20 Favorite CDs

Damn those music buffs at NYCD. Their list invariably got me thinking about my list. Needless to say, these are NOT the 20 best albums of all time -- not in the least. They're not my 20 favorite or the 20 I play the most. They're not a lot of things. So what are they? Twenty CDs that a quick perusal of my shelves deemed essential, necessary and most of all meaningful -- 20 CDs that blew my mind or led me to other CDs or exemplify a particular passion. No jazz or gospel of blues or folk or classical or world music or soundtracks or cast albums -- so no Frank, no Ella, no Billie, no Coltrane, no Miles, no Philip Glass, no "Camelot" or "Blade Runner" or a million other categories because I could do 20 of all of them. Very little rap and hip hop because I was a bit older when they exploded, no Motown because they came at me via the radio and movies and TV and a million varied compilations rather than a certain album so no Supremes or Temptations or Aretha. No Elvis Costello because I came late to the game. No Stevie Wonder for the same reason. No Bowie because he "belonged" to my friend Jesse. And on and on. A million excuses for what's missing. But here they are: 20 CDs that mean a lot to me.

THE BEACH BOYS -- Pet Sounds
BEASTIE BOYS -- Paul's Boutique
THE BEATLES -- Revolver
THE BLUE NILE -- A Walk Across The Rooftops
BOB DYLAN -- Highway 61 Revisited
EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL -- Idlewild
MARVIN GAYE -- What's Going On/Let's Get It On two-fer CD
MADNESS -- Keep Moving
JONI MITCHELL -- Blue/VAN MORRISON -- Moondance
RANDY NEWMAN -- Sail Away
PREFAB SPROUT -- Swoon
PRINCE -- Purple Rain
RADIOHEAD -- OK Computer
R.E.M. -- Murmur
PAUL SIMON -- Graceland
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN -- Nebraska
RICHARD AND LINDA THOMPSON -- Shoot Out The Lights
U2 -- The Joshua Tree
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT -- Want One
DIONNE WARWICK -- The Dionne Warwick Collection -- Her All-Time Greatest Hits

Click here to read more about these CDs and why they matter to me.