Album Recommendations

[mrdannyg 274]

Alright, here's the deal. I grew up listening to my older brother's grunge crap, and my dad's Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary, and my tastes are somewhere in the middle. I listened to nothing except a mainstream classic rock station for years.So I have a set of music I really like, but would like to expand it. My favourite bands include Jethro Tull, Rush, Yes, The Who, Guess Who, Zeppelin, Stones, Allman Brothers, etc. In this thread, I will ask you to recommend albums by certain bands that I'd like to know more about. The recommendation should include a reasonable cross-section of their music, and/or hopefully be their 'best.'Of course, feel free to recommend whatever you like, but that's what I'm asking. I'm happy to hear things like "Judas Priest? Screw that, listen to Slayer instead. _____ is their best album"Just been reading the Best Guitarist thread, so for now, I'd appreciate recommendations for Slayer, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, Deep Purple. Thanks!

[HollywoodAFD 0]

KISSGo for Alive and Alive II--those are the bestDestroyer is good but if you get the Alive versions...you get the best of that album. Double Platinum has good tunes but for some reason the tracks are just so dull and flat.Avoid all the solo albums and anything that doesn't contain the original 4.footnote: I saw them in concert a few years ago with Ted Nugent and they still rock for old guys.

[mrdannyg 274]

I don't really want to like Kiss, but I'll give them a shot. If anyone recommends Metallica, I hate you.Thanks for the recommendation!

[BigDMcGee 3,367]

Slayer: Reign of blood RATM: RATM ( their first self titled album. I'm an ironic fan of theirs, but even "real" fans would probably call it their strongest.For band recomendations, I'd throw out T. Rex-Electric Warrior King Crimson - In the court of the Crimson King, Red and Starless and bible blackAnd skip kiss, they are terrible.

[HollywoodAFD 0]

I don't really want to like Kiss, but I'll give them a shot. If anyone recommends Metallica, I hate you.Thanks for the recommendation!

Start with KISS Alive II "God of Thunder".... if the Peter Criss drum solo doesn't make the hair stand on the back your neck....maybe they aren't for you.Gene sings that one and he can't sing for crap but the guitar work and drum solo is pretty awesome.Best overall song on the album is "I want you"

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Slayer: Reign of blood RATM: RATM ( their first self titled album. I'm an ironic fan of theirs, but even "real" fans would probably call it their strongest.For band recomendations, I'd throw out T. Rex-Electric Warrior King Crimson - In the court of the Crimson King, Red and Starless and bible blackAnd skip kiss, they are terrible.

I only mentioned KISS because the bands he said he liked were all "old school"...for some fresher stuff...try out VAMPIRE WEEKEND... listening to some of that now while watching Florida play

[BigDMcGee 3,367]

I only mentioned KISS because the bands he said he liked were all "old school"...

I understand. Which is why I recommended T. Rex and King Crimson, who are from that era, but good, and not played on the radio much.

[Sick Boy 0]

The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium (although you probably wont like it its more progressive rock)

[HollywoodAFD 0]

From that era....another oldie but goodie is ZZ Top Fandango and Eliminator.I saw them warm up for the Stones many years ago...great stuff. Of course the best bang for your buck is the 92 release of Greatest Hits.I cant really chime in on their latest stuff... RANCHO TEXICANO appears to be a "greatest hits" but I don't know if it's a LIVE version or not.

[mrdannyg 274]

Slayer: Reign of blood RATM: RATM ( their first self titled album. I'm an ironic fan of theirs, but even "real" fans would probably call it their strongest.For band recomendations, I'd throw out T. Rex-Electric Warrior King Crimson - In the court of the Crimson King, Red and Starless and bible blackAnd skip kiss, they are terrible.

Thank you. T Rex and King Crimson are good ones I wouldn't have thought of.

Start with KISS Alive II "God of Thunder".... if the Peter Criss drum solo doesn't make the hair stand on the back your neck....maybe they aren't for you.Gene sings that one and he can't sing for crap but the guitar work and drum solo is pretty awesome.Best overall song on the album is "I want you"

Sorry. I really do appreciate the recommendation, but I'm really not sure I can listen to a drum solo from a guy wearing kitty makeup. I wish I could...just can't quite get there.

The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium (although you probably wont like it its more progressive rock)

Progressive is good, I'll give it a shot. I know Rush and Yes are borderline, but I can get into weirder stuff, though not totally weird.Missed the quote, but I've tried ZZ Top before, just couldn't get into them.Any Zappa recommendations?

[BigDMcGee 3,367]

Any Zappa recommendations?

Zappa is one of the hardest things to recommend in the world, because his albums are so diverse. Off the top of my head, I'd say Freak out, Hot Rats, We're only in it for the money ( a sgt. Pepper's satire), joe's garage. That's probably a good overview of his work. My personal favorite's are waka/jawaka and the grand wazoo, which are jazzier albums.

[BigDMcGee 3,367]

Also a random recommendation... the first two Queen albums, Queen and Queen 2 are really good. They are more prog and art rocky than their later albums ( which are also good, imo, but more eclectic).

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Can't go wrong with some STYX... maybe Paradise Theater or Grand Illusion.Good rec on the Queen albums.... listened to one of those on the way to set Wednesday.

[ajs510 122]

Just been reading the Best Guitarist thread, so for now, I'd appreciate recommendations for Slayer, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, Deep Purple. Thanks!

+1 for the original RATM album, which is amazing, but also give a listen to The Battle of Los Angeles which is also incredible. Evil Empire is a great album, but if you're just getting started on Rage it isn't recommended to start there, apart from a couple songs (Bulls on Parade and People of the Sun) you have to be very into them to appreciate it. "Sleep Now in the Fire", "Freedom", "Killing in the Name", "Know Your Enemy", "Guerrilla Radio", "Testify", "Bombtrack", basically every single song from those two albums is awesome. Listen LOUD. You should also definitely give Audioslave a listen if you haven't already heard most everything they did, great band that went away too soon. "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", "Doesn't Remind Me", "Your Time Has Come", and many other great songs. Start with Cochise, their first single and a perfect introduction to their music. As far as Pantera goes, I would personally start with Vulgar Display of Power and go from there in deciding if they're for you or not. "This Love", "Walk" and "Fucking Hostile" are great songs to get you started.

[BigDMcGee 3,367]

Here's another recommendation..http://www.pandora.com/#/stations/create/

[mrdannyg 274]

Also a random recommendation... the first two Queen albums, Queen and Queen 2 are really good. They are more prog and art rocky than their later albums ( which are also good, imo, but more eclectic).

Agreed. Queen is definitely one of my favourites. One of the few bands that I like pretty much anything.

Can't go wrong with some STYX... maybe Paradise Theater or Grand Illusion.Good rec on the Queen albums.... listened to one of those on the way to set Wednesday.

Sadly, I already like Styx too, but I'll give those a listen.

+1 for the original RATM album, which is amazing, but also give a listen to The Battle of Los Angeles which is also incredible. Evil Empire is a great album, but if you're just getting started on Rage it isn't recommended to start there, apart from a couple songs (Bulls on Parade and People of the Sun) you have to be very into them to appreciate it. "Sleep Now in the Fire", "Freedom", "Killing in the Name", "Know Your Enemy", "Guerrilla Radio", "Testify", "Bombtrack", basically every single song from those two albums is awesome. Listen LOUD. You should also definitely give Audioslave a listen if you haven't already heard most everything they did, great band that went away too soon. "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", "Doesn't Remind Me", "Your Time Has Come", and many other great songs. Start with Cochise, their first single and a perfect introduction to their music. As far as Pantera goes, I would personally start with Vulgar Display of Power and go from there in deciding if they're for you or not. "This Love", "Walk" and "Fucking Hostile" are great songs to get you started.

I'm pretty sure I'll get into RATM once I hear some albums. I love the little I've heard. I also downloaded some 'top solo' songs, which included Walk and ****ing Hostile, so this will be on the playlist.Audioslave - I know Cochise. Whenever it comes on I think I should listen to more...then I hear the background singing on the chorus, and they completely lose me there. Gives a poppy edge to the whole song. I youtube'd a couple more songs, and they definitely seem to lean on the pop side more than rock. Is that a wrong impression?On another note, I just put on some Pantera, who I basically know nothing about. Had to turn it off 30 seconds in to take a call. I wander into the washroom and see that the front of my hair has spiked up a little on each side - looked exactly like little devil horns. Awesome.Really appreciate all the recommendations. In case anyone is wondering, I am on public transit for more than an hour a day, so I'll have plenty of time to listen to this stuff. Looking forward to reporting back.

[mrdannyg 274]

Here's another recommendation..http://www.pandora.com/#/stations/create/

Dear Pandora Visitor,We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for listeners located outside of the U.S. We will continue to work diligently to realize the vision of a truly global Pandora, but for the time being we are required to restrict its use. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative. We believe that you are in Canada (your IP address appears to be 96.30.133.33). If you believe we have made a mistake, we apologize and ask that you please contact us at pandora-support@pandora.com Damnit.

[ajs510 122]

Audioslave - I know Cochise. Whenever it comes on I think I should listen to more...then I hear the background singing on the chorus, and they completely lose me there. Gives a poppy edge to the whole song. I youtube'd a couple more songs, and they definitely seem to lean on the pop side more than rock. Is that a wrong impression?

Nope, pretty astute judgment. RATM definitely has a harder edge and for the most part Soundgarden does as well, but I like Audioslave a lot personally. If you ever get a chance to watch their Live in Cuba DVD, it's truly an incredible show.

[slink 1]

Don't know if you tried old ZZTop, but just about everything before Eliminator is pretty good, slower, less produced, and more bluesy.AC/DC Bon Scott. Just good rock n roll boogie.Let There Be Rock, Powerage.Brian Johnson: Back in Black (obv) plus Ballbreaker and Razor's EdgeLynyrd Synyrd? Yes!

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Sorry. I really do appreciate the recommendation, but I'm really not sure I can listen to a drum solo from a guy wearing kitty makeup. I wish I could...just can't quite get there.

LOL.... understood.But kitty make-up aside... this is a bad arse solo

[HollywoodAFD 0]

Also...you should add some Stevie Ray Vaughan.... Double TroubleWhat a shame that guy had to die.... great guitar stuff there.

[Sick Boy 0]

Progressive is good, I'll give it a shot. I know Rush and Yes are borderline, but I can get into weirder stuff, though not totally weird.

Mars Volta is pretty wierd but the lead singer's vocals are really intense. Songs like this:

and this are why I like them:

Particularly the 2nd one, which opens their album Deloused.. the first one is from a later album Ampetecture.. which is arguably their best album to date.

[Dirtydutch 9]

Hmmm...have you done the Radiohead thing? If not, I think a good deal of the music fans on this forum consider them their favorite band. Well, we would if we weren't too smug to admit to having something as juvenile as a favorite band. I would start with The Bends, then move on to OK Computer. I would say that OKC and it's less accessible successor Kid A are pretty much the most critically acclaimed records of all time, and although it will probably take some work to appreciate the later, getting to love these records was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.(Those links are to hostings of rar'd copies of probably-poor rips of the records, in case you've never used this very fast and easy system of stealing media. I found them with Google and I haven't tested these, so there is some possibility that they are password protected or something, but I've been doing this for years and have never gotten a virus or anything. But if you do torrents and don't mind waiting a bit, you could do yourself a favor and download the 320kbs of their whole discography, which is all amazing, save their first one, which is meh: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3975717/Ra...raphy___320Kbps )A band I think you're more likely to like right away is The Hold Steady. Musically they are sort of a classic rock band, with some Replacements-y post-punk influences, but basically the cliche description is that they are "a bar band that's too good for the bar scene." Lyrically is where they really pwn souls. Craig Finn is pretty clearly obsessed with Beat poetry, even titling their third record as a Jack Kerouac(sp?) reference. Most songs tell a stories about the various exploits of a cast of recurring characters, which in his writing prime mostly center around horny, angsty young people. I think that Separation Sunday is lyrically one of the strongest records I've ever heard, and Boys and Girls in America is musically slightly superior and not far behind. Then there's Arcade Fire's Funeral, just to name one that I love. If you listen to and provide feedback on anything here, I could go on forever.

[mrdannyg 274]

Nope, pretty astute judgment. RATM definitely has a harder edge and for the most part Soundgarden does as well, but I like Audioslave a lot personally. If you ever get a chance to watch their Live in Cuba DVD, it's truly an incredible show.

Soundgarden! Awesome, definitely on the list. One of the wife's favourites!

Don't know if you tried old ZZTop, but just about everything before Eliminator is pretty good, slower, less produced, and more bluesy.AC/DC Bon Scott. Just good rock n roll boogie.Let There Be Rock, Powerage.Brian Johnson: Back in Black (obv) plus Ballbreaker and Razor's EdgeLynyrd Synyrd? Yes!

I'll give an old ZZ Top album a try. I can probably work with old AC/DC as well.Lynyrd Skynyrd is definitely heavily featured in my playlists as well.Also, putting this note here to remind myself to get some Little Feat.

Also...you should add some Stevie Ray Vaughan.... Double TroubleWhat a shame that guy had to die.... great guitar stuff there.

Agreed, I'm happy to crank one of his albums.

Hmmm...have you done the Radiohead thing? If not, I think a good deal of the music fans on this forum consider them their favorite band. Well, we would if we weren't too smug to admit to having something as juvenile as a favorite band. I would start with The Bends, then move on to OK Computer. I would say that OKC and it's less accessible successor Kid A are pretty much the most critically acclaimed records of all time, and although it will probably take some work to appreciate the later, getting to love these records was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.(Those links are to hostings of rar'd copies of probably-poor rips of the records, in case you've never used this very fast and easy system of stealing media. I found them with Google and I haven't tested these, so there is some possibility that they are password protected or something, but I've been doing this for years and have never gotten a virus or anything. But if you do torrents and don't mind waiting a bit, you could do yourself a favor and download the 320kbs of their whole discography, which is all amazing, save their first one, which is meh: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3975717/Ra...raphy___320Kbps )A band I think you're more likely to like right away is The Hold Steady. Musically they are sort of a classic rock band, with some Replacements-y post-punk influences, but basically the cliche description is that they are "a bar band that's too good for the bar scene." Lyrically is where they really pwn souls. Craig Finn is pretty clearly obsessed with Beat poetry, even titling their third record as a Jack Kerouac(sp?) reference. Most songs tell a stories about the various exploits of a cast of recurring characters, which in his writing prime mostly center around horny, angsty young people. I think that Separation Sunday is lyrically one of the strongest records I've ever heard, and Boys and Girls in America is musically slightly superior and not far behind. Then there's Arcade Fire's Funeral, just to name one that I love. If you listen to and provide feedback on anything here, I could go on forever.

The links get your bonus points, thanks. I'll give The Hold Steady a try and check out the Arcade Fire. You might hate me (understandably so) since I'm less interested in quality lyrics than the music aspects.Also, I hate Radiohead more than I hate Coldplay. And I really hate Coldplay. I did the Radiohead thing when I was a teenager, and those Columbia House bastards got me. I tried Tool and Marilyn Manson at the same time Though I'll admit that Radiohead makes "good" music by most definitions (including mine), but I'd rather stab myself than actually listen to it. I even tried it again a few years later, and actually hated it more!I can't believe the response this thread has gotten. Can't wait to report back! Unfortunately getting drives to/from work today, so no listening, but looks like Slayer and King Crimson will be on the playlist tomorrow.

[Mercury69 3]

I'll field the Zappa query. Saw the man 5 times in concert, once had 25 of his albums...ON VINYL!Anyway, Zappa can be problematic, but here are some of his more accessible albums and some of my personal favorites:Overnite Sensation - This is the album with Dinah Moe Humm on it, which is as fine a portrayal of grungy groupie sex as anything and has a funky backbeat. This album is wall-to-wall stellar, with some awesome production, some searing guitar work and some great tunes. I Am The Slime, Zomby Woof, Camarillo Brillo are standout tracksOne Size Fits All - This is an unknown gem. Again, some incredible production and great guitar work. The opening track, Inca Roads, is one of Zappa's best and the guitar solo is absolutely amazing. This is followed by a sweet little number about being homeless, a song about pyjamas, the classic Sofa and others. This album does not have a weak track.Roxy and Elsewhere - You're probably not going to hear a Gibson SG used better than on this double live album. Zappa absolutely owns the SG, while his back up band lays down some of the most complex, yet accessible, music ever heard. It's a percussionist's wet dream. And there are some great songs and funny stories, too!Sheik Yerbouti - Jewish Princesses, suburban gayness, the disco craze...all are mocked here, yet there is room for a number of terrific guitar solos, like on Rat Tomago or the Sheik Yerbouti Tango (it really is a tango) or the epic Yer Mama. Zoot Allures - This album contains my two favorite guitar solos of all time. Period. The title track and a little ditty called Black Napkins should be considered essential listening. They aren't solos. per se. Rather, they are showcases for Zappa's unique phrasing. Several other tracks are excellent, particularly Disco Boy.Enjoy!