I saw the favorite album covers thread and thought it was pretty interesting, both to see similarities in my own taste and wild differences. So I decided to start this thread in a similar vain to see what people thought were the most appropriately titled albums, for any sort of reason.

Some of mine would have to be:
Beck - Sea Change- This is so perfectly titled because it instantly evokes all these different aspects of the album. For me, when i hear the phrase "sea change" in any context I immediately see that heartbreaking cover shot with the blobs of color over Beck's face, and I hear the dramatic strings and that raspy voice.

Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk - I'm not sure why i like this title, but to me, it encapsulates that hushed, cute sound the album has, and its only heightened by that awesome cover shot.

Mr. Bungle - California - so off the wall and seemingly without precedent that it just fits perfectly. I'd say California the place is just about as schizophrenic as California the album.

Slint - Spiderland - the music feels very lanky, like it's crawling all over you. I don't think they could have chosen a better image to represent it.

and some others:

The Velvet Teen - Elysium
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles

The Beatles Rubber Soul - It seems perfect to me.

The Leaving Trains Fuck - Ditto, no matter what hal thinks of the last song (take it off if necessary.)

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:


The Leaving Trains Fuck - Ditto, no matter what hal thinks of the last song (take it off if necessary.)

A long time ago, but yes the last song was a Fuck No, while the rest was a Fuck Yes!!


xoxo, hal

"Everything Must Go" - Manic Street Preachers

Considering the strangeness (is that a word?) that befell the group after the release of "The Holy Bible" it was an appropriate and tunefull response. Sorry for the spelling issues but where is the spell checker on the tool bar?

"Out to Lunch" - Eric Dolphy

The Final Cut - Pink Floyd

Lost In Space by Aimee Mann is a perfect title, because the album strives to sonically convey that sensation from start to finish.

Elephant by The White Stripes is also a perfect title, largely because the record named thus is clumsy, unwieldy, and stomps along with 'nary a hint of shade or subtlety...

Definitely Maybe-Oasis-It just seems to fit the sound of this record so well.
Revolver-The Beatles-The title seems to sum up the variation on the album, from Elanor Rigby to Tomorrow Never Knows.
The Soft Bulletin-The Flaming Lips
The Strokes-Is This It-Was it? For all of the hype the band recieved, I think this one truly fits.
Jeff Buckley-Grace-Truly.
The Verve-Urban Hymns-Sums it up nicely.
Honorable mention to
Oasis-Heathen Chemistry-Horrible Aldum-Great Title
R.E.M.-New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Public Image: "This is What You Want, This is What You Get". Witty and profound, and very consistent with PiL's stance regarding consumer culture and the music business.

The Smiths: "The Queen is Dead". Manages to simultaneously evoke an old England ("the Queen is dead, long live the Queen") and the end of an era (the end of old-fashioned monarchy), while at the same time being a sly joke at Morrissey's expense.

Joy Division: "Closer". I choose this for two reasons. First, because Joy Division is the greatest band name of all time -- a creepy reference to Jewish women who were forced into prostitution in concentration camps (New Order being a great band name to emerge from Joy Division), an amusing acknowledgement that the band's music was just about the least joyful ever made, and just a beautiful sounding phrase. "Closer" is a great title because it has the double meaning of being both the closing album of their career, and evoking the uncomfortable intimacy and nakedness of the music.

Fun fact: most people pronounce the album title with a hard "S", signifying nearness. But in fact, the band always pronounced the title as "Clozer", signifying the closing of their career.

quote:

Originally posted by Peewee:
Public Image: "This is What You Want, This is What You Get". Witty and profound, and very consistent with PiL's stance regarding consumer culture and the music business.

Nice choices, all, Peewee. I think you hit the PiL mentality squarely with this comment, but I'll raise you: Public Image Limited's Album/Compact Disc/Cassette release with the generic look and the generic (but release specific) title.

Tool-Opiate Taken from the famous Karl Marx quote, "Religion is the opium of the people," it seems to set the standard for what the band consistently covers in theme.

Petra Haden - Petra Haden Sings the Who Sell Out

Yup. And a great record, too. She even vocalizes the guitar/bass/drum parts.

More abstractly:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven -- That title, the music, the eerie samples, the artwork all really fits for me. Its one of the greatest records I have ever heard in my life.

Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie. This album is amazingly cohesive and seamless. The title is the name of this album's thesis: about distance separating estranged but beautiful lovers. Unlike Picaresque, this is a made up word...

I See a Darkness - Bonnie Prince Billy. Well, WIll Oldham isn't very optimistic on this album at all. The title track is the best and most haunting/sad/pretty on the album, and one of the best songs ever, in my opinion.

Picaresque - Decemberists. pertaining to, characteristic of, or characterized by a form of prose fiction, originally developed in Spain, in which the adventures of an engagingly roguish hero are described in a series of usually humorous or satiric episodes that often depict, in realistic detail, the everyday life of the common people: picaresque novel; picaresque hero.
If you've heard this album, you would think that the word Picaresque was made up just for it.

Earth Is Not a Cold, Dead, Place - Explosions in the sky. This album was titled perfectly. After the strangely prophetic last album which was very ominous and dark, this new one is completely uplifting and optimistic.

The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse. THe title of the album is very thematic and fitting. The songs are very good at invoking a landscape imagery and feelings of sort of cold beauty - like "The Stars Are Projectors" and "Dark Center of the Universe".
Before the Dawn Heal Us - M83

loaded by Velvet Underground. I'm sure if it's true or not, but a friend told me that VU were under pressure by their label to put out a more accessible album.. and they produced this masterpiece, which is loaded with brilliance.

blue cathedral by Comets on Fire.. this album name has always stuck with me when listening to Fire. Mental images of them sonically preaching in a blue church. The music is so big that it sounds as if it was created in a large cathedral setting.. mammoth sound.

i see that someone had already mentioned lift your skinny fists... I whole-heartedly agree. I can't help but raise my fist in the air when Storm hits it's peak.. man, that is powerful music. i can invision hope and change when listening to this..

ghost tropic by Songs: ohia. this whole cd reminds me of New Orleans since Katrina. The imagery doesn't need any explaining. The music is so .. desolate

I definitely second GG's suggestion of Ghost Tropic. That's probably the most fitting title I've ever heard for an album.

Adem - Homesongs. All the songs on this album have such a close, intimate feel to them and, unsurprisingly, they were all recorded at Adem's house.

M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas, and Lost Ghosts. Those are such appropriate images for the dark keyboard music on this album.

Notwist - Neon Golden. Speaking synasthetically, there is not a better color to describe this album.

Dismemberment Plan - Change. Time changes, sudden volume changes, sudden pitch changes, and a change from their previous style make this a most appropriate moniker.

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker. Self-explanatory.

quote:

Originally posted by Bcontrat:
Earth Is Not a Cold, Dead, Place - Explosions in the sky. This album was titled perfectly. After the strangely prophetic last album which was very ominous and dark, this new one is completely uplifting and optimistic.

The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse. The title of the album is very thematic and fitting. The songs are very good at invoking a landscape imagery and feelings of sort of cold beauty

Two good choices there.

Double Nickles on the Dime - The Minutemen.

Completely encupsulates not only their great sense of humor, but also the band's opinion of musicians who don't take any chances with their music. It's a shot at Sammy Hagar for having to be wreckless while driving because his music was so blatently middle of the road.

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed you Black Emperor!

The album just sounds like the title. I think the opening track on disc 1 should be played at all times at the gates to Heaven. I agree with Yay! on this one.

White Light / White Heat - The Velvet Underground

Different sounding name for different sounding record. Of course the direct reference to doing speed in the album title pretty much reflects the subject matter of the whole album, which makes it even more appropriate.

Summerteeth - Wilco

The music is summery sounding, light, non-abbrasive, but the lyrics are dark and have teeth "I dreamed about killing you again last night and it felt alright to me"...summerteeth. I've read that Tweedy was just being jokerish with the whole "Summerteeth...some aren't", but the title works wonders for me.

I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass". It always struck me as a perfectly low-key Liverpudlian response to life after the demise of the most influential band of the twentieth century.

This is an awesome thread, here are a few of my favorites:

Tom Waits - "Nighthawks at the Diner"

Title perfectly invokes the dark moodyness of Tom Waits and the shocking intamacy which Waits creates at his shows, evoking a dining atmosphere.

Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now

The title beautifully shows both the hurt and the freedom this album portrays. This album is like a molting caterpillar giving way to a beautiful butterfly in the track "Bird Gerl"

Tilly and the Wall - Wild Like Children

This album feels free and happy just like children unrestricted by the norms of adulthood.

Eels - Electro-Shock Blues

Perfectly describes the pain and anger present on this album.