10 Albums You Don't Have - But Should

I went to Austin a couple of weeks ago, and Kevin and Tony and I were arguing about music over beers. Tony claimed to know the most about music (he does) but Kevin said that his scope is limited (it is). So I challenged each to recommend 10 albums that the others were unlikely to have. Tony send his list the next day (he's anal) and here's mine (in no particular order):


1. The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff
One of the first introductions to reggae in the US came from this soundtrack in 1972, it's one of the most legendary reggae albums of all time. It's really from a collection of artists, but Jimmy Cliff fronts 6 of the 12 songs.


2. Band of Gypsys by Jimi Hendrix
You've heard Jimi before, and you may have heard him live before, but this is a live album with mostly new material. This is the last album he recorded before he died, with his new three-piece band, and the songs are suprisingly mature, with a funky feel to them. Buddy Miles plays drums and Billy Cox plays bass and sings at the Filmore East (the album takes the best cuts from four shows, one is New Year's Eve). There's good vocal harmony, and it's not the guitar solo fest that you would expect, especially if you've seen the live footage from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Very soulful and melodic.


3. Time Out by Dave Brubeck
Not one of the songs on this album is in 4/4 time. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by Dave Brubeck (pianist), alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. You've probably already heard "Take Five", in 5/4 time, but listen to "Blue Rondo a la Turk", which starts in 9/8 time, and then switches back and forth in the coolest, swingingest sense between 9/8 and 4/4 that only early jazz had.


4. Big City by Merle Haggard
My all-time favorite country singer, this album is my favorite of his, it has a great jazz feel underneath, with sax and guitar that belong on a George Benson album.


5. Impossible Dream by Patty Griffin
My sister gave this to me for Christmas, Kira's a big fan and has been trying to get me to listen to Patty Griffin for a while. Patty Griffin is a singer-songwriter, kind of folk/acoustic rock, and her songs have been covered by the Dixie Chicks and others.


6. G. Love and Special Sauce by G. Love and Special Sauce
Brian Camfield and I discovered G. Love back in 1995, but we didn't know he was from Philly, Brian's stomping grounds. He's a white-boy musician rapper, kind of like a cross between the Beastie Boys and Beck, but much more laid back. I saw G. Love play harmonica with Jack Johnson a couple of weeks ago on Saturday Night Live, so he's still around. This is their first album, released in 1994, and it's got the hit "Cold Beverages".


7. The Captain by Kasey Chambers
I heard the title song during the credits of an episode of The Soprano's, and tracked down the artist by Googling the lyrics. She's from Australia, kind of new-wave country, with punk-rock looks but real Nashville twang. She's an up-and-coming country music star.


8. Trio by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris
The title says it all. I could have put more than one record from each of them, they each deserve to be on the list, but my favorite is Harris, I think she's one of the best female vocalists of all time. This is a great album, kind of a sampler with fantastic harmonies.


9. Jaco Pastorius by Jaco Pastorius
You may have heard Jaco with Weather Report, but this, his 1976 debut album, was listed as number 30 in the Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time. He was 24 years old, and the greatest bass player in the world, possibly the greatest ever. Even if you're not a bass player, this is a great album. He covers the Motown standard "Come On, Come Over", Miles Davis' "Donna Lee", and originals with supporting musicians like Herbie Hancock, Hubert Laws, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker and Lenny White. A fusion jazz classic.


10. Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy
"Fear of a Black Planet" was one of the first hip-hop albums I really got into. It was released in 1990, when the popular commercialism of Run-DMC was winding down, and this album had an edge that artists like Will Smith and the Digital Underground didn't have. This is also an album that I never would have discovered if not for the MTV. "Fight the Power" and "911 is a Joke" got big play. Flavor Flav and Chuckie D are classics, and this album presaged the gansta rap era to come.

Late.