ARTICLE: 50 Essential albums for lockdown listening

Have you got the 2-disc remix album as well (Sirens Of The Sea Remixed)?

It's actually a compilation of the various CD singles and is just as good as the main album, in my opinion. More pumping!
yeah, and it's excellent. The Andrew Bayer remix of Secret is amazing!
 
For those of you solely raised on a diet of Anglo-American Pop and Rock: if you're interested in expanding your musical palette towards other cultures, I would strongly recommend Ry Cooder's "Buena Vista Social Club".

It is quite unlike anything that comes out of our culture, it's much more loose and relaxed and the performances are all about the feel and harmony of musicians playing together organically. It's effortlessly melodic too and truly joyous.
It's also absolutely amazingly produced! :cool:
 
@Ed Selley feel free to put a spotify playlist link together ... in the meantime i will seek out some of the titles you mention on your list...

I would put Hans Zimmer in my playlist one of the greatest composers of the modern age, what would a movie soundtrack be without his input....

I had never even heard of Dead Can Dance before @Ed Selley mentioned them in a podcast, and with my love of Hans Zimmer who I have seen twice in concert in Liverpool and Manchester respectively, (and got my tickets for 2021) Lisa Gerrard from (DCD) has done some brilliant collaborations with Hans Zimmer with her exotic mystical voice .... its a different type of listening experience, listening to music scores, but it still has the power to transport you to another place. to make you feel good, to make you emotional but above all make you feel the emotion....i have many scores from Hans now including blurays of the concerts, and soundtracks. I admire him so much, the modern John Williams

I have a love of all forms and types of music, and i'm always open to listen to artists and groups I have never heard of (like many in Ed's List) from rock, soul, classical, reggae, world music and indeed many other forms of music -

not mentioned on any of the lists and ironically there 40th anniversary of Closer is Joy Division,been listening alot to them recently, and of course i have picked up the remastered Closer album as well as the factory Ep's on Vinyl. putting a list together is virtually impossible with so much music available to choose from, but Ed has done a good job of picking from each decade, even if some of it, may not be for me, but can be explored

Thanks again Ed
 
@Ed Selley feel free to put a spotify playlist link together ... in the meantime i will seek out some of the titles you mention on your list...

I would put Hans Zimmer in my playlist one of the greatest composers of the modern age, what would a movie soundtrack be without his input....

I had never even heard of Dead Can Dance before @Ed Selley mentioned them in a podcast, and with my love of Hans Zimmer who I have seen twice in concert in Liverpool and Manchester respectively, (and got my tickets for 2021) Lisa Gerrard from (DCD) has done some brilliant collaborations with Hans Zimmer with her exotic mystical voice .... its a different type of listening experience, listening to music scores, but it still has the power to transport you to another place. to make you feel good, to make you emotional but above all make you feel the emotion....i have many scores from Hans now including blurays of the concerts, and soundtracks. I admire him so much, the modern John Williams

I have a love of all forms and types of music, and i'm always open to listen to artists and groups I have never heard of (like many in Ed's List) from rock, soul, classical, reggae, world music and indeed many other forms of music -

not mentioned on any of the lists and ironically there 40th anniversary of Closer is Joy Division,been listening alot to them recently, and of course i have picked up the remastered Closer album as well as the factory Ep's on Vinyl. putting a list together is virtually impossible with so much music available to choose from, but Ed has done a good job of picking from each decade, even if some of it, may not be for me, but can be explored

Thanks again Ed

hans Zimmer is a regular in my office lockdown playlist. His Nolan soundtracks are phenomenal
 
hans Zimmer is a regular in my office lockdown playlist. His Nolan soundtracks are phenomenal

you ever get the opportunity (and if you already haven't) go and see his shows (when the madness is finished of course)..he doesn't appear himself in person anymore (only on video links) or he didn't at my last Manchester show) ..but the quality of the musicians can only be described as phenomenal , and i never use that word likely
 
The 90’s electronic masterpiece, Global Communication’s 76:14 would be a worthy inclusion.
 
Music, like comedy, is the most subjective of avenues. This would have to be on my list though, amongst many others...
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As a metal fan there's not much I can see on the list that would tickle my fancy, so here's a few metal albums with excellent production/mixes/masters for others to peruse, with sub-genres in brackets:

Wintersun - Time I (prog, black)
Michael Romeo - War of the Worlds (prog, traditional)
Havok - Conformicide & V (thrash)
Avenged Sevenfold - Hail to the King & The Stage (heavy, traditional)
Opeth - Pale Communion (prog)
Unleash the Archers - Apex (power, thrash)
The Gentle Storm - The Diary (Gentle version - classical, prog)
Horrendous - Idol (death)
Wilderun - Veill of Imagination (prog, black, death)
Aether Realm - Tarot (melodic death)
Nightingale - Retribution (more 80's rock)


It is generally hard to find well mastered metal in the heavier genres, but examples like Havok's V show how good metal can sound while increasing it's punch and power.

For anyone that doesn't do metal, I'd still highly recommend spinning the first disc of The Gentle Storm - The Diary.
 
The 90’s electronic masterpiece, Global Communication’s 76:14 would be a worthy inclusion.

Now that's an obscure choice!

I thought I was the only person in the world who bought that album! Funnily enough, I bought it at my local Virgin store and it was priced incorrectly - it should've been £10+ for a new album, but they had it at £2.99 which was their price for CD singles. I did keep looking at it to check it was indeed the album and not the single ("Maiden Voyage"), but the artwork was quite non-descriptive so I can see why the mistake was made.

And of course I didn't say anything! What makes it even better/worse (depending on your point of view) is that the young girl who served me placed the CD on a pile of other albums on the counter, rang it through and accidentally put an extra CD in my bag (it must have been one beneath my CD).

I only found out when I got home. It was Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits and I can't stand him, so I sold it for a fiver in another shop. Therefore I was actually £2 up!
 
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Now that's an obscure choice!

I thought I was the only person in the world who bought that album! Funnily enough, I bought it at my local Virgin store and it was priced incorrectly - it should've been £10+ for a new album, but they had it at £2.99 which was their price for CD singles.

And of course I didn't say anything! What makes it even better/worse (depending on your point of view) is that the young girl who served me placed the CD on a pile of other albums on the counter, rang it through and accidentally put an extra CD in my bag (it must have been one beneath my CD).

I only found out when I got home. It was Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits and I can't stand him, so I sold it for a fiver in another shop. Therefore I was actually £2 up!
I cited it because the list has a number of electronic music entries and in this genre, 76:14 was a seminal release. At least here in North America it’s recognised as such.
 
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I cited it because the list has a number of electronic music entries and in this genre, 76:14 was a seminal release. At least here in North America it’s recognised as such.

Just been over to Discogs and they say that the band intend to reissue this in 2020, which is great news as I missed out on the 2-disc re-release in 2005 and I'd like to hear that material.

I also understand it's going to be remastered too.:) Incidentally, my digipak version is only £17; you wouldn't believe the prices on Amazon.:eek:
 
Yes
Just been over to Discogs and they say that the band intend to reissue this in 2020, which is great news as I missed out on the 2-disc re-release in 2005 and I'd like to hear that material.

I also understand it's going to be remastered too.:) Incidentally, my digipak version is only £17; you wouldn't believe the prices on Amazon.:eek:
Yes, I’d be curious to hear the additional material too. It’s unfortunate there were no subsequent releases from them in this style.
 
Yes

Yes, I’d be curious to hear the additional material too. It’s unfortunate there were no subsequent releases from them in this style.

There are these two:


Which I don't have. And this:


Which I do.
 
Thanks for these. The first one must be rare as it is very expensive. The second is much more reasonable and I will pick it up.
 
Thanks for these. The first one must be rare as it is very expensive. The second is much more reasonable and I will pick it up.

I agree.

The Remix Album actually has two tracks that featured on the Chapterhouse project, so we're only down three songs. If it were £10 I might consider it, but not at those prices.
 
You know, I'm glad you mentioned Global Communication because it got me hunting around online and I discovered two more Middleton albums you may be interested in (I am!):


And because he's interested in Sleep Science:


I know that one seems a bit bizarre, but apparently you're meant to listen to it before you go to bed, not to help you drop off!
 
For my lockdown would have to be albums from my favourites
Led Zeppelin,
Pink Floyd,
The Doors,
The Beatles,
Free,
Black Sabbath,
Robin Trower,
Deep Purple,
Jimi Hendrix,
UFO,
Scorpions,
Whitesnake,
Elvis Presley,
AC-DC,
Bob Marley,
Guns n Roses,
 
Thanks Ed and +1 for "War Stories" an absolutely brilliant album and not just a collection of tracks by the same artist (if you know what I mean)

Been going on some long walks of late, so nice to have some new things to listen to...
 
Good work Ed but i feel knowing your electronic taste and hip hop etc you missed 4 albums off there .

firstly any cinematic orchestra with roots maniac featuring is a classic I mean you could have picked pretty much anything on Ninja Tune or Mo Wax back in the 00’s and they would a winner .

4 albums that changed the style of music for the better the first changed dance music for just about every producer .

Daft Punk - Discovery 2001

Dr Dre the chronic 2001 - every track a banger with superb production and just summer tinged west coast beats . Even the skits that you normally skip are worth the listen

beastie boys - I’ll communication - you went Paul’s boutique You could have Check Your Head but I think I’ll communication is there best overall album with the boys doing what they want and enjoying it .

common - like water for chocolate - this album changed my life listening to Hip Hop . Jay Dilla beats are off the chain with sultry jazz looped beats with catchy African Fela Kuti style samples . Monster album and Common is perfect on this album .

great topic takes me back to my vinyl collection that is 10,000 singles and albums sitting in storage . Just need a bigger house and find that elusive Beastie Boys “ In Sound From Way Out” instrumental album on clear vinyl !
 
I think people are missing a key sentance from the article
" It deliberately ignores the headline acts of various periods; I don’t have it in for them, I simply figured you’d already probably have heard of the Beatles or Peter Gabriel by now. "

It's meant to be a more diverse selection that doesn't include the big acts of the decades :smashin::)
 
If I put on a single Frank Zappa track, I'm going to go all in. It just doesn't get much better than the Mothers Of Invention years.
Oh, and I see the Little Feat was in the list. Waiting For Columbus Deluxe 2 CD set is a must have for lock down.
 
I own at least a third of these albums @Ed Selley so we must have similar’ish taste 😊 I’m going hunt the albums I don’t have on Spotify and have a good listen as I hope to discover a few gems here. Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:
 

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