So you're stuck on a desert island forever, with only 5 records to listen to for all eternity... What do you take?

My 5 all time fave albums!

For me, Let It Be is a snapshot of the Replacements at their creative peak. The diversity, the quality of the songwriting, the raw emotion, it all came together here.

"For a time the world's best rock 'n roll band - proof that those who missed the 60's could still build something great on the crass and hollow corpse of 70's music - Minneapolis' Replacements began as juvenile punks whose give-a-shit attitude masked the seeds of singer/guitarist/songwriter Paul Westerberg's self-destructive genius for injecting sensitivity into flat-out chaos."

"When it all clicked - volume, rawness, speed (pace and ingested substances), energy and passion - the Mats (short for Placemats) teetered drunkenly at the brink of the abyss and recklessly cracked jokes about it. Onstage and on vinyl, nothing could compare with their unpredictable excitement."

- Elizabeth Phillip and Ira Robbins, Trouser Press


The Suburbs... what can I say? To appreciate them, you really have to see them live. A Suburbs show is.. an event. You walk out of there feeling really good to be alive. Lots of smiling, lots of sweat.

what have others said about this album?

"With their first album, the Suburbs began displaying signs of incipient greatness; singer Beej Chaney's ominous, neurotic calm providing perfect counterpoint for the band's enthusiastic playing; guitarist B.C. Allen adding tension with scrabbly rhythm and violent lead."

- Ira Robbins, Trouser Press


OK, this is kindof cheating, but since we're taking CDs, consider yourself fortunate to get two of the best records ever made on one CD. Though for various reasons, Big Star never had any commercial success, they now enjoy at least a well-deserved cult status.

This first half, which was the album #1 Record, features Chris Bell and Alex Chilton as co-leaders. It is an incredible collection of near-perfect guitar pop, and even today sounds ahead of its time.

As good as #1 Record was, Radio City was even better. With Chris Bell's departure, Alex Chilton was the mastermind on this one. More soulful and raw, this thing is loaded with gems. Thanks to poor distribution, once again a near-perfect record went virtually unnoticed.

Hey, what else can I say? This CD twists my guts up. It's unbelievable.


The importance of the Pistols can't be overstated. They came from out of nowhere at a time when contemporary music needed a good hard kick in the ass, and fulfilled an essential role as "martyrs on the new wave altar".

This, being their only studio album, is the only choice. A powerful, confrontational set of songs, it has stood the test of time, and sounds just as exciting and powerful today as it did both in 77, and when it when gold, ten years later in 87.


As you may or may not know, Uncle Tupelo is no more, but in their place we now have two great bands, Wilco and Son Volt. When a friend of mine told me about Uncle Tupelo way back when, I didn't think I would like them. I just couldn't grasp this "Americana" or "country rock" thing at the time. As soon as I heard it though, I was hooked. I just thought "this is for real - these guys are making heartfelt music, for the sake of the music and nothing else".

Anodyne, I feel, is their best effort. If you don't feel something emotional listening to this record, you're probably dead.


and of course, honorable mention must go to many groups and individuals, of which I could never name enough, so I won't mention any.


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Last updated July 20, 2005 by Tommy Jasmin.