Greatest ALBUM ever ??

[SEAWOLF97]

.
well, the "Greatest ROCK song EVER ?" thread produced a good discussion and pointed me towards some that were new to me....so imitation is ....? ... the basis for another thread

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...ROCK-song-EVER

Greatest ALBUM ever ??

not limited to RocK or any specific genre ....entire albums , not individual songs.

I get many repeat plays on ...

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Abraxis - Santana
Eldorado - ELO
A Space in Time - Ten Years After
...and lately
Tarkio - Brewer & Shipley
Rubber Soul - Fab Four
...and
Numbers 5 & 9 - LVB
...lastly
Le Quattro Stagioni - AV

[Ducatista47]

Rock, Pretenders II. Runners up, Concrete Blonde's Mexican Moon, Velvet Underground's White light/White Heat and Santana's Moonflower. Most talented Artist in Rock, Neil Young, hands down. To pick one of his, Tonight's The Night. But I can't pick one. If you haven't guessed, I am not a Classic Rock guy and have a particular allergy to power ballads.

"Classical," The Solo Piano Music of Arnold Schoenberg. Runners up, The Goldberg Variations (1981) and The Art Of The Fugue, both Bach and all played by Glenn Gould.

Jazz, Consecration by the Bill Evans Trio. Runners up, about a thousand recordings by Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Sun Ra, etc. etc. The talent pool is too deep in Jazz to compare with pop music as a genre. Who could pick just one or two? Not me, anyway. And no, I do not consider Kind Of Blue to stand above all others. Not lame, but pretty tame as far as I am concerned.

Blues, The Complete Recordings Of Robert Johnson.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo by the Birds is tops or nearly in Country Rock. Call it a special award! Runners up, Poco by Poco and Running by the Desert Rose Band.

Acoustic Music, non-Jazz or Folk - The David Grisman Quintet, 1977, with Tony Rice and Darol Anger. Alison Krause, any release with her super talented band, Union Station. Not Raising Sand, which to my ears is closer to pounding sand. And I do like Robert Plant.

[BMWCCA]

Jazz, Consecration by the Bill Evans Trio.

Can you offer a point to the version you'd suggest that's available on CD? That title offers some confusing choices!

[Ducatista47]

Can you offer a point to the version you'd suggest that's available on CD? That title offers some confusing choices!

I can help you there. Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2 and The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings are again for sale. Set Google to "Shopping" and type in each title (or the short title and Bill Evans). Expect to pay about a hundred dollars for each eight CD set from his last recorded performances, eight nights in San Francisco. One collection is the first sets, the other the second sets. He was on fire and days from death.

Many feel he was strongest on nights three and four - he was very ill and could hardly breathe - but I like it all. On the last nights he let his band take more of the spotlight, and it is all good.

I found a great DVD a couple of months ago. It is called Bill Evans Trio: The Oslo Concerts. I bought it online. The first set is when Eddie Gomez first joined him. The second was the last time he was filmed; it is the only DVD I have seen with the last trio, the one on these CD sets.

I have been getting into DVDs of music performances lately. The Jazz Icons series - I get them at Borders - are a treasure trove of mostly 1960s TV performances from Europe. Dexter Gordon is a standout, as are Art Farmer (with a young, intense Jim Hall playing a Gibson ES-175 with two P-90 single coils, my favorite pickup of all time), Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Charles Mingus. The Rahsaan Roland Kirk edition is a real trip if you are not familiar with his work. Thank goodness this stuff survived.

I have also found some Glenn Gould sessions from his later recordings. I used a Christmas coupon to bag Remember That Night David Gilmour Live At The Royal Albert Hall for five dollars. An outstanding pick, also from Borders, is Weather Report Live At Montreux 1976. This was the band that later cut Heavy Weather, and I like this set even better. The only mystery is Wayne Shorter having very little to do. If he were in a band of mine, I might let someone else play once in a while.

Sorry to have drifted a little off topic.

Clark

PS Here is what Consecration is all about:

By Bill Evans Trio - JVC Victor (2002) - Cool, Jazz Instrument, Modal Music
While it's true that this eight-CD box set was issued in Japan and in Europe briefly, none of its performances have been heard in any form in the United States. This is the companion piece to Milestone's previously issued eight-CD The Last Waltz. Like the previous collection, these live dates with Evans' final trio -- Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums -- were recorded at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco between August 31 and September 7, 1980, about a week before Evans' death (September 15, 1980). What separates the two is that this set is comprised primarily of first sets. If one assembles these two collections with the Warner Bros.-released final Village Vanguard concerts, Turn Out the Stars, there is undeniable evidence that not only was Evans in a state of creative rebirth at the end of his life, but was perhaps at his zenith as a composer, arranger, and -- above all -- as an improviser. The excellent and technically revelatory liner notes to this collection by Bob Doerschuk go a long way toward explaining exactly what it was that Evans was up to on that stand with his piano and his band. They offer lucid, accessible, and picturesque descriptions of the mechanics of the music here, so there is no reason to discuss them in this review. What is most important is the intensity and emotional honesty of the performances, and, of course, the nearly spiritual communication between the members of the trio.
Over eight CDs, listeners are treated to 68 performances of 28 tunes, the vast majority of which are foundation planks of American pop song composers from Rodgers & Hart to Jimmy Van Heusen to Henry Mancini to Paul Simon to Bobbie Gentry. Many are Evans staples, with "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," "My Romance," "My Foolish Heart," "But Beautiful," "Like Someone in Love," "Someday My Prince Will Come," "Days of Wine and Roses," "I Do It for Your Love," etc., among them. There are nine Evans originals (and one that should be): "Re: Person I Knew," "The Two Lonely People," "Your Story," "Laurie," "Turn Out the Stars," "Knit for Mary F.," "Bill's Hit Tune," "Tiffany," and "Letter to Evan." The one that should be is "Song From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)." No one should harbor the illusion that the music on Consecration is in any way inferior to that found on The Last Waltz. First and second sets are, more often than not, articulated in different languages. The proof here is in the grooves: The Evans trio comes out of the box on disc one from August 31 steaming. This version of "Re: Person I Knew" sounds like it's an encore after a full evening spent in deep concentration with the band. The fluidity of whirlwind improvisational ideas around the tune's changes and its rhythm is startling for a first track. There is no hesitation anywhere in the heart of the music, with Evans swirling around his rhythm section and Johnson and LaBarbera turning all of those ideas into a shifting, swirling mass of harmonic elegance that turns not back on itself, but toward the heart of musical communication and blows it wide open for the common listener to take in. Elsewhere, such as on the three versions of "Song From M*A*S*H," Evans and Johnson take the introspective melody, clip its ends, and create a dynamic and shimmering tension that LaBarbera then moves into scintillating overdrive. The contrapuntal middles of the versions by Evans, as he runs through and around the basslines with trills and dropping fat open chords in the syncopation, are exhilarating almost beyond measure. On "Two Lonely People," Evans tosses a changeup into the mix that turns around the balladic nature of the tune and instead puts forth its swinging harmonic shifts and chromatic shapes. The interplay between Evans and Johnson halfway through is a nearly symbiotic communication, one that Evans hadn't enjoyed since he played with Scott LaFaro in his second trio. Evans goes on mostly alone after this exchange, incorporating every harmonic and intervallic shift into the base of the melody until the pair comes back in to turn up the heat on the finish.
As the CDs play on, the renditions of these tunes, played night after night, become more exotic and more adventurous, but no less focused or disciplined. It's as if there is more order, not less -- more control of how the music speaks through the trio and more dynamic tension put forth in the music. It is as if there were so much more at stake later in the band's stand than at its commencement. In all, there isn't a letdown in any of these sets. The repetition becomes necessary when one hears the entire narrative expanded. In fact, it now behooves fans to hear each evening as it was played out, first and second sets played out in sequence. Like the aforementioned collections, the sound on this box is top-notch, even crystalline. No doubt many collectors have this material already -- they paid a lot more for it, too. However, for any Evans fan looking to investigate his late period, this is as fine as any a place to start. But be forewarned: This is the beginning of a very addictive -- and extremely moving -- listening experience. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

[BMWCCA]

I can help you there. Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2 and The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings are again for sale. Set Google to "Shopping" and type in each title (or the short title and Bill Evans). Expect to pay about a hundred dollars for each eight CD set from his last recorded performances, eight nights in San Francisco. One collection is the first sets, the other the second sets. He was on fire and days from death.

I checked already and was confused by the Part 2, V.1, V.2, V.3.

Safe to assume that these are the ones to get?:
http://www.amazon.com/Consecration-F...2926913&sr=1-1
and
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Waltz-Fin...2926913&sr=1-2

Thanks. I always enjoy your suggestions and have yet to be disappointed.

[Ducatista47]

I checked already and was confused by the Part 2, V.1, V.2, V.3.

Safe to assume that these are the ones to get?:
http://www.amazon.com/Consecration-F...2926913&sr=1-1
and
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Waltz-Fin...2926913&sr=1-2

Thanks. I always enjoy your suggestions and have yet to be disappointed.

Yes, those are the ones. For even further financial pain, note that both are available with Turn Out The Stars: Final Village Vanguard Recordings. That would be the same trio. I have not heard these recordings, but I have just ordered them myself. At a shocking $215.27 they can all be yours. Note that the first trio's best output can be had for $17.49 in Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961. A remastered set of the entire gig, introductions, chatter and all - like you were there. The classic material from Sunday At The Village Vanguard, Waltz For Debbie and more. No more carping about the first trio being the best. Now we can decide for ourselves, or better, enjoy them both. Personally, I agree with the review. I think Bill saved the best for last.

I don't think you will be disappointed in the music, but if you are not a serious fan of Bill Evan's music you will be disappointed in the price. I would be a miserable bastard, I am sure, if I mention that Consecration is available for special order on three sites in the Japanese CDs - at $250 to $300! Nice Japanese CDs with Obi are $35 each, if you can find them, so the price in in line, but good grief.

But I will post this excerpt from an Amazon review to answer my long asked question: how could a nearly dead man play his very best?

How to explain this extraordinary demonstration by a human being who would virtually self-destruct the following week? Little has been said about what a perfect mechanical specimen Bill was, practically "designed" for one purpose: to the play the piano. His exceptionally thick and heavy fingers, his hand position, his arm placement--none of these deserted him even when the internal organs had gone. The combination of muscle memory and a mind capable of focusing on nothing beyond the musical instant managed to keep death at bay through the vitality of art.

The music herein is light years beyond what any pianist since has been able to conceive let alone execute. The only "faults" that might be weighed against any part of it are, first, that Bill occasionally has a tendency to get ahead of himself--the force of his passion and complexity of his ideas simply providing more than the moment can bear. All the more remarkable that the form holds, after bending sufficiently to create dramatic tensions that underscore the magnitude of the artist's grandiose design and achievement. Second, Bill invites some disruption of continuity and let-up of dramatic urgency whenever he defers to solos by Johnson or LaBarbara. But these moments, too, are understandable--respites that allow the pianist to gather his strength for yet another glorious burst of lyric energy.

[hjames]

Thanks for the reminders on the Bill Evans discs ... Amazon also has a crazy-cheap price on Turn Out the Stars - $39.71 - thats flat crazy for a 6 disc box set! Money is a bit tight right now for buying the 2 $100 each box sets, but the 6 disc set is impossible to ignore at that price!

We got the Bill Evans Oslo concert DVD from netflix last year - a very nice recording of his work.

Edit - 10:30AM -
Just checked and The last Waltz is now available from Amazon/Newbury comics New for $69.99 ... again, a heck of a discount over the $100 price (supersaving shipping, too!)

I can help you there. Consecration: The Final Recordings Part 2 and The Last Waltz: The Final Recordings are again for sale. Set Google to "Shopping" and type in each title (or the short title and Bill Evans). Expect to pay about a hundred dollars for each eight CD set from his last recorded performances, eight nights in San Francisco. One collection is the first sets, the other the second sets. He was on fire and days from death.

Many feel he was strongest on nights three and four - he was very ill and could hardly breathe - but I like it all. On the last nights he let his band take more of the spotlight, and it is all good.

I found a great DVD a couple of months ago. It is called Bill Evans Trio: The Oslo Concerts. I bought it online. The first set is when Eddie Gomez first joined him. The second was the last time he was filmed; it is the only DVD I have seen with the last trio, the one on these CD sets.





Sorry to have drifted a little off topic.

Clark

PS Here is what Consecration is all about:

If one assembles these two collections with the Warner Bros.-released final Village Vanguard concerts, Turn Out the Stars, there is undeniable evidence that not only was Evans in a state of creative rebirth at the end of his life, but was perhaps at his zenith as a composer, arranger, and -- above all -- as an improviser. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

[svollmer]

Greatest Album Ever? That's not even a subjective question. It's a well-documented fact that the greatest album ever recorded is "Welcome to the Rat Race" by Vollmer. Judging by some of the comments above, the proof is that only 1,000 copies have been sold worldwide AND nobody knows who the heck this band is.

BUT, I'd be willing to say it's the worst, most commercial, down-to-the-lowest-common-denominator drek ever recorded if you all will help out and buy 1,000,000 of them off me!

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Vollmer

All kidding aside, I love some of the top selling albums listed above and I also love some really obscure stuff most people have never heard of. I agree that we should be talking about the greatest album ever to each respondent.

[Ducatista47]

Thanks for the reminders on the Bill Evans discs ... Amazon also has a crazy-cheap price on Turn Out the Stars - $39.71 - thats flat crazy for a 6 disc box set! Money is a bit tight right now for buying the 2 $100 each box sets, but the 6 disc set is impossible to ignore at that price!

I was just playing my copy of Turn Out the Stars for the first time and am comparing it to Consecration. Frankly the difference is startling. I am glad I now have the Village Vanguard recording of this trio, but no comparison. This is of course picking nits, as Turn Out the Stars is merely great (great!).

But Consecration is not only recorded much more to my liking, but the music on it is even more special, by quite a bit. The recording is much less dry and miked very differently. The playing is the best he ever did, ever. It is a level above what came before, even though only a few months had passed. It is like hearing Glenn Gould playing Bach on his beloved Steinway CD318, that is to say perfection, surprising perfection because we had no idea it could ever be this good.

I have to say Turn Out The Stars is worth forty dollars, and Consecration is worth one hundred - or even three hundred, if Bill Evans is your thing. What about The Last Waltz? It is at the same level, pretty much, but I have always personally liked Consecration even better. YMMV. My best friend like The Last Waltz better.

[Bern1]

Well now, that's a huge topic! I would think that this would only include only albums designed as such, which pretty much excludes everything before 1966 or so.....

I'd have to devote some serious consideration to the issue before I picked one of the following:

Electric Ladyland
Sgt. Pepper
Dark Side of the Moon
Allman Bros live at the Fillmore East

then there's all that great Blue Note stuff that I just excluded by date!:

Art Blakey, the Big Beat
Jackie McLean, Bluesnik
Horace Parlan, Speakin My Piece
Horace Silver, Song for My Father

Ok, I give up for tonight....I'll have to sleep on it!

[Hoerninger]

I would like to suggest
THE WHO - Live at Leeds
DEEP PURPLE - Made (Live) in Japan.

I follow the remarks about Alison Krauss' work.

PINK FLOYED -The Dark side of the moon of course
But preferably the DVD A version (DSOTM only per download), Remember that night is dispensable in comparison (but I'm glad to have both).
____________
Peter

[pos]

Serge Gainsbourg, Histoire de Melody Nelson

[SEAWOLF97]

very honorable mention should go to:

The Doors - The Doors
Strange Days - The Doors

First - CCR
Willie & the Poor Boys - CCR
Pendulum - CCR
Cosmos Factory - ( I forget who did that one)

1/2/3 - Led Zepp
The Book of the Talesyn - Deep Purple
Shades - Deep Purple

Exile on Main Street - Stones
Let it Bleed - Stones
Beggars Banquet - Stones
and even ..Their Satanic Majesties Request - Stones

[richluvsound]

My 2 cents worth ..... and in no particular order :

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

Pink Floyd - Animals

David Bowie - Aladinsane

Deep Purple - Machine Head

Sex pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks

The The - Mind Bomb

Roxy Music - Roxy Music


I have chosen bands that stood on the shoulders of the great rock bands and then went on to pioneer
sub- genres

Rich