Toe-Dippin'
- ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits
- The Band - The Band
- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
- Beastie Boys -Paul's Boutique
- The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Chuck Berry - Anthology
- David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
- Bjork - Debut
- The Byrds - The Byrds' Greatest Hits
- Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
- Johnny Cash - The Sun Years
- Ray Charles - The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years
- The Clash - London Calling
- Patsy Cline - The Ultimate Collection
- John Coltrane - Blue Train
- Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
- Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory
- Miles Davis - Essential Miles Davis, Vol. 1-2
- Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
- Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
- Ella Fitzgerald - 75th Birthday Celebration
- The Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
- Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
- Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
- Patty Griffin - Living with Ghosts
- Emmylou Harris - Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
- PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
- Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
- Buddy Holly - The Buddy Holly Collection
- John Lee Hooker - The Ultimate Collection (1948-1990)
- Howlin' Wolf - His Best
- The Jam - Sound Affects
- Elmore James - The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James
- Etta James - The Essential Etta James
- Elton John - Greatest Hits
- Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers
- Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
- Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign
- B.B. King - Live at the Regal
- Love - Forever Changes
- Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
- Bob Marley - Legend
- Massive Attack - Blue Lines
- Dave Matthews - Before These Crowded Streets
- Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
- Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
- Nirvana - Nevermind
- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the Circle Be Unbroken
- OutKast - Stankonia
- Graham Parker - Ultimate Collection
- Gram Parsons - G.P./Grievous Angel
- Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted
- Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
- Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
- Elvis Presley - Elvis' Golden Records
- The Pretenders - Pretenders
- Prince - The Very Best of Prince
- Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- Radiohead - OK Computer
- R.E.M. - Murmur
- The Replacements - Tim
- The Rolling Stones - Forty Licks
- Roxy Music - Siren
- Frank Sinatra - The Best of the Capitol Years
- Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
- Sly & the Family Stone - Stand!
- Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
- Bruce Springsteen - The Essential Bruce Springsteen
- Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
- The Stooges - Raw Power
- The Strokes - Is This It
- U2 - The Joshua Tree
- The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
- Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
- Muddy Waters - The Anthology: 1947-1972
- Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues
- The White Stripes - Elephant
- The Who - Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
- Wilco - Summer Teeth
- Hank William - 40 Greatest Hits
- Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
- Neil Young - Decade
- Frank Zappa - We're Only In It for the Money
So you've heard about an artist that has jabbed your interest, but you aren't sure where to dive in... Well, here are my personal choices for stickin' your toe into the pond, and I've even stuck to CDs in print in the USA at the time. Please, do not run out and simply buy the latest from an artist you're interested in; buy a terrific album that serve as a great introduction instead. Enjoy.
I'll of course add more as I think of them (or as they are requested).
Where I suggest a box set of three CDs or more, you'll find one or two more budget-minded releases after the suggestion that should work in a pinch.
6/14 - Alright, who is going to buy a box set for an introduction? The box sets are gone. Additionally, I have considered much great advice below and tinkered a bit. Thanks, all!
I would have to agree with you on most of these.
Here's a few I would change:
-Beatles/ White Album
-Costello/ (Tough Call)Armed Forces
-Flaming Lips/ The Soft Bulletin
-Pink Floyd/ Meddle
-Velvet Underground/ Loaded
-Wilco/ Summerteeth
Not that these are better by any sense of the word. In my opinion, these would be easier to swallow at first.
You have some great suggestions here! Let's see...
The two I probably disagree with the most are the Beatles and Pink Floyd albums. The White Album is so large and so jumbled, I can see it easily scaring casual listeners off a bit, and I'm not sure Meddle really eases somebody into Pink Floyd better than Dark Side, which seems to have done the trick for millions.
The problem with Loaded and Armed Forces is that while they are both quite accessible and great, I'm not sure they don't mislead a first-time listener a bit as to the true flavor of the artist. The Soft Bulletin is a great introduction to later Lips, but Transmissions is something of a bridge album, and as such, can (I think) work to expose a new fan to both phases of the band's career, to some degree.
The Wilco album is a very good choice, and I will consider swapping it out with Yankee. It perhaps is a better intro.
Thanks for the suggestions, and feel free to argue with my lame reasons!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Well, maybe it's just me, but my dad gave me Summerteeth to listen to first, and although I tried many times to listen to it, I just could not get into it. After buying (and loving) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I found it much easier to listen to Summerteeth, which I now also love.
I don't know what it was about the albums, but I found YHF to be a much better intro to the band.
Uh oh, I'm second-guessing my second-guessing now!
Anybody else care to comment? Which one would have sucked YOU into Wilco better?
Thanks for the comments, geek. I think Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would have done the trick better for me as well, but I never assume that I'm average, so... ;)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
PS - Any thoughts on the Van Morrison question?
Hmm, I got into Van Morrison through random songs AJ told me to download, not through an album. The song that really pulled me in was "Jackie Wilson Said," but St. Dominic's Preview isn't really a great intro album. I think Moondance might be most accessible, partially because it doesn't have any of the long songs that are best left until you're really interested in the music.
Yeah, you're probably right about The White Album. It is a big bite at first. I mentioned it over Sgt. Pepper's mainly because it is not so thematic. It's a Beatles revue.
As for Pink Floyd's masterpiece Meddle, I chose that because it reveals the band's bluesy side as well as experimental. Dark Side is a finer album, but, alot of folks would end their Floyd listening with "Brain Damage/Eclipse".
With both Loaded and Armed Forces, I'm speaking personally. Those two are the last two albums I got from these bands, and frankly I wish they were the first. VU&Nico is one of the most unaccessible albums of the sixties. Armed Forces is oh-so-catchy, and it is IMO, one of the top 5 new-wave influences.
Summerteeth is just as enjoyable as YHF, but the latter is the band's pinnacle. If a person got into Summerteeth, they would definetely venture to YHF.
Yep, that's exactly the reason I passed over The White Album. Of course, any Beatles fan should pick up pretty soon after Sgt. Pepper's.
Loaded is certainly the most accessible VU album, but since VU albums are, for the most part, pretty inaccessible, I felt it might be too much of a shock for a new listener to carry on after that fine album. The band is sorta a special case.
As for Meddle, it is perhaps confession time. I'm not really a fan of that album, so I have a tough time recommending it. Forgive me...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Fantastic list, that I somehow missed when it was first posted. Great choices, and I agree that it is usually a very bad idea to start with the most recent CD released by an artist (well, except for the White Stripes).
A few comments:
Astral Weeks may be your favorite Van Morrison album, but do you really think it is the best place to start with him? I would think something a little less melancholy and a little more jazzy would be more accessible. I started with the Best of Van Morrison compilation, and that suited me just fine.
Once again, do you really think Electric Ladyland is more accessible than Are You Experienced? I love both albums, but I think the latter would be the best way to start with Jimi Hendrix. "Voodoo Chile" might be a bit too much to stomach on one's first Jimi Hendrix experience (pun intended).
I am very surprised you included Dave Matthews on this list, and even more surprised that you picked Before These Crowded Streets over Under the Table and Dreaming. Of course, I haven't heard the former, so I can't really comment one way or the other.
And finally, I have a few requests, either for practical purposes or for my own curiosity: the Stooges, Frank Zappa, Roxy Music, Tom Waits, the Beastie Boys, and Elton John.
I feel pretty good about Electric Ladyland, as I believe it covers the range of Jimi's various sounds in a complete package, even if the debut is more accessible (and you are right - it is).
As for Dave, I guess I am partly hoping to help folks avoid Crash. It was the first complete Matthews album I heard, and it really made it hard for me to give the earlier albums a fair listen. I'm still not a huge fan, but I do finally believe that Crowded Streets is an album worth hearing.
Your Van Morrison question, however, does hit home. I think you may well be right, and I am tempted to switch Astral Weeks out with Moondance, despite my desire to start folks out with an artist's pivotal work if possible. Greatest Hits is a good choice as well. Let me think about this...
Anybody else care to comment on my Van selection? I'd love to hear some feedback on this one.
When I get home tonight, I'll add the artists you mentioned.
Thanks for the comments!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Very good list. I can't stand G.H. collections but I get the point of them.
BUT Miles Davis essential. Good grief NO. The man had a particular genius for albums. Say "Kind Of Blue or Jack Johnson or Miles Smiles or In A Silent Way" all of the above easily accessable, mucho georgeous albums.
There I vented, I feel better.
Tallyho
:?)
Well, with a career that large, dynamic, and sweeping, I'm not really sure one album, no matter how great, can really hint at the greatness of Miles like a good compilation.
And you know what? I think a reason almost as much behind my choice is because I otherwise would probably choose Kind of Blue, and I frankly know way too many folks who pick up that album, love it, and never buy another Miles disc again. In fact, I know many people whose jazz collection begins and ends with that album, and while that's not a horrible thing, it really doesn't jive with the intentions of this list. Essential is an mere appetizer, true, but I do think it often gets people itching to hear more. Oh, and it is tons of fun.
Or something like that. If not Kind of Blue, I probably would have went with Round About Midnight.
Watcha think?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
"I know many people whose jazz collection begins and ends with [Kind of Blue]" - Wow, sounds all too familiar to me. I have been meaning to pick up some more Miles Davis, but I'm sure that the other people you're referring to have had the best of intentions as well. :-)
Well, there certainly is nothing wrong with only owning Kind of Blue. In fact, if you only own one jazz album, you can't really do much better, if at all. It just goes against the spirit of the list.
Me, my only jazz album for the longest time was a volume of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Sevens. If you're not moved to buy more soon, maybe later. I eventually did.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
PS - Did you notice the album I'm holding on my new picture I posted on my profile?
Nope, the picture's not working for me.
There, try it one more time.
I have to renew the link every day or so since the posting site changes the URL about that often. Does anybody know of a good place I can post a picture with a steady URL? (Oh, a free place would be nice.)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
There we go. What a wonderful album. And BTW, try www.photobucket.com for posting the picture.
Thanks! I'll try that site as soon as I get home!
I greatly appreciate the tip!
Shalom y'all!
L. Bangs
So far, so good. Thanks for the photo tip, AJ!
Oh, and I've decided you are right about Jimi...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'm glad the photo site is working out for you. Also, these changes / additions look pretty good to me! Thanks for adding my suggestions! Although, I must disagree with your new choice of The Joshua Tree for U2. Joshua Tree has some great songs that everyone is familiar with, sure, but it also has a few weaker tracks that could turn off first-time listeners to the band. I think Achtung Baby as a whole is more consistent and would serve as a fine introduction to U2. I know that you personally prefer Achtung too, so what was your reasoning that made you decide Joshua Tree would be a better introduction?
Yep, I favor Achtung Baby over The Joshua Tree.
Perhaps my choice has more to do with my age. Most of my contemporaries find the earlier album much easier to cozy to than the more adventurous, later album. I remember The Joshua Tree being something of an instant classic upon release (heck, it won the Grammy!), while Achtung took most folks several listens to appreciate.
To some degree, also, The Joshua Tree *is* what U2 sounds like to many, many folks, and like my Dylan selection, I decided to go with an accessible album that brings an artist's popular image to life (while still being very good) over a personal favorite. (O, the temptation to put Blood on the Tracks up there.)
It isn't set in stone, however, and I'd love to hear what other fans or new U2 listeners think. I may switch it back...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Actually, I think you're probably right, now that I think about it. It did take me a few listens before I preferred Achtung.
Wow, a face to go with the moniker! Cool!
Yeah, an I've-only-been-awake-for-15-minutes face, but hey, it was the best I could do. I've been meaning to get a picture up forever; we recently had a roll of film developed from our St. Louis trip, and lo and behold, there was a picture of me from Christmas in the stack. I don't have many photos of myself, so I took what I could get.
At least I'm happy, having just received a fantastic present from my wonderful wife...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'll have to get a photo up one of these days. And I'm thinking about updating the member directory to make it easier to get to profiles, recent updates, photos, donor status, etc. on a user-specific basis.
Now a driver's license photo replaces the only-been-awake-for-15-minutes picture. I'm not sure that this one is any better, but it is from a mere week ago, so it does reflect the recent, ponytail-less me...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Ha! Driver's licence photo, good one, wish I'd thought of that. Yours is better than mine. Well, I think so anyway, never having seen you in person.
It looks more like me than the other photo. I'm not convinced that is a good thing, but there it is.
I don't know what I would do if I ever discovered a good picture of myself...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
I'm going out on a limb here, and you may not agree, but I'm saying Miles Smiles. It catches him after his be-bop experimentations, at the center of his quintet beauty and slightly heading towards fusion.
I have a box set of Miles Davis that I absolutely hate. I hate 2 things: bloody, undercooked liver and that box set. The reason, it skips over his greatness as if to say: the last century's most singular musical genius should be taken in like a Big Mac. It's not what it was supposed to sound like, the albums were put arranged that way for a reason. You might as well release singles and let people organize them however they like. It makes me wanna cringe.
(:?@ <---Hyperventilating stook
Round Midnight is a magnificent album. A perfect choice for a jazz newbie.
Tallyho
:?)
Oooooh, now I have to know. Is the box set you have The Columbia Years? Just curious...
It is one of the most mangled sets around. It was created for vinyl, and actually works really well that way, with each disc and side forming a beautiful whole built around themes and styles. When they made a CD version, however, they just haphazardly dumped the set onto three CDs, not even bother to keep the sides intact. The results are messy and annoying, to say the least.
Anyway, I'm just a-wonderin'...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
It is in fact. :?O
Critics loved it when it was released but not so much now.
Frankly, I own about 20 Davis discs so I'm not intending to buy any other collections.
What's the track order of the one you've got listed?
Tallyho
:?)
Rather than type out the tracks, I'll just send you here and hope that'll do the trick.
One of the biggest differences between this set and The Columbia Years is the running order. The Essential follows a chronological order (and also includes vital songs recorded on labels before Miles signed with Columbia, such as his Walkin', Steamin', etc. series), so it really gives a sense of development and change. It tells a story of Miles' career, rather than just providing a sampling. As a result, a new fan can easily discover which era is interesting to him or her and use the booklet to discover which albums might work to satisfy that curiousity best.
Not a perfect album, but a pretty good introduction...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
:?D <---Owner of Walkin', Steamin' etc. stook
I'll conceid. Song order is actually quite good. I'd give it a 3/4 thumbs up.
Tallyho
:?)
-Whew-
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Just wonderin' if you're considering genre changes during an artist's career. The only reason I mention is because Ray Charles (still fresh on my mind) turned the world upside down with "Modern Sounds of Country Music" too.
I second that.
Tallyho
:?)
You are absolutely right; Modern Sounds is a great album. I really thought Ray needed a collection, though, simply because no one album comes anywhere close to showing the man's many terrific sides. It was pretty much between the one above and Anthology, which includes some of the Modern Sounds album. It was nearly a toss-up, with only my deep, dear love of Ray's early R&B pulling me one way rather than the other. Either would certainly do, and both would be best.
Ray was one of the only reasons I originally included box sets, as that is one of the only ways to get close to showing the man off fairly fully.
Of course, buying Modern Sounds first won't hurt anybody, and should bring many smiles. It just doesn't hint at a tenth of what Charles offers, and that's why I went the compilation route I did.
Does that make sense?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
That actually makes perfect sense. Although I love said album it would be a shame to not hear Greenbacks on a first listen.
Tallyho
:?)