One NMA album to recommend...

[Guillaume]

to people who have never heard NMA, people who don't know the band?

I sometimes struggle to recommend NMA albums to friends or partners of work because i think that 95% of NMA's discography is pure class, so...

I guess that i would choose first and above all THUNDER AND CONSOLATION, for the songs, the lyrics, the sound, the art work...general consensus and word of mouth seems to be that THUNDER is NMA's most praised album.

Then i would choose THE GHOST OF CAIN...tight, raw, moving album, 10 songs and not one single track to avoid!!...incredible album.

On the late period: HIGH would be my pick.

[Belza]

I don't think it is possible to recommend one album.  All have their high points and their higher points.  For me when someone doesn't know the band's music (and where they been for the last 30+ years) I would do them a mix CD with my favourites (at that time) from across the catalogue.  I suppose if pushed I would recommend one of the live ones as they cover the spectrum to a degree and capture the best live band walking this planet.

[jc]

Depends on the person, if they were of a more quieter, folksy type, then maybe Tales of the Road or Big Guitars in Little Europe; if they were more metal, then perhaps TIAGD or Raw Melody Men.

Cheers

jc

[Stoney]

Get the 30th Compilation........ The band chose the trax. It's their fault that way! =)
Seems fair that........ It is a pretty good mix of periods and style's of song so all in that's the common sense choice I guess.....

[Amandistan]

Thunder and Consolations would be my choice probably because it's the first one I ever heard. It all depends on the persons musical preference.

[sarah]

First post on the forum after being a watcher and reader for quite a bit. So here's what I reckon...

Difficult to choose one album to sum them up and introduce them to someone because you start with an album then say and 'then there's this one and this one' and so on because they get better and better. Having said that I agree the 30th compilation has got to be the best option. There isn't an album to dislike, even if on first listen you're not sure by the time you've given it another go it's yet another cracker!

Cheers 

[JME]

T&C all the way for me. Great album, artwork, songs etc.

In my opinion the best of a fantastic bunch.

JME

[rick a.]

Tough question. I love compilations and would have made comps for friends that cater to their taste. I have a friend who's into kind of mellow music and I put together a cd that leans heavily on the quiter NMA tracks. He loved it. Maybe he'll end up liking the rockers too. Time will tell!

[Pazza]

Well I've got to put it out there, Impurity, there's something about that album, and much tho I love them all and T&C in particular like everyone else, that's the one I'd give 'em, tho I liked Stoney's shout about giving them the 30th comp - wouldn't want to be accused of putting anyone off either ; ~ D

[Guy]

Impurity. For it beats T&C and others by a whisker. I suppose it also holds a special place for me because they were touring it when I first started religiously going to every London show and as many others as I could fit in.

[pjevac]

For me it's T&C for sure, and then for a second choice I'd go with "Small Town England" compilation, because it shows the band at it's beginning and whoever gets interested can then follow what happened over the years. On the other hand, when a really close friend who is a bit older then me and listens mostly to the acoustic music asked me, after hearing me play a few tunes, I gave him "Navigating By The Stars" and he loved it.

[Shush]

My favourite has always been No Rest, but it may need listening to a few times before you get it for some people.  For someone who has not heard NMA before, I would always recommend T&C. Whatever pace of music they like, they will find something there that they like. Its a flawless album in every way. I truly believe one of the best albums ever crafted. An album that has been a good friend to me for 24 years, and always lifts my spirits. If someone listened to it, and didn"t at the very least say "yeah, there was a few I liked", then musically, they are a lost cause to be re-directed back to the pop charts for some manufactured ear drum fodder.

[Master Ray]

Another vote for the 30'th comp.  You've got everything there, from the scratchy, punky earlier stuff to the lush, gorgeous stuff of later years, all of it via the big old anthems of the late 80's / early 90's.  The whole history of NMA in a couple of hours... check it out and figure out what's your favourite period.

God, I'm so envious of some newcomer who decided to check out this 'old' band called New Model Army... what riches await them!

 

[Simon73]

early period: Vengeance
Later: Carnival, High, donn know, though the last one is a bomb
Simon

[Jonesy]

Easy. High. No hang on. Carnival. Um.... Impurity? Got it! T&C. No wait! Oh never mind.