Girlfriend- Matthew Sweet
Grand Prix- Teenage Fanclub
First Band on the Moon- The Cardigans

I know you said 3 albums per poster, but this one is also pretty amazing:

Inspiration Information- Shuggie Otis

12rods – Split Personalities
The Replacements – Pleased to Meet Me
Paul Simon – Spirit of the Saints
amon tobin – supermodified
(call me crazy, like it better than bricolage – surfer glitch trumps faux jazz any old day)
Death Cab for Cutie – Forbidden Love EP
Squarepusher – Big Loda
(call me crazy – again!)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
Prefuse73 – Uprock Narratives
(or anything Scott Herren’s done under this name, for that matter)
Supergrass – I Should Coco
The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ryde 2 the Pharcyde
(my favorite rap record; illmatic’s great too though)
Sublime – 40 oz. to Freedom
Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil
Grandaddy – Under the Western Freeway
John Coltrane – Giant Steps

I’m ok now. Your heartfelt apology (undercut by your “explanation” — why can’t you just apologize?) has let the healing begin.

I mostly agree with Brian that it’s unlikely that some great album has been completely ignored until now. But, by the same token, you (Will) hadn’t heard Innervisions (!) — and you’re old enough to know better. So, if I had to pare down my list even further, I’d probably omit all of the jazz recommendations until I had a sense of particular artists you liked, then the real work would start — very similar to the indoctrination into Scientology, the US Army, and/or improv.

My third attempt at recommending CDs to Will Hines:
Thomas Dolby – The Flat Earth
Wes Cunningham – 12 Ways To Win People To Your Way Of Thinking
Thin Lizzy – Black Rose
(Pat Travers Band – Live! Go For What You Know) — only if you’re a fan of kickass gtr playing. Pat Thrall is a motherfucker!

COMEDY:
Richard Pryor – That Nigger’s Crazy
Firesign Theater – Waiting For the Electrician (or Someone Like Him)

Also, I keep looking for the link to your “Swarm Diaries”. Has it moved??

What I meant is: don’t recommend 40 albums, because I can’t even remember them. Or at least, it’s not helpful to me if I get a list of 40 albums. I need one or two per person so I can remember them, go find them, and listen to them. But you know what? I didn’t say that in my original post. So if you want to list 50 albums that you think are good albums, go ahead. I won’t remember them, so I won’t end up hearing them, but that’s no big deal.

I said “world-changing” to up everyone’s standards, but next time I’ll just be more specific when I request albums: 3 suggestions per person.

I bought My Bloody Valentine this weekend, and I’ve ordered Innervisions, the Avalanches, and a Dire Straits album. Should be cool.

You know what I’m saying. It’s not like anyone is going to dig a ground breaking album out of their basement becuase chances are if it were so amazing it wouldn’t be forgotten about.

High Fidelity-style there are only five in each category.

JAZZ:
Sonny Rollins – On Impulse!
Joe Henderson – Mode For Joe
Wayne Shorter – Etcetera
Duke Ellington – Such Sweet Thunder
Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Dream

POP:
Thomas Dolby – The Flat Earth
Wes Cunningham – 12 Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
Pat Travers Band – Live! Go For What You Know
Thin Lizzy – Black Rose
Amon Tobin – Bricolage

COMEDY:
Richard Pryor – Wanted: Live In Concert
Richard Pryor – That Nigger’s Crazy
Firesign Theater – Waiting For the Electrician (or Someone Like Him)
Firesign Theater – We’re All Bozos On This Bus
Firesign Theater – Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers