Mike's Desert Island Albums

 

White Album
White Album
The Beatles

All sorts of Beatlesque goodness here.

Kerosene hat
Kerosene Hat
Cracker

Good, down home rock 'n roll.

Welcome Interstate Managers
Welcome Interstate Mangers
Fountains of Wayne

This one is a recent favorite, and a favorite of Annika's since she's heard it so often.  It's high quality power-pop, just the way I like it, with a song about football that absolutely nails the right mood.

Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Sarah McLachlan

I had a Canadian roommate during my sophomore year at Calvin.  He certainly helped heighten my interest in hockey, and he introduced me to Sarah McLachlan.  We were both more or less infatuated with her, and there were moments where we would sit in our room (not together next to each other, mind you), turn off all the lights except for some strands of Christmas bulbs, and listen to her do Tom Waits' "Ol 55" on The Freedom Sessions.  It was awwwwwwesome.

Bang Masters
Bang Masters
Van Morrison

This is an album of recordings from the studio session where Van Morrison recorded "Brown Eyed Girl" early in his career.  It's an intimate session, and the liner notes describe the situation well: the young musical artist trying to record his vision while battling the producers that want to make a bunch of money.

Monster
Monster
R.E.M.

This isn't one of the more respected R.E.M. albums, but I enjoy it.  It has that really grungy and caustic guitar sound, but it's R.E.M.!  The first time I saw them in concert was at Michigan State during the Monster Tour.  Their performance of "Let Me In" had a great justaposition of serenity (Billy Berry and Peter Buck calmly playing the tambourine and keyboard, repsectively) and ferocity (Mike Mills going ballistic on the lead guitar).

Illinoise
Illinoise
Sufjan Stevens

Unfortunately, I do not possess an adequate vocabulary for describing the quality of this album.  It's musically amazing, and the fact that Sufjan is connected with West Michigan makes it that much more cool.

Girlfriend
Girlfriend
Matthew Sweet

Of all the top ten albums, this one I heard first, back in high school.  Matthew Sweet puts together infectious rock 'n roll with great harmonies and all kinds of good guitar.  The song "Girlfriend" actually appears on Guitar Hero II, and it's my favorite to play, when I get the chance.

Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
U2

Many U2 albums nearly made it into the top ten, but this one represents what is probably my favorite era of U2's career. This is one of the few bands whose albums I want to hear as soon as they come out.  I saw them at Notre Dame for the Elevation Tour, little more than a month after 9/11.  It was the greatest concert I've ever attended.

The Blue Album
The Blue Album
Weezer

Weezer is a band that I was aware of but ignored during high school, but once I took a really good listen to them, more than a dozen years later, I really enjoyed it.


Honorable Mentions

My Concert Report

BARENAKED LADIES
        12-01 at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids
        2-1-95 at Calvin College FAC, Grand Rapids
BOB DYLAN
        2-14-99 with the Brian Setzer Orchestra at the Notre Dame Joyce ACC
CRASH TEST DUMMIES
        Spring '97 with Ashley MacIsaac at Calvin Collge FAC, Grand Rapids
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
        2-12-04 with African A Capella (a group of Calvin students) at Calvin College FAC, Grand Rapids
R.E.M.
        8-99 with Wilco at the World Music Theater, Chicago
        9-95 at the Breslin Center, Michigan State University, Lansing
SARAH MACLACHLAN
        Fall '97 at the Welsh Auditorium, Grand Rapids
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
        4-21-97 with the Gravel Pit at Calvin College FAC, Grand Rapids
U2
        10-01 with Garbage at the Notre Dame JACC
WALLFLOWERS
        2-98 with the Jayhawks at the Calvin College Fieldhouse, Grand Rapids

 Take me home, country roads...