So I'm starting a vinyl record collection. What are some must-have albums?
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Dr_C (
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February 9th, 2021
In part as a tribute to my departed father who had a huge collection that was lost years ago. What are your suggestions for “Must-Have” records and why?
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I think you have to narrow the question down a bit by musical genre or it’s too cumbersome. Even by genre it’s a lot to list!
@janbb I’m open to all genres. Hence the open nature of the question.
Prince
Michael Jackson
Elvis
Queen
Eagles
Fleet wood Mac
just to start
Literally everything made by classical composers.
Should the list include classical?
^^ Oops, simultaneous posts.
@RL, some really are better than others, though. I wish I could find that one episode of Peter Schickele’s old radio program that detailed mess-ups in standard classical recordings, such as starting on the wrong note or on the off beat.
@Jeruba of course! I’m actually looking for a vinyl pressing of Williams and Segovia 500 years of Guitar. Andres Segovia is a master, and John Williams is a virtuoso. They go through so many composers on that albums it’s amazing. Even Bach cello concertos on the guitar sound like they were written for it.
Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
The Bestles: Abbey Road
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
@Jeruba you’re right. One is an australian Guitar Virtuoso, the other one of the al time great composers. My bad.
I thought they were the same person for a long time too. It was a little disappointing to learn otherwise.
The Beatles “Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “The White Album”
Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA” “The Rising”
Joni Mitchell “Blue”
Paul Simon “Graceland”
Simon and Garfunkel “Parsely, Sage , Rosemary and Thyme” “Bridge Overt Troubled Waters”
Neil Young “Harvest”
Crosby, Stills and Nash
The Band and “Music from Big Pink”
Elton John 1st album and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Allman Brothers Band
Joan Baez ‘Gulf Winds” and/or Joan Baez #5
James Taylor “Sweet Baby James” and “Mud Slide Slim”
Dire Straits – 1st album and/or Brothers in Arms
Mark Knopfler/Emmy Lou Harris – All the Roadrunning
Dave Brubeck – Take 5
Bob Dylan Hwy 66 Revisited and Blood on the Tracks
George Harrison “All Things Must Pass”
And that’s just for starters…....
@janbb Those are all great! I’m gonna start looking them up. Thank you so much!
@filmfann awesome list. I already have a couple, but will definitely look for the rest!
Lenny Kravitz – Let Love Rule
Nirvana – Nevermind
Queen – A Night At The Opera (for starters)
Steely Dan – Can’t Buy A Thrill (for starters)
Gino Vanelli – Powerful People
Prince – Purple Rain
Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life
Celine Dion – Just Kidding
I don’t know if he liked jazz, but if he did I would suggest these classics:
Round Midnight – John Coltrane or Miles Davis
Almost Blue – Chet Baker
Blue in Green – Miles Davis
Anything by David Brubeck
Stan Getz mid 1960’s Bossa Nova
Miles Davis anything
Bat Out of Hell – Meat Loaf. Get the picture disk if you can.
A little out of left field, but I recommend Hounds of Love by Kate Bush. Fantastic art pop record.
I also think Rain Dogs by Tom Waits is a must have, some great experimental rock
If you want a really eclectic collection…
Fleetwood Mac Rumours
Funkadelic Maggot Brain
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention Just Another Band from LA
Van Morrison Moondance
Neil Young Harvest Moon
Vassar Clements Hillbilly Jazz
Eric Clapton/B B King Riding With the King
Peter Tosh Legalize It
Blaise Foley _Live at the Austin Outhouse _
@Strauss I actually ordered a special edition of Moondance just yesterday, have Harvest Moon, but will look up the rest. Great answer!
Oh – Eric Clapton Slowhand
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Traffic – The Low Spark of Highheeled Boys
Cream – Any album
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust and the Spider from Mars
Okay. 5 more:
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
A Night At The Opera by Queen
Hot by The Squirrel Nut Zippers
Jumping Jive by Joe Jackson
Layla And Other Love Songs by Derek And The Dominoes
Update, found out there’s a great little record store close to home, so I picked up:
Birth of the Cool – Miles Davis
Unplugged in New York – Nirvana (1994 pressing)
Different Class – Pulp
Waiting for shipment of:
Vitalogy – Pearl Jam (also a 1994 pressing)
Gords Gold – Gordon Lightfoot
Grace – Jeff Buckley
Ten – Pearl Jam
Pornograffitti – Extreme
Just got received:
Best of Bread – Bread (one of dad’s favorites)
Something special about Bread… the second song on side A is called “Everything I own” and was written for a deceased father. I got this along with a new better turntable because on the 24th of this month, my dad would have turned 74… So I plan to play this on his birthday (probably while drinking heavily) to toast the man who made me fall in love with music… singing along o one of his favorite songs.
I met David Gates in 1972. He was the opener for Olivia Newton-John, and my brother was her drummer for that tour. Her music/orchestra director had taken I’ll so David stepped in and very capably directed the orchestra.
@Strauss That’s awesome!!!!
I just found this about the writing of the song:
“Although initial listeners may have interpreted it as a song about a broken relationship, Gates revealed that it was written in memory of his father who died in 1963 before he achieved his success with Bread.[3] According to the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, at his father’s funeral, a friend took David Gates aside and said, “Your dad was so proud of what you were doing.” David agreed, “My success would have been so special to him as he was my greatest influence. So I decided to write and record ‘Everything I Own’ about him. If you listen to the words, ‘You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, you gave my life to me, set me free’, it says it all.”[4] As for the title, Gates said that he once sent his mother an orchid for her birthday at a time when he could barely afford it: “She was so touched – my dad wrote to tell me I could have had “anything she owned” in return.”[3] Typically Gates wrote the lyrics after the music. Although the lyrics were written so it could be interpreted as a love song, Gates said: “When I played it for my wife, she knew right away that it was about my father. She cried.”[3]”
This is starting to become expensive. Just won an auction for Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. Someone stop me.
@Dr_C! Stop right now!!
Just kidding. If you’re anything like me, this type of collection will hold many a story. I think it’s a great way to honor your father, and possibly start a family tradition. Some of my older vinyl is originally from my parents’ collection, and I’d like to pass them down to my children. I’m close to your father’s age.
@Strauss Thanks for that. Now I don’t feel so bad for buying another two records today. I need to take a break for at least a week… otherwise I won’t have any money left over for anything else!
More to your point though, a lot of the records I’m buying hold some significance and I do think of my dad every time I play a record. So yeah, I’d like to think he’d be happy that I’m starting my own collection, which will include some of his favorites.
The 24th should be an emotional day… Hope he’s listening along with me.
Anything by ABBA for a start.
Not to forget the collective works of DJ Bobo
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