(Some Aging Music Lovers Do That LISTING Thing… With Focus)
Hey dude, what’s your favorite album?
Imagine the number of times this topic has come up between music lovers through the years. And now imagine the lively debates every time there is a new “Best Albums of All Time” list from Rolling Stone or Pitchfork or Mojo or Consequence or Pop Matters or the just-published “500 Best Albums of All Time” special issue presented by the British music magazine UNCUT, an issue that I devoured eagerly over the course of a week in February. Music fans love lists… they like to discuss them, MAKE them and talk about why such and such a publication is way off in their choices. But the fact is, it’s entirely subjective, right? One person’s opinion is just that, an OPINION. And for the purposes of this article, we are making an important distinction. When you start arguing about the BEST albums of all time or the most INFLUENTIAL albums of all time, that becomes a pop culture exercise that requires knowledge and context and respect for “critical consensus” that puts everything in a weightier framework than the much simpler “favorite albums.” There are entire books and endless “special issues” that direct you to “100 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” or the simple Uncut approach mentioned above, if you want to get an appraisal of what the critics say are the very best musical recordings ever. But there is something FREEING and non-controversial about simply saying “these are my personal favorite albums.” And my hunch is that most serious music lovers would delight at the chance to go down that particular road. So we are doing it here. Seven of us very serious music fans, all but one either approaching 60 or beyond it, have contributed to this article to simply say “THESE are the albums that have meant the most to me overall, and here’s why.” With all the music that has been released through the years, WHY do certain albums make our personal lists? I think it’s a worthy question, and we all hope you readers out there will find this piece a stimulating read. What do YOU like most, fellow music fans? Maybe the following lists will inspire some reflection.
A word about formatting: You’ll notice that the way albums are listed varies from participant to participant. Sometimes the Top 10 appears in order from 1 to 10, sometimes it is reversed, to provide for a sort of “conceptual suspense,” and sometimes no numbers appear at all. In each case this is by preference of the writer, and is indicative of nothing more than the “aesthetic” of taking on an assignment like this. As with everyone out there who listens to music, sometimes one finds it easy to make a “Top 10” list, and sometimes one just CHOOSES from a wide range of possibilities, and the sequence doesn’t particularly matter. It’s all part of the game, right? (KR)
KEVIN RENICK
(1) Ephemera Norway: MONOLOVE Sometimes we develop an intimate relationship with a particular album, almost like it is a divine lover or something, and over the course of 20 years, I sure did that with this Norwegian girl trio’s fifth album. Blissful emotive pop music that is filled with empathy, contemplation and exquisite singing and arrangements, this album still has the unique ability to instantly change my mood whenever I play it, and to give me a better perspective on life. And with peerless songs like “Chaos,” “On the Surface,” “City Lights” and the wildly inventive “Dead Against the Plan,” MONOLOVE has soundtracked my spirit-in-motion more than almost anything else ever released. A Nordic masterpiece, the apex of Ephemera’s singular career, and a sonic lover I can never quit.
(2) The Beatles: REVOLVER At the time it was released, I would NOT have been able to articulate why this fabs’ album was so much better than what had come before. But the concept of the ALBUM had evolved…the notion that a group of songs could hold together as a musical statement, and immerse you in every detail that the group served up. Hearing songs like “And Your Bird Can Sing,” “Good Day Sunshine”, “Here, There and Everywhere” and the revelatory “Tomorrow Never Knows” was startling and unforgettable for those of us hearing this music at the time. The Beatles knew that music was evolving rapidly, and they wanted to take us down a new road that was bound for the unknown.
(3) Simon and Garfunkel: BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER I spent many watershed moments listening to these guys in my formative years, and honestly, this was just a pivotal album in my life. Impeccably recorded and produced, the obvious climax to the duo’s partnership, what was fascinating about this album was how diverse and quirky it was. You got the Peruvian-styled “El Condor Pasa,” the percussion-laced “Cecilia” (made more significant for me when I dated a girl actually NAMED Cecilia; we sang along to it together one glorious drunken night in college) and the weird and offbeat “Why Don’t You Write Me,” all sharing space on a powerhouse album that was anchored by the timeless title track and “The Boxer.” A true classic, and without doubt one of the greatest LPs of all time.
(4) Nick Drake: FIVE LEAVES LEFT I’ll never be at a loss to say things about the great Nick Drake. A young and overtly melancholy British tunesmith who sadly didn’t live long enough to see how big his influence would become, Nick saw deep into the wells of life, love, solitude and emotion and was able to get that depth into his haunting songs, such as “River Man,” “Fruit Tree”, “Time Has Told Me” and “Three Hours.” Those who know Nick’s music cannot forget it, and are happy to talk about it any old time. Peerless ruminations on the challenge of being a feeling human.
(5) Joni Mitchell: HEJIRA So much can be said about Joni Mitchell’s powerhouse songwriting, and I’ve said a lot of it myself. But this album in particular had enduring resonance for me, as it managed to soundtrack the notion of travel as a path to self-discovery, loneliness as a thing to acknowledge at all times, and, more personally, a yearning relationship with a lovely girl in Wisconsin (where the album’s photography was done) as a catalyst for thinking more deeply about life in general. Utterly masterful songwriting and sonic ambience, with little bonuses like Neil Young’s greatest harmonica playing (on “Furry Sings the Blues”), Jaco Pastorius’ inventive bass playing and transfixing lyrics about maps in service stations (“Refuge of the Road”), Amelia Earhart’s possible musings and comparisons to old friends’ lives (“Song For Sharon”) spurring Joni to some of her all-time best songwriting.
(6) Brian Eno: ON LAND I was predisposed to like ambient music early on, as I was effortlessly moved by sonics that evoked the mysteries of nature, and the utter loneliness of REALITY itself, which ambient music was a soundtrack for. Eno’s unconventionally composed ambient masterpiece was an absolute revelation for me, a journey straight into the heart of wilderness in all its complexity that caused me to write to the musician one fateful day in 1982 and essentially pour my heart out to him about my astonishment over his work. He responded enthusiastically, and it was one of the most magical moments in my entire life.
(7) Talking Heads: REMAIN IN LIGHT In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, music was changing rapidly and all sorts of remarkable innovations were happening with the young enthusiastic groups that were electrifying the scene at the time. I was a huge fan of New York’s eclectic quartet Talking Heads, and their Eno-produced fourth album REMAIN IN LIGHT was totally original and transfixing. Rhythmically groundbreaking (influenced overtly by African visionary Fela Kuti) and philosophically challenging, this was a very important album for me in my college days and the kind of album that could shift your entire attitude towards art and creativity. It did that for me then, and is still doing it NOW, 45 years later. And “Once In a Lifetime” is one of the key new wave songs of my entire life.
(8) Neil Young: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH/HARVEST I can’t help declaring a TIE between these two legendary Neil albums. Both were pivotal in my life, both made me want to write songs myself, and both saw Neil reaching previously unmatched songwriting heights. I had major experiences with both of these albums, let’s just leave it at that for now. Although I should add that “Tell Me Why,” “Birds,” “Southern Man,” “Out On the Weekend” and “Words” were to become pivotal soundtracks for the lonely teenager I was at the time.
(9) Paul Winter: PRAYER FOR THE WILD THINGS If nature and the concept of WILDERNESS are part of your life, an album like this from Paul Winter is going to affect you. Winter’s concept here was to capture a typical day in the forests of the Colorado Rockies, while combining the actual sounds of the wildlife of that setting and blending them into his musical ensemble, which consisted of cello, brass and evocative strings and percussion. It’s a tribute to the importance of wilderness itself, and a subtle lament for what we are losing as we continue our “progressive” ways in America. Haunting, atmospheric, and 100% organic, this is one of THE most evocative albums of all time when it comes to reminding us of nature’s diversity and importance. It also straddles an interesting intersection between new age, ambient and world music.
(10) Danielson Famile: TELL ANOTHER JOKE AT THE OL’ CHOPPING BLOCK Sometimes if you’re lucky, you wander into a record store when they are playing an album you are simply MEANT to hear. It wasn’t THIS album I heard at Vintage Vinyl back in the ‘90s, but it was definitely this group, a family band with a completely original, high-voiced lead singer who had a few things to say about empathy, awareness and yes, the spiritual component we humans perhaps needed badly. Daniel Smith has one of the highest natural falsettos in the world, and he employs it in this stunningly original Kramer-produced disc to talk about mothers, death, “hungry humans” and the search for spiritual fulfillment. I’ve only made this statement once, EVER, but I am on record as saying that if music THIS original and THIS hypnotic had something to do with promoting the essence of Christianity, then I was willing to go along. If the art makes me feel something overwhelming and magnificent, I will give the message a bit more of my time. There is simply NO ONE else that sounds like the Danielsons, and they instantly make me smile when I hear them… despite NOT being many others’ cup of tea.
Listing “honorable mentions” might be cheating just a tad, but if I were to push past the ten here, I’d include The Who’s TOMMY, Pete Namlook’s AIR II and probably Paul Simon’s debut on my list.
DARREN TRACY
Back in the Mule’s infancy, I started a list called “The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (According To Me).” I think I actually made it to number 96 (starting at 100) before I got sidetracked. The list still exists and I fully intend to review all 100 of them. There’s a solid core group of records that haven’t changed much since I first created the list, but whenever I think that I’ll kickstart the thing again, I shuffle some things around and replace an album or two with something that I think should be highlighted. Having said that, my Top Ten hasn’t changed at all since I created the original list in 2013. When Kevin suggested this multi-writer excursion, I was excited to see what some other writers would choose (I was fairly certain that I could at least guess the artists – if not the exact albums – that would be on Kevin’s list. I wasn’t far off, by the way) and I definitely wanted to throw my two cents (ten records?) in. I told Kevin that I could virtually guarantee that my list wouldn’t be anything like anybody else’s and that certainly held true (though Dave’s comes as close to my “populace Rocjectivity” as any other here; once Kevin saw my list, he agreed that it was certainly different from what he was expecting). Obviously, for this exercise, I won’t be delving in nearly as deeply as I will when I tackle them for my list of 100 greatest. And, so… without further ado, I humbly submit my` 10 Favorite Albums of All Time:
(1) Alice Cooper: BILLION DOLLAR BABIES Having consumed Alice Cooper’s first five albums, I was primed to be impressed upon the release of the band’s sixth record. And I was! From the opening chords of “Hello Hooray,” it was obvious that BILLION DOLLAR BABIES was special. “Raped and Freezin’,” “Elected,” “Sick Things,” the gender-bending ballad “Mary Ann,” and “I Love the Dead” all hold a special place in my heart (and my twisted psyhce). I mean, seriously, what’s not to love?
(2) The Jam: SOUND AFFECTS The Jam’s Paul Weller had his “angry young man” bonafides on full display on the trio’s early albums – especially IN THE CITY and ALL MOD CONS. But, it was his ability to craft a song that really impressed me. The group’s fourth album, SETTING SONS, featured a somewhat new sound, with great tracks like “Smithers-Jones” and “Private Hell,” but it was record number five, SOUND AFFECTS that saw Weller hit his peek as a songwriter. “Pretty Green” kicks things off in fine fashion; other stand-out tracks include “That’s Entertainment” and “Start!.” Simply stated, this is Weller’s PET SOUNDS or SERGEANT PEPPER’S-like masterpiece. An absolute treat for the ears!
(3) Wishbone Ash: WISHBONE FOUR Not many in my small (okay… tiny) circle of friends give much credence to Wishbone Ash or their recorded output (except maybe a begrudging acknowledgment to ARGUS, this album’s immediate predecessor), particularly WISHBONE FOUR. While there are a couple of flat-out rockers, the album is comprised of what could be called “pastoral” progressive folk rock. While the album as a whole is all prime-cut, I generally prefer listening to side two, which kicks off with the rocker “Doctor,” followed by “Sorrel,” the beautiful “Sing Out the Song” and ending with my all-time favorite Wishbone Ash tune, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow.” For me, WISHBONE FOUR stands the test of time far better than ARGUS, but that’s just one man’s opinion.
(4) Emerson, Lake and Palmer: BRAIN SALAD SURGERY This is the album that turned me into an ELP fan. A little over half of the first side is made up of four wildly divergent tunes: “Jerusalem,” the Alberto Ginastera piano concerto “Toccata,” Greg Lake’s tour de force “Still… You Turn Me On” and the giddy dancehall rag of “Benny the Bouncer.” The remainder of the album features a massive suite, in three impressions; clocking in at 29:32, “Karn Evil 9” is a mindblowing example of what these three legendary musicians were capable of together: Carl Palmer was (and still is) a formidable technical machine sitting atop his drum stool; Greg Lake was an impressive bass player with a majestic set of pipes and, he could play a bit of guitar, too; Keith Emerson was doing abusive things to his keyboards and coaxing sounds out of his early-model synthesizer that was a decade ahead of the times.
(5) New York Dolls: IN TOO MUCH TOO SOON As much as the Dolls’ debut record gets high marks for its seemingly haphazard approach and neo-punk aesthetic, I’ve never been a fan of Todd Rundgren’s production on that album. For me, the legendary Shadow Morton, who produced such groups and artists as the Shangri-Las, Janis Ian and Vanilla Fudge, was able to give just the right touch to the boys’ shambolic sound on their second full-length. In my estimation, every track – half originals and half well-chosen covers is a winner. By featuring so many cover tunes, I think that maybe producer Morton saw a way to push the band into a more mainstream, marketable direction without damaging their punky New York roots. Whatever the reason, it obviously worked for me!
(6) Grand Funk Railroad: SURVIVAL Grand Funk Railroad were one of the most reviled bands throughout their original run. Not by the fans, but by the “elite” music press (ROLLING STONE in particular). SURVIVAL was the fourth album released by the Funk in less than two years. Don, Mark and Mel were still hitting on all cylinders, with a great selection of originals and a pair of well-chosen covers. Favorite tracks here are the Don Brewer/Mark Farner tune “I Can Feel Him In the Morning,” a chilling, spiritual number that starts with several children describing God, with the last child’s final words, “And… if you’re good, you’ll live forever. And, if you’re bad, you’ll die when you die,” echoing into the song’s intro. Farner and Brewer share lead vocals on this song, as well as the other highlight, a killer version of the Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” The other cover, Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright,” is a whole buncha alright, too!
(7) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM I discovered the Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB) on one of those late night music shows (DON KIRSHNER’S ROCK CONCERT or THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) where the band performed “The Hot City Symphony” and their version of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” The next day, I immediately checked for any albums by the group at the local Radio Shack, were I had to special order their latest release, THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. These guys could (and did) play just about any style of music Imaginable, from hard-driving, melodic pop to oddly progressive jaunts to the adventurous Big Band Swing of “Sergeant Fury,” complete with a Ragtime-style piano break. THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM is unapologetic, unmitigated Rock and Roll bombast by one of Scotland’s finest exports.
(8) Sixteen Horsepower: SACKCLOTH ‘N’ ASHES The major label debut from Denver’s 16 Horsepower, was – if not the first – a very early example of what would become known as Americana music. David Eugene Edwards’ lyrics tended toward the spiritual (his grandfather was a Nazarene preacher), Native American mysticism and Gothic imagery. While the band never veered to far from their roots, over the course of four more studio albums (LOW ESTATE, SECRET SOUTH, HOARSE and FOLKLORE), they did turn into more of a rock group, utilizing standard “rock instrumentation.” SACKCLOTH ‘N’ ASHES found them at the pinnacle of their creative genius. It comes highly recommended by this scribe; have I ever lied to you about this kind of stuff?
(9) Three Dog Night: HARD LABOR Known more for their early ‘70s dominance of the AM radio dial and singles charts, the band’s eighth album, 1974’s HARD LABOR moved into a more Rock and Blues style while maintaining the tight vocal harmonies (though Danny Hutton’s participation was minimal due to a continuing substance addiction) and playing, highlighted – in particular – by drummer Floyd Sneed and guitarist Michael Allsup. Honestly, there isn’t a dud to be found anywhere on this record. If you only know Three Dog Night as a lightweight pop, singles band, HARD LABOR may just change your mind.
(10) Budgie: IN FOR THE KILL This is the first Budgie album I ever owned. Obviously, others followed, including the group’s self-titled debut, which featured the improbably named “Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman.” Budgie is the ONLY hard rock trio with a helium-throated bass player you’re likely to hear at the ol’ Tracy homestead. Unlike a certain group of haughty Canuckleheads, these guys never took themselves too seriously. But, if you’re looking for bonafides, Metallica recorded “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” for their EP of covers, THE $5.98 EP – GARAGE DAYS RE-REVISITED. For my money, you can’t go wrong with IN FOR THE KILL, featuring stellar performances by vocalist/bassist Burke Shelley, guitarist Tony Bourge and at-the-time new drummer Pete Boot.
As a consolation prize (and to, hopefully, point you to another list called – what else? – GREAT LIVE ALBUMS), here are my top two picks for favorite live recordings:
(1) Stiff Little Fingers: HANX A single piece of vinyl that captured SLF at the height of their feisty, militaristic Punk best.
(2) The Tubes: WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIVE This is one of those “If you know, you know” records. Two records of wicked parody tarted up with great songwriting and musicianship. If you need more proof of the quality of WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIVE, future Disney choreographer Kenny Ortega is on hand performing the same for this show; if you listen REAL hard, you may able to hear him groaning at what he had wrought.
STEVE WAGNER
It is said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. But even knowing we can never convey the power of music with mere words on a page, aficionados write about it as a true form of self-discovery. We arrange our cherished top ten lists with a precision rarely employed in any other endeavor, not (entirely) because we are obsessive-compulsive, but because we sense, at our vibrational core, that our relationship with music is essential to who we are, and who we are becoming.
Parsing a lifetime of rapt listening into only ten favorite albums is impossible without excising huge swaths of music history, setting aside entire beloved genres, ignoring the critical consensus, and braving potential ridicule from peers for serious lapses in taste. That said, this is a list of ten albums that, for me, are perfect. If there was a desert island with my name on it, and pleasepleaseplease let that be the case, these are the ten albums that Wilson and I would be grooving and contemplating to:
(10) The Beach Boys: SMILE The music historian in me could make a strong case that the “album” we envision when we say the name SMILE is the most ambitious, far-reaching in scope, and psychologically layered work of American musical art produced in the last sixty years. But even if this were true, it would not qualify for my list unless the music was as endlessly fascinating as the project’s legendary saga. This is peak creativity from (yes) a musical genius, a fearless and inspired artistic leap of faith for Brian Wilson. For the best “version,” I suggest disc one from THE SMILE SESSIONS. It exhibits brilliance in every melody, lyric, and production flourish, and the total listening experience is like no other in the history of popular music.
(9) The Beatles: REVOLVER I was eleven when I got it. I was stunned. These were the best songs I’d ever heard. The ones I didn’t yet understand – “Love You To,” “Tomorrow Never Knows” – made the experience all the more mystical and extraordinary. As for “Eleanor Rigby,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” and, most of all, “Here, There, and Everywhere,” well, I just couldn’t believe anything in life could be so breathtakingly beautiful. I’m 64 now, and still utterly in awe of REVOLVER. This was the big leap forward, for the Beatles as a band, and for me as a music lover. It encapsulates everything I love about the Beatles, everything that I love about music.
(8)Derek and the Dominoes: LAYLA AND OTHER LOVE SONGS This double album, which I saved up for and bought at age fifteen exclusively for the song “Layla,” with which I was completely obsessed, was far more crucial than I could have ever imagined. It introduced me to the Blues. I’d been exposed a bit through the Stones and Led Zeppelin, but this album was different, it was just awash in the Blues, crying out in pain from every groove. Even now, after plumbing the depths of the genre for decades, LAYLA AND OTHER LOVE SONGS sounds as authentic, raw, and utterly despairing as any Blues I’ve heard. When I’m feeling bad, I listen to this record. It always makes me feel really, really good.
(7) Lindsey Buckingham: OUT OF THE CRADLE Moving to California from the Midwest was the most challenging transition of my life. OUT OF THE CRADLE came out right before I hit the road, and I listened to it non-stop while driving across the country. With this inspired album as my guide, I was ready to take on the world. It is all about reinvention, rebirth, letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. This album was my musical mantra. With his greatest collection of songs on any record (Fleetwood Mac or otherwise), OUT OF THE CRADLE is Lindsey Buckingham’s reclamation as an artist and zenith as a musician, composer, and producer. I truly needed this album then, and I still do now.
(6) The Moody Blues: DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED Is this Rock’s greatest concept album? I can’t imagine a more universal one. Or a sweeter one. A true innovation of the psychedelic era, DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED is a trippy and reflective romp through 24 hours in the day of an ordinary life. Here, the gently rocking and ethereal mellotron music of the Moody Blues, with stellar compositions from all five members, perfectly complements the lilt and whimsy of Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” creating a deeply satisfying synthesis of soundscape and song cycle. This album makes me feel grateful to be alive.
(5) kd lang: INVINCIBLE SUMMER kd lang is the greatest singer of my lifetime. I know those are big words, but have you listened to her? She can sing anything. That said, I love her sensual approach to music even more. INVINCIBLE SUMMER is kd at her most confident and uninhibited; she’s positively giddy with love throughout. Her lyrics are dripping with desire but she’s always clear and perceptive, reaching for love’s deeper meaning and expression. The production is pristine and playful, the arrangements sport myriad exotic instruments and futuristic sounds, and kd’s rich, utterly singular voice has never been more joyful. INVINCIBLE SUMMER sounds like how a summer romance feels.
(4) Jeff Beck: BLOW BY BLOW Jeff Beck’s move into jazz fusion in 1975 was a seismic event in the evolution of the guitar. On BLOW BY BLOW, Beck’s melodic instincts and virtuosic playing are perfectly complimented by George Martin’s lush production and Richard Bailey’s expressive drumming, elevating this album into the Music of the Spheres. More than just my favorite album by my favorite guitar player, BLOW BY BLOW is a milestone in my evolution. It opened my mind to jazz, leading to a lifetime of musical exploration and immense listening pleasure. This was when I GOT IT.
(3) Joni Mitchell: COURT AND SPARK I love Joni Mitchell’s discography so much that six of her records were in serious contention for this list, but it always comes back to COURT AND SPARK for me. BLUE may have been more influential, and HEJIRA more intimate, but COURT AND SPARK was the zeitgeist, an immediate classic that captured the spirit of its time distinctively and enduringly. Here, Joni transforms from folk singer to band leader, from songwriter-of-note to major artist and cultural icon. She dives the depths of the divine feminine on this flawless record. From the hopeful romantic of “Help Me,” to the wallflower of “People’s Parties,” the floozy of “Raised on Robbery,” the jilted date of “Car on a Hill,” and most poignantly, the vulnerable lover/yearning everywoman of “The Same Situation,” Joni brings the Goddess to life, a modern woman with an ancient soul.
(2) The Beatles: ABBEY ROAD It’s their most exquisitely produced album. It’s the first in which George’s songwriting truly equals that of John and Paul – both at the peak of their powers. It matches REVOLVER in song quality and PEPPER in conceptual brilliance. Most importantly, ABBEY ROAD’s towering artistic, critical, and commercial achievement, against all odds given their compounding personal issues, elevates the Beatles’ legacy immeasurably. Without it, their dissolution would have been all the more tragic; with it their divine status is assured forever. I love that they found it in themselves to do this, to let music and love prevail. ABBEY ROAD is exhilarating and triumphant, and it’s my favorite Beatles album.
(1) Pink Floyd: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON How is this even an album? It feels more like a continent, a civilization, an epoch. How could anything this vast, this weighty be contained on 12 inches of vinyl? DARK SIDE OF THE MOON plays like an akashic record of ancient wisdom and future prophecy transmuted into sonic vibrations streaming through a cosmic wormhole into the deepest archetypal recesses of the human psyche. It opens with birth and cycles through the concepts of time, sex, money, duality, and insanity before its ultimate cathartic breakthrough – observing our reality with detached perspective and acceptance, in alignment with all that is, in awe of the miracle of creation. Pink Floyd held a mirror to our collective unconscious and found the musical and poetic language to reflect our most essential and universal truth. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is the most profound album in history, and it’s my favorite album of all time.
My list of honorable mentions is exhaustive: PET SOUNDS, BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER, DUSTY IN MEMPHIS, NILSSON SCHMILSSON, FRAGILE, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, HEJIRA, THE ROCHES, GHOST IN THE MACHINE, NIGHT AND DAY, and PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN AND JONES LIMITED all vied for serious contention.
JIM FORD
Note: My first encounters with these albums dictate this order, and I know that a good twenty other LPs are dying to be included on this list.
The Beatles: SERGEANT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND This album was my baptism into the lofted world of rock and roll. It allowed me to understand and express how music made me feel about myself, my family, my friends, and society. It enhanced my connection to music, boosted my morale, sparked my creativity, and solidified my worldview.
Phil Ochs: PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR These eight songs are filled with beauty, death, pathos, sadness, and joy, which I was starting to identify and express as a young male in my late teens. Music can change the world; this album changed me.
King Crimson: IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING This album allowed me to be loud, daring, and bombastic, a Doomsday prophet and suspect of what would come. Its cover still evokes mystery and plunder to this day.
Neil Young: EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE Although AFTER THE GOLD RUSH is a perfect album with songs that helped me cope with my life and survive college, this album is my favorite. It had a life-changing effect on me and still does to this day. The power, the guts, the noise, the passion, and the extreme and wild emotions, via the clashing of strings and propelling vocals, stroking a young man’s imagination, set my musical journey on its way.
Joni Mitchell: LADIES OF THE CANYON The second time I ever performed in public in the early seventies, I played Joni’s “For Free.” I was a 20-year-old guitar-playing Phil Ochs wannabe, and this album nurtured and propelled me into adulthood.
Steve Wonder: TALKING BOOK This disc is a testament to the power of love. After years of adulating white males as the evangelist of rock and roll, I was ushered into the amazing and vital history of Black songwriters and musicians.
The Moody Blues: SEVENTH SOJOURN Symphonic vibrations, poetic storytelling, mellotron melodies, and musical journeys drift into each other; this recording always lifts me into another world I am grateful to experience.
Dan Fogelberg: SOUVENIRS A dreamer from the mountains of Colorado, blessed with an angelic voice that emits touching and humanistic lyrics, Fogelberg’s music on this album has been part of my mission statement for most of my life. “There’s a light in the midst of your darkness, let it shine!”
Jars of Clay: GOOD MONSTERS This album is about my life, a spiritual reckoning, a lesson in humility, and a call to action.
Amethyst Kiah: STILL + BRIGHT She is young, she is black, she is gay, and I have fallen in love with this album and her vision for our world. She reminds me that not all the great albums were created in the ‘60s and ‘70s! There is still great music to come!
MICHAEL BARTZ
Joni Mitchell: HEJIRA What is left to say except, Joni, you have given me so many hours of pleasure – musically, intellectually, poetically – I want to thank you with my whole being? Well, this: HEJIRA is a cool masterpiece that burns, a beautiful example of the melding of African American and African beats, tones, and rhythms within a unique version of Jazz/Pop and soaring poetry brought to birth by Joni, and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Also, one of the best album covers ever.
The Beatles: REVOLVER Life-changing music for young people of the time. “But listen to the color of your dreams,” Lennon sings in “Tomorrow Never Knows.” “Got to get you into my life!” the cutest kid on the face of the planet with one of the greatest voices ever recorded wails to the sea of totally adoring girls… and boys out there. The so innovative and original use of brass (thank you, George Martin!), the psychedelic overtones, the Eastern tones and instruments, the electronic experiments – all coalesce to create an album at times joyous, at times meditative, at times funny, at times lyrical, but always interesting. Also one of the great covers of the 20th century. Klaus Voormann, a bassist, artist, and friend designed and drew it. The photo on the back of the totally high Fab Four is as charming as it gets.
Bob Dylan: BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME One moment in an incredible life of music and art; ah, but what a moment! These are the months Dylan “went electric.” This album is the last great, polished, mature, modern-folksinging Bob Dylan before his marvelous evolution, here singing songs that were Folk, Rock, Rap (!), Blues; that were surreal, down home, political, romantic, emotional. Part acoustic, part electric, the album transports the listener from one genre to another effortlessly, and we, for sure, want to go along for the ride. (It was almost impossible for me to choose between BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME and BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, but I persevered and forced myself!)
Crosby, Stills and Nash: CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH No one alive in the summer of 1969 could miss the advertisements; they were ubiquitous. I never understood why Atlantic Records spent so much money pushing the album. These boys were quite popular in their previous bands, and folks would at least give them a listen when their collaboration emerged. Atlantic must have known what they had. And what was that? Well, a trio of cosmically talented musicians whose voices almost preternaturally blended, and each of whose abilities and work inspired the others. One problem for older lovers of this album is that whenever they listen to it they’re transported back to the late ’60s and early ’70s – the good parts anyway – and get lost in a pleasant haze of nostalgia that brings the day’s work to a halt. Every aspect of this album shows care and professionalism; this on top of the enormous range of tempo, subject, emotion, poetry, great musicianship, and harmony that is exhibited in the songs. Crosby, Stills, and Nash became the benchmark for this kind of music – often identified with California and the famous Laurel Canyon: Serious, loving, narrative driven, confessional, celebrative, youthful – all wrapped in lush harmonies.
Neil Young: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH Okay, call me a wimp. But you’d be WRONG. I absolutely LOVE “the Horse!” I love TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT. “Cortez the Killer” is one of my absolute favorite songs. Really. But, gosh, I do love me a wailful tune with Neil on a dark stage with just a soft spotlight, on guitar and harmonica, or piano. In fact, this is kind of a “piano album.” There’s pianoforte on many of the songs. But it’s also, a harmony album! And solo or with backup, Neil’s young voice – a mixture of baby, teenager, female, male – is totally original and arresting. There are intimate songs, future rockers, prairie (Canada, the Southwest US) inspired visions, and beautiful harmonies. The eponymous “After the Gold Rush” became one of the greatest eco-anthems of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. And the album has one of the greatest erotic songs of the time: “When You Dance, I Can Really Love.” Oh, and another basically black and white cover that is certainly in the top ten!
Karla Bonoff: THE BEST OF KARLA BONOFF: ALL MY LIFE Karla Bonoff, along with Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac and Carole King, is one of the great masters of the modern pop ballad. She has an absolutely seductive voice and gift for melody, in the sense that the listener just wants more – more melodies, more lyrics, more poignancy, more hooks. Bonoff’s hooks are the kind you don’t really mind becoming earworms every once (or more) in a while. You want to keep listening, keep hearing! Along with basic, competent musicians she’s created one masterpiece of a ballad after another in her long career.
Bob Marley and the Wailers: SURVIVAL Composed during the mature development of his musical powers, SURVIVAL showcases Marley as developing politically in radically beautiful ways. Dorothy Day was saying, “Our troubles stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.” Bob Marley was singing, “Me say de Babylon system is the vampire… Suckin’ the blood of the sufferers.” Reggae was starting to conquer the world and Marley became its face for so many music lovers. He took the rhythms of Reggae and stretched them out with the help of magnificent contributors like Bunny Wailer and bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett. The album is pure musical visceralness – you can’t not dance, or at least move your body – at the same time your heart and mind are being moved by the lyrics. (It was almost impossible for me to choose among SURVIVAL, EXODUS, and UPRISING, as my favorite. Maybe it came down to the beautiful cover – 48 African flags and an historical etching of the hold of a slave ship – and what it began to teach us about the struggles of Black people historically and the attempts at the liberation of Africa itself.)
The Band: THE BAND There is no Dylan exactly as he is now without the Band. Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm were the central powers, but every member of the group was essential for the success of the music it created. It was such a time of experimentation and growth in popular music. The Band teamed a unique, rootsy quality with Rock ‘n’ Roll, Country, prairie, and electric guitar. The result was an absolutely pleasing, joyful, down-to-earth eclectic sound that was truly original. Dylan recognized their musical insights and their shared origins and thus MUSIC FROM BIG PINK was born. Both the Band and Bob went on to do some good stuff.
Simon and Garfunkel: BOOKENDS Childhood/old age. “ …between the forceps and the stone,” as Joni says. All great artists take on the big life questions at some time and here Paul Simon does so masterfully. It’s an examination of youth and mortality and the journey between. I was 21 years old when BOOKENDS was released, and was absolutely struck – naively, humorously, philosophically, religiously – by the line from “Old Friends”: “ …how terribly strange to be seventy.” It gnawed at my brain and heart for five decades, every time I listened to the album, until I actually was 70 and it’s power and meaning for my life became apparent; something tells me it’s all happenin’ at the Zoo. “America,” of course, is one of the greatest songs of the twentieth century. And, oh yeah, again: a great album in pristine black and white.
The Grateful Dead: WORKINGMAN’S DEAD True, AMERICAN BEAUTY is a masterpiece of California Folk-Rock, Robert Hunter visioned, roots inspired, Jerry Garcia driven music… but WORKINGMAN’S DEAD, which followed close upon, raised the bar in production values, musical exploration, and soul. Its grittiness is its charm. Its mournfulness was a needed antidote to the heavy sweetness of much popular rock at the time. The Dead spent a lot of time in the studio throughout their existence, but were never really satisfied; everyone knows that their live performances, in concert with, grabbing energy from, their audience of adoring followers was where they shone, where they achieved the heights of musical experience. I think WORKINGMAN’S DEAD comes the closest of any studio album to that level of creation. It also has one of the great album covers of the time.
Addendum: I wrestled mightily with the question of whether or not to include the following album – an outlier certainly – but in the end could not really justify dropping any of the above. But I wanted to state that one of my favorite albums of all time, one I’ve been listening to for over 50 years, is FLUTE CONCERTOS OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY PARIS performed by Jean-Pierre Rampal. A perfect example of late baroque music including one of my favorite instruments, the harpsichord. (Keith Jarrett’s THE KOLN CONCERT and his JS BACH – THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS are also in the running.)
TED MONIAK
Out of a possible 500 Top Albums, it is impossible to pick 10. Still, these came to mind, in no particular order:
Leo Kotke: 6 AND 12-STRING GUITAR I heard this album when I was in my young teens, and it made me want to play guitar, which I then proceeded to do. I think it also made a lot of guitar players throw their guitars out the window.
Miles Davis: BITCHES BREW This album made me want to play music. I never get tired of listening to it. I think it incurred the wrath of traditional Jazz listeners, but it also beguiled Rock and Roll people. It changed music forever.
Robin Trower: BRIDGE OF SIGHS A classic Rock album. People say, uncharitably, that Robin Trower is a Hendrix wannabe, but that’s not true. Trower has his own style, particularly his own approach to songwriting.
King Crimson: LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC I only list this particular Crimson album because it was the first of theirs that I ever heard. It doesn’t sound like anything else but the incredible imagination of Robert Fripp. It includes the stunningly beautiful “Book of Saturday.”
The Sex Pistols: NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE’S THE SEX PISTOLS Impossible to explain how much this album meant to a 17-year-old Detroit punk. This was the beginning of punk rock for us, and though we waited impatiently for its US release, making do with a 45 of “God Save the Queen,” this album lived up to ALL the hype.
Pere Ubu: DUB HOUSING In its own way, as much a revelation as the aforementioned Sex Pistols album. Cleveland’s finest musical weirdos produced an album that describes post-industrial despair with, paradoxically, the feeling that you could do anything. Thank you, Crocus Behemoth. (EDITOR’S NOTE: David Thomas, the founding member, lead singer and chief composer of Pere Ubu, passed away on April 23 at the age of 71, a fact noted with sadness by Ted and fellow admirer Kevin. Pere Ubu were leading practitioners of a sort of “avant garde post punk,” and were most active from 1975 to 1982, and then intermittently from 1987 to Thomas’ death. The singer’s unique vocal style was characterized by Emerson Dameron as “James Stewart trapped in an oboe.” Renowned music critic Greil Marcus wrote that “Mr. Thomas’s voice is that of a man muttering in a crowd. You think he’s talking to himself until you realize he’s talking to YOU.”)
Joy Division: CLOSER An alchemical transmutation of lead into gold. No one is unmoved upon hearing this album. I remember listening to it for the first time in a dorm room at college only to be informed, mid-way through, that John Lennon had been killed and that Russia was thinking about invading Poland. This is the theme music to the world already having ended.
Richard and Linda Thompson: SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS No one plays guitar like RT, and no one sings ‘em like Linda Thompson. The astonishing beauty as a product of a disintegrating marriage. I met their daughter Kammy on a rooftop in North London once. She was very nice.
Nick Drake: BRYTER LAYTER Why this album, when I could have picked almost any of his? It’s just because it’s the one I heard first. It also includes the absolutely breathtaking song “Northern Sky.”
Joni Mitchell: THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS/HEJIRA Now, this is really two separate albums, but I don’t hear them that way. I hear them as bookends, complimentary colors, the summer and winter of Joni Mitchell as she reached maturity. She is in full command of her extraordinary songwriting ability on this pair of recordings. She worked with the finest new Jazz musicians she could find, such as Jaco Pastorius, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott and Victor Feldman. I can’t separate these albums in my mind, and frequently listen to them in order in one sitting. If there were any justice in the world these albums would have gone platinum, but of course, it doesn’t usually work out that way.
DAVE DYER
(1) Kiss: HOTTER THAN HELL Kiss’ second album, produced by Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise, is a nasty, dirty, grungy sounding album, which is why I like it so much! The raw sound and deep bass by Gene Simmons pounds through you on tracks like “Got to Choose,” “Parasite,” “Watchin’ You” and “Strange Ways.” The amazing guitar work by Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley’s vocals are rock and roll genius!
(2) Electric Light Orchestra: DISCOVERY Pure Disco-ish pop sensibility by master songwriter Jeff Lynne. I remember going to the swimming pool with my mom during summer break and hearing songs like “Confusion,” “Shine a Little Love” and “Don’t Bring Me Down” on the jukebox. These are great songs that are part of my Life Soundtrack! All the songs are still as fresh today as they were in ’79. Special mention to “Diary of Horace Wimp.” If the Beatles had stayed together, this might have been what they sounded like at the end of the ‘70s.
(3) Saga: WORLDS APART If you have never listened to Saga, then you are missing something truly special. This album is a Prog masterpiece! From their one hit, “On the Loose” to “Wind Him Up” and “Times Up,” the whole damn album is a musical delight for your ears. Highly recommended!
(4) Cheap Trick: HEAVEN TONIGHT Crank this baby up to “11” and hold on and don’t stop! One of the greatest rock albums of the ‘70s done the Cheap Trick way, with such songs as “Surrender,” “On Top of the World,” “California Man,” and “Stiff Competition.” A true Rock and Roll delight and one HELL of an album that is just “Heaven Tonight!”
(5) Toto: TURN BACK Toto’s third outing was not a big album for them whatsoever and didn’t even spawn a hit for the band, yet I find it to be one of their very best! The songwriting is so strong and infectious, with great tunes such as “Gift With a Golden Gun,” “English Eyes,” “A Million Miles Away,” and “Goodbye Elenore,” just to name a few. From start to finish, it is just an exceptional album by – in my opinion – one of the most underrated bands around.
(6) Dokken: UNDER LOCK AND KEY The first three songs alone are skull crushers… “Unchain the Night,” “The Hunter” and “In My Dreams.” Don Dokken is one of the best metal singers of the 1980s; plus, you’ve got the scorching guitar shredding of George Lynch; now, sprinkle in backing vocals and bass and drums by Jeff Pilson (who is now playing with Foreigner) and Wild Mick Brown, and you’ve got a real metal threat on your hands! The best disc of their short career.
(7) Kansas: VINYL CONFESSIONS At this point in the history of Kansas, Steve Walsh had just left the band and, after the remaining members auditioned over 100 singers, they settled on a young guy by the name of John Elefante. Elefante was a born-again Christian, and meeting Kerry Livgren (who had also just found Christ), they began writing together for VINYL CONFESSIONS. “Play the Game Tonight,” “Right Away,” “Chasing Shadows,” “Windows,” “Play On”” and the rest of the songs all have an underlying religious theme. Though underrated, this is a great album with righteous songs!
(8) Gino Vannelli: NIGHTWALKER With such songs as “I Believe,” “Living Inside Myself,” “Put the Weight on My Shoulders” and the title track, you’ll want to turn the lights down low, pop a bottle of wine, take the hand of your lover and dance the night away! There is no voice more soothing than Gino’s. No joke… this is a beautiful album, written and performed by one of the most underrated songwriters of our time. Simply stunning!
(9) The Fixx: REACH THE BEACH A powerhouse of ‘80s goodness! The Fixx were new on the scene and had a mesmerizing new wave sound that exemplified what the 1980s were all about… sounds you had never heard before, with lots of synth, keyboards and catchy songs with unusual vocals. Among them: “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Sign of Fire,” and “Saved by Zero.” But then, listen to hidden gems like “Reach the Beach,” “Liner,” and “Opinions.” This album will not disappoint! In fact, pick any Fixx album and you’ll find that to be true.
(10) Gary Numan: DANCE One thing about the “Godfather of New Wave” was that he always challenged himself with what new sounds he could mix into the proverbial music pot. DANCEis what he cooked up in 1981, and I consider it to be the most ambitious of his ‘80s offerings. The dark journey begins with “Slow Car to China.” Side Two starts with the greatest of his songs, “She’s Got Claws.” The record ends with the mysterious and haunting “You Are, You Are” and “Moral.” This is a “must check out” album, truly. You can thank me later!
