As High Land Hard Rain was released 40 years ago this week I’ve been thinking about my favourite Aztec Camera songs. If I was to do a top ten I reckon eight would come from High Land Hard Rain. Can you beat that with a band or artist?
The band or artist would need to have released at least 3 albums..
The Best Of The Beatles? 😏
That was a Pete Best solo album – possibly the cheekiest title ever
Would.probabky choose about 8 out of 10 for The Zombies from the magnificent Odessey and Oracle, however their 60s recording output is scarce
It definitely demonstrates the strength of High Land, Hard Rain. It’s an album I consistently recommend to anyone who’ll listen, which, in my case, is about three people.
I recall a debate where several journalists said the best teenage footballer of all time was the Brazilian Ronaldo; is the best-ever ‘teenage’ album High Land, Hard Rain? A self-penned effort including songs written by Roddy at the age of 16.
The Kick Inside?
High Land Hard Rain is fantastic. If All I Need Is Everything, Just Like the USA and Birth Of The True from the following album “Knife” could be added then it would have ALL my favourite Aztec Camera songs on it.
There’s a fabulous piece from Pete Paphides attached to this tweet. Real insight..
As this site’s go to Aztec Camera / Roddy Frame evangelist, I can see the point of the original post. It’s one of my favourite albums and I love everything on it. I was trying to pick other Aztec Camera tracks that could displace anything from HLHR. Stray (if it’s the live solo version – cheating of course but the album version is inferior), Spanish Horses, How Men Are, Somewhere in my Heart, Killermont Street but I’m not sure they’re good enough to replace Boy Wonders or Back on Board.
Obviously if Roddy’s solo work was included HLHR might only register four or five in my top ten but that would also be cheating.
6 from Never Mind The Bollocks, 1 B Side, 3 from Great Rock n Roll Windle
And ye, I’d take 8 from High Land Hard Rain. The other 2 would probably come from Stray
Elvis Costello – 7 from King of America – his best album ever.
No. There’s way too much great stuff on pretty much all his albums up until then
Stone Roses. Only need Love Spreads and Fools Gold from other releases so 8 out of 10. Didn’t stop a best of release!
err LoVe’s Forever Changes’ – every song. Wha’dya mean there’s 11 songs there’s a blending of 2 so that’s ten.
But!!! I’d also have to compile a real compilation of Arthur & Bryan’s finest so that would comprise of 2 from the S/T 1st LP, 3 from Da Capo, 3 from Forever Changes and 2 from Four Sail and that would probably the greatest compilation ever after my 1st choice compilation.
I’d then have to compile 10 track sets from His Bobness, The Fabs, The Waterboys, The Kinks, Big Big Train, Laughing Len, The Beach Boys, Shakey, World Party, Chuck Prophet, Show Of Hands, The Byrds, Sir Tom Petty and his Heatbreakers, Marianne Faithful, Chuck Prophett, J.J. Cale, Moody Blues, St. Paul & The Broken Bones and a few more or maybe I’ll go out and buy a few comps.
Shakey- definitely Green Door, She Drives Me Crazy and maybe This Ole House
@Rigid-Digit
You seem to have omitted that Christmas one he did.
How quickly we forget those cold October, November and December days in the interminable run-up to Xmas when Shakey Claus was putting a spring in the step of OAPs and a ruddy glow on the cheeks of mischevious nippers as it blasted out of shop doorways the length and breadth of the land
7 and 7 is (at least) would need to be on a Love comp
Two Chuck Prophet compilations? Thems aren’t the rules.
I assumed that the obvious answer here was The La’s.
The La’s album is flawed without Callin’ All, Knock Me Down or Clean Prophet on though. All were staples of the band’s live set at the time.
If I can draw your attention to the 3 album rule…
Oops.
Oasis – the bulk of the 10 would come from The Masterplan
100%
Columbia & Falling Down would be the only 2 of my 10 not from The Masterplan
The B sides are very good, but surely tracks like Live Forever, Supersonic, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Rock and Roll Star, Some Might Say, Wonderwall etc could be on a best of
All great songs, but I would still favour the b-sides or the odd album track over them.
Probably a case of these songs being overplayed in fairness though
Billy Fury’s The Sound of Fury (10 tracks – all written by Billy) could reasonably be considered his best ten tracks – without dismissing his run of 45s after.
Belle & Sebastian. 8 of mine would be from The Boy With The Arab Strap
Yo La Tengo seem(s) to have released at least 17 albums over their career, but although I really like ‘And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out’ and all 13 songs on it*, none of the other albums I have listened to have had anywhere near the same impact. Such a shame.
* Particularly “Night Falls on Hoboken” which is exquisite.
Pixies.
There was one of those Twitter “Pick Your Top Ten” games for them recently, and didn’t bother entering as I ended up with eight tracks from “Surfer Rosa” + “Debaser” and “Into The White”, which just seemed a bit unimaginative.