>I’ve never been a collector (except with Pokemon cards, but who wasn’t?!). But about 3 years ago, I finally started collecting something many people don’t really thing are all that great. You find them laying under the seat of your car, lying on the street, thrown around in a box, and even in the garbage. That’s right, they’re CD’s. The compact disc. I am currently on number 48 (although it’s my personal collection because in reality, I own about 100’s of CD’s but many aren’t mine)of my collection and it will DEFINITELY continue to grow.
I really get a pleasure out of looking in my drawer and seeing all the album covers and shiny cases just sitting there. Of course I have an mp3 to listen to all of them, but it’s nice to just pop in a CD and just let it play from beginning to end. It’s an investment well worth it. Before I ever had a job, I decided to save up every 2 or 3 dollars that my dad gave me every week to buy a CD. It was the best feeling when I finally got a CD in my hands.
I like lists, and therefore I will make a list of my favorite CD’s in my collection in terms of meaning, album art, and quality. Here we go(click links to listen to the songs):
The Singles 1992-2003 by No Doubt
That’s right, I’m a No Doubt fan.
This was the first CD I ever bought and it means a lot to me. I just popped it into the mini-vans CD player and let it do it’s job. It played hit after hit of all the best No Doubt songs. The cover of the album is nothing special and the music isn’t the deepest, but I loved it all because it was a CD I purchased and could listen to any time I wanted. I loved every moment of it. Just driving around, not listening to all the boring crap that the radio was playing. Oh the memories.
Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys
One of my absolute favorite (no pun intended) albums of all time. I drove to three different stores because no one had this damn album! And I wanted it!!!
What makes this such a good album? It’s absolutely intense Brit-Punk Trip-Hop. The opening song, “Brianstorm” (spelled just like that) is ridiculous. The tempo is at like 200 and the drummer, Matt Helders, goes crazy, producing on the best drum rhythm I’ve ever heard. That song is barely the tip of the iceberg with lyrically meaningful songs like “Do Me A Favour” (“Perhaps f**k off might be too kind.”) and dance punk tune “Old Yellow Bricks“. All of these songs are absolutely crazy, especially when you see them live.
This album was also the first album I introduced to one of my good friends Geo, who absolutely loved the album too. It was the first time I ever really had a discussion with someone about how good a certain CD was. That’s when I realized I was a journalism major too.
OK Computer by Radiohead
Considered one of the best albums of all time, this was the album that made me realize how rewarding it was to listen to an album from the first to last track.
Most people automatically skip to a song they like when they actually do buy a CD. Actually a lot of people just buy the singles and ignore the fact that there’s a CD out along with the single. But they don’t realize what they miss out on. I was one of those, until I heard this. Every song, from the Beach Boys inspired opening guitar melody of “No Surprises“, to the haunting and Gothic “Exit Music(For A Film)“, is a beautiful and twisted experience like seen on the cover. The album went on to inspire entire bands based on this sound like Muse and Coldplay; which also led Radiohead to completely change their sound on their next album.
Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World
Can you tell I like Jimmy Eat World…a lot.
Of course this is one of my favorite albums. I even own the “Deluxe Edition” of this album with early studio demos and re-recordings of the songs on this album. An album that starts off intense(“Bleed American“- the song) and goes straight into Emo territory(“Your House“), this album was the one that turned JEW into one of my favorite bands of all time. I’ve even seen them perform live twice.
The album cover was pretty weird and I didn’t know what the hell that machine thing was because they don’t exist anymore. It turns out it’s a cigarette vending machine with a bunch of trophies on it. That’s that Americana for you.
Kala by MIA
This album was on replay for such a long time. It was my addiction for about a whole month of my life before “Favourite Worst Nightmare” took away my soul. I even still put on “Boyz” and “Bamboo Banga” once in while.
This album cover is just plain cool and it demonstrates a culture that MIA started without people even realizing it! I’ve never heard ANYONE credit her for starting this 80’s retro fashion trend that hit every teenager and young adult on the face of the US. 80’s shades, neon day-glo shirts, retro-glo Nike’s. That was ALL MIA and this album cover demonstrates it.
Oh and the whole album is pretty damn cool from beginning to end.
Brothers by The Black Keys
For sure one of my favorite album covers ever. How much more straight forward can you get!? It goes well with the straight forward soulful blues that the band embodies.
Sure they draw big comparisons to the other blues duo, The White Stripes, but their music is NOT the same. These guys have no punk or metal in them, just lots and lots of soul. If you want to just lay back and chill, this album is just for you. The opening track “Everlasting Light” sounds like it came from a straight up 60’s/70’s soul group. On top of everything else though, this was the first album to make me really appreciate blues and it’s integration into rock.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
I believe this is the only album I have that has pink on the cover…
Well anyways, I LOVE PHOENIX!
These French guys know how to make music and know how to use production just right. The song “Lasso” is easily one of my favorite songs of all time and the rest of this album nearly lives up to that. The level of catchiness is just overwhelming, as you’ll find yourself singing to every single song and enjoying every second of it. To me, this album embodies what a true album should be like. Start of with a strong, up tempo track that grabs everyone’s attention, boost it up a little for the second track, bring it down a little and bring it back up again towards the end. It’s hard for me to NOT listen to the entire album whenever I want to listen to Phoenix. Pure awesomeness.
There you go, another list brought to you by me! Now if you personally know me and want to get in touch with me to borrow one of these albums, FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW! Email me at almarojodeai@gmail.com or if you have my phone number text me. And if you have neither, next time you see me, tap me on the shoulder and let me know!
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