So, instead of a list of deserted island discs, I'm going to be more realistic (with just a bit of credibility stretching thrown in for good measure).
Imagine the scene-you have a nice CD changer in your car, and you are getting ready to change the discs in it. But to your dismay, you find that the changer is stuck, and won't let you change the CD's. You can't take any out, and you can't put any more in. You also have no way of getting the changer repaired, so the CD's that are in there are the CD's that you will listen to on every commute to work, drive to the store, and road trip until you sell the car (at which point, you can take a hammer to the changer and get your CD's out). What 10 albums do you want in the changer when it gets stuck? Here's my list, in no particular order:
1. Beastie Boys-Paul's Boutique
I can (and have) listen to this album for hours on end. No big hits, but the Beasties sophomore album has more excellent music packed onto it than any other album, period. Not only are the tracks great, but the whole album is like a big mixing bowl where the producers pulled thousands of samples from every genre of music out there, put them together, and came out with an unbelievable set of songs.
2. Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Ragged Glory
This is the album I was listening to when I "got" Neil Young. Not his best album, but close to it, this is one I can listen to and always enjoy. Some good, hard rocking Crazy Horse songs, a few ballads, and plenty of feedback. And, as usual, some interesting characters and stories floating through Neil's lyrics. This is what all those summer garage bands want to be.
3. Jane's Addiction-Nothing's Shocking
Some people like Ritual de lo Habitual better, but Summertime Rolls, Jane Says, and Mountain Song make this the best album in the Jane's Addiction catalog as far as I'm concerned. This is the album I played non-stop during my freshman & sophomore years of college, and it always brings me back to standing in the rain at the first Lollapalooza Festival at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, getting soaked to the skin, and not caring because the best band in the world was playing.
4. The Clash-London Calling
Much more than just a punk album, more than a rock & roll album, a bit of world music, and not a bad song in the bunch. I didn't get into London Calling until long after college, but once I heard it a few times, it blew me away. Every song is perfect, and the energy comes out of the speakers as if every note could be the bands last one. And to top it off, possibly the best album cover of all time.
5. Iron Maiden-Live After Death
A live album of classic Maiden, touring for what I consider to be their best album. Perfectly recorded and mixed, a great selection of songs, this is mid-80s heavy metal at it's finest. No hairspray here, this is pure fist-pumping head-banging metal, and there is melody in there too.
6. Paul Simon-Graceland
When you need to just relax, sit back,and drive, this is one of the best albums to have playing. I've listened to this through 3 or 4 times on long trips, and every song just flows, making time go by. I'll confess that I could probably only give titles to 2 or 3 songs if they were played outside the context of the album, but I could tell you they are from Graceland. This one always goes in the car with me on long trips, just in case I need to hear it.
7. Ramones-All the Stuff and More Vol.1
Maybe this is cheating, because this is a compilation of the first two Ramones albums, Ramones and Leave Home, on one CD. It's got a good handfull of the essential Ramones songs like Blitzkreig Bop, Beat on the Brat, Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment, and more. Hell, you could pick any one of the first 4 albums, and you'll have a few that are essential, and the rest are all good as well. The reasons for picking this set, though, is that it's got the first album on it. If your going to have only one CD of the Ramones, you might as well have the album that started punk rock.
8. Pearl Jam-Ten
Again, sophomore year of college. This is another one of those albums that brings me back. Although this time, it's Lollapalooza 2, but still at SPAC. And yes, it rained that year as well. I was out getting something to drink when the first notes of Even Flow came out from the amphitheater. We left the line, ran back to our seats as fast as we could, and got one of the best perfomances I've ever seen by a band, and they were only the second band on the bill.
9. Jimmy Buffett-Songs You Know By Heart/Greatest Hits
Yeah, Greatest Hits albums shouldn't be allowed, but you know what? I don't care. In 1996 I drove to Mammoth Cave, KY to work on an archaeological dig for a week, and this is the album I listened to over and over and over on the drive. It's also one of the CD's I listened to on my first trip to Charlottesville with Laura. All the songs are great, and I don't care what anyone says, Mr. Buffett is one of the best songwriters out there.
10. Grateful Dead-Without A Net
As the sticker on the case says, "The World's Grandest, Largest, Best Live Recording". It may not have all my favorite Dead songs on it, but this is by far my favorite of their live albums. The highlight of the album is Eyes of the World, featuring Branford Marsalis on Saxophones. Great songs, great band, and just an easy album to get carried away to. To paraphrase a common saying at the shows, they weren't the best at what they did, they were the only ones who did what they did. I'm glad I got to see them doing it several times.
That's my list of 10 CD's I'd want stuck in my CD player. Sure, I fudged a bit, as two of them are double albums (Live After Death and Without A Net) and one is two albums on one CD (All The Stuff And More Vol. 1), but I don't care. So, what would you want stuck in your CD player?
8 comments:
Well, as I don't own a car (that runs or is on my side of the world) or a 10 disc cd changer, I may have to fudge it a bit and just say the ten albums that I would like to be or could handle listening to in the car forever after.
1. The Stone Roses: "The Stone Roses"
2. The Sea and Cake: "The Fawn"
3. Leonard Cohen: "New skin for an Old Ceremony"
4. Miles Davis: "Kind of Blue"
5. Belle & Sebastian: "The Boy With the Arab Strap"
6. Air: "Moon Safari"
7. Saint Etienne: "Travel Edition: 1990-2005"
8. The Cure: "Staring at the Sea: The Singles"
9. Talking Heads: "Sand in the Vaseline"
10. The Postal Service: "Give Up"
Heh. That'd drive anyone crazy.
Aw, I screwed up: take out Air, and insert The Clientele "Suburban Light". Way better.
Hmmm. Interesting top 10... :) Have to call you out on one point, though. I love "Nothing's Shocking" as much as the next guy, but do you really think Jane's Addiction is the "best band in the world"??? Otherwise, I think you might have missed your calling -- forget computer support: you've got potential as a music journalist! :)
~Ms. Cthulhu's Librarian
Do I think Jane's is the best band in the world? Now, no. But back then, yeah, I did. Especially when I saw them performing.
Now, I'm not one to critcize another's choice of favorite music...my own taste ranges deep into the realm of psycho-billy twang.
I have a lot of respect for Jimmy Buffet, both as a songwriter and as a wealthy artist. He's one of the few who are true to themselves. No fancy cars and shiny blings for him. Just a well stocked boat and peace of mind. I can appreciate that. But he wouldn't be in my CD player. His music all made me hungry for some reason...
I'll swap some Ozzy for your Iron Maiden to fulfill my metal needs.
You simply have to have the best rock band in the world, who coincidently have the best soundtrack: Spinal Tap. Nice variety of melodies and themes. Great music. Stop laughing...they are TOO a real band!
I'll take your Ramones, but I'd have to go with Ramonesmania, just because it adds some of the newer 3-chord melodies and more enlightened lyrics. :)
You're right about London Calling.
I'll trade Ragged Glory, which is in my top 3 NY discs, for Rust Never Sleeps. Powderfinger and Pocahontas are my two favorites.
My changer would feature Steve Earle's El Corazon or Jerusalem. Or pretty much any other of his dozen albums. As long as there is at least one present, I'll be okay.
And if Drive By Truckers' Decoration Day isn't in there, to hell with it, I'm selling the car.
Here's the problem -- the CD's I'd want to listen to in my car are not, necessarily, my top 10 CD's. "Kind of Blue" is a top 10 CD that I can't listen to in my car. Same with "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". I guess that's not a problem.
There was a point where I thought Janes Addiction was the best band in the world as well, circa 1993. What did we know?
We'll go with Paul's Boutique and London Calling from CL's list. I need some Johnny Cash and if CL can put two double CD's on his list, I can pick the Love/God/Murder set on mine. My favorite driving CD's are "Decade of Hits" from the Allman Brothers and "Greatest Hits" from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "Siamese Dream" from the Smashing Pumpkins gets in there. Some Public Enemy (probably FoaBP) should help me stick it to The Man. I need something a little newer. Both Audioslave Albums are good, but I like the first one in the car a bit better. "Oh, Inverted World" from the Shins gets there, too.
That's only 9, but we'll say the Cash set counts as two.
Ok, after FAR too much thought on this, I think I've come up with 10, although in no particular order because that would take another two weeks of thinking:
1. Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here"
2. Paul Simon, "Graceland"
3. "The Best of Van Morrison"
4. R.E.M., "Automatic for the People"
5. Counting Crows, "August and Everything After"
6. Verve's "Ella and Louis," Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
7. Miles Davis, "Kind of Blue"
8. Norah Jones, "Come Away With Me" or Natalie Merchant's "Ophelia" - I can't pick between the two right now, so I'm cheating.
9. Eric Clapton "Unplugged"
10. And last but certainly not least, if I am going to have to listen to these cds forever, I will need the greatest Christmas cd of all time, that never fails to put me in a fantastic Christmas-time mood, Vince Guaraldi, "A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Sister Laura's got a good list. I might have to make room for some Van Morrsion. And "The Charile Brown Christmas Album" is the Best.Christmas.Album.EVAR!
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