The one by the Beatles isn't as good as any of the solo albums that all four of them individually released in the same year, 1970. It's not even in the running for best pop music album of that year. It lags far, far, far behind Bridge Over Troubled Water, After the Gold Rush, Moondance, Paranoid, and Led Zeppelin III, for example. It cowers and trembles beneath the feet of the mighty Fun House.
There have also been many years of great pop music since then, all producing lots of better albums than The Beatles' Let It Be OR Let It Be... Naked.
It's all a matter of opinion, although LIB has still received excellent reviews and I would not rate it below any of the albums that you listed, as good as they all are, although I personally feel that Paranoid is rather overrated. I agree that the Replacements album is also excellent. Also, there is no way that I'd rank LIB below Sentimental Journey, Beaucoups of Blues or McCartney. All Things Must Pass and Plastic Onto Band were arguably better. And of course there have been numerous great years in music post 1970, I didn't mean to imply otherwise, but LIB still is better than most other albums, as the Beatles were just that good.
Here's another one:
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum by Kasabian is a great album. It's the only album of theirs I like (and I like it a lot), the rest is shit though, which is kinda weird.
Never got all the Zeppelin love – I enjoy their hard-rock/blues songs, but when they stray away from that, I can hardly listen to them (OK, No Quarter is probably an exception).
Tom Morello is arguably one of the most underrated guitarists/songwriters of the past 25 years. Only Jerry Cantrell is more underappreciated by music publications, such as Rolling Stone.
LIB still is better than most other albums, as the Beatles were just that good.
The Beatles are great, don't get me wrong. I just vastly prefer their earlier work. By 1967, the wheels had (near-literally) fallen off the bus, and they limped through the rest of their short lifespan as a band. The sense of freedom and enthusiasm for a new challenge in the 1970 solo records (particularly McCartney's first) are why I rate them higher; they really were just struggling to get through each day in January 1969. LIB may beat a slight plurality of non-Beatles-related pop-rock albums for a clear demonstration of how a band breaks up, but it's certainly not superior to most albums period. The ongoing obsession with "finishing it off" also hurts any chance at fair critical assessment on the merits of what it is: a salvage job from some bitterly unproductive recording and filming sessions. The songwriting and performances are not strong enough to warrant all the continued attention it gets, and its weakness is starkly apparent when compared to stronger efforts by the Beatles and their contemporaries. That you'd back its naval-gazing schlockiness over the prescient, innovative, and world-shaking Paranoid or any of the others I listed is incredible to me.
The Beatles are great, don't get me wrong. I just vastly prefer their earlier work. By 1967, the wheels had (near-literally) fallen off the bus, and they limped through the rest of their short lifespan as a band. The sense of freedom and enthusiasm for a new challenge in the 1970 solo records (particularly McCartney's first) are why I rate them higher; they really were just struggling to get through each day in January 1969. LIB may beat a slight plurality of non-Beatles-related pop-rock albums for a clear demonstration of how a band breaks up, but it's certainly not superior to most albums period. The ongoing obsession with "finishing it off" also hurts any chance at fair critical assessment on the merits of what it is: a salvage job from some bitterly unproductive recording and filming sessions. The songwriting and performances are not strong enough to warrant all the continued attention it gets, and its weakness is starkly apparent when compared to stronger efforts by the Beatles and their contemporaries. That you'd back its naval-gazing schlockiness over the prescient, innovative, and world-shaking Paranoid or any of the others I listed is incredible to me.
I would argue that the Beatles best album is Abby Road, the actual final album that the Beatles recorded, although not the last one released.The second half in particular, the medley, is just simply amazing.
As for Paranoid, eh. I like it and their debut, but the first two Sabbath albums just seem kind of goofy, with all that sophomoric satanic schlock. I would rank the next four and the first two with Dio over it.
To go with the Tom Morello post, I think Zach de la Rocha is the best rapper who ever lived, and its not even close. His content and delivery are much more interesting to me than the usual rap material.
Next, Let it Be and Abby Road are some of the worst Beatles albums. Revolver or Rubber Soul, depending on my mood, are the best Beatles albums. Best late 60s-70s rock albums belong to, as botley points out,Black Sabbath with Paranoid... and it's pretty fucking great. And Moondance... point is, there are plenty of albums in the early 70s that would be far superior to any of the Beatles out put. What's Going On beats the shit out of most of the Beatles material IMO. Actually, What's Going On is the best of the early 70s. Unless you consider 1972 as a different category. Then What's Going On and Ziggy Stardust are in the same category.
Also, I'm a fan of Exile and LOVE Ziggy Stardust, but I'd take The White Album over both.
This is a fun thread, lots of divergent opinions and we've kept it civil.
I think part of my bias with Abby Road is I never had it growing up. Just Help! To the White album. Maybe I would think of it differently if I grew up with it around.
The second half in particular, the medley, is just simply amazing.
It's the perfect ending to their recording history. I also love how John, Paul and George all play 2 intervals each during the guitar solo, each with their own style.
Let's shake this up a bit. I love Creed. I think they are a fantastic band. I saw them live in Philadelphia two nights in a row back in 2012. I even met Scott Stapp this year, pretty nice guy.
Let's shake this up a bit. I love Creed. I think they are a fantastic band. I saw them live in Philadelphia two nights in a row back in 2012. I even met Scott Stapp this year, pretty nice guy.
Let's shake this up a bit. I love Creed. I think they are a fantastic band. I saw them live in Philadelphia two nights in a row back in 2012. I even met Scott Stapp this year, pretty nice guy.
Those first two albums are pretty solid with some great singles and Alter Bridge is pretty good too.
Neil Young's Landing on Water is criminally underrated.
I might be biased since it's the first NY album I bought. But to me, the people who dismiss it as part of his "weird" period just can't see past the off-beat production and admit that these are genuinely good songs.
Yes. I'm not actually a big fan of the band at all, but they really got something right on this record.
I don't know what happened - surely more than just the drummer leaving (that was then, right?).
Even when everybody I know sh*ts all over Up (1998), I still think it's the best album R.E.M. ever made and it's my undisputed personal favorite.
I really like "Up", but in my opinion their best album is "Monster" (controversial opinion also), but yeah everything recorded by them during the 90's is among their best work...
Uh, I think I might like the Gerard Way solo album even though I've always disliked his work in the past. Do you think I should seek therapy?
It's funny you say that; I actually feel the complete opposite. I'm admittedly and somewhat embarrassingly a fan of MCR's stuff for the most part and still occasionally revisit their first three albums, and I couldn't find anything to really like on his solo album. The whole thing sounded very bored/plodding and uninspired to me, which is a shame because in pretty much everything that guy's involved with, from music to comics (in all honesty his comic series The Umbrella Academy is absolutely wonderful and worth reading) tends to at least have a lot of enthusiasm behind it even when it's not the best, but most of his new album seemed really flat to my ears.
To go with the Tom Morello post, I think Zach de la Rocha is the best rapper who ever lived, and its not even close. His content and delivery are much more interesting to me than the usual rap material.
Wouldn't say he was the best but agreed he is pretty underrated... in that, as far as I know, he's not really rated at all! Chuck D obviously thinks he's good but what does he know eh
Zeitgeist is a totally underrated album. It initially got some good reviews--Rolling Stone ranked it among the best albums of 2007, but a lot of people seem to write it off now. I thought it was Billy's best work since Adore.
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Originally Posted by botley
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