* (one per artist/in no order)
Destroyer YOUR BLUES
Glenn Branca SYMPHONY NO. 1 (TONAL PLEXUS)
Butthole Surfers LOCUST ABORTION TECHNICIAN
The Ramones THE RAMONES
Guided by Voices UNDER THE BUSHES, UNDER THE STARS
Cecil Taylor Alms/Tiergarten (Spree)
Jefferson Airplane AFTER BATHING AT BAXTERS
Chic RISQUE
Cheap Trick SEX AMERICA
Vår NO ONE DANCES QUITE LIKE MY BROTHERS
Public Enemy IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS
Pinback THIS IS A PINBACK ALBUM
Yasunao Tone AI DEVIATION #1, #2
Sonic Youth SISTER
Eno TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN (BY STRATEGY)
Autechre AE
John Fahey AMERICA
Sparks LIL BEETHOVEN
Kurt Weill & Bertholt Brecht/Richard Foreman THREEPENNY OPERA
Laura Nyro NEW YORK TENDABERRY
William Basinski THE DISINTEGRATION TAPES
The Quick UNTOLD ROCK STORIES
Fugazi IN ON THE KILL TAKER
Family HISTORY
Melvins HOUDINI
Spirit THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER
Sebadoh III
Sly & the Family Stone THERE’S A RIOT GOING ON
Randy Newman GUILTY: 30 YEARS OF RANDY NEWMAN
Jesus and Mary Chain PSYCHOCANDY
Death Grips THE MONEY STORE
Echo and the Bunnymen HEAVEN UP HERE
Andy Pratt ANDY PRATT
My Bloody Valentine LOVELESS
Pavement BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS
Nina Simone NINA SIMONE IN CONCERT
The Shangri-Las MYRMIDONS OF MELODRAMA
Pink Floyd PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN
Wire CHAIRS MISSING
The Kinks WE ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY
New Pornographers ELECTRIC VERSION
The Velvet Underground & Nico VU&N
ABBA THE VISITORS
Wall of Voodoo CALL OF THE WEST
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band LICK MY DECALS OFF, BABY
Van Dyke Parks SONG CYCLE
Robert Pollard KID MARINE
The Left Banke THERE’S GONNA BE A STORM
Buffy Sainte Marie LITTLE WHEEL SPIN AND SPIN
Bow Wow Wow SEE JUNGLE! SEE JUNGLE! GO JOIN YOUR GANG, YEAH! CITY ALL OVER, GO APE CRAZY
Loudon Wainwright III 40 ODD YEARS
Alice Cooper KILLER
Love FOREVER CHANGES
Crystal Castles (III)
David Ackles AMERICAN GOTHIC
The Fall THIS NATION’S SAVING GRACE
The Incredible String Band THE HANGMAN’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER
Neil Young TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT
Eliane Radigue TRILOGIE DE LA MORT
Superchunk ON THE MOUTH
Robert Wyatt ROCK BOTTOM
Anthony Braxton FOR ALTO
Donovan GREATEST HITS
The Flaming Lips THE SOFT BULLETIN
Richard Hell & the Voidoids BLANK GENERATION
Swans SOUNDTRACKS FOR THE BLIND
Dwight Twilley Band SINCERELY
Aki Onda BON VOYAGE!
Lou Reed BERLIN
*
p.s. Hey. So, I got in a mood the other day and decided to update my all time favorite albums list and share it with you in hopes that you would pony up and tell me some of your favorites in return. Would be nice, thanks. I’m sure I forgot a bunch of stuff. ** Jim Pedersen, Indeed! Hi, Jim, how’s Morocco if you’re still there? xo, me. ** Robert, Hi. Thanks. No, I’ve never played DND. I did go to university with the guy invented it. ‘The Man Without Qualities’ is one of the toughest of the toughs. I don’t think I actually made it all the way through, but I was dazzled as far as I went. Happy Tuesday. ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yay, the signal reached your sweet spot. In my closet too, definitely. It seems to smell more and more like a thrift store. Like one that’s been abandoned for years. Putin is a pretty ideal candidate. It’s very American of me to say, but maybe Trump too, please. See, I’m too practical a person, so if I think about shrinking someone I like, I immediately think of how horrible their life would be, and how careful I’d have to be, and how I’d have to carry around a magnifying glass and wear hearing aids to be able to talk with them, and stuff like that. I’m no fun, iow. Oh, it’s so boring, but I think I would shrink Trump and ‘accidentally’ stomp him to death. Aw, what an extremely nice love, wow, thank you. Love turning your all time favorite record album into an amusement park, G. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Wow, I didn’t know about that adaptation of ‘Happy Days’. It’s my favorite Beckett play. I’ll devour it. Thank you. ** Nightcrawler, Hey there, Nightcrawler! I highly encourage you to go back to painting miniatures and sharing the outcome with at least me. I know that must be intensely laborious, but it’s so exciting to think about. ** Bill, Awesome. Time for another Charles Matton show in Paris. Sorry you were feeling shit. I read that you guys got the hottest temperature in your history yesterday. I hope you’re okay re: that. True horror. ** Sypha, Yes, the jest was present and tenable. Your vacations go so fast, but I guess that’s vacations in a nutshell. Jesus, Maine is a mouth killer too. Dress your dad up like a pirate maybe? I figured that project would hit its goal, and yay, congrats! ** _Black_Acrylic, Yeah, I saw that show. ‘Apocalypse’, I think was called? Speaking of, whatever happened to Chris Cunningham? He was such a thing back then, but I don’t feel like I’ve heard anything about him in ages. My regrets and sympathies about Truss. ‘Prayers’ that she gets decimated in the next election, duh. ** Steve Erickson, I’ll check out that new Packard. I can imagine he does Covid denialism proud, ha ha. Everyone, Mr. Erickson: ‘For Slant Magazine, I reviewed Oliver Sim’s debut solo album.’ I’ve never found The xx or Jamie thereof remotely interesting. ** Misanthrope, Then I really could be the America Genet. Highest hopes re: the MRI today. Ai yi yi, hope y’all test negative. It’s weird, we’re so over Covid here. I think it’s down to, like, 2000 cases in the whole country now. Well, it’s not completely impossible that the post’s goods were the result of gargantuan photographers, but it’s pretty borderline impossible. ** Okay. If you have favorite albums to list for me/us, please do, and, otherwise, see if you can find some kind of enjoyment in discovering mine, I guess. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
*
I always enjoy making these lists!
Nico – The Marble Index (Elektra, 1968)
Serge Gainsborg – Histoire de Melody Nelson (Phillips, 1971)
Virgo Four – Virgo (Trax, 1989)
Dr Dre – The Chronic (Death Row, 1992)
Dopplereffekt – Gesamtkunstwerk (International Deejay Gigolo, 1999)
Whitehouse – Bird Seed (Susan Lawly, 2003)
Excellent list!! Love so many of these albums.
My list in no particular order:
How I Loved You – Angels of Light
You Forgot It In People – Broken Social Scene
Grace – Jeff Buckley
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out – Yo La Tengo
Red House Painters I – Red House Painters
Beautiful Midnight – Matthew Good Band
What Ends When the Symbols Shatter – Death in June
The Age of Adz – Sufjan Stevens
Horse Rotorvator – Coil
Great Annihilator – Swans
P.S. Have you ever seen the 2016 film As You Are? I watched it recently and it made me think of you. Though, this is my first time writing in.
i can’t believe it dc, you’ve already nicked some of my fave albums for your list. esp. _New York Tendaberry_ which i listen to practically weekly. so my list is going to be Swiss cheese. i’ve avoided classical recordings and soundtracks (…for the most part), cos this would be twice as long. the one per artist thing killed me. but:
Gavin Bryars (with Philip Jeck & Alter Ego) — THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
Weather Report — I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC
Al Stewart — PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Harry Partch — THE WORLD OF HARRY PARTCH
The Caretaker — AN EMPTY BLISS BEYOND THIS WORLD
The Kinks — ARTHUR (OR THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE)
Simon and Garfunkel — BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
Bob Dylan — BLOOD ON THE TRACKS
Eric Dolphy — OUT TO LUNCH
Nick Drake — PINK MOON
J.B. Lenoir — ALABAMA BLUES!
Farrah Abraham — THE PHONE CALL THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
David Sylvian — SECRETS OF THE BEEHIVE
Ry Cooder — CHAVEZ RAVINE
Aphrodite’s Child — 666
Loren Connors — AS ROSES BOW: COLLECTED AIRS 1992-2002
The Magnetic Fields — 69 LOVE SONGS
Stevie Wonder — SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE
Laurie Anderson — BIG SCIENCE
Alice Coltrane — TRANSLINEAR LIGHT
Monastic Choir of Kiev Pechersk Monastery — 1000 YEARS: SELECTED CHANTS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Terry Riley & Don Cherry — LIVE IN KOLN (FEBRUARY 23, 1975)
John Fahey — DEATH CHANTS, BREAK DOWNS & MILITARY WALTZES
Alice in Chains — JAR OF FLIES
R.L. Burnside — 1ST RECORDINGS
Steve Roach — STRUCTURES FROM SILENCE
Sufjan Stevens — CARRIE & LOWELL
Nina Simone — PASTEL BLUES
The Future Sound of London — DEAD CITIES
Big Star — RADIO CITY
Otis G Johnson — EVERYTHING – GOD IS LOVE 78
Henry Flynt — YOU ARE MY EVERLOVIN’ / CELESTIAL POWER
Neil Young — AFTER THE GOLD RUSH
Frank Sinatra — NO ONE CARES
Dead Can Dance — THE SERPENT’S EGG
Akiko Yano — I’M HOME
Diamanda Galas — LA SERPENTA CANTA
James Cleveland & The Angelic Choir — PEACE BE STILL
Mary Margaret O’Hara — MISS AMERICA
Albert Ayler — SPIRITUAL UNITY
Jane Siberry — THE WHITE TENT THE RAFT
Fela Kuti — ZOMBIE
Ornette Coleman — THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME
Judee Sill — JUDEE SILL
Duster — STRATOSPHERE
Pauline Oliveros — ACCORDION & VOICE
The Kyoto Nohgaku Kai — JAPANESE NOH MUSIC
Sebadoh — BAKESALE
Billie Holiday — LADY DAY: THE COMPLETE BILLIE HOLIDAY ON COLUMBIA (1933-1944)
Horace Tapscott — DIAL B FOR BARBRA
Yamashiro Shoji — AKIRA SYMPHONIC SUITE
Pixies — DOOLITTLE
Jethro Tull — THICK AS A BRICK
Cat Stevens — MONA BONE JAKON
Lou Reed & Metallica — LULU
The Raincoats — THE RAINCOATS
Duke Ellington — NEW ORLEANS SUITE
Fleetwood Mac — RUMOURS (i know, i know, i’m sorry)
Patti Smith — HORSES
Digable Planets — BLOWOUT COMB
Lingua Ignota — SINNER GET READY
John Coltrane — MY FAVORITE THINGS
Miles Davis — ON THE CORNER
Laura Nyro — CHRISTMAS AND THE BEADS OF SWEAT (cos you took NYT from me)
Dalek — FROM FILTHY TONGUE OF GODS AND GRIOTS
Sun Kil Moon — BENJI
Swans — FILTH
John Cage — 44 HARMONIES FROM APARTMENT HOUSE 1776 / CHEAP IMITATION
The Peter Brotzmann Octet — MACHINE GUN
Vangelis — BLADE RUNNER
Charlie Parker — YARDBIRD SUITE: THE ULTIMATE CHARLIE PARKER COLLECTION
Scott Walker — TILT
Stephen Sondheim — A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1973)
GZA — LIQUID SWORDS
Minutemen — DOUBLE NICKELS ON THE DIME
Art Tatum — THE COMPLETE PABLO SOLO MASTERPIECES
Carpenters — GOLD
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth — MECCA AND THE SOUL BROTHER
Philip Glass — EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH (1993)
Vince Guaraldi — THE CHARLIE BROWN SUITE & OTHER FAVORITES
(whoops, some important additions:)
Bjork — VESPERTINE
Talking Heads — REMAIN IN LIGHT
Beverly Glenn-Copeland — KEYBOARD FANTASIES
Akira Yamaoka — SILENT HILL 2
Frank Zappa — UNCLE MEAT
Lou Reed & John Cale — SONGS FOR DRELLA
Cocteau Twins — HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS
Galaxie 500 — ON FIRE
Luna — PENTHOUSE
The Who — QUADROPHENIA
The Cure — DISINTEGRATION
Silver Jews — AMERICAN WATER
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — SKELETON TREE
Julee Cruise — FLOATING INTO THE NIGHT
David Bowie — BLACKSTAR
Liz Phair — EXILE IN GUYVILLE
The Roches — THE ROCHES
Ulver — PERDITION CITY
The Mountain Goats — TALLAHASSEE
Roy Harper — STORMCOCK
yessss perdition city <3
Seconded! Though I put ‘Blood Inside’ on my list
Ha, my dad has that Donovan’s Greatest Hits CD as well… remember listening to it a bit as a kid… some of these other ones look interesting, maybe I’ll keep an eye out when I visit the local CD store later this week.
My current Top 50 albums list is at home so I can’t repost here, but I can at least do a Top Ten:
A KISS IN THE DREAMHOUSE (Siouxsie & The Banshees)
THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL (NIne Inch Nails)
THE MARBLE INDEX (Nico)
THE HOLY BIBLE (Manic Street Preachers)
IMPERIUM (Current 93)
HORSE ROTORVATOR (Coil)
DEAD CAN DANCE (Dead Can Dance)
TUSK (Fleetwood Mac)
A BELL IS A CUP… (Wire)
SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 85-92 (APHEX TWIN)
A few others off the top of my head would be LIKE A VIRGIN (Madonna), BLACK CELEBRATION (Depeche Mode), CHROMATICA (Lady Gaga), DAYS OF OPEN HAND (Suzanne Vega), DAYDREAM NATION (Sonic Youth), TRILOGY (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), CLOSER (Joy Division), FILTH PIG (Ministry), THE SOUL CAGES (Sting), THE THIRD REICH & ROLL (The Residents), etc. etc.
The weather is supposed to clear up this afternoon so I might go into town, maybe check out the local bookstore as I usually do when I’m up here.
Manic Street Preachers! Woohoo!
Rock me, Dennis Amadeus! This list and your readers’ are killer. Too slammed to make my own but one note on The Quick — My son saw The Dickies perform last Friday at The Whiskey and brought back a video of them playing “Pretty Please Me.” That very superior power pop song by Steven Hufsteter, originally recorded by The Quick. Red KRoss had a version too…. THANX!!
Love this, Jack!
Dennis, Nothing is impossible. Or is it?
Hey! You forgot The Doors. 😉
We’re pretty much over covid here, too. Well, people are, but our institutions and workplaces aren’t. You get exposed and you have to put your life on hold still. Well, if you find out you’ve been exposed. I’m sure we get exposed all the time and don’t know it.
Thanks. I think the MRI will be fine, as will we re: this latest ‘ro “exposure.”
Oh, and you may remember how I used to get this clusterfuck of a headache every 3 months or so that was almost debilitating. Almost. Well, it’s been years, but it’s back. Ugh. Started yesterday. It’ll take a few days and some acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but man, it’s not fun.
Onward and upward.
Song Cycle — Van Dyke Parks
Pet Souns — TheBeach Boys
Italian raffirri — Nic De Caro
Randy Newman — Randy Newman
Autosalvage — Autosalvage
Hi!!
Thank you for the treasure trove above! There’re quite a few albums up there I don’t know, and I’m more than happy to investigate! I think I’ll need a moment to collect all my all-time favorites, but the ones that come to mind right now are:
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Courtney Love – Nobody’s Daughter (demo version)
Mac Miller/Delusional Thomas – Delusional Thomas mixtape
Soko – I Thought I Was an Alien
Placebo – Sleeping with Ghosts or Placebo
You approached this shrinking issue with way more empathy than I had. And it’s true too – being the size of a Euro coin wouldn’t be too much fun. Nor would being around a loved one that tiny. Let’s just go with Trump and Putin then, yes. Safe bets.
So, Blood Sugar would definitely be the most fun as an amusement park. But I’d be more curious about I Thought I Was an Alien or Delusional Thomas (that one would be a fucked-up thing, haha). Which album would you turn into an amusement park? Love trying to look like Sid Vicious, but he only manages the look of the guy from Green Day’s Jesus of Suburbia music video, Od. (No shaming, though; I loved it so much when I was a young teen. I still do, actually, haha.)
Man, so difficult. Going to go for 15 stone cold classics off the top of my head. Totally random. Have listen to them all at least a million times.
Bing Selfish & The The Ideals – Meet …
Die Tödliche Doris – Unser Debut
Соломенные Еноты (Straw Racoons) – Недостоверные данные о счастье (False Data on Happiness)
Shock Headed Peters – Not Born Beautiful
Various – There Are Too Many Fools Following Too Many Rules (Irdial Discs comp)
L. Voag – The Way Out
The Dream Syndicate – The Days of Wine and Roses
Grazhdanskaya Oborona (Civil Defense) – Instruktsiya po vyzhivaniyu (Instructions For Survival)
Disco Inferno – D.I. Go Pop
Zero Kama – The Goatherd and the Beast
Stretchheads – Pish In Your Sleazebag
Various – Virtualsex (Carl Craig – Stefan Robers – Derrick May et al)
Opal – Happy Nightmare Baby
Felix Kubin – Filmmusik
The Last Resort – A Way Of Life
thanks for the drop, I’m gonna check out the Public Enemy and John Fahey. Some of these guys have such a huge discography, I wonder about the particularities of your picks. Like, damn you really narrowed it down to one Guided by Voices album hahaha. but ya thanks.
here’s some of my all-time top plays
Duster – *Stratosphere*
my bloody valentine – *loveless*
Xiu Xiu – *A Promise*
Loma Prieta – *Last City*
Liturgy – *Aesthethica*
Charli XCX – *Vroom Vroom*
Low – *I Could Live In Hope*
Prefab Sprout – *Steve McQueen*
Palm – *Rock Island*
Bladee – *333*
I would love to say the Covid world is over, but the truth is, I’m dealing with a Covid issue as I write. Things are ok, and I’m not sick, and I tested positive numerous times, but these are not fun days. And dealing with the heat, oh my, not a walk in the park!
Dennis, your album list is excellent. Some of the titles would be on my list. Song Cycle is an album that I have bought, sold, bought again, re-sold, and then finally bought it for keeps, like forever. I hear something new all the time. Also, when I take a walk on my street I would run into Van Dyke, and i would always say hello, and he would say hi back to me. But it would take a final or full moment to realize that it was Van Dyke Parks I just said hello to.
My list as of today:
Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
David Bowie – Black Star
All albums by Scott Walker
The Kinks – Preservation of the Village Green
Lou Reed -Lulu
The Honeycombs first album
Lotte Lenya – Brecht /Weill songs
Almost any Miles Davis album
All Thelonious Monk albums
All Tom Recchion albums
The Stone Roses
Any Jun Togawa album
Almost any Haroumi Hosono album
There’s more, I think I’ll do something on my blog about this. My brain power is about to go asleep due to heat.
Oh and Sparks and the Quick! All Sparks albums.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ct6YVDxHQiM9dHrL69Ixv?si=fd2cf980cbe247ed
I posted a list of my 150 favorite albums on my blog years ago, but if I made the list now, it’d be quite different. Off the top of my head, here goes with another one:
Patti Smith-HORSES
the Verlaines-JUVENILIA
FKA Twigs-MAGDALENE
Brian Eno-HERE COME THE WARM HETS
Doctors of Madness-LATE NIGHT MOVIES, ALL NIGHT BRAINSTORMS
Nirvana-MTV UNPLUGGED
Tim Buckley-LORCA
Miles Davis-ON THE CORNER
Bhundu Boys-THE SHED SESSIONS
Eric B & Rakim-PAID IN FULL
Various Artists-ACID: CAN YOU JACK?
Various Artists-THE HOUSE THAT JACKIN’ BUILT
Van der Graaf Generator-PAWN HEARTS
Beyonce-s/t
Shirelles-ANTHOLOGY 1959-1964
Fleetwood Mac-RUMOURS
Polo G-DIE A LEGEND
Danny Brown-ATROCITY EXHIBITION
Slowdive-SOUVLAKI
Vangelis-L’APOCALYPSE DES ANIMAUX
Klaus Schulze-IRRLICHT
Yellow Magic Orchestra-BGM
Jay-Z-REASONABLE DOUBT
Chet Baker-MY FUNNY VALENTINE
Cyndi Lauper-SHE’S SO UNUSUAL
Young Marble Giants-COLOSSAL YOUTH
Curtis Mayfield-SUPERFLY
the Fall-singles box set
James Brown-IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE
War-THE WORLD IS A GHETTO
Adverts-CROSSING THE RED SEA WITH THE ADVERTS
X-Ray Spex-GERM-FREE ADOLESCENTS
Black Sabbath-SABOTAGE
Entombed-WOLVERINE BLUES
Chills-SUBMARINE BELLS
This Kind of Punishment-IN THE SAME ROOM
Parliament-MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION
Funkadelic-COSMIC SLOP
Donald Byrd-FANCY FREE
Herbie Hancock-SEXTANT
Aphex Twin-SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 85-92
B12-ELECTRO SOMA
Rolling Stones-EXILE ON MAIN STREET
Howlin’ Wolf-ROCKIN’ CHAIR
Pink Floyd-WISH YOU WERE HERE
Metallica-MASTER OF PUPPETS
Burial-s/t
Talking Heads-STOP MAKING SENSE
Jacques Brel-EN SCENES
David Bowie-HUNKY DORY
John Cale-PARIS 1919
Dadawah-PEACE AND LOVE
GZA-LIQUID SWORDS
Gravediggaz-SIX FEET DEEP
Congos-HEART OF THE CONGOS
Chic-C’EST CHIC
Velvet Underground-VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO
Richard & Linda Thompson-I WANT TO SEE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS TONIGHT
R.E.M.-AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
I know I’m leaving out a great deal, and if I revised the list on my website now, it would probably run to several hundred albums.
What’s the Quick album you selected? I’m only familiar with MONDO DECO. Bow Wow Wow are an interesting choice. Annabella had a great voice, but the fact that the band were puppets of Malcolm McLaren to a far degree than the Sex Pistols has always been a barrier to appreciating them, especially when he put his sex fantasies in a teenage girl’s mouth.
We do have some in common. Soundtracks for Blind and Eliane’s Trilogie de Mort. Do you mean Disintegration Loops as a compilation of all of them or just the first volume ?? My favorite loop is the one that doesn’t disintegrate, lol. It seems to always put me into a creative mood when I’m uninspired. OKAY, don’t judge me. I made this list of favorites a long time ago, and some of them are nostalgia teenhood based.
“Trilogie de la mort” Elaine Radigue (best drone album ever?)
“Feldman Edition 6 String Quartet No 2” FLUX QUARTET (FELDMAN of course, best version of it)
“Debussy l’œuvre pour piano” Aldo Ciccolini
“Somnium” Robert Rich (from my fav ambient musician)
“November” R. Andrew Lee
“Insurgentes” Steven Wilson
“Constance” Southpacific
“The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull” Earth
“Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue” Kayo Dot
“Live in Chicago 2017” King Crimson
“Sunset Mission” Bohren & der Club of Gore
“Perdition City” Ulver (listen to this and sunset mission back to back like I did as a 12-14 year old almost every night for ultimate pleasure)
“Time Machines” Time Machines / Coil
“Obey” Brainbombs
“Narcotic Story” Oxbow
“Whorse’s Mouth” Rozz Williams
“Liberal Cunt” Pogrom
“Metalvelodrome” Merzbow
“Mass IIII” Amenra
“Animale(s)” Celeste
“Special Wishes” Harvey Milk
“Soundtracks for the Blind” Swans
“Grandeur of Hair” Goslings
“Doll Doll Doll” Venetian Snares
“Daughters” Daughters
“Heroin Man” Cherubs
“Journal for Plague Lovers” Manic Street Preachers
“I Will Always and Forever Hold You in My Heart and Mind” Aidan Baker
“Slugabed” Nikos Veliotis & Klaus Filip
“By the Throat” Eyedea & Abilities
“From a Basement on the Hill” Elliott Smith
“The Mantle” Agalloch
“The Downward Spiral” NIN
Hello Dennis!
– EL ETERNO FEMENINO – La mode
– KIKÍ D’AKÍ – Kikí d’Akí
– POLVO DE ÁNGEL – El Ángel y Los Volcánicos
– THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN – Pink Floyd
– THE MADCAP LAUGHS – Syd Barrett
– TODO LO QUE VENDRÁ DESPUÉS – 091
– FORMAS DE MATAR EL TIEMPO – Lapido
– FIVE LEAVES LEFT – Nick Drake
– TOWN AND COUNTRY – Humble Pie
– LA CUENTA ATRÁS – Los enemigos
– THE BEST OF PETER GREEN’S – Fleetwood Mac
– UNHALFBRICKING – Fairport Convention
– ENEMIGOS DE LO AJENO – El último de la fila
– BAILANDO EN EL ALAMBRE – Polanski y El ardor
– GP – Gram Parsons
– THE GILDED PALACE OF SIN – The Flying Burrito Brothers
– THE DOORS – The Doors
– THE BEST OF LITTLE WALTER – Little Walter
– SLEEP – Little Willie John
– THE ANTHOLOGY – Jimmy Reed
– EL AMIGO DE LAS TORMENTAS – Surfin’ Bichos
– KONIEC – Chucho
– HONEY’S DEAD – The Jesus and Mary Chain
– PILGRIMAGE – Om
– CHELSEA GIRL – Nico
– LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE ARE FLOATING IN THE SPACE – Spiritualized
– TORMENTA DE TORMENTO – Corcobado
– GREATEST HITS – Little Richard
– SIGN O’ THE TIMES – Prince
– DOG MAN STAR – Suede
– HORSES – Patti Smith
– EL ACTO – Parálisis Permanente
– FIGURE 8 – Elliott Smith
Greetings!
I probably should (and hopefully will) get back to painting sometime soon. Maybe after the current heatwave hitting the western US is finally over…
In regards to today’s post, some of my favorites in no particular order are:
-“Sketchbook” — Tom Griesgraber
I first heard this guy when I was in my young teens (I think) at the local county fair, where his unique mixture of classical, rock, jazz, and ambient music played on a Chapman Stick really taught me for the first time that not all music sounds like the stuff played on the radio.
-s/t and “Master of Puppets” — Metallica
While these were given to me as gifts a few years after I first heard Griesgraber, they still represented an important development for me. No one else in my family was interested in metal at all (I know, these are not the most “metal” of their albums), so these represent my first steps into defining my own taste in music.
Fast forward some years and then I found:
“2010” — Golden Rain
Through metal I had found industrial, noise, and power electronics. While getting a feel for these genres and identifying what I like/dislike about them, I found this tape and it amazed me to no end. Perfect minimal synth, just the right vocal tonality.
Something that will probably be on this list sometime in the future (I need to give it a few more years of listening) are the live portions of Atrax Morgue’s “Close to a Corpse,” which continue down the path of ultra-minimal synth industrial.
Hopefully I will get back to painting sometime soon, I just need to make it through the heat wave hitting the western US first!
A short list of my current (and perhaps future) favorites:
-“Sketchbook” — Tom Griesgraber
-s/t and “Master of Puppets” — Metallica
-“2010” — Golden Rain
“Close to a Corpse” — Atrax Morgue
Darn, I guess the website finally loaded my initial post, I had thought it was deleted. Ignore this one!
Hey Dennis, I don’t know if our temperatures have broken records, but it certainly is brutal today (by our wimpy standards). We’re hotter than Chicago! A good day to stay indoors, eat popsicles, and watch chess streams. And read and make lists. I see lots of favorite items in your and the DL’s.
I’m terrible at these all time lists. Mine always skew to certain periods of my misspent youth. But here are some:
Butthole Surfers, Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Cecil Taylor, Conquistador!
Brian Eno, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy
Talking Heads, Fear of Music
Wire, 154
Velvet Underground, VU + Nico
Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica
Art Bears, The World as it is Today
DNA, DNA on DNA
Lindsay Cooper, News from Babel
Guillermo Gregorio, Faktura
Gastr del Sol, Mirror Repair
Fred Frith, Speechless
Leandre/Graewe/Houle, Live at Banlieues Bleues
Last Exit, Koln
Schlippenbach Trio, Elf Bagatellen
Magnus Lindberg, Kraft
Brian Ferneyhough, La Chute d’Icare/Superscriptio/Etudes Transcendentales etc
Michael Finnissy, Verdi Transcriptions (Ian Pace)
Eric B & Rakim, Follow the Leader
Sonic Youth, Bad Moon Rising
Bill Dixon, Son of Sisyphus
Coil, Black Antlers
Psychic TV, Dreams Less Sweet
Paul Bley, Tango Palace
Annette Peacock, I Have No Feelings
Califone, Quicksand/Cradlesnakes
John Butcher, London and Cologne
Derek Bailey/Evan Parker, Arch Duo
Sly and Robbie, Rhythm Killers
Shriekback, Oil and Gold
Dance Craze (best of British ska)
English Beat, I just can’t stop it
Gang of 4, Entertainment!
Peter Gabriel, 3rd album
Tuxedomoon, Desire
Microstoria, snd
Henry Threadgill, Too Much Sugar for a Dime
Lennie Tristano, Intuition
Here’s the 20 I coughed up
Kanye West- The Life of Pablo
Frank Ocean-Blonde
Silver Jews- The Natural Bridge
The Flying Burrito Bros- The Gilded Palace of Sin
Labi Siffre-Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
World’s End Girlfriend- Air Doll Soundtrack
The Velvet Underground- The Velvet Underground
Townes Van Zandt- Townes Van Zandt
Janet Kay- The Definitive Hits Collection (1977-1985)
Taylor Swift-1989
Sibylle Baier- Colour Green
Paris Hilton-Paris
Astor Piazolla-Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night
Nirvana- Unplugged
Playboi Carti- Whole Lotta Red
Mr. Fingers-Introduction
Drake-Honestly, Nevermind
David Bowie-The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Altered Images-Pinky Blue
Joni Mitchell-Blue
Dennis your list is so epic and wonderful with so many unexpected gems. I’ll do my best. Things that blew my mind at some point in my life and probably still do:
Isis – Oceanic
Om – Conference of the Birds
God is my Co-Pilot – I Am Not This Body
Fugazi – In on the Kill Taker
John Coltrane – Sun Ship
Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come
Yob – Clearing the Path to Ascent
The Nation of Ulysses – Plays Pretty For Baby
Frank Sinatra – In the Wee Small Hours
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
Los Lobos – Kiko
Muddy Waters – The Real Folk Blues
Robert Johnson – The Complete Recordings
Ulver – Blood Inside
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
Black Sabbath – Vol 4
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
Blossom Dearie – Once Upon a Summertime
Janes Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
Pinebender – Things Are About to Get Weird
And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead – Source Tags and Codes
The Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium
Bad Religion – Suffer
Gangstarr – Daily Operation
Baroness – The Red Album
Metallica – Ride the Lightning
Big Brother and the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills
Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy
Big Business – Here Come the Waterworks
Butthole Surfers – Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Carcass- Heartwork
Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger
Converge – Jane Doe
Das Racist – Shut up, Dude
Ultramagnetic MCs – Critical Beatdown
Dwarves – Blood, Guts and Pussy
Sleep – Dopesmoker
Iron Tongue – The Dogs Have Barked, the Birds Have Flown
Jeru The Damage – The Sun Rises in the East
Turbonegro – Ass Cobra
At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command
The Jesus Lizard – Head
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold as Love
Team Dresch – Personal Best
Judy Garland – Judy Live at Carnegie Hall
Shellac – At Action Park
Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun
Toots and Maytals – Funky Kingston
Master of Reality – S/T
Melt Banana – Charlie
Melvins – Houdini
Meshuggah – Destroy Erase Improve
James Brown – Please Please Please
Ministry – In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up
Pussy Galore – Dial M for Motherfucker
Nachtmystium – Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1
Napalm Death – Harmony Corruption
Neurosis – Times of Grace
Jucifer – L’Autrichienne
Opeth – Blackwater Park
Oxbow – An Evil Heat
Pinback – This is a Pinback (Recommended by a certain famous author I like)
PJ Harvey – Dry
Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante
Sleater Kinney – Dig Me Out
Shining – Blackjazz
Clipse – Hall Hath No Fury
Clutch – Blast Tyrant
Slayer – Reign in Blood
Stereolab – Dots and Loops
Ooh boy! Love to see the John Fahey on there. Alright, here goes. I’m gonna stay true to the stuff I liked back in high school so I’ll probably incriminate myself a fair amount.
Car Seat Headrest- Nervous Young Man, or Monomania, or Twin Fantasy? Toughie. I was a moody preteen.
Angel Olsen- Phases
Genesis- Foxtrot? Or Lamb, or Nursery Cryme maybe–also a hard one.
Black Marble- A Different Arrangement
Brian Eno- Music for Airports
Grizzly Bear- Yellow House (I’m a sucker for Blue Valentine)
For classical music the Leonard Bernstein recording of Mahler’s second, and also the Vladimir Ashkenazy recording of the Rachmaninoff preludes, and the Khatia Buniatishivili Rachmaninoff concertos.
Jessica Pratt- On Your Own Love Again
Simon and Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water
Khruangbin- Con Todo El Mundo
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard- Polygondwanaland, and Flying Microtonal Banana, which is another high school pick.
Shannon Lay- Living Water
Sharon Van Etten- Epic
Yes- Close to the Edge
This’ll probably drive me nuts all night as I think of more stuff or get embarrassed about what I have there but it was sort of a fun exercise, looking through all my old albums, sort of activated a lot of dormant vague past emotional memories. You’re a hero for making these sorts of posts–I bet sifting through all the comments takes a godawful amount of time.
So many good albums, sheesh. Seeing as how there are so many lists that have already mentioned some of my favorites I’m gonna be a cheater and just mention some of my favorite albums that might be more obscure or possibly overlooked.
Triad God-Triad
Eduardo Mateo-Mateo Bien Se Lame
Iosonouncane-DIE
Mercury Severinsen-Planet Amerika
Dirty Beaches-Drifters/Love is the Devil
Current 93-Black Ships Ate the Sky
The Revolutionary Arm of the Infant Jesus-The Gift of Tears
Failure-Fantastic Planet
Christian Kjellvander- I Saw Her from Here/ I Saw Here
Sigh- Imaginary Sonicscape
Swans – To Be Kind
Magma – Attahk
maudlin of the Well – Part the Second
Hanson – Middle of Nowhere
Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm
David Bowie – Young Americans
Pink Floyd – The Wall
Glenn Yarborough – The Hobbit (1977) Ost
Coven – Witchcraft
Dr John – Gris Gris
mewithoutYou – It’s All Crazy! It’s All False! It’s All a Dream! It’s Alright
Murder by Death – Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?
Scott Walker – Scott 3
Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy
Native Construct – Quiet World
Others by No One – Book 1
Lou Reed – Berlin
Marillion – Brave
Yes – Fragile
Honorable mentions: David Grey’s White Ladder for the first three tracks; the discographies of The Mars Volta, Coheed and Cambria, The Dear Hunter. Couldn’t pick one album for any of them without feeling shame for not picking another lol
There are probably more but this is what came to mind while I’m drunk lol
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5maqOfVctxJMuYZckff7qz?si=ec8ce5aa81024bfa
Dennis, I love your site and work. Here are some of my favorites.
Bruce Hornsby – Spirit Trail
Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw
Peter Wolf – A Cure for Loneliness
Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything?
Swamp Dogg – Total Destruction to Your Mind
Biffy Clyro – Puzzle
Joe Jackson – Look Sharp!
The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree
Grey Eye Glances – Eventide
Jason Isbell – Southeastern
Lightnin’ Rod – Hustler’s Convention
Suicide – Suicide
Eli “Paperboy” Reed – Roll With You
Judee Sill – Heart Food
Tim Buckley – Starsailor
Ryan Bingham – Mescalito
Tonio K. – Life in the Food Chain
Happy Rhodes – Warpaint
Iron City Houserockers – Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive)
Wendy Waldman – Strange Company
Snarky Puppy – We Like it Here
Ted Hawkins – On the Boardwalk
Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You