The Kingston Trio--The Kingston Trio/From the Hungry i
You can get both albums on one CD. I can think of no better introduction to the greatest American folk group ever (well, in my humble opinion). One studio, one live.
Led Zeppelin--Physical Graffiti
One of the classics. Nuff said.
The Police--Synchronicity
Okay, this album has the extremely overplayed and misunderstood "Every Breath You Take," but have you really listened to that song? It's scary as all heck. And a lot of the other songs on this album make you think, if you bother to listen to the lyrics.
The Doors--The Doors
Despite the commercial appeal of "Light My Fire," still a great debut album. Some might say that "The End" is a bit self-indulgent, but those folks probably feel the same way about Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony (the Pateticheskaya). Screw 'em, I say.
The Talking Heads--More Songs about Buildings and Food, Remain in Light, Speaking in Tongues
Keepers, all of them.
Gary Numan--Replicas
Are "friends" electric? I've always wondered.
The Residents--Meet the Residents
Their debut album is alternately jarring and hilarious. "Boots," that perennial Nancy Sinatra favorite, is given the bizarro treatment here. And who can resist the sweet strains of "Rest Aria," the deeply moving "Spotted Pinto Bean," and "N-Er-Gee (Crisis Blues)," as relevant now as it was in 1973?
Sparks--Whomp That Sucker
"Too commercial!" this album's detractors cry. Maybe so, but it's all so much fun for anyone with a goofy sense of humor. "Take a foreign girl upstairs and learn a lot of foreign words." 😉
These are just off the top of my head. No doubt I could do better with more time.
