What are the best albums by the following bands?

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I want to at least know a little bit about the following bands without having to become a huge fan boy. I generally like to avoid greatest hits compilations as they're not always representative. However, if you think I ought to check out a particularly good "best of" then do recommend that.

All in all, recommend me one release by the following bands:

The Cure
The Rolling Stones
The Jam
The Kinks
The Who
Creedence Clearwater Revival

More acts to follow.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Cocteau Twins as well plz.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Pornography
Let It Bleed
Sound Affects
Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire
The Who Sell Out
Cosmo's Factory
Treasure

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 10:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure - The Head on the Door
The Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
The Jam - Well, I like In the City
The Kinks - I quite like Give the People What they Want, but it's not their best.
The Who - Who's Next
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Ummmm.....dunno, really. I have a best-of of theirs, and that suits me just fine.

Treasure by the Cocteaus seconded, but I'd also cite Heaven or Las Vegas.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

In my opinion All Mod Cons is the best Jam album.

― zeus, Tuesday, 31 May 2005 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd humbly suggest that most of not all of these are bands where you'd certainly get a far more representative (if not indeed actually better album by buying a comp.; as long as you're not subsequently going to end up making it redundant by buying all the actual albums. However....

The Cure - The Head On The Door (Staring At The Sea is better)
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (Rolled Gold / The London Years are better)
The Jam - All Mod Cons (Snap! / Greatest Hits are better)
The Kinks - Something Else / Are The Village Green Preservation Society (The Kink Kronikles / Greatest Hits are better)
The Who - Tommy (Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy / My Generation / The Ultimate Collection are better)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

3 imagainary boys - (the rawest of them all)
Let it Bleed
Sound AFfects
Something Else
Live at Leeds
CCR - They're all good, and I'd say Bayou Country or Green River, except neither contains the greatness of the likes of Suzy Q .. so you're on your own.
Treasure

― diedre mousedropping and a quarter (Dave225), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 11:40 (twenty-one years ago)

The ones on which I have an opinion:

Rolling Stones -- Let It Bleed is fine and probably the most "typical" album of their classic period, but . . . Beggar's Banquet is better (but unusually folky, Dylanesque), Sticky Fingers has a lot more immediately attractive hits, and Exile on Main Street is way more of a fucked-up masterpiece. I would take any of them over Let It Bleed. I listen to Exile more than the others combined.

Kinks -- Arthur

The Who -- Go with the expanded reissue of Live At Leeds. It documents why people cared. I can't stand Who's Next, and The Who Sell Out is poppy fun but lacking in the fury department. Tommy itself has not aged anywhere near as well as the LaL version of it.

CCR -- Hard to argue with Cosmo's Factory or Green River (both of which are chock full of hits), but I really like Willy and the Poorboys for: the jug-band funk of Down On The Corner, Fortunate Son (which I think is their single best song, although Proud Mary is pretty damn good, too), Effigy (recovery and revision of their psychedelic heritage)

― Vornado, Tuesday, 31 May 2005 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Disintegration
Aftermath
Sound Affects
Face to Face (CD w/bonus cuts)
Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy
Green River

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 12:20 (twenty-one years ago)

A lot of these bands are singles bands, hence best served with a best-of:

Cure: Standing On The Beach (best-of)
Rolling Stones: Exile On Main Street (my all-time favorite album)
The Jam: Snap (great best-of)
The Kinks: The Village Green Preservation Society
The Who: Who's Next
Creedence: Chronicle 1 & 2 (2 best-ofs, or just get Green River, Willy & Poor Boys & Cosmo's Factory)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

rolling stones: their satanic majesties request (not a popular choice it must be said, but i like it best of theirs. its not the ill judged psychedelia misstep people suggest, there is a thread on it here which you might want to read)

cocteau twins: victorialand. fluffy/anodyne, depending where you sit. its a marshmellow barbarella

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Sticky Fingers
The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
The Who Sell Out
Cosmo's Factory
Treasure

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

The Rolling Stones--Aftermath
The Jam--whatever's the one with "Town Called Malice"
The Kinks--Face to Face
The Who--Sell Out
Creedence Clearwater Revival--Willy and the Poor Boys

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure -- disintegration
The Rolling Stones -- aftermath
The Jam -- snap (it's the only one that i have)
The Kinks -- village green preservation society
The Who -- who's next
Creedence Clearwater Revival -- green river
Cocteau Twins -- heaven or las vegas

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

the cure - hard choice - 4 brilliant singles on these:
1 disintegration
(lullaby,fascination st,lovesong,pictures of you)
2 kiss, kiss me , kiss me
(why can't i be you , catch,hot,hot,hot,just like heaven)

― fatbob, Tuesday, 31 May 2005 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure - Pornography, I guess.
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
The Jam - don't know
The Kinks - Arthur
The Who - Who's Next
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory

― Huk-L, Tuesday, 31 May 2005 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure: Head On The Door
The Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request (however, atypical ;) )
The Jam: All Mod Cons
The Kinks: Something Else
The Who: The Who Sellout
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Not too keen on them in general, but I'd count "Pendulum" as possibly their best

And I think I prefer "Heaven Or Las Vegas" to "Treasure"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

My turn!

The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
The Jam: All Mod Cons
The Kinks: Village Green
The Who: Live at Leeds
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willie & the Poor Boys

The Cocteau Twins and The Cure I'm not as familiar with, but Treasure and Staring at the Sea are both terrific.

― Keith C (kcraw916), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

No love for Quadrophenia or Setting Sons?

― JC-L (JC-L), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

*The Cure--Disintegration
*The Rolling Stones--Sticky Fingers is their most immediately compelling, but Exile on Main Street is "better"
*The Jam--couldn't say.
*The Kinks--Village Green Preservation Society
*The Who--if you have the patience required for art rock: Who's Next. If not: The Who Sell Out.
*Creedence Clearwater Revival--couldn't say
*Cocteau Twins--couldn't say

― album zutique, Tuesday, 31 May 2005 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

cure - 17 seconds for the intense dark atmosphere. a great starting point. faith would be a good album to continue with the cure if you like 17 seconds. it is very spare.

stones - beggar's banquet as it has the best groove.

cocteaus - heaven or las vegas. their most accessible and most divine at the same time.

i don't care too much about the other bands. though i kinda like ccr when they are played on the radio.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 22:30 (twenty-one years ago)

*The Who--if you have the patience required for art rock: Who's Next. If not: The Who Sell Out.

I would say "Sell Out" is more "art rock" than "Who's Next". "SellOut" is very much a 1967 album, loaded with typical English psychedelic elements, a bit like "Sgt. Pepper" with power chords added.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Cure- Faith
Stones- Exile on Main Street
The Jam- This is the Modern World
The Who- Meaty, Beaty...
CCR- Cosmos Factory
Kinks- Arthur
Cocteau Twins- Blue Bell Knoll

― Anthony Lombardi (CCPO), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure: Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea
The Rolling Stones: Around and Around
The Jam: Snap!
The Kinks: Something Else
The Who: The Who Sings My Generation (original mono vinyl version)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willie and the Poor Boys

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure - kiss me, kiss me, kiss me
The Rolling Stones - aftermath
The Jam - sound affects
The Kinks - kinda kinks
The Who - sell out
Creedence Clearwater Revival - cosmo's factory

― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure: Standing on the Beach*
The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.
The Jam: Snap!*
The Kinks: Village Green
The Who: Who's Next/The Who Sell Out (tie)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Chronicle*

*As mentioned, there are some cases where the best-of is really the best way to go.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

"Snap!" has too many duds from the latter part of The Jam's career. Go with "All Mod Cons," and be sure to peruse these edifying notes:

"Down In The Tube Station At Midnight" by The Jam - What Does It Mean?

― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

if this is your only Stones album, I'd go with Hot Rocks (all the famous singles up to Exile, I think, add the More Hot Rocks companion later). Going for the greatest hits seems like a cop out, but it's a damn good cop-out in this case. If you absolutely want an album, then I'm voting for Let It Bleed, but all of the '60s albums have something worth recommending and LIB has the least filler.

I'd go for the greatest-hits for the Cure and CCR too.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure – They made great singles but they are no way a singles band. To really get a good read on this group you need to listen to their albums. Any one from the 80’s will do but Disintegration is truly the best but Head On The Door might be a better album to start with.

The Stones – They have some great albums and you might as well see what era is your favorite. I guess if I picked just one it would be Let It Bleed.

The Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society but I have heard that the new re-mastered version really isn’t that much different from the original Reprise version.

The Who - Who’s Next is like a greatest hits album but I also really like Quadrophenia.

Cocteau Twins - Treasure is my favorite but haven’t heard it for a long time.

― BeeOK (boo radley), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 03:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Once again confirming that I am the only person alive who thinks that "The Top" is the best Cure album...

Still. "The Top", says I.

― John Justen (johnjusten), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 03:17 (twenty-one years ago)

did the cure put "caterpillar on the top" then "kiss me (x3)" ?
i mean is it the same song ?
can't miss with any cure album until "bloodflowers"

― fatbob jnr, Wednesday, 1 June 2005 04:45 (twenty-one years ago)

".... and be sure to peruse these edifying notes:

"Down In The Tube Station At Midnight" by The Jam - What Does It Mean? "

That thread simply cannot be referenced too often.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure : 17 seconds
The Rolling Stones : Beggars Banquet or Exile, then Between The Buttons
The Jam : All Mod Cons
The Kinks : I'd start with Something Else By.. and then work your way back and forwards from there
The Who : Get My Generation De-Luxe Issue first.
Creedence Clearwater Revival : don't touch with a bargepole

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 09:04 (twenty-one years ago)

That "Down in the Tube Station" thread is the one that convinced me this board was worth checking regularly. Much brilliance contained therein.

― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Disintegration
Forty Licks
All Mod Cons
Something Else or one of the hits
Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy or The Who Sell Out
Green River
Treasure

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure: Standing on a Beach a.k.a. Staring at the Sea really is representative/the ideal introduction. The cassette version, if you can get it & play cassettes, but whatever.

The Who: the expanded Live at Leeds--the one-disc version (all kaboom wall-to-wall), not the two-disc version (with the anemic live _Tommy_).

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Douglas OTM about Live at Leeds. I'm changing my vote. You get all of Tommy you need on the one-disc version (the "Sparks" section in "My Generation").

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I can only report on Cocteau Twins and The Cure. Regarding the former, Head Over Heels is their best album. I'm going to start a thread about their EPs in a moment (if there isn't one already). Faith is my favourite of The Cure's although I haven't heard The Top, Seventeen Seconds, or The Head on the Door in full yet.

― Ian Riese-Moraine's exploding hamster zeppelin! (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Faith is just really consistent to me (actually, Disintegration is too but I don't listen to it anywhere near as much and I'm less fond of the words). Head Over Heels is the best transitional album ever -- an enjoyable blend of their Garlands-period and everything they made afterward (well, "Sugar Hiccup" sometimes annoys me, but that's a more typical CT tune) with a few offbeat surprises like "Multifoiled" and "In The Gold Dust Rush". In fact, I wish they'd made more songs like "In the Gold Dust Rush" -- they closest they got to it (aside from the stormier waltz of "Five Ten Fiftyfold") was "Bluebeard" ten years later but "Bluebeard" lacks the sweeping rush of "...Gold Dust Rush" and sounds more coastal and breezy. "In the Gold Dust Rush" in comparison is the auditory equivalent of a stampede across the hill country of central Texas.

― Ian Riese-Moraine's exploding hamster zeppelin! (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

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