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) :-)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Hmmmm - good thread! I'll list a few currently enjoying a heavy rotation on my turntable:
"Rough Mix" - Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane "Soular Energy" - Ray Brown "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" - Ella Fitzgerald "Soundtrack From Local Hero" - Mark Knofler "Saxophone Colossus" - Sonny Rollins "Miles of Aisles" - Joni Mitchell "Gaucho" - Steely Dan "Firebird" - Stravinsky/Leinsdorf/LA Philharmonic "Ancient Airs And Dances" - Respighi/Dorati
Also don't usually shop by sonic's as would be evidenced by my current music collection were you to go through it.
I used to buy and trade for British imports in the 70's, but it seemed to me that the added quality faded going into the 80's. MFSL was also a big disappointment much of the time.
Anyway, now I only pick up phile versions if they are a buck (like everything else).
Some of my favorite CD redo's have been by Rhino, plus they reissue music that appeals to me.
Hendrix - "Are you experienced?". This single recording changed the electric guitar(and me, for that matter) forever. It's also my first musical memory at 5 years old. I can still remember cranking it up on my friend's parent's new hifi and rocking out all day long!! I still can't believe that was nearly 37 years ago.
There are albums that I like a lot but do not listen to very often. I also have many compilations on tapes. So, I'll stay exactly within the thread. 1. Miles Davis-Bitches Brew- 2. John McLaughlin Trio-Que Alegria-(digital recording) 3. Paco De Lucia-Siroco-(analog recording but digital mast.)
Blind Faith: This album simply astounds me. It captures the spiritual essence of the prime of my life. I can't begin to imagine the processes involved in its creation which is how I define art (and magic). These vibes are like a psychic grinding wheel -searing off the rust -leaving shiny new metal.
Jefferson Starship "Blows Against the Empire": This one rang in the new millennium (the Starship ascending exactly at 12 p.m.). Have you seen the stars tonight?
Steppenwolf "The Second": Was there anyone cooler than John Kay? Magic Carpet Ride? Give me a break. Was blessed to have this music in my teens.
You Audiogoners never cease to amaze me! I was expecting maybe 10 responses and in all, 30 albums to hunt down, but, here I am confronted with 47 posts in only two days and probably more to come. Do you guys have any idea how many albums have been mentioned in this thread? WOW so much of good music is packed into this thread I had no idea it would turn out this way. Thank you so much to each and every one who responded.
Going through the whole thread I realised there are many good albums which I already own but still many which I must check out. Some of the albums mentioned are also on top of my list and I listen to over and over and have been doing it for years.
I did not mention my three choices (three is really difficult and I wish I had asked for ten!)when I started this thread but allow me to mention them in this post.
Carole King - Tapestry have been listening to it since last 32 years and still laying next to my system, it was the LP in 1971 followed by the CD in 1989 and another version of the CD few months back. (The LP is still with me though, but, a few mm thinner with hundreds of hours of playing!)
Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, Jan Garberak and Hari Prasad Chaurasia - Making Music Listening to it since 1989 on a regular basis and use it when there is any component change or when evaluating other fellow audio nuts system. Sounds fabulous with Maggies and LS3/5a's. Track 1 has the uncanny ability to hypnotise anyone, provided it is heard on a good system. This is an album which I think gives one an impression that the instruments are talking to each other, this also conveys to the listener how skillfull the musicians are. Plenty of improvisation. The only album which is better in all respect is "Kind of Blue"
Strunz and Farah - Primal Magic pure magic in every sense of the word!
During the last one year I have come across some very good albums which are not only having excellent music to start with, but, excellent sonics as well. Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue is one of them. This album can also be used to evaluate any system and the better the system the better it sounds, I have no idea what the limits are for this album. Another lovely album which grabbed my attention few years back was Cassanda Wilson's New Moon Daughter. Both these albums do not qualify to be included in the post even though both were released more than five years back. The reason? I have had them for less than five years.
I made the rules and I should be the last to break them.
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