Must-hear Non-classical Albums

[rubio]

A few absolute classics!

                 

[pjme]

Jan Garbarek and  Norwegian folksinger Agnes Buen Garnas : Mediaeval Norwegian songs given a contemporary treatment. I find it a wonderful disc. Synthesizers, handdrums / percussion, soprano & tenorsax.... The songs have a - -dark, sometimes cruel- fairy tale-like atmosphere... Buen Garnas has a unique, strange  voice  - she a storyteller and a magician.
P.

[PSmith08]

I'll throw in for Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, which, in a lot of ways, is Waters' most focused and passionate engagement with the postwar world. It's bleak and more of a Waters' solo record than a Floyd effort, but still is a record that deserves to be heard.

Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, though not my favorite Dylan record (Planet Waves or, sometimes, Desire, is another disc that one must hear.

If you want a more substantial project, getting through David Bowie's albums from Station to Station to Scary Monsters is a worthwhile endeavor. I would be inclined to argue, though my attitudes shift on the matter, that Bowie's strongest material is contained in this sequence - including my favorite Bowie record, Low.

[George]

I'll throw in for Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, which, in a lot of ways, is Waters' most focused and passionate engagement with the postwar world. It's bleak and more of a Waters' solo record than a Floyd effort, but still is a record that deserves to be heard.

Oh, yeah! Seconded!

Must hear, hmmm.

World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
Bob Dylan - Soundtrack to No Direction Home
Procol Harum - A Salty Dog
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection
Sundays - Blind
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Consolidated - Friendly Fascism
Morrissey - Viva Hate
Live - The Distance to Here
A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Bright Eyes - Lifted - Or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Tool - Lateralus

[Kullervo]

I would be inclined to argue, though my attitudes shift on the matter, that Bowie's strongest material is contained in this sequence - including my favorite Bowie record, Low.

I vacillate between Heroes and Low, but I haven't listened to either in a while. I liked Hunky Dory a lot, but never got on with Aladdin Sane or Ziggy.

Anyway, here is my rather typical list:

Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (His best collection of pop songs.)

Roxy Music - Country Life (It's hard to choose only one. All of their albums from the s/t to Siren are essential pop listening.)

Cocteau Twins - Treasure (Again, another difficult choice. Heaven or Las Vegas is pretty "must-hear" as well, but Treasure gets the slight edge because of the great mix between their goth-y earlier albums and what would be their later, slicker style. Just don't try to figure out the lyrics.)

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Totally self-indulgent, ridiculous concept, but totally great.)

Kate Bush - The Whole Story (Greatest hits. All the best of her singles and the best songs from Hounds of Love. All that's missing are the best songs from The Sensual World. Her voice isn't to everyone's taste but I happen to love it.)

Daft Punk - Discovery (Great, lowest-common-denominator kind of fun.)

Radiohead - OK Computer (I'm pretty sure everyone who isn't living under a rock has heard this.)

[PSmith08]

I vacillate between Heroes and Low, but I haven't listened to either in a while. I liked Hunky Dory a lot, but never got on with Aladdin Sane or Ziggy.

I want to like Ziggy Stardust, and there are some tracks I really dig, but on the whole I don't think the album is as consistent or well-done as Station to Station, Low, or "Heroes".

Seeing your Genesis recommendation reminded me of another must-hear (even if it's only once) album, Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell. I think it's pretty clear that Jim Steinman was the genius behind the record, there's no denying that he had a vision that gelled perfectly with Meat Loaf's "style," but it's about as overblown, overwrought, and overindulgent as 1970s rock ever got. Switch off Bat with Will Oldham's I See A Darkness if you want to have your mental neck snapped.

[Brian]

For the world music fans among us! 

 

 

[DavidRoss]

Previously mentioned:
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck, Take Five

and an "Honorable (previous) mention," Frank Zappa, Hot Rats

I presume the more popular pop/rock/jazz albums of note are known to all.  Here are a few less well known that continue to satisfy me years after release:

Charles Mingus, Let My Children Hear Music
Art Ensemble of Chicago, Reese and the Smooth Ones
Carla Bley, Escalator over the Hill
Lyle Lovett, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
Chris Rea, The Road to Hell
Bruce Hornsby, Harbor Lights
The Pretenders, The Pretenders
Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom
Joni Mitchell, Night Ride Home
Annie Lennox, Diva
Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen, Keith Jarrett, Belonging
Steel Pulse, True Democracy
King Sunny Ade, Juju Music

[mn dave]

The Pretenders, The Pretenders
Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom

0:)

[Christo]

Just another shortlist, of perhaps a slightly different type:

David Sylvian, Secret of the Beehive
Bel Canto, Shimmering, Warm and Bright
Twice A Man, Sound of a goat in a room
The Royal Family and the Poor, "
Not Drowning Waving, Not Drowning Waving
Japan, Quiet Life
Dead Can Dance, Within the Realm of a Dying Sun

(and lots more I'll spare you  )

[ezodisy]

Some fine stuff here.

Tony, no Dolphy?

my man Eric Dolphy's got a beard like a billy goat:

I would guess everyone knows that Dolphy and Mingus are essential (especially when together).

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

It's all IDM.

Autechre - Incunabula
Aphex Twin - I care because you do
Squarepusher - Feed me weird things / Ultravisitor

[71 dB]

808 State - Ex:EL
Andreas Vollenweider - Book of Roses
Aphex Twin - Drukqs
Autechre - Incunabula
Autechre - Amber
Autechre - Tri Repetae
Autechre - Chiastic Slide
Autechre - LP5
Autechre - Confield
Autechfe - Draft 7.30
Autechre - Untilted
Autechre - Quaristice
Axiom of Choice - Unfolding
Baby D - Deliverance
Basement Jaxx - Remedy
Bel Canto - Shimmering, Warm & Bright
Bel Canto - Magic Box
Bhakta - Open Transmission
Brad Mehldau - Largo
Breakbeat Era - Ultra-Obsene
Briskeby - Jeans for Onassis
Blue States - Man Mountain
Colin MacIntyre - The Water
D2b (Bhakta Productions) - India All Over
Dave Angel - Classics
Gato Barbieri - Bolivia/Under Fire
Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
Gotan Project - La Revancha Del Tango
Harold Budd/Brian Eno - The Pearl
Herbert - Bodily Functions
Jonny L - Sawtooth
Jonny L - Magnetic
Kashmir - The Good Life
Kashmir - Zitilites
Kashmir - No Balance Palace
Kate Bush - Aerial
Lemon Jelly - Lemonjelly.ky
Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
LFO - Frequencies
Logh - The Raging Sun
Lowgold - Just Backward of Square
Lowgold - Welcome to Winners
Lowgold - Promise Lands
Mull Historical Society - This is Hope
Orbital - Snivilization
Pat Metheny Group - Offramp
Paul Simon - Graceland
Radiohead - OK Computer
S'Express - Original Soundtrack
S'Express - Intercourse
Sheila Chandra - The Indipop Restrospective
Standfast - Standfast
Talvin Singh - OK
Tangerine Dream - Ricochet
Tangerine Dream - Encore
Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure
Tangerine Dream - Tangram
Tangerine Dream - Logos
Tangerine Dream - Underwater Sunlight
The Beatmasters - Anywayawanna
The Beatmasters - Life & Soul
The Prodigy - Experience
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land

[karlhenning]

I almost cannot believe these have waited for me to mention them:

Robert Fripp, Exposure



King Crimson, Red

[karlhenning]

808 S-- [snip]

Poju, I am sorry that this is how you had to learn:  A list running to 64 items, and a subject header with the phrase "must-hear," are mutually exclusive categories.

[mn dave]

If we're getting all proggy...

[mn dave]

[karlhenning]

Fear of Music is dead on, Dave;  I think we must add, though, Remain in Light:



And you're right, IMO, if any of the Gabriel albums is a must-hear, Security is it.

[mn dave]

Fear of Music is dead on, Dave;  I think we must add, though, Remain in Light:



And you're right, IMO, if any of the Gabriel albums is a must-hear, Security is it.

I'm glad you agree and I like your addition.

Here's another.

The Residents - Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

[mn dave]