Choosing your favourite Welsh album of all time? It’s a near impossible task.
Traditionalists might lean towards the classic Tom Jones’ offering Green, Green Grass Of Home, rockers could opt for the Stereophonics’ debut Word Gets Around, and younger music lovers may gravitate towards Duffy’s breakthrough record Rockferry.
Well, it appears the acclaimed BBC radio DJ Huw Stephens couldn’t make up his mind either. Instead, he’s opted to select 100 of his favourite Welsh albums as part of his new book, Wales: 100 Records.
Serving as a celebration of Welsh music through the ages, the book analyses the very best works by some of the most important artists to come out of Wales, featuring fabled acts like Shirley Bassey, Max Boyce, Bonnie Tyler and Gwenno, as well as a selection of superb Welsh artists that will be less familiar to many readers.
Fluent Welsh speaker Huw Stephens began to make a name for himself in the world of music when he joined BBC Radio1 in 1999, becoming the youngest DJ in the station’s history and quickly establishing himself as a specialist in unearthing great new musical talent. In the years since, Huw has founded the Welsh Music Prize, a competition to select the best Welsh album of the year, Dydd Miwsig Cymru, an annual event celebrating Welsh-language music, and Sŵn Festival, a weekend-long, multi-venue festival that has been running in Cardiff since 2007. (This year, Sŵn forms part of the inaugural art festival, Cardiff Music City Festival, spanning three weeks.)
It’s fair to say then, when it comes to Welsh music, Huw knows what he’s talking about.
Speaking about the upcoming book, Huw said, ‘There are beautiful records featured in Wales: 100 Records, from obscure limited edition seven inches featuring spoken word and comedy, to genres ranging from harp music to techno, forgotten heroes from every corner of Wales and bands who deserve a new audience.’
Huw’s book is available to order now. Tickets for Cardiff Music City Festival, taking place between 27 September and 20 October, are also on sale via the official website.
