No.417: “The Soft Parade” by The Doors (1969)
https://images.recordsale.de/600/600/cdpix/t/the-doors_the-soft-parade_6.jpg
This album was a bit of a rush job on account of The Doors just finishing a huge tour, coupled with Morrison’s increasingly erratic behavior. However, the album was notable for a few pretty good songs including the single ‘Touch Me’:
No.416: “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor (1970)
http://stuartsheldon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/james_taylor_sweet_baby_james.jpg
The second album from the legendary songwriter from Boston, MA. saw Taylor with a further collection of warm and heartfelt songs about people and places in his life. Title song plus ‘Fire And Rain’:
No.415: “S.F. Sorrow” by The Pretty Things (1968)
One of the most overlooked concept albums of the 1960’s by one of the better bands from the psychedelic era. This album was highly innovative for the time but alienated quite a few people who were transfixed by The Beatles’ White Album which was released at the same time. However, it did find a more selective place within the hearts of die hard fans of this great English group who wanted something a little different than the pop sensibilities of The Beatles and The Stones.
No.414: “Bring It On” by Gomez (1998)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/82/Bring_it_on.jpg/220px-Bring_it_on.jpg
Debut album by this bunch of lads from Southport, their follow-up Liquid Skin having featured earlier in my list. Very interesting sound combining Ian Ball’s lazy smoky drawl of a vocal with shuffling instrumental from the band. Quite a change from the usual pop hit scene of the 90’s indie era.
No.413: “Super Trouper” by Abba (1980)
What can you say about the biggest pop band of the 70’s? Nothing to add apart from saying that this record contains quite simply one of the best songs ever made in ‘The Winner Takes It All’, a better produced song you wouldn’t find. Not only that nut the subject matter in the song’s lyrics is a harrowing thing to tackle in song, even more so when you think the band members were all divorced by this stage and had to tolerate each other’s company for the sake of making music. Here’s that video once more:
No.412: “Songs From A Room” by Leonard Cohen (1969)
The second album from Leonard Cohen, the first featured yesterday in this list, and more of the same wonderfully descriptive and morose images of life. Cohen would also branch out a little sometimes from his delicate love songs and turn his hand to more topical songwriting such as this song about the fatal wounding of a soldier: The Partisan.
No.411: “Communique” by Dire Straits (1979)
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Severely underrated at the time of release mainly by the critics who said that this album was rushed out to capitalise on their debut’s success followed by the terrific single ‘Sultans Of Swing’ a year earlier. I have always enjoyed the record, in particular ‘Lady Writer’ which flopped as a hit, but also sprawling tracks such as the other song featured below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlD6jCGVU4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tx9wd1KBSg
No.410: “Avalon” by Roxy Music (1982)
getting around the fact that Roxy Music’s albums always had a girl on their album sleeves, Bryan Ferry said that it was a girl in the knight’s costume. We will never know about that, but we do know that this cool, classy, commercial album was very well constructed with some fine easy-listening songs (though that wasn’t a liking shared by the diehards). Apart from the first single, the other track I’ve put down here is my favourite song off the record ‘True To Life’. A thing of beauty.
No.409: “Stanley Road” by Paul Weller (1995)
Chief second generation ‘Modfather’ (following Townshend, Davies and Marriot in the first era), Paul Weller released his third solo album to great critical acclaim slap band in the middle of the new indie phase which was going on in the mid-90’s, fitting in perfectly with the likes of Oasis, Blue, Suede and Pulp. Can’t decide what to play here, so you get three tracks this time: the first single, then the wonderful ‘Broken Stones’ and finally a song originally recorded by Dr. John ‘Walk On Gilded Splinters’ (his version featured way back in this list).
No.408: “Saint Dominic’s Preview” by Van Morrison (1972)
At regular intervals Van Morrison crops up in my list, one of the greatest songwriters ever of course. This early seventies album featured his homage to Jackie Wilson amongst other fine tracks.
That’s it for now as my car is almost ready for collection. Later, if I get time, we will be kicking off the first appearance by Led Zeppelin in the list. 
Woo hoo! The mighty Zep!
We all have a favourite Abba song for various reasons.
Mine is The Piper which was the the only ABBA song where a part of the refrain is in Latin. The song has gained a small cult following among ABBA fans.
Coming your way very soon Bobby! 
Haven’t heard that in ages Solo. people tend to forget about some of their album tracks hidden away!
We have one more Abba album left to come
Okay, just for interest I’m going to list all of the studio albums by the three major bands we haven’t seen at all yet in this list: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
They are listed in the order they were released, so I’m not giving anything away - I’m also not saying if they are included or not, neither have I included live albums.
If there’s anyone around within the next couple of hours (while I go away and watch a movie), put them in the order you would rate them from best to worst, or if you wish just your top three. My list will be unchanged and will continue at 9pm UK time tonight.
There is no reason for this exercise, just a bit of interest for me that’s all. Thanks. 
THE BEATLES
-Please Please Me-1963
-With The Beatles-1963
-A Hard Day’s Night-1964
-Beatles For Sale-1964
-Help!-1965
-Rubber Soul-1965
-Revolver-1966
-Magical Mystery Tour-1967
-Sgt. Pepper’s ‘Lonely Hearts’ Club Band-1967
-The Beatles (‘White Album’)-1968
-Abbey Road-1969
-Let It Be-1970
-Love-2006
LED ZEPPELIN
-Led Zeppelin-1969
-Led Zeppelin II-1969
-Led Zeppelin III-1970
-Led Zeppelin IV-1971
-Houses Of The Holy-1973
-Physical Graffiti-1975
-Presence-1976
-In Through The Out Door-1979
PINK FLOYD
-The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn-1967
-A Saucerful Of Secrets-1968
-Ummagumma-1969
-Atom Heart Mother-1970
-Meddle-1971
-Obscured By Clouds-1972
-The Dark Side Of The Moon-1973
-Wish You Were Here-1975
-Animals-1977
-The Wall-1979
-The Final Cut-1983
-A Momentary Lapse Of Reason-1987
-The Division Bell-1994
-The Endless River-2014
THE BEATLES
Rubber Soul-1965
A Hard Day’s Night-1964
Beatles For Sale-1964
PINK FLOYD
The Wall-1979
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason-1987
The Final Cut-1983
Robert Plant and his jeans put me right orf Led Zep so no favs for that one Floydy .
Thanks Solo, it’s pretty quiet on here tonight but I’ll leave the post there if others want to have a go with it…
Beatles - fair thing. The usual suspects I think.
Very interested to see you rate A Momentary Lapse Of Reason highly. It’s not generally regarded as a Floyd album people would select, but I like the album very much myself. Nice choice.
You don’t like Led Zepp too much…not everyone does of course. Close your eyes when my next choice appears then 
Cheers pal
The rock gods have landed…
No.407: “Presence” by Led Zeppelin (1976)
https://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server1900/fdx8al/products/4575/images/19145/led_zeppelin_presence_a__58294.1438112554.300.300.jpg?c=2
Even though this is my least favourite Led Zeppelin album, it is by no means a bad record. One of them has to be last, so it’s a toss up to be honest between two or three or the more “minor records”. Two tracks stand out by a mile though and they are shown here, courtesy of the Knebworth Festival, 1979:
No.406: “Desperado” by The Eagles (1973)
The Eagles second release was this dark concept album, set in the wild west from 1973. A far cry from the free and easy vibes of Take It Easy, this was by comparison a much more reflective album with it’s tales of “witchy women” and loners of the night, as per the title song.
It’s very difficult to find Eagles material on YT from the era concerned as they have been blocked, but there are some later versions by the band. In this case, it’s the title song from a concert recorded around seven years ago, followed by, yes!, an early Tequila Sunrise.
No.405: “Aja” by Steely Dan (1977)
The very cerebral jazz-rock duo Steely Dan carried on in their own special way throughout the 1970’s with a string of highly classy records, Aja being no exception. Two for you here: ‘Deacon Blues’ and the wonderful ‘Peg’:
No.404: “Diamond Dogs” by David Bowie (1974)
