nothing to see, nothing to hear....

>>>>>ST's ALPHABETICON - Part iii: C<<<<<
Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B

Right. You know the drill by now: this is not an attempt to exhaustively catalogue all of the music that I own. Rather, it's a sift through the CDs that are gathering dust on my shelf to see if there are any old gems on there that I ought to dig out... and to have a good laugh at some of the horrors no doubt lurking in there. The list does not include anything I have downloaded or ripped off someone; it does not include any of the CDs sat next to any of the stereos in the house or in the car; and it does not include any CDs that I might have lent to someone else (which as it happens, this week includes Cherry Ghost, an album I have been much enjoying on my iPod but the CD of which is currently in the safe hands and appreciative ears of LB).

Let's get this show on the road then. Not as lengthy as last week's installment, but for some reason containing loads of hits compilations.

104. Café Cuba

This is a compilation album, so it's probably filed in the wrong place. Actually it's filed right next to the Buena Vista Social Club album (again, should that be filed under "B" or under "Soundtracks" do you think?). So yes, I suppose you could say that it's the Cuban section of my collection. Both albums are extremely good, and although I don't venture here all that often, I actually ripped this CD onto my iPod only a couple of weeks ago. So there you go. I must have been feeling latin.

105. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Rattlesnakes

Quite a recent addition, actually. I think I eventually bought this because I loved the Tori Amos cover of the title track so much and because I knew that it was a classic, so I wasn't really going to be taking much of a risk. It's a good album too, although for some reason I can't listen to it without thinking about the fact that the bass player is not the golf correspondent of the Guardian newspaper. Rock and Roll!

106. Johnny Cash – American Recordings
107. Johnny Cash – Unchained
108. Johnny Cash – American III: Solitary Man
109. Johnny Cash – American IV: the Man Comes Around
110. Johnny Cash – American V, 100 Highways
111. Johnny Cash – The Man In Black

Cash doesn't just dominate the "C" section, he dominates my whole record collection. What a majestic body of work the American Recordings are. Having said that, I actually first got into Cash around about the time he played Glastonbury in 1994, the same year as the first American album came out, and a performance that I watched on the telly. I may or may not already have had the "Man in Black" compilation by then, but before long I was playing "Daddy Sang Bass" and "One Piece at a Time" on my show on University radio. At the time it felt like I was almost alone in my love of the great man - at least at my university.... but the wheel was about to turn.

Legend. And I don't use the term lightly.

"Ring of Fire" is my favourite karaoke track, as it happens. Cash would be so proud.

112. Crosby, Stills & Nash

Another recent addition but something I've sort of been meaning to get since I first started listening to Neil Young in about 1993. I think the final straw was an excellent documentary I saw on BBC4 about the Laurel Canyon scene. Fascinating stuff, and some of the singing on here is just breathtaking.

113. Catatonia – International Velvet

Happy days, eh? Late era Britpop. I think I've got the "Mulder & Scully" single somewhere too, so I must have liked them.

114. John Coltrane – Les Incontournables

A french "Best of" type compilation sampler, rather than a long lost album. What else can I say really except..... Nice.

115. Cult – Pure Cult

The first band I ever saw live in concert. I used to have more of their stuff on tape, but I only bothered buying a best of CD complilation to fill the gap. They were very silly, of course, but some of their tunes still sound pretty good today, not least the peerless "She Sells Sanctuary".

116. Sheryl Crowe – Sheryl Crowe

Blimey. It's a real mixed bag in here, isn't it? I know this is hardly the most fashionable record in my collection, and I haven't listened to it in a while... but actually it's not that bad. Songs like "If It Makes You Happy" and "Hard to Make A Stand" are really pretty respectable.

117. The Clash – The Story of the Clash vol 1

I think I'm just too young to remember them properly, and my first exposure to them will have been that Levi advert back in the day. Great band, obviously.

118. Jimmy Cliff – the best of Jimmy Cliff

Bought in the wake of Glastonbury (I think) 2003 where Cliff played on a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon. Actually, I think I ordered this the night I got back from the festival, possibly at the same time as the Inspiral Carpets greatest hits, but perhaps we'll gloss over that, eh? Actually fuck it....I like them too.

119. Clearlake – Lido

Cheers Damo.

120. The Cure – Greatest Hits
121. The Cure – Staring at the Sea – the singles

Two greatest hits albums? Well, one of them is really old and has things like "Killing an Arab" on, which I love, but the later one has all of the newer stuff on (and not so much of the old)... so short of buying a whole pile of albums (in the pre-download era), I ended up with both collections. Actually, the newer one was worth it just for the bonus CD featuring acoustic versions of all the songs.... it's brilliant.

122. Coldplay – Parachutes
123. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood to the Head
124. Coldplay – X&Y

Not in the least bit fashionable, I know, but I adore this band. Chris Martin needs to spend a bit more time on some of his lyrics (on X&Y in particular) and perhaps a bit less time on "Extras" and guesting for rappers.... but I love these albums. Call me a sap, but there's something about Coldplay that really chimes with me.

125. Graham Coxon – Happiness in Magazines

I think I've got "Love Travels at Illegal Speeds" somewhere too, which is more of the same, only with even more tunes. Proof positive of exactly what it is that Blur are missing. "Freakin' Out" is just a fantastic song.

126. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

I bought this when I read critics saying how marvellous it is. I'm afraid I pretty much hate it and I find it almost impossible to get past the guys horrible singing voice.

127. Eric Clapton – Crossroads (4 CD box set)
128. Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Boulevard

I went through a big Clapton phase when I was about 13 years old, and I saw him playing at the Albert Hall and everything. The boxset was a gift from my grandparents, and I still listen to bits and pieces of it because it features tracks from throughout Clapton's career from bands like Cream, Derek and the Dominos and Blind Faith. I still can't stomach "Wonderful Tonight", but anyone who has a song called "Willie and the Hand Jive" can't be all bad, right?

129. Crowded House – Recurring Dream

A band that I quite like, but never enough to buy any album apart from their greatest hits... which is quite good.

130. Cast – All Change

Hehe. Well, I've still got "Be Here Now", so why not? Some good singles on here, la.

131. The Cranberries – Everyone Else Is Doing it So Why Can’t We?

Hm. Last listened to in about 1994 in the room of my house in Leamington Spa. "Linger" is gorgeous, but by the time "Zombie" came out, I was well past my interest in them.

132. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Best

Definitely an artist I feel I ought to know more about, but this is the only thing by him I have in my whole collections. Where's a good album to start?

133. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas

Combining artists from two of my favourite bands: Belle & Sebastian and Queens of the Stoneage. It's an unlikely collaboration, but it's also one that works very well.

134. David Crosby – if only I could remember my name...

Declared by someone in some book somewhere to be the greatest album of all time. I don't know about that, but I do know that this was a lovely thoughtful gift from LB. Mind you, take a look at Crosby here. Whatever did all those beautiful women see in pug-ugly, mustachioed, drug-addicted millionaire David Crosby? Perhaps they liked his singing voice?

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Shuffleathon 2007 Update.

More people in. I think I'll close registration soon, so if you haven't entered yet then this is probably your last chance.

Those of you that have entered, could you start thinking about sending your address details to the email address in my profile? (and you'd better also say if you won't do international postage or if you want me to intermediate with your CD to keep your address secret and so on...)

NAME	POSTED OUT	RECEIVED
1. Tina
2. Sarah
3. Cody Bones
4. Mark
5. Michael
6. Hen
7. Cat
8. Bedshaped
9. Pynchon
10. J
11. The Great Grape Ape
12. Ian
13. Martin
14. Monogodo
15. Threelight
16. Paul
17. Charlie
18. LB
19. Katyola
20. Lisa
21. Graham
22. Del
23. Spins
24. Ben
25. Dragon
26. Adem
27. Mike
28. JoeInVegas
29. Wombat
30. Max Bob
31. Stevious
32. Asta
33. Alan
34. Me...
35. You????

Oh, and if you've got a blog and I haven't linked it... drop me the URL too.

Phewie.