Everybody Loves a List
Why did I click it? Why couldn’t I stop myself? .
Whenever I see a music-related list in my feed, I am obliged to read it. I can’t be the only one prone to this, so this post tests that theory.
Everyone loves a list. Why else would Rolling Stone magazine and other music sites come up with so many of them? And they are always wrong! Who else loves picking apart a list the way I do? This used to boil down to me being morally outraged that Steve Perry be behind ANYONE on a list of the greatest singers of all time.
I am more realistic than that now. I promise.
Finally, there is a list that I can attest is 100% accurate. Refute it if you will, but you’ll be wrong. I know this because the sole arbiter of this list is me. And, it is a list of the Top 25 items in my record collection. There may be better albums out there, but if I don’t own it, it ain’t on the list. I own lots of great records — legendary records, even — but are they worthy of a spot on my list?
And yes, because of new additions to my collection, my list will change over time. I don’t care if you like that — it’s my list.
I said top 25, right? Ok, on with it then…
#25 — The Format, Interventions and Lullabies (Limited Edition Orange Vinyl). Live and learn on this one. I LOVE this record — I knew it was collectible, and I paid a high price as a result — not fully realizing that lower-cost options were more available to me than I thought they would be. The thing is, I am not satisfied with the experience of listening to it on this pressing. It sounds a few beats slower than it does on digital. I had to have this record, as it is an Arizona band and one of my favorite local releases, but it is a pretty huge disappointment.
#24 — The Black Crowes, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (2015 2xLP Reissue). Talk about disappointment. This is one of my top ten records of all time, but this version is a total bastardization. The 2xLP format makes each side only two or three songs, ruining this album — which in its original form was brilliantly sequenced. When I get a better version of this release this will move up the list.
#23 — Daft Punk, TRON Legacy Soundtrack. I’m not a Daft Punk guy. I am a TRON fan. I have a collection of TRON-inspired Marvel variant comics to prove it. And a light cycle LEGO set. Like the reboot or not, the music was the best part.
#22 — The Police, Outlandos D’Amour. I would not classify myself as a huge Police fan, but this is my favorite of their discography. The raw energy displayed on songs like “Truth Hits Everybody,” “Next to You,” and “So Lonely” was sadly missing in much of their later work. What a classic.
#21 — Duke Jupiter, Duke Jupiter 1. I am a fan of local music, whether it be artists from where I grew up or acts I have seen grow in popularity from Arizona. Apart from Lou Gramm, Duke Jupiter was the closest Rochester, NY had to rock stars. I have four of their albums on vinyl, and this is the good one. “I’ll Drink to You,” Duke Jupiter.
#20 — Steely Dan, Countdown to Ecstasy. I loved A Decade of Steely Dan on CD. Showbiz Kids expanded my interest, but this one sent me all the way down the rabbit hole. “My Old School” is my favorite here, but every song has the iconic sound of “The Dan.”
#19 — Mark Knopfler Guitar Heroes, Local Hero. I know I have said all along that I am focusing on collecting music I will listen to. This came out and I couldn’t resist a potential “investment” purchase. It’s a collection of legendary guitar players playing a ten-minute (or so) version of Knopfler’s “Going Home” from the Local Hero movie soundtrack. It also features the final recorded performance of Jeff Beck. It was a charity release I spent $30 on when it came out a few months back and remains unopened at this point. I have no idea if it will ever be worth more than that, but you never know.
#18 — Rush, A Show of Hands. I am that weird guy who really loved the mid-’80s synth stylings of Rush. As a guitar hobbyist, I am a huge Alex Lifeson fan — despite his reduced presence in many of the songs of this era. A Show of Hands has “Marathon,” “Distant Early Warning,” and so many of the great songs I first loved by the band. It still gets played, despite its lack of “The Spirit of Radio.”
#17 — Crowded House, self-titled debut. I had this on cassette back in the day. No cool stories about how I got it — it’s just a great record.
#16 — Eddie Money, Can’t Hold Back (autographed). It has become a much more poignant memory for me, standing in the tunnel at the Reilly Center, waiting for my first opportunity to interview an artist that I liked. Eddie Money was playing St. Bonaventure University, and I brought my copy of his latest, hoping he would sign it. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to the man himself — asking me if I had a comb. The interview was crap (my fault), but it was a treat to talk with him for a few minutes. I wish he was still around.
#15 — Robbie Robertson, self-titled debut. This album introduced me to the immense, under-appreciated talent that was Robbie Robertson. I just happened upon this record at the college radio station back in the late 80’s and did not know anything about the artist. I saw it had U2 on it, so I listened to it. It is one of my favorite records ever — right from that first impression. I didn’t find out about Robbie Robertson being the primary songwriter for The Band until much later, or his affiliation with Martin Scorsese or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is an absolute icon.
#14 — Jimmy Barnes, Freight Train Heart. When I started collecting, there were some albums I never would have expected to find on vinyl. That’s why this one makes the list. Jimmy Barnes is an Australian vocalist, and this record seemed like his bid to become an international act. He had Journey members on many of the tracks after the band’s keyboardist Jonathan Cain had written and produced his song “Working Class Man” from the Gung Ho movie soundtrack. Cain produced many of these tracks, and the bluesy guitar solos of “Too Much Ain’t Enough Love” were played by Neal Schon. The album succeeded in hitting my radar at least, and it remains one of my favorite Journey “offshoot” records from that era.
#13 — The Killers, Rebel Diamonds. I struggle with putting a greatest hits compilation on this list, especially as high as this. And, I really just got it a couple of months ago. But it is SO GOOD. And not just the songs — the packaging, too! I fell in love with the Killers around the same time I fell in love with my wife, and many of the songs take me right back to my first time hearing Hot Fuss on her stereo. I could argue that 2013’s Direct Hits set is the better of the Killers’ hits compilations, but I open that jacket to the Vegas-themed packaging and it just seems perfect.
#12 — Jimmy Eat World, Clarity. I knew how good Bleed American was when I bought it — it’s an all-time favorite from a local act that got huge. Clarity preceded that classic, and I wasn’t very familiar with it when I bought it. I put this record on often — it has such an air about it — like it is painting an audible canvas for a listener to observe, admire, and take what they want from. I feel pretty fortunate to have stumbled upon this copy of the 10-Year Anniversary 180-gram remaster from 2009.
#11 — Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby. I knew this was one I wanted to look for — I always loved this record, which I had on cassette back in college. As I began to search for it, I learned that it had been rereleased, but this time the Hardline was according to Sananda Maitreya. Whichever name is on the cover, the tracks on this record are just too undeniable. Highly recommend.
#10 — Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Live / 1975–85. Was I a huge fan of the Boss? Never, really. I write songs, so I respected the work of course. Years ago, I was always drawn more to stuff like “Brilliant Disguise” and “All That Heaven Will Allow” than Springsteen’s better-known output. However, when this set came out, I got it on CD (just like so many others did). When I found a copy on vinyl, it was a no-brainer at $15. I loaned it to a friend, but when I saw another one at that price I bought it again and told my friend to keep the other. This is a great go-to for a rainy Saturday afternoon when all you want to do is rock. Rock away, friends.
#9 — Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Nine Tonight. Pretty much anyone will tell you Live Bullet is the better Seger live set. I have it too. I know it is great, but I have always loved Nine Tonight more. It has definitive live versions of “Hollywood Nights,” “Night Moves,” “Feel Like a Number…” I mean the tracklist is so great. “Katmandu” is on Live Bullet — everything else is on this one. Nine Tonight for the win.
#8 — The Gaslight Anthem, The ’59 Sound. I could just as easily mention Handwritten, the other album by The Gaslight Anthem in my collection, except for that title track. “The ’59 Sound” is the song that sold me on this great band, so that makes this more memorable to me. Hard to argue that “45” from Handwritten isn’t just as good, plus my copy of that album is on clear blue vinyl. Maybe I do pick Handwritten. Flip a coin.
#7 — Journey, 1979 Japanese promotional release. This thing is pristine. I don’t know if anyone had played it before me. I could put many of my Journey records on a list like this, but I am limiting myself to things I truly consider special. It pairs tracks from pre-Steve Perry albums with songs from Infinity, bringing together cuts that really showcase the early band before they had all the hits. I spent too much on this one — but I saw it so many times before actually buying it. I had the thought that one of these days it wouldn’t be here, and that’s when I decided it was supposed to be mine.
#6 — Genesis, Three Sides Live. I’ve written about this one before — this is another one I knew I wanted from the start of my collection. I love live records, and the era included in this tracklist featured some of my favorites. But, it’s the addition of studio tracks “Paperlate” and “You Might Recall” that puts this over the top for me — they are classic deep radio cuts that you just never hear anymore.
#5 — Billy Joel, The Stranger. This is Billy Joel’s best record. Hands down. You can mention all sorts of other releases, but none of them feature hits and deep cuts the way The Stranger does. And, you know every word — the lyrics are bred into my generation, I swear. Am I placing this too high? Maybe. Is it an amazing record? Without a doubt.
#4 — Pink Floyd, The Wall. Are you really collecting records if you don’t have Pink Floyd? I also have reissues of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, and all three get played about equally. This one gets the nod for being an original pressing in great condition.
#3 — Otis Redding, History of Otis Redding. Of all the records I recently added to my collection, this one has to be among the top additions. It’s my Dad’s copy from 1967 and reflects a full career of hits by about as dynamic a performer as there was at that point. Dad loved old Stax and Motown records, many of which I now proudly own. This is the one I will listen to the most.
#2 — Journey, Captured. If you have made it this far, you will note that Journey is the only act on this list more than once. I could have called out a lot of their records, but this one truly is the most important to me. This is the first record I ever bought. I got another copy a while back because I was so sure that the one from 1980 would be trashed. I was stunned to see this was not the case when I put the needle down on this 44-year-old copy. It sounds fantastic and fills me with nostalgia knowing I spent $16 of hard-earned paper route money on this record when I was twelve.
#1 — The Replacements, Tim. At the time of its original release in 1985, this band’s major-label debut only moved about 100,000 units. The band grew a following over the years, so finding one of the original pressings seems kinda special to me. I loved Paul Westerberg’s writing on this record, specifically songs like “Left of the Dial” and “Little Mascara.” I have a few “grail” records in my collection, and this one was probably my favorite find since I began my collection.
