Bought all the adult kids record players this year (as the gift that can potentially keep on giving) as well as a ‘starter vinyl album’ to go along with each player with each choice for record based on nothing other than

the cover needs to be visually appealing and track list needs to be strong.

I avoided greatest hits and/or compilations, soundtracks, and modern albums.

Have one son remaining to pick an album for him (and his wife).

Which would you choose (of the below only) as an introduction to viny which is

·         Visually eye catching

·         Will have enough strong tracks to nurture listening from beginning to end

Ie. I demonstrated this concept to my 10 year old daughter using one of the suitcase style record players that had not been wrapped and Tomita’s Bolero album.

The cover was/is visually stunning, the tracks are all strong enough to draw the listener through from side 1 to side 2 (electronica version of Ravel’s Bolero)

https://youtu.be/3iqyskHZO0M?si=gKzshjCF2-xeBz_A

 I also excluded heavy metal and rap as his wife will likely be the first to come in contact with the chosen album/be the first to listen to it (as he travels for work).

·         Exile on Main St The Rolling Stones

·         Stop Making Sense The Talking Heads

·         Zenyatta Mondatta The Police

·         Mezzanine Massive Attach

·         Out of the Blue ELO

·         Pack Up the Plantation Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

·         Chicago IX Chicago*

 

*a greatest hits album but it’s the one album cover that (other than King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King) that caught your eye every time you saw a Columbia House ad.

ELO.