Older albums I've been listening to, part 2 -- weird music edition

Continuing from last Music Friday, here are some more oldie-but-goodie albums I've acquired recently:

John McLaughlin -- My Goal's Beyond -- He's a hugely revered jazz guitarist whose music I haven't paid much attention to because it's always seemed like outdated, pompous "fusion" to me. But I just got this 1970 album, and it's fantastic. Unusual combination of acoustic jazz guitar and Indian music.

Stereolab -- Emperor Tomato Ketchup -- They were always one of those bands that I sort of wanted to like but never really got into. So I recently broke down and got this album. If you don't have any of their stuff, consider picking this up -- it seems like the only Stereolab album you'd ever need. You've gotta respect a band that's a whole genre unto itself:



Sonic Youth -- Dirty (deluxe edition) -- This is a reissue of what may be the greatest album from one of the most important bands of the last 20 years. You get the original album + B-sides + instrumental rehearsal tracks (this is more than double the length of the original release). I mostly got it for the instrumental tracks, since I've always been more interested in what Sonic Youth does with their instruments than the actual songs. It's hard for me to imagine a more primal expression of what-made-alternative-rock-great than Dirty Sonic Youth jams.

Television -- Marquee Moon -- It took me a long time to get around to giving these guys a fair hearing, but they're mandatory listening for anyone who has any interest in anything that could remotely be described as "indie" or "alternative" or anything like that. It's hard to imagine Of Montreal without this band. I give them a lot of credit for planting the seeds of rock music as we know it today, back in that seminal year of 1977.

Talking Heads -- The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads -- Absolutely essential live album by what must have been a great live band. Rock bands today are still making music in the spirit of Talking Heads: Of Montreal, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Architecture in Helsinki, Yeasayer, Hot Chip, and so many more. But they don't do it quite like this anymore: