Top 10 Albums
 

Name your favourite 10 Albums.
Can be on any format and don't have to be in numerical order.

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In no particular order.

Ozric Tentacles - Strangeitude.
Rage against the Machine - Rage against the Machine.
Massive Attack - Mezzanine.
Hybrid - Morning Sci-Fi.
Rush - Moving Pictures.
Al Di Meola - Scenario.
Metallica - Kill em all.
Unkle - Never, Never, Land. (Import)
Massive Attack - Heligoland.
Led Zeppelin - Mothership.

Bobby Womack - Lookin' For A Love Again
Paul Butterfield's Better Days - Self Titled (S.T.)
James Brown - It's A New Day, So Let A MAn Come In
Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother The Mountain
Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap
Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
Jim Pepper - Pepper's Pow Wow
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
Link Wray - (S.T.) (Three Track Shack)
Lonnie Mack - Whatever's Right


This is so non-definitive! I'll do my Aussie Top Ten soon.

ask me in another year, could be different - maybe not "Top" - but "formative?" :

sorta alphabetical


Patricia Barber - Modern Cool
Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
Heart - Little Queen
Quincy Jones - Walking in Space
Diana Krall - All for You
Loreen McKennitt - Nights from the Alhambra
Harry Manx - Live at Glenn Gould Studio
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Wailin Jennys - Firecracker
Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Center of the Earth

Well, I'd have trouble keeping it to ten, but I just got tickets to see a guy who was on two albums of any top 10 list I'd ever create- "Blues and the Abstract Truth" and "Out of the Afternoon." :D

Obviously not Oliver Nelson. But BatAT is definitely a great album.

Roy Haynes.

Man, people are STILL covering "Yearnin'" and "Stolen Moments" in 2012.

Eva Cassidy - Live At Blues Alley
Diana Krall - Steppin' Out
Hiromi - Time Control
8½ Souvenirs - Happy Feet
Radka Toneff - Fairytales
Vanessa Mae - China Girl
Hilary Hahn - Elgar Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
Yuri Temirkanov - Rachmaninoff Symphony #2
Earl Wild - Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2
D'jango Reinhardt - (Any Collection)

You could ask me again in 15 minutes and I'd give a different list. The numbers are for organization only.

1] Van Morrison 'Astral Weeks'
2] Velvet Underground & Nico
I like albums that sound like nothing else, even in the rest of the same artist's catalog. These two fit the bill nicely, and often show up on these kinds of lists.
3] The Kinks 'Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1'
A scathing indictment of the music business, yes, but also great songs that fit together very well. One of my first introductions to Kinks beyond their hits.
4] James Blood Ulmer 'Odyssey'
I've mentioned this one around here before, and have since learned that All Music Guide considers it a bonafide avant-jazz classic. Don't let that scare you off; this stuff is melodic and accessible. And brilliantly conceived and executed.
5] Bobby Womack 'The Soul of Bobby Womack: Stop On By'
6] Rory Gallagher 'Sinner and Saint'
The first is a good intro to BW, with good sound, good selection, and good sequencing. The second is a good taste of early Rory, if you like the blues rock trio format. I've minimized compilations to these two.
7] Robby Krieger 'Versions'
An all-instrumental album of covers, originals, and rerecordings that appeals to my jazz side and my rock side. Maybe I'm just square.:)
8] David Lindley 'El Rayo-X'
I'm also fond of albums with broad stylistic diversity, and this one fits that description to a T.
9] Counting Crows 'August and Everything After'
This one has aged enough to make my list.
10] Stephen Bishop 'Careless'
If this one is good for a laugh, it's quite alright. Like #9 above, I think a lot of its appeal has to do with the production. Call it achingly sweet ear candy if you want, I've owned this vinyl since it was released and have always enjoyed it when the mood strikes.

Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
Iron Maiden - 7th Son of a 7th Son
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Whitesnake - 1987
Whitesnake - Slip of the tongue
Winger - Sahara
Danger Danger - Danger Danger
Pretty Maids - Future World
Queensryche - Empire
Hardline - Hardline

Hard to say, since there are about 20-30 who easily could've touched it.
Sooo.. here we go:
Radiohead - OK computer (a true classic though just been out a mere 15 years, and still i find new details)
Thomas Dybdahl - One day you'll dance... (one of Norways hidden treasures, with good tunes in a crossover between jazz, blues, country and rock. At his best when being at his most fragile)
Kari Bremnes - Gåte ved gåte (riddle on riddle is one treat from my part of the country. Great singer/songwriter in a mix of jazz, folk and pop. Top lyricist Top productionteam and musicians make this to an audiophile highlight)
Rush - Show of hands (could've chosen "signals", "moving...", but my honest impression is that it has something which i miss from their studioalbums, which i believe sounds Too sterile?)
Elbow - the seldom seen kid (truly an excellent album which just grows on you. Deep and thoughtfull lyrics combined with delicate arrangements. An obvious winner of the 2008 Mercury awards)
Doves - the places between (a selection of their best songs, and just show their true genious)
Richard Hawley - Coles corner (one of the most frequently played last 6 years. A nice blend of blues, rockabilly, jazz spiced with some serious crooning. For late nights & single malts)
MEW - Frengers (In no way a audiophile album, but its forgiven. Exciting arrangements, uneven songs propelled by some inner irresistable force. Best indie band last 10?)
Porcupine tree - fear of a blank planet (beyond any doubt the best progressive album last 10 years. And just a statement to Steve Wilsons genious, and put 2 lines under Gavin Harrison, as one h** of a drummer! God?)
Queensrÿche - operation: mindcrime (a masterpiece!)