What are your Perfect or near perfect albums in your collection?


I generated this post to find some sleeper albums, no specific genre, that we as music lovers hold in high esteem and is meant to be never ending. As we all know as soon as we list, a few more surface as we play and listen, so feel free to add as you go. I will start with 6 of my own, so please enjoy. Shelby Lynne/Just a Little Lovin', Rolling Stones/Sticky Fingers, Allan Toussaint/Song Book, Little Feat/Waiting on Columbus, Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Ben Webster/Roots, & Van Morrison/His Band and the Street Choir.

tooblue

I dunno about "perfect". Here are a few I never tire of... I won’t bother to list much  Classic Rock -- I know that will be well represented.

Three Zen-informed contemporary Folk recordings by Patrick Park: "Everyone’s In Everyone", "Come What Will" and "Love Like Swords". 

"Fade Away Diamond Time" by Neil Casal shows influences of N. Young, Eagles and every other Country Rock artist associated with the California sound but still manages to sound very fresh.  

The Desert Rose Band’s first self-titled release. Chris Hillman, Herb Petersen and tele-master John Jorgenson were the backbone of this unit. CA Country and Country Rock. 

"Hold To a Dream" by New Grass Revival -- their most consistent release, for my money.   

Lucinda William’s self-titled and "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road"  Car Wheels is, IMHO, one of the very best Americana recordings ever released. 

"Luxury liner" and "Pieces of the Sky" by EmmyLou Harris.  

The Band’s "Brown Album" and "Rock of Ages" 

"A New Life" by The Marshall Tucker Band really showed off their various influences: Bluegrass, Country, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Western Swing.  

"It’s A Good Night for Singin’" by Jerry Jeff Walker. A classic of the genre. 

"Invisible Birds" by Will Ray. You may know him from the Hellecasters but here he also gets to show off his vocal abilities. 

"Aint Livin’ Long Like This" by Rodney Crowell.  

"Paradise and Lunch" by Ry Cooder. 

"Last of the Outlaws" by Railroad Earth. Jam Band, I guess, but musically broader/ richer than the category might suggest. 

Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys: "Ionia"  Hard to pigeonhole. Bluegrass, Jazz , Old Timey influences.  

Courtney Marie Andrews: "Honest Life".   On this, she sounds like a throwback to early 70’s singer/songwriters. Excellent singer. 

Dori Freeman: self-titled  Another fine singer. Produced by Teddy Thompson in a retro Country vein. 

Steel Wheels: "Live at Goose Creek"   Mostly original Contemporary Bluegrass/Folk. Tight band. 

Kris Delmhorst: "Like a Hurricane"  Fine Mass. based singer/songwriter

Birds of Chicago: "Live"  Hard to categorize. I guess contemporary Folk. 

Steve Forbert: "Young Guitar Days"  Highly Underrated.

 Anna Tivel: Small Believer    If you appreciate well-crafted lyrics. She’s also a poet. 

Too tired to go on... maybe I’ll add more, later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather Report’s I Sing the Body Electric - "The Unknown Soldier". 

Procul Harum's Shine On Brightly and A Salty Dog.

I have a few that I never see on anyone's list - 

Lou Reed - New York - 3 piece garage band grungy rock Incredible sound and lyrics

KD Lang - Absolute Torch and Twang - maybe one of the best female country albums ever - was banned/blacklisted in the US because Lang is a vegan and spoke out against the beef industry - they prohibited it from being played on any country music station in the USA.

Razzia - Tag Ohne Schatten. "The best punk album that made its way past the federal prosecutor's office". German HC punk, well-recorded, strong from start to finish.

The Ex - Blueprints for a Blackout. Experimental "jazzy" post-punk double LP, includes 12" multipage lyrics book with great collage artwork. You miss it if you stream!

The Ex & Tom Cora - Rambling at the Lock. Experimental "jazzy" post-punk with 'cello! The synergy of the musicians is outstanding.

Rites of Spring - Rites of Spring. HC punk - metal. Operatic high speed precision carnage.

Videotraum - Ebbe/Flut. German dreamy cold wave from Hamburg.

Everytime I put on Muddy Waters "Folk Singer"... I am wow'd!  Ray Brown "Soular,  Energy", Lucinda Williams "At Filmore West", ...a few.