Desert Island Dozen (not woodworking)

During his recent visit my brother and I were chatting about my 3,000+ record album collection, in storage and un-listened-to for more than three decades.  I mentioned that my old turntable had frozen hydraulics to render its audiophile cartridge useless, and I was going to order a new one.  That’ll definitely motivate me to get them out and listen to them all over again.  At one time I had my entire collection memorized but now I can hardly remember more than a few dozen of them.  He said, “It’s gonna be just like Christmas when you open the boxes.”

That conversation got me to thinking about something all my music aficionado circle argued about all those decades ago; “If you were stuck on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe, what would be your dozen albums?”

So here’s my list, in alphabetical order by artist.  NB: these are all vinyl albums in my collection, most have been replicated for my CD collection which is itself substantial.

Frederic Chopin – Nocturnes (1827-1846) and yes I know, it is technically a five-record collection IIRC, but I get to make my own rules for my own fantasy.

As a kid my folks were part of the Columbia Record Club and the first time I heard Chopin’s Nocturns, I was probably 8 or 10 at the time, I was hooked.  Since I’ve been listening to them regularly for the past six decades I guess they would be good to have if I was stuck somewhere desolate, like a desert island or New York City or some other forsaken place.

PS;  if you’ve ever wondered whether or not great music of the past could flourish in another time and place, check out this performance of Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 in E Minor from maybe 55 years ago by Led Zeppelin’s guitarist!

Or this:

Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978)

I was blown away the first time I heard this album when it first came out and remain as besotted as ever.

Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt Suites (1876)

No little boy listening to “Hall of the Mountain King” could resist marching around and stamping his feet.  Heck, I can barely resist doing so in my 70th year.

Again, listen to this, uh, fascinating version by ELO.

Johnny Hartman – John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963) 

Hartman ranks #1 on my list of male singers and his collaboration with jazz giant John Coltrane remains perhaps the greatest capturing of jazz/ballad vocals ever.  Anyone who has ever spent any time with me in the barn gets introduced to Johnn Hartman.  Think Frank Sinatra but with real talent.

BTW it was when my Baptist preacher parents came into my room when I was listening to John Coltrane that they knew I was , … different.

Keith Jarrett – Koln Concert (1975)

The story itself of this album is a fascinating one.  Jarrett was sick, injured, exhausted, hungry, and playing on a craptastic piano for a middle-of-the-night concert, and wanted to just go back to the hotel to get some sleep.  Instead the recording equipment was turned on, resulting in not only the best-selling live jazz album of all time but the best-selling piano music album of all time!

Gordon Lightfoot – Sit Down Young Stranger (1970)

Though very, very early in his spectacular career I find this album to be unsurpassed.  Not a bad song on the album, well, perhaps a needless comment about any Lightfoot album.  Your Loves Return (A Song for Stephen Foster) still gets me 50+ years after hearing it for the first time.

Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus (1978)

Probably the best live album of its era (perhaps equaled by the Talking Heads 1984 Stop Making Sense), by America’s best rock band.  “Nuff said.

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Inner Mounting Flame (1971)

The first time I heard this album, to be honest I didn’t get it.  Second time, sorta got it.  Third time it entered my rotation for the past 53 years.  It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, barbarians are repulsed by it (just kidding).  Mrs Barn will not allow the music to be played in her presence as the finds it to be discordant and nerve wracking.  I often play it in my earbuds while working on my laptop.

Pat Metheny – Offramp (1981)

I went back and forth on this album, debating it or Metheny’s As Fall Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls, but since one of the pieces from this album (“Are You Going With Me?”) is one of two secular selections on my funeral playlist.  No I am not planning any time soon, just being prepared.  I even have the homily titled and outlined.

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood (1983)

A promotional copy of this album arrived at the college radio station when I was doing a late night jazz show.  Sometimes either during the show or afterwards I would sample new albums and I wound up listening to this one repeatedly until the wee hours of the morning.  SRV was only one of two musicians whose deaths I mourned (Colin Walcott of the jazz ensemble Oregon was the other).  This CD has been in the player of my little truck since forever.

Jennifer Warnes – Famous Blue Raincoat (1986)

Jennifer Warnes has the voice of an angel, trained as an opera singer and producing (way too few!) albums for more than fifty years.  I’ve got them all.  She was offered her first recording contract at the age of seven.  Really.  This CD has been playing in my “new” pickup since I bought it 3-1/2 years ago and I never tire of it.  Her long-time collaboration with Leonard Cohen resulted in this magical presentation of his songs.  Even if you never heard of her you will recognize her voice from movie songs. I actually know very little about her personally, but often regard her music the same way Benjamin Franklin referred to beer.

Eberhard Weber – Fluid Rustle (1979)

More evenings than not I fall asleep listening to some of this album.  And like Metheny’s Offramp this album has a piece to be included in my funeral, “Quiet Departures.”  Tragically like Keith Jarrett, Weber’s music performances have been silenced by a crippling stroke.

Bonus pick for those truly adventurous, Univers Zero – Univers Zero, a/k/a 1313 (1977)

This avant garde Belgian acoustic chamber ensemble produces music that is impossible for me to characterize.  Discordant is hardly a strong enough word to describe them, but I like it.  Long stretches could best be called “chaotic noise,” but there is just enough creative genius to make it worth my while.  I think it might have been this album here my mom asked, “Are they all playing the same song?”  As a church hymn traditionalist she never really caught on to my musical tastes.

So there, you’re welcome.