Monday, January 3, 2011

Twenty Albums to Bring if I was leaving Planet Earth on a Spaceship

Welcome back. Happy new year and all that carp. Or crap...whichever. Sometimes my fingers sneeze. .....shut up.

:)

Before we begin i'd just like to say that i've had no coffee today, and I have a hard time watching kids eat their own boogers. Also I just found out that The Pogues are playing at the 9:30 club in D.C. this march; which would be awesome--but i'm in no place financially to attend shows right now, or travel. Could be worse I guess...my pubes could be on fire.

And now, a list of twenty albums that I would take on a space ship if I were leaving planet earth (which is really just a fancy way of saying, "my top twenty albums").


1. Monsters of Folk: "Monsters of Folk" (debut album)
A folk supergroup comprised of M. Ward, Mike Mogis & Conor Oberst from "Bright Eyes" and Jim James from "My Morning Jacket." I got this album last year for Christmas and it is so good that my dad (who usually doesn't take to contemporary popular music) LOVED it. It's one of those rare album that I can listen to ad nauseum and not get nauseous. I suspect it's not for everybody--but my dad loves it; and that's good enough for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgLI2OkECmc


2. Creedence Clear Water Revival: "The Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival"
My life wouldn't be the same without John Fogerty's sweet and salty bayou influenced vocals visiting it every once in a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI0cMyyw_M


3. Aerosmith: "Get a Grip"
This is probably the last REALLY GOOD album these guys put out. "Nine Lives," and "Just Push Play" do have some memorable gems; but "Get a Grip" features a complete set of badass rock songs that defined my coming of age years in the mid 90s. No contest. If only Steven Tyler hadn't lost his damn mind. ::::SIGH:::::

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfNmyxV2Ncw


4. Bruce Springsteen: "Born in the U.S.A"
All time favorite. 'Nuff said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVSDQac5h_M&feature=related


5. Smashing Pumpkins: "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."
I credit this album (along with The Cranberries, Alanis Morissette, and LIVE) for thrusting me into the world of Alternative music in eighth grade. The album itself is beautiful, sad, trippy, elegant, and not without a distinct element of thrash. It also fostered some of the most memorable music videos to come out of the 90's. See below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrivjzw0RlI


6. Dr. Dre: "The Chronic"
How could this NOT be on this list? I ask you? Dre creep to the mic like a PHANTOM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gK1e2TCFAA


7. The Monkees: "Best of the monkees"
Seriously; it's 25 tracks of pure genius. The Monkees were like, The Beatles light. No bullshit. They were amazing and one of the most underrated bands of all time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPRp7pD99uE


8. The Beatles: "Abbey Road."
DOY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Zf1Q5hW8o


9. Tom Petty: "Wildflowers"
2nd favorite album of all time. 'Nuff said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozgmyx919a4


10. Bob Dylan: "Live 1975--Bootleg series VOL. 5 THE ROLLING THUNDER REVIEW"
I was listening to this one just this morning while walking to work. "Love minus zero/no limit" and "Just like a woman" are EXCELLENT January tunes...especially when Dylan is singing them with raw emotion and a full backing band to a frenzied audience roaring for more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmZ6sQFg74I


11. The White Stripes: "Icky Thump"
I really wanted to say, "anything by the white stripes" but that's cheating. So, I settled on their most recent collaboration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMBvj20umQE


12. The Traveling Wilburys: "Vol. 1"
So basically some of my favorite artists got together and decided to form a band on a whim and then they made this album and it's like...more awesome than God's sweat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA


13. Garth Brooks: "Double Live"
...Don't judge me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siWmOSByIOg


14. Tool: "Aenema"
College friends introduced me to this strange, wonderful, pseudo prog-ish band. I'm still glad they did. "Aenema" is itself my favorite album they've done. But very much like with The White Stripes, it was difficult to choose. Also their videos are just balls to the wall awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zV78IgXzB0


15. Rage Against the Machine: "Rage Against the Machine" (debut album)
It's like one big pretty ball of anger, with SMASHING guitar solos :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY


16. Alice Cooper: "Trash"
A favorite album from my childhood, believe it or not; and it still holds up 20 years later. In fact, I recently saw Alice Cooper in concert and I nearly wept when he played "Poison." Yes, i'm THAT guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq4j1LtCdww


17. Mumford & Sons: "Sigh No More" (debut album)
This is the most recent album on my list. These blokes are brand new to the music scene; but I anticipate they will be around for a long, long time. All one need to do is listen; and understand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KCg_QEHtkY


18. Queen: "News of the World."
This is the first CD I ever bought. I bought it in 1993. I still have it. It's still amazing. It still gives me goosebumps the same way at age 29, that it did at age 11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnAKLYmUYz0


19. The Beach Boys: "Pet Sounds"
DAMN STRAIGHT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfH_J4MAUQ


20. The Complete works of Beethoven.
Well jeez I have to have SOMETHING educational on here. Also Beethoven was a madman, a badass, and he composed some of the most compelling works of all time; and he did so without his sense of hearing-----and you can't fuck with that. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck&feature=related



Next week's blog: Twenty favorite songs


...now where can i get some damn coffee...?

5 comments:

  1. News Of The World was your first cd? I knew we'd been besties for 9 years for a reason!

    ReplyDelete
  2. And I've spent the last hour and a half listening to your excerpts from said classics...It's like live mix tape all over again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. yes, "news of the world" was my first. and i'm glad you're enjoying! i was hoping it would be like a mixed tape.

    :)

    btw, have you read that book "Rock and Roll will save your life" by Steve Almond yet? CAUSE...YOU...MUST.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have not, but I have heard good things.....definitely on my reading list.

    ReplyDelete
  5. also, who'd a thunk but James Franco's collection of short stories, "Palo Alto," is ASTOUNDING.

    ReplyDelete