Welcome back to the fourth week of “Sitting Here in Limbo”. By now, you should know the rules but if not, you may check here to refresh yourself. The concept is easy. You on a desert island (we miss Lost obviously) and you have to pick what ten albums you’re taking with you. (Virgin Mary indulging is a personal choice but we think we’re hitting at at 100% clip right now!) Well, we suppose it sounds easy in practice, but when you get down to it, its really effing hard. People struggle, maaan.
Like for instance, this week’s purveyor of list, Brahsome.com’s own Kigh. Because he writes here and you’re reading here, Kigh needs no introduction. But it doesn’t hurt to know that Kigh is a Texan through and through, as well as the author of the weekend’s Aural Sex. We feel these might leave him with some complexes about what he can and cannot bring on the island. Jump down to hear his hard time…
Care to Get Nice?
As much fun as this was, I’m glad I’m finished, because it was pretty fucking hard to do. Guys like Bob and Willie, whose careers have spanned 40+ years…how do you pick one album? And Wilco? What about Wilco? I had ‘Kicking Television’ on my list until about 5 minutes ago…so that is like 10a.
As hard as it’s been the last few days trying to decide which of my favorite albums to leave off the list, I’m sure the next few weeks, as I sit and look at it and think of ways I would change it, will be just as tough. At any rate, here’s what I came up with. In no particular order. Jebus this was rough.
1. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
This was one of the easier choices for me. A two disc collection of some of the dirtiest shit Miles put out. Many were considered, but ‘Bitches Brew’ was really the only way for me to go.
2. Willie Nelson – Countryman
Where do you start? Willie has been putting out like 6 records a year for 40 years…and bringing Willie sans ‘Pancho and Lefty’ was tough, but with ‘Countryman’ I get reggae (note the painful absence of Marley on my list) with Willie. Two birds, one stone. Very tough pick.
3. Phish – Slip, Stitch and Pass
Choosing one from Phish ended up being easier than I thought it would be. As we’ve said no ‘Live Phish’ release and no bootlegs, so this is the only way to get a ‘Mike’s Song’ on the island.
4. Beck – Sea Change
I have to. I was in love with this album during a really tough period of my life and it has a lot of sentimental value. Easily some of Beck’s best work. It was so hard to leave off the Beck funk though, ‘Midnite Vultures’ was screaming at me.
5. Elliott Smith – Either/Or
Had he not been a self-loathing, woe-is-me rock star, Elliot Smith could have had an amazing career as one of the best song writers of this generation. While his death has brought him a kind of Cult status, he still not as popular as he should be. Smith was an incredible song writer and this album proves it.
6. Rolling Stone – Beggars Banquet
Technically they fall into the category like Herbie/Willie/Dylan as having a 40+ year career, but that’s not really my problem here. It’s not that they’ve been making awesome music for over 40 years, it’s that early on they made FUCKING INCREDIBLE shit and I have to pick one of those. One of the toughest decisions. Sympathy For The Devil/Jigsaw Puzzle/Stray Cat Blues…too great to leave at home. EOMS is sick, I know…but hey.
7. Bobby Dylan – Blood On the Tracks
Any album listed by Bob Dylan doesn’t really need a description. If someone has Bob on their list, whichever album they choose is acceptable because almost all Dylan fans have gone through phases with every album as their go-to. The man is the greatest song writer of all time. No right choice, no wrong choice.
8. Ween – Live at Stubb’s
This is the biggest prize to come out of the “official live releases only” rule, as it is a three disc set recorded over two nights in 2000…it’s basically a potpourri of their best shit from the seven albums they had released up to that year. The problem is, this was before ‘Quebec,’ my favorite studio album. But it’s 31 Ween songs from one of my favorite venues in one the best live music towns.
9. Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
David Byrne. Because you know at some point on that island..maybe you find some old cases of Rum, maybe you discover a nice waterfall, something…you’re going to find yourself in the mood to like dancing like a maniac…and nobody can make you do that like Mr. Byrne. I fucking love that guy. Talking Heads had lots of options, but this is my favorite.
10. Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters
A lot of Herbie to choose from, but this one is the one I loved first. Just pure, dirty shit. Chameleon, Watermelon Man is a one-two punch that just kills me. I love this guy.
Wilco and Herbie had me in an emotional death grip for about 8 hours now…and Herbie won. With Beck/Elliott Smith/Dylan I’m not short on great song writers, but I am short on funk. I know Wilco is more than Tweedy, but he is what I love most…so it came down to Herbie v. Tweedy…and the dirty sounds that Herbie makes won…barely. Choosing Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ had a lot to do with this…as leaving Midnite Vultures off meant I was short on dirty funk…and me likey the dirty funk.
So there it is…no Wilco(which just feels wrong), no Luna, no Johnny Cash, no Bob Marley, no Zeppelin. This list is giving me some serious anxiety and I’m not really having fun anymore. I’m taking this way too seriously.
