Ticket 2 Ride

I believe these to be perfect or close to perfect musical creations. From start to finish, I believe these artists to be at their height of creativity, or at least one of their peaks. These albums, like them or not, stand the test of time and capture a moment of artistic and creative expression that stands apart from their other works. Not every song on the album is a classic, but all songs thread together to create a whole that is classic.

There are a ton of great albums that I considered, almost perfect albums: Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark, Jackson Brown’s Running on Empty, Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions, Jethro Tull’s Aqualung, Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, The Car’s debut album, The Clash’s London Calling, The Talking Head’s Fear of Music, the Rolling Stone’s Sticky Fingers, Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model, Genesis’ Selling England By the Pound, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours – all great albums, except for one song. Maybe I’ll do a follow-up on the albums above and identify that one pesky song.

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Of course, this is all debatable. Music is like any art form, truly subjective. Meet the perfect albums:

Who’s Next (1971) – The Who. Amazing album, every track.

“Going Mobile”

Led Zeppelin IV (1971) – Led Zeppelin. The best of the best.

“When the Levee Breaks”

Dark Side of the Moon (1973) – Pink Floyd. From start to finish, what can top this sonic adventure?

“Money”

Hotel California (1976) – Eagles. Twenty gazillion units sold. Enough said.

“Try and Love Again”

Face the Music (1975) – Electric Light Orchestra. A leap from Eldorado (1974), a bridge from the proggy style to a more lush and accessible set of songs. The “orchestra” part of the band never sounded better, a blend of Jeff Lynne’s pop sensibility and grander production.

“One Summer Dream”

Close to the Edge (1972) – Yes. A total of three songs. A prog classic. Musically impressive, complex and intricate in its symphonic structure. 

“Siberian Khatru”

Boston (1976) – Boston. Never a big fan of this album. Maybe the first album that FM radio played to death. Remarkable set of songs, some better than others, but the songs here connect to make a remarkable album.

“Foreplay / Long Time”

Crime of the Century (1974) – Supertramp. Who would have thought they would make the leap from their second album (Indelibly Stamped) to this classic? A change of some band members and the arrival of producer Ken Scott, along with a quantum leap in the songwriting of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson.

“School”

Tapestry (1971) – Carole King. Not her debut album, but this was her proper instruction as a solo artist. The songs, the backing musicians, the producer and the vibe – all perfect. Intimate and soulful.

“So Far Away”

Fleetwood Mac (1975) – Fleetwood Mac. Another album played to death. Pick any song – they are fresh, vibrant, demanding for a listen. These songs are timeless.

“Over My Head”

Blood on the Tracks (1975) – Bob Dylan. This is an album that had to grow on me. Dylan was peaking during this early period. These songs were recorded several times in different cities with different musicians. Dylan was after something special. I eventually found it.

“Shelter From the Storm”

Harvest (1972) – Neil Young. Several albums into his solo career comes this odd collection of songs. I say odd because they are of different styles and different backing musicians. This would be his modus operandi for much of his career, albums that are jigsaw puzzles of songs. It works. It was a very fertile period of creativity and a new love in his life.

“There’s a World”

Breezin’ (1976) – George Benson. His breakthrough album into a mainstream audience and airplay. Hard to believe Benson had been around for a number of years producing jazz albums. Fifty years later this album still gives me chills.

“Affirmation”

Aja (1977) – Steely Dan. Sophisticated jazz/rock songs with subtle melodic hooks and grand musicianship. Best session players crafted this masterpiece.

“Home At Last”

Band on the Run (1973) – Paul McCartney & Wings. Every song, classic McCartney. The basic tracks were recorded under difficult conditions in Nigeria. The sound that McCartney would for his post-Beatle period, it’s here.

“Picasso’s Last Words”

Heavy Weather (1977) – Weather Report. Although not a huge fan of this band, it’s difficult not to appreciate their skill, creativity and accompaniment with this album. I don’t listen to it very often, but when I do, I listen for every note on the album. A blending of unique jazz talents.

“Birdland”

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What I look for in a perfect album. My criteria:

• Every track is strong, many are classics, none are skipped.
• The running order makes sense, it leads you from song to song like chapters of a mystery novel.
• Not every song sounds the same, variations are like different courses of a scrumptious meal.
• There is a vibe that connects the songs, it doesn’t have to be a concept, but there’s an underlying linkage.
• The opener on side one grabs your attention, last song on side one leaves you wanting more, side two keeps the flow going, like the first song of a second concert set, and the last song of the album makes an emotional statement like the final scene in a gripping film. Then you want to flip the album and start again.
• The album leads you to devouring the liner notes and wanting more information.
• When you return to that album for another listen, it engages you again.
• Each time you listen, you automatically play the entire album.
• The album is on your “desert island” list if you were marooned with only a handful of albums.