Comus' 1001 Albums you should listen to before you die

Album 1000

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The Fall - Grotesque (After the Gramme)
Year: 1980

Some albums should be locked up in museums and studied as geniune social commentary, this is one of them. This album is a gateway to the disturbing genius that is Mark E. Smith. I've always found it hard to listen to the Fall very often, but when I can it's such an amazing experience. In this album Smith acts as the unheard spokesman of a generation under Th*tch*rit* Britain, sure she's only just been in power a year or so, but she's doing her bit to ruin blighty already. For one of the most accessible Fall albums it's not at all accessible, it's very uncomfortable, even on the tenth listen. Smiths' anger in songs like Pay Your Rates is so incredibly genuine that it senRAB chills down your spine. The instruments all sound so wrong, yet so right. This is the brilliance of the Fall, you'll never get what you came for, even if you've heard it all 100 times before. Don't just listen to this album once, try listening to it every day for a week, I fucking dare you. I don't think I could do it, but I'm not a very stable person.

3 Choice Tracks: Pay Your Rates, New Face In Hell, In The Park
 
Album 996

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Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Year: 1978

For a debut, this album shows incredible maturity from a 19 year old girl, especially considering she had been writing the songs for 6 years. Her untrained, and wild voice dances around this album in a way not seen in her later, often more respected works. The sheer uniqueness of the album itself just makes it an obvious choice for the list. Bush's songwriting skills really do shine, and it's an absolutely great pop album. You really don't get talent like this in mainstream media anymore, especially not talent that write their own lyrics. Listen to this album with an open mind, everyone's heard Wuthering Heights and yes it's a great song, but there are so many more to explore. Sit back, and listen to the lyrics, try to imagine what it was like hearing this in 1978, especially considering the vocals and how young Kate was at the time.

3 Choice Tracks: Strange Phenomena, Wuthering Heights, Room For The Life
 
Album 984

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Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Year: 1994

What's this, experimentation? But you thought Pearl Jam were just some shitty Nirvana rip-off riding on Cobain's wave of popularity. Pearl Jam finally show some maturity and evolution as a band on their third effort. Both Ten and VS are brilliant albums, but Vitalogy is a masterpiece in it's own right. The overall shift in sound to a more sincere, realistic portrayal of who they are is incredibly refreshing. The new drummer does a great job and so does the rest of the band. This is one of the essential 90's mainstream albums, yet it's either dismissed because "it's Pearl Jam" or because "it's not Ten". Listen to this one if you're feeling just a bit angry and want a release on a degree a bit less than metal.

3 Choice Tracks: Nothingman, Better Man, Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me
 
Album 975

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Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Year: 1982

This album divides Dire Straits fans, firstly there are no instant hits like Sultans of Swing and Walk of Life however, there is something far more consistent about this album. The whole flow, the arabience everything works to their favour. Dire Straits craft a lovely produced album and make it sound very good. It's not prog by any means, but it has hints of it, a little bit of extra spice. The 14 minute epic Telegraph Road is probably one of the Straits strongest ever efforts. The soloing is strong, and so are Knopflers vocals, good consistent effort. This is one to listen to while driving or doing anything else, once you get familiar with it of course.

3 Choice Tracks: Love Over Gold, It Never Rains, Telegraph Road
 
I believe Urban called this their "funky" album, which is a great description. Though I've grown to love Tago Mago to death lately, this was the album that really got me into Can.
 
for some reason i'm getting the impression that the most obscure albums on this list are going to be exclusively black metal and prog.
 
Great choice, that was one of the best of last year, and probably my favorite Mars Volta album. It just feels real tight and cohesive as you said.

Ilyena and Goliath are favorites of mine as well. :thurab:
 
Album 939

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Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
Year: 1986

The fact that this album didn't appear on the original 1001 is a mystery to me, considering how massively influential it has become. I've recently jumped into a metal mood, sparked by listening to mardraum again for the first time in awhile. No metal binge can be called as such without at least one listen to this album. No other thrash album from the era can touch this, or even get within a hundred yarRAB of it. Nothing beats the sheer energy, production and riRAB here. This is one to listen to when you want to listen to some real thrash.

3 Choice Tracks: Ripping Corpse, Pleasure to Kill, Carrion
 
Cheers for Hybris and Rotters Club! :beer:

Quest for Fire I don't know, but I'm sure I will in not too long. We should make a proper Canterbury thread one of these days by the way. Hmm ..
 
Charlie Don't Surf is excellent as well. Plus what's would a Clash album be without filler?



Am I the only person who likes Soundtracks the best?
 
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