Wow an old album that rocked your world


I know this is a Hifi forum but isn’t it about the music as well. Has anyone recently played a
Vinyl, disc or whatever you are into. One that you forgot was so good and totally was blown away by the music and the recording? If so share it with us. Mine was Mahavishnu orchestra Birds of Fire. Have not listened to that for some time. Wow. FORGOT HOW GOOD THAT WAS. 
This is what Hifi is all about IMO. 
schmitty1
Can - Hunters and Collectors   An utterly iconic track and lovely recording which shows the era and is so compelling.  Holger Czukaj RIP
Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions Of The Emerald Beyond

I play them every other week, never get tired.
The first is best on original Japanese pressing vinyl.
The second is best on original American promo white label vinyl.

Moby Grape: Moby Grape '69 and 20 Granite Creek. While not up to the very high standard their debut established, still very good albums.

Crazy Horse: Crazy Horse. Known as The Rockets prior to being hired by Neil Young to be his band (and with one album released under that name), this is their first album after working with Neil. Danny Whitten was still alive, and the four members were joined by Jack Nitzsche on keys.

Nitzsche had been a studio guy, doing orchestration for Phil Spector. If you've heard the instrumental song "The Lonely Surfer", that was Jack. After his time in Crazy Horse, he went on to record an incredible semi-Classical album entitled St. Giles Cripplegate (Reprise Records, 1974). Kinda rare, if you see one buy it! He then moved on to soundtrack work, including the score to Chinatown.

I have 3 that still make me completely insane given their age : James Gang  " 'Yer Albulm "which showed  the world how great a guitarist  Joe Walsh  was and a great 3 piece band ; Jeff Beck  "Blow By Blow " & Return To Forever " Romantic Warrior "
@nitrorob, I went to see Genesis ToT tour and it was my first real, major league concert.  It was (trite to say) life altering.   Ok, musically.  Was listening to Yes etc on LP back then but that sealed the deal as a life time prog rock guy.  Thanks for that blast.  Anyway, for LP, side one of Van Morrison's Common One comes to mind.  Bass is mixed more up front than most his stuff and horns in Satisfied will impress, SQ-wise.   Good thread.  
Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything?
Cheap Trick:  All Shook Up - produced by George Martin
I still 'First Sound' anything I collect with 'Sweet Child' by The Pentangle.

For the era, it was well-mic'd and as clean as acoustic could be...

....and I've still have the original LP in as best shape as I've mananged to maintain, some 50ish years later....
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Living in Chicago and "Born in Chicago"  just rocked and crossed the racial chasm of what was raw blues from a brilliant harmonica player and soulful spirit. RIP!
John Mayall  Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.

I had collected together a pile of this album over the years.
Sold them all except my original English mono pressing, it is an amazing sound.

tvad9

Trick of the Tail is just about the top of my list also. I remember the night, after getting home at midnight from 2’nd shift in our local factory, that I first took that album of of the sleeve and put it on my Marantz turntable. I had never heard Genesis before. Someone at work had recently went to their concert ( I was ask to go and didn’t) and I picked up an album "just because". I couldn’t turn it up because of neighbors ,, so I put my headphones on. What I heard was SO DIFFERENT. At the time, so unusual. Kind of dark and misty but so so addictive. Their next one Wind and Weathering is stellar also, but Trick of the Tail takes the prize


For you Pretenders guys, and if you have a multi channel system, pick up Pretenders Live in LA. You will Love it. It's mixed really well and is a killer concert.

imnop,
Great choice. The first Pretenders album is unmatched! From the moment I heard "Precious" for the first time, my heart almost stopped. I saw them during that period at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, and it was just an exiting experience. I still listen to it on a regular basis.

James Honeyman Scott was a great loss, as was Pete Farndon... both heroin tragedies.
The eponymous "It's a Beautiful Day" (first pressing by Columbia Records; not the "San Francisco Sounds" reissue). I attended two of the original group's concerts (one with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band at The Fox West Coast Theater (an abandoned movie venue) in the LA area circa 1973): that was the most memorable concert I witnessed in that era. The first time I heard that album...well, no details need be publicly recounted.

The Pretenders first record. Still holds up. Serious attitude. Deserves its place on best debut album lists. The tragic death of James Honeyman Scott seems forgotten in discussions of dead rock stars. He shines on Live at Santa Monica, which was an FM broadcast that I recorded on cassette tape and still have. It’s available on Disc 2 of the deluxe version of Pretenders 2. The 2006 remasters on CD & SACD are pretty good. 


I got a used copy of Cat Stevens “Teaser and the Firecat” and was amazed at how good it sounded. Plus brought back many memories from High School when I was first introduced to it. 
@jfd11, great mention of Mott The Hopple, All the Young Dudes. Certainly can tell Bowies influence on that one. Have it on clear red vinyl and it's in my rotation.
Boston - s/t debut on Japan blue spec II CD,
 sounds absolutely 3X better than the older cd pressing I have!!

night and day difference!


gary Moore - we want Moore (live) one,of my top three live recordings, haven’t played in a long time.
played last night, it was amazing!



Ted Nugent/ST. IMO .this is a top 50 rock/pop album of the 1970's. Yes his political views are questionable but I only care about the music
The Quess Who's American Woman is one of those can't miss albums for me. Big fan of the Quess Who and Bachman Turner OD but never felt they reached the peak they did together for that album. Some great mentions earlier stated as well.  Enjoy the music
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@roberjerman, two fantastic Procol Harum albums! I saw them live in 1971 at the original Fillmore (on the Home album tour), and by that time the group's line-up had changed from that on those two albums. Gone was Matthew Fisher on organ (he created that incredible signature part in "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", "borrowing" heavily from J.S. Bach), the more pedestrian Chris Copping taking his place.

Also gone was bassist David Knights, Copping playing the bass parts on his Hammond B3 pedals. The were still good, but the playing of guitarist Robin Trower had come to the fore, and I found his Blues-based style to be not to my liking. The Home album suffered for it, as did the absence of Matthew Fisher. By the way, Fisher's first two solo albums are mighty fine. 

I will say Anthony Lloyd Webber and Andrew Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar original 2 disc LP is something that still brings shivers up my spine.  Especially "39 Lashes"
Great examples I’m glad to see this site is about the music as much as the faithful reproduction of it. Keep it going   We have no hobby with out it. 
Happy listening 
Peter, Paul and Mary In Concert. The mics they are using and the grouping on the stage just takes me back to the 1960's.  What can I say.
@uberwaltz I'd recommend getting the MFSL one-step.  I hate paying stupid money for records, but I think it's worth every penny.
Fragile by Yes.
Been many years since I played it, too many.
US cleaned it and spun it up last night on my Garrard 401.
Wow, parts took my breath away,  it will not be as long again till it's next spin for sure.
Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On - after many years on the shelf it's crept back into a fairly regular rotation. Great stuff!
Next up for a future listen will be Procul Harum's A Salty Dog! Again, an original A&M pressing from 1969! I in fact saw this band in concert in Vancouver in September 1972! 
I recently listened to Procul Harum's Shine On Brightly. A 1968 A&M pressing. Truly a landmark progressive rock recording! Now, alas, largely forgotten! Check out side two's suite - In Held 'Twas In I. Robin Trower's masterful axe-playing is a particular highlight throughout both sides! Add Gary Brooker's singing and B.J.Wilson's drumming and you have an LP both musically and sonically satisfying!