Your greatest albums

A few more:

7) Consolers Of The Lonely - The Raconteurs

What I love about these guys is that everything they do is totally steeped in classic rock, yet they sound so fresh and original, never sounding hackneyed or cliched. Tremendous.

8) Pink Moon - Nick Drake

Nick and his guitar. Sparse and uncompromising. Just beautiful. His last album before succumbing to depression and death.

9) Music For Airports - Brian Eno

Atmospheric perfection from the ambient pioneer.

10) Revolver - The Beatles

My favourite Beatles albums for many reasons: As a young kid, I would occasionally persuade my parents to 'turn on the record player'. Of the very few albums they owned, this would be the one I would usually choose (the cover fascinated me). The opening moments of Taxman still transport me back in time to my parents' house in the '70s. And of course, it is a landmark album. Not just for The Beatles, but the entire music scene. The progression from Please Please Me in 1963 to Revolver in 1966 is still extraordinary.

The list could go on and on, but here are some other notables:

Double Nickels On The Dime - Minutemen
Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
Moon Safari - Air
There's A Riot Goin' On - Sly & The Family Stone
Vienna - Ultravox
Sabotage - Black Sabbath
Dirk Wears White Sox - Adam & The Ants
Life's A Riot With Spy vs Spy - Billy Bragg
 
A few more:

7) Consolers Of The Lonely - The Raconteurs

What I love about these guys is that everything they do is totally steeped in classic rock, yet they sound so fresh and original, never sounding hackneyed or cliched. Tremendous.

8) Pink Moon - Nick Drake

Nick and his guitar. Sparse and uncompromising. Just beautiful. His last album before succumbing to depression and death.

9) Music For Airports - Brian Eno

Atmospheric perfection from the ambient pioneer.

10) Revolver - The Beatles

My favourite Beatles albums for many reasons: As a young kid, I would occasionally persuade my parents to 'turn on the record player'. Of the very few albums they owned, this would be the one I would usually choose (the cover fascinated me). The opening moments of Taxman still transport me back in time to my parents' house in the '70s. And of course, it is a landmark album. Not just for The Beatles, but the entire music scene. The progression from Please Please Me in 1963 to Revolver in 1966 is still extraordinary.

The list could go on and on, but here are some other notables:

Double Nickels On The Dime - Minutemen
Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
Moon Safari - Air
There's A Riot Goin' On - Sly & The Family Stone
Vienna - Ultravox
Sabotage - Black Sabbath
Dirk Wears White Sox - Adam & The Ants
Life's A Riot With Spy vs Spy - Billy Bragg
Revolver is an album that will transport anyone back to simpler times.
 
I can't give an order here, but these are albums that I consider my all time favourites

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

- I actually never listened to this (or any other Smiths') album until 2010. I now consider the Smiths undoubtedly my favourite band of all time. And I Know it's Over may be my favourite song of all time. I can't say enough about the album without both selling it short and overhyping it. Complete masterpiece

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I am

- The energy, the charisma, the moment. Every time I hear this album I revisit my teenage years. I simply cannot listen to a track without playing the album through.

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

- Without a doubt the album that I have listened to more than any other. I was 8 when it was released - my brother is 13 years my elder and he had bought it. My mum banned me from listening or being in his room when he was listening. I had never wanted to listen to anything more in my life.

The Streets - Original Pirate Material

- Changed my life. Mike Skinners brash, blunt, potetic social commentary resonates just as much now as it did upon release. But he said it best himself - 'Cult classic, not bestseller'

Oasis - Be here now

- The first Oasis album I remember listening to. Love every track. D'you know what I mean is my undisputed favourite Oasis track, too.

Madvillain - Madvillainy

- I remember when I first finished listening to it. I thought it was the most over-rated album I'd ever heard. Completely sub par. I didn't even think about revisiting. Then a few weeks later I found myself remembering some of the lyrics, ended up falling in love with it. Definitely not for everyone but if once you get it, you are hooked and in a whole new world.

Atmosphere - When life gives you lemons, paint that sh*t gold

- An astonishing album. An absolute masterclass in songwriting. I would recommend reading along to the lyrics on first listen. An emotional rollercoaster of an album



Some others that I won't spend too long writing about (But I still hold in a similar regard)

Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens
Eels - Beautiful Freak
Nirvana - Nevermind
Wu Tang - 36 Chambers

(all smiths albums other than Meat is Murder could also be included)
 
I can't give an order here, but these are albums that I consider my all time favourites

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

- I actually never listened to this (or any other Smiths') album until 2010. I now consider the Smiths undoubtedly my favourite band of all time. And I Know it's Over may be my favourite song of all time. I can't say enough about the album without both selling it short and overhyping it. Complete masterpiece

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I am

- The energy, the charisma, the moment. Every time I hear this album I revisit my teenage years. I simply cannot listen to a track without playing the album through.

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

- Without a doubt the album that I have listened to more than any other. I was 8 when it was released - my brother is 13 years my elder and he had bought it. My mum banned me from listening or being in his room when he was listening. I had never wanted to listen to anything more in my life.

The Streets - Original Pirate Material

- Changed my life. Mike Skinners brash, blunt, potetic social commentary resonates just as much now as it did upon release. But he said it best himself - 'Cult classic, not bestseller'

Oasis - Be here now

- The first Oasis album I remember listening to. Love every track. D'you know what I mean is my undisputed favourite Oasis track, too.

Madvillain - Madvillainy

- I remember when I first finished listening to it. I thought it was the most over-rated album I'd ever heard. Completely sub par. I didn't even think about revisiting. Then a few weeks later I found myself remembering some of the lyrics, ended up falling in love with it. Definitely not for everyone but if once you get it, you are hooked and in a whole new world.

Atmosphere - When life gives you lemons, paint that sh*t gold

- An astonishing album. An absolute masterclass in songwriting. I would recommend reading along to the lyrics on first listen. An emotional rollercoaster of an album



Some others that I won't spend too long writing about (But I still hold in a similar regard)

Blu & Exile - Below the Heavens
Eels - Beautiful Freak
Nirvana - Nevermind
Wu Tang - 36 Chambers

(all smiths albums other than Meat is Murder could also be included)
If we could like this post more than once, I would
 
My ten all time favorites, in no particular order:

Dredg - El Cielo

Tool - Lateralus

Oceansize - Effloresce

Dream Theater - Scenes from a memory

Coheed & Cambria - In keeping secrets of silent earth: 3

Faith No More - Angel Dust

Metallica - ...and justice for all

Life of Agony - Soul searching sun

Rage against the machine - Rage against the machine

Steven Wilson - Hand.Cannot.Erase


Honorable mentions:
Spock's Beard - Snow
Paradise Lost - Symbol of life
Both helped me when I was in a very difficult time in my life...
 
Music is everything to me. From an early age it fascinated me and it's always been there through the good, the bad…and the heartbreak, oh the heartbreak. I'm also really into Hi-Fi and spent more than I care to mention on my set-up.

The list below is in no particular order:

Album 1. (The Band that changed my life) The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead'.

The Smiths literally changed my life. If I hadn't been such a massive fan I wouldn't have gone to a Smiths convention in Manchester (1989) where I would meet my first love and also heard another band* for the first time coming up later on this list.

Every album they made was a classic but it's TQID which holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to see them on The Queen Is Dead tour in Wolverhampton. It's still up there as my favourite gig of all time. When they arrived on stage the world stopped. I looked around me with people screaming and crying, totally losing themselves. I thought to myself "This must of been what was like see The Beatles". Total Mania.

I don't tend to listen to them much anymore. Morrissey's behaviour has got more and more bizarre over the years and he hasn't made anything worth listening to since ‘Vauxhall and I' (1994). Thankfully we still have Johnny Marr who's made some great albums (The Messenger is one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years) and contributed to many of others.

Album 2. Cocteau Twins 'Treasure'.

Basically my favourite band of all. Impossible to describe without sounding like a knob.

I discovered them one Saturday morning on a tv show presented by Gary Crowley back in 1985. Ever since then I've played them on a regular basis and never tired of them. I saw them live many times and actually met Liz and Robin in Sheffield while on tour for ‘Heaven or Las Vegas'. I still have the signed note Liz and Robin.

It's extremely difficult to pick a favourite (they've never made a bad track let alone a bad album) but ‘Treasure' gets the nod today. I actually physically ache when I listen to it. It takes me to another other-worldly time and place. If you've seen the film ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock' I get that sort of imaginary and vibe.

Album 3: Talk Talk 'The Colour of Spring'.

I remember buying the album in Woolworths Cannock back in 1986. I'd bought the single ''Life's What You Make It" first which was pretty poppy and mainstream and not a million miles away their earlier synth pop records. The album (The Colour of Spring) was a move away from the mainstream, especially side two which showed early signs of the direction they would later take on their following albums "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock". I still play all three albums on a regular basis and are up there as my most played albums, which just shows how great they are. ‘The Colour of Spring' is also my ‘Test Disc' for demoing anything ‘Hi-Fi' related.

Album 4. This Mortal Coil 'Filigree and Shadow'

Writing a list of my favourite and influential albums, it looks like 1986 was the formative year which had a profound effect on the rest of my life. A lot of the albums I bought around this time I still play on a regular basis, including this one.

Although their first album, "It'll end in tears" is a great album I believe 'Filigree and Shadow ' is their Magnum opus.
It's very difficult to try to describe this album to anyone, much like the Cocteau Twins, this album is otherworldly and without comparison.

Album 5. Jeff Buckley 'Grace'

This album was recommend to me by someone back around 1996 (it all gets a little hazy around this time). After a (very) drunken evening I recalled the conversation from the night before (a minor miracle) about the album. Shortly afterwards I bought the album without listening to it (remember the days before YouTube?).
Thankfully it turns out it was a safe bet. The album is a masterpiece. I've since recommend it to many friends who've all gone on to buy it and love it too.

Album 6.* The Stone Roses S/T

In your life you will have one moment or one day which changes your life forever...

(As previously mentioned) it was in July 1989. I went to a Smiths convention in Manchester and on my journey up there I met my first love who would change my life forever.

On the same evening I heard The Stone Roses and "I am the Resurrection" for the first time. This was at a 'Smiths Disco', which wasn't as sad as it sounds, honest!:D

I was on the dance floor (which was a first for me too being a shy ‘box bedroom rebel') as "I am the Resurrection" started. From the opening snare drum I completely lost myself. To this day I've never heard a better song. That breakdown, that bass! Jesus! I bought the album the following week and an amazing period of my life began.

The following year I went to the now legendary Spike Island concert. Ignore knobheads like Noel Gallagher banging on about the sound being sh*t. They sounded amazing down the front! Still one of the best days of my life. You could say the Roses mean A LOT to me.

Album 7. David Sylvian 'Secrets of the Beehive'

No great personal story behind this choice, it's just a stunning album.

Album 8. Hüsker Dü 'Candy Apple Grey'

Difficult to choose just one album by them. ‘Candy Apple Grey' was my introduction to them via the Annie Nightingale radio 1 show on a Sunday evening.

A pivotal band in my life. Thanks to them I got to know a group of life long mates and made a lot of memories along the way. Never saw Hüsker Dü live but managed to see Bob Mould and Grant Hart live. I saw Bob Mould with his band Sugar at ULU in London. An amazing day with the highlight being my first stage dive. The look of fear on the crowds faces is something I'll never forget. Laffin!:D

Album 9. David Bowie 'Hunky Dory'

I've never been one for looking back. There are bands which I like from the 60's and 70's but they don't feature heavily in my collection.

I got into Bowie very late and it's something I regret. As a teenager Bowie was just bright suits and part of that Live Aid clique which was another world away from where I was at the time.

It was around 2010 when I bought Hunky Dory and I finally "got it". I just could not believe one person could be responsible for so much great music. Since then I've played more Bowie than anything else. Choosing one album was virtually impossible. Of the 27 studio albums he released I could've chosen anyone one from 10 masterpieces. A Genius! Hunky Dory is probably the most played album of his, so it gets the nod today.

Album 10. Radiohead ‘In Rainbows'

This list hasn't been in an particular order but I think ‘In Rainbows' could well be my favourite album of all time. I could have quite easily put ‘A Moon Shaped Pool' in this Top Ten but wanted to keep the list as varied as possible. Not sure what the list says about me or the state of music today, seen as there's only one band in my Top Ten still releasing new material?

No great back story with me and Radiohead. I just love ‘em.

Honourable mentions:

The Verve ‘A Northern Soul', ‘Urban Hymns' and ‘A Storm In Heaven'
Doves ‘Lost Souls'. One of most underrated bands IMHO. Everything they've released has been class.
Pink Floyd ‘DSOTM'. An obvious choice but for me it's perfection.
The Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Psychocandy'
Echo and the Bunnymen ‘Ocean Rain' (basically their first four albums)
Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa' and ‘Doolittle' (I kissed Kim Deal you know;):p)
Depeche Mode ‘Violator'
Joy Division ‘Closer'
New Order ‘Low Life'
REM ‘Automatic For The People'
Smashing Pumpkins ‘Gish'
Big Black ‘Songs about F*cking'
Prefab Sprout ‘Steve McQueen'
Grizzly Bear ‘Painted Ruins' (can't stop play it)
Led Zeppelin IV
Easterhouse ‘Contenders'

‘'(that's) the story of my life''……:)
Very nice list, Rob.
 
Music is everything to me. From an early age it fascinated me and it's always been there through the good, the bad…and the heartbreak, oh the heartbreak. I'm also really into Hi-Fi and spent more than I care to mention on my set-up.

The list below is in no particular order:

Album 1. (The Band that changed my life) The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead'.

The Smiths literally changed my life. If I hadn't been such a massive fan I wouldn't have gone to a Smiths convention in Manchester (1989) where I would meet my first love and also heard another band* for the first time coming up later on this list.

Every album they made was a classic but it's TQID which holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to see them on The Queen Is Dead tour in Wolverhampton. It's still up there as my favourite gig of all time. When they arrived on stage the world stopped. I looked around me with people screaming and crying, totally losing themselves. I thought to myself "This must of been what was like see The Beatles". Total Mania.

I don't tend to listen to them much anymore. Morrissey's behaviour has got more and more bizarre over the years and he hasn't made anything worth listening to since ‘Vauxhall and I' (1994). Thankfully we still have Johnny Marr who's made some great albums (The Messenger is one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years) and contributed to many of others.

Album 2. Cocteau Twins 'Treasure'.

Basically my favourite band of all. Impossible to describe without sounding like a knob.

I discovered them one Saturday morning on a tv show presented by Gary Crowley back in 1985. Ever since then I've played them on a regular basis and never tired of them. I saw them live many times and actually met Liz and Robin in Sheffield while on tour for ‘Heaven or Las Vegas'. I still have the signed note Liz and Robin.

It's extremely difficult to pick a favourite (they've never made a bad track let alone a bad album) but ‘Treasure' gets the nod today. I actually physically ache when I listen to it. It takes me to another other-worldly time and place. If you've seen the film ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock' I get that sort of imaginary and vibe.

Album 3: Talk Talk 'The Colour of Spring'.

I remember buying the album in Woolworths Cannock back in 1986. I'd bought the single ''Life's What You Make It" first which was pretty poppy and mainstream and not a million miles away their earlier synth pop records. The album (The Colour of Spring) was a move away from the mainstream, especially side two which showed early signs of the direction they would later take on their following albums "Spirit of Eden" and "Laughing Stock". I still play all three albums on a regular basis and are up there as my most played albums, which just shows how great they are. ‘The Colour of Spring' is also my ‘Test Disc' for demoing anything ‘Hi-Fi' related.

Album 4. This Mortal Coil 'Filigree and Shadow'

Writing a list of my favourite and influential albums, it looks like 1986 was the formative year which had a profound effect on the rest of my life. A lot of the albums I bought around this time I still play on a regular basis, including this one.

Although their first album, "It'll end in tears" is a great album I believe 'Filigree and Shadow ' is their Magnum opus.
It's very difficult to try to describe this album to anyone, much like the Cocteau Twins, this album is otherworldly and without comparison.

Album 5. Jeff Buckley 'Grace'

This album was recommend to me by someone back around 1996 (it all gets a little hazy around this time). After a (very) drunken evening I recalled the conversation from the night before (a minor miracle) about the album. Shortly afterwards I bought the album without listening to it (remember the days before YouTube?).
Thankfully it turns out it was a safe bet. The album is a masterpiece. I've since recommend it to many friends who've all gone on to buy it and love it too.

Album 6.* The Stone Roses S/T

In your life you will have one moment or one day which changes your life forever...

(As previously mentioned) it was in July 1989. I went to a Smiths convention in Manchester and on my journey up there I met my first love who would change my life forever.

On the same evening I heard The Stone Roses and "I am the Resurrection" for the first time. This was at a 'Smiths Disco', which wasn't as sad as it sounds, honest!:D

I was on the dance floor (which was a first for me too being a shy ‘box bedroom rebel') as "I am the Resurrection" started. From the opening snare drum I completely lost myself. To this day I've never heard a better song. That breakdown, that bass! Jesus! I bought the album the following week and an amazing period of my life began.

The following year I went to the now legendary Spike Island concert. Ignore knobheads like Noel Gallagher banging on about the sound being sh*t. They sounded amazing down the front! Still one of the best days of my life. You could say the Roses mean A LOT to me.

Album 7. David Sylvian 'Secrets of the Beehive'

No great personal story behind this choice, it's just a stunning album.

Album 8. Hüsker Dü 'Candy Apple Grey'

Difficult to choose just one album by them. ‘Candy Apple Grey' was my introduction to them via the Annie Nightingale radio 1 show on a Sunday evening.

A pivotal band in my life. Thanks to them I got to know a group of life long mates and made a lot of memories along the way. Never saw Hüsker Dü live but managed to see Bob Mould and Grant Hart live. I saw Bob Mould with his band Sugar at ULU in London. An amazing day with the highlight being my first stage dive. The look of fear on the crowds faces is something I'll never forget. Laffin!:D

Album 9. David Bowie 'Hunky Dory'

I've never been one for looking back. There are bands which I like from the 60's and 70's but they don't feature heavily in my collection.

I got into Bowie very late and it's something I regret. As a teenager Bowie was just bright suits and part of that Live Aid clique which was another world away from where I was at the time.

It was around 2010 when I bought Hunky Dory and I finally "got it". I just could not believe one person could be responsible for so much great music. Since then I've played more Bowie than anything else. Choosing one album was virtually impossible. Of the 27 studio albums he released I could've chosen anyone one from 10 masterpieces. A Genius! Hunky Dory is probably the most played album of his, so it gets the nod today.

Album 10. Radiohead ‘In Rainbows'

This list hasn't been in an particular order but I think ‘In Rainbows' could well be my favourite album of all time. I could have quite easily put ‘A Moon Shaped Pool' in this Top Ten but wanted to keep the list as varied as possible. Not sure what the list says about me or the state of music today, seen as there's only one band in my Top Ten still releasing new material?

No great back story with me and Radiohead. I just love ‘em.

Honourable mentions:

The Verve ‘A Northern Soul', ‘Urban Hymns' and ‘A Storm In Heaven'
Doves ‘Lost Souls'. One of most underrated bands IMHO. Everything they've released has been class.
Pink Floyd ‘DSOTM'. An obvious choice but for me it's perfection.
The Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Psychocandy'
Echo and the Bunnymen ‘Ocean Rain' (basically their first four albums)
Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa' and ‘Doolittle' (I kissed Kim Deal you know;):p)
Depeche Mode ‘Violator'
Joy Division ‘Closer'
New Order ‘Low Life'
REM ‘Automatic For The People'
Smashing Pumpkins ‘Gish'
Big Black ‘Songs about F*cking'
Prefab Sprout ‘Steve McQueen'
Grizzly Bear ‘Painted Ruins' (can't stop play it)
Led Zeppelin IV
Easterhouse ‘Contenders'

‘'(that's) the story of my life''……:)
Very nice list, Rob.
 
Players of fine (and distasteful) music

View attachment 38155

The Cellar system

View attachment 38156

Oracle Delphi MkII with Kuzma arm. Renovation job



View attachment 38157

Micro Seiki MR711 - Upstairs system and another renovation from........

View attachment 38158

Naff all to do with Greatest albums but we do need something to play them all on
@Satanfriendly - that Cellar system looks like a beauty. Wonderful front end; do I spy high end KEF or B&W speakers? And is that an Audio Research amp lurking in the background?
 
@Satanfriendly - that Cellar system looks like a beauty. Wonderful front end; do I spy high end KEF or B&W speakers? And is that an Audio Research amp lurking in the background?

B&W 802 matrix speakers and they are indeed Audio Research amps (pre and head). Power amps are a pair of Acoustic Reality D class mono blocks using B&O ICE chips.

Sounds kind of nice
 
Players of fine (and distasteful) music

View attachment 38155

The Cellar system

View attachment 38156

Oracle Delphi MkII with Kuzma arm. Renovation job



View attachment 38157

Micro Seiki MR711 - Upstairs system and another renovation from........

View attachment 38158

Naff all to do with Greatest albums but we do need something to play them all on
@Satanfriendly - that Cellar system looks like a beauty. Wonderful front end; do I spy high end KEF or B&W speakers? And is that an Audio Research amp lurking in the background?
B&W 802 matrix speakers and they are indeed Audio Research amps (pre and head). Power amps are a pair of Acoustic Reality D class mono blocks using B&O ICE chips.

Sounds kind of nice
Beautiful System.
I run a Linn LP12 front end with a Syrinx 3 arm and Koetsu Rosewood cartridge. Digital Hi-res via a Chord Mojo DAC. Amp is a Krell, feeding original Acoustic Energy AE-1s.
 
I run a Linn LP12 front end with a Syrinx 3 arm and Koetsu Rosewood cartridge. Digital Hi-res via a Chord Mojo DAC. Amp is a Krell, feeding original Acoustic Energy AE-1s.

And every bit as nice. I had an LP12/Ittok with a Transfiguration on a second system until recent and a brilliant front end but I replaced it with an old Micro Seiko DD I renovated. Spent that much time and effort renovating I decided to keep the MS.

AE1's are a class act. I also have the Celestion equivalent in the SL700's.
 
Other great albums which came to mind recently are......

High on Tulsa Heat - John Moreland

There is something real and authentic in this album which is delivered with a great sense of honesty. The drum kit is definitely old school and the cymbals have a lovely sense of air and age about them. As for John himself, a fantastic song writer with a gruff as fuck voice and yet a sweet delicate touch on the guitar. A well recorded album with care and attention. You feel it

Tokyo Tapes - Scorpions

My favourite live album together with Skynyrd. In this case more because I have always been a massive Scorpion fan after first seeing them live with an audience who numbered in the 20's. Uli Jon Roth is just a guitar magician and a God. His guitaring on Fly to the Rainbow is just simply the best display ever of how far you can take a guitar. The rest of the album is just awesome and as a live album, wonderful. Diverse, original and delivered

Dire Straits - Dire Straits

I have a half speed master cut of this album and it is truly wonderful in every sense. As my son says it is anything but perfect and they have kept it for all its mistakes and imperfections. Great choice of songs and all played with great talent and a sense of enjoying what they are doing. Whether they were or not is another thing.

Signing Off - UB40

A brilliant first album before they disappeared down the road of commercialism. Not to say their later material was bad but they just didn't have the same raw edge. I can listen to this album over and over again and still find something new in there. A great pressing and a great recording.
 
Other great albums which came to mind recently are......

High on Tulsa Heat - John Moreland

There is something real and authentic in this album which is delivered with a great sense of honesty. The drum kit is definitely old school and the cymbals have a lovely sense of air and age about them. As for John himself, a fantastic song writer with a gruff as fuck voice and yet a sweet delicate touch on the guitar. A well recorded album with care and attention. You feel it

Tokyo Tapes - Scorpions

My favourite live album together with Skynyrd. In this case more because I have always been a massive Scorpion fan after first seeing them live with an audience who numbered in the 20's. Uli Jon Roth is just a guitar magician and a God. His guitaring on Fly to the Rainbow is just simply the best display ever of how far you can take a guitar. The rest of the album is just awesome and as a live album, wonderful. Diverse, original and delivered

Dire Straits - Dire Straits

I have a half speed master cut of this album and it is truly wonderful in every sense. As my son says it is anything but perfect and they have kept it for all its mistakes and imperfections. Great choice of songs and all played with great talent and a sense of enjoying what they are doing. Whether they were or not is another thing.

Signing Off - UB40

A brilliant first album before they disappeared down the road of commercialism. Not to say their later material was bad but they just didn't have the same raw edge. I can listen to this album over and over again and still find something new in there. A great pressing and a great recording.
Totally agree on Scorpions. Many folk think they are OTT 80's Hair Metal; they were around long before then, and have a fantastic back-catalogue.
 
And every bit as nice. I had an LP12/Ittok with a Transfiguration on a second system until recent and a brilliant front end but I replaced it with an old Micro Seiko DD I renovated. Spent that much time and effort renovating I decided to keep the MS.

AE1's are a class act. I also have the Celestion equivalent in the SL700's.
Interesting! My speakers prior to the AE1's were Celestion SL6S's. I sit my AE1's on Sonus Faber stands; have modified them by adding lead shot into the hollow columns. I can only imagine how good your system sounds - top class components from start to finish. I heard a set of the top-of-the -wozzer B&W speakers (looked very similar to yours, if not the same), being driven by riduculously powerful McIntosh Power Amps in a home theatre system - bloody amazing.
 
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The D class mono blocks are a real top act. 650W each and will happily drive anything down to 1 ohm. They work really nice with the valve pre in that they give real drive while maintaining the sweetness of the valves. Never fluster and never sweat.

The Celestions I use with a large Yamaha integrated and the MS deck with a Supex 900/Expert Stylus and sapphire cantilever. A very precise and musical set up. A Krell is a possible replacement for the Yam and on the radar.

I only buy cheap though and guess having friends who know people who know people always helps.

Yeh you got to have something to play all this music on.
 
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In no order, makes little sense, often chosen for just a couple of tracks, will change tomorrow:
Julian Cope -- 20 Mothers
Sex Pistols -- Never Mind The Bollocks
The Vibes -- Voodoo Juju
The Long Ryders -- State Of Our Union
The Jam -- In The City
Magazine -- Secondhand Daylight
Nirvana -- Nevermind
Credence Clearwater Revival -- Green River
The Ruts -- The Crack
Stiff Little Fingers -- Inflammable Material
 
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