Genre-smash albums

Inspired by the one-hit wonder thread and the appearance of The Boo Radleys, whose Giant Steps album rode roughshod over genre boundaries (dub, shoegaze, Beatlesque melancholia, trumpets farting all over the place). What other albums cross several genres (preferably successfully) and is it restless creativity that drives their recording or an identify crisis?

So from the above (dub, shoegaze, melancholia in that there order):

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Beastie Boys – Check Your Head and Ill Communication. Hip-hop, Hardcore, Funk/Jazz

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Yep, nice, again great cohesive albums all things considered.

Refused - The Shape of Punk to come

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Every Super Furry Animals album after Fuzzy Logic.

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The Mollusc

Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams is a recent one that springs to mind

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There’s too much to write about it, so I’ll just post it:

Absolutely not. The smashing pumpkins don’t reallllly do that much on that album

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Yup. It’s a rock album with a few flourishes.

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This isn’t going to be a popular answer whatsoever, but I think 311’s Transistor fits the bill. For however ridiculous they are, I’ll always respect them for following up their commercial breakthrough with an hour long psychedelic fusion of rock, reggae, rap, funk, trip hop, and more.

Donkey - Stroke My Wings Gently

was one that sprung to mind for me - veered all over the place between Fall’esque blathering, krautrock, Ultramarine-esque bouncy electronica, shoegaze and straight indie stompers. Can’t even find it on youtube.

I strongly disagree (shocking) but I’ll leave it for The Smashing Pumpkins thread.

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Yeah I don’t think we need a 5th Billy Corgan spectacular :grin:

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And of course:

All over the shop - hip hop, metal, country. Admittedly it’s a mess.

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related to Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique but:

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The ‘Giant Steps’ 10 year anniversary website is still up…

I’m much younger than I thought! :grinning:

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Primal Scream - Screamadelica/Vanishing Point/xtrmntr/evil heat/more light.

Think this kind of thing definitely started to gain more traction in the 90’s. You can also throw in andrew weatheralls various projects, broadcast, stereolab, pram, david holmes, barry adamson etc…

Think Roxy Music’s first couple of albums were an early example of this kind of eclecticism.

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‘Vanishing Point’ is a very good example…all over the place.

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