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.