Why? Well, each one satisfies at least two out of three criteria: 1). Has personal significance — like a tattoo on my mind, these albums always bring back warm feelings; 2). It's a perfect album in my mind — from beginning to end, and from songwriting/performance to recording execution; and 3). Has significantly affected my own songwriting and/or recording projects.
I'm most certainly forgetting some.
In alphabetical order:
Alva Noto, “Xerrox Vol. 2”
Bang On a Can, “Music for Airports"
The Beta Band, “Hot Shots II”
Bobby Womack, “Communication”
Brian Eno, “Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks”
Biosphere, “Dropsonde”
Bjork, “Vespertine”
Blonde Redhead, “Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons”
Blonde Redhead, “Misery is a Butterfly”
Cocteau Twins, “Heaven or Las Vegas”
Daniel Lanois, “Belladonna”
David Bowie, “Low”
David Daniell and Douglas McCombs, “Versions”
Do Make Say Think, “& Yet & Yet”
Fennesz, “Endless Summer”
Fennesz, “Venice”
Gastr del Sol, “Upgrade & Afterlife”
Gordon Lightfoot, “Sundown”
James, “Laid”
Japan, “Gentlemen Take Polaroids”
Japan, “Tin Drum”
Jeff Parker, “The Relatives”
Jim O'Rourke, “Halfway to a Threeway”
Jo Jena, “Rhythm ‘n’ Drones”
John Cale, “Paris 1919”
Joni Mitchell, “Court & Spark”
Joni Mitchell, “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”
Joni Mitchell, “Hejira”
Loose Fur, “Born Again in the USA”
Low, “Things We Lost in the Fire”
Marvin Gaye, “What's Going On”
Marvin Gaye, “I Want You”
Marvin Gaye, “Here, My Dear”
Michael Jackson, “Off the Wall”
Michael Jackson, “Thriller”
Monolake, “Cinemascope”
Morgan Packard, “Moment Again Elsewhere”
Mouse on Mars, “Radical Connector”
Paul Simon, “Rhythm of the Saints”
Pita, “Get Out”
Prince, “Prince”
Prince, “Purple Rain”
Prince, “Around the World in a Day”
Q-Tip, “The Renaissance”
R.E.M., “Up”
Radiohead, “Kid A”
Rhymefest & Mark Ronson, “Man in the Mirror”
Roxy Music, “Siren”
Sam Prekop, “Sam Prekop”
Savvas Ysatis + Taylor Deupree, “Origin”
The Sea and Cake, “The Fawn”
The Sea and Cake, “Oui”
The Sea and Cake, “The Moonlight Butterfly”
Thin Lizzy, “Night Life”
Sparks, “Kimono My House”
Stereolab, “Dots & Loops”
Stevie Wonder, “Songs in the Key of Life”
Studio Pankow, “Linienbusse”
Talk Talk, “Laughing Stock”
Talking Heads, “Remain in Light”
Talking Heads, “Speaking in Tongues”
To Rococo Rot, “The Amateur View”
To Rococo Rot & I-Sound, “Music is a Hungry Ghost”
To Rococo Rot, “Speculation”
Tortoise, “Millions Now Living Will Never Die”
Tortoise, “TNT”
Trans Am, “The Surveillance”
Trans Am, “Futureworld”
Wilco, “A Ghost is Born”
Willie Nelson, “Red Headed Stranger”
Yo La Tengo, “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out”
Yo La Tengo, “Summer Sun”
The Zombies, “Odyssey and Oracle”
Additions added on:
Aug 31, 2022
Oct 6, 2020
Aug 30, 2016