Last Friday, was…well wild to say the least.
Sure, it’s always pretty intense when I get together with my friends, but this Friday was different. In our sleep-deprived, week-worn state one of us uttered a question that many people attempt to answer but are never satisfied with, “If you were stuck on a desert island, what mix CD would you bring with you?” I can assure you, the five of us racked our brains for more than a good hour and we still were not completely satisfied with what we came up with, but the lists were an enormous undertaking. There was only one stipulation, because theoretically we’d be on the same island (and that Guinness would grow on trees but that’s a different story entirely) we could not pick the same song twice.
The following list is my offering. This was particularly difficult for me because I could not quickly browse my library of 17,580 songs on iTunes. I’m sure I’ve left off a great deal of things, but my mix ran the gambit of staying true to what I adore about music (epics, great songwriting, musicianship, and personal importance) as well as tracks that I felt people could not live their lives without hearing.
The Desert Island Disk: 18 Songs In Case Of Being Marooned (1 hour 18 minutes)
1. L'estasi Dell'oro (The Ecstasy Of Gold) by Ennio Morricone
Arguably one of the most epic compositions ever crafted by the hands of man, “The Ecstasy Of Gold” is Ennio Morricone’s crowning achievement as well as a great way to kick this mix off. While everyone heard it from the famous Mexican standoff in the film The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly it’s influence has been felt in other realms. Metallica have been using the movie score for their opening since the late 80s and the connotations it brings are certainly warranted. The spine tingling strings give way to majestic horns that feel as if the sun is just peaking over the mountain range in the distance. The only prelude some of the best music ever created.
2. Sinister Rouge by Bad Religion
As soon as the oozin’ aahs come in on the downbeat, Bad Religion punches you in the face and never lets up with this cut off their 2004 opus, The Empire Strikes First. I once described the track as punk’s answer to a John Williams score and everyone has told me I’m not too far off. Here, the punk institution of Bad Religion points their defiant finger at everyone from the faceless majority, to the clergy with their dark little secrets. The music never stops with a blistering solo from Mr. Brett and some impressive double bass fills from Brooks Wackerman. And they’re, “Coming back for more!/To even the score!”
3. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
I didn’t want to pick “Stairway To Heaven” but I blame Zeppelin for crafting one of the finest rock epics of all time. This spot almost went to “Kashmir,” but the problem was that “Stairway…” transcends to almost impossible heights that are matched only by few songs in all of rock music. Jimmy Page’s quiet, English folk inspired strumming builds into meaty and mammoth sounding riffs with a solo that is ultimately timeless. Robert Plant’s croon has never felt this urgent, this heartfelt, and the whole song plays out like an epic Tolkien story. In that light it’s not such a crime to pick it over “Kashmir,” it could have lost to worse choices.
4. Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones
Alas, while my favorite tune by The Stones is the epic “Gimmie Shelter,” the fact is I would be nowhere without this masterpiece of a song. From the sitar sounding guitar line, to the almost military drum beat of Charlie Watts, “Paint It Black” is a tour de force. There is also something sinister and hopeless about Mick Jagger wanting to paint his entire world black and who among us hasn’t indulged in this type of thinking at least once? To hope that other feel what you feel in the hopes that they understand you better, that’s universal, and The Rolling Stones paint a great picture of that here.
5. My Girl (Fiction Version) by the pillows
Granted, I’m a newer fan of the pillows and I haven’t indulged myself in all their studio albums yet, but this song hit me right off the bat. Coming as a b-side off the “Non Fiction” Single, this reconstructed version of “My Girl” is a sweeping epic rife with harmonics and fuzzed but gentle overdrive. There is a gorgeous trance-like quality to the track as headphones reveal little glitches from feedback and delay. In the forefront, Sawao Yamanaka’s melancholy voice sings “My girl/My girl…” Sure, I can’t understand all of lyrics as I don’t speak Japanese, but as people say, sometimes music is the universal language. the pillows have certainly gotten that across.
6. Dancing Through Sunday by AFI
A tornado if muted guitar rises and gives way to some vicious California hardcore. When they created punk music, AFI have always been ahead of most modern day punk bands and this cut from 2003’s Sing The Sorrow is no exception. The band all at once invites and envelops listeners with furious bass work and Davey Havok’s schizophrenic vocal delivery. The band revels in the darkness, in death and decay while all the while keeping the tempo blisteringly fast and the shout outs easily recognizable. Also of note is Jade Puget’s mesmerizing guitar solo that delves into an insurmountable number of styles. It sounds like a bomb went off in a guitar shop and smashed Metallica together with Van Halen. Indeed, it’s difficult not to “dance on!” to this great track.
7. El Scorcho by Weezer
Pinkerton is Weezer’s opus and anyone that feels otherwise has no right to criticize any of their other lyrics. Simply put, if you hate Pinkerton then you shouldn’t be complaining about Weezer’s other material because it’s written the same way. This cut of the “Worst Album of ‘96” continues the trend of being introspectively awkward but charming at the same time. Beginning with what sounds like gargling, the band launches into a frustrating build up or relationship inadequacies and Green Day name dropping. The guitar mimics the lyrical content, squealing and moaning rather than flowing along with the rest of the rhythm section. Ultimately, the song succeeds because Rivers Cuomo lamenting about how he and his lady of interest are both “lies” is raw, real, and Weezer at their best.
8. I’m Only Sleeping by The Beatles
I knew from the moment that I heard this song, I knew it would be my favorite Beatles song of all time. I remember putting my head phones on, selecting Revolver on my iPod and closing my eyes to drift off to sleep. After the strings of “Eleanor Rigby” departed, the almost Indian sounding strings hammered down over John Lennon’s off-key wail of “When I wake up early in the morning/I lift my head/I’m still yawning…” Paul McCartney’s bass work was nimble and sly unlike his typically simplistic bass lines, and George Harrison added a backwards guitar solo that matched the melody perfectly. If there was any doubt that the Beatles were an overrated pop-rock band, this song erased all of those sentiments. Rather than allow myself to drift off, my eyes shot open and hit repeat. Perhaps I wasn’t sleeping, but I was certainly listening.
9. Kiss Me I'm #!@*faced by Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys were always that band that you could envision a pub full of people singing along with. This ode to the pick artist is no different, for “Kiss Me I’m #!@*faced” is loud, boisterous and gives off a swagger that will get anyone doing karaoke in no time. The song peaks and valleys with big and bold sing-alongs as well as Ken Casey and Al Barr trying to make the case that they’re a great ride in the sack. And right when you think the Murphys couldn’t possibly succeed with these cheesy pick-ups, the band ups the anti into a punk assault complete with them affirming that they “Swear I got a big heart of gold/I'm a monogamous man/No more one night stands/Come on, Honey let me take you home!” To be enjoyed with the trees on our island that grow Guinness.
10. Basket Case by Green Day
The first time I heard Basket Case, my life changed. Suddenly, music could be loud, sloppy, and snotty. The frantic palm muting and awkward lyrics from Billy Joe Armstrong made me (and I’m sure many other people) somewhat comfortable. In some strange way, I identified with Armstrong’s description of his panic disorder. It’s one of those timeless songs that are universal even if they are oddly specific. Musically, the tempo bounces with Tré Cool smacking the hell out of his skins and Mike Dirnt supplying some rolling bass lines. “Basket Case” is a great misfit anthem that’s firmly rooted in the punk rival of ’94 yet oddly enough still feels so modern today.
11. Blue In The Face by Alkaline Trio
Perhaps swooning to any of the Alkaline Trio’s tales of violence, alcohol, and heartbreak isn’t exactly healthy. I don’t care; this is probably one of the best of them. The embittered and toxic personality of Matt Skiba shines through on this twisted acoustic number. His wordplay is clever at not only bring down his supposed love interest, but at himself as well. While the song itself merely relies on different variations of the E chord, sometimes simplicity is the best. By the end of this nightmarish tale, Skiba seems to have resigned to the fact that his fate is sealed with this anonymous lover, “And I don't dream since I quit sleeping/And I haven't slept since I met you/And you can't breathe without coughing at daytime/neither can I so what do you say?/Your coffin or mine?” Hey, is MINE an option?
12. Missed Me by The Dresden Dolls
Amanda Palmer writes songs that it seems most women are afraid to write. Fronting The Dresden Dolls, Palmer writes songs about sexual exploration, depression, and anger with a grit and passion that few of her female contemporaries can grasp a handle on. This track off their self-titled debut is a dangerous take on the children’s nursery rhyme. Within it, Palmer brings the tension by lightly tickling her ivories to swiftly crashing down on them. She plays around with the Lolita topics lyrically, and her little girl persona is so saccharine that it’s scary. The song is fairly heavy for merely relying on drums and a piano, and that mystique makes it one of their best.
13. Waltz #2 (XO) by Elliott Smith
There’s no doubt in my mind that this is Elliott Smith’s defining song. Sure, other songs might have been more experimental or bigger singles, but there is an atmosphere about this song that’s unmatched in his discography. It’s a perfectly assembled song, everything from the guitar to its strings flow in utter harmony. How often can people say they’ve heard a perfect song? The instances are few and far between, but when you hear it you feel in hit you in the chest. Lyrically, it seems that Smith attempts to make sense of the world and the people around him, but only finds that the best he can do is love. He was a tortured artist, that’s for sure, but Smith was saying something on “Waltz #2 (XO)” and it’s scary to think how perfect he nailed it.
14. Luca by Brand New
Of course, I couldn’t have forgotten my favorite band of all time on a list like this. However, this was probably the most difficult decision to make as I feel Brand New have never made a bad song. That’s quite an accomplishment in and of itself, so I then thought about what I loved most about their music. This turned out to be the atmosphere they create with their lyrics and music alike. Ultimately, I settled on this dark and atmospheric cut from 2006’s The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me. “Luca” builds from an ominous chord progression that is ethereal as well as eerie. Jesse Lacey paints a morbid picture of someone getting their just deserts while the Vin Accardi supplies some perfect harmonics. The ending breakdown begins with merely Lacey whispering into the microphone before a dissonant wall of sound hits the listener over grated vocals. A masterpiece.
15. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
There was no doubt that I’d pick something from The Wall as my favorite song off Dark Side Of The Moon barely clears two minutes. The problem was that while The Wall is my favorite Pink Floyd album, picking just one track seems like a crime as they are all part of the overall experience. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the chorus to “Comfortably Numb” is one of the most sorrowful, and beautiful pieces of music ever created. The gentle, ebbing strings wash over listeners as Rodger Waters gentle voice seems to drift off into the nothingness he describes. Of course, many will point out the breathtaking solo that David Gilmour supplies, and to his credit it is a fantastic solo. However, the whole song almost puts listeners into this anesthetized state that Waters talks about and that feeling is incredible.
16. Today by The Smashing Pumpkins
There is a dream-like quality to everything found on Siamese Dream, but this song in particular feels LIKE a dream. In describing “Today” to someone unfamiliar with the Smashing Pumpkins I tell them that it feels like the best damn dream they’ve ever had. The gentle picking gives way to a wall of overdrive that envelops everything. As thick as the guitars and bass sound on this track, they aren’t heavy. They are fuzzed out, almost sleepy sounding. Over it all, we have Billy Corgan exercising his best croon to whine voice. Like many of the tracks here, “Today” is timeless and at the same time points to a specific time in the world. There is an edge of melancholy to the song, but it’s more about being a free spirit and embracing everything. The love, and the feeling that comes from that is utterly perfect, and that’s why “Today is the greatest/Day I’ve ever known…”
17. One by Metallica
I remember that …And Justice For All was the very last Metallica album that I listened to when I discovered the band. The opening tracks showed me a Metallica that was fast, but the bass didn’t punch like I was hoping. It all seemed good, but not great. Then, the sounds of guns firing and bombs falling crept their way through my stereo. Gentle guitar licks seemed to set a menacing overtone while becoming more complex. The track seemed to be their answer to so many rock epics like “Stairway To Heaven,” and “Hotel California.” Then, James Hetfield began crafting the morbid image of a solider in constant pain, residing somewhere between death and life. The thick guitars chugged along for the utterly hopeless chorus, the solider praying for God to save him. The song then built, tempo quickening, the guitars ascending higher and higher only to be dragged down into the mire of Lars Ulrich’s double bass. Then, rather than the plateauing like epics of the past, Metallica began playing faster screaming, “Darkness/Imprisoning me/All that I see/Absolute horror/I cannot live/I cannot die/Trapped in myself/ Body my holding cell!” This was a different epic, one I would never forget.
18. Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead
I’ve got a bit of a flair for theatrics, so this seemed like a logical place to end our journey. Like many of the epic songs I chose, “Exit Music (For A Film)” builds from quiet acoustic strumming. Thom Yorke’s voice pierces the calm, with a sense of urgency. The song tells the tale of two lovers leaving before the proverbial “shit hits the fan.” Little by little, the other members of Radiohead chime in with drums, keys, and eventually feedback soaked guitar. It’s desperate, melodramatic, and above all disheartening. Yorke’s tortured wails of “Now we are one/In everlasting peace…” does nothing to reassure the listener if the couple has made it or not. Like all great art, people can make up their own assumptions, but the distorted wall of sound feels defeated and silenced. Eventually, no matter how loud it gets, we all have to return to silence.
