10 Foundational Vinyl LP's when Starting a Collection

[cyrusr]

As everyone has said, it is always on personal choice (and I know @maqroll that is what you meant). 

My main purchases remains CDs for shere quantity and accessibility. I struggle to get the time to sit and put on a vinyl but can easliy play around with CDs. However I still buy vinyl but when it is truly special record or fantastic album (or not available otherwise). 3 of my top 10 from this year are on that category (see other thread) but for a "ten must buy" vinyl list I would probably go for some classics along with some that benefit from the vinyl sound/need to be listened to in their entirety.

Classics List: -  

1. Black Sabbath - S/T
2. Iron Maiden - 7th Son of a 7th Son
3. Metallica - Master of Puppets
4. Slayer - Reign in Blood
5. Judas Priest - British Steel
6. Mastodon - Leviathan 
7. Death - Human
8. Enslaved - Vertebrae
9. King Diamond - Abigail 
10. Ramones - Rocket To Russia

Are or would be really good on Vinyl: - 

1. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
2. Sleep - Dopesmoker
3. Boris - Flood
4. Sunn O)))/Boris - Altar
5. Mansion - Second Death
6. Ihsahn - After
7. Baroness - Stone
8. Reverend Bizarre - II: Crush The Insects
9. Mammoth Weed Wizard B*stard - Yn Ol I Annwn
10. Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper

[mjmooney]

6 minutes ago, blandy said:

The other thing to pick a ten, is old LPs that I didn’t lose and or there are tracks on them that aren’t on the later CD release

I still have a turntable and about 200 (10%) of my old LP collection left. These are ones that aren't available on CD (I'll still replace those if CDs become available), ones of possible rarity and therefore financial value, and a few of sentimental value (even if I have the CD). 

I play maybe two or three in an average year. 

I bought my last LP in about 1994, and I can safely say I will never buy another one. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by mjmooney

[rjw63]

28 minutes ago, blandy said:

I mostly buy CDs and mostly listen to music through my phone or iPod, on the train or in the car or on my bike. So vinyl (in my world) is mostly for albums that meet 2 criteria: I will want to listen to the whole album in one sitting and the sound of the band/artist isn’t going to be easily beaten by a CD. The other thing to pick a ten, is old LPs that I didn’t lose and or there are tracks on them that aren’t on the later CD release. Exorcising Ghosts being an example:

Easier to take a pic than type it all out, so these 10(though I could have put every Lovely Eggs album in the pic, too).

 

 

I spy Phoebe Bridgers, only know that as the wife received it this morning as a late Christmas gift.

[Chindie]

Phoebe Bridgers 

[villa4europe]

1 hour ago, Risso said:

You're just going to get people's 10 favourite albums, basically.

Nah that's the thing it's slightly not

Like I said I'm a big oasis fan, I can't tell you to go out and get DM as a vinyl collector because the simple answer that you won't find it and if you do you'll be paying a hell of a lot of money for it or you'll be buying the anniversary edition from HMV

Same with arctic monkeys 

You could say you need highway 6q revisited but I'd say bob Dylan has 40 albums and 16 live albums, he's a horrible place to start a record collection 

If you take my rule of no back to black reissues you need to think about what and who you can actually collect because it's not everyone 

I think record collecting or more importantly record searching is a twist on favourite albums 

I put the clash and Bowie in my list, neither would make my top 10 album list but in terms of record collecting both are very doable and open up lots of avenues 

[Tayls]

Easy; 

Metallica - Ride the Lightning 

Metallica - Black Album

Metallica - S&M 1 

Metallica - S&M 2 

Metallica - St Anger 

Metallica - Hardwired

Metallica - Load

Metallica - Kill ‘em All

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

[tonyh29]

8 hours ago, maqroll said:

but the first 10 have to be absolute heavyweights.

I’d guess by heavyweight you’re looking at yer zeppelin , Fleetwood Mac , and all the other (predictable ) stuff that tops polls  …but for me I guess the 80’s was when I started buying music so although I like a lot of 60’s musicfor me the heavyweights I’d start my collection with would be from that era

War - U2

The Crossing - Big Country

Hull 4 London 0 - The Housemartins

Disintegration - The Cure

The Queen is Dead - The Smiths

Purple Rain - Prince

synchronicity- The Police 

Appetite for Destruction - Guns n Roses

Licensed to I’ll - Beastie boys

and although it’s 90’s I’d have to throw in 

Ten - Pearl Jam -

haters are gonna hate , but 80’s is still THE decade when it come to music 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bickster]

12 minutes ago, Tayls said:

Easy; 

Metallica - Ride the Lightning 

Metallica - Black Album

Metallica - S&M 1 

Metallica - S&M 2 

Metallica - St Anger 

Metallica - Hardwired

Metallica - Load

Metallica - Kill ‘em All

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

I really don’t like Metallica and they aren’t the worst thing on your list  

[Tayls]

2 minutes ago, bickster said:

I really don’t like Metallica and they aren’t the worst thing on your list  

What’s wrong with Mumford?! 

[villa4europe]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I still have a turntable and about 200 (10%) of my old LP collection left. These are ones that aren't available on CD (I'll still replace those if CDs become available), ones of possible rarity and therefore financial value, and a few of sentimental value (even if I have the CD). 

I play maybe two or three in an average year. 

I bought my last LP in about 1994, and I can safely say I will never buy another one. 

I've bought 4 this week and I'm hopefully going to find an old record shop in heidelburg which I'll get 10 minutes in

Played 3 of them today, usually play at least 2 every Saturday or Sunday morning 

Sold all my CDs 

Sold all my 7" vinyl too

The collection element of it just died off

[mjmooney]

9 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

I've bought 4 this week 

The collection element of it just died off

What's the difference between buying and collecting? 

[GarethRDR]

1 hour ago, Tayls said:

Metallica - St Anger 

The true majesty of those snare hits can only really be appreciated on vinyl.

[villa4europe]

18 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

What's the difference between buying and collecting? 

"why the **** have I got these?"

At some point I just looked at my circa 1500 cds and asked what for, I don't listen to them, most of them are battered from years of abuse in the car, I don't have a cd player, I definitely don't have a portable cd player any more, it was crazy stuff too, there were CDs like bloc party a weekend in the city I had 7 or 8 different copies of it including American and Japanese imports, the irony being the additional songs on those CDs aren't on streaming services or vinyl

Same reason I got rid of all my tapes

Streaming killed cds for me but vinyl survived, I stopped see the point of a cd collection, it did nothing for me anymore other than seeming like a waste of time, money and space

The other thing is like I said record collecting is more about luck and chance and finding something, if I go in to a small record shop tomorrow who knows what they might have, probably nothing of interest, maybe a lesser known stevie wonder album, maybe they've got the Kano album that I've now spent 5 years looking for... CD shopping was walk in to hmv wanting the latest cd, having a look at the offers to pick up 2 for £10 as a special then walking out, that same kano album I'll find in 2 minutes, there's nothing overly interesting in it

Edit - I'll put an example here too, if the answer to the best vinyl to collect was "the beatles white album" and you said yeah sound and went straight on amazon and bought the 50 year special edition for next day delivery - that's vinyl shopping, to me collecting and properly being in to it you'll add it to a list in the hope that one day you'll stumble across a vinyl shop selling an original press and that's the copy you'll buy, that's what I see as the hobby part of it

Edited December 28, 2023 by villa4europe

[chrisp65]

Pepe Deluxe- Phantom Cabinet Vol.1 

Probably not the optimum format for the ultimate audio experience. But be honest, you’ll be in a big square room with hard walls, or you’ll have buds in on a bus in the rain. What vinyl gives you, that mini disc and flac can’t, is a big fat gatefold format to enjoy the artwork whilst you listen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a banging album that will impress your friends, but they’ll pick it up because of the artwork.

Ennio Morricone - A Santa Cecilia, it’s a great album, a thing of beauty. The version of Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo is brilliant at volume. But that’s not why it’s here, it’s here because it represents picking up a random purchase whilst flicking through a random rack, in a random shop. It just isn’t the same experience as selecting shuffle on your streaming device.

Junior - Un Deux Trois. Another thing you won’t get when you rent a track from apple, you won’t get a free single, some stickers, a postcard, a download, and a beer mat. It’s the format that offers endless possibilities for trivia and the collecting experience. Also, unlike renting from apple, you could now sell this for £100 if times get a little tough, or you go off the French.

Super Furry Animals.

But actually, any box set. Box sets are great, and if they also have original numbered artwork and a pouch of genuine yeti hair, then all the better. I’ve only ever had a pouch of yeti hair with a vinyl box set, never with a CD.

JB’s - These Are The JB’s.

I’ve never said to Alexa, can you play the JB’s and whilsy we’re at it, can you take my picture. But in a record shop, after a brief conversation, you can do that.

This album represents the buzz you get in a record shop. Not on Amazon.

Llwybr Llaethog - Dub Cymraeg. You need something out of your comfort zone, you need dub, you need to reward genuine home made cottage industry music making from your own town. The record sleeve is as home made as it gets, you can see the title is glued on. The music is sublime. If you still want a copy, you’re best off going around their house. Jeff Bezos struggles to match this experience.

Lee Scratch Perry - Return To Conquer. I’ve never had a free poster, CD, and vinyl album with a download. I’ve never had a download number 007.

Small Faces - Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. Circular gatefold artwork and an early stereo concept album. Lots of bases covered.

,

LSP - Sound System Scratch. There are some formats that are close to perfect. Vinyl is not, too many variables.

But was pop music ever supposed to be perfect, this had scratches on it before it got as far as the pressing plant. Don’t put waffle on your walls, don’t buy £500 noise cancelling headphones. Just enjoy it.

 

British Sea Power - Man of Aran. Just don’t be precious about anything. If the CD includes a DVD, buy the CD as well.

 

None of those are music heavyweights, just reasons to enjoy a format. The only music format for me that has an enjoyable aesthetic, from hunting stuff down, talking to humans, touch, art, ritual, and crackle.

 

 

 

 

[Chindie]

2 hours ago, GarethRDR said:

The true majesty of those snare hits can only really be appreciated on vinyl.

Yes, it takes vinyl to really hear that he was thumping a bin lid like an affronted toddler on every track.

[hogso]

7 hours ago, GarethRDR said:

My three shouts for "at least one of these should be in everybody's collection"....

• At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
• Boards Of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children
• Slint - Spiderland

I got the lovely boxset remaster with the documentary, shirt, and what not of Spiderland some years ago - but ordered just too late to get the signed version. Damn.

[Tayls]

2 hours ago, GarethRDR said:

The true majesty of those snare hits can only really be appreciated on vinyl.

St Anger really was a great album. With classics such as ‘St Anger’ and… some of those other ones. 

[TB]

5 hours ago, blandy said:

I mostly buy CDs and mostly listen to music through my phone or iPod, on the train or in the car or on my bike. So vinyl (in my world) is mostly for albums that meet 2 criteria: I will want to listen to the whole album in one sitting and the sound of the band/artist isn’t going to be easily beaten by a CD. The other thing to pick a ten, is old LPs that I didn’t lose and or there are tracks on them that aren’t on the later CD release.

That is what I do as well (CDs/phone/FLAC), but with regards to additional tracks on the CD: when I have the original vinyl record at home and the same album (re-issued, remastered, compressed) on CD, I play the LP whenever I'm able to - because I absolutely hate the added "bonus tracks" on the CD that weren't on the original vinyl album. When the final song on the original album ends, that should be it. Playing the CD, I'm sitting anxiously, waiting for the moment I must stop the CD player before the "bonus tracks" starts playing. As an example (showing my age here): after The Journey's End on Strawbs' Grave New World, there should only be silence.

[villaajax]

I bought this record years ago, purely because it has Peter Withe in the picture.

I only realised recently that the other side has a load of signatures printed on it. One being Jimmy Savile

[maqroll]

What's Going On

Innervisions

Kind of Blue

Rumours 

Thriller

Dark Side of the Moon

Aja 

Brothers in Arms

Exodus

Moving Pictures 

Some of these aren't even in my top 100 favorite albums, but I'd find them crucial on vinyl.