Bluecat's Desert Island Discs!
So, here's the list. I included some greatest hits cds. This might be cheating, but it's my list, so--blah! :-P This may change next year or even tomorrow, but this is what it is for now...
#10--Neil Young, Unplugged
It was a toss-up between this one, Harvest and Decade. This has a good variety of songs on it, though.
#9--Nirvana, Unplugged in New York
Are you sensing a trend? :-). I'm definitely partial towards mellow acoustic music. Great CD, maybe should be ranked higher, but it's a little depressing.
#8--Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Considered a classic by many fans of Sarah's music, I wasn't going to go with this one at first, but then I realized that it has "Possession" and "Hold On" and "Wait" and the title track (my favorite!) and--well, lots of good songs. I could do without "Circle" though.
#7--Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
Sure, these guys can be jerks (at least in the press) and the lyrics are, well, not always great, but they have a way with a tune. I'm sure someone would complain that I'm putting this on my list and not the Beatles, but oh well.
#6--REM, Automatic for the People
Tough one! I knew I had to get something from REM on here, but what to choose? I considered New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Up, but they feel long and monotonous after awhile. Besides, I really like "Drive", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight", and, of course, "Everybody Hurts" and "Nightswimming".
#5--The Who, Who's Next
Wow. A little long, especially the version with the added tracks, but a great cd. Starts with "Baba O'Riley" and includes "Bargain", "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes".
#4--Carly Simon, Letters Never Sent
A sentimental favorite, but a really good cd regardless. There were other Carly CDs that I could have included, but this one was the one that really got me interested in her, plus it has some great songs. "Born to Break My Heart" ranks up there with "We're So Close" and "It Happens Everyday" as a great Carly heartbreak song.
#3--Rolling Stones, Big Hits
Excellent songs. "Satisfaction", "Play with Fire", "As Tears Go By", etc. etc. etc.
#2--Pearl Jam, No Code
Amazing cd. At first I was wasn't sure where to rank it and I was even thinking about ranking it lower as I was typing this, but then I thought about the songs--Opening with the quietly foreboding "Sometimes", ending with the possibly twisted lullaby "Around the Bend" (which Ed has claimed was written in the perspective of a serial killer), including "Who You Are", "In My Tree", "Present Tense" and a bunch of others in the middle, although imperfect (see "Lukin" and "Mankind"), this is a great CD.
#1--U2, Best of 1980-1990
A bit long, perhaps, but some amazing songs--"Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "With or Without You", "I Will Follow" (though I don't love the bridge), "Desire", "All I Want is You" and on and on. Although not perfect (I'm beginning to think that no cd is), this is a great overview of the first decade of U2's career.
Honorable Mention (aka Other Really Good CDs You Should Consider Buying :-))
in no particular order--
Dave Matthews Band, Crash; Carly Simon, Boys in the Trees and Have You Seen Me Lately; Pearl Jam, Yield and 8/29/00 (live); Joan Osborne, Relish; REM, New Adventures..., Up, and Eponymous; Doors, Greatest Hits; Stones, Through the Past Darkly (More Greatest Hits) and Bridges to Babylon; Sheryl Crow, The Globe Sessions; Phish, Billy Breathes; Indigo Girls, 1200 Curfews; U2, All That You Can't Leave Behind; Travis, The Man Who; Neil Young, Harvest and Decade; James Taylor, Sweet Baby James and Greatest Hits; Carole King, Tapestry; Radiohead, The Bends; Beatles, Revolver, Abbey Road, and 1s; Singles (soundtrack); Empire Records (soundtrack); Emmylou Harris, Spyboy; Sweet Relief: A Tribute to Victoria Williams; Arrested Development, 3 Years...; The Who, My Generation: The Best of The Who; Paula Cole, This Fire; Dar Williams, The End of the Summer; Jewel, Pieces of You
And many others I've probably forgotten.