Desert Island Discs

[nicwing]

I could have danced all night, as well.
It's hard to zoom in on all these good tracks!

Yeh but that's the fun, and that's why I did it every year and saved the spreadsheet so I can look back and see how new music has fed in and how my taste has changed.

The thing is no matter how eclectic your taste there is still something out there you have never heard.

[Robusto]

I could have danced all night, as well.
It's hard to zoom in on all these good tracks!

[daverave999]

I'm going to come back to this later, as I've almost written an essay. I need to cut it down! Brilliant idea for a thread.

[Styler]

I both love and hate doing things like this, I'm always chopping and changing as I love so many albums. There's no way I could do it for singles!

I've really enjoyed reading others lists, I can't help but feel I'm coming at this from a different musical angle however!


Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Dark, powerful, brooding, atmospheric... sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly. It was the difficult follow up to the massive "The Downward Spiral" and a lot of fans just didn't get it. Their loss.

Check out - La Mer


Rush - Signals
Although a tough choice, Signals is probably my favourite Rush album overall. The usual amazing bass and delicate guitar work now combined with washes of melodic synth and subtle reggae influences.

Check out - Subdivisions


Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight
An amazing album that would have been much bigger had it been released a few years earlier. Sadly Marillion had faded from the public eye by the mid 90s so not enough people got to listed to this collection of soaring melodies, loosely themed around fallen heroes.

Check out - King


Tears for Fears - Elemental
This album came out around about the time I started secondary school when I was mostly listening to stuff like Megadeth. A friend of mine let me hear it and it was a relevation, you didn't need heavy guitars to make powerful music Although it's showing it's age a little I still love it.

Check out - Fish Out of Water


Guided by Voices - Human Amusements at Hourly Rates
"Best of" albums are a little like cheating in these situations but Robert Pollard has written literally thousands of songs between GbV and his solo career so trying to pick one album is impossible. Probably the only "indie" band that I like, Rob is simply a lo-fi genius.

Check out - Twilight Campfighter


Type O Negative - October Rust
Satisfying my inner goth, this a great album that doesn't take it's self to seriously. Amazing melodies and atmospheric keyboards with the late Pete Steele's unique voice.

Check out - Love You to Death


The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
For me, these guys are the definitive Alt Rock band. Love or hate Billy Corgan's voice, no one else writes songs quite like his. The risk of making a double album paid off, it's wonderfully diverse and sounds as fresh as it did 15 years ago.

Check out - Thirty-Three


A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Maybe my favourite male vocalist of all time, Maynard James Keenan takes time away from his main band Tool to sing in APC. I adore Tool, the best live band I have ever seen but their albums can be patchy. This album however is fantastic all the way though.

Check out - 3 Libras


Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal
The underrated second album of an underrated duo. Deep and thoughtfull music with simpler arrangements than their later work.

Check out - De Profundis


Queensryche - Operation Livecrime
My favourite live album ever made, the live re-enactment of one of the best prog rock concept albums, Operation Mindcrime. Queensryche were dubded "the thinking-man's metal band" and with good reason. Couldn't find a decent live clip though.

Check out - Eyes of a Stranger

[Gordonbcb]

Oh this is a really difficult one. Once I start with a list, so many more come into my head.

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock
Bon Scott was the most amazing front man - total legend.

The Beatles - Abbey Road
Possibly my favourite album of all time. Very clever writing.

Blondie - Parrallel Lines
Great example of pop/punk.

Guns n Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Great rock songs, great riffs.

Frank Sinatra - The Capitol Years
Sinatra from 1953 to 1961 with some timeless arrangements by Nelson Riddle.

Swing Out Sister - Kaleidoscope World
Don't know why I like this, I just do.

And for a couple of greatest hits albums.......

Queen - Greatest Hits part 1

David Bowie - itunes essentials
I'm a late convert to the genious of Bowie

Aerosmith - Greatest Hits
The 1980 version with Dream On and Sweet Emotion etc

[Deano]

Anyone else tried Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago? My fave album of the last few tears.

[Deano]

Had to really think about this.

First off, Nick Drake - Pink Moon, Nick Drake - Bryter Layter, Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left. You get the picture.

Then the rest (I've tried to keep 'best of' to a minimum):
Jeff Buckley - Grace
John Martyn - Bless The Weather, Solid Air
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run, "The Wild, The Innocent And The E-Street Shuffle"
The Smiths - The Very Best Of
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Sting - Mercury Falling
Simon & Garfunkel - The Essential
Ryan Adams - My own mix!
David Bowie - The Best Of

[Lascaux]

funny, bowie has come up a couple of times........ i've rediscovered an old favourite recently, 'quicksand' off the hunky dory lp
alex

One of my favourite songs, and my favourite album of bowie too
will have a full list up shortly!

[MarkSDMF]

Led Zeppelin I through IIII - ALL OF THEM, not one of them doeant have an iconic song on them.

Black Label Society, same again, any album Mafia is an awesome album. Sonic Brew, 1919 Eternal, the list goes on.

Seasick Steve - Dog house Blues. My first ever propper blues cd.

Nina Simone, the greatest hits. Outstanding, differemt voice.

Michael Buble - Call me irresponsible. (got a man crush on this gentleman, but shhh, tis a secret)

Rage Against the Machine - any ! Seen these dudes at download there and im telling you, it wasnt like a gig, it was more like a political fucking protest and everyone connecting for an hour or so in our lives, we were there for the same reasons. For music whilst giving the finger to the man litteraly !


I dont know where to stop !
Fleetwood mac (peter greens band though)

[senor_robusto]

funny, bowie has come up a couple of times........ i've rediscovered an old favourite recently, 'quicksand' off the hunky dory lp (probably my favourite bowie album, also love the song 'life on mars')!!! was one of the first songs i learnt to play on the guitar many years ago!!! reckon i must've listened to it at least 50 times from saturday past....... love all the esoteric/ occult references!!!

alex

[Robusto]

It's really hard because as soon as you have committed something to a list, you think of something or someone else.

I also find Ziggy Stardust a CD I constantly play and love.

[Robusto]

Let's be free n easy!
Whatever!

[nicwing]

Hoo Hoo, used to do this as my Birthday present to myself every year. Haven't done it for a couple of years, will update it and post.

My recollection of Dessert Island Discs was that it's singles though, is that all right 'busto?

[El Catador]

thats not a guilty secret, Sade is a goddess

Alas, after waiting nearly twenty years to see her in concert...
(She's appearing next year at your nearest-quality-music-venue)
...I recently found out I'll be overseas during all of her UK dates.

(Shakes his fist at the fates - 'Curse you - you BAS**ARDS!')

P.S Great idea for a thread.

P.P.S. Can I also add 'Amy Winehouse - Back to black' as a desert island disc?

[Drewmidorn]

Rock And Roll Suicide - David Bowie
Wonderful chord progression and evocative lyrics, but more importantly his vocal is so passionate (I could have chosen Heroes too).

It's Late - Queen
Some great pulls in tempo and amazing choral vocals.

Tom Traubert's Blues - Tom Waits
A heartfelt song beautifully performed. (and maybe "What's he buikding in there?")

Jupiter - Holst
Fantastic melodies and it gives me a soaring sense of the sea.

Billy The Kid - Aaron Copland
Evokes the grand expanse of an undiscovered America... as does most of his work.

Le Deluge Saint Saens
Strangely calm and intricate, but still its that simple sense of melody I love.

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel
A suite of songs really, with a great feel. I worked with the drummer who played on this track in NY and was lucky enough to see him playing it with a band at the Cutting Room. I filled up. I was bullied as a kid... Billy got me through it all. Well Billy and the Rocky Horror Show.

No Regrets - The Walker Brothers
My funeral song. It has a gloriously inappropriate surprise guitar solo half way through.

Common People - William Shatner and Joe Jackson
A great pop song with some fantastic humour. The original (Pulp) is amazing and I love the way the tempo speeds up all the way through. However.... William Shatner preforms this with amazing pathos.

Hurt - Johnny Cash
The original by Nine Inch Nails is fantastic and I'm sure some of the other NIN fans will be livid at my preference for Johnny Cash's recording. This version with a great acoustic guitar feel and high droning piano really emphasises the lyrics. The vocal is the voice of a man who knows he is dying from cancer. Two other notable covers by Johnny Cash are One (originally U2) and Personal Jesus (originally Depeche Mode)

Well there are my ten... for an Album I'd go for The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie. Every song's a corker.

And a luxury... well a fully stocked bottomless humidor would be good but i'd have to plump for a good acoustic guitar... maybe a 60s Gibson Hummingbird