For a while, the blogroll in the left sidebar contained a category called “The Trinity.” It listed the web sites for Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, my three favorite male recording artists. A couple months ago I was switching off CDs from the house to my vehicle and, for some reason, wondered if that belief was reflected in my CDs. Thus, I went through them and totaled up how many I had from various artists.

Before getting into it, there are a couple qualifiers. First, the counts may not be wholly accurate, what with a couple vehicles and at least one stereo system on each of the three floors of the house. Second, the count is by title, not number of CDs. Thus, a multi-CD release counts the same as one CD. Finally, the count also includes bootlegs, not just studio or authorized live recordings

That said, the numbers confirmed that Browne, Dylan and Springsteen are my musical holy trinity. I have 36 Dylan releases, 24 Springsteen ones (which includes solo and E Street Band) and 22 Browne titles. There are also probably the three artists for whom I have the most bootlegs.

The numbers also surprised me a bit. For example, I wouldn’t have guessed that I had more Neil Young (18), Santana (16), Chicago (14) and Clapton (14) releases than Beatles (12), although the Beatles count doesn’t include any solo releases. I was even more surprised to discover I have as many releases by Grand Funk as the Rolling Stones (10 each).

The results of my jazz collection wasn’t too surprising either. The problem with it is the various combinations. For example, do you count Return to Forever with Chick Corea? Does Cannonball & Coltrane count for both or, if not, for which? Using what was undoubtedly a completely capricious and inconsistent method of counting, the leaders didn’t really surprise me.

I had 19 releases by both Chick Corea and Pat Metheny, my two favorite modern jazz artists. Also not surprising was that Bill Evans was next at 17, followed by Miles with 14. As for Cannonball and Coltrane? Eleven each, although I still have no clue which way I counted the joint CD.

So, not only were my beliefs sustained, it seems the Trinity are pretty well permanently enshrined on my CD shelves.

Bruce Springsteen

1. Revolver, the Beatles. Clearly, the Beatles are a logical choice for number one.

2. If I Could Only Remember My Name, David Crosby. WTF???

3. The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd. Can’t you just imagine the Pope spacing out to this?

4. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac. Hmm. You wouldn’t think the Vatican would look to Bill Clinton for music advice.

5. The Nightfly, Donald Fagen. WTF #2???

6. Thriller, Michael Jackson. Hate it myself but guess I can see why an album that sold that well might make the cut. Evidently, though, no one at the Vatican has seen the video for the title cut or else the Church’s view of zombies, the supernatural and the like has changed.

7. Graceland, Paul Simon. Not a fan yet still seems an odd choice for top 10.

8. Achtung Baby, U2. I imagine you gotta have an Irish band on a Catholic list.

9. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, Oasis. Have to admit I’ve never listened to it but I still find it a surprising choice. Maybe there was a heavy lobby by Irish priests.

10. Supernatural, Carlos Santana. Setting aside the title as being itself surprising, as a Santana fan I am somewhat offended that they would choose this — one of the most unSantana-like LPs of the Santana catalog.

I am even more put off by the fact Bob Dylan was excluded from the list. Although the authors of the article recognized his “great poetic vein,” they say, “His great fault is, however, giving the green light to generations of songwriters … that harshly tested the ears and patience of listeners, thinking that their tortured meanderings might interest somebody.”

Some of us recovering Catholics might find the term “tortured meanderings” more appropriate to things we heard in church or Catholic school.

Bob Dylan, title cut, Highway 61 Revisited

Three years to the day from the release of Magical Mystery Tour, the “quiet one” had the audacity to release a three-LP box set, believed to be the first in rock music history. Many might have thought two records were enough, since the third basically contained jam sessions (although those jams included most of the musicians from what would be known as Derek and the Dominoes). But even had it been limited to two records, the music was impressive.

All Things Must Pass “only” generated two hit singles: “My Sweet Lord” (which a court found Harrison “subconsciously” plagiarized) and “What Is Life.” While those two songs reflected Harrison’s ability to write about spirituality and love, respectively, All Things Must Pass displays great songwriting ability. Harrison covers a broad range, from rock (“Wah-Wah”) to even a country feel (“Behind That Locked Door”), not to mention songs like “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beware of Darkness” and “Awaiting on You All” or the cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You.”

There’s not really a weak tune in that entire bunch. Harrison clearly established that “Something” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” were not one-offs. Even on his spiritual side, Harrison displayed his adeptness at crafting the songs. He intentionally started the chant in “My Sweet Lord” by repeatedly using “hallelujah” before transitioning into a Hindu mantra. Not only was the former more familiar and acceptable to most listeners, Harrison said he was trying to “show that ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Hare Krishna’ are quite the same thing.” Likewise, while the chorus of “Awaiting On You All” talks of chanting the names of the lord, Harrison explicitly mentions Jesus in the next verse.

To the extent any one has a “favorite Beatle,” there’s no doubt George was mine. It’s bittersweet that the anniversary date of this wonderful recording so closely coincides with the anniversary of his death. But Harrison didn’t change during that time. “Isn’t It a Pity” asks why we fail to love and care for each other. The statement announcing his death at age 58 concluded with a quote from Harrison, the last words of which urge us to “love one another.”

“Isn’t It A Pity,” George Harrison, All Things Must Pass