Albums that you consider "perfect"...

[SlavaF]

I thought this would be an interesting idea for discussion - while there are lots of great albums out there, are there any that you would consider absolutely perfect? The rarest of albums where every song is amazing, and whenever you put it on, you feel like you can't turn it off until the end? So basically name some albums that you consider perfect and briefly explain why.

While I can name hundreds of great albums, it's a lot more difficult to name perfect albums. For me there are only 3 that really stick out: "Hemispheres" by Rush, "Orgasmatron" by Motorhead and "Heaven and Hell" by Black Sabbath.

"Hemispheres" - I'll admit, I'm a bit tired of this one after ridiculously overplaying it for several years, but it's still a perfect album to me. The song is just amazing and tons of fun to play, Circumstances and The Trees are 2 of the best short songs Rush has ever written, and La Villa Strangiato... enough said! Granted, there are only 4 songs, but still, they're all incredible.

"Orgasmatron" - this probably isn't most people's choice for the greatest Motorhead album, but after listening to it repeatedly at work, I've realized that every song on there is fantastic! 7 of the 9 songs are among my all-time favorite Motorhead songs, and the title track is amazing in its simplicity. Besides that, it has some of their fastest, catchiest and most entertaining songs.

"Heaven And Hell" - Easily my favorite Sabbath album, 6 of the 8 are absolute classics, and the other 2 (Lady Evil and Wishing Well) aren't quite as good as the rest, but still great songs in their own right. I can't get enough of "Die Young" right now, and "Neon Knights" has been one of my favorites for years. And besides that, "Children Of The Sea" is one of the most beautiful, yet still hard-rocking songs out there.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't exactly listen to a huge range of music, so let's hear some other suggestions for "perfect" albums, in any genre.

[Dave Grossman]

King Crimson - Red

Amazingly diverse yet completely coherent. One of the best albums ever recorded and, sadly, the last studio album recorded with that lineup.

Led Zeppelin - Presence

Zeppelin at their finest, IMO.

- Dave

[Piedro]

i'll say ,

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Red hot Chili Peppers - man, the production of this albums, the sound of all instruments, the switch between songs, the songs!! IMO one of the nearest to perfection...

White Poney, Deftones - same reasons, the production, the songs.. listen to "Knife party" the girls is screaming and they blend it with the guitars to make such a perfect effect... men it kills me everytimes i listen it, the one with Maynard from Tool.. wow, the only things that bothers me is the second song that rock like crazy, it like 30sec too long... not a big deal but that's the only things that make this album 9,99/10 instead of 10/10...

keep groovin'
PO

[redefine dave]

Houses of the Holy- Zeppelin
Californication-RHCP
Make Yourself-Incubus
Who's Next-The Whoo
S/T-Rage Against the Machine

[markjazzbassist]

Steely Dan - Aja
Donny Hathaway - Live

[saxnbass]

I love the new Rush Album, but R30, IMO, is the perfect Rush.

[Phil Mailloux]

Out of my 3 "perfect albums" two have already been named but here goes again:

Rage Against The Machine (S/T)
RHCP, Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick
Radiohead, OK Computer

These three albums still see plenty of play in my CD player 10-15 years after they originally came out and have all clocked 200+ listenings each.

[lemur821]

EDIT: I've got some slightly obscure stuff here, so: Improved With Links:
BSSM is a good choice.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's "Of Natural History" never fails to captivate me from beginning to end. It's simultaneously the most wonderful and most alarming music I've heard. Probably the hugest sound I've ever heard on an album.

Björk's "Post" is strong all the way through too. "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" is a contender.

Earth - Hibernaculum is just perfect in every way. The same goes for "Wake Pig" and "Summercamp Nightmare" from 3.

I was going to stop, but Float "(Aesop Rock)" and "Computer World" (Kraftwerk) demand to be mentioned. Trans Siberian Orchestra's "Beethoven's Last Night" is another.

I'd better give it a rest now, but I could probably go on for quite a while. Believe me, for every one I list, there are plenty more that I love which aren't perfect.

[Dave Siff]

Originally Posted by Piedro

Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Red hot Chili Peppers - man, the production of this albums, the sound of all instruments, the switch between songs, the songs!!

+1 on that. BSSM is one of those albums that seems perfectly laid out from start to finish.
I'd also include:
Rush, Moving Pictures
Descendents, Everything Sucks
Son Volt, Trace

[Piedro]

Originally Posted by Phil Mailloux

Out of my 3 "perfect albums" two have already been named but here goes again:

Rage Against The Machine (S/T)
RHCP, Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick
Radiohead, OK Computer

These three albums still see plenty of play in my CD player 10-15 years after they originally came out and have all clocked 200+ listenings each.

Man!! i've soooo forgot OK Computer.... i feel ashame to have forgot this one...
RATM is quite a good choice too!

[bassicinstinct]

Steely Dan's entire back catalogue.

[Psychicpet]

Sonically "perfect" albums for me would be:

"Everything Must Go" Steely Dan/"Morph the Cat" Donald Fagan
the CD that Chris Whitley(sp?) did with Medeski and Wood (or Martin and Wood..I confuse) along with "Tonic" by MMW

now to just downright, "Perfect" albums:

"Joshua Tree" U2
"Ritual de lo Habitual" Jane's Addiction
"Aja"/"2 against Nature" Steely Dan
"10,000 Days" Tool
"Sunday at the Village Vangaurd" Bill Evans 3io
"A Love Supreme"/"Giant Steps" Coltrane
"One's All" Dave Holland

....there's a start

[Psychicpet]

shoot, I almost forgot, an album that is absolutely both sonically and content wise an ABSOLUTE perfect CD:


"Fight for your Mind" Ben Harper!!!!!!!!

[bassicinstinct]

Nearly forgot:

Donald Fagen's "Nightfly".

[Psychicpet]

Originally Posted by bassicinstinct

Nearly forgot:

Donald Fagen's "Nightfly".

what can I say, it's 3am here

[bassicinstinct]

Understood.

Every time I see it spelt that way, I keep getting this mental image of our Donald surrounded by a group of 10 year old Victorian pick-pockets a la Ron Moody.

Very disturbing.

[MuzikMan]

Pink Floyd : Dark Side of the Moon

The End

[afinalfantasy]

Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Nick Drake - Pink Moon, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Feist - The Reminder
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea
Mono - You Are There
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Beatles - Revolver and Rubber Soul
Stanley Clarke - School Days
Jaco Pastorius - Self Titled
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Joanna Newsom - Ys and the Milk Eyed Mender
God is an Astronaut - All is Violent, All Is Right

Just a few that I can think of right now

[asahobby]

I find May Blitz 2nd of May to be my most favorite.Then comes Gun, Gunsight, then Gentle Giant live they all came close to perfection in my opinion.But there are so many to choose from.

[bremen nacht]

The Ramones first album just because it's got absolutely no flannel, no padding, no fancy stuff.

The Specials because of its great sound and energy.

The Who Live At Leeds because. Just because.

RHCP Blood Sugar Sex Magic for the bass playing. Plays like he doesn't have to prove anything.