Favorite CD Tracks

Hard to go wrong with 'How You Like Me Now,' a cracking good rock track that has a great James Brown vibe.

The title track is one of the most hauntingly beautiful odes to becoming a parent that you will ever hear. It literally raises goosebumps on my skin every time I hear it.

There are some really great songs in this CD, but "I Hate My Generation" is a great rocker with a lot of humor.

"Grace, Too" is probably The Hip's best song ever. Whenever I listen to it, it creates such a powerful image in my mind that it's like a movie soundtrack.

The closing track "85 on 31" is dark and moody, like a trip home, late at night, on a deserted highway. I especially love it because the Hwy 31 in the title also ran through my hometown, further south, in Indiana.

"Alternative Girlfriend" is a time capsule of the early 90s grunge era, as well as great power pop.

The title track "Naveed" is the best rocker on the album, which is OLP's best. Sadly, each successive album declined slightly in quality for this group, but their debut is absolutely great.

I really, really love every track on this album, but "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" is genius. Somehow, young 20-something Eddie Vedder channeled the spirit of a faded old lady in a way that is totally believable. This is one of the best songs I have ever heard.

Going for the Bleedin' Obvious, but "Smells Like Teen Spirit" deserves every accolade for being the song that changed it all. If you were alive then, and a young adult like I was, you know. If you weren't, you just can't imagine how exciting it was to hear this song for the first time. I was so different than everything else on the radio by a long mile.

"Down In It" turns out to be NIN's first song, and still one of their best. You may not hear it as often as "Head Like a Hole," but it is actually slightly better. Reznor is almost rapping here, with powerful percussive vocals and a driving beat. Surprise fact: this album came out in 1988, not the 90s.

Is "Looking at the Sun" as hopeful as it sounds? Nope, the singer burns his eyes out and goes blind waiting for his girl to appear. Sometimes I just want to give Matthew Sweet a big hug.

This is a great compilation of The Cure's greatest tracks up to that point, and "Let's Go to Bed" is still my favorite. It seemed a little audacious when it was released, in a fun, poppy way.

Before I had this CD in my collection, I heard Brian sing the song "Nothing but Time" at one of his live shows. It was so beautiful, I actually cried.

There is some great music on this CD, which is one of my favorite soundtracks. But the song "Nearly Lost You" by the Screaming Trees remains my favorite, even though I mostly hate rock ballads.

Best Beck ever, and that's saying a lot. "Girl," "Hell, Yes" and "Black Tambourine" are wonderful, but I will never not L-O-V-E the "na na nas" of "E-pro."

Again with poor mopey Matthew; the song "Someone to Pull the Trigger" is a brilliant cry for help. Really, his other songs aren't that sad, in fact, he can really rock when he wants to. Still, the offer of a hug stands.

"Golden Blunders" is a song I heard one time on 120 minutes, though I didn't catch all the info. I spent years looking for it, (this was before you could find everything on the interwebs) and finally located the band and track name when I got this CD. Totally worth it.

For some, the CD "OK Computer" kicked Radiohead into the highest echelon of acclaim, but for me it was this CD. It is absolutely breathtaking, and deserves to be listened to as a whole. Still, as a single, "Optimistic" is amazing.

This CD happens to be my most favorite ever. Picking a favorite song is like trying to choose your favorite child, but here goes: "Everything in 2s" is stunning. Kevin Griffin has a lovely voice and it's put to great use here, on a simple ballad that nonetheless pulls you in with its restrained emotion and perfect imagery.

If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, and that song was "Hey, Ladies," well, I could live with that.

It's not often you hear a love song dedicated to the latter half of a love story (most concern themselves with the beginning of it) but Glenn takes on that challenge admirably and comes up with "Still," the song you'll want to play at your 25th anniversary party.

This is actually a two-album compilation CD featuring the top-notch work of John Wesley Harding, the 'Gangsta Folk' singer/songwriter of note. Both albums are really good, and the songs hold up over time because they weren't really pegged to the pop songs of the time period when they came out (circa 1991 or so.)
Here Comes the Groom's best song: The Devil in Me
The Name Above the Title's best song: The Person You Are

"It Falls Apart" is one of many stand out tracks on this album. This one is probably the best, musically and lyrically, but the whole CD is power pop as it was meant to be...literate, hook-ridden and eminently memorable.

Squeeze really shifts into high gear creatively with this album. There are too many good songs to choose from, but "Vicky Verky" is a great example of Chris Difford's intelligent and observant songwriting, Tilbrook's sweet voice, and the emotional resonance that their songs can have.

Boy, is this album underrated. I just love it. And again, there are too many great tracks to mention, but the beautiful imagery of "Gone to the Dogs" is not to be missed. It's a good rocker, too.

The snarky, spacey "Blame Your Parents" is the standout track on this CD.