Deserted island albums

As in, these are the albums I would want (nay, NEED) with me if I was ever stuck on a deserted island. Since listening to music would apparently be a top priority, rather than, say, finding food, shelter, fresh water, protection from the Smoke Monster, etc. Also, in this age of the iPod, wouldn't it be easier to say "I wish I had my iPod with me if I was stuck on a deserted island," since then you'd have thousands of songs on your person instead of a handful of CDs? And where would you find new batteries for the Discman after playing these albums for days/weeks/months/years?

I'm not having as much fun with this premise as I should. Anyway, I'm going to pick 12 albums, since that's the number of regulation-sized CDs that fit into a little Music World plastic container that I picked up, as I recall, 99 cents. I have scads of these containers lying around my house. They're like vermin. They're also very irrelevant given the giant proper CD rack sitting next to my desk, so if you've ever wanted a 12-disc holder, it can be yours for the low, low price of $3.99.

In no particular order....

* Different Class, Pulp

* You Were Here, Sarah Harmer.....for a couple of reasons. One, it's a great album. Two, in the spirit of a backpacker sewing a maple leaf on their coat, I need this disc to prove to a rescuer that I'm a Canadian. It's quite possible that a foreign rescue plane might leave me stranded if they think I'm American. Hopefully Obama's election will change this.

* Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads

* Achtung Baby, U2

* The Joshua Tree, U2.....yeah, I know, rather obvious picks from the U2 catalogue, but hey, there's a reason why everyone considers these to be their two best records. If personal mixes were allowed under my (made-up) rules, I would've included a "Mark's mix" of U2 songs that I recently made for my friend Eric as a companion piece to a U2 greatest hits album that Eric requested. Eric, as you may recall, was the guy who once stated after attending a U2 concert, "That Vertigo song was pretty cool. Was that one of their hits?" I have a feeling I could've burned a "U2" disc that included three Huey Lewis songs and Tracy Chapman's Fast Car and Eric wouldn't have known the difference.

* The Beatles (White Album), The Beatles

* De Stijl, The White Stripes....this one was a tough inclusion. I figured I needed some Stripes in there somewhere, so it came down to De Stijl or Icky Thump. What happened, you might ask, to Elephant, which I once named as the best album of the 2000's? I really should've tagged that whole post with a 'opinions subject to change' proviso

* Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen

* American Graffiti OST

* It Came From The Garage....compilation of '30 essential garage rock classics,' including material by the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Jonathan Richman, Elvis Costello, Tracey Ullman (yes, the comedian), the Clash, the Jam and a whole bunch more. Easily the best compilation I own....

* Respect: The Soul Generation Soundtrack....except for maybe this one. Two-disc compilation of many Motown classics.

* Pearl Jam's bootleg of their show in Katowice, Poland on June 15, 2000


And, just for fun, if I happened to have a second Music World box on me....

* Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen
* Revolver, The Beatles
* Speakerboxx/The Love Below, Outkast
* Exile In Guyville, Liz Phair
* Exile On Main Street, The Rolling Stones
* Mirrorball, Sarah McLachlan
* Phantom Power, The Tragically Hip
* Pearl Jam's bootleg of their show in Katowice, Poland on June 16, 2000
* Rockin' the Suburbs, Ben Folds
* Pop, U2
* At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash
* Icky Thump, The White Stripes