Got hold of an album this week I've been after for a while and didn't want to ship from US or wherever waiting weeks - Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime 45 tracks of greatness. I visited Manchester last week too, some good record shops there and bought about 15 albums (saved up spends for months). A cracking haul if ever there was one. Might be persuaded to share.
I honestly don’t have a top 5 but thought I’d participate as I didn’t do the film one. The following albums are highly important to me, but are not exclusive (in terms of their importance) just apparent at this time: Die Mensch Machine - KRAFTWERK Unknown Pleasures - JD Lick My Decals Off Baby – CB & THE MAGIC BAND Hatful of Hollow – THE SMITHS Are We Not Men? - DEVO White Light/White Heat - VU
This is an impossible task and because of that I'm adapting the rules for myself to make it doable. Top 5 debut albums. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Bruce Springsteen. Dire Straits. Dire Straits. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Arctic Monkeys. (Other previous releases can **** off). Life's a Riot with Spy verses Spy. Billy Bragg. Power in the Darkness. Tom Robinson Band.
Having spent a lovely evening quaffing extensive quantities of Vino Bianco then wandering the banks of the Arno I have decided to let my snobbery be damned and admit that I listened to Hatful of Hollow more than any 'proper' Smiths album either at the time or since, although I and I'm sure many other teen romantics of the time have a particular soft spot for There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. Mine and my then girlfriend's song that was in Cooper's 6th form. And I also like many artists from, as you say, before albums were anything other than a collection of current songs recorded to keep the fans interested. I love Jackie Wilson and think he's the greatest male soul singer of all, but other than various compilations there's no 'albums' to compete with Otis Blue. There's nothing I could suggest for Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sarah Vaughan etc, but I love them all, despite them being essentially singles artists from before the dawn of albums as something to be enjoyed whole. Enjoy whatever makes you happy
Hatful of Hollow isn't strictly an 'album', I agree. But it is one of the greatest Smiths products out there with some key tracks that you won't find anywhere else. An essential one to have.
Oasis' The Masterplan is the same, it's all B-Sides (and a cover), and probably the second best thing they released. Substance by New Order is a good one too.
Debut albums? That's a good one Ern. Here's my 10: Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures The Strokes - Is This It Oasis - Definitely Maybe The Doors - The Doors Massive Attack - Blue Lines The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses Nirvana - Bleach Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not The Killers - Hot Fuss Pixies - Surfer Rosa
HofH is mainly BBC sessions stuff. It is a perfectly valid album. It's not like it's a greatest hits compo or nothing.
Louder Than Bombs is similar, it contains a lot of the Hatful of Hollow stuff, but also has tunes such as Panic and You Just Haven't Earned It yet, Baby. (I do prefer The World Won't Listen of those later compilations, it removes a couple of the tunes from Hatful but includes the singles from The Queen is Dead.)
Everything The Smiths released was superlative, peerless and beyond comparison. Except Rank obviously. Rank was an undoubted piece of J Arthur.
Rank can't be considered - just a live album. And, as far as I recall, Louder Than Bombs is just the US release/version of TWWL
A lot of the songs are the same, but there are changes. TWWL has the singles from The Queen is Dead, Louder Than Bombs has a few of the songs that appeared on Hatful of Hollow. Louder Than Bombs is about 20 minutes longer. Disagree on live albums consideration - there's no way I'm choosing any Nirvana studio album over MTV Unplugged. Also, the more I listen to it, Bowie at Nassau Coliseum '76 is creeping up my Bowie albums. Rank is rank though, we can all agree. Shame, really.
Could be wrong, but for a long time, I’m sure the only LTB you could get over here was a US Import – as is my copy. Haven’t heard that of TWWL for years though. With regard to live albums, used to love/live for the ‘under the counter’/record fair bootlegs – pre internet/youtube days though.
All The Smiths stuff was reissued (repackaged, repackaged) in around 2011 I think, Louder Than Bombs is easily available here now. Live albums are still pretty rare, I have tons of bootlegs of live gigs. I've noticed a few Bowie live gigs have been offically released recently (the Nassau 76 gig being one of them).
Talking of live/rarity/bootleg albums - whilst in Manchester I finally snaffled myself a copy of In A Hole by The Fall. A document of their 1982 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Reissued a few years back but not many copies doing the rounds, pricey online. £20 for the cd in Vinyl Exchange. Second hand but you gotta pay the price for these rare items, especially when it's the greatest band of all time. It was worth it. Agree with Quill on Unplugged - by far my favourite Nirvana recording. It's rare, but sometimes live albums can top studio stuff.
Beatles rubber soul The jam all mod cons Bruce Springsteen born to run Bob Dylan blood on the tracks Bob Dylan time out of mind Carole king tapestry
I’m sure it is/they are mate – don’t think I’ve looked at buying any of their ‘catalogue’ this century. Same with Morrissey – not bothered with any of his stuff or seen him play live this century either (last time was in Liverpool circa ‘99)
Minutemen. Great call Mike Watt is one of the best bassists ever IMHO (post Minutemen Firehose - If'n is a brilliant album)
