Desert Island Music

Apropos of nothing . . . let's chat about music, shall we? A lot of good music came out in 2008 and I'm excited to see what will turn up this year. Some of my favorite songs from last year:

  • TV on the Radio: Dancing Choose
  • Bon Iver: Skinny Love
  • Mates of State: My Only Offer
  • Thao: Bag of Hammers
  • Fleet Foxes: White Winter Hymnal
  • Vampire Weekend: A-Punk
  • Santogold: Lights Out
  • Sigur Ros: Inni mer syngur vitleysingur
  • The Ting Tings: That's Not My Name

Making this list got me to thinking: would any of these appear on my list of "Desert Island Albums?" You know, the music the stands the test of time, that you'd want to have with you if you were stranded on an island and could never again listen to anything else? With the advent of MP3 players and iTunes, it's easier than ever to grab the songs you like and leave behind the ones you don't. Gone are the days of bringing home a $15.00 CD because you like a single track. (What? I'm the only one who did that?) But, now that we can buy songs one by one, it's harder to think of a given album as an artist's project or body of work.

Anywho, here is my Desert Island list as it stands at the moment:

Marshall Crenshaw: Marshall Crenshaw
The Replacements: Pleased to Meet Me
Bruce Springsteen: The River
The Connells: Fun and Games
Supertramp: Breakfast in America
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
Fountains of Wayne: Fountains of Wayne
REM: Life's Rich Pageant
The Police: Ghost in the Machine

What else would you add? (I pose this to both of my readers.)

I've had this song stuck in my head since November, so let me infect you with it:

Comments

Susie said…
Ummm, hello? SirMixAlot "Swass" album of course! Posse on Broadway, Buttermilk Biscuits, etc, for the gangsta rapper in all of us . . .

If you ask me pretty please I might even sing (of course I mean rap) Posse on Broadway for you someday! Don't judge me--hee hee!
February 2, 2009 at 8:50 PM
Sam said…
Michael Jackson--"Thriller", which I purchased only for "Beat It".

George Michael--"Faith", which I purchased only for "Faith" and "I Want your Sex". (I was in 6th grade and thought it was SO COOL! And PROVOCATIVE!)

Cyndi Lauper--"She's So Unusual" which I, or course, only purchased for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."
February 2, 2009 at 10:10 PM
Alabaster Mom said…
In that case, Beth, I'd better pack some Laurie Berkner as well. I think "Berkner!" was one of my daughter's first words . . .

My word verification is "brawbail," which really seems like it should be a word.
February 3, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Anonymous said…
As long as there will be no judging...
Billy Joel-Storm Front
Barenaked Ladies-Stunt (really any of their stuff will do)
Madonna-True Blue (you all know you love it too!)
James Taylor's Greatest Hits
February 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Marginwalker said…
I've been playing TV On The Radio ~ Dear Science nonstop for weeks. Simply brilliant, that one's a keeper, definitely desert island worthy. And this Q-Tip I'm grooving to is like all the best things about A Tribe Called Quest condensed on to one cd (and that's no disrespect to TCQ, I just prefer Tip), so that would come with me. And Public Enemy ~ Fear of a Black Planet. Still play that whole album regularly. Stephen Malkmus' first solo album is indispensable. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue would be there too. London Calling by the Clash for sure. And Fugazi would be there. I'd probably take Fugazi over almost anything else, if that was a rule! Late Registration by Kanye West (I've had it for several years and still find new things about it with each listen). Revolver by the Beatles. Billie Holiday (earlier era). Grace by Jeff Buckley.

I could go on and on, but in my mind the desert island allows only a finite number of albums.

Or does it?
February 3, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Alabaster Mom said…
Leslie, I know you'd throw Fugazi in there - I would've been disappointed if you hadn't! I think the desert island list has to be limited to 10-12 albums or so. That's the rule! I'm definitely feeling ya on Revolver - that's a good one.
February 3, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Marginwalker said…
Ideally I'd like to have Fugazi with me on a desert island, not just their albums.

I believe my list must be finished with what I wrote already, I think I counted 11? And I've left off so much!
February 5, 2009 at 11:08 AM
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