885 greatest albums, pt3

From XPN
Thursday, September 29
6 AM
# 808 – MARAH – Kids In Philly
# 807 – VAN MORRISON – Enlightenment
# 806 – STING – Brand New Day
7 AM
# 805 –THE ROLLING STONES – Aftermath
# 804 – PULP – Different Class
# 803 – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA – Eldorado
8 AM
# 802 – JOHN MELLENCAMP – Scarecrow
# 801 – CAPTAIN BEEFHEART / MAGIC BAND – Trout Mask Replica
# 800 – NEIL YOUNG – Neil Young
9 AM
# 799 – GEORGE HARRISON – Concert For Bangladesh
# 798 – DAVID GRAY – A New Day At Midnight
# 797 – ROBIN TROWER – Bridge Of Sighs
10 AM
# 796 – CONCRETE BLONDE – Bloodletting
# 795 – STRAWBS – Bursting At The Seams
# 794 – ROBERT JOHNSON – King Of The Delta Blues
# 793 – CHARLES MINGUS – Mingus Ah Um
# 792 – THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – I Robot
# 791 – NORAH JONES – Feels Like Home
11 AM
# 790 – MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – Inner Mounting Flame
# 789 – JOAN ARMATRADING – Walk Under Ladders
# 788 – BONNIE RAITT – Road Tested
# 787 – U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
# 786 – M. BLOOMFIELD /A. KOOPER / S. STILLS – Super Session
12 PM
# 785 – GARBAGE – Garbage
# 784 – FLEETWOOD MAC - Tusk
# 783 – DAVID BOWIE – Heroes
# 782 – RANDY NEWMAN – Good Old Boys
# 781 – GIN BLOSSOMS – New Miserable Experience
# 780 – BEN FOLDS – Songs For Silverman
# 779 – STEVE EARLE – I Feel Alright
1 PM
# 778 – MOXY FRUVUS – Live Noise
# 777 – G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE – Philadelphonic
# 776 – DIRE STRAITS – Love Over Gold
# 775 – THE SPECIALS – Specials
# 774 – THE WHO – The Who Sell Out
# 773 – RHETT MILLER – The Instigator
2 PM
# 772 – PJ HARVEY – To Bring You My Love
# 771 – PEARL JAM – No Code
# 770 – IRON AND WINE – Our Endless Numbered Days
# 769 – 10,000 MANIACS – Blind Man’s Zoo
# 768 – THE MAGNETIC FIELDS – 69 Love Songs
# 767 – DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – Stand Up
# 766 – BEE GEES – Odessa
3 PM
# 765 – BEN FOLDS FIVE – Ben Folds Five
# 764 – JOE COCKER – Mad Dogs And Englishmen
# 763 – QUEEN – Queen II
# 762 – JOHN HIATT – Stolen Moments
# 761 – BRIAN ENO – Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
# 760 – RYAN ADAMS – Cold Roses
# 759 – E. FITZGERALD/L. ARMSTRONG – Ella & Louis
4 PM
# 758 – BARENAKED LADIES – Rock Spectacle
# 757 – THE SUNDAYS – Reading, Writing, And Arithmetic
# 756 – RAY CHARLES – Modern Sounds In Country And Western
# 755 – NANCI GRIFFITH – The Flyer
# 754 – AMOS LEE – Amos Lee
# 753 – GUSTER – Lost And Gone Forever
5 PM
# 752 – RANCID – Out Come The Wolves
# 751 – INXS – Kick
# 750 – STEPHEN STILLS – Manassas
# 749 – WHITE STRIPES – De Stijl
# 748 – TEARS FOR FEARS – The Hurting
# 747 – WEEN – Chocolate And Cheese
# 746 – DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – Remember Two Things
6 PM
# 745 – ERIC CLAPTON – Journeyman
# 744 – BAD COMPANY – Bad Company
# 743 – CARBON LEAF – Indian Summer
# 742 – ST. GERMAIN – Tourist
# 741 – THE ROLLING STONES – Tattoo You
# 740 – GREY EYE GLANCES – Eventide

Sept. 28 885 greatest albums

From XPN.
Wednesday September 28, 2005
6 AM
# 846 – ORIGINAL CAST – Rent (soundtrack)
# 845 – SIGUR ROS – ( )
# 844 – RICKIE LEE JONES – Flying Cowboys
7 AM
# 843 – RAY CHARLES – Genius + Soul = Jazz
# 842 – LUCINDA WILLIAMS – Sweet Old World
8 AM
# 841 – PATTY GRIFFIN – Impossible Dream
# 840 – MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA – Birds Of Fire
9 AM
# 839 – XTC – Oranges And Lemons
# 838 – TEARS FOR FEARS – Songs From The Big Chair
# 837 – LYLE LOVETT – Step Inside This House
10 AM
# 836 – LOREENA MC KENNITT – Book Of Secrets
# 835 – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - Volunteers
# 834 – EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL – Amplified Heart
11 AM
# 833 – AIMEE MANN – Lost In Space
# 832 – FUNKADELIC – One Nation Under A Groove
# 831 – BLIND MELON – Blind Melon
12PM
# 830 – VAN MORRISON – Into The Music
# 829 – CAPTAIN BEYOND – Captain Beyond
# 828 – BILLY JOEL – Cold Spring Harbor
# 827 – TRACY CHAPMAN – New Beginning
# 826 – ROXY MUSIC – Siren
# 825 – THE REPLACEMENTS – Don’t Tell A Soul
# 824 – LORETTA LYNN – Van Lear Rose
2 PM
# 823 – KING CRIMSON - Red
# 822 – SHERYL CROW – Sheryl Crow
# 821 – RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON – Pour Down Like Silver
3 PM
# 820 – PHISH – A Live One
# 819 – THE MOODY BLUES – Seventh Soujourn
# 818 – MARVIN GAYE – Here, My Dear
4 PM
# 817 – DEVO – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
# 816 – THE WATERBOYS – Fisherman’s Blues
# 815 – RAMONES – Rocket To Russia
5 PM
# 814 – KANSAS – Leftoverture
# 813 – TRAFFIC - Traffic
# 812 – THE ROLLING STONES – It’s Only Rock & Roll
6 PM
# 811 – GRAHAM PARKER – Howlin’ Wind
# 810 – BOB DYLAN – Planet Waves
# 809 – JOHN HIATT – Perfectly Good Guitar

Nice to see that Tears for Fears made it on to the list.

885 greatest albums

As I have noted before, XPN has started counting down the 885 greatest albums. Here is the list for today:
September 27, 2005

6 AM
# 885 - RY COODER – Paradise And Lunch
# 884 - ROBBIE ROBERTSON – Robbie Robertson
# 883 - PAUL MCCARTNEY – McCartney
7 AM
# 882 – INDIGO GIRLS – All That We Let In
# 881 – BELLE & SEBASTIAN – Dear Catastrophe Waitress
# 880 – BILLY BRAGG – Workers Playtime
8 AM
# 879 – QUEEN – News Of The World
# 878 – JEFF BUCKLEY – Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk
# 877 – G. LOVE AND SPECIAL SAUCE – G. Love And Special Sauce
9 AM
# 876 – JEFF BECK – Wired
# 875 – CRASH TEST DUMMIES – God Shuffled His Feet
# 874 – WILLIE NELSON – Stardust
10 AM
# 873 – JOHN LENNON – Double Fantasy
# 872 – BECK – Mellow Gold
# 871 – DAN FOGELBERG – Souvenirs
11 AM
# 870 – THE J. GEILS BAND – Live – Full House
# 869 – DON MC LEAN – American Pie
# 868 – ALLMAN BROTHERS – Idlewild South
12 PM
# 867 – NEIL YOUNG – Zuma
# 866 – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE – After Bathing At Baxter’s
1 PM
# 865 – ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION – New Favorite
# 864 – RAUL MALO – Today
# 863 – THE CURE – The Head On The Door
# 862 – BOB DYLAN – Bob Dylan
2 PM
# 861 – BOB DYLAN – Infidels
# 860 – U2 – Zooropa
# 859 – DAR WILLIAMS – The End Of Summer
3 PM
# 858 – N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton
# 857 – JOHN PRINE – The Missing Years
# 856 – DAVE CARTER & TRACY GRAMMER – Drum Hat Buddha
4PM
#855 - BOB DYLAN - Another Side of Bob Dylan
# 854 – RYAN ADAMS – Love Is Hell
# 853 – HUSKER DU – Warehouse: Songs And Stories
5 PM
# 852 – CARLY SIMON – Carly Simon
# 851 – TRAFFIC – Mr. Fantasy
# 850 - LEONARD COHEN - The Future
6PM
#849 - ROBERT PALMER - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley
#848 - ELTON JOHN - Honky Chateau
#847 – FLEETWOOD MAC – Bare Trees

Familiar faces in this list already, and I'm happy to note that The Cure has an album on there so far. Sure there will some more along the way...

I ask you these questions three

I get to interview a potential new employee at my work. This is the first time I'll be doing this, so we'll see how it all turns out. Not sure whether I need to be nervous or not, but I figure it's just an extended conversation with someone.
I think I' gonna ask him what CD and book he would take with him to a deserted island. I had someone ask me that one before in an interview, and I wasn't really happy with the answer I gave. (I believe it was a Mark Twain book and a Beatles CD. Not very imaginative, I know, but she surprised me!) Oh well.
I may ask him to quote Monty Python, too. Er, maybe not.
The drive home from Maine last night sucked ass. What took me 7 hours on Saturday to me over 8 yesterday. It rained all the way down, so I wasn't able to pick up any decent speed. On a side note, it's really annoying when people drive just as fast and crazy when it rains as when it's dry. These are the people that die on the highways, I guess, and I sure as hell don't want to be one of them. (The only way I'll be one of them is if I get hit by one of those fuckers after they lose control.)
I digress. Against better judgment and advice, I took the Geo. Wash. Bridge and the Cross Bronx expressway. Thankfully, the traffic wasn't that out of hand, so it was really no problem.
My brother in law retired after 24 years in the navy, so there was a rather formal and traditional ceremony honoring him. Quite interesting, it was, and I was happy to represent the rest of the family there. I'll have some pictures up soon...

Norther than north

My brother-in-law is retiring from the Navy, so I decided to make the trip up to Maine to attend the ceremony. Beautiful country, here, that's for sure.
I saw five Lamboghinis on the road yesterday. Three in one group....it must have been "TAke your lamborghini to town" day.

I just want to go home.

Scorsese, PBS reveal another side of Bob Dylan
Martin Scorcese directed a Bob Dylan documentary, called "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," that airs this Monday and Tuesday at 9pm, est, on PBS. From the reviews I've read, it should be quite, and we already know the soundtrack will rock. It follows Dylan's career as he starts out in early 60s Greenwich Village, and it ends in 1966, after he went electric and was called a "traitor" by folkie purists. Twits.
So, I know where I'll be this Monday and Tuesday...
There's also a book called Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina, which follows that troupe in Greenwich Village. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it's on my perpetual list of books I need to get.

Green

Leave it to the record companies to mess up a good thing:
Apple, record labels to face off over pricing
I guess the record companies have made their money out of ripping people off, so I shouldn't be surprised. The prices for CDs have gone up while the price to make them has gone down. I'm interested to see how they are going to spin this to make it look like they aren't the greedy bastards they are.
I predict the days of conglomerate record companies are over. Their business model is unsustainable. I can't say I feel all that sorry for them, considering how many artists they've exploited. I guess its karma at play.
I have a feeling that small boutique labels will come back in to play. A label with only a few bands so that they operators can focus all their attention on them. Keeping it small. A focus on touring, touring, touring, and of building a strong fan base before spending $1 million on making videos and "marketing." Artists don't need and shouldn't have to sell millions of albums to be profitable.
I don't think the future of the music business is finding the next britney spears and knock-you-over-the-head marketing, as success like that is only temporary. I think it'll be more organic.
I guess I'm just being naive. Oh well.

Great, now I'm lost.

That Lost episode didn't just come from left field, it came from a different park. It was a great episode, with all sorts of suspense and stuff, but it really through me for a loop.
They seem to have a habit of answering questions with a question, and after a while that might become annoying. Not so much that I won't tune in next week, but at what point does outlandish become too outlandish.
At any rate, I'm really curious to know what's next. What the bloody hell does a dude have to do to get stuck in a shelter on a deserted island? And why did he seem to expect Jack?

Farm animal of the week

Just because.

Etc, etc.

Katrina Raises Voters' Doubts About Bush
Bush seems to be getting hammered from all ends. Bummer for him, huh? He should have been hammered for a bunch of other things already, so maybe it's due time.
Cost of Katrina relief splits Republican ranks
New Orleans and Gulf Coast area are basically destroyed, so they need to be fixed. This is going to cost quite a bit of money. I figure that we don't extend the tax cuts that are set to expire, and then we'll be able to pay for it all. Republicans seem to think it is a good idea to cut spending? What are we going to cut? You can't even agree to cut $35 billion from various programs, where are you going to grab $200 billion? I guess we'll just have to borrow from the Chinese some more. Anyone know Mandarin?

Clinton speaks!

I was watching Bill Clinton being interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on This Week, and he finally rips into Bush. He coulda maybe done this a bit earlier, but I guess we'll just have to take what we can get. There's such a marked contrast between Clinton and Bush, it's not even funny. Erg.
Anyway, a transcript:
Clinton Rips Bush Fiscal, Tax Policies
The condensed version:
Clinton launches withering attack on Bush on Iraq, Katrina, budget

Go Gators!

For the whole weekend leading up to and after the UF-Tennessee game, "Go Gators!" has been coming out of my mouth for no reason, at the oddest times. "I think I want some french fries, and 'Go Gators!'"
The beat Tennesse at the Swamp, as well they should have. They shouldn't be able to come into our house and embarrass us again.
This shows that the Gator Nation is alive and well, and leaves open the door for a kick ass season this year. Possibly even regaining some of the school's credibility as a powerhouse football program. In the last few years, games like this would have decided in the last two minutes, with the other team most likely coming out on top. It was ugly and dispiriting.
The spirit is back, so Go Gators! Woohoo!

Some photos

I have yet to sit down and write about my trip, but I did manage to get some photos together.
Check them out here.

Top 10 albums

I wanted to sit down for the longest time and do this list for the XPN 885 greatest albums contest they've got going on. However, it's turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be, and I've gone ahead and missed the darn votin'. Drat!
Nevertheless, I'm doing my list anyway, because if I don't do it now, when I'm motivated, it'll never happen.
So, here goes:

10. Thriller - Michael Jackson
This number 10 spot is probably the hardest to figure out, because it's the last space you have. You might think this an odd choice, but so what. When I was 9, this album was HUGE and I couldn't get enough. I remember gathering all the loose change I could find and saving up so that I could buy one of those cheesy fan magazines. I also remember practising my moonwalk, although I never did perfect it. So, the album sold 50 million copies ... there's a reason. It rawked! And although I was only 9, I'm not going to deny the effect the album had on me, so here it is at number 10.

9. Our Time in Eden - 10,000 Maniacs
I was getting home from class one day during my freshman year at UF, and as I walked past the common room on my dorm room floor, an acquiantance was watching MTV on TV. The video for "These are DAys" was on, and I was immediately hooked. I got this CD and dug every song, and I went back to their past catalogue and grabbed everything I could. I loved it all, but this album will always hold a special place because I played it nonstop for years.

8. Disintegration - The Cure
I got this CD from my brother in 89 or 90, and I really dug it in high school. However, there is a particular time that sticks out. It was the summer of 94, between my sophmore and junior years. I was taking summer classes at school and had a dorm room to myself. I hated it really ,cuz all my friends had gone home, I had an unrequited crush on a red-haired girl in one of my classes, and I wasn't doing all that well in my classes. Plus, it rained torrentially everyday, and the stupid dorm room had these nasty ass lime greem walls. So, to make the misery complete, I played this album every afternoon after my classed. I still managed a 3.0 average, so that was ok. Thankfully, I don't equte the album with misery anymore, just great tunes.

7. Automatic for the People - REM
Every song is a classic. I think I actually killed the cassette I had of this thing from playing it so much.

6. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me - The Cure
Happy Cure, Sad Cure, and everything in between. I think it's their best all-around album. "A Thousand Hours" to "Hot Hot Hot" says it all. My brother gave me an old cassette of this in 88, and I remember driving around with him as we played it in the car. Nice.

5. White Ladder - David Gray
I got this in late 2000, within a few weeks of my getting laid off from a dot com three days before Xmas, and in the midst of a gray New Jersey winter. I loved the sound, as it was a melding of different styles that I hadn't yet heard. When I listened to each song the first time, it just dragged me in. I felt I could relate to each song, and I thought I had found a gem, so I grabbed on to it as hard as I could.
(Crap, I'm getting tired now. The next four are all bloody obvious anyway. Good night.)
4. Revolver - Beatles
3. Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
2. White Album - Beatles
As Paul would say, "It's great. It sold. It's the Beatles fucking White Album. Shut up."
1. Abbey Road - Beatles

Little unsuspecting monkey

My friend Dava sent me this little shark toy thing for my birthday. It's a little wind-up toy, and it kinda chews up a little surfer guy. Wacked out, no? I think she got it from Archie McPhee toys. You got to love a toy company that actually has a category for bacon/meat toys. Strange.
She's also the one that gave me the unsuspecting banana-eating monkey pictured with the shark. Thanks Dava!

So, I'm home

I got home at a decent time yesterday afternoon, but the jet lag hit me like a brick today. I got up around 4am after a good night's rest, and I'm gonna be running on caffeine fumes for the rest of the workday.
The vacation was great, and I'll have pictures up in a few days. The plane rides were even tolerable, though by the 7th hour yesterday, I was starting to get antsy. Not to the point where they had to strap me down or anything, but still...
To Andreas: thanks for inviting me to the wedding; I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Car food

My friend Elise sent this to me.

Steel wing-ed creature

I just wanted to say that the posts here will be infrequent for the next week or so while I am on vacation.
My friend Andreas go married this weekend in a really nice ceremony in Salzburg. Much wine was consumed...I will have plenty of pics when I get home.
I am now back in Switzerland, and although it's hazy at the moment, I can still make out the town on the other side of the lake.
I will have much to write about when I get home! Have a nice week.