Released in 1974, Diamond Dogs (RCA CPL1-0576), which is loosely based on the George Orwell book 1984, had rather poor reviews.  Other than Rebel Rebel, not many songs from this album got much radio play. A different set of musicians on this album and lacking Mick Ronson on lead guitar, the music is a little weaker than Ziggy and Hunky Dory. I think it is still a very good album with songs like Sweet Thing, Rock 'n Roll with me and Big Brother.  The album cover art by Guy Peellaert showed the dogs genitalia, but after an initial run of covers was printed, RCA had the offending appendage airbrushed out.  Every now and then an original becomes available for sale in the $4000 range!  Here is Big Brother followed by Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family

The first live album released by Bowie, and my first Bowie purchase, from 1974 is David Live, recorded in Philadelphia during the early part of the Diamond Dogs Tour.  I think this is a great live album and has Earl Slick on guitar, playing much stronger than Bowie himself on the Diamond Dogs album.  I love this version of Rock 'n' Roll Suicide and Cracked Actor

After a trip to the US to promote The Man Who Sold The World, Bowie returned with a whole new perspective on songwriting, as well as a new band and a new record label.  From these changes came his
fourth studio release, and his first album with RCA, Hunky Dory. This is an excellent album and a must have for any Bowie fan; it is the beginning of his music as we know it.  Here is the song Kooks, as the album notes
"(for small  Z)", his new son Zowie; followed by another of my favourites from this album Queen Bitch. (remind you of Velvet Underground?)

Considered one of the best Rock & Roll albums of all time, it is hard to pick favourites from this iconic album.  Released in 1972 on RCA LSP 4702, The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, is a concept album originally intended by Bowie to be a soundtrack to a stage or TV production.  This was the beginning of Bowie Mania! No longer a pop star, now a super star. Kids everywhere were dressing like Ziggy.
Here is the title track and then Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

Bowie's '73 release was somewhat influenced by his half brothers recent diagnosis of schizophrenia. The lightening bolt signifying a split personality and the word play title Aladdin Sane (A Lad Insane). Another great album with the huge hit The Jean Genie, as well as Panic in Detroit, Cracked Actor and Watch That Man. My copy of this album is kind of rough, so will eventually be replaced by a better copy.
Here is the flamenco flavoured  Lady Grinning Soul:

Originally released in 1969 on Phillips in the UK as David Bowie and on Mercury in the US as Man of Words/Man of Music; David Bowie's second album didn't sell well initially. After the success of Ziggy Stardust in 1972, RCA reissued the album as Space Oddity LSP 4813, after the hit single. The first issues of this album, being fairly rare, are sought after and can bring prices of $500+ in NM condition.
Here are the original cover variations from 1969;

Here is Letter to Hermione, his girlfriend at the time:

Another album which sold much better reissued after Ziggy, was The Man Who Sold The World.  Originally released in 1970 in the US and 1971 in the UK on Mercury, the album did not chart at that time.  This is the 1972 release by RCA LSP 4816.  A hard rock album, considered by many to be the beginning of Glam Rock, this album sold much better when reissued; again making the originals collectible, especially the UK version.  Here is the title track & then Running Gun Blues:

Original UK Release

Original US Release

Third & fourth studio releases from 1979 The Fine Art of Surfacing and from 1981 the Mondo Bongo by the Irish Punk/New Wave Band The Boomtown Rats, were a bit of a departure from previous material.  I prefer the first of the two with such songs as Someone's Looking At You, Diamond Smiles and the hit I Don't Like Mondays, about the school ground shooting in California by a 16 year old, who's reason for the act was "I don't like Mondays".

Wild Jungle Rock is the second full length release by the Toronto Rockabilly band The Bopcats.  Although short lived as a band, they did put out some very good music and were followed by bands like The Stray Cats, Uranus & The Razorbacks. From 1982 on Attic LAT 1130 here is What Did I Do Last Night?

Released in 1976 the self titled debut album by the band Boston was a huge success and became one of the best selling debut albums of all time.  More That A Feeling, Peace of Mind, Smokin' ... all great classic rock songs and in my opinion the best album the band put out. An essential for any classic rock collection.  Epic PE 34188.
Here is Foreplay/Long Time

Named the top selling album in 1987, Slippery When Wet, the third studio release by American Hard Rock band, Bon Jovi, was an instant success for the band, and remains their best selling LP to date.  Producing huge hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer & Wanted Dead or Alive, this album proves that not all the music coming from the '80's was lame. Mercury Label 830 264-1, released in 1986.


Solid Bond (released in 1970) is a compilation album of previously unreleased recordings by British Jazz & R&B musician Graham Bond, from 1963 and 1966 on Warner Bros 2LS 255. The 1963 recordings include Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (later of Cream), are definite jazz pieces and very different from the 1966 R&B flavoured jazzy numbers like their cover of Green Onions.
Here is Ginger Baker - drums, Jack Bruce - bass, Graham Bond - alto sax and John McLaughlin - guitar recorded live in 1963 at Klooks Kleek, doing Ho Ho Country Kicking Blues

Folk and Blues guitarist and singer songwriter Roy Bookbinder released his debut album Travelin' Man in 1972. Consisting mostly of early blues numbers by people like Blind Willie McTell, Pink Anderson and Rev. Gary Davis. This is a great album of just vocals and beautifully played acoustic guitar; and has the feel of sitting around the campfire listening to folk songs.  Here is That'll Never Happen No More (Blind Blake):

From 1969 the Soundtrack from the movie Up Tight by Booker T. and The M.G.S. on Stax STS 2006, is a R&B record including a rare vocal recording of Booker T. Jones singing on Johnny I Love You. Also on this record is the hit Time is Tight, which was later covered by The Clash.

Two albums by the french jazz pianist and composer Claude Bolling combine jazz piano with classical violin (Pinchas Zukerman) on one album and with classical guitar (Alexandre Lagoya) on the second.
Here is Hispanic Dance (With a blues touch) 

From 1987, Outskirts is the debut album by the Canadian Country Rock band Blue Rodeo, released on Risque Disque label W1-54718.
A good album with some great songs like 5 Will Get You Six, Underground, Rose-Coloured Glasses and probably the most known from this album Try

The Blues Project was an American Band from '65 -'67 playing psychedelic, progressive blues based music. With a talented group of musicians who went on to successful careers on their own, recording, producing and as session musicians. Al Kooper, Roy Blumenfeld, Danny Kalb, Tommy Flanders, Steve Katz, Andy Kulberg of The Blues Project, is a compilation album of songs from their first three albums; released in 1969 on Verve/Forecast FST-3069. Here is their cover of a Jimmy Reed song Caress Me Baby:

The 1979 release Mirrors is the 6th studio album by the Rock Band Blue Oyster Cult (BOC).  After the huge success of the live album Some Enchanted Evening, this album experienced disappointing sales.  I am not really familiar with their music, but I find this album a little boring. The songs are all very similar.

I like this '81 release, Fire of Unknown Origin much better, with songs like Burnin' For You, Sole Survivor & Joan Crawford, this is certainly a more varied album, and I would suspect more in line with the style of this successful band.

As you can see from this video, the record is badly warped. This is were a record clamp or weight is a huge asset; without the clamp, this record would be unplayable because of the skipping.

 Joliet Jake Blues (John Belushi) & Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd) formed the Blues Brothers out of a shared love of Blues music.  They got their start as a warm up act ('76) and then making their debut as featured artists ('78) on Saturday Night Live. Briefcase Full of Blues, on Atlantic KSD 19217, released in 1978 was their first album & was recorded live at the Universal Amphitheatre in L.A.  With a line up of very talented musicians, this band put out some great blues covers like this Delbert McClinton song "B" Movie Box Car Blues

From the Blues Brothers 1980 movie comes the soundtrack released the same year.   Featuring guest appearances by James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles & Aretha Franklin (to name a few). Also released that year, a second live album and the last Blues Brothers album with Joliet Jake Blues (John Belushi) who died in 1982.  Both good R&B/Blues albums, but the debut is by far the superior album in the group.  A limited edition reissue of Briefcase Full of Blues will be coming out soon.

The second release of the psychedelic band Blues Magoos, Electric Comic Book, Mercury MG-21104 (mono version) from 1967, was not a huge success for the band. It does contain a very good cover of the Van Morrison song Gloria (but then everybody was covering that song then) and this comical number Intermission. Often as a collector, this is the type of album I look for.  Being unpopular means less numbers released and also being a mono version when stereo was popular, it is even more scarce.

to get a better feel for the band here is Life is Just a Cher O'Bowlies 

 One thing that has impressed me with this band is they have written virtually all their own music right from the first album.  Eat To The Beat  is the 4th studio release by the American New Wave/Punk Band Blondie, in 1979. Following their break through album Parallel Lines with another very successful album with hits like Dreaming, The Hardest Part & Union City Blues, this album also went platinum.

Autoamerican was a big departure from the musical style of Blondie on previous recordings, but like many successful bands, they were experimenting with different musical styles, from instrumental to show tune to reggae, even rap. Reviews of this album were not particularly good, but I like it; perhaps I just admire a band that doesn't just churn out the style of music that made them popular.  Released in 1980 on Chrysalis CHE 1290.

The first compilation album by Blondie from late 1981, The Best of Blondie covers all the hits, including Call Me from the soundtrack to American Gigolo.  This album is a great introduction to one of the best New Wave Bands. Here is the song Rip Her To Shreds, from their 1977 debut album Blondie.

Jazz-Rock big band style Blood, Sweat & Tears, formed in New York City in 1967, paved the way for bands like Chicago.  BS&T 3 is, surprise surprise, their third studio album from 1970 and produced a couple of big hits with Hi-De-Ho and Lucretia McEvil. I can't say that I am a huge fan of this album.  I do like the two hit songs, and their cover of James Taylor's Fire and Rain, but beyond that...doesn't do anything for me.

With that song clip opening this post, I probably don't even need a picture of the cover to identify this album!

Paranoid is the second studio release by the pioneers of Heavy Metal music, Black Sabbath. Released in 1971 in North America on Warner Bros WS 1887, while their debut album, Black Sabbath, was still on the charts. This copy is a later issue from the late '70's (early releases were on the olive green label).  Probably their most successful album, and the favourite among my collection of Black Sabbath, this album is known for the hard hitting songs like War Pigs, Paranoid & Iron Man; but also contains a great psychedelic trippy song and one of my favourites on the album, Planet Caravan

My first Black Sabbath album, & their 5th studio album, Sabbath bloody Sabbath, was also their 5th album to go platinum in the US. This album shows the band experimenting with their music more that on previous releases, & although still a Heavy Metal album, there is definately some progressive rock flavour to this release.  A great album, and I feel their most polished and musical of their music in my collection. Ozzy singing is his best with Black Sabbath.  This would be the album to start with, if you are wanting some Black Sabbath in your collection.

Live Evil, released in 1982, is a double live album recorded on tour supporting the studio album Mob Rules. No longer with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, who left the band in '79, and now featuring Ronnie James Dio.  Although this album gives you a really good example of the band live, it is hard to get past the poor quality of this recording.  The band played well, no fault there, but the sound is not great.  I suppose if you were to get MP3 files, then you probably woundn't even notice, but if sound quality is important, I would pass this one by.  

As far as I can discover, Love City by Black Velvet, is the only album by this R&B/Soul duo.  Released in 1969 on Okeh Label OKS 14130.

This album is mostly cover songs, but does contain two original compositions by Jesse Kirkland & Joe Greene (Black Velvet). I pickup this album up because I had never heard of them, & I am always on the lookout for albums like that.  Here is the title track from this album:

The soundtrack from the movie The Big Chill, on Motown Label MOT-6062 was released in 1983, and features 10 of the songs from the movie. Mainly R&B and Soul classics like I Heard it Through the Grapevine, The Tracks of My Tears & I Second That Emotion. 
The following year More Songs From The Original Soundtrack was released with the rest of the movies songs.

Straying a bit from my usual type of purchases, I picked up Slip It In by the hardcore punk band Black Flag (Henry Rollins-lead singer). This is the fourth studio release by the band and this copy is the Canadian release on Fringe Label FLP 3016 from 1984.  I enjoy listening to varied types of music, and although I can appreciate this album, there is musical talent here, I can't say that I really enjoy it; a little too harsh for my taste. Perhaps it will grow on me! Certainly other albums in my collection have taken more than a few listens before I "got" the music.

The sixth studio release by the Blues/Rock duo The Black Keys, Brothers, is a superb album and certainly has been very successful for the band, even winning them a couple of Grammy awards.  This album was a gift, and my introduction to the band.  Some albums grow on you and some, like this, are an instant "I really like this!"  With hits like Tighten Up & Howlin' for You,  it is easy to see why this album is so popular.  They produce a sound much bigger that you would expect from just two musicians. My favourite on this albums is Ten Cent Pistol, a kind of dark and humorous bluesy number.

The Many Moods of Tony, on Columbia CS 8941, was released in 1964 and is the 18th of  a total of 54 studio albums by Tony Bennett.
If you are a fan of Matt Dusk or Michael Buble, then you would enjoy this crooner who likely inspired them to some extent. With a career spanning over 60 years and still performing today, this artist has had a huge influence on the music industry.

Probably his most successful album, Breezin' is the 15th studio album by Jazz guitarist George Benson.  I was introduced to his music by a friend who is a jazz music fan and amateur musician. This album broke into the Pop and R&B categories as well as Jazz, and certainly got me interested in listening to more jazz music.  This is a very easy listening album and a good intro to Jazz if you are timid about that music style.

Following up the success of Breezin' with another Pop flavoured Jazz album, In Flight is the 1977 release by George Benson. This album certainly follows the style of his previous release, and although highlights his incredible guitar playing, I think there are too many songs with vocals for this type of music; it feels less like a jazz album and more like a pop and almost disco album.
That being said, I can't take anything away from him as a guitarist!

Certainly one of the the legends and pioneers of Rock & Roll, Chuck Berry, has recorded some of the most widely know Rock hits and many of them are on this Greatest Hits album. On Chess LP 1485, this album is a 1965 reissue of the 1964 release.  Some great early rock songs, like Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen & Too Much Monkey Business:

Releasing her debut album In the Heat of the Night in 1979, Pat Benatar launched a very successful music career.  With hits like Heartbreak, I Need a Lover & If You Think You Know How to Love Me, this album went platinum in both the US and Canada.  Pat Benatar co-wrote two songs on this album with her bass player Roger Capps.  My Clone Sleeps Alone & So Sincere.  They are pretty good for first attempts at songwriting, especially the sad and humours My Clone Sleeps Alone.  

Following her debut was an even more successful album Crimes of Passion, which won her the Grammy for "Best Female Rock Vocal Performance" in 1980.  Also of note, the music video for the song You Better Run was the second music video ever to be aired on MTV. This album shows Pat Benatar as a hard rock artist, not like some of the rather lame music coming out of the 80's.  Of course we all know Hit Me With Your Best Shot, which has perhaps been a bit overplayed; but I also really like Hell is for Children and her cover of Kate Bush's song Wuthering Heights.

Perhaps the cover sums up her feelings about releasing this album. A departure from the hard rock style that made her famous, this 1982 release, Get Nervous, leans more towards the New Wave/ Pop Rock genre.  Overall I like this album, it has some good lyrics and music, but I feel all the songs are a bit too similar; nothing really memorable.

Calypso, by Harry Belafonte, is his third studio release and the first album by a single artist to sell one million copies.  Released in 1956 on RCA Victor LPM-1248, this album is, as the name implies, Calypso  or West Indies style.  This copy is the early 60's release LPE-1248,  in "electronically reprocessed" stereo.  It wasn't until 1958 that records were produced in stereo.   My grandparents were big fans of Harry Belafonte, so this album brings back many early memories.

A rather stern looking Belafonte adorns the cover of An Evening with Belafonte, his next studio release in 1957.  This is also an early 60's reissue in "Stereo".  Because these recordings are "reprocessed stereo", the quality is somewhat compromised, there is a bit of a echo present.  I am sure the original mono recordings are superior. Not is a specific genre like his previous release, this album covers folk, traditional and world music.

The debut album by the Jeff Beck Group, Truth, released in 1968 on Epic records BN 26413, features legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, as well as Ronnie Woods, Rod Stewart & Mickie Waller.  Also featuring guest appearances by such musicians as Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones, this is one amazing blues rock/ hard rock album and certainly my favourite Jeff Beck album. This copy is the second issue on orange Epic label from 1973, the original '68 release is on yellow label. You can certainly see why Jeff Beck is considered among the best guitar players ever! Listen to the acoustic guitar on Greensleeves, slide guitar on Beck's Bolero and lead on I Ain't Superstitious

The only studio album put out by the trio of Jeff Beck, Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice, this is a solid album musically, but in my opinion lacks a bit in the vocals and lyrics.  It sold well and produced a hit with their cover of Superstition by Stevie Wonder. A live album released only in Japan followed this studio release, and is somewhat rare due to the limited numbers.  The group disbanded shortly after it's release.

Blow by Blow is the first solo release by Jeff Beck. This album, on Epic PE 33409 released in '75, is considered Jazz Fusion and is entirely instrumental.  If you are a fan of instrumental and especially guitar, this would be a good choice, with varying styles of jazz, funk, reggae and some very sweet melodic playing.  Next to Truth this is my Beck pick.

The next release by Jeff Beck, Wired, is also the final one in my collection.  Wired is another instrumental album, and although also Jazz Fusion, it is a more rock edged and harder driving that Blow by Blow. Released in '76 on Epic PE 33849, this is another guitar featured album which highlights Becks talent very well.  This certainly is a great instrumental album, but I prefer the previous release.