I get asked a lot (via e-mail) to advise on gifts (especially music titles), so here goes...
I've reviewed most of these so look up the Index below for more details...
CD CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR 2019 Volume 1
I've reviewed most of these so look up the Index below for more details...
CD CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR 2019 Volume 1
OFF-THE BEATEN-TRACK GIFT SUGGESTIONS
HIDDEN AMAZON GEMS...
For the Soul nutter in your life, a genius selection of 20 iconic albums stretching from the early Sixties through to the early Seventies - each remastered and each in a natty card repro sleeve. Obvious choices (Otis, Aretha, Pickett and so on) but its the slices in-between that are such great discoveries like Donny Hathaway and Howard Tate...about £30...
Stunning Double-Album from Elton in 1973 (originally on DJM Records) - Reissued and Remastered onto a DELUXE EDITION 2CD Set. Features the entire double on Disc 1 - new duet and collaboration recordings on CD2 with a live gig from the day...and only £7.89...
Was to be Zeppelin's vocalist before Plant nabbed the best job - Terry Reid is one of those fantastic British singers that can wow you (still gigs to this day). Think Steve Marriott meets Gary Holton (of The Heavy Metal Kids) with the Soulfulness of say Joe Cocker or Robert Palmer. This 5CD Series has a lot of hidden gems in it - and this is one of them. Albums from 1968, 1969, 1973, 1977 and 1991. Around eleven quid or less...
Vastly underrated American Icon - what puts this 'Best Of' for John 'Cougar' Mellencamp into the winner catagory is the excellence of the two exclusive songs "Thank You" and "Walk Tall" alongside storming Remasters of a huge range of album tracks you don't know but should...only six quid and less in certain places...
Shockingly good value for money considering the sheer class of this - all her best Atlantic Records singles (including rare but beautiful B-sides like "Pledging My Love/The Clock") on a 2CD kicker.
Less than a fiver!
There is a 2-Disc Deluxe Edition of this but this 1CD variant is all you need. Again much of his Eighties material has remained infuriatingly untouched as far as decent remasters go (excepting expensive and deleted Mobile Fidelity titles) - so this lot expertly transferred by Stephen Marcussen (who did The Stones Seventies catalogue) offers crafted goody after crafted nugget. Six quid and less in the right places...
While "Jagged Little Pill" remains many people's fave by ALANIS MORISSETTE (and a 90s icon) - she made a few after that didn't go down so well. So this absolute nugget from 2004 kind of got lost through the years. It's a stunning and positive rocker of an album where songs like "Excuses" and "Knees Of My Bees" are lyrically and musically brilliant (pain and joy in equal measure). Yours for less than four quid and under a £1 in places...
It hit many so hard when Soundgarden/Audioslave's awesome singer CHRIS CORNELL finished with the world in May 2017 aged only 52 - but this gem remained. Possessed of a way with Acoustic Guitar melodies and a set of vocal pipes that would make Robert Plant and Brian Johnson nervous - for such a hurt man - he produced incredibly uplifting and soul-touching music. Like Stevie Ray Vaughan - his loss rankers even now. Give this a try...less that six quid...
Five more DAD ROCK choices from Universal's 2CD DELUXE EDITION Series - fabulous remasters and all now the cheapest they've ever been...
More DAD ROCK but from Sony's LEGACY EDITION 2CD Series - again great remasters and some surprising bargains/forgotten albums...
CD BOX SETS THAT ROCK BUT WON'T COST YOU A LIMB LET ALONE A ROLL...
EAGLES. Their six studio albums from the self-titled 1972 debut (with "Take It Easy" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling") to that final effort before break up "The Long Run" in 1979 with Joe Walsh ("Heartache Tonight"). Each in those natty card repro sleeves (all remasters) and properly great value for money. Just over two quid per disc, hits and forgotten gems like the gorgeous Acoustic Folk of "My Man" on the massively underrated "On The Border" LP, the Bernie Leadon instrumental "Journey Of The Sorcerer" used in The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy (on "One Of These Nights") and Timothy B. Schmit's vocals on "I Can't Tell You Why" alongside Don Henley on "The Sad Cafe" and Walsh on "In The City" - all on "The Long Run".
BYRDS. Staggering music and such amazing value for money - 13 albums (one a double) and wads of Bonus Material - beautiful Vic Anesini Remasters - Card Repro Sleeves - chunky booklet rammed with tidbits and memorabilia. This used to sell for up to £50 and more - now less than £29 new and on your door...
