House Robbery and Opportunity

[AlohaDawg]

As many of you know, over the holidays while we were on the mainland, the savages were in our house, helping themselves to our liquor, downloading porn (and not even good porn) to my computer, and taking a lot of our stuff that, although not priceless was in some cases meaningul.

Yesterday we got our tent back. They didn't arrest the guy that was living in it, though. Another story for another time. At least they seem to have leads.

I should get on topic here, so here it goes: We lost all our CDs. Except Christmas and Classical ones. So rather than sob uncontrollably at the prospect of replacing hundreds of CDs, I would rather build a worthy collection of great, diverse, occasionally obscure and always listenable music spanning at least this and the previous five decades, and where notable, really influential masters. This includes (but is not limited to) roots music, Blues, Jazz, Folk, and all flavors of Rock, R and B, Rap, Punk and Alternative. The only music I am not interested in is that sort put out by hate groups, Country from the 70s and after (Johnny Cash excluded) (I like Country from the 90s and on but not for this 'project'), show tunes, and crap like Philip Glass does. And no pure vocalists (Stresiand, Charlotte Church, Etc) or Atmospheric music like Yanni or Vangelis. (although Heaven and Hell is pretty cool).

This forum offers the greatest gamut of lifestyles/personalities/personas (Where else can I find JLDunston, PMcD9, Andalucia, Jough, Slink and Wombat in the same room??) and so I am counting on all of you to help me out by building, first virtually and then in reality, a somewhat definitive CD collection for the year 2004. I Figure 300 should be a good number to start with: what 300 CDs MUST I have to be a well rounded, musically hip, decent human being with the resources to make a decent mix on demand?

Thanks for helping out!

[V-Adore]

This is an interesting challenge. Let me throw in a few off the top of my head:

Moxy Fruvous -- You Will Go To the Moon
(Any of their CDs are good, but Moon is indispensable.)

R.E.M. -- New Adventures in Hi-Fi, Document, Automatic For the People, and Life's Rich Pageant, with Out Of Time as a runner-up
(Once again, virtually anything is good, but this is what you need.)

Steve Burns, Songs For Dustmites

As for the poll, the "suspension by testicles" idea is sound, but why damage the Fender?

[jay-ell]

Oh, my.  What an interesting question.  I'm a big fan of "Greatest Hits" compilations, because they provide a nice sampling of an artist or band for minimal investment.  Some scoff at my collection because it does include so many such discs, but it suits me well, as there are few bands about which I am obsessive enough to care about discography.  

CDs I couldn't comfortably live without:

Led Zeppelin, Boxed set.  (The 4 disk.)  It covers pretty much everything you've already heard from them, and some more obscure favorites.  The only Zeppelin you need in your collection, unless you're a Zep Phreak like me.  

Rush: Retrospective I and II.  Mostly radio songs, but you simply can't get enough of Peart's drumming.  While their later stuff is much mellower and most of their truly experimental stuff is left off of the Retrospectives, these albums get much more playtime in my rotation than does, for instance, 2112.  

The Baddest of George Thorogood.  Good, hard-rockin' drinkin' music.  

Heart: Greatest Hits (not"These Dreams")  Nancy Wilson: The Most Kick-Ass Female Guitarist Ever, and my personal hero.  And no, dammit, they're not lesbians.  

AC/DC: Highway to Hell.  Not a greatest hits album, but it may as well be.  Plus, it includes my personal favorite AC/DC song, "Girl's Got Rhythm."  

The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits.  Pretty much everything you'd want to hear by the Eagles, except Hotel California.  That's why you'd want to pick up the second disk later, or buy the single song off iTunes or something.  Also includes Take it To the Limit, which has the second-longest fadeout in the world (right after Hey Jude).  

The Doors: Greatest Hits.  In case you ever find a baggie of weed by the side of the road.  Also: Pink Floyd: The Wall

Mark Knopfler: Sailing to Philadelphia.  Much more mature, musically, than his work with Dire Straits; one of the best albums I own from a techinical standpoint.  Knopfler is one of the greats as a guitarist, but he's often underrated.  This album is a series of snapshots of American life; odd for a Brit to put together something like that, but Knopfler does so with a sense of truth and beauty that only an outsider could bring.  

Pearl Jam: vs.  A classic in its own time, angry flannel-wearing grunge rock reaches a new high -- or a new low, depending how old you where in 1992.  

Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.  Who can forget?  

Steve Miller Band: Greatest Hits.  For when you're having a party, and you  invited people with wide and varied musical tastes.  See also: Jimmy Buffet.  

They Might Be Giants: Flood.  Because you can't be around this message board for long without gettin' a little Dork on you.  

Various Artists: Closer than a Kiss.  For romantic evenings with the Wife.  Gorgeous jazzy ballads by famous crooners: Sinatra, Torme, Damone, Hibbler -- just beautiful.  Hey, even r0kR ch1X gotta be mellow sometimes.

[AugustWest]

 Because you can't be around this message board for long without gettin' a little Dork on you.  

I don't think you can be around any message board, anytime without already having a substantial portion of Dork on you.

[V-Adore]

Oh, right, TMBG! I was lukewarm about whether to include them, but yes, everyone needs at least one They Might Be Giants album. John Henry is at times uneven but is generally lovely -- honestly, you can't go wrong. The material is diverse but equally satisfying throughout their career.

[slink]

I can't really give you a proper listing, since I lost most of my music (twice) and haven't replaced it all yet. That and my memory being so bad that I can't remember what I lost....

Alice in Chains Unplugged - And everyone raved about the Nirvana one...

Bruce Springsteen - Asbury Park - Much as I hate The Boss I have to rate this album.

Desorden Republico - (eponymous) - New discovery courtesy of my brother who can afford to buy random new thngs... Venezuelan ska. Excellent with it.

Eagles of Death Metal - 'Bluegrass strip music with Canned Heat vocals' - comes out in a month or two, and goddamn is it good!

Mark Lanegan - Here Comes That Weird Chill EP, and Bubblegum (rel Jan/Feb) - We had all the folk/grunge stuff, now we're onto, well... it's just about the best fuck*ng music anyone who speaks English has made any time in the last ten years.

Faith No More - Angel Dust - Truly seminal rock album.

Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters - Well.. I mean come on! (and for that matter you ought to already know to be getting some Miles Davis and...
Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner - Wow. One thing I can truly say I wish I was there for.

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking - Again...

Morphine - Cure For Pain - Damn, they're just getting too good!

Pixies - Doolittle - Ditto...

Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley - Not enough people rate this as nearly as seminal as it so is!

Sublime - (eponymous) - Truly fantastic album, although the sadness of Knowles dying of something so bizarre (for someone who comes across the way he does) as skag is a little depressing on occasion... Poor Lou Dog.

The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium - May not be to everyone's taste, but it's a superb album, with some incredible work, and phenominally proficient musicianship.

Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Sabrina Heaven - Worth importing from Japan, the mix of Jazz/rock/blues/ska and a fantastic voice is stunning.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Skapara Toujou - Wow. Just read the name again!

Violent Femmes - (eponymous) - Superb album. And that bass riff in Please Do not Go... woah!

The Gordon Gano solo album with Cale and Reed and Harvey and people - excellent album!

Tweaker - The Attraction to All Things Uncertain - NIN's ex drummer, and the producer behind Sublime and many other fantastic things... Excellent album.

Queens of the Stone Age - the three albums
Desert Sessions - especially 9&10 which is fuck*ng astounding
Brant Bjork - ex Kyuss/QOTSA/Fu Manchu - really grown on me
Masters of Reality - the most unhip rock music I can imagine. And it's fuck*ng superb!
Orquesta Del Desierto - see above...

Gotan Project - Has to be owned...

OK, that ought to do. That's a list of the things I have here that you really can't be without! I grouped the final bunch of desert things together, because with the excpetion of Desert Sessions 9&10 (which you ought to like dagnabbit) if you like one of them, you will like the others.
Most of the stuff I lost and thus can't list is the pre 1990 stuff. I lost all my classic rock, which would list Led Zeppelin 2/4. King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black. Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa... And erm, yea...
Oh - Fugazi - 13 songs is on the list, as well as Husker Du - Zen Arcade for some punk representation.

(note : Oh dear. I could have made this list about three times longer, if not more. Everything I own is worthy of this list given that if I don't listen to something I get rid of it. I have a folder for stuff that I use one track of in mixes, but all my artist/album folders are priceless to me.
The moral of the story: Don't get me started on music - 'tis all I want to do . With every psasing day everything else goes out the window...)

[slink]

Heart: Greatest Hits (not"These Dreams")  Nancy Wilson: The Most Kick-Ass Female Guitarist Ever, and my personal hero.

Would you perchance have around a track Layne Staley did with them? If so I'll pay you for a copy of it! (mp3 would do amply).

Also, I wouldn't put Mellon Collie on my list. If I were to put any Pumpkins on (which I probably wouldn't) it would be between Gish and Siamese Dream. Corgan got carried so far downstream by his own pretentions with Mellon Collie (which could have made a fantastic single disc) that I only listen to one track off it - Jellybelly which despite it's STUPID name is a superb track.


*AHEM* I'm now going to ban myself for writing this much in The Conservatory! Dang.

[CortJstr]

TMBG - Flood. As a fan I might prefer other favorites but this is their definitive album and the by far the most popular. Or Dial-A-Song (greatest hits)

I'd go for Death to the Pixies as you get the live CD as well.

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill. Duh

Soul Coughing - Irresistable Bliss. But only because I have to pick just one.

Barenaked Ladies - Stunt. Or Gordon if you don't want to go with live stuff.

Kelly Bell Band - Ain't Like it Used To Be. Trust me on this one. It's great rocking blues.

Reel Big giraffe - Turn the Radio Off. Just fun.

Weezer - Blue Album. [...]

Rage Against the Machine - self-titled. I guess this is a love/hate thing though.

[slink]

Rage Against the Machine - self-titled. I guess this is a love/hate thing though.

Oughtn't be, but then, what isn't?
Should have been on my list, but I lost my copy and thus forgot about it.
I'd also add Deftones - Around the Fur, which is very much love/hate, but I think a very original album, and damn good.

[CortJstr]

Rage is easier to hate because of the nature of their lyrics. If you disagree with their politics it's hard to like the band, even if you otherwise like that style of music.

Which reminds me (I'm not sure how): Saturdaynight Fever soundtrack. And Forrest Gump.

[Limmo]

Would you perchance have around a track Layne Staley did with them? If so I'll pay you for a copy of it! (mp3 would do amply).

Also, I wouldn't put Mellon Collie on my list. If I were to put any Pumpkins on (which I probably wouldn't) it would be between Gish and Siamese Dream. Corgan got carried so far downstream by his own pretentions with Mellon Collie (which could have made a fantastic single disc) that I only listen to one track off it - Jellybelly which despite it's STUPID name is a superb track.

Amazing.  I was driving home tonight, listening to siamese dream, and thinking even if you took the best 13 songs from Mellon Collie you'd still have an album nowhere near as good as its predecessor.  

The song you're thinking of is from AiC's Sap EP.  Send me your email address and I'll mp3 it to you.

[Limmo]

Oh, and some suggestions for AlohaDawg:
Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions
Little Richard: any of the Specialty greatest hits discs
Chuck Berry: The Great 28
The Buddy Holly Story
The Beatles: any studio album
The Rolling Stones: Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St.
The Who Sell Out ( expanded CD version )
The Zombies: Odessey and Oracle
The Velvet Underground: any of the 4 studio albums
Jimi Hendrix: Axis Bold As Love
Led Zeppelin: take your pick
Neil Young: After the Gold Rush, Live Rust, Harvest, Decade
David Bowie: “Heroes”
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Funkadelic: Maggot Brain, Standing on the Verge…
James Brown: Star Time (box), Love Power Peace
The Essential Sly and the Family Stone
Prince: Sign O’ the Times
Peter Gabriel: Passion
Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame
King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black, Discipline
Rush: Retrospective II
Brian Eno: Here Come the Warm Jets, Music for Airports, Apollo
Harold Budd and Brian Eno: The Pearl
Steve Tibbetts: YR, Safe Journey, The Fall of Us All
Iggy and the Stooges: Fun House, Raw Power
Smashing Pumpkins: Gish, Siamese Dream
Nirvana: Nevermind, MTV Unplugged
Posies: Frosting on the Beater, Amazing Disgrace
Pixies: Surfer Rosa, Trompe Le Monde
Catherine Wheel: Chrome, Adam and Eve
Jeff Buckley: Grace
Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes
Flaming Lips: Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, Soft Bulletin
R.E.M.: Murmur, Reckoning, Automatic for the People, Up
The Replacements: Let It Be
Husker Du: New Day Rising
Buddy Guy: Sweet Tea
Junior Wells and Buddy Guy: Hoodoo Man Blues
Robert Cray: Bad Influence
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
B.B. King Live at Cook County Jail
Albert King: King of the Blues Guitar
Robert Johnson: Complete Recordings
Blind Willie McTell: anthology, forgot the title
The Essential Bessie Smith
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue, In A Silent Way, Panthalassa
Cannonball Adderly: Somethin’ Else
John Coltrane: Giant Steps, A Love Supreme, The Very Best of John Coltrane
The Lester Young Story
Charlie Parker: Boss Bird
Charlie Christian: Solo Flight
Duke Ellington: The OKeh Ellington, Ellington Indigo
Michael Hedges: Aerial Boundaries
Leo Kottke: 6 and 12 String Guitar
Cyril Pahinui and Bob Brozman: Four Hands Hot and Sweet
Fela Kuti: Expensive Shit, He Miss Road, The Best Best of Fela Kuti
Bob Marley and the Wailers Live
Various reggae artists: Groove Yard
Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison
The Patsy Cline Story
Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Doc At the Radar Station
The Shaggs
Robert Rich & Lustmord: Stalker
Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head
Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation..., Apocalypse 91
Slayer: Reign in Blood
Metallica: Master of Puppets

That should do for a start.

[pmcd9]

I should get on topic here, so here it goes: We lost all our CDs. Except Christmas and Classical ones. So rather than sob uncontrollably at the prospect of replacing hundreds of CDs, I would rather build a worthy collection of great, diverse, occasionally obscure and always listenable music spanning at least this and the previous five decades, and where notable, really influential masters. This includes (but is not limited to) roots music, Blues, Jazz, Folk, and all flavors of Rock, R and B, Rap, Punk and Alternative. The only music I am not interested in is that sort put out by hate groups, Country from the 70s and after (Johnny Cash excluded) (I like Country from the 90s and on but not for this 'project'), show tunes, and crap like Philip Glass does. And no pure vocalists (Stresiand, Charlotte Church, Etc) or Atmospheric music like Yanni or Vangelis. (although Heaven and Hell is pretty cool).

This forum offers the greatest gamut of lifestyles/personalities/personas (Where else can I find JLDunston, PMcD9, Andalucia, Jough, Slink and Wombat in the same room??) and so I am counting on all of you to help me out by building, first virtually and then in reality, a somewhat definitive CD collection for the year 2004. I Figure 300 should be a good number to start with: what 300 CDs MUST I have to be a well rounded, musically hip, decent human being with the resources to make a decent mix on demand?

Thanks for helping out!

If I were to lose my entire music collection I would be devastated.  I really feel for you Dawg.  It was sickening enough to hear about that guitar, but this is even worse in my opinion.  And I know you would never do this so i'll do it for you.  Dawg doesn't need advice on essential records, he knows what rocks.  What he needs is his friends here to burn some disc for him.  I pledge 10 disc.  

Here's my list of essentials*, pick 10.

The Beatles-  White Album, Abbey Road
Zep- Boxed Set
Who's Next
Todd- Something/Anything
AiC - Dirt
AC/DC- Let there Be Rock
Boys - Pet Sounds, Greatest Hits
BS - Masters of Reality, Heaven and Hell
D and the D - Layla
Jimi - Ladyland, First Rays
LA Woman
GnR - Appetite
B B - Cook County Jail, Live at the Regal
Skynyrd - Gold and Platinum
Band on the Run
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Nirvana - Nevermind
Queen - A Day, A Night
OK Computer
RHCP - BSSM
RS - Beggers, Exile, Let it Bleed
Paul Simon - Bridge, Rhymin' Simon
SP - Mellon Collie, Siamese Dream
Steely Dan - Countdown, Aja
Van Halen, Woman and Children
Weird Al in 3D
Neil Young - Decade
Zappa in New York, Were Only in it for the Money
Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City

*of what I have

~Paul

[andalucia]

Apparently I'm a little late in jumping on this bandwagon and a lot of great suggestions have already been made... I thought CortJ's comment about Rage was interesting, since I've always wanted to like them, since they have some quite good politics, but I think their particular style of music is lamelamelame.  
However, here's my list.  The length of everyone else's makes me feel a little better, as does the prior knowledge that I'm not by any means the only music geek around.... Sorry about the idiotic little reviews.:

For Indie Cred:
Cat Power, Moon Pix:
Lots of critical acclaim, if that means anything, simple arrangements, a nice voice.
Frank Black & the Catholics, Dog in the Sand:
Frank Black/Black Francis has an uncanny gift for writing catchy rock songs that I would suggest evidences a soul-selling
Jim O'Rourke, Eureka:
Also, it is not on this album, but you should listen to his cover of the Velvet Underground's 'Venus in Furs'
Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One or And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out:
Yo La Tengo have a great gift for vascillating between utter popiness (cf. the covers they've done, i.e. 'Little Honda') and nifty experimentalism.
Kings of Conveniece, eponymous:
Good low-key melodic indieage
Low, Things We Lost in the Fire:
"Slowcore"- takes getting used to, but very pretty and so on.
Luna, Romantica:
Excellent guitar-strong folk-influenced indie
Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs (esp. Vol.1):
The singer cites his major influence as ABBA, but don't let that scare you, since he has a great voice and good lyrics.
Mary Lou Lord, Got No Shadow:
Arguably got famous for having slept with Kurt Cobain, but she has nice folky acoustic etc.
Neil Halstead, Sleeping on Roads:
He's from the band Mojave 3, and this album is very sleepy and nice, but with strong rhythms.
Neutral Milk Hotel, In an Aeroplane Over the Sea:
Weird noisy catchy songs.
Robyn Hitchcock, Globe of Frogs:
Singer of the Soft Boys, makes interesting surreal pop music.
Rufus Wainwright, eponymous:
Louden(sp?)'s son, somewhat bombastic but fun
Sleater-Kinney, All Hands on the Bad One:
They were that band before the Strokes who were also gonna save rock music for us.
Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co.:
Weird, "cathartic", simple songs
Sonic Youth, Murray St. or Sister:
Murray Street is a little more stonerish (cf very long solos), Sister's a little faster and weirder, with good Philip K. Dick allusions.
Spoon, Girls Can Tell:
Very "tight" rock.
Decemberists, Castaways and Cutouts:
Singer's voice takes getting used to, but fun and novel.
They Might Be Giants, eponymous or Flood:
Enough's been said about 'em here already...
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot:
One of those albums I refused to listen to for a while because the praise for it was so ridiculously unanimous, but it really really deserves it.


"Classics":
Pixies, Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim
Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat
Big Star, #1 Record/Radio City
Soft Boys, Underwater Moonlight
Stooges, Raw Power
Television, Marquee Moon
Patti Smith, hosss
R.E.M., New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Folk/Blues/Jazz:
Tom Waits, Rain Dogs or Bone Machine
Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde and/or Blood on the Tracks
John Zorn, Naked City
Sun Ra, Atlantis
Nick Drake, Five Leaves Left
Any "Best-of" type deals of Robert Johnson, Son House, Skip James, or Leadbelly



P.S.  Your categorisation of Philip Glass as "crap" brought a single tear to my eye.  Have you seen Koyaanisqaatsi?

[Carlos del Vaca]

I don't have time to put together a substantial list right now, but you absolutely must have Marvin Gaye's What's Going On.  Preferably the recent two-CD reissue with a live disc.