Albums that have atmosphere.

[D.o.S.]

As in space. Not like Hawkwind space, but depth. Records that sound three-dimensional.

What are your favorites? I ask because I have a couple, but I'm always on the look out for more.

My go-to albums for this are Rain Dogs by Tom Waits, and An Evil Heat and The Narcotic Story, both by Oxbow, to give you a sample of what I'm dancing around here.

[rustywire]

Kind of Blue [Miles Davis]
Scott [Scott Walker]
Meddle [Pink Floyd]
Songs From The Big Chair [Tears For Fears]
Pretty Hate Machine [NIN]
Nowhere [Ride]
Loveless [MBV]
...xyz [Moose]
Souvlaki [Slowdive]
In Utero [Nirvana]
The Campfire Headphase [BoC]

As for live albums:

Sunday at the Village Vanguard [Bill Evans Trio]
MTV Unplugged in NY [Nirvana]
Live at Bonnaroo 2005 [Iron & Wine]

And pick a random Scientist dub plate

[D.o.S.]

Kind of Blue [Miles Davis]
Scott [Scott Walker]
Meddle [Pink Floyd]
Songs From The Big Chair [Tears For Fears]
Pretty Hate Machine [NIN]
Nowhere [Ride]
Loveless [MBV]
...xyz [Moose]
Souvlaki [Slowdive]
In Utero [Nirvana]
The Campfire Headphase [BoC]

As for live albums:

Sunday at the Village Vanguard [Bill Evans Trio]
MTV Unplugged in NY [Nirvana]
Live at Bonnaroo 2005 [Iron & Wine]

And pick a random Scientist dub plate

See, I almost posted "floyd and gaze isn't really what I'm shooting for," but then I didn't. Hate Machine has always sounded very 'flat' to me.

I realize that I'm going for something that's pretty nebulous.

[yallerhon]

Nirvana - In Utero
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie
Augie March - Sunset Studies
Billy Joel - An Innocent Man (no I'm not fucking kidding)

I don't know if it's because you can almost hear the different mic placements for each instrument / song, but those albums really seem to have 'space' for me. Not everything super up-front or compressed.

[Achtane]

Here Are The Facts You Requested - Shocks + Struts

[yallerhon]

Also how could I forget

Sigur Ros - ()
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Baths - Cerulean
Something for Kate - Beautiful Sharks

[gusman2x]

Ry Cooder - Paris Texas

Vangelis - Bladerunner

[andtheLiquidmen]

Scott Walker - The Drift, Tilt, Scott, Scott 3

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

[fluffytunapouch]

Priestess- prior to the fire
Awesome depth (more in songwriting and dynamics) in a genre that can be lacking

Pyramids/horseback- throne without a king
This trips me out so awesomely. Definitely three dimensional at many points

Flaming lips- transmissions from the satellite heart


Let me know what you find fulfilling your urge. I love listening to a spacious mix and production

[GardenoftheDead]

Fun House by The Stooges
Beacons by Cloudkicker
Other Worlds of the Mind by Nocturnal Poisoning
Nemozin by Izalith
Oath Bound by Summoning
Murder Ballads by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Blank Generation by Richard Hell
Heartbeats by Grum
Salvation by Cult of Luna
Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones

[rustywire]

Hate Machine has always sounded very 'flat' to me.

Yeah I can understand this from the CD versions...but with the vinyl, listen on a properly calibrated sound system...or with hq headphones...it's very much a different listening experience. Esp Ringfinger.

Dummy [Portishead] is another like it in that regard.

Other suggestions:

In Prism [Polvo]
Daydream Nation [Sonic Youth]
Abbey Road [The Beatles]
Premiers Symptomes [Air]
Ruins [North]
Akathisia [Hovercraft]
The Noise Made By People [Broadcast]
The Cold Vein [Cannibal Ox]
Endtroducing... [DJ Shadow]
The Magic City [Helium]
Good news for people who love bad news [Modest Mouse]
Liquid Swords [The GZA]
Tales of Mystery & Imagination [Alan Parsons Project]
How I Quit Smoking [Lambchop]

And also...

Unknown Pleasures [Joy Division]

I would consider these, when talking about "atmosphere" [as in meshing a well-defined soundstage] with distinct, even cohesive aesthetic...regardless of fidelity.

[D.o.S.]

By the way, these lists have a bunch of my favorite records on them. This is a good thing.

That said, out of the albums I'm familiar with, I think Liquid Swords and Endtroducing (which I feel really dumb for ignoring) are really the only one that jumps out as a "that's it!" moment.

EDIT: To clarify, here are the albums I really dig that don't have "it". At least, to my ears.

Meddle [Pink Floyd]
In Utero [Nirvana]
The Campfire Headphase [BoC]
Loveless [MBV]
MTV Unplugged in NY [Nirvana]
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Flaming lips- transmissions from the satellite heart
Fun House by The Stooges
Blank Generation by Richard Hell (which should actually be attributed to Richard Hell and The Voidoids )
Daydream Nation [Sonic Youth]
Abbey Road [The Beatles]
Good news for people who love bad news [Modest Mouse]

Although I think Lonesome Crowded West does have it.

Also, been thinking more about "atmosphere," and I'm beginning to think that I'm really looking for albums that sound like soundtracks to films. As it, the entire audio portion of a film. Think radio show. Like watching a movie with the screen off. Dig?

[GardenoftheDead]

illmatic by Nas

[D.o.S.]

Good call on Illmatic!

[GardenoftheDead]

S'hard to get more real than NY Hip Hop I guess.