10 rock albums Classical fans must own

I had a go at this once, along with Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, and I can't really say I saw what all the fuss was about. Both of them pleasant enough, in a wandery, ill-focussed kind of a way, but far from the stuff of legend.

 

A very avant-garde mix of sounds for it's time. think of Sergeant Pepper for surf dudes and you'll be getting there

 

So was Haydn though

 

'British Steel' by 'the Priest' is really an album everyone really should own...really

Face it. The following 5 minutes of 'the Priest' is much better than the entire output of Mozart.

http://a420.v8383d.c8383.g.vm.akama...d.akamai.com/8512/wmp/1/3383/23113_1_2_04.asf

 

Thought I would put my sentiments to this thread.

I'd go with Ju's Rush recommendation 2112, (ATWAS is great), but the studio album is 'Right', a must have in your collection.

AC/DC again back in Black, Johnson did an amazing job on his first album with the band and having to follow Bon scott, again a Classic without question.
I saw one of his first British shows that year 1980 at the first stirring of the cider oblivion years (aged 15 )

Deep Purple, In Rock (surely one of the best hard rock albums in existance, clean, raw, powerful, fresh and moderately quick too
Made in Japan, THE live album of all time, however there is a much better 3cd/LP version called "Live in Japan" (CD No. 7243-8-27726-2-0), remastered in 93, superbly well, captures ALL the 3 dates in Japan in the summer of 72.
Dio "Holy Diver" his first album after his blast with the Sabs
Van Halen 1984, Im not a big Eddie fan, but its a great Album of the American style.
Rainbow Rising sublime. Classical buffs check out side 2 Stargazer mind blowing, only 15 mins so you keep you from falling asleep, even the Berlin Philarmonic chucked in for good measure, Live it was a close to sex as you can get)
Zep for me "Houses of the Holy" did it also have a soft spot for Kashmir
Here's one that will surprise you Simple Minds 'Live in the city of light' I saw them on that Tour in Sydney 86' on my gap year to to Oz fab live band, except for those red roses on the seats
Sorry but Bat of Hell must also go up in the list, love it or hate it, It's got something plus 20+million sales
Floyd DSOTM or Pulse for me though Meddle is good.
Yes, Yes album
Here's another surprise Metallica I can't stand, not because they are naff, they do nothing for me
There are plenty more, but thats for another day

 

You said the fatal words "Led Zeppelin", thereby ensuring that I immediately switched off and will never again take seriously anything you say on the subject of music.

 

Tones,

But the critical question is, did you listen to Zep on burn't in equipment if not I would understand

 

The Communards...rock............uh?eh?wha?what the fu.................... I just remember that little jig they used to do,please take it off the list

looks like I am out voted with 2112,but I am glad there is another vote for Back In Black,its truly great

I suppose I need to throw in some Emerson Lake and Palmer as well,maybe Tones can have a go with them

 

Burnt in? Blistered my poor ears! And that's nothing to what Robert Plant was obviously suffering. I've never heard anyone in such pain. (It was pain, wasn't it?).

 

At least Keith Emmerson could play (the Nice, wasn't it? Back in the 60s?)

 

I'd second that completely. They'd just got to the point where Brian Wilson made the mistake of believing everything people were saying about him being a genius and he went away from the good ol' fun, sun and surf stuff (which at least were often quite tuneful).

 

actually Tones,i agree with you,I have never regarded Plant as a great singer,nowhere near as accomplished as say David Coverdale,but Plant wrote the lyrics to some great songs,and was the inspiration for a lot of the material,so he gets teh benefit of the doubt.In fact,all the Zeppelin band members were/are great musicians,at the top of their class for their respective instruments

 

A combination of all of those raised to the nth power

 

I think we'll just say that we have very different ideas as to the meaning of "great musicians" and leave it at that. And as for great songs, I quoted the crud called "Black Dog" not so long ago. Well, if that's a great song... "Grate" perhaps. Face it, some people such as myself just will never like rock, especially the rock commonly espoused by most aficianados where quality is replaced by sheer quantity.

 

I wondered when you pic that up.

 

They are indeed great musicians Tones,John Paul Jones was and still is a great bass player,and a highly accomplished producer to boot.I know its a bit fatuous to argue a rock bass player against say a classical pianist,but that doesn't mean that some rock musicians aren't highly talented individuals in their own right.

 

Sorry I think that that is crap, and yes I did listen to it Tuneless pap and that's being polite

Sorry missed the rock, but it is a quality album, loads of fantastic playing particularly from Richard Coles who was a classically trained pianist hence my inclusion in that list

 

But that is just your opinion. Which is fine, but let's not confuse opinions with fact. "Judas Priest are better then Mozart" is a statement of fact. "Mozart was better then Judas Priest" is an acceptable opinion to have... just not in anyway true. As most people know. And, let's face it, Judas Priest weren't really that good (apart from 'British Steel') which makes you wonder just how bad Mozart must be. I don't think Mozart was even as good as Saxon.

 

Back to Radiohead.... the true successors of 70's prog rock IMHO (although they apprently dislike the comparison). I love OK Computer, Kid A and Hail to the Thief, but Amnesiac escaped me completely.
Their lead guitarist, Johnny Greenwood, has just been appointed composer-in-residence with the BBC Concert Orchestra. I would like to hear what he does with them.
No-one has mentioned Genesis yet - in their heyday they were surely the most obvious classical rip-off prog rockers. Not nearly as original as Yes.

 

Help me out here, you're saying Saxon is better than Mozart? Or some second rate heavy metal band is better than a composer who scaled the heights of the age of enlightenment and rid musicians of the scourge of patronage. Give me strength. You'll be telling me next that Lemmy was better than Wagner and that Judas Priest changed the musical scene as much as Stravinsky.

Or perhaps you're just being sarcastic.