STACK #163 May 2018

MUSIC FEATURE

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How many classic double albums do you have in your collection? Here are the first ten of 20 we reckon are worth getting your ears on. Words Paul Jones

London Calling The Clash (1979)

Released as the final embers of punk cooled to make way for the New Wave and post-punk movements, The Clash blew open

Physical Graffiti Led Zeppelin (1975) Of the 15 tracks on Graffiti , eight were new

Wu-Tang Forever Wu-Tang Clan (1997) Reaching the

the doors with a double player that courted ska, rockabilly, reggae, R&B, soul, and of course balls-out rock and roll, all the while retaining their punk heritage. Featuring one of the most iconic album covers in history, this is the sound of a band acutely honed and awash with confidence.

compositions and seven pulled from outtakes from III , IV and Houses Of The Holy . Undoubtedly the band’s magnum opus, this exceptional double album captures Zeppelin at the apex of their success, both commercially and creatively. If you only plan to own one Led Zeppelin album on vinyl, this is the one you need.

bar set by their influential 1993 debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was always going to

The Wall Pink Floyd (1979) Frustrated with the

be a tall order. After pursuing

solo endeavours, the members reconvened in 1996 to begin work on the follow-up, Wu-Tang Forever . Overall it’s an excellent double album, although the quality does wane a little on the second record.

audience disconnect that the expansive US 'In The Flesh' 1977 stadium shows were affording him, Roger Waters began writing what would eventually become The Wall . Exploring themes of war, loneliness, loss and failed relationships, the ambitious double concept album was released in 1979 and sold over a million copies in the first two months. Exile on Main St. The Rolling Stones (1972) Released in 1972, Exile was predominantly written by Jagger and Richards. With the band relocating to France to avoid the UK’s crippling tax laws, most of the album was laid down in the basement of Richards’ hired mansion following a rather tumultuous recording schedule. Initially it feels raw, and Jagger’s vocals are buried in the mix, but its grandeur eventually rises to the surface revealing one the Stones’ best albums. Sign ‘O’ The Times Prince (1987)

Bitches Brew Miles Davis (1970)

Electric Ladyland The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968) Hendrix’s manager Chas Chandler had already begun producing Electric Ladyland when, tiring of the guitarist’s perfectionism and chemical-ingesting entourage, he walked out on the album. Hendrix, in a creatively fertile period, took the reins and delivered an exhilarating sonic triumph of contrasting sounds and styles. A must-own for your vinyl collection.

Introduced to the sounds of Jimmy Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone by his girlfriend Betty Mabry, Miles Davis pulled together a unique ensemble of musicians for a unique project. The six cuts

Tommy The Who (1969) It was Pete Townsend’s musical vision that guided The Who’s direction as a creative force. Tommy marked a significant shift in songwriting style for the guitarist, with Roger Daltrey also discovering a new element to his singing. A concept album, Townsend expanded on a format with Tommy that he had begun to explore on A Quick One , unleashing his unfettered musical ambition. unconventional jazz, producing a lesson in improvisation. Bitches Brew became a musical reflection of the cultural change of the era. were lifted from various jams, as the trumpeter eschewed tradition for

Tusk Fleetwood Mac (1979) Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham took everything that made Rumours a phenomenal global success and threw it in the bin. Driven as much by cocaine abuse as the desire to write something entirely different and unexpected, Tusk is an incoherent collection of 20 tracks that somehow works. A commercial flop on release, it is now viewed as some of the most interesting work the band produced.

After disassembling his backing band The Revolution and scaling back three projects to a double album (he originally wanted to release it as a triple album), Sign ‘O’ The

Times was Prince at his creative zenith. The diverse tracklisting bridges a plethora of styles – funk, hip hop, rock and even folk – with Prince playing the majority of the instruments. By 1987, Prince was music’s undisputed monarch.

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac

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MAY 2018

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