Deuxmemes
As tagged by that bastard shikou_mori.
Name your top 10 favourite albums of all time. Pick your favourite song from each and give a reason why it's your favourite song/album if you want. Tag ten people to do the same.
This is a tough one for me, since I usually listen to music in shuffle-mode, both when at home and when abroad. I'm more of an individual song favourite haver. "All time" is hard too, because my tastes fluctuate a lot! Should be interesting, though! In no particularly particular order:
1. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Song: The Blues Are Still Blue
As my recently-declared Favourite Band EVAR, it's of course essential for B&S to be represented on such a list. And while I love all of their albums, The Life Pursuit comes with memories of seeing them live in Seattle, which was the first place I heard many songs on the album. And it was a really awesome show. Also, The Blues Are Still Blue makes me rock out EVERY TIME.
2. Sarah Harmer - You Were Here
Song: Lodestar
Lodestar is a long-time favourite song. The album as a whole is awesome to listen to during long highway trips, particularly in the fog or rain. It has a good mix of cheeriness and introspectiveness for thoughtful scenery-observation.
3. The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon
Song: Your New Cuckoo or Been It
I got this album circa grade six in one of those Columbia 12-CDs-for-very-little-money-and-your-eternal-soul deals. I don't even remember why I chose it; possibly for Lovefool. Anyway, it's stood the test of time; I still listen to this album as an album sometimes, which is pretty remarkable. I didn't even hear anything else by the Cardigans until a few months ago.
4. Camille Saint-Saens - Symphonies 1 and 2
Song: Symphony 1
Designating classical stuff as an "album" is a little weird, but I do happen to have a CD (half of a 2-CD set) with these two symphonies on it, so that works. Saint-Saens is my longtime favourite classical composer, and these two symphonies are awesome. I could probably just have said "Everything by Saint-Saens", though... or The Carnival of the Animals, perhaps, which I've liked since long before owning the 2-CD set I'm referring to. Anyway, Saint-Saens goes here. (My favourite piece from The Carnival of the Animals, by the way, is The Aquarium!)
5. Tchaikovsky - The 1812 Overture
Song: The 1812 Overture
Again... not actually an album. But. This piece is an old friend of mine, and I love it dearly, especially at maximum volume.
6. Dar Wiliams - Mortal City
Song: As Cool As I Am
I don't usually listen to Dar Williams in album form, but most of my favourite tracks are on this one. In fact, Februrary or The Ocean or Iowa or Southern California Wants to be Western New York could as easily be my favourite song on it.
7. k. d. lang - Invincible Summer
Song: Summerfling
I have to be in the right mood to enjoy this album, but when I am, it's really a lot of fun. k. d. lang has a really emotive and listenable voice, and I like this album's pop-y-ness.
8. Ella Fitzgerald - The Gershwin Songbook
Song: I Got Rythm
Ella and the Gershwin brothers. Need I say more?
9. The Pillows - Thank You, My Twilight
Song: Thank You, My Twilight
I haven't been listening to The Pillows for very long, and I probably haven't explored their whole discography well enough to really pick a favourite album... but this one rocks, as does its title track!
10. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Song: With A Little Help From My Friends
I wish to include a token Beatles album. I'm not actually sure which one is my favourite, so Sgt. Pepper will do, with a citation of attached #kodochaCon2k6 memories!
I would have liked to include lots of other things, maybe Fiest or CSN(Y) or Simon & Garfunkel or Sakamoto Maaya or Kanno Yoko or ELP or APC or The Tea Party or The Postal Service or The Blue Scholars or or or. But this will do.
Pick 5-10 favourite books. Post the first line of each book (obscuring names if need be). Challenge your friends list to guess the books.
1. My lifelong involvement with Mrs. Dempster began at 5:58 o'clock p.m. on the 27th of December, 1908, at which time I was ten years and seven months old.
2. A burning scrap of paper drifts down out of the rain.
3. Drought since December.
4. My suffering left me sad and gloomy.
5. Daniel Pearse was born on the rainy dawn of March 15, 1966.
6. There used to be many families like the Ziskinds, families where each person knew that his life was more than his alone.
7. "Does the word Sparta mean anything to you?"
8. It was starting to end, after what seemed most of eternity to me.
Alas, of late I am tired and sick(ish). This is the last time I take five courses in one semester. FOR REAL THIS TIME.