Desert Island Disks

Feb 23, 2016 · peterb · 4 minute read
Culture

Inspired by The Incomparable’s current podcast listing record albums they would take to a desert island, I decided to compile my own list. The rest of the gang on the Tea Leaves slack channel got into the act. What results is this little compilation. I was going to include links and explanation and discussion, but on reflection I think the various lists are sort of more interesting taken on their own. So allow me to present them with minimal comment.

My list, in order from “most essential” downwards:

1. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
2. The Ex - Scrabbling At The Lock
3. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
4. Bjork - Post
5. Downtown Science - Downtown Science
6. Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2
7. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
8. Fugazi - Steady Diet Of Nothing
9. Sugarhill Gang - Sugarhill Gang
10. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

(Interestingly, I found that I had made a similar list back in 2010, and 5 of the albums were the same. Sensible consistency, or hidebound conservatism? Who can say?) Feel free to complain about my list on Twitter, if you like.

On a side note, I feel like I deserve a medal for not putting an opera on the list. But maybe I’ll make a separate post for opera recommendations.

Tea Leaves co-founder @psu_13’s contribution, which he says is in no particular order:

1. Bill Evans - The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings
2. Bruckner 7th, Eichhorn
3. Brahms Sextets, Raphael Ensemble
4. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
5. John Coltrane - Blue Train
6. Thelonius Monk - The London Collection
7. Duke Ellington 1940-41. There are various possible collections
8. Bach: Golberg Variations, Glenn Gould 1981
9. Beethoven 5, von Karajan 1960, not the later ones.
10. Bach Musical Offering, Leppard on Musical Heritage Society/Erato

Next up was @importantshock’s essential 10, from top to bottom:

1. Radiohead - ​Kid A​
2. Nirvana - ​Nevermind
3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
4. Radiohead - OK Computer
5. Nas - ​Illmatic
6. Lil Wayne - ​Dedication 2
7. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
8. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works​
9. Glenn Gould - The Goldberg Variations
10. Elliott Smith - self-titled

Fourth in the batting order comes left-fielder @inmostlight.

1. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
3. Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With the Arab Strap
4. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
5. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
6. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee
7. The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me
8. Pulp - His ‘n’ Hers
9. Faith No More - Angel Dust
10. Joy Division - Substance 1977-1980

Next comes @snefster with his nostalgia-laden list. He’s trying to pretend that he’s trolling, but I can tell that he’s serious.

1. Billy Joel - Piano Man
2. Pink Floyd - Momentary Lapse of Reason
3. Aqua - Aquarium
4. The Pogues - Waiting for Herb
5. Styx - Kilroy Was Here
6. ELO - Xanadu
7. Samantha Fox - I Wanna Have Some Fun
8. Primus - Pork Soda
9. Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business
10. How to build a wooden boat - audiobook

I expected musician and high-powered record-company executive @djehuti to come in esoteric and noise-heavy, but he surprised me with his list:

1. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
2. Fripp/Eno - (no pussyfooting)
3. Led Zeppelin - II
4. Yes - Close to the Edge or Fragile
5. ZZ Top - Tejas (on vinyl!)
6. Tangerine Dream - Tangram
7. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
8. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
9. Robert Rich - Below Zero or Bestiary
10. Dave Brubeck - Time Out

Finally, long-time Tea Leaves contributor @ctokar hits us over the head with this (un-ordered) asiapop list:

1. Rie fu - I Can Do Better
2. Mika Nakashima - NO MORE RULES
3. Perfume - ⊿
4. Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled
5. YUI - Orange Garden Pop
6. Ellie Goulding - Halcyon Days (Deluxe Edition)
7. LAMA - New!
8. Mika Nakashima - DEARS
9. La Oreja de Van Gogh - Cometas Por El Cielo
10. Namie Amuro - Feel

Lots of good music here. Now I just need them all in a single Apple Music playlist.