My older son, Big’Un, has bought a turntable and begun a vinyl collection. He appreciates recommendations for future purchases from fine music appreciators such as yourselves. His mother will ask on his behalf because, y’know, the military keeps one busy.
He currently has:
Zeppelin II (his favorite LZ album)
Zeppelin IV
ZZTop’s First Album
Tres Hombres
He is looking for, but having difficulty finding so far:
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Disraeli Gears by Cream
Abbey Road
Let It Be
He is likely looking in shops local to him and not ordering online because getting packages there is problematic at times.
While I am a music lover, I haven’t listened to vinyl in years, so any and all recs of “tell him this album is the bee’s knees on vinyl” or “tell him not to bother” will be welcomed.
At the risk of kicking a hornet’s nest: vinyl is more about the experience and sentimentality than audio quality. Whatever LPs he gets, if he wants to enjoy them, he will.
My roommate and I loved Ry Cooder’s Bop Til You Drop when it came out (‘79?). It was one of the very first 32-bit digital masters, and I think the mastering got mixed reviews, but we thought it sounded great on our rig. I haven’t listened to it in a long time and no longer have a turntable, so I can’t confirm that memory from long ago.
I’ve always heard that the Mobile Fidelity version of Supertramp’s Crime of the Century was great, but I was never able to find a copy while I still had a turntable.
You will encounter heterogeneity of opinion on this point.
There’s a used record store not far from me that very thoughtfully has a quantity of LPs priced at fifty cents. Many of them are classical music, and I tend to buy them indiscriminately, arriving home with a stack of twenty records like I’m twenty five years old all over again.
I like to listen while I work. It’s pleasant, I believe it to be intellectually edifying, and, critically, it encourages me to get up every twenty minutes or so.
He’s well on his way with those records. The ones he’s searching for should not be difficult to find, they were extremely popular records. A decent pressing of those should be fairly easy to come by.
A few of my favorites to listen to on vinyl:
Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?
Van Morrison: Moondance
Dire Straits : Dire Straits
And he absolutely must have a copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
So many more I could recommend…Pearl by Janis Joplin, Who’s Next by the Who…and if he at all cares for jazz, Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue and Take Five by the Dave Brubeck Quartet are staples.
As for audio quality, Waldo is partially right. Vinyl is very much about the experience, but don’t think there’s any sacrifice in music quality either. Vinyl isn’t necessarily better or worse, but it is different.
You know, I’m not sure whether he likes jazz. He likes a bit of everything, but he does appreciate guitar work since that’s what he dabbles in. Similar to my appreciation of pretty much all things piano. Classic 60s-70s rock is definitely his favorite, though.
If he’s a guitar man, most anything by Jeff Beck is fantastic. SRV, Eric Johnson, and perhaps my all time favorite obscure guitarist is Bill Nelson from the band Be-Bop Deluxe. Outstanding work and it’ll impress his guitar friends. If you find out he likes jazz guitar, get him a copy of Wes Montgomery’s Smokin’ At The Half Note.
The Steve Hoffman forums are a great place to hang out, lots of vinyl discussions along with great music talk in general. Discogs is a great place for general info on prices and availability.
If he’s hunting for guitar, he might want to check out Love Devotion Surrender by Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana. Or Richard Thompson’s Rumor and Sigh, that’ll get him going down a road.
There’s some spectacular stuff on A Nod’s As Good As A Wink by Faces as well.
I was three feet from him as he exploded through Search and Destroy during rehearsals for one of Alejandro’s big shows a few years back. Mild-mannered business-looking guy, came in wearing a really cool leather jacket. Quiet. Strapped on the guitar, a perfect copy of The One That Is In The Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame. He told me, “Make me look good” and then I was standing inside this nuclear fireball of a song for three minutes. When it was over the whole band had ear to ear grins pasted over their mouths because they couldn’t believe what had just happened. And then they did it two more times.
During the rehearsal I looked across to the control room. Joe Ely and a friend were in there, looking out through the window, mouths open. I mouthed “What…the…FUCK?” to them and they mouthed it back. Absolutely stunning.
Here are some classic old vinyl titles I’ve listened to recently and need to refile. I wouldn’t tell someone not to bother with them if given the opportunity to.
John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominoes
Eat a Peach - The Allman Brothers Band
Let it Bleed - The Rolling Stones
Workingman’s Dead - Grateful Dead
The Band - The Band
