Mediocre Collection: A Book Review & Self-Assessment
Thursday, November 30th, 2006After reading Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, 
I just realized that my collection of tapes, CDs and LPs, that I have started collecting since the mid-80s, lack the sheer comprehensiveness of the book. It was also surprising to note that the list is very diverse: from the classic rock of the Beatles to the street smart rap of Eminem. Even hiphop duo, OutKast, pulled it off with Aquemini and Stankonia. No Doubt even chucked up two of their albums, namely: Tragic Kingdom and Rock Steady, to this impressive list. Though perennial favorites like U2, Alanis 
Morisette and Michael Jackson made the cut, it is only now that I also realized that I have missed out so much of the greatest works ever made in the 60s and 70s. Just think of the greatness of Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, Al Green, Joni Mitchell, and Bruce Springsteen. Thus, it is my long-term goal to beef up my list as time passes by. Chosen by industry experts and artists alike, below is my fair share of the countdown (titles that exist in my present collection):
484.) Pearl Jam – “Vitalogy” (Epic/1994)
479.) The Smashing Pumpkins – “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” (Virgin/1995)
472.) George Michael – “Faith” (Columbia/1987)
469.) The Fugees – “The Score” (Columbia/1996)
465.) Coldplay – “A Rush of Blood to the Head” (Capitol/2002)
444.) Madonna – “Music” (Maverick/2000)
433.) No Doubt – “Tragic Kingdom” (Interscope/1995)
404.) Bob Dylan – “Time Out Of Mind” (Columbia/1997)
395.) Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Californication” (Warner Bros./1999)
373.) TLC – “Crazysexycool” (Arista/1994)
372.) Oasis – “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” (Epic/1995)
359.) Madonna – “Ray of Light” (Maverick/1998)
355.) OutKast – “Stankonia” (LaFace/2000)
323.) Alanis Morissette – “Jagged Little Pill” (Maverick/1995)
313.) Eminem – “The Eminem Show” (Interscope/2002)
312.) No Doubt – “Rock Steady” (Interscope/2001)
298.) Eminem – “The Marshall Mathers LP” (Interscope/2000)
276.) Mary J. Blige – “My Life” (MCA/1994)
275.) Madonna – “The Immaculate Collection” (Sire/WB/1990)
272.) Janet Jackson – “Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814” (A&M/1989)
258.) Tracy Chapman – “Tracy Chapman” (Elektra/1988)
253.) Janet Jackson – “The Velvet Rope” (Virgin/1997)
251.) Whitney Houston – “Whitney Houston” (Arista/1985)
249.) Metallica – “Metallica” (Elektra/1991)
244.) R.E.M. – “Automatic for the People” (WB/1991)
234.) Madonna – “Like A Prayer” (Sire/WB/1989)
205.) Pearl Jam – “Ten” (Epic/1991)
200.) Michael Jackson – “Bad” (Epic/1987)
139.) U2 – “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” (Interscope/2000)
36.) Carole King – “Tapestry” (Sony/1971)
20.) Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (Epic/1982)
17.) Nirvana – “Nevermind” (Geffen/1991)
"What is your heart song?". The forthcoming animated film, Happy Feet, opening late this month, caught my attention with such thought-provoking question. Everytime I catch a movie, theatre operators ceaselessly show the trailer that I just can’t help myself but adore this product of ingenuity in the field of animation. I really don’t know, but I do find enjoyment in such elementary, child-like things recently. Yesterday, I ended up buying a Garfield 2007 Desk Calendar from Powerbooks. Last Wednesday, I bought a VCD of Cars from SM Harrison Plaza at a ridiculous price of P275 though I could’ve waited a few months for a price markdown. On the other hand, I passed by Greenbelt last Thursday to catch a screening of Flags of our Fathers. Before such, I dropped by Music One to check out some CDs and to my surprise, they were already carrying Josh Groban’s latest opus, Awake. Though most record stores were not yet carrying the title at that time, I bought a copy without thinking twice. 
Josh Groban’s third album, Awake, hits record stores tomorrow, November 7. Groban teams up with producers: Marius de Vries, Guy Sigsworth, David Foster and Glen Ballard in this potential smash hit. The first single is the ballad, You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up).
