A Letter From The Past: Greatest Albums of All Time – Episode One
By Lex Bunker
Graphics: Loop-media.uk
This is our new series! A tribute to history, a tracing back the origin! “A letter from the Past” has a mission to illuminate those who CARE! You’re about to embark on a great journey. You’ll find love, heartbreak, happiness, and sadness. You will be surprised from these intelligent productions, masterpieces, treasure to humanity and universal anthems from the greatest artist.
I was spending hours educating myself from where did all come from, by listening to tons of music from some great artists and bands.
So great, that made the greatest albums of all time!
Several questions continued bombarding my head, while I was travelling with my time machine to discover the roots of electronic music, to bring them back to the future. I want to share one question of the hundreds I had, and it will also define my criteria for selecting the greatest albums of all time.
What makes a great album?
A great album needs to have these criteria, in my opinion:
- Having good quality production
- Having timeless music
- The track order
- Telling a solid story
- Having a solid theme
- Having solid chords & harmonies
- Sometimes featuring great vocals with great lyrics
- Great instrument talent
- Great engineering
Great albums, can only be created by awoken artists, that can see the bigger picture!
They made a lasting impact and will continue to do so for years to come. Each of these records has a unique story that I will include in each of them. There are so many albums that could be considered the greatest of all time. It’s a topic that has been endlessly debated by music fans for decades.
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Ten Of The Greatest Albums of All Time, Vol.1
But if we had to choose just 10, which would they be?
Without further ado, here are what will be considered the “Greatest Albums of All Time” in episode one of this series of A Letter From the Past, curated and written by Lex Bunker.
- La Monte Young – Map Of 49’s Dream The Two Systems Of Eleven Sets Of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Light-Years Tracery
- Can – Future Days (1973)
- Amon Düül II – Yeti (1970)
- Pandit Pran Nath – Ragas Of Morning & Night (1986)
- Boards of Canada – The Half Awake Mix (1989)
- Hiroshi Yoshimura – Wet Land (1993)
- Flower Travellin’ Band – From Pussies To Death in 10,000 Years Of Freakout!
- Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4 (1981/1984)
- Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
- Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon
Now, if you are curious, like I am, then let me tell you a little story about each album while you listen. Follow me!
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A Letter From The Past: Greatest Albums of All Time | Episode One
La Monte Young – Map Of 49’s Dream The Two Systems Of Eleven Sets Of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Light-Years Tracery
La Monte Young is an American composer and musician who is best known for his contributions to the minimalist and experimental music genres. His work has been highly influential on subsequent generations of composers and musicians.
One of Young’s most notable pieces is Map of 49’s Dream The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Light-Years Tracery, which was composed in 1964.
The piece is a four-hour-long drone that is intended to be heard continuously. It is made up of a series of harmonic tones that are played in intervals of eleven seconds.
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Can – Future Days (1973)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. The band was initially composed of Irmin Schmidt, Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, and Jaki Liebezeit. In 1971, the group added American vocalist Malcolm Mooney.
The band is noted for its unusual approach to music composition and its pioneering use of sampling. Their albums are characterized by a wide range of styles, from minimalist electronica to psychedelic rock.
Future Days” is the band’s fourth studio album and was released on 24 May 1973. The album by the Krautrock band Can was released in 1973. It is considered to be one of the most influential albums in the Krautrock genre and has been cited as an influence by many modern artists.
The album is a departure from the band’s earlier, more experimental work, and features more melodic and accessible songs. The album was well-received by critics and reached number 12 on the UK album charts.
“Future Days” is a classic album that is still relevant today. It is a must-listen for everyone who loves real art.
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Amon Düül II – Yeti (1970) [Best Album of All Time?]
Amon Düül II was a German progressive rock band formed in Munich in 1967. The band was one of the pioneers of Krautrock, and their album Yeti is considered a classic of the genre. The core of the band was a group of students who met at an art school.
They took their name from a Hungarian painter, Amon Düül, and began playing improvised music. In early 1968 they recruited Chris Karrer, a classically trained violinist and viola player, who introduced them to the world of free jazz and psychedelic rock.
The album is an hour-long journey through psychedelic rock, with heavy bass and drums, distorted guitars, and trippy lyrics. It’s an experimental album that takes a lot of time to get into, but it’s well worth the effort. It is considered a landmark album in the Krautrock genre and most influential and important Krautrock bands.
The core of the band was a group of students who met at an art school. They took their name from a Hungarian painter, Amon Düül, and began playing improvised music. In early 1968 they recruited Chris Karrer, a classically trained violinist and viola player, who introduced them to the world of free jazz and psychedelic rock.
The band’s first album, entitled Phallus Dei, was released in 1969. It was a mixture of psychedelic rock and progressive rock and is considered a classic with heavy bass and drums, distorted guitars, and trippy lyrics. It’s an experimental album that takes a lot of time to get into, but it’s well worth the effort.
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Pandit Pran Nath – Ragas Of Morning & Night (1986)
Pran Nath is an Indian musician and a disciple of the Indian classical musician, Ali Akbar Khan. This album is a recording of a live concert in 1986.
His performance is deeply spiritual and meditative and his playing is very minimalistic, and he uses very little ornamentation.
The raga is the central focus of Indian classical music, and each raga has its unique melody, mood, and atmosphere.
The first half of the album is dedicated to Raga Bhairavi, a morning raga.
The second half of the album is dedicated to Raga Yaman, a night raga. The album is a journey through different emotions, a masterpiece of Indian classical music.
What’s your Best Album of All Time?
Let us know on our Instagram and we will feature it in our next episode of “A Letter from the Past!” Boards of Canada can be not missing from this list!
Boards of Canada – The Half Awake Mix (1989)
Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin.
The Half Awake Mix is a compilation of their music that was released in 1998. This mix is a great example of how to create a cohesive and evocative album.
The mix begins with a few minutes of ambient noise, with the song “Gyroscope” which sets the tone for the rest of the mix. It’s a slow, ambient song that is perfect for relaxation. The next few songs are similarly mellow and create a calming atmosphere. It starts to pick up around the halfway point with some more energetic songs. This provides a nice contrast and keeps the listener engaged.
There are a few tracks that are heavy on the bass, but most of the album is more mellow and atmospheric. The tracks are all slow and mellow, and they flow together perfectly.
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Hiroshi Yoshimura – Wet Land (1993)
Hiroshi Yoshimura (1914-1993) was a Japanese modernist composer and musician. He is considered one of the pioneers of electro-acoustic music and is best known for his album Music for Nine Postcards.
Born in Tokyo in 1914, Yoshimura began studying music at a young age. He developed an interest in new music and started experimenting with electronic instruments in the 1940s. In 1948, he founded the electronic music studio at the NHK Broadcasting Station, where he and his team produced some of the earliest works of electronic music in Japan.
Yoshimura’s album “Wet Land” was released in 1993 and is considered a classic of Japanese ambient music. The album was recorded in Yoshimura’s home studio near Mount Fuji, and its meditative and tranquil sounds reflect the natural surroundings.
Yoshimura’s music is often described as “minimalist,” and Wet Land is no exception.
The album contains only four tracks, two of which are over 20 minutes long. Wet Land is slow and relaxing listen, and its minimalism is a perfect match for the sounds of nature that it embodies. Hiroshi Yoshimura – Wet Land (1993)
Wet Land by Hiroshi Yoshimura is a masterpiece that epitomizes the beauty of simplicity. Yoshimura, who was an engineer by training, was able to create sonic landscapes that evoke a sense of tranquility and wonder. This album was created at a time when Japan was undergoing a period of great technological advancement, and Yoshimura’s music provides a refreshing contrast to the noise and chaos of city life.
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Flower Travellin’ Band – From Pussies To Death in 10,000 Years Of Freakout!
The Flower Travellin’ Band was a Japanese rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s after the break-up of two earlier bands, The Flowers and The Tempters. They made their debut later that year with the album Satori, which featured the lengthy title track, a 23-minute progressive rock epic. Their second album, Make Up
It was founded by Yuya Uchida (vocals, guitar), Hideki Ishima (bass), and Hiroshi “Pete” Matsumoto (drums). In 1969, the group added lead guitarist Akira Fuse and Keiichi Suzuki (violin, keyboards, vocals) and recorded their eponymous debut album. The group is principally known for its heavy psychedelic and progressive rock music. Guitarist Hideki Ishima and bassist Tetsuya “Tet” Matsuda were the main songwriters for the band.
“From Pussies To Death in 10,000 Years Of Freakout!” is a masterpiece of art!
Not convinced? Check out yourself!
Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4 (1981/1984)
“One of the most important recordings in the history of electronic music”
The title track, “E2-E4”, is a long, slowly evolving piece of electronic music. It was recorded in 1981 and first released in 1984 by Manuel Göttsching of the German electronic music group Ash Ra Tempel.
This is a 54-minute ambient electronic masterpiece that was ahead of its time, and has been sampled by many electronic artists over the years.
The album is considered a classic of electronic music. It has been described as “one of the most important recordings in the history of electronic music”. In a retrospective review, AllMusic called it:
“A landmark album that still sounds fresh and innovative”.
Reminder: Don’t forget to check out our interviews!
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) [Greatest Albums of All Time?]
An album by the British rock band Pink Floyd. It is one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums of all time. The album was an immediate success, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Dark Side of the Moon has been praised by critics for its sonic textures and psychological themes. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time, and has been certified a dozen times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for a total of 741 weeks between 1973 and 1988 and has since been certified 14 times platinum by the RIAA. In 2003, it was ranked number 43 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album’s lyrics were written by Roger Waters, who also served as its principal songwriter. Waters drew inspiration for the album’s themes from various personal sources, including the death of his father and the break-up of his first marriage.
While the album’s lyrics explore a variety of personal topics, its music is largely driven by the band’s fascination with space and its effects on the human mind.
The Dark Side of the Moon is notable for its use of sound effects and synthesisers.
Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon
“A very lazy kind of album… “
-Brian Eno
Thursday Afternoon is a four-track ambient music album by Brian Eno, released in 1985. The tracks were recorded at the same time as the albums My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and The Shutov Assembly.
Thursday Afternoon is a 14-minute ambient music composition. It was created by Eno as “a soundtrack to an imaginary film.” He has said that he wanted it to be “a very lazy kind of album… I wanted to make an album that you could put on and think ‘oh, I’ll just have this on in the background while I’m doing some other work.'”
The album version of Thursday Afternoon features a different recording of the piece with added effects and a longer introduction. The track has been used in various contexts, including as the backdrop to a video installation by artist Peter Campus, and as the opening music for the final episode of a British television series and was commissioned by BBC Radio 1 for a news program.
Greatest Albums of All Time: A Letter From The Past – Conclusion
This article looked at the list of the greatest albums of all time. We would love to hear your suggestions for future episodes of “The Greatest Albums of All Time: A Letter From the Past” on Underground Talent’s Instagram.
And Always Remember…
Have Fun & Be Creative!
