Desert Island Albums...

Mark posted his 12 desert island albums... yesterday. I thought I'd weigh in and post mine except that there is absolutely no way that I'm going be able to pick just 12, since, in all likelihood I'll look at it tomorrow and kick myself for not including something. So, this may actually become some type of running segment... who knows ... its impossible to say... there is really no way of knowing...

without further ado, my 12 desert island albums in the order that they come to me...


Tom Petty Full Moon Fever [1989]
"Free Fallin'" "I Won't Back Down" "Yer So Bad" "Runnin' Down A Dream"
Along with anything Roy Orbison, Traveling Wilburys, and the Beatles reminds me of driving around with my Dad when I was a kid.

Hayden Everything I Long For [1995]
"Bad As They Seem" "Skates" "Assignment in Space with Rip Foster" and the secret song
Re-examining the track list I can't say that I absolutely love any of the songs except for 'Bad As They Seem', but this album is more about what it represents than anything else. What does it represent? Good question, I'm not sure, but I'm sure its really profound.

Sufjan Stevens Illinois [2005]
"Chicago" "Decatur" "Casimir Pulaski Day"
This might be the musical equivalent of The Wire (the TV show)... I've never heard anyone say anything bad about it, critically adored, and there are way too many people that haven't heard it.

Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot [2002]
"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" "Ashes of American Flags" "I Am the Man That Loves You"
A great album that is about 10 times better because of the struggle the band went through to release the album (as documented in the film, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart).

Nas Illmatic [1994]
"Life's A Bitch" "It Ain't Hard to Tell" "The World Is Yours"
Best Rap album ever.

The Arcade Fire Funeral [2004]
"Wake Up" "Crown of Love" "In the Backseat"
Remind. Me. To. See. Them. Live.

Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA [1984]
"Born in the USA" "I'm On Fire" "Dancing In the Dark"
Obviously the title track is the one that everyone remembers, but the rest of the album including 'I'm on Fire' and 'Dancing in the Dark' (which has to be one of the best all time music videos if only for Springsteen's dancing) included are really, really, really good.

Chad VanGaalen Infiniheart [2004]
"Clinicly Dead" "Blood Machine" "Echo Train"
He's creepy, the album wanders a little and is probably about 4 - 5 tracks too long (a problem that was remedied with this year's Soft Airplane), but he is the Tim Burton of singer-songwriter music, and adds a little variety to the list.

Michael Jackson Thriller [1982]
"Thriller"... duh, "Beat It" "Billie Jean"
An obviously choice, I think, so long as I wouldn't have to be on the Island with MJ...

Ben Fold Ben Folds Live [2002]
"One Angry Dwarf" "Not the Same" "Rock this Bitch"
... because it reminds me, and will always remind me, of the EPIC show Ben put on when I went to go see him on my birthday in Oswego, NY where he played a virtually identical setlist with the exception of playing a song about his balls (yes, those balls) and sweatpants...

Feist The Reminder [2007]
"I Feel it All" "My Moon My Man" "Sea Lion Woman"
Because I relized I got all the way here and there wasn't album that a female played a major role (no, The Arcade Fire doesn't count). And really, with the exception of the next album I couldn't think of a better fit.

Nirvana Unplugged in New York [1994]
"About A Girl" "All Apologies" "The Man Who Sold The World"
... because I, too, had an undercut....


... a couple of final notes:

• I would've loved to include a couple of more hip-hop albums, since I feel like this list isn't really indicative of how much I really do enjoy the Rap Music. But, honestly, I couldn't really think of any that from start to finish were solid all the way through enough to bump Feist, which I think is probably the weakest link on the list. A couple of candidates were: Jay-z's Black Album, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek Reflection Eternal, Mos Def's Black on Both Sides, Brother Ali's Champion EP.

• also, a few more recent (and unique) 'indie' albums like: Jens Lekman's Oh You're So Silent Jens, Beirut's Gulag Orkestar (which was initially on the list until I remembered that I forgot Folds), Stars Set Yourself on Fire, BSS s/t, TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain, among others.

• No, no Beatles albums. I do like the Beatles, a lot in fact, but I can't say that any of their albums really jumps out at me as deserving - since I'm not a Sgt. Pepper's fan and I think that the White Album is just too long to include, or it should count as two since its a double CD (quadruple record?).

• Other notable absences from artists bands I really like: Neil Young, Roy Orbison, the Travelling Wilburys, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, etc.