In this one, I'm low on ideas, so I read an email asking me about the Oscar slap and then talk about my top ten "best" (or favorite) lead singers of all time. Which is an idea I stole from Patton Oswalt. Whatever. It's fun!
E-mail me your questions and comments at db@derekbrink.com, if you want me to actually see them and reply.
Time breakdown:
Photos - I feel like I should say in advance that most of these are albums I didn't mention in the episode by ARTISTS that I did. In the episode I promised I'd post my recommendation for the names I mentioned. So here they are. And they're in no particular order, so my favorite singers and what order they appear in won't be spoiled for you. You're welcome!
 |
The cover photo for your collection, Shawn.
(Okay, but what if someone named Shawn actually does have a file folder collecting these? Bet he shit himself just now.) |
 |
| I mentioned my new hat in the show. This is it! I don't love my face in this one. But hat! |
 |
| I also mentioned Jelly Bellys in the episode. So here. |
 |
| Chris Cornell is one of the defining singers of the 90s. After he passed away they put out a box set (and also a sampler of the same) of some of his work. It spans his solo work, Soundgarden, and Audioslave. It's four discs...yet somehow STILL omits "Fell On Black Days" but whatever. It's a good collection and for most of you, it'll do the job. |
 |
| Okay...mild spoiler...Kurt Cobain is NOT in my list of "best" singers. I don't know how he can be in anybody's, even though I like him. But I talked about him enough that I want to mention that I think "In Utero" is Nirvana's best album. It might not be my go-to...if I want to hear Nirvana, I'm going to want to hear "Teen Spirit." But pound for pound, I think it's their best release. |
 |
| Ah Rufus Wainwright. I've made my love of his work no secret and any time someone asks me where to start I immediately say "Release the Stars." It was my first Rufus album and I think it's a great gateway. |
 |
| There were a LOT of Stones albums I could mention. Honestly anything from a roughly 7-10 album run around this era would do the job. But I landed on "Beggar's Banquet" for reasons I cannot quite explain. |
 |
| Okay, if I'm honest the obvious choice for me as a representation of Robert Plant as a vocalist is Led Zep's "Houses of the Holy." But I wanted to give his solo career some love. "Band of Joy" is a very folksy album that is a far cry from the Zep catalogue, that really shows off how versatile he can be. |
 |
| It was tough to pick one Prince album. So I picked two. "Art Official Age" and "Plectrum Electrum" were both released on the same day and I think of them as companion pieces, so it seemed fair. Both great albums. If you want Prince at his soulful best, check out "Art Official Age." If you want to hear his fucking SHREAD, then go with "Plectrum Electrum." Both stellar releases from the latter years of his life. Two of my favorites of his crazy-huge collection. |
 |
| U2's "No Line on the Horizon" not only features some of my favorite Bono performances, it features some of his best lyric writing, and some of the bands best-crafted songs. If you're new to the band, it's probably not the place to start...pick up a best of or whichever album has your favorite song on it. But then pick up this one. |
 |
| Those who know me might be surprised that the Who album I'm recommending ISN'T "Quadrophenia." That's my favorite album of all time. But "Who's Next" is a much better introduction, and if I'm honest, it's probably their most solid work and showcases some really cool Daltrey moments. |
 |
| What album do you START with to display the sheer, utter, ridiculous POWER of Bruce Dickinson? I chose "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" partly because it's my favorite Maiden album, but also because it has acoustic moments and hard rock screams and melodic journeys all in one package. Dickinson's on full display here. Plus, concept albums are always fun. |
 |
| "Counterparts" is my favorite Rush album. And you can see that this copy has been through THE RINGER since the 1990s! It's a great rock album that still feels vital today and shows off how good Geddy is as a vocalist. And yeah. I said it. He's on the list. Fuck you. You don't even KNOW. |
 |
| I had trouble figuring out what to choose to represent Freddie Mercury on this list. Almost any Queen album is worth your time. (Possibly not the Flash Gordon soundtrack...or about half of Hot Space...although both have some inarguably GREAT songs.) But if I've GOT to recommend ONE. I'm going to recommend a live album... "Live at Wembley" was in my player constantly from the 90s onward and I've got it just about memorized. Freddie's vocals are on full display and he does some really great work on this album. If you like Queen and haven't heard this album, you're doing it wrong. |
 |
| Aretha Franklin is another of those "WHERE DO YOU START???" artists. ("Where do you Startists?") She had such a MASSIVE voice and such POWER. The only thing you can do is recommend everything. And the best way to do that is with a compilation. "The Atlantic Singles Collection" will do it for most people. Or if you want to not need anything else (except for the original version of "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman") there's a great box set that came out last year. But on a budget...this is the one. And it HAS the original version of "Natural Woman." |
 |
| Look...I didn't mean to get locked into a compilation thing... But if you don't know where to start with Bowie, the three-disc "Nothing Has Changed" collection (and be careful, there are 2 disc versions out there!) is definitively great. Even as a long-time Bowie freak this one had stuff that I hadn't heard and that got me excited. It's got EVERYTHING (except Tin Machine) and will please the novice and the seasoned alike. |
 |
| And Marvin Gaye. Such a smooth, sexy voice. "Let's Get It On" is the definitive Gaye song. And this is a great album. Although if you're completely new to him, I'm going to recommend that you seek out his #1s collection instead... But if you want a sexy night (Including a song titled "You Sure Love to Ball") this is the album for you. |
No comments:
Post a Comment