Dez's 5 Star Records: The E's and F's

I can combine the E's and F's into one entry. I like this one, there is some real variety here. Jazz, bluegrass, funk, folk, atmospheric, pop and of course, some gritty rock and roll.

Duke Ellington – Ellington Indigos (1958): A minor entry in the Duke’s discography, I admit, but I have always loved the mellow and nostalgic mood (well, it feels nostalgic now, I guess it felt contemporary then) that he maintains throughout.

Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets (1974): The more obvious choice may be his classic Another Green World, but I prefer Eno’s more structured and rock-oriented yet just as adventurous debut, where he already shows a mastery of production and sonic texture.

Explosions in the Sky (plus Daniel Lanois, David Torn, Bad Company) – ‘Friday Night Lights’ motion picture soundtrack (2004): Limiting themselves to relatively concise pieces for soundtrack purposes makes the wide open and impressionistic instrumental music of West Texas’s Explosions in the Sky that much more potent (and the pretty acoustic Bad Company tune “Seagull” is a really nice touch).

Faces – A Nod Is As Good As a Wink…To A Blind Horse (1971): Sweaty, bluesy rock and roll from Rod Stewart, the Ronnies (Wood and Lane) and Co. that equals the Stones at their gritty best, with Lane’s gorgeous “Debris” standing out as the emotional highlight.

Fairport Convention – Liege and Leif (1969): This groundbreaking record is true folk (in this case English and Celtic)-rock, instead of merely being rock music with folk influences; both genres are strongly present for a true fusion of styles punctuated by the stellar guitar work from cult hero Richard Thompson and the glorious vocals of Sandy Denny.

Fine Young Cannibals – The Raw and Cooked (1988): This piece of bright 80’s pop is so intriguing to me, not only for Roland Gift’s impressive vocals but also for its fusion of 50’s (and early 60’s) and 80’s styles, as if the late 60’s and 70’s never happened, running 50’s simple pop and rock structure through 80’s synths, electronic drums and silky smooth production.

Ella Fitzgerald – The Cole Porter Songbook (1956): The definition of class.

Bela Fleck – Drive (1988): Fleck and his maestro friends perfect the modern instrumental bluegrass form, with the extended freak-out in “Sanctuary” being the highlight.

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones – Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (1991): The record that really broke Fleck and his Flecktones through to the relative mainstream; a dizzy and joyous amalgam of jazz, bluegrass and rock from a band with unparalleled chops and technique.

Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977): Out of soap opera comes one of pop-rock’s great masterpieces.

Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (1971): The stunning 9-minute title track/guitar solo from Eddie Hazel blows the mind, it is a peak for emotional, explosive electric guitar playing.


Legend has it that for the recording of Funkadelic's “Maggot Brain,” George Clinton locked guitarist Eddie Hazel (above) in a dark studio and instructed him to play “like you just heard that your Mama died.”