A Book To Make You Feel Normal: "101 Essential Rock Records" by Jeff Gold

orthobiz · « **on:** 29 Dec 2012, 03:40 pm »

Based on Fremer's positive review, I requested and received this record for Christmas. It's a record collecting nut's delight, dealing with the list from a pure vinyl perspective AND covering The Beatles through The Sex Pistols.

Positively recommended!

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/are-these-your-101-essential-rock-records

Paul

SteveFord · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 03:58 pm »

Here's the list:

http://101essentialrecords.com/

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 04:38 pm »

I have 28 of them. There's a couple where I have another album by that artist that I consider a much better example of their work, Laura Nyro - More Than A New Discovery I would replace with New York Tendaberry and Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates of Dawn I would substitute Wish You Were Here. However both are using the initial recordings for those artists and I could live with that.

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 05:22 pm »

Thanks for posting Paul. I have a gift certificate to a great bookstore in Spokane and I'm getting it today. I have 64 of the 101. There are a few on the list I wouldn't own if you gave me a mint copy original issue. Different strokes for different folks. Also hard to imagine leaving off Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly and where's Abbey Road?

Happy New Year everyone.

ctviggen · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 06:26 pm »

Carole King is rock? I have maybe three of these, but sadly, I couldn't get more -- I listened to this music too much when I was younger. Now, if any of this music comes on a radio station, I immediately change the channel. Doesn't mean that the music's bad -- it's not, it's great -- It's just that I've listened to it too much.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 07:38 pm »

This list of albums are fully useless if one unknow these discs and wish listening quality music, let alone pay 40 Obamas for it.
These albums had historical importance only, some had bad music, most are not great music too, I surprised to see Faust and CAN on it.
Tago Mago is not the best album from CAN, just a famous double LP set.
A politically correct list, looking please the maximum of music style/bands possible.

orthobiz · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Dec 2012, 10:27 pm »

Wow, some of you musta taken a sour pill today!

Anyway, the book is not just a list. In fact, I consider the list aspect secondary. It is a well executed book with Photos of actual albums, not amazon jpegs. There are photos of most of the labels. Some albums like Hendrix Electric Ladyland, has six pages devoted to various releases. You will see white label promos, etc.

As a record collector I love the thrill of the find when it's the red two eye Columbia mono recording or the original gatefold cover instead of the Nice Price. If you share any of that wonderment, then this book is guaranteed to please. It probably wouldn't hurt if you're 57 years old, either!

Happy New Year!

Paul

Elizabeth · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 12:28 am »

I have most of those. Only a few seem to be REALLY wierd selections.
One spot i ran into just today so i am pumped about it is called 'best ever albums'.
For toying around to see what some other folks place what were it is interesting.
It uses some statistics to place albums, so it is a broader brush than Rolling Stone 500.

PS you do NOT have to sign up to use the services. They are all available except make your own list, without any sign in.
link:http://www.besteveralbums.com/index.php

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 01:06 am »

Quote from: ctviggen on 29 Dec 2012, 06:26 pm

Carole King is rock?

Absolutely! IMO. Tapestry is a great album that combines great rock with exceptional ballads. Just as much a rock album as CSN & Joni Mitchell (if not more). Rock encompasses a lot of different music from folk rock to hard rock and everything in between. One of the Brill Building girls who did quite well on her own.

JoshK · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 01:29 am »

Quote from: Elizabeth on 30 Dec 2012, 12:28 am

I have most of those. Only a few seem to be REALLY wierd selections.
One spot i ran into just today so i am pumped about it is called 'best ever albums'.
For toying around to see what some other folks place what were it is interesting.
It uses some statistics to place albums, so it is a broader brush than Rolling Stone 500.

PS you do NOT have to sign up to use the services. They are all available except make your own list, without any sign in.
link:http://www.besteveralbums.com/index.php

That is a wickedly cool site! I was messing about on it and was surfing the '90s and came across My Bloody Valentine - Loveless which I've heard tons about and listened to once but decided to give it another shot. Then I was looking at the top albums of the '90s for which I own most if I like the band, but came across Blur, which I never really explored. So its a cool way to rediscover old bands.

Soundminded · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 03:39 pm »

This is your brain:

This is your brain on Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols:

Any questions?

orthobiz · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 08:08 pm »

Quote from: Soundminded on 30 Dec 2012, 03:39 pm

This is your brain:

This is your brain on Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols:

Any questions?

Only one: did the last emoticon really explode?

Paul

TONEPUB · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 08:26 pm »

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 29 Dec 2012, 07:38 pm

This list of albums are fully useless if one unknow these discs and wish listening quality music, let alone pay 40 Obamas for it.
These albums had historical importance only, some had bad music, most are not great music too, I surprised to see Faust and CAN on it.
Tago Mago is not the best album from CAN, just a famous double LP set.
A politically correct list, looking please the maximum of music style/bands possible.

Duh. A good list of "records you must hear" should contain a wide range of music/bands/style. Hopefully, that will lead you to other music as a result.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 Dec 2012, 08:36 pm »

Quote from: TONEPUB on 30 Dec 2012, 08:26 pm

Duh. A good list of "records you must hear" should contain a wide range of music/bands/style. Hopefully, that will lead you to other music as a result.

Agree. For anyone with an open mind a great best list can have marvelous music.

I have always used lists with ratings to search used music. I have found a lot of cool music from lists.

ptmconsulting · « **Reply #14 on:** 31 Dec 2012, 12:29 pm »

It is a reasonable list ... one persons opinion anyway. What I find strange is that there are so many landmark albums that did not make his list, like Santana's Abraxas, or Jethro Tull's Aqualung, etc. I thought those would be no-brainers, but I guess there is only so much room within 101 selections.

MaxCast · « **Reply #15 on:** 31 Dec 2012, 01:58 pm »

There is an interview with Gold in the Record Collector news. Gold interviewed a number of artists and compiled a list of albums that "changed music forever." I took that as not a best seller type list but rather a game changer, bushing the boundaries type of list.

Stu Pitt · « **Reply #16 on:** 3 Jan 2013, 06:29 am »

It's a pretty good list IMO for the reasons previously stated. I always get amused by the people who get worked up about these types of lists.

I'd really like to see him do a follow-up list of 101 Essential Rock Albums after the Sex Pistols.

orthobiz · « **Reply #17 on:** 3 Jan 2013, 11:31 am »

I would encourage anyone who gets the chance to pick up this book and look at it. It's not simply a list! It's not a printed web blog. It's a book that has taken photos of actual albums. Sure, there's a blurb about what the album "means" in the big story of rock...

But, it has a discussion about labels and which is "the" one to own. It's written by a record collector. In some ways the actual album choice thus becomes secondary.

Paul

Soundminded · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Jan 2013, 02:55 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 29 Dec 2012, 03:40 pm

Based on Fremer's positive review, I requested and received this record for Christmas. It's a record collecting nut's delight, dealing with the list from a pure vinyl perspective AND covering The Beatles through The Sex Pistols.

Positively recommended!

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/are-these-your-101-essential-rock-records

Paul

"A Book To Make You Feel Normal"

If normal means average, save me from normal.

Fremer owning a turntable I think cost over $100,000 and speakers that cost over $100,000 and demagnetizes his vinyl records seems anything but normal to me. I usually read him or listen to him on YouTube when I want to escape reality and take a trip into the twilight zone. He's normal?

Elizabeth · « **Reply #19 on:** 3 Jan 2013, 05:32 pm »

Making a list of the 'top' anything music..
First what are the parameters for making the cut?
Sales would be one (adjusted for gross total sales that year?)
Certainly sales would have to be used carefully... some top selling stuff was not so great after all...
consideration if the music was groundbreaking (did it lead to a whole new sound? and precursors.. Sometimes another band actually did it first, then another made it famous.. or it is the best of that sort of style the peak.)
Lasting power. Does the music still have that power?
Then consensus voting, enough people agree it is great.