Top 5 On Friday

So I did some digging and it seems that the Top 5 on Friday topic that I see over at Mini-Obs originates at The Music Memoirs, so if they don't mind I think I'll just join in on the fun and start doing this regularly.

This week's topic - Top 5 Acoustic Albums

oh - but there is a catch: Unpluggeds don't count

So here goes:

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries

Michael is an extraordinary musician I've written about before and is truly a master of the acoustic guitar. Aerial Boundaries was the first I heard of him and it really was and continues to be an amazing experience every time I listen. I never had the chance to see him live, regrettably, before he passed in 1997 - but there is lot of material out there if you look around. If you don't have this album, buy it.

Warren Haynes - Live at Bonnaroo

It shouldn't surprise any regular reader of My Thermos to see this one here. Warren is a favorite of mine and this solo appearance in front of 80,000 at Bonnaroo is a great listen. Featuring stripped down versions of some Mule songs as well as a bunch of tasty covers including the Dead's Stella Blue, Radiohead's Lucky, Eagle's Wasted Time and U2's One - it really is a great performance. Buy this one as well.

Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Quite possibly the greatest album ever recorded. If this isn't in your collection, well, I don't even know what to say....

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue (Vol 1 & 2)

What happens when you take completed Woody Guthrie Lyrics and give them to Billy Bragg and Wilco to "collaborate" with Woody on the tunes. You get Mermaid Avenue - a mostly brilliant collection of songs. I couldn't choose between the two - neither should you.

Lyle Lovett - I Love Everybody

I know I seem to mention this album a lot but that's because it's just so amazingly brilliant. I guess this isn't 100% acoustic, but it largely is and certainly has that "feel" to it. Check the archives here for more on Lyle and this LP.

Honorable Mentions:
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
Adam Hood - 6th Street (EP)
Randy Newman - Sail Away
Warren Zevon - Learning to Flinch

So how did I do?

Oh - and eliminating the unpluggeds wasn't really a big deal to me. I probably would have included the Paul McCartney Unplugged Official Bootleg but otherwise I find the typical unplugged collections pretty forgettable. Never could figure out why the Clapton one was so popular.

SB