Our CDs, Week 1

Last night some friends were coming over, and I said, "What should I put on?" S. said, "Let's just listen to all the CDs alphabetically." It was a joke, but then I said, "That's actually a good idea." It seemed like a good recession-era task, and fun given all the different music we've collected together and separately. Plus a way to find out what to recycle (especially since we're about to bring 1,000 new CDs into the world).

So. Hello, Bryan Adams. Cuts Like a Knife was instantly enjoyable when it went on. Fun, satisfying guitar solos and chord changes. In college, this didn't feel out of place next to my Smithereens records. (I loved the song "Run to You" from Reckless, which we've got on vinyl - that's another project.) Then tonight, it was time for Waking Up the Neighbors. (Note: we're not going through each artist in chronological order, only the order they happen to be in on the shelf.) Although we're big fans of Mutt Lange, who produced this one, this sounded more like it was about Mutt than Bryan. We moved on to Into the Fire, which I'd never heard. S. said before I even pulled it down from the shelf that it was a keeper. Early on as an engineer, he would often put this on to check out a new room to see how it was going to sound, or between sets at gigs he was doing sound for. It's definitely boomy '80s rock (Bob Clearmountain produced, as with Cuts), but with a misty, Vancouver-by-twilight feel. Definitely the Bryan we know and love.

Oh, my, I hear Aerosmith downstairs. Gotta go.