Desert Island Discs
October 29, 2007 by Sarah
It’s Desert Island Day on the b5Media Music Channel, and as I was thinking about my choices I also hoped that if I was stranded on a desert island I would have the discs with me as well as something to play them on. I’m not a person with a favorite song or favorite album. There are things I like, things I love, and things I don’t much care to listen to, and that changes often. My taste run more on the classic rock side of the tracks but I do occasionally cross town to see what the youngsters are up to. Here they are, the list of ten discs I, Deborah Ng of She Plays Music, would like to have with me if stranded somewhere tropical.
1. Bonnie Rait Nick of Time - As you no doubt already know, Bonnie Raitt is my hero. I love her music, but this is my favorite album. Her cover of John Hiatt’s “Thing Called Love” is one of my all time favorites, and “Love Letter” is a song I play over and over again on my iPod.
2. Melissa Etheridge - Melissa Etheridge - In 1988 or 1989 some friends and I attended a Little Feat concert at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia. The opening act was a not very well known woman from Leavenworth, Kansas named Melissa Etheridge. She and her band had food poisoning that night and it was obvious they weren’t feeling well, but she rocked the house and I was hooked. After the concert, we stopped at Tower Records and I bought this album. It’s still amazing.
3. Heart Dreamboat Annie - I professed my love for “Dreamboat Annie” here a couple of weeks ago and my feelings haven’t changed. Ann and Nancy Wilson are two of the most talented musicians ever.
4. Aretha Franklin- Aretha live. Need a say more.
5. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black- Ok, so she’s a mess. But she’ s a talented mess and if I’m going to be stranded somewhere, I’d like to take Amy Winehouse, or at least her music, along.
6. Michelle Shocked - Short Sharp Shocked - I discovered folky Michelle Shocked when I was going through my metal phase. She didn’t have big hair, but I thought she was cool anyway. “If Love Were a Train” remains one of my favorite (and most often sung in the shower) songs to this day.
7 . Heart - Dog & Butterfly -The Wilson Sisters once again kick butt. With songs like “Cook with Fire ” and “Straight On” how can you go wrong?
8. Annie Lennox - Diva - There’s not one bad song on this album. An amazing work by an amazing artist. Really, I don’t know what to say without sounding gushy.
9. Fleetwood Mac -Rumors - The summer of 1977 was interesting and exciting for me. It was the “Summer of Sam” in Queens, NY, and I was 13 years old and allowed to “hang out” with my friends after dinner as long as I was home when the street lights turned on. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors were high on the charts and I thought Stevie Nicks was beautiful and electrifying.
10. The Judds - Love Can Build a Bridge - I so heart the Judds. The harmonies and rhythms…they evoked such emotion.
I definitely hear you on the Melissa Etheridge front. That album helped me through a rather heartbreaking teenage love affair … I’m not sure I would have coped nearly as well without it. Stellar selection there, but especially the Melissa one :-).
I wanted rumors and dreamboat on my list but ran out of room. Those are great albums. I like most of the rest of your list too. Maybe not The Judds and I’ve never even heard this Amy Winehouse that everyone talks about so much — but everything else is right up my alley.