gotta have you naked by the end of this song....

>>>>> ST's ALPHABETICON - C's CDs <<<<<

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, singles, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, miscellaneous

And now, the end is near... but not so near that I was able to pass up the opportunity to run through that CD Tower sat next to the armchair in the living room. You know, the one that contains a selection of C's CDs. Now, C likes her music, but she doesn't really buy very much of it. She has an iPod nano, but she's never felt the need to do any more than add a selection of songs from my iTunes library. Apart from a vague intention to use an iTunes gift card she's had for more than a year now to buy a Lloyd Cole album, she's never shown the slightest inclination to add anything else of her own. She does like classical music though, and I'm not too sure how I would react to that turning up on shuffle whilst I was out on a run.... Still, she's politely tolerant of most of the stuff I listen to anyway. Most of it. She's not really much of a metal head, but she has shown a real liking for some of the spikier end of my record collection, and is a big fan of people like the White Stripes and Kings of Leon.

Anyway, I'm sure this isn't the sum total of her musical interests, but the rest of the alphabeticon has only been about a small section of my record collection...and this is no different really.

Shall we?

> Les Plus Grandes Chansons du Siecle

Ah, a compilation album. Joe Dassin, Brel, Gainsbourg, Piaf, Johnny Hallyday... the cream of french songwriting, basically. I should probably give this a listen. Sounds pretty interesting. Altogether now "Champs-Elysees...."

> Scott Walker – Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel
> Jacques Brel – Infiniment
> Jacques Brel – Vol 1

The first two here are gifts from me... we both came to these songs from completely different directions: C was grew up in France and her parents saw Brel performing live, so his songs were very much part of the fabric of her childhood. I came to Brel through Scott Walker's covers. I hadn't really listened to any Brel, and C hadn't really listened to any Walker. So I bought CDs. That's what guys do, right? Although she's a big fan of Brel, because she doesn't rush out to get hold of every single thing he's ever recorded, there was a gap for a definitive collection of his work... and for a geek like me, that's an easy birthday present, right?

> Eurythmics – Greatest Hits
> Annie Lennox - Medusa

I like Eurythmics, but it's not something that I'm terribly likely to buy, so actually discovering this here is a bit of a bonus. I might have to rip this one. Does Annie Lennox still win the "Best Female Artist" at the Brits every year?

> Narciso Yepes – Chefs d’Oeuvre de la Guitare Espagnole

This may actually have been a gift for me. It seems to have found it's natural home. Not in my collection. Very good, I'm sure. C plays classical guitar, so no doubt she appreciates this on several more levels than I do. I like Jack White and Hendrix and people like that. She digs Narciso Yepes. Each to their own.

> Robbie Williams – Greatest Hits
> Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens
> Robbie Williams – Swing When You’re Winning

Hmm. C likes Robbie Williams and has seen him live. I think I gave her "Swing When You're Winning" one Christmas (you see? another easy present...), but the rest? That's all her own work, I'm afraid.

> Velvet Underground – The Best of the Velvet Underground
> Velvet Underground – Live MCMXCIII

...although you have to love a girl who has seen the Velvet Underground live. I think the live album was recorded in Paris, although not actually at the gig she attended... a good effort nonetheless, especially as when they played Glastonbury that year, I elected to go and watch a pre-first album Suede play, only seeing the VU playing "Venus in Furs" as I trudged up the hill to my tent. Well, I never did see Suede again either....

> The Beatles – 1

Well, hard to argue this one, unless you're an album snob. If you only have one Beatles album in your collection (bearing in mind that I have several within easy reach), this is not a bad one to have. Good for the car, anyway.

> Fun Lovin’ Criminals – 100% Colombian
> Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Come Find Yourself

She loves'em. What can you do? I've never really got them, but they're the one band that she has really enthused about since I've known her. Me, "Scooby Snacks" aside, I don't really get them.

> Doors – The Best of the Doors

Yup. Fair enough.

> Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin

She likes salsa, and as I have "Livin' the Vida Loca" in my singles collection, far be it from me to case any aspersions. Mind you, it does always conjure images of Borat in my head. "Reiki Martin is here?". Perhaps that's just me though.

> Rene Clemencic & Andras Kecskes – Flute A Bec Luth & Guitare
> Mozart – Requiem
> Mozart – Die Zauberflote
> Mozart – Don Giovanni

Classical stuff.

> Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

Just occasionally, C will say to me that she really likes someone that she's heard on the radio. It doesn't happen terribly often, but the last time it happened, Gwen Stefani was the artist in question. I don't think I've ever heard her play this album though, so you'll have to ask her if she thinks it's any good. Is this the "...this shit is bananas. b.a.n.a.n.a.s bananas" record?

> John Coltrane – The Best of John Coltrane

Mmm. Jazz. Her dad loves jazz, and it's pretty hard to argue with a record like this, isn't it? I should give this one a listen actually. Nice.

> Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend

Well, doesn't everyone own this? We seem to have two copies.

> Alex Harvey – Considering the Situation

A retrospective of the great man's career. We specifically bought this as C wanted his version of "Shout" (yes, the same one Lulu also covered) to be played at our wedding reception last year. We eventually found an album with the song on it in Birmingham, but on the way home the CD got stuck in her car CD player and was only recovered after the whole stereo was shipped to Germany. I think we finally got it back about December... and we had got married in June. So needless to say, it wasn't played. I was quite surprised and a bit disenchanted that in the digital age, it was so hard to find a copy of the song. Just sometimes, google lets you down.

> Madonna – Music
> Madonna – Ray of Light

Me, I can't stand her... but C likes her. Girl power, probably.

> Tom Jones – Reloaded

Now, I like Tom Jones, but I really don't like this album. I think he's just trying too hard and much prefer his older, cheesier stuff. Of course, the rest of the world would rather listening to him singing with Mousse T. My loss, I suppose.

> New Sound 2000 – Voices, music from the greatest divas ever

Sounds like a freebie to me.

> Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
> Alanis Morissette – Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

More girl power? I own one of these, and I have never even so much as listened to the other one. It might be very good for all I know. I've never heard C listening to either of these either. She's brilliant on that episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" though. Morissette I mean. Not C. Although I'm sure she'd be good too.

> Sting – Mercury Falling
> Sting / The Police- the best of Sting & the Police

Yes to the Police, but a big no to tantric sex rainforest man.

> Kylie Minogue – Body Language
> Kylie Minogue - Fever

Ah, Our Brave Kylie. I think these may both have been gifts from me, but she is a fan... honestly.

> Elvis Presley – Elv1s

This is the collection of his number ones, and I own this too. I'm not a massive fan, but you can't go too far wrong with it, can you? My favourite Elvis lyric ever? "I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree". Yours?

> Filter – Elvis Never Meant Shit to Me

Dunno. This pre-dates me.

> Dominique A – La Memoire Neuve

???

> Sugababes – Angels with Dirty Faces
> Atomic Kitten – Whole Again

Girl power? Not really.... just great pop music. Not much of this in my collection, but I do think that both of these may just have found their way onto my iPod.

> Chuck Berry – Legends In Music

This is the kind of record that I might own. He's a legend, I know, and Johnny B Goode is worth the price of entry alone... but Hendrix did it better, didn't he? Let's be honest.

> Patricia Kaas – Scene de Vie

Nope. Sorry, no idea.

> The Rolling Stones – Out of our Heads

C. like the Stones. One Christmas, her present to me was a handful of CDs that were important to her when she was growing up (which is a great idea, although I think it's probably fair to say that she wouldn't thank me for giving her "The Number of the Beast" and the first Faith No More album). Included in the CDs was a Rolling Stones collection. It wasn't this one, but obviously the Stones were an important band for her growing up. Her older brother Jake has played in various bands and has written and recorded music for most of his adult life. He was always the rebel at home and C was always the good girl. Jake was, of course, hugely into the music and was a massive Clash fan. Some of this has clearly rubbed off onto his little sister. She likes classical music in the main, but she does like the odd bit of rock. Nice.

> U2 – The Joshua Tree

I think I have this on cassette somewhere, but I'm not sure that I could name any of the songs on this with any great certainty apart from the singles. Not an album I have listened to all the way through, I think. From an era when I despised U2, I'm afraid.

> Barry White – Greatest Hits

This is actually mine. I do a terrible Barry White impersonation that really creeps C out... so obviously I do it all the time, and equally obviously I made sure that I had a record to sing along to. Actually, this is quite good... but it being quite good isn't the reason it's here. Was there ever a less sexy man in the whole universe than Barry White? Are walruses really something to aspire to? I'm thinking that even a walrus of love isn't that much of a sex bomb, on the whole.

> John B – Catalyst

John B is a friend of C's. I think she's on the album credits. It's jungle though, innit, so I doubt I shall ever, ever listen to it for longer than the split second it takes me to realise what it is and run away.

> Q the music 8
> Q Take it Easy
> The ’96 Brit Awards

Free stuff. We should probably take this to Oxfam... especially as the two Q albums are probably refugees from my collection anyway. C got taken to the Brits on a corporate jolly actually, it was the year the Franz Ferdinand won stuff. She sat in the golden circle and was wined and dined. Yeah, I know....

> The Full Monty OST
> High Fidelity OST

The latter was another gift from me (and a damn fine album to boot). The former? Apart from "Hot Stuff" and 'You Can Leave Your Hat On", I'm not sure I even know what's on this.

> David Gray – White Ladder

Ah, old wobbly head. Not really my cup of tea. A big hit, as I understand these things.

> Sherpas – Freezin’
> Lungfish – kinshipnesshood
> Benabar – les risques du metier

Your guess is as good as mine. I think Lungfish are one of her brother's bands (he's a proper musician you know, in his spare time... he gets royalty cheques and everything. Currently he's working as a project manager in an architect's office, which is not quite so cool, but is a lot more reliable for paying the bills)

> Ute Lemper – Sings Kurt Weil

If you can get past all those rolling rrrrrrrrrrrrrs, then this is really very good. I'm not entirely sure that I can get past them though.

> Joe Dassin – Vol 2

One more time, with feeling..... "Champs-Elysees...."

> Janis Joplin – Greatest Hits

I used to have this, so I suppose it could be mine. She's famous for her big voice and for her alcoholism, but I find her very hard to get into, for some reason.

> Music to Watch Girls By

Ah, an excellent compilation album this. If this isn't my copy, then it could easily have been another present from me. God, I'm so unimaginative with my gifts.

> Justin Timberlake – Justified

Trousersnake. Hmm. C actually owns a hat that she seldom wears but calls her Justin Timberlake hat.

> Essential Soundtracks

I think this includes stuff like "Lust For Life". Interesting up to a point, I suppose.

> Billie Holiday – Feel the Blues

Ah, now we're talking. You have to say that the girl does have some taste. I don't actually own any Billie Holiday, and I should rip this one right onto the iPod, I think.

> Manic Street Preachers- This is My Truth Tell Me Yours

Well, you can't argue with this one. Right up until SYMM, anyway. A great, great band. Peter, our Austrian friend was very interested in the idea of the Manic Street Preachers when I was telling him about them when we were in Vienna a few weeks ago. He'd heard of "If You Tolerate This..." but was ignorant of the rest of their work. Naturally, I posted him a compilation CD as soon as I got home, lovingly crafted to include 4st7lb, which was the song that got us talking about them in the first place (from the lyric "I want to walk in the snow and not leave a footprint"). I also sent him a homemade Eels collection and --ahem-- the Feeling (well, he likes Toto and stuff, so I thought he would love them too. he does.)

> Edith Piaf – Edith Piaf

Hates Marion Cotillard, loves Edith Piaf.

> Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way Baby

Meh. It's all a bit of its time, isn't it? Great video with Christopher Walken though.

> Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving

No no no no no no no no no. NO. Just no.

> Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits

I've never got Bob Dylan, really, and yet I own several albums by him in an attempt to get him based upon the assumption that so many people can't be wrong and that I must be missing something. Well, perhaps I am, but life is so short, isn't it?

> Daft Punk – Discovery

French. Very good. I was once at a party at her brother's flat in Toulouse. Naturally, most of the people there were French. I do speak French reasonably well (I'm told), but in a typically English way, I don't really like to unless it's absolutely necessary. As it happens, I found conversation quite easy as we started to talk about music, and Daft Punk in particular. Everyone seemed very impressed that I had even heard of Daft Punk as they imagined that they would only be famous in France. They were pleased that I had, as they're rightly proud of them as a good band. I was a little baffled that they seemed unaware of their worldwide success. We later moved on to the Clash... another band we could all agree on, and one that seems to have been very important to French guys of a certain age.

> Vent – 414

Was this Miles Hunt? I've no idea why C has this, or if it's any good.

> Vincent Delerm – Kensington Square

Nope. No idea. Sounds French though, right?

> The Clash – The Story of the Clash

Brilliant band, and I think it's brilliant that C has more of a feeling for the Clash than I do. I like them, sure, but she grew up listening to them. "Lost in a Supermarket" is one of her favourite songs, and I love her for that.

> Buena Vista Social Club

Great film, good album, and a direct link to her love of latin dancing.

...and that's it.

An interesting selection there, I think. Certainly a lot more varied than my gloomy collection of music by white boys with guitars, anyway.

We can all go home now. It's over......

Thank Christ for that, eh?

DVDs next? Books?

Only joking.

C'est fini.