They say you are what you like, and if that’s true, then my taste in music speaks volumes about my private and musical personality. These albums have been with me for ages, some newer than others, but all of them share a common thread: they’re all incredibly good. I’m not trying to sound like an old fogey pining for the good old days, but I do feel sorry for the youngins who missed out on the era when this music was being created. Luckily for them, it still exists and is audible. But buyer beware: just because something’s labeled “remastered” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an improvement. Some remasters are, dare I say it, worse than the original tracks. It’s not ideal, but we can’t control the rights holders who sometimes replace the original tracks with these subpar versions. Fortunately, the listening technology these days is better than ever, so there’s that. Back in the day, getting noticed as an artist was almost as hard as finding a needle in a haystack because there was no internet. Record managers were the gatekeepers who decided who was worth investing in, and when they did, they invested big. I’m talking piles of cash, enough to set everyone up for life. But hey, that’s what you had to do to get the best musicians, sound engineers, and technology available. Producing an album was a massive undertaking, and failure wasn’t an option. Sure, that whole process might seem a bit shady, but there were some advantages to it. If you could sing or play your instrument like nobody’s business, you had a chance to become a superstar. If you looked good too, well, let’s just…