I have way too many CDs (is ther such a thing?). Anyhow, at some point in 2004 I gave up being selective in packing my travel CD case (ok– I know I haven’t joined the iPod generation yet, but give it time), and just started throwing in my CDs alphabetically (right, that’s completely anal behavior). I am up to “P” now, which means I have been listening to…
Oscar Peterson— great Jazz pianist, but can bore the heck out of you with too much listening. I don’t think he changed his style or made any real innovations over 50 years, but a great player nonetheless.
Best of the CDs I have– Live at Zardi’s, just a great 2 CD set.
Overrated: West Side Story– eh. The jazz trio-playing-a-Broadway-show CD I wish for is actually the Shelley Manne trio playing “My Fair Lady”– not sure if it has ever been issued, but I remember it’s fantastic.
Tom Petty— I always liked Petty, but the Greatest Hits album that covers up until 1993 is enough for me. I loathe the Jeff Lynne-produced albums (as much as I enjoy the Wilburys), so this CD gives me no more than I need of that.
After that era, Wildflowers is a great CD– just Great. She’s the One, not so much, and Echo is alright.
I just want to move back in the alphabet and mention a group I fell in love with a couple of years ago: The Move (speaking of Jeff Lynne). For some reason this band never hit it in the U.S., charting only the song “Do Ya” (which was promptly forgotten when ELO re-recorded it and had a huge hit). This band defied categorization– within the 60’s Brit-pop scheme of things, anyway, and was led by Roy Wood’s zany genius. For some reason I can’t get enough of listening to othis band, whether it’s early songs like “Fire Brigade” and “I Can Hear the Grass Grow” to their late singles like “Tonight” and “California Man.”
There is something about finding a group that none of your friends knows about, then looking smart in front of Brits when you mention them, that I find compelling.