Looking for some good music...

[rocket-andy]

I am tired of all of the CD's in my collection and would like to buy some more, but I can't think of anything in particular that interests me right now. Can anyone recommend anything that is really good? My favorite type of music is rock (soft/hard - no metal please). I like stuff all the way from the '60's until today, although my favorites are from the '70's when I was growing up (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Steely Danetc.). Any suggestions for something that will make me say "Wow!! ?

[germerikan]

One that impressed me lately was Kings of lyon- Only by the night

[colterphoto1]

Got Library?

[Fotog]

Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself

J Giles - Full House

The Doors - Greatest Hits

Bob Seger - Smokin' OP's

Allman Brothers - Live at the Fillmore

Emerson Lake Palmer - Trilogy

Savage Grace - Savage Grace (1970 release - All Along the WatchTower - the ending will raise the hair on your neck) http://www.mp3.com/artist/savage-grace/songs/?tag=tabs;songs&om_act=convert&om_clk=arttabs

There is also an album titled "Super Session" with Al Kooper, Steven Stills and Mike Bloomfield. The "Season of the Witch" cut is wicked along with the very gentle "Harvey's Tune". http://www.amazon.com/Super-Session-Bloomfield/dp/B00008QSA5

[jacksonbart]

The Samples or Bon Iver

[Me Loves Khorns]

One of my all time favorite bands is Dire Straits. I love just about all of their work.

And, we just saw OAR, Of A Revolution live. They have a good sound too.

Paul

[LarryC]

I recommended these to someone recently. I think one was OOP and costs too much, maybe the Beethoven 7:

CD’s

• Gustav Holst
  The Planets
  Boston Sym/Steinberg
  DG 289 463 627-2. HIGHLY recommended.

• Ludwig van Beethoven
  Symphony No. 7
  Marlboro Fest Orch/Casals
  CBS MYK 37233 (this may be unavailable)

• Carl Orff
  Carmina Burana
  Philadelphia Orch/Ormandy
  Sony SK 93081

• Joaquin Rodrigo
  Concierto de Aranjuez & other guitar concertos
  Pepe Romero, Marriner
  Phillips 438 016-2 A real favorite!

• Gioachino Rossini
  Overtures (7)
  Academy Orch/Marriner
  EMI 077-7 49155 2

• Camille Saint-Saens
  Symphony No. 3 for Organ and Orchestra
  BostonSO/Munch
  RCA 09026-61500-2

• Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
  Piano Concerto No. 1
  Van Cliburn (Tchaikovsky Festival winner), Kondrashin
  RCA 82876-61392-2 Fabulous performance of big-time 1957 win in Moscow

• George Gershwin
  Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris
  Bernstein, NY Philharmonic
  CBS MYK 37242

DVDs

Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
Berlin Philharmonic, Abbado
Euroarts 2056048

• Johann Sebastian Bach
  Cello Suites
  Rostropovich (solo cello)
  EMI 7243 5 99156-2 Amazing compositions and performances. Yo-Yo Ma’s is famous, but these may be better

• Claudio Monteverdi
  Vespers of the Blessed Virgin
  John Eliot Gardiner, filmed in San Marco’s in Venice
  DG 073 035-9 Showed in Indy, may have to grow on you. A very great early Baroque work.

• DVDs can be hard to find on Amazon; the Dvorak is at http://www.amazon.com/Dvor%C3%A1k-Symphony-No-World-Video/dp/B000RNUFXC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1233280999&sr=8-3.

• The Bach cello suites are http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Cello-Suites-Rostropovich-Mstislav/dp/B0001FR3JA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1233281098&sr=1-1

• The Monteverdi, in case you want to take a flyer, is best available through Crotchet in the UK, http://www.crotchet.co.uk, or info@crotchet.co.uk. Their service and turnaround are outstanding: Claudio Monteverdi Vespro della beata Maria Vergine Bryn Terfel, Stock No. 0730359

[Islander]

Classic song with a fun video: http://www.public.asu.edu/~mharp/viking_kittens/VikingKitten.htm

[greg928gts]

I am tired of all of the CD's in my collection and would like to buy some more, but I can't think of anything in particular that interests me right now. Can anyone recommend anything that is really good? My favorite type of music is rock (soft/hard - no metal please). I like stuff all the way from the '60's until today, although my favorites are from the '70's when I was growing up (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Steely Danetc.). Any suggestions for something that will make me say "Wow!! ?

I don't think anyone else can really tell you what music you'd say "wow" to. Maybe, but it would probably be better if you discovered it for yourself. I went through this type of transformation about five years ago. I just finally got sick of hearing the same classic rock songs over and over, and they didn't necessarily have the best sound to the recording's either.

So I dove into all kinds of other music and five years later I've popped my head up above all of it and I have a new genre of music that I search for and listen to regularly.

I did this mainly through Amazon. You can listen to thirty second clips of tracks from albums, and at the bottom the system gives you other albums that people who bought the album you are listening to also bought. If you click on those, you can listen to tracks from that album and a whole new set of other albums show up at the bottom, and on and on it goes. It's a great way to link bands and performers from one genre to another, all the while being able to sample the music. Like something? Put it into your favorites list and then move on.

Once I owned about fifty new CD's, I realized that I was refining this new direction by listening to certain ones all the time, and others not at all. This will lead you down a narrower path to the music that you know you will really enjoy, and that makes it more likely that you'll like the CD's you buy. I have a whole stack of CD's that are my "crap" pile that someday I'll have to sell on ebay.

Greg

[fenderbender]

Rush: moving pictures, farwell to kings, 2112, hemishperes, fly by night, presto,

Yes: Yes, fragile, close to the edge, tales, big generator, etc

The Band: the band, music from the big pink

Paul Simon: everything he ever recorded

Early eagles

early U2

any thing by the Who, Zep , CSN-Y

Pink Floyd: Meddle, WYWH, DSOTM, Animals, the wall, Division bell

The Traveling Wilburrys

Fleetwood Mac, tom petty, Heart, stevie ray,Santana ............................

[oldmako]

Might I suggest that you widen your horizons a bit? There is a ton of great music that isn't necessarily rock, but leans that way. By flirting with other genres and stuff that never makes the radio you can find some great new (to you) music. Amazon was suggested earlier and I completely agree. Much as iTunes allows you to sample so does Amazon.

Try Pandora.com. Enter a band that you like and as soon as they play a song you know by heart skip it, or shelve it for 30 days. (these are options available to you) Listen for what you DON'T know as opposed to what you do. When you hear something you like, sample the rest of the CD on either iTunes or Amazon. If you love it, buy it. In two hours on Pandora I often by several CDs. Set up several "stations" and go with the flow. If something blows you away make IT a station and see what that leads to. It's free, and it's great. I'm buying stuff I have never heard of and my musical tastes have always been quite varied as compared to those of my friends for example.

One downfall is that amount of repetition which Pandora introduces once it figures out what YOU like. I zap songs with the 30 day restriction the second time I hear them. Keeps it fresh and new.

If it's not Rap, horrible mainstream CMT style country, or Celtic Women chances are I'll listen to it.

Little Feat, Snooky Pryor, Chris Smither, Scott Hamilton, Johnny Lang, Ry Cooder, Count Basie, Dick Hyman, Jimie Vaughn, WA Mozart, Dinah Washington, NRBQ, Glenn Miller, Keb Mo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonazalez, Hayes Carll, ......................................etc etc

[SWL]

And, we just saw OAR, Of A Revolution live. They have a good sound too

Yeah......the DVD sounds very good. Live at Madison Square Garden.

[gonzp]

i use www.allmusic.com for my source for musical clips. There is an awful lot of good music out there. Good luck!

[Fish]

Well,if you like 60'/70's rock you'll be wantin' to pick up MOE "Wormwood" and "Nodoy",I don't think I've ever heard a better recording and the talent is off the charts,these guys could have ruled the 70's.These guys are there with some of the best bands ever,and this is coming from a guy that got used to great bands puttin out great albums often,till the 80's bout killed guitar rock.

These two albums are reference material for me,your system will sound the best it can.

[BLSamuel]

And also don't forget yard sales, thrift stores, pawn shops and the like. I've found some really good cds for $1 to $3 even as little as 50 cents at the local library's sale though most of those were nothing special by the time I got there but a few ok and a couple for the mother out law.

You might try Little Village. I bought it as with John Hiatt, Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder, and Jim Keltner I figured how could one go wrong? Reviews are mixed and may have only produced one CD though I thought I saw a second one for sale somewhere... http://www.amazon.com/Little-Village/dp/B000002LR2 Anyway, just something I like that doesn't seem to be real well known.

p.s. scored 17 or so that I really liked in really good shape at a yard sale once... $1 each. They had a grocery sack. I probably should've bought the bag but only had $20 in my pocket and wanted a couple of bucks.... could've traded or passed on the ones I wasn't real interested in. Hopefully I'll be more prepared in the future.

[liebherr954]

Pink Floyd: The Division Bell.

Its not the "Dark side of the moon" but its still a great CD.

[LarryC]

Might I suggest that you widen your horizons a bit? There is a ton of great music that isn't necessarily rock,

That's why I suggested all that serious "classical" music! Try sampling a few of those from Amazon.com if you can. I suggest the Dvorak "New World" DVD, since you can watch what everyone is doing as well as hear it.

Larry

[RT FAN]

Here a a couple of cds I can recommend wholeheartedly:

John Hiatt: Stolen Moments. In my opinion his finest album. Great songwriting and musicianship. Flat out rockers like Child of the Wild Blue Yonder & Rock Back Billy. Excellent ballads as well with Bring Back Your Love to Me and Through Your Hands. All of his talents on display. A seamless effort. http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Moments-John-Hiatt/dp/B000002GJ4

Los Lobos: Kiko. One of those albums meant to be listened to in a single sitting. Garnered much critical acclaim and deserving of all of it. The peak of their considerable powers, at the time maybe the best band in America. Multiple singers and songwriters as well as instrumentalists in the band, they really have a diverse sound.Rockers like Whiskey Train and That Train don't Stop here Anymore, to darkly brooding songs like Dream in Blue and Kiko and The Lavender Moon. Other highlights, include Wake Up Dolores---nevermind the whole record is a highlight.http://www.amazon.com/Kiko-Los-Lobos/dp/B000002LRZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236269414&sr=1-1

Robert Earl Keen Jr: Walking Distance a superlative effort from this Austin, Texas singer songwriter. Countryifed Texas Bluegrass with a tinge of rock, best describes this seminal album. Opening with Down That Dusty Trail, through the 4 song suite which ends the album just a great American record. If New Life in Old Mexico don't get your blood moving, ther's not really much hope for you anymore. http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Distance-Robert-Earl-Keen/dp/B00000DFSN/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236269760&sr=1-4

Richard Thompson: Mock Tudor. What do you mean you've never heard of the man many regard as one of the best guitarists to ever come down the pike? Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan have played with him and everyone from Nanci Griffith to the Pointer Sisters have covered his songs. This is a good introduction to his more modern style, which has continually evolved over the last 40+years, from his folk rock days with Fairport Convention, though his successful collaboration with then wife Linda and his varied solo career. Great Songwriting, Cooksferry Queen, Sibella, soaring electric guitar work on Hard on Me nad his brilliant acoustic work on Uninhabited Man and Sights and Sounds of London Town. His interplay with the great bassist Danny Thompson, ex Pentangle-no realtion, is worth buying the record for alone. http://www.amazon.com/Mock-Tudor-Richard-Thompson/dp/B00000JPEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236270251&sr=1-1

Lyle Lovett: Joshua Judges Ruth. The first Lyle album I ever owned, excellent songwriter and singer, the album has many worthy tunes that would be the highlight of an average record. Foot Stompers like I've Been To Church and You've Been so Good Up Till Now as well as excellent ballads like NorthDakota and She's Alreadt Made up her Mind. Highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Judges-Ruth-Lyle-Lovett/dp/B000002OIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236270900&sr=1-1

I would be glad to make some more suggestions if you like these. []

[oscarsear]

I don't know what's been posted already but here's my suggestions. Everybodies talkin: the very best of Harry Nilson The Best of WAR.

[skonopa]

I don't think anyone else can really tell you what music you'd say "wow" to. Maybe, but it would probably be better if you discovered it for yourself. I went through this type of transformation about five years ago. I just finally got sick of hearing the same classic rock songs over and over, and they didn't necessarily have the best sound to the recording's either.

So I dove into all kinds of other music and five years later I've popped my head up above all of it and I have a new genre of music that I search for and listen to regularly.

Same here. I got so sick of hearing what seemed like the same 20 songs over and over again on the local radio, not to mention that I just didn't like the direction where "current" music was going.

Not only Amazon, as well as somebody else mentioned Pandora, but I've also been making heavy use of eMusic (yes, I know, it is MP3, but I really don't give a crap - I am not one of those anal types).

After going through quite a bit of exploration, even during the hey-days of the old MP3.com site, I've found myself now listening to and discovering quite a bit of power and progressive metal that I found that I've really enjoyed and still enjoying. I guess it is a continuation of the melodic hard rock that I've always enjoyed during the 80s and still would rather listen to.

I know the initial posting mentioned no metal, but there are a couple albums that I think are worth checking out that are more hard rock than full on balls-to-the-walls metal. These are definitly something outside of the typical "mainstream"

Place Vendom - Place Vendom:

Land of Tales - Land of Tales:

Leverage - Tides:

Leverage - Blind Fire: