Off on one again...

Playlist
The Czars – Before..But Longer
UK – The Best of UK
Transatlantic – Bridge Across Forever
Alan Morse - Four O'Clock and Hysteria
Trevor Rabin - Con Air OST
Rameau – Platee/Pigmalion/Dardanus Ballet Suites

Analysis of my listening habits from May ’06 to April ’07 has encouraged me to actually pick albums to listen to each day rather than relying on the Jukebox’s Shuffleplay facility and to try and avoid compilations in general...

It seems that, from the records kept (the “playlist” which heads up each days’s entry on the blog), in the first year I managed to sample 2,134 sources (of course some will have been played more than once, bringing the number of albums down from that figure)...

Suffice to say, I’ve not yet collated the stats for “most popular album” (and may well never do so). However, I can advise that, discounting compilations, I sampled the wares of 471 different artists in the year, of which just over 200 received just one play...

Indeed, only 40 were played 10 times or more...

The top 40?

Ah well, hang on (or scroll down)...

First (and these lists are all of course mainly for me)..

Top 20 Classical Composers...

Mozart
Haydn
Vivaldi
Beethoven
CPE Bach
Philip Glass
Schubert
Giuliani
J C Bach
Marin Marais
Satie
Albinoni
Bartok
Debussy
John Adams
Schnittke
Diego Ortiz
Dvorak
Handel
J S Bach

Top 20 Jazzers...

The Bad Plus
Miles Davis
Reid Anderson (of The Bad Plus)
John Coltrane
Jackie McLean
Brad Mehldau
Weather Report
Billy Cobham
Alan Holdsworth
Bill Bruford
Art Blakey
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Andrew Hill
Happy Apple
Return to Forever
Freddie Hubbard
Kenny Dorham
Lee Morgan
Bozzio/Levin/Stevins
Crimson Jazz Trio

Top 20 Prog Rockers...

Yes
King Crimson
Dream Theater
Gentle Giant
Neal Morse
Pink Floyd
Peter Gabriel
Rush
UK
Shadow Gallery
Spock's Beard
ELP
Flower Kings
Genesis
Tool
Muse
Porcupine Tree
Conspiracy
Frost
Godspeed You Black Emperor

Top 20 “Classic” Acts...

Alice Cooper
Uriah Heep
Brian Eno
Grand Funk Railroad
David Bowie
Pet Shop Boys
Paul McCartney
The Beatles
Bryan Ferry
The Tubes
Asia
Golden Earring
Barclay James Harvest
Mott the Hoople
Roxy Music
Sparks
The Church
Be Bop Deluxe
Hawkwind
Isaac Hayes

Top 20 Acts You May Not Have Heard Of...

Rheostatics
Mathilde Santing
Halloween Alaska
Laura Pausini
James Jamieson
Adrian Belew
Bonnie Prince Billy
Nine Horses
OSI
Rick Altizer
Sarah Harmer
Dar Williams
Impossible Songs
John Gorka
Susumu Yokota
Alice Peacock
Craig Armstrong
Francoise Hardy
Jakko M Jakszyk

And, finally, the overall Top 40 – in reverse order...

Vivaldi
UK
Rush
Laura Pausini
Halloween Alaska
Mathilde Santing
Golden Earring
Billy Cobham
Asia
Weather Report
The Tubes
Bryan Ferry
Brad Mehldau
The Beatles
Peter Gabriel
Paul McCartney
Jackie McLean
Haydn
Eels
Wetton/Downes
Pink Floyd
Pet Shop Boys
John Coltrane
David Bowie
Reid Anderson
Neal Morse
Robert Fripp
Grand Funk Railroad
Miles Davis
Gentle Giant
Brian Eno
The Blue Nile
Mozart
Dream Theater
Uriah Heep
The Bad Plus
Rheostatics
King Crimson
Alice Cooper
Yes

There you go...of course Cloudland Blue Quartet had to be disqualified due to bias....

Three additions to the CD collection today – a soundtrack by ex-Yes guitarist, Trevor Rabin, an instrumental CD by Spock’s Beard guitarist Alan Morse and some instrumental pieces from three operas by Rameau – a purchase inspired by the “On Danse” show we saw on Saturday night...

I’ve now increased my collection by 188 CDs in the 225 days of 2007 so far...

I am an idiot...

But not as big an idiot as people who believe in Astrology, Religions and Life After Death...



Highlight of the day was the first of Professor Richard Dawkins’ new series on Channel 4, “The Enemies of Reason”...

Of course, with me, he was preaching to the converted...

Ended the day buying a new Freeview Box for Anne so she can watch more football...

Then, writing this, Richard Dawkins’ own site took me to his interview on “Richard & Judy” which in turn led me to Penn & Teller on Youtube...

Do yourself a favour and watch these – in particular, the cross wearing Judy is obviously uncomfortable that her faith is rubbish...

The Bible is Bullshit..

On a lighter note – here’s one for foodies...

Highlight of the Day : Richard Dawkins