One Hundred ... and Counting!!

We interrupt "Early '90s Month" to bring you ... the one-hundredth post in Thnairg's World Of Music! Jumpin' Jehosaphat, Holy Frejoles, Golly Willickers, and all that other crap!! I knew I was going to have no shortage of music to write about, and I was pretty sure I'd be able to keep this blog going for awhile, but I still can't believe I got to my 100th post so fast.

Anyway, in honor of this landmark, I'd like to present my "iPod 100" ... the songs I'd pick if I were stranded on a desert island with my iPod and it could only hold a hundred songs of my choosing. It might not necessarily be reflective of my favorite artists, 'cause there are some darn good songs out there by artists that I'm otherwise just lukewarm about.

Also, if you don't see any recent songs or artists I've been raving about, it's because I decided to limit the list to songs that are at least one year old, so as not to let my short-term memory give preferential treatment to more recent songs.* So without further delay, here's the list, sorted alphabetically by artist. Keep an eye out, 'cause there might be something "clickable" about some items on the list...!

1. "Make It Good" by A1
2. "Just Push Play" by Aerosmith
3. "Move Along" by All-American Rejects
4. "Remedy" by Maria Arredondo featuring Espen Lind
5. "Can't Stop The Pop" by A-Teens
6. "Paint a Pretty Picture" by Tal Bachman
7. "The One" by Backstreet Boys
8. "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies
9. "Pinch Me" by Barenaked Ladies
10. "Miles Away" by Basia
11. "Give Me The Night" by George Benson
12. "Blowout" by Bent Fabric
13. "We're Not In Kansas" by Big Country
14. "Long Time Coming" by Bottlefly
15. "Are You Satisfied" by Randall Bramblett
16. "Living In America" by James Brown
17. "I Got You" by Nick Carter
18. "New Boy" by The Connells
19. "Church Of The Poison Mind" by Culture Club
20. "'Angel' Main Theme" by Darling Violetta
21. "Anything" by D-Side
22. "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran
23. "All Over The World" by Electric Light Orchestra
24. "Rainbow's End" by Eleven
25. "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by Cass Elliot
26. "Falling" by Eman
27. "You're an Ocean" by Fastball
28. "Strange" by The Feeling
29. "Star Trekkin'" by The Firm
30. "Hear Me Now" by Five
31. "Everyone Deserves Music" by Michael Franti & Spearhead
32. "I Believe" by Stephen Gately
33. "Stop" by Gil
34. "You Make My Dreams" by Daryl Hall & John Oates
35. "If Only" by Hanson
36. "Lost Without Each Other" by Hanson
37. "Don't Believe You Anymore" by Colin Hay
38. "Spin" by Darren Hayes
39. "Pink And Black" by Tyler Hilton
40. "River Of Dreams" by Billy Joel
41. "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John
42. "Just The Way It Is" by Kavana
43. "Crystal Ball" by Keane
44. "Inhale Positivity" by Lazyboy
45. "Gamble Everything For Love" by Ben Lee
46. "Walking On Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox
47. "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" by Annie Lennox & Al Green
48. "Jacob's Ladder" by Huey Lewis & The News
49. "Mother In Law" by Huey Lewis & The News
50. "Pop From Hell" by Espen Lind
51. "All I Want Is an Angel" by Espen Lind
52. "Reclining Civilization" by Brian Mann
53. "Bent" by Matchbox Twenty
54. "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
55. "I Wanna Hold You" by McFly
56. "Transylvania" by McFly
57. "National Anthem Of Love" by Joey McIntyre
58. "Be Good Johnny" by Men At Work
59. "Beautiful One" by Milk & Honey Band
60. "Life On Mars" by The Moffatts
61. "Ya Ya" by The Moffatts
62. "Pop" by NSYNC
63. "Bury My Lovely" by October Project
64. "Big On Emotion" by One 2 One
65. "Set Sails Free" by The Origin
66. "Story Of Love" by OTT
67. "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by The Party
68. "We Could Be Trouble" by PC Quest
69. "Strange Love" by Phixx
70. "Should Have Been Loved" by The Proclaimers
71. "You Got It" by Bonnie Raitt
72. "Rainbow Zephyr" by Relish
73. "Before I Speak" by Kyle Riabko
74. "Big Sky" by The Rippingtons
75. "Weekend In Monaco" by The Rippingtons
76. "Don't Stop Movin'" by S Club
77. "Why Don't You & I" by Santana featuring Alex Band
78. "You'll Have Time" by William Shatner
79. "Everything We Are" by The Shore
80. "My Oh My" by Slade
81. "Hourglass" by Squeeze
82. "Grounded" by Stir
83. "Disasterpiece" by Sugar Ray
84. "The Logical Song" by Supertramp
85. "Bounce" by Take 5
86. "Twenty-Nine Palms" by Tangerine Dream
87. "Creepin' Up Slowly" by Taxiride
88. "No One Above" by Michael Tolcher
89. "Believe Me" by Tonic
90. "Drops Of Jupiter" by Train
91. "Johnny Belinda" by Voice Farm
92. "Across The Universe" by Rufus Wainwright
93. "Don't Say Sarah" by Wave
94. "Change Your Mind" by Westlife
95. "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet
96. "If I Ever Lose This Love" by Christian Wunderlich
97. "Generic Blues" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
98. "It's All About The Pentiums" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
99. "Niki Nana" by Yanni
100. "Leave It" by Yes

*Okay, just because I like to make the most of my lists and put my own little twists on them, I'm gonna add three songs that are less than a year old. After all, there's always a little "wiggle room" in the song capacity of the average iPod, right?

101. "Racing" by Erik Faber & Marte Wulff
102. "Touched By Love" by Eran James
103. "Reach Out" by Take That

I Love Music (Volume One)

Amongst the several series of "theme" mix CDs that I make for myself and my sister (she got me into the habit) is a series I call "I Love Music". In case you couldn't guess by the title, the subject of that particular series is songs about music. I've managed to gather together four discs' worth of such songs so far, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. (There'll probably be a "part 2" to this post sometime in the near future.)

1) "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder -- Stevie's tribute to Duke Ellington is a classic, and simply had to be included. You might not know it by its title, but you will by the chorus ... "You can feel it all o-o-over!"

2) "Until The Record Breaks" by Wave -- This is one of my favorite songs by Canadian pop duo, Wave ... and it was one of the very first songs I thought of when my sister presented me with the idea of a CD of songs about music. I love it!

3) "Rock & Roll Is King" by Electric Light Orchestra -- How can anyone dislike not only this authentic-sounding slice of '50s rock-and-roll, but also the fact that it came out of the middle of the disco era?

4) "Pop" by NSYNC -- This just might be my favorite NSYNC song ... even more surprising considering I don't like electronica, which this song borrows heavily from. If only the rest of the album it came from lived up to the incredible freshness of this song ... but, that's a subject for another time.

5) "Everyone Deserves Music" by Michael Franti & Spearhead -- Another unlikely inclusion of mine, since it's kind-of heavy on the hip-hop, another genre that I don't care for. But this song has a special place in my heart, 'cause it was the song I heard the last time I stepped into a local CD store I visited every day -- it closed that weekend. The irony of hearing that song at that time still makes me stop and think.

6) "Oh No The Radio" by Owsley -- One of the most underrated power-pop artists of all time put out a killer album in 1999, and it turned out to be his only major-label effort. This was track one, and the entire album kept the momentum, offering one hooky, hum-along song after another.

7) "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger -- Yes, the song that Tom Cruise lip-synched to in his underwear in "Risky Business". Could I seriously do an "I Love Music" CD without this song? Puh-leeze...!

8) "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by Cass Elliot -- She was one of the most amazing female vocalists of all time, and she lived a terribly short life in the spotlight. If you don't own any of her stuff, you owe it to yourself to change that.

9) "Who Stole My Radio?" by Shemekia Copeland -- I happened upon this one on a CD sampler from "Paste" magazine, and I loved it. A great, old-school soul song about the state of modern radio -- and why I don't listen to it anymore.

10) "The Heart of Rock & Roll" by Huey Lewis & The News -- Another classic, from one of the great bands who've never forgotten what good old fashioned rock & roll is all about.

11) "Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" by Barry Mann -- An irresistibly catchy chorus makes this song one of the best songs about music -- not to mention one of the best songs, period -- to come out of the '50s!

12) "Just Push Play" by Aerosmith -- Another kick-ass rock band that I've only recently come to really appreciate. I'm still not sure if this song is about music or not, but it's a whole helluva lot of fun!

13) "Can't Stop The Pop" by A-Teens -- Pure ear candy, but also purely irresistible. The Swedish pop troupe nearly out-Jackson-Fives the Jackson Five on this one!

14) "I Love Rock & Roll" by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts -- This is another one of those songs that simply can't not be included on a compilation like "I Love Music" ... everyone knows it, and for good reason.

15) "Sing" by The Carpenters -- Sure, it's schmaltzy, but it's also timeless ... and if the "la la la" of the children's choir doesn't at least put a little bit of a smile on your face, you need to check for a pulse.

16) "Achy Breaky Song" by "Weird Al" Yankovic -- I almost can't make a mix CD without putting a little "Weird Al" in it ... okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But this one was a must-have ... not only does it name-check every cheesy musician in the book, but it also parodies a song that got way too much attention!

17) "The Motown Song" by Rod Stewart -- I don't think I've ever heard a nicer tribute to Motown than this, in both lyrics and melody ... "Bring over some of your old Motown records..."!

18) "Listen To The Music" by The Doobie Brothers -- This one is such a classic that I almost shouldn't be allowed to call myself a music fan for having forgotten to include it until Volume 4!

19) "Box Set" by Barenaked Ladies -- This tongue-in-cheek satire of self-indulgent musicians who put out multi-disc box sets is one of the Ladies' forgotten masterpieces ... I love it!

20) "Pop From Hell" by Espen Lind -- Not only is this song about music (though perhaps not as drectly as most songs here), but it's incredibly interesting to listen to, with its Andrew Lloyd Weber meets Freddie Mercury style ... definitely like nothing else out there.

Oh, Canada...

A lot of people like to make fun of Canada, and some people actually go so far as to in fact not have any respect for our neighbor to the north. I'm not in either of those categories; I like Canada, and I like Canadians. I really want to visit the country someday, but haven't as yet ... my only fear about doing so is that I'll love the place so much that I won't want to leave. I think my love affair with Canada started with the music -- yeah, big surprise there, right? So much of the entertainment we enjoy here in the United States is, whether we realize it or not, imported from Canada: William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, Jim Carrey, Alex Trebek, and many other television and film personalities were born there, and the mainstream music consciousness in the U.S. has no shortage of Canuck countrymen (and -women): Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies, The Guess Who, Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, K.D. Lang, and the list goes on.

But I won't talk about the obvious and well-known ones here ... this is a briefing on some of my favorite Canadian artists who aren't particularly well-known outside of their borders. This, ladies and gentlemen, I present as evidence to counter the argument made by the less-enlightened amongst us Americans, who say that Canadians lack sophistication and vision. I look forward to one day browsing the aisles of a Canadian CD store, to see what other treasures I might be missing. But for now, these recording artists from the Great White North have somehow managed to tide me over....

The Moffatts -- You've heard me rave about them before, but there's a reason I can't say enough good things about them, and that reason's name is "Submodalities", their last album as a band. These four siblings were talented far beyond their teen (at that time) years, and cooked up this exquisitely eclectic alt-pop jukebox. If you like rock and/or pop music, you must buy this album now ... period. Their previous album, "Chapter I: A New Beginning" (which is available in the States), wasn't too bad either, by the way.

One 2 One -- This pop duo was comprised of vocalist Louise Reny and instrumentalist Leslie Howe. There was nothing earth-shatteringly different about their material, but for some reason, it caught my ear and never let go. (Okay, maybe the fact that they thanked the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in their liner notes had a little something to do with it, too.) I bought their U.S. release "Imagine It" (a modest hit in its day) when it came out in 1992, and to this day it's one of my favorite albums from that time period. It still sounds a bit dated, but all things considered, it's held up pretty well for being fifteen years old. It did compel me to track down their hard-to-find Canadian-only 1988 release, "1-2-1", although that one shows its age more.

Wave -- I'd almost say this duo was Canada's answer to Savage Garden, except Wave preferred more "natural" instrumentation (guitars, drums) and far less electronics. I think they're broken up now, but Paul Gigliotti and Dave Thomson put out two excellent albums of deliciously tuneful, radio-friendly pop: "Nothing As It Seems" in 2001, and "State Of Mind" in 2002. Again, nothing terribly unique or profound here, but it doesn't have to be different in order to be good, and these guys proved it.

Tal Bachman -- The son of Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive member Randy Bachman is probably the most familiar name on this list. Tal Bachman scored a sizable U.S. hit in 1999 with the single "She's So High". I don't know why this album wasn't a bigger success than it was -- and I don't think it was much of a success at all, seeing as how he never released another album in the U.S. -- because it was packed with one excellent rock-pop song after another, and produced by the renowned Bob Rock (who himself is Canadian, and also produced The Moffatts' "Submodalities"). Fortunately, he finally released a follow-up album in Canada several years later that I could sink my teeth into.

The Thnairg Music Hall Of Fame

This was originally going to be two separate lists: my Top 5 all-time favorite artists, and my Top 3 recent favorite artists. I had chosen the year 2002 as the boundary between the two lists; I figured five years ago was as good a demarcation as any. The trouble is, though, I'm such a music fan that I had a lot of difficulty limiting myself to eight favorite artists, so I decided to combine both lists into one, and bump it up to an even Top Ten by throwing in another two favorites. (Seven to three turned out to be a natural ratio between all-timers and recent favorites.)

I've tried to keep a sensible balance of emotion and logic when ranking the artists on this list -- while the magnitude of my adoration of an artist certainly plays a part, so does the length of time I've been listening to them. It seems kind-of cruel that the newer the artist is (in my "sphere of awareness", at least), the lower they would rank in the list -- but it also makes a certain amount of sense. I'm a bit surprised myself at how the list came out, seeing as how some artists I've told people were in "my Top 5" have turned out not to be, and vice versa ... at least as far as this list is concerned. But then, one usually doesn't consider their entire music-listening history when raving about a relatively new artist.

So anyway, I hope you appreciate all the hard work and thought that went into this list, and I hope you're enlightened and entertained by it as well. And now, without further ado, I present ... My Top Ten Favorite Artists of All-Time!!!

Honorable Mention: John Williams -- Between the "Star Wars", "Jaws", "Superman", and "Indiana Jones" themes, the compositions of John Williams are probably the most recognizable of any in modern history ... perhaps even more so than the songs of The Beatles. He's the best film score composer of all time, period. Considering how long I've been buying his music, he probably should be in my Top Ten, but I'm not as big a fan of movie music as I once was ... plus, it's been awhile since he was at what I feel was the top of his game. As fate would have it, ten other artists managed to just barely edge him out.

#10 --> Erik Faber/Espen Lind (tie) -- Yes, a "tie" has been used far too often just to squeeze one more item into a favorites list, but this one is justified. Though they've never recorded together (that I'm aware of), they're both Norwegian pop singer/songwriters of a vaguely similar style. I discovered Erik Faber less than a year ago, not too long after Espen Lind's latest album, with which I was a bit disappointed. I've warmed up to Erik's music more quickly and enthusiastically than just about any artist I've ever encountered, but I can't quite bring myself to knock Espen (of whom I've been a big fan for over six years) out of the slot just yet ... so, all things considered, they're both entitled to share the #10 berth.

#9 ---> Five -- While the rest of America was divided between Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, I was rockin' out to UK boyband Five. I can't describe how or why, but I feel an energy in their songs that goes beyond the music and the lyrics -- a kind of energy that I just don't feel from NSYNC or BSB. And you wanna know the really ironic thing? I hate rap, yet Five have managed to win me over despte the presence of rap in a fair portion of their songs. Any group that makes a heretofore intolerable genre of music listenable to me definitely makes it onto the list.

#8 ----> The Moffatts -- Damn, I miss these guys. This Canadian brotherly quartet of pop-rockers only recorded two albums plus about a dozen-and-a-half B-sides, but their final album was a doozy: the utter masterpiece that is "Submodalities" still stands firmly as my absolute favorite album of all time -- and remember, I own over a thousand. That feat alone (plus the appeal of Bob & Clint's subsequent incarnations in the groups Hidell and Same Same) lands them firmly in my Top Ten.

#7 -----> McFly -- The only reason these guys aren't in my Top 5 is because they've only been recording for a few years. They've put out three albums, each a little bit better than the last, and all of them packed full of incredibly appealing pop-rock music, in the best tradition of groups ranging from The Beatles to Huey Lewis & The News to Green Day. They write their own songs, play their own instruments, and are adorable to boot. What more can one ask?!?

#6 ------> The Rippingtons -- Contemporary jazz doesn't get any better than Russ Freeman and company. I'm sorry to say that the last album of theirs that I really liked was seven years ago, and most all of the members from my favorite era of the group have gone on to other things, but they're just about the only group from my jazz/new-age phase that I still regularly listen to. Best of luck to another twenty years of success, Ripps.

#5 -------> The Connells -- As I mentioned in a previous post, I stumbled upon North Carolinians The Connells basically by accident, having selected a song of theirs to fill up space on a made-to-order cassette. Before I knew it, I was buying each and every album of their REM-ish melodic jangle-rock, and remained a faithful fan right up to the bitter end of their recording career.

#4 --------> Duran Duran -- They were an absolute sensation, and they deserved to be. Their fashion-model good looks made them perfect for the emerging MTV generation, plus their music was ahead of its time for years and years. They've enjoyed two comebacks (in 1993 with "The Wedding Album", and in 2004 with the reformation of their original lineup on the album "Astronaut") and, except for the peculiar covers album "Thank You", I've enjoyed them consistently.

#3 ---------> Barenaked Ladies -- I discovered the Ladies upon the original release of their first album, "Gordon", and never looked back ... even through the anti-BNL backlash that came with the (perhaps more-than-deserved) success of their single "One Week". They've never failed to deliver album after album of enjoyable melodies and lyrics, ranging from humorous to melancholy to scathingly critical ... I just plain love 'em and will never stop.

#2 ----------> Men At Work/Colin Hay -- Technically, these are two different acts, but Colin Hay was the primary creative force behind (and, of course, the vocalist and frontman for) Men At Work, so I consider it just the "first phase" of his recording career. Men At Work were pretty-much my favorite band of the '80s and, with the exception of a few years of unawareness, I've been devotedly following Hay's ongoing solo folk-rock career ever since. It'd be nice to see him receive one more burst of major chart success, but I know he's perfectly content with the far-longer career and closer-knit fan base that his independent-label status provides.

#1 ----------->> "Weird Al" Yankovic -- I feel a little odd declaring him my favorite artist of all time, thinking it will prevent people from taking my taste in music seriously. But, after taking everything under consideration, he's clearly the winner. To this day, I vividly remember the moment I first ever laid eyes on his debut album in the record store, 26 years ago. I've bought each and every one of his albums, without hesitation and with the same giddy anticipation, as soon as they've come out, and have never been disappointed in any of them. Al never goes out of style, because he constantly changes with it. And, most importantly, his music has always cheered me up whenever I've felt bummed out. And when you think about it, isn't touching someone's heart what music is all about? That's why "Weird Al" Yankovic is Number One to me.

Sad Songs Say So Much

I mostly like upbeat music, but as the old saying goes, everyone needs a good cry now and again. And for those tortured souls and/or gluttons for punishment who get off on actively seeking out sonic heartbreak, here's my list of my Top 5 favorite tear-jerker songs. Whether you find them on iTunes or at your local CD store, they're worth a listen ... but don't forget to have a box of tissues handy.

#5 -- "Grounded" by Stir -- There are plenty of reasons to go pick up the album "Holy Dogs" by alt-rock group Stir, but this is the biggest one: a heartbreaking lament of a boy who's been grounded. Even if you haven't been a teenager for decades, or even if you've never been grounded yourself, you'll still feel a tug at the heartstrings when you hear this one, thanks in part to Andrew Schmidt's aching vocal.

#4 -- "Bubblewrap" by McFly -- Anyone who doubts McFly as a band to be reckoned with in the coming years needs to listen to this song (from their third album "Motion In The Ocean"), not to mention most of their second album "Wonderland". A tender piano melody starts out the song and soon builds to a mostly subdued full-band number, but Tom Fletcher's and Danny Jones' stirring vocals are what will put tears in your eyes.

#3 -- "Patience" by Take That -- This is a love song, but for me it unexpectedly took on a second, and deeper, meaning. A couple days after the Virginia Tech tragedy (which hit me with an emotional impact I never saw coming), Take That's "Beautiful World" album was playing on my iPod. When the chorus of this song came around, I heard the lyrics in a context I hadn't thought about until that moment ... and I nearly cried right there on a public sidewalk.

#2 -- "Where The Lost Ones Go" by Espen Lind and Sissel -- Being a big Espen Lind fan, I was highly anticipating his second album, "This Is Pop Music". Never having been a particular fan of male/female duets (but not necessarily having any aversion to them either), I didn't suspect that this gorgeous breakup song would sneak up on my heart the way it did ... until its soaring chorus gave me a case of goosebumps that comes back every time I hear it.

#1 -- "Break Your Heart" by Barenaked Ladies -- From the moment I heard this song, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites ... and I was right. And I'm not alone: while it was never a single and thus never a charting hit, it's a cult favorite of theirs at concerts. If you haven't heard this song (from their 1996 album "Born On a Pirate Ship"), you must. But be prepared: you'll get a serious lump in your throat during the bridge, which Steven Page delivers with as much heartbreak as a human voice can convey.

Compilation Celebration!

After recently touching on the subject with a friend and fellow blogger, I was inspired to do today's post on the subject of import compilations. (I'm trying to give you folks more posts than usual this week, since I'll be on vacation next week and probably won't be posting anything.) Import compilations are often overlooked as a fun way of not only getting a taste of what's hot on the radio in other countries, but also of discovering new artists that might otherwise remain forever under your radar. What follows is a short description of some of the better import compilations I've found over the years, and why I love them.

"International Music: Sony Music Around The World" (Sony, 1999) -- Technically this is not an import, because it was released in the U.S. as part of Sony's "100 Years: Soundtrack For a Century" series. But it might as well be, since its track listing consists almost entirely of songs you otherwise won't find anywhere but on import releases. Don't be misled by the title -- this isn't the kind of acoustic/ethnic "world music" you would find on those high-brow compilations from labels like Putumayo; this is pop music, like you might hear on any given country's radio dial alongside the more internationally-known hits from the U.S. or U.K. Many of the songs are sung in foreign languages, and a fair share of them are laced with touches of the traditional musical roots of their respective countries. It's an expansive, two-disc journey across the world (literally) of popular music -- you name the country, it's probably represented here. Simply put, if you like the sort of music that Poster Girl or myself likes, get this collection now!

"Big" (Warner/Thailand, 2004) -- "The cheeseburger album", as I like to call it (since that's what graces its cover photo), is notable for a rare Justin Timberlake track, "I'm Lovin' It" (yes, the song that was adopted for the ongoing McDonald's ad campaign), a single by Swiss pop singer Patrick Nuo, and also for my own personal discovery of the song "Hey Ya!" by Outkast ... no, not a "rarity" by any means, but a song that I ignored, thinking that no song could live up to the hype that was bestowed upon that one. But obviously, I was wrong...!

"Only Fools And Horses: The Album" (BBC/UK, 2002) -- This is actually a soundtrack, but I'm unfamiliar with the BBC television series, so as far as this "Yank" is concerned, it fits better into my compilations section. And what a compilation it is! Two discs full of an enchanting blend of popular music -- most familiar with U.S. audiences, but a few U.K.-bound gems are included -- from the last two decades of the 20th Century. If you're new to '80s music, or already have a fondness for it, take this compilation for a spin!

"Now 6" (EMI/Asia & Universal/Asia, 2000) -- Not to be confused with its counterpart in the U.S. "Now! That's What I Call Music" series, this is the sixth installment of the Southeast Asian version of the series. While most of the tunes on here are available domestically, the selection is just packed with top-notch favorites ("It's My Life" by Bon Jovi, "Bang Bang Boom" by The Moffatts, "New Beginning" by Stephen Gately, "If Only" by Hanson, and the list goes on), and it's a CD I could listen to over and over again. Plus, the inclusion of a cool bonus VCD, with a short but sweet video message from The Moffatts and a clip from their "Bang Bang Boom" video, makes for a neat "souvenir" that I couldn't pass up!

"Dreamin': Pop Classics Recollection" (Victor Entertainment/Japan, 2003) -- I happened upon this fantastic collection of '50s and '60s pop on eBay, while I was buying a couple other CDs from the same seller, and decided on a whim to pick it up at the same time. I'm glad I did, 'cause I ran into a couple of gems I'd never heard before ... most notably, "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" by Eddie Hodges, probably the cutest song about unrequited teenage love that you may ever hear. And who can resist a CD with a (licensed) photo of James Dean gracing its cover?

Where We Started From

The time: 1989. The place: Chino, California. (Yes, as in "where Ryan on The O.C. was from".) I had gotten my high school diploma about a year earlier and had recently started my first actual paying job. As soon as I had saved up enough money, I bought my first CD player, in the form of a "boom box" equipped with two cassette decks. Then, after I got my next paycheck and cashed it, I ambled down to the nearby Music Plus store and browsed the CD racks -- CDs shared equal space with records and cassettes back then -- in careful deliberation of which CDs I would choose as the very beginning of what (little did I know) would eventually become a collection of hundreds.

Back then, CDs came in what were called "longboxes": paperboard boxes similar to what CDs are still packaged in at Costco, the same size as the twelve-inch-long theft-deterrent plastic "frames" that eventually replaced them, except there was no window showing the jewelcase inside; instead, the fully-enclosed box was adorned with an enlarged, panoramic version of the CD insert's cover art. And the best part: the jewelcase inside was free of not only a redundant layer of plastic wrap, but also that annoying-as-hell top edge sticker! The longbox is a lost art ... you might find the occasional vintage one gathering dust in an independent store, perhaps with its never-exposed-to-the-open-air CD jewelcase still cocooned inside. For awhile, I had roughly a dozen longboxes adorning my walls --- I would carefully open both ends, attach them to the walls with thumbtacks through only the back panel, leaving the front intact, and then seal the ends back up with tape.

Presented in this post is what, to the best of my recollection, I purchased in that first CD shopping spree. I've listed them in approximate order of certainty, from the ones I'm positive I bought that day to the ones I'm giving my best educated guess on. I'm also drawing on the hazy memory of those longboxes that were mounted on my walls for those precious few years afterward, and (is this cheating?) the copyright dates on the CDs themselves. I know I bought at least four CDs that day, and I know they're ones that have never left my collection. For a while, I had saved the receipts from every CD I bought (Music Plus had these neat computer-printed receipts that showed the artist and title of each purchase), but I eventually threw them all away after I had stopped collecting them. I now wish I had saved at least those first couple of receipts, so that any margin for error in compiling this list could be eliminated. If only I could travel back in time to that day and be sure ... but then, that would probably take away the romantic sense of uncertainty that makes the memory such a fond one....

John Williams & The Boston Pops Orhcestra: "By Request: The Best Of..." -- Like most of the titles in this list, I'd had this one on cassette for awhile and liked it so much that I couldn't wait to upgrade it to the comparatively indestructible and age-defying medium of the compact disc. It's an album full of the greatest themes from Williams' stunning career of music for film ("Star Wars", "Superman", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Close Encounters"), television (the themes from the Olympic games and from NBC News), and elsewhere (a special composition commemorating the Statue of Liberty), showing his unparalleled achievements in orchestral music.

Scott Grimes: "Scott Grimes" -- When he was a teenager and already well into his acting career (after the "Critters" movies but before "Party of Five" and, of course, long before "E.R."), Scott Grimes tried his hand at making a pop record, like quite a few actors do. Although the results aren't the most spectacular -- cheesy late-'80s pop to such a degree that you can almost smell the scent of cheddar wafting from your CD player -- Scott's decent voice (better than most wanna-be rock-star actors) and capable production from Richard Carpenter and Herb Alpert made this CD a keeper, at least to me.

Yanni: "Chameleon Days" -- Okay, stop laughing. Back in the early years of his career, Yanni's music actually had life to it. At this time, there was a new radio station in the L.A. area called "The Wave", which played so-called "New Age" music, and it was there that Yanni's tune "Everglade Run" grabbed my ear and didn't let go. I had to write down the name of the song and the artist, and I picked up the album it was on (this one, of course). Surprisingly, there were a number of cool songs on this album and some of his previous releases, and I eventually became a fan of his ... that is, until he became the king of snooze in the early '90s, which he basically has been ever since.

Leonard Rosenman: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" Soundtrack -- This was the film that made me a "Star Trek" fan (the film that is the most widely credited with doing so, I've heard), and of course I also loved the music. Rosenman would later lose a lot of respect from me as a musician (dismissing Basil Poledouris' "RoboCop" score as "crap" in a magazine interview, when his own score for the sequel was in fact quite inferior), but I've never stopped liking this album.

The Connells: "Boylan Heights" -- Earlier on in that same year, I had purchased a cassette from a professional mix-tape service called "Personics", which sold songs, from a pre-determined list of a few hundred, for a nominal per-song fee -- just fill out your order form at the kiosk (inside Music Plus, of course), take it to the counter, and in about ten minutes or so, your tape was ready. It was a great thing, considering it was about a decade before CD burners existed! This is how I was introduced to The Connells, a great melodic rock band from North Carolina that would end up becoming one of my favorite groups of all time ... and to think it was only because I couldn't think of anything else I really wanted to fill up the extra space on the cassette! This CD, containing that first song of theirs I chose through Personics, became the first of theirs I bought, eventually accumulating their whole discography.

Buried Treasures

Four weeks from now I'll be in sunny Southern California, visiting with my sister and, almost as importantly, browsing the endless aisles of the Virgin Megastore, looking for those hard-to-get-elsewhere import CDs that I've got on my wish list. One of my first destinations in the Megastore (and in the late Tower Records stores as well) has become the imports clearance bin: where those pricey overseas CDs, which can go for over $30 at full retail, are marked down usually to half of their original price, and sometimes much less.

Sometimes I'll find buried in the unsorted mess an artist or album that I've actually heard of and had been considering picking up, but most often I'm met with CDs that are completely unfamiliar to me. After all, this is the clearance bin we're talking about, and only the obscure stuff that goes unsold for months ends up getting tossed in there. It can be very much hit-and-miss ... I fully expect to come home with at least a couple of duds that wind up in my trade-in stack in short order ... but sometimes I end up with an excellent recording that takes up permanent (or at least long-term) residence in my collection, and occasionally one that even becomes a favorite.

In anticipation of my upcoming trip, and in celebration of that usually neglected and underestimated corner of the CD store, here's a list of the better finds I've come across in the imports clearance bins of various Tower Records and Virgin Megastores over the years:

Kristian Leontiou: "Some Day Soon" -- If you love Daniel Powter, you'll love Kristian Leontiou. He has a strikingly similar style and sound, but released this major-label CD in the UK nearly two years before Daniel Powter made a splash with his. I'm not saying that one of them was trying to copy the other, or even that either of these artists is better than the other. On the contrary, Kristian Leontiou is the perfect complement to Daniel Powter ... and will do nicely in tiding us all over until Powter puts out his sophomore album.

Relish: "Wildflowers" -- Sometimes I shake my head thinking about how I almost missed out on these guys by not taking a chance and plucking the CD out of clearance-bin purgatory on a whim. Relish are a rock band from Ireland whose lead singer sounds a lot like Lenny Kravitz, and whose sound is permeated by a soulful positivity that seems to come directly from the '70s. Their song "Rainbow Zephyr" might sound familiar when you hear it ... it was adapted and re-recorded (with mediocre results, I'm sorry to say) by Westlife as the single "Hey Whatever".

Heinz Winckler: "One Step Closer" -- Probably the thing that most convinced me to pick up this CD is that it's from South Africa ... the first such CD in my collection. It turns out he was the winner of the South African "Idol" show, which explains the sound: radio-friendly pop that sounds like most other "Idol" products from every other country in the world. It is good enough, though, that I won't be getting rid of it ... at least not anytime soon.

Mark Owen: "In Your Own Time" -- This one I was specifically looking for, as soon as I found out that Espen Lind wrote one of its tracks. The rest of the album from this Take That alum turned out to be pretty darn good, too ... much better than his debut album from several years earlier. If you like Take That's new album, "Beautiful World", and haven't yet tried any of Mark Owen's solo work, I suggest picking up this album first.

Ronan Keating: "Destination" -- I've always been a bit sore at Ronan Keating, just because he's enjoyed far more solo recording success than my favorite Boyzone boy, Stephen Gately. But with this, Ronan's sophomore album, I found it in my heart to forgive him. There are plenty of fine songs in this collection, including two of my Ronan favorites: "I Love It When We Do" and "Blown Away".

B-Sides, The Point

In some people, the term inspires about as much excitement as the idea of day-old donuts. For other listeners, it can quicken the pulse rate and make the mouth water. Call them what you will: "non-album tracks", "rarities" ... to put it bluntly, B-sides are the leftovers of the music world.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. As a not-quite-rabid collector of those sometimes rare recordings of the select few artists of whom I simply cannot get by without anything short of an absolutely complete discography (not counting bootleg concert recordings or the occasionally underhwleming cover song), I can tell you that I've heard B-sides for which it's glaringly obvious why they didn't make the final track listing of the album ... and I've heard songs that are so damn good that they should have been not only included on the album, but even released as singles.

Here is a list of my favorite B-sides ever, in no particular order. Some are fairly easy to find, some are needles in haystacks, but all are worth the hunt, especially if you're fond of the artist to begin with.

"Paint a Pretty Picture" by Tal Bachman -- Some musicians just use guitars that sound like bagpipes in their songs ... Tal Bachman went all the way and used actual bagpipes! Maybe the producer, Bob Rock, thought that some listeners might find the song too grating to include as a track on Tal's 1999 self-titled album, but I love its unique sound, more than most of the songs on the album ... and it's a fantastic album, so that's really saying something. It's available in two mixes: as a B-side on his UK "She's So High" single, and with toned-down percussion (the version I like more) on a hard-to-find 3-track promotional disc that I somehow managed to get a hold of.

"Over My Head" by Taxiride -- For some reason, I didn't care all that much for Australian rock band Taxiride's third album, "Axiomatic", but I kept the single of the song I enjoyed the most, "Oh Yeah", on which this moody, atmospheric ballad can be found. I think it's also included on the Japanese version of "Axiomatic" as a bonus track ... either way, it's worth having.

"Anything" by D-Side -- One of the new wave of boybands that hit the UK music scene in 2003, D-Side was originally a five-piece group who put out a good debut album, but lost two of its members and switched gears to a ballad-heavy sound for its second album. This upbeat gem manages to deliver a fresh sound (for a boyband), and can be found on their "Real World" single, or as one of two bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of their debut album, "Stronger Together".

"Dangerous" by Kavana -- I've loved the gorgeous voice of British pop singer Kavana for years, and have been waiting and hoping for him to make a comeback, so I can have more than two albums and a smattering of B-sides to enjoy from him. This is one of his better songs ... a lush, darkly sexy ballad, whose instrumental version (which I also have) is just as captivating as the vocal edit. You'll find it on his "I Can Make You Feel Good" single.

"Ya Ya" by The Moffatts -- The philosophical side of Canadian pop-rockers The Moffatts comes through in the uplifting "Ya Ya" ... an odd name for a really good and catchy song. An acoustic-guitar version is the easier-to-find one, on one of their UK singles (I can't remember which ... sorry!), but my favorite is the full-band "plugged-in" version, for which it's worth hunting down their 4-track JC Penney promotional EP from 2000.

"Delicious" by Ben Adams -- As I said in my "Thnairg's Hit Parade 2006" post, this one is a guilty pleasure ... kind-of cheesy lyrics, but you'll have it running through your head long after the first listen. It's the kind of thing that would have fit right in on Justin Timberlake's first album, if he took his image a bit less seriously. It's on CD1 of Ben Adams' "Sorry" single.

"Easy Way Out" by McFly -- McFly is one of those bands who's so good, they've never really had a "bad" B-side. For this list, it was a pretty close race between this breezy ditty (which could easily be a single in its own right) and their great cover of The Kinks' "Lola", but originals win out over covers nearly every time. This one is on their "I Wanna Hold You" single.

"Fairytales Sandcastles" by Lifehouse -- I'm really just a slightly more than lukewarm fan of Lifehouse, and I picked up their Australian "Hanging By a Moment" single primarily because it was backed by a whopping three non-album tracks. Little did I know I'd grow so fond of this energetic number ... complete with a toy piano. (Anybody who tells you a toy piano has no place in a rock or pop song, don't believe them!)

"Sun Is Shining" by The Feeling -- Anyone who's familiar with The Feeling knows how bouncy and fun their songs can be. This is one of their bounciest and funnest (is that a word?) of all! I'm not sure if it's on any of their singles, but you'll definitely find it on the Japanese release of their "Twelve Stops And Home" album. I spent a pretty penny to get it, but it was worth it!

"If You Knew What I Knew" by Backstreet Boys -- I've always liked NSYNC a bit more than Backstreet Boys, but songs like this make me momentarily second-guess that preference. It's a ballad, but with a bit of a funk/R&B twist. I ripped it to an MP3 before I traded in the "Larger Than Life" single it was on ... but, being more of an old-school, "physical CD" kind of guy, I like it so much that I'm thinking of hunting down another copy of it on eBay!

Thnairg's Hit Parade 2006

Every December, as a gift for all my friends at Christmastime, I compile my annual "Hit Parade", a CD full of "my favorite new artists, cool songs, and hidden treasures from the year in music" (as the subtitle describes it). I've only been doing it for a few years now, but it's quickly become one of my absolute favorite things to do. I begin making a mental list around March or April, and usually transfer the list of candidates to paper or computer within a few weeks, so as not to let any slip my mind. And last year I got really scientific about it: I burned a "rough cut" of the disc in November, listened to it a few times, and re-sequenced or changed tracks as I saw fit, before burning the final version.

As if you couldn't guess by now, I take my annual "Hit Parade" very seriously. And, for lack of anything premeditated to write about today, I thought I'd share last year's track list with you here. For those of you who already get my "Hit Parade" CDs every year, maybe you'll learn something you might not have known about the songs or artists. Enjoy!

1) "A Modern Man" by George Carlin (from the album "Life Is Worth Losing") -- Spoken-word pieces are a rarity on my mix CDs, but this poem is amazing proof of Carlin's mastery of the English language ... and perfect for a mix CD, with its total lack of profanity.

2) "Caught In The Rain" by October Fall (from the album "A Season In Hell") -- Great piano-pounding rock in the spirit of All-American Rejects or Fall Out Boy ... but I like these guys better!

3) "I Should Get Up" by Teddy Thompson (from the album "Separate Ways") -- I admit that I bought this album mostly 'cause of its Rufus Wainwright connection, but this quiet, folky ode to apathy caught my ear as soon as I heard it, and I soon found myself warming to the whole album.

4) "Delicious" by Ben Adams (b-side from the single "Sorry") -- This former member of UK boyband A1 has been having trouble getting an album contract, but I have no idea why ... this song is the most fun anyone can have in three minutes ... a pure, unadulterated guilty pleasure!

5) "Human" by Big City Rock (from the album "Big City Rock") -- I had a free CD coming to me from the BMG club, so I took a chance on these guys ... and I'm glad I did! And as for their sound ... let's just say that their name fits them perfectly.

6) "Penny On The Train Track" by Ben Kweller (from the album "Ben Kweller") -- Ben Kweller's latest, self-titled album is his best yet ... one charming pop tune after another, as this song demonstrates!

7) "Strange" by The Feeling (from the album "Twelve Stops And Home") -- I recently reviewed The Feeling, so I won't expound on them here ... suffice to say this song puts a bit of a lump in my throat whenever I hear it.

8) "Look Where We Are Now" by Teddy Geiger (from the album "Underage Thinking") -- This up-and-coming teenage musician seriously impressed me with his debut CD, and I can only hope he's given the chance to explore his potential through a few more albums.

9) "Heaven Is Full" by Under The Influence Of Giants (from the album "Under The Influence Of Giants") -- I found this '80s-inspired dance-rock band on iTunes and couldn't wait for their album to come out ... excellent!

10) "Heavy" by Holly Brook (from the album "Like Blood Like Honey") -- A good friend of mine heard this young lady opening for Ryan Cabrera (shortly before he hit it big) in a coffeehouse, and sent me a personally-autographed EP of hers. Later, when I saw her full-length CD on the shelves, I didn't hesitate to pick it up.

11) "Blowout" by Bent Fabric (from the album "Jukebox") -- Bent Fabricius-Bjerre is an 80-something-year-old Danish pianist, but ignore any assumptions you might have made from that sentence ... this album could kick-start any college frat party like nobody's business!

12) "C'Mon" by Guster (from the album "Ganging Up On The Sun") -- This melodic rock group has been making comfy-as-an-old-pair-of-sneakers music for years, and they're still as good as they ever were.

13) "Strange Lover" by Same Same (from the album "The Meaning Of Happy") -- Bob and Clint, the twins from the Canadian pop-rock brother group The Moffatts, strike out on their own with a fun set of tunes infused with a Southeast-Asian pop sensibility ... kitschy, but catchy!

14) "Take Me As I Am" by Simon Webbe (from the album "Sanctuary") -- The last song to be added to this mix, I was pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated R&B stylings of this former member of UK boyband Blue.

15) "I Come Alive" by Rooster (from the album "Circles And Satellites") -- I was saddened to hear of their breakup in January ... this young UK band had a knack for '70s-style guitar rock!

16) "Change Your Mind" by Westlife (from the album "Face To Face") -- The perennial UK boyband delivers a fantastic Motown-style ditty ... so great that I had to read the liner notes to find out that it was an all-new composition!

17) "Perfectionist" by Landon Pigg (from the album "LP") -- I'm glad I ignored my first impression of Landon Pigg and decided to pick up his album ... not only did his music grow on me, but the guy has a way with clever lyrics.

18) "Ain't Such a Bad Place To Be" by Will Young (from the album "Keep On") -- The original UK "Pop Idol" is still at the top of his game three albums in ... a charming voice and a spunky style!

19) "Crystal Ball" by Keane (from the album "Under The Iron Sea") -- I couldn't get myself to like Coldplay, but I really like Keane ... go figure. I especially like this introspective (yet somehow still upbeat) song.

20) "Take It Back" by Barenaked Ladies (from the album "Barenaked Ladies Are Me") -- The Ladies have always been one of my favorite bands, so I couldn't ignore them when compiling my "Hit Parade". They're still going strong after all these years!

Settling The Score

And now for a look at a sometimes neglected area of my CD collection: soundtracks. Many years ago, I was an avid listener and collector of soundtrack CDs ... in fact, that used to be the first genre into which my discs were organized: first came soundtracks, then jazz/classical, then comedy, and then rock/pop. That is, until about a year ago, when I reorganized my collection into almost the reverse order (rock/pop is now first), reflecting my change in interests.

I do still pay some attention to soundtracks ... although now it's mostly limited to listening to certain parts of a movie's score and thinking about whether or not I might be interested in buying the CD. (But, of course, there are the occasional no-brainers: I continued to buy all of the "Star Wars" movie soundtracks as they came out, no questions asked; and I still keep an eye on "Star Trek" releases in the Amazon.com listings.)

So, here now are my Top Ten favorite soundtrack CDs, with a few words about each. Grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Honorable Mention -- "The Black Hole" (1979, John Barry) -- The only reason this is an honorable mention and not actually in my Top Ten is a technicality of my own making: the fact that this score has never been issued on CD (I choose to only put official, commercially-released CDs in my Top Ten) ... strange, because not only is it by the composer famous for the James Bond Theme, but it was also the first digitally-recorded film score ever released on a commercial recording. Maybe someday, someone will come to their senses and make it available on compact disc (preferably in an expanded edition, since there was a lot of music heard in the movie that's not on the LP). For now, I'll have to do with my homemade CD.

#10 -- "Spider-Man" (2002, Danny Elfman) -- The music was one of the first things I noticed (and fell in love with) about this great movie. Danny Elfman has forged a second career arguably more prosperous than his previous one (as frontman of the rock group Oingo Boingo), and the consistent quality of his film scores should keep him working for a long time to come.

#9 -- "Tron" (1982, Wendy Carlos) -- Perhaps it's more of a sentimental favorite, but I love this score. Then again, Wendy Carlos was ahead of her time in what she did: taking orchestral music and processing it through computers, producing a synthesized equivalent for every organic note from the original source. It was, of course, a perfect fit considering the subject matter of the equally innovative (for its time) movie. Still way cool to listen to, even 25 years later!

#8 -- "Titanic" (1997, James Horner) -- An excellent movie, finely executed, and with a gorgeous score. In the early part of his career, James Horner wrote some good scores, but seemed to frequently copy some of their elements into his other works. But by the time "Titanic" came around, he had matured into a fine composer with a substantial breadth of moods and techniques ... a quality that "Titanic" displays prominently.

#7 -- "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979, Jerry Goldsmith) -- I had a bit of trouble picking out the best "Star Trek" film score, but I should have known this one would be the logical (to quote a certain pointy-eared science officer) winner. First of all, it's where the signature "Star Trek" theme (now arguably more popular than even the theme from the original TV series) originated, plus it's by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, one of whose scores I simply had to include in this list! There may be more entertaining "Star Trek" scores out there, but none more brilliantly crafted.

#6 -- "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" (1999, Trey Parker & Marc Shaiman) -- Yes, "South Park"'s seemingly incongruous mix of crude gags, surrealistically irreverent humor, and enviously clever satire is an acquired taste, but if you were to take the songs out of their context (which, I grant you, might also require the removal of most of their lyrics) and evaluate them from a purely musical perspective, you would be left with a textbook example of the movie musical ... complete with fun dance numbers, rousing marches, the plaintive ballad, and even a medley reprising all of the above. The non-soundtrack "interpretations" section of the album I can do without (some of those are downright revolting), but the rest of the album is nearly on par with the great classic musicals of the '50s and '60s ... yes, it's that good!

#5 -- "Quantum Leap" (1993, Velton Ray Bunch, Scott Bakula, & Mike Post) -- This album shows how the types of music heard during the five seasons of the TV show "Quantum Leap" were almost as diverse as the array of characters and situations that its lead character, Dr. Sam Beckett, found himself leaping into week after week. From the terrific main title theme (as Mike Post's TV themes always are) to the chameleon-like music of Velton Ray Bunch (western action, creature-feature suspense, pastoral Americana, and even sweeping, feature-film-worthy drama), to the vocal talents of Scott Bakula (everything from hair-metal to Elvis covers to a Broadway medley), this is a thoroughly enjoyable album!

#4 -- "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982, John Williams) -- Anybody who needs me to explain why this is in my top five has obviously never heard the signature "E.T." theme, one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of music in movie history. It's just a shame that we had to wait until 1996 before a remastered and expanded edition of the soundtrack became available and did Mr. Williams' score the justice it deserved. The original, three-minute edit of the theme isn't on here like it was on the original edition, but listening to "Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye", the 15-minute suite that is heard over the climax and finale of the film (and from which the legendary "E.T." theme originated), is worth every second. It still gives me goosebumps!

#3 -- "Krull" (1983, James Horner) -- Every time I come across a James Horner compilation, I search its track listing for a selection from "Krull", and every time I am disappointed and puzzled by its absence. "Krull" is a criminally overlooked masterpiece, and one of the first true triumphs of Horner's career. Its soaring and majestic main title (or, barring that, its distilled rendition in "Ride of the Firemares") would proudly show its worthiness to be on all well-rounded Horner compilations, if it simply weren't so forgotten. And, hey, the movie is pretty darn fun, too!

#2 -- "The Star Wars Trilogy" (1983, John Williams) -- Okay, technically this isn't a "soundtrack", since it's neither from one specific movie or TV program, nor does it even consist of the original recordings. But, this was amongst the very first half-dozen compact discs I ever bought, these renditions are just as good as the originals, and I've always thought of the classic "Star Wars" Trilogy as a combined whole anyway (the films as well as their scores), so that's why it's on this list. Not only does it represent the first time that music from all three films was collected on one album, but it also debuted two "Return of the Jedi" cues that weren't on the original soundtrack: "Fight With the Tie Fighters" and "Darth Vader's Death". Varujan Kojian and the Utah Symphony Orchestra definitely do John Williams' scores justice ... so much so that Mr. Williams himself wrote a brief statement in the liner notes, expressing his glowing approval of the release.

#1 -- "Star Trek: The Next Generation - volume two: The Best Of Both Worlds, parts I and II" (1991, Ron Jones) -- As much as I love John Williams and the superlative scores from "Star Wars", this one edges it out as the soundtrack CD I treasure most. I love the episode, and love its music just as much. I've listened to it so many times that I know every note by heart. Ron Jones employed a choir of human voices processed electronically to represent the Borg in certain cues, and while the technique has been used several times since then, I've never heard it used with quite this much finesse. This is feature-film-caliber music, about as rich and bombastic as TV would probably allow it to get. Why Ron Jones hasn't cultivated a feature-film scoring career is beyond me ... as this recording shows, he's got more than enough talent.

Gotcha Covered

Some people think cover albums are cheesy, or an otherwise cheap and unimaginative substitute for a "real" album, but I rather like them. It can sometimes be interesting to hear our favorite artists' interpretations of other artists' songs -- and sometimes these are the songs that inspired the artist in their youth. Or they force the artist to step out of their usual genre of music, and that can make for an even more interesting listen. Here's a countdown of my five favorite cover albums. They're definitely not the "all-time best ever released", since I can only choose from the dozen or so that are in my collection, so don't blow a gasket.

Honorable mention -- Eran James: "Reviewing The Situation" -- This handsome Australian singer isn't even out of his teens yet, but carries a seriously skilled, soulful voice, that is perfectly suited for this wide range of songs from the likes of the Isley Brothers, John Lennon, Al Green, Bill Withers, James Brown and Lenny Kravitz. He even throws an original tune in for good measure. It's an Aussie import, but if you like good singing, go find it.

#5 -- Queen Latifah: "The Dana Owens Album" -- I'm not a fan of rap, and I don't own any of her rap albums, but there's something I've always liked about Queen Latifah. She's a pretty lady, a fine actress ... and now she amazes me again with a gorgeous singing voice! Proudly putting her birth name on this excellent album of mostly Great American Songbook staples, backed with a full orchestra, the Queen absolutely shines.

#4 -- Paul Anka: "Rock Swings" -- In anyone else's hands, a collection of '70s and '80s rock and pop hits done in a Vegas-lounge style would have sounded bland and dopey. Who'd have thought that "Jump" by Van Halen, "Eyes Without a Face" by Billy Idol, "Eye of The Tiger" by Survivor, or even Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would translate so well into swing? Obviously, Mr. Anka did.

#3 -- Lea deLaria: "Double Standards" -- A ferociously funny stand-up comedienne who looks like a bulldyke (and will proudly tell you that she is one), Lea deLaria's smooth and sultry voice could have knocked me over with a feather the first time I'd heard it. She puts a fun and jazzy twist on Top 40 hits from the last few decades (made famous by Jane's Addiction, Blondie, No Doubt, The Doors, Green Day and others) that makes for a thoroughly fun listen.

#2 -- Human Nature: "Reach Out: The Motown Record" -- I like Motown no matter who's singing it, and this Australian boyband, while they don't do the absolute best job imaginable, acquit themselves more than adequately on this set of twelve '50s and '60s classics. Not surprisingly, the fans enjoyed this album so much that the band released a follow-up disc ("Dancing In The Street: The Songs of Motown II") a year later.

#1 -- Huey Lewis and The News: "Four Chords and Several Years Ago" -- Not only is that a great title, but the whole album is more rollicking good fun than a five-inch-round piece of plastic should be allowed to hold. Huey and the guys take a trip back to the classic rock-and-roll tunes of the '50s, and it sounds like they know they're doing it better than just about anyone else could. My favorite: "Mother In Law", featuring the inimitable Dr. John on guest vocals.