Desert Island Discs

Here's your challenge:

You can only pick ten ultimate discs, of any format, when you're stranded on the proverbial Desert Island. These must be discs the likes of which you simply could not live without.

You can choose from CDs or DVDs.

Here is my Desert Island Disc list, in something of a primary order:

1. PINK FLOYD: Wish You Were Here

My all-time favourite piece of music, bar none. It's a threaded masterpiece that sounds as valuable and "modern" today as it did in 1975. An astounding linkage of sound and lyrics. I saw Pink Floyd live many times; I regret I never saw them perform this album.

2. KING CRIMSON: Lark's Tongues In Aspic

My first foray into "unlearned" music. Robert Fripp is a guitar genius, though few recognize his merits. This album featured the finest iteration of Crimso. Released in 1973, I was witness to the first ever live American presentation of Larks at the Agora Theatre, in Columbus, Ohio. This is the concert in which drummer Bill Bruford took hits of oxygen from a bottle to continue his playing.

3. YES: Tales From Topographic Oceans

Reliving the 70s, am I? That would be a clear "Yes." 1973's TFTO expanded the borders of this band like never before. Lyrics, expansive and airy, moody synths, wondrous transitions, Yes embodied all the best aspects of what became known as ProgRock or "progressive rock." The combination of Jon Anderson on vocals, Steve Howe on guitar, Rick Wakeman on keyboards, Chris Squire on bass and Alan White on drums (sorry, Bill) was unbeatable.

4. GENTLE GIANT: Free Hand

No one remembers these gents. But I do; certainly, having watched them in concert a number of times, GG managed to combine rock with blues, classical, jazz, Renaissance madrigals, a capella, and in time signatures to drive one crazy. Completely and utterly unappreciated, with amazing individual and collective musical skills. Please. Try this one album.

5. DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Time Out

Beyond description. Beyond music. Beyond their time. Signatures and otherwise. So far ahead of its time as to be considered played by aliens. Its prototypical piece? Take Five. Stellar. Perhaps even beyond stellar.

6. ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA: No Answer

Released in 1971, this album features the ubiquitous Roy Wood, a continuously amazing and multi-talented artist who became outshined by his contemporary, Jeff Lynne. Jeff took the road to more popular music, whilst Wood continued as the iconoclast. Lynne achieved multiple years of success helming ELO while Wood continued to expand his personal horizons. I admire Lynne for the popularity he achieved; I admire Wood for the boundaries he pushed.

7. BLACK SABBATH: Master of Reality

It is widely credited that Tony Iommi "invented" most every heavy metal riff known to Man and God. And I would second that thought. A left-handed guitarist, Iommi lost the tips of the middle and ring finger of his right hand in a sheet metal factory accident at the age of 17. Iommi then strung his guitars with extra-light strings (using banjo strings, which were of a lighter gauge than even the lightest guitar strings of the time) and wore plastic covers over his two damaged fingers. With Bill Ward on drums, who hulked over his set, Geezer Butler on bass (and his amazingly-rapid fingerstyle vs. plectrum, such as Chris Squire's flatpick style of Yes) and the legendary John Michael (Ozzy) Osbourne on vocals, the album MOR cemented Sabbath as the bulwark of heavy metal.

8. BAND OF BROTHERS:

This DVD series originated by the Stephen Ambrose book needs to be watched by everyone who claims to be an American. We owe The Greatest Generation a debt that can, essentially, never be repaid. Imagine what those of Saving Private Ryan endured but for months and months and months.

9. GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets

Classical music that encompasses both old and new orchestrations. This surpasses the boring and the commonly-acknowledged. Incandescent.

10. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Cosmo's Factory

Released in 1970, this was my very first purchased piece of rock vinyl that I can remember, and the beginning of my incredibly extensive vinyl -- then CD -- library. I've worked for years in radio, and my vinyl collection consists of at least 2,000 albums, whilst my CD collection duplicates this collection and, by itself, stands at over 3,500 individual albums.

Here are my ten Desert Island Discs, both in CD and DVD.

What might yours be?

BZ