Ok let me start by saying that this is in no way a definitive list. As I was going through my collection to come up with the top 15 cds, I realized there are just too many that I love. I have always listened to music, from a very young age I was always listening to the radio - recording music on my 'borrowed' am/fm cassette recorder, listening to the songs over and over. When I was old enough, I started buying my own records. I don't have it anymore, but one of my prize possessions was a 'Happy Days' soundtrack with a picture of the Fonz on the cover! I remember practicing my math’s times tables while listening to Rock Around The Clock. It is one of the things I miss about my digital collection, the reading of the liner notes and flipping through covers looking for just the right songs to put on a mixed tape.
Right then, on with the show ... here in no particular order is the Top 15 CDs from my collection.
01. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1998)
When the Beastie Boys came on the scene, they were not taken too seriously with the whole 'you gotta fight ... for right to paaaarty!' Up to that point, rap was a black man's game and it certainly was not commercial. Then along came these three white kids from New York, who are kind of joke. It was not until Paul's Boutique did their true brilliance shine. To be honest, I don't remember actually buying Paul's Boutique - but I sure did have it on heavy rotation. I liked the sounds, the samples and of course the rap. It is actually closer to hip hop but that is not really the point. I will forever remember the late night drives between Topsail Pond and St. John's with High Plains Drifter full crank. 'Long distance from my girl and I'm talking on the cellular/She said that she was sorry and I said yeah the hell you were' - Classic! This is the Beastie Boys at their best, make sure you check it out, give it a good list and if you get lost, just remember to ask for Janice!
Stand out tracks: Shake Your Rump, Egg Man, High Plains Drifter
02. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Most people who know Coldplay can tell you were they were when they first saw the video for 'Yellow' and how they felt about it. For me, it was in the living room of my parent's house and I remember thinking 'that poor man looks awfully sick'. If you have not seen it (you should) the video is of the lead singer (Chris Martin) walking down a beach in the rain. Yellow was on their debute CD - Parachutes. It was enough to get in interested in Coldplay and I liked their music well enough. But it was the slow rise of A Rush Of Blood To The Head that won me over. At the time there was a lot of hype around the band, but as usual - I was ignoring that and ignoring them. One day, I put A Rush of Blood to the Head on my mini disc player and took it to university with me. As I sat reading and doing Math problems, I listened to it over and over. The melodies and the emotions wove their fingers into my brain and grabbed hold. 'You said I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war/If you can tell me something worth fighting for/Oh and I'm gonna buy this place is what I said/Blame it upon a rush of blood to the head' I can tell you this for sure, up to that point it was probably the best album released in the past 10 years. It still holds up and I'm sure I will be listening to it in another 10 years time.
Stand out tracks: Politik, The Scientist, A Rush of Blood to the Head
03. Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell (1977)
This is the first album I ever bought, with my own money - I was 10. I remember going to the Village Shopping Mall, heading straight for Sam The Record Man and picking up my copy. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights was the mega hit at the time, and looking back - I am sure I did not really understand what exactly was being referenced but that did not stop me from standing in the living room with a hair brush for a microphone and belting out (or at least trying to) 'I gotta know right now!' The fact is it was a visceral response to the music and it left a fairly strong imprint on me. I still listen to the CD today and it carries the same emotions (plus new ones that come with age and understanding of what is truly being said) that I experienced then. Maybe it is nostalgia, or maybe it is just one kick ass record. It may be totally over-rated by 'your generation' but I beg you to listen to it again, with fresh ears and see if you can see it for what it really is - a masterpiece that blends the brilliance of Jim Steinman's lyrics and the awesome voice of Michael Lee Aday aka Meatloaf! 'You were licking your lips, and your lipstick shining/I was dying just to ask for a taste/We were lying together in a silver lining, by the light of the moon/You know there's not another moment/Not another moment/Not another moment to waste.'
Stand out tracks: You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night), Paradise By The Dashboard Light, For Crying Out Loud
04. Mae Moore - Bohemia (1992)
I first heard Mae Moore while listening to CBC Radio 2 playing Prince of Persia in my room with the radio cranked. It was also the same show that I heard Prince's When Doves Cry (Purple Rain could easily be on this list). There was no big introduction, no build up but when 'Bohemia' started something about it just struck me. When she sang 'I always meet someone I could call friend/Prejudice is something we can transcend/Coming into season this world will flower/With the power of love, not the love of power' - it kind of blew my mind. There was something about the sound of her voice, the melody - I was hooked. I found the CD at Fred's Records and it has been near the top of my list ever since. You really need give this one a chance.
Stand out tracks: Bohemia, Shape Of Love, Coat Of Shame
05. Blue Rodeo - Five Days In July (1993)
Back in 1987 when Blue Rodeo hit the scene with 'Rose-Colored Glasses' I got into their sound. They were good Canadian boys who looked nothing like rock stars but sounded awesome! Fast forward to 1993, I was in massage therapy school and I picked up Five Days In July. Maybe it was some about the warm Ontario summer, maybe it was living away from home for the first time, or maybe it was just that I loved this CD from the first time I heard it. Between Cuddy and Keelor - they write awesome, unbelievable music. 'They met in a hurricane/Standing in the shelter out of the rain/She tucked a note into his hand/Later on they took his car/Drove on down where the beaches are/He wrote her name in the sand/Never even let go of her hand' I listened to the CD over and over. Hasn't Hit Me Yet made me want to play guitar and Bad Timing would come to a major role in my post massage therapy school life. It was listening to Dark Angel with my headphones on, sitting on the front step in the sun that I realized Five Days In July would be a constant in my collect. If you have not spent time with this CD, you have to give yourself an hour to just sit and listen - you'll love it.
Stand out tracks: Hasn't Hit Me Yet, Bad Timing, Cynthia, Dark Angel
06. Barenaked Ladies - Gordon (1992)
My first exposure to the Barenaked Ladies (BNL) was their cover of Bruce Cockburn's Lover's In A Dangerous Time. They smashed it out of the park. Again, a bunch of good Canadian guys who look nothing like a rock star but who are awesome at what they do. Building a fan base from live shows worked well at first, but it was the release of Gordon and the hit 'If I Had A Million Dollars' that brought them to the fore-front. I had the CD and listened to it on occasion but it was once again my time at Massage Therapy School that solidified BNL's Gordon as a classic - at least to me. It was listened to almost everyday and the pure emotion behind 'The Flag' fit in perfectly with my thrist for emotion based music. 'The phone rings, it's early, it's seven o'clock/He says 'sorry I woke you, but I just had to talk/You know last night, remember/When I tried to choke you?/I didn't mean it, I was drunk, it/Was only a joke./You should know that by now,/When the checkered flag comes down,/No one no one no one has won the race.' The harmonies and the lyrics were really what hooked me. After a night of drinking, I found myself walking down the middle of Main Street with Stacey singing 'I'm gonna kick your fucking ass, I'm the new kid on the block!' Good times! And as an amateur acoustic guitar player, you can't go wrong with the song from Gordon to work with.
Stand out tracks: Brian Wilson, What A Good Boy, The Flag
07. James Taylor - Greatest Hits (1976)
Is there anything more peaceful than the sounds of James Taylor's voice? I think the first person to let me know about James Taylor was my friend Ron Reid. He and I were always talking about music, girls and how we could get more of both. James Taylor's Greatest Hits could prove very powerful when you are having a 'quiet evening' with someone you want to get closer to. Each of these songs are classic, period. The laid back and mellow feel of the album lets you just float along with each of the stories. I dare you not to sing along, you know you want to. The end the album is the live version of Steamroller, which shows you why James Taylor is not just easy listening. You just know that back in the day, he was one bad motherfucker.
Stand out tracks: Fire and Rain, Walking Man, Steamroller
08. Josh Ritter - Hello Starling (2003)
Josh Ritter blew my mind with an acoustic guitar and a mic one night opening for Sarah Harmer. I had never heard of Josh Ritter, I knew none of the songs but there he stood with a guitar, telling stories about his songs, painting pictures that came alive when he sang. You could say I kind of got an instant man crush on Josh that night. Following the concert, I told everyone I knew about this amazing experience and the following week I 'acquired' his music from a good friend. Hello Starling is simply amazing. It could be that most of what he played that night was from Hello Starling or it could be that is so well written, you just have to love it. 'Here I am standing at your window again/Waiting for you to say go away or come in/I’m your locked door’s worst knocker/I’m your curtain’s best friend/I’m trying hard to love you – you don’t make it easy babe' Ok so some people compare him to Dylan or Springsteen but have they ever crafted 'Now my work is done/I feel I'm owed some joy/Oh Imogene and Abelard/I'm your homeward boy'. If you ever get the chance to see Josh play. GO! But if not, you can not go wrong by spending some time with Hello Starling - you will not regret it.
Stand out tracks: Kathleen, You Don't Make It Easy Babe, California, Baby That's Not All
09. George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice (1990)
It would be easy to dismiss George Michael as a has been or as the washed up Prince of Pop. But look beyond that and you'll see what he could have been. He could have been a major force in the music business, shaping the sound of music that is on the radio today and if you need proof, just give Listen Without Prejudice a spin. I picked up LWP on spec, having been a fan of Faith. I was instantly pulled in by the grooves and beats that pumped through my headphones. The video for Freedom 90 was different and fresh (even if inspired by George's fight against Sony records). 'I just hope you understand/Sometimes the clothes do not make the man' - it just sounds so good. It should be no surprise that this one also feel into heavy rotation as well as making appearances on many mixed tapes. For me, this is a timeless cd. Faith is dated - it sounds like the 80's but throw on Heal The Pain today and it sounds as good as it did in 1990.
Stand out tracks: Praying for Time, Freedom 90, Heal The Pain
10. The Clash - London Calling (1979)
I was in Grade 9 (1982) when I first heard London Calling. I remember all I heard about the Clash was how punk they were. But when I heard London Calling I was struck by the harmonies which did not seem to punk to me. But I was blown away by Joe Strummer's guitar and the backbeat of the drums. 'Baby, baby, won't you hear my plea?/Cmon, sugar, just come on back to me/She said, balls to you, big daddy!/She ain’t never coming back!' I took London Calling to parties and played it for anyone who would listen. I just loved the album ... still do. London Calling also wins the 'Best Album Cover' award!
Stand out tracks: London Calling, Jimmy Jazz, Train In Vain
11. Fairground Attraction - The First Of A Million Kisses (1988)
'Sky of ink and diamond stars/empty streets of just occasional cars/here we lie in a lullaby of the stillness in our room/Words are unable to speak of love/like a smile in a whisper does' This is a classic example of a group who gets together, records an amazing album and then breaks up! I was introduced to Fairground Attraction by Leona Rockwood, my musical muse for a lot of my teenage years. It is a cross between jazz and pop and it has such a unique sound that I could not help but love it. 'So meet me on the corner at eight/Let's get out of this place/We'll kiss the first of a million kisses/and let the past fall away' If I listened to rock to fuel my teenage angst, I listened to Fairground Attraction to believe in romance.
Stand out tracks: A Smile In A Whisper, Perfect, Allelujah
12. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
It was the summer of 1987 and all the buzz was about U2 and The Joshua Tree. My past experience with U2 had involved the drama club kids at PWC, Boy and October. I liked them well enough but I was not a huge fan. So while everyone ran around saying how great they were, they were pretty low on my radar. This was also the summer that I went to Switzerland and saw U2 in concert. It changed my life, I became a huge fan of U2 and The Joshua Tree became my Sergeant Pepper. If there is only one album (which is how I first bought it) I could every own, this is it. I have so many memories, so many stories all wrapped around this album that it has remained one of my most listened to. 'The city's a flood, and our love turns to rust./We're beaten and blown by the wind/Trampled in dust.' For me, it just does not get any better.
Stand out tracks: Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, Trip Through Your Wires
13. The Last Of The Mohicans Soundtrack (1992)
I think I have seen The Last of the Mohicans at least 200 times and I have listened to the soundtrack at least three times more than that. It may be odd to have an instrumental soundtrack on this list but I just had to include it. It is so integral to the movie that I just can not imagine one without the other. Maybe you have to love the movie to love the soundtrack but I urge you to give it a listen and see if you don't fall in love with it to. It ends with the powerhouse 'I Will Find You' by Clannad. It is a haunting and moving piece and the only track with lyrics. 'No matter where you go/I will find you/If it takes a thousand years'
Stand out tracks: Main Title, The Kiss, I Will Find You
14. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion And The Cobra (1987)
I started listening to this cd around the time that I met Rod, Corrine and Jacqui. It would turn out to be a very interesting time in my life. I think Jacqui may have had the tape but I also remember seeing the videos and just falling for Sinead (in a musical sense). While the production value on this one is lacking, the music is awesome! 'Nothing would/Nothing would please me better/Than I find that you're there/When I lay down my head/At the end of my day/Nothing would/Nothing would please me better/Than I find that you're there when I wake' I could have also included the follow up 'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got' CD on this list, for me they go together like a one two punch. Sinead (with her head shaved) was a sexy, strong, out of control icon. This is the Sinead I prefer, not the shadow of herself that she has become since her fall from grace.
Stand out tracks: Jackie, Just Like U Said It Would B, Drink Before The War
15. The Rachel Papers Soundtrack (1989)
This soundtrack has been my holy grail. After seeing the movie, in which the credits name a soundtrack released on EMI Records, I went in search of the music from the movie. The only problem is, no one seems to be able to verify if the soundtrack was ever released. The credits for the music were so small (on my VHS copy) that I could not even read the titles. It was not until Bolli had some sort of player that let you zoom in, that I was able to read the names of the songs. This is long before the internet, long before file sharing. So for years I searched in vain. I checked value bins, record stores, I even called EMI Records - all to no avail. Then came Napster and file sharing. I was able to get 10 out of the 14 songs. The jewel here is 'Head and Heart' by John Martyn. 'There's just now way to say how much I love you/You never made me cry and that's just fine/Only got my fear to put above you/You know we all get scared from time to time'. This may be the only entry on the list were to truly dig these songs you would have to see the movie and make the connection. But it's my list, so give it a spin and see if you can't hear why I love these songs so much. 'She`s got a heart of stone that cares for nobody/lips as sweet as cherry wine/and you`re addicted so very quickly/you just have to look into her eyes/She`s an assassin of love'
Stand out tracks: Assassin Of Love, Electric Moon, Head and Heart
*** Bonus CD ***
How could I possibly keep it to 15, in fact there are so many not on this list that I could easily to another 15 - but I won't. Let's just say I have left off artists that bloody well deserve to be on here. Almost saving the best for last, I have included a bonus CD which blew really should be at the top of my list.
16. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (1972)
Using words like rock masterpiece almost takes away just how wonderful this album is. As with anything that gets over hyped, it is hard to live up to the expectation. So all I ask is that you not really think too much when you try this one on. Just sit back and let the music speak for itself. I was a huge Bowie fan. I had the albums (in plastic protectors), posters, books, buttons - you name it. It was my well known love of Bowie's music that led to a whole new group of friends. I could not count how many times I have listened to this album but I know it is not near enough. This is one that Grace will be introduced to and I would hope that she will love it as much as I do. 'Love is careless in its choosing/Sweeping over cross a baby/Love descends on those defenseless/Idiot love will spark the fusion' What I love the most, is on the album jacket are the words "To be played at maximum volume" - too right!
Stand out tracks: Soul Love, Ziggy Stardust, Rock 'N' Roll Suicide
