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Rock Essentials?

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bridegur

Member
I'm looking to round up as many rock "essentials" as possible for my collection. It doesn't matter the decade (other than the 90s), but I'm looking for the best of the best. There are two things in particular that I'm NOT looking for: 80s metal and Pink Floyd. Here's what I have a LOT of so far:

-Beach Boys
-David Bowie
-The Clash
-The Ramones
-A lot of New Wave (but recommendations are welcome)
-Motown

Stuff I love but don't want to wade through the lesser-material or don't know where to start:
-Beatles
-Cat Stevens
-Bob Dylan
-Roxy Music/Brian Eno
-Sex Pistols
-The Kinks
-50s Music in general
-T. Rex
-Kraftwerk

So... I suppose I'm trying to build a well-rounded "history of rock" collection. Feel free to suggest, suggest, suggest.
 
Joy Division is essential when it comes to 80's dark wave (like new wave but dark!)

Also, if you're looking for a Cat Stevens album to start with, I highly highly recommend Tea For Tillerman. Great album.
 

bridegur

Member
Oh, how could I forget Joy Division? I've been meaning to take a better listen to their stuff but haven't gotten around to it.
 

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
I'll reiterate Velvet Underground & Joy Divison. Get the Heart + Soul box set, it's really good.

If you're interested in late '70s Punk, you should get the No Thanks!: The '70s Punk Rebellion box. It's thorough and awesome. Or just buy the first Gang of Four & Devo records.

Oh yeah, The Smiths are great. I like what Nick Drake I've heard.

Get some Ween, too. :)
 
Springsteen (especially in the 70's)
Simon and Garfunkel
The Who
The Rolling Stones
Queen
Van Halen
AC/DC
Black Sabbath

There are lots of things to add to your list.
 

Dilbert

Member
A couple of suggestions, some of which are incredibly overlooked:

Big Star, #1 Record/Radio City (two albums now available on a single CD)
Neil Young, On The Beach, Rust Never Sleeps, Tonight's The Night
King Crimson, Red
Steely Dan, Countdown To Ecstasy, Aja (but pretty much EVERYTHING from them is incredible)
Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

bridegur said:
Stuff I love but don't want to wade through the lesser-material or don't know where to start:
-Bob Dylan
Try Highway 61 Revisited, Bringing It All Back Home, or Blood On The Tracks...probably in that order. Time Out Of Mind, although recent, is my second-favorite Dylan album (Highway 61 Revisited is #1), and I think it ranks with his classics. Also check out Bob Dylan and The Band, which is an incredibly vital collaboration.
 

Kuramu

Member
Best thing to do with the Beatles (don't get best of albums) is to start in the middle, work your way forward, then work your way backward. And at some point you'll need Past Masters vol 1 and 2 (these are songs not on the albums)

Get Revolver or the White Album. You'll eventually want it all
 
Jinx: Nice call with Neil Young. I'd add Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Eric Clapton (solo, Cream, etc.), early Elton John is excellent stuff, more to come I'm sure. :)

Edit: How could I forget U2! Great stuff across their whole catalog.
 
For the Kinks, get Something Else, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, or Arthur (or the Decline of the British Empire).

I started with Village Green Preservation Society, but any of the 3 should work.


edit:

also get The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (I think thats how its spelt, they spell "Odyssey" wrong)
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
no one mentioned Zeppelin? gotta be kidding me.

anyways:

Led Zeppelin
The Doors
Queen
Bob Seger
Simon and Garfunkel
Neil Young
Jimi Hendrix



as far as starting on Dylan, it doesn't really matter. the man is a genius. but if i had to choose, i'd say listen to Blood on the Tracks or Blonde on Blonde.
Of course, you could just listen to "The Essential Bob Dylan" which, IMO, is by far the best Dylan compilation available.
 
bridegur said:
I'm looking to round up as many rock "essentials" as possible for my collection. It doesn't matter the decade (other than the 90s), but I'm looking for the best of the best. There are two things in particular that I'm NOT looking for: 80s metal and Pink Floyd. Here's what I have a LOT of so far:

-Beach Boys
-David Bowie
-The Clash
-The Ramones
-A lot of New Wave (but recommendations are welcome)
-Motown

Stuff I love but don't want to wade through the lesser-material or don't know where to start:
-Beatles
-Cat Stevens
-Bob Dylan
-Roxy Music/Brian Eno
-Sex Pistols
-The Kinks
-50s Music in general
-T. Rex
-Kraftwerk

So... I suppose I'm trying to build a well-rounded "history of rock" collection. Feel free to suggest, suggest, suggest.

Mother fucking WHO.
 
Couple selections either not mentioned previously or worthy of more praise.

The Band - Music from the Big Pink, Brown Album, Stage Fright
Big Star - Deserves to be echoed - The most shamefully overlooked rock masterpiece(s) of that era (that I can think of) - can easily stand next to the 'greats'
CSN/CSNY - Eponymous album, Deja Vu
Neil Young - In addition to previously mentioned, After the Goldrush and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Rolling Stones - Many great albums - Exile on Main Street, Beggars Banquet to start.
The Zombies - Odyssey & Oracle - Amazing album

Also, purchase the DVD The Last Waltz and witness a magic that today's music cannot supply.
 

nitewulf

Member
the rolling stones! of course!
cream - disraeli gears
traffic - john barleycorn must die
supertramp - breakfast in america
t rex - electric warrior
bob marley - exodus
new wave:
gary numan - the pleasure principal
fad gadget - the best of
cabaret voltaire - the original sound of sheffield, best of vol 1/2
 

Diablos

Member
CULT OF SKULLS

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r0x0r7la.gif
r0x0r7la.gif
 

White Man

Member
Eminem said:
oh, and also, the Steve Miller Band

I didn't offer my opinion because I'm better than everyone else, but. . .

Steve fuckin' Miller? Do you happen to have a hippie name? The target demographic for that sort of pap has always been "your parents." Soft-edged, barely palpable claptrap. Sucks. Shit.

I don't even know what to say. Listening to Steve Miller is an insult unto itself. Bragging about it. Well, it brings to mind:

freaks.gif


Would you like to add something like Journey?
 

Kuramu

Member
Quadrophenic said:
For the Kinks, get Something Else, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, or Arthur (or the Decline of the British Empire).

I started with Village Green Preservation Society, but any of the 3 should work.

My first Kinks was Face to Face, another great choice
 
Eminem said:
You consider MC5 and The Fall rock essentials? you have no right to criticize anyone for anything, ever.
What's wrong with the MC5? Extremely influential in proto punk and made some great music, I don't see why they wouldn't be essential. I support EBW on this one.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
White Man said:
I didn't offer my opinion because I'm better than everyone else, but. . .

Steve fuckin' Miller? Do you happen to have a hippie name? The target demographic for that sort of pap has always been "your parents." Soft-edged, barely palpable claptrap. Sucks. Shit.

I don't even know what to say. Listening to Steve Miller is an insult unto itself. Bragging about it. Well, it brings to mind:

freaks.gif


Would you like to add something like Journey?

well, i love journey as well. when i hear essential rock, i think of timeless music. stuff that everyone likes, no matter what their age.
Jet Airliner, Fly Like and Eagle, Rock 'N Me, Space Cowboy, Gangster of Love, Living in the USA, The Joker, Take the Money and Run, etc.
You can't tell me at least 3 of those are essential rock songs.

Litigation Manuel said:
What's wrong with the MC5? Extremely influential in proto punk and made some great music, I don't see why they wouldn't be essential. I support EBW on this one.

Nothing against them, but again, I guess it comes down to the opinion of essential. I see essential as shit people will remember 30 years later. You think people will talk about MC5 in 30 years? I just don't see it.
 

White Man

Member
-Roxy Music/Brian Eno

The first 5 Roxy Music albums are excellent, though Eno only appears on the first two.

I'm not sure I'd classify Eno's solo work as rock. Even the poppiest stuff is rather experimental.

The Poppy (rock?) stuff

Here Come the Warm Jets
Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy
Another Green World (prototype for the work he did with Bowie)
Before and After Science (prototype for the work he did with Talking Heads)

The Experimental stuff
Discrete Music
Ambient 1 thru 4
 

jett

D-Member
What the FUCK kind of BITCH ASS "history of rock" collection is that? Led Zeppelin, motherfucker.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
enjoy bell woods said:
I think people are so used to getting annoyed with me that they have no choice but to make uneducated generalizations about the things I like.

no, i wouldn't have said shit to you....but you had to post your snappy "yech" after my post.
you enjoy trying to irritate me more than anything. just leave me alone and everything's cool. i gave you that dredg cd for "your friend". here's my return favor: just stop responding to anything i say. sounds cool to me.

jett said:
What the FUCK kind of BITCH ASS "history of rock" collection is that? Led Zeppelin, motherfucker.

yep. exactly what i said
 

White Man

Member
Eminem said:
Nothing against them, but again, I guess it comes down to the opinion of essential. I see essential as shit people will remember 30 years later. You think people will talk about MC5 in 30 years? I just don't see it.

MC5 WAS 30 years ago!
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
White Man said:
MC5 WAS 30 years ago!

yeah, thanks for making my point. how many random people over 40 would know who the fuck MC5 are? i'm willing to bet that is a very slim margin.
 
When I think of rock essentials, I think of timeless rock albums that a person would've enjoyed 30 years ago and can enjoy now. As far as I'm concerned, everything I suggested fits that criteria.
 

Eminem

goddamit, Griese!
enjoy bell woods said:
Oh, cool, now I request horrible CDs for my "friends". Way to pull that out of thin air.

********* (12:01:34 AM): hey, let me be a loser: could you point me in the direction of the new dredg for a friend of mine? i also would like to hear it, but not as much as him. he's going to see them on friday...


yeah, pulled out of thin air, for sure.

but i don't want to derail this anymore. i am done posting in this thread. if you wanna talk to me, IM me honey <3
 
Eminem said:
********* (12:01:34 AM): hey, let me be a loser: could you point me in the direction of the new dredg for a friend of mine? i also would like to hear it, but not as much as him. he's going to see them on friday...


yeah, pulled out of thin air, for sure.

but i don't want to derail this anymore. i am done posting in this thread. if you wanna talk to me, IM me honey <3
I'd really be interested in seeing if you can come up with my AIM name, buddy. I can be a dick sometimes, but I don't fabricate things.
 

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
I was asking for the Dredg album for my friend. I listened to 20 seconds of each track. EBW is right here.

Zepplin fucking suuuuucks, btw.
 

Diablos

Member
enjoy bell woods said:
Hey diablos, I thought we were buds now.
And now, a moment inspired by vintage nomoment forum antics.

I believe
I believe
I believe

I believe the love you talk about with me
is it true, do I care
honestly, you can try to wipe the memories aside
but it's you that you erase

'cause there's no place that I could be without you
it's too far to discard the life I once knew
honestly, all the weather storms are bringing
are just a picture of my dreams
'cause when I think of you as mine
and allow myself with time
to lead into the life we want
I feel loved, honestly
I feel loved, this honestly

I believe you mean the best that life can bring
I believe in it all
honestly, you can try
your heart is just as long as mine
is it ours to let go

'cause there's no place that I could be without you
it's too dark to discard the life I once knew
honestly, a single wrong is not enough
to cover up the pain in us
'cause when I think of you as mine
and allow myself with time
to lead into the life we want
I feel loved, honestly
I'll make a joke so you must laugh
I'll break your heart so you must ask
is this the way to get us back
I don't know, honestly
I don't know, this honestly

there's no place that I could be without you
honestly

there's no place that I could be without you
there's no place that I could gleam without you
there's no place that I could dream without you
there's no place that I could be without you
honestly


holding_hands.jpg
 
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