My Wasted Space » Desert Island Records

Angels with dirty wings

Paul B Womack — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:48:09 +0000

A couple of days ago Sara Hickman’s mom reached out to me on Facebook. We were neighbors when we were kids in Houston. Sara has recorded like 20 albums since the 1990s (I checked out her website www.sarahickman.com). I still just remember her as a kid across the street we played with sometimes. But it got me to thinking about who my favorite female vocalists are. Sara didn’t make this list, but she might once I have a chance to listen to more of her music. Here is who did make the list – I’ve got my top ten, and then half a dozen or more alternates.

Kim Richey
Lucinda Williams
Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
Allison Moorer
Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)
Emmylou Harris
Macy Gray
Patty Griffin
Susan Tedeschi

Alternates:
Sheryl Crow
Kate Pearson (The B-52’s)
Carole KingNorah Jones
Tift Merritt
Natalie Merchant
Vickie Thorn (The Waifs)
Maria McKee (Lone Justice)
Alison Krauss

If I could only play guitar

Paul B Womack — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:01:48 +0000

When I hear it, I long to be able to do it. Not just the music, but the emotion it carries. It must be jealousy, really. I’ve tried to play before, and I can’t. It is one reason I love music so much; it is something I will never be able to do. But if I could play guitar, I would want to play like one of these:

Mark Knopfler
Mike Campbell
Lindsey Buckingham
Eric Clapton
Carlos Santana
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Willie Nelson
Eddie Van Halen
Michael Timmins
Steve Howe

What I didn’t include here are three jazz guitarist I got to see once – Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia. Their virtuosity is really beyond comparing to anything I have ever witnessed. And yet, those listed above carry lasting memories for me in their music and in my awesome air-guitar abilities.

Second Ten

Paul B Womack — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:43:55 +0000

These are my second ten – the ones that didn’t make my top ten Desert Island Records. Now, if this is the only box of music that washes up on shore, I’ll still be happy. Well, I don’t know. I’ll still be stranded on a desert island with ten records and no way to play them. But at least I’ll have them.

Album	Artist
Us	Peter Gabriel
Communique	Dire Straits
Full Moon Fever	Tom Petty
The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion	The Black Crowes
No Code	Pearl Jam
Bringing Down the Horse	The Wallflowers
Miles from Our Home	Cowboy Junkies
Glimmer	Kim Richey
Natty Dread	Bob Marley
Mr. Happy Go Lucky	John Mellencamp

Susan’s Suggestions

Paul B Womack — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:11:05 +0000

I got a list of things to listen to from Susan. Thought I would pass on her suggestions, and maybe she will send me a list of her Desert Island Records. When she does, I’ll post those, too.

Thanks, Susan. I’ve got a lot of these on my iTunes already. The ones I don’t, I’ll give a listen.

Bob Schneider:
I’m Good Now; Let the Light In; Lovely Creatures

The Black Keys:
I’m a Lonely Boy

BoDeans:
Still the Night; Go Slow Down

Big Head Todd & The Monsters

Alison Krauss

Carey Ott:
I Wouldn’t Do That To You

Chris Isaak:
Let Me Down Easy; Can’t Do a Thing

Del Amitri:
Kiss This Thing Goodbye; Always the Last to Know

Desert Island Bands

Paul B Womack — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:36:35 +0000

When you’re marooned on a desert island, you can’t be too picky about what washes up on shore. So, instead of a list of specific records, here are ten bands – any albums from any of them will do nicely while I’m stranded. Funny thing is, my final list doesn’t have any new bands. I just couldn’t replace any of these with bands I’ve been introduced to over the past decade or so. Seems the more lists I make the more evident it becomes how stuck in the past I really am.

The Beatles
Bob Dylan
Fleetwood Mac
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Pink Floyd
R.E.M.
Led Zeppelin
U2
Dire Straits
David Bowie

Desert Island Classical

Paul B Womack — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:10:46 +0000

I don’t know much of anything about classical music. I do know, some of it I like very much. Most of what I like comes from movie soundtracks, but some from my dad and some from public radio. My tastes in classical music are drawn to melodic, mostly melancholy pieces, and invariably pieces featuring strings and piano. Anyway, here are the pieces I’d like to have on my desert island.

Selection	Composer
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major	Johan Sebastian Bach
Cello Suite No. 1 in G	Johan Sebastian Bach
Harpsichord Concerto No. 5 in F Minor	Johan Sebastian Bach
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring	Johan Sebastian Bach
Orchestral Suite No. 3 : Air on a G String	Johan Sebastian Bach
Adagio for Strings	Samuel Barber
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor	Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor	Ludwig Van Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major	Ludwig Van Beethoven
Flower Duet	Leo Delibes
Quartet for Strings in C Major	Franz Josef Haydn
Quartet for Strings and Piano in A Major	Gustav Mahler
Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E-Flat	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto in A Major	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto in D Minor	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Nessun Dorma	Giacomo Puccini
Un Bell Di	Giacomo Puccini
Trois Gymnopedias	Erik Satie
Piano Trio in E-Flat	Franz Schubert

Brittany’s Desert Island Records

Paul B Womack — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:20:18 +0000

Brittany is still barely in her twenties. It’s great to see what college kids are listening to, and reassuring to me that some of it is actually already in my iTunes. Not sure how much influence her dad has on that, but my guess is a lot (whether Brittany will admit it or not – you know how college kids are).

	Album	Artist
1	Californication	Red Hot Chili Peppers
2	Sleeping With Ghosts	Placebo
3	Hybrid Theory	Linkin Park
4	Led Zeppelin IV	Led Zeppelin
5	Black Holes and Revelations	Muse
6	The White Album	The Beatles
7	Stadium Arcadium	Red Hot Chili Peppers
8	Fallen	Evanescence
9	The Greatest Hits (1971-1975)	The Eagles
10	Almost Here	The Academy Is. . .

10 Albums You Should Have That Maybe You Don’t

Paul B Womack — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:19:22 +0000

Here’s a list of albums that you may not have heard, but that will keep you interested on that desert island:

Album	Artist
Sea Change	Beck
Soup	Blind Melon
Miles From Our Home	Cowboy Junkies
Smile	The Jayhawks
Streetcore	Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Glimmer	Kim Richey
Lola Versus Powerman	The Kinks
Breathe	Midnight Oil
Bryter Layter	Nick Drake
Trace	Son Volt

My Desert Island Jazz

Paul B Womack — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:18:18 +0000

Here’s a list of Jazz Records for my Desert Island:

Album	Artist
Kind of Blue	Miles Davis
Giant Steps	John Coltrane
Time Further Out	Dave Brubeck Quartet
Monk’s Dream	Thelonious Monk Quartet
Night Train	Oscar Peterson Trio
Souvenirs	Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelly
Hot Five & Sevens	Louis Armstrong
Jazz Giants ‘58	Stan Getz
Chet Baker & Crew	Chet Baker
Friday Night in San Francisco	De Lucia, McLaughlin & DiMeola

Punkin’s Records

Paul B Womack — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:55:17 +0000

She could say, “Beatles,” before she could walk – still I see them nowhere, man.

Album	Artist
It’s Blitz!	Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gnossiennes & Gymnopedies	Erik Satie
Another Side of Bob Dylan	Bob Dylan
One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers	Bob Marley
Funeral	The Arcade Fire
Physical Gaffiti	Led Zeppelin
Comfort Eagle	Cake
Kid A	Radiohead
Aha Shake Heartbreak	Kings of Leon
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd	Pink Floyd