Verified by 
Lying in bed yesterday morning, wide awake and waiting for Fehmeen to get caffeinated enough to deal with my typical morning routine, my thoughts turned towards my music collection, specifically to the groups and artists who I have at least three or more cds of and if I was forced to choose just one of those discs above the others, which one would it be and, briefly, why.
Here's what I came up with:
Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory by a good margin over Definitely Maybe. While I will miss tracks like Married with Children and the one about having lasagna, it was an easy decision.
The Beatles - Despite my obsession with the Rubber Soul and Revolver albums, I have to go with Abbey Road, not just for the entire record as a whole but for that amazing 16 minute medley at the end.
Gretchen Wilson - Here for the Party is the big winner because I love the song Redneck Woman (amongst a handful of others).
Ozzy Osbourne - I have to go with Diary of a Madman for sentimental reasons (I loved it as a youth). That and because Randy Rhoads' guitar work on that album is flat out incendiary.
Weezer- You'd think that I'd go with either the debut Blue album or their second eponymous record aka the Green album but I have officially dumped out my cup of Hater-ade and I'm taking the much maligned Pinkerton - which is clearly a great record now that I've actually given it a chance to grow on me.
Van Halen- It came down to the first or second album and after much internal debate I chose Van Halen II mainly because I've listened to their debut too many times in my lifetime already.
Garth Brooks - Ropin' the Wind almost got the nod thanks to personal faves like Rodeo and Shameless but in the end No Fences won due in part to tunes such as Friends in Low Places, Unanswered Prayers, and The Thunder Rolls.
Tom Waits - Because he is my absolute one hundred percent favorite of all time, the rules don't necessarily apply to my collection of Tom Waits cds and I get to choose my top five to take with me. In no particular order: Heart Attack and Vine, Rain Dogs, Swordfishtrombones, Mule Variations, and Frank's Wild Years.
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking is one of my favorite albums of all time so picking it here was a no-brainer.
Jerry Garcia Band - Gotta go with the eponymous double live album recorded at the Warfield in San Francisco in 1990, partially because I may have been there and mostly because it was my first exposure to listening to what Jerry can do to such an iconic catalogue of songs such as The Way You Do the Things You Do, Simple Twist of Fate, Stop that Train, and (one of my personal faves) Tangled Up in Blue.
Steve Earle - Another relatively easy selection for me as I go with Transcendental Blues. If it came down to picking only one song on this album it would without a doubt be Galway Girl.
Elvis Costello - Although I am the proud owner of four different greatest hits packages in my Declan MacManus esteemed collection, I would have to take the green double disc compilation which spans his entire career that I picked up in London.
Rush - Are you serious? Did you just meet me yesterday? I hate that band.
Stone Temple Pilots - Even though I arrived late to the STP party, I'd have to go with Tiny Music ... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop for the simple fact that I sometimes enjoy it when bands get out of their comfort zone and expand their signature sound.
Kings of Leon - I will always prefer their Youth and Young Manhood debut album to their subsequent and more popular releases but not for the typical clichéd reason of I was into them before everyone else -- although that's true. I just like it better.
And then I had to get up or else I could have gone on for days.
How about you? What are some of your best of your mosts? Do share.
