Every CD I own . . .

Paul_C

Sorry - it all depends on how my day goes - some days I have lots of work on and a daughter to look after some days I have little or nothing to do and less daughter time.

I reckon I'm getting close to half way now (having bought a few more recently I've lost track of the total) and last time I reached a significant milestone I had a rest, so you might get a day or two to catch up



Update: I make it 461 in total (I've discarded a few, including 7 or 8 SRV albums that I can't be arsed to listen to) so I'm now 34 away from half way (that means there's going to be a lot of R.E.M., Elvis Costello and XTC in the second half).

ICBM

Paul_C said:

CD#195 Marcella Detroit - Jewel

Hopefully this was one of my Britannia freebies, because while I like "I Believe" there's not much else going for it.

I've got that too, and agreed. She was much better in Shakespear's Sister.

Paul_C said:

CD#199 R.E.M. - Monster 

There's more to this than I remembered, though they could have eased up on the use of tremolo a bit.

Peter Buck had been given a Mesa Trem-o-verb - and like everyone does when they get a new toy, decided to use it on everything .

EricTheWeary

I saw Shakespeare's Sister live. Long time ago but my memory says it was painfully obvious that Marcella had talent and Siobhan had, err, married Dave Stewart...

Paul_C

Day 47

CD#200 Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

Probably my favourite, a superb album from start to finish.

CD#201 XTC - The Big Express

Andy Partridge obviously had fun with the Linn LM-1 on this, though I'd have dialed it back a touch if it had been up to me. Despite that this one of my top 5 XTC albums.

CD#202 Jonatha Brooke - Plumb

Though it says Jonatha Brooke + The Story on the case, this is the first solo album, and everything that makes Jonatha's music special begins here, great stuff. 

CD#203 Jennifer Kimball - Oh Hear Us

The other half of The Story with Jonatha Brooke, this is her second solo album (which came in the post this morning). It's perfectly fine but not begging me to buy the other one.

CD#204 Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon

A 2 CD Best Of with a DVD documentary that I still haven't got round to watching yet, I really must rectify that.

Paul_C

Day 48

CD#205 John Watts - Ether Beep Start

"The essence of 'Ether', my voice, guitar and basic grooves, was recorded at home on a laptop. The plan was to go out with a Mac, an audio interface, microphones and other minimal equipment, to a number of international locations where I had some contacts to just let things happen. In the beginning I planned to record songs in specific places. It soon became clear that the best approach was to meet people, most of them for the first time, play them a few of the tracks and gauge which ones they could best contribute to. We ended up working with some 30 people in the UK, New York and Europe."

It's remarkable that without reading the above I'd have said that it was recorded conventionally in a studio. Either way it's good stuff.


CD#206 Catherine Maclellan - Dark Dream Midnight/Water In The Ground

A Canadian singer-songwriter, she lives on Prince Edward Island, and having had a quick look around it on Google street view, who can blame her, it looks as peaceful and lovely as these songs.

CD#207 Liam Dullaghan - Making History

A local lad, a brilliant debut solo album.

CD#208 Marillion - Script For Jester's Tear

The most varied and interesting of their albums for me, and my favourite.

CD#209 Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line

Their most recent album and currently the only one I've bought, I should buy some more.

Paul_C

Day 49

CD#210 R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-fi

I put this in with the thought that I've never liked it (or listened to it) much. It's better than I remember but not hugely memorable, it mostly just meanders along with no particular highs or lows.

CD#211 Matt & Kim - Grand

From hi-fi to lo-fi, it's another from the lucky dip of Exmouth Market. It's a little giddy for a Sunday morning, but a nice contrast to the sounds of New Adventures In Hi-fi nevertheless.

CD#212 Blur - 13

Not sure about this one, there are some great tunes and some noise, and a couple of others are ok, but it's a bit neither one thing nor another. 

CD#213 Silver Sun - Neo Wave

A mixed bag today, but this will make things better. I love this album.

CD#214 Steve Lawson & Theo Travis - For The Love Of Open Spaces

I was going to attempt a fruit and cream based metaphor but wasn't sure I could get away with it, so this is Steve with added Theo, delicious.

CD#215 Radiohead - Ok Computer

Not bad at all.

viz

TTony said:

Slow down, slow down.

I can't keep up ...

So much of what you're listing is replicated in my collection that I'm trying to listen to the stuff that I *don't* have (thanks Spotify) to see what else I might like!

It's the opposite for me - if you sell your collection I'd be interested! So far up to 215, I only have 3 in common - really enjoying this thread! Don't stop before the end, I want to see if I can get up to 10.

Paul_C

viz said:

TTony said:

Slow down, slow down.

I can't keep up ...

So much of what you're listing is replicated in my collection that I'm trying to listen to the stuff that I *don't* have (thanks Spotify) to see what else I might like!

It's the opposite for me - if you sell your collection I'd be interested! So far up to 215, I only have 3 in common - really enjoying this thread! Don't stop before the end, I want to see if I can get up to 10.

Part of me wants to know what the three are, part of me is amused not to know.

I'll add the ones I couldn't be arsed to listen to at the end just in case it helps

viz

If they're by Steve Vai, it'll help

The others are Pipers at the Gates of Dawn, PIL and LZ3. Cmon put some Vai on!

Paul_C

I don't have anything with Vai on, as far as I'm aware.

There's plenty more Floyd though (one more today) and more Led Zep.

Paul_C

Day 50

CD#216 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

It's not in my top 5, but it does have Fat Old Sun on it, so it's not all bad.

CD#217 Gil Scott-Heron - Ghetto Style

A compilation which appears to be a passable summation of his career up to the time of its release - the only album (ignoring remixes and a posthumous release) it misses out is 2010's I'm New Here, which I like a lot.

CD#218 The Elected - Me First

The main man of The Elected is Blake Sennett, once of Rilo Kiley, this album has the drummer Jason Boesel too. Not unsurprisingly this sounds a lot like the quirkier Rilo Kiley stuff which was often written and sung by Blake, surprisingly I like some of it more than I do one or two of his Rilo Kiley offerings.

Paul_C

Day 51

CD#219 Juliet Turner - People Have Names

Her most recent (2008) and possibly her last, which would be sad. Having said that she's done some great work, so I shall be grateful for that.

CD#220 The Smiths - The Smiths

I remember being stunned by this album when I first heard it, not sure quite to make of the amazing contrast between the music and the vocals/lyrics which were like nothing I'd heard before. Superb and unsettling in equal measure.

CD#221 McAlmont & Butler - Bring It Back

This is their second and probably final album, 7 years after the first, though Wiki says they played some gigs together last year, so you never know.

CD#222 Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle

Depending on my mood, and which one I'm listening to at the time, this is the best (or second best) Springsteen album. Either way it's always good to hear it.

CD#223 Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

Whenever I get round to listening to Steely Dan I always enjoy it, so it's puzzling I don't do it more often.

Paul_C

Day 52

CD#224 Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps

I've got other NY albums, but this is my only CD.

CD#225 Presumed Innocent - Where Clouds Cried Acid Tears

More local music - two of the three were bandmates of mine what seems like a lifetime ago - great days!

CD#226 The Mavericks - Trampoline

Great fun, every home should have a copy.

CD#227 Rush - Feedback

The sound of Rush having fun, it's not the worst thing they've ever done ;O) 

CD#228 Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti

I do like a bit of Frank, and there's lots on here.

CD#229 The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

More fun, frolics, murder and mayhem with Colin and the gang.

EricTheWeary

Never heard Feedback except for Summertime Blues. Joys of streaming mean I've had it on for the last half an hour. Listening via an iPad probably does nothing much justice but it is fun if probably a bit slight/ lightweight in the Rush cannon. Rush for people who don't normally like Rush maybe. 

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

Never heard Feedback except for Summertime Blues. Joys of streaming mean I've had it on for the last half an hour. Listening via an iPad probably does nothing much justice but it is fun if probably a bit slight/ lightweight in the Rush cannon. Rush for people who don't normally like Rush maybe. 

It's good, but speaking as a Rush fan I tend to forget it exists and I've only listened to it a handful of times.

ICBM

Paul_C said:

CD#226 The Mavericks - Trampoline

Great fun, every home should have a copy.

I think they fit into the odd category of 'so inoffensive they're actually incredibly annoying' - which sounds like it shouldn't be possible, but is.

Paul_C

ICBM said:

Paul_C said:

CD#226 The Mavericks - Trampoline

Great fun, every home should have a copy.

I think they fit into the odd category of 'so inoffensive they're actually incredibly annoying' - which sounds like it shouldn't be possible, but is.

I enjoyed it, but it'll probably be a long time before I hear it again

Paul_C

The total a few posts back was 461, then I bought one more (Jennifer Kimball) and yesterday I picked up a couple more (Neutral Milk Hotel) which will be here in a few days, bringing the total to 464. Despite this I am currently listening to CD#233 which is/will be (currently) the first CD of the second half

I genuinely thought I'd have given up by now, but there have been enough pleasant surprises from albums I'd otherwise have never listened to again to keep me interested.

Paul_C

Day 53

CD#230 Syd Barrett - Barrett

The last album from what was left of Syd.

CD#231 The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers

Ramshackle country/folk rock from the Catskill Mountains.

CD#232 Extreme - II: Pornograffitti

I hadn't noticed before, but the bass player is called Pat Badger, which amused me more than perhaps it should.

CD#233 Jonatha Brooke - Careful What You Wish For

A little more beefed-up in places but underneath that it still has lovely songs beautifully sung.

CD#234 Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites

The second album, the first with Dan Vickrey, it doesn't suffer from being the second album in part due to it being released three years after August And Everything After, with most of that time being spent touring and writing the songs that fill the album, whereas some second albums are filled up with songs that didn't make the first one and can be a bit hit and miss as a result.

CD#235 Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska

I lost interest in Springsteen after The River, especially the Born In The USA stuff, and missed this completely at the time of its release, probably as it's not particularly radio friendly. Despite that it's an interesting album, though not one of my favourites.

CD#236 Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

I don't have much in the way of jazz on CD, but it's difficult to avoid the gateway drug of jazz albums unless you refuse to ever listen to jazz. I have listened for pleasure a number of times since I bought it, so this isn't being played just because I have to listen to all my CDs, and I'm sure I'll hear it again.

CD#237 Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays

Folk music, with electric guitars, sitar and robots.

CD#238 Steely Dan - Aja

The one I listen to most often, though I've no idea if it's my favourite or not.

ICBM

Paul_C said:

CD#236 Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue

I don't have much in the way of jazz on CD, but it's difficult to avoid the gateway drug of jazz albums unless you refuse to ever listen to jazz. I have listened for pleasure a number of times since I bought it, so this isn't being played just because I have to listen to all my CDs, and I'm sure I'll hear it again.

The thing with this album - and probably most of his stuff, although I only have the 3-CD "The Real..." compilation apart from Kind Of Blue - is that you can listen to it over and over again and still hear new cleverness and complexity every time. There is a reason why it's consistently rated as one of the most important jazz albums ever, and maybe even higher than that.