10 CDs That Never Get Old

I'm extremely fickle and get bored with things easily. And given the scientific fact that our bodies renew our cells every seven to ten years, causing tastes to change, it's a miracle that anything remains constant in my world. But I seem to always find myself gravitating towards these CDs during good times and bad. Some of which have been favorites for many many years.

Counting them down...


10. Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
Best Tracks: "Dance, Dance," "Sugar We're Going Down," "A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More 'Touch Me.'"

Favorite lyrics: "I don't blame you for being you but can you blame me for hating it?"

This is the most recent on the list. Am I too old to like Fall Out Boy? Am I uncool for this since they're now "way too mainstream" according to all those little emo brats? I will hand it to this whole emo revolution (and yes, I say revolution because if you look at the music surrounding historical periods of war, you'll notice vast changes in musical tastes and popularity...in the 60's we saw the rise of folk rock...shortly after the Gulf War of the 90's we saw grunge, etc. etc.), we're getting the best heart wrenching lyrics out of these pussy boys. Every time I listen to this CD I discover new lyrics. And the tunes are pretty catchy as well.



9. Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting

Best tracks: title track, "Caroline," "Lullaby," "Tomorrow," "Wendy"

Favorite lyrics: "I've got the ways and means to New Orleans, I'm going down by the river where it's warm and green, I'm gonna have a drink and walk around, I've got a lot to think about"

Most people probably know the song "Joey" on this CD, but there is a lot more on it. And quite frankly, that might be the worst song on here. I used to sit in my basement and sing along to this for hours. And I was amazed to find it on the juke box at my favorite bar recently. You always know when I'm there because I'm usually playing something from this CD.



8. Judybats - Down in the Shacks Where the Satellite Dishes Grow
Best tracks: "Our Story," "How it Is," "Lullaby (Weren't We Wild)," "When Things Get Slow Around Here"

Favorite lyrics: "Good love is easy to find, but it's hard to keep, and though I hate it when you wake, I still love to watch you sleep"

It was hard to pick a favorite Judy Bats CD because I love them all. Although, I've probably played "Native Son" more than any CD I own and "Pain Makes You Beautiful" is usually my comfort CD. I listen to that one on my way to uncomfortable places like job interviews and the gynecologist. This CD is just fun. I remember being so excited when it came out. Every now and then another Judy Bats fan surfaces. But they seem to be few and far between.



7. Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?

Best tracks: "Don't Look Back in Anger," "Champagne Supernova," "Wonderwall"

Favorite lyrics: "Take me to the place where you go, where nobody knows, if it's night or day"

Also known as the "What the fuck did I do last night?" CD because, when I first turned 21, I would come home and play this all night as I fell asleep. And yes, I realize that I'm choosing the more popular songs as favorites here. But this is probably one of the few instances where I will keep an overplayed song on the radio if I hear it. I think that's the true test of a CD that I could never get sick of. I fully recognize the songs are overdone, yet I still like them. That rarely happens.



6. The Rolling Stones - Some Girls

Best Tracks: "Before They Make Me Run," "Far Away Eyes," "Just My Imagination," "Respectable"

Favorite lyrics: "I wasn't looking too good but I was feeling real well"

I'll admit this is not the best Rolling Stones CD, but it's the only one that I can honestly say I like every single track. The other CD's have those typical warhorses on them ("Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Start Me Up," etc.). I also love Ron Wood. And they put out very few good CDs with him.



5. Counting Crows - August and Everything After

Best tracks: "Anna Begins," "Murder of One," "Round Here," "Raining in Baltimore"

Favorite lyrics: "And every time she sneezes I believe it's love and oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing"

This is more of a sentimental favorite than anything. I bucked the CD trend for years because I only had a tape player in my car. This was the first CD I bought. And I still play it a lot when I'm writing or when I was doing homework.



4. The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse

Best tracks: "Laughing Out Loud," "God Don't Make Lonely Girls," "The Difference," "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache"

Favorite lyrics: "It smells of cheap wine and cigarettes, this place is always such a mess, sometimes I think I'd like to watch it burn"

Again, I know I'm picking the more popular songs on the CD, but it all goes back to the same drunken time period. I remember dancing to this with my sister at the Citz on a Sunday night. There are also a lot of great lyrics on this one to choose from. And I also remember back in college whenever we'd see the video to "One Headlight," Taco and I would point at the TV and say, "I'd fuck that." Years later, I met Jakob Dylan outside of the TLA in Philly. It totally ruined everything for me. His skin seemed a little yellow. He was all bundled up. His eyes were gorgeous, but in no way rivaled G Love's.



3. Mike Doughty - Skittish/Rockity Roll

Best Tracks: "Rising Sign," "The Only Answer," "Looks," "Down on the River by the Sugar Plant"

Favorite Lyrics: "You were the only answer, my plans spun all around you, five years in the wrong I am assured, my name to you is just another word"

I'm cheating. I own this CD as two separate CDs. I bought them long before they were released as one and Mike even signed my copy of Skittish when I saw him in Seattle. I made an ass out of myself by asking him about his cover of Mary J Blidge's "Real Love," mentioning that was the main reason why I was buying the CD. But, I'm nothing if not honest. This stuff sounds different from the typical Soul Coughing stuff, but similar enough to still be enjoyable. The guy went through some hard times, but cleaned up his act. And he's ok to talk to at his shows. He's actually not a dick.



2. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

Best tracks: "Mother," "China," "Precious Things," "Happy Phantom," "Leather"

Favorite lyrics: "I walked into your dream and now I've forgotten how to dream my own dream, you are a clever one aren't you?"

Even in high school I suffered from insomnia. I used to take naps after school and then sit in my living room and do homework at 3 AM. Circa 1991, MTV played the weirdest shit at that hour. That was when I saw my first Tori Amos video. I believe it was "Silent All These Years." And I've loved her ever since. I would actually sit there writing essays, hoping that the video would come on. Years later, after seeing her in concert a bunch of times and listening to subsequent releases, this is still my favorite. I sometimes feel that she actually got worse over time.



1. The Pixies - Doolittle

Best tracks: "Debaser," "Wave of Mutilation," "Hey," "Monkey Gone to Heaven"

Favorite lyrics: "If the ground's not cold everything is gonna burn, we'll all take turns, I'll get mine too"

This is my everything CD. I listen to it when I'm nervous, especially when I'm throwing parties. I play it when I know I'm going to be in an uncomfortable situation. I play it when I'm happy. I play it when I need a boost. I play it when I lay out in the sun. I originally bought this on tape the weekend my grandmother died. Maybe that has something to do with it. All I know is that it's always been my favorite. And nothing has ever really rivaled it.

Honorable mention goes to:

Me First and Gimme Gimmes - Have a Ball

Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Live - Throwing Copper

Flyleaf - Self titled

Moxy Fruvous - Bargainville

Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars

Social Distortion - Self titled

Anthrax - Attack of the Killer B's

Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle

Ned's Atomic Dustbin - God Fodder

Singles - Soundtrack

Pearl Jam - Ten

Thin Lizzy - Peel Sessions