Whilst compiling my list of favourite records in my previous post, it made me reflect even more on my musical history. Also I started playing Pavement again and realised something, but more about that in a moment. I guess I have a vinyl and a CD history. I honestly can't remember my first record bought, but I cherish my vinyl collection. I think it started becoming serious with a Joy Division record or maybe a Talking Heads record. Then I became a sixties nut, buying every Beatles record and every Rolling Stones one as well. Then it was Dylan, The Who, The Byrds, The Kinks and so on. Then Paul Weller entered my life, The Jam were it for me, Setting Sons, Sound Effects, All Mod Cons. My vinyl collection grew, R.E.M, New Order, Ride, Husker Du, Buffalo Tom, Billy Bragg, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Go Betweens, Public Enemy, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk and many, many more.

Well eventually I started buying CDs, the first was "Automatic for the People". Sebadoh followed, then something happened I bought "Slanted and Enchanted" and I knew Pavement were the perfect band for me. They presented a Slacker ethos, but they knew how to write a perfectly formed song. Then I saw them live, firstly at Max's at Petersham, followed by The Lansdowne (yes it used to be the best venue in Sydney). Gary Young selling tickets outside the venue, doing handstands during the set, Bob Nastanovich yelling and bashing drums, Mark Ibold quietly cool, Spiral vibrantly cool and Malkmus, oh Malkmus, what genius he was. "Lies and Betrayals, Fruit Covered Nails, Electricty and Lust" I would sing with him. They returned to play Summersault in 1996, along with Beck, Sonic Youth and Beastie Boys. First time I heard "Fight this Generation", I would jump up and down when they played "Unfair", "Down to Santa Rosa and over the bay, across the grapevine to LA. We got deserts we got trees, we got the hills of Beverly. Let's burn the hills of Beverly" we all screamed. They came, they saw, they conquered, without a false step.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on about Pavement, but they are genius to me. Soon after they had a contender. I bought "There is Nothing Wrong with Love", I heard "Car" and I think Built to Spill were vying for my affections. They didn't have Pavement's sheer cool, but they had enough heart to keep a small country pumping. Again Doug and his band would up the ante with future records. So to this day, my choice of favourite band essentially comes down to my mood on a given day. And I finally got to see them live, 3 times in 2003 in New York and New Orleans and once in Austin in 2005. Doug Martsch's fingers should be enshrined in whatever Hall of Fame is going these days.

So I thought would make a more definitive list, my favourite 50 records of all time. And in order, which is ridiculous but I'm going to do it anyway. Don't worry I'm not going to write incoherently about each one, a simple list will do, plus I will mention my favourite song off each one.

A few more thoughts before I start-
This is entirely personal so its only what comes from my heart and mind.
I own each of these records and because I'm not Bill Gates there are probably many great records I have missed in time.
I used to like Rap and Hip Hop (Public Enemy, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest) but I really haven't heard anything great in that genre for ages.
I will always choose melody over rhythm.
I never thought I would listen to country, but I am listening to more of that genre each passing year.
Will England ever produce a great band again? I'm not hearing anything new that is truly great coming out of that country at the moment.
Will Canada ever stop producing great bands or are we in some sort of twilight zone?
Conor Oberst is my Bob Dylan, there I said it.
Can Australia produce another Go Betweens, I know there are a lot of good bands here at the moment, but can anyone seriously tell me there is a truly great band here right now.
I don't like Metal, Heavy Metal, Techno or any other forms of music where
melody is sacrificed for pure repetition.
Is all top 40 radio pure crap?
Are Nickelback the devil incarnate?
Is Madonna the greatest fraud in the history of music?
While I am at it I never really got The Doors for that matter.
I love the violin and a REAL piano.
I don't like the Saxophone, but I like other Horn instruments.
Neko Case has the greatest voice I have ever heard.
Jim James has the greatest male voice I have ever heard.
I don't like people who are cynical and try to be so ultra cool about music, as if
they don't care, there is nothing wrong with expressing your love.
I like classical music, but some people still think music started and finished
with Mozart, although he was a genius.
I agree with Will Sheff, rock music doesn't have to be dumb, its lyrics don't have to be though of as 'poor man's poetry', it can be more beautiful.
Why doesn't Europe produce any good rock bands, I know, I know
Sweden, but really they are great at melody and pop I believe.
Living in a English speaking land, I know there is probably plenty
of great music from Africa and South America, etc. But you are
a product of your culture and I have enough trouble keeping
up with our small section of the world.
I don't know if this will interest you but I enjoyed doing it.
The future excites me more then the past, soon we will have a new Arcade Fire
and Spoon and Wilco and Wolf Parade, its all good!!!!!
FINALLY, I didn't include Sunset Rubdown in my initial top 20. Who am
I kidding?, Spencer belongs and he is going in.

My definitive list, unless it changes of course (favourite song in brackets)

1-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea-Neutral Milk Hotel (Two-Headed Boy Part 2)
2-The Glow Pt. 2-The Microphones (I Want Wind To Blow)
3-Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain-Pavement (Fillmore Jive)
4-Perfect From Now On-Built To Spill (Made-Up Dreams)
5-The Tennessee Fire-My Morning Jacket (The Bear)
6-Funeral-The Arcade Fire (Wake Up)
7-The Lonesome Crowded West-Modest Mouse (Bankrupt On Selling)
8-Meadowlands-The Wrens (Boys, You Won't)
9-Bee Thousand-Guided by Voices (Echos Myron)
10-This Night-Destroyer (Makin' Angels)
11-Surfer Rosa-Pixies (Gigantic)
12-Shut Up I Am Dreaming-Sunset Rubdown (Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings)
13-Apologies To The Queen Mary-Wolf Parade (I'll Believe in Anything)
14-Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever-Explosions in the Sky (A Poor Man's Memory)
15-You Forgot It In People-Broken Social Scene (Cause = Time)
16-F# A# (Infinity)-Godspeed You! Black Emperor (The Dead Flag Blues)
17-Gimme Fiction-Spoon (Sister Jack)
18-Blueberry Boat-The Fiery Furnaces (Mason City)
19-I See A Darkness-Bonnie "Prince" Billy (I See A Darkness)
20-Reckoning-R.E.M. (So. Central Rain)
21-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco (Ashes Of American Flags)
22-Slanted & Enchanted-Pavement (Zurich Is Stained)
23-There's Nothing Wrong With Love-Built To Spill (Car)
24-Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground-Bright Eyes (Waste of Paint)
25-Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?-The Unicorns (Les Os)
26-The Sophtware Slump-Grandaddy (Jed The Humanoid)
27-Viva Last Blues-Palace Music (New Partner)
28-Keep It Like A Secret-Built To Spill (You Were Right)
29-Horse Stories-Dirty Three (Sue's Last Ride)
30-Girls Can Tell-Spoon (Lines In The Suit)
31-Doolittle-Pixies (Debaser)
32-It Still Moves-My Morning Jacket (Mahgeetah)
33-The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place-Explosions in The Sky (Memorial)
34-Brighten The Corners-Pavement (Shady Lane)
35-Highway 61 Revisited-Bob Dylan (Desolation Row)
36-Come On Feel The Illinoise!-Sufjan Stevens (Chicago)
37-Feels-Animal Collective (Banshee Beat)
38-Bandwagonesue-Teenage Fanclub (The Concept)
39-Daydream Nation-Sonic Youth (Teen Age Riot)
40-Come On Die Young-Mogwai (Ex-Cowboy)
41-Fevers & Mirrors-Bright Eyes (The Center Of The World)
42-The Moon And Antarctica-Modest Mouse (Lives)
43-Before Hollywood-The Go Betweens (Cattle And Cane)
44-The Bends-Radiohead (Fake Plastic Trees)
45-All Mod Cons-The Jam (Down In The Tube Station At Midnight)
46-Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See-Okkervil River (Westfall)
47-Life's Rich Pageant-R.E.M (Cuyahoga)
48-Nevermind-Nirvana (Smells Like Teen Spirit)
49-Time (The Revelator)-Gillian Welch (Revelator)
50-Meat is Murder- The Smiths (How Soon Is Now?)