# Acoustic Albums **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283 "2003-02-25T00:35:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GuyMontag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ad7895/32.png) [@GuyMontag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyMontag)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/1 "2003-02-25T00:35:28Z")
Can anyone suggest a really good acoustic album (individual or compilation) that is strictly acoustic? Looking for some good background music (mellow, but not elevatorish) for work. Thanks ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/2 "2003-02-25T00:42:24Z")
Do you mean instrumental ? If not, Eric Clapton’s **Unplugged**. ---
**Author:** ![GuyMontag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ad7895/32.png) [@GuyMontag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyMontag)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/3 "2003-02-25T00:50:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gyan9 \* > \*\*Do you mean instrumental ? > > If not, Eric Clapton’s **Unplugged**. \*\* Got that one, but yes, along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/4 "2003-02-25T01:22:05Z")
Unlce Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992 ---
**Author:** ![fizgig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f04885/32.png) [@fizgig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizgig)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/5 "2003-02-25T01:33:57Z")
Willy Porter - Falling Forward Peter Mulvey - The Trouble With Poets They’re both more to the folk side, rather than blues, but both fantastic albums, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/6 "2003-02-25T01:44:45Z")
Leo Kottke - One Guitar, No Vocals ---
**Author:** ![King\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@King\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/7 "2003-02-25T02:08:24Z")
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000390S/qid=1046138888/sr=2-1/ref=sr\_2\_1/103-7333989-2118260](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000390S/qid=1046138888/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-7333989-2118260) ---
**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/8 "2003-02-25T03:27:32Z")
Barry Mitterhoff - Silk City This is mandolin music all over the map. A little bluegrass, a little polka, some Dvorak, and a great Wizard of Oz medley to boot. Al Petteway - The Waters and the Wild Robin Bullock - Midnight Howl Two exceptional musicians with more of a Celtic influence. ---
**Author:** ![malden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@malden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malden)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/9 "2003-02-25T04:15:33Z")
**[Phil Keaggy - _Beyond Nature_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000027Q0/qid%3D1046146483/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-1551043-3013547)**. Wonderful acoustic guitar music. Samples available at the link. ---
**Author:** ![TJ555\_The\_Golfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@TJ555\_The\_Golfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJ555_The_Golfer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/10 "2003-02-25T04:48:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Unlce Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992 Great choice. Get this, but wait a few weeks for the release. Also, get everything by Robert Johnson. You can get a box set that will have almost everything he recorded. Or get stuff by the Carter Family. And Jimmie Rodgers. ---
**Author:** ![TJ555\_The\_Golfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@TJ555\_The\_Golfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJ555_The_Golfer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/11 "2003-02-25T04:49:05Z")
> [@](#): > > release. Should be re-release. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/12 "2003-02-25T05:13:58Z")
My two favorite CDs: **The Nine Maidens** and **The Lady and the Unicorn** both by **John Renbourn**. These are acoustic and just lovely - mainly guitar with flute, fiddle, oboe and so on (no vocals). They have a Renaissance feel. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/13 "2003-02-25T05:32:22Z")
VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/14 "2003-02-25T05:44:24Z")
Some beautiful choices, I have a couple to add (they’re not strictly acoustic, but you’ll think they are): **Tim Hardin** - _Hang On To The Dream - The complete Verve Recordings_ or, if you’re in Australia, _Person To Person_. **Fred Neil** - _Tear Down The Walls/Bleeker and MacDougall_ - A Cheapie twofer that won’t let you down. **Leonard Cohen** - _Songs Of Leonard Cohen_ - Again, Not entirely acoustic, but essential and great (a bit deep at times). **Johnny Cash** - _American Recordings_ - The answer to the question what do Danzig, Leonard Cohen and Nick Lowe have in common, and in many ways, too good to be true. I echo the recommendations for Uncle Tupelo and Robert Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/15 "2003-02-25T08:27:34Z")
Nick Drake’s _Pink Moon_ is the only album you’ll need. Bleak, depressing and amazingly beautiful minimalistic folk-pop. Sort of. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/16 "2003-02-25T16:50:47Z")
A good resource for you would be to check out KFOG’s [Acoustic Sunrise](http://www.kfog.com/world_class_rock/acoustic_sunrise/acoustic_sunrise.html) every Sunday morning 6-11am Pacific Time. It’s 5 hours of acoustic based music streamed online. They usually have the playlist posted by the next day so you can see the artist and source for each song. They also play a lot of acoustic songs that were recorded by artists performing live at the station. Definitely worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/17 "2003-02-25T18:36:53Z")
**Bruce Springsteen’s** _Nebraska_, recorded on a four-track in his basement. Anything you can get your hands on by **Doc Watson** , a pioneer of fingerpicking/flatpicking from North Carolina. **King Rat** mentioned **Jerry Garcia** and **David Grisman**. Grisman runs a label called [Acoustic Disc](http://www.acousticdisc.com/) that puts out some fantastic albums - I’d especially recommend Doc & Dawg, a session with Grisman and Watson. There are a bunch of country and bluegrass folks you could look into: **Gram Parsons** , **Allison Kraus and Union Station** , **Tony Rice** , and **Merle Travis** to name a few. If you like the **Grateful Dead** at all, Reckoning was recorded on an acoustic tour in 1980. **Bob Weir** , who played rythm guitar for the Dead, also has an album with **Rob Wasserman** that’s usually hit or miss - I like it, but I know people who love the Dead and don’t like this album at all. **Neil Young’s** album _Silver and Gold_ from a couple of years ago is great. His Unplugged album is worth a try, to. If you’re looking for the blues, you could check out **Mississippi John Hurt**. For a more contemporary sound with a lot of blues influence (and a few covers), try **Chris Smither**. It might be helpful if you could tell us a little more about what you like and what you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acoustic-albums/157283/18 "2003-02-25T18:45:41Z")
I’d also recommend _Train a-Comin’_ by Steve Earle. It’s got Steve, Norman Blake and Peter Rowan playing all kind of string instruments. Fabulous!