Music: Does an album exist where every track is truly outstanding? (not just good or great)
- Thread starter Shareefruck
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Shareefruck
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I was careful to say "tracks" instead of "songs" for that reason. Let's say that interludes count, but they can be considered outstanding interludes too. Are they, on Laterlus?
WeThreeKings
Habs cup - its in the BAG
They are not. Mantra is the slowed down sample of a guy squeezing his cat.
So that would disqualify the album for this discussion.
The Waffler
Registered Offender
I’m very selective when it come to rap and it’s not my favourite genre by any means. Also, I’m not convinced there is a perfect album from top to bottom.
With that in mind, and I’m not sure it’s been mentioned yet, but Dr. Dre’s 2001 album might come really close to meeting that criteria for me. I consider it one of the greatest albums of all time.
Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailors Guide to Earth comes to mind as well, but I might be biased. I’m a big Sturgill fan. I can listen to it from top to bottom any day of the week. I think every track is exceptional.
With that in mind, and I’m not sure it’s been mentioned yet, but Dr. Dre’s 2001 album might come really close to meeting that criteria for me. I consider it one of the greatest albums of all time.
Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailors Guide to Earth comes to mind as well, but I might be biased. I’m a big Sturgill fan. I can listen to it from top to bottom any day of the week. I think every track is exceptional.
bearcountry17
Registered User
Lots of good answers itt. For now I’ll add...
Demon Days- Gorillaz
Power in numbers- Jurassic 5
Demon Days- Gorillaz
Power in numbers- Jurassic 5
Insomnium - Winters Gate. Technically one 40 minute song, but they are split into 7 tracks for streaming/purchasing. All are outstanding.
Would also throw Amorphis - Skyforger in the ring as well.
Would also throw Amorphis - Skyforger in the ring as well.
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Born to Run - Springsteen:
In the spirit of this thread I put this record up against the OP's impossible standard and, after re-listening to the lesser-known tracks, I can objectively say it's as consistently great as any record can be. Choose your flavour: My favourite song remains Thunder Road, yours might be Born To Run, others love the epic landscapes of Jungleland and Backstreets, still others love the perfect pop of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. But there's surprisingly little separating the classics from the rest. I didn't have a visceral memory of Night or She's The One, but they jumped out of the speakers like ferocious pop predators. Meeting Across the River is a gorgeous, jazz-infused ballad. Every single song on the album is a stirring urban story. Every single one would make me wonder who this guy is, and how can I hear more. Not one track needs a rationalization.
The only catch: You have to dig Springsteen's classic sound. This is an all-or-nothing record. If the raw mix of guitar, piano, sax, underneath Bruce's gravelly poetry works for you, then the entire record blends together as a moody, powerful masterpiece. You might not remember some tracks as well as others, but give 'em a listen and rediscover the 'wow'. On the other hand, if Springsteen's not your thing, then the whole thing probably sounds like he's trying too hard and sweating too much.
In the spirit of this thread I put this record up against the OP's impossible standard and, after re-listening to the lesser-known tracks, I can objectively say it's as consistently great as any record can be. Choose your flavour: My favourite song remains Thunder Road, yours might be Born To Run, others love the epic landscapes of Jungleland and Backstreets, still others love the perfect pop of Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. But there's surprisingly little separating the classics from the rest. I didn't have a visceral memory of Night or She's The One, but they jumped out of the speakers like ferocious pop predators. Meeting Across the River is a gorgeous, jazz-infused ballad. Every single song on the album is a stirring urban story. Every single one would make me wonder who this guy is, and how can I hear more. Not one track needs a rationalization.
The only catch: You have to dig Springsteen's classic sound. This is an all-or-nothing record. If the raw mix of guitar, piano, sax, underneath Bruce's gravelly poetry works for you, then the entire record blends together as a moody, powerful masterpiece. You might not remember some tracks as well as others, but give 'em a listen and rediscover the 'wow'. On the other hand, if Springsteen's not your thing, then the whole thing probably sounds like he's trying too hard and sweating too much.
Mikeaveli
Registered User
Even ”Aumgn” and ”Peking O.”? Not trying to challenge you or anything, just curious. They are rather divisive tracks for the fans, after all.
Sorry for the late reply. Both of those tracks are excellent to me. Maybe I have to be in a certain mood (or perhaps under the influence of some psychoactive substance) to enjoy them more than the rest of the album, but in any situation I don't find them to be a weaker point on the album like those tracks I mentioned earlier or say Rainbows/Eye on Madvillainy.
Shareefruck
Registered User
Yeah, totally. I do have some struggles with them (mostly just the Damo Suzuki gibberish part of Peking O) and I don't think I'm ever in such a mood where I think they necessarily become BETTER than the tracks that surround them (maybe sometimes better than Bring Me Coffee and Tea), but I do find them outstanding nonetheless.
67 others
Registered User
Back in the village is not an outstanding song. Neither is Losfer Words
Seventh Son of a Seventh son is closer to a perfect album. but "the Prophecy" is also not an outstanding song. Every other song on that album is amazing tho.
I think every album is going to have 1 or two that are questionable. If the great songs are so good you can ignore the lesser quality of the one or 2 songs on the album, then its cake.
Dio: holy Diver I can say every song is outstanding. So is pantera's Vulgar display of power. Megadeth's Rust in Peace.. But I would still say Seventh Son of a Seventh son is a better album because some of the most underappreciated Maiden songs of all time are on that album.
Dream theatre metropolis 2 scenes from a memory is the most outstanding complete concept album I have ever listened to. it blows #2 operation Mindcrime out of the water. I can listen to each song on that album and say its outstanding for the story it told, but still assume some would critique the songs
bearcountry17
Registered User
IMO it was there only good album but Torches by Foster the People is a very consistently good album.
bearcountry17
Registered User
Skiptracing by Mild High Club. I don’t even think they were much of an active band but that album is great front to back.
bearcountry17
Registered User
The Royal Scam by Steely Dan is another. Back to back bangers and one of my personal favorites solely for the guitar work.
frisco
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
I'm listening to Queen Innuendo. I'd put it on this thread. Literally, every song I was excited to hear on a track-by-track basis.
My Best-Carey
Just thought of another album that I could add to my list for this thread:
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
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frisco
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
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Shareefruck
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Huh, forgot about this thread.
The whole point is to pick an unreasonable standard and see if anything actually miraculously holds up to that. If the answer is no, then the answer is no. We're not looking to reach for whatever comes closest.
Just wanted to clarify that consistently good and interesting does not have anything to do with what the thread's asking. We're looking for uncompromising, zero exception examples, not "really worthwhile and consistent within reason".
The whole point is to pick an unreasonable standard and see if anything actually miraculously holds up to that. If the answer is no, then the answer is no. We're not looking to reach for whatever comes closest.
Yeah, that's sort of the distinction that I wanted the thread to be exclusively about. We already know that tons of albums are cake where the positives largely outweigh the negatives, but what I'm interested in is which albums ACTUALLY accomplish the unthinkable, where there ARE no lesser quality songs that you would ideally want to be made up for.
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