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Last Active 12-16-22 8:35 pm
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| Jasdevi's top 150 favourite albums: Part 3 50 - 1
The end of the road. I spent more time on this part of the list than any other, obviously, scrutinizing over the exact order and especially the difficult task of ranking my 5's. It took me hours throughout the day with breaks in between and it's riddled with mistakes and what not, but it's done. This one was the easiest to write since I had a lot more to say about these albums, but it by far took the longest. | | 50 |  | maudlin of the Well
Bath
So Bath is basically nearly perfect. Actually, all of motW’s discography is nearly perfect, giving them one of the most consistent discography’s you could hope to find. Listening to Bath is a pretty surreal experience, making the story that Toby Driver wrote bits and pieces of it in lucid dreams kind of believeable.
“The Blue Ghost/Shedding Qliphoth” “Heaven and Weak” “Madrid’s Gift of Art” “Girl with a Watering Can” “Geography” | | 49 |  | Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem was the breath of fresh air that white America needed. He was also the breath of fresh air that I needed. The anger is so perfectly channelled, his seemingly arrogant stance towards his audience somehow manages to be the perfect awareness of them. Eminem called it like he saw it and reached a huge audience at the same time.
“Kill You” “Stan” “The Way I Am” “The Real Slim Shady” “Criminal” | | 48 |  | Boards of Canada
Geogaddi
One of the most common things I see said about Geogaddi, whether it was quoted by Boards of Canada themselves I don’t remember, is that Geogaddi reminds the listener of their childhood. I’ve never felt specific memories while listening to it, but I have felt this strange sense of recognition and familiarity, nostalgia? I kinda see snapshots from summer days, too many to count or remember. Whatever the case is, the feeling this album invokes is really strong and it’s pretty amazing to find an album that can do that.
“Music is Math” “Beware the Friendly Stranger” “Dandelion” “In the Annexe” “Alpha and Omega” “The Devil is in the Details” | | 47 |  | SNoW (JPN)
Hatsuyuki
SNoW’s music, as well as being one of the few things I enjoyed about Jigoku Shoujo, has a special place in my heart for having a warm sense of recognition. This is possibly one of the most entirely subjective choices on the list, as there is literally nothing special about this other than how calming I find it to be. While I’m sure the same way it calms me, it probably puts others to sleep, but whatever.
“Hanabi Made ato Sukoshi” “Sakasama no Chou” “I’m No” “Night Light” “On&On” | | 46 |  | Artemis
Gravity
It never fails to surprise me how often you can find up music you end up enjoying just be typing random words you like into Bandcamp. Cause surely, if you thought the word was cool, then maybe someone else thought the same and think similarly to you? It’s a really big leap to make yeah, but it worked this time. I’ve always been partial to the Greek goddess Artemis, so that was the word I went with and what do you know? The perfect marriage of downtempo and trip hop, with a singer whose voice is soft like velvet. One of my favourite albums, brilliant for night time listens.
“Fountain of Life” “Angel” “Beautiful Life” “Subterranean” “Hypno” | | 45 |  | Nas
Illmatic
User LambsBread (rip), an unlikely source to be drawing a quote from, referred to Illmatic as “an overrated classic”. Though that almost seems to contradict, I think he’s kinda right. It’s definitely not my favourite hip-hop album I’ve heard, Nas isn’t my favourite emcee, the beats aren’t my favourite either. But, at the same time, Illmatic is everything that’s good about hip-hop done perfectly. Even though it’s not my favourite, everything about it is basically perfect. The stories Nas raps about, the hooks, the beats, it’s all incredible. It’s pretty much impossible not to give Illmatic the credit it deserves. Also “I don’t sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death” is like the most memorable line ever I swear.
“NY State of Mind” “Life’s a Bitch” “The World is Yours” “One Love” “Represent” | | 44 |  | Anathema
Judgement
I’ve never thought that Anathema’s lyrics were particularly impressive, especially from a writing perspective. But it doesn’t seem to matter, because they don’t need to be, they have exactly the reach they need. the music’s the same, it’s not particularly impressive either, but the same concept applies, it still gets the reach it needs. Whenever you need it, it’s there. It’s quite modest in that respect, so I feel a modest description is all that’s really appropriate for it.
“Deep” “Make it Right (F.F.S)” “One Last Goodbye” “Emotional Winter” “Wings of God” “2000 and Gone” | | 43 |  | Plastic Tree
Träumerei
Ok damn, can’t avoid Plastic Tree anymore. This band draws together feelings both recognisable through their blatant Radiohead/The Cure influence with distant sensations. The occasional splash of shoegaze and noise rock creates something really weird, like a natural want to progress into your future. I really can’t say what it is, again, complete subjectivity coming into it here, but that’s what it does for me. I couldn’t really figure out how to put it into words, nostalgic daydreams come to mind (funnily enough, traumerei means daydream so there you go).
“Glider” “Aoi Tori” “Petshop” “Ame ni Utaeba” | | 42 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
"Moonlight" Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor, Op. 27, No. 2
While technically not an album, I still feel that this needed to be mentioned. The story behind it, the imagery it’s supposed to invoke, it all makes so much damn sense. The elegance and beauty of this song, especially the first and last movements, is just unforgettable. | | 41 |  | Locust Toybox
Mangled Tape Memories
Under his real name, David Firth has made some of the most bizarre cartoons (read, best) ever. As much as I could talk about his cartoons, or about Devvo, I need to talk about his music under the Locust Toybox moniker. Especially once he started to move away from mostly sample based stuff, Locust Toybox has taken on as much life of its own as his cartoons. Mangled Tape Memories is like a wild IDM romp through a horror film disguised as a children’s cartoon. The Aphex Twin inspiration is obvious, but it’s as much Firth’s own thing as any of his cartoons.
“PlasticWarpedOriginal” “Hyper Darts Challenge” “Serial Killer Soundtrack” “Quartheen Wiles” | | 40 |  | Iron Maiden
Brave New World
As opposed to the normal way of attacking one of the most fearsome metal bands in the world by going in through Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Seventh Son etc, I was introduced to Iron Maiden through From Fear to Eternity, a best of compilation of their post 90s stuff. While they have so many awesome albums to pick from (picking any of them is still likely to offend a lot of people no matter what), my favourite material is found on Brave New World, so that’s the one I’m going with. No other excuse applicable.
“The Wicker Man” “Ghost of the Navigator” “Brave New World” “Blood Brothers” “Dream of Mirrors” | | 39 |  | Gorillaz
Gorillaz
The impact Gorillaz would inevitably have on pop-culture is actually really predictable when you look at it. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett were watching MTV, looking at all the garbage playing and went “you know what? I bet we could do that, but better.” That’s what they did, pretty much every kind of popular music has been done on their debut album, then the twist of it being a virtual band comes in as well topped off by the fact that the main driving force behind it is the guy from Blur. Though they’ve never sold quite as many units as those they were trying to better, they’ve had far more lasting value. Also Dan the Automator is a genius unto himself.
“5/4” “Tomorrow Comes Today” “Clint Eastwood” “Sound Check (Gravity)” “19/2000” “Latin Simone” “M1 A1” | | 38 |  | Jakob
Solace
Jakob are a band for me that are really close to home. No, literally, they live like two and a half hours away from me. Before seeing these guys live, I’d never heard music that was so encompassing of the air around you, a band that did so much with so little instruments, said so much without using words. Post-rock is a genre that I’ve found got stale the further I got into it, it’s never quite as big and soaring as this. I can listen to all the Explosions in the Sky-core I want and it will just never be this.
“Malachite” ‘Pneumonic” “Oran Mor” “Saint” | | 37 |  | They Might Be Giants
Apollo 18
It’s this album. The album with like a million filler songs. But what I’ve come to understand about They Might Be Giants after listening to John Henry, probably their most developed and fleshed out album, is that that’s not how they work. They Might Be Giants have and always will thrive the most in the under three minute area ditties. Apollo 18 is the perfect example of what happens when you don’t over think it, when you think the idea is great as is and you stick with it. It comes across as incredibly grating to most because of this, but when you think about it, imagine if this was twice as long as it already is?
“I Palindrome I” “She’s Actual Size” “My Evil Twin” “Mammal” “The Statue got me High” “The Guitar” “Narrow Your Eyes” “If I wasn’t Shy” “Turn Around” “Fingertips (suite)” | | 36 |  | Japan
Tin Drum
it’s interesting to imagine just where Japan would have gone had they not broken up after this album. Instead, where just left to dream about exactly how they would have followed up one of the greatest post-punk albums ever. Would they have delved further into their fascination with incorporating the textures of the far-east into their Roxy Music-esque new romantic sound? Most likely this would have been the case, but I’m pretty happy with this as is without a successor. A near masterpiece by the most understated group of musicians I can think of: David Sylvian, Mick Karn (rip), Richard Barbieri, Steve Jansen, it must have been some incredible hand of fate that these four people just happened to make an album together.
“The Art of Parties” “Ghosts” “Still Life in Mobile Homes” “Visions of China” “Cantonese Boy” | | 35 |  | The Smashing Pumpkins
Siamese Dream
A teacher of mine in middle school recommended this to me. I don’t know how long it was exactly before I actually went out and listened to it, but I remember that I developed an eye infection the next day thanks to a blocked tear duct. I think I stayed home and watched Attack on Titan or something awful like that (might have been a different illness when I did that, I can’t remember) and I could only hold one eye open because it made me want to claw my eye out it was so itchy.
“Cherub Rock” “Quiet” “Disarm” “Today” “Hummer” “Mayonnaise” “Silverfuck” | | 34 |  | Geinoh Yamashirogumi
Symphonic Suite Akira
Without even realising it, Akira very quickly became my favourite movie ever. I don’t even give a fuck about anime, I’m talking about movies in general. Alongside it, again without me even really realising it, the films soundtrack became one of my favourite albums ever. When you think about how amazingly this fits the film and then realise that Shoji Yamashiro and co. composed this without even seeing a frame of it or reading its source material, it’s even more mind boggling aaaaand it fits contextlessly in the middle of the Ecophony series as well. A fascinating blend of traditional eastern folk music and modern technology, creating an absolutely titanic new age monster.
“Kaneda” “Testuo” “Doll’s Polyphony” “Exodus from the Underground Fortress” “Illusion” “Requiem” | | 33 |  | Bjork
Debut
I have a friend who gets Bjork and Gackt mixed up when I’m talking about them. I can’t explain that one, since they have nothing in common other than their stage names have 5 letters and they’re both solo artists, but whatever. Debut has managed to consistently stay my favourite Bjork album, probably because of the big difference in attitudes she had on this and Homogenic, perhaps Homogenic can be a little too cold. Bjork shows off a lot of versatility and agility, which is what I like in a vocalist generally, not always, I’m not that consistent.
“Human Behaviour” “Crying” “Venus as a Boy” “Big Time Sensuality” “One Day” “Violently Happy” | | 32 |  | Opeth
Orchid
So here’s the big reveal, which I correctly assumed no one would pick (helped by the fact that only one person guessed and they guessed the one I said was swapped out for Blackwater Park lol). My favourite Opeth album is… Orchid. Yeah, not MAYH, not Still Life, not Ghost Reveries or even the underdog picks Morningrise or Watershed… Orchid. But the riffs… I don’t care what you say, these riffs are better. The folk influence is so much more atmospheric, the production is so much cooler and this album has Silhouette so fuck you.
Every single song is my personal pick.
also were you aware that you can spell Opeth in the middle of Dopethrone? | | 31 |  | L'arc-en-Ciel
REAL
The closer I’m getting to my 5’s, the easier it is to write about the albums, but, the harder it is to rank them now. The first time I heard L’arc-en-Ciel outside of fma was a live performance and Hyde addressed the crowd by shouting “are you fucking ready?!” which actually sounded more like “Aru yuu fwaakin redeh?!” because Hyde’s English is awful. I mention that, not only because it’s funny, but because I feel it perfectly accents the funny/serious relationship I have with this band. These guys are one of the most successful Jrock bands, at home and overseas, for the obvious reason that their music is so goofy and likeable and they have such incredible stage presense, like, massive stage presense that it’s hard not to at least like Route 666 in a guilty way. But at the same time, I really feel like this is some of the best contemporary pop around and their ventures into prog are also very respectable.
I ran out of space to put the songs :( | | 30 |  | Supercell
Today is a Beautiful Day
I cannot say anything here without repeating what I’ve already gone into detail about in my review. Maybe I’ll just not write anything and let the album’s strong cult presence here speak for itself? It’s just, this far into the list I kinda feel like I have to write big paragraphs about everything, especially something like this. But I don’t know how to further express my appreciation for this artist and this album. Maybe just an anonymous “thank you” out into the Ether will do.
“Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari” “Hero” “Perfect Day” “Feel So Good” Utakata Hanabi” “Yoru ga Akeru yo” “Sayonara Memories” | | 29 |  | Supercell
Supercell
Now ok, I can see what you’re thinking here. But trust me when I say that ranking my 5’s is the only thing I’ve struggled with more than choosing which Supercell album is my favourite one. Obviously it wasn’t going to be Zigaexperientia by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll be damned if I was going to choose between the other two. Even though the obvious choice would have been to just go with Today is a Beautiful Day as should be expected and leave it at that. But obviously that’s just because most people don’t understand just exactly how much I love this album too. Well, there you go, this much. Even more than Today is a Beautiful Day by the most negligible of margins. But, a margin is still a margin.
“Koi wa Sensou” “Heartbreaker” “Melt” “Line” “World is Mine” “Usotsuki no Parade” | | 28 |  | David Sylvian
Secrets of the Beehive
In retrospect to my points on Japan’s disbandment, at least it gave David Sylvian a good chance to have a go on his own. Looking at what he ended up creating on Secrets of the Beehive, I’m actually very surprised it’s the same guy. David’s voice matured so much in the meantime and so did his song writing. The sensations in the music are so well composed that you could almost touch them. I would not recommend running your fingers across whatever format you might encounter this on as it could damage the product tho.
“The Boy with the Gun” “Maria” “Orpheus” “When Poets Dreamed of Angels” “Let the Happiness In” “Waterfront” “Forbidden Colours” | | 27 |  | Porcupine Tree
Lightbulb Sun
Kind of like I mentioned with Anathema earlier, I’ve really never thought particularly much of Steven Wilson as a lyricist. Like, at all. Like, he sucks. But, with Lightbulb Sun, I think he managed to sound his most human. Probably due to all the stuff going around in his head thanks to his recent divorce, he was probably in a different headspace. The music reflects this too, stemming directly from Stupid Dream and leaving very little clues hinting towards In Absentia, it’s the very peak of Porcupine Tree’s sound. If you’re not actively looking for it to be a boring person, there’s very little of the pretence often associated with a Steven Wilson project on here.
“Lightbulb Sun” “How Was Your Life Today?” “Shesmovedon” “The Rest Will Flow” “Hatesong” “Where We Would Be” “Russia on Ice” | | 26 |  | Radiohead
Kid A
There’s 3 kinds of people, ok maybe like 5, or maybe one type of person for every Radiohead album and then three more groups reserved for people who either don’t like Radiohead, don’t listen to/haven’t heard of Radiohead and people that actually don’t give a shit. The point I was trying to make with that was that Kid A is my favourite Radiohead album, but it kinda got a little lost. I used to jam this really loud while I played Dead Island cause fuck that game is boring but it’s really fun killing zombies with shitty weapons on an island in Papua New Guinea. If you played as Sam B in that game you mah boi tbh. If you didn’t play that game, fair enough, it wasn’t very good. Oh yeah, Radiohead. Uhh, good album.
“Everything In its Right Place” “Kid A” “How to Disappear Completely” “Tree Fingers” “Optimistic” “Idiotique” | | 25 |  | Luna Sea
Eden
If there’s two things I really, really like, it’s the moon and the ocean. So, naturally, a band called Luna Sea, which also happens to be a pun on “lunacy”, is the kind of thing that grabs my attention. I also really like the colour blue and white dresses, so yeah what the fuck this album stuck out like a really big object or something. I also distinctly remember (I really, really want to use the word euphoric, but, you know) a really powerful feeling while driving over a motorway that rose up over a city and looked out at the harbour with my friend, the city and harbour coming into view the very second the song “RECALL” started and holy shit I play this album obsessively. God the violin on this album is m/
“BELIEVE” “RECALL” “ANUBIS” “LASTLY” “IN MY DREAM (With Shiver)” “LAMENTABLE” “Providence” | | 24 |  | Number Girl
School Girl Distortional Addict
Every Friday after school in the summer, actually for most of the year this year as well, I’d listen to this in the library while I waited to get picked up. This album embodies stress for me like you wouldn’t believe. It’s the audio equivalent of a seemingly dead end high school life. An isolating feeling, a feeling that only post-hardcore seems to pull off. It’s such a relieving feeling after a dull, endless day to just switch your brain off and listen to this.
“Touch” “YOUNG GIRL SEVENTEEN SEXUALLY KNOWING” “Sakura no Dance” “Nichijou ni Ikiru Shoujo” “Kurutte Sorou” “Tenkousei” | | 23 |  | Ling Tosite Sigure
#4
Yet again, I’m finding myself in a position where I’d just be repeating what I’ve already said better in a review. But like I previously mentioned, I don’t want to have this tiny little two sentenced thing in between two paragraphs. I could just write some random bullshit about the reverby guitars and the atonal singing and the bizarre key and rhythm changes. Or maybe something about how all that makes it sound like the embodiment of youth. Wow, look at that. That makes a big enough looking paragraph me thinks.
“Azayaka na Satsujin” “Telecaster no Shinjitsu” “Sadistic summer” “Acoustic” “Crazy Kanjou Style” “Boukan” | | 22 |  | Kowloon Walled City
Container Ships
Ever since discovering this band I’ve had a big fascination with the Kowloon Walled City that used to be in Hong Kong. It was this huge, monolithic looking garbage pile that sat on the outskirts of Kowloon (look it up and you’ll see what I mean by that) and it was the most densely populated area in the world before it was demolished. Despite having really poor living conditions and a high rate of crime, many people happily lived out their lives in the Walled City. I imagine it was the most stressful place to live in imaginable, no guarantee that you were going to safely make it through the day. I’d say, this band, especially this album, does that justice. Big huge crushing riffs and a slow, stressed tempo. This is also my favourite 4.5 album according to my ranking.
Every song | | 21 |  | Sun Kil Moon
Benji
Now we’re on to the 5’s and I’ve picked the only choice for last place I felt was appropriate, as it’s a bizarre choice for a 5 in any case. I feel like I’ve written the word “bizarre” a hell of a lot, someone run a Ctrl + F search for me. Even though I can’t personally relate to any of Mark Kozelek’s stories, since they are very specific to him. Like, very, very specific. Sometimes a little too specific which is why I put this last but even still, I find emotions that I can relate to in Benji. Instead of writing his lyrics out as poetry, Mark Kozelek just put them together however they came out, disguising nothing.
“Carissa” “I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love” “Pray for Newtown” “Jim Wise” “I Watched the Film The Song Remains the Same” “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes” “Micheline” | | 20 |  | Ling Tosite Sigure
just A moment
This was also considered to go last, along with the next album on this list, simply due to being a solid, inscrutable collection of songs rather than anything with any particular tie to me that I can talk about. just A moment is exactly the album Ling Tosite Sigure should have made as their debut on a major label. It’s got all of the passion and flare of their previous outings, but with the precision, sound and confidence of a band that’s just hit it big.
“Hakaiyo no Yume” “Tremolo+A” “Jpop Xfile” “A 7 Days Wonder” “Telecastic fake show” “Seacret CM” “moment A rhythm (short ver.)” | | 19 |  | Brand New
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
Treading the fine line between a hard 5 and the worst thing ever like nothing else, is Sputnik’s favourite album, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. If I write the title of the album out enough, for example, if I address it as The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me instead of TDAGARIM (which stands for: The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me) I should have a decent enough paragraph on the album. I listened to Deja Entendu and was like “damn that was sick” but a friend of mine kept assuring me that The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (that’s 4 times, bitch) was unfathomably better. So, I was like “Ok” so I chucked The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me on and then I was like “ooooooh, ok”.
“Sowing Season” “Jesus” “Limousine (MS Redbridge)” “Luca” “The Archers Bows Have Broken” | | 18 |  | Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030
So remember how I said earlier, like, way earlier that Dan The Automator is a genius? No, ok well that’s what I said and this is why. Del tha Funkee Homosapien is certainly one individual of the upright walking branch of great apes belonging to the family Homo Sapiens who is danceable. Deltron 3030 is as geeky as hip-hop can be. A perfectly painted hip-hopera (get it, cause it’s like a rock opera, but it’s a hip-hop album? Do people actually call it like a rap opera or something else, I really don’t know) intention clear in every bar, every beat, every skit.
“3030” “Things You Can Do” “Positive Contact” “Mastermind” “Turbulence” “Time Keeps on Slipping” | | 17 |  | Boris
Noise
So, ignoring the fact that this is the most incorrect choice you can have for a Boris 5, what this album is, is my perfect metal album. It’s got the lot, it’s even got a questionably good J-pop song on it. A couple of straight bangers, some gazey noise rock nonsense, a big hefty slow burner, an 18 minute bitchfest and an 8 minute holy shit wtf fest. Feedbacker really should have made the list I now realise, I just forgot to put it on. | | 16 |  | Gackt
MARS
As the title and artwork suggests, I believe Gackt could very well have descended from the sky much as he does in one particular Malice Mizer concert, which is a topic for another day. Perfectly fusing his classical influence with his natural calling as a pop star, Gackt should really be the next big thing since Michael Jackson. He kind of misses out thanks to the language barrier and the fact that half his discography just isn’t that good (oh wait, so was Michael Jackson’s. Ok hold on…). The fact that these are all his own compositions makes it all the better. Gackt is a huge influence on me for vocals, not even just because I wish my voice sounded half as good as his but also because goddamn he has some belting range and pitch accuracy.
“Ares” “Asrun Dream” “Emu ~ for my dear ~” “U + K” “freesia” “Illness Illusion” “Mirror” “dears” | | 15 |  | Dir En Grey
GAUZE
Since the review I did for this album is easily the longest one I’ve ever written, because hell, I had to justify a 5 for A FUCKING DIR EN GREY ALBUM. I haven’t got a lot left unsaid about this. But I’ll find the words regardless. This album sucks. I wish I’d never heard it because now I have to say I like Dir En Grey and I used to be really proud of not liking Dir En Grey. Though that’s really not true, as I’m really glad I heard this album but you can see my dilemma can you not? I can’t tell if it’s a chick or not on the cover cause if it is she’s cute but if it’s a trap then I’m withholding comment though it’s too late now isn’t it? Eh, I’m pretty sure there’s a model credited in the album notes. (ok so I just checked and I was right, there’s a model credited as “Kairit”. I found a model on google that looks about right. She’s not that cute tbh).
“Schwein no Isu” “Yurameki” “raison d’etre” “Cage” “Tsumi to Batsu” “mazohyst of decadence” “Yokan” “Zan” “Akuro no Oka” | | 14 |  | Swans
Soundtracks for the Blind
Possibly the most exhausting album I’ve ever heard. Way too much shit going on, like, way too much. But even still, wow. Just, damn. So I listened to Swans’ discography in order (except for Greed which I made the mistake of starting with) and this basically destroys everything else. It absolutely flattens the Seer and To Be Kind as well. Listening to songs like “Helpless Child” you can hear where bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor took inspiration from. This has to be one of the most ambitious and uneven albums ever recorded, what it really is, is some sort of testament. Like, “hey you like music? Well, here’s everything all at once”.
Helpless child is the best song ever, the rest is only god tier. | | 13 |  | Malice Mizer
Merveilles
Can I just write out the English translation for half of Le Ciel like I have in my sound off? Wait, no one’s stopping me? I can? Well, now I don’t know if I want to. Do you want to know why Mana is the worst musician in Jrock? This. This is why. Because his name is on this. And his new shit just doesn’t cut the mustard sorry every white girl on Jpopasia. Ok, so the 1000 character limit on list descriptions will probably stop me from just posting the lyrics to Le Ciel, how about just this one verse?
Your pure white tears flow away with the wind
And cut time in two
You look at me with eyes unclouded by sin
And they reflect the boundless, never ending earth
“Syunikiss ~Nidome no Aitou ~” “Illuminati” “Brise” “Aegean ~ Sugisarishi Kaze to Tomo ni ~” “au revoir” “le ciel” “Gekka no Yasoukyoku” “Bois de Merveilles” | | 12 |  | BUCK-TICK
Kurutta Taiyou
I diligently worked my way through BUCK-TICK’s 19 album discography. Mostly, though partially because I’m obsessed with this band, it was just to make sure that Kurutta Taiyou was infact their best album. Any idiot could tell you that without listening to anything else (unless they’re in the 13kai wa Gekkou faction). I would also just like to throw shade on anybody with Aku no Hana rated higher than this. Atsushi Sakurai is like my favourite vocalist ever and stuff like that. This album sounds like wine and make up stains and cocaine and stuff like that. I’ve spent a lot of time making this list talking about everything but the album I’m supposed to be talking about.
“Speed” “Machine” “Jupiter” “Sakura” “Brain, Whisper, Head, Hate is Noise” “MAD” “Taiyou ni Korosareta” | | 11 |  | X Japan
Art of Life
I’m so close to finally finishing this goddamn list that nobody except me made me do. The desert rose never answers Toshi’s inquiry into its residency. Here I go getting side tracked and not talking about the actual album again. But do I actually need to talk about this one? Do I need to talk about the album that defines Jrock? Do I actually need to discuss all the passion and depth this song has? Do I need to talk about how well composed the whole thing is? Do I need to mention the fact that it was written in two weeks? I really don’t and user Calculatinginfinity doesn’t need to talk about how this isn’t in my top 10 either or that it’s about to be predictably beaten out by a Luna Sea album, the most humiliating defeat an X Japan album can face. | | 10 |  | My Bloody Valentine
Loveless
So it took me a really long time, but I finally came to the conclusion, after much analysis and data trials that Loveless is pretty much the best thing ever. This was no small task either, this took a lot of patience and a lot of shitty shoegaze to figure out. I think I might have sat there one day and listened to it three times on loop going “not this time. Mayyyyyyyybe not this time. Ok yeah, it’s a 5”. Up until that point, I was pretty much convinced that everybody that had this rated higher than a 4 was verifiably insane, especially when I realised that Souvlaki was far easier to get into. But when you get an album that an entire genre has tried to replicate for 20 years, you know it’s gotta be on to something. There must be something I’m missing. I might never have found it, but I did and I keep finding it every time I come back to it.
“Only Shallow” “To Here Knows When” “When You Sleep” “I Only Said” “Sometimes” “Blown a Wish” “Soon” | | 9 |  | Pink Floyd
The Wall
I think it was several nights without internet and only this and Lightbulb Sun on my phone that did this to me. When the puzzle pieces all fell into place and I could see this entire album in my head as some sort of demented stage play. I actually kinda don’t care that this basically destroyed Pink Floyd. They’d already done The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here and all that good shit and Gilmour could have just done the last two on his own, so all we’d be missing was the Final Cut, which would have ended up as a Water’s solo project that no one ever heard. Obviously the tension didn’t completely shatter the band and we still ended up getting those three albums.
I really can’t be bothered listing like 15 songs, we all know which are the bad ones and which are the good ones. | | 8 |  | Tool
Lateralus
I was almost excited for a bit when I saw that there were only 8 more albums left to do… and then I saw that I had to write about Tool. I hate maths more than Mana, so I don’t know how this is so good, but that’s the beauty of it. It demonstrates just how intricately maths is involved in basically everything, even music; especially music. When someone brings up the topic of “best drum album” this is gonna be mentioned guaranteed, I’m listening to Schism as I write this and yeah I’m not gonna be able to play that any time soon.
“The Grudge” "Schism" “Parabol/Parabola” “Lateralus” “Disposition” “Reflection” | | 7 |  | Tool
Aenima
My dismay at having to write about Tool, was not that I had to write about Tool at all, though I am finding it difficult since I haven’t given them a good spin in years, but rather that I had to do it twice. Because I really couldn’t be bothered choosing one over the other, I put them side by side, though I do like Aenima slightly more since it’s the more natural of the two. At the end of the day, I still hate maths, so it makes sense that I’d choose the one that involves the least maths. Notice how the paragraphs are really small as I’m getting closer to the end? Yeah, that’s me running out of stuff to say. I’ve done a pretty good job of talking about nonsense up until here though as I’m sure if you’ve been reading along you’ll have noticed.
“Stinkfist” “Eulogy” “H.” you know what? All of the ones that aren’t filler tracks. | | 6 |  | Nightmare
Livid
God, the part I’m dreading now is copy/pasting everything from word to the list, that takes a deceptively long time you know. I remember writing about maudlin of the Well like 8 hours ago lol. This album sounds like looking out an apartment window at night in Tokyo and seeing all the neon lights and shit from all the buildings and not being able to sleep. Despite thinking I might at some point the further I got into listening to music leave this band behind, I haven’t, I can’t shake them. My last.fm stats say it perfectly. Even though I had a phase where like for a year and a half I listened to an album by these guys every second day, they’re still my second most played band when I’ve only been keeping the stats for half a year.
Every song | | 5 |  | Godspeed You! Black Emperor
F#A# (Infinity)
It doesn’t matter how often you listen to this, it still sounds as surreal as it did the first time. Let it be known that this thing is a bitch to listen to in a car. You will get to hear: the violins at the start of the Dead Flag Blues and the movement at the end. The preacher and the big climax in East Hastings and the reverby tones at the end. Though you will get to hear nearly all of Providence and especially the big F#A# coda in String Loop Manufactured During Downpour, so just play Providence on car trips guys. Unless you turn it up loud enough to deafen the driver and kill everyone that is.
Every song | | 4 |  | Luna Sea
Mother
Officially certified for sexiest album of all time. Which is ironic since there’s a nun on the cover (a mother I guess) and they practice celibacy. The Japanese language class I took last year was at a different school and I had to wall there during my maths period and then stay there for the rest of the day. I didn’t learn a fucking lick of Japanese there or anything else that I couldn’t already do except extend my vocabulary a bit, but that’s ok I guess. I used to listen to this on the walk over and it’s eventually come to be engrained into my soul. I know it’s basically blasphemy to put Luna Sea over X Japan, but too bad, these guys get next to no love here in comparison, so I’m doing the loving for every one instead so that you don’t have to.
“Mother is second place for best song ever” Just assume I mean every song from here out. | | 3 |  | Nirvana
In Utero
I heard “Heart Shaped Box” late one night on a radio I had playing and I never caught who it was by or what it was called. So I had to go through an excruciatingly long period of time with this song stuck in my head that I couldn’t search to find out what it was. I knew none of the lyrics or anything, so it was virtually impossible. I’ve always held this album up high as a “fuck you” to just everything in general. It’s the most strangely (actively avoiding saying bizarrely now) inspiring album, especially considering it’s the follow up to Nevermind, one of the most iconic things to come out in the 90s and it completely destroys it in every way except for sales. | | 2 |  | Nightmare
The WORLD Ruler
At the end of the day, it’s come down to entirely subjectivity rather than objectivity. Because this isn’t even really their best album, but it’s my favourite. I owe way too much to this album for the past couple of years. I wouldn’t have truly come unto my own were it not for this album. Basically, in the most basic sense, this was the album I never knew I needed to hear. I’d say this is my most played album ever, nudging out Plastic Beach just barely. Everything about this album was something I’d never experienced before, the energy, the way the guitars and the bass all went in different directions, Yomi’s falsetto, the strange rhythmic quality the Japanese language has. Everything I listen to is subconsciously compared back to this and while it may pale in comparison academically, nothing can change how much it means to me. | | 1 |  | Gorillaz
Demon Days
So here it is, the big reveal. Yeah, wow, my favourite album ever is Demon Days. Like, what were you waiting for? “Oh, I bet it’s going to be some heinously over the top shit from Japan that I’ve never heard of” or some shit. Nope, just Demon Days. Yeah, show’s over. What is Demon Days to me in a short paragraph? Well, it’s the first album I ever made the conscious decision to get myself. It was like some strange prophecy when it came back to me many years later in my adolescence and I found that it deserved all the credit a young me gave it. It provided a good 90% of my inspiration through middle school into high school (until the WORLD Ruler took over at the start of high school). Whenever I listen to this know, as with the WORLD Ruler and In Utero as well, I get this weird “dead” feeling, as there’s nothing more this album can give me that it hasn’t already. But, when I listen with intention, I can feel that little glimmer, a star far off in the distance, that's how I know. | |
Jasdevi087
10.03.15 | all that and no Deftones, that must be worth something. Also just noticed I ran out of room on number 1, I'll try fix it. | Jasdevi087
10.03.15 | ah well | DoctorGreen
10.03.15 | ... :3
:c | DoofusWainwright
10.03.15 | Some good picks, in particular nice to see Judgement so high, but Demon Days has always done nowt for me. I even prefer Plastic Beach. I've always found Albarn more head than heart, Gorillaz are one of his most clever ideas no doubt | EvoHavok
10.03.15 | Interesting choice for 1. I knew you love it, but wouldn't have guessed it'd be top pick.
Loads of cool stuff here, maybe 12 and 13 should be higher haha.
Aaand you're finally done with this! Grats. | squaaab
10.03.15 | sylvian nice | Alastor
10.03.15 | great to see Locust Toybox here. | Archelirion
10.03.15 | Great, great list. Really cool to see Kowloon Walled City here, they've got a new one coming out on the 9th October which I'm very much looking forward to ^.^ | Jasdevi087
10.03.15 | yeah I can't wait | CalculatingInfinity
10.03.15 | I thought Demon Days or The WORLD Ruler would top the list...and I was right. I won't bitch for Art of Life as 11, I'll bitch saying where's Jealousy on the list when you 4.5'ed it haha. Many, many awesome albums here. | RadicalEd
10.03.15 | Even though there is a lot of stuff on this list I don't care for, this is still a very well made list. Probs for 38 which is in my top 5. | Jasdevi087
10.03.15 | I wanted to get this out of the way now because it's my sputversary tomorrow and I want to do a shoutout list and also because this way all the parts are stacked on top of each other. | CalculatingInfinity
10.03.15 | Makes sense, I'd do this if I didn't only have 300+ ratings and my list would be so predictable. Top quality Jas, you deserve all 3 features you'll get. | EvoHavok
10.03.15 | No chance in hell for me to do this sort of list lol. | DoofusWainwright
10.03.15 | I'll do a top 100 for my sput anniversary in April, need to unearth a few more 4.5's and 5's to make me sweat over my choices a bit. At the moment I have 99 albums rated 4.5+ lol - pretty much spells out my top 100 | ScuroFantasma
10.03.15 | Wow, nice list man you put a lot of effort into it | Angelboros
10.03.15 | Seriously, Jas, awesome job! Not just on this list in particular, but the whole 3-part series. There's quite a bunch of albums on here that are simply too enjoyable to pass up. Speaking of 41, I do plan on watching Salad Fingers at some point.
Once again, uber-nice work. | Mort.
10.03.15 | wtf i didnt know david firth made music, will defo check that
lot of sput classics and personal stuff here nice mix i like it, good list man | chemicalmarriage
10.03.15 | Lookin hard for Solace on vinyl. Good list man | hal1ax
10.03.15 | was surprised and very happy to see 42 on here
nice list man! | SharkTooth
10.03.15 | I love your descriptions, they make a really entertaining read out of what would otherwise have bein just an okay list(imo)
also huge props for 34 | renegadestrings
10.03.15 | Thank you for this list. I've been in a bit of a musical rut and there are some real jewels on here (Artemis, maudlin of the well). I recommend Clubroot if you enjoyed Artemis. | CalculatingInfinity
10.03.15 | Jamming the legendary Kurutta Taiyou in honour of this sick list :D | CalculatingInfinity
10.03.15 | "I love your descriptions, they make a really entertaining read out of what would otherwise have bein just an okay list(imo)"
This wouldn't have just been an okay list in any stretch of the imagination. | Archelirion
10.03.15 | Jamming the legendary Mars for very much the same reason ;] (Although tbf Kurutta Taiyou would have been an equally good choice) | SharkTooth
10.03.15 | "This wouldn't have just been an okay list in any stretch of the imagination."
by "okay" I meant the albums wouldn't really interest me that much, yeah I could've worded it better but ehh
*shrug* | EvoHavok
10.03.15 | Yup, I really like the variety of styles and the mix of more popular with less known albums. It really doesn't need to be full of ultra-obscure stuff from whatever genre to be interesting. | CalculatingInfinity
10.03.15 | @Shark: Fair enough
@Aaron: Good lad ;) | Valkyrion
10.03.15 | Not a fan of your top 10 picks like, at all, but this is a well-made list | Sinternet
10.03.15 | Some strange picks but a few great choices. Debut is easily 2nd-best Bjork after Post. But man 1 is just like no. | altertide0
10.03.15 | I don't think Soundtracks is "too much", it has a lot of space, it lets the music flow and therefore it's very easy to enjoy its variety. Wouldn't say FA(inf) is surreal. Would stay with 4 for Loveless.
Overall, list is disappointing when it comes to picks (Utero, Wall, Lightbulb...), but it's a nice read, obviously lot of effort.
PS Math rocks. | Jasdevi087
10.03.15 | @chemicalmarriage did not even realise there was a physical version of solace
@renegadestrings always happy to indirectly help :)
@shark is all good mane
@everyone throwing shade on Demon Days smd
| JamieTwort
10.04.15 | I appreciate the effort you put into these lists.
A grand total of 1 of these would make my top 50. | RadicalEd
10.04.15 | spoiler: It's 48. | DoofusWainwright
10.04.15 | 7 or 8 of these would make my top 50 | JamieTwort
10.04.15 | "spoiler: It's 48."
:] | RadicalEd
10.04.15 | 38 is the only thing that would make my top 50. | Sabrutin
10.04.15 | Nice work man. 32 is a great pick for favorite album by the band. I see you are another lover of 44. I should give this band another chance, I saw them live once but I thought they were quite boring. Admittedly that was highly due to the terrible sound quality, but it left a bad taste that I have yet to correct. | AnimalsAsSummit
10.04.15 | great list. out of these, 50 would defs be my #1 | CalculatingInfinity
10.04.15 | Sab you should check 12, it's essential. | EvoHavok
10.04.15 | Only if he 5's it xD. | Sabrutin
10.04.15 | "Sab you should check 12, it's essential."
"rock - post punk - gothic"
I may be onto something. It's now on my endless to-check list. Listened to "M・A・D" before finishing the comment, it rules. | CalculatingInfinity
10.04.15 | Definately, hope you like it. It grew from a 3.5 to a possible 5, so it's a grower too :3. It'll be nice to see you contribute to the insane avg ;) | EvoHavok
10.04.15 | In any case, that album is more oriented towards an alt rock sound, among other influences. For a full-fledged goth rock sound check 13-kai wa gekkou. Both are their best albums and worth hearing. | CalculatingInfinity
10.04.15 | I'd say more arena rock than alt rock, but it's really is the perfect mix of that and Post Punk/Gothic elements. 13Kai is just pure Gothic with a classical twist. | LotusFlower
10.05.15 | >putting s/t supercell over TIABD
pretty varied list than what sputnik users usually have, will be checking a few of these out. | tacos n stuff
10.05.15 | I may not agree with you on everything but, for real, I admire the effort put into this! This is what lists should be doing, promoting artists and encouraging discussion, not make a contest out of taste.
Kind of tempted to make a big list like this but damn, that's a lot of work | LotusFlower
10.05.15 | do it man, these big lists are always the best because you can surely take a couple albums you never heard of from them. thats the best thing about this website, discovery. | Jasdevi087
10.05.15 | Yeah well I ain't winning any taste contests lol
go for it, they do take ages though be warned. | ComeToDaddy
10.05.15 | Man these lists were sweet, nice work on them. 2 Nightmare albums in the top 6 intrigues me, I've only ever listened to a handful of songs so I'll make an effort to jam a full album. Will check 41 too, sounds like my kinda thing at the moment | tacos n stuff
10.05.15 | Fuck it, I'll make a list series sometime soon
I just gotta order 150 albums beforehand O.o
and your taste is fine dude! | Aberf
10.31.16 | So, big question. You listed the 2nd most favorite track. What's the 1st? | CalculatingInfinity
10.31.16 | Should be Art of Life tbh | Aberf
11.01.16 | could be "The Invisible Wall" or "13STAIRS[-]1" | Jasdevi087
11.01.16 | I was in the process of remaking this, but life's gotten ahead of me and I don't have time to finish it
If you could point out to me exactly where I listed my 2nd favourite track I could try to remember the context and answer it for you | Ryus
11.01.16 | 48, 45, 26, 21, and 10 would all make my top 50 | Aberf
11.01.16 | “Mother is second place for best song ever” Just assume I mean every song from here out.
There... | Jasdevi087
11.01.16 | Ah right, I was referring to Helpless Child (in the Soundtracks for the Blind description) but both were said in hyperbole since can't really decide on a favourite song if I'm honest | Aberf
11.01.16 | I mean, have listened to quite amount of albums and still don't have a most favorited track ever. What kind of qualities exist in a track to be an all time favorite? That is what I was about to ask you if you had one. | TVC15
11.01.16 | I'm currently working on a top 200 for my Sputversery and it's excruciating. Your number one is I believe my number 59 so far | Jasdevi087
11.01.16 | 200 for me left too many albums on it that really didn't feel like they earned the spot. I'll finish part 1 when I find the time but I'm really busy/some parts hurt to write since at the end of the day a lot of my higher ratings come down to sentimentality | TVC15
11.01.16 | It evolved into 200 because I've had the opposite problem, there's too many albums that I've developed a strong fondness for that I could not leave them off | Jasdevi087
11.01.16 | well you do also have almost twice as many ratings as i do |
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