List Twenty Desert Island Discs

Echo and the Bunnymen – “Ocean Rain”

I have done this list before elsewhere. “Desert Island Discs” is a fun list to compile and I take a different view on what albums make my list. Yes, I could just tell you my favorite albums of all-time but to me, this list is about long-term survival, like on one of my favorite television shows Gilligan’s Island. Therefore, I need a variety of artists and genres so regardless of my mood on any particular day I would have the perfect album to play. I have done multiple Musings posts in the past about my favorite albums. This version will have some of the same albums but several that fit that unique description I just provided. Here we go!

• Ocean Rain – Echo and the Bunnymen. No kidding, it’s only the greatest album of all-time.
• The Seldom Seen Kid Live at Abbey Road – Elbow. TSSK is my favorite album from Elbow, my second favorite album of all-time but most important, an album of genuine optimism with friendship as an underlying theme. This live version complete with an orchestra and choir is beyond stunning.
• Legend – Bob Marley and the Wailers. I can remember listening to this while drinking by the lake at the old El Caro Golf Course when I was in high school. Have to have reggae on a deserted island!
• Valley Girl soundtrack. Eighties music will bring on the happiness even when I’m wanting to go home. My all-time favorite song “I Melt With You” closes out the soundtrack and the movie, and the track has particular meaning for my partner Jean-Robert and me!
• Reign in Blood – Slayer. Since being on a deserted island will feel like hell at times have to have the soundtrack!
• Dance Craze soundtrack. Love Two Tone British ska and this soundtrack gives me all my favorite bands from that era on one album.
• Bitchin’ Summer – Agent Orange. It may only be an EP but since I want some killer surf music on the island this offering from my favorite punk rock band will be perfect.
• Bong Music – Dead Hot Workshop. This isn’t the actual name of this cassette Dead Hot released but that is how I remember it because on the tape cover there was a stick figure of a guy smoking a bowl. I remember going to this cassette release show at Hollywood Alley. This wasn’t released on CD and has early versions of “A”, “Choad” and “Jesus Revisited”. Perfect tape to chill out to.
• 101 – Depeche Mode. Yep this is cheating and I don’t care, I want as many great Depeche Mode songs to dance to as possible and this live album is the perfect pick.
• Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth. I will need albums that possess majestic and insane power while I am on the island. This record is one of the best in that respect.
• The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (The Complete Recordings). The score from the first LOTR movie is my favorite of the three. All are incredible but this one just hits home a little more and would be a fantastic music companion for this adventure.
• Vision Quest soundtrack. The wrestling theme is obviously a big deal and I’m proud to have the Vision Quest logo from the first pressing of the book as a tattoo on my left calf. Listening to this music makes me think of my coaches, my wrestlers from all the years I coached and most of all, my dear friend Terry Davis who wrote the book.
• Lesson Number One – The Father Figures. Speaking of friends, The Bob is one of my best friends, Tom and Michael are rad too and I love this post/skate punk band. This debut brings back memories of all their early shows, especially the debut at the Ruby Room.
• The Fast Escape – Source Victoria. Murphy is a stellar dude and I will always remember leaving Adam Franklin from Swervedriver at the bar because in the background I heard Source playing for the first time. The fact Murphy GAVE me this disc rather than allow me to buy it was so cool and immediately made me a loyal fan.
• Everywhere at Once – The Plimsouls. A lot of these picks are relevant to friendships of mine because on an island I’ll have lots of time to ponder things and remember people who have crossed my path. One of my best friends from junior high and high school was Lance and I remember a vacation in San Diego the summer of 1985 when we went to great lengths to find a record store by the name of Licorice Pizza. Our goal – Everywhere at Once from The Plimsouls because we had watched the movie Valley Girl and became obsessed with the band. I still am, saw them in concert once and saw Peter Case solo once. Met him that night too, cool guy. This is my favorite power pop album.
• Fantasia soundtrack. Working at Organ Stop Pizza for two years plus playing the trumpet in grade school fueled my love of classical music. This soundtrack would provide me with some of my favorite pieces, including “Night on Bald Mountain” which I loved watching Lew Williams play on the Wurlitzer pipe organ.
• Out of Hand – Mighty Lemon Drops. I was such a massive Echo fan (still am) when I was in college. When I saw the “Out of Hand” video on 120 Minutes back in the day my mind was blown. I was so stoked that another band had elements of Echo with their own unique sound. Those guitars on their records were incredible, love all their albums but this one is particularly special since it was the first I bought.
• This is Phoenix, Not the Circle Jerks. This local punk rock compilation on Placebo Records is an essential part of my record collection and I would have to take this with me. Six great bands, a great representation of the diversity of our scene.
• Singles Going Steady – Buzzcocks. This Buzzcocks compilation I think is the album that created my fascination with the Manchester scene which culminated with finally making it to Manchester May 2022. I love that city, love the music scene and love the people I met while there. Apologies to Bill’s Records and Audio in Metrocenter since I first “acquired” this cassette via the five finger discount. I have actually purchased it numerous time since!
• To Frank, A Special Guy, A Special Friend – Love Ya, Ron! – Ron Pratt. The first of three cassettes Ron made for me. The message he included on this is very special and I treasure all the music he made for me. Life on the island would suck without the music of my best friend and Pop. Miss you Ron.

That’s it! I could survive with these twenty albums. Cheers!