Let's see, favorite CDs . . . I can't pick one, but I can come up with a list. A top five list, in honor of High Fidelity.

Radiohead, OK Computer - Strangely, this doesn't have my favorite Radiohead songs on it (those would probably be "Creep" and "Fake Plastic Trees") but overall it's my favorite Radiohead CD. It's just so gloriously sad. Especially that Romeo and Juliet song, "Theme for the End Credits of a Film," or whatever it's called. Perfect music for when your girlfriend has dumped you and all is wrong with the world.

REM, Out of Time - "Radio Song" is stupid, yes, but there are plenty of great songs, including my possible-all-time-favorite "Country Feedback." Listened to this a million million times in high school.

The Violent Femmes, The Violent Femmes - I could go the whole rest of my life without ever hearing "Blister in the Sun" again, but I still love all the other songs on this CD. I way overlistened to the Violent Femmes when I was in college--my freshman year roommate came to hate them, because of me--but I spent the better part of a decade not listening to this CD and now I love it again.

Nirvana, In Utero - I listened to Off the Deep End--that's the name of the Nirvana CD that was their first big hit, right?--about a million times in high school. This one came out my freshman year of college. So, see, not everything on my list is based on what I listened to in high school.

The White Stripes, Elephant - I bought this in, what, 2004 and then listened to it pretty much every day for the next year or two. I didn't get tired of it, so that means it must be good, right? I don't know why, I just loved this CD, in a way I haven't loved the two that came after it.

To be honest, I probably expose myself to much less music than most of you. I listen to the radio when I'm driving, and when I'm home I sometimes put on CDs for background music, but I hardly ever buy new CDs. And I never download songs (though I am considering getting one of those "MP3 players" the kids go on and on about.) When I do get a new CD, I play it over and over and over for months, sometimes years. Then I put it away and forget about it, time passes, and I find it, and play it over and over again for months.

The CDs I've listed above I've probably listened to--I couldn't even guess how many times. Thousands? And I still love them.

a quick word on mp3 players...

i purchased a mp3 player last summer. it's not an ipod, it runs on a single triple A battery, but it does the trick for me. the main reason i purchased one was because i wanted to streamline the ususal cd player and 8+ cd's i usually take with me when i go gaming. i'm not a general beleiver in digital media. ( that includes pdf files, sorry.) but i will say this. i have over three hundred cds, and a mp3 player makes me look through each of them to grab songs here and there to make my ultimate playlist.

does it make me buy new cds? no. does it make me DL new songs? probably not. but am i thankful that i have one? absolutely.

and of course, one of the first things i through on it were songs from tapping the vein, radiohead's ok computer, and B-52's

MK

and for the record, i can't wait for that new slipknot cd. i've heard the track "Psychosocial" several times on the radio, and each time i hear it, it makes me want to pummel something mercilessly. it's a greap pump up song.

there are very few songs that do that for me. not since the days of "march of the pigs", "knights of sydonnnia", and "chicken huntin'" has there been a song that has made me actually want to go to work and move some boxes around.

MK

I gotta tell you, my MP3 player is one of the best things I've ever bought. It's the best way to listen to podcasts and it's a lot easier than making mix cds.

i just picked up slipknot's "all hope is gone". it doesn't disappoint one bit. they've got serious heavy stuff, as well as a few molodic "stone sour-ish" music. needless to say, it's a massive fave, and i've already put in in mp3 format. and since my "Pain" video game now has a jukebox feature, it's my official soundtrack

MK