Favorite Recordings

Below is a listing of recordings with special resonance for me. Conceived as nothing more than a bit of fun, this list nonetheless is an attempt at mapping one person's musical tastes and appreciations. To that end, it might prove interesting to some, ridiculous to others. Regardless, here are the recordings I find myself returning to, again and again.

Band/Artist, Recording

• Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Bestial Machinery
  
• Air, Air Time
• Turgun Alimatov, Ouzbekistan
  
• AMM, Nameless Uncarved Block
• AMM, Newfoundland
  
• Louis Armstrong, Complete Hot 5s and Hot 7s [Box Set]
  
• Albert Ayler, Spiritual Unity
• Albert Ayler, Witches and Devils
• Albert Ayler, Live in Greenwich Village: The Complete Impulse Recordings
  
• Bad Brains, Bad Brains
• Bad Brains, I Aginst I
• Bahauddin Qutbuddin Qawwal & Party, Flight of the Soul: Qawwali Music from Pakistan
• Derek Bailey, Arcana (with Tony Williams and Bill Laswell)
• The Band, Music from Big Pink
• Count Basie, The Complete Decca Recordings [Box Set]
  
• The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
• The Beatles, Abbey Road
• Behemoth, Demigod
  
• Big Star, #1 Record/Radio City
• Bonnie "Prince" Billy, I See a Darkness
  
• Black Flag, The First Four Years
• Black Flag, Damaged
• Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
  
• Art Blakey, Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk
• Paul Bley, Closer
  
• Paul Bley/Evan Parker/Barre Phillips, Time Will Tell
  
• Bo Diddley, The Definitive Collection
  
• Pierre Boulez, ...Explosante-Fixe...
  
• David Bowie, Hunky Dory
• David Bowie, Heroes
• Anthony Braxton, For Alto
  
• David Thomas Broughton, The Complete Guide to Insufficiency
  
• Peter Brotzmann, Machine Gun
• Clifford Brown, Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings [Box Set]
  
• Earle Brown, Earle Brown
  
• James Brown, All Star [Box Set]
  
• James Brown, In the Jungle Groove
  
• James Brown, Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang
• Burial, Untrue
  
• The Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady
• Can, Tago Mago
• Can, Monster Movie
• Can, Future Days
• Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica
• Carcass, Symphonies of Sickness
• Carcass, Heartwork
  
• Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
• Johnny Cash, American Recordings
• Johnny Cash, The Sun Years [Box Set]
  
• Johnny Cash, At San Quentin
• Don Cherry, Complete Blue Note Recordings [Box Set]
  
• Don Cherry, Mu (Parts One and Two)
• The Clash, London Calling
• Leonard Cohen, The Best of Leonard Cohen
  
• Ornette Coleman, Beauty is a Rare Thing (Complete Atlantic Recordings) [Box Set]
  
• John Coltrane, My Favorite Things
  
• John Coltrane, Complete 1961 Live at the Village Vanguard [Box Set]
  
• John Coltrane, A Love Supreme
  
• John Coltrane, Ascension
• John Coltrane, Meditations
• John Coltrane, Intersetellar Space
• The Congos, Heart of the Congos
• Sam Cooke, Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964
  
• Chick Corea, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
• Elvis Costello, Armed Forces
• Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom
  
• Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chronicle
• Marilyn Crispell, Santuerio
• Marilyn Crispell, Nothing ever was, anyway: Music of Annette Peacock
  
• Culture Musical Club, Taarab 1: The Music Of Zanzibar
  
• The Cure, Staring at the Sea: The Singles
• Andrew Cyrille, Metamusicians' Stomp
  
• D'Angelo, Voodoo
• Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
• Miles Davis, Complete Live at the Plugged Nickle [Box Set]
• Miles Davis, Bitches Brew
  
• Miles Davis, In a Silent Way
• Miles Davis, Live-Evil
• Dead Kennedys, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
• Death, Human
  
• Claude Debussy, Preludes, I & II (Performed by Walter Gieseking)
• Dillinger Escape Plan, Calculating Infinity
• Dillinger Escape Plan, Ire Works
• Dinosaur Jr., You're Living All Over Me
  
• Willie Dixon, The Chess Box [Box Set]
  
• DNA, DNA on DNA
  
• Dr. Dre, The Chronic
  
• Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch
• Champion Jack Dupree, Blues From the Gutter
  
• Nick Drake, Bryter Layter
• Nick Drake, Pink Moon
• Bob Dylan, Bringing it All Back Home
  
• Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited
• Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde
  
• Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
• Bob Dylan and the Band, The Basement Tapes
  
• Snooks Eaglin, New Orleans Street Singer
  
• Hamza El Din, Escalay (The Water Wheel)
  
• Duke Ellington, Never no Lament: Complete Blanton-Webster Band [Box Set]
• Duke Ellington, The Far East Suite
  
• Einstürzende Neubauten, Strategies Against Architecture '80-'83
• Emperor, In the Nightside Eclipse
• Brian Eno, Hear Come the Warm Jets
• Brian Eno, Another Green World
• Bill Evans, Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 [Box Set]
  
• fIREHOSE, Ragin' Full-On
• Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
• Fugazi, 13 Songs
  
• The Ganelin Trio, Ancora Da Capo
  
• Gang of Four, Entertainment!
  
• Djivan Gasparyan, I Will Not Be Sad in this World
  
• Marvin Gaye, What's Going On?
• Charles Gayle, Translation
  
• The Germs, M.I.A.: The Complete Anthology
• Jimmy Giuffre, Free Fall
  
• Godflesh, Streetcleaner
• Godflesh, Pure
  
• Guided By Voices, Bee Thousand
• Herbie Hancock, Madien Voyage
• Harvey Milk, Courtesy And Good Will Toward Men
  
• P.J. Harvey, Dry
• Fletcher Henderson, A Study in Frustration [Box Set]
  
• Henry Cow, Unrest
  
• Andrew Hill, Point of Departure
  
• Roscoe Holcomb, The High Lonesome Sound
• Dave Holland, Conference of the Birds
• Hüsker Dü, Zen Arcade
• Immortal, Pure Holocaust
  
• The Jam, All Mod Cons
• Etta James, The Chess Box [Box Set]
  
• Keith Jarrett, The Survivors' Suite
• Blind Lemon Jefferson, King of the Country Blues
  
• Jesu, Jesu
  
• The Jesus & Mary Chain, Psychocandy
• The Jesus Lizard, Liar
  
• Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures
• Joy Division, Closer
• Joy Division, Substance
  
• The Kinks, Face to Face
• The Kinks, Something Else by the Kinks
• The Kinks, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society
• Latin Playboys, Latin Playboys
• John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band
• George Lewis, Homage to Charles Parker
• Madvillain, Madvillainy
• Bob Marley, Songs of Freedom [Box Set]
• Mastodon, Crack the Skye
  
• Curtis Mayfield, Superfly
• Blind Willie McTell, Pig 'n Whistle Red
• Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II
  
• Metallica . . . And Justice for All
• Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman, Song X
  
• Charles Mingus, Ah Um
• Charles Mingus, Mingus at Antibes
  
• Charles Mingus, Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
• Minor Threat, Complete Discography
• Minutemen, Double Nickels on the Dime
• Minutemen, Post-Mersh Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3
  
• Misfits, Collection
• Mission of Burma, Signals, Calls, and Marches
• Roscoe Mitchell, Sound
• The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers
• Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners
• Thelonious Monk, Complete Blue Note Recordings [Box Set]
• Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane, At Carnegie Hall
  
• Van Morrison, Astral Weeks
• Jelly Roll Morton, Jelly Roll Morton, Vols. 1-5 [Box Set]
  
• Paul Motian, Monk in Motian
  
• Paul Motian, Trioism
• Mudhoney, Superfuzz Bigmuff
  
• My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
  
• Napalm Death, Scum
• Napalm Death, From Enslavement to Obliteration
• Napalm Death, Fear, Emptiness, Despair
  
• Nas, Illmatic
  
• Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger
• Neu!, Neu!
  
• Neurosis, Times of Grace
• New Order, Substance
  
• Joanna Newsome, Ys
• Nomeansno, Wrong
  
• Luigi Nono, Il Canto Sospeso
  
• Kevin Norton/Joelle Leandre/Tomas Ulrich, Ocean of Earth
  
• N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton
• Sinéad O'Connor, The Lion and the Cobra
• Operation Ivy, Energy
  
• Opeth, Blackwater Park
  
• Tony Oxley Quintet, The Baptised Traveler
  
• Charley Patton, The Complete Recorded Works [Box Set]
  
• Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted
• Pere Ubu, Terminal Tower
• Pere Ubu, The Modern Dance
• Lee "Scratch" Perry, Arkology [Box Set]
  
• Richard Pinhas/Merzbow, Keio Line!
  
• Pink Floyd, Piper at the Gates of Dawn
• Prince, Purple Rain
• Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
  
• Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet
• Don Pullen, New Beginnings
• Radio Birdman, The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978)
• The Raincoats, The Raincoats
  
• The Ramones, Ramones
  
• Otis Redding, Otis Blue
  
• Lou Reed, New York
  
• R.E.M., Document
• R.E.M., Automatic For The People
• Marc Ribot, Shrek
  
• Sam Rivers/Adam Rudolph/Harris Eisenstadt, Vista
  
• Max Roach, We Insist! Freedom Now Suite
  
• Max Roach, Percussion Bitter Sweet
• Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet
  
• Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed
  
• Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
• Rolling Stones, Exile in Maintsreet
• Roni Size/Reprazent, New Forms
• The Roots, Game Theory
  
• Rova::Orkestrova, Electric Ascension: An Interpretation of John Coltrane's Ascension
• Rudimentary Peni, Cacophony
• Run-DMC, Raising Hell
• Alexander von Schlippenbach, The Living Music
• Sebadoh, III
  
• Sepultura, Roots
• Sex Pistol, Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
  
• Sonny Sharrock, Ask the Ages
• Slayer, Reign in Blood
• The Slits, Cut
• The Smiths, The Queen is Dead
• Wadada Leo Smith, Tabligh
• Social Distortion, Mommy's Little Monster
  
• Son House, The Original Delta Blues
  
• Sonic Youth, Sister
  
• Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
• Spontaneous Music Ensemble, New Distance
• The Specials, The Specials
  
• Phil Spector, Back to Mono (1958-1969) [Box Set]
  
• Dusty Springfield, Dusty In Memphis
  
• Spring Heel Jack, Amassed
  
• Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
• Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska
  
• Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
  
• Tomasz Stanko, Leosia
• Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells a Story
• Stiff Little Fingers, Inflammable Material
  
• Karlheinz Stockhausen, Kontakte für elektronische, Klänge und Schlagzeug
• Karlheinz Stockhausen, Aus den sieben Tagen
  
• The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses
• The Stooges, Raw Power
• The Stooges, Funhouse
• Subhumans, The Day the Country Died
  
• Sunn O))), Black One
  
• Sun Ra, Jazz in Silhouette
  
• Sun Ra, Heliocentric Worlds Vol. I
• Sun Ra, The Magic City
• Talking Heads, Remain in Light
• Talking Heads, Fear of Music
• Art Tatum, The Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces [Box Set]
  
• Cecil Taylor, Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come
• Cecil Taylor, In Floresence
• Cecil Taylor, Leaf Palm Hand (With Tony Oxley)
  
• Cecil Taylor, Remembrance (With Louis Moholo)
  
• Cecil Taylor, Celebrated Blazons (The Feel Trio) (With Tony Oxley and William Parker)
• Television, Marquee Moon
• Richard and Linda Thompson, Shoot out the Lights
• Veljo Tormis, Litany to Thunder
  
• T-Rex, Electric Warrior
• Tricky, Maxinquaye
• TV On The Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain
• James "Blood" Ulmer, Tales of Captain Black
• James "Blood" Ulmer, Are You Glad to Be in America?
  
• James "Blood" Ulmer, Odyssey
• U2, War
• Unwound, Fake Train
• Various Artists, Anthology of Indian Classical Music: A Tribute to Alain Daniélou [Box Set]
• Various Artists, Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 [Box Set]
• Various Artists, Bali: Music From the Morning of the World
  
• Various Artists, Benin: Bariba And Somba Music
  
• Various Artists, Bulgarie: Pirin (Anthologie De La Musique Bulgare Vol. 4)
  
• Various Artists, Chess Blues [Box Set]
• Various Artists, El Mero Merengue - Lo Mejor del Perico Ripiao
• Various Artists, Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 [Box Set]
  
• Various Artists, Hsaing Waing of Mayanmar
  
• Various Artists, Jazzactuel [Box Set]
• Various Artists, Music of the Baganda People
  
• Various Artists, New York Noise: Dance Music From The New York Underground 1978-1982
  
• Various Artists, Sumatra: Batak Music
• Various Artists, The Soul of Mbira: Traditions of the Shona People
  
• Various Artists, Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn’t it Blow Your Mind, Vol. 2
• The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground and Nico
• The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground
• Edward Vesala, Lumi
• Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
• Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
• Anton Webern, Complete Works, Opp. 1-31 (Conducted by Boulez) [Box Set]
  
• Tony Williams, Emergency!
• Tony Williams, (Turn it Over)
  
• Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
• Wire, Pink Flag
• Wire, Chairs Missing
• Stevie Wonder, Innervisions
• Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
• Iannis Xenakis, Electronic Music
  
• Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
  
• Larry Young, Unity
  
• Neil Young, Tonight's The Night
• John Zorn, The Big Gundown