John Perry's Desert Island Albums (or CDs)

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I. The Desert-Island 10

I would have a very hard time choosing a "top" 10. How do you compare a jazz album to a rock album? Should you score excellence of performance higher, or excellence of songwriting? Are clever lyrics more valuable or innovative arrangements? Or do you just rank them by how well they convey the emotion they are trying to convey? Thus, I wouldn't call this list a "top" 10.

Several publications have had what they called "desert island" lists of CDs. In these lists, readers are posed with somethine like the following hypothetical situation: If you were going to be stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life, and you could only take 10 albums (or CDs) with you, which 10 would you take?

Of course, this neglects details like what you'd play these CDs on (solar powered walkman with you? Set up a Robinson Crusoesque water-wheel thingie?) and why you would have the foresight to happen to know to have the right CDs on you when you get deserted. Letting these minor points slide, here are the 10 CDs that I would take, and why I like them. They're listed in alphabetical order. I've allowed double albums to count as one album, but I've ruled out boxed sets or even greatest hits albums, as I think the idea is to focus on the goodness of a single album, even if it was released as a double album.

1.

 Walk Under Ladders cover

Joan Armatrading

Walk Under Ladders

2.

Kate Bush

The Dreaming

The Dreaming cover

3.

 I'm The Man cover

Joe Jackson

I'm The Man

4.

Bob Marley
and the Wailers

Rastaman Vibration

Rastaman Vibration cover

5.

 Confirmation: The Best of the Verve Years cover

Charlie Parker

Confirmation:
The Best of
the Verve Years

6.

The Replacements

Tim

Tim cover

7.

 The Ballad of Calico cover

Kenny Rogers
and the First Edition

The Ballad of Calico

8.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants cover

9.

 Wild Gift cover

X


Wild Gift

10.

Frank Zappa

Joe's Garage

Joe's Garage cover

II. The Near Misses

Selecting 10 was actually pretty difficult for me, as I like a wide variety of styles. As it happens, I like rock & roll best, and that's really reflected in the top ten list. Here's a list of the albums that just barely missed the cut. If I knew I was gonna be stranded, I'd probably leave out my suntan lotion and pack these disks as well:

  1. Joan Armatrading - To the Limit
  2. The Beatles - Abbey Road
  3. The Beatles - The White Album
  4. Boomtown Rats - A Tonic for the Troops
  5. The Clash - London Calling
  6. Johnny Clegg & Savuka - Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
  7. Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
  8. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
  9. The Robert Cray Band - Strong Persuader
  10. Thomas Dolby - Aliens Ate My Buick
  11. Eels - Electro-Shock Blues
  12. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (Intruder, No Self Control, etc.)
  13. Peter Gabriel - Security
  14. Nina Hagen - Nina Hagen Band
  15. John Wesley Harding - The Name above the Title
  16. John Hiatt - Slow Turning
  17. Joe Higgs - Blackman, Know Yourself
  18. Peter Himmelman - From Strength to Strength
  19. Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey - Mavericks
  20. Ice Cube - Death Certificate
  21. Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
  22. Joe Jackson - Beat Crazy
  23. Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive
  24. Billy Joel - Turnstiles
  25. Elton John - 11-17-70
  26. Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
  27. Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
  28. Rickie Lee Jones - Magazine
  29. Paul Kelley and the Messengers - Under the Sun
  30. Nick Lowe - The Abominable Showman
  31. Don McLean - Homeless Brother
  32. The Motels
  33. The Negro Problem - Joys and Concerns
  34. Mojo Nixon - Gadzooks!
  35. NRBQ - Grooves in Orbit
  36. NRBQ - Kick Me Hard
  37. Sam Phillips - Martinis & Bikinis
  38. Prince - 1999
  39. Queen - News of the World
  40. Queen - A Night at the Opera
  41. The Reivers - End of the Day
  42. The Replacements - Let it Be
  43. The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash
  44. Jules Shear - The Third Party
  45. Bruce Springsteen - The River
  46. They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
  47. Tubes - Remote Control
  48. Tom Waits - Closing Time
  49. Tom Waits - The Heart of a Saturday Night
  50. World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
  51. XTC - Black Sea
  52. Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti

III. The Best of the Rest

Here is a longer list of albums that I considered potentials for the list before selecting the final 10. They were a notch below the ones listed above, but you could randomly pick 10 from here, and I'd take `em to a desert island and be happy. :-)
  1. Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak
  2. Joan Armatrading - Back to the Night
  3. The B52's - Cosmic Thing
  4. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
  5. The Beach Boys - Endless Summer
  6. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
  7. Beethoven - Symphonies 6 & 8 (well, I have a CD with these two on it :-)
  8. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen
  9. The Bobs
  10. The Bobs - Shut Up and Sing
  11. Dave Brubeck - This is Jazz 3
  12. Bill Bruford's Earthworks
  13. Kate Bush - Never Forever
  14. David Byrne - Rei Momo
  15. Camper Van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweethrheart
  16. Peter Case - Peter Case
  17. Johnny Cash - American Recordings
  18. Eric Clapton - Journeyman
  19. John Coltrane - Giant Steps
  20. Concrete Blonde - Free
  21. Elvis Costello - The King of America
  22. Elvis Costello - Blood & Chocolate
  23. The Robert Cray Band - I Was Warned
  24. Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club
  25. Crusaders - Street Life
  26. The DB's - The Sound of Music
  27. The Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
  28. The Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba
  29. The Dead Milkmen - Big Lizard in my Backyard
  30. Del Tha Funky Homosapien - I Wish my Brother George Was Here
  31. Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
  32. Devo - Freedom of Choice
  33. Digital Underground - Sex Packets
  34. John Doe - Meet John Doe
  35. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
  36. Eagles - The Long Run
  37. Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue
  38. Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record
  39. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly
  40. Firehose - Ragin', Full On
  41. Fishbone - Truth and Soul
  42. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
  43. Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove
  44. Genesis - Selling England By the Pound
  45. Genesis - Duke
  46. Genesis - Genesis (Mama, etc.)
  47. Green Day - Nimrod
  48. Nina Hagen Band - Unbehagen
  49. Herbie Hancock - Perfect Machine
  50. John Wesley Harding - Here Comes the Groom
  51. John Hiatt - Bring the Family
  52. John Hiatt - Stolen Moments
  53. Ice-T - Power
  54. Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls
  55. Joe Jackson - Night and Day
  56. Joe Jackson - Big World
  57. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
  58. Billy Joel - 52nd Street
  59. Billy Joel - The Stranger
  60. Billy Joel - Glass Houses
  61. Elton John - Rock of the Westies
  62. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
  63. Elton John - Blue Moves
  64. Rickie Lee Jones
  65. Stanley Jordan - Magic Touch
  66. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
  67. Tom Lehrer - An Evening Wasted With...
  68. Lone Justice
  69. Lyle Lovett - I Love Everybody
  70. Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth
  71. Nick Lowe - Labor of Lust
  72. The Manhattan Transfer - Extensions
  73. The Manhattan Transfer - Vocalese
  74. Mano Negra - Puta's Fever
  75. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Natty Dread
  76. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Exodus
  77. Sarah McLachlan - Solace
  78. Sarah McLachlan - Funbling Towards Ecstasy
  79. The Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
  80. Joni Mitchell - Miles of Aisles
  81. Moby - Everything is Wrong
  82. The Motels - Careful
  83. The Motels - All Four One
  84. Les Negresses Vertes - Mlah
  85. The Negro Problem - Post Minstrel Syndrome
  86. Randy Newman - Sail Away
  87. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
  88. Nirvana - Nevermind
  89. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Root Hog or Die
  90. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Frenzy
  91. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Bo-Day_Shus
  92. NRBQ - Uncommon Denominators
  93. NRBQ - Tiddlywinks
  94. Oasis - What's the Story, Morning Glory?
  95. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra
  96. Offspring - Americana
  97. Offspring - Smash
  98. Oingo Boing - Only a Lad
  99. Oingo Boing - Nothing to Fear
  100. Ozomatli
  101. Charlie Parker - Bebob & Bird, Volume 2
  102. Charlie Parker with Strings - The Master Takes
  103. Graham Parker - The Mona Lisa's Sister
  104. Parliament - Chocolate City
  105. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedos
  106. Pink Floyd - The Wall
  107. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
  108. The Plimsouls - Plus
  109. The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace with God
  110. The Police - Outlandos D'Amour
  111. Jean-Luc Ponty - Individual Choice
  112. Porno for Pyros - Good God's Urge
  113. The Presidents of the United States of America
  114. The Pretenders
  115. Prince - Lovesexy
  116. John Prine
  117. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
  118. Queen - Jazz
  119. Queen - The Game
  120. Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time
  121. Reckless Sleepers - Big Boss Sounds
  122. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk
  123. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
  124. Django Reinhart - Verve Jazz Masters 38
  125. R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction
  126. R.E.M. - Document
  127. Jonathan Richman - Having a Party with Jonathan Richman
  128. Jonathan Richman - Jonathan Sings
  129. The Rutles - Archaeology
  130. Jules Shear - Between Us
  131. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Waters
  132. Simon and Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
  133. Paul Simon - There Goes Rhymin' Simon
  134. Paul Simon - Graceland
  135. Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers
  136. Jill Sobule - Things Here are Different
  137. Spencer the Gardner - Kiss Me in the Deep Blue Sea
  138. Bruce Springsteen - Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
  139. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraske
  140. Spyro Gyra - Point of View
  141. Squeeze - East Side Story
  142. Squeeze - Sweets from a Stranger
  143. Stay Awake (Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films)
  144. Steely Dan - Katy Lied
  145. Steely Dan - Aja
  146. Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles
  147. Styx - Crystal Ball
  148. Sublime
  149. Talking Heads - 77
  150. Talking Heads - Fear of Music
  151. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
  152. Tubes - The Completion Backwards Principle
  153. U2 - The Joshua Tree
  154. Suzanne Vega - 99.9 Farenheit degrees
  155. Violent Femmes - 3
  156. Tom Waits - Foreign Affairs
  157. Tom Waits - Small Change
  158. The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
  159. Was (Not Was) - What Up, Dog?
  160. Ween - Chocolate and Cheese
  161. Ween - The Mollusc
  162. Paul Westerburg - 14 Songs
  163. The Who - Tommy
  164. Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
  165. X - Los Angeles
  166. X - Under the Big Black Sun
  167. XTC - Skylarking
  168. XTC - English Settlement
  169. XTC (as the Dukes of Stratosphear) - Psonic Psunspot
  170. Yellowjackets - Mirage a Trois
  171. Yellowjackets - Samurai Samba
  172. Frank Zappa - Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation
  173. The Ziggens - Ignore Amos
There are probably some albums that are on this third list that won't hold up over time, and are there because they only came out recently. For example, a year ago Elastica, Beck, and Counting Crows would have been on this list, but I've kinda gotten tired of `em. Maybe if I don't play them for a year or so they'll start to sound fresh again, while Sheryl Crow or Ben Folds Five or something more recent like that will start to wear on me. Who knows? :-)

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