Wednesday, August 19, 2009

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: MY TOP 50 FAVOURITE ALBUMS. These are the 50 albums which I've returned to again and again since I was a zygote, the albums which apparently mean the most to me throughout my life. Believe me, it was hard to winnow it down to only 50. However, with one or two (justified) exceptions, I have tried to avoid any greatest hits collections, compilations or live albums. These albums will be listed in alphabetical order; with the exception of the greatest album of all time which will appear first. So here they are:
  1. HOUNDS OF LOVE - Kate Bush (1985)
  2. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - The Beatles (1967)
  3. THE BEATLES (THE WHITE ALBUM) - The Beatles (1968)
  4. ABBEY ROAD - The Beatles (1969)
  5. MEGATOP PHOENIX - Big Audio Dynamite (1989)
  6. THAT'S HOW RHYTHM WAS BORN - The Boswell Sisters
  7. THE RISE & FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST & THE SPIDERS FROM MARS - David Bowie (1972)
  8. TONIGHT - David Bowie (1984)
  9. THE DREAMING - Kate Bush (1982)
  10. LONDON CALLING - The Clash (1979)
  11. PARACHUTES - Coldplay (2000)
  12. PICARESQUE - The Decemberists (2005)
  13. FIVE LEAVES LEFT - Nick Drake (1969)
  14. ROCKFERRY - Duffy (2008)
  15. UNHALFBRICKING - Fairport Convention (1969)
  16. BABBACOME LEE - Fairport Convention (1971)
  17. MIRAGE - Fleetwood Mac (1982)
  18. UTOPIA PARKWAY - Fountains of Wayne (1999)
  19. WAITING - Fun Boy Three (1983)
  20. GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John (1973)
  21. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC & THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY - Elton John (1975)
  22. BLUE MOVES - Elton John (1976)
  23. BACK IN TOWN - The Kingston Trio (1962)
  24. PARTY OF ONE - Nick Lowe (1990)
  25. 2:00 AM PARADISE CAFE - Barry Manilow (1984)
  26. RASTAMAN VIBRATION - Bob Marley & the Wailers (1976)
  27. BAND ON THE RUN - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)
  28. METALLICA (THE BLACK ALBUM) - Metallica (1991)
  29. IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD - The Moody Blues (1968)
  30. SON OF SCHMILSSON - Harry Nilsson (1972)
  31. OMMADAWN - Mike Oldfield (1975)
  32. THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD - The Alan Parsons Project (1980)
  33. TEN - Pearl Jam (1991)
  34. KID A - Radiohead (2000)
  35. BETWEEN THE BREAKS...LIVE! - Stan Rogers (1979)
  36. TRUE COLOURS - Split Enz (1980)
  37. CORROBOREE (WAIATA) - Split Enz (1981)
  38. TIME AND TIDE - Split Enz (1982)
  39. TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN - Cat Stevens (1970)
  40. THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - 10cc (1975)
  41. HOW DARE YOU! - 10cc (1976)
  42. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE - U2 (1984)
  43. ULTRA LOUNGE VOL. 1: MONDO EXOTICA - Various Artists
  44. POSES - Rufus Wainwright (2001)
  45. DRIVING HOME - Cheryl Wheeler (1993)
  46. MRS. PINOCCI'S GUITAR - Cheryl Wheeler (1995)
  47. JUST AN OLD FASHIONED LOVE SONG - Paul Williams (1971)
  48. MONSTER MASH - Zacherley (1958)
  49. JOE'S GARAGE - Frank Zappa (1979)
  50. SHEIK YERBOUTI - Frank Zappa (1979)

3 comments:

Weaverman said...

This, of course, is a challenge!
Especially as not one of my favourite albums appears on your list. Glad you had the balls to put Barry Manilow up there.

Cerpts said...

It was tough because a great many of my favourite performers aren't whatcha call "album artists" but more individual songs. That's why such people as Hank Williams, all the Motown artists or Stax or Atlantic or Patsy Cline, or Sam Cooke or well you get the picture.

And yes, I am proudly a Manilooney! I have many cds and even saw him live back in the early 90's at the Mann Music Centre and he was fab. He did "Could It Be Magic" in his own version as well as the then-current Take That version.

Cerpts said...

Oh, and you can bet this IS a challenge -- to you and everybody else reading this. Where's YOUR desert island disc list???