Discology

Where to start? How about with the old trusty Desert Island Discs list? I would stick to the top ten as prescribed, but my list can’t be contained in ten. Except for #1 and #2, the remaining albums are in no specific order. My favorite albums of all time are:

1. U2- THE JOSHUA TREE

     This is especially my favorite when all B-sides are combined with it to flesh out the set– that’s eight more songs!– almost the equivalent to what was supposed to be a proposed dual album set. Even as it is, it is as near as perfect an album as they have ever made before or since. If you ever get to hear the MFSL master of the original tapes, you’ll chuck that original CD version right out to the window. 

2. DEAD CAN DANCE- WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN

     My first introduction to them was with this album and it changed the course of my interest in music in that they awakened me to the fact that there was something beyond what gets fed to us on the radio. Some call it Goth, but I just call it music. I especially came to appreciate the vocal contrast of Brendan and Lisa, who are certainly rooted firmly to earth and reaching to the heavens respectively.

3. STING- THE SOUL CAGES

     Sting’s finest moment and most appropriate metaphor for the death of his father with the trilogy of songs that span the album. Acoustically, they are even more epic. Great packaging too. I do love it when an artist lavishes his audience with the same attention and care in the packaging as with the music contained therein.

4. PJ HARVEY-TO BRING YOU MY LOVE

     The passionate rawness of Polly Jean’s voice made me understand that there is beauty beyond the open lyric. This set must be combined as well with the other 8 of 10 available B-sides to make this a complete listen. I saw this tour four times and hearing those B-sides live was certainly more enjoyable. Now how about a live album of all songs from these sessions.

5. JOSEPH ARTHUR- BIG CITY SECRETS

     Quite by coincidence, two mediums converged and I was hooked: The first, an article/journal that Joe wrote in MUSICIAN magazine and the second, the listening to a demo version of “Daddy’s on Prozac” from a REALWORLD sampler I had just gotten. Both were as honest and vulnerable as I had ever experienced and I made it my duty to share with others this one-man-band’s art.

6. VAST- VISUAL AUDIO SENSORY THEATER

     When Jon combines all of my favorite elements into one cohesive whole/vision, the total is truly greater than the sum of the parts. This 1st album is still my favorite and re-establishes the fact that for those who are independently talented in many artistic areas not only deserve my respect but my jealousy too.

7. FOO FIGHTERS- THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE

     “Everlong”. It stands as a complete idea and review here, but I will give a few more details: Driving from Reno to Roswell in 1997…solo…12:30am…first listen….quiet/loud dynamic…perfect moment kept me driving till 3:30 the next afternoon on my way to what was to be my first Foos concert…only to find out show had been cancelled by the time I arrived…still a perfect moment.

8. HALLS OF THE MACHINE- ATMOSPHERES FOR LOVERS AND DREAMERS

     I am a big fan of the two Mikes from Course of Empire and now of Van Eric M. The intuition and minimalism at work here creates the perfect floaty, but I implore do not try use it as sleep therepy. If you do you will never get to hear all of the nuances on this album that make it so juicy. Ok, maybe not juicy.

9. ENYA- WATERMARK

Good production is not just the usage of studio’s magic button, but rather the thoughtful intention to make music sound as it was intended by the artist. Enya may be on the other end of the vocal/musical spectrum from PJ, but I cannot deny her warm voice on a brisk Autumn day.

10. HENRYK GORECKI- SYMPHONY #3: THE SYMPHONY OF SORROWFULL SONG

     By the end of the slow swell of the first two minutes, the listener is pulled to and fro by a wave of strings. And when the siren’s call makes you crash into the rocky shore, you won’t mind having been taken over. I have never heard a more mournful piece sound so beautiful.

11. PETER GABRIEL- PASSION

What Pete does with a soundtrack is not just a score but a complete stand-alone work. This is true for me since I owned it years before I saw the film. Still stands true. I especially enjoy the trilogy “Of These Hope”; “Lazarus Raised”; “Of These Hope-REPRISE”. If these pieces were the whole album, that would be enough.

12. MICHAEL BROOK- LIVE AT THE AQUARIUM

What Michael does emotionally with a guitar goes almost unmatched. For the fact that these versions are re-works of songs from his solo album COBLAT BLUE, they not only stand on their own, but they, as a collection, work better than the originals. And I was a big fan of the originals.

13. COURSE OF EMPIRE- INITIATION

Initiation is one of the most intricate, imaginitive and ingenius albums to date themetically and because of the fact that there are three hidden tracks on the disc and only one of them is in the usual place. Ask me in person to demonstrate the uniqueness of this album.

14. HALLS OF THE MACHINE- ATMOSPHERES FOR LOVERS AND SLEEPERS

Mike Graff from CoE has crafted an ambient guitar masterpiece with Michael Jerome (also from CoE) on drums/percussion and Van Eric Martin on keyboards/piano. I cannot wait for the follow up to see how this band evolves. Though it is recommended to sleep/dream to this music, I would at least become familiar with it for it’s subtleties and nuances before sleeping to it.