Albums I Could Not Live Without (Part 5) — Hawke’s Bay CD Collection Edition
Friday is fun because it’s about music, so there’s links and playlists — Today, it’s the final music newsletter for 2024 and so a return to the Albums I Could Not Live Without series.
I wanted to update the way a Top 10 list works — I used to do them a bunch when blogging for lunch-money back in the day, but you’d always get given shit in the comments for what you left out rather than any chat around what you included. So, now I have a potentially infinite series that I chip away at slowly, listing 10 albums as they come to me, and there’s no limit. Music is everywhere and we can find it in so many ways. So I keep adding to the list in different ways. It’s not about a definitive Top 10, more about thinking of ten special albums as and when you do. There could eventually be a top 100 or 500 or 1000, but for now, I’m adding to four others, so I guess I have a Top 50, and counting…
I started with a Top 10 of albums I simply loved and wanted to share:
Then there was my favourite Beatles solo albums:
A road trip edition at the very start of 2024 — during the summer holidays:
And then, most recently, a set of records to celebrate setting up a new vinyl listening space:
And regular reader and serial guest contributor Si White even offered up a reader reaction with his Top 10 — and anyone reading is always welcome:
So, yeah, that’s all the background. And for the final music-related newsletter of 2024 I am in Hawke’s Bay on my Christmas holiday. And my little ‘quiet away time’ within my holiday is when I sneak down to the lounge at the very end of my folks’ place — and listen to music. I’ve bought a handful of CDs, cassettes, and records up with me — about 30 in total — but of course I’m also relying on their CD collection. It’s a shadow of its former self, like most CD collections these days. But I’m still finding some gems in there. And the pillars of the collection remain. So, looking through their CDs, and playing a few I’ve come up with the following list, which, as always is in no ranked order — it’s just as I saw them and discovered them.
And if I’ve written about these albums before, today I’m writing about them in the context of them being formative from my parents’ record collection — or CD collection in fact:
My mum bought this on vinyl — first up, as soon as it was released, and it was my proper introduction to Lou Reed (all I knew ahead of this was Walk On The Wild Side). I was hooked, instantly. And couldn’t believe, as I got older and obsessed with Lou Reed, that people trash-talked this. I still hear it as one of his very best. I know I’m in a huge minority. But yeah, I love this album. So, many years on I found it on CD and gave it to my mum for Christmas one year — she’d long abandoned vinyl. It’s something I’ve kept on vinyl but it’s nice to see the CD as well.
The Animals, The Most of The Animals
This was the very first CD in our house, and so it had an impact because of that. I’ve revisited it a lot this year, because I interviewed the drummer and then saw his version of the band — and both were very cool assignments. And the music on this CD was so impactful when I was 12, 13, 14, 15…
As with the Lou Reed above, this was the first Miles Davis album I ever heard — another incongruous entry into the world of a 20th Century Music Icon. But yeah, Tutu is probably more fondly remembered than Mistrial, but only just. It is certainly kindly thought of one of the best Miles albums of the 80s and/or maybe his last decent recording. It’s also been huge in my life. I bought it on vinyl and then, more recently, seeing Marcus Miller live (which was incredible) made me go out and buy the album on CD again! (I’d had it many years ago, and then ditched it). Coming home for Christmas and seeing Miles Davis, Tutu (on CD) is just part of my coming home for Christmas experience. I’m weird like that. I know.
My mum bought this double CD from Marbecks in 1991. We were in Auckland for the Dire Straits concert, and this was a brand new collection out on shelves. And it was my introduction to so many great songs, and a reconnection for my mum and dad. I knew plenty of the names already, like Ray Charles and Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, but this is where I first remember hearing Bill Withers and MFSB and The Three Degrees. And it was where I first heard Me and Mrs Jones and Love Train and Don’t Leave Me This Way. I love the way it moves through the 60s and 70s to 80s gems from Sade and Terence Trent D’Arby and even LL.Cool J. But the connections are always there — such as Philip Bailey and The Jacksons and Earth Wind and Fire. A brilliant early compilation in my life.
Elton John, The Very Best of Elton John
Probably said all I needed to say about this particular compilation here. Having recently bought it on double cassette tape. But yeah, this was a big time double CD in our house, and I was chuffed to see mum and dad still had it. Of course they’ve got the accompany Billy Joel double CD — which was his two volumes of Greatest Hits released earlier. But fuck Billy Joel.The Neville Brothers, Yellow Moon
I wasn’t aware of the Nevilles at all, they weren’t in the record collection at home — no Meters, no Neville Bros. Not until my mum bought this on a whim when it was released. One of the first CDs in our house. I wonder if there was a single on the radio? Or some promotion, or if she just liked the look of the cover? Anyway, I’m sure glad she bought it — there are a couple of Bob Dylan covers on here too, and I was just getting to know his music, so this was also some of the first Dylan cover versions I ever heard.
As with the Lou Reed, this was a record in our house first — then I bought the replacement CD. But in this case, my grandmother won this record off the radio, had no idea what it was and gave it to my mum. None of us had heard about J.J. Cale at that point — so much so that I heard it and thought that John Cale from the Velvet Underground had really changed his style! But I also loved it, and bought a J.J. Cale greatest hits album soon after. Then I learned about how the two John Cales were different people with very different sounds and careers. And I love still seeing this CD in mum and dad’s place because it was a really big bonding record for our whole family.
I love the early Harry Connick stuff — and the middle period too. I haven’t kept up with everything, nor do I feel the need to. But there are a few key albums I return to, and this is one of them — his first move away from the lounge/jazz act that he was so successfully peddling. Here he shows his love of New Orleans soul and R’n’B, with plenty of jazz still, and a whole lot of swagger. Mum and dad had this album first, and I followed.I have always loved Bryan Ferry — but weirdly it took a while to understand the difference and fully appreciate all the Roxy Music stuff, which I now, for the most part, prefer. But as a kid, Ferry was in the house, via a few albums in particular. And then that greatest hits which made it hard for me to tell the difference between Roxy and solo but it was all fantastic. Anyway, I bought this album for my folks for Christmas one year. It’s so good — one of my favourite albums of standards and covers. And before the likes of Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart absolutely fucked that template, I rather liked it as an idea. I still like this. I still have my copy. I still think the opening versions of As Time Goes By and The Way You Look Tonight as as good as any — and it’s really a brilliant CD. I cannot imagine life without this one — even if it comes as ‘later’ Ferry, and might seem inessential to some.
Booker & The MG’s, The Best of Booker T & The MG’s
I love the Booker T band — as their own thing, and vital backing group on so many great recordings. And my knowledge of their work starts here — a very good place to start. And though I’ve listened to lots of full albums by them
And it’s the last time I’ll do this all year, promise, but here’s the weekly playlist:
Strong hip-hop/R’n’B flavours to take the year out, but it’s always something different, so next week (and next year) join back in for a whole new playlist.
Thanks for reading and listening. And thanks for your interest in “Sounds Good!” this year in general. Let me know what you think of this list, or this Substack newsletter in general. And if you’d like to submit your own Ten Albums list drop me a line or leave a comment. Or if there’s anything else you want to see covered here let me know. All best to you and yours as we soon kiss goodbye — somewhat thankfully, really — to 2024.
I like the notion that your top ten is fluid, additional, ever changing and non diminishing. Mine depends on mood, location, time of day etc. Some day I’ll get around to logging all these permutations. Thanks