Finest Album Ever Recorded

[stavros]

re. "Loveless", I was speaking in stereotypes. It just seemed the best example of the Marmite ideology in music, but I appreciate it doesn't apply to everyone.

I think we all have our anti-cannon opinions. I think Nirvana were woeful and their disciples would vanish if the fella hadn't topped himself.

 

[Jo/Joe]

A Love Supreme.

All over.

 

[poet]

Brian Wilson is one of the most overrated musicians ever btw.

Can I assume that you're not musically educated? Even if you don't like him you have to acknowledge his extraordinarily acute sense of harmony. Surf's Up is right up there with Giant Steps as one of the great chord progressions of our time. Smile is such an intricate work, probably the only pop record that can hold it's own against classical and jazz works. The use of theme and variation, The melodic references in the Americana movement, the poetic subtext in the elementals movement, the use of timbre - it's a classical work hidden inside a pop record.

 

[pilchardman]

A Love Supreme.

An excellent album, for sure. But finer than Bitches Brew, for example?

 

[Orang Utan]

Bitches Brew sounds like a fire in a pet shop

 

[pilchardman]

To squares, maybe.

 

[Jo/Joe]

An excellent album, for sure. But finer than Bitches Brew, for example?

Yes, but another person might say no. I, however, would retort with another 'yes'.

 

[pilchardman]

Yes, but another person might say no.

This person said no.

 

[Jo/Joe]

I thought you might.

How on earth could we prove it one way or another? A sub-poll would only show people's preference. A particularly eloquent jazz freak could probably 'prove' A Love Supreme or Bitches Brew to be superior, but I think I'd feel cheated in the morning. So I just say yes.

Actually, for me, that quartet was the hottest jazz band ever.

 

[pilchardman]

Love Supreme is a fine, fine album. I listened to it only yesterday. I have no quibble with anyone who rates it.

 

[Jo/Joe]

Yeah, joshing aside, it's pretty much impossible to choose the 'best' once you seperate the wheat from the chaffe.

 

[pilchardman]

A jazz poll might be fun. And annoy Dub.

 

[Jo/Joe]

Sounds like a great idea

 

[soulman]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Are You Experienced

 

[poului]

it's a classical work hidden inside a pop record.

or, perhaps to phrase it more accurately, an attempt to consciously "elevate" a pop record to some classical status via an interminably polished and refined harmonic language - supposedly "innovative" musical structures that although were nothing new in the least in the world of "serious" classical music were suddenly deemed to be the work of a bona-fide genius for the relatively simple task of translating them to a pop song format. This coupled with the fact that The Beach Boys' "clever use of harmonies" is almost by admission the only sodding thing that their fans can justifiably flog to support their admiration basically showcases what little substance their music has underneath its slick, refined exterior. For the last time, fusing pop music with classical does not necessarily equal quality, they are and have always been two different things.

That is my "uneducated" reasoning behind the subject (I won't accentuate the irony in that accusation, if you would care to look at my profile).

 

[Dr. Furface]

Bitches Brew sounds like a fire in a pet shop

We have a winner!