STV - The Hardest Question Ever; What is My Favorite Album?

What is the meaning of life?
I know we discussed this before Dear Reader and thanks to someone we came to the conclusion that life is about increasing your happiness and spreading happiness around.

It was one of the toughest questions to answer if I am honest.
There is only one question that is tougher to answer.
The question I confronted myself with after reading this post:
My favorite albums from 2024! -ENG / SPA-
@iuliapetit2711 did a good job listing her favorite albums for 2023 and she clearly has a taste in music that I can very much appreciate.

But it made me think, and that is never a good thing. It triggered another Spread The Vibes #STV Post

What are my favorite albums ever?

We are quickly heading towards that time of year where the TV and Radio will be broadcasting all those best of´s. Top 1000, Top 500 of the 90s´, Best Song Ever, and it seems people like that stuff because they do it year in and year out.

Now those who know me are aware that I have a bit of an eclectic taste in music, meaning I like a little bit of everything and then some more.

Hence asking myself the question what would be your top 3 songs for 2023? What was the best album you heard in 2023?
It feels kinda senseless, especially because you no longer need a Walkman, Discman, or record player. Hence the whole concept of an album feels a bit pre-historic

Therefore my list might not contain the newest stuff simply because for me albums became an outdated concept. But I must have a thousand albums stored away somewhere and at least another thousand on a hard drive.

No issue to come up with albums I like, the issue is how to keep my list short.

Making My Shortlist

Clouseau - Hoezo

And If I then had to pick one song it would be this one, never a hit song but a song that frequently turns up in the JuxeBox of My Brain.

The Killers - Battle Born
Probably gonna be one of the newest albums to make this list, but every song on this album is a Killer.

They all hit home and are wonderful in their epic build-up. To pick one is almost impossible but if you put a gun against my head I guess it would be about A Heart Of A Girl.

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

Talking about girls, this is another album that just says me in music.
Too many stories, and while listening to it now it brings back memories .....so many memories. Even though it has been silent for so many years.

Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell
This is an album that can´t be missing from the list as it is the one I grew up on, the first album I ever owned. I was probably 8 or 9 years old and rocking out to that opening song.

The first, you never forget your first. There is always a first for everything. And if there is a first, there will be a last but I hope heaven can wait a little longer.

VNV Nation - Empires
Probably the first electronic album I absolutely fell in love with and till this day this is how I love my Dark Electronic Music to be served in my little Kingdom.

Therion - Theli
The album that turned my Alternative Boy, into a Metal Man. And if I listen I sometimes think, yes this is Meatloafs´ Dark Brother on Steriods and that caught my ear, and my soul.

Nick Cave - The Boatman's call

The Album that made me discover Cave can not be forgotten, this guy has shown me so much light through his facade of darkness. The smell of her still on my hands when I bring the cup up to my lips....

Brett Anderson - Brett Anderson
I loved the Tears, I absolutely adored Suede, but when Brett disappeared I thought he was lost to drugs forever and our love was dead.

Out of nowhere, there was the self-titled album...self-titled because well ...."That´s my name".

Released in 2007 but it only found its way to my ears many years later. This album was even better than my favorite Suede album everything song is a little gem if you ask me.
It felt like the intimacy between me and Brett was back and better than ever.

Now those are the albums that come to mind on this lazy Saturday morning while pondering my mind on what albums really lasted after all these years.

Did I Miss Anyone?

I will give that grey mass another 24 hours to ensure I did not skip a favorite. But the first things that sprout are most often the ones closest to the heart.

Edit after 24 Hours: No, this is probably what I have to show for after being in Music for decades- Like I wrote there are many albums I love and others I adore when I am in the mood. But these albums are the ones that go beyond just an awesome album. They have been building bricks of my life and musical taste.

Now the next step will be how to pick your absolute favorite

How To Answer The Most Difficult Question In Life?

Your favorite album ever; it will need to resonate with me still after all these years, it needs to still make me feel and not just bring back memories. It needs to be filled with awesomeness and not a couple of good singles.

My favorite album must still get me in a mood and have lyrics that still speak to me.

Let´s see if I can shorten the shortlist:

• Clouseau - Hoezo Lots of good memories but I would not play that whole Album Anymore
• The Killers - Battle Born
• Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
• Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell Still love a lot of this album but I guess it would not be my first pick from this pile anymore.
• VNV Nation - Empires
• Therion - Theli Best Goth Metal album ever but it needs a really special mood to put this one on nowadays.
• Nick Cave - The Boatman's call Nick has so many awesome songs, but he tends to spread them over just as many albums
• Brett Anderson - Brett Anderson

So that was round one.

Round Two:

Now I am really asking the impossible of myself, I will remove one:

• VNV Nation - Empires
• Brett Anderson - Brett Anderson There are just a couple of songs on that album that are so so, so I had to let you go Brett
• The Killers - Battle Born
• Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

The Top Three

• VNV Nation - Empires - 1999
• - The Killers - Battle Born -2012
• Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes - 1992

I hoped putting the years next to it would make it easier, NOT.

So the Killers album has 2/10 songs I do not care for too much.
VNV & Tori do not carry one song I would skip.

Kill Your Darlings

The hardest part is so close, how can I choose, with everything to lose? And I know I am gonna kill my darlings.

Impact, Influence, Longevity, Lyrical Content, Emotion:

• VNV Nation - Empires - 1999
  - Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes - 1992

Tori just has more emotion, more influence, more memories. If I could only bring one album on a multi-year trip to another planet with the risk of coming across aliens and having to explain what music is I Choose you; TORI.

Challenge

I challenge you Dear Reader to do the same. To really think carefully about what your favorite album ever is.

That one album you would bring on a multi-year space trip.

Maybe you know it straight away, then leave a comment.
Maybe you need to write a Spread The Vibes post like I did to get to the bottom of the toughest question life has to offer.

What is Spread The Vibes

If you want to know more about the Spread The Vibe Challenge not A challenge please clikerdeeclick me

Thank goodness you made it till the end Pees, Love and I am out of here!

[Source Pic](All pictures are by Meme, MyI & AI unless source is listed)