Tag Archives: 100 Greatest British Albums Ever

Billy Bragg: Brewing Up with Billy Bragg

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In November 1984, “Go! Discs” label released “Brewing Up with Billy Bragg”, the second Billy Bragg album. It was recorded July 1984, at “Berry Street Studio” in London, and was produced by Edward de Bono. In 2000  “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 87 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Billy Bragg– vocals, guitar
  • Johnny Marr– guitar, vocals, tambourine
  • Kenny Craddock– organ
  • Dave Woodhead – trumpet
  • Kenny Jones – engineer
  • Heeps Willard- cover illustration

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Bragg.

  1. It Says Here
  2. Love Gets Dangerous
  3. The Myth of Trust
  4. From a Vauxhall Velox
  5. The Saturday Boy
  6. Island of No Return
  7. St Swithin’s Day
  8. Like Soldiers Do
  9. This Guitar Says Sorry
  10. Strange Things Happen
  11. A Lover Sings

Van Morrison: Astral Weeks

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In November 1968, “Warner Bros” label released “Astral Weeks”, the second Van Morrison studio album.It was recorded September – October at “Century Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Lewis Merenstein. In 1995 “Mojo” magazine ranked “Astral Weeks” at number two on its list of the greatest albums of all time; in 1998 it was voted the 9th greatest album of all time in a “Music of the Millennium” poll conducted by “HMV”, “Channel 4” and “The Guardian”; in 2000, “Q” magazine ranked it at number 6 on its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”; in 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 19 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2006, “Time” magazine included “Astral Weeks” in its list of the “All-TIME 100 Albums”.

Personnel:

  • Van Morrison— vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Barry Kornfeld — acoustic guitar
  • Jay Berliner— classical and steel-string acoustic guitars
  • Richard Davis— double bass
  • Warren Smith, Jr.— percussion, vibraphone
  • Connie Kay— drums
  • John Payne — flute, soprano saxophone
  • Larry Fallon— harpsichord, string arrangements, conductor
  • Brooks Arthur — engineer
  • Ed Thrasher— art director
  • Joel Brodsky— photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Van Morrison.

Part One: In The Beginning

  1. Astral Weeks
  2. Beside You
  3. Sweet Thing
  4. Cyprus Avenue

Part Two: Afterwards

  1. The Way Young Lovers Do
  2. Madame George
  3. Ballerina
  4. Slim Slow Slider

The Jam: All Mod Cons

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the_jam_-_all_mod_cons

On November 3, 1978, “Polydor” label released “All Mod Cons”, the third Jam (The) album. It was recorded July – August 1978, at “RAK” and “Eden Studios” in London, and was produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and Chris Parry. In 2000,  “Q”  magazine  ranked “All Mod Cons” at number 50 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”, in 2013, “NME” magazine ranked it at number 219 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Paul Weller – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, design
  • Bruce Foxton – vocals, bass, design
  • Rick Buckler – drums, percussion, design
  • Gregg Jackman, Roger Bechirian, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven – soundboard engineer
  • Peter Schierwade, Phil Thornalley – engineer assistant
  • Bill Smith – design
  • Peter “Kodick” Gravelle – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul Weller, except where noted.

  1. All Mod Cons
  2. To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have a Nice Time)
  3. Clean
  4. David Watts – Ray Davies
  5. English Rose
  6. In the Crowd
  7. Billy Hunt
  8. It’s Too Bad
  9. Fly
  10. The Place I Love
  11. ‘A’ Bomb in Wardour Street
  12. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

The Teardrop Explodes: Kilimanjaro

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teardrop_explodes_-_kilimanjaro

On October 10, 1980, “Fontana” label released “Kilimanjaro”, the debut Teardrop Explodes (The) album. It was recorded in 1980, at “Rockfield Studios” in Monmouth, and was produced by Bill Drummond, David Balfe and Alan Winstanley. In 2000  “Q” magazine placed “Kilimanjaro” at number 95 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Michael Finkler – guitar
  • Alan Gill– guitar
  • David Balfe– piano, organ, synthesizer
  • Julian Cope– vocals, bass guitar
  • Gary Dwyer– drums
  • Hurricane Smith, Ray Martinez – trumpet
  • Hugh Jones– engineer
  • Brian Griffin – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Julian Cope, Gary Dwyer and Michael Finkler, except where noted.

  1. Ha Ha I’m Drowning
  2. Sleeping Gas – Julian Cope, Gary Dwyer, Michael Finkler, Paul Simpson
  3. Treason
  4. Second Head
  5. Reward
  6. Poppies in the Field
  7. Went Crazy – Julian Cope, Michael Finkler
  8. Brave Boys Keep Their Promises
  9. Bouncing Babies
  10. Books – Julian Cope,Ian McCulloch
  11. The Thief of Baghdad
  12. When I Dream

Paul Weller: Wild Wood

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Paul_Weller_Wild_Wood

On September 6, 1993, “Go! Discs” label released “Wild Wood”, the second Paul Weller solo album. It was recorded April 1993-May 1993, and was produced by Paul Weller and Brendan Lynch. In 2000 “Q” magazine ranked “Wild Wood” at number 77 on its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Paul Weller – vocals, guitars, mellotron, Moog, piano, bass,  Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, tambourine, strings, blues harp, percussion, hanclaps
  • David Liddle – lead guitar
  • Robert Howard– guitars
  • Steve Cradock– guitar
  • Helen Turner – organ
  • Mick Talbot– Hammond organ
  • Brendan Lynch– mellotron , Mini-Moog, stylophone, percussion, handclaps
  • Maxton G. Beesley, Jr.– Wurlitzer, percussion, handclaps, backing vocals
  • Jacko Peake – flute, horns
  • Marco Nelson – bass, backing vocals
  • Yolanda Charles – bass
  • Steve White– drums, percussion
  • Dee C. Lee– backing vocals
  • Simon Fowler – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Sunflower – Paul Weller
  2. Can You Heal Us (Holy Man) – Paul Weller
  3. Wild Wood Paul Weller
  4. Instrumental (Pt 1) – Paul Weller, Brendan Lynch, Steve White
  5. All the Pictures on the Wall – Paul Weller
  6. Has My Fire Really Gone Out? – Paul Weller
  7. Country – Paul Weller
  8. Instrumental Two – Paul Weller, Brendan Lynch, Steve White
  9. 5th Season – Paul Weller
  10. The Weaver – Paul Weller
  11. Instrumental One (Pt 2) – Paul Weller, Brendan Lynch, Steve White
  12. Foot of the Mountain – Paul Weller
  13. Shadow of the Sun – Paul Weller
  14. Holy Man (Reprise) – Paul Weller
  15. Moon on Your Pyjamas – Paul Weller
  16. Hung Up – Paul Weller

Joy Division: Closer

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Joy Division - Closer

On July 18, 1980, “Factory” label released “Closer”, the second and final Joy Division studio album.It was released following the May 1980 suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. “Closer” was recorded in March 1980, at “Britannia Row Studios” in London, and was produced by Martin Hannett. “NME” ranked the album at number 72 on its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”; “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Closer” at number 157 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; in 2006, “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 8 on its list of the “Best Albums of the 1980s”, and “Slant” magazine ranked it at number 7 on its list of the “Best Albums of the 1980s”.

Personnel:

  • Ian Curtis– lead vocals, guitar, melodica
  • Bernard Sumner – guitar, bass guitar, synthesizers
  • Peter Hook– bass guitar, guitar, six-string bass guitar
  • Stephen Morris– drums, electronic drums, percussion
  • Martin Hannett– engineer
  • John Caffery – engineer
  • Michael Johnson – engineer assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner.

  1. Atrocity Exhibition
  2. Isolation
  3. Passover
  4. Colony
  5. A Means to an End
  6. Heart and Soul
  7. Twenty Four Hours
  8. The Eternal
  9. Decades

Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms

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DS_Brothers_in_Arms

On May 13, 1985, “Vertigo” label released “Brothers in Arms”, the fifth Dire Straits studio album. It was recorded November 1984 – March 1985, at “AIR Studios” in Montserrat, and was produced by Neil Dorfsman and Mark Knopfler. In 1986 “Brothers in Arms” won two “Grammy Awards”, and also won “Best British Album” at the 1987 “Brit Awards”. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Brothers in Arms” at number 351 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”. The album was ranked at number 51 on “Q” magazine list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. The album was certified 9 x Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”. It became the seventh best-selling album in UK chart history, and with total sale of more than thirty million copies worldwide, “Brothers in Arms” is one of the world’s best-selling albums ever.

Personnel:

  • Mark Knopfler– lead vocals, guitars
  • Alan Clark– keyboards
  • Guy Fletcher– synthesizer, backing vocals
  • John Illsley– vocals, bass
  • Neil Jason– bass
  • Tony Levin– bass
  • Omar Hakim– drums
  • Terry Williams– drums
  • Jimmy Maelen– percussion
  • Michael Mainieri– vibraphone
  • Jack Sonni– guitar
  • Michael Brecker– tenor saxophone
  • Malcolm Duncan– tenor saxophone
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet
  • Dave Plews – trumpet
  • Sting– backing vocals
  • Neil Dorfsman – engineer
  • Steve Jackson – engineer assistant
  • Bruce Lampcov – engineer assistant
  • John Dent – mastering
  • Thomas Steyer – painting
  • Sutton Cooper – photography
  • Deborah Feingold – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Mark Knopfler, except where noted.

  1. So Far Away
  2. Money for Nothing – Mark Knopfler, Sting
  3. Walk of Life
  4. Your Latest Trick
  5. Why Worry
  6. Ride Across the River
  7. The Man’s Too Strong
  8. One World
  9. Brothers in Arms

The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street

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Exile on the MainSt

On May 12, 1972, “Rolling Stones Records” label released “Exile on Main Street”,  the twelve Rolling Stones album. It was recorded October 1970 – March 1972, at “Olympic Studios” in London, in Nellcote in France, and “Sunset Sound Recorders” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Jimmy Miller. In 1998, “Q” magazine readers voted “Exile on Main Street” the 42nd greatest album of all time, and in 2000 the same magazine ranked it at number 3 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. In 2003, the album was ranked 7th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Mick Jagger– lead and backing  vocals, harmonica, percussion, rhythm guitar
  • Keith Richards– lead and backing vocals, guitars, electric piano, bass guitar
  • Mick Taylor– guitars, slide guitar, bass guitar
  • Bill Wyman– bass guitar
  • Charlie Watts– drums
  • Nicky Hopkins– piano
  • Ian Stewart– piano
  • Al Perkins– pedal steel guitar
  • Chris Shepard – tambourine
  • Billy Preston– piano, organ
  • Bill Plummer – upright bass
  • Jimmy Miller– drums, percussion
  • Richard Washington – marimba
  • Bobby Keys– saxophone; percussion
  • Jim Price– trumpet, trombone, organ
  • Clydie King, Venetta Fields– backing vocals
  • Joe Green – backing vocals
  • Gram Parsons– backing vocals
  • Jerry Kirkland – backing vocals
  • Mac Rebennack, Shirley Goodman, Tami Lynn– backing vocals
  • Kathi McDonald– backing vocals
  • Glynand Andy Johns, Joe Zaganno, Jeremy Gee – engineer
  • Doug Sax – mastering
  • Robert Frank – cover photography concept
  • John Van Hamersveld, Norman Seeff – layout, design

Track listing:

All tracks by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.

  1. Rocks Off
  2. Rip This Joint
  3. Shape Your Hips – Slim Harpo
  4. Casino Boogie
  5. Tumbling Dice
  6. Sweet Virginia
  7. Torn and Frayed
  8. Sweet Black Angel
  9. Loving Cup
  10. Happy
  11. Turd on the Run
  12. Ventilator Blues – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor
  13. I Just Want to See His Face
  14. Let it Loose
  15. All Down the Line
  16. Stop Breaking Down – Robert Johnson
  17. Shine a Light
  18. Soul Survivor

Supergrass: In It for the Money

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In it for the money

On April 21, 1997, “Parlaphone” label released “In it for the Money”, the second Supergrass album. It was recorded in 1996, at “Sawmills Studio” in Cornwall, and was produced by Gaz Coombes, Rob Coombes, Mick Quinn, Danny Goffey and John Cornfield. In 1998, “Q” magazine readers voted “In it for the Money” the 68th greatest album of all time, and  in 2000, the same magazine ranked it at number 57 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Gaz Coombes – lead vocal, guitar
  • Rob Coombez – keyboards
  • Mick Quinn – bass, backing vocals
  • Danny Goffey – drums, backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. In it for the Money
  2. Richard III
  3. Tonight
  4. Late in the Day
  5. G-Song
  6. Sun Hits the Sky
  7. Going Out
  8. It’s Not Me
  9. Cheapskate
  10. You Can See Me
  11. Hollow Little Reign
  12. Sometimes I Make You Sad

The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle

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Odessey_and_Oracle

On April 19, 1968, “CBS” label released “Odessey and Oracle”, the second Zombies (The) studio album. It was recorded June – November 1967, at “Abbey Road Studios” and “Olympic Studios” in London, and was produced by Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Chris White and Hugh Grundy . In 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 100 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; “NME” magazine ranked the album at number 32 on its list of “100 Greatest British Albums Ever!”; “The Guardian” ranked “Odessey and Oracle” at number 77 on its list of “Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever”;  “Mojo” magazine placed it at number 97 in its “100 Greatest Albums Ever Made” list; “Q” magazine ranked the album at number 26 on its list of the “50 Best British Albums Ever!”.

Personnel:

  • Colin Blunstone– lead vocals
  • Rod Argent– organ, piano, harpsichord, Mellotron,
  • Paul Atkinson – vocals, guitar
  • Chris White – vocals, bass guitar
  • Hugh Grundy – vocals, drums
  • Geoff Emerick– engineer
  • Peter Vince– engineer
  • Jools DeVere – design
  1. Care of Cell 44 – Rod Argent
  2. A Rose for Emily – Rod Argent
  3. Maybe After He’s Gone – Chris White
  4. Brief Candles – Chris White
  5. Hung Up on a Dream – Rod Argent
  6. Changes – Chris White
  7. I Want Her, She Wants Me – Rod Argent
  8. This Will Be Our Year – Chris White
  9. Butcher’s Tale (Western Front 1914) – Chris White
  10. Friends of Mine – Chris White
  11. Time of the Season – Rod Argent