In my opinion, their best work
923172
Rammstein's second album, and their North American debut, Rammstein offered a powerful and morbid yet pleasant. Du Hast will always pump me up, with it's pulsing drums put forth by Christoph Schnieder, and haunting vocals by Till Lindgren (sp?). My favorite song on the Cd though would have to be Bestrafe Mich (Punish Me), it is the most epic sounding Rammstein song, and the tone in Till's vocals changes from angry to enraged to subtle and back to angry in the span of one verse, amazing. Pick this one up whether you're new to Rammstein or are missing this jewel from the crown that is your Rammstein collection.
2105994
This album (the last Roxy Music) was made at Compass Point studio, like Flesh and Blood, but it sounds more mature than that. I really like the singles (More than this, Avalon and Take a chance with me) and I think it's their best work. Very logical that the last album is the best, it should have been for every group/artist!!! This one grows quickly on you, but there are instant favourites and I mentioned them before...MASTERPIECE...
901737
I'm a relatively new Beatles fan, so I've been accumulating their albums one by one. I think that Abbey Road is their best and most startling production. Their early albums are the beginning of their development, so I'll focus on 1965-1970. Rubber Soul (1965) is, in my opinion, their second best album, as it is an understated transformation from mop tops to legendary songwriters. Drive My Car, The Word, and Michelle are classics. Revolver (1966) is #3 for me, a true accomplishment with songs like Eleanor Rigby and its open creativity. Still, not as cohesive as Rubber Soul. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) is a hard one for me. It's got some great songs (Title tracks, When I'm Sixty-Four, and A Day in the Life), but I just don't feel "it" throughout the album.
The White Album (1968) is another hard one, because it is primarily an individual showcase and therefore, I don't believe it should be considered for their best album as a group effort. Let it Be (1970), actually not their last album, is a fun and sort of disorganized collection of songs (Get Back and title song). Underrated, but still not their most complete effort. Finally, we come to Abbey Road, an inexplicably cohesive and exhilarating experience when you think about the fact that these guys didn't like each other at this point.
From the opening classic Come Together (ironically they did) to the string of fragmented wonders (Golden Slumbers,Carry That Weight, and The End) that showcase a level of harmony and energy that is not matched anywhere in the Beatles considerable repertoire, Abbey Road is a true music masterpiece. I don't know how they did it, but it's a testament to their ability as musicians and their love of music to pull off something like this with their personal conflict at its height. Bottom line, the Beatles are the greatest band in history, their albums all heads and shoulders above nearly everything that's come after them. It's impossible to pick a "best" without it being soley based on preference of a certain approach the Beatles took to a particular album because all the songs rock.
My pick: Abbey Road. Your pick: whichever one speaks to you.
4442378
To me, this is definitely the most 'sing-along' Beatles album (and everyone knows the words), but musically, they had better things in their catalog. I, for one, find a lack of coherency in the song transition here, and I really don't think this worked as a 'concept album' either. However, given its now legendary status and since it tops virtually every 'Greatest Albums Ever' List in existence, its hard to ignore the TIMELESSNESS of this album, because its more than 40 years and it still gets played at new venues and homes every single day.

You already know that theres not a weak track to be found here. My personal favorites are the more playful numbers such as "Lovely Rita" and "Getting Better". Every track is a classic, but whats really interesting is that there is virtually no coherency to the lyrics, nor any intellectualism behind any of these tracks. People tend to find 'deeper meaning' on all Beatles albums, but I like to just have fun with them. On the lighter moments here, this album soars.

The closer, "A Day in the Life" is supposed to be played on vinyl LP, in my opinion. My dad used to play this and it used to skip the last vocal notes interminably, which I found fascinating at the age of seven. On CD, this effect is obviously lost, and much of the charm was lost for me. Its associative, but still. Special mention must be made of the India-influenced "Within You, Without You". I guess we should all thank George Harrison for that one.

Any music fan needs to have this in their collection. It wasn't the Beatles at their best, but its certainly one of their most listenable albums as there is a lot of musical diversity. Ignore the hype and don't read too many reviews - judge the music on its' own merits alone, and you'll find new things to discover about it each time you listen to it.
3531056
One of my favorite bands of all time, this is probably their best album.
2478545
Okay, the last review I wrote for this album, in fact, this is my first double-post on the same album, was very much not in favor of it.  I only listened to it, and I didn't even finish it because I dismissed the songs as long and stupid and mediocre.  Well, here's the thing; they appear that way if you don't understand them.  I listened to the album a few more times, and I finally found the whole thing to be a powerful piece of work, and I kept on listening.
THe Pigs On the Wing songs are pretty good, not standouts, I'd say, but they're nice.
"Dogs" is an amazing one, it's 17 minutes long, but it's just so haunting and moving.  I think Floyd did a great job with this one.
"Pigs" is my favorite.  The vocal melody and the keyboard harmony just makes it a great piece.  I love this one.
"Sheep" is my least favorite because it just seems too desperate and forced to me, but it's a good one, especially the lyrics.
I think, lyrically, this is one of their best albums, song-wise it's not the best, but this album deserves more than the one star I gave it the first time and received a great deal of hate mail for.  But hey, if I had read that review knowing what i know now, I'd have sent me a hate mail... right, I'm going to go and figure out what the Hell I meant by that.
4886766
In my opinion, probably one of their best albums so far.  It is on the darker and heavier side of their work though.
294541
In my opinion, the best album they've ever made (and that's saying something).  If you are looking for a carbon-copy of Costello Music, then this will not be your favorite album.  The album continues the progression that The Fratellis have been steadily making with every new album, and this is by far my favorite of all of them (including Jon Fratelli's solo foray, Psycho Jukebox).  This album is so solid that it's hard to decide what to like most about it.  It has a variety of different styles it uses, and just feels more mature and finished than their earlier work.  If this album is any indication, the Fratellis simply get better with age, and I am quite eagerly anticipating their next release (which cannot come too soon).  Also, if you have the option, I highly recommend the version that has acoustic versions of several of the songs.  The acoustic versions are just as good as the regular, in their own unique way.  Can not recommend enough.  7/5 stars.
2158610
This is one of their best albums, if not their best. It shows their progression from the previous album. Track 2 is the best!
4944229
I dig The Roots a lot. I come from a jazz background and their sheer sound grabbed me from the first notes of "Do You Want More". The cool vibe, the jazz guests like Steve Coleman, and Questlove's sound behind the drum kit, coupled with solid MCs sold me on the group right away. That will probably always be my favorite album by them and for me represents the road not taken. Since that point they've sought to season their sound with some elements the mainstream can dig, while staying true to their mission as artists.

 People rating "Tipping Point" are coming at it in two ways. Is it the best thing coming out right now? Is it the best work the Roots can do?

 As far as stuff coming out right now, I think this is a really solid album. I like it better than Kanye West's album, although I do dig that too. I like it almost as much as Cee Lo's new album, and I listen to it almost as much as I do Speakerboxx/Love Below. On sheer sound, I'd put it in that company as one of the best hip-hop albums to come out this year. For me, "Don't Say Nuthin" is the weakest track on the album, and I'm saddened that's the single they're pushing out. "Guns Are Drawn" would have been a better cut with its chunky guitar lick, and its tight hook. But there's lots of solid tracks. "Web" followed by "Boom" is Black Thought spittin' fire and giving props to his elders. I also dig the two bonus tracks. The "Din Daa Daa" jam at the end gives a quick glimpse at how these guys can improvise and just flow when they set their mind to it. And I dig the Dave Chappelle cameo. Like I said, there's lots of good music here.

 When I think of the Roots, though, this is not the album that's going to jump into my player on a regular basis years from now. A key thing for me with the Roots was the idenity their albums had from including their broad crew. I miss Malik B a lot. I even miss Dice Raw. Especially miss Urusla Rucker's poetry and Scratch and Rahzel's human beat box stuff. And I miss Scott Scorch, the keyboardist who provided the liquid tones on "Do You Want More?" This is the Roots stripped down to their core, and I think this album loses classic status because of it. I do think this is probably better than "Phrenology". I saw them tour behind that, and the rock element left me shaking my head and waiting for me to get it used. I'm glad they're using classic soul in seeking to expand on their sound with Sly and the Family Stone samples like "Star".

 I'm going to give this one 4 stars. 4.5 stars if you put it up their with current hip-hop. 3.5 stars if you consider it as a Roots album. "Illadelph Halflife", "Do You Want More", and "Things Fall Apart" all top this by a bunch. But it's got a few new elements especially on "Star" and "Boom"/"Webs", and anyone who's been a fan of the group should check this out to keep tabs on one of the most creative units in hip-hop history.

 4 stars

 --SD
1158247
Someone else's idea of "best of" rarely matches your own but I can't complain.  It made me crack out the original CD's and give them a listen again.  That's probably the best side benefit.
2367962
The Classic Crime is my favorite, and for good reason. This album is overall very good, with songs like The Fight, The Coldest Heart, and The Poet being quite enjoyable. Then, there are they really great songs like Flight of Kings and We All Look Elsewhere (Make sure you listen to that song all the way, there 's a full verse-chorus-verse-chorus before it suddenly becomes fantastic). The band has a few nics to the polish, but the overall style is really great-- it's somewhat light-end but somehow with enough emotional power to make what would be a mediocre style its own strength (their 3rd CD showed where the style can come up short when it lacks the depth). The singer has a good voice, even if he has certain cracks and imperfections in his singing, his voice is perfect for the style.

But then there are two songs which suddenly make this one of the best albums ever. When I was first introduced to the band, I quickly latched onto Say the Word, and for good reason. The song packs such a huge amount of raw power and it's well polished to boot; it's easily my 4th favorite song-and I rank things obsessively.  I also noticed Headlights, but it didn't impress me too much.

Now I can't figure out why. Headlights... Headlights is a masterpiece of such unimaginable greatness I can't begin to describe it. It is the utter epitome of the "bittersweet" emotion, an emotion made so powerful by being a combination of both Happiness and Sorrow, the two most powerful emotions to begin with. And this song accentuates that feeling beautifully. It begins with more of a slow sad feel to it, but not the hopeless kind of sorrow (there are so many shades of sorrow) but rather the soft, weeping caress. Then it speeds up in the second chorus, but not in the RJA's "Your Guardian Angel" kind where a slow song morphs into a fast one (which was well done in that song) Rather, this is a subtle increase in speed and volume. The song is just so wonderfully complex, so heart-wrenching and incredible, with fantastic vocals to boot. His voice manages to be flawless for this song; a friend has told me he's electronically assited, and while I don't know the truth of this I can say it doesn't SOUND electronic at all, and that's ALL I care about. The song is easily, EASILY my favorite song.

So, with my 1st and 4th favorite song on one album and many other good pieces, Albatross becomes phenomenal.
1978141
Excellent work by this short live supergroup...
632446
There seems to be some dispute on the consistency of this album -- does it hang together enough to number among this fantastic band's best?  I say yes.  The songwriting here was exploring new directions and here we see the  Stones on their own terms, not stuck in the shadow of the Beatles.  I find  what some may deem inconsistencies merely new avenues, and though I am  bound to love "You Can't Always Get What You Want" best of all  (sentimental reasons), I think that the Stones have done some of their best  work on this album with interesting arrangements on "Gimme  Shelter," etc.  As for the country-fried sound on some tracks, I think  that, though they are not to my taste, they enhance the album as a whole,  and give this great piece some dimension.
A must for any collection.
2060702
Having listened to Petra for the better part of 25 years, I can't/won't say that this is their best album from a critical standpoint.  However, in terms of being able to simply hit "play" and listen all the way through with no breaks, yes: it is their best album.  No, it's not really a "rock" album - there are way too many keyboard and synth effects in the album.  However, as a complete and total album, it's easily one of their best albums ever.  In any case, it's my favorite hands down.
28877
'Document' is arguably R.E.M.'s best album.  That's a pretty bold statement, considering R.E.M. has had the best roll of studio albums of any group since the Beatles.  Now just like the latter, critics and fans could easily pick out 'Murmur,' 'Out of Time,' and 'Automatic for the People' as their magnum opus; however, there is at least enough evidence to put 'Document' at least among their top works.

It must be conceded that not all of the lyrics make sense.  However, it doesn't take too much scholarship to point out that the theme of reform is in every corner on every song.  (Notice, too, the image of fire is a major thread in several songs.)  There's the call to justice and equality on the opener "Finest Worksong".  With troubadour vocals and Peter Buck's blaring guitar, it is a majestic anthem.  Then, U.S. policy in South America is addressed in "Welcome to the "Occupation," a stirring protest with beautiful, intricate guitars and spare, poignant lyrics.  "Exhuming McCarthy" stirs up the smugness of the newly rich and arrogant.  With bright instrumentation, it is a perfectly pleasing piece of pop music.  Next, "Disturbance at the Heron House" gets confused, but it seems to speak about environmentalism, equality, and Darwinism in the same breath.  Shimmering musically, Michael Stipe's needling vocals zero in on the subject matter like few songs previously.  The variety is remarkable and the energy is laudable, but their next two numbers outdo both with "Strange," an honest caveat about dangerous drugs, and, especially, with "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".  The latter is played and sung like it's Armageddon.  The lyrics are presented like rap with a trajectory the genre usually lacks.  Bill Berry's drumming, Michael's annunciation, and Mike Mill's and Peter's playing come together synergistically for what has to be their all time best song.  The second half isn't a slouch either.  "The One I Love," their first top ten hit, is beautiful for its devotion, angst, and able guitar.  "Fireplace" continues the theme of reform with an able commentary about the church or state, or a similar organization.  The extended metaphor and the firey saxophone work together well in one their better written songs for this outing.  "Lightning Hopkins" continues the firey language and skilled musicianship, delivering a scathing sermon.  One of the most dramatic moments starts off slowly.  The truly eloquent "King of Birds," a beautiful, soaring song articulately speaks of a vision of flight from oppression.  Then, the fire of reform is also given some its most idiosyncratic treatment on the finale "Oddfellows 151," a stab at some decadent group or another.

The energy, variety, and concept all solidify 'Document'.  Also, the recent acquisition of producer Scott Litt enabled the band to reach heights not known previously.  What a trek they took from their brilliant debut 'Murmur' to this expert classic!  'Document' has to be one of the top ten albums of all time.
2225877
Snow Patrol put everything into Fallen Empires. In my opinion this is their best album to date. Gary has some of the best lyrics I've ever heard. I've been listening to them for 7 years now, since I was a teenager. I think Snow Patrol is underrated. The songs are very emotional, and you connect to them you can feel them ( New York, Lifening, etc. ) Gary's voice can just melt into your soul. Gary's lyrics are mastermind like, unique, very special, wonderful, beautiful. I love their music, and I hope they continue for many years to come. This is one of my favorite albums, not just of this year, of all time.