Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Top 5 discs of your favorite genre?

I had always thought that I had fairly wide tastes in music; It certainly seemed that way when I could listen to NIN and then follow it with some Diana Krall. I've come to the realization in the last few months however, that's not the case. The musicians I listen to within the various genres are mostly the more-popular within that group. I've always been very passionate about music and proud of my wide-ranging tastes and to think that they're really not very wide-ranging at all is a little depressing. It's probably a hold over from my high school and college days when all my friends would only listen to one type of music and I would be listening to all kinds of stuff.

I think the realization has come because of several factors of late: Primarily, the disc exchange here has been exposing me to much music that I had never even heard of, yet like very much. (As a quick aside, thank you to those who have sent discs in the last month or so. I haven't been around at home as much so it seems I've listened to them in clumps and many of you didn't list your Avatar names so I don't know who to send a PM "Thank You" to! Rest assured that I have saved the envelopes and I'll return a mix of my own as soon as I can!).

Another factor in discovering new music is that I've been listening to a lot of XM lately. Finally, the "What are you listening to tonight" thread here has listed many musicians/groups that I'm not familiar with.

Am I the only one who is amazed at the wide-ranging tastes of members here?

So… I'd like to expand my musical horizons a bit and thought this would make a fun thread.

What are five discs that you consider essential to the genre of music you primarily listen to? This is not a "favorites" thread; that's been done here before. Rather, I'm looking for recommendations of the five discs that would best exemplify that genre of music even if some of the recommendations may not be personal favorites. Discs that would serve as the "five most important" discs if someone wanted to expand their tastes into that genre of music.

I suspect that I'm not the only one here impressed with the variety of tastes here, and this thread might serve as a good starting point for those who wish to expand their horizons a bit.

5 discs only??? It will be tough for me... anyway, I'll try. This may not be good for the tastes of everybody.

- Iron Maiden (Albums: Number of the beast, Piece of Mind, Seventh Son of the Seventh Son - I am counting those 3 albums as one ;-) - Best of classic Metal, called New Wave of British Heavy Metal at that time.
- Nightwish - "Wishmaster" Excellent operatic vocals, female fronted Power Metal from Finland.
- Helloween "Keeper of the Seventh Keys" both Part I and II, "Walls of Jericho" I count those 3 albums as one as well ;-) this is where Euro Power Metal started, though some Speed Metal influences on the "Walls..." mostly.
- Sonata Arctica "Ecliptica" Euro Power Metal. Great catchy melodies. Another great Finish band.
- Cryonic Temple "Chapter One" - True/Power/Speed Metal.
- In Flames "Whoracle" One of the best albums in Melodic Death Metal aka Gothenburg Death Metal.
- Nocturnal Rites "Sacred Talisman" Another swedish band, Euro Power Metal.
- Metallica "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets" - You all know them!

Note:Not writen in order of quality!!

Hard to keep them 5 though. I can add more now, but I have to stop it. I have 327 factory original metal CD and more than 100 albums on my Ipod.

Oooops- I shoulda mentioned that it wouldn't hurt to name the genre in case there's some overlap!

Would you say that those others sound more like Iron Maiden, or Metallica? I like both groups, but I like James's vocals better.

Hey, thread hijack at 4 posts! Whee!

Mark: These are all Metal, you can call them all Heavy Metal, but they are to be distinguished from Hair Metal of 80s, known also as Glam Metal (i think), mostly associated with Heavy Metal here in the States. I think I did a good job mentioning the sub-genre for each album there.

Ken; Metallica and Iron Maiden are very different from each-other, but I like them both, early Metallica though, not the crap they produced late, after the Black Album. Iron Maiden is my favorite band of all time, this is where all started, though I have to admit, I used to listen a lot of Bon Jovi and Scorpions when I was a teenager, before jumping to "real" metal. And yes, some of them are influenced by Maiden, but of course they have their own sound.

Ron Sexsmith - Whereabouts (or any other CD)
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
Blue Rodeo - Five Days in July (or any other CD)
Klaatu - Hope
Fresh Air - volumes 1 to 5

My personal Top 5 of Progressive Rock

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Dream Theater - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part 1
Spock's Beard - V

I have to also mention Porcupine Tree's In Absentia and Rush's Moving PIctures.

My current top 5 (or 6) in the Americana/Alt Country genre: It's what I listen to a lot a work, but picking a favorite genre is impossible. There's way too much good music out there.

John Hiatt "Slow Turning" (Stolen Moments is a close 2nd)
Ryan Adams "Gold"
Steve Earle "Jerusalem"
Lucinda Williams "World Without Tears" (Car Wheels On a Gravel Road is also great)
The Jayhawks "Hollywood Town Hall"

My favorite genre is be-bop and post bop jazz. Try some of these to wet you appetite.
Miles Daivis "Kind of Blue"
John Coltrane "Blue Trane"
Art Pepper Any of the live at the Village Vangard series, these are sold as a set and also available individually. At least they were at the time I got mine
Bill Evans "A Night at the Village Vangard"
Dexter Gordon " Another Side of Midnight"
Thelonius Monk Just about anything by him. Solo or small group. He has a couple of live series Like Live in New York
Wes Montgomery (jazz guitar) "The Incredible Jazz Guitar" of "Going Out Wes"
oops I'm over my limit. I could go on and on, but you already know that.

One of my favorite genre's is singer/songwriter.


Richard Thompson most anything by him
Lucinda Williams Just pick one
John Hiatt eenie meenie miney mo
Bob Dylan All the old classic stuff
Neil Young "Unplugged" or "Rust Never Sleeps" or any other one
Bonnie Raitt "Road Tested" but you guessed it... any other one will do as well

I see a problem here!!

I'm seeing a bewilderingly huge array of great stuff that I haven't had much chance to enjoy yet either!

The problem as I see it; is the probable fact that three weeks from now this thread may be burried never to be(hardly)seen again

We can always find Wall-O-Fame!

We need to find threads like this one just as easily

Here are five essential blues recordings; I could easily do twenty:

Muddy Waters, The Chess Box
Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings
Howlin' Wolf, His Best
Elmore James, Shake Your Moneymaker
Men are Like Streetcars (a compilation of women blues singers from 1928-1969)

OK, a genre that most of y'all probably havent even heard of(except from me)!! my favorite, top 5 albums in the Texas Country Genre...

Bruce Robison- 'Country Sunshine'
Jason Boland- 'Pearl Snaps'
Cross Canadian Ragweed- 'Purple'
Jack Ingram- 'Electric'
Cory Morrow- 'Double Exposure'

if you have nothing from this "genre", any of these would be a good start!!

bigjohn

Mark, "basic repertoire" lists typically contain more than 100 items, and it's probably impossible to fairly pick 5 "most inportant" discs. Instead I'll list 5 containing colorful music likely to attract those unfamiiar with the music to explore farther. Brahms Hungarian Dances ; a Gershwin collection ; Holst, The Planets; Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances; Tchaikovsky Swan Lake .

What! No Jimmy Dale Gilmore?
http://citypaper.net/articles/021998/sixpick1.shtml

Very well recorded CDs, BTW.

I thought about it, can't do it. It would seem like such a betrayal to choose only five...from each genre...

So much music and only a single lifetime with which to listen.

/Jack

Early heavy metal must haves-

Iron maiden (number of the beast, piece of mind)
Judas Priest (stained class)
Black Sabbath (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath "ozzy")
Black Sabbath ( Heaven and Hell "dio")
AC/DC (Back in Black, Hiway to hell)

80's "hair" metal

Gun's n Roses (use your illusion)
Skid Row
Motley crue (dr. feelgood)
Lynchmob (wicked sensation)
Def leppard (hysteria)
Van Halen (women and children first, 1984)

Category unknown (maybe pop?)

Billy idol (rebel yell)
Rush ( power windows, force ten)
Night ranger
Van Halen (5150)

Classic

Stevie ray Vaughn (couldn’t stand the weather)
Led Zepplin (1,2,4)
Jimi Hendrix (purple haze)
Rolling stones (too many too mention)

Live

Judas priest unleashed in the east
Roger waters
Kiss Alive
SRV
Rush (exit stage left)

Newer

Billy Idol (devil’s playground)
Queens of the stoneage
Audioslave
Velvet revolver
Greenday (American idiot)

Alternative

Alice in chains
Pearl jam (ten)
Soundgarden (badmotorfinger, superunknown)
Stone temple pilots

Thanks Big John. Hadn't heard Boland or Robison before. It's getting harder and harder to smuggle the new CDs past my wife. Luckily she loves most of the stuff I'm bringing home.

(favorite genre?) How about just 5 favorite bands and or solo artists... In my collection you'll find Motor Head to Nana Mouskouri...

Tough one but,,,
In no particular order:

-Led Zeppelin \ In Through The Out Door (and ofcourse more)

-Weezer \ I like a couple releases.

-Nana Mouskouri \ Mostly like "Song For Liberty" (but I do other releases also)

-David Wicox \ (The Canadian David Wilcox)

-Sarah Mclachlan

-----------
Clearly I could go on, but that's just what popped into my head while sitting here...

Although I listen to much more than jazz, here is my classic jazz list:

Louis Armstrong and His Hot Fives and Hot Sevens
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - The Quintet Live from Massey Hall
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
Miles Davis - Complete Bitches Brew Sessions

oz, I think you and I would get along very well. For as long as I've been posting to this board, most of the regulars here just nod blankly when I mention Richard Thompson. Picked up "Front Parlour Ballads" yet? Great stuff on the rest of your list, too!

<nods blankly>

But it's a California thing with you, though, right?

Duuude... that's bogus, man.

In reply to:

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For as long as I've been posting to this board, most of the regulars here just nod blankly when I mention Richard Thompson.

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I find that hard to believe. Looking at these lists I see there is a lot of good taste. I have not picked up Front Parlour Ballads yet. Actually I have not seen it on the shelves. I have heard a couple of cuts on the radio though. He usually comes through Atlanta once a year and I always try to make the show. Have you seen either of his DVD's Live in Austin (Austin City Limits) or Live in Providence? I really want to pick those up.

Jazz Standards - Vocals

Ella Fitzgerald
Nat King Cole
Sarah Vaughn
Dinah Washington
Mel Torme
Johnny Hodges
Anita O'Day
June Christie
Ok ok... I am getting carried away!

I lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for ten years so I'd always make the trek to Atlanta whenever Richard played the Variety, Smith's, etc. I live in Nashville now so getting to see Richard usually just means getting in the car and driving downtown.

-- Photo from a show in Baton Rouge in '91 here. I'm the nerd in the middle with the sweaty black t-shirt. My hairline's a bit steeper these days.

The "Live in Providence" DVD is a bit of a disappointment, but that's largely due to the setlist. I've lost count of how many times I've seen him play, and the Old Kit Bag tour was kind of a letdown for me for a couple of reasons. I wasn't crazy about Earl Harvin on drums, and Danny's absence made a noticable difference in the band's sound. Plus, it just wasn't the same fire and brimstone vibe that was so much a part of the band's shows throughout the 90's. Having said that, the Providence DVD has great sound and the picture quality is very good. And there are some astonishing moments -- if you want to convert any of your friends to the Cult of RT, cue up the disc to run through tracks 7-9: "Walking on a Wire", "Shoot Out the Lights" and a ferocious version of "Can't Win". In fact, if there's any real criticism to be made, it's that the disc leans so heavily on material from The Old Kit Bag when there were some fantastic older songs in the setlist that could have been preserved for posterity.

The Austin City Limits DVD is another matter entirely. The picture and sound are outstanding (although the acoustic guitar is a little thin -- if you've seen him you know how huge that Lowden sounds), the setlist is outstanding, and the perfomances are stunning. Richard's personality really comes through, and the schizophrenic dichotomy of the differences between his acoustic and electric material is really there. You get the folky RT with lots of nice close-ups of his freakish pick-and-fingers playing style, and then you get the howling, violent plugged-in dynamic.

So which to buy? Both, of course. And the "1,000 Years of Popular Music" DVD is set to be released in October...

"Front Parlour Ballads" has taken a few listens to really grow on me, but now I'm really enjoying it. I loved "Mock Tudor", and I thought "The Old Kit Bag" was very strong. But I wasn't quite prepared for the sparseness or intimacy of FPB. It's EXACTLY what the title sounds like. It's very English, and the guitar playing takes a back seat to the writing. The reason you may not have seen it yet is because it was released last Tuesday. Nice review here.

Glad to find a fellow fan. If you're ever in Nashville, look me up!

I will definitely do that. I always wanted to go to Nashville. Ever since moving to the south I have wanted to go there. I have mentioned going many times to my wife. It's the music history thing for me. Same for you if your ever in Atlanta get in touch.

Thanks for the in detailed reviews of the DVD's. I am very interested in the "1,000 Years of PM" project I would like to see that brought to Atlanta. I will definitely get that and the sound track documentary thing he did when they come out.

I think many people don't really get RT from recordings. As you so perfectly described the live shows is where his brilliance comes across. A lot of the people I have tried to turn on to RT think his music is too depressing. I think it is very real and very passionate but rarely depressing, even when he sings the more tragic material. It takes seeing the live show to see the irony and his way of laughing at himself as he laughs in the face of tragedy.

Over the years I have seen many of the greats and I think RT is probably the most astounding guitar player I have ever seen. Which is another reason a lot of people don't get him. He doesn't show all he can do in the recording studio. I don't know why he doesn't pull out all the stops until he is on stage but he doesn't. I remember seeing him at the Variety here in ATL in the mid 80's. He was solo and when I got the ticket I was kind of disappointed that he didn't have a band with him. Well towards the end of the show he did this cover of a great punk tune for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Maybe a Ramones or the Clash or someone like that. Well he went into the song and it got faster and faster and louder and louder and he was doing that thing where he plays the bass line with his thumb over the top of the fret bar while he finger picks a rhythm and alternates between a lead and a rhythm. Well I realize I standing there with my mouth open thinking this can't all be coming from one guitar, one musician. It got so fast and so loud I thought the roof of the Variety was just going to fly off the building, when he stopped on a dime. There was a momentary silence. I guess everybody thought there was more and he just did that goofy little smile and chuckle and the place went wild with applause. It was the most amazing thing. Ever since then it doesn't matter to me who is joining him on tour I go to see him. The only way to turn someone on to Richard is to take them to a show. Well maybe now DVD will be a close second. As long as they don't cut too much of the between song banter. That is so important to his charm.
oz

Yngwie Malmsteen - Alchemy

Dream Theater - Awake, for the solos

Anything by Alice In Chains

Steve Vai - 7th Song

Joe Satriani - Strange Beautiful Music

Frank Zappa - Overnite Sensation

Radiohead and Tool is "dealing with stress" music

There's just too much to list. I love complex metal guitar, and am always looking for more of it. While this was not expressed primarily throughout my short list, it's what I listen to primarily.

I also have a few songs recorded in Soviet Russia in the 1920s that were used as intro tracks on other CDs. If you think your recordings are not of the best quality, just take a listen to this.

I guess my genre would be well recorded music. Since building a "good" stereo system I've found that my musical tastes have changed somewhat. I used to be into Alternative, and Rock almost exclusively, but I find that a lot of that music is poorly recorded and I can't listen to it on my system, it hurts my ears, unless it is just on a background music. So now I like almost anything that is well recorded and has some energy to it. Now there is more jazz in my collection. So here are five albums that I like because I like the music and they are well recorded.

- Peter Gabriel, UP on SACD
- Beck, Sea Change on SACD
- The Yellowjackets, Time Squared - SACD
- Patricia Barber, Cafe Blue - SACD
- Ray Brown, Soular Energy - SACD

My genre is "Bill Leeb" projects. (I surely hope some of you are familiar with this exceptionally prolific musician/composer).

Front Line Assembly - Implode
Delerium - Karma
Synaesthesia - Ephemeral
Noise Unit - Voyeur
Pro-Tech - Orbiting Cathedrals

oz, looks like you'd better clear your calendar for November 4th. Lucky bastard...

These should be fairly easy to find... I've picked more available albums where possible.

Old-School Punk/Punk Rock
-------------------------
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks (or Great Rock & Roll Swindle)
Black Flag - Slip It In
Minor Threat - Out of Step (or just get the one CD Discography)
Death Sentence - Stop Killing Me (delete)

New Punk/Punk Rock
------------------
NOFX - Punk in Drublic (or War on Errorism)
Bad Religion - Stranger then Fiction (or Generator)
Anti-Flag - The Terror State (or Underground Network)
Descendents - Cool to Be You (old band, 1st album in 7 years)
Joey Cape/Tony Sly - Acoustic (acoustic covers of their punk bands (Lagwagon and No Use for a Name respectively) songs)

Industrial(?)
----------
Skinny Puppy - Bites
Skinny Puppy - Remission
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - 13 Above the Night
Nitzer Ebb - Big Hit (or Ebbhead)
Ministry - AKA Psalm 69
Nine Inch Nails - choose one

Disturbing
----------
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Alice Cooper - Da Da

Bren R.

I didn't see any reggae suggestions, so I'll give it a stab:

1. The ubiquitous "Legend" collection by Bob Marley. Sound is super sweet on Axioms - better than on any other speaker I've heard. Also available in a newly re-mastered version, but I haven't heard that copy yet.
2. The "Ultimate Collection" from Steel Pulse. Great disc despite all the victimization rhetoric.
3. Skatalites "Ball of Fire". Jazzy, funky instrumental jams. Mesmerizing when you have a little buzz going.
4. Burning Spear "Chant Down Babylon" anthology. Not the best recording for Axioms, but the old doper really strikes a chord in me.
5. Luciano's "Ultimate Collection". Lots of good tunes. Interesting blend of spirituality and Marx.
6. "We Free Again" from Groundation. Superb bass and percussion shine on Axioms (and my MAs ).

Bren, I think it's very possible that you, Alice and I are the only people on the face of the planet that own a copy of "Da-Da". Mine's on vinyl -- I'm assuming yours is, too. I can't find it on CD. Man, I haven't thought about that record in years. "I Love America" ranks up there with the funniest stuff he's ever done, and I catch myself humming "Pass The Gun Around" at odd times and forgetting what song it is. You da man!

By the way -- I always liked the Descendents, but I never knew where to start. Give me a recommendation for the one "gotta have" album. "Milo Goes to College"?

In reply to:

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Bren, I think it's very possible that you, Alice and I are the only people on the face of the planet that own a copy of "Da-Da". Mine's on vinyl -- I'm assuming yours is, too. I can't find it on CD.

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Mine's on CD, I originally owned it (like most of my music) on cassette - one record player in the house as a teen, and that was in the family room. Don't remember where I got it, but it would have been a chain music store, I'd think.

In reply to:

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By the way -- I always liked the Descendents, but I never knew where to start. Give me a recommendation for the one "gotta have" album. "Milo Goes to College"?

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The earlier stuff is a lot more raw... and I'd kind of swept them under the rug of "stuff I don't listen to anymore" until the new album (Cool to Be You) came out... Milo, Bill, Steph... and augh... the bassist... Alvarez... forget his name... they'd matured along with me... no more "boogity boogity I love caffeine" stuff... it's more cerebral, less teen angsty and more "I'm an adult now - these are the mistakes I made"... all stuff from Milo's failed marriage and his part-time custody of his kids.

Bren R.

dmn23
Thanks for the head up! That should make a very nice birthday present. 11/5. I like the Variety, nice small venue. What no dates for Nashville? Is that odd?

oz

In reply to:

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no dates for Nashville?

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I saw him in Cincinnati and Nashville back in May, so it's probably unlikely he'll hit Nashville again this year. Did he play Atlanta in the spring? I'm thinking he didn't, because I can't imagine why I would have driven to Ohio rather than down to Atlanta.

The Variety is a nice enough place, but the places I like best are the ones where you're not forced to sit through the show. Did you catch him at Smith's Olde Bar back in '99 on the Mock Tudor tour? That was nice. Rest your elbows on the monitors, look up and let your jaw drop to the floor.

Have fun in November. I'd sure like to go, but I just bought a house and my guess is that time and money will both be scarce for a little while.

Mike
Finally picked up tickets for Richard Thompson's show on Nov. 4th. Not sure if I'm going to see Laurie Anderson or not. The wife thinks she a little too out there. I guess she doesn't like her for all the same reasons I do like her.
Also picked up Front Parlour Balllads to get primed.
Picked up the Live in Austin DVD too but I have not had time to warch it yet. This weekend for sure.
oz

Industrial
Skinny Puppy - Vivisect VI, Too Dark Park (my favorite band)
Meat Beat Manifesto - Actual Sounds and Voices
Front Line Assembly - Tactical Neural Implant
Prodigy - Fat of the Land (this is actually drum n' bass)

Tool - Aenima or Undertow
Queen's of the Stoneage - Rated R or Songs For The Deaf
Ministry - Animositisomina
The White Stripes - Elephant or White Blood Cells

I will give it a try - and I would REALLY APPRECIATE any other suggestions:

Chamber Music
--------------
Jordi Savall - his Vox Humaines sampler/best of
Quator Mozaiques - Beethoven String Quartets #s 5 and 6
Biber Violin Sonatas - Romanesca (Andrew Manze et. al)
Mozart String Quintests - Grumiaux Trio or Quator Talich
Beethoven Complete String Quartets by the Quator Takacs.

Any suggestions? JohnK? Anyone?

Don, certainly essential are the Debussy and Ravel String Quartets and here's a fine performance which also includes Ravel's exquisite Introduction and Allegro. The beautiful Borodin Quartet should also be basic. Then, of course, the Dvorak American Quartet is justly popular. More Dvorak, not as well known, but very attractive is this . Very little known, but worth learning, are these Bax compositions.

I just picked up the Bax cd. I think I might try the Borodin Quartet for the Borodin Quartets (if that is clear) and the Quartet Italiano for the Debussy and Ravel - but I haven't researched much. Sometimes those Naxos offerings are as good or better than the full price cds.

Thanks JohnK

Oz, I just realized you have a show coming up in a week. Have a great time! I saw RT twice already this year, and as always it was an amazing time.

Also, I just picked up tickets to see Dwight Yoakam at the Ryman November 7th. Getting psyched already...

Thanks Mike!
Based on what I'm hearing on his last two releases I'm sure it will be great. I'm really looking forward to it. The Ryman should be a great place to see Dwight. I love smaller venues.
Enjoy!
oz

The Ryman is a great place to see anyone -- it's just an incredible sounding room. My first show there was back in '99. All of the artists who contributed to the "O Brother, Where Art Thou" soundtrack put on a concert there (incidentally, this was filmed and later released as "Down From the Mountain" -- great disc if you ever get a chance to see it). But the thing that blew my mind was that there were three big Neumann mics in the center of the stage, and that was it. No amps, no pickups on the guitars, no individual vocal mics -- just those three large diaphram mics and that was it. And it sounded absolutely incredible.

Another reason it was a heck of a first show is because between the performers on stage and the celebs in the audience, it was a #$@% who's who of the screen and music worlds. I've always had a thing for Holly Hunter, and the chance to see her mingling a few feet away in a pair of faded black jeans was almost more than I could take.

So, Mike, I'm guessing that Holly Hunter voicing Mrs. Incredible (Elastigirl) is a pretty great experience for you, too.

Mmmm-hmm! The fact that she's a beautiful woman anyway certainly doesn't hurt (tiny little thing, though!), but her voice is definitely a part of it. Heck, she hosted a PBS documentary on cheetahs a while back, and that was every bit as...um...engrossing as any of her other big screen roles.

Mmmm...Elastigirl...

brings new meaning to "reach around"

Peter, that's two in a row -- you're on a roll today. What gives?

Right after women give chilbirth the last thing they are thinking about about is the "reach around". Don't worry Peter it gets better.
oz

Is it that obvious? damn...

Um, yes.

Well? I probably would have never noticed except I've... how would you say?,been there done that. A few times as a matter of fact.
oz

Well now that's gonna be difficult! Is it 5 albums in my favorite genre or 5 each from all my fave genres???? Anyways let me give this a shot:

1.Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
2.461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton
3.Hell Freezes Over - The Eagles
4.The Black Album - Metallica
5.Message In A Bottle - The Police

Oh Man! I can't sleep in peace if I miss the following:

-Bitches' Brew - Miles Davis
-1812 Overture - Tschaikovsky
-The Brandenburg Concertos - J.S.Bach
-All the Waltzes of J.Strauss
-Romeo and Juliet - Prokofiev (Paavo Jarvi)

-Live at Budokan - Black Sabbath
-Scenes From a Memory - Dreamtheater
-Queen On Fire (Live At The Bowl) - Queen
-The Wildlife Concert - John Denver
-Live In New York - Nirvana

-Fourplay - Fourplay
-Songs About Jane - Maroon5
-Four - Blues Traveler
-O Brother Where Art Thou - OST
-That Thing You Do - Where Art Thou

I know it's a lil more than 5, but better more than less, right?

Egads! How could I forget Iron Maiden!

(Too Many to name!) - Iron Maiden
Big Ones - Aerosmith
Official Live: 101 Proof - Pantera
Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre
Chaos AD - Sepultura

The above list would still not be complete, but I guess this will have to do!

nice selection,but how the hell did you slip john denver in there with sabbath???

Oh, you missed the John Denver metal phase?

Country roads <riff>
Take me to HELL!<cymbal crash>
It's the PLACE I BELOOOOOONGuh!<bass hit/cymbal crash/riff>
Western Circle <riff>
With the DEMONS!<riff riff>
Country roads...
TAKE
ME
to HELL!
<screams>
<solo>

LOL!

rcvecc:

Well, Was gonna slip in Ol' Blue Eyes between them actually! Depending on your POV, I'm a guy with vast and varied taste in music or vast and arid space between ma ears!

kcarlile:
Good one! Now that you mentioned it. let me see if I can actually get someone perform a 'nice' rendition of Mr.Denver a la your suggestion!

DKF, yes more CDs are certainly better than less, so since you said "all" the Strauss waltzes(he composed over 400)you might still need a few more of the 50 or so CDs which they'll fill! I admit that I have less than 10, including 5 of Boskovsky's.

For Prokofiev's R&J my favorite is the complete version by Maazel with the Cleveland. If you don't also have his Cinderella you might consider this bargain by Ashkenazy, which also includes an excellent Glazunov Seasons.

Hey John!
Few clarifications are in order:

1.'All' - All that I have managed to lay my hands on, which are mostly 15 year old cassettes, titled funnily like 'Best Of Strauss' and more than quite a few I, errr managed to uhmm how shall we say, 'fish-from-the-air'! So I am not aware of his 'complete works' or even if the names I have for the tracks are right! That said, I find all his compositions beautiful.

2.Regarding Prokofiev, yes I have heard about the version by Maazel and yes, I will be keeping my eyes open for Cinderella too.

Actually I bumped into Prokofiev (and Mahler, Debussy, Bach, Vivaldi!) by sheer accident. Though I was aware of all these composers and managed to hear them at different points in time, I managed to get a load of the above composers' when a retailer in my city was closing shop and I came to know about towards the end of the sale. So, I reach this run-down joint and the guy tells me, 'I don't have much left just a few'. And a FEW it was!!! All the Classics and Jazz ones were left untouched. All of em Telarc, mostly DSDs and SACDs. That day I picked up about 40 CDs for my equivalent of 2$ each! I understand that the regular price of these beauties are about 15$ a pop, which by my standards is VERY expensive. LOL.
So, I am keeping an eye open for any more retailers going bust That said, I'm gonna haunt my regular stores and look up Cinderella and the Maazel version of Prokofiev! Thanks!