Desert Island CDs
Broadest, simplest description, imagine stuck on an island, for the rest of one’s life, with just a few CDs.
- Viva Terlingua (Jerry Jeff Walker)
- No. 2 Live Dinner (Robert Earl Keen)
- Step Inside This House (Lyle Lovett)
These first selections of the list realistically only reflects a portion of my childhood and current conditions. Duly noted, the first three encompass a whole range of Texas Music, from cowboys to current masters, and it’s a literary soundscape.
The Lyle Lovett tribute to Texas Troubadours, Step Inside This House is monumental, as it covers great depths of singer-songwriters from that era, and it builds forward while including loving tributes. Looking forward while simultaneously looking backward.
There’s a special essence, too, a very specific memory, from early double-aughts, I was riding on a train from Dallas and Ft. Worth to a trailer park in old Austin. Warm, spring afternoon, the Amtrak air-conditioned labored, and looking out the windows, I could see an abandoned station — not far south of Waco.
And the sound of trains only remains
In the memory of the ones like me
Porous memory, but I think it was the very Bosque County that the great — poet laureate — Steve Fromholz wrote about, the next song in the trilogy. Long, slow ride from Dallas to home, and sad, as, well, family issues, you know? Added a level of reluctant desperation and essence of depression.
That memory is punctuated with another insertion, though, a much happier footnote, a year or three later, as I saw Steve Fromholz perform, in the backyard of Hill’s Cafe on South Congress, near halfway to San Antonio. Just a handful of people, and it was Leo-LEO, plus a Pisces, and it to hear the author perform his songs, after years of radio play or that Lyle Lovett version? It was different, happier, more upbeat.
Desert Island CDs
Couple of questions, one would be, fueled as much as the last Jerry Jeff Memorial, which Jimmy Buffett album to include, as well as which Ray Wylie Hubbard, and on that, I’ll have to take a pass for now. Both artist have long, deep canons of work, and trying to cherry-pick a single album doesn’t work. But spurred by the notion of Parrot-heads, the Grateful Dead, and their inspired depth of work? One Dead album I’d add, comes in after the clearly regional mix I start with.
- From the Mars Hotel (Grateful Dead)
• From The Mars Hotel (Expanded & Remastered)
Odd, a studio album. But begs more questions, pick a single Pink Floyd album, or something from Yes, Moody Blues? There’s an homage to the Progressive Rock era (before my time) I’d like to include, but I’m still unsure of what to suggest. I’ll have to think on it. But as a thought?
- Combat Rock (The Clash)
This whole album, and this list is about whole albums, not just single songs, but when this whole album cycled up on the playlist, and the way the album reflects a great diversity of musical styles, punk, proto-pop, ska, musically tight, and a favorite? Protest music. It was also incipient New Wave, just, experimental, angry, lyrical. Diverse and coherent, at the same time. Bonus points for linking back Texas roots. (The Clash at the Coliseum, with Joe Ely.)
- Six Wives of Henry VIII (Rick Wakeman)
Rick Wakeman’s vanity project, included a performance at (some famous British place), and as an observation he was part of the various prog-rockers, and that deserves a place in the list. As a one-off, it ranks well, as it crosses genres and to my ears, still holds up well enough. The Big Beat, DJ, then Electronica, and EDM? All those roots go back to keyboards and simply resolve to Moog in the hands of a master.
Desert Island CDs
Here’s where the problems start. The first half-dozen, those are etched in stone. The first three cover much of life in Texas, on again, and off again, but effectively covers portions of a misspent childhood, life in old Austin, and where I am, even now, with our local, surfeit of wondrous music, mostly that rock/blues, country, “Austin” sound. Even if it originates in San Antonio. Now it gets harder, and I’m not completely committed to any of these choices, not yet.
Desert Island CDs
- Tres Hombres (ZZ Top)
• Tres Hombres (Expanded & Remastered)
Seen them, listened to them all my life, and the music, plus the cameo, but most important, the music, with its occasional narrative thread, the story, the song tells, and all done — allegedly — with just three chords? It was, until recently with the passing of Dusty Hill, the longest all-original members band on the road. Deserves recognition. The depth and growth, yes, all there, but this is the album, pick one, and this is the classic that sets the tone for what came later.
- Brothers and Sisters (Allman Brothers)
This album belongs on the list, unequivocally — no room to dispute. The rise of the Southern Guitar Armies, and the melding of rock and Nashville Country, with smattering of blues, jazz, yes, one of the greats. That notion that the album is still current and still holds up well under repeated listening just goes to show its relative merits. With careful attention, a more modern ear, it can be a little genre-bending, at times.
Honourable Mention?
White Album (Beatles)
• The Beatles (The White Album) (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 3CD
It’s both a classic and genre-defining double album, and marks a certain amount of willingness.
Quadrophenia (The Who)
Over-reaching, in its time, but as a classical piece of music that stands out, and stands alone? Perhaps more lyrical than previous and subsequent works, although to me, the term, “rock opera” is overwrought. Still, deserves a place on the list.
Machine Head (Deep Purple)
Incipient “metal,” before metal was “METAL!” Just a watershed album, point-of-no-return, musical journey that holds up well enough over time. More than one song, and to the point that even “Smoke on the Water” is a comedy trope. Means it’s a classic, too. Originally recorded in December of 1971. Deep Purple summer.
Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith)
Think it’s about a 1975 or so issue, and that still predates me, but close enough. As a background sound track, sure, and as a classic? The bulk of the album itself is musically sound, even if the band wasn’t. Still works, and the introductory refrain from any song always makes us move.
Fandango (ZZ Top)
Another live album.
You Had to be There (Jimmy Buffett)
• You Had To Be There: Jimmy Buffett In Concert
The song, second record in the set, the song? “God’s Own Drunk?” Big influence, and I learned about timing. Many years later, I also learned about licensing, and the copyright rules, that do, and don’t apply. Music is a vicious business. This album paved the way for the top of the list, REK’s “Live No. 2,” as the idea id to capture a feeling of a show.
A1A (Jimmy Buffett)
• A1A
While not the first of his albums, it was early, and certainly the breakthrough, I wore out the vinyl on my first copy, as the depth of the songs, reminded me … showed up in all the live shows, two, or three songs, and the start of really deep Capricorn catalog.
Fruitcakes (Jimmy Buffett)
This is one I’ve bought three times now, just as a CD. Had it, lost it, had an empty CD jewel case, so I bought it again, only to discover the original in a different location. There’s one version that predates Austin, even. The real tie-in? Uncle John’s Band, a cover of the Grateful Dead’s song.
More a Legend than a Band (The Flatlanders)
Think the title itself sums up the elements, famous, or almost famous singers, songwriters, and performers, and their original release captures an essence that was eerily prescient.
Fragile (Yes)
• Fragile
Late addition, but still a memorable album. Speaks to a time and place, and yet, transcendent, too.
Death rides a Pale Cow (Dead Milkmen)
There’s an actual Central Texas set of roots in the pop-punk, inherent in this collection. Worthy of note, and personal favorite, but maybe not desert island. Still freed for consideration.
A piggyback onto a previous regencies, through? does anyone really ever buy hard copies of music? Isn’t all just digital? Streaming? I know most post-Millennial characters don’t have CD or record players.
As Robert Earl Keen would musically remind us, the “The road goes on forever and the party never ends…”
