#582: The Best!

Here's the best Strange Music I've bn able 2 find in 40+ years of listening, in more-or-less descending order. See what you think. ...& next time I'll reveal summa the massive, embarrassing gaps in my listening Xperience....

* Beach Boys: SMiLE SESSIONS (2011) -- Finally. Gorgeous sounds, amazing songs, not a letdown on the entire 2-CD set. Worth the wait.
* Gryphon: RED QUEEN TO GRYPHON THREE (1974) -- The best instrumental rock album ever. Gorgeous British Isles folk with recorders, krumhorns, bassoons, & a helluva lotta charm. They sound like a wind-up-toy band. Best: "Lament," "Opening Move," "Second Spasm."
* Providence: EVER SENSE THE DAWN (1972) -- Sorta a kinder, gentler Moody Blues album by a Boise, Idaho band. Great tunes, strong vocals. "If We Were Wise," "Fantasy Fugue," "Neptune's Door," "The Stream," "Behold: A Solar Sonnet," "Mountain."
* Gryphon: TREASON (1977) -- Sorta Jethro Tull-lite. More keyboards, Xcellent group vocals. "Spring Song" shoulda bn an art rock classic. + "Round and Round," "Fall of the Leaf," "Major Disaster," "Falero Lady."
* King Crimson: THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE best-of (1976) -- Best $16 I ever spent on an album, way back in 1978. Almost everything you'd ever need, Xcept 4 "Schizoid Man," "Fracture," "Great Deceiver." Best: "Starless," "Red," "Epitaph," "Court," "Night Watch," "Cat Food," "Cadence and Cascade," "I Talk to the Wind (demo)," etc. Changed my life.
* Beach Boys: PET SOUNDS (1966) -- Also changed my life. "God Only Knows," "Sloop John B," "Here Today," "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," "I Know There's an Answer," "Let's Go Away for Awhile," "Trombone Dixie."
* Yes: YESSONGS (1973) -- So great you could throw away a side & not miss a thing. "Close to the Edge," "And You and I," "Starship Trooper," "Siberian Khatru," "Heart of the Sunrise," "Perpetual Change," "Yours is No Disgrace."
* Beatles: ABBEY ROAD (1969) -- Thank Ghod for weirdness.
* Beatles: WHITE ALBUM (1968) -- & again....
* Caravan: FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT (1973) -- Great, swinging melodic prog. "The Dog, The Dog, He's at it Again," "Memory Lain/Hugh/Headloss," "Surprise, Surprise," "Be All Right," "A Hunting We Shall Go...."
* The Who: WHO'S NEXT (1971) -- You know the songs. If LIFEHOUSE wasn't Art Rock, then....
* King Crimson: THE GREAT DECEIVER/LIVE 1973-74 -- In case their mid-'70s albums were 2 subtle 4 you, almost everything from LARKS & STARLESS gains power here. "Larks I&II," "Talking Drum," "Fracture," "Doctor Diamond."
* Moody Blues: THE PRESENT (1983) -- An older, mellower, reflective Moodies on their most consistent album ever. Not a howler in the bunch. "Blue World," "Meet Me Halfway," "Running Water," "It's Cold Outside of Your Heart," "Sorry." They shoulda stopped here....
* Nick Drake: BRYTER LAYTER (1970) -- Beautiful. Maybe 2 weak trax. "Northern Sky," "Fly," "Sunday," "Hazey Jane II," "At the Chime of a City Clock," "One of These Things First," "Hazey Jane I."
* Fairport Convention: FAIRPORT CHRONICLES best-of (1972) -- The best British folk-rock ever. "Come All Ye," "I'll Keep it With Mine," "Tale in Hard Time," "Listen, Listen," "Meet on the Ledge," "The Way I Feel," "My Girl the Month of May," "Million Dollar Bash"....
* Kansas: LEFTOVERTURE (1976) -- The gorgeous "Miracles Out of Nowhere," the loopy keyboards on "Questions of My Childhood," "Cheyenne Anthem," "What's on My Mind," "The Wall" ... Why wasn't there more of this?
* Happy the Man: CRAFTY HANDS (1978) -- Gorgeous guitar-keyboard-sax sounds, beautiful melodies, + they can rock. "Wind-Up Doll Day Wind," "Service With a Smile," "Open Book," "Morning Sun," "Ibby it Is," "Steaming Pipes."
* Illusion: OUT OF THE MIST (1977) -- Best Renaissance-style album ever. "Everywhere You Go," "Candles are Burning," "Roads to Freedom," "Face of Yesterday," "Beautiful Country," "Isadora."
* Renaissance: LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL (1976) -- So great you could throw 2 sides away. The band did. "Can You Understand?," "Running Hard," "Ocean Gypsy," "Mother Russia," & the gorgeous 1st 3 mins of the side-long "Ashes are Burning."
* Gentle Giant: PRETENTIOUS best-of (1978) -- Almost everything you'll ever need by these guys. "Pentegruel's Nativity," "Schooldays," "The Advent of Panurge," "Raconteur Troubadour," "Knots," "Proclamation," "Cogs in Cogs," "Edge of Twilight."
* The Who: THIRTY YEARS OF MAXIMUM R&B box set -- There's some strange stuff in this box. & it's all great, naturally. "The Relay," "Let's See Action," "I'm the Face," "Disguises," "Armenia City in the Sky," "Tattoo," "Dogs," "Call Me Lightning," "Slip Kid," "Blue, Red and Grey," "Dreaming from the Waist (live)," much more....
* Queen: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1976) -- "'39," "The Prophet's Song," "Death on Two Legs," "You're My Best Friend" ... & something called "Bohemian Rhapsody"?
* Al Stewart: MODERN TIMES (1975) -- 2nd side's perfect. His most consistent album. Title song, "Apple Cider Reconstitution," "Dark and Rolling Sea," "Carol."
* Beach Boys: GOOD VIBRATIONS: THIRTY YEARS OF box set -- Summa the later choices R pretty frustrating, but you get 1/2anhour of SMiLE trax & TONS of mid-period stuff: "Please Let Me Wonder," "The Little Girl I Once Knew," "Cabinessence," "Heroes and Villians (sections)," "I Can Hear Music," "This Whole World," "Long Promised Road," "The Trader," "Surf's Up," "'Til I Die," etc.
* U.K.: (1st) (1978) -- Even the weakest track, "Thirty Years," works. Xcellent pyrotechnic entertainment. "Time to Kill," "In the Dead of Night" suite, "Mental Medication."
* Group 87: (1st) (1980) -- Beautiful & rousing rock instrumentals, not a single bad track. "One Night Away from Day," "Future of the City," "Magnificent Clockworks," "While the City Sleeps," "The Bedouin," & all the rest....
* Fleetwood Mac: TUSK (1979) -- Best album ever 4 doing household chores. & "I Know I'm Not Wrong" is an overlooked classic!
* Justin Hayward & John Lodge: BLUE JAYS (1975) -- Just like a good Moodies album, more or less. "When You Wake Up," "Saved by the Music," "This Morning," "Remember Me, My Friend," "Who Are You Now?"
* Camel: THE SNOW GOOSE (1975) -- Gorgeous melodic prog instrumentals. "Rhayader," "Rhayader Goes to Town," "Flight of the Snow Goose."
* Camel: NUDE (1980) -- More gorgeous melodic prog. "City Life," "Drafted," "Please Come Home," "Captured," & mosta the rest....
* Moody Blues: TIME TRAVELLER 4-CD best-of -- Almost everything you'd ever need, + mosta Hayward & Lodge's BLUE JAYS album 2....
* Moody Blues: TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN (1969) -- Icy-cold & distant, but it sticks with you. "Gypsy," "Eyes of a Child Part 2," "Watching and Waiting," "Out and In."
* Moody Blues: A QUESTION OF BALANCE (1970) -- "Question," "It's Up to You," "Don't You Feel Small?," "Minstrel's Song," "Dawning is the Day," "Melancholy Man"....
* Moody Blues: LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER (1981) -- Sparkly production, some pretty strong songs. "Meanwhile," "Veteran Cosmic Rocker," "Nervous," "In My World," "The Voice."
* Moody Blues: THIS IS best-of (1974) -- Solid, obvious picks with 1 big bonus: Mike Pinder's best song, the B-side "Simple Game."
* Dire Straits: MAKIN' MOVIES (1979) -- Punchy, rollin cinematic rock. "Expresso Love," "Romeo and Juliet," "Hand in Hand," "Tunnel of Love," "Skateaway," "Solid Rock."
* Clannad: MACALLA (1986) -- Gorgeous, windswept Irish folk-rock. "Caislean Oir," "The Wild Cry," "Journey's End," "Indoor," "Blackstairs," "Closer to Your Heart," "Almost Seems Too Late to Turn."
* Caravan: CANTERBURY TALES vinyl best-of (1976) -- Almost perfect.... "Memory Lain," "The Dog, The Dog," "Aristocracy," "Virgin on the Ridiculous," "Nine Feet Underground," "The Love in Your Eye"....
* Sally Oldfield: WATER BEARER (1978) -- She shoulda done the LORD OF THE RINGS soundtracks. Title song, "Songs of the Quendi," "Fire and Honey," "Land of the Sun."
* Amazing Blondel: FANTASIA LINDUM (1972) -- Beautiful acoustic British folk, straight outta 1562. Full-side title suite, "Toye," "Three Seasons Almaine"....
* Fleet Foxes: (1st) (2008) -- SMiLE-era Beach Boys meets British folk. "Blue Ridge Mountains" & almost all the rest....
* Pink Floyd: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (1973) -- I know, I know. But I can't argue with "Us and Them" & "Great Gig in the Sky"....
* Pink Floyd: THE WALL (1979) -- You can't argue with "Comfortably Numb," "Run Like Hell," "The Trial," "In the Flesh?," "One of My Turns"....
* Beatles: SGT. PEPPER (1967) -- I can't play it all the way thru, but.... "Day in the Life," "Lucy in the Sky," "Getting Better," "When I'm 64," "With a Little Help From My Friends"....
* Steve Tibbetts: YR (1980) -- Great guitar-based instrumental rock. "Ur" will melt your speakers. + "Three Primates," "You and It," "The Alien Lounge"....
* Moody Blues: DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED (1967) -- The orchestra's pretty soundtracky, but the songs are strong. "Nights in White Satin," "Tuesday Afternoon," "Peak Hour," "Evening: Time to Get Away," "Twilight Time," "Late Lament."
* Wigwam: NUCLEAR NIGHTCLUB (1974) -- Sorta Supertramp meets Traffic without a sax. "Bless Your Lucky Stars," "Simple Human Kindness," "Do or Die," all the rest....
* Glass Moon: (1st) (1980) -- Xcellent Genesis-soundalike band. "Sundays and Mondays," "Solsbury Hill," "Blue Windows," "Killer at 25"....
* Grace Slick: DREAMS (1980) -- BIG melodrama. "Full Moon Man," "Face to the Wind," "El Diablo," "Garden of Man," "Let it Go," "Angel of Night," title song.
* Pink Floyd: ECHOES best-of -- Wow, where 2 start? "High Hopes," "Keep Talking," "One of These Days," "When the Tigers Broke Free," "Jugband Blues," "Bike," "Echoes" ... Even made me appreciate all of "Sheep."
* Rush: CHRONICLES best-of -- The later stuff kicks ass: "Time Stand Still," "Force Ten," "Manhattan Project," "Distant Early Warning," "Mystic Rhythms (live)," etc....
* U2: BOY (1980) -- Has anyone ever figured out what Bono was on about here? Still great. "I Will Follow," "Twilight," "Into the Heart," "Out of Control," "The Electric Co."
* Kinks: VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (1968) -- Low-key masterwork with some great songs. Title song, "Days," "Phenomenal Cat," "All My Friends Were There," "Do You Remember Walter," "Picture Book," more....
* Pete Townshend: PSYCHODERELICT (1991?) -- The drama's kinda silly, but I enjoyed it. & the songs R pretty strong. Best: "Now and Then."
* Nick Drake: PINK MOON (1972) -- Beautiful but sad. Title song, "From the Morning," "Things Behind the Sun."
* Nick Drake: WAY TO BLUE best-of -- Almost everything you'll ever need. "Cello Song," "Northern Sky," "Pink Moon," many more.
* Hollies: ROMANY (1972) -- Moody, arty, solid. "Magic Woman Touch," "Romany," "Touch," "Words Don't Come Easy," "Slow Down," "Down River," "Blue in the Morning"....
* Al Stewart: YEAR OF THE CAT (1976) -- Smooth, vivid songs. "Flying Sorcery," "Lord Grenville," "On the Border," "Broadway Hotel," "One Stage Before," title song.
* Electric Light Orchestra: TIME (1981) -- A silly, cheezy sci-fi future, but I love it all, even the filler. "Twilight," "The Way Life's Meant to Be," "Yours Truly, 2095," "Here is the News," etc.
* Sky: SKY2 (1980) -- So great you could throw away a side & 1/2 like they did. "Vivaldi," "Scipio," "Fifo," "Watching the Aeroplanes," "Adagio," "Scherzo," "Toccata."
* Dire Straits: LOVE OVER GOLD (1982) -- Some gorgeous mood music. "Telegraph Road," title song, "Industrial Disease," "It Never Rains."
* Space Art: A TRIP IN THE CENTER HEAD -- Jean Michel Jarre in disguise with the best synthesizer album ever. Tunes I can still remember 30 years later. & it's been out-of-print forever....
* Alan Parsons Project: THE INSTRUMENTAL WORKS -- Kinda predictable, but smooth & solid. "Gold Bug," "I Robot," "Lucifer," "Secret Garden," "Where's the Walrus?"
* George Winston: AUTUMN (1980) -- Gorgeous solo-piano instrumentals, all great.
* Mike Oldfield: OMMADAWN (1976) -- 1st side's forceful & hypnotic.
* Mike Oldfield: TUBULAR BELLS (1973) -- Think the 3-minute single said it all, but there R some nice & amusing things here....

...I've got blisters on my fingers. More soon....