Partisan Free Politics

We’ve been at this for more than a month now, and I feel like there just has to be hundreds of devoted readers out there who just haven’t had time to author a post and just haven’t been excited enough by posts on dogfighting and “orange shirt guy” to chime in.

Well here is your chance!

Now I know most of us here are quickly becoming the iPod generation, but I have retained a strong affinity for the piece of art that marked the latter half of the last century: the album. I’ll admit many of my favorite songs were recorded by bands that would never string together 2 or 3, let alone a whole album’s worth of good tunes, but there is nothing more fulfilling than sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying one of the all-time perfect albums.

Of course it is far from an original idea of its own, but I should credit Tim Sandefur, of http://positiveliberty.com/, for the definition I will employ. So here it is PFP community, “what are the truly perfect albums?—albums you can listen to all the way through, over and over again, and never get tired of them, and never want to skip any of the songs?”

I’ll get the ball rolling with a few nominations of my own, to showcase my eclectic tastes:

The Mothers of Invention: “Freak Out!”: Arguably the first and perhaps the epitome of the concept album. A heavy influence on the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s and an unusually cogent album from a composer who would become reknowned for his ability to make his audience listen to musique concrete by surrounding it with the most complex and intense form of popular music. The only possible weak link is the closing numbers “It Can’t Happen Here” and “The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet,” (Honorable mention to the follow-ups Absolutely Free, and We’re Only in It for the Money, after these three Frank Zappa was able to more freely subject his audience to more far-out tunes only appreciable by patient FZ fans.)

The Beastie Boys: “Paul’s Boutique”: The best rap album ever made by white people. The Beastie Boys at their best, with a raw sound. A great album top to bottom.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”: Even though it seeded the end of the Chili Peppers prime by thrusting them into the MTV spotlight, BSSM is one of the best albums to come out of the ’90s. Sir Psycho Sexy lives on as the song that the creepy old man sings every night at that dingy karaoke bar around the corner from your house.

WEEN: “12 Golden Country Greats”: Perhaps the best country album ever comes from a band who never ventured before or since into conventional country/western. After surrounding themselves with 12 lifelong country legends, Gene and Dean Ween (contemporary music’s best kept secret of a duo) produced an amazing hybrid of experimental rock and country which entertains anyone who can get past the sometimes comical lyrics. (Honorable mention to their latest release “quebec,” which also provides uninterrupted entertainment.)

TOOL: “undertow”: A great album from top to bottom. Another instance of a band having to reign in their craziness, this time to sell to the MTV audience of the ’90s. I’ll never forget the claymation videos, who knew they would get further out on their later stuff.