Philip Hamm

A music only poll-type post.

1) Bruce Cockburn "Circles in the Stream" The best of his early work all rolled together with recordings and performances that better the original recordings for every song. The best live album I've ever heard.
2) Marshall Crenshaw "Marshall Crenshaw" The self titled debut by the most underappreciated (by the general public) pop songwriter ever. An absolute staple in any serious pop music collection.
3) W. A. Mozart "Symphony 40/41, Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood conducting." 40 is perhaps the most perfect piece of music every composed, and 41 is not far behind.
4) Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" The esssential Bee-bop record, and for good reason. Star performances by some of Jazz' revolutionary pioneers help this album shine.
5) Paul McCartney "Band on the Run" A sentimental favorite of mine, Paul at his fresh post-Beatle Best.
6) Sam Phillips "Fan Dance" - Brand new, but an instant classic. Melodies that just seem like they're coming out of thin air. And Sam's thin voice with simple insturmentation makes the most of them.
7) Joe Jackson "Heaven & Hell" - Really a tie with the brilliant "Body & Soul", but "H&H" wins out with the fantastic performances of the whole all-star cast.
8) A Tribe Called Quest "The Low End Theory" - Infectious grooves coupled with the smooth voices of the Tribe make this album irresistable. Hooks galore.
9) King Crimson "Discipline" - I do remember one thing. It took hours and hours, and by the time I was done with it, I was so involved I didn't know what to think. I carried it around with me for days, playing little games. Like not looking at it for a whole day, and then, looking at it to see if I still liked it. I did!
10) Peter Townshend "Empty Glass" - Peter's post-Who musical epiphany. Can you imagine the early 80s Who doing "Let My Love Open The Door" or "A Little Is Enough"? Peter was saving his best work for himself, and it shows. "All The Best Cowboys Have CHinese Eyes" competes here as well.

Honorable Mentions:
The Beatles: "The Beatles" - Not necessarily my favorite Beatles album, but there's enough variety in style there to go a long way on a desert Island.
Maria McKee: "You Gotta Sin To Get Saved" or "Life Is Sweet"
Bruce Cockburn "The Charity Of Night"
The Clash "Sandinista"
John Coltrane "Blue Train"
Weather Report "Heavy Weather"
Midnight Oil "Earth and Sun and Moon"
U2 "The Unforgettable Fire"
Nuno "Schizophonic"
Steely Dan "Aja"
The Psychedelic Furs "World Outside"
Talking Heads "Remain In Light"
Phil Keaggy "Town To Town"
Third World "Story's Been Told"
Beastie Boys "Paul's Botique"
King Crimson "Thrak"

numerous others.....

Philip Hamm
Moderator Emeritus

Sean Cauley

Okay, Phil, I'll bite. I don't think you specifically asked that we keep it to ten, but that's how you did it, and how I'll do it (along with some honorable mentions). In no particular order (though I'll number them to keep myself from slipping past ten:

1. U2 - Achtung Baby (Honorable mentions: The Unforgettable Fire and a live recording I have of the 6/19/2001 show I attended at Madison Square Garden) For me, can't be beat. I got interested in U2 at the tail end of their Joshua Tree popularity and caught up by buying all the old albums from Rattle and Hum and Joshua Tree on back to Boy. Achtung Baby was the first new release they put out after I became a fan, and I was rabid for it. Loved it ever since. My friend Phil and I still refer to it, over a decade later, as "The Disc." (As for Unforgettable Fire, "Bad" is still my favorite U2 song).

2. Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks (Honorable mention: Some Girls) I'm not usually very big on promoting hits packages over thematically unified studio albums, but Hot Rocks was my first real exposure to the Stones (my dad had taped it off a "classic album of the week" radio broadcast; even though the tape's side ran out right in the middle of "Sympathy for the Devil," it became my favorite Stones song). (Some Girls contains my favorite stuff from the post-Hot Rocks era.)

3. Buffalo Tom - Asides from Buffalo Tom (1988-1999) Again, not a big greatest-hits fan, but I picked this one up on a whim in 2000, the day I stopped in to pick up U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind. U2 is still probably my favorite band, but the Buffalo Tom disc got more play from me in the following months. Love it.

4. The Who By Numbers (Honorable mention: Quadrophenia, Live at Leeds, Who's Next, Who Are You) I got into The Who when I was in college, and it was mostly due to Tommy and Quadrophenia, but this one speaks to me the most. I was probably only 21 when I first got into it, but its central theme of Townshend's self-evaluation at age 30 already spoke to me. I read someone refer to it once as a "suicide note," and I think that's not far off. Very personal stuff from Pete (and "Success Story," the album's lone Entwistle-written piece, rocks hard).

5. Counting Crows - August and Everything After (Honorable mention to the rest of the Crows' catalogue) I've loved all their stuff, and certainly the live double-disc would be a better way to up the song variety, but if it came down to it, I couldn't give up the studio version of "Anna Begins."

6. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue I'll second this one. Classic jazz from an all-star quintet.

7. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road First thing with a country twang I ever let myself get into. Magical.

8. Better Than Ezra - Friction, Baby (Honorable mentions to the rest of BTE's catalogue) I like all their stuff (and looove their concerts, always fun), and their latest, Closer, is probably their most accomplished, but Friction is kind of a classic to my ears, a time capsule of my last year of college. The lyrics to "Rewind" say it all: "Right then a song became a soundtrack for that space and time."

9. Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend Liked the two music videos from this back in '91/'92. Didn't buy the album until '97, and it's been a frequent visitor to my CD players over the past couple of years. "You Don't Love Me" gets me to the bone.

10. Radiohead - The Bends (Honorable Mentions: Pablo Honey and I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings) I like OK Computer, and I appreciate what the band was doing on Amnesiac and Kid A, but The Bends is the one that captured my imagination. "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," "Black Star," all great. Got Pablo Honey long after, and it was better than I'd remembered when it was new. I Might Be Wrong has hardly left my CD player over the two months it's been out.

Other honorable mentions:
Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream
Hum You'd Prefer an Astronaut
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
John Coltrane Blue Train, A Love Supreme
INXS Kick
Soundtrack Rushmore
Soundtrack Singles
Pearl Jam Indianapolis, August 18, 2000
and many more I'm forgetting

Mike Broadman

Phil, though you and I have had some debates and gentlemanly disagreements, I still found myself nodding my head at much of your list. Crimson, Miles, Mozart, Tribe- how can you go wrong? Also, the Talking Heads album you listed is the only one I like (I like a bunch of their songs from other albums, but this is the only one where I dig the entire album). You'll have to tell me about some of those other artists on your list that I've never heard of. Perhaps worth looking into, no?

Ok, so 10 albums that I'm taking with me to a desert island? This is like Sophie's choice. But, here we go...

1. Charles Mingus- Ah Um
Mingus is god, and this is one of his stronget, most "together" releases. Every moment is perfect.

2. Opeth- Still Life
I am obsessed with this group now. This album is very dense, which makes it great for repeat listens.

3. King Crimson- Starless and Bible Black
I think I could stay sane on an island if I got to hear Fracture every once in a while.

4. John Coltrane- A Love Supreme
Yes, it's cliche, so sue me. There plenty more I could have picked just as easily, but the beginning of the third track is just to powerful in my mind to ignore.

5. Frank Zappa- Lather
Am I allowed to take a 3-CD "album?" This just might be might favorite thing to listen to ever. The perfect blend of insanity, absurdist humor, live instrumental prowess, and compositional genius, taken from various sources and arranged in a surprisingly logical fashion.

6. Thelonius Monk- Monk's Music
Monk is my favorite piano player and jazz composer. This album features Art Blakey, Coltrane, and Coleman Hawkins performing some of the strongest and interesting versions of classic monk material, including a breath-taking extended blow of Epistophy

7. Dreamtheater- Awake
Perfect rock album. 'Nuff said.

8. Joni Mitchell- Hissing of Summer Laws
One of her most overlooked albums. A great balance between her pop-folk sensibilities and jazzy experimentation.

9. Rush- Moving Pictures
I love Rush, nyeh-nyeh nyeh-nyeh-nyeh.

10. Jethro Tull- Songs From the Wood
"Let me bring you all things refined:
galliards and lute songs served in chilling ale..."
Song writing at its best- with an Celtic flavor.

JasonK

Good thread, Phil.

1. Primus: Sailing the Seas of Cheese - My favorite Primus disc, and something I can listen to without being bored, from start to finish. From Tommy the Cat to Is it Luck, this is Primus at their finest.

2. DJ Shadow: Endtroducing - A 'collage' album of pieces of forgotten vinyl mixed on top of each other to form some awesome music. I listen to this disc at least 2-3 times a month.

3. Dr. Octagon: Dr. Octagonacolegyst - We've discussed this disc on the HTF before. Terrific beats from the Automator, excellent scratching from DJ Qbert, and outstanding rhyming from Kool Keith.

4. Fugazi: In On the Killtaker - I really like this disc. Instrument is a great song, so is Champion, and just about all the other tracks are damn fine, too. I could really pick just about any Fugazi disc and be happy with it, though.

5. Aphex Twin: Richard D. James Album - Richard's first album produced entirely on a computer. Milkman is a terrific song, and the whole disc is a joy to listen to.

Those are 5 albums I would pick. Some others:

Aphex Twin: Windowlicker - It's a single, but Windowlicker is my favorite Aphex Twin song.

Pixies: Bossanova

Nirvana: In Utero

Kruder and Dorfmeister: DJ Kicks

Deltron 3030: Deltron 3030

Kid Koala: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (it comes with a cool comic book, too!)

Amon Tobin: Permutation


Those are some of my faves off the top of my head. Good stuff.

-Jason

Michael Riesenbeck

In no particular order...

1. Abbey Road -- The Beatles
2. Exile On Main Street -- The Rolling Stones
3. Tumbleweed Connection -- Elton John
4. Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
5. All Things Must Pass (30th Anniv.) -- George Harrison
6. Music From Big Pink -- The Band
7. Plastic Ono Band -- John Lennon
8. The Empire Strikes Back -- Soundtrack (John Williams)
9. Live at Leeds (2001 Deluxe Edition) -- The Who
10. Songs In the Key of Life -- Stevie Wonder

A few others if I had enough room...

Any other Stevie Wonder album
Anything by Steely Dan
Anything by Mozart
Anything by Elvis
What's Goin' On -- Marvin Gaye
An Evening of Magic... -- Chuck Mangione
Purple Rain -- Prince
1999 -- Prince
The Future -- Leonard Cohen
Tommy -- The Who
Wish You Were Here -- Pink Floyd
Greatest Hits Vols. 1-3 -- Barry Manilow (seriously)
The Concert for Bangladesh -- George Harrison & Friends
The Beatles -- The Beatles
It Takes Two -- Rob Base & DJ Easy Rock
Paul's Boutique -- Beastie Boys

Michael Hein

Desert Island Disc? This doesn't get any easier.

INXS - Shabooh Shoobah(1982)

If I had a choice of three:

INXS - Shabooh Shoobah(1982)
REM - Out of Time(1991)
JULIE MILLER - Blue Pony(1997)

MikeAW

1910 Fruit Gum Company "Best of...2001 Buddah remaster"

If I were on a desert island, I would like to enjoy myself with large doses of what is viewed as totally mindless, fun music...with a good beat. The best of that is the 1910 Fruit Gum Company. I could listen to "1,2,3 Redlight",
"Goody Goody Gumdrop", "Indian Giver", "Simple Simon Says"
...FOREVER ! And I wouldn't be culturally deprived of The Essence of what Rock and Roll is all about. It's not heavy, and it feels good. And I like the beats! With "Sugar,
Sugar"...it would be Heaven...and I wouldn't mind if no one found me.

Bay City Rollers - "By Request"...10-7-92 Japanese issue

I just picked this one up, and I have just listened to "Saturday Night" for about 10 times...and I still haven't listened to the other 21 selections. Essential for understanding music. "Shang-A-Lang" is next on my list.

The Carpenters..."From The Top" 4CD box set

The long version of "Goodbye To Love" with the extended guitar solo, says it all. Totally written off by the Media Critics as Pap Pop, Karen Carpenter's song styling evokes an understanding of how to sing any type of song. What do Media Critics know anyway ?

TREX...."Electric Warrior"...the Japanese mini-lp remaster with the UK bonus tracks

The music virtually EXPLODES and boils out of the speakers, and rips right into your mind and soul. Marc Bolan was another song stylist and lyricist who understood his craft and knew his audience and how to get into your mind !

The Complete Elvis Costello Song Collection

Elvis Costello is The Most prolific lyricist and song stylist of the the past two generations. Sadly he is extremely underappreciated. But he doesn't care. His Punk Era songs have an genuine energy that transcends time and space. His sad songs, really reach inside you. Better than ANYTHING the Beatles produced !

The "Funhouse Sessions" Box Set...Rhinohandmade

Infectious with an acute understanding of music and what it takes to communicate with one's audience. Written off as a nutjob, Iggy Pop is what Rock and Roll is all about. He couldn't write a hit song to save his life, but that's not what he's about.

Ike

Oh, this is hard:

1. Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited-A real toss up for me, since I love Blonde on Blonde, but I think Highway...is a stronger album. Favorite songs are Like A Rolling Stone, Highway 61 Revisited, Ballad of a Thin Man, and Desolation Row (honestly, there isn't a bad song on the album)

2. The Velvet Underground-The Velvet Underground & Nico (you know, the banana album?) Proto-punk at it's best. I pick this, even though I think it's not as good as White Light/White Heat, because it has more songs that WLWH which could come in if I had to listen to it over and over. Favorite tracks are Heroin, Waiting for The Man, All Tommorow's Parties, and European Son (to Delmore Schwartz).

3. Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation-Sonic at it's peak. Favorite tracks are Teenage Riot, Silver Rocket, Providence, and The Trilogy.

4. The Pixies-Surfer Rosa-The Pixies most inaccesible album, but very rewarding. The odd mixture adds up to a truly hard hitting album. Favorite tracks are Vamos, Bone Machine, Where Is My Mind, and Gigantic.

5. The Rolling Stones-Sticky Fingers-A great album, every song is entrenched in southern music. The Stones were at their best, at that's saying something. Favorite tracks are Brown Sugar, Can't You Hear Me Knocking?, You Gotta Move, and Moonlight Mile.

I know, pretty limited in musical scope, but this is personal DIDs, so I'll overlook the complete oversight of blues and jazz.

MikeAW

OOOPs !

Forgot the Bear Family, 32 CD series on Dean Martin.
This is the man who inspired Elvis's vocal styling, and besides he is immensely talented in the vocal department for those Desert Island nights...alone.