Sing me a record that cries pure and true:

Various ‘Hits Greatest Stiffs’ - pretty much anything but hits, being mainly a LP of early Stiff b-sides. But my, what b-sides they were: an accidental chronicle of pub rock at its best. Roogalator and Lew Lewis in particular should’ve been huge;

Pink Floyd ‘At Pompeii’ - not the newly remixed version, but the original - which still sounds pretty far out to my ageing ears. And the film still blows my mind: a great closer to the Floyd’s psychedelic period;

Gong ‘Flying Teapot’, ‘Angels Egg’ & ‘You’ - listening to Gong’s Radio Gnome Trilogy back to back reveals two things to me: how goddamn catchy (and funky) much of their music was, AND how jaw-droppingly good they were, irrespective of their lineup. I’ve dug these albums since I was a school kid yet the older I get, the better they sound;

Nine Horses ‘Snow Borne Sorrow’ - what remains David Sylvian’s latest “regular” song based project remains a mightily satisfying listen. It’s been far too long since we last heard his dulcet tones;

Dexys Midnight Runners ‘The Projected Passion Revue’ - I can’t seem to keep this out of my CD player for long. Jeez, this is superb;

Daryl Hall & John Oates ‘Beauty On A Back Street’ - this contender for H&O’s most unsung album (not one song was included in their box set retrospective) is IMHO one of their best, with a dark edge to most tracks in keeping with its new wave times, Class endures;

Radiohead ‘The Bends’ - it’s too easy to underestimate the influence of this still fabulous record, and its follow up, on what’s followed;

The Beatles S/T - what’s rarely acknowledged about the White Album is that, by the standard playing times of the era, it’s more like a TRIPLE set than a double. As such it’s easier to forgive a few bloopers therein. And when it’s good, it’s mint;

Television ‘Adventure’ - forever in the shadow of ‘Marquee Moon’ it may be, but this is still a fine and distinctive collection of songs in its own right. God, I miss Tom Verlaine;

The Wedding Present ‘Valentina’ - to my mind David Gedge’s magnum opus. Okay call me;

Taste S/T - Rory Gallagher’s first, and rawest, long playing statement still has power in spades. Those key changes in ‘Same Old Story’ floor me;

Gilgamesh ‘Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into’ - essential Canterbury music from every Hatfield fan’s second favourite band. Well, you know what I mean;

Return To Forever ‘Romantic Warrior’ - if I could own just one fusion album blah blah. Well, this is certainly a Top Five contender;

OM ’50’ - avant jazz rock that makes King Crimson sound like The Wombles;

The Dave Brubeck Quartet ‘Newport 1958’ & ‘At Carnegie Hall’ - two high quality documents of a great jazz group at its peak. I want my friends to hear this at my funeral;

Rob Hall & Chick Lyall ‘Blithe Spirit’ - just a lovely album of plaintive duets for sax and piano. Music that makes time stand still. As does

Keith Jarrett ‘Sun Bear Concerts’ Kyoto, Nov 5 1976 - played on Keith’s 80th birthday Thursday gone. Just one of many of his remarkable solo piano gigs captured in superb sound for posterity. Just listen to that beautifully plaintive opening tune and try to drag yourself away. And all on the spur of a creative moment. We’re really not worthy;

Smetana: Ma vlast (Boston SO/Rafael Kubelik) - patriotic music that, in the right hands, can make me cry - and I’m not even Czech. Those hands are usually Kubelik’s, in any of the five recordings he made of the work;

Brahms: Symphony no.2 (Boston SO/Charles Munch) - brimming with Munch’s Gallic passion. They don’t do Brahms like this any more. And that’s a shame;

Honegger: Symphony no.2 (BPO/Herbert von Karajan) - music that is unique and compelling in equal measure, superbly realised in one of Herbie’s greatest recordings. The coupled Third is excellent too;

Sibelius: Symphony no.6 (BPO/Herbert von Karajan) - Sibelius never wrote a piece as ethereal and enigmatic as this. And no-one I’ve heard realised it as well as Karajan in the mid-60s;

Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini (NYPO/Leonard Bernstein) - I can’t get enough of this evocation of Dante’s inferno set to music. Here, Lenny is characteristically OTT to suit. Beyond wild;

Haydn: String Quartets Op.20 (Hagen Quartet) - lovely Haydn played lovely. Nuff said;

Britten: String Quartet in D (1931) (Gabrieli Quartet) - early work with a lyricism not always present in Britten’s mature music. I like this;

Chopin: Piano Sonata no.2 (Vladimir Ashkenazy) - the one with the famous funeral march, here played as near ideally as I could imagine.

Nothing really lasts forever.

Sweet dreams all

Dave x