Harry's Heavenly Hifi CD list 'A to Z'

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Some time ago I set about compiling a list of well recorded and musically excellent CDs.

It came about because I was becoming increasingly frustrated at the quality of many CDs.

So with the help of forum members (thanks fellas) and the Internet, I started compiling the list.

Obviously such things are subjective but I can guarantee that even if the CDs on this list aren't your bag musically, at least they are well recorded.

I've used a quite crude rating system from 1-3. A one-star album is head and shoulders above most of the stuff out there. Anything with three stars is sublime from a musical and recording point of view. You may agree or disagree but it's my list and therefore there'll be stuff you love and stuff you dislike. Such is life.

Please keep the recommendations coming, but in order for me to keep an endless task manageable can you please keep suggestions in alphabetical order.

Surprise, surprise, we're starting with A. So that means if you want to recommend an artist it must be one beginning with A. Simples.

Harry's Heavenly Hifi CD list 'A'


THE LIST 'A'
Adams, Ryan: Heartbreaker ••
Air: Moon Safari •••
Alice In Chains: Unplugged ••
AltJ: An Awesome Wave •••
Amadou and Mariam: Dimanche A Bamako ••
Amos, Tori: Under The Pink ••
Amos, Tori: Little Earthquakes ••
Apparat: The Devil's Walk •••
Aphex Twin: Richard D James Album ••
Apple, Fiona: Tidal •
Armatrading, Joan: What's Inside ••• Armatrading, Joan: The Shouting Stage •
Arnold, David: Shaken And Stirred ••

[Marco]

Nice one, Harry. We appreciate it! :)

Just one small suggestion, in order to make the alphabetical listings easier to read, it might be better to reverse the names of the artists who have a surname beginning with 'A', and a Christian name beginning with something else, e.g. 'Adams, Ryan', rather than 'Ryan Adams'. Kind of like it is on a school register...

Just a thought! :cool:

Marco.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Good point Marco. I'll certainly reverse them.

Glad to contribute something to the forum. And it's not exactly work. But then again neither is my 'proper' job.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Badu, Erykah: Live ••
Badu, Erykah: Baduizm ••
Beck: Mutations •
Bjork: Homogenic ••
Black, Mary: No Frontiers •
Black, Mary: Circus •
Blake, James: James Blake •
Blue October: Foiled •
Blue October: Any Man In America •
Blue Nile, The: Hats •
Bon Iver: For Emma Forever Ago •
Bush, Kate: Aerial •••
Bush, Kate: The Red Shoes ••
Bush, Kate: The Sensual World • Browne, Jackson: The Naked Ride Home •••
Browne, Jackson: Solo Acoustic Vol 1 •••
Browne, Jackson: Solo Acoustic Vol 2 ••
Browne, Jackson: The Pretender ••
Browne, Jackson: I'm Alive •

[AlfaGTV]

First of all, great initiative Harry! Already finding interesting new music!

Interesting about the order of listings? To me, no artists names are "person names", they are trademark names and therefore Ryan Adams should be sorted under R. :)
How do you guys sort your records?

Regards \Mike

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Campbell, John: Howlin Mercy ••
Cash, Johnny: American IV ••
Chapman, Tracy: Let It Rain ••
Chapman, Tracy: Telling Stories •••
Chapman, Tracy: Tracy Chapman •••
Chapman, Tracy: Crossroads ••
Chapman, Tracy: New Beginning ••
Chapman, Tracy: Where You Live ••
Chapman, Tracy: Matters Of The Heart ••
Cinematic Orchestra: Every Day ••
Civil Wars: Barton Hollow •••
Clapton, Eric: Unplugged ••
Cohen, Leonard: Ten New Songs •••
Cohen, Leonard: Live In London •••
Cohn, Marc: The Rainy Season ••
Cohn, Marc: Mark Cohn •••
Cohn, Marc: Burning The Daze •
Collins, Phil: Face Value •
Collins, Phil: Hello I Must Be Going••
Colvin, Shawn: A Few Small Repairs ••
Costello, Elvis: All This Useless Beauty ••
Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Sessions •••
Cowboy Junkies: The Caution Horses •••
Cowboy Junkies: Black Eyed Man ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Dire Straits: Dire Straits ••
Dire Straits: Love Over Gold •••
Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms •••
Dire Straits: Making Movies •
Dire Straits: On Every Street •
Drake, Nick: Pink Moon ••
Dolby, Thomas: The Flat Earth •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Eagles: Long Road Out Of Eden ••
Eagles: Hell Freezes Over ••
Everything But The Girl: Walking Wounded •••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Fagen, Donald: Kamakiriad •••
Fagen, Donald: Morph The Cat •••
Fagen, Donald: The Nightfly •••
Faulkner, Newton: Hand Built By Robots •
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours •••
Fleetwood Mac: Tusk •••
Frey, Glen: Strange Weather ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Gibbons, Beth: Out Of Season •
Gilmore, Thea: Don't Stop Singing ••
Gabriel, Peter: PGCD3 •
Gabriel, Peter: Us ••
Gorillaz: Plastic Beach •••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Harris, Emmylou: Stumble Into Grace •
Harper, Ben: Born to Shine ••
Harper, Ben: Welcome To The Cruel World•
Hooker, John Lee: The Healer •••
Hooker, John Lee: Boom Boom •••
Hornsby, Bruce: Scenes From The Southside •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Isaak, Chris: San Francisco Days •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Jackson, Joe: Night And Day •
Jamiroquai: Rock Dust Light Star ••
Jamiroquai: Travelling Without Moving •
Jewel: Spirit •••
Jones, Grace: Nightclubbing •••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Knopfler, Mark: Sailing To Philadelphia ••
Knopfler, Mark: Get Lucky
Knopfler, Mark: Kill To Get Crimson •
Krall, Diana: A Night in Paris ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Led Zeppelin: Remasters ••
Leftfield: Leftism •••
Leftfield: Rhythm And Stealth ••
Lofgren, Nils: Breakaway Angel ••
Lofgren, Nils: Acoustic Live •••
Lambchop: I A Woman •
Lindsay, Stephen: Exit Music ••
Lamb: What Sound •
Lovett, Lyle: Joshua Judges Ruth ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Masekela, Hugh: Hope •
Massive Attack: Mezzanine ••
McLachlan, Sarah: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy ••
McLachlan, Sarah: Surfacing ••
McLachlan, Sarah: Mirrorball ••
McRae,Tom: Just Like Blood •
Marling, Laura: I Speak Because I Can ••
Matthews, Dave: Under The Table And Dreaming •
Miller, Marcus: The Sun Don't Lie •
Merchant, Natalie: Tigerlily •••
Merchant, Natalie: Motherland •••
Merchant, Natalie: Live In Concert ••
Mo, Keb: Keb Mo ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Nickel Creek: This Side

[RichB]

+ 1 for Bjork - Homogenic

I'd also add Vespertine as a well recorded and particularly bewitching album of hers.

[RichB]

Nirvana - In Utero

A more raw and live sounding album than Nevermind, the late Mr Cobain's frustration just seems to pour out of speakers here and the production has captured a very impassioned performance, we really all should have seen it coming.

I did hear a story that he used an old broken valve amp for this album which used to fizz and fritz of its own accord. Indeed the story goes that he would have a fit if someone tried to fix it.

[daytona600]

does the Sacd of vespertine count

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

O'Connor, Sinead: Faith And Courage •••
O'Connor, Sinead: How About I Be Me And You Be You ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Perry, Lee: A Serious Dub •
Phish: The Story Of The Ghost •
Pink Floyd: Meddle •
Pink Floyd: Animals •••
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon •••
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here •••
Pink Floyd: The Wall •••
Propellerheads: Decksandrumsandrickandroll •••
Police: Synchronicity •••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Rawlings, Dave: A Friend Of A Friend •
Rea, Chris: Shamrock Diaries ••
Rea, Chris: Auberge•
Rea, Chris: The Blue Cafe •
Rea, Chris: Dancing With Strangers ••
Rea, Chris: The Road To Hell ••
Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure (2012) •
Roxy Music: Avalon (2012) •••
Roxy Music: Country Life (2012) •
Roxy Music : Stranded•
Roxy Music: Flesh and Blood ••
Raitt, Bonnie: Luck Of The Draw ••
Raitt, Bonnie: Fundamental ••
Raitt, Bonnie: Nick Of Time •••
Raitt, Bonnie: Longing In Their Hearts •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Sade: Diamond Life •••
Sade: Lovers Rock ••
Seal: Seal •
Scaggs Boz: Some Change •••
Scaggs Boz:Silk Degrees •••
Scritti Politti: Cupid & Psyche •
Simple Minds: Empires And Dance •
Simple Minds: New Gold Dream ••
Simple Minds: Once Upon A Time••
Stone, Joss: Soul Sessions •••
Stevens, Cat M: Tea For The Tillerman
Steely Dan: Gaucho •••Steely Dan: Everything Must Go •••
Steely Dan: Aja •••
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic •••
Steely Dan: Katy Lied •••
Steely Dan: Countdown To Ecstasy ••
Steely Dan: Can't Buy A Thrill •••
Spektor, Regina: Far ••
Spektor, Regina: Begin To Hope•••
Spektor, Regina: Live In London
Sting: Ten Summoners Tales ••
Sting: Mercury Falling
Sting: Nothing Like The Sun •••
Sting: Brand New Day •
Sting: Dream Of Tge Blue Turtles ••
Sting: Soul Cages ••
Supertramp: Breakfast In America ••
Supertramp: Crime Of The Century •••
Simon, Paul: Graceland •••
Simon, Paul: Surprise •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Tabor, June: A Quiet Eye •
Talk Talk: The Colour Of Spring •••
Talk Talk: It's My Life ••
Talking Heads: 77 ••
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense ••
Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues •••
Talking Heads: Fear Of Music •••
Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food •
Talking Heads: Naked •
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense ••
Talking Heads: Remain In Light •
Taylor, James: Hourglass •••
Taylor, James: October Road
Tears For Fears: The Seeds Of Love ••
Thorn, Tracy: Out Of The Woods •
Turin Brakes: Jack In A Box ••

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Vega, Suzanne: Nine Objects Of Desire •••
Vega, Suzanne: Solitude Standing •••
Vega, Suzanne Vega: Close Up Vol 2•••
Vega, Suzanne Vega: Days Of Open Hand •

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Waits, Tom: Rain Dogs
Waits, Tom: Heartattack And Vine •••
Waits, Tom: Used Songs •
Warnes, Jennifer: Famous Blue Raincoat •••
Warnes, Jennifer: The Hunter •••
Waters, Roger: Amused To Death •••
Welch, Gillian: The Harrow and the Harvest •••
Welch, Gillian: Soul Journey •••
Welch, Gillian: Time The Revelator ••
Welch, Gillian: Revival •••
Williams, Kathryn: Little Black Numbers •••
Williams, Kathryn: Relations ••
Winwood, Steve: Back In The High Life ••
Winwood, Steve: Roll With It
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot •

[Puffin]

Waits, Tom: Rain Dogs
Waits, Tom: Heartattack And Vine •••
Waits, Tom: Used Songs •


Someone recently played me his version of Temptation, which I had only previously heard sung by Diana Krall. Is it wrong of me to think that it is dreadful? I couldn't believe it was so bad.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

Waits is very definitely an acquired taste. I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I didn't like him when I was younger. The guy is a genius but he's on the edge so not all of his stuff is immediately accessible. Can't comment on that particular track as I don't have that album. Yet.

[Puffin]

Waits is very definitely an acquired taste. I'm quite embarrassed to admit that I didn't like him when I was younger. The guy is a genius but he's on the edge so not all of his stuff is immediately accessible. Can't comment on that particular track as I don't have that album. Yet.

Aah. Thanks.