Top Ten Favorite CD's.

Since my first adult trip to the lake, the biggest task has not been where to stay, what to do, or what clothes to pack – it’s been what music to take. Sometime in the not too distant past, I ran across a list (made pre-iTunes) of songs I wanted on a playlist, not all of which I owned. Those were the days of mixed tapes. If you are old enough to remember those, you are old enough.  LOL. With the advent of iTunes, every wish was granted, and it was possible to spend ninety nine cents (those were the days) and Just. Get. One. Song. I saved the list (but forgot where I stashed it) and recently (i.e. the past few years) have been making a list of my top ten favorite albums. So without further ado, and in no particular order except for my first pick, here they are.

1.   Sting – All This Time. Recorded in Italy on 9-11-2001, it is now on YouTube, along with a separate documentary recorded earlier that day after the horror in New York City happened. Should they cancel the concert? Should any of the set list be trashed? Fortunately the concert went on, and they made the beautiful decision to start the concert with a haunting rendition of Fragile. Without a doubt, this is my number 1 CD of all time. One of the few CDs I have to listen to in its entirety, in the proper order. They are all favorite songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV2sdtSCdgo

2.   Hall and Oates – Live At the Troubadour. What can I say, but time has done justice to Daryl’s voice. Cabdriver is definitely in my top 5 songs of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd8TDGd-Zqs

3.   Loggins and Messina – Sitting In Again: Live in Santa Barbara.  Be Free is my favorite on this one.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRGjiUklBB8

4.   Don Henley – Building the Perfect Beast. Hard pressed to pick a favorite, this is another listen to the entire CD in order selection.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6z_NfTe6SI&list=PLFoEwxPErEvY9bsQeFZqmZsuPumeBRykr

                

5.   Bryan Adams  - Unplugged. What’s to say? Any Unplugged CD is exquisite, this one more so. A third full CD in order selection.           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMe7WdK-XKo&list=PL1T0hHFDjgDFOL7MAX9rBUMfq04aWnu5X

6.   Boz Scaggs – Lordy, this one is hard to pick a single CD for, but I’ll kind of cheat and pick Greatest Hits Live, recorded in 2004. His voice had had time to mature and mellow, and so many songs have a jazzy/bluesy note. All are fabulous, but Look What You’ve Done to Me is a particular favorite.                                                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wNKQ7RRXfk

  

7.   Allman Brothers – Live at Fillmore East                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIRBLUh3MGM

8.   Allman Brothers – Hittin’ the Note.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRHy036_H4I

9.   Bob Seeger – sort of cheating again – Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets.  I always forget how great he is until I listen to this.                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPSZkCt2nWM                                                                

10. Cleo Laine – Wordsongs.  Talk about your complete departure from the first nine, but her voice, subject choice, and inflection, paired with her late husband John Dankworth’s arrangements and woodwind accompaniment, is nothing short of brilliant. I sing Dunsinane Blue for days after hearing it. This is not the CD per say, but is very close (the youtube is in two parts. Much of it is Shakespeare put to music.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBADj2eTIuM

While I thought picking my top ten CDs was hard, picking my top ten all-time favorite songs is excruciating. Do you dare to do one or the other? Let me know what they are.