A bit of an expiriment, but which of these is (one of) the greatest album of all-time?


Led Zeppelin: IV


Nas: Illmatic

.........................!

Well it's just that both albums are often hailed as the "greatest album of all-time." I wanna see if anybody here actually thinks that.

[NcroManiac]

Neither, but Led Zeppelin rocks!

[RLacey]

I've never even heard of Nas .

Well, on every copy of Illmatic, there's a huge sticker that reads

"THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL-TIME"

[NcroManiac]

Originally Posted by RLacey

I've never even heard of Nas .

He's been called the Spike Lee of hip-hop. Not my cup of tea, but hardcore Hip-hop enthusiasts seem to worship his first album.

To be fair, it probably is the best hip-hop album ever, but I don't know about anything bigger than that.

[NcroManiac]

I'm more into trip hop anyhow....

Forgot the hyphen.

[Melanie68]

Spent my days with a woman unkind,
Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine.
Made up my mind to make a new start,
Going to california with an aching in my heart.
Someone told me there’s a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.
Took my chances on a big jet plane,
Never let them tell you that they’re all the same.
The sea was red and the sky was grey,
Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today.
The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake
As the children of the sun began to awake.
Seems that the wrath of the gods
Got a punch on the nose and it started to flow;
I think I might be sinking.
Throw me a line if I reach it in time
I’ll meet you up there where the path
Runs straight and high.
To find a queen without a king;
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings.
La la la la
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin’ to find a woman who’s never, never, never been born.
Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,
Telling myself it’s not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

I love that song...

[lumi]

I haven't heard either album, and I'm not really a fan of either artist. If pressed I'm guessing I'd go with Nas.

[colpet]

Besides the fact that I don't recognise the second choice, I'd still pick Led Zep. It has stood the test of time. Scary to think that I was 14 or so when it was released. I still enjoy it over 30 years later, and am somewhat surprised to see that the younger crowd here even knows about it.

[colpet]

Just saw your post, Melanie. Excellent song. In fact there really isn't a bad tune on the whole album. My fave is Battle of Evermore.
Anyone else here remember Stairway to Heaven always being the last slow song of the dance?

[NcroManiac]

Queen of light took her bow
And then she turned to go,
The prince of peace embraced the gloom
And walked the night alone.
Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morn - ing light.
The dark lord rides in force tonight
And time will tell us all.
Oh, throw down your plow and hoe,
Rest not to lock your homes.
Side by side we wait the might
Of the darkest of them all.
I hear the horses’ thunder
Down in the valley blow,
I’m waiting for the angels of avalon,
Waiting for the eastern glow.
The apples of the valley hold,
The seas of happiness,
The ground is rich from tender care,
Repay, do not forget, no, no.
Oh,-------dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The apples turn to brown and black, the tyrant’s face is red.
Oh the war is common cry, pick up you swords and fly.
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know.
Oh, well, the night is long, the beads of time pass slow,
Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.
The pain of war cannot exceed
The woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall,
The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on.
Sing as you raise your bow,
Shoot straighter than before.
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold.
Oh dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the mornin’ light.
The magic runes are writ in gold
To bring the balance back, bring it back.
At last the sun is shining, the clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness
The sunlight blinds his eyes....

I love that song, it always reminds my of Portugal were I bought my first Led Zeppelin album.
Definitely one of their best.

[colpet]

^^^^^

Love the new avatar Melanie68

[Huz]

Led Zeppelin IV is clearly not the best album of all time, because Led Zeppelin III is better.

Fact!

Stairway to Heaven is great though. Especially the Rolf Harris cover

[Sage]

Originally Posted by SamNMax

Well, on every copy of Illmatic, there's a huge sticker that reads

"THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL-TIME"

And that gets back to my basic problem with Hip-Hop: All of it that I've heard is pointless bragging and chest-beating..."I have, I have, I have, I am, I am, I am, I can, I can, I can". If you're really "all that", other people will do your bragging for you.
Then of course, there's also the delightful gratuitous swearing.
Based on those merits, I'll stick with Led Zeppelin.

[SakSquash]

To even put up a digitalized picture of a Nas album next to a Zeppelin album is blasphamy. Zeppelin pwns all.

Besides, Weird Al's "Bad Hair Day" is the best rap album ever.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Huz

Especially the Rolf Harris cover

Aww... don't strike that out. Rolfie's cover is fantastic (well, the clip I heard of it on the BBC website is), and it's almost as good as his cover of Bohemian Rhapsody (complete with wobbleboard)!