Desert island discs

By Daniel McGarry

Away from MTV, Paula Cole, the Spice Girls, Matchbox 20, and music critics, once and for all. I stand in awe of music as good as that listed below.

*David Bowie, Hunky Dory, 1972: Plastic Soul? White Soul? English Soul? Plastic White English Soul? No, no, no, and no. Gay Nazi stage? We're not going there. Bowie's early '70s period is unparalled in modern musical history; only the Pixies have come close to this high level of quality output over such a short period of time. So Hunky Dory should always be ably flanked by The Man Who Sold the World and Aladdin Sane-- alas, the limitations of desert island life.

*Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, 1973: Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. And popular. And better than you'll ever be.

*Boston, Boston, 1976: Nobody really likes going to M.I.T., but at least those who do can be proud of this.

*Led Zeppelin, In Through the Out Door, 1979: A lonely album for a lonely island. John Paul Jones at his best. I was always embarrased to listen to "Hot Dog" and "Carouselambra" in front of other people, now I have nothing to worry about.

*Pixies, Surfer Rosa, 1988: As if I could actually go the rest of my life without hearing "Where is My Mind?" One could argue that this record saved us from the '80s.

*Pixies, Bossanova, 1990: Their artistic apex (gag). You think I can take just one Pixies album? For shame!

*Cracker, Kerosene Hat, 1993: From Berlin to Barstow in three tracks or less: only Cracker.

*Pearl Jam, Vs., 1993: They are gods and they still exist, so go see them. This should shake a few monkeys from the trees. I'm just pissed I'll never get to see them in concert again. Gods.

*U2, Zooropa, 1993: I can't go there anymore, but at least I'll have this. Show me...U2...at their most disinterested...yet also their most passionate...all this plus Johnny Cash.

*Frank Black, Teenager of the Year, 1994: Frank Black has done more for American music than any other person in the past two decades. This is easily his greatest work, Pixies' stuff included--my favorite album of all. And he's a friend of Bowie.

*Soundgarden, Superunknown, 1994: Chris Cornell's voice is so ridiculously powerful. "The Day I Tried to Live" alone merits inclusion.

*Radiohead, The Bends, 1995: What's that you say? "Rock is dead?" Then you obviously haven't heard this, or 1997's OK Computer; you know nothing.

*Pulp, Different Class, 1995: They've got all those bosso machines, Cocker's croon, and enough Englishness to get under your skin in the worst way without turning it to a deathly Sheffield pale. Plus the sexiest liner notes ever. I shagged her rotten, baby.

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