Building a Vinyl Collection From Scratch - post your top 10

So last year for Christmas, The Gee Eff got me a turntable. I had long before sold off all of my vinyl (save for my Flaming Lips collection).

Rather than just buy records willy-nilly, I am taking this opportunity to make a kind of top-50-records-of-all-time list and BUY IT.

The list will be slanted towards the autobiographical. In other words, even if Sgt. Pepper is the greatest album ever, I didn't listen to it all that much (who listens to the Beatles anymore anyway? *runs and hides*), so anyway, Sgt Pepper is not in the top 50. One magical summer, I only had one tape in my car, and it was Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, and I listened to that thing at least 1000 times. So it IS on the list.

So I'm going to list my top 100 where I stand right now (stars mean I already own it).

I am very interested in fine-tuning it, and I welcome anyone here to list your personal top 10 (or 5 or whatever)

The list is in random order, not a ranking, but if it's on here, I think it's pretty rad. Enjoy!

*** Arcade Fire - Funeral
*** Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
*** Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
*** Pixies - Surfer Rosa
5 *** Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
*** Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
*** The Shins - Oh Inverted World
*** Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - ACME
*** LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
10 *** Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin
*** Portishead - Dummy
*** The Cars - The Cars
*** Luscious Jackson - Fever In Fever Out
*** Low - Secret Name
15 *** Soundgarden - Superunknown
*** Muse - Absolution
*** Dead Kennedys - Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
*** Guided by Voices - Alien Lanes
*** Air - Moon Safari
20 *** Pearl Jam - Ten
*** Firehose - If'n
*** Morphine - Cure for Pain
*** New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
*** Hayden - Everything I Long For
25 *** The Postal Service - Give Up
*** Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
*** White Stripes - White Blood Cells
*** Bjork - Homogenic
*** Brazillian Girls - Brazillian Girls
30 *** The Strokes - Is This It
*** Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
*** MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
*** Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual
*** Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
35 *** Low - Long Division
*** Pixies - Doolittle
*** Rolling Stones - Some Girls
*** The The - Infected
*** Le Tigre - Le Tigre
40 *** Nirvana - Nevermind
*** Ladytron - Witching Hour
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Autolux - Future Perfect
45 Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
Urge Overkill - Saturation
Elliott Smith - XO
50 Radiohead - OK Computer
Morphine - The Night
Interpol - Our Love to Admire
The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Placebo - Meds
55 Tragically Hip - Day for Night
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Sahara Hotnights - Kiss & Tell
Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Jimmy Cliff - Reggae Greats
60 Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
Ben Harper - Fight For Your Mind
Son Volt - Trace
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
65 The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Cinematic Orchestra - Motion
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show your Bones

The Doors - LA Woman
Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand
70 Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Beck - Sea Change
Built to Spill - Ancient Melodies of the Future
Bob Marley - Kaya
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
75 Jimi Hendrix - Axis Bold as Love
Van Halen - Van Halen
The Black Crows - Southern Harmony ….
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
80 The Beatles - Revolver
Lonely Is An Eyesore (4AD Comp.)
Damien Jurado & Gathered in Song - I Break Chairs
Neil Young - Harvest
Velvet Underground and Nico
85 CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy
Reverend Horton Heat - Full Custom Gospel Sounds of
The Duke Spirit - Neptune
Mudhoney - PIece of Cake
Nina Simone
90 The Vines - Winning Days
The Wombats - A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation
Jose Gonzales - In Our Nature
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - Amnesiac
95 Yo La Tengo - Elecr-o-pura
Yo La Tengo - Painful
The Doors - The Doors
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
100 Nick Drake - Pink Moon
New Order - Substance
Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77
The Neil Diamond Collection
Joy Division - Closer
105 Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

That's quite a list! Interestingly, I was going to suggest Revolver, but you have it on there.

But in general, it is clear you and I have different tastes in music, so I will let others voice their opinion. I might suggest The Bends, although you've got plenty of Radiohead on there.

walrus

Funny, I picked up a cheap turntable last year and now I only buy vinyl (and most come with a download code as well, which is a big plus). I came to the realization long ago that the easier it was to acquire music, the less I really absorb what I listen to. Now don't get me wrong, I love that I have a ton of music on my computer and my TV will access it all wirelessly and run it through my surround sound via a digital optical cable, but still, vinyl sounds so much better. Anyway, I don't have a "top" anything list, but I'm only buying records that I really what to put on and LISTEN to. Here are some recent additions to my rather meager collection:

CLUTCH - Blast Tyrant reissue on 181-gram vinyl (because 180 isn't heavy enough)
BEASTIE BOYS - Paul's Boutique
SHELLAC - At Action Park, Terraform, 1000 Hurts, and Excellent Italian Greyhound
THE SWORD - Warp Riders
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds
BLACK SABBATH - Master of Reality
THE QUEERS - Back to the Basement
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - s/t (2012) on clear vinyl
OFF! - The First Four EPs (box set)
THE RAMONES - Rocket to Russia, Leave Home, and End of the Century
COLOUR HAZE - s/t
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS - Inflammable Material (audiophile reissue), Nobody's Heroes (original), and Go For It (original)
THE CLASH - London Calling, Give 'em Enough Rope
BAD BRAINS - Live
BAD RELIGION - Against the Grain
SCREECHING WEASEL - First World Manifesto
MINUTEMEN - Three-Way Tie for Last, Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat

...and some gifts from people
SANTANA (Top Groups of Pop Music series)
OZZY OSBOURNE - Blizzard of Oz
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Are You Experienced? (Now, a note about this one: I"m not a big fan of classic rock, by which I mean I don't sit around at home thinking hey I should listen to Hendrix, or Zeppelin, etc. But if I'm out say, at a bar, and I hear something from back in the day it's cool. Otherwise, I've heard it enough. But listening to a good audiophile pressing of Hendrix... \m/'-_-'\m/)

...and some records from bands friends of mine used to be in that I was a little surprised to find and none of you have probably ever heard of:

TEETH OF THE HYDRA - Greenland
BLACK DOVE - s/t
THREE STUDIES FOR A CRUCIFIXION/COLEMAN (split 12")

Since you said biographical my opinion is not going to help you very much. I am pleased to see The Doors debut release on there since it is the only vinyl that I ever purchased twice, having worn out the first copy.

Nice list, lots of overlap in artists that you would find in my list. I see where the album choice may differ, but there's a lot of stuff there I'm into. I see a lot of artists missing that I would consider essential for me (in no particular order):
The Clash
The Who
Boston
The Damned
Sex Pistols
Fu Manchu
David Bowie
Steely Dan
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Angel City
Prince
The Police
Michael Jackson
Tool
Southern Culture On The Skids
U2
Jimi Hendrix
Rush
Charged G.B.H.
James Brown
Devo
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Iron Maiden
The Sweet
Motorhead
Chemical Brothers
Johnny Cash
Japan
Stray Cats

Allman Brothers: Live at the Fillmore. Turn it up. 8)

Doobie Brothers: The Captain and Me

Got any Steely Dan in there?

Aha! This is why I asked.

The Gee Eff has lots of Clash and Bowie on Vinyl, I guess that's why I skipped them.

I think U2's Achtung Baby needs a place on my list. I also need to get more punk on here. And how could I miss Paul's Boutique? Sacrilege.

Steely Dan is tricky. I had a CD copy of Decade in my CD player the summer I turned 21 on Cape Cod. The Girl Who Broke My Heart liked to listen to it when we were - uh - entwined. It's a bit of a minefield record for me.

Chazmo said:

Doobie Brothers: The Captain and Me

Got any Steely Dan in there?

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Must have Steely Dan. "Aja", at least. "Pretzel Logic" right in there, too.

Dave

Los Angeles said:

Aha! This is why I asked.

The Gee Eff has lots of Clash and Bowie on Vinyl, I guess that's why I skipped them.

I think U2's Achtung Baby needs a place on my list. I also need to get more punk on here. And how could I miss Paul's Boutique? Sacrilege.

Steely Dan is tricky. I had a CD copy of Decade in my CD player the summer I turned 21 on Cape Cod. The Girl Who Broke My Heart liked to listen to it when we were - uh - entwined. It's a bit of a minefield record for me.

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Ah, well, minefields are best avoided when stacking LPs on your turntable!

I've read through the lists 3 times, so if I missed Van Morrison being mentioned, mea culpa. Toss-up between, Moondance, Astral Weeks, and His Band and the Street Choir.

P.S. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You <------thought and song for the day. 8)

I'll add two, that IMHO might just be the greatest Rock 'N' Roll records ever made:

The Who "Quadrophenia"
Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street"

There's lots of others (Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" comes to mind), but I'll leave it at that. 8)

Ya need a couple of jazz classics:
Miles Davis-Kind of Blue (Don't let this one fool ya--Duane Allman once said it was almost all he ever listened to for a couple of years and inspired "In Memory of 'Lizbeth Reed")
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme(the Hendrix of the saxophone)
Some I didn't see on the list:
Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow (although pesonally I prefer the following vinyl, "After Bathing At Baxter"s")
Pretenders: The Pretenders
Jethro Tull: Aqualung
Jeff Beck: Beck-ola (If you don't know Jeff, this was his second album and is a whole lot more heavy-metal styled than "Blow By Blow" which came about 5 years later)
Frank Zappa: Weasels Ripped My Flesh (this one of the first wherein he actually started shutting up and playing his guitar, good late '60's vibes which should surprise you :wink: )
Quicksilver Messenger Service: Quicksilver Messenger Service- this is one the forgotten masterpieces of "the Summer of Love"
The Who: "Live at Leeds" -sometimes cited as the greatest live hard rock album of all time, and I'm inclined to agree. Pure content, no filler. :wink:

You had Dark side of the moon, but you're missing some great Floyd records! The Wall, Welcome to the Machine, and The Division Bell at least!

I'm surprised and pleased with everyone's musical taste btw! Very eclectic.

Some others:

Smashing Pumpkins~ Siamese Dream and Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Some Bob Seger
Some John Melloncamp
Some Tom Petty
Stone Sour~ Audiosecrecy
Some John Prine
Everclear~Songs from an American Movie Pts 1 and 2
Deftones~ Diamond Eyes

Lately I've just listened to folk music, which is in my opinion the best genre for vinyl. Some great (newer) folk artists are:

Gregory Alan Isakov~ The Sea, That Gambler; and This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2 of the greatest albums ever)
Reed Foehl (any, except Spark, which isn't even folk lol)
Joe Pug (any)
Joe Purdy~ Julie Blue, This American, July 4th, or Canyon Joe
Iron and Wine~The Creek Drank the Cradle, Our Endless Numbered Days, and Around the Well
Jakob Dylan~Seeing Things and Women + Country
Dylan LeBlanc~ Pauper's Field

Almost every good piece of vinyl has been released on CD, but I'll add some good obscure titles

McGear (1974) - Mike McGear (Paul McCartney's brother). Really this is a wings LP with Mike doing most of the vocals. Great songs. McCartney's true follow-up to band on the run.

Emmit Rhodes (1971) - Emmit Rhodes. A Paul McCartney disciple. Great songs. He's got another incredible song called "Tame the Lion" One of the best anti-war songs I've ever heard.

Working with Fire and Steel (1983) - China Crisis. VERY early 80's synth type stuff, but less synth driven and more melodic pop than anything else offered at the time.

Revelations (1968) - New Colony Six Some really beautiful songs but kind of a wimpy band.

Got to go...more later

+1 for Allman Bros. Live at the Fillmore

Steve Miller - Anthology

Santana - Abraxas

Crosby Stills Nash & Young - 4 Way Street

Led Zep IV

Cream - Disraeli Gears

Janis Joplin - Pearl

J Geils - Live

Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs

James Taylor - Sweet Baby James

another vote for Doobie Bros - The Captain & Me

Chuck Berry - The London Sessions

Ahhh, "The Captain and Me"......it doesn't get any better. Year before last......Ol' Tom gave me his pick after China Grove that night.




West

Love your list, LA. I like it when somebody mentions Bjork. I hate being embarrassed to be a Bjork fan, but I yam what I yam.

Anyway, with the classic albums you have on that list, I recommend (Unless I missed them)

Lou Reed- Rock and Roll Animal, and/or perhaps Magic and Loss
Liz Phair- Exile in Guyville

I have a sweet turntable. An Optonica set into a slab of granite. I should start using it...or sell it.

Again, fantastic list and have fun with your collection.

adorshki said:

The Who: "Live at Leeds" -sometimes cited as the greatest live hard rock album of all time, and I'm inclined to agree. Pure content, no filler. :wink:

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I still have the first edition, with all the "filler." Saw a thread on another list a while back where a seller wanted big bucks for this one. He inherited it from a relative or something like that and thought that all the enclosures were real
I also have the first edition of Her Satanic Majesties, with the original inner sleeve and the maze intact.
Probably some other gems I don't remember-lots of 70s promos. Did sell the original Lynard Skynard flames cover when I needed some money.
Only a few of the OPs list would make mine, probably a generation gap sort of thing.
Brad