Wonderful albums that are harrowingly emotional listens, S/D

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As I'm sure someone will say it, I'll start this with Joy Division's Closer, although personally I have listened to it many times to the point where it doesn't have an effect on me anymore.

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 October 2004 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

The Cure - Faith

sometimes.

― Hari Ashurst (Toaster), Saturday, 23 October 2004 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

giant sand - Chore of Enchantment

― frankE (frankE), Saturday, 23 October 2004 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, you do have to be in the mood for Faith...I've never listened to it outside of when I've been in the mood for it, but I can see people dismissing it easily as a bundle of bland whining, sixth-form poetry (I hate that term! Usually it comes from the ink of journalists like Paul Morley who write "sixth-form" critiques, har har!), and boring music.

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 October 2004 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Faith is my favourite cure album i think.

― Hari Ashurst (Toaster), Saturday, 23 October 2004 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Swans--Soundtrack for the Blind

― steve hise, Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's my favourite, too, Hari. Pornography just has a few too many drug-induced quirky lines...

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

It sounds to me like "Faith" is the era that bands like Interpol have listened to most too. I'm suprised it hasn't been cited more often and stuff.

― Hari Ashurst (Toaster), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Swans--Soundtrack for the Blind
-- steve hise (shistee...), October 23rd, 2004.

i think mike gira owns this thread.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Marc ALmond and Foetus - Flesh Volcano

― anode (anode), Saturday, 23 October 2004 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Gira may own the thread now, but he hasn't always:
Richard & Linda Thompson: I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights

― the apex of nadirs (Rock Hardy), Sunday, 24 October 2004 00:56 (twenty-one years ago)

310: Aug 56 and Snorkelhouse

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 24 October 2004 04:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I was a mod before you were a mod by the television personalities is beautiful but extremely harrowing to listen to, especially knowing what followed (breakdown, homelessness, heroin addiction and prison).

Happily Dan Treacy seems to have got his shit back together and is apparently back in the studio.

― holojames (holojames), Sunday, 24 October 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

The Red House Painters' rollercoaster album is a huge downer on first listen

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 24 October 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

and of course, Big Star's third album.

Sly's "Riot" too.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Sunday, 24 October 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Is I Was a Mod Before You Were a Mod by the TVPs an album about internet message-board one upmanship?

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Sunday, 24 October 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Is I Was a Mod Before You Were a Mod by the TVPs an album about internet message-board one upmanship?

Yeah...that's always a harrowing issue!

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 24 October 2004 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Cat Power - Moon Pix. Probably at least partly due to stories surrounding the recording of the album.

― Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Sunday, 24 October 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Is "Blood On The Tracks" an obvious choice? Maybe not always harrowing but can be an emotional listen.

― Piers (piers), Sunday, 24 October 2004 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

PInk Floyd's The Final Cut does that for me, embarrassingly. Also, Zaireeka and, occasionally, Vauxhaul and I.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 24 October 2004 23:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Swans // Children of God

― stephen clover (seht), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:33 (twenty-one years ago)

pink moon has it's harrowemotional moments.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 10:16 (twenty-one years ago)

John Cale - Music For a New Society

― What did you do in the war, Dadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Kevin Coyne - Bursting Bubbles

― What did you do in the war, Dadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Tonight's the Night

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

This Mortal Coil - Blood

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Roy Harper Death or Glory?

310's an interesting choice.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 13:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I've got to go with Stina Nordenstam. "And She Closed Her Eyes", and especially "Dynamite" are harrowing listens that often leave me emotionally exhausted after leaving them. Pretty devasting on the first few listens.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 16:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares for Me

― Thea (Thea), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

NMH, In the Aeroplane Over The Sea.

― mike a, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
-- Rob Bolton (i_like_my_vesp...), October 26th, 2004. (later)

Laughing Stock always does it for me.

― DOPESMOKER (smile), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Ace of Base, The Bridge, try it if you think I'm kidding

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Television Personalities
Painted Word LP

― Justin Farrar (Justin Farrar), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

tho opinion is divided on greatness an obvious choice is diamanda galas plague mass

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 07:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Scott Walker Tilt

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 07:33 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

sometimes 'the wall', but i've listened to it thousands of times, and it's all fairly neutral these days

mark lanegan - 'scraps at midnight', but only if i'm listening to it in a certain mindset

converge - 'jane doe' (harrowing once you realise what he's singing about, also extrmely engaging musically)

plenty of others...

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures"
Nico "Desert Shore"

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

Iron And Wine Creek Drank The Cradle

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:49 (nineteen years ago)

Goodie Mob Still Standing

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

almost no albums have this effect on me these days, but at one point all of these did:

red house painters: s/t, down colourful hill
american music club: everclear
mark eitzel: caught in a trap

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

Moon Pix

" her magic heart feels everything "

― MRZBW (MRZBW), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 14:57 (nineteen years ago)

The Wrens - Meadowlands

― sonicdeath (BlackIronPrison), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 15:28 (nineteen years ago)

Scott Walker - The Drift

― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

Recently, Fur and Gold by Bat For Lashes for sheer stomach-pulled-out-of-your-eyes brainfuckery. Not one for early Monday morning listens, but bloody incredible.

― Kinky Fantastic (Kinky Fantastic), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

The Carpenters Greatest Hits. I'm not being facetious...really. In retrospect, it sounds like an extended cry for help.

― William Selman (William Selman), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 16:06 (nineteen years ago)

Lou Reed - Berlin
Tim Buckley - Starsailor

― Paul (scifisoul), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

Yoko Ono - Season of Glass

― Hideous Lump (Hideous Lump), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill

― Erock Lazron (Erock Zombie), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 03:53 (nineteen years ago)

i used to find the first trembling blue stars album quite a difficult listen from an emotional perspective.

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 03:55 (nineteen years ago)

is that the one with do we ever on it jim?

― alderman frank rossi (bulbs), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 06:28 (nineteen years ago)

kyle OTM on mark eitzel.

also, leonard cohen, 'songs of love and hate', and most of low, 'the great destroyer'

― derrick (derrick), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 08:26 (nineteen years ago)

Laughing Stock is the one for me.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 11:49 (nineteen years ago)

I find What Would The Community Think a more harrowing listen than Moon Pix. There's this thread of passive-aggressive anger at a former abuser that runs through the album - "Good Clean Fun", "The Coat Is Always On" - and it's got "Water & Air", which is double plus harrowing.

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

Astral Weeks Van Morrison
Raft Pumice
Womblife John Fahey

Laughing Stock for me too, Spirit of Eden and Mark Hollis' s/t album

probably no-one will know it but Bosom Buddy by G Frenzy definately fits - it even wrenches some of it's harrowing emotional stabs from it's Tom Hanks theme (and the WASP cover). Seriously.

I don't find Moon Pix harrowing at all, that would be You Are Free

― spectra (spectra), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

SoE I don't find anywhere near as emotionally tense and harrowing as LS, and hence listen to it far more often.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

yeah LS is definately more intense

― spectra (spectra), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

what would the community think is harrowing, yes. wonderful mostly, yes. i can't always tap into it on an emotional level though.

moon pix is a great record, but i find it a pretty easy listen usually.

you are free is also easy to listen to for mine, except for perhaps a couple of the slower tracks towards the end

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

NMH - ITAOTS

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Live Skull Positraction

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

Galaxie 500 - On Fire

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

I'd call Galaxie 500 more bittersweet than harrowing.

you are free is also easy to listen to for mine, except for perhaps a couple of the slower tracks towards the end

I find that as Cat Power's career progresses, the mondo-depressing songs gets less and less interesting. It's as if they're what she uses to fill out an album. "Water and Air" > "The Colors and the Kids" > "Names".

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Strong second on the Hollis solo record. It's the logical evolution of Talk Talk, the band's best parts.. it's complete vulnerability and tenderness.

Kyle, I got that Mark Eitzel album you brought up and loved it. Harrowingly emotional, yes.

― bassace (bassace), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:01 (nineteen years ago)

Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

The Marble Index, the White Birch.

― owen moorhead (i heart daniel miller), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

quartet for the end of time

― vingt regards (vignt_regards), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 17:34 (nineteen years ago)

smog - the doctor came at dawn

― Tom Hatton (kl0pper), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

The Verve "A Northern Soul"
Skip Spence "Oar"

― steve r. (starlight kid), Thursday, 5 October 2006 00:06 (nineteen years ago)

sure is gaz!

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 5 October 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

on fire is intermittently harrowing but i wouldn't say it was as a whole.

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 5 October 2006 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

Sketches of Spain Miles Davis
Control Pedro the Lion
Gilded Palace of Sin Flying Burrito Brothers
Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie (OMFG EMO kthxdie)
The Dial Masters Charlie Parker (does this count as an album?)
Predator Ice Cube
What's Going On Marvin Gaye

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Thursday, 5 October 2006 00:42 (nineteen years ago)

Trinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkies
Africa Brass 1&2

― js (honestengine), Thursday, 5 October 2006 01:13 (nineteen years ago)

The Verlaines, Bird-dog
Joy Division, Closer - as a teenager I found this to be unbearably bleak. Whereas Unknown Pleasures has always cheered me up. Work that one out.

vingt regards - OTM about the Messiaen

Bartok, String Quartets III, IV and VI

― scriblerus (mike lynch), Thursday, 5 October 2006 01:29 (nineteen years ago)

Diamanda Galas, Saint of the Pit
Igor Stravinski, The Rite of Spring

― scriblerus (mike lynch), Thursday, 5 October 2006 01:30 (nineteen years ago)

Schoenberg - "A Survivor from Warsaw"

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Thursday, 5 October 2006 02:13 (nineteen years ago)

Elvis Costello, King of America and Blood and Chocolate

― scriblerus (mike lynch), Thursday, 5 October 2006 02:19 (nineteen years ago)

the third eye foundation: in version

― arjun (arjun), Thursday, 5 October 2006 02:33 (nineteen years ago)

oops, i meant ghost.

― arjun (arjun), Thursday, 5 October 2006 02:34 (nineteen years ago)

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay (though it's totally acceptable to cut it off before Come On, Eileen due to overexposure, imho).

― En I See Kay. (EstrangedNative), Thursday, 5 October 2006 04:01 (nineteen years ago)

hahah, love stravinsky

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Thursday, 5 October 2006 10:41 (nineteen years ago)

Charlie Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 5 October 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

Aereogramme - Sleep and release

― Marty Innerlogic (marty innerlogic), Thursday, 5 October 2006 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

The Bjork album Selmasongs is like this for me but I think it's the movie's fault..

My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything

― richardk (Richard K), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

Too-Rye-Ay is certainly the only HARROWingly emotional listen in this list!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 10 October 2006 09:51 (nineteen years ago)

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