My Music - Albums R

Some substantial letters towards the end of the alphabet and, as we reach R, Radiohead make their entry. I reckon they have been the most creative, risk-taking band of the last twenty years, almost never producing an album that I like first time through but only their debut I rarely play these days. Gerry Rafferty's album has some good tracks other than Baker Street. Jess Roden, first encountered as the vocalist with the Butts Band supporting Roxy Music at Birmingham Odeon, is one of the finest white soul r&b voices of recent history. Dan Reed fused rock, electronica, hip-hop and great songs. One of my finest gigs of all time was him at Newcastle Riverside (a now defunct, members-only venue) in about 1991. REM have always been good value. Saw them twice, twenty years apart. Roni Size made me realise there was more to drum n' bass than I thought (thanks DJ 'Jamin), Roots Manuva made hip hop acceptable to the white masses and the title track off Power in the Darkness was a desert island disc for many years with its wonderful anti-establishment rant about what sort of freedom the Tories wanted at the time. It was a liberal manifesto. Hear it here. The rant starts at 2:14. N word warning. It was 1978. Reverend and the Makers Heavyweight Champion of the World is an outstanding song which dwarfs the album.

Radiohead 1993 (CD) Pablo Honey

1994 (CD) The Bends

1997 (CD) OK Computer

2000 (CD) Kid A

2001 (CD) Amnesia

2003 (CD) Hail to the Thief

2007 (CD) In Rainbows

Gerry Rafferty 1977 (V) City to City

Robert Randolph & the Family Band

2003 (CD) Unclassified

The Rapture 2003 (CD) Echoes

Red Hot Chili Peppers 2002 (CD) By the Way

Dan Reed Network 1988 (V) Dan Reed Network

1989 (V) Slam

1991 (V) The Heat

Lou Reed 1972 (V) Transformer

REM 1983 (V) Murmur

1985 (V) Fables of the / Reconstruction of the

1986 (V) Lifes Rich Pageant

1987 (V) Document

1988 (V) Green

1991 (V) Out of Time

1994 (Tape) Monster

1996 (CD) New Adventures in Hi-Fi

1998 (CD) Up

2001 (CD) Reveal

2003 (CD) In Time 1988-2003

2004 (CD) Around the Sun

2008 (CD) Accelerate

Reverend and the Makers 2007 (CD) The State of Things

Roni Size Reprazent 1997 (CD) New Forms

Rilo Kiley 2007 (CD) Under the Blacklight

River City People 1989 (V) Say Something Good

Roachford 1988 (V) Roachford

Tom Robinson Band 1978 (V) Power in the Darkness

Jess Roden 1974 (V) Jess Roden

1977 (V) The Player Not the Game

Jess Roden Band 1976 (V) Play It Dirty ... Play It Class

1976 (V) Keep Your Hat On

1977 (V) Blowin'

Rolling Stones 1971 (CD) Sticky Fingers

1974 (V) It's Only Rock n' Roll

1984 (V) Rewind

1989 (V) Steel Wheels

Roots Manuva 2001 (CD) Run Come Save Me

2005 (CD) Awfully Deep

2006 (CD) Alternately Deep

2008 (CD) Slime and Reason

Roots Manuva meets Wrongtom 2010 (CD) Duppy Writer

Don Ross 2006 (CD) Live in Your Head

Roxy Music 1972 (V) Roxy Music

1973 (V) For Your Pleasure

1973 (V) Stranded

1974 (V) Country Life

1975 (V) Siren

1979 (V) Manifesto

Röyksopp 2001 (CD) Melody A.M.

Leon Russell 1970 (CD) Leon Russell