I'll go first:

I may have many favorites but the first album to capture my imagination was 'RUSH 2112' I already loved their music but this one has such a great story line. A futuristic society run by computers (and priests)that no longer can appreciate music and creativity until the older race returns in their spaceships to reclaim their home. I played this one over and over while visualizing all the scenes. I even made drawings of what I thought the 'great hall of computers' would look like. I love sci-fi too and this album played right into that. Would have made a great movie!

RUSH 2112 is actually the first album I ever bought, I could go with my picture Fly by Night, but I'll go with my name that's right RUSH, Caress of Steel. I could easily name dozens more.

I always liked Tales of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allen Poe or I,Robot from the Alan Parsons Project. I began listening to them in college between 1980 and 1984 when I worked at the school radio station. I was also listening to Rush, the Dead, the Doobies etc.

Geez.....I miss those days sometimes.....ha ha

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is the only Parsons album I can stomach. Although that one is good, I tend to like Alan's horn arrangements on Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother", that's him that arranged the orchestral parts of that one.

Favorite progressive Album for me is "Red" by King Crimson.

I find it very difficult to decide what I think is the "best" album. In the first place, whether it's rock, jazz, R&B, country, etc, there are various styles, which are almost as different within category as they are outside it.

Secondly, I find my taste vary not only from year to year but day to day. What I loved yesterday, I might not care for today.

About the best I can do is think of albums that still "stand up" over these many years. I mentioned three in the other folder that I find still stand up. Without thinking too deeply about it, I think I could add Exile on Main Street (Side four is in the running for the best rock and roll side ever). Most of the middle Little Feat stuff holds up very well.

One recent one that I think has as good a chance of sounding as good twenty years from now as it does today is Bronx in Blue by Dion (yes, that Dion). Basically, it's white biy sings the blues but Dion has earned the right and he does it really, really well. Another, with a little proven staying power is Come on Home by Boz Scaggs, which is blue-eyed soul, as they call it.

Nick, I LOVE Dion's blues. Hooked!

Lou Rawls and Delbert McClinton have some great blues as well.

Little Feat, the old stuff with Lowell is some of the best. Exile on Main street is excellent. Rory Gallagher was a hell of a bluesman too.

Can you tell I live the blues. I have so very many favorite records it's crazy.

"My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" by Byrne and Eno

"Voices" Roger Eno

"Exposure" Robert Fripp

"Logos" Tangerine Dream

"Mule Variations" Tom Waits

"Bitches Brew" Miles Davis

"One Size Fits All" Zappa

"Music For Films" Brian Eno

"Here" Adrian Belew

Way too many great records to mention.

I've been a Delbert fan for a number of years. (I was introduced to his music by Don Imus, who is a huge Delbert fan) I loved Little Feat with and without Lowell.

Generally, my taste in Blues runs a little more traditionally. Non-Americans doing the blues always seems to be missing something, no matter how good they are. But very early Stones and early Clapton were great at introducing folks.

My tastes now run more toward Red Dirt and Americana (but far from exclusively)