Top 10 CD's (8 through 5)

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#8 - William Orbit - Strange Cargo III

What happened to I and II? Well... If you're in to experimental ambient from the late eighties, they're okay, but the early nineties brought advancements in electronic technology that really brought electronic music to the mainstream. Some of my favorite art is from moments before the explosion of a genre onto the mainstream. 1994 is that year for techno, and William Orbit's early ambient/trance work finds its peak form on this record. ("Hinterland" and "Towards the Unknown Region", his 1997 double followup are so similar to this album that I like them equally well. However, they are really echoes rather than fresh work in my opinion. If you're looking for them anywhere - he released them under the "Strange Cargo" and "Torch Song" artist names...)

And the individual songs on Strange Cargo III... "Water From A Vine Leaf" is classic Orbit, with a soft-techno track overlayed with Beth Orton sung lyrics. There are a lot of good remixes of this song out there, and it really has stood the test of time. Track 2, "Into The Paradise" is a little darker, but similar in style. Other stands outs include "The Story of Light" and "Best Friend, Paranoia" which continue the theme that can be best summed up as smooth, classic electronica. (Ouch! I still wince at referring to anything as "Oldies Electronica" - only 1/2 year until I turn 30...)

What I like best about this music is that in a previous life, I was able to sneak a CD of William Orbit onto the on-hold music for the customers of our call center. It's unobtrusive enough to not offend most people, but it really holds up well to repeat listening without ever becoming old.

#7 - Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion

What the @#%@? Depeche Mode's "beginning of the end" CD makes it on a top ten list??? What kind of true Depeche Mode fan am I? Well, not really one at all. I have only a passing enjoyment of anything earlier than the 1990 monster hit "Violator" (although there are some "Ultra" and "Exciter" tracks I like, "Some Great Reward" is a great eighties album, and I'm really starting to like their most recent "Playing the Angel".) "Songs of Faith and Devotion" continues what I consider a similar style to Violator, but unlike being echoes that I mentioned on the last album review, I think some of the songs are far superior, the key word being "some".

I only listen to the even numbered tracks on this CD, with one exception. But these five tracks came at a period of time in my life that really resonate with the lyrics at a time I was really beginning to dig electronically based music. "Walking In My Shoes" "Mercy In You" "In Your Room" and "Rush" are all great darkly electronic rock tracks. The CD finishes off with "Higher Love" which ranked as one of my favorite songs for a very long time. The rich bass beat is as unhurriedly relentless as the lyrics. The song that took me a long time to really appreciate is my odd-numbered exception, track 9 - "One Caress", which diverges from the sound of any of the songs on this CD - lead singer David Gahan backed by strings. This sounds more and more incredible the louder you play it.

I debated about including this CD, but it gets the nod more for leading me into a good chunk of my collection centered around the Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Duran Duran, Psykosonik, and then combined with William Orbit towards the strong collection of trance I've acquired. This CD was a key CD in the development of my musical tastes.

#6 - They Might Be Giants - Flood

They Might Be Giants are a genre unto themselves for me. Totally opposite from Depeche Mode, this CD didn't really lead me to like any other bands, but it did lead me to purchase nearly every CD made by They Might Be Giants. I love all of those CD's, and there are some tracks I'm heartbroken to not review here, but Flood is definitely the most solid TMBG release, the most commercially successful, and rightfully so. The lyrics are so clever, music so light and fun. I'm going to let snippets of lyrics speak for themselves.

Track 2 - Birdhouse In Your Soul - ...Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you, make a little birdhouse in your soul...
Track 6 - Your Racist Friend - ...This is where the party ends, I can't stand here listening to you and your racist friend...
Track 8 - Twisting - ...She set your goldfish free, and now she's sighing, blew out your pilot light, and made a wish... She wants to see you again, slowly twisting in the wind.
Track 9 - We Want A Rock - ...I'd collect the seven dollars, and I'd buy a big prosthetic forehead and wear it on my real head. Everybody wants prosthetic foreheads on their real heads.
Track 13 - Letterbox - ... And I'll never never know what you never never never want to know when you know what you are, oh...

#5 - U2 - The Joshua Tree

I was introduced to this CD by my first real teenage crush and then reminded of it by a crush much more recent than it had any business being - It's an expression of full-on longing in all its forms, unfulfilled needs. The guitar melodies are so epic - they make you feel like you're the only person in the world who's experienced that kind of longing, although when you remember how many people adore this CD, you know you're one of millions. This CD is one of two intensely personal CD's on this list that I don't normally listen to for "fun".

I won't review the tracks individually - apart from saying that you should really listen to this CD if you are one of the few who has not heard it. Listen from beginning to end. And my non-standard favorite is "Running To Stand Still", one of the prettiest music/lyric combos I've ever heard. You can hear a little of Joshua Tree in ever U2 recording ever made.

Next up.... 4 through 1. Might even finish reviewing them tonight!