The Amoeba List

Well, I'm going. To Amoeba. The World's Greatest CD store. (Yes, I still buy CD's.) It's at most a once a year trip for me -- I just don't get to California as much as I used to -- and one of my favorite rituals in the weeks before I go is making the list of what I want to buy.

So what's on this year's list? Get ready -- it's all over the map. And I've saved the best for last.

I'll try to break it into a few categories:

1) Kid music -- stuff I can introduce my kids to and feel good about playing for them:
Beatles -- Any Beatles.
The only Beatles CD we own is the compilation titled 1. And my daughter already joyfully sings a long with most of it, but her favorite is "Hard Days Night". So it's on the list. As is Sgt. Pepper's, Rubber Soul and Revolver -- all must-have CDs for kids to explore.

The Ramones - Rocket to Russia
So much good stuff here -- starting with "Rockaway Beach" which seems like it would be great fun for kids. "Do You Wanna Dance" is good, too, but we'll have to wait on "Teenage Lobotomy" for now.

Bob Marley - Legend (or some compilation)
I'm specifically looking for "Three Little Birds" -- a perfect song for children. Chloe loves her Ziggy Marley CD -- and especially enjoys singing "Take Me to Jamaica". But it's hard to believe I don't have any Marley (or Beatles or Ramones for that matter) on CD. What I had was on cassette or LP -- I never bothered to buy any of it on CD because it was all so familiar. Now I want to share it with my kids -- so Amoeba here I come.

The Cure - Boys Don't Cry and/or Standing on the Beach
We have the Rockabye Baby Cure CD, and it's lovely, but I'd like to play the real thing. "Lovecats" would be fun for the kids, as would "Boys Don't Cry". Again, I have it on cassette, but a lot of good that does me.

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Another must-have CD -- there's at least a couple of tracks that are kid-friendly ("Wouldn't It Be Nice", "God Only Knows"). Hell, the whole record has a childlike quality to it. I just don't know how much of Brian Wilson's LSD trips really translate into music for my kids' ears.


2) New stuff - this is just stuff that's come out this year that I want.

Beirut - The Rip Tide
Beirut's new album comes out the week before I'll be shopping so I'll probably pick it up then.

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
I haven't gotten around to getting this yet so I'll pick it up at Amoeba as well.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Ditto.


3) Stuff I want to catch up on... this is older stuff for me that is either familiar or stuff I had on cassette or LP that I want to hear again.
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
I really want to hear "This Must be the Place" and MGMT's cover from back in their college days just doesn't cut it, though it is fun to watch:

Graham Coxon - The Spinming Top or Love Travels at Illegal Speeds
So I'm kind of catching up here. These two releases are at least from the last decade, and both are among the best of Coxon's solo work since leaving Blur. I must say I very much enjoyed his 2002 release Happiness in Magazines.

Suede - Suede
Okay, more Britpop. But this really is a seminal record in a lot of ways, and I missed it the first time around.

Johnny Marr & the Healers - Boomslang
Not a very good record, at least to the critics. I'm a huge Johnny Marr fan but I never picked this up and I want to hear it for myself.

The Smiths - The Smiths
It's the only Smiths CD I don't own on CD. I think I need it.

Peter Gabriel - So
I may or may not need this -- as I may have Shaking the Tree on CD. But there's so much good stuff here that it would be nice to have.


4) Random stuff. The final category is the best. This is the stuff that I'm most looking forward to.
Public Image Ltd - This is What You Want, Album, and/or Happy?
This could have been in the previous category -- but I just really have a jones to hear these guys again. I'd settle for the Best Of if need be.

The Kinks - The Kinks are the Village Preservation Society
The roots of Britpop -- about mundane life in a small, rural English hamlet. See my earlier post on the subject!
 

Anthology of American Folk Music, Harry Smith, ed.
Another must-have CD -- after hearing Dan Zanes' version of so many traditional American songs it would be nice to hear them in a more original state.

The Upsetters/Lee "Scratch" Perry - Super Ape or Blackboard Jungle

I want to buy some dub. I don't own any, and I've done a little research into the subject. The cut that makes me happiest is from Super Ape, Perry's outstanding 1976 release. Look at that cover - how great is that? It kind of explains much of the Beastie Boys aesthetic.

 

There's other dub that I'd be interested in, including:
The African Dub Almighty compilations
Dub Syndicate - Pounding System
Trojan Dub Massive collections
Prince Far I - Dub to Africa or Voice of Thunder (Prince Far I was name-checked in my at-bat song "Clash City Rockers." The guy has the greatest voice -- you can listen here.)
Scientist - Dub in the Roots Tradition
Linton Kweisi Johnson - Forces of Victory
King Tubby - Dub from the Roots
Groove Corporation - Dub Plates from the Elephant House
Twilight Circus - In Dub Vol. 1 (Twilight Circus is the bassist from Legendary Pink Dots)

Like I said, I did my research. (But honestly, who needs more than one dub CD?)

What else should I be buying at Amoeba this time around?