McCartney Times

The nightclubs are closed. The concert halls are shuttered. The folks who put down their hats and pick up their guitars at subway platforms are staying home. Don’t worry. This practice of self-isolation and staying out of crowds is temporary, but in these uncertain times, we could all use a bit of music for the soul. Sure, there’s all sorts of it on radio, but aside from adventurous programming on college stations, music that’s broadcast is limited in scope to what management thinks goes best with their commercials or it stays within strict, formatted guidelines.

But if we’re going to depend on music to relax us, excite us, make us forget the world and its problems, we should be able to hear what we want to hear when we want to hear it. The days of most people having vast record collections at home, from which they could pick out whatever happened to fit their mood, are long gone. But it’s never too late to start assembling one.

With that in mind, this record collector has gone through his categorized and alphabetized shelves and come up with suggestions of how to begin a well-rounded assemblage of recorded music. Sure, musical tastes are subjective, but it’s fair to say that these are all safe and pleasing (and relaxing and exciting) choices, from all over the musical spectrum. All of them can be ordered online, either on vinyl or as a CD. Each of them, in their own way, can see us through any apocalypse that comes our way. If need be, there will be more suggestions in future weeks.

THE BEATLES – “Rubber Soul” – Yes, they get their own category. They started out as a pop band, and they ended as an esoteric one. But it’s their middle period, when they started making that transition, that really resonates. “Rubber Soul” moved them into folk-pop-rock territory and introduced more adventurous writing and richer production. The American version is better than the British. Best track: “I’ve Just Seen a Face”

ROCK – Elvis Costello – “This Year’s Model” – For their second album, Costello and his band the Attractions mixed together straight-ahead rock, punk, and a tad of art rock with a biting, satirical attitude and some brilliant musicianship. Best track: “Lipstick Vogue”

JAZZ – Miles Davis – “Kind of Blue” – It began as a series of simple musical sketches, some idea on paper that trumpeter Davis brought into the studio and presented – sight unseen – to his band: John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb. It evolved into the most popular (and quite accessible) jazz album of all time. Best track: “All Blues”

FOLK – Tom Rush – “The Circle Game” – On top of Rush’s proclivity for covering old blues songs, showing off some terrific guitar work, and making gorgeous use of his deep, rich voice, he had a talent for finding new talent. This album features his takes on Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going” and “The Circle Game,” James Taylor’s “Something in the Way She Moves,” and Jackson Browne’s “Shadow Dream Song” long before any of them recorded them. Best track: “Urge for Going”

CLASSICAL – Los Indios Tabajaras – “Casually Classic” – The Brazilian guitarist brothers Antenor Moreyra Lima and Natalício Moreyra Lima not only knew how to make masterful magic on their six-string instruments, they also displayed exquisite taste in choosing a repertoire that could be played on only two guitars with no backing accompaniment. This album features works by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Bach, but is notably (and wonderfully) heavy on selections by Chopin. Best track: Chopin’s “Fantasie-Impromptu”

Source: Isolation ideas: How to start building a record or CD collection – Entertainment & Life – Westford Eagle – Westford, MA