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Years ago I saw Maps and Atlases open at a concert, and I really liked them, but didn't have cash on me to buy a CD. I understand they've become a bit more known/successful since then. So where should I start with them?
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Nov 27, 2013 20:19
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 00:05 |
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Well they only have two full-lengths, of which I think Perch Patchwork is slightly better. If you saw them years ago you might be better off with one of their EPs, when they were less poppy. Someone else can probably answer which of those is worth starting with.
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Nov 28, 2013 01:05
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For Maps & Atlases you want their first release, Tree, Swallows, Houses and then follow that up with You Me and the Mountain. You can pretty much go chronologically from there, it gets way more indie and less technical as they move forward.
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Nov 29, 2013 16:38
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Thanks for the R.E.M. and Pixies recommendations. Where do I start with Beastie Boys and King Crimson?
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Dec 8, 2013 11:29
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MmmDonuts posted:Thanks for the R.E.M. and Pixies recommendations. Paul's Boutique for the former, really depends on what you're looking for with the latter. Most people will tell you In the Court of the Crimson King, but I find that album highly overrated outside of 21st Century Schizoid Man. Red is great if you want pretty heavy prog. Larks' Tongues in Aspic is more experimental. Discipline has an almost New Wave vibe. All three are really good.
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Dec 8, 2013 16:31
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MmmDonuts posted:King Crimson? This is probably the only only time I would ever answer this with a live album. "USA" is an excellent intro to their 70s era work. Usually I don't like live albums or compilations, but I really love this particular one. If not that, the other poster had a good list, and keep in mind those are for 3 very different styles/eras of Crimson (keep in mind that the members change up between over time as well, apart from Robert Fripp). "In the court" will give you a good intro to their first few albums of mellotron-heavy drama prog, Larks Tongues is good for their 70s heavy stuff, and Discipline for their 80s sound.
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Dec 8, 2013 16:58
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MmmDonuts posted:Beastie Boys? Paul's Boutique is the better album, but Licensed to Ill has more songs you'll recognize. Probably best to give both a spin.
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Dec 8, 2013 20:15
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MmmDonuts posted:Thanks for the R.E.M. and Pixies recommendations. Admittedly the Beasties' first three albums all sound pretty different from each other. Licensed to Ill is basically snotty tongue-in-cheek frat rap (complete with cock rock samples), Paul's Boutique is hyper-eclectic and free-ranging, and Check Your Head is groove-heavy and has an emphasis on live instrumentation. All three are excellent (in their own way), and any of them would likely be a decent starting point (though some prefer Ill Communication to Check Your Head, which is similar in style).
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Dec 8, 2013 23:52
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The Beasties advice posted thus far is solid; I definitely agree with it. As Krimso goes, I must disagree; USA is boring as gently caress and I really like the mid-70s material. I generally prefer to proceed somewhat chronologically (otherwise you end up like me when I was getting into Blur, going Parklife-Blur-Great Escape-Modern Life-Leisure-13 and being really confused) but doing that with Crimson means fairly often, right after a really great album, you run into one that's so-so to uninspiring. For the most part, the major King Crimson starting points have basically all been covered thus far. Discipline for the 80s stuff (or the live Absent Lovers), Larks' Tongues or Red for the mid-70s material, and Court for the mark-one lineup. Don't go for the 90s-00s stuff until you've already got a grounding in the earlier material (especially the 80s stuff, since that's about when Fripp figured out what he wanted to do with a guitar for the rest of his time with the group and hasn't stopped doing that. Insert speculation about him possibly soloing again ever now that Belew's not in the group anymore?)
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Dec 9, 2013 03:19
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The two King Crimson albums that had the most immediate impact on me were Larks' Tounges In Aspic and Lizard. If you're already familiar with prog I'd start with LTIA because that opening track is incredible (though wildly inaccessible if you're not a prog fan already I guess). Lizard just has awesome guitar work and it's the only album where I think that Haskell/Wetton style of vocals actually work for the sound of the band. I personally found Red a little underwhelming. In the Court is definitely great though and also an acceptable starting point. It's really hard to give good recommendations (and everyone's gonna tell you different things) because of all the constant line up changes and all that stuff. Their sound was always changing. e: had my personnel timeline a bit wrong strap on revenge fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Dec 9, 2013 |
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Dec 9, 2013 03:35
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Allen Wren posted:(or the live Absent Lovers) YES. Absolutely great King Crimson record, a little overlooked. All the 80s material at its best!
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Dec 9, 2013 10:21
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Another question: What are the best versions of the King Crimson albums? Amazon lists several different versions of each.
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Dec 9, 2013 11:01
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MmmDonuts posted:Another question: I'm fairly sure the latest ones are usually the best, with few (if any) exceptions - there have been a few 'anniversary' reissues remixed and remastered by Steven Wilson recently that are pretty astonishing.
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Dec 9, 2013 11:05
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Yeah definitely stick with the 40th anniversary Steven Wilson ones. I think they come with the original stereo mixes on a second disc too if you don't get the CD/DVD configuration. e: Declan MacManus posted:Lizard is a terrible choice for a first album. I think the only one I'd be more hesitant to recommend from the first run would be Islands. Seriously? I know it's a bit of a divisive album and I can understand side 2 being kind of hard to absorb for a first timer but I think Cirkus and Happy Family are easily among their best songs, plus Indoor Games and Lady of the Dancing Water are decent. I agree on Islands though, I still haven't gotten used to most of that album (Ladies of the Road and Islands are the only two songs I listen to with any regularity). e2: I do really dig S&BB though. strap on revenge fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Dec 10, 2013 |
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Dec 9, 2013 13:41
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I'd recommend Starless and Bible Black for a first King Crimson album, or In the Court of the Crimson King. Both tend to veer closer to the symphonic side of KC, rather than the discordant jazz (which can be difficult for first time listeners). And Discipline for the Belew-era.david puddy posted:The two King Crimson albums that had the most immediate impact on me were Larks' Tounges In Aspic and Lizard. If you're already familiar with prog I'd start with LTIA because that opening track is incredible (though wildly inaccessible if you're not a prog fan already I guess). Lizard just has awesome guitar work and it's the only album where I think that Haskell/Wetton style of vocals actually work for the sound of the band. I personally found Red a little underwhelming. Lizard is a terrible choice for a first album. I think the only one I'd be more hesitant to recommend from the first run would be Islands. Allen Wren posted:Insert speculation about him possibly soloing again ever now that Belew's not in the group anymore?) Jakko Jakszyk is in the fold for the latest iteration. Don't bet on it.
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Dec 9, 2013 22:10
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This is an aside, but if you like Robert Fripp (KC guitarist), check out his collaborations with Brian Eno. (No Pussyfooting) and Evening Star are more ambient than rock, but I think they're easy enough to listen to that I can recommend them. Not like KC at all, but an interesting connection.
Rush_shirt fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Dec 10, 2013 |
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Dec 10, 2013 03:22
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thegloaming posted:This is an aside, but if you like Robert Fripp (KC guitarist), check out his collaborations with Brian Eno. (No Pussyfooting) and Evening Star are more ambient than rock, but I think they're easy enough to listen to that I can recommend them. Not like KC at all, but an interesting connection. Fun fact: You can also hear Robert Fripp's distinctive guitar stylings on these albums Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets David Bowie - Heroes, Scary Monsters The Talking Heads - Fear of Music (just the first track)
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Dec 11, 2013 20:31
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Where do I start with Luna? I love Galaxie 500, does any of Luna's stuff have that bit of noise edge? MmmDonuts posted:And where should I go with Pixies after Doolittle? To give you a different suggestion, I actually like their debut EP Come On Pilgrim better than most of their albums.
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Dec 16, 2013 19:31
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Red Ryder posted:Where do I start with Luna? Their first album Lunapark is probably the one closest to what Galaxie 500 was, but even then it's still a bit of a different beast. However I'd probably start with either their second album Bewitched, or Penthouse; I'd suggest the latter though Bewitched is also nice and the first one with new guitarist Sean Eden which makes a massive difference (though he first appeared on a couple of EPs before Bewitched). After Penthouse former Feelies drummer Stan Demeski left after which they never seemed to quite hit those highs, though the fourth album Pup Tent is actually really nice too and doesn't get enough love.
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Dec 16, 2013 19:41
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I really love Tom Waits' Orphans collection and bought his album Bad as Me when it came out but it didn't seem to stick with me the way most of that album did. Any recommendations for where to go next with him?
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Dec 16, 2013 20:06
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Sharzak posted:I really love Tom Waits' Orphans collection and bought his album Bad as Me when it came out but it didn't seem to stick with me the way most of that album did. Any recommendations for where to go next with him? That's a hard one to say, since you're coming at it from a collection that goes scattershot over his last 20+ years of work. I've only heard the Bad As Me record once, at a family gathering, so I didn't get to give it a thorough listen. What sort of material did you like from Orphans? We could probably point you at specific albums based on songs you were really into.
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Dec 16, 2013 20:41
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I didn't realize that's what Orphans was--I've had it forever and don't actually remember how I came by it. Favorite tracks from there off the top of my head are Lie To Me, 2:19, Goodnight Irene, Take Care of all of My Children, Little Drop of Poison, Books of Moses, Two Sisters, and Home I'll Never Be.
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Dec 16, 2013 21:30
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Yeah, it's a compilation of castoffs, weird stuff, b-sides, soundtrack- and tribute-album-only material, etc. Based on the songs you mentioned, I'd say you should start at the top of his Island Records contract and do those first three records straight in a row. That's where he started the rattle-and-clank sound that a lot of the stuff you listed has. Those records are also often considered the height of his creative powers, and there's certainly something there that'll catch your ear. So grab Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, and Frank's Wild Years and then spread out from there. If you want to keep going after those three, I'd say go forward to the 90s with Mule Variations and back to the 70s with Small Change, still my all-time personal favorite.
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Dec 17, 2013 01:43
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Allen Wren posted:Yeah, it's a compilation of castoffs, weird stuff, b-sides, soundtrack- and tribute-album-only material, etc. Based on the songs you mentioned, I'd say you should start at the top of his Island Records contract and do those first three records straight in a row. That's where he started the rattle-and-clank sound that a lot of the stuff you listed has. Those records are also often considered the height of his creative powers, and there's certainly something there that'll catch your ear. So grab Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, and Frank's Wild Years and then spread out from there. If you want to keep going after those three, I'd say go forward to the 90s with Mule Variations and back to the 70s with Small Change, still my all-time personal favorite. Good suggestions, just let me add: if you want those first 3 narrowed down, I personally think Rain Dogs is the better starting point for that era.
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Dec 17, 2013 17:27
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I am in love with The For Carnation mostly the self titled album and was wondering what other bands would be similar to them?
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Dec 18, 2013 01:36
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Shipping News is a pretty good, less soporific soundalike, but if you like creepy quiet poo poo might i recommend Gowns
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Dec 18, 2013 03:59
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alnilam posted:Good suggestions, just let me add: if you want those first 3 narrowed down, I personally think Rain Dogs is the better starting point for that era. If at all possible, I like moving chronologically, but that's just me.
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Dec 19, 2013 09:11
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Where do I start with Rush?
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Dec 20, 2013 23:01
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Xandoom posted:Where do I start with Rush? Rush has three (well, four technically, but three important ones) major eras and lucky for you each one has an album more or less declaring "yeah this is our new steez". There's Fly By Night which is the first album with Neil Peart on it, and that one (and the debut) hews closer to straight up hard rock than the rest of their stuff. The next one is 2112 where they decided that they were a Randian Prog Rock Juggernaut, and that's where their propensity for long instrumental sections starts to really come into play. Finally, you have Moving Pictures which has the benefit of having most of the songs that everyone knows. Also, lots of synths. I'd recommend starting with Moving Pictures, then if you like that, I'd recommend 2112 and working your way forward from that. If you still just can't get enough of Geddy Lee's yelping, then go back to the earlier stuff.
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Dec 21, 2013 00:10
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Declan MacManus posted:Rush has three (well, four technically, but three important ones) major eras and lucky for you each one has an album more or less declaring "yeah this is our new steez". There's Fly By Night which is the first album with Neil Peart on it, and that one (and the debut) hews closer to straight up hard rock than the rest of their stuff. The next one is 2112 where they decided that they were a Randian Prog Rock Juggernaut, and that's where their propensity for long instrumental sections starts to really come into play. Finally, you have Moving Pictures which has the benefit of having most of the songs that everyone knows. Also, lots of synths. Thank you!
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Dec 21, 2013 00:46
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Thanks for the advice again, guys. Now, where do I start with Tool and Emerson, Lake and Palmer?
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Jan 5, 2014 07:35
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MmmDonuts posted:Thanks for the advice again, guys. With Tool, start with Undertow and go chronologically. The records get more and more confusingly structured as you go. ELP was one of my favorite groups as a child, but now I've listened to the records too much and I hear the flaws, such as they are. The first record was rushed and doesn't have much in the way of stellar material. Tarkus is the first time the group really seemed to gel, but the back half of the LP has some brutally embarrassing stuff on it. Pictures at an Exhibition has two chunks where Emerson is alternately abusing his modular Moog and is then going through his organ-stabbing routine which don't carry very well on the record. Brain Salad Surgery contains the song that has the lyric "every day a little sadder/a little madder/someone get me a ladder." The Works records are overwrought and Love Beach is infamous. The 90s are best left alone. Trilogy may be your best bet. I don't really have a complaint about that one. Oh wait, never mind, ahahahahahahahah Living Sin. (Honestly, I still like ELP but goddamn, there is always something cringeworthy going on with those guys.)
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Jan 5, 2014 08:42
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There's no really good place to start with ELP. They're a band where I would honestly suggest starting with a greatest hits CD. If you really want to start with an album proper, Trilogy or Brain Salad Surgery are the best places to start (I'd lean towards Brain myself). And the song that Allen Wren is referring to is one of their designated "accessible" acoustic ballads (Still You Turn Me On) so even though the lyrics are garbage the form is accessible.
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Jan 6, 2014 07:42
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Given that they're touring internationally this year and there is a good chance I'll see them on a festival; where do I start with the Pixies?
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Jan 6, 2014 15:20
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Doolittle and Surfer Rosa.
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Jan 6, 2014 15:38
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Declan MacManus posted:And the song that Allen Wren is referring to is one of their designated "accessible" acoustic ballads (Still You Turn Me On) so even though the lyrics are garbage the form is accessible. Maybe their best song, honestly. That twangy guitar/bass/whatever part right after the title line in the chorus is magical.
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Jan 6, 2014 19:50
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Attitude Indicator posted:Maybe their best song, honestly. That twangy guitar/bass/whatever part right after the title line in the chorus is magical. Magically pornographic, you mean. I am being a bit too hard on the boys, yeah. I do agree with Declan that there's not really any good starting place, or rather, any starting place that's better than any other. Hell, the first record I heard of theirs was Works I, and I still think it's pretty good, albeit weird. And overwrought.
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Jan 6, 2014 20:52
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Self-titled seems like a good place to start with ELP, a lot of their good qualities are shown off on the first side, and a lot of their bad ones are shown off on the second. But overall it's a pretty strong album. Trilogy is maybe the most inoffensive (not a lot of shameless keyboard-humping) and as a kid that was the one I really loved. Brain Salad Surgery is now my favorite but it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Good luck!
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Jan 7, 2014 20:22
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Where do I start with King Creosote? I'm on a Jon Hopkins kick at the moment and I can't get enough of his vocals on Diamond Mine. He has like 3000 albums though and I need a starting point. e: I listened to That Might Well Be It, Darling and it didn't do much for me. Does he have any gentler solo stuff? strap on revenge fucked around with this message at 11:45 on Jan 10, 2014 |
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Jan 10, 2014 08:11
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Can anyone recommend where to start with Superchunk? Is it worth it to just start with the first LP and go forward?
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Jan 13, 2014 15:42
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