Top Ten

So Rhett suggested a Top Ten album's thingie and so...

BJ's Top Ten Albums Of All Time

1. Swamp Ophelia (Indigo Girls) Stunning lyrics, amazing harmonies, huge intensity
2. Emergency on Planet Earth (Jamiroquai) Great feel, astonishing musicianship
3. Released (Nina Simone) An album that's all heart and searing lyrics
4. You Grow Closer (Aretha Franklin) Aged 16, previously unreleased and unbelievable
5. Stephane Grapelli Live in Copenhagen - the old master at his best
6. Tourist (St Germaine) Compelling, jazzy, busy
7. Best of Talking Heads - OK so this is cheating...but every song is a winner
8. Love Over Gold (Dire Straits) Guitar hero, cynical lyrics and ambience plus
9. Under the Ice (Blair Giles) Sweet vocals, intoxicating lyrics and very unique
10 = Shaking the Tree (Peter Gabriel) & Temple of Low Men (Crowded House) - Idiosyncratic and brilliant musically/lyrically v Archetypal NZ, melody plus and brilliant musically/lyrically

Now I appreciate this is not exactly a classics of rock/pop etc. And there are some songs that didn't make the list via the album that would if they were in there for the song alone - in that category I include: Rosanna (Toto), Baby Its You (Promises), Blame it On the Boogie, a personal all time favourite (Michael Jackson) and Signed, Sealed and Delivered (Stevie Wonder) I also self-imposed a rule - if this was truly going to be honest I had to own the CD - there is one album that would have made it if I owned it - Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall". Also I decided that only one album per artist was permitted so I struggled a bit there with the Indigo Girls, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone picks. Finally, I allowed myself only one greatest hits/compilation type album - I was very tempted to include the "Commitments I" which is how great soul would have sounded way back when if the recording technology was better.

Interestingly, this reveals some things about my tastes that are probably true - I am first and foremost a soul/jazz lover but also a sucker for tight harmonies and interesting/bizarre lyrics that provoke me emotionally. It also reminded me that music is for me an emotional medium that moves me primarily at the heart level - its lyrics that move me by the way I identify with them that I gravitate to rather than those that challenge me intellectually.

And no U2.

But the Indigo Girls drop the F-Bomb on "Under the Sun" so thats OK...what?!

Jonesboogie