When I heard The Neighbourhood’s “I Love You.” back in eighth grade, I knew my life was changed. Two years later when I found an interest in record players, I knew it would be the first record I’d owned; the March before Christmas 2015, it came in from Amazon.
As one who prefers oldies, and I mean OLDIES (think Simon and Garfunkel and Buddy Holly old,) I’ve had my fair share of remastered oldies, new releases, and collectors items. Here’s a top five list of those albums in no order.
- Jimi Hendrix, “Are You Experienced?”
It’s a psychedelic dream, do I need to add anything? This is one of my collectibles. Hendrix’s debut album is the record I will not lend anyone or take from my room. Coming with the original U.S pressing record, it has an outstanding 180-gram pressing playback. I just love it.
- Bob Marley, “Kaya”
Due to Marley’s peaceful, uplifting tune, I spend most of my Saturday mornings in my room, blasting one of his successful reggae rhythms. I always gravitate towards “Kaya” because of its personal significance. “Sun Is Shining,” is always a good tune, and “Is This Love” always makes me smile.
- Tyler, The Creator, “Wolf”
Anyone who knows me knows I am fascinated with Tyler, The Creator. He’s an artist, a glorious artist. Wolf is a top pick because of the packaging, the playback, and the pink vinyl… pink vinyl; it’s beautiful. “PartyIsntOver/Campfire/Bimmer” is a three-piece masterpiece. Frank Ocean’s sexiness explodes all over the track, and it as a whole, it is a job well done from Tyler.
- Simon and Garfunkel, “Bookends”
The soft harmonies of Paul Simon and Arthur Garfunkel never get old. The duo has some timeless tunes like “America” and “Mrs. Robinson.” My version of the album was pressed in the ‘68 when the “Bookends” graced the world, and it sounds like it came from that era. I’m anal about my oldies and their quality; I try to stay away from remastered albums and rough sounding releases. “Bookends” proves to not be a statistic.
- The Clash, “London Calling”
I was pushed to buy this. It was $40 and remastered with Cook County tax. At first, I wanted to slaughter the person who influenced me, but now I’m content. It’s just a solid audio creation. “London Calling,” “Spanish Bombs,” and “Hateful” are still relevant even 38 years later. The heavy air from Trump’s election and inauguration still linger, likewise to the Cold War. Impulse buys aren’t my thing, but caving in isn’t bad occasionally.