Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy. This brilliant brilliant album doesn’t have a lame track on it. By turns delicate, kickass, elegiac and in your face, and with arrangements that completely clean the clock of most contemporary rock albums, it is a family fave.
Leonard Cohen – More Best of. Includes Suzanne, Hallelujah, Democracy is coming to the USA and Everybody Knows… and other greats.
Sheryl Crow’s Sheryl Crow. A wonderful singalong album.
Pukka Orchestra – Pukka Orchestra. Anybody who grew up in TO in the 80’s remembers CFNY playing about half a dozen tracks off this album. Apart from Flies there isn’t a lame track and Might as Well be on Mars is a complete classic. And there’s Cherry Beach Express….”52 Division, handcuffed to a chair, joining the lineup, to fall down the stairs…” wonderful album. Oh, and Listen to the Radio, another great great tune.
Steeleye Span – Below the Salt. I have no idea why we love this album so much, but I just get into a wonderful mood when I hear it. It burned up in the truck, lo these two years ago.
David Byrne’s selection of Brazilian tunes which I think is called Beleza Tropical. The first album, anyway. I wish somebody could give me a proper translation of some of the lyrics.
Dead Can Dance – A Passage in Time. Saltarello anyone?
Exchange – Into the Night. Okay, call us sappy for liking what is essentially movie background music, or maybe somewhat more highbrow elevator music, but this is a very soothing thing to have on.
Before some sumbitch stole it, we had Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure in Talking Timbuktu. That, friends, is a bloody amazing and wonderful album.
Chumbawama – Tubthumper. Nuff said.
There’s a few more, but you get the idea. It’s a pretty eclectic bunch of tunes we like.
John Hiatt – Walk on. Definitely very high on the ranking.
