Neutral Milk Hotel:

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea:(1998)

I'll admit, I was a bit of a late comer to this album. In fact it had probably been out for nine or ten years when I was turned on to it. Now, I regard it as one of the most perfect albums I've ever heard. Firstly, the songwriting is incredible. So dense, and graphic, and evocative. Then there's the music, and arrangements that bring the lyrics to life with atmosphere, and power. Lastly, and not least, there's the artwork, which is an excellent match. Which I find to be a rarer thing than most people would think. Anyway, I dig all the Neutral Milk albums, all two of them (and the EP), but I love this album. 

Graham Nash:

Songs For Beginners:(1971)

This is such a good solid album. Not quite Nash's debut, but his debut as a solo artist. As a kid I heard Carrie Anne by the Hollies, which was probably the earliest song sung by Graham Nash that I dug. And of course there's CSN. But, this album has a special magic to it. The song, Simple Man, is worth the price of admission in itself. Then you've also got Chicago, and Military Madness. 

Thurston Moore:

Demolished Thoughts:(2011)

Not sure how many times I've spun this album, but it's a lot. It's such a pretty album. The delicate ornamental acoustic arrangements Beck created around this collection of songs from Thurston Moore is unforgettable. This is a late night/early morning record. Meaning, I think it sounds best when played after midnight or as the sun is just starting to cast shadows. Now as strong as both the personalities of Beck and Moore are, and they can be heard in spades here, I still detect a Van Morrison Astral Weeks influence mixed with a Velvet Underground third album feel. As I said, such a pretty album.

Joni Mitchell:

Ladies of The Canyon:(1970)

Blue:(1971)

Court And Spark:(1974)

Miles of Aisles:(1974)

The Hissing of Summer Lawns:(1975)

Hejira:(1976)

No one has ever sounded or written quite like Joni Mitchell. In fact, she is kind of a genre unto herself. Talk about an artist of vision. Growing up, my mother was a fan, particularly of Court and Spark, so I heard that album a lot. Hejira is one of my favorites. Right now, check out Coyote or Black Crow. Blue! The confessional of the personal on that record is something very few artists have come close to achieving. Needless to say, I find something comforting in the work of Joni Mitchell.

Tim Hardin:

Suite For Susan Moore and Damion-We Are-One,One, All In One:(1969)

This may be the most private album I've ever heard. It feels like, as a listener, you just stumbled upon a door that's thinly cracked open, and on the other side is this songwriter confessing his deep personal thoughts to just the shadows in his room. And there seem to be lots of heavy deep shadows. Even when the songs speak of love and tenderness there's an underlying pain. I came to this album by chance. I knew of Hardin from a Woodstock compilation, and by the covers of his songs by people like Rod Stewart and Johnny Cash. Then one day I came across this album in a thrift store for twenty-five cents. The ghostly cover drew me in, and once I'd dropped a needle on it, I was completely taken. This is a beautiful album.

Steve Forbert:

Jackrabbit Slim:(1979)

A singer/songwriter from my home state of Mississippi. I first heard of Steve Forbert by way of a compilation CD that came with an issue of Oxford American Magazine in 1997. I dug the song he had on that sampler, Sure Was Better Back Then. Flash forward many years to a record sale in the back of a radio station in Colorado, and I found this copy of his second album, Jackrabbit Slim. This album is very much in the singer/songwriter vein of John Hiatt, Joe Ely records from this time. All in all a easy fun listen. 

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.