I think when we get to the top ten we should all guess what number one will be - although I reckon it might have something to do with your user name.
How do you know I’m not the world’s biggest Keith Floyd fan? Or Floyd Mayweather?
Enjoying the choices. Haven’t listened to Rafferty in some time so I’ll pull some up shortly.
Nom, when my daughter discovered Mama Mia, I relented and let ABBA into the house. Not as bothersome as the first time around
Psmith, 'Til I Die…haunting isn’t it? Brian in the depths of depression, this is one of the few songs in which he wrote both the lyrics and music.
I sense some light refraction in our future ;-).
That Steve Miller album was up there as part of the soundtrack of southern California teenagers in the id 70s. It stirs up great memories.
Hi S. (May I refer to you as ‘S’, S?)
I’ll leave PS and Nom to their replies…but Mamma Mia for me is a trifle throwaway. Much prefer their slower numbers.
Let me know if you like that G. Rafferty album as I can submit more tracks or even the full album if you so wish.
Steve Miller we’ve touched on earlier. I knew loved this album, just wish I’d placed it higher that’s all. But even it’s showing at this position shows that there are some amazing albums to come.
Light refraction huh? I’m saying nothing about that or prisms in space either for that matter…although that particular enigma may be answered at some stage.
Maybe not.
Really pleased you’re still enjoying all this, Surfermom. (on second thoughts simply calling you ‘S’ is a tad rude so it’s back to the norm there.
Just a couple before school run and gym duties. More tonight.
No.535: “It’s Too Late To Stop Now” by Van Morrison (1974)
https://img.wennermedia.com/480-width/rs-238921-covers.jpg
One of those renowned classic live albums, this was recorded in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and London on Van Morrison’s world tour in '74. No vids from the gigs in question, but this is an audio track from one of the best songs, set to some splendid visual images. Rave On John Donne.
No.534: “David Gilmour” by David Gilmour (1978)
The Pink Floyd connection keeps showing its face but where’s the band itself? Time will tell on that. For the time being Roger and David will appear in small doses and here’s Gilmour’s debut solo release.
Rather low key and almost forgotten now as he rarely plays tracks from it live, it’s a pretty good album and much better than the follow up About Face which came out in 1984. This track is called ‘Mihalis’:
Back this evening.
Back again, although nobody’s been in here so whatever…
No.533: “Purple Rain” (soundrack) by Prince & The Revolution (1984)
Film soundtracks are eligible in this thread if they comprise new material and not simply a collection of old hits. Purple Rain is a soundtrack and was also a new Prince album and a mighty fine one at that. Full-length version of the title track and that awesome guitar solo:
No.532: “Try Anything Once” by Alan Parsons (1993)
First solo album by Alan Parsons following the disbanding of the “Project” several years beforehand, Try Anything Once stuck to the same formula of using tried and tested session musicians such as Ian Bairnston, Stuart Elliot, Chris Thompson, plus Eric Steart and Christopher Cross guesting on vocals. The final track ‘Oh Life (There Must Be More)’ is a true story and this video captures the story:
No.531: “If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears” by The Mamas & The Papas (1966)
Picking one album for inclusion by this fabulous harmony group, I plumped for their debut, which is still their best imo. John & Michelle Phillips, Mama Cass Elliott and Denny Doherty epitomised the sound of ‘flower power’ and that ‘summer of love’ in 1967, cementing their place there a year beforehand with this release. Tracks like ‘You Baby’ and ‘Monday Monday’ were instant classics, but I’ve simply got to play the finest…
No.530: “Working On A Dream” by Bruce Springsteen (2009)
You can’t go wrong with The Boss can you? My all-time favourite American artist, you will see much more of him as we go along, but for now here’s his 2009 release featuring (but not always) his trusty E Street Band in top form again.
No.529: “George Thorogood & The Destroyers” by George Thorogood & The Destroyers (1977)
Like a modern version of Chuck Berry, Wisconsin-born George Thorogood crashed onto the blues guitar scene when blues guitar bands were not especially in vogue. Thing is, he put a new twist on it and fitted in very well indeed with the ‘new rock sound’ which was happening in America with bands such as Van Halen and ZZ Top and even the punks loved him because he was rough ‘n’ ready and ‘took no prisoners’.
After making his name with old Bo Diddley standards such as ‘Who Do You Love’, he released his debut in 1977 - the height of the punk scene. The two tracks I feature here are two of his best. ‘Madison Blues’ and his signature song ‘Delaware Slide’.
Breaking with tradition in my thread temporarily, and because there are no further George Thorogood albums featured, there is an extra post following this featuring the afore-mentioned ‘Who Do You Love’ plus his own self-penned classic ‘Bad To The Bone’.
No.528: “Dead Son Rising” by Gary Numan (2011)
Following his massive success in his early years with THAT Tubeway Army single, plus his solo offerings beginning with ‘Cars’ and so on, Numan fell out of favour during the 1980s and was seriously floundering all through the 90’s with his ill-fated attempts at trying to mix with the dance culture crowd and was virtually forgotten by all except his super-loyal fan base. But most talented musicians reappear at some stage and although Dead Son Rising wasn’t a commercial success, it was a return to form and a sign of what lay ahead with his recent comeback stardom once more.
No.527: Invisible Touch" by Genesis (1986)
Genesis. Not much to say, the music and the band speak for themselves and by 1986 they were megastars once more helped in no shallow way by the parallel solo success of Phil Collins. Invisible Touch had the poppy title track plus ‘Land Of Confusion’, ‘Throwing It All Away’, the sublime ballad ‘In Too Deep’ and this one which was suitable for fans of the more proggy-era Genesis ‘Tonight, Tonight, Tonight’:
No.526: “Truth” by Jeff Beck (1968)
First solo album from the ex-Yardbirds guitarist who is always right up there alongside Hendrix, Clapton, Page and others as the greatest axeman of all-time. This collection includes a couple of beefed-up Yardbirds reworkings, plus his own interpretation of the classical piece he called ‘Beck’s Bolero’ and the first of several numbers he would cut with his old mate, Rod Stewart. This is ‘I Ain’t Superstitious’:
Everybody gone out tonight? Carry on regardless…
No.525: “August And Everything After” by Counting Crows (1993)
I’m not exactly sure but I think Counting Crows were the band who got me into the whole Americana scene and from theronin I would be out buying countless other album of that genre by similar bands - Uncle Tupelo, Richmond Fontaine, Drive-By Truckers and Cowboy Junkies. To name but a few.
This solo record was a stand-out at the time, and still is. Heavily influenced by Van Morrison, Counting Crows nonetheless brought forth a classic album. This was the first single, this live performance from a few years later at the 1999 Woodstock Festival:
No.524: “Insurgentes” by Steven Wilson (2008)
Probably my most recent purchase prior to compiling this list, I’d just gotten into Wilson’s music last year (there have been a couple of his other albums in here already), but when I heard this one I just had to place it higher than those as it struck me as an instant classic.
He’s the progressive rock wunderkid of recent times and the producer to head for by many bands of his genre. This is him and his band live in Frankfurt:
You’ve given us a lot to cogitate over there Floydy.
I like most of it.
Today’s trivia :
Mama Cass and Keith Moon died in the same flat (but not at the same time)
No.523: “Bat Out Of Hell II - Back Into Hell” by Meat Loaf (1993)
Following the monster that was his debut in 1977 and after many subsequent years fumbling around for decent songs and releasing some great singles but patchy albums, Meat Loaf was back with songwriter Jim Steinman to unleash this belated follow-up. based heavily around it’s mega-hit first single, it was a huge success and featured the usual bombastic, over-produced entertainment we come to expect from these larger than life souls.