NSC's 100 essential albums

[W.C.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPDYiCPFvjA

 

[GNF on Tour]

I saw Gazza in concert Tuesday night!

Jealous!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Shaun Ryder rises from the dead in triumph

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

OK, wife's out this evening so I just opened a beer and put on some tunes and it got me thinking. Possibly the reason that more recent stuff has been left out is that it is not yet considered classic. Possibly it's because there are a lot of us old farts on NSC. Or it could be this.

Many of the classic albums mentioned to date have accompanied sea changes in youth culture. The Beatles and Stones being the start of pop and rock as we in the UK know it, Mods starting with Northern Soul and reappearing with The Who and The Jam. Punk sees the Pistols and Clash. New Order, The Smiths and The Cure define post punk miserablism before the nation cheers up and goes raving with The Stone Roses, Orbital and Screamadelica era Scream before going for a spliff with Massive Attack and Portishead. @xenaphon makes the very same point about Bowie and he's right. Every classic album starts or follows a youth movement.

And then the century changes.

Youth culture to me now appears to consist of wearing tight trousers and a hat and deck shoes. Of buying every gadget you're told to. Simon f***ing Cowell on the telly every weekend. Has there been anything to rival punk or ska or rave or even f***ing Britpop in the last 12 years. Not for me. Maybe I'm old but I think the next classic album will be made when the nations youth invent new culture instead of spending their days consuming other peoples.

If PJ Harvey's Let England Shake isn't deemed a classic in 10 years time then I'll eat my hat.

 

[Gwylan]

The Fall - Hex Education Hour
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
HEALTH - Get Colour
Swans - White Light From The Mouth of Infinity
Women - Public Strain
Sleater Kinney - The Woods
Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?
Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription
Pere Ubu - Dub Housing
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Arcade Fire - Funeral
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Portishead - Dummy
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Suicide - Suicide
The Stooges - Raw Power
Talking Heads - Remain In Light
The Pop Group - Y
Lift To Experience - The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads

Some good sound choices there - can't believe I forgot Raw Power.

If PJ Harvey's Let England Shake isn't deemed a classic in 10 years time then I'll eat my hat.

That was my very thought when I read GB's post.

 

[Guinness Boy]

If PJ Harvey's Let England Shake isn't deemed a classic in 10 years time then I'll eat my hat.

I read back my post then I read back the one where I argued for a very recent Elbow album and wondered if I was being contradictory. My slightly amended point is that for an album made this century to be considered classic it has to be brilliant musically. I'd argue that 'Never Mind the Bollocks' and 'Screamadelica' to take two examples are more important culturally than musically. 'Let England Shake', 'The Seldom Seen Kid' and 'Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not' are three from the 21st century that I'd say are already classic but after that I'm struggling.

EDIT - I stand by my dislike of Cowell and deck shoes though...

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Them days eh? I'd include ALL the Mondays as well even the underrated 'Yes Please' BTW has anyone else heard the fantastic 'anonymous' Amatuer Night At The Big Top?

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

The The - Dusk.

Reading this thread makes me feel quite proud of how diverse my collection is, apart from harping on about Sparks, I can pay tribute to the great Shaun Ryder (prev post) and even nomitate another from the very early 70's

Ram - Paul and Linda

anyway, The The, apart from the opening track I struggled with Dusk (and Mind Bomb) although I've played Infected and Soul Mining to bits, picking up the 12" Uncertain Smile in about 1982 was probably the best 25p I ever spent, Have you heard Burning Blue Soul, very haunting but Matt Johnson at his 'primitive best' as Siouxsie would say, now there's another story.....


f*** me i've eaten bird seed for breakfast....shut up Adam!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

EDIT - I stand by my dislike of Cowell and deck shoes though...

I'm totally with you on this brother

As for your other point I guess it is difficult to know which albums will eventually turn into classics. And this does beg the question as to what makes an album classic and when do you know it's a classic? Two albums which are widely held up as classics are Exile on Main Street by the Stones and Paul's Boutique by the Beasties. Both were met with, at best, lengthy indifference upon release but history has proved otherwise. I have also always wondered at what point does the artist know they're onto something special. Do they actually know? I remember hearing Adele being interviewed about 21 just before release and her hopes for it; she hoped people remembered her and wanted to buy it and seemed genuine. As an aside she was also bloody hilarious as an interviewee.

Another album which might be a future classic is The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. I was at TGE a few weeks ago and Rob Da Bank and Michael Eavis were struggling to think of the next big ticket festival headliner. Arcade Fire have Glasto headliner written all over them.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That was my very thought when I read GB's post.

It's the most complete album I have heard in ages; wonderful on so many levels. I saw her perform it at The RAH and it made me well up, very moving stuff.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me - He won't call it hip hop but this is when people started taking UK stuff seriously
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark or One Life Stand - unadulterated pop bliss
The Longpigs - The Sun is Often Out - amazing and shameful that their output basically ended here due to record label stubbornness

 

[Buffalo Seagull]

The Violent Femmes - their self titled album has some great tracks on it...Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Add it Up, Gone Daddy Gone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra8VTlXVqUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHapDS2fcFE

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Music is truly the international language of the world & it speaks to people in different ways.

Some awesome choices on here and maybe some stuff that many of us havent heard & will go & check out.

I'll add
therapy? - trouble gum
The Wildhearts - earth vs the wildhearts although I may replace that with the more recent chuzpah
The Waterboys this is the sea
Tori Amos - little earthquakes
Adam & the ants - kings of the wild frontier
System of a down - toxicity
Bryan Adams - reckless
Skid row - slave to the grind
Moby - play

Plus millions more

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Music is truly the international language of the world & it speaks to people in different ways.

Some awesome choices on here and maybe some stuff that many of us havent heard & will go & check out.

I'll add
therapy? - trouble gum
The Wildhearts - earth vs the wildhearts although I may replace that with the more recent chuzpah
The Waterboys this is the sea
Tori Amos - little earthquakes
Adam & the ants - kings of the wild frontier
System of a down - toxicity
Bryan Adams - reckless
Skid row - slave to the grind
Moby - play

Plus millions more

I liked it as a young un but I still think Dirk stood the test of time much better, I mean, to this day I still don't trust men with egg on their face

 

[GNF on Tour]

Music is truly the international language of the world & it speaks to people in different ways.

Some awesome choices on here and maybe some stuff that many of us havent heard & will go & check out.

I'll add
therapy? - trouble gum
The Wildhearts - earth vs the wildhearts although I may replace that with the more recent chuzpah
The Waterboys this is the sea
Tori Amos - little earthquakes
Adam & the ants - kings of the wild frontier
System of a down - toxicity
Bryan Adams - reckless
Skid row - slave to the grind
Moby - play

Plus millions more

Troublegum was a great listen, still play it every now and again, only album with the line "I'm gonna get drunk, come round and f**k you up" I've ever heard!

 

[TheBlueAndWhiteStrips]

Primal Scream - Screamadelica Mercury prize winner 1992 and still sounds great.

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds. Really? Do I need a reason!

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Troublegum was a great listen, still play it every now and again, only album with the line "I'm gonna get drunk, come round and f**k you up" I've ever heard!

'If I get the chance I'll f**k up your life'
The Jam 1979

 

[KZNSeagull]

A thing of infinite beauty, utterly blew me away when I first played it and still does today.

It most certainly is, but if I was only allowed to listen to one Cocteau Twins album for the rest of my life, it would have to be Garlands. For me, it was a glorious, unique noise that sent shivers down my spine then and still does today.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

A thing of infinite beauty, utterly blew me away when I first played it and still does today.

Gets my vote

 

[Northstander]

Violator - Depeche Mode

Absolutely!!!!