Bonus points if they're without peer in the same artist's discography.
Albums that sound like nothing else -
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The United States of America - The United States of America (Columbia Records, 1968 )
This is truly one of a kind. Arguably the earliest electronic rock album, there is no electric or acoustic guitar on any track, just a lineup of drums/bass/organ/electric viola/ring modulator synthesizer
The first cut "The American Metaphysical Circus", linked above, (which Portishead borrowed from (with acknowledgement) in their song "Half Day Closing") is a good taste of what this band had to offer. It kind of sounds like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on bella donna. The synth whirrs away, the bass and drums sound like they are inventing trip-hop 25 years early, the organ is as 60's psychedelic as you can get, Dorothy Moskowitz' vocals are cool, detached, distorted, the lyrics are disturbing in their imagery...
The second cut, "Hard Coming Love", really needs to be heard on LSD to get the full effect, but weed will do. (If you find any LSD, let me know...I haven't seen any in 20 years...) You think "A Day in the Life" has a mind-melting rush in it? Child's play; the rush in this song will rewire your synapses permanently. "The Cloud Song", which is based on Winnie the Pooh, is bliss for the first crest of your trip before "The Garden of Earthly Delights" takes you into a darker, more sinister psychedelia, and the rest follows like an acid trip's trajectory.
The politics are hard leftist, which is excusable in the 1960's. Other themes like S&M bubble under the surface. Charles Ives' Avant Garde marching bands are a big influence too.
The whole album is a great listen from start to finish, but really, ya gotta be trippin' to fully love it. It has to be one of the most radical albums ever issued on a major label.
The band's mastermind, Joseph Byrd, who assembled the band from UCLA students, released a few more electronic albums and eventually became a UCLA professor. The keyboardist, Ed Bogas, went on to score the X-rated animated films Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic and, conversely, replaced Vince Guaraldi as the pianist/composer for Peanuts TV specials after the latter's death. Dorothy Moskowitz turns up on one early 70's cut by Country Joe McDonald and contributed vocals to a segment on Sesame Street, but otherwise seems to have no recording legacy but this one album, on which she is great, The others vanished completely.
The band opened for the Velvet Underground for a few shows, but the tour went horribly, and the band's equipment kept malfunctioning. Lou Reed hated them.
I bought the original album on vinyl as a late-teen just getting into weed and mescaline back in the 80's, and it had a huge effect on me. It is still very close to my heart. The album tanked when it was released (I think it peaked at #200, the final slot on Billboard's album charts, for one week). It lay dormant and forgotten for decades until it was re-issued on Sundazed Records and got that shout-out from Portishead in the 90's. Now it is seen as the classic I always knew it to be...
Not for everyone, but I am confident that there are some Farmers here for whom this is right up their alley. Enjoy!
Full album playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb8Q4EHozjU&list=PL94gOvpr5yt0W0l2zPt7QFjxbdpBUI4bH
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Only organs, piano, crappy synths, and some drums. This album doesn't even have a bass, the low end is done with the Hammond pedals.
Similar to the above, but here we got some woodwinds as well.
I don't even know where to begin with this one. Everything is so bizarre.
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- #5
funnily enough, my contribution to this thread is an album from a member of one of the most popular rock acts in the world.
I've heard comparisons drawn to Captain Beefheart, and while I can hear it a bit, I have to say that this album exists entirely on its own and I've really never heard anything else like it. the first half of the album has more of the "conventional" songs on it, whereas the second album has an interesting array of Untitled works, and they range anywhere from sunny, bubbly bumpets of music to screeching madness. but, despite all of the strangeness and downright "bad" moments this album has, it nonetheless comes across as painstakingly authentic and unique and without peer.
I think the songs that really shine and bring out the character of this album would include My Smile is a Rifle, Big Takeover, Mascara, Untitled #6, Untitled #12, and Untitled #13. the album also includes contributions from River Phoenix in Soul Removal (alt; Height Down), before his untimely death by overdose outside the Viper Room, to which John was both present and (according to some social circles) entirely accountable for.
in this specific Deluxe version of the album, it looks like it also includes songs from his second album, Smiles from the Streets You Hold, which is a spiritual successor to the first album. it explores a lot of the characteristics that went into the first one and has its fair share of beautiful, scary, and downright ugly moments. the songs I would entirely recommend on that are Outside Space and Nigger Song. Outside Space is just a brilliant piece of music and Nigger Song is one of the strangest and scariest songs I've ever heard, and one of my favorites by him.
there are rumors that surround the downright eccentricity first album, claiming that it was recorded while sporting a heroin addiction, which was slowly gaining a foothold into his life. John claims that this is not true, but rather his second album was recorded entirely to fund his addictions. after the release of his second album, he fell further and further into his heroin addiction, culminating in a rather nasty house fire that claimed all of his guitars and a potentially lethal mouth infection that claimed all of his teeth.
shortly after, he checked into rehab and has been off of heroin ever since, gaining a rather spiritual outlook on life. some time after being released from rehab, he was asked to rejoin the Red Hot Chili Peppers and contributed to Californication, By the Way, and Stadium Arcadium, before leaving the band a second time. since his departure, John has released a few more of his conventional sounding records, before abandoning the guitar in favor of synthesizers ala Venetian Snares (a friend and brief band member) and has released slews of electronic music ever since, only rarely going back to guitar.
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This album sounds utterly cursed. Like there's something horrible going on beneath the surface.
I agree, and it's partly why I love it so much. no other album has quite given me the same feeling.
It's kind of comparable to Soundtracks for the Blind or Sadness Will Prevail in terms of length and the looming feeling of dread, but there's also an acoustic element that's difficult to liken to anything else. It sounds like the guy is recording it in his basement with a noose set up in front of him.
that's crazy that you mention that; I've had Soundtracks for the Blind waiting in the wings for a couple of years now since I know it's going to be intense. I'm just waiting for the right time and day to sit down with it.
You will not regret it. Probably my favorite album ever.
There's been spoken-word set to music before, but I can't think of anything quite like this album featuring my favorite degenerate author: William S. Burroughs.
W.S.B. & The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Spare Ass Annie
And then there's the first two albums by Throbbing Gristle; the second being the most unique & influential (imo).
Throbbing Gristle
W.S.B. & The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Spare Ass Annie
And then there's the first two albums by Throbbing Gristle; the second being the most unique & influential (imo).
Throbbing Gristle
Wes Borland's solo album was one of the weirdest albums I've ever heard.
www.youtube.com
I don't even know what to say about it. It was so weird.
Duke Lion Fights the Terror!!
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I don't even know what to say about it. It was so weird.
Mister Qwerty
kiwifarms.net
Karlheinz Stockhausen : Opus 1970. His tribute to Beethoven.
Sounds like a radio transceiver being haunted by the ghost of Beethoven through the airwaves.
Sounds like a radio transceiver being haunted by the ghost of Beethoven through the airwaves.
That's one of my all time favs, but I mean its standard ambient stuff. Space, made by KLf member Jimi and supposed to be the debut Orb album, is a bit similar to Chill Out.
You'll never hear them like this again. How times have changed (for the worse.)
Can: Future Days.
You can't even . Four channels, amazing over loops- modern music made in 1973.
sorry, link got omitted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxMB4Wk_y8
edit, If you like Can, try out The Boredoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdPCt5ZEf40&t=1287s
You can't even . Four channels, amazing over loops- modern music made in 1973.
sorry, link got omitted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQxMB4Wk_y8
edit, If you like Can, try out The Boredoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdPCt5ZEf40&t=1287s
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Mister Qwerty
kiwifarms.net
Moondog - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
YouTube
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