Roy Harper, Stormcock (side A)

Much of 1971's Stormcock is simple and spacious, with bits of vocals and acoustic guitar poking through the air. As a result, the beautiful recording quality is particularly important—the guitars and vocals sound classic and amazing. Obviously, Harper's talent is central too. The songs are strangely structured and slowly evolving, and the melodies are beautiful and somehow accessible. Jimmy Page turns up for pseudonymous lead guitar on one track, and composer David Bedford contributes haunting string arrangements on another. The cover photo of Harper is uninviting, but the lettering above and below it looks great and contributes to a timeless design.