This well-designed tome was initially inspired by #AlbumsByWomen, a social media campaign initiated by Classic Album Sundays in support of International Women’s Day in 2018. At the outset, collaborators were encouraged to submit a photo and a mini-critique of, yep, you guessed it, their favourite classic album involving a woman. The response was positive, and so the social media campaign eventually morphed into this compelling publication.
Now featuring over 100 contributions from musicians and music biz luminaries, Classic Albums By Women not only acts as an overdue celebration of female creativity and musicianship, but also as a well-informed reference source for vinyl collectors in search of some considered picks.
High-profile contributors include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason (Ladies Of The Canyon, Joni Mitchell), John Grant (NunSexMonkRock,Nina Hagen) and Peter Hook (Chelsea Girl, Nico), while other selected gems to hunt down include Meredith Monk’s Dolmen Music and Alice Clark’s soulful debut. It’s what your coffee table was made for.
7/10
Gary Tipp