Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Facing Future (1993): Known to most listeners for his lovely and ubiquitous ukulele cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What A Wonderful World,” the biggest selling record in Hawaiian music history offers much more from the gentle giant of Hawaii.
Robert Earl Keen – Gringo Honeymoon (1994): Keen’s eye for storytelling detail shines on his most beloved studio release, a record that captures the unique attitudes and feel for Central/South Texas life.
Stan Kenton – Kenton in Hi-Fi (1956): Kenton’s brand of big band bombast was controversial in its day and remains so (harmony and power over swing), this record (outside of compilations) best exemplifies Kenton during a peak period.
The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004): Whenever I despair at the death of rock and roll, groups like this give me some hope for the future.
B.B. King – Live at the Regal (live) (1965): The King of urban uptown blues is caught at the peak of his powers as a master showman.
King Crimson – Red (1974): I love Robert Fripp’s edgy guitar all over this prog-rock masterpiece, it is prog yet with almost punk energy in places.
King Crimson – Discipline (1981): The intricate interplay between Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew’s guitars is a mesmerizing thing of beauty.
Kings of Leon – Only By the Night (2008): These guys give me even more hope for the future of rock and roll; Caleb Followill’s vocals especially draw a direct line back to classic Southern rock singing.
The Kinks – Face To Face (1966): I would put this wonderful collection of British pop up against anything of the era, including Beatles records; Ray Davies takes huge leaps forward as a songwriter here.
The Kinks – The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968): In a period of psychedelic excess and angry protest music, Ray Davies will have none of it, instead releasing a charming set of English pastoral pop songs infused with nostalgia and wonderful lyrical details.
The Kinks – Arthur, or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969): Forgotten, brilliant concept album that is much more successful as a conceptual work than The Who’s much more famous Tommy, released the same year.
The Kinks – Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround, Pt. 1 (1970): The Kinks enter the 70’s with a muscular sound more reminiscent of their early garage days vs. their more recent baroque and pastoral pop, while Ray Davies’s eye for lyrical detail remains sharp as ever.
KISS – Alive! (live) (1975): Big, obnoxious 70’s stadium rock at its finest; this is the record that broke KISS as one of the most successful acts of the decade and also made the double live album a standard for any huge 70’s rock band.
Leo Kottke – 6 and 12 String Guitar (1969): Just as advertised, Kottke delivers a fingerpicking masterclass of acoustic greatness.
Leo Kottke – Great Big Boy (1991): Kottke puts the guitar flash on the backburner here, instead delivering a set of quirky story/songs sung in his languid, humorous style.
ABOVE: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole was a huge man, but he had a lovely, delicate voice that conveyed the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands
2 comments:
I'm still reading. Just don't have much to say. Maybe the subjectivity of this doesn't lend itself to argument. I mean, I like some songs on "Hot Fuss" but definitely wouldn't call it five stars. Etc. I'm a bit surprised there are only four Kinks records here. The over/under line in Vegas was 11 1/2.
Glad you are still reading and I appreciate the comments. As far as the Kinks go, four is still quite a bit. I try to show restraint on this list, and remember that a four star record is still a damn great record. Also, outside of that mid to late 60's period, Kinks records as a whole were always spotty. Outstanding songs mixed with filler.
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