29 Apr 2026

April 2026 – CRAVE Island Castaway Part II: Music Playlist

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

HEY UP PEEPS. HOW DO? SUP? WHAT’S COOKIN’? HOWDY PARTNERS. Super salutations! I come in peace. It seems unbelievable but we are already one third of the way through 2026 already. I trust you enjoyed the Easter celebration early in April as a harbinger of spring with lighter evenings and warmer days. Despite all the media‑fuelled doom and gloom, there is still plenty to look forward to in 2026. Let’s make this year better than its predecessors. There is no better time than the present. If one thinks about it, the present is all we have. The future we can hope for. As Nike say, ‘Just Do It’ (NB. From the company’s advertising campaign 1988‑1998).

“My childhood did not prepare me for the fact that the world is full of cruel and bitter things” – Julius Robert Oppenheimer (1904‑1967)

Regular readers will know my unwavering calls for comprehensive concord. I cannot emphasise enough that peace should be a profound ambition for everyone on this one and only planet of ours. Peace is not optional. Without it, humanity will ultimately be doomed. With it, we may just stand a chance. Personally, I hope we stand a chance but that requires significant change. We have to change. Peace matters, probably more than anything else for civilisation’s survival and advancement. This is not political, religious or even humanitarian, it is just plain old common sense.

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace” – Jimi Hendrix (1942‑1970)

This Month at CRAVE Guitars…

Back to more prosaic matters. I haven’t written much on musicology recently, so I thought I’d return to the subject this month. As this isn’t my first rodeo, I thought a quick recap on what has gone before might be in order. I compiled a, ‘Personal Top 20 Most Influential Guitar Albums’ way back in 2016 and ‘50 Albums of the Last Half‑Century(‑ish)’ in 2017. I also covered ‘The Story of Modern Music…’ in 14 parts from March 2019 to May 2020 (bar December 2019). In addition, there have been four major CRAVE Guitars genre articles (‘Dub Reggae Revelation’, ‘Adventures in Ambient’, ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Get Up and Dance to the Music!’) in 2023 and 2024. Last but not least, there was the article, ‘Musical Machinations’ in 2023 about access to music, so there is already a great deal of foundation to work from for this particular article. Time to take an alternative perspective.

“If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it; that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die” – William Shakespeare (1564‑1616)

This month’s piece is definitely another one for the list‑o‑philes out there. I must re‑stress as usual that this is entirely for entertainment purposes only and has no intrinsic value beyond mild amusement for both author and reader. As usual, no AI has been used in researching and writing this article, just hard brain work. The CRAVEman images, however, are AI generated out of necessity. This month’s quotes are a relevant mix of islandic observations and musical wisdom.

“We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance” – John Archibald Wheeler (1911‑2008)

The Rationale for the Article

Last month, in Part I of this two‑parter, I looked at what 10 pieces of vintage guitar gear that I might like to take with me to CRAVE Island. This month, I contemplate as to what playlist of music tracks one might like to listen to, when not playing vintage guitars, on the very same secluded idyll of CRAVE Island. As last month, The CRAVEman has been used to introduce and present this month’s line‑up. If you want serious vintage guitar topics, why not head off to the web site proper or watch this space for the next non‑fiction article.

IF you want to (re‑)visit Part I of this CRAVE Island extravaganza, follow the link below (opens a new browser tab)…

March 2026 – CRAVE Island Castaway Part I: Vintage Gear

For readers who may not be familiar with the concept, the format used here is loosely based on the long‑running BBC Radio 4 programme, ‘Desert Island Discs’. Guests on the show select eight audio recordings (usually music), one book and one luxury item that they would have with them if they were to become a castaway, stranded on the metaphorical desert island. The BBC radio programme was first broadcast in January 1942 (that is 84 years ago in 2026!) and there have subsequently been nearly 3,500 episodes and counting. I depart from the archetype but retain the spirit of the original programme.

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music” – Aldous Huxley (1894‑1963)

Now, here’s a thing… I started off this idea thinking about what might constitute a ‘perfect’ pop song, in the knowledge that there is no such thing. The two exemplars that immediately sprang to mind and started this whole shebang were, ‘Blur – Song 2’ and ‘Blondie – Hanging on the Telephone’. Then it sort of ran away from me at that point, and here we are now.

How far does one go? Top 10, top 20, top 30, top 50, top 100 and so forth. What to include, what to leave out? Does one go by merit or popularity? Does one go with sales or star status? Does one go by genre or gender? Does one go with vocals or instrumentals, groups or solo artists? Does one go with guitar‑‑centric or electronic? Does one go pure pop or not? Does one go with singles or album tracks? Does one go with personal preference or industry reputation? Does one go with British/American or global? My‑oh‑my, I had started something that was just gonna blow my brain or at least make it hurt a bit. What a conundrum. What a dilemma. How on Earth does one go about manoeuvring safely through this massive musical minefield?

Selecting such a small sample of just eight tracks of music to play on a desert island simply wouldn’t be enough for The CRAVEman. Even 100 would be cutting it thin but a ceiling has to be set somewhere. Despite the immense volume of available music (running into hundreds of millions on streaming platforms!), I’m always searching for ‘new’ music to listen to, so this was a challenging task. One presumes, at least for this exercise, that The CRAVEman doesn’t have access to Apple Music (or an alternative) while on CRAVE Island.

“I’ve been asked over the years to compile a list of desert–‑island discs. I couldn’t do that. If I was trapped on a desert island, I don’t think I’d want 10 songs to bring with me” – John Lydon (1956‑)

Defining the Selection Process

So, initially, one has to determine scale and scope. First – put an absolute limit on the list. Easily sorted, 100 it is. Second – come up with a set of ten sensible criteria through which one can select/eliminate a whole bunch of stuff (see below). Third – work on my own fallible subjectivity – it is my wish list after all. I abhor the idea of people including things just because they are ‘worthy’, rather than pleasurable (Oscar, take note!). Fourth – present it in a way that makes sense without being too arbitrary or confusing. That, on the surface, seems a sensible approach. Let’s see what the process came up with.

I decided from the start not to utilise any sort of ranking; selecting is one thing, ranking is a nightmare. I am 100% certain that readers will disagree with both the process and the outcome. However, it’s my article, so you can make up your own rules/lists to compensate for my perceived shortcomings and omissions.

“And those who were seen dancing, were thought to be insane, by those who could not hear the music” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844‑1900)

In order to generate a diverse playlist, the main criteria used were:

Only one track per artist
A wide spread of genres
A wide spread of decades/years
A mix of singles and album tracks
No dependence on commercial sales numbers
No reliance on industry structure, record labels or marketing
Not just the BIG names or celebrity status
Ignore others’ opinions of ‘best’, ‘essential’ or ‘quality’
No geographical restrictions
No ‘novelty’ songs

“Let’s hope I never end up on a deserted island, because I could never make a decision on which three CDs to take with me” – Willem Dafoe (1955‑)

As it worked out, the date range covered the 1960s to the 2010s inclusive. Six decades seems a helpful bracket for evaluating contemporary music and one that has been used before. The most frequent decades were the 1970s to the 1990s inclusive. This is perhaps because I was too young to appreciate fully the rock & roll (and earlier) era(s) and because I am too old (!?) to appreciate the most recent musical trends… or perhaps these were the peak decades for creative modern music.

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything” – Plato (c.428‑348BCE)

Now… 100 songs seems almost too easy and not in the real spirit of a ‘Desert Island Disc’ playlist, especially as last month the ‘Desert Island Vintage Guitar Gear’ was limited to just 10 items. In order to placate and pre‑empt that easy criticism, I have emboldened a ‘top 10’. If I was forced to choose, those are the ones I could most easily live with in the spirit of the article. It isn’t enough, of course, but this is just a hypothetical exercise after all. I also assume that the music is available on physical media, as Internet connection may prove particularly problematic on CRAVE Island.

Alternatively, if I could take anything with me to CRAVE Island, it would be my entire collection of reggae music but that now comprises at least a couple of thousand albums, so I don’t think it will be allowed to make the trip. Why reggae? The genre is so rich and diverse that there is always something different to appreciate, depending on mood. There, that is my underlying bias declared for your scrutiny. Oh, and reggae suits the hypothetical location well.

“A bird, music and food – desert island items” – Michael Johnson (1967‑)

To avoid the debatable value of ranking, I’ve gone for a chronological approach. Where there is more than one song from a year, they are presented in alphabetic order. Time for the waffle to end, let’s dive straight in and take a retrospective musical swim…

The CRAVEman’s ‘Top 100/10’ CRAVE Island Playlist

The 1960s (7):

Ben E. King	Stand by Me	1961
Del Shannon	Runaway	1961
Louis Armstrong	What a Wonderful World	1967
Velvet Underground	Venus in Furs	1967
Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band	Dropout Boogie	1967
Jimi Hendrix	All Along the Watchtower	1968
Fleetwood Mac	Albatross	1969

The 1970s (30):

Black Sabbath	Paranoid	1970
James Brown	Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine	1970
Neil Young	After the Gold Rush	1970
The Doors	Riders on the Storm	1971
Pink Floyd	Echoes	1971
Johnny Nash	I Can See Clearly Now	1972
T.Rex	20^th Century Boy	1973
The Isley Brothers	Summer Breeze	1974
Rolling Stones	It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)	1974
Bob Dylan	Hurricane	1974
Bob Marley & the Wailers	No Woman, No Cry (full live version)	1975
Roberta Flack	The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face	1975
Max Romeo	War Ina Babylon	1976
David Bowie	Heroes	1977
John Martyn	Small Hours	1977
Patti Smith	Because the Night	1977
Sex Pistols	Pretty Vacant	1977
The Stranglers	Peaches	1977
The Undertones	Teenage Kicks	1977
Blondie	Hanging on the Telephone	1978
Buzzcocks	Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)	1978
Dire Straits	Sultans of Swing	1978
Funkadelic	One Nation Under a Groove	1978
Kraftwerk	The Model	1978
Lee “Scratch” Perry	Roast Fish & Cornbread	1978
Steel Pulse	Klu Klux Klan	1978
Bauhaus	Bela Lugosi’s Dead	1979
The Clash	London Calling	1979
Joy Division	She’s Lost Control	1979
The Ruts	Babylon’s Burning	1979

The 1980s (22):

The Brothers Johnson	Stomp!	1980
Motörhead	Ace of Spades	1980
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)	Enola Gay	1980
Talking Heads	Listening Wind	1980
The Specials	Too Much Too Young	1980
Siouxsie And The Banshees	Spellbound	1981
The Teardrop Explodes	Reward	1981
George Thorogood	Bad to the Bone	1982
Gregory Isaacs	Night Nurse	1982
Robert Wyatt	Shipbuilding	1982
Rockers Revenge	Walking on Sunshine	1982
New Order	Blue Monday	1983
Public Image Ltd	This Is Not a Love Song	1983
ZZ Top	Bad Girl	1983
Pet Shop Boys	West End Girls	1984
Echo & The Bunnymen	People Are Strange	1988
Happy Mondays	W.F.L. (Wrote For Luck)	1988
Cowboy Junkies	Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)	1988
Transvision Vamp	I Want Your Love	1988
The Beloved	The Sun Rising	1989
The Cure	Love Song	1989
Stone Roses	Fool’s Gold	1989

The 1990s (26):

Depeche Mode	Enjoy the Silence	1990
Orbital	Satan	1990
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince	Summertime	1991
Nirvana	Smells Like Teen Spirit	1991
U2	Until the End of the World	1991
Radiohead	Creep	1992
Rage Against The Machine	Killing in the Name	1992
Stereo MC’s	Connected	1992
Cypress Hill	Insane in the Brain	1993
Portishead	Wandering Star	1994
Edwin Collins	A Girl Like You	1995
Everything But The Girl	Missing	1995
Garbage	Only Happy When It Rains	1995
Massive Attack	Karmacoma	1995
Pavement	Range Life	1995
The Prodigy	Breathe	1996
Blur	Song 2	1997
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	Into My Arms	1997
PJ Harvey	The Wind	1998
Placebo	Pure Morning	1998
Stardust	Music Sounds Better With You	1998
Chemical Brothers	Hey Boy Hey Girl	1999
Eminem	My Name Is	1999
Moby	Natural Blues	1999
Moloko	Sing it Back	1999
Suede	Electricity	1999

The 2000s (12):

Spiller	Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)	2000
Afroman	Because I Got High	2001
Four Tet	No More Mosquitoes	2001
Kylie Minogue	Can’t Get You Out of My Head	2001
Roger Sanchez	Another Chance	2001
Beck	Lost Cause	2002
X‑‑Press 2	Lazy	2002
Kasabian	Club Foot	2004
LCD Soundsystem	Daft Punk is Playing at My House	2005
Hot Chip	Ready for the Floor	2008
The Low Anthem	Charlie Darwin	2008
The xx	VCR	2009

The 2010s (3):

Warpaint	Undertow	2010
The Kills	Satellite	2011
Kurt Vile	Baby’s Arms	2011

“The only truth is music” – Jack Kerouac (1922‑1969)

That, my friends, is one heck of a varied mixtape, whether you agree with it or not. No doubt there are many obvious inclusions but also a few surprises. Everyone will have a different upbringing and, therefore, a different soundtrack to their lives. That is just as it should be. I don’t have any music heroes, so there is no artist veneration going on here. This is not purely a nostalgic exercise, it is also about the timelessness of great music that can still evoke emotions regardless of when it was created, who created it or when/where it is experienced. Music is inextricably linked with social change and is an integral part of human progress over the years. This article is but one miniscule attempt to document modern western culture through a selection of musical signposts.

You may well ask, “What, no Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, Queen or R.E.M.?” or, “What, no Tom Petty, Oasis, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Adele or Ed Sheeran?” Heresy! I hear you shriek indignantly! Nope. Not for this exercise. I am unrepentant. I will acknowledge that I’m in a minority and that the omissions mentioned are very highly renowned popular and commercial artists. They just didn’t make my final cut. Apologies for your irate infuriation but I’m afraid that’s your issue, not mine.

So, so many fantastic tracks didn’t make the final 100. Great tracks from artists like, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Marvin Gaye, Beastie Boys, Killers, and many, many more came in and out again, right up to the last minute before publication. It was almost an impossible task to represent a selection that I could live with in total isolation on an unidentified tropical island for an unknown period of time.

“Without music, life would be a mistake” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844‑1900)

To be totally honest, even 100 tracks wouldn’t satisfy a prolonged period of personal reflection on CRAVE Island. My passion for music isn’t just about repeating the past; it is also about discovering great new music from whatever period and looking to the future. Maybe a lot of that music won’t stand the test of time but it is great for ephemeral escapism. If that’s the case, how many tracks would be enough? Who knows? I don’t.

Even restricting the selection to a ‘top 10’ doesn’t bring the 21^st Century into much of a focus. No tracks from the last 15 years in fact. Sorry millennial musicians, you can’t quite make the grade. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t great music being made in the 2000s‑‑2020s, just that there is such strong competition from the last half of the 20^th Century.

“How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will” – Albert Einstein (1879‑1955)

Final Thoughts on the ‘Top 100/10 CRAVE Island Playlist’

As mentioned up front, this particular ‘Top 100’ and its ‘Top 10’ subset is entirely my own creation and constantly changing in the real world, so best regarded as a ‘moment in time’ snapshot. I don’t expect anyone to approve it and I’m not trying to influence anyone based on it. It is just a bit of harmless fun to bring some cathartic levity to a dangerously scary world.

One interesting observation is the proportion of songs that are guitar‑centric. Now that may not be surprising given my predilection for vintage guitars. However, it isn’t quite that simple. Much of the 1980s synth pop boom, the 1990s sampled hip‑hop explosion and the 1990s‑2000s EDM tsunami featured large in my own personal musical evolution but had little contribution from the humble guitar. Another observation is the low proportion of Jamaican reggae on the list, given my overt preference for the genre more generally. The aim here was for variety.

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain” – Bob Marley (1945‑1981)

The 2010s and 2020s are woefully unrepresented in this list. Perhaps this is my age or perhaps it is just a reflection on the banal sterility of much modern music in the 21^st Century. Probably a bit of both. Time, as ‘they’ say, will tell.

Going back to the spirit of ‘Desert Island Discs’, it only seems fair to contemplate what book and what luxury item one would also take. I guess I have to exclude anything to do with CRAVE Guitars and ‘The Distortion Diaries’, as that would be too easy and too contrived. So, what are the two things that one might pack for that hypothetical trip to CRAVE Island?

The CRAVE Island Book – The CRAVEman doesn’t have written language, so I’ll have to substitute. No pretention here. In a senseless, cruel world, I will return to the pure innocence and naiveté of childhood when adult failures had not yet corrupted one’s life experience. I am neither embarrassed nor ashamed to suggest a children’s book. There were several children’s books about which I can reminisce fondly, including the Moomin novels by Tove Jansson. On this occasion, I’m going with, ‘Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat’ (1942) by Ursula Moray Williams – the original version with illustrations by the author, not modern adaptations that have diluted the impact of the story. It is a simple tale of a witch’s cat that longs to be an ordinary kitchen cat. There is a lot that adults can learn from the moral lessons within this story, if we open our minds to accept them. I am a voracious reader of fiction and there are many examples of pretentious ‘worthy’ literature as well as entertaining popular novels that could be chosen. However, we all had to start that halcyon passage to open the doors of adult imagination somewhere. Simplicity epitomised.

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats” – Albert Schweitzer (1875‑1965)

The CRAVE Island Luxury Item – Seeing as The CRAVEman already has his vintage guitar gear with him, he needs something on which to listen to his selected playlist. Music is useless unless there is something on which to store, replay and listen to it. Remember the venerable Apple iPod (2001‑2022)? The iPod was the spiritual successor to the iconic Sony Walkman. Seeing as there must be an electrical supply for vintage guitar gear, I am assuming that it is possible to recharge said portable music listening device. I was tempted to use the same principle to justify a fully–loaded laptop that would provide music replay, as well as all the other things that a laptop can be used for, such as write my own books, record my own music, etc. The fundamental notion here is about going back‑‑to‑‑basics so, if I can’t have the multi‑purpose computing device, a humble iPod (with earbuds of course!) would be invaluable. I wish Apple would reissue the iPod for a new generation with a decent amount of storage.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” – Victor Hugo (1802‑1885)

A quick reflection on the idea of a solitary existence while contemplating being castaway on a deserted island. Some people cannot exist without other people and some cannot function without the external validation by others. Some people manipulate others or are manipulated by them. For some, other people are the means to establish and impose their status and material wealth. Some seek control and power over others. Some seek an audience, some are just desperate for attention and emotional attachment. I cannot abide competition or conflict (I am profoundly non‑confrontational). I abhor political mind games and trivial time wasters. In which case, I (and The CRAVEman) are the antithesis of all these things. I don’t care for social structures, I don’t seek tangible wealth or human companionship. To me, the desert island castaway way of life would be blissful seclusion, away from the wants, needs, demands, responsibilities and obligations of others. Whilst not quite exhibiting the severity of hikikomori, I am very content in the absence of other humans, in fact, I would prefer it. I believe in something bigger than myself, expressed by the infinity of the universe. Who needs people? Besides, I don’t like people very much. Seriously, I would sincerely be satisfied in serene solitude on my own isolated island. Bring it on.

Time for The CRAVEman to pack up his vintage gear as well as his CRAVE Island playlist gear and get back on the CRAVE Airlines plane back to ‘civilisation’ and CRAVE Town.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” – John Donne (1571‑1631)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

As The CRAVEman is still cast away on a tropical desert island this month, it seems apt to stick with a recording that evokes a sense of music that originated on a real tropical island. It also doesn’t feature in the list above. OK, so this example was actually by a UK band recorded in Belgium but it’s the music that really matters. This month’s accolade goes to…

Misty In Roots – Live At The Counter Eurovision 79 (1979): Misty In Roots is a British roots reggae band formed in 1975 in London, England. The live album was the band’s debut release and comprises seven tracks covering 37 minutes. It was recorded during the ’Counter Eurovision’ event, which was intended as a creative alternative to the popular mainstream Eurovision Song Contest (NB. hosted and won by Israel). The Counter Eurovision event took place in Brussels, Belgium on 31 March and 1 April, 1979. The album is widely regarded as one of the best live reggae albums of all time (up there with Bob Marley & The Wailers, ‘Live!’ (1975)). In 2025, a special edition was released to commemorate the album’s 50^th anniversary, followed by the band’s 50^th anniversary tour in 2026.

I have to admit that this particular album was played frequently after it was released and it remains a firm favourite today. I don’t believe that Misty In Roots has made a better album since, sadly. The production of subsequent studio albums couldn’t capture the raw passion of the band giving 100% on stage. It may not be strictly authentic Jamaican roots but it’s a darned fine reggae album nevertheless. Well worth tracking down.

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“The wise man makes an island of himself that no flood can overwhelm” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480‑400BCE)

Tailpiece

Another month, another article. I hope you found something in there to entertain you, just a little bit. We all need something to motivate us, to make us get up every morning, to keep going day after day in this brutal, fractured perverse world. If music has the power to heal, to evoke emotions and help to maintain our mental health, wellbeing and resilience, then it is something we all need right now, more than ever.

Once again, I have absolutely no idea what’s coming up next month. I guess we’ll all have to check in to find out, me included.

“Every island to a child is a treasure island” – P.D. James (1920‑2014)

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman, signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Hope is based on progress, resulting in a future that will be better than both the past and the present. Faith is that we will do it well”

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30 Mar 2026

March 2026 – CRAVE Island Castaway Part I: Vintage Gear

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

A WONDERFULLY WARM WELCOME to springtime great world citizens. Spring is my favourite season of the year. It signifies newness, rejuvenation, growth, freshness and the promise of warmer days and lighter evenings for a few months (at least here in the cool temperate region of the northern hemisphere). Nature is a wonderful thing and something not only to be valued but also marvelled at for its diversity and perpetuity. Without it, we’d be doomed. Talking of which…

Just when you thought the outright insanity of conflicted malevolent states couldn’t get any worse, wholesale recklessness won out and we have even worse devastation, many more dead innocents, instability and incalculable money irrevocably wasted on killing and destruction. I would argue that such precious resources should be used to advance humanity and solve the world’s inequalities. I am beginning to doubt that common sense will prevail any time soon, if ever. Yes, I am angry and, unfortunately, I am powerless to do anything about it. Civilisation needs civilised leaders. Humanity needs humane leaders. Society needs sane leaders. Communities need caring leaders. What we have in 2026 are not leaders, they are monsters; very, very real and very, very dangerous monsters. Take heed before it is too late for us all.

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime” – Ernest Hemmingway (1899‑1961)

This Month at CRAVE Guitars…

This time around, I had to do some simple soul‑searching and reach some sort of selection about what vintage gear I would choose if I only had a limited number of options.

For the record, I don’t like having to divide vintage gear into favourites and not favourites. It’s a bit like having to choose your favourite child. Each CRAVE instrument has been selected for its individual characteristics and each has its merits. Each one also has its detriments. I do not believe that there is a ‘perfect’ guitar. However, I set this challenge simply as a hypothetical exercise and the outcome may well be different tomorrow, next month, next year, etc.

From CRAVE Guitars’ modest vintage guitar gear ‘collection’, there are a few choice picks – guitars, a bass and effects that I keep going back to, enjoy playing, love the sound of, gaze at longingly just because they are beautiful objects and, importantly, ones that I have developed a particular and deep connection with over the years.

This article is a bit of a reprise. Kind of. Way, way back in September 2015, not long after CRAVE Guitars became a virtual as well as a real entity, I published an article, ‘My Top 10 Vintage Guitars (So Far)’. It is that bracketed pair of words that gives an entry point into reviewing that selection and updating it now, over a decade later. Back in 2015, I narrowed guitars down to makes and headline models, not specific variants, for instance Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster. Here is the link to the original 2015 Article (link opens in new browser tab)…

Article – September 2015 – My Top 10 Vintage Guitars (So Far)

This time, I’m going to be a bit more specific and a bit harsher. Now, the Top 10 covers not just guitars but also vintage guitars, basses, effects and amps. This article represents a narrower selection from a broader assortment. I couldn’t tell you how many items I had back in 2015 (or even now), but the overall totals have probably doubled – give or take – over the last 11 years.

“Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480‑400BCE)

The Rationale for the Article

I have chosen the ‘marooned on a tropical desert island’ approach here because it provides for a more positive decision‑making process, rather than the desperately negative ‘in a burning building, which one(s) would you save’. The latter, by definition, means that I would have to sacrifice the rest to irrevocable destruction (please forgive the split infinitive on this occasion), which I just couldn’t contemplate.

A tropical desert island may not be an ideal environment for conserving vintage gear, and securing a reliable and consistent electrical supply might prove challenging. This is therefore purely a case of conjecture and an exercise in entertainment. Welcome to CRAVE Island.

I’m sticking to a cap of 10 pieces of kit, simply as an arbitrary number. Choosing less would be overly restrictive, choosing more would basically be a broad reflection of the CRAVE Guitars family. A figure had to be set, so 10 it is.

Assuming that there are no perfect guitars means that all of the ones listed have their idiosyncrasies. So it is personal predilection that promotes the ‘chosen few’ to a considered conclusion. A selective approach may raise the question of whether the rest of CRAVE Guitars could be divested? Nope. I may consider trading up in a few cases because I want to, not because I have to.

Although I didn’t need to, I have used The CRAVEman as a vehicle to emphasise the nonsense of the concept in the first place. Rather than carry out this task at his home community of CRAVE Town in CRAVEland (see the November 2025 article, ‘The CRAVEman Cometh… Back’), The CRAVEman is embarking on a two‑month solo offshore excursion to the remote tropical desert destination of CRAVE Island. Ridiculous? Of course! Delusional? Obviously! C’mon, what did you expect?

As usual AI was used to generate The CRAVEman’s images this month. No AI was used for the narrative and the vintage guitar images are 100% genuine. This month’s ‘quotes of wisdom’ are about desert island life.

“You can’t totally rebel, otherwise you have to go live on your own, on a desert island. It’s as simple as that” – Patrick McGoohan (1928‑2009)

The CRAVEman’s Top Ten Desert Island Vintage Gear

So, with just 10 pieces of gear to pack and transport to the metaphorical paradise of CRAVE Island, it was as difficult job deciding what to take and what to leave behind. However, having determined the criteria, one has to comply with the rules. Without further ado, here are ‘the chosen few’ (in alphabetic order – links open in new browser tab)…

1965 Fender Jaguar – There is something gloriously captivating about Fender’s offsets whether the Jaguar or its sibling the Jazzmaster, and even the Electric XII or Bass VI. Leo got it spot on with this design. It was a very close run between the Jaguar and Jazzmaster. The Jaguar edged ahead because of its more striking aesthetic and, because I have short stubby fingers, the shorter scale just suits my hands better. The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is sublime. Oh, it feels so good to play and it sounds exquisite, edging out the Jazzmaster for me… just. While I’d love a custom colour, the standard 3‑colour sunburst still looks gorgeous. It is a bit on the heavy side and the vibrato/bridge takes a bit of getting used to but such foibles are easily tolerated.

Feature – 1965 Fender Jaguar

1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline – The original mass produced solid body electric guitar launched in 1951, the Telecaster, is an undoubted and enduring classic. This year is its 75^th anniversary and the archetype remains largely unchanged to this day. The 1970s saw several variants like the Telecaster Deluxe, Custom and the utterly stunning Thinline, my personal favourite. It just looks so ‘right’ with its single f‑hole (it is only part hollowed out), the natural finish, a groovy pearloid pickguard and those amazing wide range Seth Lover‑designed humbucking pickups. The latter really make the Telecaster Thinline sound grown up and fundamentally different from its workhorse progenitor. I prefer rosewood fingerboards but on this guitar, maple works very nicely thank you and it feels just as right as it looks and sounds. It’s light, functional and organic as well as beautiful.

Feature – 1972 Fender Telecaster Thinline

1963 Gibson ES‑330 – Gibson has released several ES (Electric Spanish) guitars over the decades (going back to the original ES‑150 in 1936). However, it was the thinline ES‑335 that really broke the semi‑acoustic into the contemporary mainstream, where it is considered a flexible workhorse suited to most styles. However, for my money, it is the 335’s close relative, the fully hollow ES‑330 that won me over. It is lighter and more resonant than the heavier centre‑block 335 and its pair of wonderful P90 pickups set it apart with its own distinctive voice. OK, so the neck joins the body at the 16^th rather than the 335’s 19^th fret but who cares when the rest of the package is so wonderful. It is a breeze to play. Even the factory Bigsby vibrato suits the image and it stays in tune. It may feedback in high gain, high sound pressure level environments but those don’t really exist anymore. As a result, the ES‑330 is rightly being re‑evaluated. Oh and it looks the part – one of the prettiest guitar designs out there.

Feature – 1963 Gibson ES‑330

1982 Gibson Explorer CMT – I have said on many occasions that the Gibson Explorer is probably my favourite solid body guitar. They are far better than the one‑trick pony image that one might think them to be. Original Explorers from the 1950s and early 1960s are mouth wateringly expensive, so it is the subsequent reissues that make the grade here. CRAVE Guitars has five (!) Explorers and they are all great in their own ways. My choice, though, is the first one I acquired, the stunningly beautiful CMT (not E2, as on the truss rod cover) with its single piece flame maple sunburst top and ebony fingerboard. It is seriously heavy, which is possibly its only notable drawback. It is probably not a go‑to guitar for a function band but for that’s an irrelevancy. Just as well I don’t play in one then. The renowned Gibson ‘Dirty Fingers’ humbucking pickups balance power and finesse spectacularly well. If this were a car, it would be a V8 Ford Mustang.

Feature – 1982 Gibson Explorer CMT

1968 Gibson SG Standard – Back in 2015, I selected CRAVE Guitars’ Gibson SG Junior with its wonderfully gritty single P90 pickup and baseball bat neck. Now, in 2026, the Junior was up against the SG Standard, another guitar that looks so ‘right’ and feels even better. The Standard doesn’t deliver the raw, visceral inspiration of the Junior but what it does bring to the table is more refinement and versatility. The ‘devil horns’ are still evocative and modern looking over 60 years after it was introduced as a Les Paul Model replacement in 1961. Upper fret access is possibly the best of any mainstream Gibson, making the mahogany neck potentially vulnerable. The SG Standard is light, resonant and, while a touch neck heavy, it is a joy to play, sounds fabulous and looks the part with its great cherry finish. For all of that, the Standard edged out the Junior. Just.

Feature – 1968 Gibson SG Standard

1962 National Glenwood 95 – Sometimes a guitar comes along that breaks the rules in more than one way. In the early 1960s, National released a fibreglass (Res‑o‑Glas) hollow body with single coil pickups and a stunning futuristic/retro design, loosely based on the outline of the lower 48 US states. Just look at those ‘butterfly’ fingerboard inlays too. Purists will condemn it for its lack of a tone wood body and ‘classic’ pickups, but they are missing the point. National dared to be different and, in my view, succeeded. It was brazen and radical and all the better for it. Not only does it look superb, it also plays very nicely despite not having an adjustable truss rod. No tone wood. No problem. Not here anyway. Perhaps the pickups can sound a bit lean compared to the best (not great for heavy metal!) but who’s arguing? Stunning.

Feature – 1962 National Glenwood 95

1978 Music Man Stingray Bass – Onto CRAVE Basses. 2026 is the 50^th anniversary of the Music Man Stingray bass. Yep, almost unbelievable. Music Man is what Leo Fender did after he sold the company that bears his name and had fulfilled his contractual obligation not to do anything else for 10 years after selling Fender to CBS. The Stingray may bear some resemblance to the Fender Precision but it is a very different beast with its single humbucking bridge pickup and active on‑board electronics. After a brief period, Leo moved on to G&L and Music Man was bought out by Ernie Ball. The Stingray, however is still going strong today with a solid and enviable reputation amongst professional bass players and enthusiasts alike. It is a great funky bass that still stands out from the crowd and sits head and shoulders above many of its peers. I bought this one from the UK importer before it ever reached retail, so I am still the original owner. Very cool.

Feature – 1978 Music Man Stingray Bass

1977 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi – Moving onto CRAVE Effects, my all‑time favourite effect pedal is probably the EHX Big Muff Pi. I have owned this one from new and its all‑out manic signature fuzz is just insane with massive amounts of awesome personality. There was, and still is, nothing quite like a (vintage) Big Muff. It sounds just superb and suits my weird musical tastes to a tee. Subtle it is not. It sounds even better when it interacts with other effects like a cool (Electro‑Harmonix) flanger and echo (a.k.a. analogue delay – see below). Think of Ernie Isley’s guitar solo from, ‘Summer Breeze’ (1974) by The Isley Brothers and you begin to get the idea. Marvellously mad and crazily kooky from Electro‑Harmonix’s pioneering founder Mike Matthews, based in New York City since 1968.

Feature – 1977 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi

1977 Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man – Like the EHX Big Muff Pi above, I have owned this superb all‑analogue ‘bucket‑brigade device’ Deluxe Memory Man delay pedal since new. It pairs with the fuzz in an almost symbiotic fashion. This list is limited, otherwise I would also have included the Electro‑Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger. If you want far out psych, organically natural echo or dubby atmospherics, the Memory Man is there for you. It is easily pushed into OTT regeneration. OK, so the delay is limited to around 300‑400ms – short by today’s digital standards. It sounds organic and doesn’t provide pristine digital delay but when it sounds this good, it’s not really an issue. For me, the Deluxe Memory Man is an indispensable creative tool in a hypothetical desert island situation.

Feature – 1977 Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man

1973 Fender Princeton Reverb – While the diminutive single channel hand‑wired valve amp with its 10” speaker is almost perfect for guitar, it isn’t really robust enough to take on the Music Man Bass. However, as this is a make‑believe scenario, that’s kinda irrelevant. The Fender Princeton has a long history dating back to 1946 and it came with or without reverb. For me, the reverb is a ‘good to have’ facility along with the (rather weak) tremolo (erroneously called vibrato). I don’t care that it has the 1970s’ ‘silverface’ control panel, I really don’t. For me, it is the ideal small amp and only just beats the Music Man 210 Sixty‑Five. It is small, (relatively) light and sounds absolutely fantastic. Pushing a small Fender valve amp into overdrive can sound just as satisfying as a Marshall stack in the right setting and far more portable. It may not be the loudest amp out there but it is an organically dynamic masterpiece.

Feature – 1973 Fender Princeton Reverb

So there you go, a worthy ‘Top 10’ of vintage gear comprising 6 guitars, 1 bass, 2 effects and 1 amp. While I would have preferred to take all of CRAVE Guitars’ vintage gear to CRAVE Island, the selection arguably represents the pinnacle of the ‘collection’, at least at the time of writing. I expect that the selection would be different at a different time and will no doubt be different(‑ish) at some point in the future when this exercise is (possibly) repeated in another decade or so. In the meantime, I’d better start looking for a power socket.

Interestingly, things haven’t changed that much from 2015. Back then, I selected the following 10 guitars:

Gibson SG
Gibson Explorer
Fender Telecaster
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang
Gibson Firebird
Fender Stratocaster
Gibson Melody Maker
Gibson ES‑330

A little bit of consistency was probably to be expected and quite notable. This time, it was even harder as there was a smaller number of guitars selected from a much larger number of possible options. Back in 2015, the article was all about guitars and didn’t cover basses, effects or amps. Eleven years ago, there simply wasn’t CRAVE Basses, CRAVE Effects or CRAVE Amps, so things have definitely moved on a bit and for the better.

The ‘top ten’ aren’t the rarest or most valuable CRAVE Guitars. That wasn’t the objective or one of the criteria used. Cool and rare to a point – monetary value simply isn’t important to me, except when buying of course. Many critics might condemn the selection because there isn’t a Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul or Fender Bass. I’m OK with that – after all, it is my selection. No blasphemy here folks. Make up your own scenarios to satisfy your own predispositions.

“Living in a society, instead of on a desert island, does not relieve a man of the responsibility of supporting his own life” – Ayn Rand (1905‑1982)

Final Thoughts about The CRAVEman’s Top Ten Desert Island Vintage Gear

This article has focused on guitars, basses, effects and amps drawn from CRAVE Guitars’ ‘collection’. This might not reflect what my ‘top ten’ might be if the pool from which the selection was made was much, much larger. What if I could choose any ten items regardless of whether I owned them or not? What would that ‘top ten’ be? How would it differ?

Well, that is speculative and therefore irrelevant to this exercise, so I’m not going there at this point. How could I possibly say what would be my ideal when I don’t have access to the items or have the opportunity to build a working relationship with them? One might have some ideal aspiration, only to find out that there would be no synergy with it. Relying on some sort of unjustified anticipation of what something may be like is no guarantee of anything at all. An ideal might turn out to be a great disappointment, while something seemingly innocuous may turn out to be a complete revelation. That, my good people, is part of the fascination with vintage guitar gear and why I love it as much as I do.

“The heart of a man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths, it has its pearls too” – Vincent Van Gogh (1853‑1890)

There are plenty of instruments on CRAVE Guitars’ ‘most wanted’ list but just how essential are those desirables to achieving some sort of nirvana or personal actualisation? I would posture that it is impossible to say definitively. I am very content with what I have and very grateful to be in the fortunate position to possess what I already own. I am humble in the midst of abundance. Any further additions to CRAVE Guitars/Basses/Effects/Amps, I would now regard as ‘icing on the cake’.

Thus, I don’t think I want to enter into any sort of speculation as to what any sort of theoretical ‘top ten’ might be or whether it would be hugely different anyway. I might return to explore the whys and wherefores of some ‘most wanted’ vintage gear at some point in the future.

Just a thought… How did The CRAVEman end up on a desert island in the first place, you may well ask? Why? And how did he get home again? Well, if you’ve seen The CRAVEman in action before, you’ll know that the concept of the Stone Age Rock God requires a significant suspension of disbelief on the part of the onlooker. The foundational basis of The CRAVEman is plainly ridiculous in the first instance, so how could anyone be surprised in the slightest about what el jefe does?

As previously mentioned, the hyper‑fictional escapades of The CRAVEman are presented purely for your amusement, even if the core basis of the article is more serious, factual and impartial. The CRAVEman images may be AI generated and all the errors and inconsistencies within them are part and parcel of his fanciful virtual existence. Just go with the flow and it’s more fun. Please. Everything else is real.

“What a splendid king you’d make of a desert island – you and you alone” – Sophocles (c.497/496‑406/405BCE)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

In Part II of this series, I will be exploring what music The CRAVEman might listen to on his tropical desert island. What I don’t want to do is to pre‑empt that exercise now, so here I shall select an album that exudes the almost‑spiritual and evocative vibes that would be fitting for the confinement and solitude of CRAVE Island. Given that premise, it was quite easy to select some appropriate Jamaican reggae. Desert island music, I believe, needs something upbeat, positive, uplifting and profoundly conscious in its underlying messages. It is a very familiar album for once – I don’t usually go for popular, commercially successful mainstream albums – and still a great one. This month’s accolade goes to…

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (1977): ‘Exodus’ was the ninth studio album from Robert Nesta Marley (1945‑1981) and his band, released in June 1977 on Island Records. It may not be a perfect studio album but one with so many highpoints that the overall impact is entirely positive. The original album is slight, at just 10 tracks covering 37 minutes. The opening track, ‘Natural Mystic’ provides a sublime entry point, leading into many other gems of faith, political and emotional treasure. The title track closes the first ‘half’ of the album. Marley’s close associates, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had left the band in 1974, leaving Bob Marley as the main focus. Strangely, ‘Exodus’ was not recorded in Kingston, Jamaica but in London, UK, following a failed assassination attempt in 1976 when Marley was shot in a home invasion that forced him to leave his homeland temporarily. It was this album that effectively launched Bob Marley to international stardom, creating a genuine legend in the process.

An atmospheric album that is just right for a balmy desert island beach at dusk after the sun has set and just as the stars begin to blink into visibility, the sky prismatic and incandescent above the horizon of a tranquil moonlight‑reflected sea. Some reggae can be transcendent and that is the case with this month’s masterpiece from a genuine Jamaican icon. The author was lucky enough to visit Jamaica in 2008 and can testify to the idyll, as well as to the day‑to‑day challenges that the Jamaican population face. Irie mon.

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever” – Jacques Cousteau (1910‑1997)

Tailpiece

I hope you’ve enjoyed a reflective trip into a fabricated tropical paradise where The CRAVEman passes his time with some of his precious vintage gear for company. Personally, it is a situation that I wouldn’t mind experiencing myself. Seclusion as a lifestyle choice is something to be treasured and protected. I would relish it. The reality of survival on a deserted island in the tropics, as one might expect, is not the heaven‑on‑Earth utopia one might wish for. Thus, it is purely a notional creation for your enjoyment.

“Nature once determined how we survive. Now we determine how nature survives” – David Attenborough (1926‑)

As the title of this article suggests, this is part one of two complementary pieces. While this one looked at vintage guitar gear, used to create music, the next one will take a selection of existing music and use it to compile a desert island playlist for The CRAVEman to enjoy when he isn’t playing his own compositions. We will return to CRAVE Island and I hope you’ll return for part two.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman, signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “And so the wind blows and the rain pours down on the wicked and good alike”

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