Music
Music has always been a love of mine. I took classical piano lessons when I was young and also played guitar for a few years. When I got to college, I started working at the campus radio station and quickly became a fan of what was called "new-wave" at that time. Most of the music I like tends to be Brit-pop, or have jangly guitars in it. I also like almost any music with piano in it.
Here are some of my favorite albums of all time...
I used to listen to this album a lot in high school. It still sounds great to me. "When the Morning Comes", "Sara Smile" and "Lady Rain" remain faves.
I just loved this movie with one of my favorite actors Hugh Grant. Loved the book by one of my favorite authors, Nick Hornby. So of course, I love the soundtrack by Badly Drawn Boy with some achingly beautiful songs like 'Silent Sigh.'
I love the Casio-like futuristic quality to this album. Very fitting for the time.
The musical chronicle of Ben Watt's near-death experience with a rare illness, told through the beautiful voice of Tracy Thorn. The songs explore struggle, fear, aloneness, love... My favorites: "Rollercoaster", "We Walk the Same Line" and, of course, "Miss You".
Gotta love this album - just look at the cover! Love "Uncontrollable Urge", their version of "Satisfaction" and the wonderful "Mongoloid" - one chromosome too many!
"Oh I just don't know where to begin..." No one sings like Elvis, and he roars on this album.
I first got turned on to The Stranglers listening to songs like "Nice and Sleazy", "No More Heroes" and their amazing version of "Walk on By". None of those are on this album - however it does feature "Skin Deep", probably one of the most widely popular Stranglers' songs. If you liked that song, you would like the rest of this album.
TSOOL are one of my favorite rock bands of today. They really should be superstars, instead of the Killers. "Sister Surround" is just one of the greatest songs ever!
Yeah, I love the Doobie Brothers. Seen them 3 times in recent years and I just love all their '70's hits!
The title track from this album rocks out. Plus this band has a great name!
The Clash doing their reggae-dub thing. My favorite Clash song "Armagideon Time" is on this EP. Their version of Booker T's "Time is Tight" is pretty cool too.
I just love Joe Jackson. He has just a wide range of styles, and I find his live concerts so inspiring. I remember seeing the "Big World" tour at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley and sitting in the 2nd row. That was about as good as it gets.
There's something still very magical about U2's debut - "I Will Follow" is so full of young promise.
I remember the first time I heard The Cure's "Boy's Don't Cry". I fell absolutely in love with the Cure! I still love them, even though they've gotten kind of out there. Songs like "Jumping Someone Else's Train", "Fire in Cairo" "10:15 Saturday Night" and "Boys Don't Cry" are still magical to me.
I remember watching "Concert in Central Park" on TV just by chance one night and realized just how much I love these songs. Paul Simon is a great poet and Art Garfunkel sings like an angel. You get to hear Art sing "American Tune" on this which is just wonderful.
Shortly after this CD came out, the B-52's did a show for LIVE 105 to promote it. It was like a private party for winners, on board a Hornblower Yacht. One of the most fun concerts that I remember! Everyone knows "Love Shack" but my favorites tracks from this are "Channel Z", "Deadbeat Club" and "Roam".
There were several albums that came out in this period of time that had this ethereal quality to them. The Teardrop Explodes, Echo and the Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, and I'd even put U2's "Boy" in that category. For me, Echo's great songs are not the "Lips Like Sugar" stuff, but "Pictures On My Wall", "Do it Clean" and the wonderful "Rescue".
A collection of R.E.M. b-sides. I loved their versin of Pylon's "Crazy" as well as the several Velvet Underground covers on this CD. But the best thing was that their debut EP "Chronic Town" was also included on this compilation with the wonderful "Gardening at Night" and "Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)".
Music was so exciting to me back in 1979 - and this album was one of my favorites at that time. Songs like "Life Begins at the Hop", "Ten Feet Tall", "Reel by Reel" and of course "Making Plans for Nigel" are faves.
The Smithereens remain one of my favorite bands, and their first album is still one of my favorites by them. Especially "Behind the Wall of Sleep", "Blood and Roses", and "In a Lonely Place".
Although I love all the early SLF songs like "Barbed Wire Love" and "Alternative Ulster" their sound matured on this album. "Roots, Rockers and Radicals" and the instrumental "Go For It" are stand outs for me.
The haunting sounds of Greg Sage's band The Wipers. Very hyptnotic, very cool.
Thank goodness we have Jet to listen to these days. Rollover DJ!
I had this CD in my car for months - so I listened to it pratically every day during that time. "Way Down Now" just rocks!
Another one of my favorite albums by the Smithereens. Pat DiNizio's songs of hearbreak just break my heart.
These young boys are so sweet and full of talent. I love how there's no guitars - just keyboards and drums.
"To murder my love is a crime, but will you still love the man out of time?" I love Elvis on this one!
Matthew Sweet is a pop genuis. I think he's like a modern day Brian Wilson on this CD.
Romeo Void's first album contains some great songs like "Girl in Trouble", "Myself to Myself" and "White Sweater".
This album came out the same time as U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen's first. Though Julian Cope's band never made it to the same fame the other 2 bands this, I think this album is just as good a debut.
My favorite band of today - The Doves. The new album is just beautful.
Sweet sounds of Liverpool.
Nick Lowe is just wonderful - he writes these cheeky pop songs and is full of charm.
I confess to being the biggest Courtney Love fan I know.
Don't you just love those white boots? LIke the man said, "You gotta look sharp!"
"She had to leave...Los Angeles!" There has never been another band quite like X.
These boys are just incredible live. I wish I had one millionth of their talent.
My favorite band of today. Something about their music just gets to a deep place in me. If I could only listen to one band for the rest of my life, it would be the Doves.
This is power pop in all its glory. Toronto's finest - produced by Todd Rundgren. I just love Moe Berg's lyrics, and the guitars and backing female vocals - just a wonderful pop sensation!
The title track of this song takes me back to the summer of '84 - makes me think of driving my car blasting this song. It was a good summer.
Van Morrison remains my favorite singer, and he is haunting on this CD. "In the Garden" is my favorite Van Morrison song of all time.
I have probably listened to this CD more times than I have any other album. I think I listened to it several times a day, every day for about 6 months during a gloomy period.
The Saints were my favorite band throughout the '80's. It's hard to pick a favorite Saints album, but I think this is one of their darker records. Songs like "Follow the Leader", "Rescue", "Curtains" and the title track are my favorite.
This album came out in 1980 - my favorite year of music. I don't think anyone has quite ever achieved quite the same sound that you hear on this album - a bright yet dark electronic ethereal pop quality. Produced by Martin Hannett, who I think is the new wave equivalent of Phil Spector.
I think this is Peter Gabriel at his finest - before he started making big hit records. In fact his first 3 solo albums are all masterpieces.
I just love Martha Davis' voice. It's a shame that after the Motels broke up people forgot about her. "Don't Tell Me the Time" is a wonderful pop song - one of my favorite songs of all time.
Go Chrissie! Wow, I just love every single song on this CD. Especially "Kid", "Mystery Achievement" and "The Wait".
For when you need to let out your pent agreesion, Nine Inch Nails does the job real well.
I think the Raspberries are the idols of many pop musicians. There is no finer power pop song than "Go All the Way". It is the best ever.
Magazine - wow - what a band! Howard Devoto sounds kind of evil and the music was a little sinister. Songs like "Shot By Both Sides", "The Light Pours Out of Me" and the lesser known "Parade" are my faves.
Coldplay always write great songs. "Politik", "Clocks", "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face"...
I first saw the Church live when they came to the US in 1983 to support this album. I remember Marty Willson-Piper had many Rickenbacker guitars as well as a 12 string. It was like being in guitar heaven. Shortly after I bought both a Rickenbacker and a 12-string acoustic. To this day I still have the 12 string, and have the same model Rickenbacker that Marty plays.
This was the soundtrack to my life during college.
Suzanne Vega is my favorite female singer/songwriter. Her lyrics are poetry and her voice and music is light and beautiful.
Cool organ sounds. I like it when the keyboards are a prominent sound in a band.
I first heard Eva Cassidy when they played her version of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird" in the movie "Love Actually". Being that is one of my favorite songs, I wanted to find out who covered it. That was when I discovered the magic of Eva Cassidy's voice...and the tragedy that she passed away at a young age from cancer. So many beautiful covers on this CD including "Fields of Gold," "Wade in the Water", "Autumn Leaves", "People Get Ready" and, of course, "Songbird".
I remember seeing Shawn Colvin do a solo concert at the Bottom Line in NY just as this record came out. I'd never heard of her before and was completely blown away. She still blows me away.
This band reminds me of the Cars a bit, but a little poppier, I think. I just love "My Coco" and the instrumental "Moongirl".
Gosh, I wish they played music like this all the time. "Elephant Stone", "Waterfall", and "This is the One"...I could listen to this over and over.
Funny that one of the forefathers of punk put out such a pretty record. Did you know that on the original record, the lyric insert sheet actually had a strawberry scent? "Life goes on and on and on... if you think it's all gone wrong... go on and on and on and on...."
So sparse, so simple, yet so intense... just cuts you up.
Yeah, the Ramones just rule. I love Joey. Love their covers of "Little Bit O' Soul" and "Time Has Come Today" on this one.
Glam rock revived in the '90's. Saw them in live in Toronto the summer this CD came out. It was a great show!
The Psychedelic Furs were kind of like the 80's version of the Velvet Underground when they first came out. Then they became really popular and well, just more pop. But they're much more raw on songs like "Into You Like a Train".
What can I say - I love Pat DiNizio. This 3 CD collection of acoustic covers and Smithereens songs is a treasure.
Bono has such an amazing voice and no one plays guitar like the Edge. This CD has a real mystical and soulful quality to it.
You know the songs on this album are so varied. From "Sunday Morning" to "Heroin" to "I'll Be Your Mirror". They're classics.
I think the keyboard on the opening track "Murder She Said" completely grabbed my attention. There are great songs on this CD including "The More I See", "Tunnel of Love" and their version of "Our Lips Are Sealed."
Bruce Cockburn is an amazing guitarist, and great songwriter. I love the title track to this CD.
Bob Mould writes some wonderful songs. "See a Little Light" and the instrumental "Sunspots" are standouts.
Just a classic through and through.
Another classic. I used to have this on a cassette and would listen to it with headphones on my walkman when I went to sleep at night.