Caffé Latté presents the all-time
200
MOST ESSENTIAL
ALBUMS
55
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
BEE GEES / VARIOUS ARTISTS
1977
Disco was running out of steam by the time the film 'Saturday Night Fever' hit cinemas. Many thought the disco ship had already sailed and that it would be a box office flop. Once word of mouth spread, the public flocked to see the film starring John Travolta. Thrilled audiences then went into record stores to buy its soundtrack album.
The pick of the bunch on the LP came courtesy of The Bee Gees, including the #1s "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever" and "How Deep Is Your Love". Furthermore, the Gibb brothers also wrote 2 other key tracks on here: "More Than A Woman" and "If I Can't Have You" (which also reached #1). The trio added 2 past hits "Jive talkin' " and "You Should Be Dancing" to the LP.
Also worth noting are the tracks "Boogie Shoes" (KC & The Sunshine Band), "A Fifth Of Beethoven" (a #1 instrumental from Walter Murphy & The Big Apple), "Open Sesame" (Kool & The Gang) and "Disco Inferno (The Trammps). The other instrumental pieces are filler.
Album sales broke records, making 'Saturday Night Fever' the best selling soundtrack of all time. It revived disco just as its momentum was on the wane. The album and film's success surpassed the genre's initial phase. Few albums defy the odds the way this landmark disc did.
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54
PHYSICAL GRAFFITI
LED ZEPPELIN
1975
Led Zeppelin continued enriching its sound on the 'Physical Graffiti' album. The hard rock group's members were wizards when it came to integrating influences from everywhere to create a new sonic territory. This practice ensured the band's place among rock's most fundamental acts. The group influenced hard rock and metal, but creatively expanded the parameters of both musical styles.
On this LP, Led Zep explored new styles, of which "Kashmir" is the obvious standout. This thundering track with its Eastern flavour is the album's exotic epic. Funk is the key addition for "Trampled Underfoot". Interesting condiments are used for other highlights such as "Houses Of The Holy", "Ten Years After", "Boogie With Stu", "Sick Again", "Night Flight", "Black Country Woman", "Custard Pie" and "In The Light".
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53
THE KICK INSIDE
KATE BUSH
1978
Artists like Kate Bush are a rarity. Her debut album 'The Kick Inside' impressed the public and critics alike. She was aged just 19 when the LP surfaced. Many of its songs were penned by Bush when she was 15. Despite her age, the material is mature and articulate.
Bush is a unique performer and her attention to detail raised the bar for women in rock. Her voice is exquisite on "The Man With The Child In His Eyes". There's clever songwriting on "Strange Phenomena" and "Room For The Life".
The LP has aged well, thanks largely to her mystique.
Other highlights include "Moving", "Feel It", "Kite", "Oh To Be In Love", "Wuthering Heights" and "The Saxophone Song".
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52
DISRAELI GEARS
CREAM
1967
Cream's 2nd studio album 'Disraeli Gears' continued the band's progression. Refocussing its musical approach spawned the standout tracks "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine Of Your Love". Other songs worth exploring are "Dance The Night Away", "Take It Back" and "Outside Woman Blues".
Cream produced its sound by blending British psychedelia and the blues with hard rock. 'Disraeli Gears' sits musically alongside the work of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin.
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51
LOW
DAVID BOWIE
1977
David Bowie strengthened his chameleonic image with the arrival of 'Low'. His 11th studio album may have lacked commercial appeal, but it did promote his experimentation.
'Low' contains elements of art rock and electronic music. Bowie crafted his brand of synth-rock and proto-punk with input from Brian Eno and co-producer Tony Visconti.
This album was no easy sell, lacking any radio staples. Yet it manages to stand on its own merits. The first portion features Bowie on vocals. The second part consists of mostly instrumental tracks. Bowie is adventurous, mining the new possibilities of technology. Among its finest cuts are "Sound And Vision", "Speed Of Life", "Be My Wife" and "Weeping Wall".
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