I wasn't there yesterday for Antonio Pierce's air-horn display or Michael Strahan's (yawn) latest overreaction to an innocuous question -- my deepest hope is that once Ol' 92 retires, the only media job he can find will be doing man-on-the-street interviews, and every question he asks is greeted with, "That is crap. Be creative."
Ah, I can dream.
I've had a day or so to digest the stuff from yesterday, excellently delivered to you by Erik Boland. This is not a new blog topic, since some Giants player seems to take it upon himself each of the last three seasons to excoriate the media and rally his teammates by taking shots at us, but here's my feeling on the latest:
-- Pierce got my Good Guy vote last year, and even now, he'd get it again. The air-horn stunt was immature, but he still gets it -- this isn't life or death stuff, and he's hardly serious when he's talking about his reading list or asking fans to send defensive tips. He's a sharp guy who uses a lot of outside influences as motivation, which isn't the way I'd do it, but I'm not a football player. To each his own.
-- If Strahan weren't such a fickle bully, I'd give him a pass too. But he likes to pick on various people who have nothing to do with what goes on inside the locker room, so that's fine.
-- Bottom line: We all have bad days, especially when we're being ripped by our bosses. I wouldn't want to be asked the same questions every day, or hear how much I stink every day. And yes, I do take it personally when I get lumped in with my colleagues and competitors for doing something I didn't do, just as Strahan or Pierce might get miffed if they had good games and were ripped nonetheless.
Anyway, like Gibril Wilson said, we're not splitting the atom here. Can't take it all that seriously.
And the debates among you all will rage on... I mean, just go over to BBI -- there's people there who'd fight you if you said it's sunny out.
OK, speaking of raging debates... Seems I stepped on some toes with my list last week, so it's only fair that I give you a chance to make fun of my faves. Here's a random sampling of 10 favorites from my CD collection. Rip away...
10. Buffalo Tom, Let Me Come Over -- A holdover from my college years. Great Boston-based band that just toured again.
9. Helmet, Meantime -- I've mentioned them before, and the first four tracks are still the best way to get going in the morning. And thanks, Tim, for pointing out a terrible mistake. We all need editors.
8. Run-DMC, Raising Hell -- The original.
7. Sublime, 40 Oz. To Freedom -- Imagine how big they'd have been if Nowell hadn't killed himself.
6. Guided By Voices, Bee Thousand -- Weird and beautiful.
5. The Roots, Phrenology -- Best hip-hop of the last 10 years.
4. Judgment Night soundtrack -- Never saw the flick, but the soundtrack is on my playlist all the time. It's a bunch of rock and rap groups paired together for each track... Helmet/House of Pain, De La Soul/Teenage Fanclub, Mudhoney/Sir Mix-A-Lot and my favorite, Faith No More/The Boo-Yaa Tribe.
3. Bob Mould, Workbook -- Sugar and Husker Du lead singer does a brilliant solo album.
2. Radiohead, The Bends -- Almost perfect disk.
1. Husker Du, Flip Your Wig -- Perfect disk.
OK, rip away... I'll bring my air horn.
Comments (13)
The Helmet album is Meantime, not Unsung; that album gets me fired up!
You saved yourself by adding Radiohead to the mix. Otherwise....
Thats a great list Arty
Arthur...
Let Me Come Over is a GREAT album. Have you heard BT's latest that came out about a month ago? I think you'll like it. If you're interested, I have a bootleg concert of the entire Let Me Come Over and also Big Red Letter Day albums that they played on back to back nights a few years ago...I was at both shows. I'd gladly burn and send them to you.
I love the list...but if you're adding Mould/Husker Du, you need to balance it with some 'Mats...I'd put 'Tim' on that list, or possibly 'Let it Be' in place of Sublime...they just weren't a big fave of mine at that time. My top ten from the era you post:
10: Social Distortion - Between Heaven and Hell
9: The Wonder Stuff - Eight Legged Groove Machine
8: The Godfathers - Birth, School, Work, Death
7: The Alarm - Strength
6: Buffalo Tom - Big Red Letter Day
5: Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
4: Cracker - Cracker
3: The Smithereens - Especially for You
2: Catherine Wheel - Ferment
1: The Replacement - Tim
And if you don't agree, meet me on BBI and I'll fight you...
Wow, GBV Bee Thousand! Props to Arthur. I love weird and beautiful myself. But GBV has lots of great rock-n-roll-get-psyched-up-and-run-wild songs too. Isolation Drills is a great album for all you football fans, along with a cd with the unlikely title Mag Earwhig.
Wow. I really must be getting on in years. I have just one question. WTF is this a list of? Never heard of any of 'em.
Artie - You said" I do take it personally when I get lumped in with my colleagues and competitors for doing something I didn't do, just as Strahan or Pierce might get miffed if they had good games and were ripped nonetheless." I agree, there is just one problem - Strahan and Pierce did not have good games! I'm not sure if they were even there...
PS - Loose the CD stuff - we are not here for that crap...
I won't tell The Reverend about this, but he's going to be very disappointed.
Arthur,
Not a bad list, but I'd include these two to your listening pleasure:
Mos Def - Black Star (If you haven't heard it, you'll realize this should go in your top 10. If you have heard it, you obviously forgot to add it and now realize your mistake)
Radiohead - OK Computer (Bends was solid but just doesn't compare, Best Album of the their 6)
Traveling Wilbury's - Volume 1#
George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. How can you dispute?
Artie:
Any chance we'll see something from ABBA on your list?
10: Misfits - Coffin Box set.
Misfits recordings are all over the place. This collects most of it in one convenient place.
9: U2 - War
All these years later, it's still their best album.
8: Allman Bros. - A Decade of Hits
Another best of. There's so much good Allman Bros stuff out there, this is a good overview.
7: Green Day - Dookie
The best pop-punk album ever
6: Neil Young - Live Rust
Pick pretty much any album of his from the 70's. This is my favorite.
5: Ramones - Rocket To Russia
Much like Young, a good portion of their catalog rocks
4: Fear - The Record
Nasty, dangerous Early 80's punk
3: T-Rex - Electric Warrior
Marc Bolan was a pop genius.
2: Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bullocks
Greatest punk album of the 70's
1: The Clash - London Calling
Not a weak song on the entire album. Stands the test of time.
haha, I guess John Bligh never listened to Achtung Baby.
10. Gorillaz-Demon Days
9. Nine Inch Nails-The Fragile
8. Sublime-Second Hand Smoke
7. U2--Actung Baby
6. Coldplay--Rush of Blood to the Head
5. Pearl Jam--Versus
4. Beatles--Anthology 2
3. Guns-N-Roses-Appetite for Destruction
2. The Doors--In Concert
1. R.H.C.P.--BloodSugarSexMagik
Honorable Mentions:
Alice In Chains--Jar of Flies
The Who--Tommy
Nirvana--Incesticide
Metallica--Ride the Lightning
The Verve--Urban Hymns
Linkin Park--Hybrid Theory
Beastie Boys--License to Ill
Keane--Under the Iron Sea
The Cure--The Show