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My Top Ten Favorite CDs...Of All TimeMay 09 '05 (Updated Nov 18 '05) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line -
Ultimately pointless. Impractical. Pitiful. Yeah, I know…who needs another Top Ten list? But, really, for music lovers it’s just something you’re compelled to do. So many CDs…so few ways to organize them. …so many compilation albums burnt to CDs. …so many bored friends. Along the musical journey for any serious fan must come the obligatory Top Ten lists. Ten favorite rock albums, country albums, soundtracks, favorite albums from 2004, favorite Beatles songs (including solo albums and not including solo albums), favorite albums that never would have existed in a Dylan-less world…. …But, the grand-daddy of them all is the Top Ten Albums of All Time. It’s like a tattoo. You can’t just casually throw around the Top Ten Albums of All Time. It’s a part of you, it says something about who you are. Your list can say “This person is tapped in, I need to be their friend” or it can say “Immaturity…They aren’t ready yet.” Many folks try to cheat on their top ten list. These specialized counterfeiters are like that geeky pizza boy on the internet pretending he’s Joe Popular 12th Grader. You hate to call him on his bluff, but the way he’s wording certain things just isn’t right. A) He knows a little too much Star Wars trivia, B) He owns a '61 Mustang in mint condition, and C) …what’s Joe Popular 12th Grader doing at home on the internet on a Friday night anyway? So, how can you spot one of these fraudulent poser lists? Here’s a rough outline of what they look like: 5 classic albums 2 albums that no one has ever heard of 1 new release …the last two are variables. If the 5 classic albums are rock, the 2 variables are either: country, techno, or even cooler, reggae. If, however, the 5 classic albums are country, the 2 variables are forced into becoming classic rock albums, probably the Stones, the Doors, or Zeppelin. The list proves that the creator: a) Is hip to the old stuff (5 classic albums), b) So deep in the music scene that they discovered hidden gems that none of us are aware of (2 you haven’t heard), c) They know the new stuff, but they’re too good for it (new release), and d) They have a broad, eclectic taste (the variables). Be aware that my list attempts none of the tricks that these trite, mismanaged fiascoes are guilty of. Instead, you have a list of the highest quality albums in my collection. These are the ten that have weeded themselves to the top of the list after years of the highest levels of intense musical testing. Years, my friends… No CD in the list has been in my collection for less than 5 years. This removes any chance for silly love at first sight infatuation. Perhaps these CDs aren’t the “best” in my collection, but these are the ones that I’ve returned to the most. They’re the ones I’m nearly always in the mood to listen to…and, when they are played for my ears a new thought/idea is nearly always sparked. It’s a little like seeing a sunset, you have a good idea of what you’re in for, but the colors are always a little different. So, without further introduction, here are my favorite CDs…Of All Time. 10) Red Headed Stranger – Willie Nelson - The story of the Red Headed Stranger is one of the best stories ever told in country music. Adultery, murder, rage, forgiveness, and new love all take their turns as Willie strums his way through this album’s tale. Each song builds on the one before it and an amazing story is pieced together. The more I listen to this album, the deeper the characters become and the more I feel that I know the Red Headed Stranger. 9) Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams - It’s hard to tell if this is Lucinda’s best album or if it’s Essence. Car Wheels spends more time in my CD player, perhaps this makes it a better album, or maybe it’s just easier to listen to with its relaxed, reminiscent view of life. Car Wheels makes you feel like you're heading home for the holidays with your wife in the passenger seat and your mind racing with the memories surrounding you as you drive down that street you learned to ride your bike on. 8) Achtung Baby – U2 - Achtung Baby and I didn’t get off to a good start. When we met at college I was annoyed at the strange brand of rock and roll which Bono and company had put together. I gave the album several chances and before long I realized what an incredible rock record it is. It’s without a doubt my favorite U2 album. …Beyond that statement I’d also like to say that anyone putting The Joshua Tree above Achtung Baby needs to listen to both albums back to back and then admit that The Joshua Tree only has higher placement on their list because it had 3 hit singles. Moving on…. 7) Classic Cash – Johnny Cash - Amid the 1,000 Johnny Cash Greatest Hits albums, I think Classic Cash is the best one disc representing his early work. It’s a CD that I love to sing along to. It keeps me wide-awake on trips, and on top of that it never fails to put me in a happy mood. Cash’s world is one of cowboys, trains, and an overarching general sense of cool. 6) Greatest Hits – James Taylor - The most relaxing, pleasant, peaceful CD that I own. He’s your parent’s folk version of Jack Johnson. When you want the world to be alright and running at the proper groove it’s time to listen to James Taylor’s Greatest Hits. He makes sad songs (Fire and Rain), happy songs (Mexico), romantic songs (Something in the Way She Moves)…but, no matter how he belts them out on this CD, they all make me want to lay in a hammock and take it easy. 5) Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominoes - It’s blues, it’s rock, it’s all about soul. White guys doing their best to tap into their souls via their guitars, and they allow you to hear the process….that’s what this album is all about. And, it’s a success story. Eric Clapton and Duane Allman come together to offer up the best album either of them ever made. Bell Bottom Blues, Anyday, Layla, and all tracks in between are amazing expressions of music being played from the hidden parts of your heart. I’d move it up higher in my list…but, I can’t… 4) His Best – Howlin’ Wolf - …because the real deal is weighing in at number 4. Twenty of the best blues songs ever recorded are on this disc. As each song plays I think “This is my favorite Howlin’ Wolf song”, then the next track starts and the thought returns to my mind. This is truly the definition of the blues. Throw out titles like: Chicago blues, delta blues, Texas blues, blues-influenced-rock. When it comes to what the blues is really about you don’t have to look any further than the soulful expressions of Howlin’ Wolf. Heck, these aren’t just twenty of the best Howlin’ Wolf tunes, it’s twenty of the best songs ever recorded. 3) Moondance – Van Morrison - It’s the follow up to the classic Astral Weeks, which (for good reason) is many Morrison fans favorite album. I just can’t get past the cheerful optimistic sound of Moondance, though. Of all the CDs on my list, I’ve probably had this one in my player most frequently in the last two years than any other. I’m always in the mood for it because it has the most pleasant atmosphere of almost any album I’ve heard. 2) Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen - My favorite musician of all time, my second favorite album of all time, which contains my favorite song of all time (Thunder Road). I can spend hours and hours with the characters inside of Born to Run and still feel like I’m just getting to know them. There’s Wendy in Thunder Road, trying to figure out what course to take with her life. There’s the soured relationship between the singer and Terry in Backstreets. Eddie and his meeting across the river. Tramps like us. I love this album. Take me to Jungleland anytime you like, we can meet under the big Exxon sign. Any top-ten-rock-and-roll list without this album is one I don’t respect. 1) Kind of Blue – Miles Davis - It’s number one on my list because it represents a little of everything on the list. It takes my brain to new places, it shows heartfelt soul, it creates stories in my mind, it relaxes my thoughts and helps me unwind. And, it does all of these things without uttering a single word. The music is so powerful and captivating that it needs no words to fulfill its purposes. Miles might have made more influential albums and more experimental albums, but in my mind I’ve never heard an album of his that matches the pure feeling of Kind of Blue. And, with that, it’s over. Feel free to analyze my psyche. Check out some albums you’ve been ignoring. Make spiteful comments, or …simply ignore my list. …life will move along as normal and I’ll move on to another list, always on the prowl for a song or album that reaches its cold hands to mine, pulls me back to its lair of 4 minute melodies, and pummels me until I’m a weeping mess. ----- For what it’s worth, the runners up... They are all in alphabetical order, except for the first one, which is my eleventh favorite album… 11) In Step – Stevie Ray Vaughn Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco Essence - Lucinda Williams Greetings From Asbury Park – Bruce Springsteen MusicForTheMorningAfter - Pete Yorn Negotiations and Love Songs – Paul Simon Recovering the Satellites – Counting Crows Silver and Gold – Neil Young Unplugged – Eric Clapton  |
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