There's a theory that the only reason 'Citizen Kane' is considered the greatest films of all time is because people who compile lists need a film to stick in at number one. I've only seen it once myself, don't feel the need to sit through it again and really don't care what rosebud is. 'Star Wars', on the other hand, is a different matter (shame about the most recent three).
Music is very much the same if you ask me. How many of the so-called classic albums can you sit through on a fairly regular basis? I can't honestly say that I've listened to Sgt Pepper even once in the last 20 years, and don't even get me started on Pet Sounds. Consequently, I was really happy to stumble on this article in The Guardian the other day, that goes some way to debunking the myths of these apparently untouchable albums. In fact, going through the list of albums discussed, the only ones I wanted to defend were the ones I'd grown up listening to, and so the connection is more to do with the time and place I was in when they came out, rather than because they in some way transcend musical genres or define styles in any way.
Please take a look and see if you agree with me, here are the classics that are discussed:
Tupac Shakur, All Eyez On Me: Nominated by Mark Ronson, producer
Nirvana, Nevermind: Nominated by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds: Nominated by Luke Pritchard of the Kooks
The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses: Nominated by Eddie Argos of Art Brut
The Strokes, Is This It: Nominated by Ian Williams of Battles
Television, Marquee Moon: Nominated by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand
The Beatles, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Nominated by Billy Childish, prime mover of British garage rock
Abba, Arrival: Nominated by Siobhan Donaghy, former Sugababe turned solo artist
Arcade Fire, The Neon Bible: Nominated by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti
The Doors, LA Woman: Nominated by Craig Finn of the Hold Steady
The Smiths, Meat Is Murder: Nominated by Jackie McKeown of 1990s
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Trout Mask Replica: Nominated by Peter Hook, ex- New Order and Joy Division
Please take a look and see if you agree with me, here are the classics that are discussed:
Tupac Shakur, All Eyez On Me: Nominated by Mark Ronson, producer
Nirvana, Nevermind: Nominated by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds: Nominated by Luke Pritchard of the Kooks
The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses: Nominated by Eddie Argos of Art Brut
The Strokes, Is This It: Nominated by Ian Williams of Battles
Television, Marquee Moon: Nominated by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand
The Beatles, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Nominated by Billy Childish, prime mover of British garage rock
Abba, Arrival: Nominated by Siobhan Donaghy, former Sugababe turned solo artist
Arcade Fire, The Neon Bible: Nominated by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti
The Doors, LA Woman: Nominated by Craig Finn of the Hold Steady
The Smiths, Meat Is Murder: Nominated by Jackie McKeown of 1990s
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, Trout Mask Replica: Nominated by Peter Hook, ex- New Order and Joy Division
Read the full article here.
2 comments:
Got to go with you on this one Adam, it's so crap that we 'have' to listen to some albums and worthy successors get sidelined...or even ones by the same band. Yes everyone goes on about 'Pet Sounds', and it is great (if you haven't heard it 2000 times), but I personally get more pleasure out of my double issue 'Friends/20-20' reissue.
I haven't listened to Sergeant Pepper's in years (give me Revolver every time), but I must admit, I still love Pet Sounds. And the worst thing that ever happened to Citizen Kane was for it be described as 'the best movie of all time'. Now everyone who comes to it new is almost bound to be disappointed, which is a real shame.
But these lists of the 'best' this or that of all time have got so, I dunno, beige now, haven't they? They all make for such pitifully boring and predictable reading. The trouble is, I think, the people with quirky and interesting taste all vote for something different, but the people who have dull taste (or are not that arsed) vote for the same predictable dross, meaning that's what ends up at the top.
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