Albums to take to the other side

This was the unusual competition in the online site of the US magazine American Songwriter. At first I didn't pay it much attention, thinking it was just another list competition, but as the week has moved on I've found the theme entering my thoughts more and more.

It's just under 50 years ago that I bought my first LP, The Best of the Beach Boys, and strangely I remember that it cost 32 shillings and 6 pence. In compiling the list I've decided to reject any greatest hits or "best of" compilations in the belief that it's cheating. Similarly I've ignored live albums; this is more contentious as some of my favourite albums are indeed " Live at", but these often run into double albums and that's not what this list is all about. So I've selected ten albums that have at different times enthralled me or captured a mood at a time of my life.

I'm sure that if I had drawn up the list last year or indeed next, there would be some modifications. I think that's natural but for now here goes, the ten albums not in precise order that I want to take with me ..

1 Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)

 

 

 

2 Darkness on the Edge of Towm - Bruce Springsteen (1978)

 Winnemucca - Richmond Fontaine

 

 

 

 

4. The Dirty South - Drive by Truckers

 

 

 

 

 

5. August and Everything After - Counting Crows

 

 

 

6 Return of the Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons (1973)

 

 

 

 

7.Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen

 

 

 

8 Cold Roses - Ryan Adams

 

 

 

9 Harvest - Neil Young

 

 

 

10 The Nightfly - Donald Fagan