Orlando

Orlando and I have been together for almost eight years, and although I have managed to soften some of his edges, he is still as much a musical fascist today as ever before.


Patti Austin - Getting Away With Murder

This was my first ever Patti Austin album and begun the life time love affair that I have with her voice. I had first heard Patti Austin sing in a documentary on Quincy Jones. Quincy was in the studio producing her self titled album and in the 30 seconds that she was on screen, I was hooked for life. I raved about her for the weeks to come so much that a friend called Cordelia bought me the album. I have since bought everything (good and bad) that she has ever produced.

Aretha Franklin - A Rose Is Still A Rose

I actually wanted to have the Aretha Franklin box set 'The Atlantic Years' but after much 'debate' with Mairead I lost the argument to include it. So I went for a completely different album. This is the best of her post Atlantic albums and proves that Aretha still has the same voice that captured hearts in the 60's only strengthened with a lifetime of experience.

Patti Austin - The Real Me

I like this album because it sounds like Patti Austin is having fun when she is recording it. She allows herself to really unleash, producing the sort of performance that she did not reproduce for a number of years. She also looks fantastic on the sleeve.

Jamiroquai - A Funk Odyssey

Jamiroquai are a good band. They started off well with the 'Emergency on Planet Earth' album and then went into the wilderness with a series of experimental albums. This was not their most commercial album but it certainly was the one I liked the most. In particular I like 'Little L' which reminds me of my Lalah, and driving to Liverpool with her singing this song about herself and making up actions to accompany the song in the back of the car.

The Jacksons - Triumph

This is a real party album. This is the album that I play before a big night out to get me in the mood. It is their reunion album after they had split in order for Michael to pursue a solo career and is the last time that we hear Michael with his brothers. Notice that they are the Jacksons on this album and not the Jackson 5. By this time Michael had left Motown and the group were not allowed to perform under that name. So for their reunion, they formed the Jacksons.

Patrice Rushen - Straight From The Heart

This is a great album. Patrice wrote, produced, sung, and played all the instruments on the album. This album is truly a work of art and showed what the young woman could do. She then had commercial success with her album and hit single 'Watch Out' only never to be heard from again

The Time - Ice Cream Castle

I was torn to just choose one album by 'The Time'. I chose this because it is the funniest, and they are all funny. When I was sixteen I thought that Morris Day was the coolest character in an ironic, not taking yourself too seriously way, and his side-kick Jerome Benton truly played the part of his down trodden accomplice.

Anita Baker - Rapture

This is another instance where I am forced to only choose one album. This is another once from my youth and is riddled with memories and nostalgia. I recently saw Anita Baker in concert and as a result, felt compelled to buy all her work since she left 'Chapter 8'. It was a fantastic concert, and she is a superb songstress with an exquisite voice.

Prince - Graffiti Bridge

Every top ten has to have Prince, and for me this album is the best of both worlds. Not only is it a good Prince album, and his best film for that matter, it also contains classic tracks by 'The Time' and Prince's arch enemies.

Tom Browne - The best of Tom Browne (sneaked in like a mobile phone on Big Brother)

This 'best of' album has to be the exception to the rule. There is not one bad track on this timeless album and proves the point that 'best of' albums make the choices, and this task, too simple. 'Funkin for Jamaica', 'Fugga Mamma', Brighter Tomorrow', 'Secret Rendezvous', 'Rockin Radio', every track a must to complete a collection but every track on a separate album. This album is why the 'no best of' rule was created.


The 'Fighting Temptations' soundtrack / The 'Honey' soundtrack / The 'Blue Streak' soundtrack

Soundtracks are great because they give you a variety of tracks that reinforce the theme and mood of a film. These albums do more than reinforce the films of the same name, they define them,. Without these soundtracks these films would be poor, second rate movies. Now I know that this now sends me over the top in a top ten list, but I have to bring thirteen albums because I have to compensate for the wasted choices of the others included in this survey.