Another Green World - Brian Eno (1975)

Brian Eno - Another Green World, Astralwerks Records (DSD - Original Masters)

  Another Green World was Brian Eno's 3rd solo album released and was for at the time (1975) a radical departure from the Glam Rock of Roxy Music (where he recorded 2 brilliant albums) and hot off the coat tails of his minimalistic adventure of No Pussyfooting with Robert Fripp recorded this album.   Many cite (in error) this album as the forefather of Ambient music, but instead I might suggest perhaps the Grandfather as there were a number of great albums before this one that explored electronic minimlaism  (ie Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk...).  But having said that this album certainly stands alone as one of the true early ambient masterpieces of its ilk and an album that you will never forget.  
    Musically this album blends electronic atmospheres with some lovely melodies and even a few pop-ish tunes.  Some songs are instrumental and some have vocals which will surprise you as to how good a voice Eno had !   Brian is joined by Phil Collins on the drums and Robert Fripp on the guitar while Eno takes care of most of the electronics and full use of the studio.   This album has been previously released multiple times on CD but clearly it is the Astralwerks DSD version that has really brought out the album the way it was meant to be heard in loveingly 96 Kbts.  A Vastly improved sound quality on an absoluetly essential album.

Elvis Costello - North (2002)

Elvis Costello - North (2002) Deutsche Grammophon Records  (SACD)

  If you can imagine North was Elvis' 20th album.....yup good ol' Twenty!    North is a very special album............an album that takes us into some pretty original and less chartered territory for sure. North contains a wonderful set of classically influenced songs that were all written and orchestrated by the man himself.   This is a very soulful and soft album that goes welll with a glass of fine red wine (or white if you prefer!).  Imagine Elvis Costello crooning with a full orchestra behind him and i think you have pretty much summed it up.    But the wow is the music and the sound and on the SACD version you are treated to a nice full dynamic range that few albums can boast.   The SACD version is a pure DDD recording and pure DSD conversion which makes for quite a fine sound reproduction.
  I really like this album a lot and keep playing it anyone who will listen !  

The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks (SACD)

The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks 1964 - 1971  (SACD) 

   This was my first album (albeit a double....and a best of collection) of the Stones.   Which in retrospect was a good place to start.   And just like the Beatles Red and Blue Albums, Hot Rocks is a great compilation of the hits of the Stones focused on '64 - '71.   Although I have this album on vinyl it is the SACD version that is the definitive version that you just gotta hear !   The music speaks for itself but it is the sound here that simply blew me away.     

Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh (1973)

Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh (1973) Epic Records

    "Funk-A-Fried".....Funk-Soul masterpiece which IMHO was the best album Sly ever released!   By 1972 Sly's drug use was at it's height and he had struck gold with his soulful psych tinged music that help bridge the gap of Psych and 70's rock.  But on "Fresh" he took us to a place that few had ever ventured into......and would  be the final great release from him.   But this album is THE album that you need to hear from Sly with it's heavily "funk'a-fried" vibe.  This album has it all....great inspired lyrics and vocal harmonies, funksoul rhythm and excellent musicanship.   There is also a wild foreshadowing on this album as on track 2 "If You Want Me To Stay" where Sly sings his farewell and tells us clearly thru his lyrics "if you want me to stay, I'll  be around today then I'm about to go".....freaky eh !  
  Fresh is a killer album but be warned ......you may pull out your funky dancin' boots  while you listen to this album.  

The Red Crayola - The Parable Of Arable Land (1967)

The Red Crayola - The Parable Of Arable Land (1967), Sunspots Records

  Totally Wild and crazy.....nothing like this one in the universe.........warning...this album will expand your brain .....well it did mine !   Seriously freaked out improvisational psych-fest album that leaves nothing on the table.    This is THE ultimate FREAT-BEAT album.......tons of Bottles, buzzsaws, motor cycles, sticks, mouth bows, balloons, jugs, hammers and the odd guitar tossed in for good measure.   This album is not for the light at heart....but if you are patient enough you will find the arable land ...    The Red Crayola are also joined by a gang of 50 friends who help along the way as well and are affectionately referred to as "The Ugly Family".  The end result is a very cool album that defies logic and categorization......something really magical about this 'un .  

The Amboy Dukes - Journey To The Center Of The Mind (1968)

The Amboy Dukes - Journey To The Center Of The Mind (1968)
  
    In 1968 something changed.......we started to ask the right questions....like "why is a carrot more orange than an orange".   Yeah I know you just said "what?"  Well this is one of the tunes off this magnum -opus of psychedelic rock that you have to hear before you die !    To fans of the Psych genre the simple mention of "Amboy Dukes" and they will immediately bark out "Ted Nugent".   Yes this was the first well known band that gun-lover Nugent played in.   Journey is a pure classic album that while carries a garage-psych flare also offers a 60's rock vibe too !  Musically this album is stunning with great song writing and a superb performance.  The recording is also quite good sonically with some nice stereo panning and clear speaker seperation.    A classic album that you need to hear kids !  

Ween - The Mollusk (1997)

Ween - The Mollusk (1997) Elektra Records

  Here is the story on this one.............So I picked up the "Sponge Bob Squarepants" movie soundtrack as it featured a nice mix of some of my fav bands doing kiddie tunes (a win win with 2 kids in the house).  There was a tune on that CD that really caught my ear and that was Ocean Man by Ween.    So I thought I'd pick up the whole album and boy-oh-boy was I glad I did !    Ween's The Mollusk is simply an amazing album that on the surface feels like a humorous kiddie album but "below the surface" is a real gem just waiting to get "caught".    Heavily nautically themed album buoying a progressive rock influence with lots of quirky vocals and superb muscianship.   I think the tune "Buckingham Green" is one of the great songs of 1997.   This is one of those albums that you need to listen to a few times before you will 100% grasp it and soon you will realize that this is way more that a light humourous quirky album.