Greatest Post Punk Album
 

I recently got into an argument with a friend who claims Closer to be the great post punk album of all time.

I am a huge fan of Closer, definitely one of my favorites, but I dont know about it being the best.

My vote would probably have to go to The freshman Cocteau Twins release, Garlands. While Cocteau Twins are far more known for their dreampop, they began as one of the greatest post punk acts around. While the argument that this album is directly influenced by Closer stands strong, when actually judging the quality of an album, I don't thin influence should be such a big factor.

Besides Garlands, I also think that Psychocandy by Jesus and Mary Chain is capable of knocking Closer off of its throne, and if the Swans could be considered Post Punk, than they also have some albums that post a challenge.

Anyway, I made this thread to get your opinion. Which do you think is better of the two(If you have heard them both), and also, if neither of them, what album do you think deserves to be crowned king(or queen) of Post Punk?

Are we limiting ourselves to British post-punk?

P.I.L. - Metal Box

I win

No way. Its just mostly what I am familiar with.

Violent Femmes S/T is one of the better non-british post-punk albums. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth is one of the most influential alt rock albums ever made IMO.

I could go a lot of different routes here.

i don't either

i really never quite got the grips with all these post-(something) tags

post-rock, post-metal, post-hardcore - i don't find any underlying unifying sound or format

Well post-rock is the use of standard rock instrumentation to create more ambient, meandering, textural pieces.

Post-punk I think is less about a sound and more about an idea, so it's a broader blanket covering more dissimilar artists.

Post punk bands usually have attitude, or darkness, but a more accessible musical sound than punk.

Garlands is one of the greatest albums known to man!

Pere Ubu's 'modern dance'
Magazine's 'real life'
Gang of four's 'entertainment'
Rip rig and panic's 'God'
PIL's 'flowers of romances'
Killing Joke's self-titled
Simple Minds' 'reel to real cacophony'
The Fall's 'grotesque'
The Pop Group's 'Y'
Adam and the Ants' 'dirk wears white sox'

Post Punk is quite simply the bands that made music after 1978 who could actually play and/or conceptualise music but used the raw energy of Punk to give it focus.

Siouxsie and the Banshees debut The Scream is a brilliant example. It's not a Punk album but it's abrasive enough to be included yet it sounds nothing like the bands around the time. Gets my vote every time.

well, post-rock covers:-

Slint's Spiderland - which is more "mathy"
Talk Talk's last 2 albums - more jazzy/classical
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - lengthy prog-like pieces
Sigur Ros - eclectic and closer to "Shoegaze" or "dream-pop"

I vote for Unknown Pleasures

Wipers - Over the Edge by miles for me...has an amazing atmosphere and is consistent from start to finish.

Not in anyway the case. The only reason it might seem like this, is because post punk influenced bands are often called post punk when they are just alt rock. Look at Joy Division, early Cocteau Twins, Early Sonic Youth, Jesus and Marry Chain, Gang of Four, and Public Image ltd. They all have a stylistic similarity not shared by bands not considered post punk. It is as defined a style as punk rock itself, and many post punk acts crossover into new wave which is pretty much post punk + synth pop. This crossover is a large reason for the confusion I think.

New Wave was the major labels attempt at commercialising what was left of the punk influence.

Post punk was virtually the opposite of that, I don't see there's any crossover at all.

I take it you haven't listened to a This Heat album. Makes The Ramones sound like Cilla Black.

As for best album... Metal Box, Pink Flag or Jane From Occupied Europe, it depends on my mood.

Metal Box isn't that accessible, either

well, not on initial listens

"Flowers of Romance" was also pretty difficult to get into

My point was that, generally, post-punk isn't more accessible than punk. I wasn't going to sit there listing all the albums that make punk sound tame, I'd be at it for days.

I quite like Adam and the Ants's 'dirk wears white sox'.

And yes, that 'flowers of romance' is difficult, with a strong tribal dimension, just like many other albums of that time (KJ's 'fire dances', The Cure's 'Pornography', Virgin Prunes' 'a new form of beauty'...).

^ Dammit you beat me to it

Deceit is probably my number 1, maybe followed by Monkey Banana Kitchen

or idk maybe Entertainment! is the best

or "Real Life"

or **** my brain is melting

Yep second that, the Cramps first album isn't bad either.

Early Joy Division surely would come under that category, although I'm not sure about this being under the 'greatest' section

Fugazi really knocked it out...

I thought a house in the suburbs was all that was after punk...

Always loved Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth. Not suie if it's the greatest post-punk album but I'd place it among the best.

Minutemen : Double nickels on the dime. Maybe not the best,but surely one of the best.
http://www.shortwaverockin.com/wp-co...doublenick.jpg

I find it hard to pin down just what Post-Punk is, and by the sound of it, so do most other people. It's one of those things that you know when you hear. Personally, my favorite Post-Punk album is Substance 1977-1980 by Joy Division. I know it's a compilation album, and it has some of their very early work on it (which takes some warming to), but it excels at being both a compilation album and work of post-punk. It's danceable, and very 70s, unlike what post-punk has evolved into now.

I used to be into the Editors, and WAY big into Interpol, but it's very shallow music to me when it comes down to it.

Personally i find anything by the Misfits to be great, and they will always be one of my favorite bands. Best album - American Psycho


(i dont really care for the Micheal Graves Misfits, only the Danzig)

I'm confused. If you don't like the Michael Graves incarnation, why is your favorite Misfits album one of the ones with Michael Graves? :confused:

OH my god... i feel like a retard. My bad. I dont really care for the Micheal graves, but American Pshyco was good.. i totally thought that Micheal Graves wasnt in that album i thought he came into the scene after that.

Walk among Us is my fav with Danzig... I feel like a utter noob.....


I guess everyone has their day.

Thank for calling me out Janszoon. :)

Also why are you talking about Misfits in a post-punk thread?:bonkhead:

If y'all consider this Post Punk (not really familiar with the term) then my answer is:
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/50...Billy+Idol.png

Wire - Pink Flag

Top 5 for me maybe i think

Real Life by Magazine
This Heat by This Heat
Marquee Moon by Television
Unknown Pleasures by Joy Divison
Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies

Not sure if anyone else considers it post-punk, but Iggy Pop's first solo album (The Idiot) is worth a mention, IMO. Since the threadstarter mentioned Joy Division, it's ironic that when Ian Curtis's body was discovered, Iggy Pop's The Idiot LP was spinning on the record player.

The Idiot came out in early 1977 which is a bit too early to be post punk. In fact The Idiot came out a few months before the Sex Pistols released Never Mind the Bullocks. That would make The Idiot pre-punk by most people's standards.

The Sex Pistols imploded during their American tour in January 1978, which is generally considered to be the end of the punk era.

Thanks for the correction. For some reason I thought that album came out in '78.