FOUR FRIENDS' "FIFTEEN FANTASY ISLAND FAVORITES" (Part 1 Of 2)

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FOUR FRIENDS’
“FIFTEEN FANTASY ISLAND FAVORITES”

(Part 1 Of 2)

This is still ‘A McBirdDogg Production’

Last Monday, I posted here at ‘STUFFS’ a list of my fifteen “must-have” Desert Island music albums. This was a Blogland festival which many bloggers participated in, including some friends of mine who are members of the blogging community, namely, Arlee Bird, Mousie Marc, and DiscConnected.

But I had also asked my non-blogging friends to submit a list to me of their ‘Fifteen Fantasy Island Favorites’ and four of them did so (one even included album cover photos). Below are the 15 choices that these four BFOS (‘Blogless Friends Of Stephen’) would pack for their one-way cruise to Fantasy Island.

Well, actually, the last of the four BFOS totally rebelled against this project, but more on that later.

Following are the lists in the order in which they were received by me. Some of their commentary was directed toward me, so if you encounter, for instance, the word “you”, know that they ain’t yakkin’ at YOU, dear reader; the “you” they is yakkin’ at is ME:

POOH LYNTH:

[Pooh is a dear old friend whom I met through a mutual friend of ours back in 1978. I can still remember pretty vividly the night we met; we hit it off immediately and stayed up yakkin’ music until the early, early hours. At that time, we shared a strong fondness for the music of the Hard Rock band Thin Lizzy, and I’m sure this represented the first element that tied us together… uhm… strictly in a “John Wayne” kinda way, ya un’erstand! It was Pooh who years later turned me on to Tom Waits by way of his ‘Small Change’ album. For nearly a decade, Pooh and I shared misadventures we’ll never remember, and hangovers we’ll never forget. I still love him dearly… strictly in a “John Wayne” kinda way!]

Pooh sez . . .

(Subject to change without notice) Album Cover - Comments
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1: DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Dad’s, darkness, and Exxon signs. What more can you ask for? Listened to this over and over through the headphones, hating my dad, and my lot in life. And in retrospect, doesn’t the Boss look a little waify here?
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2: BANG MASTERS - VAN MORRISON
Several other VM albums should have made it to this list but I wanted to dazzle you with my diversity. Actually this one is extra special due to the experiences shared listening to it. You know who you are! The Back Room is reminiscent of days and nights spent drinking in my dad’s liquor store. Then there’s Brown-Eyed Girl, TB Sheets, and an early version of Madame George among other great songs.
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3: THE RIVER - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
A good combination of pensive and happy music that came along at a great time in my life. Even waited in line over night for tickets to this tour. You’ve got the brooding The River and up-beat Hungry Heart as the album meanders through dark points and highlights. Always reminds me of good times and good friends!
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4: ONE MORE FROM THE ROAD - LYNYRD SKYNYRD
Get out your lighter and start chanting Freebird! Possibly the best road trip album of all time. What would high school have been without Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama?
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5: ASTRAL WEEKS - VAN MORRISON
One of the best albums of all time. I still don’t understand all of it but it is great and the music is superb.
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6: QUADROPHENIA - THE WHO
Another album where I was in a transition. What better way to explore transitioning from your teens to young adulthood than by splitting yourself into 4 different personalities. Love Reign o’er Me, Dr. Jimmy and the Punk and the Godfather. And of course there’s Townsend’s windmill and Keith Moon’s self-destruction. Who’s Next almost made it to the list.
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7: PET SOUNDS - THE BEACH BOYS
Nothing says Summer to me more (well maybe Vin Scully’s voice on the radio) than the Beach Boys. You get sand between your toes just listening to this.
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8: BAD REPUTATION - THIN LIZZY
A sucker for anything Irish, but this paid off. Nice hard rockin’ stuff mixed with Dancing In The Moonlight… I just wish The Boys Are Back In Town was on this album.
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9: SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND -
THE BEATLES
My brother returned from a Summer in England with this album. It was glossier than the U.S. version and although I didn’t understand much of the lyrics at the time, it was new and different and I liked it.
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10: SMALL CHANGE - TOM WAITS
It was a toss up between this and Rain Dogs. But any album with songs titled Bad Liver And A Broken Heart, The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) and Pasties And A G-String is in my top 15 no matter what. Great album to make you turn out the lights and get all melancholy like.
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11: BLOOD ON THE TRACKS - BOB DYLAN
One of the best break-up albums of all time. Careful not to get bile on your fingers when you take out the CD.
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12: A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD - COLDPLAY
Another album that got me through a transition. Just a great pop album with some good sounds and lyrics. Clocks, Amsterdam and the Scientist are my favs.
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13: RED LETTER DAYS - THE WALLFLOWERS
Why yes, that is Bobby Dylan’s boy Jakob. Another album that got me to circumvent a broken heart. Bringing Down the Horse and his other albums are pretty good too.
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14: MADE IN JAPAN - DEEP PURPLE
Schlitz Malt Liquor, Old English 800, Boone’s Farm, Marlboros and Smoke On The Water, nuf said. One of the most recognizable (and simplest) riffs of all time. And then there’s Highway Star. Did anyone listen to side 2?
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15: PARANOID - BLACK SABBATH
Okay, let’s go over this mixture, Ozzy, being a teenager, first beer and pot buzz, and testosterone …need I say more? I AM IRONMAN!...Paraonoid...I will admit I never understood Fairies Wear Boots.
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THE FLYING AARDVARK

[The Flying Aardvark – known as Cinephiliac when I first met her – is truly one of the very nicest persons I have ever met. Ever! She’s so nice, in fact, that it’s a wonder she has anything at all to do with a curmudgeonly cur like me. The stuffs she makes in her kitchen is unbelievably delicious. She really should go into the business of selling baked goods. She makes – hands-down! – the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted, and her rum balls are – (hic!) – to kill or die for.]

The Flyin’ Aard sez . . .

Hey, Stephen:

This was actually kind of a challenge. There aren't that many albums I like in their entirety - 3 or 4 favorite songs on an album is my average. I wondered how I should then apply the criteria to select "favorites." 50/50? 60/40? Should I include soundtracks as they are usually a compilation of various artists? Is the fact that I might buy an album over and over again in different formats a clear indication of it being a favorite?

Do you think I'm being insanely O.C.D. about this? Well, after taking a short break to alphabetize and index my garbage and then color code my sock drawer, I decided to rummage through my albums (such as they are) and just pull out ones I really like, and then narrow those down to 15.

Here they be (some have a short explanation, some don't).
　
1. King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson:
Do you even have to ask?

2. The Best of Ray Charles:
I listened to this album almost nonstop during my college days. Still love Mr. Charles. Saw him in concert at the Hollywood Bowl shortly before he passed.

3. Ry Cooder - The Slide Area:
Quintessential blues. His vocals are thin and reedy but his guitar playing is incendiary. I am sure he signed up at the same crossroads as Mr. Johnson.

4. Robert Cray - Strong Persuader:
Great contemporary blues album.

5. Chris Issacs - Heart Shaped World:
Great Roy Orbison-y tortured vocals and bluesy guitar playing.

6. The Beatles' "White Album":
I know the Beatles were in a weird transitional phase when they recorded this and the songs are all over the place, but that is one of the main reasons I like it so much. Although, back in the day, I am pretty sure I owned every single Beatles LP, I especially love this one as it contains my all-time favorite Beatles song (by my favorite Beatle) - George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps.' The song still gives me goose bumps when I hear it - even after all these years.

7. The Doors:
Their first album introduced me to something I hadn't experienced before - a melding of classical, early electronica, straight rock and blues music with absolutely gorgeous lyrics that were both mysterious and compelling. Jim Morrison didn't have what I would call a "great" voice, but it was very interesting and it worked perfectly with The Doors' eccentric musical style.

8. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Anthology / Through the Years:
Even though I liked a lot of Tom Petty's songs and went to one of his concerts, I didn't consider myself a big fan until I watched the documentary "Running Down A Dream". I just fell in love with his ornery and outspoken personality, and I discovered how much I really liked his music overall. Then when a certain Pal-O-Mine gave me BOTH the documentary and this CD, I was completely hooked. ;-)

9. The Best of the Rolling Stones - Jump Back:
The album may not contain every Rolling Stones song I like, but I like every song on the album.

10. Tom Waits - The Bone Machine:
You never would have believed me if I didn't put this one on the list. ;-)

11. The Best of Nina Simone:
Simone is one of my 2 favorite female vocalists (the other is Ella Fitzgerald). This CD has both "Wild is the Wind” and "See-Line Woman" on it.

12. The Chieftains' Long Black Veil:
I love the Chieftains, plus on this CD they collaborate with everyone from Van Morrison to Tom Jones to Ry Cooder.
　
(3 soundtrack albums. . .)

13. Blink:
I dearly love the mournful ballads and energized Irish dance music supplied by the Chicago rock band (The Drovers) for this film.

14. Crossroads:
Great Ry Cooder tracks and a great sampling of Mississippi blues overall.

15. The Last of the Mohicans:
My brother makes fun of the movie because of the overly melodramatic acting, but I adore the music (I think it won an Oscar for best score that year). I purchased it in multiple formats and listened to it obsessively for several years. Another Irish music influence with sweeping background instrumentals.

~The Aard~

'FOUR FRIENDS'
"FIFTEEN FANTASY ISLAND FAVORITES"
Continued Below . . .

~ Stephen T. McCarthy
(who's continuing below also)

YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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