All through the year I’ve been posting my list of 250 favorite movies of all time. But, over the course of the year, I’ve also been watching movies – many for the first time – that I would definitely consider worthy of the list. Now, I’m not going to revise my list of 250 in the foreseeable future, but I have created a list over at Letterboxd called Great Movies. I will update this dynamic list going forward and if and when it reaches 500 entries I will cap it so that I have to remove a movie in order to add a new one.
Here are some movies I watched for the first time (and a few rewatches) in 2022 that I have added to my favorite movies of all time list.
I hope you’ve enjoyed counting down my favorite albums of all-time over the course of the year. Here are the links to all the posts in the series as well as the complete list of albums in descending order.
I hope you’ve enjoyed counting down my favorite movies of all-time over the course of the year. Here are the links to all the posts in the series as well as the complete list of movies in descending order.
Having listened to every album on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, I’m making my own list. This list will be only 250 albums, although I had to make some tough cuts. The list includes a mix of works of musical genius with the pure nostalgia of some albums I’ve loved throughout my life. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about these albums and what your favorite albums are. I will continue the countdown every other Wednesday throughout 2022.
Artist: Paul Simon Title: Graceland Year: 1986 Favorite Tracks:
The Boy in the Bubble
Graceland
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
You Can Call Me Al
Homeless
That Was Your Mother
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1986
Thoughts: Paul Simon’s “comeback album” made the awkwardly-named trend of “world music” a pop phenomenon. There’s definitely some controversy behind the making of this album (Simon is supremely talented but also a supreme asshole) but the music holds up almost 40 years later!
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Artist: Peter Gabriel Title: So Year: 1986 Favorite Tracks:
Red Rain
Sledgehammer
Don’t Give Up
This Is the Picture
In Your Eyes
The First Time I Heard This Album …:1986
Thoughts: So was among the first albums I owned as a child.The bombastic horns of “Sledgehammer” were my introduction to Peter Gabriel. And while So is Gabriel’s most pop and accessible recording of his career, it was still experimental enough to be a revelation to 12-year-old me, especially on tracks like “We Do What We’re Told” and “This is the Picture.” The hit songs still sound fresh, “Don’t Give Up” still makes me cry, and I may be colored by nostalgia, but I can’t find anything objectively wrong with this album.
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Artist: Public Enemy Title: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Year: 1988 Favorite Tracks:
Bring the Noise
Don’t Believe the Hype
Show “em Watcha Got
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Rebel Without a Pause
Prophets of Rage
Party for Your Right to Fight
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1988
Thoughts: Nothing has ever compared to the sonic assault of Public Enemy’s richly layered samples, beats, and rhymes. Unfortunately, most of the issues referenced on this album are still relevant three decades later.
Thoughts: This has been my favorite Beatles album since I started really getting into the Beatles’ music in my high school years. I just wrote about the Super Deluxe release a few weeks ago, so I’ll refer you to that review for more details
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Artist: The Replacements Title: Let It Be Year: 1984 Favorite Tracks:
I Will Dare
Favorite Thing,
Androgynous
Unsatisfied
Gary’s Got a Boner
Answering Machine
The First Time I Heard This Album …: around 1990/91?
Thoughts: The Replacements most perfect album captures the pain, angst, and puerile humor of disaffected youth.
Artist: The Clash Title: London Calling Year: 1979 Favorite Tracks:
London Calling
Hateful
Rudie Can’t Fail
The Right Profile
Lost in the Supermarket
Guns of Brixton
The Card Cheat
Train in Vain
The First Time I Heard This Album …: around 1990
Thoughts: I knew little about The Clash in my youth but learned about this album when Rolling Stone ranked it as the best album of the 1980s (kind of a cheat based on the release date). The sprawling double-album touches on all the musical genres that at peak creativity at the time from punk and New Wave to reggae and jazz.
Thoughts: They Might Be Giants emerged as the most popular Alternative Rock act in the pre-Nirvana era with this eclectic mix of catchy tunes with quirky, but disarmingly profound, lyrics.
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Artist: De La Soul Title: 3 Feet High and Rising Year: 1989 Favorite Tracks:
The Magic Number
Jennifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)
Eye Know
Tread Water
Potholes in My Lawn
Say No Go
Me Myself and I
Plug Tunin’
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1989
Thoughts: I can never be certain what album I listened to most often to in my life but 3 Feet High and Rising is a strong contender. Ironically, for someone who doesn’t know much about rap and hip hop I have two albums from that genre in my top ten, and two that I listened to on repeat in my most impressionable years.
Thoughts: This was an album my sister brought home from college. She didn’t like it so she gave it to me. I liked it a lot, and have listened to it many, many times over the years.
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Artist: Yo La Tengo Title: I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One Year: 1997 Favorite Tracks:
Moby Octopad
Sugarcube
Damage
Deeper Into Movies
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1998?
Thoughts: My favorite album is a hard choice to make. Probably any of the top 20 to 30 albums on this list could be my favorite depending on the day. My favorite band is also tough to narrow down, but if pressed I’d say “Yo La Tengo.” So it’s appropriate that Yo La Tengo’s seminal album I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One tops the list of my 250 Favorite Albums of All Time!
Over the past few years I’ve made a concerted effort to watch lots of movies considered to be among the best of all time. Now, for the first time, I’ve made my own list of favorite movies of all time. Every other Wednesday throughout 2022, I will be revealing ten movies in my list of 250 Favorite Movies of All Time.
Title: The City of Lost Children Director:Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet Cast: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Year: 1995 When did I first watch this movie?: Around 2002? Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A wonderfully imaginative visual feast about the power of kindness in times of darkness.
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Title: Toy Story Director: John Lasseter Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, and Erik von Detten Year: 1995 When did I first watch this movie?: 1995 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A movie that revolutionized animation, but more importantly is funny and full of warmth.
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Title:Do the Right Thing Director: Spike Lee Cast: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson Year: 1989 When did I first watch this movie?: 1990 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A stark and still relevant depiction of inter-racial conflict on one hot day in Brooklyn.
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Title: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Director: Irvin Kershner Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and Frank Oz Year: 1980 When did I first watch this movie?: 1980 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: Still the best Star Wars film ever made.
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Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Director:Stanley Kubrick Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens Year: 1964 When did I first watch this movie?: 1990 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: Funny and terrifying in equal measure.
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Title: Citizen Kane Director: Orson Welles Cast:Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, and William Alland Year: 1941 When did I first watch this movie?: 1993 or so? Why is this one of my all time favorites?: It lives up to the hype.
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Title: The Muppet Movie Director: James Frawley Cast: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton Year: 1979 When did I first watch this movie?: 1979 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A meta-fictional homage to Hollywood movies starring puppets with great humanity.
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Title: Casablanca Director: Michael Curtiz Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson Year: 1942 When did I first watch this movie?: 1991-1992? Why is this one of my all time favorites?: The immediacy of this World War II thriller and romance plus a remarkably memorable script make it as great as everyone says it is.
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Title: The Up Series (Seven Up!,7 Plus Seven, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up, 49 Up, 56 Up, and 63 Up) Director: Paul Almond (Seven Up), Michael Apted (the rest of the series) Cast: Bruce Balden, Jackie Bassett, Symon Basterfield, Andrew Brackfield, John Brisby, Peter Davies, Susan Davis, Charles Furneaux, Nicholas Hitchon, Neil Hughes, Lynn Johnson, Paul Kligerman, Suzanne Lusk and Tony Walker Year: 1963-2019 When did I first watch this movie?: 2005 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: The human condition in seven year increments.
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Title: Jaws Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton Year: 1975 When did I first watch this movie?: 1985? Why is this one of my all time favorites?: My love for this movie is partially due to family vacations on Martha’s Vineyard as a child, but it serves well as a parable of elite responses to crisis as well as a great character of three very different men on a boat (that needs to be bigger).
Having listened to every album on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, I’m making my own list. This list will be only 250 albums, although I had to make some tough cuts. The list includes a mix of works of musical genius with the pure nostalgia of some albums I’ve loved throughout my life. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about these albums and what your favorite albums are. I will continue the countdown every other Wednesday throughout 2022.
Artist: The Avalanches Title: Since I Left You Year: 2000 Favorite Tracks:
Since I Left You
Two Hearts in 3/4 Time
Flight Tonight
Electricity
Frontier Psychiatrist
ETOH
The First Time I Heard This Album …: early 2000s
Thoughts: This is by far the best album I serendipitously discovered by randomly checking it out from the library. The Avalanches groundbreaking debut is a masterpiece of “plunderphonics,” dance music, and disco that still sounds fresh today. Also, just watch the totally bonkers “Frontier Psychiatrist” video.
Bonus Sounds: Fans of The Avalanches waited a long time for a second album, Wild Flowers, which came out in 2016. This was followed by We Will Always Love You in 2020.
Bonus Sounds: My first encounter with Marvin Gaye was his 1982 album Midnight Love, the last release before his death, which includes the classic “Sexual Healing.”
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Artist: Stereolab Title: Emperor Tomato Ketchup Year :1996 Favorite Tracks:
Metronomic Underground
Cybele’s Reverie,
Les Yper-Sound
The Noise of Carpet
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Anonymous Collective
The First Time I Heard This Album …: circa 2004
Thoughts: A co-worker introduced me to Stereolab and boy howdy, I’m glad he did! This album is a standout collection of a career of catchy and experimental art rock tracks with electronic loops and samples.
Artist: The Pogues Title: Rum, Sodomy and The Lash Year: 1985 Favorite Tracks:
The Old Main Drag
The Wild Cats of Kilkenny
I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day
A Pair of Brown Eyes
Sally MacLennane
Dirty Old Town
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1991
Thoughts: The Pogues at the their most musically raw, albeit produced by Elvis Costello, while performing story songs that get at the aching heart of humanity. The album also features bassist Cait O’Riordan’s only lead vocal on “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day.”
Bonus Sounds: The Pogues peaked in the mid-to-late 80s but Peace and Love (1989), Hell’s Ditch (1990), and even Pogue Mahone (1996) have some good tracks.
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Artist: The Stone Roses Title: The Stone Roses Year: 1989 Favorite Tracks:
I Wanna Be Adored
She Bangs the Drums
Waterfall
(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
Shoot You Down
I Am the Resurrection
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1990
Thoughts: One of the first “alternative” albums I listened to after going through my high school Classic Rock phase. The psychedelic sound drew me in and the chiming guitars, harmonies, and anthemic song structure keeps me listening.
Bonus Sounds: The Stone Roses released only one other album that wasn’t as good as their debut, but there’s a lot of good music to be found from the late 80s/early 90s Madchester sound by bands such as Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, the Charlatans, and James.
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Artist: Radiohead Title: OK Computer Year: 1997 Favorite Tracks:
Paranoid Android
Exit Music (For a Film)
Let Down
Karma Police
No Surprises
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 2003
Thoughts: I was late to this album but it quickly became an all time favorite and Radiohead one of my favorite bands of the Nineties and Oughts.
Bonus Sounds: Pablo Honey (1993), The Bends (1995), Kid A (2000), Hail to the Thief (2003), and In Rainbows (2007) are all part of Radiohead’s excellent discography.
Thoughts: R.E.M. at the peak of their “College Rock” sound before moving onto different styles and greater commercial success. The vocals are clearer for ever which is important because the lyrics are more topical and political. But the strengths are still melodies and jangling guitars.
Bonus Sounds: R.E.M.’s run of Chronic Town E.P (1982), Murmur (1983), Reckoning (1984), Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), Lifes Rich Pageant (1986), Document (1987), and Green (1988) remains one of the great opening strings of any band (and, hey, some people think their early 90s albums are good too).
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Artist: Björk Title : Homogenic Year: 1997 Favorite Tracks:
Hunter
Joga
Bachelorette
5 Years
All is Full of Love
The First Time I Heard This Album …: late 90s
Thoughts: Björk’s third album is the peak of her most accessible period despite it being undoubtedly strange art rock made danceable with electronic sounds.
Bonus Sounds: My favorite Björk albums are her 90s releases Debut (1993), Post (1995), and Homogenic (1997), but she continues to make extremely creative and artistic music including this year’s Fossora.
Thoughts: Prince rose to be the biggest thing in the world with a hit movie and a hit soundtrack that contains some his most memorable songs. I remember listening to this as a kid and being creeped out by the backmasking on “Darling Nikki.” But a lot of the rest of the album was a lot of fun and these songs remain my soundtrack of the Summer of 1984.
Bonus Sounds: OK, I’m going to make the announcement here, because there is so much of Prince’s music I haven’t even heard: in 2023 I plan to listen to every album Prince and his various band’s and projects ever released. Watch this space for the full reviews.
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Artist: Fishbone Title: Truth and Soul Year: 1988 Favorite Tracks:
Freddie’s Dead
Ma & Pa
Deep Inside
Bonin’ in the Boneyard
One Day
Subliminal Fascism
Ghetto Soundwave
Change
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1991
Thoughts: This ska/funk/hardcore/et al band performed at the first “real” concert I ever attended in 1991. This album is the strongest and most cohesive album Fishbone ever released. It mixes a strong social message with a fun party vibe.
Bonus Sounds: Fishbone (1985), In Your Face (1986), and The Reality of My Surroundings (1991) are all great. After that, they got a bit too weird.
Over the past few years I’ve made a concerted effort to watch lots of movies considered to be among the best of all time. Now, for the first time, I’ve made my own list of favorite movies of all time. Every other Wednesday throughout 2022, I will be revealing ten movies in my list of 250 Favorite Movies of All Time.
Title:Grave of the Fireflies Director: Isao Takahata Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, and Akemi Yamaguchi Year: 1988 When did I first watch this movie?: April 2021 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A heartbreaking story of the cost of war on the most vulnerable people as well as a sweet story of sibling love.
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Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey Director: Stanley Kubrick Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain Year: 1968 When did I first watch this movie?: early 1980s Why is this one of my all time favorites?: Mind-blowing visuals, perfect scoring, limited but pointed dialogue, and a scene where the death of a murderous computer makes you cry are reasons why this is an all time classic.
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Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, and Denholm Elliott Year: 1981 When did I first watch this movie?: 1981, in the theater Why is this one of my all time favorites?: The memory of watching this movie with my sister every time it returned to $1 second run movie theater alone would make this one of my favorites, but it’s also a great action/adventure/comedy/special effects spectacular.
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Title: Sunset Boulevard Director: Billy Wilder Cast:William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough, and Jack Webb Year: 1950 When did I first watch this movie?: December 2019 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: “Yep, that’s me. You probably wonder how I got myself into this predicament,” is something you can imagine William Holden’s body floating in a pool saying as he narrates this caustic and funny deconstruction of the Hollywood mythos.
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Title: Ikiru Director: Akira Kurosawa Cast: Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Bokuzen Hidari, and Miki Odagiri Year:1952 When did I first watch this movie?: March 2020 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: Kurosawa’s story of a dying bureaucrat trying to make some meaning of his life is a film that deeply appreciates what it means to be human.
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Title: Donnie Darko Director: Richard Kelly Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Stu Stone, Daveigh Chase, James Duval, and Seth Rogen Year: 2001 When did I first watch this movie?: 2004, the director’s cut in the theater Why is this one of my all time favorites?: I kind of relate to the Catholic school kid in the suburbs in the 1980s aspects of this movie. Lucky for me I never had to deal with time travel, aircraft disasters, or creepy rabbits.
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Title: Delicatessen Director: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet Cast: Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac, and Jean-Claude Dreyfus Year: 1991 When did I first watch this movie?: June 2003 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A darkly funny take on post-apocalyptic survival films in the quirky Caro/Jeunet style.
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Title: Duck Soup Director: Leo McCarey Cast: Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo), Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres and Edgar Kennedy Year: 1933 When did I first watch this movie?: 1992 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: The Marx Brothers funniest and most satirical film.
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Title: Genghis Blues Director: Roko Belic Cast: Paul Pena, Kongar-ol Ondar Year: 1999 When did I first watch this movie?: 1999, in the theater Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A blind Blues musician from the US discovers the traditional music of Tuva and travels with a team of eccentric people to participate in a throat-singing competition.
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Title: It’s a Wonderful Life Director: Frank Capra Cast:James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Frank Faylen, and Gloria Grahame Year: 1946 When did I first watch this movie?: circa 1984 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: A movie that can survive the sheer repetition of its multiple holiday season airings back in the 80s and 90s and still be a joy to behold is a great film.
Having listened to every album on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, I’m making my own list. This list will be only 250 albums, although I had to make some tough cuts. The list includes a mix of works of musical genius with the pure nostalgia of some albums I’ve loved throughout my life. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about these albums and what your favorite albums are. I will continue the countdown every other Wednesday throughout 2022.
Artist: Amy Winehouse Title: Back to Black Year: 2006 Favorite Tracks:
Rehab
You Know I’m No Good
Just Friends
Back To Black
Tears Dry on Their Own
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 2006 or 2007
Thoughts: It’s a shame that tabloid headlines and her early death overshadow Amy Winehouse’s massive talent. She was the cornerstone of a soul revival in the Oughts along with the likes of Adele, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Joss Stone and this album is a testament to that era.
Bonus Sounds: The documentary Amy leans toward exploitative but contains footage of Winehouse developing her talent as well as how she was destroyed by the celebrity media complex. It also includes the sweetest scene of her spending time with her idol Tony Bennet.
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Artist: Harry Belafonte Title: Belafonte at Carnegie Hall Year: 1959 Favorite Tracks:
Cotton Fields
John Henry
The Marching Saints
Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)
Jamaica Farewell
Mama Look a Boo Boo
Hava Nageela
Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma
Shennandoah
Matilda
The First Time I Heard This Album …: late 1980s
Thoughts: When I was growing up we had a collection of LPs and 45s from various relatives, and one treasure of my late Aunt Barbara was the Harry Belafonte collection. This concert performance recorded in April 1959 features Belafonte’s interpretations of African American songs, Carribean calypso, and traditional folk tunes from around the world.
Bonus Sounds: The blockbuster Calypso (1956) was the first LP to sell over a million copies and kicked off a global calypso craze. Not bad for someone who took up singing as a side gig when he couldn’t get acting parts.
Thoughts: The first album I ever heard by Sigur Rós remains the best. The sweeping orchestral arrangements are cinematic in scope. While I don’t understand the lyrics, many of which are in a language made up by Sigur Rós frontman Jonsi called Hopelandic, they still speak to me. The title track is extra special since it was playing in the delivery room when my younger child was born and means “A Good Beginning.”
Thoughts: Monáe’s masterpiece, so far, hit big in 2018 and is surprisingly only her third full-length album. It’s Monáe’s most personal album and challenges the fears of our troubled times while celebrating women, Blackness, sexuality, gender identity, and even American identity.
Bonus Sounds: I wrote my very first Music Discovery about Janelle Monáe as well as a concert review from the Dirty Computer tour.
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Artist: The Specials Title: The Specials Year: 1980 Favorite Tracks:
Gangsters
A Message To You, Rudy
Nite Klub
Concrete Jungle
Too Much Too Young
Little Bitch
The First Time I Heard This Album …: early 90s
Thoughts: The debut album from the Two Tone ska band The Specials contains many of the band’s greatest songs and established the new genre of U.K. Ska.
Bonus Sounds: The band’s follow-up album More Specials (1980) took a strange turn into “Muzak” inspired music but is still interesting, while their more recent reunion album Encore (2019) is also pretty good.
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Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: Beggars Banquet Year: 1968 Favorite Tracks:
Sympathy For the Devil
No Expectations
Parachute Woman
Street Fighting Man
Prodigal Son
Stray Cat Blues
Factory Girl
Salt of the Earth
The First Time I Heard This Album …: late 80s
Thoughts: The Rolling Stones were always best as a Blues band, and their best album sees them embracing roots music to create a rock & roll classic. While the Stones have never been an overtly political band, a lot of the songs on this album come from the perspective of working class people, which also makes it interesting.
Bonus Sounds: This is the third Stones’ album on my list so I’ll just reiterate that Out of Our Heads (1965), Aftermath (1966), Let It Bleed (1969), Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! (1970), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972), and Blue & Lonesome (2016) are all worth a listen
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Artist: Stevie Wonder Title: Talking Book Year: 1972 Favorite Tracks:
You Are the Sunshine of My Life
Superstition
Big Brother
Lookin’ For Another Pure Love
I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)
The First Time I Heard This Album …: Late 80s
Thoughts: This album has a timeless quality, it sounds like it could’ve been released this year. It must’ve been revelatory when people first heard it in 1972. Wonder experiments with numerous keyboards, synthesizers, and drums, continuing as a one-man band on many tracks, but also has numerous guest artists including Jim Gilstrap, Lani Groves, David Sandborn, Deniece Williams, Ray Parker, Jr., and Jeff Beck. Also, “Superstition” is one of the all-time great songs. It never fails to amaze me.
Bonus Sounds: This is the fourth of four Stevie Wonder albums on this list, more than any other artist, so you know you can grab any Stevie Wonder album from the 60s or 70s and you can’t go wrong!
Thoughts: Talking Heads incorporated Afrobeat sounds into their New Wave and art rock creating one of the seminal albums of the 1980s (as well as one of the defining music videos of the early MTV era).
Thoughts: When I ranked my favorite albums of all time in 2009, this was the number one album! It may seem like a demotion but really any of my top 25 could be number one and I have to rank them somehow. The late Dave Carter wrote the mystical lyrics on this album while their partner Tracy Grammer provides harmony and fiddle.
Bonus Sounds: Two of the three albums released by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer before Carter’s death made my Top 250, but the duo’s final album Drum Hat Buddha is also excellent.
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Artist: Johnny Clegg & Savuka Title: Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World Year: 1989 Favorite Tracks:
One (Hu)’ Man One Vote
Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World
Jericho
Dela (I Know Why the Dog Howls at the Moon)
It’s An Illusion
Woman Be My Country
Warsaw 1941
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1990
Thoughts: They say the best music ever is what you were listening to when you were 17. When I was 17, I was lucky enough to be listening to Johnny Clegg & Savuka. The racially integrated band formed in South Africa during Apartheid and the music blended Western and African sounds with many lyrics in Zulu. The album is politically charged yet hopeful.
Bonus Sounds: Before Savuka, there was Juluka, a band formed by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu that was one of the first multi-racial acts under apartheid and released several albums between 1979 and 1984. I’m also fond of the 1993 Johnny Clegg and Savuka album Heat, Dust and Dreams which reflects on the exciting times after the release of Nelson Mandela and end of apartheid.
Over the past few years I’ve made a concerted effort to watch lots of movies considered to be among the best of all time. Now, for the first time, I’ve made my own list of favorite movies of all time. Every other Wednesday throughout 2022, I will be revealing ten movies in my list of 250 Favorite Movies of All Time.
Title: Monsters, Inc. Director: Pete Docter Cast: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Mary Gibbs and Jennifer Tilly Year: 2001 When did I first watch this movie?: 2001, in the theaters Why is this one of my all time favorites?: Pixar’s fourth feature and second masterpiece features the comedy duo of Goodman and Crystal with a completely imaginative world based on the childhood fear of monsters in the closet.
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Title: The Right Stuff Director: Philip Kaufman Cast: Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid, and Barbara Hershey Year: 1983 When did I first watch this movie?: 1984 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: I was a ten-year-old obsessed with air and space flight when this movie made its cable tv debut. Naturally I watched it a gazillion times. The sprawling story follows test pilots breaking the sound barrier to the formation of the Mercury program in the 50s, and the first American manned spaceflights in the 1960s. And it’s funny too.
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Title: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Director: John Lounsbery and Wolfgang Reitherman Cast: Sterling Holloway, John Fiedler, Junius Matthews, Paul Winchell, Howard Morris, Bruce Reitherman, Jon Walmsley, and Timothy Turner Year: 1977 When did I first watch this movie?: Maybe as a kid, maybe in the 90s or early 2000s Why is this one of my all time favorites?: When my kids were small I’d put this DVD on and get a good nap, which probably doesn’t sound like an endorsement. But when I do stay awake, I love every minute of it. Even when it diverges from A.A. Milne’s work into Disney cheeze it still holds the special charm of the Hundred Acre Woods.
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Title: Tales of the City Director: Alastair Reid Cast: Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, Barbara Garrick, William Campbell, Parker Posey, Marcus D’Amico, Paul Gross, Nina Foch, Cynda Williams, Chloe Webb, Thomas Gibson Year: 1993 When did I first watch this movie?: 1994 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: My sister introduced me to this mini-series when it first aired on PBS and I later read all of the books by Armistead Maupin several times each. The movie captures San Francisco in the 1970s, a time when no one seemed to have any secrets but it turns out they had some very deep secrets.
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Title: Lifeboat Director: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn and Canada Lee Year: 1944 When did I first watch this movie?: 2019 Why is this one of my all time favorites?: This Alfred Hitchcock thriller is set entirely in a lifeboat where a group of people try to survive after their ship is sunk by a German U-boat. The ensemble cast is lead by an amazing performance by Tallulah Bankhead.
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Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott, Julian Glover, River Phoenix, and John Rhys-Davies Year:1989 When did I first watch this movie?: 1989, in the theaters Why is this one of my all time favorites?: The thrills and humor of Raiders of the Lost Ark return in Indiana Jones’ biggest adventure featuring the addition of Sean Connery as Indiana’s estranged father. It’s so good!
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Title: When We Were Kings Director: Leon Gast Cast: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman , James Brown, B.B. King, Don King, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Spike Lee and Thomas Hauser Year:1996 When did I first watch this movie?: 1998, on an airplane Why is this one of my all time favorites?: This documentary is more than just the story of a boxing match, but captures a moment in 1974 when Black liberation movements made connections with newly independent African nations. The music, the archival footage, and the enigmatic character of Ali himself make this a fascinating movie.
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Title: The Wizard of Oz Director: Victor Fleming Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton Year: 1939 When did I first watch this movie?: late 70s/early 80s? Why is this one of my all time favorites?: In my childhood, The Wizard of Oz was broadcast on TV once per year and it was always a treat! Even though the movie made some odd changes to the L. Frank Baum book it has it’s own charms and an irresistible performance by Judy Garland.
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Title: Monty Python and the Holy Grail Director:Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin Year: 1975 When did I first watch this movie?: 1986? Why is this one of my all time favorites?:
My family discovered Monty Python movies sometime in the mid-90s and watched them basically in reverse order saving the best for last. I love Arthurian legend, and the Pythons send-up of Arthuriana and adventure movies is full of laughs. C’mon, you know you want to quote it right now!
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Title: Eighth Grade Director: Bo Burnham Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, and Fred Hechinger Year: 2018 When did I first watch this movie?: 2018, in the theaters Why is this one of my all time favorites?: This utterly guileless movie is perhaps the most honest representation of the early teenage years set to film. Elsie Fisher’s performance is amazing (why is she not a big star now?)!
Having listened to every album on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, I’m making my own list. This list will be only 250 albums, although I had to make some tough cuts. The list includes a mix of works of musical genius with the pure nostalgia of some albums I’ve loved throughout my life. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about these albums and what your favorite albums are. I will continue the countdown every other Wednesday throughout 2022.
Artist: John Coltrane Title: A Love Supreme Year: 1964 Favorite Tracks: It’s all one suite.
The First Time I Heard This Album …: early 90s
Thoughts: As a musical suite and an expression of spirituality, A Love Supremecomes as close to perfection as humanly possible.
Bonus Sounds: I’ve enjoyed many of Coltrane’s recordings, including Blue Train (1958), Giant Steps (1960), My Favorite Things (1961) and Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (1963).
Thoughts: I found out about The Dismemberment Plan because I knew guitarist and lead vocalist Travis Morrison in college. Basically I was wondering whatever happened to him and found out, hey, he’s in this legendary Washington indie rock band I’ve never heard of before. Turns out, they were really good!
Bonus Sounds: I saw The Dismemberment Plan in concert when they reunited in 2013.
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Artist: Sinéad O’Connor Title: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got Year: 1990 Favorite Tracks:
I Am Stretched on Your Grave
Three Babies
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Black Boys on Mopeds
Nothing Compares 2 U
The Last Day of Our Acquaintance
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1990
Thoughts: Despite her shaved head and radical for Reagan/Bush America opinions, Sinéad O’Connor managed to become a star loved by the cool alternative kids and their Boomer parents (especially if those parents were Irish-American). O’Connor’s dynamic voice powers an eclectic mix of song styles on her most famous album.
Bonus Sounds: I’m also fond of O’Connor’s debut album The Lion and the Cobra (1987).
Thoughts: Prince and the Revolution exploded onto the scene with this album in 1982. I still remember hearing Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” for the first time on Casey Kasem’s “America’s Top 40.” Prince was probably too raunchy for me, and while three singles got a lot of airplay the rest of this album was and probably is to sexy for radio. It remains an amazing collection by an artist at the top of his game.
Bonus Sounds: There’s one more album from Prince and the Revolution to come, but the late, great Prince Rogers Nelson is responsible for so much great music that you could start with just about anything and hear something amazing.
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Artist: Robert Johnson Title: The Complete Recordings Year: 1936-1937/1990 Favorite Tracks:
Sweet Home Chicago
When You Got a Good Friend
Come On in My Kitchen
32-20 Blues
They’re Red Hot
Cross Road Blues
Walkin’ Blues
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
From Four Until Late
Traveling Riverside Blues
Love in Vain
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1990
Thoughts: Disabuse yourself of the myths. Robert Johnson did not sell his soul to the devil at the crossroads. Blues men accompanying themselves on guitar were not the standard in the 1920s-40s (in fact women singing with bands were the Blues hitmakers). Rock & roll did not evolve from Robert Johnson, but he was adopted by British R&B enthusiasts after his music was re-released in the 1960s. The truth is, Robert Johnson was a talented guitarist who recorded a couple of dozen songs in the mid-30s and the sound of those tunes reverberates through the ages.
Bonus Sounds: This album collects all of Johnson’s known recordings, but had he lived longer he would have participated in the series of Carnegie Hall concerts of 1938-1939 known as From Spirituals to Swing.
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Artist: Charles Mingus Title: Mingus Ah Um Year: 1959 Favorite Tracks:
Better Git It in Your Soul
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Boogie Stop Shuffle
Fables of Faubus
The First Time I Heard This Album …: early 1990s
Thoughts: I can’t remember who introduced me to Charles Mingus’ work, but I started listening to his music in my college years and it really changed my understanding of what jazz could be. This album draws inspiration from Duke Ellington while incorporating the bop styles of the 1950s (or the “modern jazz”) that Chuck Berry has no kick about). Mingus and his band play the tunes fast and slow and it’s all inspired and gets in your soul
Bonus Sounds: You probably can’t go wrong with Mingus, but I’ve enjoyed The Clown (1957) and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (1964).
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Artist: Camera Obscura Title: Let’s Get Out of this Country Year: 2006 Favorite Tracks:
Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken
Tears for Affairs
Let’s Get Out of This Country
Country Mile
I Need All the Friends I Can Get
Razzle Dazzle Rose
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 2006
Thoughts: Scottish band Camera Obscura emerged from the twee pop scene of the Oughts. The sweet voice of Tracyanne Campbell floats above a bed of sonically-dense baroque pop. It’s exquisite.
Bonus Sounds: Campbell continues to record in the duo Tracyanne & Danny.
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Artist: Tom Waits Title: Rain Dogs Year: 1985 Favorite Tracks:
Clap Hands
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Hang Down Your Head
Time
Downtown Train
Anywhere I Lay My Head
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 199-something
Thoughts: Waits’ most famous album has his voice in a fully-developed growl over hallucinogenic carnival music. One of the great albums of the 1980s.
Bonus Sounds: I have a particular fondness for the amusicality of Tom Waits and Keith Richards singing the standard “Shenandoah.”
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Artist: The Breeders Title: Last Splash Year: 1993 Favorite Tracks:
Cannonball
Roi
I Just Wanna Get Along
Divine Hammer
Saints
Drivin’ on 9
The First Time I Heard This Album …: 1993
Thoughts: The Breeders originally was a side project for Pixies’ bassist Kim Deal, but this album became omnipresent in 1993. One could not walk through a dormitory on my college campus without hearing “Cannonball” playing from someone’s stereo.
Bonus Sounds: The Breeders have made some great music from their debut album Pod (1990) to their most recent release All Nerve (2018), which reunited the same lineup that made Last Splash.
Thoughts: The Boston post-punk band released just one full-length studio album in the 1980s but it is a practically perfect one.
Bonus Sounds: Mission of Burma’s debut release Signals, Calls, and Marches (1981) was a terrific 20 minutes of post-punk brilliance. It has grown longer in re-releases with added tracks that pretty much have promoted it from an EP to an LP.
Panorama of the Mountains 