Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation

Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation.  Great album by a great band. Lizzy were really polished by the time this album came out. Dancing in the Moonlight is a great Track but real smooth. Great twin guitars of Gorham and Brian Robertson.  However, Robertson had been in a Brawl and only played on Opium Trail and Killer Without a Cause.   Theres something I really like about Tony Visconti's production. This album went to number 4 in the UK.  Of note Jon Heliwell of Supertramp fame plays sax and clarinet. This album dedicates special thanks to their friends Rush.  Mary Hopkin was married to Visconti and sings on the final track Dear Lord.

My standout track is Killer Without a Cause. On vinyl you can really enjoy the double tracked acoustic and lead guitars.

David Bowie first Album

This is the superlative first real bowie album re-released in a special 40th anniversary edition package with the original sleeve and on 180gm supergrade vinyl. I was told EMI vinyl pressings are bad but this is noiseless.

The album sounds so fresh with great masters recorded at the famous Trident RECORDING studios in Londons Soho. I used to work there and we played the quarter inch masters of this album.

Standout tracks: Space Oddity, Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed.  My personal favourite is Memory of a Free Festival. I simply adore this album made in 1969. Now pass me that Stylophone will you?

Jon Anderson - Survival & Other Stories

Jon Anderson - Survival & Other Stories.  At last Jon Anderson back to what he does best. Personal and uplifting this album is full of life. Wonderfully mixed a pleasure to listen to. Anderson's voice is as good as its ever been. How I wish he was still with Yes. Fly from Here would have been so much better with him. Lyrically 1,000% better the his Yes counterparts.

Stand out tracks: Love and Understanding, Unbroken Spirit and New New World, Just One Man.

Yes - Tormato

Yes - Tormato
I just don't know if I like this album or not. So many things wrong with it on so many levels. I like these tracks: Future Times, Rejoice, Don't Kill the Whale. The problem is once again Steve Howe but this time with Rick Wakeman fighting to get their over-toppy instruments to outdo the one another. Take those away and it could be one of their best albums ever. Another Yes album for me to remix and I would delete the tracks Arriving UFO and Circus of Heaven. So embarrassing. I would also change the cover to a Roger Dean impression of Yestour. No wonder Rick Wakeman chucked tomatoes at it! 

Going for the One - Yes

Going for the One - Yes.
I love this Yes album. Made when punk had just hit but Wonderous Stories still got to number 4 and the album reaching the no1 slot in the UK.
Side 1 is great but my ears cannot take the toppy mix and Steve Howes high IQ slide which dominate and ruin great songs like Going for the One and Parallels.  I would love the opportunity to remix side 1.  It's predecessor Relayer had such a better mix.

Stand out tracks: Wonderous Stories, Awaken.

Blackfield - Blackfield

Blackfield - Blackfield. Another of my favourite albums and so much better on Vinyl. Avid Geffen and Steven Wilson at their best. Stand out tracks: Hello, This Killer and 1,000 people.

Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA

Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA. My favourite album of 2011. And yes on Vinyl. Just simply beautiful. Stand out tracks: Glass House, Blood and Go to Hell. "Goodbye old friend, my paranoid We'll meet again Someday, Life is running out, I guess I had enough,I need to go now" - says it all - the new PROG?

Bin Iver - Bon Iver

Bon Iver - Bon Iver.  Yes even now they release new vinyl this one on 200 gms. Great album very ambient.  Stand out tracks: Michicant and Perth.

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin IV Brilliant! From the opening tune up preceding Black Dogs riffage to the kick-ass drums of When the Levee Breaks this album rocks like no other. Stand out tracks: all of them!  sold 32 million worldwide. Recorded at Basing Street Studios and then on to Headley Grange at the suggestion of Fleetwood Mac.

Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans possibly the most Progressive Rock album of all time. Grossly underrated as Jon Anderson's over endulgance but if you listen to it you will hear some of the most classic Yes moments of all time. For me it's second only to Relayer as the most virtuoso Yes performance of all time. It's like watching the the three Lord of the Rings movies: an epic journey almost impossible to play without listening to all four sides. Wakeman said of this album was an example of the worst excesses of "PROG rock". Now tell me Rick what about King Arthur on ice! 

Stand out track: Side 1 The Revealing Science of God-Dance of the Dawn.

Led Zeppelin - Presence

Simply put Presence is one of my favourite Led Zep albums ever. Only let down by the hypnosis cover which would have been more suited as a Pink Floyd cover. However the Object has now become one of those must have memorabilia items for Zep fans fetching in excess of $500 for a copy.

Stand out Tracks:  Achilles Last Stand, Nobody's Fault but Mine and Royal Orleans.
I picked up this clean copy for £7.95 so you'll never make a lot of money on Zep vinyl. It was just too popular and sold millions.

Genesis - Nursery Crime

Genesis - Nursery Crime A tremendous album really showcasing Genesis at their creative and PROG peak. Standout tracks: Seven Stones, Musical Box.  Of note, Harold the Barrel was the forerunner to Robbery, Assault and Battery some 5 years earlier.  Their first album to include Collins and Hacket for  the classic 5 piece line up. Recorded at the studio I worked in: Trident. One of only a handful of studios with 16 track facilities. State of the Art at that time.

IPad what do I use it for?

My iPad 2 comes with me everywhere. Music in the car, research, magazine reading, eBooks, email, Twitter and Facebook. So which of these apps do I use the most?  Answer: none of them as in the photo I mainly use it as a humble tray? 

Breakfast in America - Supertramp

Their most amazing USA breakthrough album. Released in 1979 and includes three hit singles: The Logical Song, Goodbye Stranger and Take the Long Way Home.  The album shows a New York scene with the World Trade Centre depicted by two fragile stacks of boxes. Interestingly Hodgson doesn't play his 12 string guitar on this album. One of two not to feature it. The other being Crime if the Century. Lots of Fender Rhodes piano on this instead reminiscent of Dreamer.

Tony Banks. A Curious Feeling

Amazing album grossly underrated. As good as any Genesis release at the time (...and then there were three)

Rush Signals

Great 1982 album by Rush. Signals is arguably the best of this era Rush.

Rush Hemispheres

I worked at Trident Recording Studios in August1978 when they came in to complete this perfect album.

Great HTC Sensation photo

Great contrast of colours on HTC Sensation.  Perfect conditions helped.