Just like I stole the title of this entry from a Triple J radio program, I stole the idea of this entry from an old neighbor & classmate… actually, no, we weren’t ever in the same class. Anyway, she shall remain anonymous as I expect she would like to & it is my general policy, anyhow. She writes an excellent blog over at Precocious Lotus. However, I do believe the original concept of this entry came from the very cool author of So Now What?. She, too, shall remain anonymous as per policy.
So, my stolen idea was this: I jumped onto iTunes, put her into shuffle mode by album & I made a note of the first 15 albums that iTunes thought I should be aurally blessed or assaulted by, then I thought about what they meant to me or simply what I thought of them. Here we go:
1) Jimi Hendrix – The Ultimate Experience: Wow, a great first up choice. I love Jimi, what superlatives do you apply to his music that haven’t already been applied? Eric Clapton used to lord his talent over everyone. He was, by his own admission, a right arrogant prick. Then a skinny, left handed guitarist from Seattle arrived in London, plugged in his Strat & launched into Killing Floor by Howlin’ Wolf. Well, Slowhand shat his pants on the spot. Said mollydooker from Seattle blew him & everyone else in the room away & became a superstar. A lot of people took his playing of Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock to be a protest against the war in Vietnam when, in fact, he was a supporter of the war. Gone too soon at 27, he’s still an inspiration to many.
2) Fleetwood Mac – Rumours: I first heard this album in full at my friends house at about 3am one Saturday night/Sunday morning, 7 or 8 years ago. Gatherings at her house through Summer were common; the garage had been converted into an entertainment area with a bar, pool table, jukebox, record player etc. Oh, and she had a pool which would be occupied by a naked yours truly on more than one occasion at 3 or 4am. Good times. A great record except for the Christine McVie stuff, which is rank shite. I love The Chain, but it’s all great. It’s a wonder, though, that it ever got made given the dysfunctional relationship of the band at the time.
3) Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You: I bought this album for my sister for Christmas ’09. Obviously she didn’t receive it until I made my own copy of it, hehe. It’s pretty good. I don’t mind Lily Allen at all; she’s quite talented. I wouldn’t want to fuck with her, though; I wouldn’t want to inspire her to give me a tongue lashing in one of her songs.
4) Slash – Self titled: Slash is the reason many of my generation picked up a guitar. The Les Paul in my lounge room is my most prized possession. An ex friend’s ex boyfriend used to play it when I was at work of a night time. I told him I’d break his fingers if he damaged it. I was only half joking. Anyway, Slash. How he is still alive is anyone’s guess. To be a clean & sober, married father of 2 is a remarkable achievement given the rampant heroin & alcohol addictions of his younger days. I don’t know what to say to be honest. Appetite for Destruction changed my life, and he’s still pulling killer riffs from out of no-where (Slither by Velvet Revolver: phwoar). I saw him play at the Hordern Pavilion last August & I was reduced to a 12 year old boy. Far out, it was amazing. If I don’t stop now, I never will. I hope that pacemaker of his has a few years left in it yet.
5) OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below: I hadn’t listened to this album in years, but it is really cool. It’s basically 2 solo albums by the main members put together as a double album. I definitely prefer The Love Below by André 3000. I saw The Vines play a cover of Hey Ya! at The Metro in Sydney a couple of years ago which was very, very cool.
6) Red Hot Chili Peppers – One Hot Minute: I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this album. Mothers Milk & Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik, on the other hand, are very good albums. My father blew up deluxe when I brought Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik home because of the f word contained in the lyrics. Ha! I’m actually laughing at that memory. Mum & Dad were none too appreciative of me bringing home tapes that had warning stickers on them. Hahaha, oh man, I’m still laughing. Umm, anyway, I first heard Mothers Milk in my cousin’s bedroom, then B,S,S,M was released & they went mega. Under The Bridge, I think, is quite crap, though. Umm, this has nothing at all to do with One Hot Minute… Coincidentally, I’m currently reading Anthony Kiedis’ autobiography.
7) INXS – The Greatest Hits: INXS stood quite easily alongside the likes of Gunners, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard in the popularity stakes when I was in Grade 6. Kick was one of the first albums I ever bought. I loved this band & I remember where I was when I first heard that Michael Hutchence had met his demise. Great music, brilliant front man, oh man, they were good; I wish they’d give up.
8 ) Bertie Blackman – Secrets & Lies: She’s pretty popular on the Triple J playlist, I just think her music is very cool. This album is different from her other stuff, it’s poppy, but cool. I do have a thing for alternative female artists, I have to admit. I’m not sure why, I just do. There’s not a bad song on this album; I listen to it doing the Sydney – Melbourne drive. I’d strongly recommend it to anyone.
9) Tori Amos – From The Choirgirl Hotel: Speaking of alternative female artists, Tori Amos would have to be one of the queens. She’s a fucking genius if you ask me. It really irked me a few years back when that dipshit Cameron Adams from the Herald-Sun wrote a review of a Delta Goodrem concert & explained how she played piano barefoot, “her trademark,” apparently. Said dipshit has never been to a Tori Amos show, obviously. Anyway, there’s not enough complimentary words to describe Tori Amos. Cornflake Girl…. ’nuff said.
10) The Dissociatives – Self titled: If it were a movie, you’d have seen all the good bits in the previews: the only stuff worth listening to are the singles released from it. I did hear them on Live at The Wireless on JJJ a few years back & they sounded great, but the recorded versions aren’t so great. Horror with Eyeballs is a great song, although, when I first heard the lyric, “All of this time on my hands/so far has gone/to feeding my animals,” I instantly thought of feeding chickens, which made me think Daniel Johns had written about wanking. Luckily, the rest of the song makes it pretty clear that Mr. Johns was referencing his time suffering from reactive arthritis.
11) Elliott Smith – XO: Elliott Smith was a great, great songwriter. Unfortunately, he suffered from crippling depression & committed suicide some years ago now, 6 or 7 years, I can’t remember. This is a terrific album that everyone should have in their collection.
12) The White Stripes – Elephant: Oh, the joy I felt when this album popped up. I love The White Stripes. Back in ’02, alt rock had made a resurgence with bands like Queens of the Stone Age, The Vines, The White Stripes & The Hives (who I hate) gaining extra recognition the world over. This is another album that comes with me on the Sydney – Melbourne run. I had this record in my car for ages. Just go out & buy it.
13) Wolfmother – Cosmic Egg: A few of my friends were big fans of the original line up. I bought the first album, which was good, and saw them live, which was great, but I still wasn’t sold on the ‘Mother. They were JJJ darlings around that time, too. Anyway, I first heard Back Round as I was fruitlessly searching for a car space around Westfield at Bondi frickin Junction. I thought, “Wow, that’s good. Really bloody good.” Then they disappeared, came back with a new line up & gave me a kick in the teeth with the opening riff of New Moon Rising. I fell in love. The story of the working class boy from Brisbane who studied in Melbourne & held down a 9-5 in Sydney before going on to sell a lazy 2 million or so records is a good one, too.
14) Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking: Good album, I just want to get to 15…
15) Radiohead – The Bends: Another album where all superlatives have been used up. Wow, what a record. I have fond memories of listening to this on my CD Walkman as I traveled around Europe in ’99. It was the first CD I put in every morning for about the first 2 weeks. Any self respecting music fan should have, nay, needs, this album in their collection. OK Computer, the follow up, is a classic, too. I remember being in Torquay with friends for one NYE. My first love had given me the flick about 2 months earlier & I was still struggling a bit. Anyway, on the morning of NYE I was having a dream where my ex girlfriend said to me, “We’re never getting back together.” I woke up at that instant and felt over her; a huge weight was lifted at that very moment. Someone then put on OK Computer & we went on to have a great NYE.
So, what does your iTunes throw up?
