I love music and I have consumed a lot of it during my time on earth. But today, I want to talk about my favorite “no-skip” albums. Now by definition, a no skip album is exactly what it sounds like. An album that from start to finish, has no songs that fall short, feel like filler or, songs that you would… Skip. While this list is numbered, these albums are in no particular order. I love these albums all mostly equally (Except for number one, that album stands on its own). There’s no distinct theme to all of these albums except for the fact that I think they’re perfect from start to finish. Now enough rambling, onto the list.
Jackson C. Frank by Jackson C. Frank.
I’m putting this album first for a reason. This was the only studio album by Jackson C. Frank and it was produced by Paul Simon. This album is perfect. It’s the perfect soundtrack for small, farm town living. With an opening track like Blues Runs the Game, Frank cements himself as a strong singer and lyricist. He uses his lyrics to masterfully paint scenes and create vivid pictures of his environments. He has a unique voice and one that is insanely underappreciated. Songs off this album have managed to make their way into modern media like My Name Is Carnival, Marcy’s Song and as mentioned, Blues Run The Game. I have never heard a man that can make a guitar sing like Frank does. I’ve managed to have him as my top listened to artist two years in a row because no matter what, no matter my mood or the weather, this album has followed me. I own this album on vinyl and I often sit through the entire album. The remastered version of the album (which includes 5 extra tracks) clocks in at 55 minutes and it’s worth the entire runtime. My favorite tracks off this album are Marcy’s Song, Kimbie and Milk and Honey.
Let It Be by The Replacements
I love this album. This album, much like above, is perfect. The Replacements manage to capture everything I want in an album. Rock music, a piano piece, a lament about being a teenager and even a track about difficulties with communication. It’s literally me in an album. I found this album through the opening track, I Will Dare, an upbeat, toe-tappingly good song that has a bit of a country feel to it and I’m not complaining. This album starts strong and doesn’t lose momentum. It’s got that signature punk feeling of The Replacements but much more polished and complete. Androgynous is a soulful piano piece beyond it’s time talking about societal norms and gender roles that honestly still holds up today, lead singer Paul Westerberg’s songwriting shines here. Sixteen Blue, the teenhood lament that reminds me of when I was a teenager, moping in my room and the guitar solo from Bob Stinson feels confused, much like the hypothetical teenager in the song which makes the solo work even more. The closing track, Answering Machine is about difficulties connecting to people and communicating and it’s done in a way that highlights isolation and feeling like an outsider. This album is perfect. It hits in all the right places and is one of the best punk rock albums in existence. My favorite tracks off this album are I Will Dare, Andrognyous and Sixteen Blue.
Speaking In Tongues by Talking Heads.
Talking Heads is a band that was always on my radar. I knew about them, I heard the jokes but I had never actually sat down and listened to them. Until I heard This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody). Everyone has the song that made them the fan of a band and This Must Be The Place was that song. It’s upbeat, fun, catchy, the lyrics are simple and memorable and it led me to Speaking In Tongues. Speaking In Tongues is a quintessential New Wave album and with good reason. From Burning Down The House starting off the album with a bang to tracks like the slimey feeling Swamp and the more funk inspired Girlfriend Is Better, it’s an insanely well rounded album. Girlfriend Is Better had a lyric that went on to title Talking Heads’ concert film Stop Making Sense. And really, ending off the album with This Must Be The Place, an uplifting and hopeful feeling song feels perfect. My favorite tracks off this album are This Must Be The Place, Girlfriend Is Better and Slippery People.
What Do You Think About the Car? by Declan McKenna.
I found this album literally as I started writing this. I’m a huge fan of the track Brazil by Declan McKenna and as a result, I decided to check out the album. What Do You Think About the Car? is McKenna’s first album and for a young artist, it’s impactful. He shows promise with this album. It’s indie rock at it’s finest. Declan McKenna is an amazing songwriter and he takes heavy subjects and makes them sound deceptively happy. With tracks like Brazil being about poverty and corruption in the titular country but complemented by guitar and McKenna’s powerful voice. Or Paracetemol, a song about the media’s treatment of transgender suicide with a soft electronic backtrack and simple drums, devolving as the song goes on. McKenna’s songwriting shines on this album. This album is filled with powerful imagery, promise and it makes me excited for what Declan McKenna will come up with next. It’s definitely one of my top favorites. My favorite tracks off this album are Brazil, Paracetamol and Isombard.
Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
This album destroyed me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sufjan Stevens is an accomplished and highly revered artist and with good reason. His music carries weight and depth and tells stories. Carrie & Lowell is no different. Written about his mother who passed away in 2012, this album was a way for Stevens to grieve his mother’s death and make something absolutely beautiful from it. The songs on this album hurt. They have left me sobbing and reaching for the tissues but that just shows how much impact they have. The journey of grief and mourning that this album goes through hits hard and I love it.With songs like Fourth of July, he sings about a conversation with his mother in the hospital as each stanza alternates between him and his mother, the imagery and references to birds all meld together for an emotional roller coaster that ultimately, despite being about grief, end up aiding in the healing process. My favorite tracks off this album are John My Beloved, Fourth of July and Drawn to the Blood.
The Wall by Pink Floyd.
I love this album. This was my first classic rock album that I ever heard. I spent my entire childhood with my parents referencing “If you don’t eat yer meat, how can you have any pudding” and I didn’t learn about it until years later. This was my favorite album and the only thing I listened to for two months straight. This album is a perfect example of a no skip. The entire album flows from track to track and tells a STORY. This album is, in my opinion, Pink Floyd’s best work. The movie that later came out is an amazing accompaniment but the album stands amazingly on its own. Each track stands amazingly on its own but once you’ve heard this album in one sitting, you can’t go back. My Favorite tracks off this album are The Trial, Hey You and One Of My Turns.
Exmilitary by Death Grips.
We have another debut album, this time from rap group Death Grips. I love Death Grips. They’re insane. The music is awful and they’re one of my favorite artists. Exmilitary is probably their most accessible and listenable album though. They use a lot of samples throughout this album and the flow is amazing. This album has some of their best hits and in my opinion, some of their best work. MC Ride’s lyrics are questionable in theme but the delivery and rhythm just scratches a spot in my brain. This album isn’t for everyone. It’s loud, it’s rough and a lot of it is just screaming. But I love this album. It’s a strong debut and each song is in its rightful place. My favorite tracks off this album are Spread Eagle Across The Block, Lord Of The Game and Takyon (Death Yon).
In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson.
This album is a prog-rock legend and rightfully so. King Crimson’s debut album knocks it out of the park and is arguably one of the strongest debut albums from a band. Are you going to find radio hits? Light hearted sing along tracks? Absolutely not. This album has 10 minute long tracks. It’s insane and some of it? Isn’t even “real” music. There are chunks that are filled with ambient noise and triangle sounds. This album feels like it would be right at home in a fantasy film. It’s haunting at points with tracks like Moonchild and In The Court Of The Crimson King but then turns around and presents the rock/jazz masterpiece 21st Century Schizoid Man. It’s an impactful album and definitely not to be skipped. My favorite tracks off this album are 21st Century Schizoid Man, Moonchild and In The Court Of The Crimson King.
Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino by Arctic Monkeys.
Now, I’ll admit. I hated this album when it first came out. I was a fan of AM era Arctic Monkeys so when they came out with this weird lounge pop album, I hated it. But, I gave it a second chance. Four Out of Five, a hotel review in a song is smooth and jazzy and the lyrics while as described, a review, are enjoyable and it has a comfortable rhythm. There’s less singing and more spoken word to it but it’s a different feeling from their other albums. It’s definitely not mainstream and it’s a completely different genre but I think that it works. The lyrical themes on this album center around a fictional hotel on the moon and it makes no sense. But who cares! Alex Turner is a great singer and I enjoy this album. My favorite tracks off this album are The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip, Four Out of Five and Golden Trunks.