Five For Friday, Vol. 10: Desert Island Jams Edition

OK, over the years, I have proclaimed many an album on my proverbial "desert island list." You know, this is the must-have music if I'm ever trapped on a desert island and in need of a musical fix. My caveat is that I'm not going to include greatest hits collections - that's taking the easy way out. I'm also going to leave off that timeless classic, the soundtrack to "Getting Off A Desert Island."

So let's get to it, in no order:
1. "Rubber Soul" by The Beatles. OK, I professed my love to this album the other day. Sure my favorite Beatles song is "A Day In the Life" but I think Rubber Soul is a stronger, more consistent album than Sgt. Pepper. Too many great songs.
2. "Pyromania" by Def Leppard. Produced and overdubbed to the point of hard rock perfection. Oh the huge choruses...oh, the guitar work. "Photograph" is on my essential songs list. I loved it even before I knew I loved hard rock.
3. "Rio" by Duran Duran. So cool. So 80s. Stylish and hooky and the best bass work of John Taylor, the coolest man in the universe. "Hungry Like The Wolf"..."Rio" ...makes me want to be on a beach somewhere or riding the waves on a sailboat.
4. "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. My favorite band. The Beatles of heavy metal. And this is their Rubber Soul. Love it from the opening acoustic strums of "Battery" to the final sonic barrage of "Damage Inc."
5. "Appetite For Destruction" by Guns N' Roses. It reminds me of the mean streets of Malvern growing up. ;) Naaah...for this small town boy living a fairly sheltered life, this was like (I imagine) a first jolt of heroin...quite a shock to the system. They could been the next Stones, but had to implode over Axl's weirdness and ego. But this album stands the test of time, from the well known "Welcome To The Jungle" to the standout album tracks "Mr. Brownstone" (an ode to heroin) and "Rocket Queen."

Honorable Mention:
"Queen's Greatest Hits" by Queen. What's the fun of having rules if I can't break them? I was a late comer to being a Queen fan and this collection was what introduced them to me before I ever had an album. This has it all, from "Bohemian Rhapsody" to the funk "Another One Bites the Dust" to sports anthem "We Will Rock You."
"Van Halen I" by Van Halen. California hard rock from the Van Halen brothers and showman Diamond Dave. Has the quintessential guitar solo, "Eruption"...my favorite VH, "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" and then the coolness of "Jamie's Cryin."
"Operation: Mindcrime" by Queensryche. My favorite rock opera. Heavy and thoughtful. "I used to think that only America's way was right. Now I've seen the payoffs everywhere you look/who can you trust when everyone's a crook?"