Stones/Beatles - need convincing

May 28, 2006 11:39 AM

Feel like I am missing out on some great music, but need convincing. recommendations for the best Who, Stones and Beatles album please.

30 something - thinks he has a reasonable taste in Rock orientated music, but also appreciates quite a wide range of music and styles. However something has always bothered me - I could never get into the Stones or the Beatles or The Who, or almost any bands of that genre. Seemed to get stuck on Led Zeppelin and moved on from there.

Need some recommendations on a single album from one of the above that will prove to me that I have been missing something.

posted by calvinorr to media & arts (43 comments total)

who - the who sell out
rolling stones - exile on main street
the beatles - the beatles (white album)
posted by pyramid termite at 11:45 AM on May 28, 2006

who - the who sell out
rolling stones - their satanic majesties request
the beatles - sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band
posted by purephase at 11:50 AM on May 28, 2006

If you are in fact a Zep fan, then pyramid termite's OTM--you might try Who's Next over The Who Sell Out or Sticky Fingers rather than Exile, but pyramid termite's suggestion of the White Album is spot-on. Listen to "Happiness is a Warm Gun."
posted by maxreax at 11:53 AM on May 28, 2006

For the Beatles, pick up the "Red Album" (early work) and/or the "Blue Album" (later work).

Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of "greatest hits" compilations, but for the purposes of trying to "get" a particular group, they can be handy.
posted by Gator at 11:56 AM on May 28, 2006

For all these groups, get the greatest hits. Or,

Beatles: Revolver
Who : Who's next?
Stones: Exile on Main Street
posted by Rumple at 11:59 AM on May 28, 2006

Let It Bleed-the Stones
White Album-Beatles
posted by wheelieman at 12:00 PM on May 28, 2006

What a respones - cheers. Heading off to my local download store!

Wanted to try and avoid "Best of"'s, appreciate that there are some great individual tracks - but thought I much prefer listening to a proper album as it was mean't to be - if that doesn't sound to "snobbish"
posted by calvinorr at 12:05 PM on May 28, 2006

I much prefer listening to a proper album as it was mean't to be

Right on.
posted by davebush at 12:14 PM on May 28, 2006

I am going to dissent re: White Album. it has some good tracks on it but an awful lot of second-rate stuff as well, completely crap filler like "O bla di" and "rocky raccoon" and "Dont pass me by" as well as failed experiments like "Revolution #9".

Revolver. Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper are, IMHO, more the Beatles at their peak.
posted by Rumple at 12:14 PM on May 28, 2006

Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, Exile and Some Girls are the cream of The Stones crop, IMO.
posted by davebush at 12:19 PM on May 28, 2006

Rumple is right: the White Album doesn't make sense as an introduction to the Beatles. Get Revolver. It's the only album that will show you the Beatles' whole range of genres. For instance, Sgt. Pepper's has no straightforward rock songs; Revolver has some great ones.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:27 PM on May 28, 2006

If the White Album doesn't catch your fancy, try Abbey Road in addition to Rumple's suggestions: it's got some catchy tracks and a cool medley on the back half. Revolver et al. are better albums, IMHO, but Abbey Road has a way of sticking pleasantly in one's ear.
posted by jweed at 12:35 PM on May 28, 2006

Another vote for starting with Revolver (and either Rubber Soul or Sgt. Pepper's, if you want to get two). I love the White Album, but I can't imagine coming to it without really getting where the Beatles were coming from before it. Besides, Revolver really is arguably one of the greatest records of all-time -- it's quite possibly the perfect album.
posted by scody at 12:38 PM on May 28, 2006

I know you said you want to avoid 'best ofs', but I'd say that getting a best of album for each band would probably show you why they are so well-loved. If you go for individual albums, you'll just get bogged down in some of the more mediocre songs that only someone who is already a fan can love.

The albums people will choose are completely subjective, while 'greatest hits' albums tend to be at least based on commercial success -- not the best indicator of quality, but not a bad one either. I would urge you to reconsider and give them a chance.
posted by reklaw at 12:40 PM on May 28, 2006

I have never understood the fetishizing of Exile on Main Street; it's a terribly uneven album and a premier exhibit in my personal Academy of the Overrated. Beggars Banquet is the best Stones album of all time. Period. But I'll listen to an argument for Let It Bleed.

I'll presume the suggestion of Their Satanic Majesties Request was a joke.
posted by mojohand at 12:45 PM on May 28, 2006

While I'd second "The Who Sell Out," I also urge you to give a listen to "Live at Leeds" -- Sell Out shows more of the band's playful side, Leeds hammers home its power.

I also love the Stones' "Get Yer Ya Yas Out" -- it's horribly out of tune, but the song selection is unsurpassed...

as for the Beatles, Revolver or Rubber Soul...
posted by AJaffe at 1:04 PM on May 28, 2006

Will maybe give "Best Of" a go, after trying a few of the listed albums above - thing is there are so many of the them - any suggestions.

Am going to give White Abum, Beggers Banquet and Sell Out a go - cheers.

Without sounding thick - who was big from USA at the same time as Beatles/Stones that I should listen to. I am sure there are web sites that I should be using - but Pandora / Last FM are fine but it takes me too long to get me onto something I really like
posted by calvinorr at 1:15 PM on May 28, 2006

Of the 3 groups mentioned, the Beatles have an enormous body of great work in comparison.

The Stones and The Who have some great work too, but only 1 Beatle album won't give you the big picture of the evolution the Beatles went thru.
posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 1:22 PM on May 28, 2006

Like Rumple, I'd really recommend Rubber Soul or Revolver over The White Album.
posted by danb at 1:22 PM on May 28, 2006

Man, I came in here all ready to disagree with people, only to find that several folks already said what I was going to say.

Start with Revolver. It's The Beatles at their most wide-ranging, and probably one of the most heterogenous (and excellent) pop albums ever. But you can't really go wrong with Sgt. Pepper's, Rubber Soul, or Abbey Road. The White Album is good, but it suffers from filler as do most double albums, and I can't think of it as being a really solid album the way the others are.

And there's nothing snobbish about appreciating albums as they were intended. Especially not 60s or 70s albums, when the concept had more currency. I feel the same way.
posted by ludwig_van at 1:28 PM on May 28, 2006

Everyone always says Revolver, but I still like Abbey Road better. Revolver is the album you say when you want to show off how evolved your Beatles-philia is. :)

The Stones? If you were to pick one it'd probably be Exile on Main Street or Beggars banquet. Unfortunately as is the case with most Stones albums, there are about 3 good songs and a shitload of filler. Do yourself a favor and get The Singles Collection: The London Years or Hot Rocks.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:43 PM on May 28, 2006

C_D is wrong. Get Revolver.

But C_D is right about the Stones. Any compilation is better than trying to work from any single album.
posted by jjg at 1:55 PM on May 28, 2006

Rubber Soul or Revolver, for The Beatles.
posted by Lucinda at 1:58 PM on May 28, 2006

who was big from USA at the same time as Beatles/Stones that I should listen to.

I'm not a huge Beach Boys fan, but even I will say that Pet Sounds (1966) is really quite incredible (and was a big influence on the Beatles in making Sgt. Pepper). Velvet Underground and Nico came out the following year and is extraordinary. So did the first Jimi Hendrix album, Are You Experienced.

And of course, that's the era of great, great soul: Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Curtis Mayfield/Impressions, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, etc.
posted by scody at 2:04 PM on May 28, 2006

Revolver is the best Beatles album to start with.
The Who actually has a number of good compilation albums as they started out as a singles sort of band. I don't really like Who's Next as much as I like Tommy and Quadrophenia. Also all of their early stuff.
This is irrelevent if you're downloading them, but lately The Who's old stuff has been remastered and rereleased and the CD's sound fantastic.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 2:17 PM on May 28, 2006

Revolver is almost perfect, and easy to get into right away, so start with that.
posted by fire&wings at 2:18 PM on May 28, 2006

Without sounding thick - who was big from USA at the same time as Beatles/Stones that I should listen to.

doors - 1st album
creedence clearwater revival - cosmo's factory
jefferson airplane - surrealistic pillow
bob dylan - highway 66 revisted
jimi hendrix - are you experienced?
kinks - village green preservation society (they're british, but ...)

there are a lot of bands and soul singers from that era who are better represented with greatest hits albums or anthologies of different acts ... some bands had one or two great singles and little else worth listening to
posted by pyramid termite at 2:30 PM on May 28, 2006

Unfortunately as is the case with most Stones albums, there are about 3 good songs and a shitload of filler.

Huh? As far as I'm concerned, it's the Beatles who had the filler—there's not a single Beatles album I can enjoy all the way through (no, not even Revolver), whereas with a couple of exceptions (Satanic Majesties springs to mind) all the Stones albums up through Exile are at the very least enjoyable throughout. You can't go wrong with Sticky Fingers, Let It Bleed, Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, or Exile, and of course Got Live If You Want It! is a classic live album.

For the Who, I'd go with Who's Next; I mean, it starts with "Baba O'Riley" and ends with "Won't Get Fooled Again"—how can you do better than that?

As for other bands, pyramid termite has an excellent selection, though I'd add the Beach Boys and Pet Sounds.
posted by languagehat at 2:45 PM on May 28, 2006

Thanks Pyramid - Dylan and Hendrix in my collection (obviously!!!). I appreciate it was a bit of a daft question, but being from the UK, my music knowledge in pretty UK-centric - especially stuff pre-80s.

Must admit to have never listened to Jefferson - so will head off and grab something. Thanks for taking the time

Cheers
posted by calvinorr at 2:46 PM on May 28, 2006

Rolling Stones - Aftermath. An amazing album that includes Brian Jones (an essential requirement for a single-LP look at the band), the first Stones album made up of all originals, the first to incorporate psychedelic and Dylan influences, and the first to cement their reputation as sneering misogynist bad boys. It's filled with odd gems like "I Am Waiting" and "High and Dry" that you've never heard before - another huge plus when looking to hear an old band with fresh ears.

The Who - Who's Next is the obvious choice; everyone in the band is at a peak, including Daltrey, the songs are an astonishing advance over what they'd done previously, the use of synths is historic, and Townshend bares his soul in the alternately furious and heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics.

If you want to go for earlier Who, the single LP that stands out as classic from start to finish is the compilation Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, which avoids your "no best ofs" rule by being a collection of singles, many of which had never appeared on LP to that point. It's the best album covering the band's early years, by far.

Beatles - This is complicated by the difference in original UK and US releases, but I think the CDs you can get now use the UK song selections, which are usually fuller and better than the US releases. Either way, I have to agree with the folks choosing Revolver, which is pretty much the perfect Beatles album, showcasing everything that made them amazing from the early and later years.

My close second (and actually my personal fave) would be Rubber Soul, if only because it's the first LP the Beatles recorded after Dylan got them high for the first time. The influence is obvious, and it's filled with brilliant, relatively unknown tunes like "I'm Looking Through You," "The Word" and "Think For Yourself." I think it's more fun to listen to than Revolver, but defer to the critical consensus and put it second.

Oh, and it case it isn't obvious, I hate lazy answers to these questions. If you're going to bother to answer this kind of question, the least you can do is explain your damn choices.
posted by mediareport at 3:59 PM on May 28, 2006

who was big from USA at the same time as Beatles/Stones that I should listen to.

Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow is one of the true classic psychedelic albums, completely groundbreaking and with lots of excellent non-hits like "She Has Funny Cars" and "3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds," along with gorgeous ballads like "Today" and "Coming Back To Me." A gem from start to finish.

Creedence Clearwater Revival gets short shrift from a lot of folks, but two of the *three* LPs the band put out in 1969 are 60s rock at its best: the infectiously joyous Willy and the Poor Boys and the darker, meaner Green River. 1970's Cosmo's Factory is just as good, but for some reason I reach for the other two first. CCR was one of the most popular bands of the time for good reason; they rock so sharp and tight it hurts.

Choosing a single Byrds album is easy: Younger Than Yesterday. Short, but very, very smart and sweet 60s psychedelia. One of the peaks of the form.

I'll second pyramid_termite's Velvet Underground & Nico recommendation - an experimental, beautiful collection of stunning "rock" songs - and replace his Doors' first album with their last with Jim Morrison, LA Woman (mainly on the strength of the album's non-hits, which include almost all of my favorite Doors songs).

Finally, I can't recommend enough a Pete Townshend-produced classic that was largely ignored on both sides of the pond but stands today as one of the great lost gems of 60s psychedelic rock: Thunderclap Newman's Hollywood Dream, which followed up their gorgeous single "Something in the Air" and quickly dropped into obsurity. Allmusic nails this one nicely:

Reissued in 1991, Hollywood Dream had been utterly transformed by the admiration of so many subsequent listeners, to stand alongside any lost classic you could mention, among the finest albums of its psychedelic generation. "Something in the Air," of course, has never lost its hold on our hearts, but there was so much more to Thunderclap Newman and, across the 12-track original album, and half-a-dozen bonus tracks, the trio's genius is inescapable...Producer Pete Townshend must have been astonished. As will you be, too, if all you've ever heard is the hit. So many bands have been hauled out of obscurity to be tagged the greatest secret you've never been told. Thunderclap Newman are one of the few who actually deserve that epithet.

(Stop me now before I go looking at my CDs...)
posted by mediareport at 4:29 PM on May 28, 2006

Who's Next is my favorite Who album.

The Beatles' White Album is great if you're already a Beatles fan; not so good as an intro - get Revolver.

Don't neglect the Clapton bands: Cream's Disraeli Gears; Derek & the Dominos Layla.

I think Airplane's Takes Off (their first album) is an unrecognized gem. That, together with Pillow, was the band's high point; they got thin after that.

I also think the Doors' two first albums (Strange Days was the second one) are just about all the Doors you need.

Seconding Creedence. They were major.

Lovin' Spoonful were popular, with several big hits.

The Youngbloods.

I assume you're interested in quality popular bands, so I won't do more than mention the Four Seasons, who were very popular and very bad. (Walk Like a Man? - that's them.)
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:30 PM on May 28, 2006

When John Lennon and Paul McCartney held a press conference in 1968 to announce the formation of Apple Corps, John was asked to name his favorite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". Paul was then asked to name his favorite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".

posted by ludwig_van at 5:46 PM on May 28, 2006

Big in North America at same time ....

1969: Neil Young - Everyone Knows this is Nowhere. Probably his best album, rivetting extended guitar jams meet bittersweet country.

1970: Neil Young - After the Goldrush and Crosby Stills Nash and Young -- 4-Way Street.

Second the CCR -- still very fresh sounding almost 30 years later. Cosmo's Factory would be my reccommendation.

Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills or Pearl

The Doors: Strange Days.
posted by Rumple at 5:58 PM on May 28, 2006

Who: Live at Leeds
Beatles: Revolver
Stones: Exile
posted by Ironmouth at 7:04 PM on May 28, 2006

I'm going to go against the grain. There are two good great in MHO, compliations for the Who and the Beatles-The BBC Sessions. Early stuff for sure, but it shows the raw talent of the bands live, or recorded quickly for shows like the tops of the pops, etc. Also take a look through the Rolling Stones Circus, and the Isle of Wight DVDs. Looking for the bands listed in the Wiki entry for Isle of wight should keep you busy for a while.
posted by Gungho at 7:30 PM on May 28, 2006

I assume you're interested in quality popular bands, so I won't do more than mention the Four Seasons, who were very popular and very bad. (Walk Like a Man? - that's them.)

Oh, come on--"Rag Doll"? "Big Girls Don't Cry"? Classics. The Four Seasons rule.

As for other bands, pyramid termite has an excellent selection, though I'd add the Beach Boys and Pet Sounds.

You may, in fact, be better off foregoing the Beatles, Stones and Who entirely and listening to Pet Sounds exclusively.
posted by maxreax at 7:31 PM on May 28, 2006

Who: Whos Next
Stones: High Tides and Green Grass (early); Exile on Main Street (later)
Beatles: Rubber Soul; Abbey Road
posted by Pressed Rat at 7:36 PM on May 28, 2006

The responses show that there is no one right answer. My right answer:

Who: Who's Next
Stones: Sticky Fingers
Beatles: Abbey Road
posted by yclipse at 7:41 PM on May 28, 2006

and the Stones were of course the original punks. . .
posted by yclipse at 7:42 PM on May 28, 2006

and the Stones were of course the original punks. . .

No way. That honor has to go to a U.S. bluesman, if it has to go to anyone.

/derail
posted by mediareport at 8:46 PM on May 28, 2006

I'd also recommend the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams," Stooges "Funhouse" and Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band's "Safe as Milk" from that era.
posted by AJaffe at 6:12 AM on May 29, 2006

Interesting how many Revolver fans there are (I rarely listen to it -- prefer Rubber Soul, Help and Abbey Road).

As for the Stones, my favorites are their early work, up to (and including!) Their Satanic Majesties Request. In fact, after Let it Bleed I consider they jumped the shark -- that's my turning point, once they left London Records. Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street were okay, but besides 1981's Tattoo You they never made another decent record (except for the anomoly of the "She Was Hot" single and video a few years later).
posted by Rash at 8:24 AM on May 30, 2006