I got this idea for this thread whilst browsing another forum, basically you put in any CD's you think everyone should own/hear, in this format:

Name of Album
Name of Artist
Genre
Brief Synopsis

I'll make the thread a sticky so you can use it to see if anyone else rates a CD you're after.

I'll kick it off with my most recent purchase:

Sing the Sorrow
A.F.I.
Punk Amerirock
This is the first A.F.I. album I've bought, heard one of their tracks "Days of the Pheonix" before and thought it was ace but was put off by some MTV2 live stuff. Big mistake, this album was recommended to me by Perrdl and he wasn't wrong - it's a great CD, plent of catchy chorus's and band shouting (a personal fav ) but more than that the album works as a whole, the structre is very good. Recommended.

[stevegreen]

In The Air
The Handsome Family

Alt. Country

Now, I know you've just read the word Country but trust me, this album is brilliant. Dark Lyrics but also funny. The lead singer is bi-polar and his wife writes the lyrics and plays the myriad of instruments used on the album. It was recorded at their home on a Macintosh. Definitely worth a listen and more than definitley worth a purchase.

Look HERE for more

[Simon6776]

Marilyn Manson - The Golden Age Of Grotesque

Rock / Metal

I didn't like Marilyn Manson. The first album, Antichrist Superstar actually scared me! It was just a little too depraved for my liking. Then I borrowed the next CD, Mechanical Animals from a mate, and loved it! This is back to the 70's Glam Rock!! OK, not quite, but you get the picture. Good songs, good sound, and heavy as f***! Holy Wood followed, and was a slight let down in my opinion, but TGAOG is right back on form. The sound and production is fantastic, and the songs are excellent. This is one to play LOUD!! If you saw him on Jonathan Ross last night, and liked it, you'll love this album. It's certainly one to wake up the neighbours!

Exhile on Coldharbour Lane
Alabama 3
no idea: rock/country/housey housey?

A witty, tight album that crosses several genres. It's worth a listen: most people who hear it seem to like it. Part of one song was used in the Sopranos, apparently, but then I never saw that...

[wilber]

Sopranos tune is "Woke up this morning" also found on "La Peste" - another great album, "Power in the blood" is a bit disappointing by comparison, but well worth a listen.

[karkus30]

Thickfreakness

Black Keys

Blues/Punk/soul


Right, got an album to listen to called Thickfreakness, its a cross between punk , blues and soul and its great.

Two piece group, singer sounds like a smooth Howling Wolf, tricky , riffy guitar playing.

Almost like really old school blues bands or something like John Spencer or maybe Cream but mixed with a punk edge and a soul groove..............and theres no hype, apart from mine so even SG or Gambit might like it.

What they do, they do well and you cant help listening through to the end of the album. Fine stuff indeed


__________________

[karkus30]

Meat Puppets II

The Meat Puppets

punk/country/rock/indie/even a bit of prog


This is one of my all time fave albums, I can listen to it anywhere.

Curt Cobain brought them to everyones attention with three songs off Nirvana s Unplugged album...Oh Me, Lake of Fire and Plateau.

Kurt has a very strange singing style, which you would happily accept as out of key (however he feels it an artistic interpretation).

The album has very strong song writing and playing. The guitar playing is reminiscent of the Stone Roses but better. The music inherits everything from Punk to progressive a total mash of styles from all genres but it works beautifully.

Its not harsh, more laid back and they dont really have an equal, for instance one of the tracks has a Robert Fripp-King Crimson guitar solo.

Everyone should have this in their collection. Kurt Cobain worshipped them and you can see where some of his ideas came from.

[karkus30]

The way of the Vaselines- A complete history

The Vaselines

Rock/pop- theres no pidgeon holing them

Another band championed by Nirvana- Mollys lips, jesus dont want me for a sunbeam

Mad, bad scottish band that split after their debut album. Punk flavoured sex and debautchery. 'Rory ride me raw' is a song about a rough pedal cycle saddle
I was a horse, about too many pillsThe album is pop tinged and has great melodies, produced on what sounds like a scratchy four track, but its definitely not over produced. Raw, like all good bands should be.

History of the Vaselines, have a listen and have a laugh. They are nutters.

Make Yourself

Incubus

Indie/alt/Incurock

Held by many as the definitive Incubus album, this is the one that got them mainstream recognition. Great single tracks like Pardon Me, Drive and Stellar are backed up by even better album tracks like The Warmth, Clean and the title track, Make Yourself. Everyone should own this album, it's as simple as that.

S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Incubus

Nu-Metal/Incurock

Incubus' first "real" album (Fungous Amoung us was an independant release, Enjoy Incubus an EP) is a genre bending wonder. At a time when Nu-Metal didn't mean hard ass goatee beards, backward caps and screaming, this album was regarded as the finest. Heavy D+B/trip hop influences blend perfectly with heavy, crashing guitar to produce a whole greater than the sum of the parts. A true undiscovered opus.

Holding Pattern

Tipper

D+B/Techno

Basically a collection of 12"s, this is one of the best produced albums I own and a fantastic collection of tracks. If you really want to test a 2 channel set up, this maybe the CD for you. Sounds even better on a good vinyl system, but you'd have to get all the 12s seperatly... Personal faves include End of Make Believe and Tug of War.

EDIT just checked on Amazon, and this isn't released yet. Someone dropped the ball 'cause I've had it for about 6 months. Still, chance to pre order here kids.

[karkus30]

Copper Blue

Sugar

rock/pop

This is a band fronted by Ex Husker du vocalist Bob Mould, but its not Husker territory.

This is power pop at its best, strong song writing and bitter sweet but loud melodic music. This is a masterpiece, the sort of album that should have had Bat out of Hell status, if the wind had blown the right way. You sing along to every track.
But it is lyrically dark, its about Mr Moulds breaking down relationship (its easy to empathise from a blokes point of you).
After this album, he gave up with Sugar (I suppose he thought, "If I cant break out with this album, I never will".

Hes the Man on the Moon waving good night to you, put it in your collection and stop Bob feeling so wretched.

[karkus30]

White Blood cells

The White Stripes

rock/blues


If you havent heard of them, your probably dead. SG and Gambits most hated band but one of my favourites.

Better than Elephant......yep I think so. Two piece band Meg White on drums Jack White on Guitar. Rip apart your speakers with a recording that must have seen the VU meters disappear through the red zone and out of the studio. They make a hell of a racket for a 2 piece. Riff driven rock/blues that has been compared with the best of Led Zep. Love em or hate them, they are band of the moment, one of the few groups that a I go hunting guitar tabs for.

[karkus30]

Unplugged in new york.

Nirvana

rock/punk

All Nirvana albums are worthy of a recommended tag, I regard Nevermind as one of the greatest albums ever, followed swiftly by in Utero.

UNPLUGGED is the unsung hero, its an acoustic set with a smattering of electric guitar, many critics disliked this approach as loads of bands were getting on the bandwaggon at this point.

Curts voice is raw and emotional on this set, he stays away from fast paced songs like 'Smells like...' and concentrates on the more intimate self reflective material, with three of the best all time covers from Leadbelly, Vaselines and David Bowie and a side act of the Meatpuppets playing 3 of KCs favourite songs from Meatpuppets II (see previous recommends).

Its an intimate album and is a rare chance to catch KC in one of his more laidback and relaxed moods, its also well recorded which adds to the overall atmosphere.

This is an album to play when friends appear (Dont put any of the loud crap on you are into ), they are usually happy listening to the whole album and are very suprised when I tell them its Nirvana (Usually follow that up with a good dose of Slayer just to show I havent lost my 'poor' taste in music ).

This album is never far from my cd player and spins 20 times more than Nevermind.

Thick as a Brick
Jethro Tull
Prog!

Recorded as a joke, Ian Anderson was fed up with 'Aqualung' being called prog rock. Apparently, he recorded Thick as a Brick to show the critics what a proper, overblown prog album was like. Fortunately, he inadvertently created a masterpiece. Very catchy, and more focussed than some Jethro Tull albums.

It's also worth buying Stand Up: this isn't prog, but it's great folk rock.

[adox]

karma calling

relish

rock/soul/folk


up and coming irish band, this is their second album, and has only been released in the last two weeks. they are a mixture of rock songs, ballads, with a bit of soul and folk thrown in.
strong song writing, excellent harmonies, and a lead singer with a voice to die for, you will be hearing more and more of them over the coming months. i`m going to see them live tomorrow night, and really looking forward to it.
for more info checkout: www.relishmusic.com

[karkus30]

OK Computer

Radiohead

Rock/progressive

I apologise in advance to all those that hate Radiohead, its not one of those groups that you can 'quite like' you either love or hate them.

If you dont like depressing music, leave this review NOW, as it s generally referred to as music to comit suicide to.

I dont find it depressing, just some of the most sublime music to come out of the UK since..................................Every track is a gem

Paranoid Android- definitely proggy (and I like proggy so )
Homesick aliens- was out their, somewhere
No suprises- a simple childish nursery rhyme, but with vocals expressing a general dislike for the world and a withdraw into a cocoon.

They dont follow anybody, although you can detect their influences, everything from the Byrds to U2.
The musicianship is first class, no one argues with that.

Better than the Bends..........oh yes, takes time to get to know and love. Once you do take to it, theres no way it will ever leave your collection.

[adox]

attack of the grey lantern

mansun

rock/indie?

a stunning debut album back around `97 that promised so much for them. their style is impossible to describe. a guitar band with a very strong lead singer, they sometimes have a seventies feel on this album. the most successfull single they had off this album was "wide open space" which is probably the simplist song on the album,composition wise. it is an album that i never tire of. i don`t think there is a weak song on it.
unfortunately this was as good as it got for mansun imo. follow up releases turned into self indulgent nonsense and ended up as a mess. as far as i know mansun are no more, but they more than served their purpose, leaving us with this absolute gem of an album

[karkus30]

Metallica (usually referred to as The Black Album).

Metallica

Heavy rock/metal

Yes I know, Master of puppets is better and Ride the lightning is probably its equal, but as an intro to the world of 'tallica you cant get much better.

For those who dont know it, the receipe is take one group who play everything from lightning fast thrash, to grinding bowl shaking riffs and season well with melodic seasoning and a touch of classical guitar arrangement.

What you get is an album that appeals to almost everyone, even people who think purveyors of heavy metal are demons spawn. Its so accessable, no extended listening needed.

It only takes one listen and you will be air guitar riffing and head banging with the rest, only halting as they divert into ballad country to produce some of the best stuff since Wishbone Ash or Lynrd Skynrd. They are as tight as hell and then some.

If you like this then you will love the other two and for the terminally smitten Theres Justice for all with the timeless classic 'One' plus a host of early stuff which rocks.

Avoid S & M unless your a committed fan, load and reload have their moments with tracks like FUEL and Aint my bitch, but its very formulaic....then on to their latest St Anger.........

[adox]

Originally posted by karkus30
Unplugged in new york.

Nirvana

rock/punk

a spot on review
me thinks it`s time to investigate the meat puppets too

[dc007]

Volume One

The Travelling Wilburys

Pop/Soft rock


Manys the time a contrived 'SuperGroup' have failed to deliver, but the Travelling Wilburys certainly transcended that label, in my opinion.

Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty - a staggering line-up of talent.

The lyrics and melodies are sublime - mostly short, catchy little ditties that I can listen to and sing along with time and again. They all have a crack at lead vocals, and there are five pretty distinctive voices there !

The follow up, Volume 3, saw just the four in the line up after Orbisons death. Its good, but doesn't quite hit the heights of Vol One - however, I can almost guarantee you'll buy Vol 3 if you listen to Vol 1 !

Why no Vol 2 ? They abandoned recording for a while after Orbisons passing. I only found out a couple of years later, having scoured shops everywhere for it, all to no avail of course !

[karkus30]

Killing Joke

Killing Joke

Heavy Industrial Rock

Heres a band you should listen to if you want hardcore industrialised doom metal with a Black Sabbath twist.

Just listen to the first two tracks, Requiem and Wardance, heavy as f**k hardcore stuff and you will know if its for you.

Major influence on Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana etc etc.

[karkus30]

Grace

Jeff Buckley

Rock/grunge


Lovely album although it can be a bit dark in places. Vocals with a range of octaves most singers would be happy to have half of. Nice guitarist, bit Jimmy Page at times. Covers some Leonard Cohen and has Nirvanaesque moments.

The album does lack a bit of cohesion but dont let that put you off.

[karkus30]

Forever Changes

Love

Rock/pop/folk ??


This is just a gorgeous uplifting album, if you care about life and want to be freed from your everyday life for an hour, disappear into this album for an hour and gaze through rose tinted hippy glasses at a more trippy world.

One of the best of all time ever.............no question.

[adox]

midnite vultures

beck

rock/soul/hiphop/blues and anything else you can think of.

i`ve long been a fan of beck. his music can be a bit hit and miss in some peoples eyes. he is an extreme exponent of mixing different musical styles together, and more often than not pulls it off. i have heard alot of other artists attempt similar feats and it ends up sounding a bit of a mess, but mr hanson seems to have it down to a fine art.
midnite vultures is beck at his best. the songs are his usual mixture of hiphop beats, rock influences, plenty of soul, and on this album a huge chunk of influence from prince.
with all this going on, it would be easy for the songs to become incoherent, or at least a little inaccessable and cold, but he somehow manages to make all the songs catchy, memorable, and, although you can`t figure out why, makes them work perfectly.
although he is critically acclaimed, alot of people still look on him as a bit of a joke, or an oddity, or perhaps a glorified dj, but to me he is a gem of a talent, a pioneer in many ways, and a man who does what he wants musically. for anyone who isn`t that familiar with beck, "midnite vultures" captures everything that he is about, and that is as good a reason as any to add it to your collection.

[karkus30]

Appetite for Destruction.

Guns n Roses

Rock


If you like loud leary bands like Motorhead, this should be in your collection.

An album fueled by booze & drugs, its not metal, just pure rock at its meanest. But unlike most albums of this type, you never feel your on the outside looking in, this is white boys gangster rap. From the opening bars of the first track............your in the Jungle........Welcome

[Spligsey]

Here's a diversion to consider:

Name of Album = Jam On This

Name of Artist = Newcleus

Genre = Elektro/Old Skool


Brief Synopsis:

Early pioneers of the electro movement taking inspiration from Techno guru's Kraftwerk, utilising synth & drum machines to build a whole sound around the subject of 'Space / Computers / Future'

Legendary anthems include 'Wikki Wikki Song & Jam On Revenge'
Futuristic synth laiden 'Push The button' & the tuneful 'Auto Man' keep the Electro Vibe, with 'Space Jam' pumping up the anti with it's B-Boy style rapping & breakdance enducing beats.

This is a great collection of tunes which helped to shape the movement we came to know, love & experience:

"Electro"

Get your lino out & ready the Fila BJ Tracksuit!

The digital remastering sounds pretty cool too

Adz

Band: Evanescence
Album: Fallen

Genre: Tricky... I'd say "Bjork" meets up with "Depeche Mode" and goes for a drink with "Nine Inch Nails"

Synopsis: As debut albums go this is a stunner. It features the haunting vocals of Amy Lee over a sturdy and sometimes painfully melacholy rock backing. This isn't standard pop-rock fayre and can take a couple of hearings to fully appreciate. By turns the album is crunching and melodic, dark and moving but overall beautiful.

Album highlights include the debut single "Bring Me To Life" and the haunting "My Immortal"

I can't recommend this enough and I can also report that they have the ability to carry it off live too.

Buy it, you won't regret it.

[karkus30]

Surfa Rosa or Doolittle.

The Pixies

Indie, Rock


How do you classify the Pixies ? Which of these two albums do you pick? In this instance I have picked both, its like deciding between two identical twins.

What do they sound like.............its difficult, they were a catalyst for bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, Janes addiction and lately , Weezer and Rocket from the Crypt.

Stop start style of music with noisy guitar solos and achingly beautiful melody lines. Frank Black and Kim Deal (Now fronts person for the Breeders) whip up everthing from Latin American rythmns and Lyrics to frantic angst ridden rock.

These are two albums that will never leave my collection. Sample Where is my mind ? and Gigantic for a taste of music that has few equals.

[karkus30]

Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd

Rock progressive


Pink Floyds ultimate album, like Metallica they have done better (Piper at the Gates of dawn and Wish you Were here to name two), but this is Floyd, this is how they sound and what they do.

Well written, immaculately recorded (this has stayed on hi fi demo duties for years) and played to perfection. Every track is a winner and this progresses the entire album until you exit the final grooves.

The album mixes psychedelia, with blues guitar, but packaged so well and mixed with other sounds and influences its hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

The songs centre on depression and lunacy (but not in a Radiohead way ) mixed with a comment on the state of the world.

If you dont own it, go straight out and buy it.