Found a cure for my upgrade-itus - Page 6

if you like blues/rock, try Stevie Ray Vaughan, really wonderful.

Marillion is an English Prog Rock group (for lack of a better definition - really different from any other music). If you do a search on Amazon.com you'll find a large body of work spanning three decades.

The band has two distinct personalities or eras, starting with 'Fish' as lead singer and later the "H" era (for Steve Hogarth, lead singer). Two pretty different vocal styles, but musically these guys are consistently fresh, innovative and produce incredible rock recordings - very special. I liked the Fish recordings initially, but now it's a clear-cut slam dunk in favor of "H". He has amazing vocal range and perfectly melds with their tremendous musicianship.

Try Season's End or Marbles EPs, or my very favorite anoraknophobia. The production of the latter was paid for by Marillion's fans, as a result of the group's dissillusionment with its record label. Awesome CD!!

Nas-Illmatic
AC/DC-Back in Black
ANY Live Phish (Favorite band)

Here's where I'd start for a music collection:

For Classical, I'd recommend getting:
George Handel's "Messiah"
Beethoven's 9th
Bach - Take your pick

For Rock (Much more experienced here ):
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Meddle
The Beatles - Abbey Road, Hard Day's Night, Revolver
Yes - Closer to the Edge
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick, Aqualung
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
The Doors - The Doors, Morrison Hotel, Strange Days
Led Zeppelin - I - IV
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
The Clash - London Calling
Billy Joel - The Stranger, 52nd Street, Piano Man
Neil Young - After the Goldrush, Harvest
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Jazz (Not too familiar with this music yet):
Definitely have to check out some Tony Williams stuff

^ I think all of the above would be an essential part of any "serious" collection

I've noticed that myself. More music means different sounds and different gear for me!!


Now for music:

Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy
Candy Dulfer - Right in my Soul
Prince - Musicology
Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
Jolie Holland - Catalpa
anything by Erykah Badu
Tomahawk - Tomahawk

If you like guitar, you might like www.guitar9.com (if you haven't discovered it already). A full range site for independant guitarists and their work. TONS of music there.

I always like threads like this...and especially when I'm on the road with too much extra time in a hotel room with my ipod and ety's. Even w/ 35gb of music with me I still probably only have about 20 of the albums listed here. Listening to RJD2 right now.

Anyhow:
Big second for Medeski, Martin and Wood, especially Combustication with DJ Logic. I think this was one of the first modern jazz albums that included a DJ - before it was de-rigeur.

Big second as well for Massive Attack. For years Mezzanine was one of the first albums I reached for with new equipment (or brought along when auditioning new stuff). I like all their albums. 100th Window (which is only a part of Massive Attack, but their newest album) really grew on me. Sinead O'Connor contributes to 3 tracks that are wonderful.

In a similar genre, another one of my standards for years has been St. Germain - Boulevard. This is from the lounge/jazz/chill genre and is great from beginning to end. I worked in a cafe for years where I could play my own music and people asked me about this album every time I played it.

Bobby Hughes Experience - Fusa Riot. A funky jazzy mix that you'll either love or hate. Amazon.com gets it pretty much right: "Breakbeat: Combining Futuristic Production Techniques, 70's Rock, European Jazz and the Dopest of Hip Hop Breaks."

Willie Nelson/Johnny Cash - Unplugged Another standard "Auditioning" cd, from two of the last REAL country legends.

Tony Williamson - Still Light of the Evening This is a Mapleshade CD that blows you away with its recording and mastering quality. And unlike a lot of CDs like this, the music (Bluegrass) has REALLY grown on me. This is one of my favorite discs to listen to on my home rig.

Lastly, if you haven't ever tried a Binaural recording, buy one for the experience. If anyone can recommend any that are great music, I'd appreciate it. The ones I have are worth it for the incredible sensation, but the music isn't that great.


I told you I had lots of time to waste.

Johnny Cash is dead, so he isn't the "last", and Willie Nelson hasn't been "real" for a long time. Hank Thompson and Ray Price are retired now, so that means the REAL "last real country legend" is Merle Haggard. No question about it. I saw him on TV the other day, just him and his guitar... and he is a 100% authentic C&W genius.

See ya
Steve

Yes, I'm quite aware that Johnny Cash is dead. I meant Last in the sense of those country singers from another era that lasted until into recent memory. Thats also why I said "two of the last" not "the last two," but it was not stated quite correctly. Thanks for taking the time to point it out though.

Willie, well, yes, most of his stuff for many, many years now has kind of well, sucked. But I do really enjoy him on the Unplugged album.

How about suggesting a Merle Haggard album you like?

Unlike most people here, I spend way more money on CDs (about 200/year) than gear, so I actually feel knowledgable here. To add some diversity to the thread, here is a list of relatively recent albums which are IMO very underappreciated...

Frames, 'For the Birds'
Velvet Teen, 'Elysium'
Josh Rouse, 'Under the Cold Blue Stars'
Books, 'The Lemon of Pink'
Trashcan Sinatras, 'Weightlifting'
Elbow, 'Asleep in the Back'

Some others to listen to:

Kinky - Kinky (Techno/Alt Latino Rock)
Silver Jews - Bright Flight (Musical Poetry. Amazing lyrics)
New Pornographers - Electric Version (Fun flowing Alt Rock)
Electric Skychurch - Sonic Diary (Tonal, intricate electronica)

I really like this thread, going to sample some suggestions in the above posts.

Merle Haggard's "Untamed Hawk" box set is incredible, but it's a bit pricey. The better bargain is the set called "Down Every Road". Both of these show how totally honest Haggard's music is. His roots go all the way back to Woodie Guthrie.

See ya
Steve

Rock/Pop
The Beatles - all albums
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Yes - Yes, Time and a Word
Jethro Tull - Stand Up, Benefit
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, Lizard
Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste, Three Friends, Octopus ...
Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Archive - Londinium
Orbital - In Sides
Telefon Tel Aviv - Fahrenheit fair enough
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms, 13th Step

Classical
Dutilleux - Complete Orchestral Works (Chandos, 4 CDs)
Thierry Escaich - Concerto pour Orgue (and other orchestral works)
Rochberg - Violin Concerto (Naxos)
Harbison - Symphony No.3 (and other orchestral works; Albany)
Harbison/Laderman - Works (New World Records)
Frank Martin - everything
Alban Berg - Violin Concerto (e.g. Philips - Gidon Kremer/Colin Davis)
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concertos (e.g. Hyperion)

Jazz
John Taylor - Rosslyn (ECM)
Chris Gestrin - Stillpoint (Songlines)
Christoph Schweizer - Normal Garden (Mons)
DARK (with L.Shankar & David Torn) - Tamna Voda (CMP)
Christy Doran's New Bag - Heaven is back in the Streets (Double Moon)
Magic Malik Orchestra - 00-237 (Label Bleu)
George Adams - Sound Suggestions (ECM)