The Top CDs lists

• TOP 10 "WHY DO I HAVE THESE DISCS" DISCS
• TOP 10 SINGLES
• TOP 25 CDs OF ALL TIME

Why. Why do we have certain discs. Sometimes we go, Oh My God, I'll never see this again. Or, if so-and-so likes it, I will too! To think that I actually had to listen to Liza Minelli: Results before buying it, but Ministry: Psalm 69 I went out and right like right away? Makes no sense. In no particular order.

Angels In The Architecture

This is a really rare expensive sampler for Editions EG, a very ambient Virgin off shoot. Lots of Fripp and Eno. Lots of really boring stuff. I'm sure that there are people on rec.music.progressive that would kill for it. However, it does have one the best ever titled songs on it: The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter, a Penguin Cafe Orchestra song that lasts 11'41". I couldn't tell you what it sounds like.

Paula Abdul: Shut Up And Dance

Three things made me buy this. 1) Earl likes Paula. 2) Adam Blons (who gets no respect) said it had hot mixes. 3) $9.96 at the Beast.

Devo: Hardcore Volume 2

Being quite the large Devo fan I was excited for this. All outtakes from `74-`77. This is crap though. Dig some of my song titles and you'll know why none of it made any albums: Bamboo Bimbo (a very non-PC song about some Vietnam chick), Baby Talkin' Bitches, I Need A Chick (rest of the line uses a word that rhymes with chick and uses the word suck), Fraulein, and of course, Dogs Of Democracy. Listened to it at least 3 times, max.

Led Zeppelin: Presence

I liked Nobody's Fault But Mine, so I figured the rest must be good too. And Achilles Last Stand is over 10 minutes long. Isn't this the worst non-Coda LZ album? And I saw it in New York and figured I just had to have it?

House Hallucinates: Pump Up London Volume 1

So we're getting ready to leave London and I had still not bought a house disc. I had no money left. Somehow I gave Ethan some US money for the rest of his pounds. This one looked good. I've actually listened to it recently. This disc does clock in at over 80 minutes. It's got some good Sleezy D! The truly amazing thing is that it came out domestically like 3 months after we got back.

Manufacture: Terrorvision

Who are Manufacture? I wish I knew. I took a quick listen to it at a record store in FL, it had a good beat to it. I bought it. Haven't listened to it in a while. OK, I listened to it. Why.

Public Enemy: Greatest Misses

Now this sounded like a good idea at the time. 6 new tracks, 6 remixes, and one really really shitty sounding live track. Well at least the mixes are good? No. Not the correct mix of You're Gonna Get Yours. Why would I want a remix of How To Kill A Radio Consultant. Why did I buy this?

Tangerine Dream: Tyger

TD has good stuff. Unfortunately I made the mistake of picking on the the one with singing on it. Listen to it like twice. It came out in `87 and I'd be shock to know if I've listen to it since then. There is so much good TD stuff, why do I have this one.

Pete Townshend: Psychoderilict

So I'm in Title Wave. I had always wanted to buy it. I bought Iron Man and sort of liked it. I figured how bad could a Pete Townshend album be? I figured for $4.99 I'd at least get English Boy on disc. Mistake. I'd pay an additional $4.99 just to hear English Boy without all that annoying narrative.

Yes: Relayer

Almost the exact same reasons as Presence. The spines even look the same. My friend Kirk in high school said, Gates Of Delirium, 22 minutes, cool. That was enough for me. Sorry Jim, but at least I got it used!

Special PF consideration: Rock Goes To The Movies: In Dreams

It wasn't as if I didn't already of 2 copies of the Zabreski Point soundtrack and a poorly done compilation of ZP and other movie tracks, I had to get this one too!

Special PF consideration: Objects Of Fantasy

This album of orchestral versions of PF songs is so bad that they re-released it with the offensive title "Orchestral Manoeuvres". I can't believe it. However, I've listened to it more than once.

Singles are a hard thing to decided upon. Some have lots of mixes and if even two are good, it's a keeper. Some have lots of other tracks and make it even that much better. Really good singles are few and far between. The Justify My Love single is an example of a very good single that didn't make the cut for no particular reason, but it does have several good (extremely different) mixes and an incredibly hot mix of an older song (Express Yourself). The most honorable mention goes to U2. All of the Tree singles are exemplary as are the 4 picture disc singles from Hum. It would be too difficult to pick one or two from them. I kind of think of them as being one! I think that they key to the single is too see how long you can listen to it. Some singles just have a bazillion unlistenable mixes of one songs, the US Go West single comes to mind, while other see to go on forever, like the Touched By The Hand Of God single.

Depeche Mode: World In My Eyes (US)

2 b-sides each with very different mixes and three mixes of the title track, each one listenable? 3 listenable DM remixes? Amazing. Hey, I would have been happy enough with just the two extra tracks, let alone there remixes!

Erasure: Drama (US)

Only three songs, but there are at least two good remixes of Drama and the two b-sides each as a hot mix. This single was the start of the "Let's have singles longer than the album" trend. In fact, skip the Erasure albums and just collect the singles!

Erasure: Blue Savannah (US)

A single so good they named a weekend after it. 7 tracks with 4 different songs! 3 hot b-sides and 4 mixes of the title track (all pretty good). Ah yes, back when singles were new and exciting.

Genesis: Land Of Confusion (UK)

You could just skip the whole Invisible Touch album and just have this single. LOC has a great remix (but why is it necessary to point out that Tony Banks played Bass Synth). Two b-sides: Feeding The Fire (better than just about anything from Invisible Touch) and Do The Neurotic, an instrumental which is amazing! Lyrics on the inside. The cover is a parody of The Beatles: For Sale (?) with puppet heads done by Splitting Image. An all around nice package!

Living Colour: Glamour Boys Tour CD (US promo)

This was a difficult choice to make. The problem is 1) it is a promo, and 2) it looks like there is only one noteworthy track, "Glamour Boys (Medley)". But it is that Medley that makes it all worth while. Some good Pere Ubu Sailing On and some good The Ocean (Led Zep) and then the most slamming version of Glamour Boys extended and housey beyond belief. You've heard it. You've lived it. You love it.

New Order: Touched By The Hand Of God (UK)

Hot non-album track remixed b/w Confusion Dub 1987 (what I wouldn't kill for the original mix on CD) and Temptation original mix (instead of the shitty `87 version on Substance). Possibly the best and most listenable single ever released.

OMD: Locomotion (UK)

This could almost be my favourite single, vinyl or CD. Good remix and 2 non-LP tracks, The Avenue and Her Body In My Soul. New OMD should be as good as these "b-side".

Pet Shop Boys: DJ Culturemix (UK)

This is another disc that is just too listenable. A good mix. A HOT fucking remix of Music For Boys Part 3 which is almost just too techno for words and Overture to Performance, the ONLY classical piece good enough to be on a single. Hey, if you can put it in and not have to program around things and go through that many musical styles, it's a good single.

Public Enemy: Brothers Gonna Work It Out (US)

This would also be know as the "Summer Slammer". This yet another example of how well a CD5 can be done. Besides the Enemy Assault Vehicle Mixx (possible being the best mega-mix ever), some good Powersaxx and the Uncensored Extended of Anti-Nigger Machine. I still however don't hear any differences between that and the LP version. Could this be the one single that all legacy members are required to own?

Bruce Springsteen: Chimes Of Freedom (US)

The Canadian version is better because it is unedited, however 4 live Springsteen tracks on a single is pretty cool. 1 cover, 1 "current" track, 1 "unreleased" song, and 1 acoustic. Wow. Too bad about the shitty packaging. We all remember how poorly the CBS singles were done back in `88 don't we?

Special PF Consideration: Let's All Make Love In London Mini-LP

This single of the two PF tracks nullifies the other LP version I have of Let's All Make Love In London. In fact, whenever I want to hear a good 16 minute version of IO or Nick's Boogie, I grab this disc.

First, a list of the top picks that didn't make it (but I really wanted to include them), in alphabetical order: Beastie Boys: Check Your Head, The Cure: Wish, Derek And The Dominoes: Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, DEVO: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!, Depeche Mode: Violator, Dire Straits: Alchemy, Electronic, New Order: Substance, Pink Floyd: Animals, Public Enemy: Fear Of A Black Planet, Rush: Counterparts, Stevie Ray Vaughan: Live Alive. And might I just add that Substance does get a special commendation for being probably the best done compilation of all time! It's sets a standard to which no one compares!

25. Orbital: Orbital 2

Orbital 2 is at the bottom of the list, but ahead of all of those other discs? Well, upon hearing it you will know why. Not that there is anything wrong with the above disc, but it is very rare when the very first time you hear an album by a band you know nothing about that you fall in love with it. Definitely something I could not do without. Good for driving, biking, working, cooking, relaxing. Just about anything. If Philip Glass did techno, he'd be Orbital. Wow.

24. Rush: Moving Pictures

What can I say about my .ca boys. It's a little classic rock, but with good reason. Sometimes I wonder why there are not more trios. Camera Eye, wow. YYZ, never lose interest in it. It's just an incredible album. My one question is who is Norm and why must we deviate from him?

23. Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine

I know that I'm going solo (that's right, Flav's going solo) on this one. It's just about near perfect though. It would be difficult to find something else with this range of emotion out of any other electronic band. Actually out of most bands. Even Rush can't hit all these emotions. Trent's writing it up there with, dare I say it, people like Bruce and Roger. An electronic masterwork if there ever was.

22. Sting: Bring On The Night

Well lately I've had a rather love/hate relationship. Lately, been the past 7 years. I think that he kind of lost it after this album. Ten Summoners Tales was good, but nothing will ever compare Dream Of The Blue Turtles. What is even more amazing than that album was the tour that I was unable to see, stupid me. What a document of that tour this album is. This album has to be the most unselfish least ego-tripping thing Sting has ever done. What freedom is band has. What a band in general! And Branford rapping. Wow. And to think that this was a controversial band. Interesting.

21. U2: The Joshua Tree

Tree!

20. Pet Shop Boys: Behavour

I think that with this album, my most Pet Shoppie Boys really put it all together. This is one of the most lush, emotionally diverse pieces they've done. It is rare to find such intellect in songs that are so pop. How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously? is a perfect commentary on the current musical scene even years later. Musically it ranges from orchestral sounds of Your October Symphony to the techno of So Hard. And to think that during this period they also covered Streets as well. And doing better than U2!

19. Philip Glass: Solo Piano

Good CDs to listen to with chicks. They get hipmotized! But seriously folk. I want more of my boy sitting around playing piano. I suppose that this is the equivalent to Bruce sitting round with just his guitar. I've seen Glass perform solo twice and both times it has been incredible. This disc is a great representation of what it is like. Not a wide range of music; Ahkanten has a wider range, but the performances can not be compared.

18. The Who: Quadrophenia

Way back when, before the age of new wave and alternative music, The Who was very very big at my high school. I had some Who stuff, but nothing I was really wild about. I even had Live At Leeds, but I just didn't like it. I was a big Police fan, and I had heard that Sting was in the movie of Quadrophenia. So I figured that this was reason enough for having a friend of mine tape Quadrophenia. Perhaps it was angst of those early teenage years, but I really connected with it. The madness and the anger and the sense that nothing was ever going to turn out right. It all some how got put together within this album. I still feel that it is probably the best thing that The Who have done. It doesn't have the dated sound of Tommy. In some ways it's even a better story than Tommy.

17. Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel Of Fudge

Dispite was most people think, Earl did not turn me into a Bruce fan. He might have turned me into a Bruce fanatic though. I was a big Atlantic City fan when it came out, and I got Born In The USA and the Live album right away. I remember being at summer came in the late 70s and hearing Bruce tapes. One of my counselors pointed out that the sax solo in BTR and in the original SNL theme are very very similar. Earl gave me a great tape of Tunnel Of Love with all sorts of Bsides and stuff when he was in his nutso Bruce phase. It grew on me very quickly. I didn't get it on CD until after I graduated, which was a mistake. I think that TOL is definitely the most introspective of the Bruce albums, and I guess that is what I connected with since I was introspective when I turned into a Bruce tramp. I even like the mushy songs like When You're Alone and Valentine's Day. The title song is probably one of the most underrated songs as well as being extremely intense. Besides, I was there the only time he has ever played Cautious Man.

16. Genesis: Selling England By The Pound

Most people would say that The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is the best of the Gabriel era Genesis, but I disagree. There is just too much going on in that album, and too much Enossification. Selling England is a fantastic collection of songs. Each one unique. All telling a great story, and each more wilder than the next. Except of course, More Fool Me. Hey! Nice vocals Phil. The whole album is unified through some sort of theme, musically and lyrically that I've just never been able to explain. How they went on to make crap like In Too Deep, I'll never know.

15. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark: Architecture And Morality

Architecture And Morality really really surprised me when I got it. I wasn't sure what to expect because I only had Junk Culture at the time. This album is lush, dark, and romantic all at the same time. It also has a wide range of song on it for such a short album (under 40 minutes). There is an epic song about a shipyard, Sealand, a nice instrumental which is the title track, two songs named Joan Of Arc that were both singles, two good rocking guitar based songs and then my favorite OMD song Souvenir!!! Some might disagree with me, but I think that this album, like Quadrophenia, does not sound dated or from any era. I know that no one else besides me really cares about them, but I guess that makes me like them all the more. They are all mine.

14. Peter Gabriel: Security

So I go to school one day and my friend Chris tells me about this bizarre song he heard called "Shock The Monkey". We had to be in like 8th grade? He said that he had never heard anything like it before. Eventually he found out whose song it was and we tried to figure out then who Peter Gabriel was. For a while we thought he was part of The Monkees. Why? I don't remember. So I went out on a limb and bought the tape. Not quite what I expected. And The Family And The Fishing Net I wouldn't even listen to. But it grew on me. Soon I was a big big fan. Security was really my first venture into Genesisland. I went nuts in Philly when I found the German language version of it: Ein Deutsches Album. It's just as good in German as in English. But what can I say about the album. It is just something that you have to experience. Sadly everything since then just hasn't measured up, but then nothing before it did either. I mean the rest of the Gabriel albums are good, but there is something extremely special about Security.

13. David Gilmour: About Face

So I've been thinking lately about how much I like this album now and how much I liked it when it came out. Considering that it was not much more than a year after The Final Cut and was released almost simultaneously as Pros And Cons, this is the most surprising album. Probably because there is no Roger on it, duh. What is on it though is a very strong Gilmour without any constraints of what he is doing. There is some really really mean guitar on it. (There are some pretty hot solos on TFC too, but this stuff is amazing.) Nice horns, nice keyboard solo by Steve Winwood (pre-comeback), and nice Pete Townshend lyrics (and remember that White City Fighting from White City is another Townshend/Gilmour collaboration). Another thing that I like so much about the album is the variety of songs and how I'm always changing my opinion on them. I've always been a big Blue Light fan, but Near The End has been a favourite in the last couple of years. As much as it might surprise people, I think that this album is better than A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell. I don't think that it has any of the constraints of trying to be a Pink Floyd album, and, let's face it, Nick and Rick didn't contribute anything to the post-About Face Gilmour career except for faux credibility.

12. Prince: Sign Of The Times

Unfortunately, Adore is on this album. Not a big Adore fan. However, Housequake IS on this album. Housequake of course, being one of the best songs ever. Might even be ranked up there with Echoes. I suppose that I could live with only hearing those two songs for the rest of my life. Everybody jump up AND down. But wait, that's not all! You get The Cross, Hot Thing, and the title track, not to mention It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night. Hmmm, I wonder what the original 3 album set sounded like....

11. New Order: Low-life

I think that Low-life was the beginning of the break from Joy Division. The two previous album seemed to be a continuation, dispite what they might say. Low-life really began to break the gothic doom and gloom mold. Dancey too! Elgia is one of the most beautiful instrumentals I ever heard. Even with as quintessential as Substance is, I'd easily give it up for Low-life.

10. Philip Glass: Koyaanisqatsi

This album has to be included simply because the movie got me into Philip Glass. It is the antithesis of Solo Piano. Big rich sound. Incredible booming choruses. And eventually speed that techno artists would want. One of my favourite movies too. Rent it, I'll pay for it!

9. Pet Shop Boys: Very

This was a very difficult decision, no pun intended. I really think that Very is the best PBS album. Behavior is a very close second, no pun intended. The coupling with Relentless was a great idea too, but Very is so strong on its own. An album that some how seems conceptual without telling a story, kind of like Orbital 2 or The Black Album. It all fits together. If there are gay themes on it, they certainly aren't anything that don't effect heterosexuals as well. Can You Forgive Her? is a powerful song no matter from which point of view you look. The Go West cover is brilliant. They are fabulous covers band, no doubt about it. I actually don't know how they could top this. Again, no pun intended.

8. Prince: The Black Album

I joked that it would happened, but I really didn't think that it would. When I started this list, The Black Album was a bootleg and now it is finally released and deleted since I've taken so long with this list. Does that change anything about my feelings towards it? Yes. Makes them stronger. I thought that my disc sounded good. The official one is better. I'm hearing things I've never heard before. I've seen Prince in a club and it was amazing. This is like being in your own private rehearsal with him just screwing around. The funny thing is that it's the best thing he's ever done. Only one problem: When 2 R In Love. How this ever got sequenced into the Black album, I'll never know.

7. Genesis: Duke

It is really funny that this album contained there first big big hit, Misunderstanding, because it is really a sad and depressing album. There is an incredible range of emotion on it. A lot of pain and hurt. And it comes through in the music too, which I think is very important. I discovered this album about the same time as Quadrophenia, and like The Who album I really connected with it. A very different band than Selling England. Another thing that made me like it so much was the length of the album. It's like 55-60 minutes long. A very long single album (remember, it was released in 1980 and I got it in like 84?) There's the room in the album for the listener to get totally immersed in the story and the sound and get really lost.

6. Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique

Why I didn't buy this when it came out, but Ill Communication I did? This is probably the most perfect rap album, if you can even consider it rap. Retro 70s-sample-a-go-go! (It's sad that Ethan and I couldn't pick out the Carry That Weight sample until the Macca concert.) I still can't hear the One Of These Days sample. Shadrach's in the house. Whatcha gonna do? Listen to the disc more. It's a dumb, but true cliche, you experience this album. I bet that I still listen to this disc at least once every month. Two at the most. A definite departure from Licensed To Ill and missing all of the punk-guitar retro stuff of the releases to come after.

5. Pink Floyd: The Final Cut

I used to think that this was the best Pink Floyd album. I'm now realizing that from Dark Side on, the band was completely different than before. The Wall and TFC and Pros and Cons are all so similar, but this album is just so much colder and completely without personal emotion. There is nothing inner about this album, and that introspection seems to be what most people like about Pink Floyd. Perhaps that is why most people don't "get" this album. I think that some of the lyrics on TFC are the strongest that Roger has written, and as I've already written, some of the guitar work just screams. One of the other really powerful aspects of TFC is the recording. The Wall has a lot of neat stuff hidden in it, but the Holophonics of TFC hide it better and thus make it that much more exciting to listen to. Oh, if you're really really trashed, you might as well just listen to it twice and sing along to the whole thing.

4. Pink Floyd: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

I just can not imagine what it must have been like to listen to this album when it first came out. It really is an amazing piece of work. First of all, obviously, it is the only PF album with Syd. His solo stuff is great, but his best work is here. Second of all, even back in `67 they were a pretty tight band and everyone plays pretty well. I mean, you can actually hear good keyboard and bass work. Some of the lyrics are a bit strange, but hey, what do you want for those trippy days. Most of the songs still hold up very well. Interstellar Overdrive will always be one of my favourite songs. If they Orb had guitars, they'd write stuff like that. Even some of the more lyrically silly songs, like Pow R. Toc H. and Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk have some great music behind them. Most people say that the journey into the greatness that the Floyd turned into started with the track A Saucerful Of Secrets, but I think that it starts with Interstellar Overdrive and other bits and pieces from Piper. The first PF masterpiece!

3. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark: Junk Culture

There is only one problem with this album. I originally got the US version on LP. The CD is the UK version and the first three tracks are in a different order. To this day I still reprogram my CD player. This is most definitely their best album, back when they were still a band, a big band, a big band with horns. Hot tunes, hot singles. Even the b-sides are worthy enough to be on the album. Tesla Girls is the song that got me into the band. I heard the song and then right away bought the album. Actually I saw the video, and that's really where the madness began. So what about the album? Well it's seems to be rather difficult for me to describe. I guess it was just one of those things that hit me the right way. So I haven't described it. Big deal. I like it.

2. Roger Waters: The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking

When I heard this album, something clicked inside of me. Everything felt just right. The first time I heard TFC, I got chills down my spine and I couldn't listen to it. This album shook me up and dumped me upside down. It was amazing. I couldn't believe that it wasn't a Pink Floyd album, especially considered that I got the Gilmour album at the same time and it didn't sound anything like a Pink Floyd album. I was still big on TFC at the time, but this was just even better. I think that this album was the first real introduction I had to Eric Clapton's music and I really liked it and became a big Clapton fan from it. Oh sure, Roger can sometimes lose you with the lyrics, but then who understands all of the Floyd lyrics anyway. Who wants to be able to figure it all out right away. Pros and Cons is an album that you can always keep listening to and you'll keep getting more and more out of it. It was another one of those album that it me at the right time. I think that Sexual Revolution has one of Eric best solos, and Every Stranger's Eyes has some of Roger's best imagery. I was amazed when I heard that he was taking it on the road. I saw a short video clip of it on MTV right before he started the tour. It took me 10 years to track that clip down. It was just as exciting to watch it now as it was then. I used to think that I couldn't live without this album, and while it's been replaced, I still think that my life would be lacking if I didn't have it. And to think that Earl went to go see the show on a whim.

1. Pink Floyd: Meddle

How can this be? After all these years of thinking that Pros And Cons was my favourite. I guess I realize that I could live without Pros and Cons, but I couldn't live without Echoes. And perhaps in that one song, there is a wider range of emotion than in Pros And Cons. Certainly in the whole Meddle album there are more emotions. And I also think that this was the last Pink Floyd album that showed their musicianship. There is playing on here that you just can't find anywhere else. I also think that it is quite funny that the top 3 discs are also the first three CDs that I bought. And in that order too! Too bad that doesn't mean that I listen to them the most though.