I'd really like to learn about some of the albums you consider perfect, Frownland. Don't expect you to post the 100, of course, but if you can list just a few, I'd be very interested in listening to them. My criteria are more flexible than they may appear -- I was just sticking up a bit for The Beatles here. :)

Totally agree, especially with the bolded.

:clap:

I consider Billy Joel's The Nylon Curtain, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, and Panda Bear's Person Pitch perfect albums, as well.

The "perfect" albums aren't necessarily my favourites by the groups, however.

Great pick! Love that record from start to finish. (And yet, one could say it's overly derivative of The Beach Boys, leading some to judging it as "imperfect".)

Same for me. There is often beauty in imperfection. Beauty in the ugliness, and ugliness in the beauty, as someone once wrote about the Velvet Underground's music.

I'll make a quick list with several genres. Here goes:

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica (obv)
John Cage - A String Quartet In Four Parts
Billy Woods - History Will Absolve Me
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
The Residents - Duck Stab!
Gang of Four - Entertainment!
John Coltrane - Sun Ship
Kevin Coyne - Marjory Razorblade
Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante

That's kind of the idea that I was going for. An album that serves all of the purposes that it intends to do is what qualifies as a perfect album for me, so long as it sounds good. I listen to a lot of dissonant music so they may not fall under what would be "perfect" for a pop record, but the style fits so cleanly into the group's sound that it can't be anything but perfect for me.

If it wasn't for 'Silver' Dolittle would be perfect. :p:

I agree on Pet sounds being perfect.
That album actually helped me in my personal life and i love every song from it.

Thanks, Frownland. I've heard Trout Mask Replica, The Shape of Jazz to Come, and Sun Ship and love and revere all three of those albums. Looking forward to the rest, as I do respect your musical knowledge very much. I tend to like the interplay of dissonance with more fluid sounds, and I bet I'll find some of that on those albums. Thanks again for sharing your list, I appreciate it.

I'm kind of on board Pet Sounds being perfect. There's something so organic and honest and beautiful about the sound on the album across the board, from the jangly guitar to the amazing harmonies to the interesting and earthy percussion, which all forms together into a great stint of pop-psychedelia. Top song-writing too. It's daring and exciting whilst also being very crisp and smooth in its delivery, which is a difficult line to tread.

Still prefer Revolver though!

You just wrote a perfect description. ;) Very well stated and I agree in every respect.

You just became even more perfect! :)

^ I agree but then i have the issue of an album like SMiLE, especially coupled with Pet Sounds, where just those two alone could do as much or more than as great of output as the Beatles have, regardless of their other releases.

Oh, this was in response to Black Francis' consistency > perfection statement