Top Ten... Road trip albums
We all have favorite albums to take out on the road with us. If you don't have favorite albums for road trips… I feel bad for you. You obviously haven't lived life… yep, you must just be some pathetic lump of crap who never gets out of the house. ROADTRIPS ARE A RIGHT OF PASSAGE!!! Right?
Well, maybe it's not as important as I think. But regardless, we compiled a few of our favorites for you to peruse. Maybe you'll find something on our list that you haven't taken on the road with you, maybe you'll agree with us, maybe you'll think we are idiots. But one thing is for sure; we all need to pray for Eric… I mean, he doesn't even have kids!! (You'll see what I mean).
-Jake
Avi - Johnny Cash - The Prison Albums (Reissued and remastered, Folsom & San Quentin)
Does a finer pair of live albums exist? From the power of the songs and the playing to the amazing in-between song banter, these two records are certified classics in every way. You can feel the tension in the air the first time Johnny plays the song 'San Quentin' for the inmates. And they make him play it again right away. I get chills every time I hear it.
Avi - CCR - take your pick
I never, ever leave on a long car trip without Creedence on hand. Nothing goes better with the open road than John Fogarty's gravelly voice and amazing songwriting skills. 'Chronicles 2' may be a little tainted for me now as I once spun out into a ditch outside Eugene, Oregon while listening to it, but hey, you do what you gotta do.
Avi - Black Sabbath - any record with Ozzy
The key to road music to me is picking something that you can sing along to, will keep you awake, and won't get old. That's why I always break out with the classics and you know you gotta have some Ozzy-era Sabbath up in that piece. Sabbath is my favorite band and dammit, they never get old. I can honestly listen to them on endless repeat and the songs only get better. No lie.
Darryl - Frankenixon Depth Perception
The band has it all: looks, talent, and catchiness. This album has it all: wit, sophistication, complexity, simplicity, rock, soul, pop, math...perfect for the emotional unpredictability of a road trip. Besides, it's just a fantastic album to put in the car stereo and just CRANK.
Darryl - Saul Williams - Amethyst Rock Star
Most hip-hop isn't well-suited for lengthy car rides-it's more for cruising than anything else-but Williams's poetic flow requires a slightly more intent listener, and the eclectic beats on this album provide a rhythm that makes endless stretches of highway or new cities bounce like Flubber Pogo Ball. (Personal note: this album actually got me through most of Idaho when I moved to Seattle...something about "La La La" that just makes my head nod and my foot press harder and harder on the gas.)
Eric - Veggietales - On the Road with Bob & Larry
What trip would be complete without some classic traveling songs? The world's most entertaining tomato and cucumber get together to give stellar performances on sing-a-long tunes like 'The Wheels on the Bus', 'Surrey with the Fringe on Top', 'The Bear Went Over the Mountain', and 'On the Road Again'. Hilarity ensues.
Eric - The Beatles - The White Album
Okay, most everyone knows this one, so if the car's full of people, this is most assuredly a hit. The flow from 'Back in the USSR' through 'Glass Onion' and up through 'Rocky Raccoon' is just unsurpassed. Nonstop sing-a-long stuff all the way through. My favorites are mostly in the first half, though- it tends to lose a little staying power for me toward the second half, but really it's one of those perfect albums.
Eric - Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire - The Swimming Hour
The first song pretty much seals this one as a sure-fire road trip album. Lyrics like "I've been driving all night, fading in fluorescent light, in a western Tennessee gas station..." in 'Two Way Action' are undoubtedly road-worthy. The music is bright and summery through most of the disc, and it's definitely got the catchy melody lines necessary for singing along to.
Alex - The Clash - London Calling
When I think about the fact that all my best road-trips were soundtracked with the Clash's ‘London Calling', it seems like that's gotta just be a coincidence. The evidence is just too overwhelming, though: "London Calling"'s strutting cadence and British bombast emerging from Boston pointed south; "Death or Glory"'s singalong shouted war lament circling D.C. on the Beltway; "Brand New Cadillac"'s oldschool car-and-girlsong crossing Pennsylvania from Philly to points unknown; and good ol' NEW YORK, NEW YORK, NEW YORK FORTY-SECOND STREET while Joe Strummer snarls about Montgomery Clift. The best road trip albums ultimately demand the very finest rock-and-roll, and London Calling fits that bill like a round peg in a round hole.
Jake – Jawbreaker – Dear You
The album everyone wants an original copy of is also one of the best albums to take on the road. Everyone can sing along with Blake and the boys, and if you have a passenger who by chance hasn't heard this album before… well, they are usually asking for a copy after your trip is over. The songs are catchy as hell, and the lyrics are among the best put to tape. Yep, this is a classic party, sitting at home drinking AND road trip record.
- The Workshop Crew | 2003-04-14
