Two Months & A Rule of 50: Records I’d Like Around…Always
I’m in a generative constraints phase: narrowing down my life through the use of some productively reductive principles. François Le Lionnais, in the “Second Manifesto” for Oulipo, writes: “The efficacy of a structure—that is, the extent to which it helps a writer—depends primarily on the degree of difficulty imposed by rules that are more or less constraining” (30).
Admittedly, what I’ve done below didn’t require a high degree of difficulty. Nevertheless, I’m hoping it generates an interesting two months (April and May), when I will only listen to the 50 records to which I would—in times dire—reduce my music collection.
The question? Whether I feel the same way come June.
Al Green, Let’s Stay Together
Animal Collective, Feels
Bad Brains, S/T
The Beatles, Abbey Road
Bonnie “Prince” Billy, I See a Darkness
Can, Ege Bamyasi
The Congos, Heart of the Congos
David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
DJ Shadow, Endtroducing…
Fugazi, Red Medicine
Gang of Four, Entertainment!
Gary Numan, The Pleasure Principle
Guided by Voices, Bee Thousand
Howlin’ Wolf, Sun Recordings
J Dilla, Donuts
Jesus Lizard, Goat
Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures
Led Zeppelin, III
Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room
Man Man, Six Demon Bag
Mazzy Star, She Hangs Brightly
Melvins, Houdini
Missy Elliot, Under Construction
Modern Lovers, S/T
Modest Mouse, The Moon And Antarctica
My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
Nirvana, Bleach
Notwist, Neon Golden
Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come
Otis Redding, Good To Me: Recorded Live At The Whiskey A Go Go
Pavement, Slanted & Enchanted
Pere Ubu, The Modern Dance
PJ Harvey, Rid of Me
Radiohead, OK Computer
Rocket from the Crypt, Circa: Now!
Sebadoh, Harmacy
Shellac, At Action Park
Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger
Sparklehorse, It’s a Wonderful Life
Spoon, Girls Can Tell
Steely Dan, Royal Scam
Superchunk, Foolish
T. Rex, The Slider
Television, Marquee Moon
Tom Waits, Frank’s Wild Years
Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory
The Velvet Underground & Nico, S/T
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wire, Pink Flag
No Nirvana?
You know, I went back and forth on Nirvana. Figured since I had a Melvins record, I didn’t need a Nirvana record. That said, I have a few days until April starts, and I’m revising the list. I cut Jawbox, Jawbreaker, and Blonde Redhead, and added Nirvana, Man Man, and Pavement.
Also wondering about Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, Funkadelic, and the Pixies.
List-making: The tough decisions one must make.