Desert Island Music

For a music junkie, picking the absolute faves that you would want if you were on a deserted island is hard.  But here are my favorites

James Brown – Live at the Apollo – 1962 – This album has had more effect on me than any other. I prefer the CD version with the crowd noise buried in the mix more than the original LP version.

Eagles – Hotel California – Is this band the best American rock band of all time, on this album they certainly sound like it.

The Allman Brothers – Live at the Fillmore East – I will never forget the first time I heard this album, I wore it out – still blows me away.

Bonnie Riatt – Luck of the Draw – One of the best recordings ever, great songs, great playing and great production.

Dave Brubeck – Time Out – No other jazz recording comes close.

Chicago Transit Authority – I bought this album because of the cover, imagine my surprise when I got it home.

Beatles – Abbey Road – If this album was recorded today, would still be considered a masterpiece

Blood Sweat and Tears – The arrangement on this album is maybe one of the best – the song structures made this band very special.

Isaac Hayes – Black Moses – Isaac never sounded better, 2 lps of slow sweet sensual soul.

Norah Jones – Come Away with Me – A very special artist who hopefully will only get better.

Fleetwood Mac – Rumors – It took Warner Brothers a year to break this album, was it worth it? – you bet!

Paul Simon – Graceland – Simply a masterpiece of melding sounds.

Muddy Mississippi Waters Live – All his hits done Live the way you want to hear them.

Rickie Lee Jones – the female rock album that set the standard.

Les McCann & Eddie Harris – Swiss Movement – Live at Montreaux – The playing on this LP is very special – jazz that anyone can appreciate.

Alejandro Escovedo – Gravity – One of my favorite esoteric artists – Texas Music at its best.

Zachary Richard – Snake Bite of Love – Rock n’ roll and Zydeco – what a mix.

Van Morrison – A Night in San Francisco – One of the best blues, R&B albums ever recorded and by a white man from Ireland.

Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club – Its all about the songs.

John Hiatt – Slow Turning – Ditto – the songs oh the songs.

Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run – Rock n’ roll’s answer to James Brown

Neville Brothers – Family Groove – One of the best American Bands on their strongest album.

Mighty Sam McLain – Joy and Pain – This one is hard to beat for live rhythm and blues.

Delbert McClinton – Live – The father of Texas music live live live.

Subdudes – Primitive Streak – This band just got better with every recording – then they cut this masterpiece.

Al Stewart – Year of the Cat – Literary rock at it’s best.

James Taylor  - Live – Just a great concert with all of his hits.

Buddy Guy – Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues -  One of the absolute best examples of Chicago electric blues there is.

Sonia Dada – My Secret Life – This band is so hard to describe, but this album has much the effect on me as the Allman Brothers.

Animal Logic – This band was too good not to have made it. Jazz rock with one of the best female vocalists – Deborah Holland along with Stewart Copeland and Stanley Clarke – great stuff.

Joan Osborne – How Sweet it Is – She has taken old R&B songs and made them her own.

Lee Roy Parnell - His first album is Texas music at it's best. They made him get rid of the horns on later releases. A grand successor to Delbert.

Tracy Chapman - Tracy has released lots of great cd's, however her first is still one of my all time favorites.

Then there are those Greatest Hits Collections that you just cannot do without – artist’s whose entire repertoires are so fabulous.

Al Green

Aretha Franklin

Otis Redding

Beach Boys

Marvin Gaye

Ike and Tina Turner

Tina Turner

Steely Dan

Steve Begor - thebopper