Cards on the table time.

I'd ask somebody else to pick, or I wouldn't take any. The thing is that no matter what I picked I'd end up hating it or just getting bored because the joy of listening to music for me is in striking a track by X off a track by Y and seeing what sparks fly. I so rarely even listen to a full length album now that the idea of sticking to just 3 artists forever....what would be the point? I would honestly prefer the memories to getting inevitably sick of records I'd loved in my pre-prison/island/insane life.

Sorry for an arsey reply, Nick.

Or for a more instant answer - if I had to grab something RIGHT NOW it'd just be the best of the Beat because the thread title has set that line from "I Confess" running through my head and unless I play it it will drive me loopy.

No worries, interesting motivations behind it.

Very easy: The Cure, Prince, Orbital. That covers the lion's share of my musical tastes. I will miss the late 80's/early 90's industrial acts, but a few exceptions aside I haven't listened to them in years, anyway. (Who'd've though six years ago that KMFDM would fall completely off my radar? NOT ME.)

Orbital... I fucking love those two bald old men.

New album disappointed though. David Gray - why?!

Lee Perry. Leonard Cohen. George Clinton. Yessir!

This is not an easy question.

1) Miles Davis 2) Aretha Franklin 3) I'm unable to pick a third. I was going to say the Rolling Stones, but changed my mind. Good thing this is all hypothetical.

Frank Zappa (surprise, surprise). David Bowie. James Brown.

That would cover a lot of ground. But having all that Zappa will all but guarantee that I'll be stranded for the rest of my life ;-0

The Fall, because there's a lot in there to catch up with. John Cage, because his music rocks and the 8 CD box set of him reading his diary would be a good substitute for human company. And my own, so I could remember who I was (and sing along)!

I'd take 3 artists with huge catalogs who I've never had the chance to listen to properly but who sound intriguing. So...

1)Duke Ellington 2)David Bowie (believe it or not) 3)Ella Fitzgerald. She mostly because I'd need a sexy female voice to keep me company.

The Telescopes. Mouse On Mars. Ummm... possibly John S Hall?

Not much reasoning behind them except The Telescopes are acest (and they veer between big shouty stuff and mellow trippy stuff)... I just love Mouse On Mars, the glitchy squelchy German guys that they are... And John S Hall would pretty much be the perfect accompaniment for going completely fucking mental in isolation... and it'd also remind you that most people are fucking shitty and twisted anyway...

My own back catalogue. And I wouldn't need the other two.

Sadly, I'm not being flip here. I find it much more fascinating listening to my own badly recorded tapes and live recordings and the odd studio foray than to listen to anyone else's... and that even goes for me playing Tom Waits songs painfully on the piano. I can argue this point from an objective, critical viewpoint if you like, along the way rubbishing the notion that art or music has any worth beyond that imagined by the participant, but would really rather not...

Actually, I would prefer to take along a decent tape recorder, plus amplification system, and maybe an inexaustible supply of tapes. Instruments are mere encumberances.

Assuming I had lost the ability to create - ie: I was no longer living - then I might consider Dexys, Louis Armstrong and the Danielson Famile in my stead. Possibly. But I'd rather listen to waves crashing on rocks, frankly.

John S. Hall! Oh emil.y! But which John S. Hall record would you take if only one was allowed? 'Real Men'? 'Mystical Shit'?

The first week of hearing the new Orbital album: "Wow! This is heaven on Earth!"
The eighth day: "Um, wait. Actually there are only three good songs on here. Fuck."

I'm assuming a lot of that stuff comes off better live than recorded. I've got a live version of the Doctor Who theme which is MILES above the one on the album.

Boringly enough REM, Pet Shop Boys and david Bowie (even the rotten 80's material). As for Orbital and David Gray ain't he the Hartnoll's brother in law or something like that?

I'm related to my Gran, but if I was a musician I wouldn't let her fuck up my records.

Billy: yes. And the track with him isn't that bad; it's just not very good.

The three good songs on _The Altogether_ are "Funny Break", "Last Thing", and "Meltdown". The others range from all right to forgetful. Overall, it's an average album, which makes it a crushing disappointment from Orbital.

I could very easily live with three artists for the rest of my life. Today, I'd pick Scott Walker, Gluecifer, and John Fahey.

Carcass, Marduk, and Masonna. Or just Masonna. Or Don Henley; what difference would it make? I'd probably chuck the fucking hi-fi into the ocean anyway. Do you seriously think it would be easy to enjoy music if you were stuck listening to the same three artists over and over? I'd be smoking every plant on the island.

Well, being put on the spot like this...

1. Kraftwerk - amazing and varied body of work; "Autobahn" is, I think, the pinnacle of Western Civilization.

2. Brian Eno - including: his work with Roxy Music, his collaborations, and all the albums he's produced... is this cheating? Tough!

3. The Chameleons - only 3 studio albums (unless, isn't there a new one out? Ned?), but I love 'em so.

Stephen Merrit, Residents, Gram Parsons

Oh, no. This quite honestly makes me want to cry. I only "discovered" rock and pop five or six years ago, and my tastes change about monthly, so I don't know which recent finds I'll love forever.

Goo Goo Dolls, because so far I still love them, unlike anyone else I started listening to before 1999.

Pink Floyd, for variety (and having lots and lots of albums out).

I can't pick a third! I reserve the right to come back later.

I've never known whether to address these questions as "Honestly, who do you like best?" or "In that actual situation, what pragmatic choices would you make?" In the latter case, I'd take something like Sun Ra, Miles Davis, and Joao Gilberto, partly because they all have huge catalogs and partly because -- in terms of Davis and Ra -- I've never been a very good jazz listener: stuck on a desert island, I'd be able to occupy myself learning to become one. And with jazz, there's a whole lot more information there to chew on.

But in the earnest sense? Probably Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine, and, well, Joao Gilberto.

now the top 100 records list makes sense.

Miles Davis. Many different phases, different styles, almost all good. Plus you get to hear lots of other fabulous guest artists like Coltrane.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Maybe this is stretching the intent of the question, but I would really get into that huge "complete works of..." set that one of the classical labels issued a number of years back...something like 300 CDs or so with no duplication of material. If this is disqualified, then I'd pick Herbert von Karajan, because then you'd get to hear a bazillion different composers and different players. And don't try to tell me that HVK ain't an artist, buddy.

Ummmm.... Like so many others, I'm having a hard time picking a third, because there are so few bands with a back catalogue strong and varied enough to justify this. It might be The Cure for sentimental reasons. It might be The Beatles for songwriting reasons. But I don't know for sure. Zappa would be an okay choice, too, though I have a feeling I'd get really tired of him after a while.

1. The Rolling Stones because I love most of what they've done, yet I don't have all their songs memorized the way I do with some artists I love more. 2. Prince, because I'd need to have some music I grew up with and 3. Louis Armstrong, because I hardly know any of his music, and there's no better way to find out.

Johnny Cash,Madonna and Weil sung by Lotte Lenya.

Miles Davis, Royal Trux, Kraftwerk.

Easy question for a change :)

Madonna, Dead Man Ray and the No New York comp

Of course, the right thing to do is choose artists with large back catalogues. Keep it eclectic... the weather changes often and your Tom Hanks Sim may go through a breakdown or two on the desert island, so bring.......

1) Michael Jackson 2) Merzbow 3) Swans

George Clinton. Tony Williams (everything he ever played on). Harry Partch, because I've barely heard any of his stuff, if I've got alot of time on my hands trying to get accustomed to odd harmonics/tunings would be as worthwhile and endeavour as any.

The Kinks. Bowie. Kraftwerk.

WHooa, Kodanshi! Good choice!

How about: Merzbow/box; Keiji Haino; and let's see, something a bit more laid back ... either Pan(a)sonic or Sinatra.

I thought this was hard, then I read Jerry's first two paras and I realized that the question answered itself.

1. bruce springsteen 2. miles davis 3. mahler

Pavement. Beatles. Nirvana.

In response to Johnathan: "But which John S. Hall record would you take if only one was allowed? 'Real Men'? 'Mystical Shit'? "

It would have to be 'Real Men', of course. Not only for the fact that 'My Personal Life' sums up my, erm, personal life, but also because he throws his disdain onto the other:

"I'm in a shitty band. We have an album called Mystical Shit. The record is shit."

And I could content myself with that knowledge. Even if it's not actually true.

Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Madonna

How about: Merzbow/box;
Wise choice if you want to remain on the element for a very long time. I don't think you'll be picked up by passing boats. ;-)

The Smiths. Belle & Sebastian. Brian Eno.

That's an instant response. I'm picking people who have done lots of stuff I like and have big back catalogues.

If I pick Eno do I get everything he produced as well?

1. Albert Ayler 2. John Fahey 3. Thomas Brinkmann (for coconut dance parties)

I'd take Bach for my third.
I mean, sometime in my future there *has* to be a classical epiphany. This rock thing can't last forever.

Marc Bolan, Stockhausen and Billy Childish

1) Bowie 2) Prince. 3) This one would have to be in the "fairly large catalogue I've never really delved into" vein, and female, so let's say Billie Holiday.

Lou Reed, John Cale, Elvis Costello. Why? Coz I already liked them enough to collect said catalogs in the first place.

XTC, Delia Derbyshire, The Magnetic Fields.

Bon Jovi, Philistines Jr and Dinosaur Jr.

For once I'm going to be truly crabby--the old "Desert Island Discs" thing? On ILM? How totally banal.

Now imagine how my fingers are just itching to stay on these keys and give you some choices of my own--but I simply cannot allow myself to sink so low...

"The Beat Of The Traps" song-poem collection, the best of Ro-- NOW CUT THAT OUT!

Not the place I expected to find this thread but... 1) Neil Young, way too many album and styles to leave behind. 2) Jason Pierce (which would include Kember's Spacemen 3 cause its my damm island and I said so) 3) Dean Wareham even if he doesn't cut his hair.

Am I allowed to say "Momus" or will that sound sycophantic?

1) Momus 2) Lee "Scratch" Perry 3) Tom Waits

covers a pretty wide range of styles / moods and general brilliance. Gonna suffer without any instrumental electronica or hip-hop though.

Can I trade my 3 artists to have Tom Waits actually with me on the island?

Can I trade my 3 artists to have Tom Waits actually with me on the island?

Urrr...scrap my choices - I'd go for this one as well!

Hey, that's encouraging. Unless - oh, sod it - you won't be on the same island as me, will you?

The Manics, Madonna and Jay-Z.

Stephen Malkmus, Stephin Merritt, and Cat Stevens

sonic youth, joy division, la monte young

I think if I could have five, I'd be okay, but three is going to be tough. Lord. I'd have to include Oum Kalthoum. (Already like a lot of her work; lots that's I haven't heard; desert island means lots of time to listen closely.) Sun Ra for same reasons as above, plus extremely varied output (somewhat moreso than Oum Kalthoum, though her career also varied). The Beatles would be the next obvious choice for me, but I think I have to bring along some salsa as a reminder of my dancing days, so maybe Willie Colon's back catalog. There isn't really any one figure in salsa who is as singularly important to me as Oum Kalthoum, Sun Ra and the Beatles, but Willie Colon is probably the closest. His work will also give me some variety beyond "salsa" defined in the narrow sense. (I am assuming I can include all collaborations: Willie Colon y Ruben Blades, W.C. y Hector Lavoe, etc.) Using "y" for "and"=showing off my proficiency in Spanish. Using "=" in previous sentence=being co-opted by ILM. No big surprises here. Reviving this thread=putting off shaving. Putting off shaving=self-defeating procrastination.

I would choose drugs

As others have said, a big back catalogue of high quality is the thing here, and I definitely want three different-sounding artistes. Lee Perry, in that he has produced all sorts of wonderful singers. The Fall, for 25 years of excellent albums. And probably Willie Nelson, in that I love his voice even on the ropy material.

I really want Miles Davis and James Brown and Frank Sinatra and Al Green and Tom Waits and the Rolling Stones and Aretha and...

Ooh, no, hang on: Al Jackson Jr. He's the drummer on all the great stuff recorded at Stax (Otis, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MGs, etc.) and much of the best stuff at Hi (including Al Green). That's a winner! He might replace the Fall. It occurs to me that nominating John Coltrane would get me some prime Miles Davis too. No, not quite. But Holland-Dozier-Holland are tempting - most of the best of the Four Tops, the Supremes, the Chairmen of the Board and other good stuff. Trouble is, it is soul again, so maybe not. I'll stick with Al Jackson, Lee Perry and Willie Nelson.

pixies orbital billy holiday and some beer

You've been sent down, found yourself stranded on a desert island, gone irreversibly insane, whatever... and the only luxuries you have are a nice hi-fi and the complete back catalogues of three artists.
I think if food was scarce on that island, I'd start wondering if vinyl tasted any good if cooked in coconut milk.