Morning all!
A fair number of us have been following
@Addick in SW16's excellent threads on our favourite albums. However,
@LennyLowrent 's
comment on the ethnic makeup of the quarter-finalists really surprised me - and I was even more surprised to see Addick in SW16
respond
that the most votes for an album by a black artist was a mere two - that album being Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. I would have thought that a lot of people might have had an MJ album in there, or possibly Marvin Gaye - but maybe there simply wasn't a "consensus" choice on a great album by black/minority ethnic musicians. I was actually really surprised by myself, in that I only had Kind of Blue as an album by a non-white artist!
So as a complementary exercise to Addick in SW16's excellent work, I thought I'd invite a polling on our favourite albums by non-white musicians. I'll get the ball rolling - same rules - five albums to choose but feel free to make honourable mentions:
1)
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis. Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums ever, and perhaps the greatest jazz album - representative of its genre. One of my musical bibles.
2)
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye. Musically, politically, and socially innovative and pioneering. It's a great
album, as it all works together so well.
3)
The Guide (Wommat) - Youssou N'Dour. My favourite non-English album. Leaving is such a joyous opening, and the entire album is a beautiful fusion of styles rooted in Senegalese and other African music.
4)
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane. I think it's one of the most beautiful expressions of spirituality through music. It's also the name of Britain's leading jazz festival, and the main
Sunderland FC fanzine! If there is a piece of music that makes me understand belief in a higher power, it's this.
5)
Illmatic - Nas. An absolute banger of an album. It's hugely influential on the East Coast rap style, with Nas introducing a lot of stylistic tropes. His lyricism is immense imo.
Honourable mentions:
6)
Robert Glasper - Black Radio. This is great for its celebration of all "black" musical styles. It incorporates hip-hop, funk, jazz, fusion, RnB, and everything else. The featured artist list is also pretty monstrous - Erykah Badu; Lalah Hathaway; Lupe Fiasco; Bilal... it goes on.
7)
Boy in da Corner - Dizzee Rascal. The first mainstream grime album, by a young and outlandish Londoner. Influential, plus Fix Up, Look Sharp is a particular tune.
8)
Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg. It'd be unfair to include Nas (East Coast) without a West Coast shoutout. This album brought g-funk to the fore and exemplifies Snoop's awesome, lazy, rubato flow. Gin and Juice - big dog tune.
9)
The Complete Atomic Basie - Count Basie. The man wanted his big band to have the Three P's: Precision; Power; and Panache. This album exemplifies his big band style. Plus, his lead on The Kid From Red Bank is straight up fire.
10)
Voice - Hiromi. She's an absolute monster on the piano, and is so gleeful when she plays. That comes across on this album in my opinion, which is a lovely, virtuosic exploration of emotion through the medium of a jazz trio. There's a beautiful cosmopolitan mix of styles - from the almost Balkan influence on the title track, through to a lovely reworking of the slow movement of Beethoven's Sonata No. 8, Pathetique.
--------------------------------------------
Hope you find something in there to enjoy, and also I'd welcome your recommendations! There's so much that could go up there that I haven't listed, but I'd end up down too much of a rabbit hole. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's choices!
Comments
The list should also include Louis Armstrong, Taj Mahal, Odetta, Aretha and Nina Simone.
When I get home I'll get some album titles for these and others.
What's Going on - Marvin Gaye
Catch a Fire - The Wailers
Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear
Respect yourself - The Staples singers
Songs in the key of Life - Stevie Wonder
So much of the Black music I love is singles based ie motown/stax/Chuck Berry/Little Richard so I would have included Motown Chartbusters vo 1 to 16.
Also couldn't pick an Al Green album
I'm a muppet.
Special Night by Lee Fields
Rejuvenation by The Meters
Mothership Connection by Parliament
Funkentelechy vs The Placebo Syndrome by Parliament
One Nation Under A Groove by Funkadelic
Survival Of The Fittest by The Headhunters
Hooked, Hogtied & Collared by Paul Kelly
What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
Let's It Get It On by Marvin Gaye
The Show Must Go On by Sam Dees
The Payback by James Brown
Live At The Apollo Vol 2 by James Brown
Revolution Of The Mind by James Brown
Legacy Of Love by The Kindred Family Soul
Curtis by Curtis Mayfield
Wild And Peaceful by Kool & The Gang
Live At Filmore West by King Curtis
Live At The Harlem Square Club by Sam Cooke (with King Curtis' band)
Aretha - Lady Soul but again some classics but is it a top five album?
Curtis by Curtis Mayfield
Good ones.
Hendrix anyone? Again is there a "great" album?
De La Soul Is Dead - De La Soul
Midnight Marauders - Tribe Called Quest
Blue Train - John Coltrane
Song For My Father - Horace Silver
Bonus album
Meets Rockers Up Town - King Tubby
The Phillip Lynott Album
Straight Outta Compton by NWA
Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix Experience
Time's Up by Living Colour
Blue - All Rise
Whitsnake - Ready And Waiting
Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Straight Outta Compton - NWA
Made in the Manor - Kano
LiFe - Sage Francis
All albums by Asian Dub Foundation
I'd add
Afrocubism - Afrocubism
Pirates Choice - Orchestra Baobab
Makorokoto - The Four Brothers (though strictly speaking that's a collection)
Aman Iman - Tinariwen
There's a Riot Going On - Sly & the Family Stone
Run Come Save Me - Roots Manuva
Raising Hell - Run DMC
Ali & Toumani - Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate
Dimanche a Bamako - Amadou & Mariam
I'd add folks like Louis Armstrong, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters and the folkier end of Paul Robeson but I know their work through individual songs and compilations, not albums and agree with Henry about Motown. Sure I can come up with more as well.
Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway
Essential Ella - Ella Fitzgerald
Anthology - Muddy Walters
Me Myself I - Joan Armatrading
@rananegra Riot going on is a great call and of course the answer to Marvin's question of "what's going on?"
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
Sixto Rodriguez - Coming from Reality
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Jimi Hendrix - Basically his entire discography
Outkast - Stankonia
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
Rapsody - Laila's Wisdom
A Tribe Called Quest, basically their whole discography, especially the first 3 albums and their last album that came out last year.
Run The Jewels - RTJ2 + RTJ3
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
If I had decided to put up any album's at all some of the above would've made my list, however I didn't bother putting up any as I knew they'd be swept away by everyone else's choices.
Ice Cube - AmeriKKKas most wanted
Gangstarr- step in the arena
London Posse - gangsters chronicle
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
Nas - illmatic
Raekwon - only built for Cuban links
Roots manuva - run come save me
Notorious BIG - ready to die
The Gza - liquid swords
Dizee Rascal - boy in da corner
Roll deep - rules and regulations
Off the top of my head!
Prince Sign of The Times
Prince Diamonds and Pearls
Prince Parade
Michael Jackson Off The Wall ( still qualified then)
Soul to Soul Club Classics vol 1
Bob Marley Live at the Lyceum