Just as certain albums or songs automatically sound dated. It may be production technique; it may be the "topical" or political statements in the song; it may be instrumentation or playing style.

Case in point:
Chuck Berry always sounds like 1957, even though several of his hits that we all know and are familiar with were recorded and released in the 1960s ("No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell", "Nadine" were all from 1964-1965, after the British Invasion had already hit and Elvis' music sucked).

Duran Duran sounds like 1983. Period. Between the keyboards and vocal stylings, they sound like a soundtrack to the 80s, even though they had several hits in the 1990s.
That's not insulting these songs or artists, it's just that their style (and the production of their songs) lends itself to the "sound" of an era.

Some albums are only dated in our individual minds--because we associate them with a particular time in our lives (first summer you had a car, first kiss, first roadtrip without parents, college).

But some albums--especially if it's your first listen, no matter how old the recording actually is--are as cool as the newest disc by the newest band. Whether it's the production or the performance that's timeless, they're fresh, and sound like they could be released today.

Some albums that strike me that way--

"Sticky Fingers" by the Rolling Stones (1971)
"Smile" by the Jayhawks (2000)
"Rhythmeen" by ZZ Top (1996)
"Roll of the Dice" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds (1995)
"Piece of Your Soul" by Storyville (1996)
"Arc Angels" by the Arc Angels (1992)
"Red Headed Stranger" by Willie Nelson (1975)
"I Am Shelby Lynn" by Shelby Lynn (1999)
"Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" by Lucinda Williams (1998)
"Living This Hard" by Lincoln Durham (2011)
"This Time" by Dwight Yoakum (1993)
"Honky Tonk Heroes" by Waylon Jennings (1973)
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991)

What albums or songs are timeless, in your opinion?

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

DSOTM- Pink Floyd

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

Muddy Waters- Folk Singer
Beastie Boys- Pauls Boutique

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

London Calling - The Clash
Dark Side of The Moon -Pink Floyd (already mentioned)
4th album aka ZOSO - Led Zeppelin
Who's Next- The Who
The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & the Spider of Mars- David Bowie
Killer - Alice Cooper
Ten - Pearl Jam
so many others........

I'll see your Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" and raise you a Muddy Waters "Hard Again"

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Disraeli Gears -- Cream
Who's Next -- The Who
Climbing -- Mountain
Cheap Thrills -- Big Brother & The Holding Company
Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out -- The Rolling Stones
Debut album -- Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
Fandango -- ZZ Top
Night Moves -- Bob Seger
Rides Again -- The James Gang
Can't Buy A Thrill -- Steely Dan
Slippery When Wet -- Bon Jovi

(the list could be endless)

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Songs in the Key of Life-Stevie Wonder

35 years old...still sounds fresher than almost anything in the soul world.

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

the first 3 Wipers albums
Dirt - Alice in Chains
Milo Goes To College - Descendents
Capitol Punishment - Big Pun (yup, a rap album)
Zen Arcade - Husker Du
Static Age - The Misfits

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

also:
Smash - The Offspring
Ignition - The Offspring
Adolescents - Adolescents

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Favorite bands:

Melvins
The Jesus Lizard
Cows
Big Business
R***man
Minutemen
Flight
Minor Threat
Big Black
Shellac
Karp
Scratch Acid
Wipers
Pixies

Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Days of Future Passed - Moody Blues
Any Led Zeppelin
Any Pink Floyd
Rumors - Fleetwood Mac
Who's Next - The Who
and the list goes on........

Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965)
Self Titled - The Doors (1967)
Music From Big Pink - The Band (1968)
At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash (1968)
Self titled - Crosby, Stills, and Nash (1969)
Moondance - Van Morrison (1970)
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1971)
Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
Hotel California - The Eagles (1976)
Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen (1977)
Van Halen 1 - Van Halen (1978)
Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1979)
Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden (1983)
Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue (1983)
Appetite For Destruction - Guns 'n Roses (1987)
The Joshua Tree - U2 (1987)
Nevermind - Nirvana (1991)
Core - Stone Temple Pilots (1992)
August and Everything After - Counting Crows (1993)
Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish (1994)
Grace - Jeff Buckley (1994)

somebody stop me please

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I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk...

also....

Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton (1976)
Running on Empty - Jackson Browne (1977)
Unplugged - Eric Clapton (1992)
Slowhand - Eric Clapton (1977)
Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton (1970)
461 Ocean Blvd. - Eric Clapton (1974)

ok I'm done here

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I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk...

Layla & Assorted Love Songs - Derek & The Dominos
SRV & Double Trouble - Pride & Joy
Roy Buchanan - The Best of R B
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
Any Cream Albums

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-Born to Run
-Tommy
-Nevermind
-The Pretenders
-Van Halen 1
-War
-Violent Femmes
-London Calling

I pulled off the road to listen to a "new" song on the radio...It turned out to be a 25 year old song off of Sunburst Finish by BeBop Deluxe.