BakerBagel

One of the first records i added to my collection. I went through a massive Saxon kick and found all their early albums at my local record shop. I love the heavy overdriven guitars, the riff worship, and the emotion in the lyrics that really defines 70's heavy metal to me. Crusader isn't as good an album as Denim & Leather or Strong Arm of the Law, but it's still a kick-ass rock album that can get me through any hangover.

What better way to start my day with some Santana! Jorge Santana that is. I'm a big proponent of always grabbing the craziest album art you see at the shop and taking it home, and this is a fine example. That epic cover was something i just had to have. It's some excellent latin jazz rock from the height of the prog rock era. While obviously not as talented a guitarist as his brother, Jorge is no schmuck and puts down some excellent solos and rhythms. It's a favorite that i am always pooking for an occasion to introduce someone to the album. I see these all the time when i visit stores, so if you like rock and Latin jazz, you should absolutely pick this up and give it a spin.

Cortez, Cortez, what a killer! I'm willing to argue that Zuma surpasses Harvest for Neil Young's beat album. This is am original copy i poked up at the local flea market a few years ago, and it remains one of my favorite records in my collection. Neil Young was such a brilliant lyricist/guitar player as a young man, and i am happy to keep that memory alive. To me, Neil Young is as iconic an artist as Prince, Freddy Mercury, and Ozzy Osbourne. He definitely starts to drift into "noble savage territory during " Cortez, What a Killer" but the song is sung eith sich passion and feeling that only the coldest hearted bastard could ignore the intent of the song. Neil used to be sicha passionate and dedicated young man, and i feel that it makes his music absolutely timeless.

Is your muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?

I'm a big fun of girl rock, and Wet Leg is one of my favorite rock bands out there right now. I came across the video for Wet Dreams at the end of 2023 and feel in love with the band . Rhain Teadale's got a great voice, and Hester Chambers guitar riffs are heavy yet catchy. Plus, their videos are super cool. I'm not quite sure what genre i would describe them as more on the pop-side of pop-punk, but you can definitely hear how Jack White, the Strokes, and Kings of Leon really come through in their music.

Went to Detroit for a concert this weekend. Had an absolute blast, and swung a record shop this morning on my way hom to pick up a little Motown! I've been hoping to get some more funk and soul music in my collection, so i grabbed this one since it's an older pressing and my local radio station plays the 4 Tops all the time so i know them well.

Motown scares me a bit since they were such a single heavy label, so they're aren't really "essential" albums like other genres, it's mostly greatest hits comp albums and singles, and I'm not ready for 45's yet. Anyone else around here collect funk/soul albums to give some advice? I live along the I-75 corridor which was so essential to the genre so i want to expand out on them in the future.

Rush is definitely on my top 5 favorite rocks bands, and definitely my favorite Prog band. To me, Permanent Waves is their most rounded "traditional" album. Moving Pictures is good, but it runs into the MGMT effect where it gets you with all the best songs off the bat, leaving a comparatively boring B-side. And 2112 is just an entirely different beast that can't be discussed alongside their "traditional" albums. It could also be my biases as Spirit of the Radio and Freewill are my favorite Rush singles.

This is a 2015 reprint, although I did scoop up an original a few months ago. Honestly i don't notice much difference between the two. 180g vinyls really are solid records so long as they are mastered and pressed well.

Similar to the Way Of The Sun i posted a few months back, this experimental jazz/prog fusion explores being adrift in the ocean. Swirling riffs, deep and enveloping whale calls, and even the crying if gulls and other seabirds are prevalent.

Pentangle was such an absolutely brilliant band. My Geordie mom got me onto Lyndisfarne, and then my best friend in college started me on Fairport Convention. To me, English folk music feels incredible quaint. The subject always feels so small and personal by the way the music carries such emotion. I would say that Pentangle is the best of the the English Folk rock bands, and i would say the English progressive movement as a whole.