So here we go part two of my ten favourite albums.

 1972 saw this album burst onto the scene. I first remember seeing Roxy on The Old Grey Whistle Test and being totally blown away. There was this guy in feathers and make up stood in front of a huge machine with loads of knobs and jack plugs that he kept pulling out and replacing. Eno had arrived alongside a front man with a snear a quiff and a great voice that made you not want to take your eyes away from the screen. Then there was a guy looking like an old rock n roller blowing away on a rasping sax, and guitar playing from one of the coolest looking people around. Add to this solid drumming and fine bass lines and we had Roxy Music. The radio stations started to play Virginia Plain and soon they would be household names. So the band was Bryan Ferry (vocals) Brian Eno (Synths & keyboards), Andy Mackay (Saxaphones), Phil Manzanera (Guitars), Paul Thompson Drums) & Graham Simpson (Bass). Picking a track from this their debut album is difficult, everyone is a gem. bUt here we go try this one for size.
"If there is something"

 P.F.M. "Photos of ghosts" appeared a year after Roxy Music and was the first Italian Band I had ever heard. Signed to Manticore the label run by Emerson Lake & Palmer, Premiata Forneria Marconi had an instant resonance with me. They had a jazz styling overlayed with a typical prog rock sound. The first track I remember hearing was "Celebration" which sounded in part like Dutch rockers Focus. Having heard this I purchased the single and quickly followed by the album. THis would be the first of many. I was lucky to get to see the band play live at Nottingham Students Union a couple of years later on their "Chocolate Kings" tour. That too is an album I listen to a fair bit, but the rules state only one album from each band or artist. So let's Celebrate with that first song of theirs I ever heard, "Celebration".

 It mat be hard to believe that some of the greatest soul hits from the sixties and seventies were written by a couple of white guys, but Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham are responsible for such songs as, "I'm your puppet", "Sweet Inspiration", "Cry like a baby", "The dark end of the street" & "Out of left field" to name just a few. During the month of November 1998 they decided to tour the UK and Ireland plying and singing many of the hits that they had written and had been hits for numerous soul legends. This album is made up of recordings from that brief tour.Thanks to Nick Lowe for inviting them over and giving us this wonderful slice of sweet Southern Soul. "Sweet Inspiration"

 It was by complete accident that I came upon Tom Russell. When we had our shop in Sutton in Ashfield I had a customer order an album on Hightone Records and when the order arrived from "Proper" they had sent the wrong one. I looked at the cover and thought that looks interesting. That album was "Borderland". I put the disc in the player and have been hooked ever since, many albums & gigs later this is still the album that I keep returning too. Tom Russell live is well worth seeing either on his own or with a band. Tom hails from the deep south of America along the Mexican border and this album evokes the sounds of that area. The interaction between the two nations is felt throughout the album with the sound of accordion playing of Joel Guzman. Recorded in Austin Texas between 2000 & 2001 it also features some fine guitar work by Andrew Hardin who toured with Tom for many years. Here we have "When Sinatra played Juarez"

  Finally, Christy Moore "Live at the Point". Christy Moore has been around for many years and has to be one, if not the greatest Irish songwriter. This album is the one album that if I am feeling low I can put on and it makes feel better. Classed as one of folks legends, this is a true reflection of his output, serious songs and fun songs that have you singing along. By the time I get to this song "Joxer goes to Stuttgart" i'm well and truly fine. It is a song that makes you feel Irish, if only for a few moments.

I hope you have enjoyed my selections, if you have please leave a comment.

I can't believe it was September last year that I last posted anything here. I will endeavour to be more attentive.

So on Facebook there is currently a request going around for people to list their favourite 10 albums that they listen to on a regular basis. So I thought it a good idea to restart my postings with my list and with a track from each. They are in no particular order. So here we go.

  Bob Dylan "New Morning" Released in 1970, this as ever since been my favourite Dylan album. It is a much maligned release that for for some reason I have found to be one that I return to over and over. It is so difficult to find tracks from this album on You-tube but here is one "If dogs run free"

 Another album from 1970. It must have been a good year. James Taylor's "sweet Baby James" This album reminds me very much of my last couple of years at school. Again this is a varied album, with some fine guitar playing. This is one of my favourite tracks that shows off some of this guitar playing plus a great brass section. "Steamroller Blues"

 Later in the seventies, 1977 saw the release of Barbra Streisand's album "Superman". I was introduced to the amazing vocal talent of Barbra Streisand by my first wife Wendy, and have been grateful for this ever since. Sadly Wendy is no longer with us, but this album is still around and sounds just as good now as it did all those years ago. It is a mixture of self penned tracks and brilliant covers, including this one, "New York state of mind" a Billy Joel song.

  1974 saw the release of one of my all time favourite live albums, John Stewart's "Phoenix Concerts" A double LP recorded at Phoenix Symphony Hall it is a tour-de-force with many of his greatest songs from his early solo career. With his wife Buffy Ford and son Michael in attendance. So many tracks to choose from this great songwriter who wrote "daydream believer" that was such a huge hit worldwide for The Monkees. Here's just one track "Kansas"

  I just realised that each of my first five choices are from the seventies. "Year of the cat" from Al Stewart was released in 1976 and it made his name known to a worldwide audience. Every track was radio friendly and could be heard all over that year and the title track still gets played many times over on radio stations all over the world. This is "On the border"

That's it for today, I will post the next five later, two of which are also from the seventies !