Anatoly

If already in the first album the pieces reach an absolutely high level, well above average with various genuine gems that occasionally send shivers down your spine, it is in the instrumental tracks of the second that the magic becomes definitive, total, real. Where the railroad meets the sea, Camp fire: coyote country, Home, and the beautiful concluding track Upon this earth define the scope of a masterpiece. Anticipating by a long time the era of the great bands that brought suggestions and instrumental experimentation to new heights in (post) rock. The most ambitious and complex work of the first Sylvian, and, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating of that period. A double album to listen to and re-listen to in order to savor every aspect, heavenly played (with Fripp's guitar shining through in the most beautiful pieces), and, clearly, sung by one of the most beautiful voices of the twentieth century.

A maximum musical masterpiece, capable of transcending and evoking unique, pure, and timeless sensations. A work able to reconcile and convey the true essence of art in general. An album not for everyone, but one that everyone should listen to at least once in their life.

Stunning.

The live album is clearly, simply one of the greatest live records in the history of rock. With that, the discussion can be considered closed.
The studio work is the most experimental and least accessible (though not entirely inaccessible) of their career, but it contains some of their most fascinating and interesting compositions. Among these, the one I like the least (but still at an excellent level) is Gilmour's, while the Watersian duo between the cacophony and extreme experimentation of "Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict" and the relative lightness of "Grantchester Meadows" is remarkable. The parts by Wright and Mason are of great quality and suggestiveness (perhaps the most surprising).
A central and fundamental work of the Floyd's underground period and among the avant-gardes of the time.

This Live record is little talked about, mostly known by the band's aficionados. Among the eight total tracks, at least half are some of their most beautiful pieces ever (The National Anthem, Idioteque, I Might Be Wrong, Everything In its Right Place), and it wraps up with the live version of True Love Waits, even better than the recent studio version from A Moon Shaped Pool.
In addition to this, it’s a Live that captures the band during its peak of creative and artistic brilliance, following the Kid A/Amnesiac duo.
A well-deserved maximum rating.

"The chosen title was Superunknown, odd yet fitting. That term perfectly described Soundgarden at every moment of their existence. People knew who they were, but they remained a mystery nonetheless. They were 'that metal band,' 'that Seattle group,' 'those who copy Led Zeppelin.' They managed to sell half a million copies and play in stadiums without people having any idea of who they were. For as much as they could occasionally be recognized, they remained figures in the shadows. Raw wrote about the album: 'A free-fall work, more immediate and accessible than its predecessors; the kind of thing churned out quickly yet lasts for decades... Super powerful in execution, Chris's voice is the dominant aspect, Kim Thayil's guitar hints at the birth of a very personal musician.'"

We're all Frankies, we're all lying in hell.

If one had to select only a few records to testify to what the term "rock" means, this would be among the top contenders.