We all have favourites and we all keep going back to them every now and then. Some maybe permanently lying next to our systems and have been for years.
Is there an album or two or three at the most which gets most of your attention and is played on your system most often? Not necessarily the best sounding but the one which you are emotionally attached to.
I thought I would ask for a single album but to make it easier for all you may name three of them.
If you have have had the album for more than five years, it qualifies for inclusion here.
The reason I decided to post this message is because I am interested in buying something interesting and if there are only ten people responding it means 30 albums for me to be on the lookout for.
Thanks a lot for your input (if you have read this far I know you will post your three albums also) :-)
Hendrix - Smash Hits, Who - Who's Next & Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps. Nothing exciting or unusual but still enjoy these as much or more than I did on 8-track.
In my High School days decades ago, I loved to listen to Cat Steven's "Foreigner Suite" song on the "Foreigner" album. Lately, started listening more and more to Dire Straits.
Steely Dan: Two Against Nature almost worn out after just a couple of years. Dire Straits : Love Over Gold Telegraph road side. I can listen to these guys all night. Al Stewert: Year Of The Cat. The MF vinyl for this one is best. Traffic: Low Spark Of High Heel Boy . Again on MF
1. Rolling Stones "Exile On Main Street" on a Japanese pressing 2. Amboy Dukes "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" on Mainstream 3. Howlin' Wolf "Real Folk Blues" on Chess in Mono.
Tom Waits would probably top my list if it were limited to albums I've had for more than five years. Many of his albums would be in my top ten repeated plays of all time. I can't get enough of his music and love all of it. "Swordfishtrombone" is a favorite, to choose only one.
Others with that kind of duration....hmmmm.....Mardredeus soundtrack to "A Lisbon Story" titled "Ainda" would be on that list. I could fall in love with the lead singer just from hearing her voice.
One more.....Gillian Welch "Hell Among the Yearlings" probably starting to wear out the plastic and aluminum on that CD.
Dekay, I seem to remember an audiophile LP version of Marrying Maiden from some years ago. Have you come across that? (It kind of surprised me because I always thought the album had rather mediocre sonics, compared to their first, for example.)
Like Dekay, I rarely groove out any more. But over the course of my entire music-loving life, here were some that I positively wore out, mostly from the puberty and early adolesence era (isn't that the time when particular music can really infiltrate our DNA? Later on, not so much.)
Beatles, Rubber Soul Donovan, Sunshine Superman Steppenwolf (first album) Dylan, Blonde on Blonde Country Joe & the Fish, Electric Music... Cream, Wheels of Fire Big Brother, Cheap Thrills Dead, Live/Dead, Workingman's and American Beauty Jefferson Airplane, Volunteers Stones, Let It Bleed Kind of Blue My first recording of The Four Seasons (ECO on Phillips)
American Beauty is probably the single album I played most. For about 6 months after it came out, I must have played it 6 times a day.
There were lots of others, but these came to mind. Gives you a sense of my musical coming of age (and an idea of my age, too). Nothing gets played that much these days. These days, I buy too much music. When I was younger, I would spring for a couple of records and really immerse myself in them. Also, that seems harder to do with CDs (no cover art to relate to).
Just read your top ten movie soundtrack post and am certain that you will enjoy George Brassens work.
My LP's are on the old Philips label, but the music is most likely available on various export labels (some of the later/thinner LP's in light paper export jackets still sound pretty good to me).
You probably already have "BO", but if not it's right up your alley as well.
I rarely groove out anymore (an album's lucky to be played 1 to 3X a year if @ all), but in the 70's/80's I had this thing for "Marrying Maiden", It's a Beautiful Day.
After my first copy was showing problems following but 3 months of play I purchased a dozen copies @ dealer's cost from a friend (think they were $1.38 each). When I sold my LP collection in 1986 I still had 8 sealed copies.
One of these (plus an open one) went with the bulk of the collection, two went to a guy who always gave me good cash value for trades @ a local record shop and the rest I sold separately. Pre Internet this was a $25 LP when sealed.
I have been looking for a mint copy (thrift shops) for over two years now with no luck.
My second favorite groove album was the Rolling Stones LP with a "cake" made of weird stuff on the cover (can't remember the name). I liked to listen to it when I started the day/night (whenever it was I woke up). Probably went through 3 of these.
I upgraded from Philips 212 TT's to a Thorens/SME 12"/Sure combo in the 70's which pretty much eliminated LP wear. The only casualties were from clumsy/drunk/stoned friends using the stereo.
My third favorite album was (and still is) the soundtrack from "Black Orpheus". I currently have two copies (one as a backup) because it's getting difficult to find them in good shape. I would like to have this on CD, but have not run across one yet (again @ the local thrifts).
If you are still with me I have recently developed a strong liking for another artist (George Brassens who sings French popular music). He has a crude earthy quality (unusual for French singers) that reminds me of good/early American blues/folk artists. He is often accompanied by an acoustic guitarist that also shares these qualities. The LP notes are all in French and I do not know who the guitarist is (could even be him).
The material on the LP I'm currently over playing "Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit" was recorded in 1956 & 1957.
My wife who understands French and who also pays attention to lyrics is getting tired of it though. I just listen to his voice and the music (not a clue as to what the lyrics are about).
Oops! forgot Bill Bruford's "One of a Kind" and Brand x's "Moroccan Roll" never get tired of em. Ditto on the Miles Davis, Waterbabies and In a Silent Way
1. Weather Report - Heavy Weather 2. Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior 3. Stanley Clark - School days
Some others: Happy the Man "Crafty Hands", Santana "Caravansari, Welcome, Borboletta", Brecker Brothers "Detente", Billy Cobham "Spectrum", ELP "Brain Salad Surgery", Jade Warrior "Waves, Kites" and quite a few Pat metheny albums I never tire of.
Walter Salas beat me to the punch by listing Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" -- without question my favorite jazz album of all time. The "select" list of my favorite jazz albums include: 1. Miles Davis & Cannonball Adderley: "Something Else: 2. Charlie Byrd & Stan Getz: "Jazz Samba" 3. Bill Evans: "Live at the The Village Vanguard" recordings 4. Bill Evans & Jim Hall: "Undercurrent" 5. Art Pepper: "Meets the Rhythm Section", and "Blues For The Fisherman" (Mole Records) 6. Zoot Sims: the Pablo recordings he did with Jimmy Rowles (piano): "Warm Tenor"; "Suddenly It's Spring", etc. 7 Benny Carter: "Jazz Giant" 8. Chick Corea & Gary Burton: "Crystal Silence"
About two years ago, I did a LONG post (actually, several posts in the same thread) that listed a number of my all-time favorite jazz recordings. You might want to take a look at that thread, since a number of people included their top recommendations.
What a funny topic! My wife and I stayed-up last night just to listen to all time our favourite three. (No, we didn't do it). Somehow each album has fit perfectly with our courtship, raising of two children, and the great triumps and losses that come with life.
#1 Alan Parsons Project "I Robot" Great sound and a great book. #2 Kate Bush "The Dreaming" The consumate artist with her best album of independent songs. #3 Kate Bush "The Hounds Of Love" She returns, bringing an amazing tale during the final 3/4's of the album.
Lugnut - Bob Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks" is also my favorite Dylan record. Get the SACD. It really sounds the best by FAR.
These four discs dominate my playlist. I play them when I relax, when I want to evaluate changes to my system and I take them to audtion new equipment. But most of all, I just love their music.
wavelength--van morrison --blowing fuses on ads-910 with mcintosh 2300 (no power gard)--with needles flat--long time ago---dreams--cd collection of allman bros played on 1993 camry xle toyota upgrade 6 speaker cd--one of the best all time stock car manuf systems---they changed everything in 1994 downhill---steely dan--countdown to ecstasy-on vandy 3sig/bi-amped mccormachk--linn lp-12 back when becker wasnt afraid go let other guitar players go wild--and last the start of all this madness of upgrade the beach boys endless summer lp on altec/lanc--garrard combo(tt nestled on top of receiver!) through old braun speakers---1975
Tool - Aenima, if you like heavier music this one is excellent. Decent sound as well. Unusual for stuff this heavy.
Joni Mitchell - Herija, after reading another post here on Agon about people's favourite Joni albums I picked up this one at a discount price. I have been playing it very frequently since getting it only a week ago. Love it.
Budgie - In For The Kill, a Welch power trio from the 70's with great music that gets the blood flowing and has me singing along (as long as no one is around to hear).
I have many more favs and what would be my pick of three will vary greatly from day to day and week to week. Some weeks the selections might have been three classical albums. But that's for another post. Happy music hunting.
Greg Allman, "Laid Back"...bought this album when I married my wife 30 years ago. We've listened to it at least once a week since. Wow, that's over 1500 plays on the same piece of vinyl and it still sounds new. Speaking of the original vinyl release only, it's an excellent recording with some of the best material I know of.
Bob Dylan, "Blood On The Tracks"...my favorite Dylan record. It prompted me to explore the remainder of his recordings. FWIW, all his recordings (at least the original pressings) are good quality. Maybe not by audiophile standards but very listenable.
Neil Young, "Harvest"...my hero. The Nautilus pressing is my favorite mix.
Too bad the limit is three. I have at least a dozen albums that almost never get put back into their proper resting place unless guests are coming.
At home it's Days of Future Passed, I've been crazy about it since I first head in '70. I am so familiar with it I can tell when there are pitch issues in turntables or tape decks, and it is my primary auditioning recording. Evening will demonstrate the quality of a tweeter like nothing else I've heard. Different albums hold 1st place for months at a time, but nothing competes with it for my attention over tha last 30 years.
For travel - Beethovens 9th conducted by Bernstein, is always part of my playlist for drives over 3 hours and airplane flights, it gets me 70 minutes closer to my destination leaving me refreshed and in a positive frame of mind, particularly good for connection layovers.
That's pretty easy for me, Peter Gabriel "Plays Live". I've listened to this many, many times. Great music (if you like Peter Gabriel, that is) and a good recording.
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