Albums without a single bad track on them

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Fleetwood Mac - Tusk. A double LP of 20 tracks, all killer.

Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire De Melody Nelson. 28 minutes of bliss.

Slayer - Reign In Blood. No let up from start to end. Similar length.

Nick Drake - Pink Moon. Another 28er. Not a second wasted.

ABC - The Lexicon Of Love. Perfectly programmed and performed synth pop.

Prince - Sign Of The Times. Another double, utter perfection from start to finish.

Style Council - Our Favourite Shop. Love The Jam and Weller solo but this is the peak.

Zombies - Odessey & Oracle . Enduring psych masterpiece.

Genesis - Invisible Touch
Peter Gabriel - So
These were on the one C90 on a 1986 summer holiday. I had no other tapes. Always associate them with each other. Invisible Touch is five pop singles + 1 and then two prog classics Domino and The Brazilian. So is a fascinating album in how it's constructed - the So DNA disc with the 2012 Super Deluxe Edition shows how it was created.

The Cure - Disintegration. There's a caveat. The LP has 10 songs but was a terrible pressing. The 12 track CD is the one to own but the extra pair are superfluous; just programme it to skip Last Dance and Homesick.

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92. Stunning debut.

Felt - The Splendour Of Fear. Six tracks, only two with lyrics. Long guitar passages.

The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace. My first, accessible in parts with pleasant weirdness.

Pet Shop Boys - Discography. Here's how you do a compilation. Every single, in its single version, in the order they were singles. Why do so many other artists get it wrong? Greatest Hits & Best Of LPs stuffed with album versions instead of radio edits etc.

That's a wonderfully eclectic selection - hats off!

Prince - Sign O' the times.
Steely Dan - Aja.
Tom Waits - Heart of Saturday Night.
RATM - RATM
Public Enemy - It takes a nation of millions.
Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh
Nick Drake - Pink Moon.
Pixies - Surferosa.
Swervedriver - Mezcal Head.
Red House Painters - Red House Painters.
David Bowie - Hunky Dory.

Some great recommendations on the thread. Thanks all.

For me the sweet spot of records that were great all the way through was the late 70s through to the early 90s. I love tons of records from the 60s but with a few exceptions like Pet Sounds and Abbey Road most of the records from this period were fairly rushed - studio time cost a fortune in those days and all but the biggest bands couldn't afford the time to stretch out and get it right. It was also common in those days for successful bands to be expected to record two full records a year and that inevitably led to filler even by amazing bands like the Kinks.

In the 70s the rise of progressive rock and general experimentalism gave us records which contained stunning section's of music (e.g. Can's Tago Mago or a lot of the work by Kraftwerk, Eno, Bowie, etc.) but also unwieldy sections that were noble failures of experimentalism.

Below are a few I've listened to over and over and which are strong all the way through in my opinion. I haven't heard an album since the early 90s that would fall into this category to be honest. I think part of this is due to the rise of CDs and the longer playing time they allowed which often led to filler.

Funnily enough the first four records on this list were produced by Steve Albini, he seems to have a real knack for getting bands to step up in the studio and is also great at creating an atmosphere and "sound" that works all the way through a record.

Pixies - Surfer Rosa
The Breeders - Pod
The Wedding Present - Seamontsters
Big Black - Atomizer
Slint - Spiderland
The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
The Fall - Bend Sinister
The Woodentops - Giant
Sonic Youth - Sister
Sonic Youth - Evol
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
Butthole Surfers - Hairway to Steven
B-52's - B-52s

Have to echo Nas - Illmatic and DJ Shadow Endtroducing

To try mention a few that havent come up:

Mylo - Destroy Rock&Roll (excellent for its time)
Killers - Hot Fuss
Dr.Dre - 2001 (if you remove the Intros/skits)
Martyn - Air Between Words (For Techno Heads)
Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought
Gangstarr - Moment of Truth
Kanye - Twisted Dark Faded Fantasy (on a production note)
Vitalic - O.K Cowboy
Paul Kalkbrenner - Berlin Calling
Damien Rice - O
RJD2 - Deadringer
Air - Moon Safari
Moby - play
Fatboy Slim - You've Come a Long Way Baby

CBear1993 wrote: »

Is this thread closed off to old lads? Haven’t seen many albums post 2000 on here yet

In all fairness, what would you suggest? No offence to the younger generation but there has been eff all great music made since the millenium. I just find it incredibly bland and badly produced.

A few bands like Goldfrapp have done interesting things but haven't recorded any landmark albums in my opinion. Bad hip hop, r'n'b etc. rules the roost these days.

If you think there are some contenders feel free to post em, I'd love to hear a great recent album.

The Darkness - Permission To Land
Post Malone - Stoney

Pivot Eoin wrote: »

Air - Moon Safari

Yes! On this note:
Royksopp - Melody AM
Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun

CBear1993 wrote: »

Is this thread closed off to old lads? Haven’t seen many albums post 2000 on here yet

Well, the time of classic "albums" is pretty much over, isn't it? The was a golden age, from the 60's to the 90's, where the album was king. People charted a band's rise and fall through their album output.

The thing is, a lot of today's good albums, where there isn't "a single bad track on them" are probably very few and far between. Although I say that as someone who finds it harder and harder to find albums that I can put on and listen to straight true these days.

I think the last, most recent, ones were Australian punks like Amyl and the Sniffers or The Chats. But how long they'll live in my playlist is another matter.

Whittled down from a much bigger list!

Beatles – Revolver
Beatles – Abbey Road
Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
Grant Lee Buffalo – Fuzzy
Pixies – Doolittle
Smiths – Queen is Dead
Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane
Nick Cave – Henrys Dream
Ride – Nowhere
Kiasmos – Kiasmos
The Jam – All Mod Cons
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
The Strokes – Is this It?
Arcade Fire – Funeral
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
The National – Boxer
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

I have accumulated many albums over the years in various formats, but there are very few where I would like every single track. Some came close with maybe just one dud track.

Here are the ones I can think of (at the moment) where I liked every single track:
Dark Side of The Moon - Pink Floyd
Going for The One - Yes
A Walk Across The Rooftops - The Blue Nile

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I have accumulated many albums over the years in various formats, but there are very few where I would like every single track. Some came close with maybe just one dud track.

Here are the ones I can think of (at the moment) where I liked every single track:
Dark Side of The Moon - Pink Floyd
Going for The One - Yes
A Walk Across The Rooftops - The Blue Nile

Blue Nile Hats is savage too