> Actually, I don't think she petered at all...And by leaving Choirgirl off my list, it means I don't get "Spark" on my desert island

Spark is a great song, as is Rasberry Swirl, but to me the album doesn't have the emotional depth and doesn't touch me like pretty much every song on Earthquakes did. I own Boys For Pele and Choirgirl, but I doubt I will ever get another one.

Son, do yourself a favor and get To Venus and Back, if only for the live CD. Even if you don't like Tori's new direction with studio albums, the live tracks on To Venus and Back are almost all from her first two albums.

Son, do yourself a favor and get To Venus and Back, if only for the live CD. Even if you don't like Tori's new direction with studio albums, the live tracks on To Venus and Back are almost all from her first two albums.

So so so true!

The opening of the live CD is just so cool. Just listening to the audience is amazing, you can practically see Tori take the stage when the audience cheers. Then they settle down as she sits at the piano, and there's that "lull" when she's just hitting the downbeat chords before really starting into the song, and then she starts doing the full piano part to the song and the audience just goes nuts when they realize that they've been listening to an extended intro to "Precious Things" this whole time. Gives me goose bumps every time.

Very similar to the intro to "Hotel California" on the "Hell Freezes Over" album, how they kind of ease you into the song, and there's that cool moment when you realize what the song is.

"Some of the best albums in the world require a growing period. The things that make them so that they're not necessarily immediately accessible are also the things that make them stand up to repeated listenings. The albums I didn't necessarily like at first are often the ones that keep surprising me after the hundredth listen. "

Now Tony, you know me as a huge Rush fan, so you should also know that I own at least a few albums that take a few listens before you really "get it" I actually read a few of the reviews on Amazon before ordering "Soul Cages" and I have little doubt that I will like the album.

Of course, how silly of me. Some of the albums on your Desert Island list are already in that category.

"(so, how's San Antonio, I wonder?) "

Well, actually great, except the guy I am staying with has a very slow computer and connection to the internet so I normally don't bother getting online. I am having Empeg BBS withdrawl! This discussion I will put up with the slowness for because I am rapidly finding new stuff that will make my Empeg even better.

Ok, so if "Greatest Hits" albums are considered cheating, I'm then assuming that ripping your favorite songs and creating 10 Mix cd's on 99-min disc's is also going to be cheating? I know that doesn't really fit with the theme of taking 10 "Album's," but that's what *I* would do. Oh, and I'd have to make sure that the cd player that's going to be playing them can recognize 99-min cd's, since I've only seen a few that can.

I think you're missing the point of the game.

"15. Rush - Roll The Bones "

Wow, and I though I was the only one who actually liked this album, much less put it in my top 20. Seems like a lot of the stuff on your list is stuff I like, I think I'll be checking out the rest.

Speaking of these types of albums, what's your take on "Vapor Trails" so far?

Yeah, that's why I said it doesn't fit the theme of picking 10 Albums. I get that the whole point is to narrow it down to what you think are the 10 best albums, even if it means there are only a few songs you really enjoy that make it worth bringing a whole cd. Burning 10 cd's is just what I would actually do if given the choice, it's just too hard to pick only 10 studio albums (and yes, I know that mind exercise is the whole point to playing this game). Especially when I know the cd is only being half used, or in some cases less. That's just wasted space that could have more songs on it.

Also the point is albums that work together to make something greater than just the songs. That's (IMO) why Greatest Hit's shouldn't be on the list (my wife hates that rule).
Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, YYZ. . . are all great songs and would elevate any album's status, but together they make for an unstoppable combination. It just seems right to hear Limelight after YYZ.

Speaking of these types of albums, what's your take on "Vapor Trails" so far?

It's going to have to grow on me.

It's as I expected, it's continuing in the same progression that Counterparts and Test for Echo started, leaning more towards an edgier sound which I'm not necessarily enamored of.

I think my biggest problems with TFE and now Vapor Trails is that the sonic palette is too saturated. There's no air around the instruments, it's like a constant wall of sound. The warmth of the instrument sounds from earlier albums is gone.

So far, I think it's a decent album, but the songs and the production haven't "grabbed" me yet. TFE and Counterparts took a while to grow on me, I expect this one will be the same. In the end, I think I'll like it about as much as I liked TFE.

Yeah, pretty much the same for me. A very "Dirty" sound if you will. TFE sounded "sloppy" at first to me, which is a strange sensation comming from Rush, but now it doesn't sound that way at all. This one I'm sure will be the same. I do have to say I love the drum intro at the beginning.

Well, I would caution you against thinking that anything on my list sounds like anything else! But I do recommend everything on my list. What were you planning on checking out that you don't have?

You know, I actually had a mind to put Roll the Bones on my top 10, but I wanted to stay with one artist per entry in the top 10 (for variety when stranded on a desert island.) To tell you the truth I find myself listening to it more than Moving Pictures nowadays. I know that most Rush diehards don't care much for the album, though most will secretly admit liking Dreamline. In the end, I didn't want to start a religious war by putting Roll the Bones ahead of any of the more critically acclaimed Rush albums.

I actually didn't get into Rush until after Roll the Bones was released, though my first Rush album was tfabris' favorite, Exit... Stage Left. Then I got Moving Pictures and then Roll the Bones, Counterparts, and Chronicles, and eventually Test for Echo and Different Stages. Not even near having a complete Rush collection, but I plan to fill in the blanks as finances permit.

I just happen to think that every song on the album is a winner, and most of them hold their own with Rush's best work from the 70's and 80's. Most people rank Counterparts ahead of Roll The Bones when speaking of Rush's later works, but I would disagree. I do like Counterparts, but the only stand-out tracks for me are Cold Fire, Animate, and Nobody's Hero. Though none are really bad, it's not as consistent an album as Roll The Bones IMHO.

"In the end, I didn't want to start a religious war by putting Roll the Bones ahead of any of the more critically acclaimed Rush albums. "

Heh, this is the reason my list wasn't in order, although I've said before Roll the Bones is my favorite Rush album. Another problem I have is (I'll finally admit it) RTB was my first introduction to Rush, so I'm not actually sure if I think its a better album or if it has some emotional attatchment. I do think that every song on it is great and the tone is very unique. I haven't heard anything else that even remotly sounds like this album (except Presto, which I like, but put far below most other Rush albums).

"What were you planning on checking out that you don't have? "

Well as I mentioned before "Dark Side of The Moon", but also Tori Amos since it keeps popping up around here, and 10,000 Maniacs (I have "In My Tribe", which would proably go into my top 20), as well as Tool, which someone had mentioned to me in another thread. I have "The Division Bell" and it would also fit in my top 20, but I'm sort of sheephish to admit it because its the only Pink Floyd album I own and I was sure there were others I should have gotten first.

though most will secretly admit liking Dreamline.

Not secretly. I think it's one of the best songs they ever recorded. And Roll the Bones is a great song, and I love Bravado and Ghost of a Chance. Four fantastic songs on that album.

I just could do without the rest of them, that's all.

Greetings!

Desert Island 10... From these... With no compilations, custom or purchased. Tough conditions. Does a double album count as two??? I am assuming it does NOT in this list, since they are all in double jewel cases anyway. I marked the ones I would leave behind if they were counted as two instead of one. Otherwise, in no particular order:

Blue Man Group: Audio
- As long as I can have a good set of headphones or a good subwoofer. I would leave this if I had to... (If I couldn't carry the extra disk, I probably wouldn't have the headphones / sub either...)

Broadside Electric: 10th Anniversary Concert
- This is actually a live album I recorded to CD for them from a soundboard tape. Copies were made for the band and their families, but it was never released. Of course, I kept a copy for myself... Joe, you know the one...

Echolyn: As The World
- Wow!

Horslips: The Book Of Invasions
- Prog meets Celtic meets Orchestral. Imagine the Moody Blues "Days Of Future Passed" as Celtic Prog.

Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick
- A somewhat unusual choice, but then again... I would leave this if I had to (double albums)...

Marillion: The Thieving Magpie, live double album
- A great collection of songs, great performace. If double albums count as two disks, I would still take DISK 2: Misplaced Childhood live!

Phish: Gamehendge
- Another live album from tape. Since Phish allows live recordings of their shows, I was able to make this into a CD from someone who had an early tape. Not the best sound quality, but a great set!

Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
- One of the first CDs I ever bought.

Renaissance: Live at Carnegie Hall
- double album, I know, but where else can you find such range, power and a grand performance!

Rush: Exit - Stage Left
- An earlier live album, but with some great tracks on it.

I think the way it works is double and even triple albums are legal as long as they're albums and not compilations or box sets. I don't think it would have been fair if I brought my "Shine On" box set from Pink Floyd and tried to pass it off as one of my 10 "albums." But when one piece of work spans multiple discs, you gotta allow it. "Albums" are media-agnostic.

What a lot of great albums in that list! Makes a nice change from all that American rock

I think you have 6 out of my top 10 there. Guess I should come up with a list tomorrow!

Rob

Does a double album count as two?

Counts as one as long as it's not a compilation album. For instance, "The Wall" is a single work that happens to span two discs.

Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick
- A somewhat unusual choice, but then again...

Damn, I knew I'd left something important off of my list. This is not an unusual choice at all, I would expect it to be on many people's lists. One of the true all-time classics.

Greetings!

Very cool. 10! The Jethro Tull was a choice between Thick As A Brick and Passion Play, but TAAB won the day. Still, a lot is missing. There were a lot of items I wish I could have packed, but you can never tell when you are going to be stranded on a desert island...

Two interesting variations to the theme:

a) If you could create one mix disk, and have only that disk available on a desert island, what songs would be on it? (Note: standard 74 minute audio format CD only)

b) If you were stuck on a desert island, and could only have one other person stuck there with you (real, historic or fictional), who would it be?

If you were stuck on a desert island, and could only have one other person stuck there with you (real, historic or fictional), who would it be?

And... a variation on your variation.

If you could take one year off your allotted life expectancy, and give it to another person (real, historic or fictional), with the idea of making the world a better place for the maximum number of people, to whom would you give it? And would you do it?

Hint: My choice died in 1791 at the age of 34...

tanstaafl.

Let's do another little variation on this game/mind-exercise. The year is 2006, the Illuminati have taken control of the world economy and have implemented an insanely high tax on any harddrives over 1 gigabyte. They have also made it illegal for any one person to own more than one hd. So, you have a one gigabyte empeg, which songs would you put on it? (let's keep the track limit at 100) Who's first?

Hint: My choice died in 1791 at the age of 34...

Mozart?

The year is 2006, the Illuminati have taken control of the world economy and have implemented an insanely high tax on any harddrives over 1 gigabyte

You mean the RIAA have taken over the world, don't you?

100 tracks.. that's a long list to wite.. But I've always wanted to do it... I kinda like the idea of both lists, one for albums and one for tracks... Maybe if I'm bored at work tomorrow...

You mean the RIAA have taken over the world, don't you?

Same thing.

Why do you think the big record companies are so opposed to independent labels? It's because then they have no chance to insert the subliminal messages that they use to control us (those of us who don't use fluoride toothpaste, anyway).

Well, my question is how obscure do you want the suggestions? Do I have to mention Pink Floyd's DSOM, the Beatles' Sergent Peppers, Led Zeppelin IV, or The Doors?

Obscurity, of course, is relative. No-one on either side of the Atlantic needs to be reminded about Dark Side Of The Moon or Sergeant Pepper, but not all bands were promoted both in the US and UK. Did the Stone Roses make it in the US? What about James? Who, conversely, are the US bands that Brits will never have heard of?

Anyway,

1. The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses, by a mile from:
2. James, Goldmother
3. The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
4. The Happy Mondays, Pills 'n' Thrills 'n' Bellyaches
5. New Order, Substance, which is maybe not allowed because it's a Greatest Hits, but all New Order's best work is IMO on the twelve-inches collected here, not on the album versions.
6. Portishead, Dummy
7. Orbital, Diversions
8. Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, (Crazy Diamond wins it for me against Dark Side Of The Moon)
9. The Beatles, Sergeant Pepper

Okay, that's only nine, but beyond there it starts getting into the territory of albums like The Chemical Brothers' Surrender, where the brilliant tracks are packaged up with a few merely OK ones.

Peter

P.S. Anyone buying CDs on the basis of compensating the artists for their work should bear in mind that, due to a spectacular piece of predatory contract-writing, the Stone Roses do not receive any money from CD sales of The Stone Roses.

P.S. Anyone buying CDs on the basis of compensating the artists for their work should bear in mind that, due to a spectacular piece of predatory contract-writing, the Stone Roses do not receive any money from CD sales of The Stone Roses.

Wow, that pretty much redefines "raw deal!" How did they manage that? Were they high when they signed their contract? I know that type of thing happens all the time with big record companies, but to receive absolutely NO money? That's insane!