The word masterpeice / masterwork within music

[StephenG]

Is pretty meaningless, i've been working through all these undisputed masterpeices and finding most of them overrated. At the end of the day I found very few masterpeices and here they are, do you agree? and what are yours.

 

 

 

Abbey Road - The Beatles

 

Dropping the special effects that seem excessive and dated in the modern age and removing the fat from the S/T's double album this is the Beatles at perfection. Come together still has the most sleazy and suave riff of all time, She's so heavy is still brilliantly hypnotic and even Harrison and Ringo's contributions don't provide low points like in previous albums. But the real thrill is the 16 minute melay at the end which reminds us why the Beatles are so good with dreamy vocals and brilliantly inticrate guitar solos that never get excessive.

 

 

The Bends - Radiohead

 

RH's first of 2 masterpeices, some how its not regarded as often alongside Ok Computer and Kid A as it should be. The Bends for me is the best Radiohead album, thoughtful, sincere and passionate, its acoustic rock done exactly right yet with the title track and Just being RH's most entertaining rockers. While never being excessive like every album from this point would be guilty of. It's also completely unique while also spawning a new breed of mature rock music that included Travis and Muse.

 

OK Computer - Radiohead

 

My first album and perhaps Radiohead's best, mainly because I love concept albums when they work and this one certainly does. Brimming with pure genuine emotion its a guilty pleasure for the cynical of us who feel out of shape with the modern world. Song wise everything there is brilliant with terrific sound scapes such as 'climbing up the walls' and 'electioneering' recorded in a haunted mansion this is undoubtable an epic.

 

A Rush of blood to the head - Coldplay

 

While Radiohead create a feel of living in a cage Coldplay have always been far more open. The emotion more raw and central to the music, starting with Politik a star gazing plea for world harmony and ending with a moment of true heart felt redemption this album frequently gives me shivers with its pure emotion. Everything between is just as affecting and savage. Mainly because while not a great singer Chris Martin's voice is subtle and expressive and the acoustics resting behind hard hitting piano is to die for.

 

Urban Hymns - The Verve

 

Clocking in at 70 minutes this album is indeed epic by tecnicality however opening with a moment of sheer brilliance 'bittersweet symphony' this album never lets up as it drifts from hard hitting ballads to shoe gazing epics. Throughly and completely affecting from start to finish Ashcroft sings to the heavens questioning everything in an album that is conceptual of life itself. Propably the most underrated of my choices and the one that doesn't get the recognition of inspiring Coldplay that it clearly deserves.

 

 

Albums I wanted in but really couldn't commit to:

Blur - 13

Blur - Parklife

Blur - Blur

Muse - Absolution

Muse - Origin of Symetry

U2 - Achtung baby

Stereophonics - Performers and cocktails

Stereophonics - Word gets around

(All fine albums but not masterpeices)

[MrMagpie]

I would argue that Achtung Baby is a masterpiece....

[RunForTheHills]

I agree with this list, although I'm probably one of the few people out there who enjoys the Beatles' earlier work such as Revolver more than The White Album or Abbey Road. Although I obviously think that songs like Back in the USSR and Come Together are really great.

And I'm glad I'm seeing AROBTTH and OK Computer along side each other.

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

wow, i completely agree with your list. though i would argue that kid A is more of a masterpiece than OK computer on the whole, despite what most people think. i think kid A works better as an album, even though OK computer contains some of my all-time favorites.

 

and abbey road is not my favorite beatles album, but i love all of them so incredibly much that i would agree with any you put up there. my vote would go to revolver or rubber soul or even a hard day's night, though.

[StephenG]

I can't speak for the White album yet but I've heard Stg Pepper, Revolver and Rubber Soul as well as Abbey Road. IMO all of them have filler with the exception of AR. Revolvers yellow submarine is just as annoying as with some of Stg Pepper such as good morning, good morning (but i think thats the point). Rubber Soul I think is the worst of the 4 after all it was totally rushed for christmas.

 

 

Achtung Baby was my 7th choice for a masterpeice but its basically 12 songs about divorce, bono constantly looking for new ways to express how he (or not him actually but the edge) will get threw this differcult time. I find it hard to sympatise with a man pretending to be in pain, who makes an album completely about himself. I still prefer it to the Joshua Tree that has songs that just don't entertain me at all.

 

 

For me Kid A is exactly what you say Ok Computer does for you Approximate, basically some strong songs tied down with not so strong songs. They say its RH's most consistant, I don't think it gets going till track 3 and I fail to see whats so special about Treefingers.