Recommended Records?

I've had MANY favourite records in my life and the "favourite" title doesn't usually last more than a few months until i discover something new and change trends in the music i'm listening to...

However one day in about 1996 or 1997 i heard an album that at first I thought was only OK, but got better every time i listened to it.....and I still, to this day class it as my "favourite" album..

Grace - Jeff Buckley (RIP)

I think it's the perfect example of the Art in music, inspirational, Superb songwriting, Great musicianship, an emotional rollercoaster, Tight band, Amazing vocal range... i could go on, but don't want to hijack the thread :)

Check it out if you haven't already.

J

^^^ from what i've heard of that, it's amazing.

dylan: blonde on blonde or highway 61(quite possibly the greatest songwriting ever recorded.)
dylan: world gone wrong (if you can penetrate the voice, this album of folk covers will leave you weak)
beach boys: pet sounds (strange and beautiful harmonies, melodies, and arrangements. heartbreaking songs)
grateful dead: american beauty (simple, perfect songs)
the jimi hendrix experience: are you experienced? (greatest guitar rock album ever)
led zeppelin: II or III (case can be made for any of the first 5 albums. just balls to the wall blues rock)
robert johnson: king of the delta blues (there's a reason everyone lists this as an influence)
pink floyd: the piper at the gates of dawn (hear syd barrett's strange genuis. nowhere near as produced as the later classic floyd albums)
elliot smith: either/or or xo (two albums of beautifully crafted songs. amazing lyrics. sonically- huge beatles influence, minus the cheesiness)
nirvana: nevermind (a cracked concrete city street)
matthew sweet: 100% fun (guitar-driven rock. tight melodies melodies that just jump out of your headphones)
jayhawks: tomorrow the green grass (laid back rootsy rock. hooks that won't let go)
golden smog: weird tales (a "supergroup" album that actually works. almost makes me cry)
bruce springstein: nebraska (just bruce on an acoustic. lyrics that hit you like a sledgehammer. only album that's ever made me feel human. will leave you with chills)
son volt: trace (great lyrics. the beauty of the road.)
lucinda williams: car wheels on a gravel road (it took her a decade to finish, yet it sounds spontaneous.)
stevie wonder: songs in the key of life (what can i say. sonic masterpiece)
neil young: harvest moon (an album to listen to at night)
van morrison: astral weeks or moondance (two sides of the same coin. astral weeks is spontaneous, drawn out, jazzy, sad, ethereal, yet real. moondance is tight, optimistic well crafted pop about love)
ani difranco: i only have mp3s, but her lyrics will affect you somehow, no matter who you are, and her percussive acoustic guitar attack is just cool.
bob marley: legend (the only reggae artist that matters)

after listening to all this stuff, you'll need something to pick you up off the floor. that something is:
james brown: greatest hits
GET UP!

ahh - many great albums - jason covers a lot. But since you mention songwriting, my favourite songwriter is probably Robbie Robertson (the band) (sorry Bob... you're way up there too!!). The album 'the band' AKA 'the brown album' is a master piece IMO: the night they drove old dixie down, unfaithful servant... amazing songs with amazing lyrics.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Band/dp/B00004W510/sr=8-1/qid=1158914208/ref=pd_ka_1/202-6227503-0583008?ie=UTF8&s=music

OK and Dylan too... - which album? ah, uhm, I think 'street legal' is way underrated, but there's a 15-20 other high quality albums as well ;)

LaRS

^^ forgot that one. gonna add dylan's blood on the tracks, too, since we've all had our hearts broken, although there are about a dozen other worthy dylan albums, i don't just want to make it a list of him

here's some brits i forgot
radiohead: ok computer, the bends, kid a, hail to the thief (the world's gonna collapse and noone seems to notice. skittering, space guitars, crashing riffs, thom screaming his head off, wierd, cool rhythms.)
travis: the man who (just a bunch of great pop rock songs)
beatles: revolver, the white album (the two best beatles albums in my opinion. the white album is wandering and has some of the best pop songs ever, while revolver is more edgy and tight. am i the only one who doesn't really care for sgt peppers?)
rolling stones: exile on main street (rock from the boots on up)
george harrison: all things must pass (the soul of the beatles. kind of makes the rest of em seem like twits in comparison)
the verve: urban hymns (lush, disturbing)

also
marvin gaye: what's going on (probably the first socially conscious motown album)
the doors: the doors (i loved this album when i was 16)
fiona apple: tidal (sad piano songs. i used to use it to fall asleep to. deep lyrics.)
gin blossoms: new miserable experiences (midwestern rock with great hooks and harmonies)
guns n roses: appetite for destruction or use your illusion 1 (because they rock)
graceland: paul simon (africa. where it all began)
tom petty: wildflowers (tom petty has never made a bad album, and may be the best)
nirvana: unplugged (kurt can sing. really)
the big lebowski soundtrack (just all kinds of cool gems)
the high fidelity soundtrack (ditto)
wyclef jean: the carnival (only wyclef/fugees album i own, but i like it)
schubert's ave maria
there are a bunch of instrumental albums i'll mention just because i'm enjoying this and it's 4 am and i have nothing better to do and i need to redeem my soul.
stravinsky: rites of spring, mozart:eine kleine nachtmusik(a little night music), miles davis:birth of the cool & kind of blue, coltrane: my favorite things, beethovan:5th symphony, 9th symphony, kaki king:legs to make us longer, leo kottke:one guitar no vocals, the braveheart soundtrack, bach:art of the fugue

For an aspiring singer songwriter, I'd suggest Billy Joel's The Stranger

Among the many albums I like that Jason pointed out, I too would say just about anything by Radiohead is a good place to look. The Beatles are also an essential lesson in songwriting, in my opinion. They can take you just about anywhere, except for really dark. The Beatles tend to be more upbeat, which is what you'll need after listening to some Radiohead, believe me. I would also recommend Abbey Road, among Revolver and White Album, as it's considered an awesome album in it's entirety and has some true gems of songwriting, and, well, I love it. Bob Dylan is of course great, also, and even though I sometimes feel his earlier stuff lacks much musical depth(call me crazy, but I need my instrummentals), his lyrics are pure brilliance. Blood on the Tracks by Dylan is an album I hear again and again people calling their favorite album. Period. So you can't really go wrong there.

Jimi Hendrix, like Radiohead, is one of those artists that can really bring great lyrics AND great intrummentals together to form something amazing. Though you won't always find his lyrics to be as inspiring as his guitar playing, songs like Castles Made of Sand, Little Wing, The Wind Cries Mary and others are truly amazing songs in whole.

I guess what you really need to know is what exactly you mean by songwriting. Do you mean the lyrics? or songwriting as in composing? Because you can never go wrong with a little classical, if you're talking about composing. Spend months listening to rock music, then pop in Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and you'll feel like you just rediscovered music and suddenly finding inspiration doesn't seem so hard. Or, that's what happens to me, at least.

Basically, what I'm saying is, listen to Jason, he's got you covered. Though, if there's one artist I feel like Jason left out, it's Elvis Costello. He may take some getting used to, but his genius will start to sink in after a while, and it's worth it when he does. The Best of Elvis Costello is a good place to start. It's a double disc'r and covers everything from his early punk rock days to his later soft piano ballad days.

Anyway, I've got to go, but I hope you start finding inspiration in some of the artists we've mentioned, or anywhere, really!

P.S. Creedence Clearwater Revival's material is pretty good, too, and come to think of it, Crosby, Stills, and Nash are great also! Wow, there's always more, isn't there...

Excellent Songwriting:

'Woodface', Crowded House
'Trailer Park', Beth Orton
'Summerteeth', Wilco
'Sea Change' and 'Midnite Vultures', Beck

ditto on Paul Simon's 'Grace' -- a true masterpiece

For good pop writing sensibilities, check out

Many tunes by Barenaked Ladies, including Brian Wilson, Be My Yoko Ono, One Week, It's all been Done
'Gotta Get Over Greta', The Nields
'Pomegranate', Poi Dog Pondering
'Building the Perfect Beast', Don Henley
Anything from Joni Mitchell - 'Hits' is a good place to start

Ian Moore is God.

Hey Fingerboard, I still have and use those fiberglass picks yo sent me :D Those are the cheapest sound effects tools around :D Thanks

Counting Crows - August and everything after