20 CDs YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE WITHOUT

[trubador]

20 CDs YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE WITHOUT

(well, at least ones that I can’t be without) :D

I posted this on my blogs, so I decided to post this here as well... just for kicks. :P

Caveat ---> My music collection is a lot larger than this, and a lot more varied. My tastes change with my moods; one day I’ll need to blow out my ears with in-your-face rock, the next day I’ll want to zone out with some Gregorian Chant. So, this is certainly not a definitive list. And although I cover a wide enough range of years and styles, the bulk of CDs come within the mid-70s-to-mid-90s timeframe. You will recognize many of the artists, yet these are not quite your typical selections. Anyway, here’s the list. It’s subject to change at any moment. But (for the time being) this list (such as it is) is mine, so… whatever.

The 20 CDs you should not be without (in no particular order):


1. Jude Cole ~ A View From 3rd Street (A troubadour’s troubadour, he’s put out five CDs… this one being his second release. It’s his best because it’s so raw compared to his later works. I had this on cassette for years and had worn the darn thing out. “Baby, It’s Tonight” was his one big hit, but it’s preceded by a better song entitled “Hallowed Ground,” and I still get chills when listening to “This Time It’s Us”.

2. Crowded House ~ Recurring Dream (Okay, I’m cheating a bit with this one. But I couldn’t choose from their four releases, nor from Neil Finn’s solo works. I’ve seen these guys in concert four times. These guys are tunesmiths. Period. So, get this “best of” collection. And make sure it has the extra “Live” CD. It has the best live performance of my favorite song, “When You Come”!!! Sad side note: In case you weren’t aware, a couple months ago the happy-go-lucky former drummer, Paul Hester, ended his long battle with severe depression by committing suicide.)

3. The Rembrandts ~ Untitled (Most people know these guys as the duo who wrote and sang the theme song to the TV show “Friends”. But the rest of their material is much, much better than that song. This second release has their hit “Johnny, Have You Seen Her” on it. These guys just write great little tunes. Nothing pretentious, just well-crafted material through and through. Great harmonies.)

4. Sass Jordan ~ Rats (This tiny little Canadian femme just plain kicks ass on this CD! Stevie Salas rippin' on guitars. A George Clinton cameo. Her two best releases are “Racine” and this CD. “Rats” is the strongest of them all. It will knock you out just how good this really is. She puts Melissa Etheridge to shame.)

5. k.d. lang ~ Ingénue (A complete opposite to Ms. Jordan, k.d. lang has a voice like no other. This is probably her most popular CD with “Constant Craving” as the big hit. Forget her lifestyle and her politics, just listen to that wonderful voice.)

6. dada ~ Puzzle (Their debut CD – unfortunately - being their best, this power trio from Santa Monica are able to fill out a sound like few trios can. Clever lyrics are interlaced with rockin’ musicianship. The drummer is incredible.)

7. Paul Carrack ~ Blue Views (The “Voice”. You know him as the lead singer from the classic 70s hit “How Long” by the band Ace. He also sang Squeeze’s biggest hit “Tempted” as well as Mike + The Mechanics “Living Years” and “Silent Running”. This solo CD from the mid-90s is pure Carrack at his vocal best. It includes a remake of “How Long” as well as his rendition of the Eagles hit “Love Will Keep Us Alive” – which he wrote, by the way.)

8. Henry Lee Summer ~ Debut (I just like this guy. It’s his best CD, and it includes another of my favorite songs with haunting lyrics - “Just Another Day”. Most of the CD is just fun stuff.)

9. Farmdogs ~ Last Stand In Open Country (I’m a big Elton John fan… well, actually I was. His best years were from 1969 to 1976. His second best period was from 1980 to 1989. Unfortunately, his stuff after he went sober [post-1990] just plain sucks, in my opinion. I really couldn’t choose from his early period. And I’ve overdosed on listening to his stuff over the years. So I choose something from his close associate – his main writing partner, Bernie Taupin. The lyricist extraordinaire. Bernie is not only the co-songwriter of this band, he’s also the lead singer! The Farmdogs only released two CDs in the 90s; this being the first and the best. Songs like “Shameless”, “Color Bar”, “Barstool”, “Bone Of Contention”, “In Paradise” and of course the title track will keep you gripped to the fine story-telling in a folky/countryish style.)

10. The Doobie Brothers ~ Living On The Fault Line (Yeah, you know the Doobie Brothers. But this jazzy album is filled to the brim with great songs: “Little Darlin’”, “Nothing But A Heartache”, Echoes Of Love”, “You Belong To Me”, You’re Made That Way” and of course the instrumental title track, "Living On The Fault Line". Just great, great stuff.)

11. Journey ~ Evolution (This band is both overrated and underrated. But I love ‘em. Steve Perry’s vocals are beyond compare. Add to it the incredible musicianship of Neal Schon, Steve Smith, Ross Valory and Greg Rolie. This being the last album with this lineup of band mates, it’s probably their best work. The soaring guitar work and piercing vocals in the opening track “Majestic/Too Late” sets the tone. I love it. You don’t? Tough!)

12. Toto ~ Mindfields (These guys are consummate musicians. Their resumes as individuals will boggle your mind. Severely underrated. I love a lot of their material over the years. But, rather than choosing from their early work, I chose “Mindfields” because it’s recent [1999] and it has their original lead vocalist, Bobby Kimball, back at center stage. Almost all the tunes are well-crafted. Give it a listen and be surprised at what you’ve missed.)

13. The Manhattans ~ Greatest Hits (You’ve got to have some R&B, right? But not Motown, or Atlantic/Stax. Instead, I’ve chosen The Manhattans. They just have that sound, you know what I mean? That “it” sound. Songs like “Shining Star” and “Kiss, And Say Goodbye”. Classic stuff that never grows old.)

14. Tony Bennett ~ Jazz (It’s a CBS Records Double LP Collection. It’s filled with atypical fare as compared to the usual Tony Bennett material: “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “Solitude”, “Give Me The Simple Life”, and one of my favorites… his rendition of “Close Your Eyes”… awesome! You should compare his rendition of “Sweet Lorraine” to that of Nat King Cole's. Two greats who deliver that song in different ways and they both sound great.)

*15. Andrea Bocelli ~ Aria – The Opera Album (My classical collection is very weak, and I never was an opera buff. But Bocelli’s renditions on this CD have tickled my taste buds enough to appreciate it, especially Puccini. In particular, “La Bohéme”. He’s not a pure opera singer in the vein of Pavarotti or Domingo, but his voice is both romantic and angelic.) (currently bumped from this slot)

*16. Sky ~ Untitled Double-LP (Okay… I don’t have this on CD, only on vinyl, and my record player died quite a few years ago. So I only have a well-worn tape copy of my vinyl LP. Relatively unknown, these classically trained musicians are: classical guitarist John Williams, keyboardist Francis Monkman, drummer Tristan Fry, guitarist Kevin Peek, bassist Herbie Flowers. It merges classical, jazz and rock music unlike anything that you’ve ever quite heard before. If I ever found this on CD I’d buy it in a split second just to get the piece titled “Sahara”. I’ve never heard an instrumental piece become so vividly visual in my mind’s eye. That track is a work of art.) (currently bumped from this slot)

17. Big Tent Revival ~ Amplifier (From my Contemporary Christian Music [CCM] collection, these guys [with Steve Wiggins at the helm] are top-notch. It rocks! It’s got clever lyrics set to great music. “Lovely Mausoleum” is hauntingly effective. And there are several “hidden” tracks at the end of the CD. The best is a great rocker called “Rivalry”. I love this CD!)

18. Out Of The Grey ~ Remember This (Another selection from the CCM genre. Female vocalist with pop sensibilities. Well-crafted songs that don’t preach, yet still get the message across very effectively. I can listen to “All I Need” over and over again and again.)

19. Al Stewart ~ Modern Times (Early Stewart, here. This is the album right before his breakout hit “Year of the Cat”. I remember listening to my brother’s old LP when I was much younger. This guy is a storyteller like no other. I’ve always come back to this album. It’s always been my favorite of his. Not a bad song in the lot. It’s all great. The title track is just… just... wow.)

20. Jim Croce ~ The Definitive Collection (Another classic top-notch troubadour, With this collection you get all but two songs from his three major label releases, before his untimely demise in ’73 from a plane crash. And there's not one bad song from those LPs. You also get a good selection of earlier material; both solo works and duets with his wife, Ingrid. He’s an Italian Philly troubadour who graduated from Villanova University [my alma mater]. And one of my high school teachers used to play keyboards with him back in the 60’s. This guy is much greater than the “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” song he’s known for. His songs will make you laugh and cry and nod your head and dream and smile.)


*Honorable Mention: Gavin DeGraw ~ Chariot (He’s recent. He’s piano-based. He’s got a great voice. He writes good songs, though his lyrics may at times need some tweaking. It still can’t figure out what the heck “Chariot” is about. But it’s good stuff that grows on you with each listen.) (currently bumped from this slot)



That’s it. For now. As of this moment. Stuff I’d highly recommend. Music I love, groove to, zone out, jam and jiggle to, mellow into, dance romantically, sing completely off key at full blare while driving down the highway with the windows wide open, with the steering wheel as my drum set, keyboard, guitar and bass. It makes yah feel good. That’s all that matters, right?!


Feel free to argue, challenge, agree, buy, listen, post your own list of must-haves. :aok:

Trub

=============================================


* Okay... I've had to edit this because after long contemplation I realized that I'm missing one or two CDs that need to be in this list.

David Sanborn & Bob James ~ Double Vision (This album is an extremely sensual piece of work. Al Jarreau sings incredibly on "Since I Fell For You", with the remaining CD being all instrumental. It's nearly 20 years old, and it still holds up well. And Sanborn's sax has a warmer tone than on much of his other CDs. "Moontune" is very enticing.)

Grover Washington, Jr. ~ Winelight (This is classic GWJr! And he's from my home town of Philadelphia. His "Come Morning" album comes in a close second, but this one is definitely his best work. Just like the Sanborn selection, this CD is all instrumental except for the hit song "Just The Two Of Us" with Bill Withers on vocals. Released 25 years ago. It could've been released today.)

These two selections would have to make my Top 20 list, so I'm going to bump Gavin DeGraw from the honorable mention slot. I'll also bump the Sky selection since I only have it on LP. Andrea Bocelli gets bumped down to the honorable mention slot. That frees up #15 & 16 for the GWJr. and the Sanborn/James CDs. That should take care of the list.... for now at least. :D

[Mazinkaiser]

damn, thats quite a range of music. :aok:

[grinner]

need some... Type O-

[who45]

like the new avatar grinner :aok:

[scrape_medic]

like the new avatar grinner :aok:What has that go to do with music? :P

[who45]

what? I thought it was a cool avatar.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Who45/pardon.gif

[AgentSun]

hahahaha. this is my list...i know it's going to change within a bit. actually, my list should expand to about 50. I have a lot of things i haven't listed because these are the albums that are so significant to me in points of my life. which is why i tend to be very defensive of these bands and musicians.

My top 20 albums that have shaped my life in and out, in no particular order.

1. Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral
This album shaped a lot of my industrial leanings…I learned a lot about industrial through NIN. Basically, they proved that you can be a musical genius and a band geek and still rock. Trent gave a face to a movement and to this day, while most of the industrial music world has been wallowing in music that sounds alike, NIN have broken through. This album came into my life when I was getting into metal and I am very grateful.

2. Alkaline Trio – Crimson
I LOVED their last album ‘Good Mourning’ and this album is just even better. It’s classical, industrial, punk rock, a little bit of pop and a jaunty tune, all in one album. There’s that classic theme of death and murder and the odd fixation with knives in the lyrics. It’s goth punk without being corny or stupid. Two lead singers with great voices who can actually sing! Who would have thought?! And for those people who think that just cause they’re signed onto Vagrant records means they’ve sold out….they haven’t sold enough albums to qualify! They’re this unsung talent that barely any people have heard of.

3. Green Day – Dookie
Dookie is one of the first albums I ever had. I have been a Green Day fan since Dookie and I’ve never been a fan of a band for that long. They embodied a lot of the spirit that I had…there were songs about loneliness and heartbreak but it was all very funny and even if I didn’t have any heartbreak at the time, I could still feel that I could also feel that way if I had. Green Day just made it easier to be happy about bad stuff because they could not make you feel sad.

4. John Mayer – Room for Squares
Room for Squares was the album of the summer a few years ago. I listened to it at least once every night for a whole summer. I loved it. It was how I relaxed, it was a discovery of blues/jazz influences that I thought had gone out with the old-time blues musicians. I heard this beat and this energy that reminded me of Otis Redding through a lot of Mayer’s songs and it was nice. It made me just want to sit and tap my foot and it reminded me of Clapton’s beat in ‘Change the World’ and ‘Someone Like You’.

5. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
Say what you will about Linkin Park, I heard this album and I was hooked. I hadn’t heard anything like it before and since it came out, I’ve heard a lot of bands emulate and fall away. And behind them was LP with another album, even better. It’s fast, it’s hard and it’s got a good writing style. It’s one of the most educated bands out there and I’m a big fan of people being educated and knowing that music, while a great calling, may not be the only way to go.

6. Eric Clapton – Crossroads Discs 1-4
I love Eric Clapton and his music has always been such an influence. I’m not old enough to know when his older stuff came out but I have always loved classic music and I’m a huge blues and jazz fan. Clapton’s bluesy sound combined with some rock has always been a good thing.

7. Saves the Day – Stay What You Are
The lead singer looks like a 12 year old boy. But boy, can he sing. Sure he sounds a bit like a 12 year old boy. But a very talented 12 year old boy. The songwriting is stellar and I love the flow between fast pop punk sounds and slower, mellow songs. This band is always labeled ‘emo’ but I just think it’s a great band.

8. Green Day – Nimrod
Nimrod is the album of the 90’s to me. It has so much on it that is resonating still today. I can listen to that album and pick out songs that I remember listening to in certain situations in my life during that time. ‘Good Riddance’ was my pick to play in our senior year yearbook dedication. They played it and every time I hear that song I want to cry cause it’s such a great song. I love Billy Joe’s voice and the whole attitude of the band…they’re in their 30’s now but they still seem like kids. I know they get a lot of flack for being ‘sell outs’ but if you think about it, they did what they had to do. They had families to be responsible to and they had bigger ambitions.

9. My Chemical Romance – Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
This was the first over the top dramatic theatrical band that I encountered…Alkaline Trio was doing it years before but My Chem made it seriously over the top. Their ambitious album is this movie script being played out through song. They go on stage in uniforms and bullet proof vests and you have to appreciate that they rose out of New Jersey. Plus they have a sense of humor. ‘thanks for all the venom’ is a great title for a song.

10. Thursday – Full Collapse
Another band from NJ and friends with My Chem…Thursday is just pure energy. Their songs hit you at 60 miles per hour and you really don’t know what you’re listening to and when you look at the lyrics you see that they’re not just run of the mill I-broke-up-with-my-girlfriend-boo-hoo lyrics.

11. The Killers – Hot Fuss
I’m not old enough to have appreciated The Cure and Smiths when a concert wasn’t a reunion. So when ‘Hot Fuss’ came out I picked it up and I instantly fell in love with it. The songs are nicely written and they all get stuck in your head in this great way. My favorite song is Mr. Brightside and it’s just got this rolling beat to it and it sounds so dramatic and theatrical, like its part of a stage play.

12. Korn – Follow the Leader
I’m an old-school Korn fan. This means none of this new stuff…I don’t even know what they’re doing. I remember getting into metal and rock and picking up Follow the Leader and loving every song. I remember my mom buying the album for me, being a little naïve to the parental advisory label. But I didn’t care that it had language in it, I wasn’t really affected. It was my first foray into Korn. It was fun. Though I’m a little nostalgic once in a while for that sound I’m glad ‘Head’ left for greener pastures in Christianity. I hope he’s happy.

13. Silverchair – Neon Ballroom
I was never a huge Nirvana fan. They were great. But then I moved on. Silverchair is one of those bands that not enough people have heard of and most people who have think they died in the early 90’s. Neon Ballroom was such a great album that had a lot of depth and a lot of diversity to it. ‘Ana’s Song’ talked about anorexia, ‘Spawn’ was just a really creepy song…

14. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom
I mourn the death of No Doubt. They were such a great band but no more. They ended their reign after Tragic Kingdom. Their subsequent albums were dominated too much by a frizzy pink haired girl who refused to write good songs. Sigh. Songs like ‘Spiderwebs’ and ‘Just a Girl’ were anthems and stories…after that, nothing.

15. Sublime – Sublime
RIP Bradley. Sublime was just fun for me. I really liked their carefree sound and I liked that they seemed to really just like having fun. Songs like ‘what I got’ are still played to this day with love. It’s not like you flip the station when they play, you turn it up because it is such a classic song.

16. Something Corporate - Leaving Through the Window
The Lead singer sings while playing the piano! The lead instrument is a piano! How do you not get the hilarity in that? Catchy songs that are pretty funny and are yet introspective work really well with crunchy guitar.

17. Our Lady Peace – Clumsy
To this day, ‘4 am’ makes me cry. That song is so emotional and powerful that I can’t listen to it without thinking about the first time I got my hands on that album and listened to it. Plus, how can you ignore a CD that contains the lyric ‘yoga for cats’?

18. Jimmy Eat World – Clarity
JEW is one of my favorite bands of all time. They just write great songs that are catchy, memorable, have tons of depth and still come off as good guys that just want to see you be happy. The entire album is one long rolling road trip of ups and downs. Songs like ‘lucky Denver mint’ are beautiful. Funny thing is, there are two ‘Jimmy’s’ in the band and the band name does not refer to the lead singer Jim but the other Jim, whose little brother had drawn a picture of him eating the earth, thus ‘jimmy eat world’.

19. Jimmy Eat World – Jimmy Eat world or Bleed American (if you got it before 9/11)
Such a brilliant album. It picks up where Clarity left off and it became a better album. Every song is amazing. There are songs like ‘Praise Song’ and ‘Sweetness’ that are just feel-good songs…then there’s

20. The Used – in Love and Death
A little more pop than their previous albums, this one goes from creepy to fun to creepy again and then to a 3 minute rant at the end of the album. The songs are driving and fast and sometimes they slow down for some catchy hooks.


------------------

Runner Ups:

21. The Offspring – Americana
22. Weezer - Blue album
23. Weezer - Green album
24. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

[Owlman]

1. Mushroomhead "XX"
IMO the best nu-metal band ever. Great combo of nu-metal and industrial. Fantastic keyboard work. Jeffery Nothing has one of the world's most unique voices. Best example of dual vocalists out there. Good lyrics with plenty Atheist content.

2. Cold "Year of the Spider"
One of my favorite albums ever. Me and my roomate were driving and sang this entire CD while it played. Some of the most depressing songs written in a long time.

3. Slipknot "Vol III: The Subliminal Veres"
I was a 'Knot hater before hearing this album, but I can safely say I love them now. Their best work to date. Combined nu-metal with accustic performances. "Circle: and "Vermillion pt 2" should have been up for best song writing.

4. Seether "Disclaimer"
First heard this band on a Madden soundtrack. This CD languished in obscruity until they redid "Broken" with Amy Lee. The original version found on this album is far superior.

5. Opeth "Damnation"
The softest and most depressing CD I own. I nearly cried when I saw them live. I have used it to both get me through tough times, and to inspire my writing.

6. My Life WIth The Thrill Kill Kult "Confessions of a Knife"
My favorite industrial band. This CD was as much an inspiration for "Sex, Blood & Video Tape" as actual crimes I studied. Great, catchy, and dark.

7. Monster Magnet "Powertrip"
Their best work. Modern stoner rock at its best. Classic 60's throback sound. Always a good album for just crusing.

8. Stone Sour "Self Titled"
Correy Taylor rules! Better than Slipknot in my opinion. Know most of the songs by heart. Another great cruising CD. My favorite alcoholic drink as well.

9. Mushroomhead "XIII"
I've probably never listened through a CD more times than this one. Hard to choose between this and "XX". Their cover of Seal's "Crazy" is astoundingly good. Unapologeticly anti-Christian.

10. SOiL "Scars"
A strange combo of thrash, southern rock and nu-metal (which would later become the Texas Nu-Metal Style). "Unreal" is a great breakup song.

more to come...

[Mrelia]

I second the need for Type O-. I would also need Rob Zombie, Juanes and Raymond Scott.

[who45]

These are some of mine. I have lots more but narrowed it down to my favs.

1. Evanescence- Fallen
2. The Last of the Mohicans soundtrack
3. Creed- Human Clay
4. Metalica -Ride the Lightning
5. Enya - A Day Without Rain
6. Loreena McKennitt- Book of Secrets
7. Loreena McKennit - The Mask and Mirror
8. Queen - Greatest Hits Vol. 1&2
9. Dido - No Angel
10. Sarah McLachlan -Mirror Ball
11. Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
12. Sarah McLachlan -Afterglow
13. Underworld soundtrack
14. Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack
15. Clannad -Macalla
16. Clannad - Lore
17. Paloalto - Heroes and Villains
18. Ramones - Ramones expanded edition
19. Beautiful World - In Existence
20. Newsboys - Shine: The Hits

[arthurfrdent]

So, I'm curious Trub... do you have like 20 CD groups depending on mood? Cuz those are a cool grouping... Like grinman though, I have a harder grouping with some Offspring, Linkin Park, early metalica, and others... [whatdy'a mean I can't listen to black flag at work? :devil: ]... and then others, I go full classical for mmm, Rockme Amadeus... oops, I mean Motzart :D

[grinner]

1. Nine Inch Nails – Downward Spiral
This album shaped a lot of my industrial leanings…I learned a lot about industrial through NIN. Basically, they proved that you can be a musical genius and a band geek and still rock. Trent gave a face to a movement and to this day, while most of the industrial music world has been wallowing in music that sounds alike, NIN have broken through. This album came into my life when I was getting into metal and I am very grateful.

Trent has to be eternally thankful of the Chicago WAXTRAX era of Industrial Music. Were it not for Al Jougensen, Steve Albini, Sasha, En Esche... et al. when German Industrial hit Chicago and fused with Heavy Metal guitars in Ministry... and Trent learned that distortion could be made into music...

[grinner]

If I were to go thru which albums influenced me the most... hmm...

1. Metallica - Master Of Puppets.
The minute I first heard this album my freshman year of high school... it was all over. I enjoy Ride The Lightning more now but for straight out metal influence, Master is the one that turned me from a punk into a metalhead. I went from listening to Black Flag, Minor Threat, Decendents, Circle Jerks to moshing to Anthrax, Slayer, Forced Entry, Testament, Death Angel... all because of this album.

2. The Misfits - Earth A.D.
What can I say... but... Hell YEAH. Though the recording quality of this album sucks... this band influenced so many bands in so many different genres.

3. Misfits - American Psycho/Famous Monsters/Cuts From The Crypt
This may seem like sacriledge to some people, but I have to say that I prefer Michale Graves singing to Glenn Danzig's work with the Misfits. These 2 studio and 1 collection are the sum total of the 2nd incarnation of The Misfits. I saw this incarnation 5 times in concert and was blown away each time.

4. Eels - Beautiful Freak
Who? you may ask... Eels... who are they? This album is a masterful collection of songwriting and musicianship brought about by the strangely disturbed mind of lead singer E. My Beloved Monster and Me was used in the original Shrek movie, but that isn't the best song on the album. I highly recommend this ablum to everyone.

5. TYPE O NEGATIVE - Album undefined
How can I choose 1 album from this band... when each album means so much to me? Slow Deep and Hard... Origin of the Feces... October Rust... Bloody Kisses... World Coming Down... Life Is Killing Me... I can't chose 1 album so I enter their entire catalog as my 5th influencial album. Type O came along in the early 90's when I was burnt out of Metal and the majority of the Grunge movement was distasteful to me... here was a band that was making decent music that received hardly any radioplay, remeniscent of early Metallica. This band hasn't really gotten the recognition that they deserve...

6. Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
This album introduced my all time favorite song... Don't Fear The Reaper. But this album is much more than one song... it is a tapestry of imagery that whenever I spin this vinyl on the turntable returns me to my childhood... at a friends house... rocking out to BOC

7. Sisters Of Mercy - A Slight Case Of Overbombing
Classic album from early goth pioneers. Probably an album that I listened to way too much whilst in High School

8. Megadeth - Peace Sells... but who's buying?
One of the first speed metal albums that caused me to actually stop and just listen to over and over. Dave Mustaine wasn't at his best, but he wasn't completely drugged out yet. Later albums are better recorded, but none have the urgency that this album contains.

9. Corrosion Of Conformity - Mad World
This is one of the first albums from punk band turned metal band COC. The energy is dripping out of the album... easy to completely mosh to.

10. Urge Overkill - Saturation
From a band that successfully covered a Neil Diamond classic, to this album... their first MAJOR LABEL release, Urge Overkill attempted to bring back the lounge act sensibility that seemed to be missing in the grungy 90's. One of the best places to see this band was in their hometown of Chicago... rocking out with other Chicago based bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair and Material Issue. The Pumpkins were the biggest band to break out of Chicago, but I honestly think that Urge Overkill and Material Issue were the better bands. Which brings us to...

11. Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow
From the first song on the album 'Valerie Loves Me' to the final song 'Li'l Christine' this album is a masterful collection of music and songwriting. Until his suicide in 1996, Jim Ellison wrote some amazing songs. A band I miss quite a bit.

12. Cheap Trick - The Dream Police
What can I say... sometimes I like cheese. This band was a tremendous influence upon me whilst growing up in Chicago... you could hardly listen to any station without hearing some Cheap Trick on the radio. Anyway, there were many a night, whilst playing dungeons and dragons that Cheap Trick was on the turntable.

13. Ministy - Land of Rape and Honey/The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
With these two albums, industrial music was forever changed from people banging on pipes in old 'Industrial' warehouses to a mixture of samples, heavy metal guitars and heavily altered vocals. These two albums started something that Al Jourgensen finally finished when he created a song using 1 guitar note, 1 base note, 1 drum beat, and 1 symbal crash in TV1. Ministry has sense strayed from their roots and become distastefully political (imho), but I will always have to listen to these 2 albums once a year.

13. S.O.D. - Stormtroopers Of Death - Speak English Or Die
What else can you call a mixture of speed metal and hard core punk... before it was 'cool' or 'trendy'...? Only one band... S.O.D. This album was completely politically incorrect, but also bluntly honest. Bands like Agnostic Front and other NYHC bands became heavier after the 1985 release of this band.

14. Napalm Death - Death by Manipulation
The band that created the sub-genre Grindcore brought forth this masterpiece in 1992.

15. Slayer - Reign In Blood
I could say South of Heaven is a better album, but Reign In Blood is a classic speed metal album... one that has stood the test of time. Doesn't sound dated like some metal albums do after a few years.

[Owlman]

11. Children of Bodom "Follow The Reaper"
Laithos is quickly on his way to being a guitar God, if booze and drugs don't kill him first. Plenty of solos and mad riffs. Plus, Laithos is a Dream Theater hater, which is always good.

12. Killswitch Engage "Alive or Just Breathing?"
The first band to really bring European metal riffs to American music. Can be harsh and soft at the same time. Great live band as well.

13. In Flames "Colony"
European Melo Death at its best. Shows that most modern American guitarists are hacks in comparison, especially in the era when this album was released.

14. Lamb of God "Ashes of The Wake"
Kick ass guitar, and unforgiving vocals. Randy rules! Incredible live act.

15. Shadows Fall "The Art of Balance"
Got into them at the same time I got into In Flames. Better lyrics and vocals (since they are America). Guitar about at the same level.

16. Satryicon "Volcano"
One of the best black metal outfits out there. Definent inspiration for several darker stories of mine.

17. Pantera "Best of"
RIP Dimebag. I would say "Far Beyond Driven" but this has all the greats on it. Without this band, the modern Texas metal scene would not exist.

18. Dope "Group Therapy"
Another great industrial band. Has roots to MLWTTKK.

19. Opeth "Deliverance"
Released at the same time as "Damnation". This is pure European Melodeath with a lot of vocal range.

20. Saliva "Back into Your System"
Their best album by far. Great southern/hard rock.Know most songs by heart.

[trubador]

So, I'm curious Trub... do you have like 20 CD groups depending on mood? Cuz those are a cool grouping...
Thanx for the comp. :D No, I don't have 20 groupings of CDs. I just pick out from the stack whatever I'm in the mood for. I'll listen to prog rock's Enchant, then I'll listen to Hall & Oates, then I'll toss in Charlie Sexton, then maybe finish with the Newsboys ( :aok: who45) or James Taylor. Like I said.... I'm all over the place. :P
12. Cheap Trick - The Dream Police
What can I say... sometimes I like cheese.
:rollin: :aok:

[who45]

....then maybe finish with the Newsboys ( :aok: who45) :D

[grinner]

16. Jars Of Clay - Jars Of Clay
This album, including the song Flood, helped me thru some tough times... very spiritual album.

17. Sixpence None The Richer - Divine Discontent
Amazing singing from Leigh Nash and songwriting that put good use to her amazing voice. Highly recommend this album.

18. Chevelle - Point #1
Chicago band's first major label release... which caused problems that took a number of years to resolve before 'Wonder What's Next' could be released. This album isn't as polished as 'Wonder What's Next', but I prefer the more raw sound on this release.

19. REO Speedwagon - You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish
Classic album... not a song on this album that can't be cranked wilst driving the car.

20. Catherine Wheel - Ferment
When I first saw this band in concert, I had never heard of them before. I went with my brother because the band had a late show after we saw the Smashing Pumpkins in 1992. After I heard this band, I needed to run out and pick up every album they made. Ferment, to me, is their best album containing the song 'Black Metallic'. This song was amazing live and almost as good on the CD. The song 'I Want To Touch You' is another rocking song on this fine album.

Honorable Mentions...
Therapy? - any album but definitally 'Troublegum' because it includes the rocking 'Screamager'
MyLifeWithTheThrillKillKult - any damn album... this band is amazing in concert... and I am not saying that just because I saw them 24 times live. Another great Chicago band.
TRIPL3FASTACTION - defunct Chicago band that should have been huge. "Broadcaster" and the followup album "Cattlemen Don't" were two fantastic albums that didn't do justice to the live shows this band put on. The three members were involved in a late 80's punk/metal band called 'Rights of the Accused' which also featured a soon-to-be member of the band White Zombie Jay 'J' Yeunger... the hard to find album "KICK-HAPPY, THRILL-HUNGRY, RECKLESS, & WILLING!" didn't sell well (I have 3 copies as I went to college with 2 members of this band) but some of their songs appeared on punk compilations during the 80's.

[el-halo]

"20. Catherine Wheel - Ferment"

woot :> flower to hide is an awesome song on ferment, but my favorite album is Chrome. great band :) wish i saw them live, but alas i'll never get to see many of my favorite english bands as i was a few years too late and not as often they play over here :>

guess i'll make a list when i have a few more minutes!

[grinner]

Show Me Mary, Chrome and Crank totally rock on the Chrome CD, but I prefer the entire cd of Ferment... does more for me I guess.

[AgentSun]

More honorable mentions:

Dropkick Murphys
Flogging Molly
Moby
Depeche Mode
Queen
Ramones

[who45]

16. Jars Of Clay - Jars Of Clay
This album, including the song Flood, helped me thru some tough times... very spiritual album.

I have that one too.....great CD. :aok:

[el-halo]

In no particular order and without comment (edit: and off the top of my head and assuredly missing a bunch...20 is too few!)

Slowdive - Souvlaki
Lush - Split
Portishead - Dummy
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
The Smiths - The Queens is Dead
Radiohead - The Bends
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Interpol - Antics
Cranes - Loved
Heather Nova - Glow Stars
His Name is Alive - Mouth by Mouth
Hooverphonic - Blue Wonder Power Milk
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
The Clash - London Calling
The Rose Chronicles - Shiver
Bjork - Post
Catherine Wheel - Chrome
Fountains of Wayne - Utopia Parkway
Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain
Kitchens of Distinction - The Death of Cool

[grinner]

See, even you put Ferment before Chrome... :P:P:P

just kidding. :D

[grinner]

I have that one too.....great CD. :aok:
where did you get that avatar? that one is awesome. :D

[trubador]

16. Jars Of Clay - Jars Of Clay
This album, including the song Flood, helped me thru some tough times... very spiritual album.
I'm more partial to their second release "Much Afraid". I think it flows a bit better.
19. REO Speedwagon - You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish
Classic album... not a song on this album that can't be cranked wilst driving the car.
Either that one or "Hi Infidelity". Kevin Cronin's voice can get annoying after awhile, but those two albums rock. I love "I Wish You Were There"! It's got this gospel/rock vibe to it.

Anybody remember the band "Shooting Star"? Their first LP from 1980 is the best! "Last Chance" was the hit song that got played on AOR radio several years after the album was released.

[who45]

where did you get that avatar? that one is awesome. :D BC and Scrape did it for a late b-day gift. :D I just got it.

[grinner]

BC and Scrape did it for a late b-day gift. :D I just got it.
totally cool, very very nice. What a wonderful birthday present.

[el-halo]

See, even you put Ferment before Chrome... :P:P:P

just kidding. :D

i woke up this morning and in the shower i thought, "wait, did i write that?". posted it without meaning it, my brain is tricksy! (switched it now :d)

[Antrobus]

1. Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy
2. Patti Smith - Trampin'
3. Roxy Music - Avalon
4. Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
5. Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
6. Gone Again - Patti Smith
7. Laura Nyro - Christmas & The Beads Of Sweat
8. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On?
9. June Tabor - Against The Streams
10. Talking Heads - Remain In Light
11. Bach - Concertos for 2 & 3 Keyboards - Robert, Gaby and Jean Casadesus
12. Bach - B Minor Mass - Boston Baroque
13. Beethoven Symphonies 1-9 - Mackerras, cond.
14. Faure - Requiem - Cluytens, cond.
15. Handel - Messiah - Boston Baroque
16. Donizetti - Lucia Di Lammermoor - Sills, Bergonzi, Schippers
17. Bellini - Norma - Gruberova, Miles, Haider
18. Mahler - Symphony No.2 "Resurrection" - Battle, Forrester, Slatkin
19. Schubert - Symphony No. 9 "The Great" - Walter, cond.
20. Schumann - Symphony No. 4 in D Minor - Marriner, Cond.

[stellar]

1. Led Zeppelin - IV
2. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
3. Radiohead - OK Computer
4. Radiohead - Kid A
5. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
6. Stone Temple Pilots - Core
7. Rob Dougan - Furious Angels
8. Janis Joplin - I Got Dem Ol' Kosmic Blues Again Mama!
9. Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87-'93 (double album, but I'm still counting as one pick)
10. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
11. U2 - The Joshua Tree
12. Tool - Undertow
13. Pearl Jam - Ten
14. Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
15. Dixie Chicks - Fly
16. Metalica - The Black Album
17. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
18. Spawn - Movie Soundtrack
19. Air Supply - Greatest Hits
20. Kill Bill Vol. 1 - Movie Soundtrack

[NYPinTA]

"19. Air Supply - Greatest Hits" <- from stellar's list.

Serious? :eh:

[stellar]

Yes. It fills me with NYPinTA goodness.

[NYPinTA]

:lol Shut up.

[eta_carinae]

17. Sixpence None The Richer - Divine Discontent
Amazing singing from Leigh Nash and songwriting that put good use to her amazing voice. Highly recommend this album.

grinner, I'm impressed. That's quite a bit different from most of your other must-have's :D

[trubador]

Yes. It fills me with NYPinTA goodness.
:rollin:

[stellar]

:lol Shut up.

You shut up.

[NYPinTA]

:ppbb:

[NYPinTA]

20 cds I can't live without...

1) Tool- Aenima
2) Beth Hart- Screamin for my supper
3) Ani Difranco- Dilate
4) Metallica- Master of Puppets
5) Fiona Apple- Tidal
6) Korn- Follow the Leader
7) Pearl Jam- Ten
8) Beethoven’s 9th, Ode to Joy
9) The Who- Greatest Hits
10) Led Zeppelin- can I say all of them?
11) Garbage- Garbage
12) Sarah McLachlan- Surfacing
13) A Perfect Circle- Mer de Noms
14) Chevelle- This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In
15) Dave Matthews Band- Crash
16) Rusted Root- When I Woke
17) The Doors- The Best Of
18) Candlebox -Candlebox
19) Coldplay- A Rush Of Blood to the Head
20) The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

You know, it's kind of hard to pick 20 because it really depends on my mood. I tried to pick ones that are in heavy rotation on my CD player.

[stellar]

10) Led Zeppelin- can I say all of them?

That's my girl. :)

20) The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Mine's got a big scratch in it. :(

[grinner]

grinner, I'm impressed. That's quite a bit different from most of your other must-have's :D
I have an eclectic taste in music... what can I say:D

[freckle]

Led zeppelin-Physical graffitti
James blunt_ Bedlam
Doors- L.A Woman
Dean Martin-The Best of
Fat Boy Slim-Youve come a long way baby
Chemical brothers-Surrender
Megadeth- Rust in peace
Jim Morrison- American prayer
Pink floyd-The Wall
La Boheme-Puccinni (sp)

i dont need to list anymore,my life is complete... :D

[Judith]

1. Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
2. The Refreshments - The Bottle and Fresh Horses
3. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinate Sadness
4. Best of Peter, Paul and Mary
5. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
6. Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
7. The Essential Leonard Cohen
8. The Eagles Greatest Hits
9. The Cranberries - No Need to Argue
10. Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session


yeah, I have a short attention span. I'll post the other 10 later.

[LittleBodog]

Also in no particular order;

The Clash -Story of The Clash
David Bowie -The singles x2
Kiss -Double Platinum
Neil Diamond - Greatest hits (1966-1992)
Glen Campbell - Collection ('62-'89)
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
Genesis - And Then There Were Three
Genesis - Three Sides Live...With Paperlate, althouth I dont know if it actuall exists
on CD in that form. I have it that way on cassette from when cassettes
were cool
Better Than Ezra - Closer
Queensrych - Operation Mind Crime
Hole - Live Through This
Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
Crowded House - Recurring Dream
John Lennon - Lennon Legend

Only 14 but I cant think of anymore that fit the "cannot be without" catagory without looking through my collection.

[Owlman]

Honorable mentions:

Fuel "Something Like Human"
Mastodon "Leviathan"
The Crow Soundtrack
The Punisher Soundtrack
Strangeland Soundtrack

[AgentSun]

Fuel's Something Like Human ranks in my top 50. I love that album.

[NYPinTA]

That's my girl. :)

:D :lol

Hey! Aren't 'honorable mentions' cheating? :eh: Cuz, if not... I have a few... :innocent:

[stellar]

Yes, honorable mentions are cheating.

[stellar]

1. Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

5. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes


Only two Tori Amos albums? You're slipping.

[RustySlinky]

I've listened to mostly radio because it's free. So due to lack of experience, if I can continue to listen to my radio, I'll only need to request three of the mainstream CD's:


1: AC/DC: Back in Black:
This one is a great stress reliever, especially the title track.

I guess "frenzy" would be a good word to describe the band, where to me, Metallica is more "anger" and Linkin Park is more "frustration".
The "A" side is to me, almost complete frenzy. The "B" side is self-restrained.

The songs might not be memorable, but the hooks for each fit together extremely well, making this an extremely "tight" CD that transcends the sum of its parts: Each side of the CD has 5 songs each. The first song sets the bar. The next three (the 1-2=3 punch) build up to a crescendo. Then the last song winds it down.


2: Simon and Garfunkel: Best of (1999)
I grew up listening to "Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme" on the oldies stations. Can't talk much about it 'cuz I don't currently own the CD - I gave an older version of it away as a precious gift 15 years ago and haven't been able to listen to it since. I did appreciate the remakes of "Hazy Shade of Winter" by the Bangles and "Mrs. Robinson".


3: Creedence Clearwater Revisited: Recollection - Live -
Call me a hillbilly. Call me trailer-park trash for gravitating towards rustic unsophistication. But I still gotta really dig this one:

John Fogarty's voice isn't there anymore, but what's left of the band, playing live, still has that spirit. There are four tracks in this CD which are all over 8 minutes long, because the guitars keep playing and playing for 4 minutes +, and I love it when the guitars keep playing. The track "Heard it through the Grapevine is 15 minutes long, but the 10 minute long "Suzie Q" wins in my book. :)

The music is a bridge between liking country music and liking the old rock, meaning that I was able to appreciate other genres of music better, after warming up with this band first: There's traces of the "Eagles" in there, with "Janis Joplin". I even think I can hear "Kelly Clarkson" in there sometimes. :)

-----

Sure there's lots of other music that should go into a top-20 CD collection. For example, Sarah Brightman and Shakira sound good, but I don't know about treasuring whole CD's of them. And most of the more recent music is still on the radio stations. So only three CD's for now, but please, having a radio is preferred over owning the CD's.

[trubador]

* Okay... I've had to edit this because after long contemplation I realized that I'm missing one or two CDs that need to be in this list.

David Sanborn & Bob James ~ Double Vision (This album is an extremely sensual piece of work. Al Jarreau sings incredibly on "Since I Fell For You", with the remaining CD being all instrumental. It's nearly 20 years old, and it still holds up well. And Sanborn's sax has a warmer tone than on much of his other CDs. "Moontune" is very enticing.)

Grover Washington, Jr. ~ Winelight (This is classic GWJr! And he's from my home town of Philadelphia. His "Come Morning" album comes in a close second, but this one is definitely his best work. Just like the Sanborn selection, this CD is all instrumental except for the hit song "Just The Two Of Us" with Bill Withers on vocals. Released 25 years ago. It could've been released today.)


These two selections would have to make my Top 20 list, so I'm going to bump Gavin DeGraw from the honorable mention slot. I'll also bump the Sky selection since I only have it on LP. Andrea Bocelli gets bumped down to the honorable mention slot. That frees up #15 & #16 for the GWJr. and the Sanborn/James CDs. That should take care of the list.... for now at least. :D
:band::rockband::sing: