Before we get into the nitty-gritty of today's post, I want to remind everyone that I do have a fresh post up at I Are Writer! for you to peruse and abuse. Additionally, I did a little house cleaning and knocked out some 30+ blogs from my follower's list. Most, if not all, were pretty much d.o.a., as in either not updated for years (seriously) or not updated for several months. Might do a post about the state of blogging in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, let's go exploring my c.d. collection!
As you recall (if not, simply scroll down this page to refresh your memory), I waxed semi-poetically about the questionable music choices I had made over the years. This time, I would like to wax semi-poetically about the c.d.'s that perpetually make it to my car or my c.d. player at work. Some of these may be familiar to you, some may not.
I literally have dozens of c.d.'s that I consider to be my faves, but I will try my best to keep down to 10. So, in no order of importance, my list of faves. As a sidenote, the way they became my faves is that I got to enjoy exploring the c.d. after buying it for one or two radio friendly (aka hit) songs.
1} Drops Of Jupiter by Train. I first got into them with their song "Meet Virginia", and it sort of spiraled into the usual foray of buying a small chunk of their catalog (I have 4 of their c.d.'s). The title track really got to me, to the point where it was the partial inspiration behind this book, plus a few other stories to boot.
2} My Private Nation by Train. Yas, I know, another one by Train. This c.d. rocks from beginning to end. One of the best all around c.d.'s from a band that I've come across in quite sometime. Check out the song All American Girl.
3} Honky Tonk Boots by Sammy Kershaw. I've made it know far and extremely wide just how much I hate the current state of psuedo-country (aka pop) music. To me, most of it sucks (which I confirmed by listening to some of my recent selections. However, this one fell out of the norm. I saw it at my public library (naturally), and I figured that one dollar is a good enough investment. After just one listen through, this became another car player favorite. Solid and well written/played from beginning to end, I enjoyed it so much that I left a review on Amazon for it. Check out the song Tennessee Girl.
4} Time Stood Still by The Hooters. Always loved The Hooters during their heyday, so when I saw this c.d. while I was wandering around the late lamented Circuit City, I picked it up and checked out the contents. I recognized only one song, Boys Of Summer, so per the norm, I bought it. If you've been hanging around long enough, you heard me wax poetically on how this cover blows away the original out of the water and onto dry land. The rest of the c.d. goes without saying. Exploration was a joy and it became another staple.
5} Dirt by Alice In Chains. One of my fave bands from the 90's. Never saw them live but did enjoy their music. Their debut c.d. is what put them on the map and ultimately showed the world what could've been had Layne Staley not succumbed to a nasty heroin addiction. Would? is the song that did it for me (first purchased a soundtrack from a crappy movie for it). If you like this band, you should check out Jerry Cantrell's solo work.
6} Stranger Than Fiction by Bad Religion. California punk rock band that compares politically to The Dead Kennedys, their song 21st Century (Digital Boy) actually got some commercial radio play, which is how I discovered this c.d. The rest of the c.d. actually grows on you after a while and ultimately became another car staple.
7} Jericho by The Band. We all know The Band. Once thought by the 90's to be on the downside of their career, they came back with this c.d. The song that got me hooked, simply because it got radio airplay (trust me, when you're a band that is in geezer rock mode, you get radio airplay), was their good cover of Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City.
8} Living In The Present/Future by Eagle Eye Cherry. I found this in the vast used section of FYE. It looked interesting enough so I figured why not. The c.d. is solid and entertaining from beginning to end, but the song that hooked me was Long Way Around, which featured his sister Neneh Cherry.
9} Chariot by Gavin DeGraw. Killer debut c.d. (if you pick up a copy, it comes with the full acoustic version of the c.d.). The song that got me hooked was I Don't Want To Be. Solid all the way through. Will have to search out his stuff as he seems to fall off the commercial radio charts.
10} The Family Jewels by Marina & The Diamonds. Okay, this one was recommended to me by Sparkling Red (who has temporarily stepped back into the real world), and this c.d. did not disappoint. Catchy as all hell, this debut will suck you in and never let you go. Check out the song Hollywood.
And that, my friends, is a (very) brief sample of car faves. Tune in next week when we'll attempt to find something else in my c.d. collection to talk about.
(c) 2016 BOOKS BY G.B. MILLER. All Rights Reserved.
I love good honky tonk music.
ReplyDeleteI was seriously impressed by that particular c.d. Like I said, I'm not a fan of country pop (more into alt-country), so it takes a lot of talent/skill/ability to make me like something in that genre, and this artist did.
DeleteDefinitely check out Jerry Cantrell's solo work! I have all of his albums and they are incredible. The man know how to compose and play a great tune.
ReplyDeleteMaybe over Christmas break I'll weed out my blogging list in Feedly. So many that just aren't blogging anymore.
My weeding was a mixture of people not blogging, people closing their blogs and the content simply not doing it anymore for me.
DeleteI used to hear his stuff on the one good commercial station that played hard rock (switched formats about two years ago to classic, then adult Christian), but not so much.
That Drops of Jupiter song got so much airplay that I got tired of it, but do like the band. They have gotten into wine and there is a Drops of Jupiter wine now with a pretty label. :)
ReplyDeleteCertain songs did that to me as well. Can't tell you how many that years/decades ago drove me slug nutty that I can now just listen to all the way through.
DeleteInterestingly enough, while I was doing research for this post (originally was going to link each title to Amazonian), I found that they had c.d. out of Led Zeppelin covers.
That wine sounds interesting.
A wide range. Your tastes are much more eclectic than mine
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment.
DeleteIt really took me until I was in my early 30's to open my ears and listen to other types of music.
Though we don't seem to have the same exact taste in music. (I do like a few of the songs on some of the albums you mentioned), the only CD you have that is in my collection is Marina & the Diamonds.
ReplyDeleteBut the interesting thing, you seem to collect music about the same way I do. So many download music now, either in part or exclusivity. Personally, I only collect CD's. I'll even collect CD's of unpopular films, just for the soundtrack.
I don't think I'll ever download because I don't have the gizmos (like an MP-3) needed for it. Besides, when I buy something, I have this quaint notion of actually owning it.
DeleteI have bought at least one soundtrack (Singles) for one particular song (Would?). I think soundtracks are very cool and once I can get beyond the distaste for certain movies, I'll probably start exploring that particular genre.