Desert Island Pick #1
Mark: Grace Under Pressure - Rush
This album has a few distinctions for me. As an Alex Lifeson apologist, I carry the Lifeson flag high and proudly. Even in the days of faster than sound guitar slingers, I was drawn more to the texturally focused guitar style that Alex had moved to. The band had moved on from producer Terry Brown and hired Peter Henderson. That was a big deal. Brown had produced all their albums prior and was really the fourth member so cutting the cord freed the band to move in a different direction. I find that “Grace Under Pressure” to be a sonic masterpiece. A perfect forum in which Alex sculpted his wonderful musical talents.
Ok, distinction number one, or rant number one. 1984 was the year Alex finally won the prestigious best rock guitar award in the Guitar Player annual award issue. Alex received the award after Eddie Van Halen moved to the gallery of greats making him ineligible for this award. I know this award is a reader’s poll so basically, it’s just a popularity poll, but this always bugged me. Alex had come second place to Eddie several times so it seemed to me that Alex was shoved down a notch. A place that he didn’t deserve to be. For me Alex was pushing the guitar in new directions, and his work from “A Farewell to Kings” to “Grace Under Pressure” and beyond is evidence to that. To top it off Rush’s music is much more interesting and emotive than let’s say “Jump” or “Hot for Teacher”. Come on! For me the honeymoon was over with Eddie after “Van Halen 2”. Ok, I feel better…
Distinction number two: I leaned into this album hard when my father died that year…“Afterimage” is such a gut wrencher. The synth section in the middle is so deep and full of anguish it always brings memories of my dad back. ‘I feel the way you would. I feel the way you would’. “Grace Under Pressure” is so angular and dark. Like it stepped right off the set of “The cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ dodging the somnambulist racers and the chimney sweeps. Fears of the cold war, paranoia, genocide and loss is what this album reveals to me. I’m trying to think of another band that was writing about these issues… I’m sure there was… maybe? But all in one album!? This album is so deep lyrically as well as musically.
I don’t think the band ever play together as well than on G.U.P. The interplay between Alex, the Geddster and Neil is soooo good dude! The guitars are so abrupt and slicing they hit you from so many places. bobbing and weaving in the mix. rocketing skywards then diving between the wheels to certain doom and gloom. The rhythm section is masterful! So fun to listen to. For me I have come to the realization that the best Rush albums are when Geddy’s vocal melodies are well… more melodious.
Ok, to sum up. If I had to pick one Rush album to accompany me to my desert island exile "Grace under Pressure" it would be. A hard choice being a Rush nerd, but this will stand. Of course, on my desert island I have secret underground submarine lair equipped with all latest cool gadgetry and luxury items, and of course a bitchin stereo!
Kip: Alive - KISS
Absolutely no doubt which album I would pick first for a desert island list. I received Kiss Alive (along with Destroyer) on June 24th, 1976 and I was immediately hooked. I had grown up on Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Cream and the like, so I had a solid classic rock background, but upon receiving Alive, I had MY first band. No one else's opinion about them mattered; I had a band that I was fully invested in. From the announcement of “You wanted the best....,” to the following explosions into the monster track “Deuce,” I was absolutely mesmerized. Having the (now) iconic cover to stare at would have been enough, but then to open the gatefold and find the bonus tour “book” was like Christmas. I have to admit, I listened to the first side on repeat at least five times before ever turning the first album over. Every song seemed to segue seamlessly into the next and it was just magic. It is a rare double/live album where my “favorite” side seems to change from one listen to another. I laugh to think that my “least” favorite side includes “Nothin' to Lose,” “C'mon and Love Me,” “She” (an all-time personal Kiss favorite) and “Parasite.” The fact that it ends with my all time favorite version of my favorite Kiss song (“Let Me Go, Rock and Roll”) is just the cherry on top. Everything about this a positive memory from just a joyful time of life. While Jeff emphasized that we weren't creating a RANKED to 10 list, all subsequent choices for me, while hugely impactful, will immediately peak at number 2 for me.
Jeff: Meet the Beatles
A lot of my choices of what to take to the island are going to be what I call “Rosebud” albums. This concept comes from the movie Citizen Kane; he's one of the world’s most wealthiest men with hundreds of thousands of possessions and he dies speaking the word “Rosebud” which is revealed to be a treasured sled he had as a young boy. The very first album I ever owned was “Meet the Beatles”. My mother bought it for me when I was five. I played it constantly and still play it today. It is not actually an album the Beatles put together, but rather a product of Capitol Records, combining two English Beatle records into one; which makes for a really strong product. It perfectly starts with Paul McCartney’s countdown: one, two, three, FOUR! and boom! we are off into “I Saw Her Standing There” a timeless rock number of McCartney that begs to be played loud (which is a song I love just as much today as I did then). This is followed with John Lennon's pop perfection “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and it never really slows down from there, it’s just great songs, one after the other of perfect 60's British invasion pop, one of my favorite genres of music. The gorgeous three-part harmony on “This Boy” with voices blended so well, I can still get tears in my eyes with its elegance. The last song on the first side is McCartney’s “All My Loving” the first song I learned all the words to and have fond memories of singing it to my grandmother as we drove to town from their ranch. There is no way I can feel sad listening to this song, it just brings undeniable happiness. My favorite song off the album opens side two, “Don’t Bother Me” a George Harrison song that I sang and played air guitar to far more than any other song when I was young. One thing about the Beatles is they always closed their albums with a very strong track and “Not a Second Time” is just that. I still can get chills from this classic Lennon song. As a child I quickly I caught on to the idea that different people were singing each song. I began to recognize John’s, Paul’s, George’s, or Ringo’s voice (McCartney being my favorite). Life was pretty freaking simple back in 1965… to listen to this record I would pull a kitchen chair in front of our family stereo, put the record on the platter, drop the needle and just sit there watching the record go around and round in a hypnotic swirl drawing me in as I was mesmerized by the Fab Four’s music. This was such a better record than my dad's Henry Mancini or my mom's Ventures. I explored and played their records, but this record was a flawless alignment with my desire for what good music could be. The cover is a pop art masterpiece built on an awesome side lit portrait picture of four young men from England that were going to change and influence my world beyond my five year old imagination. Even the record label was perfect: all in black with silver font and an endless rainbow circle trim. I’ve got to pack this album, not only because I love the cover design, the memories of playing it and the great music inside, but it was my first love, which is always something memorable.