The Black Rider by Tom Waits. If you play it straight through on headphones in the dark, you will think the world has ended. There truly is no respite.

Murder Ballads - Nick Cave

a gloriously grizzly affair

I love albums that mix dark sensibilities with celebratory elements.

Arcade Fire - The Neon Bible
The Dears - Gang of Losers
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

Has anyone mentioned this line in Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues: "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die"?

And who can forget this line from Dylan's canon: "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-17 15:04 by Monkeylad.

Johnny Cash: American IV/The Man Comes Around. The "Man" wasn't him, it was Death.

I'll have to check out some of these. Generally I find soundtrack albums much more atmospherish ( if that's a real word). W.Wenders, The wings of Desire could fit in here. Miles Kind of Blue and TW Black Rider are great choices.

letitloose Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Black Rider by Tom Waits. If you play it
> straight through on headphones in the dark, you
> will think the world has ended. There truly is no
> respite.


I think "Bone Machine" is an even darker album. This is the album, where his wife - after hearing the album uttered "Everybody seems to be leaving on this album. Tom....are you leaving"? ("...and the earth died screaming")

Otherwise the top (or would that be "bottom"?) dark album must be Laughing Lou's "Berlin" + most of Velvet Undergrounds first album ("The Banana")

...and of course Neil Young "Tonight's the night"

Lou Reed - Berlin

turnersmemo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thommie Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Can any album beat Pink Floyd's The Wall?
>
>
> Yes (when it comes to darkness): The same band's
> The Final Cut!


Water's 'Amused to Death' beats them both.

Death Wish #2 sound track-Jimmy Page.

JaggerFan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> turnersmemo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thommie Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Can any album beat Pink Floyd's The Wall?
> >
> >
> > Yes (when it comes to darkness): The same
> band's
> > The Final Cut!
>
>
> Water's 'Amused to Death' beats them both.

Okay. But Syd Barretts The Madcap laughs must be the darkest Floyd-related album! No acting, everything is real!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-17 17:58 by turnersmemo.

Mmm... I would call it more 'unintentionally disturbing'. Syd Barrett was a walking train wreck.

KSIE Wrote:
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> Scott Walker - The Drift
>
> Put it on, turn out the lights, and I promise it
> will scare the beejesus out of you! A tortured,
> brilliant masterpiece.


When I saw the title of this thread my immediate thought was Walker's 'Tilt' but The Drift is up there too. Good shout KSIE. I was beginning to think me and my buddy Toni were the only two people on the Planet who had listened to these albums.

Perhaps not the entire album but 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' by Brian Eno/David Byrne has a track entitled 'The Jezebel Spirit' which shivers the timbers big time.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

Nick Drake s "Pink Moon" is quite dark. I like it, however, I can see why one could call it depressing.

King Crimson is rather dark as well. 21st Century Schiziod Man is an creepy tune. Creepy in a cool way.

Nick Cave is born dark and will die dark.Two exellent dark albums fromhim is Murders ballads (who is already mention) and The Boatmans Call

Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge of Town and Nebraska, for sure.

And while I'm no fan of Courtney Love's tabloid antics, her last album (2004's America's Sweetheart) is not only dark and disturbing, I think it's the closest anyone has ever come to capturing the sound of a total nervous breakdown on an album. You can feel the mental illness seeping through your speakers, and it's very real and frightening.

trainarollin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do not laugh:
>
> Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going
> Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love


Don't know about Phil Collins. But I think your right about the Bruce album.If you like bitter breakup songs that's it.

hmmmm

The Rolliing Stones-Let it Bleed and Beggar's banquet
The Gun Club-Fire of love
Joy Division-Unknown pleasure and Closure
The Doors-Strange Days
Suicide-Suicide (Honestly I have never managed to listen to the whole thing at once because Frankie Teardrop is quite scary)
Springsteen-Nebraska(it might be his best record, one of the songs sounds just like above mentioned Suicide (State trooper) )
Springsteen-The darkness on the edge of town
Television-Marquee Moon(I am beginning to believe that this just as well might be the best album ever made)

ohnonotyouagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge of Town and
> Nebraska, for sure.
>
> And while I'm no fan of Courtney Love's tabloid
> antics, her last album (2004's America's
> Sweetheart) is not only dark and disturbing, I
> think it's the closest anyone has ever come to
> capturing the sound of a total nervous breakdown
> on an album. You can feel the mental illness
> seeping through your speakers, and it's very real
> and frightening.

Hear Courtney's nervous breakdown here [www.yousendit.com] and here [www.yousendit.com]. Good stuff whether you're into the tracks' "scare factor" or not.

Another one that's just came in to my mind: The Stranglers' "Rattus Norvegicus". In fact quite a lot of the Stranglers work in general.

"I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon."

Beggars, Let It Bleed, YaYas and Love You Live are albums i only play after dark.
dusk is great for Aftermath.

Most NINE INCH NAILS / TRENT REZNOR come to mind, no one else around here ever hear of them? ........wow, sad........Genius 90's band - still around.....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-18 00:52 by HelterSkelter.

HelterSkelter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most NINE INCH NAILS / TRENT REZNOR come on, no
> one else around here ever of them? ........wow,
> sad........Genius 90's band - still around.....

Right you are, sir. Their last album, With Teeth, shows they've still got it. I've never seen them live but would like to, have you seen them?

The Wall is definitely pretty bleak.

Good call on Tunnel of Love.

Let it Bleed--I always thought was very dark.

nikolai's first choice - lou reed's ectasy - really seems the of the dark album to me. although its absolutely brilliant how it closes with the very optimistic Big Sky

HelterSkelter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NINE INCH NAILS (Trent Reznor) - the one with HURT
> and CLOSER on it. Fragile is it? Pretty damn
> DARK....

It's The Downward Spiral, mate. I'm going to see NIN in Helsinki on 10th April.

"Rape, murder, it's just a shot away..."

Blur - 13
Pulp - This Is Hardcore
Cheap Trick - self-titled debut (though that one may be more twisted than dark)

Talking of Lou - completely forgot "The Blue Mask" - supposedly Robert Quine, who was never the strongest of men, almost had a nervous breakdown because of the bleak subject matter and very violent music.

"They tied his arms behind his back to teach him how to swim/they put blood in his coffee and milk in his gin"

...and those howling guitars...talk about ancient weaving ;-)

ohnonotyouagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HelterSkelter Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Most NINE INCH NAILS / TRENT REZNOR ones, no
> > one else around here ever hear of them? ........
> > wow,sad........Genius 90's band - still around.....
>
> Right you are, sir. Their last album, With Teeth,
> shows they've still got it. I've never seen them
> live but would like to, have you seen them?

No, ohno, I'm not big on concerts these days but I have the live DVDs and a great Big Screen/Surround Sound system. I really recommend the latest Live one with the red cover, forget the title but it has a great live version of BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS so you know that's the one since that's a pretty new song. Probably the best shot Concert tape/film I've ever seen. Up there (or better than) THE LAST WALTZ, GIMME SHELTER, and STOP MAKING SENSE. Sound mix is Fantastic also !!!

ESPEROLA,"The Downward Spiral", of course, I had just gotten out of bed with a foggy mind (sans Coffee) ....quite a well known title, thanks....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-18 05:13 by HelterSkelter.