The very best albums I heard, in order.
These of course are subjective. There is no such thing as an objective list. What could that be measured by? Certainly not sales. Not even Sales/Marketing Budget. Not even Sales to 'People Like Me' - that gets you further away. So no, it's just that I have spent my life enveloped in music, and always thought my list would be different. Yet here I am at the end of the line and I see things very differently all of a sudden, and I wanted to share this with people I love and any passer-by really.
I welcome discussion, rabid debate, wild unreason, swindling, snorkeling and bargaining. Even just a bit would be welcome.
The Top 30 Albums of All Time
1. Mel - East River Pipe
2. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison
3. Oh, Inverted World - The Shins
4. Myrrh - Robin Williamson
5. Horses - Patti Smith
6. 76:14 - Global Communication
7. Third - Soft Machine
8. Tago Mago - Can
9. Staircase - Keith Jarrett
10. Selected Ambient Works - Aphex Twin
11. Anarchy - Chumbawumba
12. Natural Elements - Shakti
13. White Room - KLF
14. Another Green World - Eno
15. Brown Album - Orbital
16. Goodbye California - East River Pipe
17. Reading, Writing & Arithmetic - The Sundays
18. Best of The Go Betweens
19. Hangman's Beautiful Daughter - Incredible String Band
20. Silent Feet - Eberhard Weber
21. Songs of Leonard Cohen
22. E Llangonned - Alan Stivell
23. Chutes Too Narrow - Shins
24. Stereotype-A Cibo Matto
25. Lilies - Arovane
26. Rumour - REM
27. Roxy Music First Album
28. Land of Grey & Pink - Caravan
29. Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan
30. After The Goldrush - Neil Young
Somehow, I know they are in the wrong order....
But please...
Fifty Guilty Pleasures - Albums I shouldn't like but nevertheless do
Next up, the albums I love in secret.
Some of these are by bands or artists I'd prefer not to mention due to their widespread agreement they are just "pants" Best example might be Genesis, but Elton John gets a look in...
Some are artists so obscure I don't know I've met a soul who ever heard of them but me! - Examples abound here but Xela, Madder Rose, Mr Fox... surely other people have heard of them?
Lastly, bands who it's okay to like, but just not okay to like THAT album... And at number one, !Thick As a Brick! has that prize covered...
One thing they all have in common though... I love them all these even if admission of that fact would question my good taste. These are albums I adore, don't just like...
1. Thick as a brick - Jethro Tull (Guiltiest pleasure of all? - Many think their worst offence)
2. Sympathy - Rare Bird
3. Mercator Projected - East of Eden
4. Edgar Broughton Band - (brown album'? (their third)
5. Guided by Voices - Best of
6, Foxtrot/Lamb Lies Down - Genesis (I know every word... and love the beat on Supper's Ready)
7. HMS Donovan (surely for children only?)
8. Thanks Christ for the Bomb - Groundhogs (It's side 2 I like)
9. Ballet Statique - Conrad Schnitzler (This is just amazing)
10. Liege & Lief - Fairport Convention (I should hate them for smugness but...)
11. Second Album - Martin Carthy (I have no friends who can bare him!)
12. Live at Greasy Truckrs - Nrinzley Schwarz ("I'll be Ahead if I can quit while I'm Behind")
13. In Search Of Space - Hawkwind (I Itruly felt this was Space Rock coming to save us)
14. Watercolour Days - Clouds (Seems twee now, and did then)
15. Panic On - Madder Rose
16. Cease To Begin - Band of Horses
17 New Rock - Buffalo Daughter
18. Deja Vu (I know...) - CSN&Y
19. Old Songs, New Songs - Family (But this was a great compilation)
20. Awoo - Hidden Cameras
21. Computer World - Kraftwerk (Honestly, I love every track they ever made)
22. Amrita - Loop Guru (esp. "Often Again")
23. i - Magnetic Fields
24. In Search Of The Lost Chord - The Moody Blues (Oh, this is real guilt!!!)
25. Z - My Morning Jacket
26. Viva Hate - Morrissey (How can I write that name in 2018)
27. Liquid Cool - Nite Jewel
28. Hatfield & The North (I know it's twiddly...)
29. Nu Yorkian Soul ("You can do it baby")
30. Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - Pink Floyd (Of it's time)
31. Dive deep - Quintessence (I still adore every track - truly)
32. Clinging To A Scheme - Radio Dept.
33. Atlas - Real Estate
34. Two-headed Freep - Ronnie Foster
35. Meody A.M. - Royksopp (Great Grooves)
36. Tired Sounds Of - Stars Of The Lid
37. Peng! - Stereolab
38. River - Terry Reid
39. Persian Surgery Dervishes - Terry Riley
40. Third Ear Band
41. Millions Now Living... - Tortoise
42. For Frosty Mornings - Xela
43. Hatfield and The North - Eponymous Debut
44. Yellowjackets - Yellowjackets
45. Wings Over Water - Stephan Micas
46. Car Alarm - Sea & Cake
47. Early - Scritti Politti
48. Mr Fox - Mr Fox
49. Mossebo - Johann Agebjorn
50. 17.11.70 - Elton John (He was a god on that night)
