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these are all from my personal vinyl collection. anyone remember vinyl? they still make it. i've tried to keep it to one album per artist, to add some breadth here. images shamelessly stealing bandwidth from wikipedia. in alphabetical order:

1. tori amos, "under the pink" (1994)
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   this was the first album i heard by her, and still the one that has left the greatest impression. a good representation for my interest in pianos used in modern music, in non traditional ways. the second record i ever bought brand new. on bright, barbie pink vinyl. (also owned: "boys for pele," "from the choirgirl hotel," "y kant tori read," "american doll posse" and various singles)
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2. the cure, "disintegration" (1989)
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   i tend to reserve this album for when i'm feeling really terrible depressed. it always makes it worse. or maybe better. i should probably see a psychiatrist, or something. but this is by far the darkest 80's new wave album i have ever heard, and one of the best by the cure. well deserved on anyone's favourite list.
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3. the doors, "the doors" (1967)
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   it's all downhill from here. someday, i'll get around to buying their other albums, but this one has most of my favourite songs on it. while i now own a lot of other pyschadelic stuff (cream, hendrix, big brother and the holding company, mamas & papas, etc) this was really my introduction. (also owned: "best of," "soft parade")
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4. bob dylan, "greatest hits" (1967)
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   a "greatest hits" may seem like a cop out, but this is really just a damned good album. and the original album "blowin' in the wind" is on is worth almost as much as a house. this is the one that comes with all the good songs, AND the snazzy poster. probably the only reason i like indie-folk stuff (decemberists, neutral milk hotel, dashboard confessional) today. (also owned: "greatest hits vol 2," "pat garrett & billy the kid")
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5. peter gabriel, "passion: music for the last temptation of christ" (1989)
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   good movie, great soundtrack. it's almost all traditional middle-eastern instruments. i know a couple of other people here like it too, so not much more to say. (also owned: "so")
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6. linkin park, "reanimation" (2002)
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   i'm a sucker for a good remix album. and while NIN defined that genre, they're later on the list. and this is honestly a better album than most of their remix albums. it's primarily mike shinoda's producing, with guest contributions, ranging from rap to string arrangements, and most songs are far better than the originals. (also owned: "hybrid theory," "meteora," "collision course" w/ jay-z, various singles)
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7. massive attack, "mezzanine" (1998)
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   THE trip-hop album, by the group that defined the genre. i've really gotten into the combination of hip-hop and melody (portishead is also listed, but lamb and hooverphonic as well, who are not represented on vinyl). this is the most dark-sounding album of the bunch, and the most often heard. "angel" and "inertia creeps" are used in countless movies and tv shows. "teardrop" has become the theme for the ever-popular tv show "house." (also owned: "blue lines," "protection," "no protection" w/ mad professor, "100th window")
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8. moby, "play" (1999)
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   the generic techno album that spawned the mainstreaming of generic techno. not much to say, just a solid modern classic.
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9. n.w.a. "straight outta compton" (1988)
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   the original gangsta rap, and one of the most controversial albums of all time. i got into playing "grand theft auto: san andreas" and discovered that, for whatever reason, i actually really like gangsta rap in this strange post-modern kind of way. (also owned: "death row classics" produced by dr. dre)
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10. nine inch nails, "the fragile" (1999)
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    the reason i got into nin in the first place. an incredibly complex album, in many layers and pieces, featuring recurring themes, and one of the most unique sounds ever. double disc on cd, triple on vinyl (with extra tracks, too). "the wall" for generation Y. this album is now worth well over $150 on vinyl. (also owned: just about every other release)

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11. outkast, "big boi and dre present..." (2001)
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    another greatest hits, but "the whole world" makes it worth it. even when i didn't like rap, i liked outkast. (also owned: "speakerboxxx/the love below")
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12. a perfect circle, "mer de noms" (2000)
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    one of the single greatest rock albums, ever. the collaboration between the members on this album is second to none, with some brilliant slide guitar, violin, and vocals. by the second album, the balance of power had shifted for the worst, maynard (of tool) quickly taking too much over. on this album, he merely wrote vocal parts over existing compositions, but as he wanted to direct more and more, the band simply imploded. the vinyl cover is different, btw. (also owned: "thirteenth step," "emotive," various singles)
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13. pink floyd, "dark side of the moon" (1973)
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    simple, concise, brilliant, classic. this album will get you laid. (also owned: "the wall" and a greatest hits lp)
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14. portishead, "dummy" (1994)
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    another trip-hop album on my list, also one of the best regarded. if massive attack is most known for the sound, portishead is a very close second. they've even toured together. i actually owned one of their LP's (the other one) first, but didn't understand where it fit until i heard massive attack. (also owned: "(music by) portishead")
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15. radiohead, "kid a" / "amnesiac" (2000/2001)
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    these two really feel like two halves to the same album, so they get one slot. amnesiac was really the reason i even got into radiohead. very unique, experimental sound on these two albums. both are double 10" albums, too, which is strange. (also owned: "OK computer," "i might be wrong" live ep, "hail to the theif")
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16. rage against the machine, self titled (1992)
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    probably their best album, and one that defined the sound the most. and one of the best rock albums, period. enjoy the political content, even if i don't always agree. guest spot by maynard of tool. (also owned: "evil empire," "people of the sun" ep, "battle of LA," "renegades")
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17. sigur ros, "( )" (2002)
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    i currently own TWO copies of this on vinyl, because i bought the "in a frozen sea" compilation and i had the original. it's actually better on cd -- more clean, better conceptually. very, very minimalist, bittersweet music. sung in gibberish. i want this played at my funeral. it's one the most inexperessibly beautiful albums you will ever own. the band is icelandic. i've gotten into them a lot recently, but this was my introduction to them and still my favourite. (also owned: "takk..." and "in a frozen sea" which includes those two and "agaetis byrjun")
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18. the smashing pumpkins, "mellon collie and the infinite sadness" (1995)
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    you do not want to know what this cost me. triple vinyl set, very low numbered, and the most incredible album of all time. if you've never heard this album, go out right now and buy a copy. you will thank me later. this is by far the most diverse SP album out there, and the one that billy gave up the most creative control to the other band members on. "adore" is a close second to me, but this is just too good not to list. there are two extra songs on the vinyl, and the whole thing's in a completely different order. sadly, my turntable has broken, so i haven't been able to listen to it yet. (also owned: "gish," "siamese dream," "adore," "machina i/the machines of god")
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19. tool, "lateralus" (2001/2005)
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    this album took FOUR YEARS to come out on vinyl, due to "packaging issues." the final result -- completely different artwork, foil cover, and two picture discs. it's damned cool looking. sadly, i don't own ænima on vinyl, or that'd be on this list instead. it's like, $600. (also owned: "opiate," "undertow")
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20. u2, "the joshua tree" (1987)
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    ever hear any album that evokes a time and a place very clearly, even if you were never there? this album is the american southwest in the late 1980's. (also owned: "the unforgettable fire," "under a blood red sky")

Edited by arachnophilia, : No reason given.Edited by arachnophilia, : "on vinyl"

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my new turntable came in the mail today. i am very pleased with it.

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Nice. I'm not enough of an audiophile to really "get" the vinyl thing, but I can appreciate flash kit, and that's certainly it.

as i understand it, the debate rages on. cd v. vinyl, it's really a subjective thing. the facts of stuff like noise-floor, accuracy of reproduction, tonal range, etc, all come down pretty strictly in favor of cd. but vinyl wins out of the more subjective qualities like "spatial separation" and "soundstage" and "warmth" and "less fatiguing" and stuff that's really hard to quanitify.it's not really an audiophile appreciation for it that i have... if true audiophiles saw the rest of my system, they'd probably laugh so hard milk came out their noses. i'm running the thing out of cheapo preamp straight into powered computer speakers. fancy, it is not. but it works for my uses, and it's good enough. that cartridge on there probably cost me about $15, and is worn all to hell (i have a newer, better one in the mail).mainly, i like it because it feels more substantial than cd. i enjoy listening to it, collecting it, and just looking at it more. the quality is very different than cd, some say better. sound is good -- sometimes amazing for what records you can pick up for next to nothing. it's got this whole hunting through bins, finding the amazing bargain appeal, kind of a subculture of geeks in basements. hard to explain, but if you ever get into it, you know. i got brenna addicted to vinyl too. and it's coming back. DJs kept it alive through the 90's (thanks in part, btw, to this very model of turntable). but as they're starting to drift to cdj tabels and ipods, the nerdy collectors like me have picked it back up. and the market is starting to sell itself to us, too -- for instance, the new radiohead album can only be bought in two formats, mp3, and LP. indeed. this is the table that DJs have used since the 70's. it's the table that hip-hop was first created on. you've seen in it (in silver form) in music videos, movies, television. the guy that famously did a headstand on a turntable? it was this model. people tell stories of it deflecting bullets, or working for 15 years continuously. thing's built like a tank.but i really bought it just to listen to. there's another debate that's been raging about whether this can be an "audiophile" table. it was originally marketted as such, and DJs adopted it because it was so sturdy and the motor so powerful. mainly, i was tired of my old belt-drive turntable, locking up, speed varying all over the place, etc, and this met all my demands for quality construction, production history, etc.now, if you wanna see flash kit, check out what some people do to theirs: but i don't really have the electrical engineering knowhow to attempt that sort of thing.

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I just spend last Saturday picking up weird junk at the local university surplus auction (like a new old bike! woot!), so believe me, I have a sense of what you're talking about.I guess the thing is I'm not really someone who listens to music for its own sake. It's just something to put on while I do something else, like it is for about 99% of all human beings, I suspect.So I'm a big fan of my iPod, I guess.Anyway, neat turntable. It reminds me a lot of the turntable my dad has and hardly ever uses any more; I think it was also a Technics. And it had that same kind of spaced-dot pattern along the edge of the platter that you would use to fine-tune the speed control.Lots of burnished knobs and switches, neat stuff. I don't think my dad has any really great records for it but it was an impressive feat of machinery to me at a young age.

absolutely. i'm listening to music right now, actually. on the new turntable too. the only thing that makes it a little less "set it and forget it" than say an mp3 playlist, is that i occasionally have to flip a record. i very rarely just listen to music doing nothing else, and when i do that's generally because "trying to fall asleep" doesn't really count as an activity. and then again... that's on an mp3 player. i use a 30gb iaudio x5l, personally. similar buying decision, btw -- sturdy, two year production history (long for mp3 players), etc. it's highly useful for the car, and was a life saver in my studio art classes.i'm... a little schizophrenic about artistic things. i tend to go for whatever is on both ends of the spectrum, and nothing in between. i have no use for CDs, but LPs and MP3s? count me in. i was the same way with photography, too -- low quality high color high contrast digital one end, and high dynamic range b+w film on the other. but i gave in and bought a dSLR, and now i'm just trying to figure out what use i'll put it towards artistically. i think it's still impressive. i've owned a few turntables before, and seen tons, and this thing makes them all look like fisher-price.

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Hey crash...I had a couple of suggestions for you since you are into Delerium.One is Gotan Project. They have a heavy tango influence, but the effect of the music is much the same and I think you may like it.The other is Air. It is more in the electronica genre than Delerium, but it has a similar atmospheric appeal.Oh and I don't know if you'll like this one, but there is a band called Freezepop which incorporates a lot of science/techie terms in their lyrics, but their sound is a lot lighter and "poppier" than you might like (but since I don't know you I can't tell).

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"You are metaphysicians. You can prove anything by metaphysics; and having done so, every metaphysician can prove every other metaphysician wrong--to his own satisfaction. You are anarchists in the realm of thought. And you are mad cosmos-makers. Each of you dwells in a cosmos of his own making, created out of his own fancies and desires. You do not know the real world in which you live, and your thinking has no place in the real world except in so far as it is phenomena of mental aberration." -The Iron Heel by Jack London"Hazards exist that are not marked" - some bar in Chelsea

Hey thanks, Jad. I'll take a look when I get back home tomorrow.I've been listening to "Spacemusic", a podcast from a guy in Rotterdam called TC, and it's essentially what you would expect; ambient electronica, drum'n bass, what he calls "space music". The Hearts of Space guy on NPR calls it the same thing.I don't have a link, I just found it on iTunes.

Thanks for the heads up! I found the podcast and I just started listening to the latest one. I always love finding new ways to discover artists. Do you use Pandora?

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"You are metaphysicians. You can prove anything by metaphysics; and having done so, every metaphysician can prove every other metaphysician wrong--to his own satisfaction. You are anarchists in the realm of thought. And you are mad cosmos-makers. Each of you dwells in a cosmos of his own making, created out of his own fancies and desires. You do not know the real world in which you live, and your thinking has no place in the real world except in so far as it is phenomena of mental aberration." -The Iron Heel by Jack London"Hazards exist that are not marked" - some bar in Chelsea

Pandora is great. I've found more bands for a specific genre using them than by any other approach.

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“This life’s dim windows of the soul, distorts the heavens from pole to pole, and goads you to believe a lie, when you see with and not through the eye.” -William Blake

I grew up on new metal and pop. Recently I am into10,000 Days album by Tool (awesome band, and it appears Im not the only fan here)Tori Amos, in particular "precious things", and "winter"A lot of the stuff Amy Lee is in, the most famous being EvanescenceDavid Bowie did some tracks for the "underworld" soundtrack with Maynard James Keenan that were amazing, check out "Bring me the Disco King"Also, Im into soundtracks a lot. John Williams is among the best currently. And some older symphonies...but not old enough to be considered classical. Tchaickovsky is great to feed my hunger for that kind of music from time to time.I play lead and bass in local bands here, and try to implement a lot of the more epic "scene changing" style into my playing...ala, Tool, and movie soundtracks...so much fun.

Try and grab Basil Poledouris's soundtrack to Conan The Barbarian. It's one of the best soundtracks I've heard all year. (And you know? The movie is totally awesome, too.)One thing that's amazing is that the Conan soundtrack was clearly the musical inspiration for a hundred fantasy RPG soundtracks; for instance "Theology/Civilization" clearly inspired the "marketplace" music you hear in a lot of games.That would make Basil Poledouris, of all people, the most influential film composer of the 20th century - and he gets no credit. John Williams is a tosser next to this guy. Also - Enio Morricone. His scores to the Man with No Name movies never leaves my iPod.

Yah, it's a shame music appreciation has dummed down to cheesy country vocals with nonsensical depressing lyrics in most of the resturants and stores from those merve calming old instrumentals like Billy Vaughn, Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer, The Three Suns, Ferante & Teichler, Montovani, Some of the 101 Strings, Some of Lawrence Welk, Eddie Peabody, The Harmonicats, etc.My business is near a university and I have played tapes some of the above a lot. The younguns, some of who'd never listened to anything but metal etc loved it to the extent that I had to keep an eye out that they didn't steal my tapes. They never knew that such wonderful music existed.I really like Manheim Steamroller. Robert Shuler had them on stage where he interviewed them and they performed last week at the Crystal Cathedral. It was super! We still play 33 1/3 LPs and cassetts a lot as well as some later mostly instrumentals at home. Some of our favorites are unknowns. We have hundreds of the old 33 1/3s and tapes which we began accumulating way back in the 1950s.Oh, I forgot, Spike Jones!

On our recent trip motoring down I 10 and I 40 through the Southwest the Mexican stations came in the best on the radio. We often enjoyed the Mexican bands with the fast accordian & guitar, etc and even the vocals, though we didn't understand most of the language. The language itself when sung is quite beautiful but after a while enough is enough.Some polka is enjoyable to us as well. I play some of it on the clarinet such as the Clarinet Polka, and Irish Washerwoman.Some oldies were great like Nola, The Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers and an old march, Under The Double Eagle. When I was a kid back in the 1940s, my dad played songs like Nola and Under The Double Eagle beautifully.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW.
The immeasurable present is forever consuming the eternal future and extending the infinite past.