Absolutely, I agree 100%, and I also second Ben Harper (I own the box set, and every song is incredible) and Mazzy Star.
Cowboy Junkies, Lay it Down Every song on this album is a masterpiece; I can’t even begin to describe it. Extremely personal lyrics, beautiful vocals, haunting guitar. There is not a single throwaway song on this CD. I haven’t stopped listening since I bought it. It’s an incredible blend of pop, blues, and rock.
Joni Mitchell, Blue So it’s not brand new (try 30 years old), but it’s so beautiful lyrically and musically. My favorite song is “A Case of You” - but every song is great. When I first listened, I was shocked that I hadn’t heard any of it earlier (I heard it watching “Practical Magic” and ran out to buy the CD). It’s the best folk I’ve ever heard; sparse backgrounds, Joni’s flawless voice. I listen to it whenever the CJ aren’t playing
I definitely second that. It is a absolutely wonderful CD that I’ve yet to get tired of and doubt I will get tired of it actually. Another would be Green Day’s Warning. Granted most people think Green Day sold out with this CD I disagree just because it is a little bit easier on the ears doesn’t mean they’ve sold out. I saw them play live this summer while supporting their new CD rather than play the popular stuff from Dookie and Insomniac they really mixed it up and played a terrific set combining old and new stuff.
Synchronicity! I’m listening to it as I type this. I agree with you on all points.
Before her, I was listening to to Cassandra Wilson’s Blue Light 'Til Dawn. That deep rich voice and her haunting folk-blues jazz arrangements send shivers down my spine
Also, Radiohead’s OK Computer blew me away when I first heard it. This is the type of headphone music that hasn’t been made since Pink Floyd’s heyday. While I’m intrigued by Kid A and listened to it compulsively when I first got it, it didn’t have the same visceral impact on me.
The Fall of Us All by Steve Tibbetts. All of his albums are fantastic, but this one was particularly cataclysmic. Warning: Listen with seatbelts fastened.
The last CD that impressed me was Radiohead’s OK COMPUTER.
I’m not as happy with KID A as most people are.
Prior to OK COMPUTER, the CDs that most impressed me were:
Elastica - ELASTICA
Radiohead - THE BENDS
Counting Crows - AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER
The Sundays - BLIND
The Great Divide - Afterglow: The Will Rogers Sessions
This band is one of the best “unknowns” in country music. Their sound leans more towards alternative country than mainstream country, which is probably why they are rarely played on radio. Bah! But if you ever get to see them play live, you’ll definitely have a good time.
They made this cd after they lost their record deal with Atlantic. Ironically, that setback may have been just what they needed. Afterglow contains some of the best songwriting they have ever produced. And with the addition of some session musicians playing instruments the band didn’t include on their earlier records (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, Dobro), this record has a much fuller multi-layered sound than the others.
I have three, I have had them all over a year, and they are probably older than that, but really impressed me. I am including three as the musical styles represented are very different.
Beck – Mellow Gold
Glenn Gould – Bach: Goldberg Variations
Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Complete Muscle Shoals Album
The last CD that really impressed me was Ilmatar by Värttinä. Värttinä are a Finnish group who sing modern reworkings of traditional Karelian folk songs. I love their open staccato style of singing.
I am currently awaiting delivery of D.I. go Pop by Disco Inferno. I had it on tape, but I lost the tape. I think it’s one of the best albums of the 1990s, and I’m getting ready to be blown away by it all over again when it arrives.