25 CDs
About Me

Cross-posted at Facebook

With
seemingly
everyone
on Face-
book pos-
ting "25
Random
Facts
About
Me"—
or varia-
tions on that theme—most of which are fascinating, if far from random, I decided to try something different; something less confessional, but not really if you read between the lines...

The CDs piled on top of my boombox and my dresser reveal all anyone needs to know about my taste in music—and by exten-
sion, my personality. Some people are what they eat; I am the music I consume...and the films I watch and the books I read.



Yes, I've run out of shelf space, but these aren't just overflow
CDs. They're the ones I listen to the most because: 1) they're the
latest arrivals, 2) I enjoy them the best, or 3) I haven't quite fig-
ured them out yet, i.e. I keep listening because my impression
changes every time (others sound the same; day in, day out).

So, here they are in alphabetical order sans commentary, al-
though I did review a third of them for Amazon, Fuzz, Reson-
ance, Tablet, etc. Also, I've left off the CDs from my best of 20-
08 list, so as not to repeat other notes or blog entries. Thanks
to the folks, whether friends or publicists—or publicist frien-
ds!—who set me up with or turned me on to these discs.

1. Black Lips - Good
Bad Not Evil (Vice)
2. Vashti Bunyan - Some
Things Just Stick in Your
Mind (DiCristina)
3. Captain Beefheart &
His Magic Band - Trout
Mask Replica (CD-R)
4. CSS - Cansei de
Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)
5. Robert Evans - The Kid Stays in the Picture (New Millenium) [audio CD]
6. Girlschool - The Very Best of...Girlschool (Castle/Sanctuary)
7. Grizzly Bear - Friend EP (Warp)
8. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasur-
es: Collector's Edition (Factory/Rhino)
9. Laughing Clowns - Cruel, But Fair: The
Complete Clowns Recordings (Hot) [import]
10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (DFA)
11. Phil Lynott - Solo in Soho (Vertigo/Phonogram)
12. Curtis Mayfield - Superfly: Original Mo-
tion Picture Soundtrack (Curtom/Rhino)
13. Nellie McKay - Pretty Little Head (Hungry Mouse/Sony)
14. Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder (Blue Note)
15. Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague (Luaka Bop)
16. The Oh Sees - Sucks Blood (Castle Face)

17. Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information (Luaka Bop)
18. Prince - Sign of the Times (Paisley Park/Warner Bros.)
19. Soft Boys - Underwat-
er Moonlight (Matador)
20. Spoon - Ga Ga
Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

21. Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (EMI/Rykodisc)
22. Thin Lizzy - Thin Lizzy (Deram/Decca)
23. Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds of the
Western World (Deram/Decca)
24. Various Artists - Jean-Luc God-
ard: Histoire(s) de Musique (CD-R)
25. Various Artists - Two Dozen Little Gems from
the Golden Age of Italian Film Music (CD-R)*

* Compiled by Bob Cumbow, author of The
Films of Sergio Leone. Plus liner notes!



Endnote: It's true: the CD remains my primary music deliv-
ery system. I still have plenty of records, tapes, singles, and
such, but I always come back to CDs. Incidentally, I compil-
ed this list while listening to Vagabonds of the Western
World. Local writer/publicist Chris Estey once asked me
what record I'd write about if I were to tackle a 33-1/3
tome. My answer: Vagabonds! I just don't think I'm
the person to do it, but I salute those who've follow-
ed up on similar impulses. Phil Lynott image from
The Music's Over. All others from the archives.