The 5 Albums You Can't Live Without

List the albums that you simply can't live without and why. Shape you as a person? Fall in love to the album? All the songs are ace? It's basically like desert island discs minus the island and inevitable end! Yeah I like asking people about albums! A girl can have a hobby (even if it's a lame one) right?

Mine are:
The Beatles: A Hard Days Night - Great tunes/film and the first album I bought.
Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid - Shaped me as a person and the raw emotions on the record = fuzzy/melty feelings.
Tom Waits: Closing Time - I love his story telling.
Paolo Nutini: These Streets - Simplistic listening (a good thing, I promise!)
Mystery Jets: Twenty One - My second best record of 08, no guesses which was number one

But there is SO MUCH great music I still haven't discovered, so this may change in a few days/months/years.

Only five? Very difficult: Ask me the same question next week, you'll probably get a different answer! Same with films, too!

Anyway, in the interest of provoking discussion, and in no particular order.....

Deserter's Songs - Mercury Rev
Leaders of the Free World -
Hot Fuss - The Killers
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Forever Changes - Love

Elbow: Asleep in the Back - No words to describe how much I love this album. It's #1 for me.

Radiohead: Kid A - This album sweeps me up and takes me on a journey every time I listen.

Beck: Sea Change - It's just absolutely gorgeous.

Jimi Hendrix: Axis: Bold as Love - One of the greatest albums ever made.

Sufjan Stevens: A Sun Came - Beautifully unique and familiar to me, even the first time I listened.

I could name a bunch more that are up there for me but these are the five that immediately came to mind.

At the moment I think it is those:
Elbow - Asleep in the back
Elbow - Cast of Thousands
Elbow - Leaders of the free World
Engineers - (selftitled)
Pink Floyd - Meddle

I got a nice new mp3-player with a SD-card-slot, so I can put all my fave records into mp3 and listen to them whereever I am...
other fave stuff: Mogwai, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Augie March...

5 is way too tough, think i would need at least twenty. But then i've got a few years to cram in
This might not be my top five, but they would be on the bigger list.

Elbow - Leaders - a completley underrated masterpiece
The Charlatans - Tellin Stories - Don't know why just loved this to bits and reminds me of the 90's
Oasis - Definately Maybe - ditto, and reminds me of wild times, getting drunk, singing and falling over
U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky - i'm 13 again in my bedroom playing this on tape til it wore out.
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood - another fantastic album, reminds me of when our kids were born

Elbow- Leaders Of The Free World- obviously adore all of them but this is my absolute favourite.
Richard Hawley-Coles Corner-his voice makes me melt especially on 'The Ocean'
The Smiths- The Queen Is Dead- my first gig at 15
Rufus Wainwright-Want to-just love it
I Am Kloot- Natural History- only got into them in the last year but cant stop playing this album

There are loads of albums I play over and over but these are the top ones.

Good idea for a thread !

I have thought long and hard (and given the number of years I have to cover that is quite tough !)

Anyway, I have selected certain albums that , whilst not necessarily ones I can't live without, were defining points in my music following life and also still ones I rate.

I have limited it to one per band.

1. T.Rex - The Slider. First pop group I was into. Marc Bolan was a true poet and wrote some great songs.

2. Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds. First album that introduced me to prog-rock.

3. Bob Marley - Natty Dread. Opened my eyes to other genres of music that I thought I would not like. (in this case it was reggae). A classic

4. Yes - Going for the one. My favorite album from my favourite band .

5. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid. True classic of it's time (now) and helped me rediscover music after a long time in the wilderness.

Sorry the list pre-dates many of the posters on this forum but the 70s era I grew up in so the music at that time remains with me.

OK then...

1. Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail. Phil Collins finding his voice is better than when he found it, a sublime album.

2. Elbow - Asleep in the Back. As much as I love TSSK, this debut has yet to be topped.

3.Van Morrisson - Astral Weeks. Cram packed full of talented musicianship and songwriting, the rawness of it all really works.

4. Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five. Guaranteed to bring a smile to the sourest of faces.

5. Queen - Greatest Hits I. Some greatest hits albums don't work, and some do. This one does.

1. Elbow - Leaders of the Free World
No surprises why i'm posting on this message board I suppose. First heard 'forget myself' on a flight to New Zealand for a conference in late 2005 and was hooked instantly. Jumped straight on Google when I got home and found out what the album was, bought it the next day and it still cops a flogging on my xmms playlist. Love the dvd of artsy video that came with it too.

2. Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971
In my humble opinion, the best Neil Young album out. Period. The acoustic solo performances of old songs that were new at that point just sound terrific. If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend youtubing some of it to get a feel for what you're missing out on.

3. Mogwai - Young Team
I remember years ago trying to explain to someone that I wished there was a whole album of all the best instrumental parts of rock songs put together. I didn't think such a thing actually existed so I was pretty stoked to stumble across the 'gwai.

4. Radiohead - The Bends
Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry, Street Spirit - what more could a twenty-something single male want to warble along to after a few too many pints?

5. TOOL - ÆNIMA
Probably a bit out of place compared to the others on the list, but what the hey? I remember hearing this played obscenely loud at boarding school from a mate's room at age 15 and just not knowing what to make of it. My friends must have got sick of my ravings about it. It's such a part of those years that I still get the urge to drop it in the CD player regularly. And i'm still very annoyed that I lent the import special edition to a workmate who cracked the special lenticular case. Oh well.

So there you go.... 5 albums plus some useless historical guff from me :-)

As above mine are likely to change at a moments notice.

1 TSSK - Elbow. Nuff said. Is interchangeable with LOTFW depending on mood.

2 Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd. The album that really opened my eyes to the possibilities in music.

3 Fragile - Yes. The first prog album I got. The first two times I heard it I thought 'WTF?' but just had to play it again. By the third play I 'got' it and still play it. I love it to bits.

4 Filigree and Shadow - This Mortal Coil. Beautiful, dark, beguiling, gorgeous and so much more. An album no one should be without. I just love the output from the 4AD label. Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance and more recently Bon Iver.

5 Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan. Unbelievably superb album.

I could add another 40 to the list and still not be finished.

Radiohead - OK Computer... just outstandingly brilliant and astonishing in every possible sensory way. This album does things to me that no other entity on the planet could do. Just wow.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers... every song is just sublime on this album; and of course funkalicious. Just pure, raw, uncomplicated joy is what this album provides. And of course it is such a landmark album.

Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? ... What more can be said really. A true masterpiece of psychadelic, guitar crazed insanity. 2nd album I ever bought.

The Jam - Best Of The... I am unsatisfied until I hear at least 10 songs off this album before a week ends. The first Album I ever bought.

The Beatles - Abbey Road. Growing up listening to this 17 track masterpiece made me who I am today. Surely one of (if not the) greatest albums of all time. 1st album I owned.


And yes people... There's no Elbow on there. This is for two reasons.
1) Each of these albums have a historical meaning for me; and they all took a huge say in who I am as a person. As Elbow are somewhat latecomers for me, they haven't yet planted themselves in to the top 5 yet (they'd be 6th though )
2) Surely it's too hard to decide which 1 album to pick anyway! Isn't it?

1 - Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid - very tough choice was between this and Asleep in the Back but SSK is the
only album I own by anyone that doesn't have a bad song on it. I usually
cannot stand love songs but adore the ones on this album. Tower Crane Driver
sends a shiver down my spine, and I wish I had written Some Riot.

2 - Employment - Kaiser Chiefs - Been a fan since before they became super famous just love the way
they don't take themselves seriously and only one bad song on the album.

3 - Beatles - Blue Album - Brought up on the Beatles. My Mum is still in love with Paul Mcartney!!

4 - Doves - Last Broadcast - Calms me down when i'm stressing!!

5 - We are Scientists- With Love and Squalor - Followed them on tour last year. Just love them!

Only five?! Well these are *some* of them but like others' they may change and I've picked ones that have personal meaning as well as being simply excellent albums

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Apart from being a wonderful album, it was kind of a family "our tune" in my teens, one of the few things we all agreed on and so a backdrop to many a car journey.

Jethro Tull - Songs From the Wood
Hard to choose between all their 70s album, but this one for me as it was the first one I knew by them and also responsible for getting me into folk music which has been a major part of my musical life ever since.

Roy Harper - Stormcock
Again I'd say most of his stuff, but this is an absolute classic album in any terms and a large part of the soundtrack of my student days.

Dead Can Dance - Aion
A totally timeless classic album for me; I love both their voices and the atmosphere they create. Also that rare thing - a good album/band I discovered in the 90s which (with some notable exceptions I have to say) was a bit of a musical desert for me.

Elbow - Asleep in the Back
What can I say (that hasn't been said before)? It still has to be my favourite Elbow album. Like others have said (but not necessarily about this one) an album that's a whole; I love every track.

Well I could go on, but five it has to be.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Reindeer Section - Son of Evil Reindeer
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
Elbow - Asleep in the cast of leaders of the kids....

Sarah wrote:

Elbow - Asleep in the cast of leaders of the kids....

MagicalTrevor wrote:

4. Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five. Guaranteed to bring a smile to the sourest of faces.

Good on ya for giving Ben Folds his props, MT! I just saw him live a couple of weeks ago and it was ace...he played for over 2 hours and kept his energy up every second of it. I think, because he writes with a sense of humor, he gets dismissed a lot, but he's an incredibly talented guy and he has mad piano skills.

OK, I can't figure out what my top 5 albums would be...it's just too hard! I think I would have to have selections from these 5 artists, though: Elbow, Tom Waits, the Flaming Lips, Bjork and the Beatles. I realize that I've given an answer that doesn't technically answer the question...I would've made a great politician.

I've just realised how main stream I am. My 5 albums are -

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
TSSK - Elbow
Seargeant Pepper - Beatles
Stupidity - Dr Feelgood

This is a lot harder than I thought................. and they may change over the next 24 hours

Elbow aside, mine would be:
Older - George Micheal (ingnorance was bliss)
Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Graceland - Paul Simon
Drag - k d lang
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

TSSK - Elbow
Vauxhall and I - Morrissey
Technique - New Order
Strange Times - The Chameleons
Forever Changes - Love

All quality, all timeless, and they all mean somrthing to me..........

I'm afraid i can't limit myself to 5, so i'm not going to try!

Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden

Elbow - Cast Of Thousands

Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

William Sheller - Univers

Shearwater - Palo Santo

1. Hybrid - Disappear Here
2. Howard Jones - Humans Lib
3. Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
4. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
5. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's

It would probably change next week, but I'm pretty sure I would be a different person if I hadn't heard these albums. Number one would have been Hybrid - Wider Angle, until I heard their new album! WOW

Garvey, if your reading this you have upset me big style! You said everything Howard Jones has done is total crap with the exception of 'Don't Always Look At The Rain'. Erm look at the post above. Howards debut album is in my all time top 5.
Anyway, thanks for playing my Buddha's song on your radio show.

Kind Regards

Ian

Elbow aside:

Love - Forever Changes
Television - Marquee Moon
Van Morrison - Moondance
Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
Percy Sledge - Best Of

Elbow - Asleep In The Back
Willy Mason - Where The Humans Eat
Sigur Ros - Takk...
Frank Turner - Love Ire & Song
Damien Rice - O