Monster Albums

'Appetite For Destruction', 'Nevermind' or 'Slippery when Wet (lol)'
Will there ever be albums like this again that just blow people away across the board?

True...it's been a long time without any GOOD albums on the charts. There is a lot of rubbish nowadays...I think we need another Elvis...
Anyway, which one do you think was the last great album?

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
'Appetite For Destruction', 'Nevermind' or 'Slippery when Wet (lol)'
Will there ever be albums like this again that just blow people away across the board?

I agree with those as being HUGE albums, but I think that Ten should be on there.

Well I havent heard any of the albums Aiwass mentioned.. so they cant be monster albums :) I mean albums that blew away the fans of their particular genre but also broke into the mainstream!
I think one album to look out for is the new Aerosmith Album. They have got back there old 70s producer and claim they are gona go back to there simple riff rock style!
Also Slash Matt and duffs new band Velvet Revolver seem to be on the right wavelength.
I think monster Albums reflect particular fashions so far as appearence... I mean you gould try and immitate the style and lifestyle of slash or kurt back in those days. But these days people dont seem to, its like the image of what a rock band is is now inaccessible, unobtainable. Its no longer in our culture to be a rock fan, esp in the UK.
Blame what you like, drugs, drink or just the development of other sports and hobbies, but I doubt there will ever be monster albums or classic rock bands because the people of my guitaring generation have any real guitar heros :(

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys
Greg Howe - Self Titled
Shawn Lane - Powers of Ten
Frank Gambale - The Great Explorers

And maybe the monsterest of them all, Yngwie J Malmsteen - Rising Force.

Or maybe Jason Becker's Perpetual Burn.

Or maybe...

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
Well I havent heard any of the albums Aiwass mentioned.. so they cant be monster albums :)

at least images and words and symphony x are *L*

infact there are hundreds of "monster" albums out there, but many of them have never gotten the attention that they deserve.
My monsteralbum for now is "The Yellow Shark" by Frank Zappa (Ensemble Modern performance)

The Fragile by NIN was pretty huge.

Originally posted by aiwass

That's your problem, not mine. [/B]

Calm down! Sometimes I think some you guys just use this forum to release stress. A Monster album, by definition, or at least in my interpritation, is successful across the board, and gets everyone talking. Im pretty clued up on my music and if you put a list of so called monster albums that I havent heard of then they cant be! I havent heard people talking about them here... or on TV... or radio.. or in mags.. or via friends..

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
I havent heard people talking about them here... or on TV... or radio.. or in mags.. or via friends..

Well that is not a strong argument. Media has not been a criteria for whether music is good or not for decades, at least one.

[Edited by Azrael on 10-14-2003 at 08:17 AM]

oh crap.. oooh crap.. now i made a mistake - instead of hitting "quote" hit edit .. whooops.. sorry slowdiver *hides*

here´s the original plus what i wanted to say:

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
I havent heard people talking about them here... or on TV... or radio.. or in mags.. or via friends..

Well that is not a strong argument. Media has not been a criteria for whether music is good or not for decades, at least one.

[Edited by Slow Diver on 10-14-2003 at 06:21 AM]

true - plus you cant always watch every TV-show or radio program or whatever. so putting up something like "i havent heard it so it cant be a monster album" is a bit preposterous.

.... am i completely crazy now????

oh my .. i´m losing my mind *LOL* WHAAAAAAAAAAA????????

LOL :D Don't worry Azrael...this kinda livened up this otherwise starting-to-become-negative thread.

This is ridiculous, a lot of people here would sooner start a slagging match than an interesting thread. Awiass, are you honestly saying the 7 or 8 albums you listed are any where near as successful or influencial as something like 'Nevermind'. EVERYBODY knows of 'Nevermind'!!
You hear Guns n Roses, Nirnava, Metallica etc mentioned on this site everyday, on tv everyday, in papers everyday, talked about by kids everyday! They have monster albums. Nevermind, Appetite and the Black album for example.

Ive noticed for some time now how negative some people are on this site. Just read my first post and answer the flaming question without all this snobbery of musical preferences

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
This is ridiculous, a lot of people here would sooner start a slagging match than an interesting thread. Awiass, are you honestly saying the 7 or 8 albums you listed are any where near as successful or influencial as something like 'Nevermind'. EVERYBODY knows of 'Nevermind'!!
You hear Guns n Roses, Nirnava, Metallica etc mentioned on this site everyday, on tv everyday, in papers everyday, talked about by kids everyday! They have monster albums. Nevermind, Appetite and the Black album for example.

Ive noticed for some time now how negative some people are on this site. Just read my first post and answer the flaming question without all this snobbery of musical preferences

Funny, now you've turned into the snob. aiwass was just simply stating his opinion. If you ask for people's opinions and they give them, and then, you don't like the outcome, don't cry about it. It's just an opinion, everyone is entitled to one.

To you, Nevermind, Appetite, the Black Album, may have been monster albums, but to aiwass, his choices are different. Many people see different kinds of music as influential and revolutionary. If you ask me, I don't even think the Black album is a Monster Album. It's just the first album that Metallica had that went mainstream. Master of Puppets, And Justice, and Ride the Lightning, were way bigger Monster Albums in the fact that they revolutionized music.

You should change the thread to, Albums that went Mainstream, or Albums that everyone noticed. Just because it sells doesn't make it influential or revolutionary or a monster album, it makes it popular.

Many of the albums that Aiwass mentioned (I haven't heard them all) had very big impacts and defined many of the bands that produced them.

To me if it's a monster album, it changes how the music is done in general, not how many people can rip off the same stuff (see: Nevermind, nu-metal) over and over until it's no longer popular.

FIGHT!! FIGHT!! FIGHT!!

Oh, wait a second... can't do that anymore, now that I'm a moderator.... Darn!


Well, I think I see the valid points of both sides of the argument, and I think the major problem is that Axl_Rose and aiwass have differing definitions of "monster". Basically, I think Axl_Rose feels a monster album is one whose impact is felt long after its release. One that not only has strong sales, airplay, popularity, but also artistic integrity and innovation, etc.

But, according to aiwass, a monster album should be judged solely on artisitic merits and innovation/influence. Actually, major sales/airplay would probably lower its "monster" rating in aiwass' eyes.

I think I lean more towards Axl's definition, which would include albums like Nevermind, Ten, Sgt. Pepper, etc. which were sold well, were totally influential as well as innovative.

And, yes, the definition would include the Backstreet Boys' first album, which I would gladly concede was a "monster"!

I don't consider an album to be monster because everyone has heard it and liked some of it. I consider a monster album one that the people who have listened to it were blown away by it. My two albums for that would be "Mer De Norms" and "Thirteenth Step" by A Perfect Circle. They aren't popular albums, but everyone that I know who has listened to them were blown away by the albums.

Woa- Pantallica, how have I became a snob?!?!?!?
READ MY FIRST POST!! Answer the flaming question!! I just feel aiwass is being really elitist so far as the music he knows and likes is somehow above music thats classed as more mainstream. Its the old classic where people like him wana own small bands and carry themaround in there back pocket as though they own them :)
Forget the bitchy posts and just answer my question! Do you think there will be another 'Nevermind' or 'Appetite for Destruction'!!
And yea I know that the 'Black Album' isnt as good or as innovative as other tallica albums but I just mentioned it becuase it was so successful!

Originally posted by Axl_Rose
Its the old classic where people like him wana own small bands and carry themaround in there back pocket as though they own them :)

F*ck, that was rude, and stupid...
Come on man, you are being ridiculous. Do you really think that everybody who is a great musician becomes sucesfull, sells 20million copies and gets shown on MTV.
Small bands??!!?? Sh*T! I think aiwiss(?) mentioned Dimmu Borigir, and I guess I don't like them , but are you sure they are small?
You are really ridiculous, man, I mean it. This post, is really the most stupid thing I have read on GT. REALY.

Well, I think I'll step in again in Axl's defense.

I'm not sure if this is necessarily the case with aiwass, but I have had some experience with people who are just like what Axl described. They never seem to like mainstream music, and are always listening to the newest indie band that you've never heard of and is "the best ever".

That attitude just drives me nuts. I mean, sure, maybe you'll find a band that no one has ever heard of and is pretty good, but I truly believe that most (and I stress most) bands that make it big do so on the basis of some amount of talent. Most indie bands are still indie for a reason; at least the few that I've heard.

Do you really think that there's a band out there that has yet to be "discovered" that is better than U2? Radiohead? The Beatles? Pink Floyd? Popularity and album sales sometimes do mark a successful career.