Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
Posts: 34
Joined: Mar. 27 2008
From: Bargara Beach, Australia
Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time
With Jazz there are many guides that suggest the MUST have albums that are the foundations to any good collection. For example, most guides include Miles Davis' 1959 recording "Kind of Blue."
An idea that I would love to see take shape, is to have a place on this site which allowed for the listing of good or great recordings, and that people could rank, rate or vote on, to see which albums emerge as the Flamenco Greats, the Top Ten Must Have Albums.
Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
Of the [relatively] few that I have, and in no particular order except maybe that the MOST important are towards the top, my top ten is:
Manolo Sanlúcar - Tauromagia Vicente Amigo - Ciudad de las Ideas Paco de Lucía - Almoraima Armik - Rosas de Amor Camarón de la Isla - La Leyenda del Tiempo Camarón de la Isla - Paris 1987 Enrique Morente - Omega Emilio Maya - Temple Gerardo Núñez - Andando el Tiempo Paco de Lucía - Fuente y Caudal Tomatito - Paseo de los Castaños
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
IMO, any Camaron/PdL album should be in that list. They are by far the albums which has meant (and stil mean) the most in my journey in flamenco.
To this I would add some older and newer albums.
Older: Maybe a good compilation like "medio siglo de cante flamenco" 4CD or Caracol, Paquera, La perla de Cadiz. There are many.
Newer: Poveda, Maite Martín, Archangel, Carmen Linares etc.
Yes, I know, its all cante albums, but thats what I find to be important. Solo guitar...well, Tauromagia, a couple of PDL, Pepe Habichuela, Tomatito, etc, but I find them boring after listening a couple of times so thats why I didn´t list any of them.
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
I love lists, so this is mine: 1. Paco de lucia-Almoraima 2. Paco de Lucia -Fuente y caudal 3. Camaron-la leyenda del tiempo 4. Camaron-como el agua 5. Paco de Lucia-Sirroco 6.Tomatito- paseo de los castanos 7. Nino miguel-diferente 8. Gerardo Nunez-Jucal 9. Serranito-virtusismo flamenco 10. Vicente Amigo-un momento en el sonido
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
1. Paco (all albums, because he is a piece of art itself, lol!) 2. Tomatito - Rosas del Amor (because of the bulerias) 3. Ramon Jimenez's album (because its very innovative with melody) 4. Antonio Rey - A traves de ti (because its Antonio Rey and because of the taranta) 5. Diego Moraos album (because its Diego) 6. Jesus de Rosario's album (because i like 8 of 9 tracks on that CD, which never happens usually) 7. Jesus Torres' album (because i saw him yesterday and the guy is no joke... buleria and solea por b) 8. Rafael Cortes - Gitanos del agua (because of the bulerias and rumba. The first rumba i liked...) 9. Gerardo Nunez (any album is good, cant do anything wrong) 10. Vicente Amigo - De mi corazon... (because of the taranta and buleria)
All albums above include cante. But since its about tastes anyway, just take it with a " ".
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
D@mn I guess I'll have a crack at it... Unfortunately my Flamenco record collection is not huge, I get a lot my music from utube and Canal's internet radio these days. I probably don't even have most of the "essential" records, but I will give it a go just picking from my favorite CDs that I have, in no particular order:
Paco de Lucia - Siroco Sabicas - Flamenco Puro Camarón - Rosa Maria Fernanda de Utrera - Cante Grande de Mujer (anthology) La Niña de los Peines - "Le chant du Monde" (anthology) El Pele - La Fuente de lo Jondo Paco de Lucia - Cositas Buenas Potito - Barrio Alto Pepe Habichuela & Bollywood Strings - Yerbaguena Esperanza Fernandez - Recuerdos
Posts: 598
Joined: Feb. 9 2007
From: Paris, France
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
There's so many good stuff out there (great for us humble students of flamenco), but as a foundation I would think that anything ny those artists is really worth gold (I'm mixing both cante albums and solo guitar albums):
- Manuel Torres - Terremoto de Jerez - Sabicas - PDL (anything with Camaron, Siroco and Luzia are my favs) - Manolo Sanlucar (Tauromagia and Locura de Brisa y Trino - both stunning!) - Tomatito (here again anything with Camaron, I must say I'm not such a big fan of his solo work - he's a such a great guitarist though) - Vicente Amigo (his first solo album and the one with Remedios Amaya - a must have!) - Gerardo Nunez (Andando El Tiempo - flamenco of the future - amazingly rich and complex harmonies) - Jose Merce with Moraito - Diego el Cigala (I really like his new album, 'Picasso', Tomatito plays an amazing bulerias on it and Diego del Morao is simply great!) - Lole y Manuel (amazing songs!)
Also, definitely check out the new generation like Poveda, Arcangel, Estrella Morente, Rafael de Utrera, Miguel Angel Cortes, Chicuelo, Diego del Morao, Jeronimo etc
Listen to as much cante as you can... this is where all the great guitarists got their inspiration from.
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
To me each album represents a special date with this style still relatively new to me. I can scarcely exclude any of the many in my ridiculously increasing collection. Each different artist is a teacher showing me a different angle to a multifaceted style I earlier thought of as quite single-minded. Anything played by Paco Pena, Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo, Gerardo Nunez, Tomatito, Moraito and Oscar Herrero represents an un-renounceable inspiration, a profoundly rooted pillar in my love for flamenco.
And it is in that perspective, of music “I do not just listen, but pay attention to” I must add “Ricardo”s Madera Sonora. His recording have left a stunning impression on my initial appreciation of this style. Now I realize one could dismiss my enthusiasm as excessive under the auspices of this thread. But if the question seeks a subjective view, then Richard Marlow’s is one of my top-ten in my ipod.
Posts: 34
Joined: Mar. 27 2008
From: Bargara Beach, Australia
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to edguerin)
Thanks to all the ideas for increasing my collection.
I have found that the development of my appreciation of flamenco has been an amazing journey. I still owe a debt of gratitude to Jesse Cook and Liebert - hearing their music got me interested in the first place. Now I find them irritating to listen to.
And so the journey continues, and I will pursue some of the CD's in the suggested albums.
I also encountered this discography which others may like to look at:
Posts: 1156
Joined: Dec. 6 2006
From: Hamilton, ON
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
I got into flamenco through the same people and agree re: Jesse Cook but check out Ottmar's newest album (The Scent of Light). I don't see how it can possibly be irritating - very well-written, brilliantly-textured piece of work IMO.
Posts: 35
Joined: Nov. 16 2008
From: Kemble, England
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
This is by no means an exclusive list but i think if you were to own all these CD's you would have an excellent collection of high quality recordings spanning the entire spectrum of flamenco. Beginnners, I suggest you get all of these asap and start listening, you won't regret any of them!!
Paco de Lucia- Solo Quiero caminar(some GREAT bulerias!) Gerardo Nunez- Jucal(just sublime compositions!) Diego el cigala- Picasso en mis ojos(modern but some real legends collaberating!) El ni~no ricardo- Toques flamencos de guitarra(classic!) Camaron de la isla- 3 disc antologia( a must have for all guitarists) Paco de lucia- Almoraima(the CD that sparked my interest in flamenco) Juan Carlos Romero-Romero( beautiful sound,great pieces, nice use of cante) Tomatito- Guitarra Gitana(mind blowing guitar, inspired cante collaberations too) Tomatito-Aguadulce(modern with some interesting instrumentation) Paco de lucia sextet- One summer night (one of the best CDs I own!)
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Santiago)
Hi Did a bit of a search through the engine So I noticed the Jose Merce and Moraito must have Currently searching for a complete album of this collaboration My puro y jondo video tape ( yes video ) Is all I have
So can anyone tell me the name of the album or is it self titled ? ( not finding anything self titled on iTunes )
Posts: 15650
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Guest)
"Aire"
THis desert Island flamenco guitar solo list thing has been done a lot, but it's ok to revise it now and again. I have some additions since I wrote in those old links:
1. Tauromagia Manolo Sanlucar 2. Fantasia Flamenca Paco de Lucia 3. Jucal Gerardo Nuñez 4. Paseo de Los Castaños Tomatito 5. Vivencias Imaginadas Vicente Amigo 6. Colores del Fuego, Antonio Rey 7. El Genio de La Guitarra Flamenca Ramon Montoya 8. Flamenco Puro Sabicas 9. Cuchichi Enrique del Melchor 10. Sin Tanto Jesus del Rosario
I would give this list as a way to introduce a range of fine solo players that have impressed me. Of course I spend time listening more to Paco, Nuñez and Montoya in general. And there are not included all the fine accompanists for cante that don't have solo recordings or are or not so impressive as solo players. I spend tons of time listening to them. Rito y Geografia del Cante remains for me as THE ultimate resource for singing and guitar accompaniment stuff.
Posts: 3484
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Spencer)
Great lists here.
An addition among the older tocaores: Niño Ricardo. There's a Chant du Monde album, or if you prefer cleaner technique and modern sound, there's Paco Peña's album of pieces by Niño Ricardo and Ramon Montoya.
There are a lot more cantaores on my shelves, but this is mostly a guitar forum.
Posts: 3491
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: Top Ten Must Have Albums of All Time (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
I have to agree with Richard on the Chant du Monde CD of Nino Ricardo. I have it as well, and it contains great pieces from a tocaor who greatly influenced early Paco de Lucia. Another favorite of mine is Sabicas's "Flamenco Puro." And finally, there is a great double CD album called "Ramon Montoya: El Genio de la Guitarra Flamenca, Grabaciones Historicas 1923-1936." With those three, plus Paco de Lucia, one gets a pretty good idea of the development of flamenco guitar in the 20th century, and they make for some fine listening pleasure.
Cheers,
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
Printable Version
". 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread