Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Béla Bartók; Part 1: seemingly contrasting properties of science and art are inextricably bound together to form the essence of genius' music
2112 by Rush: conjuring up the kind of sci-fi images and otherworldly magic that would later become the hallmark of the band
Third by Soft Machine: an ambitious album, which push back the frontiers of space modal jazz-rock far beyond while defining the Canterbury Scene moving forward
Le Sacre du printemps by Igor Stravinsky: sophisticated handling of primitive rhythms anyone ever thought up —dissonances, asymmetries, polytonalities and polyrhythms
Blow by Blow by Jeff Beck: a powerhouse of jazzy funk rock fusion with nine strong tracks by a Guitar God
Ionisation by Edgard Varèse: dissecting my hero's hero's seminal masterpiece which influenced all kind of avant-garde music and beyond
Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator: an album so sublime that it is one of the rare sonic portals into a truly alternative universe
The Bible of the Discography of an Alchemist Master, John Zorn
A Treasure-Map of the Discography of a Unique Genius, Frank Zappa
Acquiring the Taste by Gentle Giant: techniques borrowed directly from the Renaissance and Baroque proved us all that there's so much more to do in rock music
Tago Mago by Can: a Stockhausen-esque, which fuses an avant-garde rock symphony with shamanic avant-funk trance
Rain Dogs by Tom Waits: breathtaking dark cabaret and beat poetry, wrapped with seductive jarring rhythms and singular instrumentation
Bar Kokhba by John Zorn: a journey to an elegant and sophisticated avant-garde territory
Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: fast and bulbous; a massively misunderstood masterpiece
Hot Rats by Frank Zappa: flawless, impeccable and exquisite; the birth of jazz-rock fusion