SPIN's 5 Albums I Can't Live Without

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

SPIN has been doing something kind of neat, asking musicians (mostly) to list five albums they can't live without.

https://www.spin.com/lists/5-albums-i-c ... e-without/

Some have been kind of interesting. A lot of Beatles, Stones and Bowie. A couple mix in their own albums. They list the album and a sentence or two.

Here are mine:

1) Rush, Moving Pictures

Timeless. Still sounds perfect. I had a work trip and we had a meeting with the Ottawa premier. We entered a side door, but the building looked really familiar. Then I realized -- it's the building on the cover of Moving Pictures!

2) 10,000 Maniacs, Our Time in Eden

My college roommate introduced me to the band. This album came out when I a six-week work assignment in our Lansing Bureau, about an hour away. Our car at the time only had a radio, so I would have a boom box in the passenger seat and play this cassette all the way there and back.



3) Switchfoot, "Where the Light Shines Through"

So much of this is timeline. I was going through a really tough time, and I found a lot of comfort in these songs.

4) Newsboys, "Thrive."

Pretty awful cover belies a brilliant album with some of my all-time favorite songs. My son and I saw them at a small show at a nearby college at what must have been a warm-up for the upcoming tour. Small arena, stripped down stage and they played a big chunk of this album. It was an awesome experience. Some of their best lyrics: "Will you lift be up with tender care? Will wash me clean in the palm of your hands? Lord, hold me close so I can thrive. When you touch me, that's when I know I'm alive."



5) Kiss, Alive

The gateway. Every power chord brings a memory. A lot of it sounds really good still.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Like, I like encountering these lists, but find the act of making them personally, impossible and stressful, so I devote energies instead to exploring what's on them that I don't know, or maybe, re-examining the ones I do that I wouldn't think belong.

I also don't see a value in it, because unlike celebs in Spin, I really don't have a brand image or bank account that would benefit from it, like collecting new fans who say, "that guy likes my favorite album, so I should listen to HIS." Cynical me says, that's why everyone's includes 1 part Beatles/Stones, another part, ____________ (fill in the blank with "cult band".

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, I have a tough time making lists like these as well.
So while musicians will pick the stuff that they'll claim opened their mind, changed their outlook on life, or set them on a path to their careers, I don't have that perspective.
At best I'm going to choose some 'all-meat / no-filler' kind of stuff that will keep me entertained during a figurative desert island stay:
BORN TO RUN, SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE, MOONDANCE, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS

I can probably be talked into others but these few jump out at me.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I didn't mean to fart on the fine selections Mr. Marshmallow shared, however.

I have a complex relationship with both Kiss and Rush, as my brother, many of you know as Bernie Sanders, made each of them "his" band in the way fans of both Rush + Kiss do, that is pososssively. And though I admire both for different reasons it's like there's a distance between me and them for that reason. Also, while I'll grant it's hard to argue that as those band go, you picked the "right" 2 albums, I might go rougue and say, no, it's actually, Permanent Waves and Destroyer. How about them apples?

[kcmets]

Typed before JCL's post:

Moving Pictures is a fine album. It's not Rush's best album. To me.

Hell, Rush has a few albums that no one reading this probably have ever
heard that are better. Someone text Bernie Sanders and see what he says NOW!!

Agreed making these lists is painful. I will say just for the sake of adding some-
thing besides negativity is I think my two most often listened to albums are Led
Zep Physical Graffiti and Dio Holy Diver.

[kcmets]

I guess Clash London Calling too. I'm unintentionally more than half-way
through my list. Stupid all-star break...

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Also, while I'll grant it's hard to argue that as those band go, you picked the "right" 2 albums, I might go rogue and say, no, it's actually, Permanent Waves and Destroyer. How about them apples?

Those are good apples. Permanent Waves and Destroyer are wonderful albums. Permanent Waves was my introduction to Rush - and one of my first concerts. I just think Moving Pictures is one of those albums where everything fell into place perfectly and it holds up after 40 years -- and it is shocking to me that it has been out 40 years. There is a definite timelessness to it. Signals, on the other hand, is still a great album, but sure does sound and look like the early 1980s when it was released. But I like all Rush, even some of Caress of Steel.

Kiss is playing at least five Destroyer songs on the End of the Road Tour -- Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, Shout it Out Loud, Do You Love Me and Beth -- and included one more -- Flaming Youth -- on the tour before this one, so it sure does hold up!

The five thing is hard because it's arbitrary and we all probably have about 30 albums that we really love. I just thought the Spin thing was a good read and gets us through the break without the nastier stuff that bubbles up here.

[Edgy MD]

Artificial but not entirely irrelevant constraints are fun. Top five STAX singles. Top five albums recorded at The Power Station. Top five albums produced by Nile Rogers or G-Fafif's BFF Rick Rubin.

I'll throw an easy one out. Gimme your Five Albooms You Can't Live Without Featuring Nicky Hopkins Guesting.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'll throw an easy one out. Gimme your Five Albooms You Can't Live Without Featuring Nicky Hopkins Guesting.

Not so easy. But I'll take the peak Stones four album studio album run from Beggars Banquet to Exile on Main Street. I'm leaving out the Summer of Love Satanic Majestie's Request even though Hopkins'work on She's a Rainbow might be the high point of the album. We're going for the whole albums to make this list, not just Hopkins' contributions to the albums in question. One more. Easy. Jeff Beck's Truth, which is one of my all time faves. Had to leave out Who's Next, Volunteers, all of the Kinks' late 60s stuff, and all of the stuff from my favorite Who era, the pre-Tommy Shel Talmy produced era, when they were making three minute singles for radio play

[Edgy MD]

There you go. I wouldn't have thought the Kinks and Who would be left by the side of the road, but your logic speaks for itself.

Next challenge becomes yours to lay out.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Left out Hey Jude, too, with Hopkins on the fast Revolution. Those are some helluva sloppy seconds. Left out Physical Graffiti, too and Zeppelin's my favorite band.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Next challenge becomes yours to lay out.

Okay. Here's one I think about from time to time, without ever coming up with a fully satisfying answer: which pop music artist had the best ever run of four straight studio albums? Give us the artist, the four albums and the why. We'll accept opinions from multiple posters because debate and disagreement are what makes this forum interesting.

[kcmets]

Elton John had a really long run of crazy good stuff. I'm not enough of an expert
to offer more in which-albums-or-why department.

Michael Jackson too of course, but see above.

[Willets Point]

Not to be basic, but it's hard to find a better run than Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and
Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

[batmagadanleadoff]

Not to be basic, but it's hard to find a better run than Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and
Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

That's the exact four album best ever run I always end up when I try to answer my own question.
Here's another one: Dark Side of the Moon, Wish you Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

[Edgy MD]

I'll agree with Willets.

I'll lock in another five:

The Beatles: Help! --> Rubber Soul --> Revolver --> Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

REM: Murmur --> Reckoning --> Fables of the Reconstruction --> Life's Rich Pageant

Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings and Food --> Fear of Music --> Remain in Light --> Speaking in Tongues

The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet --> Let It Bleed --> Sticky Fingers --> Exile on Main Street

Steve Earle: Exit 0 --> Copperhead Road --> The Hard Way --> Train a-Comin'

Bowie had a run of about 11 or 12 albums, but every fourth one was kinda unsettling.

[kcmets]

Sure, but Pink Floyd is not pop music. Elton, Michael and Stevie are.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Sure, but Pink Floyd is not pop music. Elton, Michael and Stevie are.

I was using the term pop music very broadly, to include everything from Frank Sinatra to Captain Beefheart and the whole lot in between.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'll agree with Willets.

I'll lock in another five:

The Beatles: Help! --> Rubber Soul --> Revolver --> Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

I'd sub the White Album, a desert island disc for me and John Lennon's favorite Beatle album for Help!.

[Frayed Knot]

Not to be basic, but it's hard to find a better run than Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and
Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

And with SitKoL being a double, that kind of counts as five.

[Frayed Knot]

Elton John had a really long run of crazy good stuff. I'm not enough of an expert
to offer more in which-albums-or-why department.

Elton had a helluva run from TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION ('70), MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER ('71), HONKY CHATEAU ('72), DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER ('73), GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD ('74), and 1975's CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY, but did stumble a bit with CARIBOU between GYBR & CAP'T FANTASTIC

[Gwreck]

I'll agree with Willets.

I'll lock in another five:

REM: Murmur --> Reckoning --> Fables of the Reconstruction --> Life's Rich Pageant

As good as this is, I think there’s a compelling argument that the peak is Document, Green, Out of Time, and Automatic for the People.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Michael Jackson too of course, but see above.

Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad was about as good a three album run as any other artist's. If we were doing three album runs, that run would have to be considered. And it might even win. I'm not sure that Jackson's next album in this sequence, Dangerous, is on par with the other three. Decide for yourself.

[Edgy MD]

I'll agree with Willets.

I'll lock in another five:

The Beatles: Help! --> Rubber Soul --> Revolver --> Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

I'd sub the White Album, a desert island disc for me and John Lennon's favorite Beatle album for Help!.

I wouldn't argue. To me, the most reputed (SPLHCB) is the weak link. But it's SPLHCB. It's mostly a Paul album, but it's got two John super-10s.

I'll agree with Willets.

I'll lock in another five:

REM: Murmur --> Reckoning --> Fables of the Reconstruction --> Life's Rich Pageant

As good as this is, I think there’s a compelling argument that the peak is Document, Green, Out of Time, and Automatic for the People.

Afternoons into evening are lovely, but I am taken by the morning.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Doesn't have much to do with the SPIN series....

But Billy Joel's run of Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street and Glass Houses is pretty phenomenal.

And Creedence's run of Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys, and Cosmo's Factory is fantastic, especially considering they all came out in roughly a two-year span, and the self-titled debut album is no slouch.