1970 Master Heartache SIR LORD BALTIMORE

Drummer/vocalist John Garner wasn’t messing around; he sounds like a man seriously damaged by affairs of the heart on this rip-roaring, guitar-freaking killer.

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1970 Black Sabbath BLACK SABBATH

It began with the dank drubbing of rain and the distant toll of a church bell. Then, with the mood established, the Sabs opened their studio account, Tony Iommi’s funeral-pace riff humming with sin and Ozzy Osbourne’s spooky observations of a ‘figure in black which points at me’ still making you check over your shoulder. Metal was born, right here.

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BE MY BABY, THE RONETTES (1963)

Clearly unhinged, but undeniably a genius, Phil Spector was one of the f rst producers to realise a recording studio could be an instrument in itself. The ‘Wall Of Sound’ he created with his wife/muse Ronnie has held a huge sway over pop music ever since. Brian Wilson believes Be My Baby to be the greatest 45 ever made.

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GOOD VIBRATIONS, THE BEACH BOYS (1966)

It may have cost a pretty bundle to record, but Brian Wilson’s sunshine symphony sanctioned a new wave of musical experimentation and also triggered the onset of both psychedelic pop and, to a degree, progressive rock. It also helped def ne the recording studio as the place where creative heights could be scaled outside of the live arena.

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SHOWCASE - PATSY CLINE (1961)

Along with Kitty Wells, Patsy helped to blaze a trail for female artists in country music. She was adored for the pure emotion and heartbreak delivered in her wonderful vocals. Patsy released only three albums in her lifetime: Showcase spent a full five months on the LP charts and features the classic Crazy, as well as I Fall To Pieces. She perished in a plane crash, aged 30.

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SATAN IS REAL - THE LOUVIN BROTHERS (1959)

There was more than a touch of fire and brimstone in the country-gospel music served up by The Louvin Brothers (aka Charlie and Ira Loudermilk) and their 1959 magnum opus is a case in point. Satan Is Real not only features the glorious close harmonies that were the siblings’ stock-in-trade, but also has one of the genre’s great album covers.

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THE ONE AND ONLY LEFTY FRIZZELL (1959)

Frizzell is one of country’s most celebrated vocalists, with his effortless style holding an inf uential sway over artists such as George Jones, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and even Roy Orbison. The quintessential honky tonker, this crowd-pleasing collection includes the smash hit If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time. Lefty was yet another early country star lost to booze at an early age.

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KNEE DEEP IN BLUE GRASS - BILL MONROE AND HIS BLUE GRASS BOYS (1958)

The mandolin-playing Monroe is known as the ‘Father Of Bluegrass’ and is forever associated with his home state of Kentucky; he famously wrote a song about its blue moon. Backed by his bluegrass boys, Knee Deep In Blue Grass was Monroe’s debut album – though he had been a star performer on the country circuit for many, many years before its release.

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THE DADDY OF ’EM ALL - ERNEST TUBB (1957)

The original Texas Troubadour was a singing, songwriting, guitar-playing country-music pioneer who cut his first single way back in 1936. The Daddy Of ‘Em All, his first long-player, was worth the wait and successfully showcases his distinctive honky-tonk sound. The Ernest Tubb Record Shop can still be found on the main strip in Nashville to this day.

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WITH HIS HOT AND BLUE GUITAR - JOHNNY CASH (1957)

Not only was this Cash’s debut release, it was also the first full-length album to be released by Memphis’ legendary Sun label.The great man’s voice commands every track, while the distinctive ‘boom-chicka’ rhythm propels them further down the line. Cry! Cry! Cry!, I Walk The Line and Folsom Prison Blues are all here.

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COUNTRY HIT PARADE - KITTY WELLS (1956)

The Nashville-born Wells was country’s first female star and, as such, the original Queen Of Country. Her reputation was made at the Grand Ole Opry but, ironically, the song that sent her into superstardom (It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels) was deemed too risqué to be performed there. Even putting its historical importance aside, Country Hit Parade remains a timeless slice of classic country. 

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MOANIN’ THE BLUES - HANK WILLIAMS (1952)

The long-gone Hank Williams is the defining figure of country music. His immense talent as a songwriter and performer, coupled with his troubled personal life, created the template for all those who have followed him. Moanin’ The Blues, his second album, is packed with killer hits and has more than survived the test of time (unlike poor Hank).

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