The No Questions Asked Pantheon (and Mariah, ft. Ludacris & Da Brat)

I've got a lot of CDs. No, really. A whole LOT of CDs.

My collection runs into the several hundreds, perhaps. Am I saying this to brag? No... some of them I think I've listen to once, some of them I can't remember if I've ever listened to... to be fair, Steph had a 100 or so, so our collection combined makes up that number, but still, thats alot of CDs. Steph wants me to get rid of some, but I don't know that I'd get much from Coconuts trying to sell Tammy Trent's "Set You Free".

This is all stemming from my latest project... in anticipation of getting my iPod (read the previous entry), I'm loading my CDs into the computer so I can load them in the iPod, when I finally get one. It's a slow process, and its keeping me up nights, but its slowly coming together. Some albums get the whole thing loaded--Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl", for example, or Antigone Rising's "From the Ground Up". I like the whole thing... I just insert and hit "upload".

Other artists, most of them, in fact, get the "check treatment". As in, I've got to go through and uncheck the songs I don't want. Audio Adrenaline, Bush, Michael Bolton (as I hear Tommy say "Um.. I'd uncheck all of those), Boyz II Men, currently Mariah Carey... those all get certain songs.

Sidebar: Speaking of Mariah, loading and listening to her music last night made me think... is there anyone in history who was so good who turned so freakishly weird? Love it or hate it, you can't deny that the early 90s stuff--"Vision of Love", "Dreamlover", "Always Be My Baby", "Can't Let Go"--had an incredible voice behind it. I was reading the liner notes to her CDs as I went along--which I found out that she wrote or co-wrote 99% of her songs, and on every CD she has a verse and a thanks to God--and around 1997, with the release of "Butterfly" (the follow-up to her excellent Daydream album) she started getting a little thuggish. This might have been right before she and Coumbia exec Tommy Mottola divorced. Anyway, Steph thinks she's a total slut, and she might be--however, I do admire the fact that not only does she not curse in her music, but not in her interviews (even with Rolling Stone, where chicks like Britney and Christina cut loose), nor in her liner notes. Anyway, no one can take away her 90s stuff from me. Vh1's Behind the Music will return.

One more Mariah Moment... one of the funniest things I've ever seen is the video for "Honey", her first true "Even though I've made millions singing white pop, I'm going to embrace my blackness now" song... all these black dudes are everywhere dancing, on the beach, on jet skis... and she's romancing a studly white guy.

It's like the execs at Columbia were sitting around saying "Um... Ms. Carey, we know that on Tuesday you decided you'd be black, but for the sake of your fans, let's make this transition gradual... how about for "Honey", you make out with a white guy this time, and we'll just surround you with African Americans? Perhaps we can arrange a light skinned, creamy smooth brother for you to make out with next time..."

One last observation... for Mariah and any other artist who is thinking of doing this: Is there really a need to have three versions of the same song on your CD? I mean, the normal one is fine, perhaps the reprise (which is mostly a cop out to add another track), but another remix featuring Da Brat, Ludacris, Twenty II and Shawnna? I mean, if I actually owned the Glitter soundtrack, this would bother me, but I.. uh, I mean I don't really (laugh uncomfortably)... um, lets go to the Pantheon...

There are a few artists in my Pantheon of "Doesn't Matter What They Sing, They Get All of Their CDs Loaded No Questions Asked"... those are the ones that I want the entire album on there, even if I'm not entirely jazzed about all the songs, simply because their so-so music is better than most artist's "good" music. You'll probably notice a "Girls With Guitars Theme" going on here.

Here's the Pantheon of "No Questions Asked", in no particular order:

• Hootie & the Blowfish. Liked them since college. Love their sound, love their music. I've only got their first three, though I could probably get their stuff used and cheap at Coconuts if I looked.
• Plumb. Perhaps one of my top five albums of all time is "Candycoatedwaterdrops", and her latest, "Chaotic Resolve" is EXCELLENT.
• Watermark. When they make a movie of my life, they'll have a song or two on the two disc soundtrack. Though "All Things New" is to me the definitive album, they are all good. Sadly, they are ceasing to perform as Watermark now, doing some silly stuff like devoting time to kids and more worship music. Their new album is a live album, and their final one--and its a fantastic way to say "thanks and goodbye."
• The Dixie Chicks. They got a raw deal a few years back. Do I agree with them? No. Do I think they should have said it? Not at all... I don't think its what Natalie Maines said, but how she said it. But do I agree with the results? Not in the least. Still, I'm a fan, I've always been hot for Natalie in a Jennifer Herndon sort of way, and I'll get their new CD when it comes out in May. Chicks rule.
• Jennifer Knapp. Oh wherefore art thou, J-Knapp? I just picked up the live album the record company released--I can't say she released it, because I haven't heard a thing from her in years.
• PM Dawn. I really don't have a comment here... I just realy like the Bliss Album, which features the song that has been my favorite song of all time since 1991 , "I'd Die Without You".
• Sheryl Crow. Don't know why, but something about Sheryl Crow just makes me happy. Always has. I will say "Wildflower", her latest, is a little unsatisfying, so she's on the edge of this list, but still...

I would add Stone Temple Pilots, but they didn't stop after three albums, and Scott Weiland decided to get sober. I mean, let's be honest... yes, its awesome he's free of heroin... but there was a price to pay. The only time Scott and STP truly rocked was "Core", "Purple" and "Tiny Music fron the Vatican Gift Shop", all when he was high as a kite.

And I would add Pearl Jam, but they didn't stop after one album.

American Idol reviews tomorrow!!