What a fantastic thread!

I reckon I'm half-a-generation behind some of you: my formative years musically were more the mid-80s than 60s and 70s, but with a whole heap of jazz, big band and choral stuff thrown in both as performer and listener, my tastes are somewhat eclectic. I really struggle playing the "Desert Island Discs" game - choosing 5 LPs is even harder.

"Satch Plays Fats" - Louis Armstrong on an album of songs written by Fats Waller.
Verdi: Requiem - Cheryl Studer, Dolora Sajic, Luciano Pavarotti and Sam Ramey with the orchestra and chorus of La Scala conducted by Ricardo Mutti (I know there are better recordings, but this is the one I bought so I know its foibles)
Fairground Attraction: First of a Million Kisses (love Eddi Reader's vocals and the really spare instrumentation - could listen to this all day)
Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out/Time Further Out - a bit of a cheat, this, as it was a double-album compilation of two previous releases with lots of interesting time signatures.
As to the 5th choice... that's tough. Maybe Hothouse Flowers' People? Or perhaps Stiff Little Fingers - am I allowed their "All the best" compilation - if not then probably Now Then. Or maybe Dire Straits (but which album? Love over Gold or Making Movies?), or REM Automatic for the People

Mapman - if I were in the UK I'd be on my way to a Dire Streets gig! Awesome stuff... I always rather wish I'd been a drummer. Speaking of drummers, I know Phil Collins gets a lot of stick ('scuse the bad pun) but I absolutely love his guest work on the opening to Tears for Fears' Woman in Chains. But for simplicity and elegance little can beat Oscar Peterson's drummer Ed Thigpen. Here's the introduction to a brushing masterclass he recorded in 1991: https://youtu.be/ecIpU5jVBUA

Doug
1985 4/4 4str, Jubilee Blue