Best All-Encompassing Post-Punk Album?
 

Seeing as post-punk is a pretty derivative genre, many of the artists share similar influences and most borrowed heavily from each other's work throughout the late 70s to early 80s, which album would you say encompasses every sound in the genre the best?

If I had to put one forward, I would go with Stands for Decibels by The dB's. Certainly not the best post-punk album (on the lighter side too), but it does run the gamut from Talking Heads to Psych Rock redux to Joy Division to No Wave to foreshadowing alternative rock of the 90s. IMO, the diversity of the tracks while still managing to stay firmly in the post-punk camp is quite an achievement and helps it to stand the test of time. If I had to make a "get into post-punk fast" chart, I'd give them this one to listen to first.

Pick an album by The Fall and it's the correct answer.

Bauhaus album 'x'

Middle Class - Homeland
When I listen to the album there are a bunch of little things here and there that remind me of Gang of Four, Joy Division, R.E.M. Modern English, PiL, Pylon and some of the newer Post-Punk revival stuff as well.

It's all about Pylon in my worldiverse

The Fall are too good for this ****.

Maybe "We Are All Sluts of Trust?"

Pretty much this, or more specifically, In the Flat Field.

Isn't that too early and too good to be in the trying to do a little of everything category?

I was just shooting for best all-around post-punk album.

I remember a lot of my friends raving about that record.

I'm listening to it now.

My line of thought is if you try to do everything you end up doing not much of anything.

I relistened to that Bauhaus record and read up on Peter Murphy. It's very good. Pioneering and all that but not "all encompassing". Or maybe I'm being too literal.

I get where you're coming from and it's kind of why I haven't answered this thread yet--I wouldnt know where to begin. All encompassing isn't always the same as best or else the answer to this would be a lot easier. I imagine it would be a modern band, since they've had all the time for those influences to come together and be extrapolated on. On top of the fact that post punk reaches into so many directions, it's very likely that the all encompassing post punk album could be diluted by trying to fit them all in.

"Post-punk" is one of those super broad concepts that has never been defined overly succinctly, as is the case with pretty much any genre describer with the word "post" in it. As such, I'm not overly sure what constitutes "post-punk". Does Elvis Costello count? If so My Aim is True and Get Happy. I'd also say First Issue and Flowers of Romance by PiL and both the Television albums.