Nick Drake "Pink Moon" (Island, 1972)
Another absolute gem. This was Drake's last studio album, recorded in a the short space of a few days in late 1971, after the music had brewed about in his mind during many months of depression and inactivity. Producer Joe Boyd had apparently left standing orders that the studios were to be opened at any time Drake wanted to record, and thankfully his devotion paid off. And yes, the title track is the song that was used in that super-cool VW commercial -- but even before Madison Avenue latched onto it, this album had been providing the backdrop for countless happy, whistful afternoons and rainy days at home. Part of the brilliance of this album is the total absence of the hated bongo drum, scourge of the hippie era. That and, of course, Drake's sublime vocal and guitar work. Highly recommended.

Nic Jones "Penguin Eggs" (Topic/Shanachie, 1980)
One of my favorite English folk albums! A wonderfully evocative collection of nine traditional and neo-traditional tunes: revamped sea shanties, gothically bleak tales of doomed and drowned lovers, raunchy tavern humor, and -- above all -- the intensely soulful guitar and vocals of Nic Jones. His melodic and dramatic delivery is extraordinary. The album is, in fact, sublime... and highly, highly recommended. This album includes his version of "Canadee-I-O", which caused a stir in the folk-rock world when Bob Dylan recorded a version which used Jones' arrangement without giving credit (or money) to Jones... Bob caught flak from all sides for ripping off the beloved Jones... Controversy aside, it's also a great song, revisiting the popular theme of a woman who disguises herself as a sailor in order to follow her own true love when he goes out to sea. This is the Nic Jones album to look for, not least because it's the only studio album that's been in print over the last few decades. HIGHLY recommended!

John Renbourn "Black Balloon" (Transatlantic/Kicking Mule, 1979)
Absolutely stunning. Absolutely stunning. Absolutely stunning. For me, this is Renbourn's great masterpiece. An envious mix of styles -- Elizabethan aires, with English, French and Irish roots. Renbourn's medley, "The Mist Covered Mountains/The Orphan/The Tarboulton" is perhaps my favorite of all his recordings. Although the credits read "John Renbourn - Guitars," I was never sure if there was a second player on this tune or not. Turns out, there isn't. When I saw him play this song live I was floored to see him play all the parts -- melody, counter-melody and all -- in a dazzling yet elegant display of Renbourn's considerable prowess.

Billie Holiday "Golden Years, Vols. 1&2" (Columbia, 1973) (vinyl only)
Whenever confronted with the eternal question of what my "desert island discs" would be, the first artist to come to mind is Billie Holiday, and these are the records I'm thinking of. Just as inevitable is the response, "God -- how depressing!" Holiday has kind of a bum rap as a downbeat performer, which is mainly due to the notoriety of her personal life, rather than her actual recorded legacy. She was actually a great romantic singer, with a unique combination of emotionality and restraint that has beguiled listeners across the world for decades. Far from being morbid, Holiday's early repertoire was mainly comprised of run-of-the-mill moon-june love tunes, which she made beautiful and profound simply by being the most gifted torch singer in the history of jazz. These early, exhilarating swing recordings are the music that built her legend -- beautiful stuff that is a must-have, must-love for anyone serious about Depression-era music. Along with the silken, playful vocals, these recordings feature outstanding accompaniment from some of the most talented musicians of the big band era, including Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Ben Webster and Gene Krupa. Holiday's collaborations with pianist Teddy Wilson, in particular, rank among the most glorious swing music ever recorded. Very classy and hauntingly sublime.

Billie Holiday "The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia: 1933-1944" (Sony Legacy, 2001)
Those of us who had despaired of ever seeing a Holiday package as classy as the multi-LP box sets reviewed above now have cause to celebrate anew... This 10-CD collection picks up where the Golden Years discs left off; it's the Holy Grail that the Lady Day cult has long been questing for, gathering all of Holiday's best, most delectable material, from her Depression-era heyday to the end of the Second World War, when personal troubles began to cripple her career. In addition to dozens of well-beloved standards from her Columbia years, this set includes three discs worth of previously unreleased radio performances and wartime "Victory Discs," music originally intended only for broadcast to the Allied troops in Europe. It's all great, and while the sticker price may be daunting, there's no good reason not to get this collection. It's amazing.

The Bats "The Law Of Things" (Communion, 1988/reissued on Mammoth)
Dreamy, jangly, irresistible guitar pop with an unidentifiably dark, moody undercurrent. This New Zealand "kiwipop" masterpiece is one of the best, most upbeat janglecore discs ever laid to wax, with songs such as "Never Said Goodbye"... Highly recommended!

Francoiz Breut "Francoiz Breut" (Lithium, 1997)
One of the most striking (and most inquired about) records of my fabulous radio career. If you are looking for a truly enchanting, different-sounding record to groove out on, give this a try. Produced along with her boyfriend, Dominic A, this features alluring, Marianne Faithfull-style vocals swathed in a cloak of spooky, dreamy, jazzy arrangements not unlike Marc Ribot-era Tom Waits, or (dare I say it?) the Cowboy Junkies. Highly recommended.

Buzzcocks "Singles Going Steady" (IRS, 1979)
Buzzcocks "Operator's Manual" (Capitol, 1991)
Yeah, sure, this is like shooting fish in a barrel... Gathering together the earliest singles of the world's greatest pop-punk band ever is pretty much a no-brainer. These are the best and most melodic recordings by these Britpop progenitors, and there isn't an unworthy song on here. Play them all really, really loud and you'll be really really happy. (Matter of personal preference: sure, the Operator's Manual CD best-of has more songs and is super cool, but the original Singles album just looks way cooler.)

My Bloody Valentine "Loveless" (Creation, 1991)
One of the most alluring bands ever to vanish in a puff of smoke, My Bloody Valentine metamorphosized from a rather raggedy jangle-pop band alaThe Primitives into perhaps the single most influential indie rock band since REM. Multi-layered, nontextual and mysterious, MBV's last full album, Loveless set the standard for spacy, swirly indierock for the first half of the 1990s, and was a significant bridge between the analog literalness of guitar rock and the mutable fluidity of electronica. A glowing, sugary masterpiece that runs the gamut from gorgeous to incandescent, Loveless is a boldly experimental pop release: built from heavily layered tape loops, it bridges melodic twee guitar pop, electronica and sheer white noise (ala the Japanese avant scene). The distorted, shimmering vocals are so ornate and heavily produced that the album completely redefines the traditional "pop" context and sits firmly in a world of experiential, abstract sensuality. Difficult to do justice with words, this one is a real doozy. After the release of this masterpiece, MBV simply evaporated, as the band's main auteur, Kevin Shields, retreated into a Brian Wilsonesque retirement. Rumors abound as to reasons and reunions, and from time to time a new MBV track or Kevin Shields remix will find its way onto an album or compilation. Regardless, though, of the future, My Bloody Valentine's past accomplishments are nothing to sneeze at.

Teenage Fanclub "Bandwagonesque" (Geffen/DGC, 1992)
A masterpiece -- a guitar rock heaven record which demolishes the notion of "guilty pleasure." TFC really hit their stride with this ridiculously lavish, rich wall of harmony and melody -- almost singlehandedly, this is the record -- and the band -- that made the '90s safe for Big Star-style '70s power pop... where would Oasis be without them? The omnipresence of this album in the early '90s alterna-scene may have prompted a backlash against the lads, but it's still undeniably a grand album that easily stands up to the test of time. Favorite tracks: "The Concept" and "Metal Baby." Recommended!

Norm Wooster "Little Fibs" (Champion, 1966)
Although long out of print and hard to find, this mid-'Sixties gem was one of the true masterpieces from barbershop pioneer Norm Wooster. A psychedelic concept album reflecting on the perils of fame and the music business, it is also a stirring call to the healing power of love. This album is so rare, in fact, that literally no one has ever heard it. (For more information, see my Norm Wooster profile. )

Neil Young "After The Gold Rush" (Reprise, 1970)

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