The Island Project

This year Roseanne Cash released an album entitled The List. It contains songs that were on “a list” her dad (the legendary Johnny Cash) created for her in the early 1970’s. She was on tour with her dad and he was telling her about all the songs she should know and when she didn’t know the songs he sat down with a piece of paper and made a list of the 100 American Song that everybody should know.

Similarly this year many of my friends have been working on a project – Island CD’s. The project started in a conversation on our way to see Steve Earle in Chicago – if you are going to be stuck on a deserted island for the rest of your life what 5 albums do you take with you? The next week I e-mailed that question to some friends and after much whining and complaining the rules were created:
1. 10 albums maximum
2. No “Greatest Hits”, “Best of” or “Essentials” albums
3. No Live albums

To date 18 friends and music fans have sent me their list which is attached. Here is the current "Island" list:

Bill Ecker - Seattle, Washington

Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
Woody Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Clash - London Calling
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
Iris DeMent: Infamous Angel
Bob Dylan: Blood On the Tracks
Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Bob Marley: Kaya
Kathleen Edwards: Failer

Matthew Wester - Scottsdale, Arizona

Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Led Zeppelin - IV
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
U2 - Achtung Baby
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
Beatles - Revolver
Grateful Dead - Europe 72

Dale Hosack - Austin, Texas

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Tift Merritt - Tambourine
Michael Stanley Band - Misery Loves Company
James McMurtry - Too Long in the Wasteland
Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Amy McDonald - This is the Life

Kevin Shimkus - Chicago, Illinois (accountant who can't count to 10)

Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
BB King - Blues and Jazz
Derek and the Dominoes- Layla
Jason Mraz - Jason Mraz
Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytale
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
John Hiatt - Bring the Family
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Los Lonely Boys - Los Lonely Boys
The Smithereens - 11
Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need
Los Lobos - Will the Wolf Survive
The Clarks - Fast Moving Cars

Gary Dahlsted - Cedar Park, Texas

AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Led Zeppelin - II
Van Halen - I
Green Day - American Idiot
Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swinging Lovers
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Texas Flood
The Beatles - A hard Day's Night
Cannonball Adderly - Something Else
Marshall Crenshaw - I

Peter Denby - Austin, Texas

The Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Hot Tuna - The Phosphorescent Rat
Cream - Disraeli Gears
Tift Merritt - Tambourine
Led Zeppelin - IV
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station

Bill Sandweg Phoenix, AZ

Bruce Springsteen - The River
Willie Nelson - The Red Headed Stranger
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Lisa Wilkerson Houston, TX

Willie Nelson - Red headed Stranger
Willie Nelson - Stardust
The Doors - LA Woman
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Sting - Nothing Like the Sun
U2 - The Joshua Tree
INXS - Shabooh Shoobah
Love & Rockets - Express
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
Mark Towns - Flamenco Jazz latino

Bob Labelle - Pflugerville, TX

AC/DC - Back in Black
Prince - Purple Rain
Counting Crows August and Everything After
U2 The Joshua Tree
The Refreshments Fizzy Fuzzy Big Buzzy
Bruce Springsteen The River
Beethoven Pastoral
The Cure Disintegration
Pink Floyd The Wall
The Police Synchronicity

Johnny Grissom - Hattiesburg, MS

Beatles - White Album
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Van Halen - Van Halen II
Neil Young - Harvest
Elton John - Captain Fantastic
Garth Brooks - Garth Brooks
Jackson Brown - I'm Alive
Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories
Kansas - Point of  No Return
Styx - The Grand Illusion

Steve Arrington - Prosper, TX

Elvis Presley - 40 #1 Hits
Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Eagles - Hotel California
Robert Earl Keen - Live Dinner #2
Bruce Robison - Country Sunshine
Tanya Tucker - Can't Run from Yourself
1100 Springs - No Stranger to the Blues
Roger Creager - Live Across Texas
Jack Ingram - Hey You

Derek Holden - Wilson, TX

Jimmy Buffett - A White Sportcoat and a Pink Crustacean
Chicago - Chicago 7
Todd Snider - Step Right Up
BB King/Eric Clapton - Riding with the King
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
Blues Brothers - Soundtrack
Robert Earl Keen - Gringo Honeymoon
The Gourds - Noble Creatures
Guy Clark - Workbench Songs
Charlie Daniels Band - Fire on the Mountain

Tom Jacobson - Kennesaw, GA

White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Muddy Waters - After the Rain
Golden Earring - Mad Love
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Led Zeppelin - Physical Grafitti
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Buddy Guy - Sweet Tea
Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Session
Velvet Underground - Peel Slowly and See
Tommy Bolin - Teaser

Mike Castellani - St Charles, Illinois

Chicago - Chicago 2
Moody Blues - Question of Balance
Crosby Stills and Nash (1st album)
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (3 disc version)
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band
Elton John - Goodby Yellow Brick Road
Queen - Night at the Opera
Who - Tommy
Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
Styx - Grand Illusion

Dennis Hosack - Granville, Ohio

U2 – Joshua Tree
Mofro – Blackwater
Johnny Clegg – Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Little Village – Little Village
Van Morrison – Moondance
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood
Neil Young – Decade
John Hiatt – Perfectly Good Guitar
Pink Floyd – The Wall

Carole Vose - Port Orchard, Washington

Crosby, Stills, Nash - (self-titled) Crosby, Stills, Nash
Carole King - Tapestry
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Doobie Bros - The Captain and Me
Pearl Jam - Ten
The Eagles - Hotel California
AC/DC - Back in Black

Bill McDonald - Petal, Mississippi

Jackson Browne - I'm Alive
Boston - Boston
Don Henley - The End of the Innocence
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Dire Straits - Brother in Arms
Jerry Jeff Walker - Ridin High
Pure Prairie League - Busting Out
Van Zant - Get Right With the Man
Genesis - We Can't Dance
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Eric Brendan - Houston, Texas

Heartworn Highways - Movie Soundtrack
Dub Miller - Post Country
Matt Skinner - Nighthawk Affair
Matt Harlan - Tips & Compliments

Lila King - Mildand, TX

1. Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic
2. Janis Joplin-Anthology
3. Tom Petty-Wildflowers
4. Green Day-American Idiot
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers-Californication