Which album was the better of the two among these bands? (random)

These are random. Just ones that come to mind. If you would, please select from the two I listed instead of saying the name of an excluded album.




Guns N Roses:

Use Your Illusion I or Use You Illusion II? (I left Appetite out, b/c that's a given)


Def Leppard:

Pyromania or Hysteria?



Metallica:

Ride the Lighting or Master of Puppets?


The Cult:

Love or Electric?



Pearl Jam:

Vs. or Vitalogy (Ten another given)?


Led Zeppelin:

II or III?


Mine:

1. Use Your Illusion II. Most would probably select I even though they are both incredible. I choose II because I liked their cover of KNockin' on Heaven's Door. I still say Sisters of Mercy did the best cover of the Dylan classic, but that's a taste that isn't for everyone. I also thought Estranged was a more powerful, heart-felt song than November Rain. Yesterdays is criminally underrated and showcases Axl and Izzy -- the latter being the band's member whose absence was heavily noted as Gilby Clarke couldn't match him whatsoever. Civil War was a great intro and You could be Mine was the first MTV release. I loved I...II edges it out.


2. I take Pyromania in a very close call. THere were overall more "hits" on Hysteria, but the three best songs from Pyro -- Photograph, Rock of Ages, and Foolin' (my 3) were just so powerful. There was araw sound that only this album contains. Both are terrific. Pyromania just had the IT factor.

3. Ride the Lightning and it's not close for me. I love Master...don't get me wrong and it may be the most popular Metallica album to a lot. Ride the Lighting had 4 tracks that I think are in my top 200 of all time...title track, Escape, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Fade to Black just outdo the 4 best of Master (Master of Puppets, Sanitarium, Leper Messiah, and The Thing That Should Not Be...and I LOVE These). I think Ride the Lightning is just not able to be "outheavied" -- not even by its predecessor, Kill Em All. What a monster album.

4. Many may not even like The Cult, but for me, LOVE is as good as it gets. It was them at their peak as what they should have been -- a rock, somewhat glam, somewhat goth, all amazing sounding foursome. The Cult had unfortunately met producer Rick Rubin, who felt that if they were going to last in the states, they had to transform their 3rd album as the name The CULT from The Manor Sessions to Electric. Electric changed a formula that I would have loved to have seen last a long time and emit all sorts of great, British tunes. Not a bad song on this album, from Nirvana to Black Angel. There's something for all on this one. Love has monster rock/metal jams like The Phoenix and Big Neon Glitter. There are high energy club tunes like She Sells Sanctuary and the title track which showcases some awesome bass playing from Jamie Stewart. There are lighters out ballads like Revolution and Black Angel. Ian Astberry was very unique in lyricism on this album. Billy Duffy and the Gretcsh White Falcon are uncanny in certain songs. Ahhh, the LOVE album was criminally underrated and spawned on hughly successful single and several that were barely remembered in the states. Electric, despite being as polar opposite of Love as ACDC's Highway to Hell and Neil Young probably are (as well as being a majpor pisser to Manchester and London kids, i.e.) still made a lot of sense as it might be the only other album that could compete with GNR Appetite as far as heavy hitting rock. While I love Lil Devil, Love Removal Machine, and Wildflower, this album just doesn't do follow-up justice to LOVE.

5. We all know TEN is a masterpiece and few albums of any can macth it, but Pearl Jam did a pretty solid job of maintaining that sweet PJ sound with Vs. and Vitalogy. I loved both and Vs. at one time in my life was easily the winner, but Vitalogy was just this beautiful soundtrack to something...I just do not know what or why. Yeah, Vs. had some amazing tunes like Dissident, Old Lady..., Daughter, Animal, etc. and was not a bad Sophomore effort. For me, Vitolgy had a similar formula, only deeper. Undeniable. There's heavy stuff like Spin the Black Circle and Not for You; some incredible sensitive ballads like Better Man, Nothing Man, and Immortality; and there were some tunes like Corduroy and Last Exit and that just made you happy to be alive and listening. I have a music guru friend who swears that Vitalogy was their worst album, but for me, it made a lotta sense for 1995. Unlike bands like Bush, Candlebox, and Silverchair (all post grunge), Pearl Jam never topped TEN, but they sure as hell tried with Vs and Vitalogy. I cannot explain, but Vitalogy gets a slight nod -- perhaps closest vote for me of all of the listed albums.

6. II owns III and I want to meet someone who says otherwise and makes me understand. II is just front to finish, perfect. You all know the sings and won't bore you anymore. Call me crazy, but I thought III was their weakest album of all. Immigrant Song, sure...but II had a range of music that I didn't see on III.




I would have loved to compare others like NIN "Pretty Hate Machine" to "The Downward Spiral" and RHCP "Mother's Milk" to "Californication" and STP "Core" and "Purple". Anyways, looking fwd to seeing others' opinions and how we vary. One thing is certain, the 12 albums I mentioned above are always good whenever.