Stuart’s Reviews > Vinyl Me, Please: 100 Albums You Need in Your Collection > Status Update

Finished Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot today the penultimate album in the book. A good listen but not one for my collection.

A few more albums and reviews completed: Townes Van Zandt (Live at the Old Quarter), Tom Waits (Bone Machine), The War on Drugs (Lost in the Dream), Kamasi Washington (The Epic), Kanye West (808s & Heartbreak), and The White Stripes (Elephant). These are all great albums, worthy of a place in anyone’s vinyl collection. I don’t currently own any of them on vinyl, but they’ve all been added to my ever-growing wishlist.

Since my last update I’ve listened to—and read reviews of—albums by Thin Lizzy, Justin Timberlake, A Tribe Called Quest, TV on the Radio, and UGK. I enjoyed all of them and will add them to my rotation; however, I’d probably only add Jailbreak and Midnight Marauders to my vinyl collection.

I really enjoyed Steely Dan’s Aja and Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois — both are pretty cool albums with an interesting mix of genres, blending jazz influences with a rock edge. I’m not sure I’d add them to my vinyl collection, but they’re fun records that I’d definitely listen to again.

I bought Masseduction by St. Vincent on CD on a friend’s recommendation and really enjoyed it, but I never explored her work much further. I’ve seen her on Later… with Jools Holland and other shows and always liked her performances. Strange Mercy was an enjoyable listen too, but I don’t think it’s one I’d add to my vinyl collection at this stage.

Over the last few days I've listened to—and read reviews of—albums by Elliott Smith, Patti Smith, The Smiths, Spiritualized, Dusty Springfield, and Bruce Springsteen. Although I enjoyed about 83% of them, I’ll probably only consider one as an addition to my vinyl collection. The rest I’m happy to revisit on Spotify whenever the mood strikes.

Over the weekend I listened to—and read the reviews of—albums by Radiohead, Fela Kuti, The Replacements, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Gil Scott-Heron, Sigur Rós, Paul Simon, and Nina Simone. There are definitely a few I’d love to add to my vinyl collection.

Was Deaf… really “the last great Big Rock album, and a funeral for the radio it ultimately wooed,” as Andy O’Connor suggests? I’m not too sure, but when you add guest drummer Dave Grohl to the already impressive Queens of the Stone Age lineup, you get one hell of a record—and one I sincerely want to add to my collection.

Prince is one of my all-time favourite artists. I bought every CD he released up until the digital age, and Sign o’ the Times ranks right up there for me. It’s also very high on my vinyl wishlist. I can’t argue with Tom Breihan’s statement: “The idea that a single human being could’ve produced an album this varied, expansive, and flat-out great should honestly make the rest of us feel terrible.”

You picked Third? Not Dummy? Wow, that’s surprising. I do think Portishead absolutely deserve a place on this list, but if I were buying one of their albums for my vinyl collection, I’d be hard-pressed not to choose Dummy. Third is good—don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed listening to it—I just question its place in this volume.