Being cooped up has me heading to the desert island
So, as we all wait out the viral-pocolypse, a lot of us have some extra time on our hands. Some have spent the extra time reflecting on the music that has influenced our lives. A friend spent 10 days making a Facebook post per day on the albums that were most important to him. Tony is a great guy. We are approximately the same age, have pretty much the same views on life, sports and politics. We’ve never discussed it, but I imagine we agree on religion as well. We’ve had a couple of discussions about music, and I think we agree on what’s good — even great. But my list is very different from his.
One by one Tony revealed a list of albums were all wonderful. If you asked 1,000 people of our generation for their lists, all of these albums would appear on the at least half the lists. The White Album, Born to Run, Dark Side of the Moon, Waiting for Columbus … there’s not a stinker in the group. Tony knows his Classic Rock. At the end, Tony added 10 more albums that he’d considered. And then a dozen more after that. All told, there are 32 albums on Tony’s list. The most recent album on the list is So by Peter Gabriel (1986).
So, I decided to put together a list of my own. I can’t release them one day at a time. I don’t have the patience for that. These are not the best albums of all time, but if I’m headed to the desert island.
I can only take a few albums to listen to for the rest of my life. Which ones do I take? Never mind the electricity concerns, there are important considerations to be made here.
Part of the purpose of this site is to make people consider that good music did not stop in the ‘80s. There’s still a lot being made. Every one of the albums on Tony’s list is great. I’m sure Tony’s list would be much more popular with music critics than mine. Are there albums on my list that aren’t as good as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Yes, of course, but that’s not the point. At least not the point that I’m trying to make. Tony may have been after something different, but this is my list. These are albums that have helped forge the music lover I am today. Ask me again in a couple of months and you might get a completely different list. Especially if I’ve spent that time still cooped up inside.
I could probably get to 50 without too much trouble. I trimmed it down to 25, and I think these are the ones I’m taking to the island. My daughter just told me that 25 was too many for the island list. She says five. I’ll pack less clothing. I can survive with just flip-flops. Thurston and Lovie had different clothes in every episode, so it’s not an exact science. My website, my rules. I’ve put them in order of their release, with sentence or two of comment.
There are obviously going to be omissions. Even I think it’s crazy that I’ve made a list with no Bruce Springsteen. No R.E.M., Police or Talking Heads. Hell, there’s no Beatles, Stones or Bob Dylan. It’s a personal list, and it’s my personal opinion that you have to keep seeking out new music. There are nine albums from this century on the list and there could easily be more. I like the balance of this list. There’s Rock, Blues, Soul and borderline Country. Old and new, loud and soft. Something for everybody and everything for me.
WHO’S NEXT — The Who (1971) Classic Rock obviously has its place, and 1971 is the greatest year in modern musical history. Sticky Fingers, Led Zeppelin IV, What’s Going On?, Tapestry, LA Woman, Maggot Brain. The list goes on and on, and this is my favorite. Starts with “Baba O’Reilly” and ends with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and there’s no lull in the middle.
AT FILLMORE EAST — Allman Brothers Band (1971) OK, so I’m taking more than one from 1971. I told you it was a good year. Southern Rock, Blues and Jam Band all in one album. It’s like getting two extra selections. And there’s a 23-minute “Whipping Post.”
MY AIM IS TRUE — Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1977) Elvis was 18 when he wrote most of these songs and 19 when the album was released. “I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused” is a motto for our times. Wise beyond his years.
LONDON CALLING — The Clash (1979) They were called the only band that matters. I don’t know about that, but this album certainly did. Punk, Reggae, Blues and even some Disco, all of it politically radical and delivered with unbelievable force. It's not the only album that really matters, but it's on the short list.
DAMN THE TORPEDOES — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1979) ComedianMark Maron does a bit where he’s talking about how we’ve got to get this politically divided country together by finding some common ground. “There has to be more than just Tom Petty,” he says. Everybody likes Tom Petty. I think this is the first album on the list that I bought the week it came out.
THE PRETENDERS — The Pretenders (1980) When Chrissie Hynde dropped the F-bomb in “Prescious,” the first song on the album, I knew I was in for something different and cool. In 1980, I’d never even heard a male singer do that, at least not that blatantly. This one is on Tony’s list of 32, too. In fact, it’s the only one on both.
EL RAYO-X — David Lindley & El Rayo-X (1981) David Lindley is most famous for being the guitar player of choice for guys like Warren Zevon and Jackson Brown. But in the early- to mid-‘80s Lindley and his band El Rayo-X put out some excellent Reggae influenced albums. This is the first and, I think, the best. “She Took Off My Romeos” and “Mercury Blues” are the “hits,” but every song on the album is great.
LOVE OVER GOLD — Dire Straits (1982) The first Dire Straits album was when I realized that music didn’t have to be really loud to be really good. Musicianship matters. It mattered before, but this was different. I almost went with that first album, but on the island, I’ll need to hear “Telegraph Road” every couple of months. And follow that up with “Industrial Disease.”
LAW OF THE FISH — The Radiators (1987) New Orleans has produced first class Rock, Blues, Soul, Jazz and Funk. And it’s such a musical melting pot that the lines between all those are so blurred that it’s hard to know what genre to place some of the acts from there. And then there’s the Rads. You’ve likely not heard this album. You should.
MELISSA ETHRIDGE — Melissa Ethridge (1988) The first time I heard “Bring Me Some Water” I knew I wanted to hear it again. And again after that. Then I wanted to hear the rest of the album to see if it was as good as that song. It’s not all that powerful, that would be impossible. “Like the Way I do” comes very close and the rest is not far behind.
TOOTS IN MEMPHIS — Toots Hibbert (1988) Reggae superstar Toots Hibbert has one of the most distinctive voices in music. He brought his rhythm section to Memphis and produced an album of covers that shows that all music is Soul music. “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” and “Love and Happiness” seem like they’ve always been Reggae songs.
AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER — Counting Crows (1993) Can you hold a band’s later works against them when looking back on their earlier stuff? The first three Counting Crows albums are original and pop without being poppy. “Mr. Jones” was the big hit on their debut, but “Round Here” and “Rain King” are the reason to just keep listening. It’s good beginning to end.
PERFECTLY GOOD GUITAR — John Hiatt (1993) I knew there would have to be a John Hiatt album going to the Island and this is one of my favorites. Both my kids could sing the title track word for word from the back seat before they could read and “Wreck of the Barbie Ferrari” is just as cool as it sounds. John Hiatt is a natural treasure.
A DAY AT THE BEACH — Sonia Dada (1995) The greatest scream in music history is Roger Daltrey’s on “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” The only one I’ve ever heard that’s close is at the end of “Screaming John” on this album. And then there’s “Lester’s Methadone Clinic” and “Planes & Satellites.” The only good classification if heard of Sonia Dada I’ve heard is “Alternative Soul,” and I’m not even sure that’s a thing.
JUST WON’T BURN — Susan Tedeschi (1998) I said in a Facebook post a couple of months ago that I’d listen to Susan Tedeschi sing the iPhone user agreement. I was tempted to put a Tedeschi Trucks album on the list but decided to go with this one instead. It lacks Derek’s incredible guitar, but it has “It Hurt So Bad” and you get to hear Susan belt out “You say you haven’t been rocked in a long, long time” before the first note is played. And she’s right.
OZOMATLI — Ozomatli (1998) Another album that’s tough to classify. The singing is mostly in Spanish, the rapping is in English and the music is infectious (I know that’s a bad word right now). It’s simultaneously fun and political. And it’s the reason I have an answer to the “who’s your favorite rapper?” question. Chali-2na.
DOWN HOME LIVE — Buckwheat Zydeco (2000) Oddly, the CD version I have of this album is different than the one on Spotify. Mine is nine songs and has a 13-minute cover of the Stones’ “Beast of Burden.” The online version has seven songs and includes a 13-minute cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey, Joe.” I suspect the actual live show had both. Either way it’s great fun. We’ll need to party on the island, and it might as well be a Zydeco party.
SEA SAINT SESSIONS — Tab Benoit (2003) Staying in Louisiana. My wife and I have probably seen Tab Benoit live 25 times. We’ve seen him on cruise ships and in Vegas showrooms. And in little bars that were much too small for someone with this talent. This is my favorite of his albums, and if Stacy and I have a song in the traditional couple sense, it’s “Solid Simple Thing.”
PLAY IT ’TIL TOMORROW — Nick Moss & The Flip Tops (2008) Nick Moss one of the best Blues guitarists of his generation. He’s another guy that should be a much bigger star than he is. This is two CDs worth of rockin’ Blues. But if you’re just looking for a couple of samples to make sure I know what I’m talking about, go with the two instrumentals on the first CD: “Grease Fire” and “The Rump Bump.”
DELETED SCENES FROM THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR — Caro Emerald (2010) I went back and forth on this one. Even though the album is 10 years old now, it’s a recent discovery for me. Caro Emerald is a Dutch singer and her style has been described as “Electronic Swing.” It’s a lot of fun. It’s a new branch of music for me and that’s kind of the point. The second album The Shocking Miss Emerald is also very good.
LIVE AT THE MOODY THEATER — Warren Haynes (2012) Whether it’s Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule or his solo stuff, Warren Haynes can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. With so much good music to choose from, I’m going with this collection. “Soulshine” is the best rock song of the 21st century so far, and there’s a particularly good version on this album.
SOUTHEASTERN — Jason Isbell (2013) Again, there were multiple options with this artist. But this is the album that established Isbell as a force in music. His work with Drive-by Truckers was excellent, but this first post-rehab album was the beginning of a great stretch of music. The next two, Something More Than Free and The Nashville Sound, are equally strong. Looking forward to the next one.
ON TIME — Mingo Fishtrap (2014) Another obscure pick that’s probably not making anybody’s list but mine. But it’s funky Soul that needs a greater audience. Listen to “Things Ain’t What They Was” or “Movin’” and you’ll see what I mean. I know the name of the band is weird. Try to get past that.
OL’ GLORY — JJ Grey & Mofro (2015) Soon after I started doing this website, I discovered this album, and I’ve been pushing it ever since. When I say I discovered JJ Grey & Mofro, I don’t mean to say anything more about it than one day I had only vaguely heard of the band and the next day I was a big fan. I certainly wasn’t the first to say this is really good.
AMERICAN LOVE SONG — Ryan Bingham (2019) This is where the borderline Country comes in. Isbell flirts with the line as well, but Bingham jumps over it and then jumps back. It’s certainly twangy, but you won’t hear this on your local Country radio station. Obviously, this is the newest album on the list, and like I said, the list could be different in a month but for now this one is in the rotation. And it’s going to the island.
