Best 3am Album

My evil mind says Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater. My decent mind tells me either Chopin's or Field's Noctures.

I reckon Bill Evans' Village Vanguard sessions. Waltz for Debbie would be my preferred selection, I think.

Soak up the atmosphere, which comes across so well in that recording. 

Any of the 1970s era Pink Floyd albums work for me. As you qualified "best", I'd go with DSOTM.

In the early hours  I enjoy any Tangerine Dream studio albums pre 1985 and their 'Tangerine Tree' live albums from the same period. If I was forced to pick just one then it would be Poland.

Jimmie Spheeris- Ports of the Heart

Hats - Blue Nile 

Particularly these 2 numbers

Ray Charles's "Genius After Hours" has to be in the running.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Arvo Part: Alina

Mesmerising minimalism. Guaranteed to soothe the frayed 3am mind.

  Sound Iration In Dub.

  A masterclass in heavyweight dub, and just the thing for the wee small hours. 

dave marshall posted:

  Sound Iration In Dub.

  A masterclass in heavyweight dub, and just the thing for the wee small hours. 

Great choice.  Could be a little too much naughty boy, the neighbours would be going nuts.  Unless on headphones.

Almost by definition the track Small Hours from the One World album by John Martyn really should be experienced with the lights low. 

Nicked from the web,

"One World was recorded at Woolwich Green Farm in Theale, Berkshire, which was owned by Chris Blackwell, using the Island records mobile studio. The majority of the recording was done at night as it included outside microphones trying to develop an external ambience and to prevent traffic etc disturbing the recording by day.

On the album, Small Hours was recorded at 3.00am in the morning at the edge of the lake next to the farm and captures the sound of the water lapping as well as the geese on the lake. Including Steve Winwood, it is a very moving piece with John's use of the echoplex giving the music a truly ethereal feel as the slow notes seemingly hang over the lake. Truly magical!"

SamS posted:

Almost by definition the track Small Hours from the One World album by John Martyn really should be experienced with the lights low. 

Nicked from the web,

"One World was recorded at Woolwich Green Farm in Theale, Berkshire, which was owned by Chris Blackwell, using the Island records mobile studio. The majority of the recording was done at night as it included outside microphones trying to develop an external ambience and to prevent traffic etc disturbing the recording by day.

On the album, Small Hours was recorded at 3.00am in the morning at the edge of the lake next to the farm and captures the sound of the water lapping as well as the geese on the lake. Including Steve Winwood, it is a very moving piece with John's use of the echoplex giving the music a truly ethereal feel as the slow notes seemingly hang over the lake. Truly magical!"

Yep - love this track, just magical with the ambient soundscape. 

Phill Brown who engineered on this album describes the recording process (along with plenty of others) in his book 'Are We Still Rolling'. An excellent read. 

james n posted:

.........

Phill Brown who engineered on this album describes the recording process (along with plenty of others) in his book 'Are We Still Rolling'. An excellent read.  

Thanks James, I will check out the book - I had heard about it some time ago and then it went off my radar.

I enjoyed Ken Scott's, 'Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust' - great content but a bit of a dry read.

james n posted:

SamS posted:

Almost by definition the track Small Hours from the One World album by John Martyn really should be experienced with the lights low. 

Nicked from the web,

"One World was recorded at Woolwich Green Farm in Theale, Berkshire, which was owned by Chris Blackwell, using the Island records mobile studio. The majority of the recording was done at night as it included outside microphones trying to develop an external ambience and to prevent traffic etc disturbing the recording by day.

On the album, Small Hours was recorded at 3.00am in the morning at the edge of the lake next to the farm and captures the sound of the water lapping as well as the geese on the lake. Including Steve Winwood, it is a very moving piece with John's use of the echoplex giving the music a truly ethereal feel as the slow notes seemingly hang over the lake. Truly magical!"

Yep - love this track, just magical with the ambient soundscape. 

Phill Brown who engineered on this album describes the recording process (along with plenty of others) in his book 'Are We Still Rolling'. An excellent read. 

 

James,

Agree Phill Brown's book is a wonderful read and great insight into record engineering - so often the producer is showered with glory whereas the Engineer gets very little credit. 

Andy

ewemon posted:

Jimmie Spheeris- Ports of the Heart

Ewemom,

Thanks so much for this recommendation - I've got most of Jimmie Spheeris' album but not this one  - luckily available on Qobuz.

Nice one.

Andy

Nightmares on Wax always a late Night staple in these parts . I could quite happily listen to "Les Nuits" deep into the early hours . 

joerand posted:

Any of the 1970s era Pink Floyd albums work for me. As you qualified "best", I'd go with DSOTM.

Saw Roger Waters in Vancouver BC Sunday night.  Maybe the best concert of my life.  (Only Radiohead May have topped it).  Certainly one of the better sounding concerts.

Pink Floyd forever!   

In celebration of daylight savings time, Michael Wolff’s “2AM”.  

Not best, but typically a 3am Album might just include that ear worm  playing a tune in your head that you have no clear idea who or what's responsible behind it, but you know you have it somewhere. Not until hours of searching that you find it, play it and realise the time.

Jon Hassell - Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street

This album would work for a 3:00 AM Listen......

For those on a don't know but really need to know basis. This is highly recommended.

..and for those who knew but had forgotten..