Jim Kerr of Simple Minds is the latest artist to do Spin's 5 Albums I Can't Live Without.
Kerr chose some lesser-known albums from big-name artists -- and pictured that he was stuck on an island and had only these records to play.
Bob Dylan and The Band - Before the Flood. "I love Dylan, I also love The Band who accompanied him on this American road trip back in 1974. This was Dylan’s first-ever live release, as live albums go this remains unbeatable in my opinion."
Grace Jones - Slave to the Rhythm. "It only really has one good track on the entire album -- the title track itself. But that track is so damn good I cannot merely listen to it once. Instead I feel the need to listen to it for hours on end. Yep, that’s how good it is."
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music. "I guess I bought it for the splendid cover design alone. And just as well, according to Wiki it 'features no songs or recognizably structured compositions, eschewing melody and rhythm for modulated feedback and noise music guitar effects.' Blasting this out from my island paradise would surely scare off any unwarranted guests."
The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesty's Request. "This album release from the Stones has, on a number of occasions, brought a wry smile to my face and no doubt would continue to do so. Correctly criticized as being derivative of the contemporaneous work of The Beatles, particularly of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with the similarities extending to the LP’s cover. It remains one of my all-time faves from the Stones catalog."
Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come. "Being on an island, you might want to listen to some music made by a genuine 'islander' -- I’m thinking of Jamaican Jimmy Cliff in particular."