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| From | "Drew MacDonald" <drewmacdonald1@gmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: My 20 all time favorite albums |
| Date | Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:27:51 -0800 |
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Thanks for the words of comfort, Bill and Michael. (sniff)
And so --not TOO anticlimactically, I hope-- here we go. Many of these
will not fit everyone's idea of "power pop," but I think they all fall
within the Audities purview of "insanely great pop." And again, my apologies
to the 21st Century for its lack of representation.
1. PET SOUNDS - The Beach Boys
I don't listen to it as much as I breathe it. Is it sacrilegious that I've
come to prefer the stereo remix from the box set?
2. REVOLVER - The Beatles
'Nuff said. I grew up on the US version, but happily replaced it (in my
collection and in my heart) with the "real" (UK) track assembly when it was
issued on CD.
3. SKYLARKING - XTC)
This slot could have been held by APPLE VENUS VOLUME 1 or NONSUCH, but I
still play this one the most. (The US version with "Dear God," BTW)
4. THE BEAT - The (Paul Collins) Beat
Surely the most indisputably "power pop" entry on this list, if that genre
label is to have any meaning whatsoever. "You Won't Be Happy" and "Walking
Out On Love" make up one of the greatest one-two punches ever.
5. MORE OF THE MONKEES - The Monkees
My first favorite record. Shaped my taste from a very tender age.
6. AVALON - Roxy Music
Creates its own world and takes you there. My second-fave Roxy record is the
self-titled debut, which may as well have come from a different band.
7. MARSHALL CRENSHAW - Marshall Crenshaw
I was one of the original fans who bemoaned the Lilywhited followup, but
it's not as if this debut wasn't still around to be listened to again. And
again. And again.
8. THE GREATEST LIVING ENGLISHMAN - Martin Newell
Every Newell album scores for me --even the loungey LIGHT PROGRAMME-- but
this is the apex. My copy came with the bonus CD of smart and funny
spoken-word material.
9. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE - Fountains Of Wayne
I could make a case for any FoW record to be here --yes, even TRAFFIC AND
WEATHER, backlashing haters-- but I'll never forget hearing their debut for
the first time. It may have been the description of the title character of
"Leave The Biker" ("crumbs in his beard from the seafood special") that made
me realize, "Holy Crap, I have a new favorite band!"
10. SO - Peter Gabriel
Of all 20 discs here, this one had spent the least recent time in my player.
But when I put it on again, the earnest and heartfelt nature of the songs
and performances overcame the dated, burned-in-memory of the MTV images.
Almost went with SECURITY to represent Gabriel on this list, but "Mercy
Street"sealed the deal for SO. Swear they moved that sign...
11. VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY - The Kinks
I got into the Kinks through KRONIKLES (which would be here, and higher on
the list, if it weren't a taboo comp) but this is the one "regular"
album that holds together all the way through for me. Everything good about
the Kinks is represented here.
12. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS - Cocteau Twins
I lived with this during a meandering drive through the Southwest, and I
will forever associate this album with a blanket of moonlight over Coyote
Basin, Arizona. Unlike many CT fans, I thought their records got better as
they went along. This is the first one with mostly intelligible lyrics,
though traditional words were always secondary with this bunch. Magical.
13. SO WE GO - The Hang Ups
A relatively obscure dollar-bin fixture throughout the late 90s, this album
cast its rainy-day spell on me right away and continues to do so. Sweet,
warm and insinuating in a way the band never duplicated, before or since.
14. MODERN TIMES - Al Stewart
Also very linked to a specific time and place for me: the south of England
in the mid-70s. Just before his commercial breakthrough, but song for song
it is his strongest collection. It continues to tickle me that one lyric
refers to "walking the lanes of Brighton," and that's precisely where I
bought my copy of this LP: in a head shop in the Brighton Lanes.
15. BORN TO RUN - Bruce Springsteen
One of the finest movies never made.
16. MY AIM IS TRUE - Elvis Costello
I can entertain pleadings for ARMED FORCES or IMPERIAL BEDROOM, but like the
FoW entry above, you never forget your first time. When this record came
out, it was like somebody opened a window in a stuffy room.
17. COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY - Steely Dan
In my DNA since my teens. Smart and cool, and it made me feel smart and cool
for liking it so much.
18. REMAIN IN LIGHT - Talking Heads
The highlight of the Eno collaborations, with every track a winner. Even
after using "The Overload" dozens of times as a bass demo during my
stereo-salesman past life, I'm still not tired of that song, nor any other.
Mojique plants devices in the free trade zone...
19. PERSPEX ISLAND - Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
This album's relatively low placement probably misrepresents my abiding love
and respect for Hitchock. If homemade compilations were allowable, my "Best
Of Robyn" would be number one on this list. But as it is, this is the first
all-killer, no-filler album of his I heard. (Yes, I got into RH very late.)
20. STRANGE FREE WORLD - Kitchens Of Distinction
I don't remember seeing this on the other lists so far, and I don't think
I'm likely to. Though I have all the KoD records, the others never got their
hooks in me the way this one did (and does.) IIRC, I was turned on to
them by MTV's "120 Minutes." The urgency of Fitzgerald's nasal braying over
the dense squall of guitars really does the trick. Take me away from these
simple feelings...
That's it! I'm not appending a "bubbling under" list, because I can't bear
to look at the drowned corpses of those poor albums that just missed the
boat...
Drew
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