Sorry I’ve been absent for the last few weeks – I’ve been super busy traveling and taking care of some other business. More on that another time!
Today’s post has nothing to do with liberty or law. (Which probably makes it ten times more likely that you’re actually going to read it.)
I was in the shower this morning doing a bit of soul searching – you know, really pondering the important things in life. If I were stranded on a deserted island (presumably one that had electricity and a CD player), and I could only have five music CDs, which ones would I bring? After much contemplation, I have decided upon:
1. Depeche Mode: Ultra (1997)
Most would say that Violator is DM’s best album (and they might be right), but Ultra is my favorite. The first half of this album is untouchable, from the eery Barrel of a Gun to It’s No Good’s bad ass bass line to the textured guitar hooks of Useless. (The second half is no slouch, either.) If you liked Violator (you know, “Enjoy the Silence” and “Personal Jesus”) you’d probably love Ultra.
2. Sting: Mercury Falling (1996)
You’ve probably heard this album’s “I Hung My Head” or “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” or their remakes (Johnny Cash remade IHMH, Sting and Toby Keith later recorded a duet of ISHICSC). I’m not sure whether this is truly as phenomenal an album as I think it is or I just have some unique personal appreciation of it, but I encourage you to give it a listen.
3. Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
Back in high school, I rear-ended somebody while driving around listening to PHM. As a result, I stopped listening to NIN for 10 years. Seriously. Luckily I rediscovered how frickin’ good NIN is and picked up their later albums. As a bit of trivia, Trent Reznor recorded PHM while working as a janitor – yep, PHM is where it all began for NIN.
4. Erasure: Wild! (1989)
Erasure is near and dear to my heart, and Wild! takes the crown as my favorite Erasure album. It’s moody, dancy, and timeless. Per usual, Vince Clark’s brilliant songwriting + Andy Bell’s amazing voice = pure Erasure-y goodness.
5. David Bowie: Best of Bowie
I’m a newcomer to Bowie, but I can see why he’s still a legend after nearly four decades of making music. His greatest hits albums spans about 7 genres of music, and each song equally gives the impression of being definitive and archetypal.
A close call for number 5 was Dave Matthews Band: Crash. I think Crash, of all of DMB’s albums, captures the best balance of fun and melancholy. But, so sad, too bad, it’s not going with me.
What about you, my three readers? What would be your deserted island albums?
