An email from Maureen at Joseph Beth Booksellers on the South Side that I received while vacationing in Destin:

The reason for my e-mail to you today is because we’re putting together a display here in the store surrounding the release of a Workman Press title, 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die by Tom Moon, and I’m looking to get playlists from some of the best known Pittsburghers. Basically, all I need is a list of your top five favorite CDs, the recordings that you feel everyone should hear before they die.

First, I’ll let you finish chuckling about PittGirl being considered a “best known” Burgher.

You done?

You know, it sounds easy enough … what are your five favorite CDs of all time … but seriously.  Sit down and try to do it.  Really.  Do it.  Put your list in the comments section and tell me how easy it was to come to just five.

So I got the email, thought about it, knew two CDs right away I wanted to include and then got stuck.

I posed the question to the entire PittGirl family and the sisters were like, “Tim McGraw.  Yummo!”

This dissolved immediately into a discussion of Tim McGraw’s ass and whether that ass can make leather pants look good.  I got nowhere.

But boy, you want to see my brothers-in-law in animated discussion, you either ask them about grilling meat or ask them this question about the top five CDs of all time.

“U2.  U2 without a doubt must be on that list.”

“Two words.  Garth. Brooks.”

“Garth Brooks?!  He’s so …. what the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Wait wait wait.  Pink Floyd.”

“Meh.”

“The Eagles.”

“Not bad.”

“I got it.  I got it.  Michael Jackson.”

“Too bad he’s such a freakcase now.”

“Something from Bon Jovi?”

“Elton John!”

“Dudes.  R.E.M.”

“No.  Guys, Guns ‘n Roses.  Bam.  Right there.”

“Oh. Oh.  George.  Strait.”

“WHAT THE HELL’S WRONG WITH YOU?!”

I didn’t take a single one of their suggestions.

My list will be displayed at JoBeth for I guess a week or two, so if you’re around, stop in and check it out.

As for here, we’ll count down one album a day so that we can spread out over the the space of five days your chance to make fun of me for my hideous taste in music.  I can take it.

There is only one country album on my list.

Here is your first opportunity to laugh at me but only on the condition that you have actually listened to the album.  You don’t get to make fun of something you’ve never heard before.  Putting aside any political affiliation you might hold dear to your heart:

5.  Dixie Chicks.  Fly.

[ducks]

Category: Downtown happenings | August 14, 2008 | | ShareThis