All The Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
Both regular collaborators with others, these two took seven years to complete the album
I tend not to listen to much of anything with a country flavour but I have made the odd exception over the years, including this album. They work so well together and I admit to being pleasantly surprised when I first heard the album. The album was a success for the pair and they followed it up with a successful tour and corresponding live album.
Favourite track: “Red Staggerwing”
Blood Mountain by Mastodon
Mastodon’s third album was my first taste of this American heavy metal act
I stumbled across Mastodon through one of those free sampler compilation CDs that used to come with music magazines, remember those? I bought this album on the strength of one song and have bought every album they have released since. The album is a concept album about climbing a mountain, getting lost in the woods, starving, hallucinating, hunted and running into strange creatures apparently.
Favourite track: “Sleeping Giant”
Live To Win by Paul Stanley
Live To Win is only the 2nd solo album from the KISS founder released 28 years after the first
Sounding unsurprisingly much like his regular band, Stanley collaborated on this album with songwriters he had worked with before in Holly Knight and Desmond Child. He also drafted former KISS guitarist, Bruce Kulick, to play bass on a few tracks. I was unsure what to expect when this came out but I needn’t have worried. As a KISS fan who actually enjoys their music, I was always going to like this.
Favourite track: “Bulletproof”
The Road To Escondido by J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton
This collaboration album features the final recordings from keyboardist Billy Preston
Clapton has always been a fan of J.J. Cale and has recorded several of his songs throughout his career, usually achieving greater success than the originals. 11 of the 14 songs on the album are Cale compositions so it effectively works as a J.J. Cale album featuring Eric Clapton. But that is also its charm.
Favourite track: Their cover of the Brownie McGhee composition “Sporting Life Blues”
Black Holes & Revelations by Muse
Black Holes & Revelations was the fourth studio album released by English rock band Muse
This is one of only two Muse albums in my collection. I have liked several of their songs over the years but have found some of their albums overwrought. Not so with this one and it deservedly topped the charts all around the world. Five singles were released which were quite successful, particularly in the UK. The album cover was designed by Storm Thorgerson, renowned for working with Pink Floyd.
Favourite track: “Knights Of Cydonia”
The Slabthrower 