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the Gospel. or is it Soul? maybe Jazz? there is some kind of connection here to those well-established genres. yet, of course, aside from the obvious artists in that genre, they are not obvious in songs in this grouping.

1. “Pastime Paradise” : was this the first album I bought? I would tape off the radio back then, and I remember buying this and a Salsa record (can’t remember), on the fact that it was played so much in the USA on the strength of the top singles released. at that innocent time, I was not conscious of musical genre… everything was music. naturally, I gravitated to the 2nd LP/Cassette, and skip most of the first. later, I found the light— as it were— and rarely play the second half. a most important album as to what would be the interest in pop, and this track is at the top of it. at least this happened before the cover from Coolio.
   
2. “Got To Give It Up” : another song from the radio in the USA. nope, I didn’t know of the magnitude of Marvin Gaye, I just loved the song, and love it to this day. I did think at the time it was a live recording, but it is not. however, this was a great opening to discovering him, and that he was a trendsetter in many ways, rather than just merely using the sounds of the time. with Stevie Wonder, the bar was set very high to discover Soul music.
   
3. “Yes, I Helped You Pack”: another singer with a deep voice that greatly appeals. I discovered Ghostpoet way after the award was given to this album, and I also didn’t know about it. awards schwawards — this is a great album, and this track is not only infectious, but plainly a great pop. add this to a key track/album that opens up the appeal of Trip-Hop as a style/genre that very much defines the pop-song experience (for me!).
   
4. “I Don’t Believe In You” : another fundamental band at the core of my listening habits and tastes. it can be argued that Talk Talk pivoted from this song into their magnificent last two albums. this album, at first, required some time to translate from It’s My Life‘s pop to a bigger challenge that explodes the emotional connection to the songs. surely, the follow-up album Spirit of Eden could have multiple songs in this list, but like with Joy Division, Talk Talk had done its deep of influencing into my listening schooling.
   
5. “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space” : another essential album, that came into clear focus when I caught them live— as it happens, opening for Radiohead‘s OK Computer tour. there was no comparison: Radiohead‘s set seemed boring (though fantastic at the beginning of their tour for this album). the style on this album was completely foreign to me, though friends had mentioned Spiritualized (+ Spacemen 3). regardless, this album is one of the few It’s Must Be Beautiful to be a great album.
   
6. “Little Fluffy Clouds” : something very new when my friend bought this record. I would not know for many years that Killing Joke‘s Youth was involved, and why would one suspect the connection? something about this song remains very appealing after all these years, and thanks to this album, giving electronica a big chance years later became in place.
   
7. “Suzuki” : how fun is this record? very much an easy to play and enjoy. nothing deep, yet many other groups in the same vein were to be discovered as a result. among them: Zero 7, Groove Armada, Lemon Jelly, and most importantly Fisherspooner.

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