Welcome back to Sitting Here in Limbo, where the subject picks 10 albums they would take with them on a desert island, rules for the list here. This week, we’ve got a heavy hitting blogosphere guest. He really needs no introduction, but I’m delusional from interviewing* David Stern and having Shaq foreclose on my house, so he’s getting one anyway.
When Will first asked if I’d be interested in doing this list, my first reaction was to say “no” because I’d be mortified if people knew what kind of music I like. But then I thought about it and realized this could be a liberating experience. I could stand up and say, “My name is Jimmy Traina and I like bad, embarrassing, cheesy music.” If you’re expecting to see “cool” bands on here, you’re gonna be sorely disappointed. If you’re expecting to see bands and singers that every guy seems to fawn over, i.e. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones etc., think again. I like ’80s, I like cheese and I like ’80s cheese. (Ed. Note: Stamos and Show are secretly already fawning over this list.)
If you follow the blogosphere, you best be reading Hot Clicks everyday. Today’s lister culls the hottest sports stories, the best looking women, pop culture nuggets a slew of hysterical videos and sprinkles it with some random sports betting advice and puts it all in the same place. So, uh, basically all our favorite stuff. Oh, and occasionally he tosses in the casual interview with a superstar like Erin Andrews or Jeff Van Gundy (to name some recent ones). Anyway, without further ado, please welcome Jimmy Traina to the Island.
1. Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet — It’s this simple: I can’t NOT take the CD that has “Livin’ on a Prayer” on it.
2. Bon Jovi: New Jersey — This is the the band’s best CD BY FAR. The opening three tunes of “Lay Your Hands on Me”, “Bad Medicine” and “Born to Be My Baby” get things off to a great start. “Blood on Blood” might be Bon Jovi’s most underrated song of all time, and “I’ll Be There For You” is either their best or second best song ever.
3. Prince: Purple Rain — It’s was almost impossible for me to do this list without being able to take Greatest Hits CDs (hence no Journey, Hall & Oates, Queen, Poison, Aerosmith, etc on this list) or Soundtracks, but luckily the rules allow me to slip this one in. My only disappointment is that this CD doesn’t have “Raspberry Beret” on it.
4. Michael Jackson: Thriller — It’s the top-selling album of all time for a reason. And this would allow me to remember Michael Jackson when he was just a little weird and not completely weird.
5. Meatloaf: Bat Out of Hell — This CD only has seven songs, but they each average about eight minutes in length. Plus, as a die-hard Yankees fan, it’ll be nice to have the dolset tones of Phil Rizzuto with me.
6. Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction — At some point on the desert island we’re gonna want something we can blast. And you’re not gonna find a song better than “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
7. U2: Rattle & Hum — Just a flat-out great CD from start to finish highlighted by “Desire”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, “Angel of Harlem” and “All I Want Is You”.
8. Arrested Development: 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of — This would be the perfect change-of-pace CD from all the others. And even though this album came out in 1992, I still sing “Tennessee” whenever I bet the Volunteers on a college football Saturday.
9. Rat Pack: Live and Swingin’ — I could’ve went with just a straight Frank Sinatra CD, but this live recording from the Sands in Vegas also features Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. As a bonus, the trio mixes in some comedy bits among the 20 songs. The opener — Dean Martin singing “Drink To Me Only” should be on every guy’s iPod.
10. Bobby Brown: Don’t Be Cruel — Yeah, yeah, I know you’re laughing, calling me a douche. I’ll put up “Don’t Be Cruel”, “My Prerogative”, “Roni”, “Rock Wit’cha” and “Every Little Step” against anything — anything.
Previous Sitting Here in Limbos:
Will Leitch: Deadspin
Jamie Mottram: Mister Irrelevant
100% Injury Rate
Heavy D
Show: Loud Mouth of Show
Greebs: Reign of Error
JP: Pyle of List
Ghosts of Wayne Fontes
Brinson
Stamos
C. Brahkowski
The Piler
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Weak list my friend. The fact that you would take any Bon Jovi, let alone two CD’s, says it all.
Hey pallie Brahsome, dude like I coulda understood if you wanna take only a Dinocd, but dude a frankie one…the Rat Pack Live And Swingin’ is really where it is at, and man I coulda agree with ya more when you sez…”The opener — Dean Martin singing “Drink To Me Only” should be on every guy’s iPod.” Never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool…ohhh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth….
Good list. A little 80s heavy for myself but good list……Could’ve done without the U2 though.
Mine would be more 90s heavy:
Weezer – Blue Album, Snoop – Doggystyle, Foo Fighters – Colour & the Shape, Green Day – Dookie, Incubus – Make Yourself, Offspring – Smash, STP – Purple, Notorius BIG – Life After Death, Johnny Cash – Live at Folsom, Blink-182 – Enema of the State.
After reading this list, I’ve spent 10 minutes starring at that island photo trying to figure out what would be the most effective way to kill myself if I was stuck there with these albums.
(I’d shave a coconut shell into a shank and stab my jugular, if you must know.)
Dr. Dre 2001….thats it
Was this list compiled in 1992?
2 Bon Jovi CD’s? Meat Loaf? Seriously?
You’re kidding, right? More like a list a CD’s that would warrent me seeking out a deserted island….
Don’t hate on the Meat.
Where’s Hysteria?
Let’s not forget that it’s a personal list. Not the “greatest 10 albums of all time as determined by some snooty rock critic who is forced to pick certain things less he be considered uneducated”.
I put Panic on my mine.
Jay-z – Reasonable Doubt
Sublime – Sublime
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Anthology
Notorious BIG – Life After Death
Bob Marley And The Wailers – Legend
Jimi Hendrix – The Ultimate Experience
Beastie Boys – License to Ill
Nirvana – Nirvana
Lil Wayne – The Drought III mixtape
Tupac – All Eyez On ME
No Led Zepplin? No Pink Floyd? 2 Bon Jovi’s and Meatloaf but no Beattles or Bethoven? Purple Rain, G&R, Thriller, and Sinatra may be the only albums on your list worth the time to listen to them. Rattle & Hum was a media darling and a good CD but U2 gets better than that musically. I understand this is a personal list but I must say, if you ended up being the last person alive and only those 10 albums survived whatever catasrophic event that took place, the lasting generations would be as musically challenged as one could get. The future of music would be an enigma.
Balls- see the rules. No greatest hits, Brah.
Wow. I cant believe you actually thought this out and decided, “Yes, this should get me through the rest of my life.” Its like a bad frat party in 1988 – with saltwater instead of watered-down beer.
Two words: Miles Davis
Chris Mottran – you’re my hero
Traina, I gotta say this is kinda a rough list. I mean two Bon Jovi? That’s like making a 90s mixtape and having two Sugar Ray songs on there. That said, I can totally back Prince, Mike Jackson, and GnR. The question is if push came to shove, could you take Mottram?
Seek help. You were clearly born bereft of any glimmer of musical taste.
Many fine suggestions so far. Two not recommended yet are Hindu Love Gods’ self-titled album and the Pogues’ Rum, Sodomy & the Lash.
Anyone who picks anything by Bon Jovi should be SENT to a desert island.
The Eagles Greatest Hits: 1971-1975 is the top-selling album of all time, douchebag. I mean, it only has a 2 million album lead on Thriller. Nothing big.
Along with some other that have already been mentioned, Pearl Jam -Ten. This is a must.
I would leave your ten CDs behind on a desert island.
No jazz, no trip there. And who would want to take just ten?
Here’s an actual list: Dave Matthews,under the table and dreaming;Jack Johnson,brushfire fairtytales;Eric clapton,sings the best of Robert Johnson;Damien Marley,welcome to jamrock;Bob marley,legend;a/c d/c,who made who;NWA straight out of compton;sublime 40oz to freedom;Billy Joel,52nd street;Sam Cooke,the best of sam cooke
I just read the rules replace Sam Cooke with the talking Heads ‘77
1. Pixies – Doolittle
2. Helmet – Betty
3. Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues
4. Journey – Infinity
5. Wu Tang Clan – Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
6. Beethoven – Piano Concerto 4 in D Minor
7. Roni Size – Reprazent
8. The London Muddy Waters Sessions
9. Crosby Stills and Nash – Crosby Stills and Nash
10. The White Stripes – Elephant
Needless to say the dance parties on the Island will be lame, but we’ll have lots of variety (except for Cuntry)
A. The Eagles Greatest Hits has sold more copies than Thriller in the US, but it’s not even close world wide. Thriller wins in a landslide, with at least 20 million more units shipped.
B. The Eagles Greatest Hits is no more an album than Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. whatever is. It’s a compilation, one that is by douchebags, for douchebags.
For some reason, Bad Medicine just shot through my head. I love the old school rock but I really need to burn Jimmy some CDs. Meat Loaf almost ruined my Atlanta NBA All Star Experience in 2003. He sang at the NBA dunk contest and he should stick to man boobs roles.