Roberta Flack:

Killing Me Softly:(1973)

I like about half to two thirds of this record. It gets a little too snoozy, and too jazzy for my tastes. There was that trend in the seventies toward Jazz-Soul that was extremely hit or miss for me. This album sold a lot of records at the time, good for Roberta, and then the title song sold a lot of records for the Fugees in 1996. Arguably, Killing Me Softly is the strongest track on this album, and When You Smile is the silliest. 

John Fahey:

Volume 1 Blind Joe Death:(1967)

Oh, yes, the first third record by John Fahey. Let me explain. Blind Joe Death was the very first album released by John Fahey, self-released in 1959. There were not many copies pressed. So after the success of his second album it was decided that we would reissue his first album, but wanted to rerecord some of the tunes. Hence, Volume 1 Blind Joe Death coming back out in 1967. This is a killer album of acoustic instrumental guitar folk blues.

The Everly Brothers:

1957-1962: (1987)

This double album is essentially a "Best Of", and a very well done one at that, with all the tracks remastered. When I was about nineteen, a friend of mine's mom was moving, and let me have any of her records I wanted. There were several of these Time Life collections in there. Others will pop up as I continue this blog. What's there to say, the Everly Brothers filled a niche that only they could occupy. Those nostalgic harmonies, dreamy at the time of their release, now echoes of a by gone era. I'm often taken by the innocence in the Beach Boys song, Wouldn't It Be Nice, and I get the same feeling from the Everlys, which makes them a good listen anytime.

The Evens:

The Odds:(2012)

This album so damn good. I dig the stripped down sound of Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina's The Evens in every way. Every album has been killer, but this one in particular has a magic to it, at least for me. It's political, it's introspective, it's reaching and aching. It also has great cover art. 

Here's two personal favorites, but I love the whole album.

Eurythmics:

Be Yourself Tonight:(1985)

The Eurythmics' best selling album. 80's pop at its best. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves. Mostly I remember, as a child of the 80's, the song, There Must Be An Angel, being used in a Disney MTV send-up called DTV where they combined Top 40 hits with some of their old cartoons.  

God Don't Never Change:

The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson:(2016)

A sunday special. 

I picked up this compilation album of various artists covering Blind Willie Johnson songs recently. I had to... It's got Tom Waits, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Lucinda Williams, and a host of others on it. I must admit, as much as I dig this record, some tracks are more interesting than others. The Waits tracks are stand outs. Blind Willie has always been a haunting figure in blues to me. I was thirteen when an older friend gave me a cassette of various blues artists, on that tape was Blind Willie Johnson's Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground. Out from my speakers came a ghost, moaning woefully and playing the rustiest slide guitar I'd ever heard. Unlike all the other artist and songs on that tape, this song felt so intense, and mournful that it almost seemed wrong to listen to it. It was so personal. To this day I consider that to be maybe the penultimate blues tune. I'm so attached to that lyricless version that I was a little disappointed to hear the lyrical version by Rickie Lee Jones that closes this compilation. In any case, this is a very cool record in the collection, and a killer Sunday morning jam.

Brian Eno:

Another Green World:(1975)

Before And After Science:(1977)

Ambient 1 Music For Airports:(1978)

Music For Films:(1978)

Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks:(1983)

The Pearl; Harold Budd/Brian Eno:(1984)

I pull out Music For Airports more times than I can recount. I use it as a focusing tool to calm my mind while working. I often do the same with Apollo, Music for Films and The Pearl. There have been times when I spent the entire day playing Eno's ambient music on loop just for the atmosphere it provides. No one has ever put on one of Eno's ambient albums for a party. They are more of a solitary affair, one of contemplation. However, his other albums are party worthy, I'll Come Running is such a great song off of Another Green World with Robert Fripp providing the guitar acrobatics like only he can. By This River, off of Before And After Science, is a beautiful tranquil love song worthy of any party. Over the years, Eno has made music for all occasions, and introduced the world to a depth of atmospherics that music didn't have before he came along.   

Karen Elson:

The Ghost Who Walks:(2010)

This is a really great, seemingly one-off, record. The storytelling in the songwriting is dark and Earthy in the best possible way. This is also one of the best production jobs, outside of his own albums, that I've heard from Jack White. I'm pleasantly surprised how many times I've reached for this album since 2010. It really has become a favorite. 

Ramblin' Jack Elliott:

Young Brigham:(1968)

What is there to say? This is a Ramblin' Jack album. He does what he does, and he does it very well. I met Jack once at a folk festival, nice guy. They don't call him "Ramblin'" because he travels a bunch, which he does.

Echo & The Bunnymen

Ocean Rain:(1984)

Crocodiles is my favorite Echo & the Bunnymen album, but Ocean Rain is the one I have on vinyl. ...Yard sales... Actually, I picked this record up at a radio station vinyl sale in Grand Junction, CO. Anyway, this is the album where the band decided to go with more orchestration, and less straight rockin'. Still, there's good moments here like Thorn of Crowns, and Killing Moon.

Bob Dylan:

Highway 61 Revisited:(1965)

It's hard to imagine a musical world without Like a Rolling Stone. It was a song that changed everything in a big way. I mean, a six minute song with no bridge section becoming a radio hit? Now that's Rock'n'Roll.

Blonde On Blonde:(1966)

Much like the Beatles White Album, I love that this album has so much on it stretched across four vinyl sides. And who but Dylan has a song (not instrumental) that could take up a whole side of a record by itself. Hell, I'd love this album even if Visions of Johanna took up all four sides.

John Wesley Harding:(1967)

This is such a haunting album. It also feels shorter than it really is. I mean, there are twelve songs on this record, but it flies by like a whisper or an eavesdropped conversation. 

Nashville Skyline:(1969)

Sometimes it seems that people forget just how humorous Dylan albums can be. Then you hear Country Pie or something. Sometimes a person doesn't feel like making or hearing big statements.

Greatest Hits Volume II:(1971)

This compilation album sounds like my childhood. A crazy six year old wanting to put this record on over and over again. 

Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid:(1973)

Great movie, great soundtrack. If you're thinking, "I don't know this Dylan record". well it gave the world Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

Dylan:(1973)

While not an album Dylan necessarily wanted his record company to release, this contains some fine covers, such as Big Yellow Taxi. 

Planet Waves:(1974)

In our family my Dad famously wore out two copies of this record playing Forever Young when I was first born.

Blood On The Tracks:(1974)

This album carried me through High School in a big way. It was a benchmark of songwriter penmanship that I marveled over. 

Before The Flood:(1974)

Dylan and The Band at their collective best.

The Basement Tapes:(1975)

I love how secretive this album feels. It's like you just discovered a diary of some long dead relative or something.

Desire:(1975)

This wordy album has long been one of my favorites. I love how cobbled together it feels. It's very Bohemian. 

Hard Rain:(1976)

Another terrific live album, but  if you watch the live footage from the tour this album was taken from, it'll blow you away. 

Street Legal:(1978)

This album rarely comes up in conversations about Dylan's catalogue, but this is another favorite of mine. Check out the lyrics to Changing of The Guard again. Mind blowingly good.

At Budokan:(1978)

Knocked Out Loaded:(1986)

I won't go into how many Bob Dylan albums I have on various forms of media, the man has been prolific to say the least, this is just about the vinyl, and these are what I have. Yes, I am one of those diehard Dylan fans who finds something good even in the worst albums. Since I was six years old Bob Dylan has been tops in my book, and not just his lyric writing, I love his voice. It's a voice that I find comforting, warning, and otherworldly all at the same time. It's the perfect voice for a songwriter to have in that it gives everything away, and nothing together in one tone. Now, of these vinyl records I have favorites, and those favorites tend to shift at different times in my life. It's a joy when good art can grow with you instead of being stuck in a particular moment in your life, and it's rare. Lately I find myself reaching for John Wesley Harding a lot with its parable storytelling, sometimes without endings. 

The Dorsey Brothers:

Their Shining Hour:(1957)

A studio created band of a bygone era, well yes, they are... But for a while from 1928-1935 they were on top of the world, and featured some of the best white jazz players around. No, it's not as exciting or innovative as it's African-American counterpart, but the white version rarely is. Still, I enjoy having some of these records around to throw on every now and then.

The Doors:

The Doors:(1967)

This is one of the best debuts in Rock'n'Roll history. For me it doesn't get more wicked and mysterious than the fully formed band you hear on this LP. 

Strange Days:(1967)

The rate at which the Doors evolved is fairly staggering. The proverbial candle was blazing at both ends in the most intense way possible.

Waiting For The Sun:(1968)

I love this album, it's not my favorite Doors album, but it's close. My Wild Love is in my Doors Top Ten list. There's a reason I have two copies of this one.

The Soft Parade:(1969)

I know a lot of people dismiss this album, but I really dig it. Beyond, Touch Me, which I dig, this album gets weird in a great 1969 kind of way, and you really start hearing the band fragment.

Morrison Hotel:(1970)

Much in the way the Beatles attempted Let It Be to try and regain focus, the Doors go after Morrison Hotel. But it seems by this time the entire band was immersed and under the influence of Jim Morrison's persona and drunken psyche.

  

L.A. Woman:(1971)

"Hey, Gang, let's give it one more go!" This seems to be the mantra that sparked L.A. Woman, and it worked. This album is killer.  

I love the Doors. They were, and continue to be a fascinating band of land sailing pirates. For a time I even had the post Jim Morrison album, Other Voices. But, The Doors without Jim is not the Doors, and I sold it. My favorite Doors album is American Prayer. You know, the one where the surviving members created sound collages to work with a bunch of poetry Jim Recorded before he died. That's my favorite. No need to list the songs, you know them. 

The Doobie Brothers:

Best of The Doobies:(1976)

Yes, I know...but this is in the collection. I dig some of the pre-Michael McDonald stuff. Even with their heavy dose of cheese...I keep this record.

Donovan:

Mellow Yellow:(1967)

A Gift From A Flower To A Garden:(1967)

In Concert:(1968)

The Hurdy Gurdy Man:(1968)

Barabajagal:(1969)

Greatest Hits:(1969)

Open Road:(1970)

Cosmic Wheels:(1973)

Slow Down World:(1976)

Donovan:(1977)

There are certain pockets of my collection that I particularly enjoy, and the Donovan section is one such pocket. Of course as a kid I heard the hits, Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Wear Your Love Like Heaven etc... but it wasn't until I started picking up records that I discovered the real depth, and magic of Donovan Leitch. Like most of the great musical artists, each Donovan album is different, and each is its own self contained world. Recently I was playing A Gift From A Flower To A Garden for a friend who had never listened to a Donovan album before, he said he'd always thought of Donovan as psychedelic hanger-on to the Beatles proverbial coattails, and as such had dismissed him along with so many Sixties acts that jumped on the bandwagon accompanied by low production values. After side one my friend tells me his mind is changed, and that he now sees that Donovan was an interesting vital creative force unto himself with productions to rival other top artists of his time. Well...I'm paraphrasing there, but trust me, that was the gist of it. Do I have a favorite out of these albums? No, not really. I can be in the mood for any one of them at any time. 

Fats Domino:

The Legendary Music Man Fats Domino: (1976)

Fats Domino is a king in the great Rock'n'Roll pantheon, and yet not as mentioned as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis. Even though he was out of the gate before them. Several reasons for this exist, but I'm going to keep to the music. Anytime a Domino tune is spun I'm guaranteed to start tapping a foot, and moving because his music is just intoxicating. This double compilation album released in the Seventies is a great document of the man's career.