Top 5's - a game

Honestly, I like Seventh Star more than any of the Martin albums...but here ya go...

1. The Eternal Idol
2. TYR
3. Headless Cross
4. Cross Purposes
5. Forbidden

Those late two could really swap places depending on my mood, I consider them to be the worst albums with the name "Black Sabbath" stamped on them regardless of lineup.

I don't know if this one's been done or not, but hows about...

Steely Dan

As always, this is interchangeable depending on when you ask me.

1. Katy Lied
2. Pretzel Logic
3. Can't Buy a Thrill
4. The Royal Scam
5. Aja

Metal-On-Metal wrote:

I don't know if this one's been done or not, but hows about...

Steely Dan

As always, this is interchangeable depending on when you ask me.

1. Katy Lied
2. Pretzel Logic
3. Can't Buy a Thrill
4. The Royal Scam
5. Aja

My #1 is always the same but the rest change somewhat and Aja will never make my top 5.

1. Can't Buy A Thrill
2. Katy Lied
3. Pretzel Logic
4. The Royal Scvam
5. Gaucho

I enjoy every classic Dan album, but I prefer Aja to Gaucho. Katy Lied is pretty secure in the number one spot, with Pretzel Logic in number two. The rest is almost always a different lineup.

I like 'em all too and I think the last time we did a Dan 5 "Scam" was my #2.

Dislike for Aja I find quite surprising, I think it's the best jazz/rock/pop hybrid album in history.

It's not dislike on my part at all and I agree it's the best Jazz/Rock/Pop hybrid in history in the sense that they all meshed so perfectly on Aja but still pales IMHO. Oddly enough "Peg" got me into Dan and I still love that song and most f the time that's the only song on Aja I listen to. Michael McDonald always did great bgv's for Steely Dan. I do think Aja is a good album but I can't seem to listen to it all in one sitting for the most part.

Akeldama wrote:

It's not dislike on my part at all and I agree it's the best Jazz/Rock/Pop hybrid in history in the sense that they all meshed so perfectly on Aja but still pales IMHO. Oddly enough "Peg" got me into Dan and I still love that song and most f the time that's the only song on Aja I listen to. Michael McDonald always did great bgv's for Steely Dan. I do think Aja is a good album but I can't seem to listen to it all in one sitting for the most part.

Aside from the title track my favorites on that album are Josie (one of the funkiest tracks in their catalog) and Home At Last which is just perfect I think. Love that entire album.

Not really sure how I'd rank their albums, honestly I like them all about equally, depends on my mood.

As a guitarist I think the one big reason I like the earlier albums better is b/c the guitarts were more prominent. All their guitarists, Dias, etc were phenomenal and totally unpretentious. They had an uncanny knack for knowing when NOT to play which I really look for.

Steely Dan

1. Countdown To Ecstasy
2. The Royal Scam
3. Aja
4. Everything Must Go
5. Can't Buy A Thrill

Other than the first two, it's not really in any order. The only Dan albums I'm not crazy about are Two Against Nature and Pretzel Logic, and even both of those have their moments.

Akeldama wrote:

Ha! I was thinking about my top 5 just a few minutes ago...

1. Dehumanizer
2. Mob Rules
3. Heaven And Hell
4. Master Of Reality
5. Vol. 4

1. Dehumanizer
2. Mob Rules
3. Heaven And Hell
4. The Devil You Know
5. Master Of Reality

I much prefer the Ozzy albums (musically), love the Dio stuff, but I don't think any of them would make my top 5...maybe Heaven and Hell.

I try not to compare the two eras, they are so different stylistically that it's almost a completely different band.

I agree with that, I will say though the rhythm section of Geezer and Bill during the Ozzy years was the best that Rock/Metal has to offer.

Akeldama wrote:

I agree with that, I will say though the rhythm section of Geezer and Bill during the Ozzy years was the best that Rock/Metal has to offer.

Bill's presence on Heaven And Hell is one of the reasons I think that album is the best of the Dio years.

SABBATH TOP 5:

1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
2. Mob Rules
3. Vol. 4
4. Master of Reality
5. Black Sabbath

Besides number 1, this is a very flexible list.

1. Black Sabbath
2. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
3. Master Of Reality
4. Paranoid
5. Vol. 4 / Sabotage (tie) - I honestly can't choose between these.

Paranoid has to be on the list, I taught myself how to play guitar to that album*.

* well that's only partially true, it was one of the primary albums I taught myself guitar to. The others were Led Zeppelin II, Rush (s/t), Kill 'Em All, If You Want Blood You've Got it and British Steel.

1. Master Of Reality
2. Black Sabbath
3. Paranoid
4. Heaven And Hell
5. The Devil You Know (eat me, it counts)

The Devil You Know made my list as well @ #4.

I really like The Devil You Know, thought it was a very good record and a classy finale for Dio.

I would rank it 3rd among the Dio albums behind Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules.

I'll have to think about where I'd rank Born Again amongst all this stuff, I think it's a fantastic album and it has that Iommi/Butler/Ward lineup that is so magical.

Born Again is great but still beneath the Dio and Ozzy stuff...

I don't know if this one's been done, but:

MARILLION TOP 5:

1. Brave
2. Script for a Jester's Tear
3. Season's End
4. Afraid of Sunlight
5. Fugazi

As you can tell, I'm more of a Hogarth fan than a Fish fan. I like both eras of the band, though.

MARILLION TOP 5:

1. Clutching At Straws
2. Fugazi
3. Script for a Jester's Tear
4. Misplaced Childhood
5. Seasons End


I'm the other way around, though I do like both versions of the band as well. I would rate Radiation and Somewhere Else as the weakest releases that I have so far. I haven't bought the new one yet.

1. Script For A Jester's Tear
2. Clutching At Straws
3. Fugazi
4. Misplaced Childhood
5. Anoraknophobia