Your "Top" Albums Of All Time? And Why..

[Sylvian's Beard]

Here is my list


Japan - Adolescent Sex

This was the first Japan album that I ever heard from beginning to end. I was obsessed with this album for months. The funk, and bounce of A.S. just makes the whole thing flow, making it difficult to listen to just one track. I am so glad that this band didn't slip past me, because I am not sure I would have discovered them on my own.


Hanoi Rocks - Back To Mystery City

Another one of my favorite bands. Like AS, this album has the same sort of punky, bouncy vibe to it, which is probably one of the reasons that I got into Japan so easily. Personally I think this is their best album, showcasing all of their influences, although ALL of the early stuff is amazing. All of the side projects don't really measure up to the early Hanoi stuff, but Cherry Bombz, and Suicide Twins were pretty good. I am a huge MM fan, but sorry to say he can't write a song to save his life.


Van Halen - Fair Warning

I have worn out most of VH, simply for the fact that I used to be so into them. Eventually I moved on but, Fair Warning I still listen to pretty regularly. Along with the well known songs like, "Unchained", and "So Is This Love?" you've got the amazing "Hear About It Later", "Mean Streets", "Push Comes To Shove".....awesome album. I'd have to say Diver Down is my 2nd favorite VH album. NO VAN HAGAR HERE!


Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

This was probably the first "extreme" metal album that I ever owned, and honestly this stuff actually used to scare me a little! Even bands like Venom, who are pretty tame in comparison to more brutal stuff like Darkthrone, and Marduk. Anyways, this "band" has a mystique like no other! Just google the album name and look at the cover. I was initially drawn to this aspect, and come to find out the music is just as good as the artwork!


Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight

The first CT album I ever owned. This album is Cheap Trick at the peak of their late 70's career. While I wouldn't say it's their best album, I'd have to say it's definetely my favorite. Their 80's material is really underrated, stuff like The Doctor, NPP, and Standing on the Edge, are also some of my favorites.


MSG - Built To Destroy

Not his greatest moment songwise, but Schenker's playing was some of his best on this album. HE WILL BE HERE JUNE 17th! So I am really looking forward to that, considering he doesn't have another breakdown and cancel the whole tour!


Dokken - Under Lock & Key

I always loved Don's voice for it's melodic quality, and George Lynch is a monster player; one of the best of the 80's IMO. Under Lock & Key has Lightnin' Strikes Again, In My Dreams, Will The Sun Rise?, and Till The Livin' End, so I'd have to say it's my favorite. Beast From the East is also really good. Songs like Kiss Of Death are much heavier on that one.


here are some of my other favorites...

Rene berg - The Leather, The Loneliness
Sweet - Off The Record
Sweet - Level Headed
Mott the Hoople - Mott
Rainbow - Blackmore's Rainbow
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Scorpions - In Trance
Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes
Uli Jon Roth - Earthquake
Vinnie Vincent Invasion - All Systems Go
Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
UFO - Lights Out
MSG - Perfect Timing
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion



So what albums would you say are worthy of being your "favorites of all time"? Not necessarily ones that you still listen to, but ones that have had a lasting impact on your life?

[krausy]

Well, I could list great albums all day long, but I will try to name some of the ones that had the greatest impact on me.

The Divinyls---Desperate

I believe this is the first album from this Aussie band, and I absolutely loved it from first listen, and I have listened to it countless times since then (1982). At the time they were Australia's answer to the Pretenders, and way before they did that ridiculous "I Touch Myself" song, which they thankfully left off their greatest hits album!!

Wings---Back to the Egg

I can listen to this back to front, but I don't believe many people remember this album too much. Band On the Run always seems to be the definitive Wings album, but in my opinion is nothing like Egg.

Split Enz----Time and Tide

I am the resident Enz fanatic, and with it being hard to pick just one Enz album to love, I have to pick this one because it is sooo good. "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" need I say more?

Led Zeppelin---Houses of the Holy

Another back to front album for me. "No Quarter", " Rain Song" ahhhhhhh!!

Duran Duran----Notorious

After Andy and Roger departed, this album came out. Remains one of my faves of theirs, just good strong brilliant pop at it's finest.


Beatles----Revolver

The times they were a 'changin', and so were the boys from Liverpool, and this album is the defining moment.


Scorpions----Lovedrive

Great songs----and I have it on vinyl, and I do have the rare cover!!!

Japan----Oil on Canvas

This has remained in my car stereo for ions now---can't bring myself to remove it from the cd changer---twould be a crime!!!!

I could go on and on but i won't. Someone else join in on this please!!!!

[VaporTrail]

oh wow.....here are a few...

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

One of my dad's favorite records, so I heard this a lot growing up. I guess it stuck with me, it's a great record filled with that classic Sabbath hard sound but was still experimental.

Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream

I don't know why, but everything about it works perfectly. The flow, the song writing, everything! hehehe It's just a well rounded album, I love it.

Rush - Hold Your Fire

Rush at their best in the 80's. They did a great job with letting the keyboards carry most of the sound, and is one of the more melodic Rush albums.

No-Man - Returning Jesus

Full of beauty, carefully crafted textures, perfectly sung lyrics. Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness (T-Bone ) at their best in my opinion. Not to mention a certain Steve Jansen on drums....

Mono - Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined

An aboslutely beautiful instrumental work from my favorite Japanese band . They did a great job incorporating strings into this album, makes it even more epic and beautiful. Full of soft lows and crashing highs, absolutely fantastic.


those are just a few I can pull off the top of my head at the moment, here are some others of my favorites...

Japan - Oil On Canvas
Devin Townsend - Synchestra, Ziltoid The Omniscient
Pure Reason Revolution - The Dark Third
The Pineapple Thief - Variations On A Dream
Blackfield - Blackfield
Collective Soul - Dosage
Live - Throwing Copper
Sigur Ros - ( )

[heartofdavid]

Interesting question - have to think about which ones have had the strongest lasting impact.

@ Rhodesia - I've always liked early Bathory, "Hammerheart" is my favorite. And thumbs up for the Scorpions "In Trance" - now I have "Dark Lady" going through my mind.

[Sylvian's Beard]

Rhodesia - I've always liked early Bathory, "Hammerheart" is my favorite. And thumbs up for the Scorpions "In Trance" - now I have "Dark Lady" going through my mind.

Hammerheart is definetely considered Quorthon's masterpiece. It's an amazing, epic album but I prefer Twilight of the Gods I think. Dark Lady, is an awesome song, glad you like it too. Alot of people don't like Uli jon Roth's voce, but I think that song is way better on Tokyo Tapes.."THIS IS DAHK LADEY!"

[sisterlondon]

Duran Duran----Notorious

After Andy and Roger departed, this album came out. Remains one of my faves of theirs, just good strong brilliant pop at it's finest.

Total agree, my fave DD album and my fave era too. Awesome!

Need to think about some of those albums...

[S4pB]

Brett Smiley's "Breathlessly Brett" is among my favs for the fair joyfull mood:) and that piece has almost made an idiotically happy optimist of me!

Girl's "Sheer Greed"! Once I've briefly noticed them on the cover of a magazine I thought they're Japan's look-alikes! But... Their guitarist Jerry always liked Japan and the band's sound is very, very... !!!
especially the song "Strawberries":
"Dreaming of Japan,
High places and guitar solos..."

Cheap and Nasty "Cool Talk Injection".. just because...

Crashdiet "Rest In Sleaze" ? RIP Dave Lepard...

NY Dolls "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This"... They've got the SOUND! A real cool sound! That's simply unbelievable...

p.s. been hardly tryin to help myself not to talk about how much do I admire Hanoi Rocks with Mikey and Andy(and sometimes even just for the kind of personality), Cheap Trick, Aston twins..

[Smalldot]

Duran Duran - Self Titled
When I was a youngster, MTV was all I had and this was back when MTV was good. Duran Duran completely touched me and this album remains my favorite of theirs to this day. Oh how I wished I could go to school dressed up as Nick Rhodes back then.

The Cure - Pornography
This was the album that did it for me when I started paying attention to The Cure (Thank you teen angst years). Like many disaffected youth before me, this album spoke to me.

Clan of Xymox - Medusa
This album was the thing I listened to most while I was discovering the "goth scene" during the early 90's in Seattle. I used to get sloshed on red wine and listen to this at night. Like The Cure, this album spoke to me.

Peter Murphy - Deep
Another album from my days of exploring the "goth scene". Peter's music moved me even more than Bauhaus' did. It touched the melancholic side to which I identify most often.

Cocteau Twins - Garlands
Agressive yet beautiful. This album alowed me to come out of the proverbial closet and diversify.

Queensryche - Rage for Order
Probably the most etheral and bittersweet album they made. These themes always resonate with me.

Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Probably the best trip-hop album ever made. Downtempo mixed with shoegaze. The perfect combination in my book.

John Coltrane - Blue Train
Absolutely wonderful in disguising its melancholy with chaos.

There's probably mroe but I can't think of them at the moment.

[Sylvian's Beard]

Queensryche - Rage for Order
Probably the most etheral and bittersweet album they made. These themes always resonate with me.

Besides the EP, this the only other album that I really like from them. Walk In The Shadows, Gonna Get Close To You, We Are Rebellion, and Screaming In Digital, are some of my favorites. I haven't listened to this album in ages. Gonna have to break it out, and give it a listen.

[baht habit]

David Sylvian and Robert Fripp - The First Day

Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales....a perfect pop masterpiece. intelligent. witty. Sting at his compositional apex, completely in control of his unique idiom. flawless performances from world class musicians.

Jonatha Brooke and the Story - Plumb. the voice of an angel. folk, rock, jazz, blues...all written and played at such a high caliber.

Philip Aaberg - Upright. a stunning pianist. compositions of pensive beauty mxed in among some awesome boogie woogie.

Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage....this one blew my mind. changed my outlook in a way only the Beatles were capable of doing beforehand. Zappa was a brilliant composer. the musicianship is unsurpassed. Maestro Colaiuta's drumming makes my toenails curl up...simply awe-inspiring.

Joni Mitchell - Wild Things Run Fast...it could be any Joni, but I had to choose this one. even after all the fearless maneuvers she had already taken in her career, ironically she really pushed the envelope by dabbling in mainstream pop rock. the only drawback is that the tunes are just far too short.

Miles Davis - Tribute To Jack Johnson...Miles lets it all hang out and creates some of the purest Fusion of all time, in the process, allowing John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Steve Grossman and Billy Cobham to shine in their own right.

David Sylvian - Secrets Of The Beehive.... admittedly, it took quite a while for me to recognize the genius of this release. Though I find that I must augment the track list somewhat in order to receive it's greatest impact: September, The Boy With The Gun, Ride, Orpheus, The Devil's Own, When Poets Dreamed Of Angels, Promise, Mother And Child, Let The Happiness In, Waterfront...this remains Sylvian's definitive solo disc. I realize that now after nearly twenty years.

Massive Attack - Protection...chills me out. Mushroom's smooth grooves. those sultry vocals of Tracey Thorn. the very essence of trip hop, undiluted.

Tool - Undertow...before they went all neo-prog, Maynard actually wrote definite melodies. there is a funk in their sound that has eluded them ever since. Mr Carey on drums is amazing.

[heartofdavid]

Jonatha Brooke and the Story - Plumb. the voice of an angel. folk, rock, jazz, blues...all written and played at such a high caliber.

Seeing this was a blast from the past - I was just listening to "The Angel in the House" the other day.

Have you followed her solo career at all? I have "10 Cent Wings" which I think is okay, but not heard anything else.

[Cheery Cherry]

Japan - All of their albums!!!!!

I bought all their cassettes within a month or two after hearing them on the radio. They have really helped me out through my rough teen years.

Hanoi Rocks – Two Steps From The Move, All Those Wasted Years

Their songs always made me want to get up and dance and go crazy! I love it.

Metallica – Master of Puppets, …And Justice for All

I was about 15 when Puppets came out and I was blown away by their sound and their energy. They just pumped me up…kind of like drinking coffee and I don’t drink coffee.

Twisted Sister – Stay Hungry

I played this album over and over while I was out on the streets in my mid teens. It was my companion.

Tears for Fears – Tears Roll Down Greatest Hits 82-92

Lita Ford – Dancing on the Edge, Lita

Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast

The album my dad did not like and I went out and bought with my very first paycheck!

Motley Crue – Shout at the Devil, Theatre of Pain

My wild days…what can I say about these albums without revealing too much about myself…they were the sleaze band, the bad boys. There was always that attraction, at least for me, for those party animals.

Guns & Roses – Appetite for Destruction

God, I used to love Axl when they first came out but I think he's an a-hole and he sucks live. I do not openly admit that I like G&R but this album takes me to a special time...

Death Angel – Act III, Frolic Through the Park

I don’t know…my friends didn’t like these guys but I thought they jammed! They were different from the music I was listening to at the time.

Testament – Practice What You Preach

John Lennon – The John Lennon Collection

Lennon was a genius! I love Lennon.

The Beatles – 1967-1970

This was the first album that I heard when I came to America. My (step) uncle loved the Beatles and he played this particular album over and over. It brings a lot of great memories for me.

Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits

Billy Joel – The Stranger

The Guess Who – Share the Land, The Best of The Guess Who

This was my mom’s favorite, at one time. I was a little girl and I didn’t understand the words but the music definitely stuck in my head.

Don McLean – American Pie

This album reminds me of my mother.

Nazareth – Hair of the Dog

This album was played often when I was in an abusive relationship. It’s an excellent album.

Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle, Vol. 1: The 20 Greatest Hits

[sexandpolitics]

Big Country - The Crossing

The best use of e-bo on this planet. The members in Big Country played an essential part in the Japan-Tree. We've got Mark Brzezeki on drums who played with Mick Karn on both Midge Ure's (previous lead singer of Ultravox) Answers to Nothing and Fish's (original lead singer of Marillion) first solo album Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors. Also bassist Tony Butler stepped in for The Pretenders at one point, and before he and Brzezicki joined Big Country, played on Townshend's All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. I highly suggest giving this album a listen...

The Cure - Japanese Whispers

In my opinion, this is The Cure at their best, but strange enough, I don't think Simon played on this album and neither did Lol. It's basically Robert Smith in complete control resulting in a dark, dreamy, and dancy album.


David Sylvian - Secrets of The Beehive, Gone To Earth

Hands down two of the most earnest and profound pieces of art.

Marillion - Clutching At Straws

Porcupine Tree definitely took a few notes from Marillion (after the fact that Steve Wilson produced Fish's later album Raingods With Zippos) regarding the range of topics covered lyrically. This album is perfectly produced and is meant to be listened to in an amber-lit cabin on a lake during a dark winter's day. This, along with Marillion's Misplaced Childhood.

Ultravox - Vienna

Primal synthesizer at it's best. Lyrically, the friction between Eastern and Western philosophy. Every Japan fan should own this album. (Side note: Midge Ure's later vocal style in Ultravox and solo work reminds me of Steve Jansen on Catch The Fall.)

Rush - Grace Under Pressure

Tight, clean, with fabulous use of synth, bass, and Peart's percussion skills. As always, an example of lyrical genius.

I also assume that most of us hold all of the Japan albums close.
Gentlemen Take Polaroids changed my life in that it set the stage to what all other albums in my life are now compared to. I discovered Japan by accident, which is funny because my dad and I both are new wave freaks, and listened to Gentlemen Take Polaroids before knowing who Japan was or what they looked like - which is an appropriate introduction considering the fact that some of my love may now be clouded by lust.

[krausy]

I'm loving the lists gang, and you are reminding me of some more great albums---keep it coming!!!!!

[Sylvian's Beard]

Wow....Great list Cheery! NOTB was the album that got me into music.


"INVADERS! PILLAGING! INVADERS! LOOTING!"


I was so hooked from that point. That was the 8th grade I think....