A-Z CDs - Day 46

380. Otis Redding - The Ultimate Otis Redding (last listen: 1-2 years) - This has many of the same songs as the Very Best Of (#379), but a few that it didn't.
381. R.E.M. - Monster (last listen: never) - Another Dubai refugee. I don't really like R.E.M. all that much.
382. The Replacements - Let It Be (last listen: 3 months to 1 year) - Rockin' album from the kings of the '80s Minneapolis alt/punk scene. Some songs are fast, some are slow, most are tongue-in-cheek, and they're all pretty catchy. My favorites are "Favorite Thing," "We're Coming Out," "Androgynous," and "Answering Machine." And of course "Gary's Got a Boner" is one of the best song titles of all-time and includes the line "Gary's got a soft-on."
383. Reservoir Dogs (soundtrack) (last listen: 5+ years) - A great soundtrack, supplemented by Steven Wright's monotone voice (as the DJ in the movie).
384. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody: The Very Best Of (last listen: 1-2 years) - Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, though not actually brothers, were blue-eyed soul at its best. Medley's booming baritone and Hatfield's ethereal and soulful tenor combined for one of the more powerful singing duos in history, at least in my mind. There's something about their songs that hits home, whether it's the singing, Phil Spector's production, or the image of a ghost nailing his wife at a pottery wheel. "Soul and Inspiration" is my favorite song of theirs. I get goosebumps whenever Medley kicks in with the "Babaayyyy! I can't make it without you!" after the spoken-word part by Hatfield in the middle of the song. Obviously "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Unchained Melody" are classics. "Just Once in My Life" is also good, as are "Little Latin Lupe Lu" and "Go Ahead and Cry."
385. Rock Star (soundtrack) (last listen: 0-3 months) - In addition to songs by Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Kiss, Ted Nugent, INXS, Everclear, and Verve Pipe, this soundtrack features six songs by Steel Dragon, which of course is the band in the movie. The musicians who recorded the Steel Dragon songs have solid hard rock backgrounds. The lead singers (depending on whether it's Izzy Cole or Bobby Beers singing) are Michael Matijevic (Steelheart) and Jeff Scott Soto (formerly singer for Yngwie Malmsteen and, from 2006-2007, for Journey), the guitarist is Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society and lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne for nearly 20 years), the bassist is Jeff Pilson (Dokken, and currently Foreigner), and the drummer is Jason Bonham (son of John, and currently in Foreigner). Plus Steel Dragon's songs were written by the likes of Sammy Hagar, Ritchie Blackmore, Ronny James Dio, Desmond Child, Twiggy (as in the former bassist for Marilyn Manson, not the '60s supermodel), as well as Matijevic, Pilson, and Wylde.
[Note: As with The Beatles, I'll just list my favorite couple songs off each Rolling Stones album rather than discuss their more than obvious importance.]
386. The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (last listen: 1-2 years) - Favorite songs: "Paint It, Black," "Stupid Girl"
387. The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (last listen: 3 months to 1 years) - Favorite songs: "Salt of the Earth," "Jigsaw Puzzle"