5 cd's i cant live without

[kbaim]

Gotta revisit threads like this every once in a while.

1. WIRED - Jeff Beck
Still my all time favorite album. Just saw JB last month and his playing is better than ever and i think he's 67! All 8 songs are pretty much perfect but my favorite is Sophie which follows the waayyyy better known Blue Wind.

2. UFO TOFU - Bela Fleck and Flecktones
Probably my 2nd favorite cd. The title track is probably my all time favorite song but the whole cd is mind blowing. Including the harmonica and piano of howard levy. And really strong songwriting throughout. Every song a gem especially the opener, bonnie and slide, and true north. Workout to this cd about every day.

3. ROYAL SCAM - Steely Dan
This one preceded their better known and loved AJA album, which i also love, but the guitar playing on this one is top notch. And the songs seem livelier.

4. UNSUNG HEROES - Dixie Dregs
The dregs at their absolute best. Has 2 of my 5 favorite dregs songs (day 444, and Divided We Stand), and also my favorite country tune of Steve's, my favorite classical tune of Steve's, not to mention Cruise Control.

5. REVOLVER - Beatles
A relative newcomer to my list. A lot of folks will say Sgt Pepper and AR are their favorites but not me. Eleanor Rigby and Got to Get You Into My Life are 2 of my absolute favorite beatles tunes and the VERY underated For No One (This one foreshadowed Yesterday imo and is every bit as good which is saying something!)

There you have it.
Other opinions on their faves?

 

[Ricman]

Ok, my list today

1. Resolution - Andy Timmons. A music lovers guitarist. More feeling from a guitar than you can imagine. The title track is just sublime.
2. Dream Theater - A Dramtic Turn of Events. Love how the band feel re-invented. Many thought it was the end when MP went, I can see them going onto even greater things.
3. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water. Their two voices together are incredible. I saw a documentary where their engineer said he tried to record them on separate mikes and it never worked...had to be on one mike, something etherel.
4. Queen - Live Killers. A childhood discovery. Makes me think of times that were alot simpler. The 5 minute BM solo is the highlight (Brighton Rock).
5. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid. Been playing it on and off for 3 years and still hear new things.

 

[DrKev]

Moving this thread to General Music Discussion. Thanks.

...and I didn't kill the whole forum!! Awesome!!!

 

[kbaim]

Moving this thread to General Music Discussion. Thanks.

...and I didn't kill the whole forum!! Awesome!!!

I should have thought to put it here where far fewer people bother to look and reply.

 

[DrKev]

1. Toto (1978) The first album and I mean WOW! And what age were these guys when they did this? It's astonishing! "Manuela Run" and "Flower for my Rain" are particular favourites.

2. World Sinfonia - Al di Meola (1991) And who would have thought that tango with guitars can be so delicious?! The original studio version of World Sinfonia, the astonishing guitar playing is completely upstaged by the phenomenal musical beauty.

3. Michael Landau Group Live (2006) Tone, touch, feel, improvisational genius, and guitar story-telling at it's best. It's like Hendrix meets jazz meets punk but the whole is so much more than the sum of the parts! Particularly listen to "Widow", which is quite possibly the most beautiful guitar tone ever recorded.

4. Live from Mountain Stage - John Hartford (2000) IMHO, truly one of the greatest unsung songwriters of all time. He'll make you laugh or cry depending on the tune. If I had to take just one of his albums with me, this is the one.

5. Home - Dictafone (2011) A dear friend of mine, an Englishman in Paris, who, frankly, is a genius from another world. This is my pick for "album of the year". This, Dictafone's third album, will make you think of a popier-rockier version of Steely Dan with lyrics by Neil Hannon, except it's even better than that.

I should have thought to put it here where far fewer people bother to look and reply.

If everybody avoids posting here, it'll stay empty and everything is in the wrong place. I could have left a re-direct in place temporarily but hey, I'm still learning the ropes. Too late now.

 

[ScoobySteve]

It can't be 50 CDs you can't live without?


1. VENUS ISLE - Eric Johnson
A lot of EJ purists will and already have tried to crucify me for putting it above Ah Via Musicom! but I firmly believe that this is his finest, most emotional yet cerebral album. AVM is among my all time favorites but there's something special about this album. From the title track Venus Isle, to jazzy groovy Manhattan, or SRV, Lonely in the Night to Venus Reprisal, Pavillion and the ultra underrated When the Sun Meets the Sky, EJ is always in my rotation. Its almost unfair to have this kind of guitar ability on top of an amazing voice.

2. LIVE AT THE EL MOCAMBO - Stevie Ray Vaughan
I know, I know its so trite to have SRV on an all time or favorites list. Even more trite is a live DVD/VHS on a CD list, but thanks to my smart phone this show goes with me everywhere. This performance is legendary for good reason. I have never listened to and watched a live performance as much as this one. So Excited, Lenny, an absolutely ferocious cover of Voodoo Child that became an entity all of its own, and a longhorn smashing performance of Texas Flood mark my favorites. Emotive playing and a guitar style that seamlessly integrates rhythm and lead. I miss 3 piece sets. This performance was suppsoedly an open door night at the El Mocambo. Could you imagine walking into a local Toronto bar/venue and stumbling upon one of the most important performances in Blues/Rock history? I'm just glad the camera men were there.

3. METROPOLIS PT. 2 SCENES FROM A MEMORY - Dream Theater
Yep I have it above IAW but I simply love this album to death. This concept album really doesn't need an explanation just an experience. Prog/Metal at its finest. Just top to bottom an amazing experience. Fatal Tragedy, Home, The Spirit Carries On, and the Dance of Eternity my favorites.

4. ONLY - Tommy Emmanuel
Had the awesome chance to meet and see Tommy play live. Ummmm...... WOW! Of all acoustic players TE reaches me the most because of the musicality of his playing in all departments. ONLY is a much more mellow and sentimental album compared to his other livelier albums but there's a wonderful melodic quality to this one. Beautifully crafted and composed finger style acoustic goodness. His inhuman and monstrous technique aside, this album just has amazing song writing and great tunes. Its hard to believe that one man and an acoustic guitar can have such a power and commanding presence, but its a welcomed rarity to me.

5. ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? - Jimi. Hendrix
Yep another cliche choice in a top 5 list. I honestly got into classic rock because it was the cool thing to do among the music elitists in middle and high school, but I'm glad I did. Love this album top to bottom and the experience only improved as I got older. Reminds me as a guitar player and listener that the mood and atmosphere in music is just important as your chops.

Wish I could add dozens more. How about the rest of y'all?

 

[Oldtoe]

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Rush - Moving Pictures

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

XTC - Wasp Star (Apple Venus Vol. 2)

XTC - Nonsuch


There is really no way to pare it down to just five for me.

 

[savannah_sean]

Rush - Moving Pictures
Dixie Dregs - Bring em Back Alive
Steve Morse Band - Coast to Coast
Al Dimeola - Splendido Hotel
Michael Hedges - Beyond Boundaries

 

[TheWalkinDude]

Metallica - Master of Puppets
Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
Dream Theater - Scenes from a memory
Iron Maiden - Killers
Ozzy - Diary of a madman

Yes, I know - I'm 48 years old but I'll always love metal so pooh-pooh me as you like - it's me and I don't think I'll ever change

 

[TheWalkinDude]

Damn - just saw "Dark side of the moon" in Oldtoe's post - how can I have just 5?

 

[davidespinosa]

* Albert King, Live Wire / Blues Power
* Ronnie Earl, Live in Europe
* Mick Taylor, Mick Taylor
* Larry Carlton, Last Nite
* Jerry Reed, Greatest Hits

 

[Eilif]

Hmm...

1. Hydra -- Toto
2. Turn Back -- Toto
3. Big Generator -- Yes
4. Close to the Edge -- Yes
5. Escape -- Journey

What does it for me is that this music has emotional or nostalgic value for me and not necessarily because of great songwriting, performance, guitar playing, or anything like that. (Although you'll find all these here.) They came along at crucial points in my life.

 

[kbaim]

More thoughts.
If REVOLVER didn't have Yellow Submarine on it it would be even better. That song just doesn't seem to fit imo.
Interesting also about eilif's comment. my 3 favorite Jeff Beck (BBB, Wired, There and Back), 3 favorite steely dan (Royal Scam, Aja, Gaucho), and 3 favorite dregs (DOTE, Unsung Heroes, Industry Standard) all seemed to just about over lap each other from about '75-'82

 

[Spudmurphy]

The Who - Live at Leeds - my all time favourite and I was ecstatic when Tommy was added to it many years later.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath- this was the first album I bought by myself - after buying all the Beatle Albums between me and my bro.
Led Zep LZ1 - uh .... the world as we knew it changed .. and so did the world of the promoter who felt the backlash from LZ's management.
Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus- prolly the first American band I got into!!
Jef Beck - now if I could do a best of BBB/Wired I'd be happy but for me BBB shades it by virtue of cos we've ended as lovers.

Great to see SRV/Hendrix/Porkupine tree in the lists above

 

[kbaim]

Bump since no one usually looks here

 

[JMD]

The Smiths - self titled (in a perfect world, Johnny Marr would have a signature EB...OK, I guess everyone would)
Friday Night in San Fransico (DiMeola, Mclaughlin, Paco de Lucía)
Dixie Dregs - Night of the Living Dregs
Morrissey - Vauxhall and I - (overdub guitar texture city!)
Deep Purple - Machine Head

 

[Colin]

wow never saw this thread. Here's mine

The Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me
Huey Lewis & the News - Sports
Deep Purple - Machine Head
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper
Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow

 

[DrKev]

Huey Lewis & the News - Sports

HLN! Didn't see that coming but yes, I LOVE their first 5 albums. Chris Hayes played some nice stuff.

 

[Sevenstringer]

James Murphy - Convergence
Anything by Scale The Summit
Anything by Cynic
Either by Animals as Leaders
Anything by Ani DiFranco
Anything by Antoine Dufour

 

[Spudmurphy]

^
You know when yer old - when you've never heard any of them !!!