My Favorite CD's Of All Time

Many people even years later still find that their favorite music is that which they listened to in their teenage or college years, and the same is mostly true in my case.

As well as the music of my youth, which is partly "Pop" but mostly what is now known as "Classic Rock", I have been influenced in later years as the result of my travels, which took me to a number of countries in Latin America, where I fell in love with Latin Music, and then I spent 15 years living in the USA and learned to love Country Music as well.

I hope you enjoy the selections that I have for you, a few of which you may be familiar with, but invariably I am sure you probably will not have. I have added videos from You Tube where possible so that you can have a listen and see for yourself. Most of these albums are ones that I can just pick up and listen to at any time, and I know when inside out.

Some of the CD's that I have listed below used to be my favorite LP's, and I still have them on vinyl, so you can tell how old some of them are and indeed and how old I am too!

Amazon allows you to listen to the tracks on most of these CD's, and clicking on the image of the CD sleeve will take you there.

Quadrophenia" />The Who
QuadropheniaCHECK PRICE

Quadrophenia was the second double album by The Who to have a theme, the first being their now classic Rock Opera "Tommy".

This album, which features the unique drumming talent of the legendary Keith Moon, is set in the 1960s and the battles between rival gangs of Mods and Rockers on the South Coast of England.

The music is rocking, with some great bass lines from John Entwistle, great guitar riffs from Pete Townshend, and of course great vocals from Roger Daltry. Quadrophenia includes The Who classics such as 5:15, Love Reign O'er Me and Doctor Jimmy.

Premiata Forneria Marconi
Live In Japan 2002CHECK PRICE

PFM are an Italian progressive rock band that have been around since the late 1960s, their birth coming at the same time as other well known bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Emerson Lake & Palmer, all of which had an influence on their music.

Their blend of classical and popular Italian songs plus their unique instrumentals have given PFM a cult following across the globe.

I have been a fan of their music since the mid 1970s, and for me their 2002 CD "Live In Japan" contains some of the best performances to date. I have the DVD as well, hard to get but well worth it.

If you only have time to listen to one video, don't miss their legendary ballad "Impressioni di Settembre.

You can learn more about PFM on this lens PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi.

Live 2001" />Roxy Music
Live 2001CHECK PRICE

Roxy Music Live is a double CD that was released following the band's reunion tour in 2001.

Some reunions are good, some not so good, but the music quality, arrangements and the song selection on this double CD is perfect, especially for those who love the early Roxy Music numbers.

I highly recommend "A Song For Europe", "Editions Of You" and if you enjoy the sax playing of Andy Mackay, don't miss the soulful "Tara" which is a brilliant instrumental.

Focus
Focus IIICHECK PRICE

The Dutch band Focus may be one that you have never heard of, however if someone was to say "Hocus Pocus" which was a hit single of theirs where the closest to lyrics was the yodelling, chances are you know exactly who they are.

But Focus are far more than Hocus Pocus, which came from their 2nd album "Moving Waves". Their third album, "Focus III" had only one single, which made it to the top ten, and you would probably recognize "Sylvia" if you heard it, but the rest of this CD (originally a double LP) is all instrumental, and music that I could listen to at any time.

My favorite track is one that was talked about when the album was first released back in 1972, "Anonymous II", because it's close to 30 minutes long and spanned 1 1/2 sides of an LP! Anonymous II features solos from all 4 members of the band, and the drum solo from Pierre Van Der Linden is superb.

I recommend cranking the volume up, turning the lights out, and just enjoying some great jamming folk rock jazz progressive rock. Ok it might take a few listens to get into some of it, but I hope you do.

Genesis
FoxtrotCHECK PRICE

Foxtrot was the first Genesis album that I heard, and it was the year that is was released, 1972, that I first heard it. Over the next several years I must have played this at least once a day, it's that good and that different.

Some friends at high school had been to see Lindisfarne in concert, and Genesis were the opening act. They came back raving about Genesis, who back then had only a small cult following. Apparently they were so good, and Lindisfarne so bad, the crowd kept chanting for Genesis to come back on stage.

Foxtrot has some excellent tracks, notably "Watcher Of The Skies" which is about us being monitored by a creator far away, "Timetable" which reflects back on a lost Arthurian legacy, and "Can-Utility And The Coastliners" which is a play on words around the story of King Canute who tried to control the waves.

The other main track is one which no dedicated long time follow of Genesis would be unaware of, the 20 minute long epic "Suppers Ready". This is a series of events that occur in a dream, losely based around the Apocalypse. In parts it's weird, in others really weird, but there is some great music here, with Phil Collins really beginning to show off his unique drumming skills. Definitely listen to Suppers Ready in a dark room with the volume cranked up, and get lost in the music.

Luis Miguel
RomanceCHECK PRICE

What do you get if you combine the smooth voice of a 21 year old Mexican singer with some classic Latin romantic songs from the 1950s to the 1970s?

What you get is Luis Miguel's "Romance", which is a CD filled with some of the most romantic music in the world.

The emotion and feeling in this music is so strong that you don't need to understand the words, just feel the music.

If you like Nat King Cole and other music in this style, I am sure that you will enjoy this album. It's perfect for a romantic evening indoors.

Camel
MoonmadnessCHECK PRICE

The 1976 album "Moonmadness" followed a highly successful album "The Snow Goose" which was based on the short story of the same name.

Moonmadness starts with "Aristillus", an instrumental track that is hard to describe, except to say that opening their concert at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth with this track, the theatre in complete darkness, and then moving immediately to another great track with lots of lighting effects, the audience was immediately captivated.

The highlights of this album for me are the mellow "Airborne", "Song Within A Song", and the closest you will get to a title track, "Lunar Sea", "Moonmadness being a play on the word "Lunacy".

The re-released CD has some extra live tracks, plus the best live track from The Snow Goose as well, "Dunkirk".

I maybe ought to point out that this band in not "Frampton's Camel" which was fronted by Peter Frampton. This band was fronted by the late Pete Bardens, Andrew Lattimer, Andy Ward and Doug Ferguson.

Juan Luis Guerra
Bachata RosaCHECK PRICE

My love of the music of Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4:40 began when I travelled to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic for 3 weeks to install a computer system for a client in July 1989.

I had already begun to like Latin Music the previous month during a 2 week trip to Guatemala, but it was the music from the Dominican Republic that quickly got into my blood during this trip, since almost everything playing on the radio was Merengue, Bachata or Salsa.

The merengue rhythms, perfect timing and excellent musical quality of 4:40 quickly made them a favorite of mine, and their current hits "Guavaberry" and "Ojala Que Lleva Cafe" (I Wish It Would Rain Coffee) were constantly playing.

Bachata Rosa was released in December 1990 and I purchased this as I usually did, on one of my trips to the Americas, during a layover in Miami between flights. My colleague and I used to catch the earliest flight into Miami so that we could spend a few hours in Bayside and do some shopping, and we would always pop into a small record shop on Flagler Street and buy CD's which you could not then easily get in the UK.

This CD has some of Juan Luis Guerra's greatest songs, from the romantic "Burbujas de Amor" (Bubbles of Love) to "Como Abeja Al Panal" (Like a Bee to the Hive), and "Estrelliatas Y Duendes" (Little Stars and Fairies). Listen to a few (Amazon allows you to preview them), and I am sure you will grow to like them too.

The music of Juan Luis Guerra transcends language, it's the music of love and emotion. You don't have to understand all the words, but it makes you want to grab a dictionary nevertheless. It's just beautiful lively songs, you can't help but feel elated and happy if you listen to this.

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