van morrison - veedon fleece

released in 1974, this was van's last album for 3 years, and a seriously amazing bookend to a string of great, often brilliant, albums that started with astral weeks. veedon fleece really is a return to the form of that first warner bros. release too. there are none of the bloodshot and blue-eyed soul numbers (save for the slow burnin' "cul de sac") that were so plentiful on the last several records; this is all orchestral, soaring folk-rock and straight roots. it's a pretty somber and personal album for him too, as he'd just split with janet planet, and a lot of his hippy-dippy lyrical tendencies were replaced with heavier shit. veedon fleece was roundly ignored upon its release and, though it has gained momentum of late, is still his most undeservingly overlooked album. a straight up masterpiece, peep it here.

neil young - zuma

there's a point in the life of a gourmet record where it graduates into a universally accepted out-and-out classic. this has happened with dylan's desire, van's astral weeks, the byrds' sweetheart of the rodeo, and it's happened with brother neil and his long player on the beach. when every little shit in jeans and plaid is repping the same relatively obscure record as their fave (except for those fucking unbearable irony drenched greaseballs who are claiming trans or re-act-or or some such bs), it can't be the gourmet anymore. it's time is up and it's now a straight up classic, so that leaves us with zuma which is such a fucking scorcher. it's got what is perhaps neil's finest side 1, track 1 ever in "don't cry no tears" (no small feat when you think of what it's up against), one of his finest acoustic numbers in "pardon my heart," the acerbic and hilarious "stupid girl," and the epic "cortez the killer." come on down to zuma beach, the water's perfect, but bring yer own, i hear ol' shakey's a bogarter.

de la soul - stakes is high

this one is a bit of a toss up with buhloone mindstate but executive decisions must be made and i'm the damn executive round these parts (don't be jealous, the pay stinks). and, while the aforementioned 3rd long player is unfairly ignored, it's also the 3rd prince paul production and is definitely straight up early de la formula, while stakes is high is on some new ish for plugs 1, 2, and 3. plus bonus points for being some of the earliest (THE earliest?) jay dee (j dilla) productions, and basically introducing the world to mos def. well, i guess that second part could means points off considering dude's recent albums and movies, but you can't fuck with black star and that first solo joint. also, common's cameo on "the bizness" is just about the last great thing he's done. this record may also have the distinction of being the only lp i owned at different points in time on tape, vinyl and cd (too bad that shit didn't come out on 8-track). "stakes is high but we're gonna try to have fun this year." not a bad motto.

willie nelson - phases and stages

the weeded troubadour of outlaw country has had plenty of high (ha!) points, and low ones for that matter, but he was never higher (welcome to pun city!) than on a three album run in the early '70s. shotgun willie and red headed stranger are widely regarded as out and out classics, as they ought to be, but in between the two (the meat in the gourmet sandwich, if you will), phases and stages still goes mostly unnoticed. sure chet filippo slobbered over it in rolling stone at the time and it's gotten some love since but this is, without a doubt, his artistic apex. never has the king of concise packed so much punch in so few words. a concept record about the end of a relationship with side a from the lady's perspective and side b from the dude's. there is no better tune in willie nelson's career than "walkin'" and the rest ain't no slouch either. stone(d) cold gourmet.