All Time Favourite Albums

My All Time Favourite Albums are

1. Black Sabbath – Technical Ecstasy – I don’t expect there are many
   other people that would agree with me on this but I think it is an album you
   either love or hate. I love Tony Iommi’s guitar solos on this and for once
   I even notice the drumming.
2. Praying Mantis – Time Tell No Lies – I have had this album from day
   one and something about it clicked with me. Actually at the time I was a Dr
   Who Novel “Dr Who and the Darlek 2010AD” and it had freedom fighters
   trying to recapture the Earth. Mantis have a line about “Freedom fighters”
   in one of the songs. That and the fact the music was usual to my ears and
   the vocals delivered in a strange accent just made it a special reading experience
   as the album became familiar to me. Then over the year I just found myself
   returning to it over and over again. As far as I knew in 1994 Praying Mantis
   had died a death and never imagined being album to own the album on CD. Now
   I do their web page 🙂
3. Rick Wakeman – The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of
   the round table – I was into NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal)
   bands when I got this album 2nd hand. I pretty much dismissed it as being
   far to light but over the next few months I returned to it and discovered
   it’s quality. Every time I listening it I find something new to hear in the
   mix. I just love it.
4. Ayreon – The Final Experiment – A friend sent me this on tape and
   said to give it ago. I played it and thought I had heard it all before. On
   further plays though I got over that bias and just enjoyed the fantastic used
   of singers, guitars, and most importantly keyboards. I was still playing it
   over 70 plays later. Normally I get bored of a new album between 10-20 listens.
5. Lou Reed – Berlin – I love the lyrics and atmosphere on this album.
   People find it depressing. I just love it.
6. David Bowie – Hunky Dory – I got this album for Life On Mars and
   it sparked of several interests above. e.g. I wanted to know more about Richard
   Wakeman so got Myths and Legends. And I loved Queen Bitch at tribute to Lou
   Reed and the Velvet Underground so I started looking at his work. I think
   this was Bowie at his best and having Rick Wakeman on Piano made it even better.
7. Gillan – Mr Universe – I love Ian Gillans vocals and I think this
   album represents him at his best.
8. ELO – ELO – The first ELO album. It contained Roy Wood who I loved
   from Wizzard and it is great to hear a rock band playing with Orchestral instruments.
   Every ELO album after this just diluted the mix. Such a shame.
9. ZZ Top – Tres Hombres – I read about this album in an interview with
   Kerrang! in 1980 for some reason I thought I would have to try it and I was
   glad I did. I love the hypnotic rhythm of the beat. A great album.
10. John Cale – Paris 1919 – This one I find hard to explain. I think
    I rate it so highly because it is so different to everything else in my collection.
    And of course I love it.

It is sad to see I owned all these album by 1982 with exception of Ayreon.
Luckily there an now news bands that are starting
to interest me again.

Honourable mentions go to

• Ayreon – Actual Fantasy
• Ayreon – Into The Electric Castle
• Ayreon – The Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer
• Ayreon – The Universal Migrator Part 2: The Flight Of The Migrator
• Blackfoot – Maruder
• Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
• Black Sabbath – Sabotage
• Black Sabbath -Vol. 4
• Black Sabbath -Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
• Pink Floyd – The Wall
• Praying Mantis – A Cry For The New World
• Praying Mantis – Nowhere To Hide
• Praying Mantis – Forever In Time
• Queen – Queen II
• Rick Wakeman – Can Hear You Me?
• Rick Wakeman – Phantom Power
• Rick Wakeman – Softsword

As can be seen I am pretty keen of the following artists

• Black Sabbath
• Praying Mantis
• Rick Wakeman (Not particularly
  Yes) also I have photos here
• Lou Reed
• Ian Gillan (Gillan and the
  Deep Purple line up that includes him)
• Roy Wood (The Move, Solo,
  Wizzard and Early ELO)
• Ayreon

Plus

• The Blues Band
• Blackfoot
• Graham Bond
• Gowan
• Annie Haslam (Renaissance
  and Solo)
• Jethro Tull
• Kiss
• Sonja Kristina
  (Curved Air Solo and with
  Mask)
• Lana Lane
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Magnum/Hard Rain
• Santana
• Slade
• Scorpions
• Supertramp
• ZZ Top

If you are interested in what tracks I like most check out my
essential music for a desert island page