Artist: Phil Collins
Album: No Jacket Required

This is a required album for me.  Throughout high school, and into college, Phil Collins was my favorite singer/songwriter.  I know, I was a real rebel, living on the edge of society, wasn’t I?  Regardless, I listened to all of his music countless times.  I still like it a lot, too, but I’m not as into it as I was back then.  Phil Collins’s music had a particular and distinct quality, and it got to the point where I could hear if he wrote any particular Genesis song.

So, here is my favorite Phil Collins song, Take Me Home.

Artist: Enigma
Album: MCMXC a.D.

This is one of those albums that I’ve listened to hundreds of times, just letting it play along in the background while I did homework, housework, reading, or whatever.  It was released while I was in college, so it was more often during homework or playing on my computer.  Anyway, like all music, it brings me back to the time I either first heard it or the times I most listened to it.  So, this brings me back to my college days, which, as a whole, were pretty happy.

Here, I have the most popular song from this album, and the one most people know from Enigma.  It’s funny, to me at least, that so many people know this song when they hear it, but not the name or the artist.  People hear it and say, “Oh, yeah, that’s that song with the monks chanting to the ambient music.”

Artist: 48th Highlanders Of Canada
Album: Scotland The Brave

I’ve always liked the sound of bagpipes.  I can’t explain it well, other than to say that they produce the most beautiful colors and images compared to other instruments on their own.  One of the problems with bagpipe music, at least before the ubiquity of the Internet and streaming music, was finding it anywhere.  When I saw this CD in the store, I snatched it up.  I listened to it so much, that my wife effectively banned me from listening to it while she was around.  Apparently not everyone loves bagpipes.  Who knew?!

Note: This is not the 48th Highlanders’ version, but it is the same song.

Artist: Kraftwerk
Album: The Mix

Kraftwerk is one of those artists whose music nearly everyone has heard, but no one knows.  Usually, their songs are sampled or covered by better-known bands.  Kraftwerk is one of the most influential bands, and probably the most influential band in electronica, rap, hip-hop, and other related genres.

Here is the first Kraftwerk song that I ever heard on its own, as opposed to part of a sample in another song.

Artist: Frank Sinatra
Album: Nothing But The Best

I’ll be honest here: I don’t have this album in my collection.  The truth is, there are so many releases by Old Blue Eyes that I can’t choose just one.  I listen to his music every Sunday morning on The Big Talker 1210 WPHT on our way to and from church.  I listened to the show when it was Fridays with Frank, Saturdays with Sinatra, and now Sundays with Sinatra.  He has such an awesome voice, cool personality, and is just larger-than-life.

Here is one of my favorite Sinatra songs.

Artist: Run-D.M.C.
Album: King Of Rock

My third album to take to a desert island is none other than Run-D.M.C.’s King Of Rock.  Run-D.M.C. is responsible for introducing me to rap music, which lead to a love of the genre.  This song is the first of theirs that I ever heard.

Artist: Prince
Album: The Hits/The B-Sides
Alternate: 1999

My second album to take to a desert island is Prince’s The Hits/The B-Sides.  If this is disqualified by the fact that it is a 3-CD compilation, then my alternate choice is 1999.

Prince is one of those artists who can’t fail in my eyes.  The man has so much talent, that even when he released an album just to fulfill and get out of a contract,  two of the songs hit #12 or better, and the album as a whole received rave reviews.

Now, there isn’t a Prince song I’ve heard that I don’t like, which makes it difficult to choose just one to present here.  Still, I have my favorite of his below.  By “favorite,” I mean that it stands out only slightly from so many others.

Note: The video has no audio, because Prince doesn’t want his songs on YouTube.  Sorry.

Album: Boston
Artist: Boston

First up on my list of 10 Albums I Would Take To A Desert Island is Boston’s self-titled debut album.  What can I say about this album that puts it on the list?  First, every single song makes me stop, stare off into the distance, and smile as soon as I hear the opening chords.  It’s the same for just about any of Boston’s songs, but this album edges out all the others.

If I’m in a funk over something, all it takes is a few notes from this song in particular, and my mood lifts instantly.

The fine folks at Join Something are running their first blog challenge – 10 Albums I Would Take To A Desert Island.  Go on over there and take a gander at it.  The site itself is new, and it is based on the cool idea of having one site to visit to learn about blog challenges.

Anyway, back to the challenge itself.  Now, I’m not sure why these sorts of lists involve being on a desert island all the time.  I’d much rather be on a temperate island with plenty of clean water and a variety of food.  Also, a solar, wind or water-powered electric generator would be nice, too.  While I’m at it, I’d like a sturdy building with air conditioning for the summer and heat for the winter, indoor plumbing, and a natural gas supply.  But, I digress.

So, the albums I’d pick, in no particular order, are:

1. Boston – Boston
2. Prince – The Hits/The B-Sides
3. Run DMC – King Of Rock
4. Frank Sinatra – Nothing But The Best
5. Kraftwerk – The Mix
6. 48th Highlanders Of Canada – Scotland The Brave
7. Enigma – MCMXC a.D.
8. Phil Collins – No Jacket Required
9. Rodney Atkins – If You’re Going Through Hell
10. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Etc.

What sucks is that I’m limited to ten.  I love music, and can’t possibly be happy with only ten albums, but, hey – that’s the name of the challenge.

You can see that I have an eclectic taste in music.  This sample doesn’t cover anywhere near all the things I like.  It also is limited to what I could find online at all.

So, there you have it.  As per the challenge guidelines, you’ll see my next post on Monday.