.




484. Branded Man - Merle Haggard (1967)

Alright, so...the Loretta Lynn album was a compiliation album...this album has the same kind of sound, but it's actually an original album. It had the same impact on me, but at least I can give this one a little more credibility.

This sound, while I'm put to sleep, actually has an enjoyable side to it that music today doesn't have. I'm not sure what it is, but it's there. Merle can write some sad songs though. Long Black Limousine was the saddest song I've heard in awhile. Yes, this summary is a little short, but I really don't have much to say, I just kind of listened to the CD and took it, nothing really favorable about this album, it's just your everyday old-school country album. I'm pretty sure nobody under the age of 40 really cares. :/

Originally Posted by Blurrhead

I'm pretty sure Nevermind is ranked so high because of impact. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it the stepping stone of Generation X? Nevertheless, it definitely is worth some mention, Smells Like Teen Spirit is sort of a song equivilant on other lists.

Basicly, yes. It changed mainstream rock forever.

483. Life After Death - The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)

Well, I started listening to this album with high aspects. I already knew before listening that Biggie Smalls was one of, if not, the most influental rappers of the 20th century. Now, I wasn't expecting anything AMAZING, but I did get a good deal of music: Biggie can actually write his own lyrics and make good music, unlike many rappers today. COUGHCOUGHLILWAYNECOUGHCOUGH. This album is one of the most intriguing albums on this list, and it is partly because of the death of Biggie.

Biggie was shot and killed less than a month before this album's release. This puts a lot of speculation into this album: Did Biggie know he was going to die somehow? I mean, I'm sure he didn't but it does seem a little suspicious that his first album was called Ready to Die and his second album was called Life After Death. Even the last song suggests that dying would make him more famous, with the chorus saying: "You're nobody til somebody kills you. I don't wanna die please God tell me why." Not to raise more speculation, but just putting a little insight as to why this album may be on this list. If he never was killed, he might not be as important as he is today and maybe this album would not have been so successful. Just a thought.

Overall, this album is good, but it certainly isn't the best in my tastes. I'm more into fast-paced hip-hop rather than slow, dark songs that send a message I really can't relate too. Oh well, the lyrics were pretty good and he can rhyme better than most present day rappers, so I guess it's the lyrics that matter.

482. Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1979)

Well, moving on down the list, I come to no.482. This album was superb. I'll be honest, I cannot determine a genre for this album, it's like...somewhere between classic rock n roll and alternative rock today, with a more artsy touch and more meaningful lyrics. (as compared to today.) I guess the fun is finding out how the music sounds to yourself and creating your own experience. I don't know if that was what Elvis Costello was going for, but if it was, he's on the money.

Most of my approval, however, comes from the sound quality of this album. Really, I could not of believed that this album came out in 1979. It sounds so clear and so fresh that if I were to listen to it blindly without knowledge of it, I would of guessed no earlier than 1990. VERY clear sound, very genuine lyrics, it's no wonder this album made this list. I cannot wait for This Year's Model, Imperial Bedroom and My Aim Is True. This album is probably my favorite so far behind Mellon Collie.

481. The Smiths - The Smiths (1984)

Normally I won't listen to two albums in one day, but I was pretty bored and I really wanted to give this album a listen. So...I did.

It was alright. Personally, I enjoyed the overall sound of the album, but it's not something that I would listen a whole album's worth of. It's more of a just a random iPod shuffle sound to me. It's a pretty good album lyrically and composition-wise, but it does prove that the Smiths were NOT made for the mainstream music scene.

The sound...it's reminiscent of The Cure, except a little bit more mature and more in touch their lyrics rather than their appearance. The songs themselves aren't really happy, but they're not really the opposite either, they're kind of just thrown somewhere inbetween with elements of both sides placed at random parts of the chorus, making it a little difficult to grasp the mood in many songs. Overall, I'd listen to The Smiths again.

480. Faith - George Michael (1987)

I've heard things about this album...that it was one of the most important pop records of the 80's, that it saved George Michael's career, that it is one of the greatest albums of all time...yeah right. This album was a huge pop success, but it is far from one of the greatest albums ever, which is why I think it has a spot on this list, albeit not a very high one. This album had six top ten singles, a hard feat to accomplish, especially when you only have nine tracks. Well, I think I made my point, on with the criticism:

George is an artist that kind of just uses his own style to his advantage, making several songs that sound different. Most of these songs were pretty similar, but some were more serious, slow and graceful, which did the album some justice. It's a fun album at first, but it doesn't take too long to realize that Michael is going to drag the nine tracks of music as long as he could. I'd probably enjoy these songs more if I were ten years older and heard them on the radio as a kid. Well, this album was probably influental on what become the modern day pop scene (he's definitely in the same boat as Michael Jackson.) but as for an artist, he's nothing more than a solo artist from a once-was group. It's no surprise he didn't repeat his success.

479. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson

This album...well it had a nice touch to it. It was fairly simple, but it had a nice, culutural atmosphere that gave it various sounds. It was, for the most part, folk rock with a clear, Irish influence, but it sometimes transcends into a country sound. It was a little short, by about 10 minutes, but it makes for a solid record. Richard's folk-like instrumentals and Linda's folk-like singing made for a great record. It's too bad Linda didn't sing on all the songs.

Oh, and there's three live songs, two of which are just live versions of songs on the CD. They're pretty good for simple, live performances. Clear, just how I like 'em. Overall, I thought this album had little flaws, but what it did lack in slowed it down and kept it from being one of the greatest...or is it already? Well, I liked it. End of story.

478. Radio - LL Cool J (1985)

Sorry for the week-long absence. My computer crashed and I just got it fixed. Anyway, I got a lot of catching up to do, and I thought I'd start by reviewing the next album on the list: LL Cool J's Radio.

I didn't have high expectations of this album, but I thought it was pretty great. It reminded me a lot of Public Enemy's album (no. 497) except it had more of a radio-friendly, mainstream lyrical appeal rather than a street/drug political feel. I was especially happy with the content: this is way different from anything I ever heard from Cool J. I didn't even know he was making music in 1985, as he is still well known and making music today, just with today's style, not with the old school sound of the 80's.

This album is pretty much vintage old school hip-hop. I particularly liked the mixing put into the album, as well as how Cool J delivers his songs, they're clear and they make sense. You can tell that he poured his soul into this album, as it is a solid effort, and one of the greatest hip-hop albums I've ever listened to. Way to go.

477. The Score - Fugees (1996)

Well, I've heard about this album before, quite a few times. Apparantley, this is one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time. I'm not sure why, but after listening to the album, I feel as if there's nothing really important about it. I personally thought "Killing Me Softly", "Cowboys" and "No Woman No Cry" were great tracks. So, I think this album deserves recognition, but I just don't see anything really innovative in this album. I guess maybe it just got good ratings?

It's a good album, not one of my favorites, but I thought it was nice listening to a GOOD hip-hop album with elements of R&B and Reggae. Maybe this album bridged some gaps? I don't know, and I'm not THAT interested, but it was a good listen, what can I say.

476. Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)

Woah, sorry for the long gap. haha, well this album was very hard to find, I had to dig into single songs for a few weeks.

Anyway, this album is just a run-of-the-mills blues album. Nothing special. Supposedly it's important because it was one of the first blues albums to feature a white frontman, but other than that there's nothing really musically signifigant. Sorry, my listening to this album was largely scattered.

Once you're done, you should compile your thoughts on each album into one big list and post it on a blog and link to it like crazy. It'd be cool to see some recognition for someone who went through and systematically listened to every album on the list and who posted their honest opinions on their listening experiences.

On a side note - are you buying all these albums from a record store, or are you downloading them from iTunes, or are you getting them from sources of... questionable legality? I really don't mind if you're getting them from torrents or whatever, I was just wondering where you're getting all these albums.

I think he's streaming them all from all over the place, though I could be wrong.

Have you been listening to these albums more than once? I find that a lot of these are more growers than showers, like The Smiths album. Though I think it would be difficult to really give time to 500 albums, so carry on, your thoughts have been interesting so far.