Roger McGuinn’s List of Music You Should Hear
‚ELV1S 30 #1 Hits‘, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley inspired me with his single „Heartbreak Hotel“ to the point that I wanted to get a guitar and do what he was doing.‚Capitol Collectors Series‘, Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent had a similar effect with his great single „Be Bop a Lula.“ When I met John Lennon and we compared notes, we decided that this was our favorite single from the ’50s!‚Carl Perkins – Original Sun Greatest Hits‘, Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins was another influence with „Blue Suede Shoes“ and made me appreciate all the sounds that came from Sun Records out of Memphis.‚Bob Gibson & Bob Camp at the Gate of Horn‘, Bob Gibson and Bob Camp
‚Gibson & Camp at the Gate of Horn‘ was an incredible musical experience. I was there when they recorded this great album, and Bob Gibson had been my inspiration to get into folk music.‚Tonight: In Person‘, the Limeliters
Limeliters hired me to accompany them on this album. They flew me from my hometown, Chicago, to Los Angeles, where I recorded with them at the Ash Grove folk club there. This was my first professional engagement, at age 17. I turned 18 during the two weeks we played there.‚The Hit Singles Collection‘, Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin hired me to play 12-string and sing background harmony with him on tour. We worked together for over a year and recorded some of his folk and country hits. I later worked for his publishing company TM Music as a songwriter in the Brill Building in New York.‚Judy Collins 3 & 4‘, Judy Collins
Judy Collins and I recorded her third album on Elektra Records. I was the musical director. Judy did a version of „Turn Turn Turn“ which I later recorded in the Byrds.‚The Capitol Albums Vol. 1‘, the Beatles
Beatles inspired the Byrds. They were the driving force that got me to incorporate folk and rock. I took that mix from Greenwich Village in New York to the Troubadour in Los Angeles where Gene Clark and I got together to write and sing some songs. David Crosby soon joined in and we had the nucleus of the Byrds.‚The Complete Africa/Brass Sessions‘, the John Coltrane Quartet
John Coltrane inspired the lead break on the Byrds‘ „Eight Miles High“ with his saxophone work on ‚Africa/Brass‘.‚Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 „From the New World“‚, Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic
The ‚New World‘ by Bernstein and the NY Philharmonic is one of my favorite classical pieces and this is a stunning performance. I’ve heard this piece performed by many symphonies and conductors, but in my opinion this is the best. I have great memories of playing this on a train trip from Miami to North Carolina with my wife Camilla. It made a great soundtrack!‚Recurring Dream: The Very Best Of Crowded House‘, Crowded House
Crowded House invited me to play with them on tour. Camilla and I loved watching them every night from the side of the stage. They were so musically exciting and funny. They let us have the suite on their tour bus, which was incredibly generous!
[Editor’s note: You can hear Roger play „Mr. Tambourine Man,“ „Eight Miles High,“ and „So You Want to Be a Rock’N’Roll Star“ with the band on their ‚I Feel Possessed‘ CD single.]‚The Segovia Collection‘, Andrés Segovia
Andrés Segovia is a source of inspiration as a musical performer. He was 93 and booked to play a concert Carnegie Hall in New York when he died. The only reason he didn’t make the performance was because he died. He was still good enough at that ageto fill great concert halls around the world. That’s my goal, to keep playing until I die.
--
Captain Beefheart to audience: Is everyone feeling all right? Audience: Yeahhhhh!!! awright...!!! Captain Beefheart: That's not a soulful question, that's a medical question. It's too hot in here.