What's Your Favorite Album Before 1960?

[Ojai Sam]

Nick made a perceptive observation over in our thread for the Album Club:

Feel free to add earlier decades when it is my turn. I'm not saying that I won't do something from 1960-2017, but there was some awfully good music put out 1930-1960 as well.

So what is your favorite vintage music from the Eisenhower Administration and before? For purposes of this thread, compilations are fine, based on the date the music was recorded.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Merle Travis - Folk Songs Of The Hills (1947)

Even by Zeeb's high standards, this qualifies as an album, in fact, it is arguably the first concept album. Originally released on four 78 RPM discs in a bound booklet, 7 of the 8 songs were waxed in two sessions during August of 1946 featuring just Merle's guitar and Cliffie Stone's bass. The story goes that producer Lee Gillette asked Travis to record "genuine folk songs". Merle didn't know any, so he wrote some that depicted the hard life of the Kentucky coal miner. "Sixteen Tons" would become a huge hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford a decade later and Johnny Cash would cover "Dark As A Dungeon". But every one remains a classic.

on the Sam-O-Meter.

 

[Nickyboy]

Cafe de Paris, 1930-41. 18 Accordion Classics from the Boulevards of Paris- various artists



Tino Rossi- Chante la Belle Epoque (1955)



Glenn Miller- The Essential Glenn Miller



The Dave Brubeck Quartet- Time Out (1959)



Charles Trenet- Mes Premiers Succes (1956)



Frank Sinatra- Come Fly with Me (1958)




I could go on.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

If we're including jazz, I'd go with Mingus Ah Um or Art Blakey's Moanin'

But for pop/vocals,

Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers (1956)

With Ella's Cole Porter Song Book next in line

 

[Unsomnambulist]

^What is going on with that woman's hair on that album cover?

 

[Nickyboy]

If we're including jazz,...

"My only suggestions re: format is that we randomly generate a year (perhaps between 1960-2017) and the person has to pick an album from that year (if you have a small group, perhaps everyone picks from that year or maybe the next person moves on to the next year). That way we get a range not only of styles/choices but also time frames.
Also IMO picks can be any genre and could be rare gems or well-known albums. "

You never said we couldn't pick jazz. Or any other genre.

 

[Nickyboy]

^What is going on with that woman's hair on that album cover?

Lots and lots of Aquanet.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

"My only suggestions re: format is that we randomly generate a year (perhaps between 1960-2017) and the person has to pick an album from that year (if you have a small group, perhaps everyone picks from that year or maybe the next person moves on to the next year). That way we get a range not only of styles/choices but also time frames.
Also IMO picks can be any genre and could be rare gems or well-known albums. "

You never said we couldn't pick jazz. Or any other genre.

We can absolutely pick jazz or anything you'd like

My comments about "if we include jazz" was meant for Sam's pre-1960 post alone. I didn't know, when he was looking for favorite album before 1960 if he was looking for our favorite pop album. I don't know why I included that line - in the early LP era, jazz was hitting its stride as far as advancements in form, lengthier pieces, album as whole concept, it almost seems unfair to compare albums like Kind of Blue and Time Out with, say, A Date With Elvis or Jackie Wilson's Lonely Teardrops which are both wonderful but hardly pillars of their genre

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

It's funny you (well, Zeeba ultimately) should pick pre-1960. That year happens to be my personal dividing line. I listen to plenty of stuff from 1960 forward but rarely venture backward from there. I'll be listening...

 

[Ojai Sam]

We can absolutely pick jazz or anything you'd like

My comments about "if we include jazz" was meant for Sam's pre-1960 post alone. I didn't know, when he was looking for favorite album before 1960 if he was looking for our favorite pop album. I don't know why I included that line - in the early LP era, jazz was hitting its stride as far as advancements in form, lengthier pieces, album as whole concept, it almost seems unfair to compare albums like Kind of Blue and Time Out with, say, A Date With Elvis or Jackie Wilson's Lonely Teardrops which are both wonderful but hardly pillars of their genre

Anything goes, Zeeb.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

It's funny you (well, Zeeba ultimately) should pick pre-1960. That year happens to be my personal dividing line. I listen to plenty of stuff from 1960 forward but rarely venture backward from there. I'll be listening...

It was an arbitrary choice, I’ll admit. Was gonna pick 1955, the year of In The Wee Small Hours, arguably the first cohesive concept LP/12 inch (I once made the mistake of saying first concept album until Sam schooled me on some 78 rpm collections linked together by concept) but didn’t want to go too far back (even though i love older music) someone to get, say 1942 and it be so far removed from their wheelhouse.

 

[Nickyboy]

someone to get, say 1942 and it be so far removed from their wheelhouse.

Then they ask for a re-do. No problem.

 

[axolotl]

someone to get, say 1942 and it be so far removed from their wheelhouse.

1941 was a serviceable movie. But, I'll go with Casablanca and Bambi for 1942.