10 Albums I Listen to Sometimes

Not a list of my favourite albums

Not a list of my favourite albums. Probably not a list of anyone's favourite albums. And yet... not a year goes by when I don't revisit these records for a listen.

Boulez conducts Varèse

When I first heard Ionisation and the rest of the Varèse canon as a teenager, I felt like I had come home. With time, the novelty wore off, and now it's less an exciting and rebellious event and more just the familiar soundtrack to my so-called life.

Zoviet France - Norsch

I would have eventually discovered Zoviet France anyway, but as things happened, I discovered them a decade or so earlier than I should have. I found this record lying at the top of the discount bucket at the local record store, for the price equivalent to a pack of chewing gum. It had a great cover, but when I asked the seller, he got really upset, told me that this was terrible music, and that since no one was ever going to buy such a rubbish record even at a discount, I was welcome to take it home for free. I did, and it's actually quite good.

Music, Martinis, and Misanthropy

Douglas P. and Boyd Rice are really not nice people. In their defence, it can only be said that they never claimed to be anything other than really not nice. This is a good introduction to the genre of beautiful music by very not nice people. It's a good soundtrack for those days when you've all but given up on humanity and need to get it out of your system.

Moustaki - Humblement Il Est Venu

File under "not even bad." My mother had this record and used to play it quite frequently when I was single-digit years old, and I guess it left an imprint on my young, plastic brain. I especially like the bohemian hymn "La Philosophie."

S/T - Space Fidelity

Very few people know of S/T, but anyone who does is a devoted fan. Somehow they managed to capture everything that's good about music and put it on record (and in some cases on stage). Space Fidelity is the real end-to-end masterpiece, and also a pretty good recreation of their live vibes.

Fred Frith & René Lussier - Nous Autres

I'm a huge fan of Fred Frith, and especially like his '80s output. It's varied, and there are many records that are better known and also ones I listen to more frequently, but there's something special and exciting about this live recording.

The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

Officially not really an album—a singles collection—but I've always known it as an album. No fillers, every track a hit. The ultimate testament to the Beatles' era of psychedelic pop. My personal favourites are "Blue Jay Way" and "I Am the Walrus" (um-chu-kah-chum), which is the Beatles song I like best.

Hindemith - Hindemith: Symphonia Serena; Symphonie "Die Harmonie der Welt"

Who even likes Hindemith?! Well, I do, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. He's one of those "modern" composers who challenge but don't punish. And his challenges are really quite subtle. These two short symphonic pieces are nice to listen to and are quite representative. Listen carefully—can you even detect the challenging parts? Hardly.

Scott Walker - Climate of Hunter

Not anyone's favourite Scott Walker album, but I think it sits well as a bridge between the early Scott the chansonnier period and the later more difficult discography and works well despite the clinical 80s sound.

Fripp & Sylvian - The First Day

Fripp, just as he's coming back from the wilderness, meets Sylvian just before he finally gives up on popular music. Beautiful and fun record you can listen to beginning-to-end over and over again. Danceable too!