Karlheinz Stockhausen - Kontakte (1959)

allmusic:

Kontakte is the epitome of Stockhausen's pioneering "moment form," characterized by long periods of inactivity broken by sudden changes. The prepared tape used in the work consists of a variety of metallic effects, some sped up to create radically different sounds and timbres. Probably Stockhausen's most famous work, Kontakte has been performed in two versions, one with four-channel tape and another with four-channel tape with added piano and percussion. The only widely available version, released on Ecstatic Peace, was recorded in Toronto in 1978 with tape plus pianist James Tenney and percussionist William Winant.

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Merle Travis - Merle Travis Guitar / Walkin the Strings...Plus (1956, 1960)

allmusic:

Merle Travis was one of Nashville's first great triple threats -- a gifted songwriter, a fine singer, and an exceptional guitarist -- and it says a tremendous amount about his talents as an instrumentalist that his picking is regarded even more highly than his other work. Travis' influential fingerpicking style married the melodic traditions of country with the lilting swing of jazz, and he was a massive influence on an entire generation of Nashville guitarists (among them Chet Atkins), few of whom could match him for speed, accuracy, and a fine touch.

This nice set combines a pair of Merle Travis LPs, 1956's The Merle Travis Guitar and 1960's Walkin' the Strings, with a half-dozen or so bonus tracks and radio transcriptions, and it spotlights all the parts of Travis' impressive talent as a performer -- and Travis could pretty much do it all.

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Blind Blake - Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker (1926-31)

Heavenly.

allmusic.com:

Ragtime Guitar's Foremost Fingerpicker contains a total of 28 prime tracks from Blind Blake. Alternating between solo acoustic numbers and songs recorded with a string band, the set demonstrates how exceptionally gifted the guitarist was -- he's playing arrangements and rhythms that several subsequent generations were never able to completely figure out. Blind Blake was one of the finest acoustic guitarists of the '20s and '30s and this is the definitive compilation.

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Unrest - Imperial f.f.r.r. (1992)

Lesser known indie pop classic from the nineties.

allmusic:

Imperial is Unrest's full-length debut. It fleshes out the pop promise of their early singles, and expands on their pop and experimental background as well. "I Do Believe You Are Blushing," "Cherry Cream On," "Suki," "Isabel," and "June" are still some of the band's best songs, mixing high-energy guitars and subjects like girls and death to infectious effect. A near-perfect album of indie pop.

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