My top 10 favourite albums… in no particular order

The other day @zen-art posted There is no such thing as ONE favourite song (Steemitbloggers Contest) and it inspired me.
Like her, I can't pick 1 song.
I'm also of a generation that took pleasure in crafting and listening to albums.
A well-crafted album goes way beyond a single song experience.

So, here are my top 10 albums (with some cheats), in the order they came to me.
Let me know if any of these resonate with you, or how your list looks different!

Disclaimer: All of the following album links go to iTunes since that is where I listen to them.
None of these links are affiliate links nor should be construed as a recommendation to use iTunes.
You should be able to get at least a preview of the songs.
If you like or use a different music service feel free to use that one.

1. Avantasia: The Scarecrow

So, starting with a cheat… not 1 album but 3!

The Scarecrow is the first of a 3 album concept that started with The Scarecrow and continued with The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon are albums I keep coming back to.

I like a lot of Tobias Sammet's work, even some Edguy stuff.
This set of albums brings together some of the biggest names in rock and metal with the production values to make them all sound amazing.

2. Avishai Cohen: Triveni II

Triveni II is a great jazz album by a brilliant trumpet player.
Cohen's control of his trumpet is outstanding and listening to this on a Saturday evening is a true pleasure.

3. Joe Bonamassa: Black Rock

Moving on to blues, Joe Bonamassa's been at it a long time, and has a lot of good albums to his name.
For many years his Live at Shepherd's Bush was on my top 10 list.
Recently, though, I find myself returning to Black Rock.
All 13 songs are good, and they work together to make a complete package, showing off both Joe's playing and songwriting ability.

If you're into funk, I also recommend Joe's side project Rock Candy Funk Party.
Their 2015 Groove is King is an excellent starting point.

4. Superfly: Superfly

Veering into J-Pop, Superfly is a 60's revival band that made some good albums.
Their self-titled 2001 album hits all of my buttons, though.
Fantastic vocals, great 60's rock licks, high production value.
This was their pinnacle, in my opinion, and gets quite a bit of airplay from me.

5. Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 "From the New World"

Getting into classical territory, Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 is such a stirring and triumphant piece.
It really speaks to my love of bombastic music.
Written during a protracted stay in the U.S., this piece pointed the way toward the American classical music scene that would soon set American music apart from its European ancestors.

This is a bit of a cheat, again.
With classical music, I tend to not fixate on a single album but listen to numerous recordings of the same piece.

6. Brahms: Violin Concerto - Double Concerto

Anne-Sophie Mutter, António Meneses and Herbert von Karajan with the Berliner Philharmoniker make such a beautiful rendition of Brahm's violin concerto.
It doesn't have a number since he, unfortunately, only wrote the one.

I especially like grabbing the sheet music to follow along!

7. Within Temptation: The Unforgiving

​ Back to metal concept albums.
Concept albums are more than a bit of a weak spot for me.

This album, in particular, combines some great songwriting, fantastic vocals, bombastic riffs, and genius marketing.
What's not obvious when you first look or listen to this album, is that there is also a series of comic books the band put together that tells the story of the music.
Then there are the music videos that combine the comic book story with the music.

In any other genre, such a rich multimedia experience and effort would have probably been talked about for the next decade.
Sadly, this is just another gem that got buried and mostly forgotten in the metal genre.

8. Autumn: Cold Comfort

​ The last album Autumn made as a group was a complete stand-out.
The harmonies that had been emerging in previous work come together with the most personal and penetrating lyrics.
Not really metal as much as rock, this seems to me to be another forgotten gem buried in the genre.
If I owned this on vinyl, I would have already worn it out and needed to buy a second copy.

9. Lucius Wildewoman

If you had told me that this album would be on my top 10 list 3 years ago, I would have laughed you out of the room and down the hall.
My first exposure to Lucius was live at a folk festival, and I didn't think much of them.
The people I was with were big fans, and I'm sure I disappointed with my lacklustre praise.

The songs on this album are ear-worms, though, and have really grown on me!
I'll wake up in the morning singing, randomly, Genevieve.
I'll find myself in the shower going over the words for Don't Just Sit There.
Or I'll be driving down the road and suddenly craving, How Loud Your Heart Gets.

10. Third World Love Songs Third World Love Songs

Omar Avital, Avishai Cohen (the bass player, not the trumpet player from #2), Daniel Freedman, and Yonatan Avishai did this wonderful little project back in 2002.
The music combines middle eastern music ideas in a way that isn't trite or cliché.
The combination of great jazz artists with outstanding songwriting really makes it work.

That's my List

…and I'm not sticking to it.
In fact, it's likely to change multiple times in the days and weeks to come.
Though I could go on for a long time, I think it's a good place to stop.
Looking forward to hearing all of your album recommendations!