For anyone who knows me the one thing they know for sure is how much I love
music.
For me music is my biggest inspiration when it comes to writing. It helps me free my mind and relax. The music takes me to places in my mind which leads me to developing my ideas. When I write a screenplay I come with the whole look and feel all based on how the music makes me feel at the time. So with that being said I have a great passion for all kinds of music and it’s pretty extreme. From Mariah Carey to Metallica to Josh Grobin to Alice and Chains.
I have many CD’s that I have been collecting over the years. Thousands and thousands of songs to choose from but there is a handful of albums that I find to be of pure brilliance. These albums have inspired me, allowed me to dream, perhaps was even the CD I was listening to at a time of sour times. I love many of the CD’s I have so it is difficult to pinpoint to a few of them but the ones I want to talk about are truly the best I have ever heard. These are the CD’s I have played over and over again. It is my hopes that if you don’t own the CD or have never heard it that you will give it a chance. I really feel these are the best of the best. So here we go, in no particular order, Mike Burke’s favorite albums of all time.
‒ Mariah Carey “Daydream” If were to ask someone who knows me well who my favorite artist is it would take less than half a second for them to say Mariah Carey. I have loved her since the beginning. In 2003 I actually got to see her perform live. I was just a few rows back from the stage and all I can say is Wow! She was perfect. She is stunning and her vocals sounded stringer than anything I have ever heard on any of her albums. To hear her live is an event in itself. Her first five albums I love without a doubt. Each one has a significance to something important in my life and my past. I have a story to tell for each album so choosing a favorite is not easy. I did decide on “Daydream.” Maybe it’s because at the time I got this CD I had fallen in love with a great girl who also loved her. It was a great period of time. Another reason is because the way my emotions are when it comes to the opposite sex are what Mariah sings on some of the songs. She writes and sings what I feel or have felt. If an artist truly writes what they know then I can relate to her in some big ways. Now I will admit I didn’t care for the single she did with Boys To Men, even though I do like their music, but everything else shines. “Underneath the Stars” is brilliant and fitting in with what I had experience in 1995 the song “When I saw you” is exactly what I went through that December. The album was a perfect companion to my life at the time and I still love listening to it today.
‒ Fiona Apple “Tidal”. If you have not heard this album go get it now! It is so good that I don’t even know how to describe it. Fiona’s writing is brilliant and her haunting vocals are absolutely beautiful. She did such a good job with this that I am not sure if she can ever top it. The singles that were chosen for release don’t do the album justice. They were great but it is the unreleased stuff that really shines. The best way to describe those songs and this album is hauntingly beautiful.
‒ The Sunday’s “Static & Silence”. What a surprise gem this was. Whenever I get an album from an artist I never heard of and it turns out to be perfect I call it a hidden gem. That was very true with this album. It was described a having haunting vocals but a warmth to it. The album cover is a blue night sky with the full moon. I was intrigued so I purchased it. What a great album it turned out to be. It reminds me of summertime. Like the summer’s I had as a kid. The album is easy going with great melodies. At the time I got the CD I was working on a special video project for my family where I took old video and photos and made a video that looks back at happier times. So whenever I hear this CD that’s exactly what it does. I am back in the early 1990's with my brother’s and sister at “The Frog Pond” on a lazy summer afternoon. By the way I later found that The Sunday’s were the group who remade The Rolling Stone’s “Wild Horses”( which I loved but had no idea who did it) into a very haunting rendition that was featured in a Budweiser commercial in the 90's.
‒ George Michael “Listen Without Prejudice” Wow. One of the my top favorites. This album saw George Michael make Wham a long distant memory. It is very mature and somewhat dark. This CD came out during an interesting time in my life. As a country we were unsure what was in store for the future as we were in “Operation Desert Storm” and in Connecticut, where I lived, we had a very rainy winter into spring. Many dark sunless days. It was also at this time I started writing and creating my first ideas for future films which were all horror and science fiction. This album aided in my inspiration. George Michael has a fantastic voice and there are a selected few artists who know how to use their voice in the perfect way to the right instruments and style. He, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Michael Buble, Katie Melua, Norah Jones, are some of those who do that. If anything this is an album I really hope you give a shot. The song “Cowboys and Angles” is worth it alone. This is very close to being my number one favorite.
‒ George Michael “Older” This was the follow up to “Listen without Prejudice” and it is not a disappointment. Another brilliant album which makes you forget Wham existed. Every song is good on this CD.
‒ Howard Jones “Cross that Line” That’s right Howard Jones. I do like some his hit songs but on this album he nailed it. He went a different direction. There were two huge hits “Everlasting Love” and “Prisoner of Love” and as great as those songs are he really shines on the others on this album. He experimented with sound and used his vocals to compliment the instruments. The album is well written and very well done. It sounds great and is timeless. Even if you never thought about buying an album from him I would get this one. It is his most mature and most well crafted album. Most likely he’ll never top it.
‒ Bob Marley “Legend’ I love this album. When I need to feel good this goes in the CD player. What makes this album great is that it is a compilation of all of his best songs but unlike other greatest hits albums where songs are just thrown on this one has each song complimenting each other. Everything is in a perfect order and creates a perfect flow. I play this every summer and have listened to it about four billion times.
‒ Billy Joel “An Innocent Man” I am a huge fan of Billy Joel. I have seen him a few times Live in concert and I own everything he has done so it is very difficult to choose a favorite but in the end this album is above the rest. He went with a whole 1960's Beatle’s like feel to it with some splashes of “the Four Season’s”. It really rocks and is a feel good album. Plenty of great songs to sing to. It is unlike any other album he has done. I pretty much grew up with this album.
‒ Pearl Jam “Ten” This was their peak. After that each album was less good. I am not even a fan anymore. They have gotten way to political and it’s no longer about the music and more about bashing the US government. Don’t get me wrong I am pissed with the government as well but I don’t want to hear it in my music or when I go to a live show. I like music to take me away from that crap. Not bring it to me. Anyways “Ten” is a perfect album. If you love rock this is a must. I only wish Pearl Jam had stayed with the sound they started with. With heavy guitars and brilliant drumming there was also a piano. It fit so well but unfortunately after this album it was gone. Piano is not usually used in heavy rock but it really works here. When I was a teen and had some bad days I would go in my room and blast this. It worked every time in letting steam off. A+++++ on my list.
‒ Nirvana “Nevermind” I was late getting on the Nirvana train. When I was a young teen I hated to be like everyone else. Everyone was talking about this album so I decided I would stay clear. It was really a stupid way to be. I refused to go see “Jurassic Park” at the movie theater because everyone and their Mother went to see it. Thankfully I changed. In 1994 I finally decided to get the album that pushed forward the alternative rock movement. A genre that to this day is still my favorite. Gone was the heavy make-up and theatrics of early Heavy Metal. Instead was raw vocals, guitars, drums, and bass. Raw angry lyrics that many could relate to. This album can never be duplicated and sadly a few months after I got it Nirvana was over with the suicide of Kurt Cobain.
‒ Alice and Chains “Dirt” and “Jars of Flies” I mention these two but I am such a huge fan that it really is difficult to choose. Alice and Chains is the underdog. They were producing music before Pearl Jam and Nirvana got big. They continued producing great albums while these other bands grew to superstars. What I really liked about them instead getting more mellow as they grew they got heavier. Their final album to date (They are still a band with a new album coming!) Was their heaviest. I feel that they are underrated. They have inspired some of our current superstar bands like “Godsmack” and “Days of New.”
‒ Norah Jones “Come away with me” before anyone knew who she was I saw her on Letterman and knew that as soon as that CD came out I had to get it. This is such a feel good, take you away, album. It has this summer feeling to it and is perfect for romantic summer evenings. My personal favorite is “Come away with me.” Norah has velvetly smooth vocals that really touch the soul. This album is perfect. Whenever I listen to it I imagine myself on a late warm summer afternoon by the beach in some little shack. White curtains blow in a breeze. The waves crash along the beach covered in white sand. Seagulls can be heard flying overhead and I am with some gorgeous woman without a worry in the world.
‒ Katie Melua “Piece by Piece” you may not of heard of her but you will. This album is so well written and sounds so good that this girl should be a household name. She is from England and her vocals are creamy like vanilla ice-cream. Like any great artist she has created a sound that can’t be duplicated. This album falls into the family of Norah Jones and Michael Buble. Worth every penny to get into your album collection.
‒ Seal “Human Beings” I am huge Seal fan and I loved his first album but this one has become my favorite. Strangely enough at first I didn’t care for it but the more I listened the more I loved it. “Colors” is my personal favorite. Every song is good and so well done. It has a great sound to it and Seal’s vocals are at his best.
‒ Seal “Best of 1991-2004" I have this on my list because of disc two. If you get the two disc set there is a disc featuring all remakes of his best songs all done in acoustic. What makes it great is unlike many artist who remake their own songs he doesn’t screw them up. Not only does he keep the vocal arrangement so that it doesn’t ruin the songs he actually in some cases makes them better than the originals. “Crazy” is so good that I don’t know what version is better! It is so well done and Seal deserves an A++++++
‒ Bjork “Vespertine” This is an absolutely beautiful and haunting album. It is unlike anything I have ever heard. It is nearly impossible to explain. You just have to listen to it. It is magical. I have always been a Bjork fan. At first I found her music strange but then I got it and loved it. She creates sounds unlike anyone else and has such a unique creative style. Not every album she has done has been great. Some I really hate but this one is the best. Each songs flows into the next. I always listen to it in the winte as it has that feel to it. I had to get the Dolby Digital surround sound DVD audio version. It truly surrounds you in the sounds of this album. It is amazing. This CD was the biggest inspiration to me for a movie I recently wrote, which I feel is some of my best work. “Aurora” is one the my favorite songs of all times and “Pagan Poetry” is almost as good. This album is very close to being one of my top favorites.
‒ Vanessa Carlton “Be not nobody” I know at the time this came out it was seen as a teenage girl music fest. However if you did get the album you found, like me, it was anything but. Her hit song “A thousand Miles” is a far cry from the sound and style of the rest of the album. This is the only real pop-like song. The rest have a more darker and at times sultry sound. Vanessa has one of the sexiest singing voices I have ever heard. There are some really great songs on this CD such as “Rinse”, “Sway”, and “Paradise” I hate to use the word again but they have a haunting sound to them. This album is far more mature than what you might think. This was also another hidden gem for me when I was very surprised at how good it really is.
‒ Alicia Keys “Songs in A minor” Alicia Keys is hugely talented. She is a great writer, plays the piano beautifully, and has fantastic vocals. I love this album although she has yet to disappoint on any of her follow ups. This CD was her first and it’s a great one at that. This is another album that I pretty much put on repeat and listen to it over and over again.
‒ Natalia Imbruglio “White Lilies Island” I love this album. It is easy going and reminds me of summer. It really does have that lazy days of Summer feel to it. As each season rolls in I get into certain moods and when summer creeps in this CD comes out. I really hope you give this one a listen to.
‒ Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Stadium Arcadium” I have been a fan for awhile but this, their most recent album, is by far the best thing they have ever done. It is two CD’s and features 28 songs! Every one them is good. It’s not like they slapped a few together so that they could fill two discs. They put their all into each and every one. On the first CD, the first half of the disc is hit after hit after hit song. It always pleases me to see a band who has been at it for awhile come out with a new album that kicks ass. Not only is it fantastic but sold millions of copies. Fantastic CD for any RHCP fan or fans of rock in general.
‒ David Gilmour “On an Island” former Pink Floyd front runner shines on this 2006 album. Any Pink Floyd fan will love it as it could have been by them and any music fan will love it for it’s fantastic sound. Mr Gilmour can still rock!
‒ Paul Simon “The Rhythm of the Saints” Paul Simon goes in a whole different direction with this. Lot’s of congo’s and primitive percussions mixed in to the songs. It has an African sound to it and is absolutely brilliant. This is a feel good album but is also a must if like to test your sound system. It sounds so damn good! My favorite is “Further to fly” which is such a perfect song.
‒ Sting “Nothing Like the Sun” I am a huge Sting fan and love every album but this is my favorite. It has a great mix of songs and style. He does his version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” which is ten times better than the original version. A few years later The Corrs did a remake of Sting’s version of “Little Wing”. I have worn out this CD.
‒ Dave Mathews Band “ First three” I can’t choose the best but I will say if you are a music fan and haven’t purchased a DMB album then buy the first three. They are beyond perfect. I once heard a moronic snob bitchand moan because of their long violin solos and seven to ten minute songs claiming he didn’t get it. Well that is what I love about this band. They take their time with their songs and gives you your monies worth. Those violin solos (electric violin by the way) are fantastic. The members of this band are brilliant. The bass is great as heard in “Crush” and their version of “the Warehouse” is beyond brilliant. I have seen these guys in concert three or four times and each time is better than the last.
‒ Evanescence “Fallen” and “The Open Door” I have a taste for darker music and love haunting sounds. When they came along they had that sound. “Fallen” is such a good album that I had no idea how they could ever top it. Then “The Open Door” came out and to my shock they topped it. This is one my top favorite bands and I was so lucky to see them live in concert. I was just five rows back (actually 3 if you don’t count the mosh pit) Amy Lee is stunning and next to Mariah Carey has the best female voice I have ever heard. In my opinion “My Immortal” is the best song of 2005 and one of the most powerful songs ever recorded.
‒ Chris Isaak “San Francisco Days” I have been a fan of Chris Isaak for a long time and he is an artist who doesn’t disappoint. This album is fantastic although it is hard to choose a favorite because he has many great albums. “Forever Blue”, “Silvertone”, “Heart Shaped World” are some of the top. He has been compared to Elvis Presley but if you listen to his style he has his own. Very California surf summer love kind of style. It’s feel good music and what I love most is how he writes about heartbreak. If I was a songwriter and would write about my many heartbreaks and luck with women then what Chris Isaak writes is what I would write.
‒ Honorable mentions. There are so many great albums that I love that this list could go on and on. The before mentioned are ones that I had to talk about but I did want to add a few that I feel are great albums worth listening to.
‒ Coldplay “X&Y” Every song is good. So good that if you got this CD when it came out before all the singles were released you may find that you can’t tell what is the hit songs and which are not. Each song is good enough to be a hit. I love this one.
‒ Peter Gabriel “US” A very fun album that really fits his style well. It is by far his best album. He had many great songs in the past but on this everything comes together perfectly.
‒ Jem “Finally Woken” This is sort of a re-release with a new album name. Jem is from the UK and took off when radio stations gave her chance. They choose random songs to play and she took off. If you don’t know her name you’ll know her songs. They have been featured a bunch of movies and television shows. I love this album and the song “ I Miss You” is a sad song but very powerful and highly underrated. It is the best song on the album.
‒ 3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun” This is one of my top favorite rock bands. This album is a must for any rock and pop fan.
‒ Metallica “The Black album” It’s heavy, it’s loud, and it rocks! “Nothing else matters” is my personal favorite. This is by far their best.
‒ U2- “How to dismantle a bomb” Here is a band who have numerous albums, have been out for decades now, and they top it all with this album. This is the first U2 album where I like every song on it. I am a fan, I have every album they have done, but this tops them.
‒ Jon Secada “Greatest Hits” The first six or seven songs is worth it alone. I feel he peaked when he started. He had a line of hits that are some the best songs I have ever heard and then he went backwards. It must be tough to peak when you start because it makes it so hard to repeat that kind of success. In any case he did have a line of hits in the early to mid 1990's that can still be heard over the radio airways everyday. All timeless gems.
‒ Toad the Wet Sprockett. This is one of my favorite bands of all times, maybe number one. It saddens me that ten years ago they broke up. I can’t pinpoint any one album because all of their albums are fantastic. “Ducinea”, “Fear”, and “Coil” are perhaps their best. Their music is of brilliant writing, fantastic melodies, and unforgettable songs. If you are to give them a chance go with those three albums first and then get the rest. You won’t regret it.
For me music is my biggest inspiration when it comes to writing. It helps me free my mind and relax. The music takes me to places in my mind which leads me to developing my ideas. When I write a screenplay I come with the whole look and feel all based on how the music makes me feel at the time. So with that being said I have a great passion for all kinds of music and it’s pretty extreme. From Mariah Carey to Metallica to Josh Grobin to Alice and Chains.
I have many CD’s that I have been collecting over the years. Thousands and thousands of songs to choose from but there is a handful of albums that I find to be of pure brilliance. These albums have inspired me, allowed me to dream, perhaps was even the CD I was listening to at a time of sour times. I love many of the CD’s I have so it is difficult to pinpoint to a few of them but the ones I want to talk about are truly the best I have ever heard. These are the CD’s I have played over and over again. It is my hopes that if you don’t own the CD or have never heard it that you will give it a chance. I really feel these are the best of the best. So here we go, in no particular order, Mike Burke’s favorite albums of all time.
‒ Mariah Carey “Daydream” If were to ask someone who knows me well who my favorite artist is it would take less than half a second for them to say Mariah Carey. I have loved her since the beginning. In 2003 I actually got to see her perform live. I was just a few rows back from the stage and all I can say is Wow! She was perfect. She is stunning and her vocals sounded stringer than anything I have ever heard on any of her albums. To hear her live is an event in itself. Her first five albums I love without a doubt. Each one has a significance to something important in my life and my past. I have a story to tell for each album so choosing a favorite is not easy. I did decide on “Daydream.” Maybe it’s because at the time I got this CD I had fallen in love with a great girl who also loved her. It was a great period of time. Another reason is because the way my emotions are when it comes to the opposite sex are what Mariah sings on some of the songs. She writes and sings what I feel or have felt. If an artist truly writes what they know then I can relate to her in some big ways. Now I will admit I didn’t care for the single she did with Boys To Men, even though I do like their music, but everything else shines. “Underneath the Stars” is brilliant and fitting in with what I had experience in 1995 the song “When I saw you” is exactly what I went through that December. The album was a perfect companion to my life at the time and I still love listening to it today.
‒ Fiona Apple “Tidal”. If you have not heard this album go get it now! It is so good that I don’t even know how to describe it. Fiona’s writing is brilliant and her haunting vocals are absolutely beautiful. She did such a good job with this that I am not sure if she can ever top it. The singles that were chosen for release don’t do the album justice. They were great but it is the unreleased stuff that really shines. The best way to describe those songs and this album is hauntingly beautiful.
‒ The Sunday’s “Static & Silence”. What a surprise gem this was. Whenever I get an album from an artist I never heard of and it turns out to be perfect I call it a hidden gem. That was very true with this album. It was described a having haunting vocals but a warmth to it. The album cover is a blue night sky with the full moon. I was intrigued so I purchased it. What a great album it turned out to be. It reminds me of summertime. Like the summer’s I had as a kid. The album is easy going with great melodies. At the time I got the CD I was working on a special video project for my family where I took old video and photos and made a video that looks back at happier times. So whenever I hear this CD that’s exactly what it does. I am back in the early 1990's with my brother’s and sister at “The Frog Pond” on a lazy summer afternoon. By the way I later found that The Sunday’s were the group who remade The Rolling Stone’s “Wild Horses”( which I loved but had no idea who did it) into a very haunting rendition that was featured in a Budweiser commercial in the 90's.
‒ George Michael “Listen Without Prejudice” Wow. One of the my top favorites. This album saw George Michael make Wham a long distant memory. It is very mature and somewhat dark. This CD came out during an interesting time in my life. As a country we were unsure what was in store for the future as we were in “Operation Desert Storm” and in Connecticut, where I lived, we had a very rainy winter into spring. Many dark sunless days. It was also at this time I started writing and creating my first ideas for future films which were all horror and science fiction. This album aided in my inspiration. George Michael has a fantastic voice and there are a selected few artists who know how to use their voice in the perfect way to the right instruments and style. He, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Michael Buble, Katie Melua, Norah Jones, are some of those who do that. If anything this is an album I really hope you give a shot. The song “Cowboys and Angles” is worth it alone. This is very close to being my number one favorite.
‒ George Michael “Older” This was the follow up to “Listen without Prejudice” and it is not a disappointment. Another brilliant album which makes you forget Wham existed. Every song is good on this CD.
‒ Howard Jones “Cross that Line” That’s right Howard Jones. I do like some his hit songs but on this album he nailed it. He went a different direction. There were two huge hits “Everlasting Love” and “Prisoner of Love” and as great as those songs are he really shines on the others on this album. He experimented with sound and used his vocals to compliment the instruments. The album is well written and very well done. It sounds great and is timeless. Even if you never thought about buying an album from him I would get this one. It is his most mature and most well crafted album. Most likely he’ll never top it.
‒ Bob Marley “Legend’ I love this album. When I need to feel good this goes in the CD player. What makes this album great is that it is a compilation of all of his best songs but unlike other greatest hits albums where songs are just thrown on this one has each song complimenting each other. Everything is in a perfect order and creates a perfect flow. I play this every summer and have listened to it about four billion times.
‒ Billy Joel “An Innocent Man” I am a huge fan of Billy Joel. I have seen him a few times Live in concert and I own everything he has done so it is very difficult to choose a favorite but in the end this album is above the rest. He went with a whole 1960's Beatle’s like feel to it with some splashes of “the Four Season’s”. It really rocks and is a feel good album. Plenty of great songs to sing to. It is unlike any other album he has done. I pretty much grew up with this album.
‒ Pearl Jam “Ten” This was their peak. After that each album was less good. I am not even a fan anymore. They have gotten way to political and it’s no longer about the music and more about bashing the US government. Don’t get me wrong I am pissed with the government as well but I don’t want to hear it in my music or when I go to a live show. I like music to take me away from that crap. Not bring it to me. Anyways “Ten” is a perfect album. If you love rock this is a must. I only wish Pearl Jam had stayed with the sound they started with. With heavy guitars and brilliant drumming there was also a piano. It fit so well but unfortunately after this album it was gone. Piano is not usually used in heavy rock but it really works here. When I was a teen and had some bad days I would go in my room and blast this. It worked every time in letting steam off. A+++++ on my list.
‒ Nirvana “Nevermind” I was late getting on the Nirvana train. When I was a young teen I hated to be like everyone else. Everyone was talking about this album so I decided I would stay clear. It was really a stupid way to be. I refused to go see “Jurassic Park” at the movie theater because everyone and their Mother went to see it. Thankfully I changed. In 1994 I finally decided to get the album that pushed forward the alternative rock movement. A genre that to this day is still my favorite. Gone was the heavy make-up and theatrics of early Heavy Metal. Instead was raw vocals, guitars, drums, and bass. Raw angry lyrics that many could relate to. This album can never be duplicated and sadly a few months after I got it Nirvana was over with the suicide of Kurt Cobain.
‒ Alice and Chains “Dirt” and “Jars of Flies” I mention these two but I am such a huge fan that it really is difficult to choose. Alice and Chains is the underdog. They were producing music before Pearl Jam and Nirvana got big. They continued producing great albums while these other bands grew to superstars. What I really liked about them instead getting more mellow as they grew they got heavier. Their final album to date (They are still a band with a new album coming!) Was their heaviest. I feel that they are underrated. They have inspired some of our current superstar bands like “Godsmack” and “Days of New.”
‒ Norah Jones “Come away with me” before anyone knew who she was I saw her on Letterman and knew that as soon as that CD came out I had to get it. This is such a feel good, take you away, album. It has this summer feeling to it and is perfect for romantic summer evenings. My personal favorite is “Come away with me.” Norah has velvetly smooth vocals that really touch the soul. This album is perfect. Whenever I listen to it I imagine myself on a late warm summer afternoon by the beach in some little shack. White curtains blow in a breeze. The waves crash along the beach covered in white sand. Seagulls can be heard flying overhead and I am with some gorgeous woman without a worry in the world.
‒ Katie Melua “Piece by Piece” you may not of heard of her but you will. This album is so well written and sounds so good that this girl should be a household name. She is from England and her vocals are creamy like vanilla ice-cream. Like any great artist she has created a sound that can’t be duplicated. This album falls into the family of Norah Jones and Michael Buble. Worth every penny to get into your album collection.
‒ Seal “Human Beings” I am huge Seal fan and I loved his first album but this one has become my favorite. Strangely enough at first I didn’t care for it but the more I listened the more I loved it. “Colors” is my personal favorite. Every song is good and so well done. It has a great sound to it and Seal’s vocals are at his best.
‒ Seal “Best of 1991-2004" I have this on my list because of disc two. If you get the two disc set there is a disc featuring all remakes of his best songs all done in acoustic. What makes it great is unlike many artist who remake their own songs he doesn’t screw them up. Not only does he keep the vocal arrangement so that it doesn’t ruin the songs he actually in some cases makes them better than the originals. “Crazy” is so good that I don’t know what version is better! It is so well done and Seal deserves an A++++++
‒ Bjork “Vespertine” This is an absolutely beautiful and haunting album. It is unlike anything I have ever heard. It is nearly impossible to explain. You just have to listen to it. It is magical. I have always been a Bjork fan. At first I found her music strange but then I got it and loved it. She creates sounds unlike anyone else and has such a unique creative style. Not every album she has done has been great. Some I really hate but this one is the best. Each songs flows into the next. I always listen to it in the winte as it has that feel to it. I had to get the Dolby Digital surround sound DVD audio version. It truly surrounds you in the sounds of this album. It is amazing. This CD was the biggest inspiration to me for a movie I recently wrote, which I feel is some of my best work. “Aurora” is one the my favorite songs of all times and “Pagan Poetry” is almost as good. This album is very close to being one of my top favorites.
‒ Vanessa Carlton “Be not nobody” I know at the time this came out it was seen as a teenage girl music fest. However if you did get the album you found, like me, it was anything but. Her hit song “A thousand Miles” is a far cry from the sound and style of the rest of the album. This is the only real pop-like song. The rest have a more darker and at times sultry sound. Vanessa has one of the sexiest singing voices I have ever heard. There are some really great songs on this CD such as “Rinse”, “Sway”, and “Paradise” I hate to use the word again but they have a haunting sound to them. This album is far more mature than what you might think. This was also another hidden gem for me when I was very surprised at how good it really is.
‒ Alicia Keys “Songs in A minor” Alicia Keys is hugely talented. She is a great writer, plays the piano beautifully, and has fantastic vocals. I love this album although she has yet to disappoint on any of her follow ups. This CD was her first and it’s a great one at that. This is another album that I pretty much put on repeat and listen to it over and over again.
‒ Natalia Imbruglio “White Lilies Island” I love this album. It is easy going and reminds me of summer. It really does have that lazy days of Summer feel to it. As each season rolls in I get into certain moods and when summer creeps in this CD comes out. I really hope you give this one a listen to.
‒ Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Stadium Arcadium” I have been a fan for awhile but this, their most recent album, is by far the best thing they have ever done. It is two CD’s and features 28 songs! Every one them is good. It’s not like they slapped a few together so that they could fill two discs. They put their all into each and every one. On the first CD, the first half of the disc is hit after hit after hit song. It always pleases me to see a band who has been at it for awhile come out with a new album that kicks ass. Not only is it fantastic but sold millions of copies. Fantastic CD for any RHCP fan or fans of rock in general.
‒ David Gilmour “On an Island” former Pink Floyd front runner shines on this 2006 album. Any Pink Floyd fan will love it as it could have been by them and any music fan will love it for it’s fantastic sound. Mr Gilmour can still rock!
‒ Paul Simon “The Rhythm of the Saints” Paul Simon goes in a whole different direction with this. Lot’s of congo’s and primitive percussions mixed in to the songs. It has an African sound to it and is absolutely brilliant. This is a feel good album but is also a must if like to test your sound system. It sounds so damn good! My favorite is “Further to fly” which is such a perfect song.
‒ Sting “Nothing Like the Sun” I am a huge Sting fan and love every album but this is my favorite. It has a great mix of songs and style. He does his version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” which is ten times better than the original version. A few years later The Corrs did a remake of Sting’s version of “Little Wing”. I have worn out this CD.
‒ Dave Mathews Band “ First three” I can’t choose the best but I will say if you are a music fan and haven’t purchased a DMB album then buy the first three. They are beyond perfect. I once heard a moronic snob bitchand moan because of their long violin solos and seven to ten minute songs claiming he didn’t get it. Well that is what I love about this band. They take their time with their songs and gives you your monies worth. Those violin solos (electric violin by the way) are fantastic. The members of this band are brilliant. The bass is great as heard in “Crush” and their version of “the Warehouse” is beyond brilliant. I have seen these guys in concert three or four times and each time is better than the last.
‒ Evanescence “Fallen” and “The Open Door” I have a taste for darker music and love haunting sounds. When they came along they had that sound. “Fallen” is such a good album that I had no idea how they could ever top it. Then “The Open Door” came out and to my shock they topped it. This is one my top favorite bands and I was so lucky to see them live in concert. I was just five rows back (actually 3 if you don’t count the mosh pit) Amy Lee is stunning and next to Mariah Carey has the best female voice I have ever heard. In my opinion “My Immortal” is the best song of 2005 and one of the most powerful songs ever recorded.
‒ Chris Isaak “San Francisco Days” I have been a fan of Chris Isaak for a long time and he is an artist who doesn’t disappoint. This album is fantastic although it is hard to choose a favorite because he has many great albums. “Forever Blue”, “Silvertone”, “Heart Shaped World” are some of the top. He has been compared to Elvis Presley but if you listen to his style he has his own. Very California surf summer love kind of style. It’s feel good music and what I love most is how he writes about heartbreak. If I was a songwriter and would write about my many heartbreaks and luck with women then what Chris Isaak writes is what I would write.
‒ Honorable mentions. There are so many great albums that I love that this list could go on and on. The before mentioned are ones that I had to talk about but I did want to add a few that I feel are great albums worth listening to.
‒ Coldplay “X&Y” Every song is good. So good that if you got this CD when it came out before all the singles were released you may find that you can’t tell what is the hit songs and which are not. Each song is good enough to be a hit. I love this one.
‒ Peter Gabriel “US” A very fun album that really fits his style well. It is by far his best album. He had many great songs in the past but on this everything comes together perfectly.
‒ Jem “Finally Woken” This is sort of a re-release with a new album name. Jem is from the UK and took off when radio stations gave her chance. They choose random songs to play and she took off. If you don’t know her name you’ll know her songs. They have been featured a bunch of movies and television shows. I love this album and the song “ I Miss You” is a sad song but very powerful and highly underrated. It is the best song on the album.
‒ 3 Doors Down “Away from the Sun” This is one of my top favorite rock bands. This album is a must for any rock and pop fan.
‒ Metallica “The Black album” It’s heavy, it’s loud, and it rocks! “Nothing else matters” is my personal favorite. This is by far their best.
‒ U2- “How to dismantle a bomb” Here is a band who have numerous albums, have been out for decades now, and they top it all with this album. This is the first U2 album where I like every song on it. I am a fan, I have every album they have done, but this tops them.
‒ Jon Secada “Greatest Hits” The first six or seven songs is worth it alone. I feel he peaked when he started. He had a line of hits that are some the best songs I have ever heard and then he went backwards. It must be tough to peak when you start because it makes it so hard to repeat that kind of success. In any case he did have a line of hits in the early to mid 1990's that can still be heard over the radio airways everyday. All timeless gems.
‒ Toad the Wet Sprockett. This is one of my favorite bands of all times, maybe number one. It saddens me that ten years ago they broke up. I can’t pinpoint any one album because all of their albums are fantastic. “Ducinea”, “Fear”, and “Coil” are perhaps their best. Their music is of brilliant writing, fantastic melodies, and unforgettable songs. If you are to give them a chance go with those three albums first and then get the rest. You won’t regret it.
COPYRIGHT 1992-2009 Mike Burke /
Mystic Night Pictures. All rights reserved.