My sister keeps pillaging through my record collection and asking for recommendations so I came up with the idea to make her a series of mixes with one song from every album I own in chronological order.

While doing this, I noticed that the oldest album I own is Elvis' debut. Which in some ways is fitting, but in other ways disappointing that I don't own anything prior to 1956.


So I ask of you, what is the oldest release you own?

In terms of when it was recorded, probably:
Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings (1930s)

In terms of release date, not sure. But off the top of my head:
Sun Ra - Sun Song (1953)

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Assuming you mean recording date and not composition (i.e. no classical) and dont mind compilations then I would say the Robert Johnson the Complete Recordings (1936/37).. if you mind comps then I dont know, but Id imagine another blues cd prolly from the early 1940s.
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edit: hmm next up I think is Charlie Parker- The Charlie Parker Story (1945).. but Id imagine I just havent dug far enough.

Johnny Cash: Live at Folsom Prison for an album now on CD.
I'm guessing the first Boston album or Rocky SDTK on vinyl.
If I included some of the records I saved from my parent's collection, it would be Ennio Morricone's The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Clearly, a popular album!

Probably this and some jazz comps.

Good call, if we arent talking about an album put out by one person, but instead, cases of earliest recorded music, then Im with oldbullee on this one

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool (1949)

for rock:

Buddy Holly (st) (1958)

in terms of recording:
Blind Lemon Jefferson - Complete Recorded Works (1920s ha ha) or else that American folk Recordings set from awhile back.

in terms of my owning:
I have no idea. It's more than likely a tape that lives in the trunk of my car. Purple Rain or Dark Side of the Moon.

in terms of physically the oldest:
Probably one of the dylan LPs I got from my dad

Al Jolson - My Mammy (1928)

Btw, here's a cool read on the history of vinyl....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/vinyl

yup.

but the oldest cd i own, in terms of how long ago i bought it, would be U2's the unforgettable fire (1989 i think).

Probably Robert Johnson or Louis Armstrong.

Proper album? Probably Please Please Me. I have a couple of Elvis and Johnny Cash compilations from the early 50s, a best of Buddy Holly etc.

Release date: I have no idea but it would some jazz album from the 40's probably

Recording Date:

one of the following:

Hot Women: Women Singers from the Torrid Regions of the World (1920's - 1950's)

Blind Willie Johnson "Sweeter As the Years Go By" 1920's?

Blind Lemon Jefferson S/T (1926-29)

Blind Blake (1926-32)

with runners up being:

Big Bill Broonzy "The Young Big Bill Broonzy 1928-1935"
Mississippi John Hurt "The 1928 Sessions"
Charlie Patton "Founder of the Delta Blues" 1929-1934"
That Robert Johnson comp
A Boatload of Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan that I think is from the 1930's

np: You Am I "Deliverance"

serious question from someone who obviously isn't all that into blues:

why so many "blind" guitarists?

moonshine maybe?

I don't know...it sure is a sign of quality though.

I'm not near my CD collection, but I'm pretty sure it's VU & Nico. Which is kind of sad, really.

Yeah, this and some Yazoo Records comps put my earliest music well into the 20s. Some of my Jazz comps may even push back to the teens, but with the crackle those are more for academic interest than for pleasure.

I have this downloaded, I forgot.

But yeah, I guess I meant oldest recorded, allowing compilations, because I'm mostly interested to see what artists prior to the birth of rock 'n' roll that people own stuff from.

Dust Bowl Ballads, at a guess.

Woody Guthriue, The Complete Asch Recordings recorded in the early 40's, but published in the late 90's, I think.

julie london's debut is the oldest album in my collection. it's a 1955 release. there really aren't a lot of good pre-50s albums. that's an era that is best left to compilations or singles. at least, that's how i hear it.

Me too. 1940.