It is not very often in this day and age, that people will sit down and listen to a whole album. I believe that this mostly affects the younger generations, but is also caused by the prevalence of streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. An album is a collection or compilation of songs by an artist, or band, that summarizes single releases. Occasionally you will come across a concept album - this is where the entire thing is designed as one whole piece of work. Typically, I find that albums are a collection of works as stated previously.
I thought it would be a good idea to present a few of my favorite albums, and ones that I think work great when listened to as a whole - even if each song stands strongly on its own. I have not chosen any specific concept albums.
In the interest of fairness, I have kept the genres broad so there is bound to be something for everyone! I should also point out that, whilst I have these albums on a CD… somewhere… they are still available on all streaming services.
Let us get stuck in!
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Many of the songs on this album appear to seamlessly flow into each, but stand strong on their own, too! It was John Petrucci’s guitar tone on ‘Pull Me Under’ that made me want to try a Mesa Boogie amplifier, specifically one of the ‘Mark’ series amps - oh how I wish I still had it!
With an influx of technical wizardry on social media over the course of at least the last decade, there are countless songs, EPs and albums that focus too much on showing off and not on songwriting. I do not mean to say that any new albums are bad, but this 1992 release perfectly combines a mastery of the instrument with brilliant songwriting.
This is my favorite song from the album:
Pull Me Under
Just listen to that chunky riff - you cannot help but pull a guitar face when you hear or play it! There are some monstrous guitar runs in there, but I especially like how the song builds into the heaviness; you do not get hit in the face with distortion from the beginning!
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient
Devin Townsend has been involved with many projects in his career, both with a band, serving under someone or, most commonly, fronting his own group with solo material. ‘Ziltoid the Omniscient’ is as close to a concept album as you will find on this list, and is about an all-powerful alien overlord, Ziltoid, that threatens humanity unless he gets the ultimate cup of coffee in five minutes - what a ride!
I recommend this album because it perfectly mixes humor, a comic like sense of adventure and phenomenal musicians from all involved. Each time that I have listened to this album all the way through, I can not tell if it is because the music is so great, or I want to hear what else is happening in the overarching story.
ZTO
This short tune, just over a minute long in total, sets the scene for the rest of the album. There are operatic vocal parts as well as growling ones, spoken words from the character Ziltoid himself and a few atmospheric instruments sprinkled in also. Check it out!
Paul Armfield - Songs Without Words
Paul Armfield is a singer and songwriter from the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom - the place where I grew up and did my initial studies before university. There are many reasons someone could be labeled a master songwriter, and here are some reasons why I think Armfield fits that bill:
The songs each create an emotional connection between the writer and the listener - equals parts important message and easy listening,
There is no over complication - everything is at it should be,
Each song has variations in the instruments used but it does not feel too jumbled.
Where I think Paul Armfield really shines is his exemplary creation of lyrical content - this must come from years of managing a popular book store and traveling Europe performing his songs.
It also goes without saying that he has a great beard, which is possibly the source of all his power.
Trigonometry
This has to be one of my favorite songs of all time. There are no blistering solos or spine-busting riffs, only brilliant arranging, a tasteful organ solo and world class lyrics. There was a story on the Isle of Wight concerning the creation of this song - apparently, someone had heard Armfield was a songwriter of the highest possible order and perhaps did not believe it. Therefore, they challenged them to write a song using the word ‘trigonometry’. Not only did this masterpiece come as a result of that, but he went above and beyond, not only including the word in the song as challenged, but making it the title too!
Guthrie Govan - Erotic Cakes
I have spoken about Guthrie Govan more than I care to imagine, and his accolade of being perhaps the best guitar player alive is well and truly deserved. I will not discuss him too much, though - check out this blog post I wrote about him instead.
‘Erotic Cakes’ was Govan’s first solo release and is a favorite album of both mine and many of the teachers here at the American Guitar Academy. The most famous track on the album, ‘Waves’, was written when he was sixteen and one of the trickiest songs I have ever learned - try it if you dare! Each song has merits of its own and is unmistakably Guthrie, however, there are distinct influences throughout that are a testament to his versatility.
I recommend the song ‘Eric’ - there are strong motifs throughout the song which give a lyrical or vocal feel, but I really enjoy the counterpoint between the different guitar parts towards the end - a true masterclass in arranging for guitar.
Eric
Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue
Sometimes, the music of Allan Holdsworth can divide opinion quite severely. Whilst most, if not all, people can appreciate the technical ability displayed, Holdsworth used such a unique and homegrown approach to harmony and melody that it sometimes came across as jarring to the uninitiated. As much as I love his music and respect the memory of this great man, I will admit that his music can be an acquired taste.
This album holds a special place for me, though for quite a silly reason, at least in retrospect. A few years ago I had purchased a new car and whilst waiting for the equipment to allow me to play music from my phone, I discovered I could load an album onto a USB stick and play it from there. The only memory stick I had spare was relatively small in capacity, but just big enough for one of the few albums I had access to on my computer. The next few weeks I basically listened to this album on repeat!
For a standout song, I would have to choose ‘Devil Take the Hindmost’. The dirty and clean tones are sublime, the bass and drums work perfectly with Holdsworth’s style of playing and the solo… well I think you should just listen to it and see for yourself. I cannot help but sing the entire solo when I hear it, much to my wife’s annoyance!
Devil Take the Hindmost
Make sure you skip to 1:34 to just hear the solo, but it is so much more effective when everything is put together!
Final Thoughts
Listen to each of these albums, try and listen to the whole thing but, at a bare minimum, you should listen to the five tracks I have picked from each album. You might discover something new that you really enjoy, or you may really dislike it, which affords you the opportunity to analyze it and find out why.
Sometimes I listen to these albums whilst doing household chores, writing blog posts or lesson plans etc. There is still something in each of them that quickly grabs my attention - a sure sign of a great album if there ever was one!
Maybe you could ask your teacher for their album recommendations in your next lesson. All of the teachers at the American Guitar Academy are a font of knowledge and could easily recommend something great!
Alex
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