Rock albums from alternate timelines

[danmartin73]

"Brain Salad Surgery" is the 6th studio album by King Crimson and their first album as a quintet since their debut in 1969. Early in 1973, Muir abruptly left the band - ostensibly due to an onstage injury, but in fact due to an overwhelming spiritual need to retreat from music and spend time in a monastery (something which was not communicated to his bandmates). Carl Palmer absorbed Muir's percussion role in addition to his own kit drumming, and the band continued to experiment with both classical arrangements and modern progressive rock.

Brain Salad Surgery (1973)
All songs written by King Crimson unless noted:

Side A
1. Jerusalem (Blake-Parry, arr. King Crimson)
2. The Great Deceiver
3. Lament
4. Still… You Turn Me On (Lake)
5. The Night Watch

Side B
6. Trio
7. Brain Salad Surgery
8. Toccata (Ginastera, arr. Emerson-Palmer)
9. Fracture (Fripp)

Personnel
Robert Fripp - guitar
Greg Lake - bass, vocals
Keith Emerson - keyboards
Carl Palmer - drums
David Cross - violin, viola, additional keyboards

 

[danmartin73]

"Red" is the 7th studio album by King Crimson, their first double LP, their only album as a quartet, the final album featuring founding member Robert Fripp and the final album before the longest-lasting lineup of the group consisting of Emerson, Lake & Palmer began. Tours in 1974 had seen King Crimson's musical approach becoming louder and more brutal, an approach primarily driven by the rhythm trio of Emerson, Lake & Palmer (former guitarist Robert Fripp once compared their powerful playing to "a flying brick wall"). This had the effect of drowning out the band's fifth member, violinist and occasional keyboard player David Cross, and led to tension within the band. Deemed not strong enough as a musical personality, Cross ejected himself from King Crimson after the end of its tour in summer 1973. Having already begun to record "Red" with Cross, King Crimson finished the album with the help of former band-members Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield & Mel Collins.

Red (1974)
All songs written by King Crimson unless noted:

Side A
1. Red (Fripp)
2. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression

Side B
3. Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression (Emerson)
3. Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression (Fripp-Emerson-Lake-Palmer-Sinfield)

Side C
4. Fallen Angel
5. One More Red Nightmare

Side D
6. Providence (Cross-Fripp-Emerson-Lake-Palmer)
7. Starless And Bible Black

Personnel
Robert Fripp - guitar
Greg Lake - bass, vocals
Keith Emerson - keyboards
Carl Palmer - drums

Additional personnel
David Cross - violin on "Providence"
Mel Collins - soprano saxophone on "Starless And Bible Black"
Ian McDonald - alto saxophone on "One More Red Nightmare" and "Starless And Bible Black"
Peter Sinfield - lyrics on "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression"

 

[cortz#9]

The Sacred Cows: Kill Kill Kill!!! The Sacred Cows first and only album produced by the Groovy Guru and released on KAOS Records.

Side 1

Kill Kill Kill!!!
Knock Off The Man
Love Is Out
Burn It All Down
We Don't Need No F#cking Drummer!
Chaos In The USA

Side 2

The Glorious Fatherland (South America)
99 Ways To Break Your Heart
Uncle Siegfried Loves You
The Cone Of Silence
The Gov't Has Robot Spies
Get Down, Get Real, Get Smart

 

[StomperYoshi]

With a POD of 1980 (no prize for guessing what happens differently), Julian Lennon ended up taking a trip to Manchester in the summer of 1988 looking for a break away from his father's musical career. The story goes with him stumbling upon an early rave, asking fellow ravegoers "What is this shit!?" and being asked to try just a tiny bit of ecstasy.
Several raves later, Lennon thought to himself that he could just as easily create the sort of acid house everyone was going mad for. He had the idea to form a band with fellow Beatles offspring Zak and Jason Starkey, James McCartney, Dhani Harrison, and his own brother Sean, though in later interviews he stated that he only had the idea because he was tripping. Surprisingly, everyone agreed to produce a rave album as long as none of their identities were revealed to be behind it. The band was named The Midnight Candles, and the only subtle hint given to their identity was the album's name: Beatless (pronounced beat-less).
The album was released in 1989, and almost every rave party between then and 1994 would play at least one song from that album. The album was rereleased in 1993 with plenty of authorized remixes (including one by The Prodigy, who didn't even know the band was related to The Beatles at the time). In 1994, the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 cracked down on illegal raves, and by then Julian decided to simply let out the band's secret. Having been off ecstacy since the recording of Beatless, all six members decided to go solo, some combining the rave elements with the rock style inherited from their fathers, others abandoning rave completely.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Those King Crimson albums sound incredible, although I think to most they wouldn't be received as well as OTL's 70s King Crimson albums. Ideally no Love Beach crap.

No WW2, imagine a "Great War" album by Sabaton. That would be cool.

There'd be plenty of great material there, and I'd love to imagine what would be their signature songs (or really the entirety of their first two albums) without something like "Primo Victoria". If we cast a butterfly net, then metal would exist, Sabaton would still exist, etc., so it might sound like Primo Victoria but the lyrics would instead be about some Imperial German triumph in the war (or instead an Entente triumph if the Germans still lose). Alternate history and Sabaton go together very well, like if Sweden had taken part in either of the World Wars. They certainly would've made their impact, be it the POD where that one Russian admiral initiates a pre-emptive strike on the Swedish Navy or if Sweden joins the war in 1945 to help liberate Denmark.

Although I've been saddened for almost a decade now by the lack of Latin American-themed songs from Sabaton. Yes, I know, "Smoking Snakes" from Heroes, but the entire Paraguayan War has deserved an entry in their discography, even on the overtly theatrical The Last Stand (like a song about that one battle where President Solano Lopez and some kids together die against the Brazilians and Argentines as the last act of the bloodiest war in the Americas outside of the American Civil War).

My favourite Sabaton album is Carolus Rex, and after that album, most of the band departed (and formed Civil War with Nils Patrick Johannsson, who despite being one of best metal vocalists around now, was yet another supergroup which failed to achieve their potential). If they hadn't left, I bet Heroes and The Last Stand would've have some serious meat to them. Civil War had some great riffs and great songs at times (especially their second album Gods and Generals), so this would've made Sabaton even better (including their live shows, which are fun as they are).

 

[RedBeetle]

 

[Loulou]

This would replace Ummagumma

 

[RedBeetle]

 

[RedBeetle]

The Monkees Present... Micky, Mike, Davy, & Peter- The Monkees (1969)

Side 1 (Micky)
1. Through The Looking Glass
2. Just a Game
3. Little Girl
4. Mommy & Daddy
5. Shorty Blackwell

Side 2 (Mike)
1. Oklahoma Backroom Dancer
2. Never Tell a Woman Yes
3. Don’t Wait for Me
4. Calico Girlfriend Samba
5. Listen to the Band

Side 3 (Davy)
1. Don’t Listen to Linda
2. Me Without You
3. If I Knew
4. You and I
5. Someday Man

Side 4 (Peter)
1. (I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love
2. Come On In
3. Tear the Top Right Off My Head
4. Lady’s Baby
5. Alvin

 

[Hulkster'01]

ELVIS THEN AND NOW
(1981)
Side A
1. That's Alright Mama
2. Hound Dog
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. When It Rains, It Really Pours
6. Blue Suede Shoes (From A Legendary Performer Special Remixes Vol. 6)

Side B
1. One Night
2. Trouble
3. Love Me Tender
4. Dark Moon
5. Now And Then, There's A Fool Such As I
6. Can't Help Falling In Love

Following the Blue Suede Shoes mashup of the 1968 version and the 1956 version from ELVIS A LEGENDARY PERFORMER SPECIAL REMIXES VOL. 6, Felon Jarvis went back into the catalogs and found the masters of all the songs listed (besides Blue Suede) and remixed them with their covers from later years. (Most are from the 1968 comeback).

 

[flippikat]

View attachment 444202

The Monkees Present... Micky, Mike, Davy, & Peter- The Monkees (1969)

I recall reading that in hindsight Peter regretted leaving the Monkees before that album was recorded, so nice to see a version with him included. Bonus if it has the take of Mommy & Daddy with the original lyrics.

 

[RedBeetle]

I recall reading that in hindsight Peter regretted leaving the Monkees before that album was recorded, so nice to see a version with him included. Bonus if it has the take of Mommy & Daddy with the original lyrics.

It does have the original lyrics

 

[Grey Wolf]

Arse Bunny is definitely one

Never Been Fit another

 

[Ace Venom]

An interesting idea I had from a series of interviews.

Killing Is My Business... And Business is Good!
Year: 1985

Personnel:
Dave Mustaine - Lead and rhythm guitars, vocals
Slash - Lead and rhythm guitars
David Ellefson - Bass guitar, backing vocals
Gars Samuelson - Drums/percussion

The debut album from Megadeth features ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine with a new band. Sounding like a blues or jazz band at times playing metal music, KIMB is on the path to become a metal classic.

Track Listing:
1) Last Rites/Loved to Deth
2) Killing Is My Business
3) Skull Beneath the Skin
4) Rattlehead
5) Chosen Ones
6) Looking Down the Cross
7) The Mechanix
8) These Boots (Nancy Sinatra cover)[1]

[1]Rather than doing the version they did IOTL, Slash suggests dedicating the cover to Metallica.

 

[RedBeetle]

POD: Peter quietly bows out of The Monkees after the success of “The Monkees Present... Micky, Mike, Davy, & Peter” and this leaves the 3 remaining Monkees not knowing what to do next, so they cobble together an album and go on a tour with an RnB band called “Sam & The Goodtimers” in an attempt to make them a viable band again. The album is a moderate success reaching #98 on the Billboard 200 Charts but was criticized because of not having a “unified sound” to it.

Tear Drop City- The Monkees (Late 1969)

Side 1
1. Good Clean Fun (Nesmith)
2. Tear Drop City (Dolenz)
3. Nine Times Blue (Nesmith)
4. Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye (Dolenz)
5. French Song (Jones)
6. While I Cry (Nesmith)

Side 2
1. Pillow Time (Dolenz)
2. Penny Music (Jones)
3. A Man Without a Dream (Jones)
4. Hollywood (Nesmith)
5. Looking For the Good Times (Jones)

 

[RedBeetle]

POD: As the title suggests, the band was changing, with a new decade ahead of them. Since the modest success of “Tear Drop City” The Monkees went into the studio more to record their 8th album and their final album with Nesmith until 1987’s “This Is Now”. It was more of a success than “Tear Drop City” since the group has more of a unified sound other than the split sound that was “Tear Drop City”. It would be their last success until “This Is Now”.

Changes- The Monkees (1970)

Side 1
1. Oh My My (Dolenz)
2. Little Red Rider (Nesmith)
3. I Love You Better (Dolenz)
4. You’re So Good (Dolenz)
5. Look Down (Jones)
6. How insensitive (Nesmith)

Side 2
1. Changes (Jones)
2. Lady Jane (Dolenz & Jones)
3. Acapulco Sun (Dolenz)
4. You’re So Good To Me (Jones)
5. It’s Got To Be Love (Dolenz)
6. Ticket On a Ferry Ride (Dolenz)

 

[cortz#9]

IOTL Davy Jones could play the drums but the producers of the TV show didn't want him hidden behind a drum kit, I've always wondered if the Monkees might have been a better band if Jones had been the drummer and Dolenz (who could ply a little guitar) had played rhythm guitar or bass.

 

[RedBeetle]

IOTL Davy Jones could play the drums but the producers of the TV show didn't want him hidden behind a drum kit, I've always wondered if the Monkees might have been a better band if Jones had been the drummer and Dolenz (who could ply a little guitar) had played rhythm guitar or bass.

Maybe I'll try something like that one day, Peter even said that he should've played guitar, Mike should've played bass, Davy should've played drums, and Micky could've been the lead singer or something like that.

 

[Mr Atoz]

IOTL Davy Jones could play the drums but the producers of the TV show didn't want him hidden behind a drum kit, I've always wondered if the Monkees might have been a better band if Jones had been the drummer and Dolenz (who could ply a little guitar) had played rhythm guitar or bass.

Tork said that the best alignment would have been for him to play led guitar, Nesmith to play bass, Jones to play drums and Dolenz to be the lead singer.

Edit: Red Beetle beat me by one minute.

 

[RedBeetle]

IOTL Davy Jones could play the drums but the producers of the TV show didn't want him hidden behind a drum kit, I've always wondered if the Monkees might have been a better band if Jones had been the drummer and Dolenz (who could ply a little guitar) had played rhythm guitar or bass.

In my opinion, it would still be the same as in OTL, just in live performances and the TV show the seat would be raised more so we could see Jones.