Retro Rob: My “Top 5 CDs/Albums”

One of the most memorable comments I ever got on one of my old blogs came on a rare post in which I attempted a music review. I had reviewed some work of an artist called Maze. Scott said, “I can tell by your review that you must be a white guy.” He went on to describe the need to feel Maze’s music, and how every black person that he knew around the ages of 38 or 39 and above owned at least one of the artist’s albums.

I still love the response! Scott wasn’t mad or angry or calling me racist. He actually encouraged me to go see Maze in concert. We need a lot more Scotts in the world.

He also pointed out exactly why I always found music almost impossible to review. Just because I don’t like an album, doesn’t mean that it’s not an absolutely fantastic album to the ear of someone else. Somehow, reviewing music felt different than reviewing a book or film. Stories have some fundamental aspects like plot and character development that I think readers can judge with at least similar boundaries, if that’s the right word. Of course, there’s still going to be vast differences in opinions, but a discussion at least seems more possible. (Music aficionados may disagree.)

Nonetheless, I am revisiting my “Top 5 CDs/Albums” as part of my “Retro Rob” series celebrating the upcoming 20^th anniversary of my first blog post. As I wrote in 2009, I “tried to select CDs that I remember as exceptional and can still be put on shuffle mode without fear of landing on bad songs.” Here’s my list:

“5. Call Me Irresponsible (Michael Bublé) – This used to be the type of album I would never have even thought of listening to. I actually like this in combination with Bublé’s self-titled album – Michael Bublé – but Call Me Irresponsible edged it out with the title track, “Lost,” “Comin’ Home Baby,” and other remakes, especially “Me & Mrs. Jones.” He manages to not just mimic the classics, yet doesn’t destroy them by trying to modernize the songs. His best song, though, is the remake of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” from the self-titled album.

4. Genesis (Genesis) – Somewhat of a representative pick for my favorite band (at least during the Phil Collins era), this is the sound I associate with the group. The first side (sorry, I remember tapes) doesn’t miss on anything with “Mama,” “Home by the Sea” and “Second Home by the Sea,” and “That’s All” is their best song. Underrated songs fill the second side with “Taking It All Too Hard,” “Just a Job to Do,” and “It's Gonna Get Better.”

3. Born to Reign (Will Smith) – Fans of my other selections might wonder what the hell this album is doing on my list, but it’s just a damn good album. For those like yours truly who leave dancing to others, Will Smith can at least make a workout a little easier. “Act Like You,” “I Can’t Stop,” and “Gotta Go Home” highlight the album. Tra-Knox does some vocals on the album, and helps make it a great mix of rap, R&B, and rock.

2. Off the Wall (Michael Jackson) – Michael Jackson’s recent death may have contributed to this pick. The allegations surrounding MJ made it tough to enjoy his music without it feeling like some sort of guilty pleasure in the last decade or so. The one positive in his sad passing may be that his music will come back to the mainstream. I’ll take this over Thriller as his best.

1. No Jacket Required (Phil Collins) – Another representative pick as I easily could have made out this list with Phil Collins offerings. This is the first album of Collins’ I ever heard, and it still holds up for me. “Take Me Home” is my all-time favorite song (even though finding out what it was really about was disappointing). Hits like “Sussudio” and “One More Night” overshadow equally good songs “Inside Out,” “Only You Know and I Know,” “Who Said I Would” and others. I like all of them.”

I don’t think Born to Reign would make the cut these days, in-part because listening to Will Smith’s words is a bit tough since his slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars. Maybe that stigma will pass someday in the way that listening to Michael Jackson’s music no longer feels a bit odd. (I don’t mean to compare the two situations other than the idea that hearing their music reminds me of other issues.) I’m also wondering about taking Off the Wall over Thriller, but certainly Jackson would stay on my list. I’m not sure Smith stays even without the extracurricular subject.

I fully realize many people will cringe at this list. I don’t pretend for a second that it’s eclectic. For the record, my iTunes catalog includes Barry White, Bob Marley, Bruno Mars, Eminem, various Motown artists, Van Halen, and more. I even got a little Pink and Madonna in there.

Looking quickly, maybe Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Life cracks my “Top 5” replacing Smith. It doesn’t exactly add racial diversity, but maybe it adds a slightly different sound.

More importantly, I’d love to hear your list. Get in the comments and share your favorite albums. That’s really what these posts are about – generating discussion. Joining Disqus to comment is easy. And please remember, you don’t have to use a social media account to sign up. You can create a Disqus account, and you can use a nickname or a made-up name if you’re concerned about keeping your identity private.

Of course, don’t forget to check out my Top 5 Books and Top 5 Movies.