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!

KISS

Go for Alive and Alive II--those are the best
Destroyer 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.

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!

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 black


And skip kiss, they are terrible.

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"

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

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.

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

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.

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



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.



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?

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.

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).

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.

+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.

Here's another recommendation..

http://www.pandora.com/#/stations/create/

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



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



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.

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Damnit.

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.

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 Edge

Lynyrd Synyrd? Yes!

LOL.... understood.

But kitty make-up aside... this is a bad arse solo
Peter Criss

Also...you should add some Stevie Ray Vaughan.... Double Trouble

What a shame that guy had to die.... great guitar stuff there.

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

Songs like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVFL86Sc3MI and this are why I like them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cdSiAgz1XU

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.

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.

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



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.



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



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.

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 tracks

One 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!

Thanks very much Mercury. I think I'd enjoy being a Zappa snob, and that looks like a great job. Appreciate the thought, and look forward to getting into them.

Check, please.

I knew that'd draw you here.

Like I said, I will fully admit they are good. They are better artists, musicians than at least 90% of the bands I like.

Then again, so are Verdi and Bach, and you don't see me listening to them on the bus.

Zappa's cool, but if you want to be a snob, I think you'd be best off picking something that's progressive and cool and weird today, not something that was progressive and cool and weird 30 years ago. Because to real music nerds, you'll seem fossilized and bitter or ignorant. At least to the ones who aren't fossilized and bitter. I do like Zappa, though, and was seeking Zappa guidance rather recently. But, if you're doing it purly for hipster points...buy a subscription to Wire.

Also, I suspect your Radiohead hatred is probably a symptom of having been exposed to it at a time and a pace at which you couldn't process its subtle majesty. Maybe irreversible damage has been done, but it's just important to me that I mention that you be trippin'.

Coldplay, as a rule, is pretty much a really boring homogenization of an era of Radiohead that Radiohead most likely has no recollection of. Their records seem fairly well-mixed considering what a lifeless pop radio cash-grab I find their existence to be, but on the other hand they also write songs that seem way too boring to have succeeded as empty pop radio cash-grabs, so it evens out. I guess on some level they're not that bad, but I think they're so boring that it's really worse than like Lil' Mamma or w/e.

(Edit: for the record I don't really question Coldplay's artistic credibility so much as their ability, and the phrase "cash-grab" was mostly thrown out to out-line how inexplicably popular and overexposed they became. I recently reread a post on this very forum from a young me, noting that I had never knowingly heard Coldplay. Those were truly my salad days.)

Although overshadowed by the title track and the subsequent revitalization of the same, The Man Who Sold The World , by David Bowie, is a great guitar album. Excellent session man Mick Ronson arranged much of the music on the album and played some of the most visceral pre-metal guitar you'll hear. There is much more to this album than the title track...

This reads like a Radiohead song.

You're welcome.

I would easily listen to classical/operatic music before Radiohead. Then again, as a mid-80s baby, growing up on Nirvana, I realize Radiohead is a bit before my time.



I will give it a listen. I like some Bowie, but "Fame" is one of my all-time hated songs, so be warned. Also, I don't like Space Oddity.

I'd recommend Ziggy Stardust, and Pitchfork.com calls "Low" the album of the decade (70's) I 'm not sure if it's your cup of tea or not, but worth checking out.

Also, in that Ilk, i'd throw out Iggy Pop. I'd recommend "Funhouse" and "Raw Power" by the Stooges ( his first band) and Lust for life and The Idiot, his first two solo albums. Lust for life title track was that famous song from Trainspotting, and also used as an intro/outro for the Jim Rome Show, so you might be familiar with it

Also, consider reading through Pitchfork's top albums of the 70's

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/...f-the-1970s/10/

Going over that list, what stand out for me to recomend are Velvet underground loaded ( and not on the list, Lou Reed's solo album "rock and Roll"), the Elvis Costello albums, The talking heads albums, CCR's Cosmo Factory ( CCR is the only "southern rock" band that I really like ( though Fogerty was from Oregon, and never set foot in the Biyou until like the 90's), Van Halen's first self titled album. Also, you might try Miles Davis "Bitches Brew", A great, great great Rock-Jazz fusion album... it's a great introduction to jazz for a rock and roll fan ( it's the album that got me into jazz).

there are some really random stuff there, some of (probably a lot of it) you won't like, but there are good write ups on all of it, and I got some really random great stuff off of here. I think the favorite thing I got of there that I haven't heard of is Fela Kuti, and it's like instrumental ( for hte most part) jazz/african fusion type stuff. It sounds like sound tracks to 70's blacksploitation movies, and I love it. I love that whole genre of Exploitation 70's sound track type stuff.


Also, I think you mean Radio head is after your time.

Clutch - I would recommend the first three albums (Transnational Speedway League, Clutch, Elephant Riders) be listened to in order just for the sake of hearing the progression. If you're only getting one, it depends on if you want a more metal or stoner rock vibe. If metal go with transnational, if stoner go with Elephant.

I have a hard time with some of that stuff. Artists like Elvis Costello and Velvet Underground just never really 'spoke' to me, and the musicality isn't to my tastes. I've heard some Stooges, and will definitely grab that album. Van Halen's original album and The Faces (Rod Stewart) is some of my favourite stuff, good call there.

I'll go for CCR, though I probably know most of the songs. And I can't think of a better way to get me to listen to an album than say it sounds like blackspoitation movies, so they'll definitely be on the list.



Thank you sir - never even heard of them. I'll go for Transnational.

If that's true, definitely check out bitches brew. Also Maggot Brain by Parliament is probably up your alley

That is actually released under the name "Funkadelic" I recall, but yes, that record is the absolute nuts. Eddie Hazel was God, and they had probably one of the greatest rhythm sections of all time.

Also, favorite album cover ever:

I like everything about that album so far, especially that apparently even the name is contentious between music dorks.

Didn't get to listen to anything again today...keep getting rides into work! Listened to a bit of Charlie Daniels and Slayer last night, but not enough to draw any conclusions. Goddamn do I love Deep Purple though.

Primus - Pork Soda

Not sure if you are into this sort of music at all, but I can still remember my first listen to this as a teenager. We were sitting in my friends house and we had just passed around the peace pipe and my buddy asks if we have ever heard "Pork Soda" before. At that time, I had never even heard of Primus so it was a crazy experience, but to hear Les Claypool pounding away on the bass throughout the album was AWESOME. Plus I was high as fuck.

South Park introduced me to Primus! I was friends with enough jewish stoners to be exposed to Les' solo stuff as well. I could never listen to a whole album, as it exceeds my weird quota, but I have at least a dozen individual songs that I'm happy having in a mix. In fact, Thela Hun Ginjeet was the last song I heard this morning!

Can someone explain "Bitches Brew" to me? I've never really understood. I was talking about it with Checky they other day, and no real answer was found. WTF is the reference? Is it a reference at all or did Columbia just let it go out spelled like that? Anyone?

I figured it was just a witch craft or magic reference. Bitch probably wasn't the curse word in the 60's that it became to be later.

Oh, I didn't think it was supposed to offensive or sexist or anything. I just mean the nonpossessive plurality of it makes no sense to me. Like, is the title making the statement that the verb "brew" is in fact the major activity of bitches? Obviously a typical musician today -- let alone a negro of that era -- is unlikely to have a deep appreciation grammar. But I suspect Columbia has always kept a guy or two on staff who could spell, and I don't think Miles Davis ever had the chance to go straight to market with his unsequenced mixtapes. So it must have had some sort of meaning. And it bothers me literally every time I listen to it.

I always assumed it was like 'witch's brew' in terms of being cool and awesome and magical, but changed to bitch's because...well its jazz. And its spelled wrong for approximately the same reason as 2/3 of songs released in the past 3 years are spelled wrong. Because...its cool?

Wow, I regret typing that.


I'm sorry to report the music experiment is on hold for Day #3. I'm quite hungover, and its Wednesday. That should be explanation enough.

Band: Deerhunter
Song: "Nothing Ever Happened" from the double disc album/EP Microcastle/Weird

Reason for recommendation: Good, semi-hard-driving, post-punk/progressive, rock song. Great guitar hook.


Band: Wavves
Song: "Beach Demon"

Reason for recommendation: Because this song just totally ****ing rocks, and I'm not messing around. It's scuzzy and low fidelity, the lyrics are mumbled and distorted nonsense, but none of that matters if you just turn the volume up a little higher. I was never really into punk, but if it was anything like this, I'm pretty I understand the allure of that whole scene.

Band: Fuck Buttons
Song: "Surf Solar" (radio edit)

Reason for recommendation: This is out of your comfort zone, and there is a zero percent chance you will like it. I first heard these guys less than a month ago, but I fell in love immediately. I saw them described as End of the World music. "If the world were ending tomorrow, this this is the band you'd listen to." Sounds good to me. They're kind of like ambient noise-pop on cheap keyboards and drum machines or something. I dunno. You won't like them.

Band: My Blood Valentine
Song: "Only Shallow"

Reason for recommendation: Because this is my personal favorite track from one of the 10 greatest albums of all time. I'm not alone in that assessment, I don't think. Listen to what Kevin Shields does with the guitars. So awesome.

Danny:

It should be noted that, despite my semi-hipster tastes, I'm ultra standard in the sense that I like catchy hooks and pop music more than anything. If a song has a good bass line, a good guitar hook, a sweet solo, an awesome drum fill, well, I'm going to be a fan. Even the weird, out-there ambient shoegaze noisetronica I listen to (see: "Surf Solar") is, at its core, built with major-chord pop-sensibilities.

I can always guess what the first three singles will be from every album, because they'll be my favorites. I'm not even vaguely hip; I like music that should be on the radio but isn't. Even at my most progressive, I'm looking for stuff that sounds good.

I like Coldplay. I think Parachutes is one of the 50-100 best albums of the 2000s. I'm not at all ashamed of that.

Sounds good. I'm also way more mainstream than I'll usually admit. I probably won't have Surf Solar's whole album on my playlist, but sometimes weird things can hook you. Hell, "Hocus Pocus" (by Focus) is one of my standards!

I've heard good things about My Bloody Valentine. I hate most new bands, and the people I've heard it from were Audioslave fands, so I ignored it. I'll giv'er a shot.

My Bloody Valentine's landmark album Loveless was recorded from 1989-1991, and released in 1991. Anybody who worshiped the Smashing Pumpkins when he was younger owes MBV a huge debt of gratitude. (In the same vein: Everybody my age who talks about how big of an influence MBV was is actually saying, "I loved the Smashing Pumpkins when I was in middle school, but referencing My Bloody Valentine instead sounds so much... cooler.")

Even if you don't particularly enjoy MBV, think of it as the musical equivalent of The Great Gatsby. It's required listening.

Blech.

I only liked 2 Smashing Pumpkins songs anyways.

I guess I'll listen anyway, but sounds like it'll be more angsty wuss 'rock.'

Hear comes TB, swinging his hipster dick, instead of tailoring recommendations to the audience.