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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Neil Young, Unplugged (Reprise Europe, 1993)

This album has no business being any good. Neil didn’t want to make it: his manager dragged him…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Nara Leao, Os Meus Amigos São Um Barato (Philips Brazil, 1977)

Nara Leao can do no wrong in my eyes. The run from her 1964 Elenco debut to her…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: John Cale, Paris 1919 (Reprise Germany, circa 1973)

John Cale is my favourite member of the Velvet Underground, and even though his 1970s solo work sounds…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959; Atlantic, 1966)

Is there a more perfect moment in music than when, after some atmospheric scene-setting by Charlie Haden on…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: El Perro Del Mar, El Perro Del Mar (The Control Group, 2006)

I love girl groups and I love experimental pop — so obviously I love this record, which exists…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Quarteto Em Cy, De Marré De Cy (Elenco, 1967)

This record is pure candy for me. I’m a huge fan of Quarteto Em Cy, whose four-part harmonies…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: The Blue Nile, A Walk Across the Rooftops (Linn Records, 1984)

Dismissed by music fans as a hifi test record… looked down upon for the same reason by fans…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Mal Waldron with Eric Dolphy and Booker Ervin, The Quest (1962; Prestige trident mono press, 1964)

This is one of the records that hooked me when I was getting into jazz. It’s the album…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Yo La Tengo, Fakebook (Bar/None, 1990)

Don’t you just love it when your favourite records also happen to sound incredible?? Since I first heard…

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Amazing Records That Sound Incredible: Polvo, Celebrate the New Dark Age (Merge, 1994)

Discovering this record for a huge deal for highschool-age me: it was the weird, and I liked it; …