If you could only keep 5 record albums, what would they be?

@baffler65, the ABC Lexicon Of Love album has SUCH incredible production! My fave from that era of English Synth-Pop.

For those who nominated Roy Orbison, there have been a couple of audiophile reissues of his Monument recordings (first by Classic Records), and the sound of them is absolutely incredible! They almost sound like a direct-to-disk LP they are so alive and immediate. His recording engineer Bill Porter was one of the all-time greats. 

Coming at this topic from a different direction, there are some albums I have to possess just for one song; it’s a bonus if the entire album is good. Here are some of those songs:

- "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys. On their Pet Sounds album, a pretty good one ;-) . There is a video on You Tube of a music teacher sitting at a piano, breaking down the structure and composition of this majestic Brian Wilson song. Watch it and have your musical consciousness raised!

- "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", written by William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser, and James Dean, sung by Jimmy Ruffin. A really, really great song, with a glorious chord progression and melody (and superb bass part by James Jamerson). Available on any Jimmy Ruffin Greatest Hits/Best Of album, or Motown V/A collection.

- "No Time To Cry" by Iris Dement. The wife of an old friend, knowing of my record collection, asked me for an album recommendation. She’s a professional therapist/counselor with her own clinic, is pretty smart and sophisticated, and a good dancer. I had just discovered and fallen in love with Iris, and told the wife to get her My Life album. When I heard back from the friend, he told me the wife found the album severely melancholy. For me, it’s like what the old Bluesmen said about their music: To sing about what they did helped soothe the pain. "No Time To Cry" is as heartbreakingly-beautiful as Pop music (non-Classical) can be. The entire album is fantastic, but not for those with a distain for Hillbilly music.

There are many other albums I have solely for one song (there are far more excellent musicians than songwriters), but that’s enough outta me.

This topic thread pops up regularly, sometimes with a more reasonable 10 album limit ;-). But okay, 5. I’ll limit it to Pop (non-Classical), as this crowd is of a more Rock persuasion. I will also leave off my number 1 and 2, as everyone may be sick of hearing about The Band (their debut and it’s follow-up, Music From big Pink and The Band, aka the "brown" album). In no particular order, and at this moment in time:

- The Everly Brothers: any best-of collection. They created the Rock ’n’ Roll template of great songs (chord progressions, melodies), great singing, great musicians (the best in Nashville), and the 2-part harmony copied by everyone, especially The Beatles.

- Dave Edmunds: Get It. IMO the premiere practitioner of Rock ’n’ Roll guitar playing (Chuck Berry perfected), production (his own, The Everly Brothers, The Stray Cats, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Flamin’ Groovies, Foghat, Mason Ruffner, Brinsley Schwartz, many others), arranging, and singing. Get It is only one of his albums I would be happy to take.

- Rockpile: Seconds Of Pleasure. Pure, 100 Proof American Rock ’n’ Roll, created by an Englishman (Nick Lowe) and three Welshmen (Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams). The best live Rock ’n’ Roll band I have ever seen/heard.

- The Dwight Twilley Band: Sincerely. The debut album by the trio of Dwight (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Phil Seymour (vocals, drums), and Bill Pitcock IV (lead guitar). The ultimate, perfect melding of early Beatles and early Elvis Presley. What a debut!

- The Flamin’ Groovies: Shake Some Action. Dismissed by some as an English Invasion Cover/Garage band (even by Bill Graham, but what did he know?), but I love ’em. This album, produced by Dave Edmunds, is really, really special; I guarantee it sounds like no other you have heard.

- John Hiatt: Bring The Family. Combine the songwriting and singing of John Hiatt with the musicianship of Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner, and you have one of the very best albums ever recorded and released.

Oops. You just can’t break up a 6-pack, can you? ;-)