PADDINGTON'S 350(ish) MUSICAL MONADS

Apologies for the protracted absence : Paddington is off to Latin America next Monday, where hopefully the solace of being back in his native continent will inspire him to update his blog rather more frequently.

In the meantime, I ask you to indulge me a little. People who can write about music write about it ; those of us who can't make lists. What follows is a pretty much exhaustive list of what I believe every music fan should have on his or her ipod. Actually, I don't own an ipod - I only bought my first CD walkman last year - but the album has become such a staid format, and such a dull commodity, that I almost never listen to one from track 1 to track 13. Even new purchases get played on shuffle mode. So this selection, a mixture of essential albums, singles and album tracks - my top 350 musical monads, if you like - is to be played on a single ipod (or perhaps an iPad). Albums are in italics, singles in quotes, and for tracks which are either non-singles or better known as album tracks, I have indicated which album they are from. In fact, I am beginning to feel like a right old statto.

I was going to do a bit of a preamble, but tastes pretty much speak for themselves. In case it makes a difference, I am white, male and middle-class : each of those will probably be over-represented. I am also 26, though I think this makes less difference : the following list covers something like 80 years of music, though the first 40 and the last five are somewhat under-represented. I have completely ignored classical music, but have included some jazz (in retrospect, probably not enough). Please scatter your comments liberally. You will inevitably be wrong, but anything for a good barney.

PADDINGTON'S 350(ish) MUSICAL MONADS

althea and donna, “uptown top ranking”
american graffiti
angels, “my boyfriend’s back”



aphex twin, windowlicker ep
aretha franklin, queen of soul : the atlantic recordings
art blakey, ken burns jazz
artesians, “trick bag”
arto lindsay, mundo civilizado
associates, “white car in germany”
b-52s, “give me back my man”
b-52s, time capsule: the best of the b-52s
baby bird, the original lo-fi
band, the band
basement jaxx, “oh my gosh”
beach boys, “kiss me baby” (from beach boys today!)
beach boys, pet sounds
beach boys, “the trader” (from holland)
beach boys, “just once in my life” (from 15 big ones)
beach boys, “the night was so long” (from beach boys love you)
beach boys, sounds of summer: the very best of the beach boys
beastie boys, paul’s boutique



beatles, “there’s a place” (from please please me)
beatles, a hard day’s night
beatles, “rock and roll music” (from beatles for sale)
beatles, revolver
beatles, sgt peppers lonely hearts club band
beatles, the beatles
beatles, abbey road
beatles, “i’ve got a feeling”, “the one after 909” (from let it be)
beatles, 1962-66
beck, odelay!
billy bragg, “greetings to the new brunette” (from talking with the taxman about poetry)
billy bragg, “sexuality” (from don't try this at home)
bionic dub, “bionic dub”
bjork, “venus as a boy”



blackalicious, “the fall and rise of elliott brown” (from the craft)
blue nile, “tinseltown in the rain” (from a walk across the rooftops)
blue nile, “the downtown lights”, “saturday night” (from hats)
blue nile, “broken loves” (from high)
bob dylan, bringing it all back home
bob dylan, highway 61 revisited
bob dylan, “positively 4th street”



bob dylan, blonde on blonde
bob dylan, “new morning” (from new morning)
bob dylan, blood on the tracks
bob dylan / the band, the basement tapes
bob dylan, “not dark yet” (from time out of mind)
bob dylan, love and theft
bob marley & the wailers, “turn your lights down low” (from exodus)
bob marley & the wailers, kaya
bob marley & the wailers, legend
boogie down productions, “love’s gonna getcha”



brakes, “shut us down” (from ring a ding ding)
brave new world, “train kept a rollin’”
brian eno, “blank frank” (from here come the warm jets)
brian eno, another green world
brian wilson, smile!
b-rock and the bizz, “mybabydaddy”



bruce springsteen, tunnel of love
bruce springsteen, “streets of philadelphia”
bryan ferry, these foolish things
bryan ferry, “let’s stick together”
captain beefheart & the magic band, trout mask replica
carole king, “beautiful” (from tapestry)
chris bell, “i am the cosmos” (from i am the cosmos)
clash, the clash
clash, london calling
coasters, “charlie brown”
coasters, “yakety yak”
cocteau twins, “violaine” (from milk and kisses)
cornershop, “brimful of asha”
coumba gawlo, “miniyamba” (from the music in my head)
count five, “psychotic reaction”





coup, pick a bigger weapon
creedence clearwater revival, chronicle
culture, two sevens clash
david bowie, station to station
david bowie, 1:outside
de la soul, aoi: bionix
debarge, in a special way
debarge, “the rhythm of the night”
dillinger, “cocaine in my brain”
dinosaur jr, “little fury things” (from youre living all over me)
dizzee rascal, boy in da corner
dj shadow, endtroducing…
donald fagan, the nightfly



doors, “back door man” (from the doors)
dr buzzard’s original savannah band, dr buzzard’s original savannah band
duke ellington and his orchestra, the age of ellington
ella fitzgerald, the best of the songbooks
elton john, “madman across the water [demo]” (from remastered version of tumbleweed connection)
elton john, elton john’s greatest hits vol. 1
elton john, captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy
elton john, rock of the westies



elvis costello, this year’s model
elvis costello, imperial bedroom
elvis presley, #1s
emerson, lake and palmer, “jerusalem” (from brain salad surgery)
eminem, the marshall mathers lp
ernest ranglin, “surfin’”
etta james, the chess box
fall, 458489 a sides
fela-anikulapo kuti, the best best of fela kuti : the black president



first choice, “armed and extremely dangerous”
fleetwood mac, rumours
fleetwood mac, tusk
flying burrito brothers, “sin city” (from the gilded palace of sin)
freedy johnston, “this perfect world” (from this perfect world)
funkadelic, “maggot brain” (from maggot brain)
funkadelic, music for your mother : funkadelic 45s
funky 4+1, “that’s the joint”



gang of four, entertainment!
george harrison, “what is life” (from all things must pass)
gloria gaynor, “never can say goodbye”
go-betweens, “bye bye pride” (from tallulah)
go-betweens, ocean drive
grace jones, island life



grandmaster flash, “adventures on the wheels of steel”, “the message”
half man, half biscuit, “albert hammond bootleg” (from back in the dhss / trumpton riots ep)
half man, half biscuit, “a country practice” (from four lads who shook the wirral)
harmonia, “dino” (from musik von harmonia)
husker du, “celebrated summer” (from new day rising)
ian brown, “corpses in their mouths” (from unfinished monkey business)
ian dury and the blockheads, “jackshit george” (from mr love pants)
isley brothers, “it’s your thing”



jackie mittoo, “get up and get it” (from keyboard king of studio one)
jackson 5, “a.b.c.”
jackson 5, “i’ll be there”
jackson browne, “fountain of sorrow” (from late for the sky)
jah wobble, i could have been a contender
james brown, soul classics
james carr, “the dark end of the street”
jimi hendrix experience, electric ladyland
jimi hendrix experience, experience hendrix : the best of jimi hendrix
john cale, guts



john coltrane, my favourite things
john lennon, “oh yoko!” (from imagine)
john lennon, shaved fish
john martyn, “dancing” (from one world)
johnny cash, “san quentin”
johnny osbourne, “we need love”
joni mitchell, blue
joni mitchell, for the roses
joni mitchell, hejira
joni mitchell, “both sides now” (from both sides now)
joy division, “decades” (from closer)
kanye west, the college dropout





karen ramirez, “looking for love”
kate and anna mcgarrigle, dancer with bruised knees
kate bush, “get out of my house” (from the dreaming)
kate bush, hounds of love
kate bush, aerial
kay starr, “wheel of fortune”
kelis, kaleidoscope
king sunny ade & his african beats, “eje nlo gba ara mi” (from juju music)
king sunny ade & his african beats, “synchro system” (from synchro system)
kinks, the ultimate collection
kraftwerk, “franz schubert / endless endless” (from trans-europe express)
kraftwerk, “vitamin” (from minimum maximum)
kris kross, “jump”
laura nyro, “time and love”, “captain for dark mornings” (from new york tendaberry)
le tigre, le tigre



le tigre, “i’m so excited” (from this island)
led zeppelin, iv
leftfield, “melt” (from leftism)
lesley gore, “johnny angel”
lewis taylor, lewis taylor
linton kwesi johnson, straight to inglan’s head
little milton, “we’re gonna make it”
little richard, “rip it up”
ll cool j, mama said knock you out
los lobos, “don’t worry baby” (from how will the wolf survive?)
lou reed, “the gun” (from the blue mask)
lou reed, ecstacy



lou reed, nyc man
loudon wainwright iii, “motel blues” (from album 2)
loudon wainwright iii, “the swimming song” (from attempted moustache)
louis prima, “angelina / zooma zooma”
madness, “my girl”
madonna, the immaculate collection
mama cass, “make your own kind of music” (from mama's big ones)
marshall crenshaw, marshall crenshaw



martha wainwright, “bloody mother fucking asshole” (from martha wainwright)
marvis gaye, “stubborn kind of fellow”
massive attack, “risingson” (from mezzanine)
michael jackson, “got to be there”
michael jackson, off the wall
michigan and smiley, “nice up the dance”
miles davis, “boplicity” (from birth of the cool)
miles davis, a kind of blue
miles davis, a tribute to jack johnson
miles davis / bill laswell, panthalassa : the music of miles davis 1969-1974
millie small, “my boy lollipop”





mitch ryder and the detroit wheels, “jenny take a ride”
moondog, “enough about human rights!” (from viking of fifth avenue)
morrissey, your arsenal
motown : the classic years
naughty by nature, “everything’s gonna be alright (ghetto bastard)”
neil young, after the goldrush
neil young, tonight’s the night
neil young, “walk on”, “ambulance blues” (from on the beach)
neil young, “hey hey my my” (from rust never sleeps)
new musik, “straight lines” (from from a to b)



new order, substance
new york dolls, “personality crisis” (from new york dolls)
nick drake, “northern sky” (from bryter layter)
nilsson, “down” (from nilsson schmilsson)
nirvana, in utero
nirvana, unplugged in new york
notorious b.i.g., “mo’ money mo’ problems”
ocean of sound
oh romeo, “try it (i’m in love with a married man)”
ohio players, “fopp” (from honey)
orange juice, “rip it up and start again”
orb, “little fluffy clouds”
ornette coleman and prime time, tone dialling



otis redding, very best of otis redding
parliament, “flash light”, “bop gun (endangered species)” (from the best of parliament : give up the funk)
paul mccartney & wings, “the back seat of my car” (from ram)
paul simon, “peace like a river,” “50 ways to leave yr lover” (from greatest hits : shining like a national guitar)
paul simon, graceland
pavement, “trigger cut – kite at : 17” (from slanted and enchanted)
pavement, wowee zowee
pavement, brighten the corners
pavement, “folk jam” (from terror twilight)
pet shop boys, actually
pet shop boys, introspective
pet shop boys, very
pet shop boys, pop art
peter gabriel, peter gabriel i
peter gabriel, “sledgehammer”
pj harvey, rid of me
pj harvey, to bring you my love
pj harvey, stories from the city, stories from the sea
police, ghost in the machine
prefab sprout, steve mcqueen
prefab sprout, “the king of rock and roll”
prince, 1999
prince, purple rain
prince, “raspberry beret”
prince, sign o the times
prince, “the most beautiful girl in the world”, “eye hate u” (from the gold experience)
public enemy, apocalypse 91: the enemy strikes black
pulp, “common people”
r.e.m., murmur
r.e.m., out of time
r.e.m., “try not to breathe” (from automatic for the people)
r.e.m., new adventures in hi-fi



rachid taha, made in medina
radiohead, “fake plastic trees” (from the bends)
radiohead, “let down” (from ok computer)
randy newman, 12 songs
randy newman, good old boys
randy newman, lonely at the top: the best of randy newman
ray charles, “what’d i say”
ray price, “crazy arms”
replacements, let it be
richard and linda thompson, shoot out the lights
richard and linda thompson, “i want to see the bright lights tonight”, “hokey pokey”, “beat the retreat” (from the end of the rainbow : an introduction to richard and linda thompson)
robert wyatt, nothing can stop us



robert wyatt, “mister e” (from cuckooland)
rocket from the crypt, “on a rope”
rolling stones, “off the hook” (from rolling stones 2)
rolling stones, big hits (high tides and green grass)
rolling stones, big hits (through the past darkly)
rolling stones, let it bleed
rolling stones, sticky fingers
rolling stones, exile on main street
rolling stones, “start me up”
rolling stones, “rough justice” (from a bigger bang)
rotary connection, “i am the black gold of the sun”
roxanne shante, “big mama”
ruben gonzalez, “chanchullo” (from chanchullo)




rufus wainwright, “poses” (from poses)
rufus wainwright, “i don’t what it is” (from want one)
scott walker, “sleepwalkers woman” (from climate of hunter)
screamin’ jay hawkins, “heartattack and vine”
scritti politti, cupid and psyche ‘85
serge gainsbourg / brigitte bardot, “bonnie et clyde”
sex pistols, never mind the bollocks, here’s the sex pistols
shangri-las, “give him a great big kiss”
simon and garfunkel, “the only living boy in new york” (from bridge over troubled water)
sinead o’connor, “nothing compares 2 u”
slits, “typical girls” (from cut)
sly and the family stone, greatest hits



smiths, hatful of hollow
smokey robinson & the miracles, “ooh ooh baby”
sonic youth, “shadow of a doubt” (from evol)
sonic youth, daydream nation
sonic youth, “tunic (song for karen)” (from goo)
sonic youth, dirty
sonic youth, sonic nurse



sonny boy williamson, “bring it on home”
specials, singles
steely dan, “home at last” (from aja)
steely dan, showbiz kids: the best of steely dan
steve earle, “the galway girl” (from transcendental blues)
steve reich, music for 18 musicians
steve reich, “eight lines”
stevie wonder, innervisions
stevie wonder, “superstition” (from talking book)
stevie wonder, songs in the key of life
stevie wonder, looking back
stevie wonder, “so what the fuss” (from a time to love)
streets, original pirate material
suede, suede
sugarhill gang, “rapper’s delight”
suzanne vega, “luka” (from solitude standing)
swell maps, “blenheim shots” (from jane from occupied europe)
talk talk, spirit of eden
talking heads, more songs about buildings and food
talking heads, remain in light
talking heads, “making flippy floppy” (from speaking in tongues)
television, marquee moon
the indestructible beat of soweto



the kings and queens of township jive: modern roots of the indestructible beat of soweto
the rough guide to the music of the sahara
thelonious monk, criss cross
todd rundgren, “hello it’s me” (from something/anything?)
tom tom club, “genius of love”
tom waits, “martha” (from closing time)
tom waits, “16 shells from a thirty-ought 6” (from swordfishtrombones)
tom waits, “walking spanish” (from rain dogs)
tom waits, “goin’ out west” (from bone machine)
tom ze, “ogodô, ano 2000” (from brazil classics 5 : the return of tom ze : the hips of tradition)
tom ze, com defeito de fabricação



tricky, maxinquaye
trojan explosion
tropicalia!
u2, achtung baby
velvet underground, peel slowly and see box-set
was (not was), “walk the dinosaur”
wayne shorter, speak no evil
whipping boy, heartworm
who, meaty, beaty, big and bouncy



wire, “map ref 41 north 93 west” (from 154)
wire, on returning 1977-79
xtc, skylarking
xtc, apple venus vol. 1
yarborough & peoples, “don’t stop the music”
yeah yeah yeahs, “pin” (from fever to tell)
yes, “survival” (from time and a word)
youssou n’dour et le super etoile dakar, “birima” (from super fin d'annee plus)