And now for some groundless conjecture.
I think everyone has an album, or albums, which are perfect to their ears. Probably more than just ears in fact; an album which just resonates in the most pitch perfect way within someone.
As Robert Fripp of King Crimson said, "Listen also with the ears of the heart". A nice way of putting it.
An interesting point is that a perfect album may not necessarily come from a favourite band. Because it may be that the rest of the albums from the 'perfect album band' aren't all that. Unlikely, but it does happen.
I think something that should qualify a perfect album is not just a single song on it, but the soundscape of all the songs. The album which once you put on, you have to listen to all the way through. An album like Pyschocandy by Jesus and the Mary Chain, for example, has some fantastic songs on it, and some that I just can't stand. For me at least, perfect albums are quite few and far between.
What comes to mind? Well.
Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. Bought it in Japan, actually, and it rather suits the city scapes of Tokyo (as was used to great effect in Lost in Translation in fact)
The Power to Believe by King Crimson. Now I would actually say that King Crimson are my favourite band, so obviously perfect albums can come from favourite bands. These musicians are at such an incredible stage these days, I can't even begin to imagine what their next album will sound like.
Directors Cut by Fantomas. Mike Patton is possibly the single most impressive singer out there. And entertaining. He can perform the most amazing aura (or should that be oral? Which perspective am I trying to portray here?) acrobatics with that voice of his, and he's not ashamed to sound ridiculous in the name of a great song (some of Fantomas' tunes are...a bit off the wall, in the best way possible)
And most recently, Satan's Circus by Death in Vegas. Such sweet, sweet tones. Very cathartic.
The perfect thing for the end of the exam period.
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4 comments:
Excellent call on Mike Patton, though I wouldn't quite call Director's Cut a perfect album. It's brilliant, but it isn't perfect. Not even Disco Volante by Mr Bungle is perfect. Maybe my standards are just too high.
Have you heard Adult Themes for Voice, Patton's solo work? It's probably the hardest album to enjoy since Music with Changing Parts by Philip Glass (which has a sum total of about 8 separate organ notes in a 75 minute continuous track), but once you get used to it (the Patton one), it's just genius.
Haven't heard Adult Themes for Voice, no. I'll have to check it out.
I used to really like Philip Glass, but then I heard Michael Nyman's works. Glass is still good though.
And in terms of 'hard' albums, Delirium Cordia is a pretty damn hard album to listen to as well! Perhaps I'm just too giddy to get enjoyment out of surgery though.
I really think that what you see as the perfect album changes over time.
I too like Micheal Nyman and Philip Glass but have you heard any Andreas Vollenwieder? "Behind the gardens" is my favorite but my wife thinks that "dancing with the lion" is better.
But in a more vocal vein I don't think you can go past Wendy Mathew's "The witness tree" or Sweet honey in the rock's "Still on the Journey"
cheers
Yes, you're probably right that they shall change over time.
I'll have to look into Vollenweider as well.
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