Morning Perfection
I have had this thought a couple times and thought I would throw it out there as perhaps a discussion topic. This morning on the train I was listening to 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' by Roberta Flack. I dont know that I have heard a more perfectly produced song. Ever.
Anyone have any other noms?
Update: I am going to go ahead and state the other obvious entry. Buckley's Hallelujah. Nothing wrong about that song.
posted by unit410 @ 1:44 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I'm going to have to vote for "Disintegration" off of Disintegration by Disin-, er I mean, The Cure.
On an amazing release, the title track encapsulates the entire album in a way that the singles can not. (Don't get me wrong, "Fascination Street", "Pictures of You", even "Love Song" are all amazing and intense-a fact that makes the album really stand up and so great as a whole-but "Disintegration" sums it all up.)
In fact, it captures the band itself so perfectly that it's possible that if Disintegration (the CD) is the only Cure release you ever need to have, then "Disintegration" (the song) is the only Cure track you ever need to hear.
Other perfect songs:
"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash Despite not being the greatest Clash song of all time ("Straight to Hell"), the production on this track brought dirty rock to the head of the class without sacrificing energy, ideology, or spit.
"Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground I don't want to talk about it. It's just perfect, that's all there is to say.
And finally, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band With it's ups and downs, it becomes a cross between an unanswered plea for help and a resigned funeral dirge. This song is everything "Americana" / Alt-Country aspires to be.
Only one perfectly produced song?
Impossible.
Only one perfectly produced album?
Impossible.
There are too many different visions out there to pick just one.
Here are some of my favorite produced albums in no particular order.
Haha
You asked for this:
Stevie Wonder - 'Songs In The Key Of Life' - Stevie Wonder
David Bowie – ‘Low’ – Tony Visconti
Johnny Cash - 'American Recordings I-IV' - Rick Rubin
Tom Petty - 'Wildflowers' - Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘By The Way’ – Rick Rubin
The Beatles 'White Album' - George Martin
Radiohead – ‘Kid A’ and ‘Ok Computer’ – Nigel Godrich
Dusty Springfield - 'Dusty In Memphis' – Jerry Wexler
U2 - 'Actung Baby' and ‘Joshua Tree’ - Eno/Lanois
Public Enemy - 'Fear Of A Black Planet' - Hank Shocklee
The Ronettes – ‘Be My Baby’ – Phil Spector
George Harrison – ‘All Things Must Pass’ – Phil Spector
James – ‘Laid’ – Brian Eno
Beastie Boys – ‘Check Your Head’ – Beastie Boys/Mario Caldato Jr.
Lou Reed – ‘Transformer’ – David Bowie
Iggy Pop – ‘Lust For Life’ – David Bowie
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘No More Shall We Part’ – Tony Cohen/Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Outkast – ‘The Love Below’ – Andre Benjamin
Wu Tang Clan – ‘Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)’ – RZA
Wilco – ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ – Wilco/Jim O’Rourke
Air – ‘Talkie Walkie’ – Nigel Godrich
Ministry – ‘The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste’ – Al Jourgensen/Paul Barker
Nine Inch Nails – ‘The Downward Spiral’ – Trent Reznor
Delron 3030 – ‘Deltron 3030’ – Dan The Automator
Curtis Mayfield – ‘Curtis’ and ‘Superfly’ – Curtis Mayfield
Bob Dylan – ‘Desire’ – Don Devito
The Velvet Undergound – ‘The Velvet Underground And Nico’ – Andy Warhol
Patti Smith – ‘Horses’ – John Cale
...and you certainly can’t forget all those great Roy Orbison singles from the 60s.
Um, I can't really top either of those posts but seriously, Lunas, this is like a wrestling smackdown.
Ok,
Curtis Mayfield's Move on Up has always struck me as perfectly produced (thanks read letter for the new remastered version)
the fleetwoods
come softly to me
and i've always been partial to x's los angeles which is perfect in its own muddy way
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